Discover smiths falls hometown news, august 2015

Inside This Issue

RIDE FOR LOCAL VETERANS A preview of a unique fundraising event making its way through Smiths Falls this month.

READ MORE PAGE #5

lifestyle

Skateboard JAM in Smiths Falls pg. 10

Council at standstill over future of bridge

BY AMY HOGUE

Confederation Bridge was the topic of lengthy discussion at yet another Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting on Monday, July 27, as council debated whether or not to remove the decking before winter, and possibly preserve the pedestrian walkway.

Councillors Jay Brennan and Chris Cummings were in agreement to wait to make any decisions until a Traffic Impact Study has been received by council.

“Until I see a traffic study I don’t see how we can decide tonight,” Brennan said at the outset of the meeting.

Confederation Bridge

was closed May 29 due to safety concerns after an inspection by engineering firm Greer Galloway Group revealed significant corrosion of the structure. At the outset council was in agreement to defer a decision on the bridge until funds were available to either repair or replace the structure, but that was changed at a June 15 meeting, when Greer Galloway representative, Scott Poole, told council that if the decking were left on the bridge, snow accumulation through the winter could exceed the maximum weight re c om m e n d at i on .

In the July 27 report to council, Poole said if

left intact through the winter, snow removal would have to be performed by hand, with a maximum of four people on the bridge at any one time, and that snow accumulation shouldn’t exceed 0.3 metres, or about one foot.

The report recommended a traffic impact study be completed, saying one was previously completed for Confederation Bridge in March 2012. The information from that study could be used in conjunction with a new traffic assessment to give council a more complete overview of traffic impacts from the bridge closure.

“I’m not going to

make any decisions about the bridge without the traffic study,” Councillor Chris Cummings said, “This decision has to be based on science and not emotion.”

One of the options brought forward again in the report was to remove the deck of the current bridge, which the report stated “could have the potential benefit of increasing the pedestrian capacity of the walkway while reducing winter maintenance.”

The report noted this option would require further analysis and possibly repairs in the neighbourhood of $70,000.

Councillor Joe Gallipeau pointed out wheth-

er or not the decking is removed now or later won’t change the cost or the need for the removal, but pointed out that if it’s done now it could open up the pedestrian walkway for foot traffic in the meantime.

Mayor Shawn Pankow agreed with Gallipeau, saying the decking needs to be removed either way, whether the bridge is repaired, replaced, or left in place over the winter. able fix to remove the asphalt and decking ASAP and then re-evaluate,” Pankow said, “We can determine what the long term future is later.”

Story continued on pg. 6.

Allison Graham shares her unexpected trip of a lifetime with her father.

PAGE #11

culture A preview of the Festival of Small Halls this month featuring the East Pointers.

PAGE #14

community A local medicinal marijuanna clinic hopes to eliminate stigma surrounding the drug.

PAGE #3

FIND US ONLINE www.DiscoverSmithsFalls.ca

Facebook/DiscoverSmithsFalls Twitter/Discover_SF

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Page Two

Community Events August Dec. 19 2

Family Fun Community Bingo at the ChristRCAF ••2nd Annual HallRun on Abbott Street from 1 p.m. mas - Leaving from Coffee until 4 p.m.

Culture, 6:00 p.m.

august 8

• Holiday Movie Night- Rise of• Voyageur the Guardians - Smiths Canoe Races Falls in Lower Civitan Club, 7:00 p.m.

Reach Park • Jewel’s Gently Used Clothing Bag Sale. 18 William St. E.

August Dec. 22 15

RaceHorton’s The Runway the Smiths • Tim Free at Skate, Youth Arena, 1:00 p.m.

Falls Airport from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.

• Rideau Ferry Regatta Aug 15-16 • Holly Days Children Workshop.

Heritage House Museum. 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

•• Tim Ice Cream andFree TeaSkate, Party Youth at the Horton’s Heritage House Arena, 1:00 p.m.Museum from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Dec. 23

August 19

august 13 • Saved By The Bell Cemetary Tour Dec. 24, 25 & 26 Dec. 20 from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Wood • Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, August 21 • Santa at the County Fair Mall, and Maplevale Cemetaries

Dayat:)the Railway Museum •Boxing Trainfest of Eastern Ontario

1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Dec. 21

jan. 2, 2015

• Santa at the County Fair Mall, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m • Legion Jamboree - Smiths Falls Canadian Legion Branch 95, 1:00 - 6:30 p.m.

• Movie & Skate - Smiths Falls Youth Arena, 4:50 - 8:00 p.m.

• Tim Horton’s Free Skate, Youth Arena, 1:00 p.m.

jan. 5 ONGOING

• Taoist Tai Chi Open House Week at the Seniors Activity Centre, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

AUGUST 14-16, 21-23: “A Little Princess” at the Station Theatre. Various Showtimes per day.

EVERY WEEKDAY ALL MONTH: Drop-in activities for kids at the Gerry Lowe Rink of Dreams between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.

YOGA IN THE PARK: FREE ADMISSION

pdg media

Come out Sunday mornings for a FREE yoga class along the canal. Hosted by Yoga and Wellness Weather Permitting, Centennial Park.

8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

PUBLIC SWIMMING FOR ALL AGES AT THE HUB 361 Queen St. in the Gallipeau Centre

Publisher

EditoRial

Patricia Krotki

Cassie Aylward

pmkrotki@pdgmedia.ca

editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Reporters:

photographers:

Amy Hogue

Jason Code

amy@pdgmedia.ca Kathy Botham kathybotham25@gmail.com

Mondays - 6-7 p.m.; Tuesdays - 6-7 p.m.; Fridays 6-7 p.m.; Saturdays - 2-3:30 p.m.

Cost: Drop In Pricing or Membership Fee apply

Sunday ladies dart league Every Sunday - 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. - RCAFA Hall

MONDAY DUPLICATE BRIDGE Held at the Royal Canadian Legion every Monday evening at 7:00 p.m.

MONDAY BID EUCHRE Held at the Royal Canadian Legion every Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the Canadian Room.

TUESDAY NIGHT BINGO Smiths Falls Civitan Hall, Doors open at 5:45 p.m. Bingo starts at 7:00 p.m.

THURSDAY NIGHT BINGO Smiths Falls Legion in the Lancaster Hall, 7:00 p.m.

FRIDAY NIGHT BINGO Rotary Collegiate Hall, 2 Gould St. 7:00 p.m.

WALKING CONCOURSE Smiths Falls Memorial Center open 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. 7 days a week

MIXED DARTS Every Thursday from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the RCAFA Hall on Abbott St. New Players welcome.

Smiths Falls Police Watch FAMILY DISPUTE LEADS TO CRIMINAL CHARGES Smiths Falls Police arrested a charged a 25 year old after a family dispute July 2. The investigation lead to charges of assault, mischief, utter threats and breaches of previous release conditions.

The male was held for show cause.

DOMESTIC DISPUTE LEADS TO CRIMINAL CHARGES Police responded to a reported domestic disturbance, investigation revealed a female occupant had been assaulted another female in a relationship dispute.

A 26-year-old female was arrested and charged with assault and later release on a promise to appear.

WEAPONS BRANDISHED Two males have been charged after police responded to a call of weap-

ons being brandished in a dispute between two groups in the downtown core.

They were released on conditions to answer to the charges at a later date.

IMPAIRED DRIVER NABBED On July 8, Police officers noticed an erratic driver. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was arrested and charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle.

The 56-year old male from Alliston Ontario was later released on a Promise to Appear.

ASSAULT AT LOCAL ESTABLISHMENT Three men, all under 18 years of age, have been arrested and charged with assault after police responded to a reported assault at a downtown establishment July 9.

They were all later released on a promise to appear to answer to the charges at a later date.

INTOXICATED FEMALE FOUND WITH DRUGS A 22-year-old woman is facing public intoxication and possession of a controlled substance charges after police were called to a local bar for reports of a woman intoxicated in public July 9.

YOUTH CAUGHT BREAKING INTO VEHICLES A 15-year-old boy has been charged with attempt theft, trespass at night, and possession of stolen property after police were called on reports on vehicles being broken into July 10.

FEMALE ASSAULTS BOYFRIEND A 20-year-old Smiths Falls woman has been charged with domestic assault after police responded to a call of a domestic dispute. Upon arrival, police found a man had been assaulted by a female.

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community Perth cannabis clinic looks to remove stigma BY: AMY HOGUE

Patients in need of medicinal marijuana will find obtaining their much-needed prescriptions a little bit easier, following the opening of Medi-Green Cannabis Clinic, just outside Perth. One of only a handful of similar clinics across Canada, Medi-Green is working to bridge the gap between medicinal marijuana patients and the prescriptions needed to alleviate their symptoms.

Medi-Green functions by providing patients with access to cannabis-knowledgeable doctors who will prescribe medicinal marijuana under Canada’s Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations program (MMPR).

Medi-Green’s service assists patients with navigating the bureaucracy necessary to receive needed prescriptions, as well as working with strains and dosages for optimal patient benefits.

“Our job is to facilitate with doctors that will prescribe the medicine, and give safe access to marijuana for people with medical issues,” says Medi-Green clinic owner, Trevor Hands, “We’re not snake charmers. We’re legit.”

In addition to assisting patients in obtaining the needed prescriptions, staff at the clinic can also assist patients with identifying the strain of cannabis that would be most beneficial to them, as well as what dosage would be optimal, depending on their condition, according to marketing director and office manager, Shannon Murray-O’Neill.

According to the Medi-Green website, some of the conditions which may benefit from medicinal marijuana include Alzheimers, anxiety, cancer, chronic nausea, chronic pain, diabetes, eating disorders, fibromyalgia, head injury, hepatitis C, migraines and sleep disorders.

Although there exists synthetic marijuana substitutes doctors can prescribe, they aren’t the same as the real thing, according to Hands. He says although on paper the two forms of marijuana prescrip-

Medi-Green Cannabis Clinic Office Manager and Marketing Director, Shannon Murray-O’Neill stands with clinic CEO and owner, Trevor Hands, in front of the clinic’s Sproule Road location, just outside of Perth.

tions, dried and synthetic, appear the same, without heat to activate the THC and CBC, the benefits aren’t as noticeable.

“Without the heat transfer, they can’t mimic it,” Hands said.

A recent Open House for the clinic brought surprising results for Hands.

Staff found more than 40 prospective patients who attended the open house came from an older demographic, between 50 and 80 years old, with an average age of 52. One of the main concerns for patients, Hands says, was concern for where the marijuana was coming from, and not the legality of its possession.

According to Hands, two people will react very differently from the same dosage of cannabis, making dosaging and strains important. Hands pointed to high CBD cannabis as being something that would work well for patients with epilepsy, neurological disorders, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson, while patients suffering from depression could find more benefit from a strain with a higher THC and CBD cross.

Hands explained that by purchasing medicinal marijuana, patients are guaranteed the quality of the product and ex-

actly what concentration they will be receiving. Hands said although there is a fee for the clinic’s services, his goal is for Medi-Green to be a free clinic at some point in the future, but noted that “we’re not there yet.”

Hands credits the support the clinic receives from suppliers, called Licensed Commercial Producers (LCP), as being instrumental in obtaining the best results for patients.

“We’re still learning,” Murray-O’Neill said, “we have people we can call, we’re learning as we go.”

One of the people Hands relies on is nurse practitioner, Mike Bingley, a resource Hands calls “the best nurse practitioner in Eastern Ontario.” Bingley serves as a liaison for the clinic, and assists staff with any questions they may have with dosages and prescription conflicts.

“Mike’s our voice in medicine, Hands said. “If we have situations that are beyond us, we call him.”

Medi-Green Clinic can assist patients from anywhere across Canada, and charges a $299 annual fee half of which is refunded should a patient be unable to obtain a prescription through the clinic.

According to Hands, only 30 per cent of the patients they’ve seen at the clinic haven’t been accepted by doctors, most commonly because of a lack of supporting documentation. Supporting documentation would include prescription printouts or diagnosis. Hands pointed out there are only six cannabis doctors in Canada, and the clinic uses two of those for their patient’s care.

“We help patients fill in forms online and gather their supporting documents, and set them up on skype with cannabis coach and then from there with a doctor,” Murray-O’Neill said.

Cannabis costs between $3 and $35 per gram, with a maximum prescription of three to five grams per day. Compassionate pricing is available for those patients with an income below $29,000. Medicinal marijuana can be ingested, vaporized, drank in tea, or used as a topical cream, depending on a patient’s condition.

“The next five years we’re going to see a lot of changes,” Hands said of the medicinal marijuana situation in Canada.

The topic of medicinal marijuana is a personal one for Hands. He says he understands first-hand the difference alternative treatments like medicinal marijuana can make in patient’s lives. Hands’ younger brother, Chad Thomas Hands, suffered from grand mal epilepsy and spina bifida before passing away at six years old.

Hands was nine at the time.

Hands said opening the clinic has given him the opportunity to bring the kind of life-altering treatment that would have benefitted his brother to other patients.

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From left to right: Trevor Hands, Medi-Green CEO and owner; Shannon Murray-O’Neill, Office Manager and Marketing Director; Holly Hulbert, Tweed Medical Outreach Educator; and Mike Bingley, consultant.

allwaysmovingdelivery.ca info@allwaysmovingdelivery.ca

august 2015

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community

Invasive weed found in Smiths Falls can cause long-term burns and blindness

Wild Parsnip is now in 90 percent of all Lanark County road allowances and it’s spreading into fields and yards.

By Howaida Sorour-Roberts

A Perth woman, who works in Smiths Falls, has been told she’ll have to avoid direct sun for three years after an unlikely encounter with wild parsnip while riding her motorbike.

“My doctor’s best guess is that I must have ridden past someone that was mowing their ditch as I was driving by,” said Mary Lyn Boles, hairstylist at Body FX in Smiths Falls.

It was a perfect day for a bike ride, sunny and dry but by the time Boles got home one side of her face was swollen, red and burning. Her encounter, while nasty, wasn’t direct contact “I was out weed-whacking at the edge of my property on a Saturday and didn’t really feel anything until the next day when I took my dog for a walk and it was sunny,” said Connor Murray, a Russell, On resident. The sun’s UV rays activated the residual sap on his skin.

Murray ended up with one by two inch angry blisters on his arms.

“They were bubbly open sores by Monday. Now 11 days later they’re just starting to scab over,” said Murray.

“Poison ivy is more comfortable than this, it’s a breeze by comparison.

I’ve never felt anything quite like this before.”

Wild parsnip sap has a chemical that when exposed to sunlight causes chemical burns on the skin or phyto-photodermatitis.

The effects of the toxin may not be felt right away, but once activated by UV light, it binds with skin cells and causes lesion and blisters similar to burns. Besides severe skin burns the sap can have far more serious effects.

“Our residents need to be aware and not allow their children to go near it, as it can cause temporary and permanent blindness and severe burns that leave scars,” says Terry McCann, director of public works Lanark County.

The burns are extremely painful according to those who have experienced it.

“In the sun it feels like a burn on top of a blister and someone slapped it,” says Heather Child, proprietor Geronimo Coffee Shop in Kemptville.

The discomfort was severe enough, that Child can remember it vividly even 10 years after her own encounter with it while picking asparagus on a farm outside Kemptville.

Back then, wild parsnip was relatively rare, but over the past ten years it has spread aggressively.

“Today it’s in 90 percent of our county road allowances,” says McCann.

It’s spreading into fallow fields and is clearly visible in ditches all over this region and into Quebec.

“It’s widely prevalent in Lanark, Leeds and Grenville,” says Dr. Paula Stewart, Lanark, Leeds Grenville Health Unit.

In January of this year the Ontario government declared wild parsnip a Noxious Weed.

“When that happens, the Weed Act kicks in,” McCann says.

That means that upper and

Letter To The Editor : Mayor Shawn Pankow I am a resident of Montague Township but I hope you will consider my comments on policing.

On May 23, I watched a Smiths Falls Police Officer help my neighbour who suffered life threatening injuries from a rotor-tiller. This officer kept the area clear of cars for the air ambulance for 45 minutes from the time of the accident until he was airlifted. No OPP car arrived.

When Thom Irvine passed away after being hit

by a drunk driver on Highway 29 just two years ago the Smiths Falls Police officers came and caught the driver who left the scene of this accident. No OPP car arrived until well after the driver had been arrested.

A Plane landed in the backyard of a town employee who lives in Montague Township just a year ago and no OPP car arrived.

Where are the OPP? These are 911 life and death emergencies and no OPP arrived.

This whole area is policed

by OPP but they don’t ar-

lower tier municipal governments are required to act. This year Lanark County started a pilot-spraying program to try and contain the spread of the weed.

“On Highway 43 from Smiths Falls to Merrickville we sprayed Clearview herbicide, but wild parsnip is still there, because we can’t spray too close to the fence lines, so you can still see the plants at the edge of our spraying that only got partially sprayed, and the stems are brown,” said McCann.

The herbicide has been reviewed by Public Health Ontario, and has also passed reviews in the U.S. and Europe. Stewart says it kills the plants quickly, but has not effect on humans or animals.

The herbicide does not affect insects either.

It’s beneficial to bees in so far as it kills the invasive weed leaving room for plants that bees like, according to Stewart.

It does have a negative effect or some aquatic organisms.

“We don’t spray within 10 meters of water that may be habitat for any aquatic organisms The problem is the speed with which this plant spreads.

“A single plant can put out around a 1,000 seeds,” said Stewart.

Now that the Weed Act is in force farmers or horticultural businesses that have wild parsnip growing in fallow fields or unmaintained areas could get slapped with orders

to clear it off their land.

“We do have an order out in Mississippi Mills right now,” said McCann.

According to McCann, while spraying is an effective way to control wild parsnip along ditches, residents and farmers can control the wild parsnip in their yards or the edges of their property by mowing it down regularly starting in spring.

“That way it won’t get tall enough to affect you,” said McCann.

Nonetheless, the ex-

will depend on just how much sap gets onto the skin, and how long it gets exposed to sunlight before it gets washed off with soap and water explained Stewart.

Wild parsnip has been around for some time. It was, according to McCann, brought over to Canada by European settlers for its edible white taproot.

Wild parsnip is part of the carrot family, but very efficient at propagating itself through

Mary Lyn Boles did not have direct contact with the wild parsnip. She thinks she drove past someone weed whacking along a road side as she drove by on her motorcycle.

perts say you should prevent getting the sap on exposed skin.

“After my experience I’ll be covering up really well before I do any weed whacking,” said Murray.

It’s also important to be aware that the plants are more dangerous at certain times of the year.

“There is more sap in the leaves and stems when it’s flowering - like right now,” said Stewart.

The severity of burns

prolific seed distribution.

Unlike poison ivy, wild parsnip burns can have long-term effects.

“I have to wear a mask while riding my bike and carry an umbrella when I go out because the skin where the wild parsnip burned me is now hypersensitive to sunlight. It’s very frustrating because it’s not like you can take a medicine and get rid of it,” concluded Boles.

Keep OPP in Smiths Falls

rive for these tragic accidents? Is this a fluke? Do you think your OPP will stay in your town? How many other major accidents have they missed?

OPP don’t stay in Montague and they don’t stay in Perth or Carleton Place even though they are supposed to. They are sent wherever they are needed which has left us without service.

How many cars are supposed to be in this area? No cars were in Montague Township but Rideau Lakes has a detachment just outside of

your town. No cars from Perth detachment also not far from your town.

For someone who wants to get rid of Smiths Falls Police, where do you think your cars will be? If OPP can’t keep their cars in our area now do you think your cars will stay in your area?

How much will severances cost your town? I hear your police budget has 911 and all building expense but other police budgets don’t? Is this where the cost per household comes from? Are your police numbers inflated? How many charges

do your officers do a year – you have a court officer so they must be busy. How many charges are done by our OPP in neighbouring townships? How many calls does Smiths Falls have?

It is a comfort living just outside of Smiths Falls to know your officers are there. It is a comfort to go to Smiths Falls and shop, go to the park, go for dinner and your officers are there. I am sure tourists and park campers would agree.

Perhaps seeing all the officers helps deflate crime.

You can’t get rid of your

police and then decide to put them back together if you don’t like OPP. Can you really afford to pay severance now and possible severance again if you want to switch back?

Can you afford to buy all the cars, guns, uniforms, radios, equipment again?

If your council never put money aside to fix your pipes, your bridge, your windows at your town hall how can you hope to put back your police service.

— D. Dawson

august 2015

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community

Ride for Veterans coming to Smiths Falls August 27

BY AMY HOGUE

Paul Nichols and his wife Terry will be riding on horseback through Smiths Falls Aug. 27

as part of a Communities for Veterans Ride Across Canada campaign to raise awareness for today’s veter-

ans. Ride coordinator, Ray Elliston, addressed council at a Committee of the Whole meeting July 27 to fill council in on the details of the ride, and the purpose behind it.

“The face of Canadian veterans is changing,” Elliston told council, “We have a stereotypical image of what constitutes a war veteran.”

That image isn’t accurate anymore, Elliston said, pointing out that today there are more veterans under 40 than there are over 40. The Ride Across Canada is intended to bring awareness to the changing face of veterans and raise funds to support veterans and their families. The demographics

of veterans has changed dramatically in recent years, with more police officers, women, and younger Canadians part of the ranks, Elliston said.

The Ride Across Canada was a project created by Paul Nichols, a former Calgary Highlander, and his wife, Terry, a therapeutic riding instructor. The 220 day trip began in Victoria, B.C. on April 11, and will arrive at their final stop, in Newfoundland, in November. In each community, local veterans will join Paul and Terry for the ride, and will stop at each community’s cenotaph.

Paul and Terry are scheduled to ride through Kingston on

Aug. 22 before heading up Perth Road on Aug. 23, where they will join the Cataraqui Trail.

The evening of the 26 the group will be at the Lombardy Fairgrounds where they encourage members of the community to visit. On Aug. 27 the group will leave Lombardy and ride through Smiths Falls towards Carleton Place, before heading on to Ottawa.

Local veterans will be given a riding lesson before joining Paul and Terry for the ride through Smiths Falls, and are scheduled to arrive at the Smiths Falls cenotaph at approximately 10 a.m.

There, the group will be welcomed by May-

or Shawn Pankow and representatives from the Smiths Falls Legion.

The ride will be accompanied through town by a police escort from the Smiths Falls Police Service.

“We’ve had 125 per cent co-operation from every police department we’ve dealt with, including Smiths Falls,” Elliston told council.

Councillor Chris Cummings said members of his family have served in the military and he is aware of the preconceived image people have of what constitutes a veteran.

“We always think of grey-haired veterans and we forget how many are not,” Cummings said.

Food Hub Summits kick off The Two Rivers Food Hub at the Gallipeau Centre is hoping to teach about topics small scale food producers and processors would need to know with its Monday night food summits. The Hub held its first one June 27.

The first summit focused sweet preserving, with a live demonstration. Food Hub general manager Bruce Enloe says the summits are the start of an important dialogue about local food production.

“We’re calling them Monday night summits because they’re not exactly a workshop, not exactly a seminar, sort of an open house so it’s just a chance for people who have an interest in a shared topic . . . to all come in and meet and have a dialogue.”

The summit also welcomes members of the community to the events for free.

“It is open to the public but we’re hoping since it’s specifically about sweet preserves that it will be people that have an interest in that, and not people that are just coming to see what’s going on at the food hub,” Enloe says.

Organizers say the first summit was a success.

It showed participants the safety and technical side of sweet preserving, such as how to ensure jars are properly sealed.

The summits will take place every month, on the last Monday of the month. August’s summit will feature the more savory side of preserving, like pickling.

“We’re successful in advance because it’s go-

ing to be fun, no matter what,” says Enloe. Anyone interested is asked to pre-register on the Two Rivers Food Hub website.

The summits tie in with the food hub’s mission to connect food buyers to the food sellers. They support local farms throughout the Lanark, Leeds, and Grenville counties, getting their name from the two rivers that run through these counties. The Two Rivers Food Hub started out small but through grants and donations is now a non-profit company that is intended to be self-sustaining in three to five years. The Two Rivers Food Hub has many goals they hope to accomplish including access to commercial kitchen rentals, starting a wholesale aggregation and distribution service,

New building official hired in Smiths Falls Smiths Falls will soon have a new Chief Building Official (CBO).

Building Official, Stephen Mailloux, has been hired to take on that role for Smiths Falls, but must complete a six month training program before taking the official title.

In the meantime, Mailloux will serve as a Building Inspector, while Ray Scissons will serve as interim CBO, with David Connelly as an alternate for inspector.

Mailloux, who will be coming to Smiths Falls from Kingston, where he worked as a Building Official, is expected to begin before the end of July.

— Amy Hogue

august 2015

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community

Council Briefs: COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - JULY 27 Main St. Bistro affected by $5 million insurance requirement Mayor Shawn Pankow brought forward a request from the Downtown Business Association (DBA) that council re-examine a requirement for $5 million in liability insurance for a downtown patio.

Pankow said Main St. Bistro is looking to place three small tables in front of the restaurant, and that the original by-law required $2 million in liability, and that the additional $3 million will cost Main St. Bistro an additional $220 in insurance fees. Staff confirmed that the insurance provider recommended the $5 million. Pankow raised concerns over a small business’s ability to keep up with the costs of the patio.

Councillor Jay Brennan was reluctant to go against the recommendations of the insurance provider, saying liability is “a huge issue.”

Councillor Lorraine Allen asked for a report that would compare the standards in other municipalities. Councillor Dawn Quinn called $5 million liability insurance “pretty heavy” and reminded councillors that “if we want tourism in town, we need a reason to get people to stop.”

Councillor Quinn suggests fundraising for pedestrian bridge replacements There are four pedestrian bridges no longer in use in Centennial Park, Councillor Dawn Quinn reminded council at the COW meeting. Quinn suggested fundraising as an option to pay for some of the repairs needed on the bridges.

Mayor Shawn Pankow told council he has had private citizens come to him interested in making a donation to the bridge, but that he questioned the legality of fundraising as a municipality, saying the funds will need to be spent on the cause for which they were donated.

“If we’re fundraising for a purpose and we don’t follow through, what do we do with people’s money?” Pankow asked.

Councillor Jay Brennan disagreed with Quinn’s proposal, saying “it’s our responsibility to take care of the bridge.”

Morris told council there’s already work going on at the staff level for a plan to replace the bridges.

OPP costing Council was told a formal request for OPP costing has been submitted to the ministry. CAO Malcolm Morris told council the request has been submitted, but there’s no word yet on when the moratorium will be lifted on OPP costing, but when it is, council will be informed.

Car charging station shelved The program that would allow the municipality to install electric car charging stations in Smiths Falls at no cost other than the electricity will be closing on Aug. 15, Director of Corporate Services, Kerry Costello, told council.

Costello said that with the majority of council wanting to leave the matter to the private sector, she suggested not pursuing the subject any further for the time being.

Costello noted there will be another similar funding opportunity coming available in 2016 that council could still take advantage of if they change their mind about the stations.

Confederation Bridge cont. from pg. 1

Cummings said there was a lot of discussion about the bridge on social media, and he wanted to be clear that council could, if they chose, replace the bridge, but pointed out that may not be the best way of spending taxpayer dollars.

“We could [replace the bridge] but we may have a discussion later if it was a good way of spending money,” Cummings said.

Manager of Planning and Sustainable Growth, Lynda McKimm, said removing the decking would only be a “temporary fix for a few years” and that the $70,000 was merely a ballpark estimate, and a complete cost breakdown would need to be completed before council moved forward with that option. Further repairs could be needed for the pedestrian walkway to be made useable.

Staff was directed to proceed with a tender for the removal of the decking to provide council with an accurate estimate of the costs involved, and to return to a future COW. Confederation Bridge to be listed as heritage property of interest At the July 27 meeting, senior planner, Nicola McKernan, presented a Municipal Heritage Committee (MHC)

recommendation that Confederation Bridge be listed as a “property of interest” under section 27 of the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA).

The request to the MHC came from Councillor Lorraine Allen, who suggested the bridge be inspected to see if it met heritage criteria, which it turns out, it does. McKernan stressed to council that the property of interest listing should be given “consideration along with the Traffic Impact Study.”

According to McKernan, Confederation Bridge is a rare riveted Warren Pony Truss bridge, built in 1904, years ahead of rivet construction. McKernan explained that because the structure has been left essentially unaltered, this has made it even more historically significant.

Listing the structure as a property of interest as opposed to a formal designation under the OHA would prevent the demolishing of the structure without “comprehensive studying and review” although the structure could still be altered, replaced or restored.

McKernan told council the listing would give council 60 days to contemplate a decision to demolish.

“It gives you a thoughtful pause be-

fore you demolish it,” McKernan said.

Mayor Shawn Pankow asked if the designation would restrict the ability to remove the decking, to which McKernan replied that listing it does not have that restriction, however a heritage designation may have that impact.

Councillor Chris Cummings pointed out that listing the bridge simply recognizes the historical significance to the community without tying council’s hands if it comes to altering the structure.

“I’ve had enough feedback…a lot of people feel passionate about this bridge,” Cummings said, adding that the designation lets the community know that council recognizes its importance.

Councillor Joe Gallipeau questioned the procedure if council were to decide to remove the structure from the list, to which McKernan replied that a resolution would be passed ordering its removal.

“I support the listing as long as it does not limit our options,” Pankow said.

Allen told council she’s had conversations with residents about the bridge closure, and that “people are outraged” about the possibility of its removal.

“It’s a part of our history, part of our heritage.”

Local NDP candidate launches campaign

It takes a special kind of commitment when it comes to running for any political office.

John Fenik, NDP candidate in LanarkFrontenac-Kingston riding in this fall’s federal election, knew

what challenges were in store for him -or for any candidate -- when he decided this spring to run for a seat in Parliament.

John has taken much inspiration from the late Jack Layton, whose cane became an iconic symbol of his dedication in the 2011 election campaign.

That’s when the NDP under his leadership won its largest-ever number of seats in Parliament to become the Official Opposition.

Layton died of prostate cancer just four month later.

Fenik, currently mayor of Perth, says he isn’t deliberately trying to emulate the muchadmired former party leader. He tore several tendons in his knee while swimming at a friend’s cottage two weeks ago. But he says that won’t stop him from continuing his door-to-door campaign, which began this week in the Glenburnie area of Southern Frontenac County.

— From the office of John Fenik

Rotary Club lends a helping hand

Responding to an urgent need, the Rotary Club of Smiths Falls made a substantial donation to Camp Merrywood on Wednesday July 15 at the annual Smith Falls camp BBQ event. Shown here from left, Jacque Shryer, Camp Merrywood site manager, Barb Gray, camp director, are presented with a cheque for $11, 184 by Jay Brennan, president Rotary Club of Smiths Falls, as Carol Lloyd, president and CEO of Easter Seals, Ontario looks on. The generous Smiths Falls Rotary donation was part of the Maude Weston Endowment Fund. The fund had been entrusted to the service club to be used exclusively for Camp Merrywood project supports at the club’s discretion.

The original $25,000 fund has gone to

fund trucks, and other vehicles over the years, but with the need to replace the roof over the main hall at Camp Merrywood, the service club decided to use the balance of the endowment to raise a new roof. The old shingle roof of the Main Hall will be replaced next spring with a brand new steel roof.

“On behalf of all of us, a sincere thanks to all of you. We have had a long and proud history with Rotary, ” said Carol Lloyd, president of Easter Seals Ontario.

That long history dates 67 years, when an area Rotarian donated the camp’s facility to Easter Seals in the 1940s and since then all area Rotary clubs have continued to support the camp.

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community

Brand new Wedding Show coming to the Gallipeau Centre this Fall

If you are looking for advice, inspiring ideas, and wedding experts that can help you plan your big day, then you won’t want to miss this brand new wedding show coming to the Gallipeau Centre Ballroom in Smiths Falls, this coming fall!

Show sponsor, Discover Smiths Falls, is happy to present the Always & Forever Wedding Show, a pre-

mier wedding industry event that blossomed out of a passion for weddings. Your hosts, Jacqui Stanzel of J S Creations Cake Emporium along with Barb Willoughby of Personal Pampering Esthetics are please to bring this first class show to Smiths Falls; with our varied exhibitors we aim to help provide resources for every aspect of your wedding.

Signing books for Big Brothers, Big Sisters

Andrew Snook was on hand this month to sign his new book “Remy’s Dilemma” at The Rideau Winery on Russell Street. This “labor of love” has been 3 years of rewriting a work he began while he was in university to become the full length novel it is now.

Andrew says “this is the first of a series of three novels” he wants to write. Andrew’s book is about Remy Delemme who believes the world is coming to an end and the roadblocks that he experiences as he tries to fulfil his bucket list.

Part of the proceeds from the sale of Andrew’s book were donated to Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

Town moves closer to completed strategic plan; survey brings interesting feedback

BY AMY HOGUE

Two out of six steps have been taken toward Smiths Falls’ strategic plan, council was told at a Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting July 27, putting the municipality on track for a completed strategic plan before the end of 2015.

The first step in the strategic planning process was the planning session undertaken by council and staff which took place in early 2015; the second step was a focus group consultation and public survey to identify the key priorities for the strategic plan. The survey, which was circulated on the town website and through social media for four weeks garnered 85 responses, a response rate that CAO Malcolm Morris thought sufficient for its purpose.

“We didn’t see anything that would cause us to deviate from the course we were on before,” Morris said.

The top ten priorities ranked by council were very similar to those ranked by the focus group and survey respondents, Morris told committee. There were a few exceptions, one of which was the exclusion of a service review and fi-

nancial sustainability from the focus group’s priority ranking; Morris explained the group felt those items should already be undertaken by the municipality and didn’t need to be identified in a strategic plan.

In addition, both the survey results and focus group feedback included tourism as a priority for the strategic plan, whereas that item didn’t make council’s list of priorities. Morris attributed the variances between the three surveys to the differing perspective of the three groups.

“We were looking at it from a corporate perspective,” Morris explained, “They looked at it from a community perspective.”

The master list of key priorities presented to the committee for approval included 1) a service review; 2) financial sustainability; 3) town branding, identity and marketing; 4) growth and expansion of commercial tax base/ economic development; 5) development of waterfront area; and 6) tourism.

The list of priorities were presented with a ranking to represent in what order council will tackle each item.

Councillor Chris Cum-

mings questioned if the survey was sufficient consultation with the public for the strategic plan process, to which Morris replied it was sufficient.

“What we perceive the public wants and the focus group and council wants are essentially the same,” Morris pointed out, adding that 85 responses for the survey was a credible response and that at some point continuing to seek public input becomes a diminishing return.

“We have a good representation here,” Morris stressed, “I have a lot of confidence in what we’ve developed.”

Councillor John Maloney expressed concern with the inclusion of the waterfront development as a key priority for council to complete in the current term, and questioned the feasibility of that being accomplished.

“It would be nice to see, but realistically do we think that’s going to happen in four years?” Maloney asked.

Morris responded that the point of the key priorities was to commit to getting started. “If you commit yourself only to what you can do in three or four years you’re not planning strategically,

you’re planning politically.”

Mayor Shawn Pankow pointed out that if the town is successful in developing the waterfront it helps in establishing financial sustainability, and that branding and marketing helps with tourism.

“All this ties in really well together,” Pankow said of the six priorities identified in the staff report.

Councillor Jay Brennan expressed his appreciation with staff for putting together the document, noting “we’ve got something to be proud of here.”

Brennan also voiced his belief that the strategic plan should be a living document, with annual updates.

Morris told the committee the next steps in the strategic planning process were to engage staff to operationalize the plan into specific actions (September); to identify performance measures (September); to approve final strategic plan (October); and to create a monitoring program (November).

Heritage inspired window coverings a welcome additon to Main Street

Main Street looks a little brighter these days with the introduction of new window coverings at 18-20 Main St. East. The windows (shown here) have been covered to show old photos of downtown Smiths Falls, and give the street a heritage feel. The window coverings were part of a temporary agreement to allow ground floor residential occupancy of a commercially zoned building. Part of the temporary agreement was the creation of a site plan control agreement in which the owner agreed to cover the windows to conceal the residential use. The one year agreement expires the end of 2015.

Website Design. Logo Design. Branding. Graphic Design.

Web Hosting. Advertising. Promotion.

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613-284-9826 | www.pdgmedia.ca

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lifestyle

Column:

My crazy life

We were so fortunate in July to have family visiting from Alberta, the day was hot and the shade was beautiful. The children spent countless hours jumping in the pool, running through the sprinkler, and tossing water balloons. It was one of those days that if you take a moment to pause and reflect you realize that it is exactly the kind of memories you want your children to have.

As the sun was going down for the evening fireflies started lighting up the tree line. I have very fond memories of fireflies with my own cousins many years ago.

I remember running through the trees catch-

By Beckie Brown

ing as many as we could.

There’s something magical about a firefly. Waiting in silence for that tell-tale sign of a licker of that little tail bulb, chasing it and catch it with your hands.

This memory cost my parents nothing and fills me with that warm fuzzy feeling of childhood. I want the same thing for my children, I want the sight of a firefly flickering to bring back a moment of calm, peace, and happiness.

As much as I like to write down my memories and talk about things I have read or heard I also love to listen and read the suggestions and opinions of others. A friend of mine shared an article with me about creating a bucket list of things of things to do with your children before they grow up, after reading this article I spent some time thinking about my own childhood and what things I remember the most, then I started to think about the things I would like to do with my boys.

— Catch fireflies — Sing songs by a campfire — Go for a walk and explore nature Teach my boys to dance —Teach my children how to cook a turkey and stuffing — Grow a garden — Fly a kite — Surprise them with a trip — Volunteer at a soup kitchen — Let them bake cookies following a recipe, with my assistance and without.

‘These are only a few of the items I’ve added to my list. My hope for my children is they remember catching fireflies and watching them glow with as much happiness and hope as I do.

I challenge you to create your very own bucket list of things you want to do with your children before they have grown and gone. Then have fun checking off every item and adding more.

- Beckie Brown

‘Rumble’ in Montague

The Montague Fire Fighters held its 10th Annual Rural Ramble on Saturday the 25th. The day began with a BBQ and a demolition derby. Later in the evening musical entertainment by Brea Lawrenson and Ambush took to the stage for a dance. This annual event is a fundraiser for Muscular Dystrophy. More than $50,000.00 has been raised for this cause.

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Column:

Right now, the midsummer garden is adorned with giant burst of blooms. Hydrangeas are a classic garden shrub that must have a place in every garden. They’re notoriously showy, hardy, pest free and long flowering. Hydrangeas name comes from the Greek word “hydor,” meaning

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lifestyle

Hydrangea Happiness

water thus explaining their penchant for lots of water. There are many types of hydrangeas on the market but they basically can be classified into three categories.

Arborescens Hydrangeas: These hydrangeas are the old fashion “Annabelle” variety. Large white blooms cover this

plant from July to September without fail.

These grow best in part shade preferably morning sun and afternoon shade. They are the most water hungry out of all the hydrangea varieties.

These Hydrangeas flower on new wood so it is important to cut them back hard to 2 feet every

Fall or Spring. Cutting them back this much allows them to have stronger stems to hold the huge flower heads. What are some of our favourite varieties? Well, Annabelle of course, Hayes Starburst which has double florets that look like stars on every bloom, and Incrediball from Proven Winners.

These hydrangeas grow 4’-5’ tall usually Paniculata Hydrangeas: These Hydrangeas have beautiful cone shaped flowers that emerge in late July/ August as pure white and gradually turn bright pink in September as the weather begins to cool.

Some favourite varieties of Paniculata Hydrangeas are Pee Gee, Limelight, Pink Diamond, and Quickfire. These hydrangeas are larger in

Gemmell’s Gardens

growth and can tolerate part sun to full sun. Their stems are thick and sturdy. The flower heads can be pruned after blooming or leave on for winter interest and prune in early Spring. These hydrangeas do not need to be cut back aggressively every year and are typically a more drought tolerant variety once established.

Macrophylla Hydrangeas: This is a large showy group of hydrangeas that are often pink or blue in colour. The most famous in this group is the Endless Summer Hydrangea but other beautiful examples are; Nikko Blue, Twist and Shout (a lace cap variety), and the Cityline Series (Paris, Venice, Berlin). These hydrangeas bloom on old wood so a common mistake made by many gardeners is that they prune them back year

after year and they stop blooming. Only prune back to the first pair of buds beneath the old flower in the spring. This variety can range from 3’ – 4’ in height. The colour of these hydrangeas often change with your soil type. Soils with more aluminum present will produce blue flowers.

Soil additives like aluminum sulphate or sulphur can help in changing hydrangea colours.

Hydrangeas are a summertime staple in gardens. With more than 49 types of hydrangeas available in North America and so many colours, sizes and varieties available, I’m not sure how you can choose just one.

Kelly Heath Retail Manager Gemmell’s Garden Centre

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lifestyle

Defying gravity Many were defying the law of gravity on Saturday.

Smiths Falls Skate Park Jam had skateboarders showing their fearless talent.

Members from “For Pivot’s Sake” in Ottawa will be at the skate park every other weekend beginning today to complete 5 sessions. Young people learned skills and techniques to learn balance, speed and height to their skateboard experience. To begin their five sessions, “For Pivot’s Sake” donated 30 refurbished skateboards so young people could experience the sport.

Plans for Profitable Growth

BY HANNA LANGE-CHENIER

Trevor Paquette from “For Pivots Sake” teaching four year old Sam Miedema some skateboard techniques

Carson McEwen

New Food Hub Director’s

Kendra McEwen

As the summer growing season gets into full swing, it’s been a busy few months at the Two Rivers Food Hub. The season was also marked by a change in management at the food hub, as it welcomed new General Manager Bruce Enloe in May to replace former GM Matthew Brearley, whose contract ended in April.

Despite growing up in Texas, Enloe decided to put down roots in Kemptville with his wife, who is from Ottawa. The pair operate Kemptville’s the Branch Restaurant and Texas Grill, and were also key in starting up Kemptville farmer’s market.

But Enloe’s love of local food began in California, where he worked as a sous chef and food buyer for a restaurant. “A big part of my job was reaching out to farmers, sourcing good products, and dealing with them directly and making sure things were quality,” Enloe says.

“Along the way, I sort of fell in love with that part of the business. I was working at a farmer’s market driven restaurant there, and when I moved around and settled down in Canada, we settled in Kemptville because we found a small restaurant there that sort of fit our hopes for what we wanted to do,” he says.

The Branch Restaurant fit the couple’s needs perfectly. “We wanted to be in an agricultural community, and we wanted to do a local foods-driven restaurant, so we settled there.

And Kemptville didn’t really have a farmers market at the time, so we helped to get one started,” he says. The market started in the parking lot of the restaurant, and after eight years has grown to host 75 vendors this summer. “We were a part of that, and still are,” says Enloe.

So, the transition to the food hub seemed a natural nextstep for Enloe. After being approached to join as a board member, Enloe says he guesses he “made some kind of impression,” because he was offered the job as general manger instead of being on the board.

“The timing was right for me, because of my interest specifically in local foods, but for me it’s a next step. It seemed like [I’m] coming in with eight years of business experience, and that there was a need of somebody with a ‘how to run a business’ background to get things up and running,” he says.

Enloe says the food hub will continue many of its current plans, like offering commercial kitchen space for small producers, and making meals for Lanark County Support Services’ meals on wheels program.

“The food hub has several objectives, with all of them leading to kind of the same thing, which is to support the local farm community,” Enloe says. “Part of that is getting these kitchens up and running. Matthew did a great job of getting everything set up here for the commercial kitchen spaces.

I’ve continued a lot of that and tried to make it into a viable, sustainable business,” he explains.

But the food hub’s main focus for the summer is to develop a distribution network to get farm fresh produce into the hands of local buyers in ways besides just farmers markets.

“There is a need to develop some distribution of local product – like I said, this is supposed to be building up local markets for local producers,” says Enloe. “So we’re working with a local distributor to put together a one route pilot project for this year, to at least put together small-scale distribution for the season,” he says.

Though this summer’s route is small to start with, Enloe plans to expand. “It will help us learn the business, and help us to develop the beginnings of the infrastructure that we’ll need to become a bigger and more viable distributor,” he says.

Enloe notes that the biggest challenge for small and medium-scale producers is establishing a big enough market that allows them to expand. Bigger food distributors pass over buying from small farms since they can’t supply produce in large enough quantities. But Enloe says that approach keeps smaller farmers stuck and unable to expand their markets or grow properly.

- continued page 13

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lifestyle

Column: Road Trip By Allison Graham

Allison Graham with her father, Tom Graham, starting their trip

Sometimes it’s the trips we don’t plan that become the most memorable.

It was the summer of 2002. I was living in Toronto and working as an actress.

I returned to my hometown, Perth, for a weekend visit and mentioned to my parents that, come September, I was going to drive across the country to Vancouver, stay with a friend, and we were going to spend the fall months writing a screenplay together.

My father, a very loving and protective man, didn’t think that was the best idea. One of his daughters driving across Canada by herself. But on that particular July day, he simply smiled, nodded his head, and said “I’d love to come with you, if you would like some company.”

I was determined to drive alone. I was imagining this trip as a Jack Kerouac “On The Road” adventure; just me, on a highway, with no map, and no plan. Every morning I’d get in my car and see where the day would take me. I explained this to my father one subsequent evening, to which

he responded by telling me about the hitch hiking venture he took to the east coast when he was a young adult.

He said that it was one of the most formative experiences of his life and he was appreciative of that week of solitude, which offered him time for self-reflection. He then said, “But it’s always nice to have someone . . . for conversation.”

I was determined to drive alone. The next time I returned home from Toronto, my dad casually gave me some information on hotels that I might want to consider booking along the way. I said, “No thank you. I’m not making any reservations. I’m just playing it by ear and hitting that open road every morning.”

He smiled and said that he completely understood and again offered his assistance as a second driver.

I was determined to drive alone. During my subsequent visit home, my father mentioned that my car might require maintenance before I left: oil change, tire pressure, fluid levels, brakes...all those sorts of things. He made

himself available, in case I needed anything. I said, “No, that’s fine, I’ll look into it.” This was a coming of age trip and I wanted to be responsible for every single thing that needed to be done. He replied, “No problem, but if you change your mind, I’m here.”

I was determined to drive alone. One night, during another stay at my parents’ house, my father called me down to the living room. A map of Canada was spread out across the dining room table. He motioned me over and said, “I projected the distance I think that you’ll be able to cover each day and highlighted that with black marker. I also calculated the time changes that occur as you head west, because that means you will have a little bit of extra daylight for driving. I just wanted to show you this to give you a sense of where you might be ending up each night.” I said thank you, although at this point, I’m not quite sure how nicely I said it. My father reiterated again, that the end of September was pretty clear for

him if I changed my mind and wanted some company.

I’m not going to lie. At this point, I was a little angry. I went to my mother and explained, “Dad just won’t let this go, he won’t let up and he’s driving me crazy.” She looked at me, smiled, and offered, “I know how important it is for you to assert your independence and move forward with this new and exciting time in your life.

And ultimately this is your choice, but...if you ask your father to accompany you, it will be a decision that you will never regret.”

I thought about my mother’s words. As my September departure date was fast approaching, a number of unexpected things materialized on my ‘todo’ list and I began to feel completely overwhelmed.

On the day before I was scheduled to leave, I realized that I did need help.

I approached my father and asked if he would make the drive across the country with me. A smile slowly illuminated his face and his big blue eyes lit right up. He said, “Of course! I’d be happy to go!”

And then, he went into the bedroom, reached un-

der the bed, and pulled out a packed suitcase, that he packed two months ago, on the day that I initially told him about my trip.

He was a little more determined to drive with me.

The week that we spent driving across the country was amazing. We talked sports, reminisced about past family vacations, listened to books on CD, sang along to Johnny Cash and Kenny Rogers tunes, worked out every morning, had dinner every evening, and saw many great Canadian landmarks...together. When I dropped my father off at the Vancouver airport seven days later, I cried. We hugged and said goodbye. As he boarded a plane back to Ontario, he handed me a ‘Congratulations’ card (with a little bit of gas money tucked inside) and wished me luck with my screenwriting adventure. He got me out to the coast safely so that I could pursue a dream.

It’s funny where life takes you and what happens along our travels. And it’s the little thing. Say yes to those little things. Say yes to your children when they ask for one more bedtime story. Say yes to your

Allison Graham with her father, Tom Graham at Lake Louise

partner when he asks for another kiss. Say yes to your nephew when he asks you to play pirates. Say yes to a friend when she asks you to keep a secret. Say yes to a co-worker when she asks you to cover a shift. Say yes to a neighbor when he bikes up along side of you and asks if you want company on your daily jog.

Say yes to a stranger when he asks for your phone number (you just never know). And definitely say yes to your parents and siblings when they ask for, well, almost anything.

Because, here’s the thing; Those “yeses” are our lives.

The little things are the big things; our most cherished memories that we will hold in our hearts forever.

And my mother was right (aren’t they always?); asking my father to accompany me on my drive across Canada, is a decision that I will never regret. In fact, it is a memory that is a highlight of my life.

Sometimes it’s the trips we don’t plan that become the most memorable.

Allison Graham is a regular contributor to the Arts & Culture section of Hometown News.

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Column: Sweet summer. Have you noticed how green everything is by mid-July? The abundance of fresh produce coming from the earth and its availability at the farmer’s markets and stands?

I do.

I teach yoga where we make considerable reference to setting an intention. The intention may be concrete as in exploring a challenging pose or abstract, as in wanting to be more balanced. Intentions focus on the present to guide us to live a little more mindfully. The out-

On the farm, the words “summer” and “vacation” are rarely used in the same sentence.

It’s often amusing to watch a conversation on the subject unfold. Like the weather, summer vacations are an easy topic to discuss, even with someone you don’t know well. We often find ourselves engaged in such conversations. They usually go something like this; Farmer: “So, any plans for the summer?”

Non-Farmer: “Oh yes! I’m off for the month of August and we’re going to take the family camping for the first two weeks. Then we’re off to visit family in Windsor for a week.

For the final week, we commute to Ottawa daily for the kids’

lifestyle

When Good intentions Go Awry

By Darlene Maclachlan

come isn’t a priority nor do we put a plan in place as we do when we set goals, intentions are like making wish and being aware that in setting an intention no harm is caused to others. So what does setting an intention and farmer’s markets have in common? I had gotten it in my head that with all of the great produce available I would start preserving it for the winter months. I had visions of Asian pickled beans; Moroccan Spiced beets; greens sautéed and lovingly sealed and put in the freezer. Yes, my intention was to set aside some time for myself, be creative, check out of all of external noise and check in with my domestic goddess.

Day 1: Beets and 6 different recipes for preserving, each more challenging than the previous. Somewhere in these

Column:

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recipes there was no reference to the issue of beet stains that take over the kitchen or the complexity of the recipes. Instead of keeping things simple, I ultimately ended up creating more work and getting frustrated. Four jars of basic pickled ones later and about 6 pounds waiting for something to be done with them.

Day 2: Zucchini muffins, prepared by someone who doesn’t bake.

I am not sure why I thought that intention would keep me mindful. Sure, there is something therapeutic about measuring, mixing and waiting for something that you created to come out of the oven. But when you’re not known for your baking skills, why even put yourself through this experience? The recipe book I used was 75 years old and from Newfoundland

and the ingredient list called for enough milk to moisten and a few handfuls of flour. There was no description on whether this was two handfuls, one handful, man’s hand, or woman’s hand? That’s pretty subjective. Maybe my intention should have been to just understand the recipe, appreciate my mother who bakes without measuring and keep the idea for warm, beautiful muffins for another day.

was to be a little more patient and be better prepared.

Day 3: Pickling cabbage and beans the easy way. These recipes called for red peppercorns, Korean radish, not sure why I thought this was going to be easy. It wasn’t and after spending an hour driving to grocery stores to find the list of ingredients decided it was easier to grow oranges than find what I needed. My intention as I was going through this experience

1. Practice patience with your intentions.

2. Don’t take on too much. Maybe six different recipes of beets was overly ambitious 3. Celebrate your successes. I preserved beets!

4. Build upon what you do well. Baking, I don’t do well so I really didn’t have a foundation to build upon!

5. Let go of the outcome. I didn’t achieve

Life on the Farm

sports camp. I guess then it’s back to the real world!

What about yourselves? Taking any summer vacations?”

Farmer: “Well, actually we don’t really....”

“Oh, yeah right. Sorry. I guess you have to work all summer, don’t you?,” they say, quickly growing pale, as if they’ve just made some major social faux pas just by asking.

Please don’t feel sorry for us. We’ve chosen this lifestyle, and 99 out of 100 days we love it. Summer is the time when things are happening, fast.

Even though what we do can be both physically and mentally taxing, it’s so much more than a job for us.

It’s the way we were raised. It’s the way we learned how to work, and to appreciate the

value, and pleasure, in a job well done.

It’s the way we always dreamed that we would raise our family.

“What about the children,” You may ask. “Isn’t it unfair that they don’t get to have a ‘normal’ summer?”

You’ve got a point there. It’s anything but normal.

Many farm kids still have their sports to play, and their camps to attend, friends to keep in touch with, birthday parties, sleepovers and the like. In their offtime, though, there’s unlimited space for exploring; the miracle of birth (and yes, sometimes the reality of death) to be witnessed, the satisfaction of watching a seed planted become dinner, and the skills to be gained from living,

playing, and working with the people you are closest to who, incidentally, can also be the ones who drive you crazy by times.

Valuable skills indeed.

Having spent many years on both sides of the equation, as a farm kid and now a parent of four of them, I think

My intention may have been to take the time to be more creative in the kitchen with a goal of subsequently produce all sorts of goodies, but the whole experience taught me the best intentions can sometimes go off the rails. Specifically what I learned was that to keep the best intentions, it is necessary to:

what I thought would be the outcome and am now left with a huge amount of beets and greens. But I enjoyed the time learning something new; having some time to be inspired and now am looking forward to roasting beets. Apparently you can’t go wrong with throwing them in an oven and then a freezer bag to have during the winter months.

Good intentions may not always end up with desired consequences, that is ok as long as no harm is caused to others.

Although my intention may have been good, it did go awry. But instead of looking at this as a epic failure, I took it as an opportunity to learn a little more about myself and really, what more can we ask of ourselves.

Darlene Maclachlan The Yoga and Wellness Studio

By Shannon Miller

I’m qualified to say the only unfair thing about children on the farm in the summer is they all don’t get a chance to experience it.

You go ahead and enjoy your lounge chair down by the dock. We may even join you for an hour, when the hay is all in, but then we’ll

need to get back to work. Whatever you do, don’t pity us. We’re thoroughly enjoying our summer too. Our vacation will come when the snow flies.

And trust us when we say we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Shannon Miller Miller’s Bay Farm

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The thunder rolls...

Rolling Thunder Car Show, July 26th at Lower Reach Park was a hot day with a lot of Hot cars, here’s just a few of the classic, exotic and big block muscle cars on display.

Bauer Hockey to bring The First Shift hockey to Smiths Falls Bauer Hockey, Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of ice hockey equipment, and Hockey Canada, announced today they will be hosting The First Shift, a new learn-to-play hockey WHO: Bauer Hockey, Hockey Canada and the Smiths Falls Minor Hockey Association.

WHAT: The First Shift, a new learn-to-play program allows kids to easily try the sport in a convenient, affordable and fun way. This six-week program is for kids ages 6-10 who have never played and is $199, which includes enrollment and head-to-toe BAUER equipment.

WHEN: Registered kids will participate in a welcome event on October 2, 2015 at 6:30 pm. Bauer Hockey will provide important education and expertly fit the kids with head-to-toe gear. Parents and kids can learn more and sign up at www.TheFirstShift.ca.

Bauer Hockey and Hockey Canada have partnered to launch this new national program designed to grow the game by welcoming families to the sport in a fun, convenient and affordable way. Administered by local minor hockey associations, The First Shift has been offered in approximately 40 markets across Canada.

Each local welcome event provides new families and kids with a chance to learn about the game, receive their equipment and get properly fit by experts. Learn more at www.TheFirstShift.ca.

Smiths Falls NSA Slow Pitch Update

Plans for Profitable Growth -continued from page 10

“That’s where something like the food hub, which is a not-for-profit, can come in. We’ll help to develop that middle sector,” says Enloe. “We’ll help to grow farmers and incubate them, and help them build up their businesses. We can give them a bigger market in the meantime beyond the farmers market,” he says. “That will help them grow into something like a medium sized farm that’s viable, or a larger farm that’s viable. We’re here to provide that middle zone for them.”

Enloe says that though he will carry on many of the food hub’s existing initiatives, his goal moving forward is to take a straightforward approach. “I’ve been approached with a lot of different ideas and I’m trying to just keep things simple. I’m trying to look at things we can actually do and what we can actually accomplish and making it realistic,” he says. “I don’t want to over promise and under-deliver.” “[We’ll be] working to try to accomplish some real things, especially within the first year, so we can show people what we’re capable of. And as we grow, we’re trying to build a good relationship with local producers and buyers,” he says. “We want to have a good name for local foods, and make it something that we’re seen as a positive influence.”

So despite a change in leadership, the food hub will still be driven by the same spirit under Bruce Enloe: a love of local food.

“My general interest in this is a love of farmers, a love of small agriculture, it’s a love of the good quality of food you get from small farmers.”

Time for the Halfway Report for NSA Smiths Falls 2015. So far, despite steady rain in this last month of Tuesdays, only two games were actually rained out.

Our undisputed leaders at this point remain the Beat Down Crew, sporting a fine 7-1 record with one rain date.

The only game they lost was a short handed effort versus Blue Jays two weeks ago. Interestingly, they unveiled a new pitcher, and since pitching has been one of their strengths it will be interesting to see where this development leads.

Despite a good run producing offence, their real strength remains defence. The real challenge for BDC is to continue their high level of play and to amp up, or at least maintain, that intensity, come playoff time.

Next best is a real cluster. At this particular point, Indians (5-2-1) by decimal percentage points lead the Jays (53) with each team hav-

ing a rain date pending.

Indians are very difficult to figure out, sometimes they play like a serious contender and other times they yield max innings almost too easily.

Any improvement ,will in part depend on Chief Wilkinson’s leadership and walk control when pitching. The Jays started very slowly but have returned to form up until last night when they ran into a determined Spartan squad. Enough talent that they figure to be a major contender but how and the level they play at will ultimately determine their level of success this season.

Not far behind Indians and Jays are the Hitmen and the Spartans.

The Bakers Fries guys are capable but very erratic often counting on their bats to bail them out defensively. Sometimes they just get too far down. Their 4-4-1 record reflects their up-anddown season. I would not be surprised to see them in the Final nor would I

be surprised to see them knocked out in the first round. Spartans started almost worse than any team. Recovering boldly from an 0-4 start Roger’s crew is now at 3-5 which means in the last three weeks they’re improving 2-1. Obviously in this competitive league continued improvement is necessary to compete in the playoffs.

Finally Toshack (09) tries mightily every week but have yet to record a win. Optimistically pitching seems to be heading towards improvement although they undoubtedly lead the League in low illegala pitches. The Defence knocks them out of Games although that even looks better also lately. They fashioned a 1-2-3 Inning last night on 3 hard ground ball throw outs in the infield.

At times also they have shown offensive spark, it just doesn’t seem timely. Last night in a Game they were competitive in with league leaders BDC, they could only manage 7 Runs in a 17-7 Mercy.

The challenge for Titans the rest of the Season will be to try and improve.

Standings : 6-1-0 –BDC 5-2-0 –Jays 5-2-0 –Indians 4-4-0 –Hitmen 2-5-0 –Spartans 0-8-0 –Titans

august 2015

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14

culture

Opinion: Convenience, the new frustration

Three generations of women getting ready for a wedding. Not surprisingly each has discovered that she needs an accessory of some sort to complete her planned outfit.

We decide to go shopping. The collection of needs dictate shopping at a mall. Now my mother is 87, and my daughter is 25 and I am 54, we’re all in pretty good shape for our respective ages.

We set a time and we all pile into the car and head off to one of the malls in Ottawa.

We arrive, park and head inside. I’m not a huge shopper – I simply don’t have the patience for it, so it’s been a while since I’ve been at this mall and it’s changed. It’s a lot bigger now, I mean a LOT. We’ve entered at one end of the mall. A brief discussion of all the different needs suggests that for my mother at least, we will need a department store. As always those are the

stores that generally anchor the end of a mall . The one we need is, of course, at the other end from where we started.

We start the trek. It’s a slow process, because while my mother is pretty fit and highly independent for her age, she is not as strong or as fast as her daughter or granddaughter. We arrive at our destination and my mother browses through.

She doesn’t find what she’s looking for. We head back out, and my daughter suggests a store on the next floor of the mall. We look around for a means to get up to the next floor – the escalator right in front of us is out of order, the next nearest one is way off in the distance – so far away the people on it look like ants from where we stand.

I look at my daughter and she looks at me.

“I think the elevator is closer,” says my daughter.

It is. Not by much.

We finally make it onto the elevator and get to

the next floor. We step out and look around.

We’re about a third of the distance to our destination store possibly – depends if we’re aiming down the right corridor – can’t find an information stand to check.

By now my mother is showing signs of strain.

She’s getting tired. I figure, I should be able to find her a wheelchair or motorized scooter somewhere in this behemoth of a mall. I set out to find the courtesy desk.

I figure a courtesy desk must be near an entrance – but which one? We came in from the parking lot, but I have no idea where the main entrance to this particular mall might be. Besides there’s got to be more than one courtesy desk in a mall this size – right?

I only found one, so I can’t really answer that.

An hour later I located a courtesy desk but it’s missing a sentient being capable of helping me. There are no visible

wheelchairs or scooters.

I head back to where I had parked my mother – another 20 minute brisk walk fraught with two wrong turns. By the time I reach her, I can see she’s fading fast and quite frankly my legs are aching now – the only chipper member of the expedition is my daughter.

We decide to abandon the project for today and try again tomorrow.

The next day we go to a different mall. This one was huge to begin with but now it’s under construction and expanding ‘to serve you better’ a courtesy sign tells us.

This time I figure we’ll find the scooter first, then we can shop. Er, where is the courtesy desk? I ask, I get directions and I head off feeling prematurely triumphant. I arrive at the desk. Lo and behold there is a lovely young lady available to help. No she doesn’t have any wheelchairs available right now, maybe in an hour if one

comes back on time!

Failed again. We slowly start our expedition and sure enough end up having to abandon our mission after two hours. We have however succeeded in chipping away at our shopping list. We’re getting there, slowly.

How do our senior citizens manage their day-to-day shopping?

A couple of calls to the mall guest services, reveals that at one mall there are 8 wheelchairs and a walker available but no scooters. Another has 10 wheelchairs and a walker, no scooters. If you want a motorized scooter you can shop at IKEA w where, they not only have them, they make it really easy to find one.

What about Supermarkets that have now become superstores? I can see the attraction and marketing value of having everything in one place, but how do seniors manage to get their groceries? If my

mother had to live here in Canada, she would need to go shopping for groceries every couple of days because it’s actually impossible for her to get through an entire supermarket in one outing. Or she would have to give up her right to choose and pay someone to shop for her. That seems strange to me. We’ve just gone through this whole accessibility legislation, and quite rightly too.

But what about seniors?

You know grandmas and grandpas who are not disabled, just aging gracefully. When are we going to pay attention to their needs? In a society where one quarter of the population is going to be aging simultaneously are we all going to run into the problem of not being able to get around for no other reason than we can’t walk the distances dictated by convenience?

Not very convenient.

— Howaida Sorour-Roberts

Bringing big music to small places

The East Pointers perform in Smiths Falls Sept. 17.

Rural stages will soon ignite in a flurry of toe-tapping, finger snapping chords and beats as The Ontario Festival of Small Halls melds local music with

big Canadian bands – and Smiths Falls is the newest locale on the bill.

The Festival of Small Halls is bringing big names in music to rural community

halls across eastern Ontario this September. Festival organizers are excited to announce that a show in Smiths Falls has recently been added. The East

Pointers will grace the stage at The Ivy on William on Thursday, Sept.

17 starting at 7:30 p.m.

The East Pointers’ talent and penchant for tradi-

tional Celtic tunes melds banjo, fiddle and guitar seamlessly. Whether they’re carving up a living room, local pub or music festival, they’re known for inspiring smiles and enlivening their audience.

Opening for The East Pointers will be Smiths Falls’ own Gordon Pipe Band. The band performs at competitions and parades throughout the region and is recognized as a strong community organization with a focus on fun, camaraderie and quality of performance.

Festival Co-ordinator, Kelly Symes, said having local openers perform in buildings with rich cultural heritage will make the festival an unforgettable experience.

“Supporting the local music scene is important to the Festival, so we’re proud to showcase the talent in each community,” said Symes.

In fact, musicians who call the area home are now on the bill in communities from Delta to Pembroke and from Morton to

Maberly. Local bands such as Long Sault Trio, Rifle and the Writer, The Donohue Enrights, Pat Moore and Maple Hill, Ali McCormick, Kelly Prescott, and more will play close to home with big name artists from across Canada. Talented local openers are sharing the stage with the likes of Corb Lund, the Strumbellas, the Good Lovelies, Fortunate Ones, Beloach, and Gordie MacKeeman and the Rhythm Boys.

“It’s that feeling of community that The Festival of Small Halls is hoping to inspire,” said Symes, noting that those cherished community gathering places are at the center of the Festival. “It’s about settling into the heart of a community, and then experiencing music with heart.”

For a full schedule of Festival concerts throughout the Rideau Lakes and Smiths Falls area, as well as ticket purchase, visit thefestivalofsmallhalls.com.

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culture

New shop selling old stuff

By MADDIE LANGE-CHENIER Rideau Valley Marketplace is a new and upand-coming store just outside Smiths Falls. Located on Lanark County Road 43 the Marketplace has lots of room to house its items. The Marketplace offers brand new liquidated items, gently used items, and antiques.

“The store entails three different sections.

The front section is our fine brand new furniture and more or less

lightly used furniture of high quality, and then in the centre section of the building is antiques, collectables, and vintage items. At the back we have a liquidation spot which has lots of brand new merchandise up to 80% off the retail value,” says Marketplace manager Tyler Keller.

The Marketplace offers a chance for vendors to display their items at a reasonable price, offering lots of opportunity for shoppers to browse

throughout the different vendors and different variety of items for sale.

“Spots are limited, it’s $2.00 per square foot.

We welcome anyone with anything - furniture, antiques, or brand new items, anything under the sun,” says Keller.

Keller says The Marketplace would like incorporate more things to the building, including some food vendors and monthly auctions.

“I would like to get a vegetable booth out front

or maybe a food vendor of some sort, that would be great. I would like to hold auctions monthly in the warehouse. I think we’re just too new to expand too quickly, but a food vendor would be great,” says Keller.

The Marketplace held its grand opening earlier this month on July 9, which had tons of fun activities like an animal zoo, a barbeque, giveaways, and a 50/50 draw.

“We also have about on average 200 customers per day so business is doing well,” says Keller.

They invite you to like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ rideauvalleymarketplace or check out their website at www.rideauvalleymarket.com. They can be reached by phone at 647-231-5114, or drop by at their location at 3828 Lanark County Road 43 Smiths Falls (site of the former Liquidation World).

A new year at Redeemer Dance Academy

Professional dancer Chelsea Gardiner teaches aspiring young ballerinas

printer ink display boards paper pens

& Sch ool

notebooks journals pencils

We’re getting you ready for school!

4 Russell St. E. Next door to Coffee Culture

613-283-6141 hdoffsupp@gmail.com www.hdofficesupplies.ca

highlighters binders flash drives Sharpies file folders art supplies & more!

Redeemer Dance Academy is hosting their open house and registration day at the studio August 15 from 9 to 11:30 am. Professionally trained Ballet Dancers Chelsea Gardiner (The National Ballet School) and Leia Antunes (The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School) look forward to beginning their second year of the school here in Smiths Falls, where they have a bright studio located at the Gallipeau Centre, 361 Queen Street..

ages. And complementary to that is the Pilates class taught by Leia on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. This year we will be including some postpartum modifications, as well, to even further enhance the class. Incorporating deep core strength is so important for all people and Chelsea has become quite passionate and empathetic about helping others regain or improve their strength after having two children of her own.

“The school is here to provide top quality dance training to students of all ages and abilities. We strongly focus on capturing the true heart within the dancer, by developing a sense of belonging, importance and value”

The new term begins Sept. 14 and runs until Dec. 18 with a second term following in January and running through until the end of May with a year end show on June 4. It’s been exciting to watch the school expand and students grow and develop as dancers and individuals and they all look forward to another exciting year ahead.

Developing strong character qualities and building great dance technique is also part of what they work so hard to encourage. The school offers Ballet classes for students of all age groups (age 3 to adult), as well as Jazz, Pointe, Pilates and a unique worship dance class.

One of the highlights has been adding a special Women’s Postpartum Series taught by physiotherapist and pelvic floor specialist Andrea Picket. This special seven-part series is a must for postpartum moms of all

Submitted by Chelsea Gardiner redeemerdanceacademy.ca to get more detailed information on the classes they offer and this coming fall’s schedule. Or contact Chelsea at chelsea@redeemerdanceacademy. ca or 613-284-7648. Also feel free to like them on your Facebook page to be kept in the loop and updated with events and fun pictures.

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www.discoversmithsfalls.ca

culture

Canadian premiere of A Little Princess at the Station Theatre

A Little Princess is a new musical created by William Brooke (book), Eric Rockwell (score) and Margaret Rose (lyrics). It’s the story of a young girl’s struggle between life’s harsh reality and the world of imagination. It also tells how the value of hope and friendship can magically transform a life, even when one is grown

and become used to being solitary. Full of witty, charming and memorable music – the story is sure to tug at the heartstrings. This is a wonderful show for young and old, residents of the area, and tourists.

The Smiths Falls Community Theatre is privileged to be given the Canadian premiere rights to produce this delight-

ful script based on the muchloved novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Burnett is best known for her children’s books published just before and after the turn of the 19th century: Little Lord Fauntleroy, The Little Princess and A Secret Garden. The play will be performed from Thursday, August 13 to Sunday, August 23.

Director Lynda Daniluk has assembled a talented cast that is working hard to display the polished level of performance that the show deserves. From learning the lyrics and music, to adapting to how people behaved over a hundred years ago, there is much to master.

The large cast—with plenty of splendid roles for up-andcoming local youngsters and veteran adult actors alike—has by all accounts done just that.

Sara Crewe (“The Little Princess,” played by Juliet Alfaro) is a spunky, resilient and creative 12 year old who learns to adapt to a most difficult life through the tutelage of the strict board-

ing school proprietress, Miss Minchin (played by Susan Parsons). When Sara confronts the news of the death of her father she uses her ability to create a story for her life challenges and convinces herself that it is not true. While she accepts her changed situation at the school, she remains confident that she will see her father again. Her new-found school friends, some of whom resent her at first, end up doing their part to assist her in adapting to her humiliating new status.

Despite the seeming sadness of Sara’s situation, the show is full of humour, hope and reflection often provided by the pivotal character of Ram Dass (played by Garrett Pipher). The catchy and memorable score and accompaniment is expertly managed by Rowena Pearl, who wowed audiences during the production of The Railway Children.

Performances of the play take place at 7.30 PM. on August 13, 14, 15 21 and 22, and

at 2 PM on August 16 and 23 (matinees). Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children/ students (with ID), with special group rates also available. Call the Station Theatre at 613-2830300 for details and to order by credit card. Tickets may be purchased for cash at Special Greetings, 8 Russell Street East, online (smithsfallstheatre. com, via Paypal/Visa/Mastercard), and at the door for cash only (subject to availability, a half-hour before the performance). The Station Theatre, we remind you, is located at 53 Victoria St, Smiths Falls.

We invite everyone to keep in touch with all our upcoming shows—like the “Kubrick Classics” kickoff to our Movie Nights Series on September 18 and 19, and the “Tales and Tunes” show in our Music Series on September 26—by going to our website (above) or joining us on Facebook (Smiths Falls Community Theatre).

Submitted by the Smiths Falls Community Theatre

Local Youth makes professional debut at Perth’s Classic Theatre Festival

The amazing duo of Samantha Salter of Smiths Falls and Madison Miernik of Perth is making their professional debut at Perth’s Classic Theatre Festival, rotating in the role of Gloria in Frederick Knott’s thriller, Wait Until Dark. The show, made into a movie with Audrey Hepburn, focuses on a blind woman having to defend her home after it’s been invaded by some seedy characters, and Gloria plays a key role in determining whether she will survive. Now in rehearsal, the show runs August 7-30, with tickets available online at classictheatre.ca or 1-877-283-1283.

Editor’s Note: A photo of singer Chris Angel was erroneously uncredited in last months issue. This photo was taken by Mico Mazza. of Mico Mazza Photography. We regret the error.

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17

food & drink

Column: Personalize your diet

Do you know what the number one question a nutritionist is asked is?

“What do you eat?”

Do you know what my answer is?

“It doesn’t matter!”

You read that right.

We are all biochemically individual. What

is right for me, may not be right for you, and vice versa. There is no one diet that’s right for everyone.

What is important is what do you eat? Are you performing to your best ability both mentally and physically? If so, you’re

? s t a e t Wha

Summer is one of my favorite times of year when it comes to local food, because there is an incredible variety of fresh & local produce available.

When you get local produce, you get it at its peak. It doesn’t have to travel far, sometimes not at all if you head straight to a farm-stand and it often gets picked the morning you are buying it. That means it often tastes better and you’re more likely to eat it. You know what I mean – taste a strawberry from the grocery store in January and then taste one in early July from a local berry farm – you’d swear they’re not even the same fruit.

So, what can you get through the summer months and what can you do with it? Here’s a short list of my favorites: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries: eat by the handful as a snack; sprinkle them on ice cream, pancakes or waf-

on the right track. If not, keep reading.

To be clear, when I say diet I’m not speaking of a weight loss program. I’m speaking of a way of eating.

Your way of eating will, or should, change throughout your lifetime.

At different times, your body will have different requirements and you must pay attention to the clues that it’s giving you.

Are you suffering from dry skin, brain fog, fatigue, skin rashes, joint pain, etc?

If the answer is yes, your body is trying to tell you something.

S o m e t h i n g needs changing.

While I can’t tell you what the one best diet is for everyone, I can

help you to decide what’s the best diet for you. Together, we can work through your medical and family history, any signs and symptoms you’re experiencing, and your health goals to find the diet that best suits your needs, at this time.

Some general recommendations that I can share are: Eat more plants.

Plants alkalinize the body, which is crucial in disease prevention.

Disease cannot grow in an alkaline host.

Plants also provide vitamins and minerals, fibre, and water.

Drink more water.

Water is a conduit of nutrients and it’s a nutrient in and of itself.

Add Omega 3s to

By Vickie Dickson

your diet. Omega 3s are vital to every system of the body. They aid in keeping our blood flowing freely, cardiovascular health, healthy brain function, blood sugar balancing, healthy skin, and lubrication of our joints and colon. There really isn’t a system in the body that is unaffected by Omega 3 fats.

Introduce probiotics into your regime. Probiotics build good bacteria in the digestive tract. This will improve digestion and strengthen your immune system against invaders like viruses and bacterial infections.

If you’re an omnivore, eat only grass fed and free range meats. Limit your ex-

posure to antibiotics and hormones, including cortisol, in factory farmed meats. As a bonus, grass fed meats contain Omega 3s.

For a personalized plan that considers your medical and family history and your health goals, consider working with a nutritionist to find the diet that will have you feeling your best, ready to jump out of bed and great a new day, free of aches and pains, digestive upsets, etc. It might be the best thing you ever do for yourself.

Vickie Dickson is a Holistic Nutritionist. You can find her online at www. vickiedickson.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/ vickiedicksonnutrition.

Eating local in August

fles; add to yogurt and salads Lettuce: use for salad, add to burgers, use as taco wraps if you can’t have wheat or corn Kale & spinach: use for salad, sautée with garlic and oil, make kale chips Beans (yellow, green, purple): sautee in butter, salt and pepper Beets: roast with olive oil, salt and pepper; add raw to salads; pickle Carrots: eat raw; roast or sautee with olive oil or butter, salt and pepper Corn: boiled or on the bbq, then slathered (yes, I say slather!) in butter and salt Cucumbers: slice and eat – so refreshing on hot days!

Peppers: slice and eat raw; sautee with olive or butter, salt and pepper; add to salads or stir-fries; stuff and bake New potatoes: roast with butter, salt and pepper And there are of course lots more: radishes, celery, cauliflower, broccoli,

By Amy Rensby

leeks, onions, peas, zucchini, rhubarb, melons and tomatoes.

Here’s one of my alltime favorite summer recipes – enjoy!

Caprese Salad – makes an appetizer-sized salad.

If you can’t have or don’t like mozzarella cheese,

goat cheese or even feta cheese are great substitutes.

1 tomato, sliced in ¼” thick rounds (heirloom varieties are my favorite) 3 slices of a good quality mozzarella cheese (my favorite is buffalo mozzarella) 1 tablespoon of olive oil 2 teaspoons of balsamic

vinegar few leaves of basil-torn up salt & pepper to taste You can either throw this all together in a bowl and eat or place the tomato slices on a plate, top with the cheese, then drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle

with the basil, salt and pepper. Regardless of how you assemble it, it’ll taste wonderful. Here’s to summer and all of the goodness around us!

Amy Rensby is the Owner of Magnolia Catering and Event Creations www.magnoliacreations.

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www.discoversmithsfalls.ca

explore spotlight on business: Duchess Boutique At the Duchess Boutique in Smiths Falls, you don’t have to feel guilty about going on a shopping spree. Proceeds from the Boutique, on Main Street East, go to the Susan Shirley Program, a maternity home and parent training centre. The program helps young mothers get back on their feet, which includes graduating high school, giving them a place to live,

help them enter the workforce. Duchess Boutique offers an array of unique handcrafted items, most of which are made in Canada.

There are many special occasion gifts that are beautiful and one-of-a-kind.

“We have wedding gifts, ornaments, baby gifts, and we have a collection of pearls from Sweden,” says the store manager Sarah Gaensler.

Some of the items are made right here in Smiths Falls, like the tutus made by Cutie

and teaching them skills to

Pie Tutu. Gaensler says the

BY MADDIE LANGE-CHENIER

Column:

If the summer months are slow for your business, it doesn’t mean you should shut down your computer and walk away until fall. Summer slowdown is the perfect opportunity for business owners to re-examine their social media strategy and see what’s working, what isn’t working, what can be changed, where there’s room for improvement, and decide what the coming months will look like.

Where to start?

Update your social media profiles: When was the last time you updated your Facebook profile picture or your Facebook Page’s cover image? If it has been awhile since they were last updated ask yourself: do you still look like your profile photo? Is the messaging on your cover image still current and applicable?

Some businesses change the cover image on their Facebook Page or Twitter profile seasonally, which is great, as long as you remember to change it again after the season has ended. This is espe-

tutus “are just lots of fun,” and that the store supports “local [businesses] and they support us. We think dressup is fun and unique.”

Another unique item in the Duchess Boutique are affirmation pillows, with encouraging and reassuring messages printed on them to help those struggling.

“Our affirmation pillows help by affirming that you know you’re safe and that you’re loved. Some of these are just fun – you can paint them and different stuff,” says Gaensler. “And these are also cool because all the money goes to the maternity program. We really like what they do because we do a lot of affirmation with the girl . . . Teaching them that they’re strong, that they’re safe and different things like that,” says Gaensler.

In August of 2014, Grace’s Haven was added to Susan Shirley Program. Grace’s Haven gives support to the women who graduate from the Susan Shirley Pro-

gram by providing them a support system when they begin to live independently. The boutique itself offers the women a safe place where they can learn transferable skills and also bring their children.

The Duchess Boutique “is not a thrift store,” says Gaensler. Everything in the boutique is new except for the furniture that the Susan Shirley Program members refurbish. “We refurbish all our furniture. All this is stuff the young mothers helped me paint. We sell the furniture and it teaches the mothers a skill that they can take away with them,” Gaensler says. “Say they find a piece of furniture on the road, they can re-do it themselves for their own home on a discount, or they can [sell it at the boutique to] make some extra money on the side.”

The women learn how to operate a till, order inventory, and build work relationships. “The girls come and

stand with me and learn

about the store. Gaensler

product placement and marketing. We want them to be able to go away from us and say ‘I can run a cash and I can order inventory’, besides flipping burgers or cleaning,” Gaensler says.

The shop takes donations of gently used all-wood furniture, food donations for the Susan Shirley house, and monetary donations to help offset the costs of the program which doesn’t receive government funding. They welcome any questions about the programs they offer, as well as any questions

encourages members of the community to drop by the shop, as well as like the Facebook page. “The World is Yours, An Evening under the City Lights” is the upcoming fourth annual fundraiser on September 26, which will directly benefit the Susan Shirley Program and Grace’s Haven.

The fundraiser includes dessert and an art auction, and is being held at the Bethel Pentecostal Church.

How summer slowdown can advance social media strategy

cially true if the image relates to Christmas or other holiday seasons.

Regardless of the social media network, make sure your messaging is up to date, consistent, and current. This may not seem like a big deal, but there’s nothing worse than meeting with someone in person after they researched you online, only to have them mistaken the work you do simply because the messaging on your online channels were not inline with who you are or what your business does, sells or offers.

Fine-tune your marketing message: Does what you are broadcasting online about your business still apply? Are you still offering all the products and services that the “About” section of your Facebook Page states you are?

What about your LinkedIn profile? Do you have any skills, services or other information that should be removed, updated or added? Now is the time to go through

all of this information and edit as needed.

Refresh your opt ins: If you have been relying on the same opt ins to build your e-marketing list for more than a year, summer slowdown is the perfect time to think about creating new opt ins that will attract a new audience, or if your opt ins are doing well, slow periods are a great chance to take a look at the information you are providing in the opt ins to see if it is still correct and relevant.

Connect in person: If the summer months mean more free time, then take advantage of it and invite some of your online connections to meet in person. Meeting people in person is a great way to build a relationship with someone who may eventually become a client – or may know someone who would be interested in your services or products.

Networking and meeting people in-person compliments and builds online relationships.

Speaking with people in person after know-

ing them online will also give you a feel for what people think or know of you from your online presence. This may help you strategize, change and plan future online content.

Plan: Plan for tomorrow today. What are your social media goals for the fall and winter months? What is it you hope to achieve using social media? Instead of scrambling to find qual-

By Sherry Crummy

ity social media content during your busy periods, plan out what you want to say now using content that is already available to you, such as old, but still relevant, blog posts, third party articles and images that are appealing and of interest to your online audience.

These are just a few things that you should work on during your slow periods so that when business does get busy

again you’re not overwhelmed by your social media strategies, plans and content creation. By taking the time to strategize and plan your social media during slower periods means you will have more time later on to increase your online marketing even more!

Sherry Crummy Crummy Media Solutions www.crummymedia.com

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www.discoversmithsfalls.ca

explore

Financial Express: The value of financial planning advice As a Certified Financial Planning Professional, I strive to consistently add value to every client I work with. For many, that may mean getting a good rate of growth on their investments.

For others, it means reducing the amount of income tax they pay.

Most mature clients are more satisfied with protecting their assets from the potential pitfalls of

the financial markets, while younger clients want to ensure their family is protected should they die prematurely or become disabled.

That is why it is important I understand the needs and wants, and priorities of each client I work with.

It is often difficult to measure success and progress with financial planning. Although in-

come security may be the foundation of most financial plans, the cost of life, disability or critical illness insurance may seem like a liability on the monthly budget for years. However, being able to deliver a cheque, and the required monthly income when tragedy strikes and the money is needed the most means I have done my job.

Helping clients build

Starter Company

their wealth is also very rewarding.

Ensuring the money required to help fund a university or college education is there when it is needed means I have done my job. Seeing clients successfully transition from to retirement knowing they have the money they need to fully enjoy their lives also means I have done my job.

Although some peo-

ple have the time and expertise to successfully plan their financial future, the reality is most people will rely on a financial professional to guide the way. Studies show Canadians working with advisors build significantly more wealth.

I work with clients who have significant wealth, and clients who have virtually no wealth.

We believe we can help

grow and protect the wealth of those who have a very good head start, and can also create the discipline and strategies others may need to get on the right track.

No matter what stage of life you are at, sound financial planning can make a difference.

Shawn Pankow is a Certified Financial Planner at Pankow Financial Solutions

DBA launches new business recruitment package

a great company starts with

mentoring, money and you.

Start a company, launch your future.

If you’ve got a great idea for a business - and the entrepreneurial drive to see it through Starter Company is here to help you start your company.

Up to $5,000 in funding , plus the invaluable guidance of a business mentor.

Starter Company is an Ontario program that provides young people with the resources and knowledge they need to start and grow their own business As a Starter Company entrepreneur, you get: . Funding of up to $5000 . One-on-one guidance from the Small Business Enterprise Centre Advisor . Mentoring with a local successful Entrepreneur . Access to business workshops on topics ranging from writing a business plan and budgeting, to executing a marketing campaign Could you be a Starter Company Entrepreneur?

You can apply to the Starter Company program if you’re an Ontario resident aged 18 - 29 and not attending school full time. To qualify for funding of up to $5,000, you need to be able to contribute least 25% (in cash or in kind) of the grant amount.

91 Cornelia Street West, Smiths Falls, Ontario K7A 5L3

(613) 283-7002 ext 108/109 cjames@smallbizcentre.ca smallbusiness@smallbizcentre.ca

www.smallbizcentre.ca

DBA Coordinator, Nicola Thomson, poses with one of the Business Recruitment Packages that are now available at applicable locations in Smiths Falls.

BY AMY HOGUE

The Smiths Falls Downtown Business Association (DBA) wants to help local businesses with the challenges they face with its Business Recruitment Package.

The package is an attractive portfolio containing information a business owner needs to know before opening a business in Smiths Falls.

The package, which has been in the works since late 2013, aims to encourage business development in the community, specifically downtown.

“We wanted to get all the different organizations in town on the same track, and give new business all the information they can get,” says DBA Coordinator, Nicola Thomson. “Obviously as the DBA we’re hoping businesses will settle in the downtown, but the package is applicable for all of Smiths Falls.”

The Business Recruitment Package was modeled after a similar package created by the Carleton Place Business Improvement Area (BIA) and Carleton Place Chamber of Commerce, and which has been credited with improving downtown occupancy in that municipality. In 2014, the DBA formed a Business Recruitment Committee to work towards produc-

ing a similar package in Smiths Falls.

Thomson says, so far, the DBA has printed more than 200 portfolios, which can be found at town hall, the Small Business Advisory Centre, the DBA office, and at the Excelerator. He says the DBA only printed a small amount of packages in order to ensure that “information in the package is always current.”

Among the information found in the package is details about the DBA and the services it provides, signage and by-law information, small business resources, demographics and municipal information and contacts. Thomson explained that information about the DBA is intended to point out what kinds of projects the DBA will be working on, such as promotions, events, and a listing of the ways a business can benefit from inclusion in the DBA. “There are specific points for the DBA,” Thomson said, “including what kinds of projects we work on as part of our mandate, and how a business can benefit from those projects.”

For more information about the Business Recruitment Package, or to obtain your copy, please contact Nicola Thomson at dba@smithsfalls.ca or at 613-283-4124 ext. 1114.

august 2015

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www.discoversmithsfalls.ca

Racing returns to Rideau Ferry for August Regatta

BY AMY HOGUE

Drop by Rideau Ferry on August 15 and August 16 for the Rideau Ferry Regatta, a weekend of fun and excitement by the water. This year will be the first year since 2007 that there will be sanctioned races at the regatta, and promises to be an exciting weekend full of activities. There will be more than 50 vintage race boats at the regatta, including some racing boats that can reach speeds of over 100 mph.

More than just water sports, the regatta has a wide variety of activities in stock for the weekend. The regatta will feature displays of wooden boats and antique cars, a canoe building competition and paddle making workshop. Toy boats and a mini putt golf course will keep young people entertained.

The weekend starts on Friday, Aug. 14 with a convoy of race boats travelling from Rideau Ferry to the Crystal Palace in Perth for 3 p.m.

On Saturday, Aug. 15, regatta registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and opening ceremonies will be held at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Can-Am, Can-Am Light Racing and Vintage Fly-bys. After lunch will see a cardboard boat race, a municipal challenge between Perth, Smiths Falls, Drummond North Elmsley, Beckwith, Tay Valley, Lanark Highlands and Rideau Lakes.

A dinner at 6 p.m. will cap off the day, at a cost of $25.00 per person, followed by live entertainment and dancing. Sunday features a similar schedule with a canoe race beginning at 12:30 p.m. and more Can-Am Light Racing and Vintage Flybys from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission for the event is $5 per person and free for children under 12. For a complete schedule of activities, please visit the regatta webpage at www.rfyc.ca.