Lanark, North Leeds & Grenville Hometown News October 2017

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Vol. 4

No. 10

YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER - LANARK, NORTH LEEDS & GRENVILLE

OCTOBER 2017

Forbes Symon takes over key director role in Perth

Perth - Sally Smith editorial@pd gmedia.ca

“It was like the first day of school,” Forbes Symon grinned, extending his hand.

The new director of development and protective services for the Town of Perth apologized for being a few minutes late. Understandable, considering this was his first morning at Perth Town Hall and settling in isn’t accomplished in one day.

Symon is continuing the work of Eric Cousens, Perth’s previous director of development and protective services.

Luckily, and thankfully for him, Symon says there has been some overlap with Cousens “which has been invaluable.”

“I’ll be acting as a senior planner for the municipality,” Symon explains, “overseeing protective and development approvals, building inspections and bylaw enforcement.”

As one of four directors, Symon will work in a mentoring role “assisting the fire chief, and building and bylaw inspectors, helping them solve problems but, for the most part, letting them do their jobs.” He will also be part of the annual budgeting process.

And in any future initiative,

like the heritage conservation area in town, he will actively seek support from staff to instigate new undertakings.

Mayor John Fenik welcomed Symon at council on Sept. 26.

“We’re looking forward to a long-term relationship with him.” Of all the candidates, “he stood out,” Fenik said. Symon’s first day was Sept. 25, and Cousen’s last day, after 16 years on the job, was Sept. 29.

The 55-year-old isn’t new to Perth, only to this job. Symon came to town in 1999 and has been job-circling ever since, drawing closer and closer to working in what he says is, “the prettiest town in Ontario.”

He looks at this particular position as the culmination of 29 years, having spent his entire career in small-town Ontario. He’s proud of that, and proud of his almost three decades serving the public.

He and his wife, Alyson, have two daughters. One is finishing school at the University of Guelph and the other is at Trent University.

Previously he worked in Mississippi Mills, then North Grenville and for a short time in South Frontenac.

Now, he sighs happily, there is no long commute. “This is the first time in a long time,” he

Forbes Symon, Perth’s new director of development and protective services, feels the town has a bright future. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

admits, with fanciful thoughts of even arriving at work in a kayak, paddling from his home in Glen Tay, or by a bicycle, but “not in the winter,” he says.

These are the things that make life fun.

He knows Perth well. He describes it as having a mature sense of itself, a strong sense of

place. Whether that’s because it’s based on limestone, or because of its vibrant downtown or diverse residential area, whatever it is, Symon feels Perth values this sense of history and tradition.

He says that Perth, along with many small communities, are on the verge of a renais-

sance, but Perth in particular is poised to grow and accommodate a mass retirement of baby boomers, especially with its hospital, high schools, recreation areas and parks. “It’s in good shape,” he says.

So, say hello to Symon when you see him. It seems like he’s here to stay.

New workplace legislation to be topic of Nov. 1 public forum Smiths Falls - Chris Must editorial@pd gmedia.ca

Photo submitted.

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The Ontario government’s plans to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2019 – and other pending workplace legislation – will be the focus of a public forum hosted by the Smiths Falls & District Chamber of Commerce at the Memorial Community Centre Nov. 1.

Guest speaker for the forum will be Karl Baldauf, vice-president of policy and government Facebook/HometownnewsPerth

relations with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act is currently at the second reading stage in the provincial legislature, and is intended to make a number of amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000. The changes include annual increases in the minimum wage on Jan. 1, 2018 and Jan. 1, 2019, with subsequent inflation adjustments on Oct. 1 in subsequent years.

Facebook/HometownnewsCarletonPlace

Other proposed changes in the bill would affect holiday pay, vacation entitlement, and pay equity. A new section would grant unpaid leave to employees who are victims of domestic or sexual violence.

The special “town hall meeting” to be hosted by the Smiths Falls chamber in partnership with the Town of Smiths Falls and the Ontario chamber, will be a free, public event and will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1.

Baldauf will make a presentation on the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, or Bill 148, and its potential impact on businesses. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide input on the bill. Representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Labour will be in attendance, although they will not be speaking or answering questions.

A discussion will follow the presentation.

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www.Hometownnews.ca

October 2017

October 2017

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Page Two

Why do people hate change so much? In a country where seasons change four times a year you’d think people would get use to not just the temperature but the idea of change.

Sure, when everything stays the same it’s easier to establish routines. You always know what to expect and there are no surprises.

But, what’s the fun in that?

I think I am among the minority of people who love change.

We’ve recently seen some changes around Hometown News. To start, one of our regular reporters (Jane Hobson) has moved on to a public relations career in Toronto. Hot on the heels of her exit though, we

and that too is a change in itself. I’m not sure what has sparked the feedback, but I like it. We’re getting more parents and volunteers emailing us about what their kids and organizations are up to, and we’re really trying to get that information out to our print readers and those that visit us online.

We are a small team but we have big hearts, we care about our communities — and even in times of change, that will always remain constant.

Perth - Terry o'Hearn editorial@pdgmedia.ca

April Scott-Clarke, Editor, Hometown News

Harrison Field. Photo credit: April Scott-Clarke.

From the Lanark County Museum Network

Whitney's Office Supply at it's Beckwith Street location circa 1960. The kids are lined up for their back to school shopping - Frome the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum collection.

RCAF hall dedication for Kenneth Spooner on Oct. 14

LAC Kenneth Spooner, originally from Smiths Falls, was killed during a training exercise on May 14, 1942. He was 20 years old. The Anson aircraft #7064 crashed in Lake Erie and Spooner was awarded the George Cross for his acts during the crash.

The George Cross is awarded for acts of great heroism or for most conspicuous courage in circumstance of extreme danger.

Spooner, a student navigator with no pilot training, displayed great courage, resolution and unselfishness in the face of harassing circumstances when the pilot of the aircraft fainted at the controls causing the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly.

Immediately after the pilot became indisposed, Spooner with extreme coolness and courage, assumed charge and ordered the remainder of the crew to bail out while he took over the controls and endeavoured to keep the aircraft at a safe height.

After the crew bailed out as instructed, the aircraft crashed, carrying the unconscious pilot and Spooner to their death.

This airman with complete disregard for his personal safety and in conformity with the highest tradition of service sacrificed his life in order to save the lives of his comrades.

There will be a dedication to Kenneth Gerald Spooner on Oct. 14 at the Royal Canadian Air Force,

Rideau Wing, located at 44 Abbott Street North, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, contact Ron Stronski at 613 283 3002 or rstronski@ cogeco.ca

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Reporters:

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Patricia Krotki pmkrotki@pdgmedia.ca

editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Kathy Botham

Matthew Behrens Kathy Botham Chris Must Sally Smith Harrison Field

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News

Local initiatives crucial to staving off climatic catastrophe

Letter from our Editor

gained a new team member — Harrison Field. He’s young, he’s keen and he’ll be doing news and event coverage in Carleton Place, Almonte and Mississippi Mills.

Another big change from us is that we’re doing some social media rebranding.

On Facebook you can now find our communities as @ HometownNewsSmithsFalls, @HometownNewsCarletonPlace, @HometownNewsPerth, etc.

We’ve been known to all of you for so long (upwards of seven years) as @ DiscoverSmithsFalls, @ Discover CarletonPlace, @ DiscoverPerth and so on, but we’ve grown so much since our inception that we’ve really outgrown our name. If you already follow these pages, you might just notice a name change and that’s it. For all of you that didn’t know we are online, now you know where to go.

For a full listing of all of our Facebook communities and their new names, check out page 3.

I’ve been hearing a lot more from our readers —

3

pdg media:

48 Maple Avenue N, Smiths Falls, ON K7A 2A5 Phone: (613) 206-0708 contactus@pdgmedia.ca

Michael Glover is convinced that some local municipalities, including Tay Valley Township, can become self-sufficient using renewable energy before a widely accepted 2050 deadline. Glover is a former National Research Council manager, and now director of Ecotay Educational Centre, situated west of Perth on the Upper Scotch Line.

The 2050 deadline was announced in 2008 by Andrew Simms, an author, analyst, and co-director of the New Weather Institute, and is generally thought of as a ticking countdown clock towards a climatic catastrophe for Mother Earth.

That year could be the final tipping point from which the human population could never recover.

Some individual tipping points such as carbon have already passed us by, many experts believe.

Hoping to improve involvement with local government and other organizations, Glover hosted a climate change workshop targeting local development of zero-Emission solutions on Sunday, Sept.

24 at the barns of Ecotay.

The aim was partly to discuss some initiatives aimed at climate healing, and speakers included local Tay Valley Township Reeve Keith Kerr; Bob Argue, executive director of

EcoPerth; and Bill Dobson, Warden of Lanark County, along with numerous other professionals from the environmental field.

At the top level of Canadian government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the premiers agreed in March 2016 to work together and hopefully agree on a national climate plan.

An outline of the resulting Federal Climate Action Plan was released in December 2016, and Ian Bruce of the David Suzuki Foundation wrote at the time “This is a major milestone in Canada's history. For the first time, Canada has built the foundation of an effective national climate plan that, if fully implemented, would put the country within striking distance of meeting our 2030 greenhouse gas target. This is a huge step for Canada's response to climate change, but our country must strive to do better.”

Glover points out that while both federal and provincial governments promote net zero energy (NZE), which will soon be mandated in building codes, a better path for the future would be towards zero emission (ZE). A ZE house would use off-peak power only, and he is retrofitting the 200 year old farmhouse on the Ecotay property to demonstrate how it can be done at the local level.

“We have to get something going related to reg-

On the left, Keith Kerr, Reeve of Tay Valley Township; Michael Glover, Director of Ecotay Education Centre; and Lanark County Warden Bill Dobson prior to the start of the Climate Change Workshop. They are standing in front of a field of switchgrass, a crop that may be used to produce biofuel in the future. Photo credit: Terry O’Hearn.

ulation of the production of natural gas and its distribution,” Glover says.

“Heating with fossil fuels is the issue, and oil, propane, and natural gas are the three main fuels we need to find alternatives for.”

The focus of the workshop examined the feasibility of setting a smart grid, renewable energy system in Tay Valley that will link together renewable energy producers, consumers and storage system operators.

The subject of ending the use of fossil fuels came up repeatedly during the workshop, and echoed the dialogue put forward

by Clean Energy Canada (CEC). CEC is self-described as “a climate and clean energy think tank within the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University,” and they feel that the “shift from fossil fuels to clean electricity is needed in Canada, but to an even larger extent around the world.” The organization adds that “the global market for clean electricity is growing quickly. So is demand for the technologies and services that underpin electric transportation, buildings, industrial processes and smart grids.”

Glover is also optimistic about the use of some alternative fuels, which could be grown locally, including crops of switchgrass. While there has been a technical problem in the extraction process of the switchgrass biomass in the past, the Canadian company Cennatek has recently unveiled a new technology Bio LiNE (liquid nutrient extraction), which overcomes the problem of high nutrients usually left after the thermal conversion process, by extracting and recycling the nutrients separately. In short, the new process would produce high quality biomass fuel pellets similar to the ones now manufactured from forest residue, and have been widely used for many years. Glover stressed that “the key is to make renewable energy affordable – to avoid Hydro markups.”

Local municipalities, including the Town of Perth, often work closely with the not-for-profit organization

Gym, Tanning, Personal trainers, Sports Supplements and protein, Yoga, Spin, cardio classes and boot camps.

42 Union St., Smiths Falls

613-284-2242 ecoPerth, and Argue outlined his relationship with those officials on environmental matters. He mentioned that Perth has been proactive, and a climate action plan in place, along with Mayor John Fenik’s Task Force on Climate Change. He went on to say that the Perth plan has several checks and balances in place to ensure the plan is carried out, and communication between ecoPerth and town officials is ongoing.

Dobson and Noelle Reeve, Planner for Tay Valley Township during their session each outlined green initiatives their respective municipalities are pursuing. Dobson revealed that the Active Transportation Plan for Lanark County includes paving the shoulders of all county roads during new construction, which has an impact not only in providing a traffic lane that can be used by cyclists, but cuts down significantly on future road maintenance.

Also in the works is completion of a ring foot trail around the county, which is expected to help reduce automobile traffic.

Reeve pointed out that Tay Valley is relatively small, and has no specific funds allocated for climate change. However, she wished to leave the gathering with a hopeful thought, in that the township was at least partly responsible for long-awaited changes to Ontario’s Mining Act, giving much better protection to property owners.

Many dire warnings were heard from a seasoned group of experts throughout the day, and although there were some disagreements on items of discussion such as the dismantling of Ontario’s nuclear power plants, the consensus of opinion was: now is the time to take action. There may still be time to save the planet, but immediate action is needed on climate change problems.

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October 2017

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community

Baseball is re-born in Smiths Falls, Perth Inside Out:

by Terry O'Hearn puts town on little league map

New member finally receives appointment to Perth PSB

Eric Halpin (left) takes the Oath of Office from Perth’s CAO John deRosenroll to become the newest member of Perth’s Police Services Board on Sept.28. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

Perth - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca Eric Halpin doesn’t hold back. He says what he thinks.

This is good for a man who’s been appointed as the newest member of the Perth Police Services Board (PSB), but it may be a little tougher on the board itself.

Halpin is the fifth member of Perth’s board, joining Chair Jim Graff and members John Clement, John Gemmell and John Jarbeau at the meetings, which take place the fourth Thursday of each month. Inspector Derek Needham attends meetings as well.

Halpin is a bit ambivalent about this appointment. About two years ago Graff, who is also a town councillor, asked Halpin if he was interested in joining the Perth PSB as he’d noticed Halpin was almost always present at council meetings, committee of the whole (CoW) meetings, and PSB meetings. He also knew Halpin was president of the Perth Cemetery Company and chair of the six-person board, as well as a member of the Committee of Adjustment and Property Standards.

“Perth is my adopted home town, my community,” Halpin explains.

As a retired employee of Ontario Hydro, he knows what it is like to have a home in many towns and communities and he is tired of moving. He and his wife, Barbara, looked around for some time before deciding on Perth. Once here, he wanted to contribute to the community and he wanted to see Perth continue to thrive.

That’s why it’s so puzzling to him that it took the government so long to finalize his appointment to the PSB. “After two years, being sloughed off by the government with something so simple [as making this appointment] is a little discouraging,” he says.

“The reason for the protracted wait [whatever it is], is mind boggling,” Halpin shrugs. “I try to stay enthused, but I’m discouraged by the whole process.”

Graff agrees. “The approval process is frustratingly slow. Our board — including the mayor and our Zone 2 PSB coordinator — have made repeated calls to the ministry to speed up the paper trail. The approval requires the signature of the Minister of Communi-

ty Safety and Correctional Services, the chair of the Provincial Cabinet and the Lieutenant Governor.”

Yanni Dagonas, senior advisor and press secretary for the office of Marie France Lalonde, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, says “There are several reasons why an appointment to a Police Services Board may take time to be processed. In general, we strive to ensure that appointments are processed as quickly as possible.

In addition, our government is committed to ensuring Police Services Boards represent the people they serve.

We congratulate Mr. Halpin on his appointment and appreciate his commitment to the people of Perth.”

Halpin is appointed for two years as a provincial representative on the board; he will then have to reapply, as do all provincial appointments to PSBs. Although it has taken so long, Graff quickly adds that the board is “pleased” Halpin has “finally received his provincial appointment. Eric’s interest in the well-being of our town is evident.”

Halpin attended his first PSB meeting as a member on Sept. 28.

5

Parkinson SuperWalk first time success

Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Rideau Lakes council structure to become 2018 election issue

Photo submitted.

Regional - Matthew Behrens editorial@pdgmedia.ca When Rideau Lakes voters head to the polls next year, Portland resident Brian Preston hopes that improved representation and democratic governance will be major issues put before candidates seeking or hoping to renew terms in public office.

It’s the latest salvo in a battle to change the structure of municipal government, one in which Preston was the lead appellant in a recent case heard before the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). Preston challenged a township council by-law, passed by a split vote in January, that merged the North Crosby and Newboro wards while leaving in place two councillors for each of the four remaining wards. (The challenge traces its roots to the 1998 amalgamation of Newboro, Bastard and South Burgess, North Crosby, South Crosby and South Elmsley.)

While the OMB ultimately concluded on Sept.1 that it did not have the jurisdiction to interfere with the council decision – the provincial body found that there was “no compelling evidence that [the by-law] will result in a disparity of voting power of ineffective representation” – Preston was nonetheless pleased that there appeared enough merit in his challenge to be

granted leave for a hearing in the first place. He works with a group of residents who claim the January by-law ran contrary to the will of a majority of residents who sought change in council’s makeup.

Rideau Lakes council currently consists of nine members, which Preston says makes the township “one of the most over-governed” municipalities in the province.

In 2016, the township hired Strategy Corp. to garner public input on ward boundary changes and council structure, gathering feedback over four months via 200 surveys and a series of open houses and public meetings. Over 50 per cent of those who spoke to potential changes supported what's become known as Option 4, which would have reduced the number of councillors per ward to one, while two additional councillors, as well as the mayor, would be elected at-large, and therefore expected to represent the whole township.

“In our view, Option 4 meets the test of effective representation, recognizes the township’s unique history and provides opportunities to encourage a new, township-wide perspective,” the consultant’s report concluded. “Put another way, it strikes the right balance to help Rideau Lakes move forward.

Had Option 4 been passed, Preston believes that the problems inherent to a ward-based system – “where everybody just looks after their own little turf and they have turf wars at the council meetings” – would have been muffled in favour of a more inclusive spirit of township-wide representation. Financial savings could have been put to-

ward infrastructure and servicing the township’s debt load. That would have been in keeping, he says, with province-wide changes that are seeing many municipalities moving towards mixed ward/at-large or completely at-large representation.

The town’s chief administrative officer, Mike Dwyer, testified before the OMB that while having two councillors per ward ensures accessibility to constituents, he agreed with the Strategy Corp. recommendation that Option 4 was the best alternative presented in the report. As OMB vice-chair R.G.M. Makuch wrote, “[Dwyer] would have recommended to Council that it adopt this option if he had been asked for his opinion.”

As the federal government defends its decision not to implement long-promised electoral reform to ensure more equitable representation, Preston feels that the battle he and others are waging locally has major potential, despite the setback at the OMB. “We lost the first battle, but now we’ve got all the issues on the table, and we're looking to win the war,” he says. “The elections in 2018 we will keep this alive. Ask your candidate about their position on restructuring council. Option 4 will increase your personal democracy by not only voting for a ward councillor and mayor, but also an at-large councilor, so you get three votes instead of two. That’s democracy at work. And remember that municipal governments have far more impact on everyone’s lives than provincial or federal governments in the age of globalization, so the local stuff really counts.”

No longer will Smiths Falls be known just for hockey if Joe Shadoue and his brothers have anything to say about it. And Shadoue is not shy about talking.

He talks baseball — he thinks it, he coaches it, he plays it, it’s in his head all the time — and he’s happy about that. He and his brothers, plus a lot of volunteers, coaches, parents and spectators — are behind a renaissance in little league baseball in town.

Shadoue even thinks a good slogan for the town could be “Baseball in the summer. Hockey in the winter,” as little league begins to explode. Who can say Wayne Gretzky is wrong, he asks, because that’s what he used to do.

Baseball faded out of Smiths Falls’ consciousness about 15 years ago.

When that happens and only a few are interested, kids go elsewhere to pursue a sport they love.

Players got eaten up by the small towns around them. When it came back to anchoring the game once again in Smith Falls, the first thing Shadoue did was apply for a charter.

And he got it.

A charter allows a claim on a district, Shadoue explains. It’s a geographical chunk of land from which to draw kids. Smiths Falls is part of District 8, and includes (among others) Smiths Falls, Jasper, Lombardy, Newboyne, Forfar and Crosby; it doesn’t include Franktown, Rideau Ferry, Newboro or Burritts Rapids.

As Smiths Falls faded out, other small towns absorbed players. But once the charter came into being, boundaries were re-established. “We took our players back,” Shadoue says with a little grin.

This year Smiths Falls had 70 players, and Shadoue expects that

Smiths Falls Stars Keaton Murphy makes the pitch during the finals of the Scott Tokessy tournament.

Photo submitted.

number to double next year. He’d like as many as 180 players, because the more players you have, the more teams you can field. For instance, Kingston draws from a pool of 600 for its competitive summer team. The innerOttawa teams have a much bigger resource than even 600.

And when he says players, he’s not just referring to boys. There are many girls that play little league ball, and excel. “I’ve coached girls who are phenomenal…they’ve kicked the crap out of the boys who play,” says Shadoue.

Andrew Stoll, who coached the junior competitive team this year, agrees. He had one girl on his team this past summer and was deep-down thrilled when she chose to play baseball rather than hockey over the summer.

This past summer was big for Smiths Falls, as this year teams played under the name of the Smiths Falls Stars and made some big wins. The juniors finished of their season with an impressive silver medal and the majors were District 8 league champi-

Graham Wilson

ons. And both teams won their divisions at the Scott Tokessy Memorial Gold Glove Tournament. The Tokessy tournament is the biggest charity baseball tournament in Canada.

Last year, some of the same players and coaches played — and won — their divisions of the charity tournament but under the banner of the Perth Royals. These 2017 wins were firsts for the new Smiths Falls Stars.

Baseball season ended at the end of August, and there was some talk about fall ball, but that hasn’t gotten off the ground yet says Shadoue.

There will be winter training, though, at the Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute gym drills, hitting, pitching, base running.

Shadoue and Stoll coach because they love the game and they like the kids. “Kids are kinda like a little drug sometimes. Spending time with them is super refreshing,” Shadoue says. “Dealing with the parents is tough,” he adds, a bit tongue-incheek.

There are two reasons why Shadoue and Stoll spend so much time thinking, talking, planning and playing baseball: the kids and this town.

“If no one showed up and no one cared and

no one was having fun, it wouldn’t happen,” Shadoue says. But when week after week kids and parents keep coming back, “it gets infectious.

Baseball is a mechanism for doing good all over, it suckers you in.”

“Lots of baseball characteristics — teamwork, having your friends’ backs, dependability — translate into life,” Stoll says.

His motto this year was “effort and fight.”

“There’s a lot you can’t control in baseball, like the umpire, mistakes, a thousand little things. But these two things you have 100 per cent control over.”

Put in the hard work, don’t give up. “These things don’t stop on the baseball diamond; they follow you through life.”

And, the Town of Smiths Falls could certainly reap financial benefits from little league baseball, especially if “56 teams show up for a tournament,” Shadoue points out. “Tournaments are the way to go.”

For information about teams, fields, sponsorships, volunteering and anything else you want to know about Smiths Falls Little League, go to the website (http://www.sfll. ca) or get in touch with Shadoue or others from the league.

Used Cars & Trucks

They came to the starting area mostly on foot, some in wheelchairs, and a few with canes or walkers. By the time more than a hundred people set out behind Perth Town Crier Brent McLaren and his wife Shelley at Conlon Farm Recreation Complex on Saturday, Sept. 9, more than $30,000 had been raised in support of the Lanark North Leeds Parkinson SuperWalk.

Pat Evans and co-chair Gayle Truman, who both have Parkinson’s, teamed up many months ago to plan an event that had never been tested in local waters. Their hard work and organizational skills paid off with success beyond anyone’s dreams. Mayor John Fenik noted in his opening remarks that $2,000 would probably have been a realistic goal for the first-time event, and he congratulated organizers on their accomplishment.

A cool and cloudy early morning turned to sunshine as the event began, and the atmosphere was decidedly upbeat – just like the scenario Evans and Truman had played out in their minds many times. Music was in the air, provided by Perth’s Umberlune (Sarah Foster), with Jamie Campbell following.

Among the teams entered was “Don’s Dream Team,” headed by Lieutenant General (Ret’d) Donald McNaughton, CMM, CD, and his wife Frances (Fran). Dorothy Reynolds was the elder of a four-generation family, who was completing the course in a wheelchair while holding great-grandson Maverick, eight weeks old. Organizers Evans and Truman each had teams entered, and other teams had raised funds and were among the participants.

The SuperWalk is Parkinson Canada’s largest fundraising event, Evans noted. In addition to raising funds, the hope is that it will also raise awareness. Furthermore, additional education is needed for both health care professionals and the general public, and specialists are scarce. Evans feels the event is “bringing the community one step closer to accessing services for those living with Parkinson’s.”

Parkinson’s has the second highest numbers after Alzheimer’s among movement disorders, and Canada is

seeing 25 people a day being diagnosed with the disease.

Experts predict that within 15 years that number is expected to double. Among the causes are gene mutations and environmental factors says the Mayo Clinic, however there are still many questions to be answered.

In her address before the walk began, Evans expressed her thanks to all members of “the organizing committee, the Town of Perth, our sponsors, volunteers and those who supported our efforts to bring the SuperWalk to Lanark North Leeds. I’ve met so many people in this area who have this disease, and I’m excited that in addition to the money raised, we have also raised awareness and a sense of hope. And hope is essential for improved health.”

Also speaking to the large crowd gathered was Dr. David Grimes, a specialist from Ottawa, who gave some insight into what is going on behind the scenes in the medical community. Grimes has so many credentials that emcee Patricia Boal from CTV News joked when introducing him that she might not have time to read them all.

“We are fortunate to have world-class specialists and quality care in nearby centres like Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto,” said Evans. “But the reality is that travel can be difficult for those with mobility issues. As well, many people are reluctant to even talk about their symptoms as they feel that people will judge them. Access to medical and other supports closer to home can make a real difference in the lives of those living with Parkinson’s and their families.”

The essence of the SuperWalk goal is to help provide a better quality of life for many good people. There is still time to give, and the website is open for donations until Dec. 31: donate.parkinson. ca/lanarknorthleeds. Look for the “Donate Now” button at the top.

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Smiths Falls Stars’ catcher waits for the pitch during the finals of the Scott Tokessy tournament. Photo submitted.

Left to right, front row, Don’s Dream Team: Frances McNaughton, Don McNaughton, Mary McNaughton, Kim McNaughton. Back row: Marsha McNaughton, Jean Dabros, Arthur McNaughton, Mike Dabros, Ian McNaughton, Blair McNaughton, Josi Mesdag . Photo credit: Terry O’Hearn.

October 2017

October 2017

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community

Snowsuit drive runs until Oct. 28 Sniths Falls - Chris Must editorial@pdgmedia.ca

In the midst of September’s mild temperatures, it’s easy to forget how harsh Ontario’s winters can get.

But those cold months aren’t far away, and local efforts to help protect young children in need are about to get under way.

Smiths Falls’ 2017 snowsuit campaign officially launched on Monday, Sept.

18 at Andress Your Independent Grocer.

The Rotary Club of Smiths Falls joined forces with the Smiths Falls Police Service for the launch, set for 10 a.m. to noon. The Rotary Club was represented at the launch by Rotarian Larry Allen, joined by Aaron Tompkins, community services officer with the Smiths Falls Police Service.

The local campaign will run until Oct. 28. Snowsuits will distributed on the weekends of Oct. 28-29, and Nov. 4-5. Distribution will take place from 9 a.m. to noon both days. The distribution point for Smiths Falls is the Gallipeau Centre, with owner Joe Gallipeau donating space to Family and Children’s Services of Leeds, Lanark and Grenville each year for sorting and distribution.

Snowsuits are distributed in Carleton Place from the Baptist Church at 299 Bridge St., and in Perth from the Family and Children’s Services office at 8 Herriott St. “We strongly encourage families to bring their children out one of those two days to ensure they get the proper size, and also because it is the most effective means of distributing

the suits,” said Steve Orr, volunteer coordinator for Family and Children’s Services.

Orr said 2017 marks the 32nd year for the snowsuit campaign in Lanark and the Town of Smiths Falls. A separate campaign takes place in Leeds and Grenville, with Family and Children’s Services partnering with the Kinsmen Club of Brockville for that effort.

Snowsuit drop boxes will be located at the following schools: Montague Public School; Lombardy Public School; Chimo Elementary School; Duncan J. Schoular Public School; St. James the Greater Catholic School; St. Francis de Sales Catholic School; and Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute.

Donations may also be dropped off at Andress Independent Grocer, Smiths Falls Memorial Community Centre, The Cooperators Insurance at 52 Abbott St. North, and at Giant Tiger on Chambers Street.

More than 500 snowsuits are distributed throughout Lanark County to children and youth in need each year. Family and Children’s Services purchases roughly 300 new suits annually, said Orr. Gord Jones, owner of Giant Tiger in Perth, provides a substantial discount on the snowsuits. The public are asked to support the campaign by recycling gently used snowsuits, winter jackets, and snow pants, or by making cash donations.

opinion:

Am I the only one?

Wishing everyone a happy and safe

by Carrie Wynne

THANKSGIVING

The dark side of alcohol I’m taking a wild guess that you don’t have to venture too far in your friend or family mix to find someone who’s in trouble with alcohol. I’m not talking about sharing a bottle of wine at dinner on Saturday night or having a couple of cocktails after work. That’s not problem drinking. I’ve watched most of my friends gradually dial it back from 20 year-old drinking to 50 year-old drinking. I think it’s called drinking like a normal person.

The problem drinker is a binge drinker or a blackout drinker. They drink because they are bored or lonely. They hide their drinking. They drink to

constantly change how they feel.

They drink when they’re upset. They drink with dinner, before dinner, after dinner, making dinner. They drink until they throw up, pass out or both. They drink because they can’t stop.

Unfortunately as family members we enable them.

Don’t want to upset them by calling it out so we tip toe around them instead.

We pretend we don’t notice the obvious. We accept and love them for who they are. We have no other choice. It’s their call.

There’s a history of alcoholism in my family. I have to be careful and so do my kids. It’s an illness.

It’s addiction and it’s he-

reditary. It was explained to me like this; genetics loads the gun and environment pulls the trigger.

Drinking excessively is bad for your body, your relationships and your mental health. It’s so normalized in society how could anyone “not drink.”

The ads portray alcohol as a fun companion. Of course, those ads don’t mention when things go sideways because the brain is impaired. The canoe trips, camping, skiing, football games and celebrations are fun with or without alcohol. The world is full of fun happy people who never use alcohol.

I wish more kids under-

stood this better. It would help break the cycle of addiction.

I’ve been around alcohol my entire life and watched it take many people down.

It’s really sad and it upsets me. Am I the only one?

Signed, Am I the Only One? Carrie's column reflects her own opinions and not necessarily those of Hometown News.

Beatles Tribute show to benefit hospital campaign

fundraising efforts for a new ultrasound machine in July, and has already succeeded in raising $150,000 to date. Foundation Executive Director Lise Smith said the equipment should be ordered before the end of this year.

“We have the best doctors and nurses,” said Smith. “But if we don’t give them the tools they need, they can’t do their jobs.”

Ultrasound, also called sonography, uses sound waves to produce images

of what’s going on inside the body. Doctors employ ultrasound imaging in diagnosing a wide variety of conditions affecting the organs and soft tissues of the body. Ultrasound images have many uses during pregnancy including determining due dates and screening for potential problems. In 2016-2017, 6,138 ultrasounds were performed at the Smiths Falls site of the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital.

A Beatles Tribute was launched in 2017 by longtime musical partners Ian Jones and Mitch Gallant. In a two-year labour of love, Jones and Gallant recorded their own versions of 108 favourite Beatles songs, in what they called the “Fab 50 per cent” recording project. In a home studio, they recorded more than half of the complete Beatles catalogue. With 2017 being the 50th anniversary of the

place at 7:30 p.m. at the Drummond Township Hall (1920 Drummond Concession 7). Member Lori Pannet will be the guest speaker and will discuss period costumes with live models.

The 2nd Line of Drummond Women’s Institutes has been instrumental in the painting of road lines in the county and the Active Farming Area signs on County Road #10 between Perth and Franktown. With 22 members, the 2nd Line WI meets on the first Thursday of every month, alternating between each member’s home.

Since it’s inception this local branch has donated funds to local families in need, libraries, community halls, museums,

playgrounds, fire fighters, schools, 4-H clubs, agricultural fairs, hospitals and nursing homes.

The WI organization was founded by Adelaide Hoodless when she felt that it was time to concentrate on rural living from women’s point of view and to elevate the job of homemaking to the same level as that of farming.

She proposed that a dedicated women’s group could learn together about how to improve homemaking through a study of domestic science.

During WWII virtually every branch of the institute provided support to the war effort. They donated 13,524 pairs of knitted wool socks and 1.6 million dollars in goods and cash to the Red Cross. Since

Members of A Beatles Tribute, seen here at an Aug. 26 performance hosted by 4 Degrees Brewing in Smiths Falls, are, from left, Chris Must, Ian Jones, Doug Corneil and Mitch Gallant. Photo submitted.

Sniths Falls - Submitted editorial@pdgmedia.ca The Smiths Falls Community Hospital Foundation is pleased to announce A Beatles Tribute concert and dance Saturday, Oct. 14 with proceeds to the hospital’s Ultrasound Campaign.

The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 95 hall at 7 Main St. East.

The foundation began

legendary Summer of Love, as well the anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album, Jones and Gallant decided to assemble a full band to present many of the songs to live audiences.

A Beatles Tribute has been performing select shows since May. On Oct. 14 in Smiths Falls, Jones, on lead vocals, will be accompanied by Gallant on lead guitar and vocals, Chris Must on bass and backing vocals, and Doug Corneil on drums.

“Smiths Falls audiences have been very good to us so far, and we are looking for an opportunity to give something back to the community,” said Gallant.

Tickets for the afternoon show are $10 each. Tickets are available at the Smiths Falls Community Hospital Foundation office.

Advance tickets can also be ordered by emailing c.must@sympatico.ca.

Carleton Place Sarah Cavangh editorial@pdgmedia.ca

The kick-off for the 2017 Snowsuit Campaign was off to a good start early Monday morning, Sept. 18. Donor Barbara Hitchins dropped off three bags of knitted items at the launch that took place in front of Andress Your Independent Grocer. From left are Steve Orr, volunteer coordinator from Family and Children’s Services, Community Services Officer Aaron Tompkins of the Smiths Falls Police Service, and Larry Allen of the Rotary Club of Smiths Falls. Photo credit: Chris Must.

The Women’s Institute (WI) in Canada began in 1897 in Stoney Creek, Ont. and quickly spread throughout the province.

By 2013 the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario (FWIO) had more than 300 branches with more than 4,500 members.

Locally, the South District Women’s Institute is made up of four branches: Balderson, Bethel, Drummond Centre and the 2nd Line of Drummond Women’s Institutes. On Nov. 2, these four local branches will join to celebrate Canada’s 150 and 120 years of social impact in our communities by hosting an special event.

The meeting will take

R0013520897.1022

Women’s Institute to host public gathering on Nov. 2 with guest speakers and period dress

1947, the organization has been officially recording community histories in the Tweedsmuir history books. They have also been strong advocates for the pasteurization of milk and improved life skills training in schools.

Contact us for pricing and availability.

October 2017

October 2017

8

Safety first!

Health Matters You Are What You Eat

Dr. Katie Weststrate, MScCH, RYT, ND

There is nothing accidental about a good workplace safety record Advertorial

CDN Safety Training has been in operation since 1996. CDN provides safety training to industries from residential and commercial construction, retail and industrial warehousing and all aspects of propane handling and distributing. Current owner Chris Sargeant brings 16 years of residential construction and retail building supply management skills to the company.

Why Workplace safety training is so important: Workplace safety train ing is the law.

Workplace safety train ing keep all employees

safe and going home to their families.

Workplace accidents can be a serious cost to a com pany.

CDN provides a high-quality level of training adding real-life experiences to the classes. Having managed construction sites and a building centre of 40+ staff, Chris understands the importance and every day challenges both staff and business owners face when it comes to safety in the workplace.

CDN is a Ministry of Labour approved training provider for Working at Heights. We also provide training in Counter Balance

& Rough Terrain Forklift, Narrow Isle and Pallet operations, Aerial Work Platform, 0-8 tonne Overhead Crane, Chainsaw Safety and Operations, WHMIS 2015 and Transportation of Dangerous Goods. CDN is also an approved Canadian Propane Institute training provider for Propane Pump Attendant, Cylinder and Auto filling, Cylinder and Valve Re-qualification, Bulk Truck and Construction Heater and Torches certification.

CDN has provided training across Eastern On, Grand Rapids Michigan and even Iqaluit. Our mobile services allow us to provide training to you and your staff

at your location, using your equipment and at a time the best suites your needs. We also host regular classes in the Ottawa area and Kemptville.

We can provide training to single attendees as well as larger groups. Rates will vary from class courses and group sizes.

As much as we try to have fun during our classes, we also have to emphasize safety and responsibility in the workplace because there is nothing accidental about a good workplace safety record.

Call or email us for more information: info@cdnsafetytraining.ca or 613.290.1361.

Halloween safety tips for driver and parents It’s the time for pumpkins, candy and costumes, an for reminding parents and motorists to practise patience, to ensure a safe and enjoyable Halloween for everyone.

Here are four tips motorists can follow this Halloween: 1. Don’t use a cellphone while driving. Turn off your cellphone and put it away.

2. Drive below the speed limit in residential areas, and be extra alert behind the wheel.

3. If you are dropping off or picking up a group of children, turn on your hazard lights while they enter or exit from the car in order to alert other drivers.

4. Be extra vigilant while backing your car out of its parking space.

Parents can ensure children have a safe night of trick-or-treating with these tips: 1. Pick bright colours for Halloween costumes or use reflective tape around the outfit to im-

prove visibility to drivers.

2. Costumes should fit well and not drag on the ground, as they can pose a tripping hazard.

3. Replace your child's mask with makeup to make sure that they have a clear view of their surroundings.

4. Remind children to follow street crossing rules. Always look both ways before walking across the street.

body said ‘no’). The grand prize package will include the Econolodge Harbor room as the venue (as well as a room the night of wedding), a wedding cake (up to $300), the bride’s bouquet ($200), $500 event rentals, and $500 videography credit. Also included in the prize is a DJ package and a $500 off your wedding dress (when you spend over $1,000). That’s just a partial list, items are still coming in.

The draw will be held af-

ter the show, and the winning bride-to-be will be notified shortly after. You don’t have to be onsite at the time of the draw to win, but you must have attended the show — registering isn’t enough to get you name in the draw.

So far 30 vendors have signed on to show their wares.

A fashion show is planned with models walking in and around the vendors.

Stanzel’s says a lot of

laurie anne brennan 6 russell st. east smiths falls on 613 706 2188 noalpantry@gmail.com

a local food eatery breakfast, lunch, catering, private events

hours have gone into organizing the show but her and her partners don’t regret a minute. “It’s good to have a big event in Smiths Falls. We want to show others what Smiths Falls and area people can do and offer,” she says. She admits the organizing is stressful, but loves every minute of “bringing all parts of a wedding to one event.”

Some show-goers will take what they’ve seen at the show, go home and create their own day; others will go all-out and make use of the vendors and ideas presented.

Stanzel and Foley have “been in planning mode” since the last show and her prediction is this will be a bigger and better show.

The Always and Forever Wedding Show takes place Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Econolodge, 33 Centre Street, Smiths Falls. To register, go to www.eventbrite. ca and search for the Always and Forever Show.

Submitted by JS Creations

For most of us, food, and the act of eating, serves many roles. Foremost, we rely on food to nourish our physical bodies, to provide the essentials for growth and function.

Increasingly I see patients who have become distanced from this awareness. We take food for granted, eating solely for social or emotional purpose, for convenience, or ,we have an antagonistic relationship with food and all of the ‘shoulds’ we have constructed around eating; fighting an unending numbers game with ‘calories’ or the latest diet fad.

Historically, people ate for necessity, from the foods that grew naturally in their local, relatively unpolluted environment. These foods were consumed in their original or minimally processed state, when they were still fresh and full of nutrients.

As civilization has grown and industrialization boomed, so too has our access to foods from across the globe. Foods we were never able to consume as hunter-gatherers are now commonplace and taken for

granted. Processing and preservation has moved in leaps and bounds, to enable us to have food that can remain on a shelf, or in refrigeration, for weeks, months or years longer than it would naturally.

Unfortunately, with this ease of convenience, frequently comes a totally altered ‘food’ product, stripped of much of its original nutritional value and filled with additives of all kinds. Many reduced-calorie candies, jellos, coffee creamers and other ‘foods’ are now made entirely of chemicals!

Many of the chemicals we’re exposed to in our environment can have serious health repercussions, be this reproductive/hormonal, neurological, immunological or otherwise. There is no way to totally avoid contamination with some of the most ubiquitous toxins present in foods, air, water, cosmetics, cleaners, paints, furnishings, clothing, industrial by-products, etc. In fact, studies suggest many toxins are present before we’re even born, with an average of 200 industrial chemicals found in the umbilical cord blood of newborn infants. However, it is possible to make small changes to minimize continued exposure while supporting our body to function optimally despite this environmental load!

What can you do?

1. Minimize processed/ packaged and convenience ‘foods’.

2. Read labels – avoid products that list multiple

chemicals and additives like dyes and artificial flavours.

If you don’t see recognizable foods listed as the main (first) ingredients, DON’T eat it!

3.

Eat nutrient dense REAL food! Plants (vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, whole grains and legumes) and animal (poultry, grassfed red meat, wild game, eggs, fish, etc.). Make your own soups, stews, etc. when you can.

4. Choose local, nonGMO, organic and/or grassfed, free-range options when possible.

5. Make informed choices - consumer guides produced by the Environmental Working Group can guide in a selection of least toxic produce, fish, home cleaners, cosmetics and skin care products- www.EWG.org.

You can also grow or make your own! Several small scale local producers also offer environmentally (and body) friendly options.

If you suspect you have a food or chemical sensitivity, or other related health concern (auto-immunity, hormonal dysregulation, ADHD/attention/focus related issue, fibromyalgia etc), speak to your primary health care provider or naturopathic doctor about your options.

Dr. Katie Weststrate, MScCH, RYT, ND operates a Ahimsa Naturopathic, a clinic Merrickville that brings naturopathic medicine and complementary care options to the residents of Merrickville and the surrounding communities in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark Counties. www.ahimsanaturopathic.com

Courtesy of CAA South Central Ontario.

Wedding show offers up amazing prizes to attendants If your future plans include a wedding, the smart thing to do is quickly register for the third annual Smiths Falls Always and Forever Wedding Show on Nov. 5. and then make sure you show up on that day at the Econolodge.

Event organizers Jacqui Stanzel, Julia Foley, Rebecca Nolan and Barbara Willoughby have put together a one-of-a-kind prize! They’ve asked all their show vendors to contribute services (and no-

9

CORPORATION​ ​OF​ ​THE​ ​TOWN​ ​OF​ ​SMITHS​ ​FALLS REQUEST​ ​FOR​ ​PROPOSAL RFP​ ​#:​ ​17-ED-03 DEVELOPMENT​ ​OPPORTUNITY FORMER​ ​WATER​ ​TREATMENT​ ​PLANT Sealed submissions will be received in envelopes clearly marked as to contents by the Town Clerk at her office in the Town Hall, 77 Beckwith Street North, Smiths Falls, Ontario, until ​11:00 am local time on November​ ​30,​ ​2017​ ​for​ ​this​ ​development​ ​opportunity.

Smiths

ON

Falls

THE

R ll

Oct. 13-14, 19-21 ‘Who Dunit?’

Oct. 7 & 8

Turkey and Train Rides Thanksgiving train rides at the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario. 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. www.rmeo.org

October 21

Oct. 12, 19, 26

Candlelit Ghost Walks

Get spooked this October with a month of Ghost Walks at Heritage House Museum. 6 to 8 p.m. with costumed guides in the house. For more information call 613-283-6311 or email heritagehouse@smithsfalls.ca.

October 13

Chamber of Commerce Gala

Featuring River City Junction and keynote speaker Todd Nicholson, Chef de Mission for the 2018 Canadian Paralympic Team & former Captain of the Canadian Sledge Hockey Team. Social hour at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 7. Hosted by the Chamber of Commerce at Hanley Hall.

Oct. 13 - Nov. 11 Escape Boxcar

Smiths Falls Community Theatre presents “Who Dunit?”, a comedymystery by C. B. Gilford. For information or to order tickets, call 613-283-0300 or visit www.smithsfallstheatre.com.

Come try out the escape train car at the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario. Limited to four people per experience. Tickets must be prepurchased online before arriving.

For scheduling information, visit www.rmeo.org.

REAL Harvest Dinner

Celebrating the food producers of Lanark, Leeds and Grenville.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., cocktails at 6 and dinner at 7. Hosted by Rideau Environmental Action League at Lombardy Agricultural Hall, and featuring The Giocoso Strings Quartet. www.realaction.ca

October 28 to 29

Art Journey Show and Sale

Free admission, at the Smiths Falls Memorial Community Centre, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Featuring live music by Eric Uren. www.artjourneysmithsfalls.com

October - Nov. 2

Exhibition: ‘The Last Grand Duchess’

Personal photographs of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, who came to Canada after the Russian Revolution to live a simpler farm life, on display at the Heritage House Museum. For hours and admission details, call 613-283-6311 or email heritagehouse@smithsfalls.ca.

Specifications and submission requirements may be obtained from the Clerk's office: Nadine Bennett, Deputy Clerk via email at ​nbennett@smithsfalls.ca or telephone​ ​at​ ​613-283-4124​ ​ext.​ ​1130.

Questions regarding this Request for Proposal may be directed to Cyril Cooper, Manager of Economic Development & Tourism via email at ccooper@smithsfalls.ca​​ ​or​ ​613-283-4124​ ​ext.​ ​1107.

AMENDMENTS​ ​TO​ ​SUBMISSIONS​ ​SHALL​ ​NOT BE CONSIDERED​ ​OR​ ​ACCEPTED

www.smithsfalls.ca Canada150SmithsFalls

October 2017

October 2017

10

11

lifestyle

lifestyle Garden Matters: 10 tips for preparing your lawn and garden for winter Falling leaves signal the beginning of the fall clean up season. Maybe you haven’t spent that much time in the garden over the past few weeks with the kids going back to school or you have managed to get away enjoy the last bit of beautiful weather, but there are a lot of little tasks that need to be completed to get your garden ready for winter.

Here are some basic fall garden chores that should be completed before the snow flies.

1. Wrap any small trees (especially fruit trees) with tree wrap or tree guards to prevent mice from chewing the bark in winter. Trees that are ringed by mice will not survive.

2. Stock up on Bobbex to protect your evergreens from deer. This

foliar spray deters deer from feeding on evergreens such as cedars, and yews.

3. Rake up and dispose of any diseased leaves from underneath trees, or shrubs to prevent wintering over of blights and powdery mildews which were prevalent this season.

If your perennials were attacked by leaf disease this summer cut them right back and dispose of the foliage (not in your compost!)

4. Clean out your veggie garden and topdress with manure or compost so it's ready for cultivation and planting first thing in the spring.

5. Plant garlic after Thanksgiving weekend for harvesting next season. Always choose hard neck varieties, which are hardy to our

area.

6. Water all newly planted trees, shrubs and especially evergreens well into the end of October to help protect against winter damage. Fall droughts can be a killer.

7. Tie up any evergreens/shrubs with twine that can be split by heavy snow loads.

8. Spray boxwood and other broadleaf evergreens with Wilt Pruf or build a burlap windbreak for them, never wrap them directly on foliage.

9. Plant spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils, crocus, and snowdrops now. You won't regret it.

10. Fertilize your lawn with a fall fertilizer.

Kelly Heath Gemmell’s Garden Centre

Let's Eat

By Brian Turner

My Place will be your place after one visit I usually don’t put a lot of stock in online business ratings, but when searching for a restaurant in Smiths Falls to review, My Place kept coming up as number one on more than a few different sites. So our neighbours joined my partner and I for a recent visit, and found out their high scores are well deserved.

Located just off the main thoroughfare (Beckwith Street) at 2 Main St. W, My Place is easy to find and offers plenty of on-street parking. It bills itself as a family restaurant specializing in European food.

It’s known far and wide by locals and visitors alike for making some of the best schnitzel and goulash on the planet with a decidedly Eastern European flare.

This family business was started 14 years ago by Josef and Paval. Today it is managed by Ivana and her daughters Madison and Hallie.

The dining room is spacious with various table sizes and an open view of the kitchen. This lack of walls provided the first clue that we weren’t in any ordinary restaurant for, after each order was placed from the very busy dining area that evening, all we could hear was the steady beat of a meat tenderizing hammer accompanied by a flurry of activity at the cooking stations. What this suggested (and what was later confirmed by what we tasted) is that every dish coming out of My Place’s kitchen is handmade to order and not

Food & Drink

prepared in advance.

Even as busy as our Friday evening visit was, service was prompt and friendly and we received our piping hot dishes with very little delay. Three at our table opted for variations of schnitzel (pork or chicken with different spicing) and one choose the goulash. All of our servings were extremely generous, so bring an appetite.

The breading on the large selection of meats (two per order) was crispy and light and not oily in any sense.

The pork and chicken was moist and cooked to perfection and the white creamy dressing/condiment offered on the side, provided just the right compliment to this heavenly creation.

All dinner and lunch plates come with a variety of side options. I choose the plain dumplings (covered in a delicious gravy) with my Prague pork schnitzel.

The fresh vegetable sides were plentiful and cooked to the right texture, meaning not mushy but firm and full of flavour.

On one section of the open counter that separated the kitchen from the dining

For more informaaon visit www.lombardglen.com or call the Pro Shop at 613-283-5318 551 Highway 15, RR#1 Lombardy

area sat an amazing array of desserts that couldn’t be passed up, no matter how filling our entrees were.

My partner and I split a deep-dish strawberry rhubarb pie that came with its own side of fresh fruit along with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

All I can say is leave time for a leisurely stroll around the stores in Smiths Falls to walk some of this homemade goodness off.

The total for my partner and I (with tip and tax) came to a ridiculously low $46. The menu is also chocked full of traditional North American fare and take-out and catering services are available.

With their penchant for freshly prepared and amply served dishes at very reasonable prices, My Place should be your place for regular outings when the home kitchen is off duty.

My Place is open for lunch (from 11 am to 2 pm) seven days a week and for dinner Sunday through Wednesday 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

You can reach them at 613284-4696.

De-alcoholized Wines I am not writing about alcohol this time but rather wines that are made and all the alcohol is then removed.

Don't worry though, the alcohol that is recovered is sold as pure spirits. There are a couple of methods used to de-alcoholize wines.

ARIEL Vineyards (www. arielvineyards.com), started the process of making wines according to traditional methods and then removing the alcohol in 1985. More than 99.5% of the alcohol is removed through a gentle cold filtration process. This process, which uses reverse osmosis, allows alcohol to be removed while retaining the qualities found in traditional wine. The largest

Tastes

Canadian company out of Toronto making de-alcoholized beverages, MADD Virgin Drinks (www.maddvirgindrinks.com) and (www.hillstreetbevco.com) uses a high pressure distillation process method that reduces the temperature necessary to separate the alcohol from the wine yet retain the quality aroma, flavour and taste. Their company deals with Belgium for their wide range of de-alcoholized products that include wines, beers, and sparkling wine. How these extra production steps result in a price that is in the $10 range compared to traditional wines is baffling.

ARIEL describes its

of the

Brian Preston - The Travelling Sommelier brianpreston@hotmail.com de-alcoholization methods on its website: the base tank is initially filled with wine; a pump pushes the wine into the reverse osmosis unit that has membranes that separate a syrupy concentrate from the alcohol and water; the water and alcohol flow into a storage tank and the concentrate is recycled 10 to 20 times; before bottling, fresh water is added to the concentrate, creating the finished product.

Though it is physically impossible to remove 100 per cent of the alcohol from fermented beverages, ARIEL wine meets the legal definition of a de-alcoholized beverage, which is that it can contain no more than 0.5 per cent of alcohol. For comparison, a most orange juice has more alcohol in it.

Without alcohol, the wine is lighter and less robust and smoother and very easy to drink. In fact, ARIEL deal-

coholized wines are rich in polyphenols - powerful antioxidants long-believed to promote heart health and weight loss when consumed in moderate quantities daily. Besides, in this growing market, we Baby Boomers can go to the party, enjoy the wine, and still be alert to drive home.

ARIEL produces a Chardonnay with tropical fruit and subtle oak spice flavour from ageing in barrels with apple and a bit of butterscotch sweetness that is not over the top. It is thinner than alcohol based Chards, but I quite like it compared to the original non-alcohol drinks years ago that turned me off until quite recently where modern techniques can extract alcohol but retain lots of flavour enjoyment in the beverage. It reminds me of the advances in frozen food technology since the 50s and 60s. Do you remember the Swanson TV dinners back then?

They also produce a decent Cabernet Sauvignon

that is also oak aged and has aromas of black currants, cherry and a touch of blueberry and soft tannins with a dry finish. Again, it is a lighter style than an alcohol based wine but it drinks well on its own or with foods like pizza, burgers or chili.

Their products are available at health and natural food stores, grocery chains in our region: Foodsmiths (Perth), B&H Grocer (Kemptville, Hall Orchards (Brockville) and Country Grocer (Ottawa).

MADD Virgin Drinks, named for its support and donations that go to Mother Against Drunk Driving, produce several tasty beverages including: MADD Virgin Brut for $12, which has 1/3 the calories of Champagne; MADD Virgin Rouge for $10 which is light and fruity like a Beaujolais Nouveau with half the calories of red wine; and MADD Virgin Blanc for $10, which is crisp and clean with a touch

Region eat, drink, write...

of citrus and sweetness with half the calories of white wine.

MADD Virgin Drinks are available in Loblaws, Sobeys, Shoppers Drugs, Rexall, Forfar Dairy, Fresh Mart Gordanier (Elgin), Kudrinko's Grocery (Westport), Foodsmiths (Perth), Garden Market (Smiths Falls), and B&H Grocer (Kemptville).

As a Sommelier, I must admit that I was impressed tasting these products nowadays compared to their early predecessors. They are not a replacement of the fullness and range of grape varietal flavours you get in traditional alcohol based wines, but if you are looking for the health benefits as well as knowing that you won't drink too much and get a hangover, then these wines are something to try!

Next month, I will delve into the world of de-alcoholized beer.

By Brian Preston

Raw milk cheese producers in Lanark County

A visit to Bushgarden Farmstead Cheese near Elgin to meet Nigel Smith, owner and cheesemaker, and tour the cheese making facilities was very interesting. Five generations of the Smith family have grown a variety of crops and dairy farmed on Bush Road since 1820 and in 2006 they were doing certified organic milking of about 20 Holsteins and Brown Swiss cows that are hormone and antibiotic free. Smith hand crafts a variety of raw milk cheeses which include a gouda style called Pilgrimage, named after the journey to recreate raw cows' milk in Ontario after its absence for decades.

Raw milk is heated to between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius, which allows naturally occurring organisms to enhance cheese flavour and nutritional attributes.

The difference being pasteurized milk is heated for 15 seconds to about 63 to 75 degrees Celsius, which destroys these beneficial organisms. Pilgrimage is a semi-soft cheese with an approachable mild buttery flavour that finishes with a pleasant touch of lactic acidity to balance the overall taste. It has a smooth

consistency and texture expected in a gouda style cheese, but unlike pasteurized, mass produced gouda, this one has more flavour in its youth, and is aged a minimum of 60 days before release.

Nauvoo is a semi-soft cheddar cheese style that is aged a minimum of 120 days, giving it a more pronounced aroma of fresh hay and warm nutty milk.

It tastes creamy and buttery but has more bite than Pilgrimage. It's texture is creamier as it melts in your mouth and the butter fats are rounded off with a nice tang on your tongue as the taste lingers. Nauvoo, meaning beautiful place, was the name given to Elgin when the Mormons settled there.

The cows pasture all summer and primary cheese making production is winter and spring where differences in the feed influences the cheese. Milk from fresh spring grasses are best suited for Pilgrimage and Nauvoo from winter milk. It takes about 10 litres of milk to make one kilogram of cheese.

Production of Pilgrimage is basically milking and cooling to three degrees Celsius twice a day, vat

stirring adding a culture to separate curds from whey, pressing the curds into wheels and salt brine washing them to create a breathable rind using an imported cheese coating from Holland, cool room ageing and finally cut/ wrap for sale. The cheddar undergoes a similar process until it is formed in blocks and then vacuum sealed in plastic for ageing.

Smith has also just released a new Wensleydale (North Yorkshire) style cheddar.

Bushgarden Farmstead Cheese is located at 590 Bush Road turning right off Hwy 15 south of Elgin.

Check out their website at www.bushgardenfarm.ca.

Retail outlets are listed and include several locations in and around Lanark County, such as Almonte, Carleton Place, Kemptville, Merrickville, Perth, and Westport.

Kyle and Caitlin White, owners of Milkhouse Farm & Dairy near Smiths Falls, also make raw milk cheeses.

This dynamic duo raise British Milk Sheep and find that milking about 64 ewes is optimum for the two of them to manage without growing the business. This way they can

maintain quality all the way from sheep to milk to cheese to market, producing a variety of wonderful raw milk sheep cheeses.

They hope to have a new one coming after Christmas — a blue cheese. Their cheese is available in Ottawa and Kingston as well as Smiths Falls at Valley Custom Cutters and Two Rivers Food Hub, Wendy's Country Market in Lyndhurst, Mrs. McGarrigle's in Merrickville, and Dandelion Foods in Almonte. They are having a Farm Tour on Saturday, Oct. 21 21 at 1112 Matheson Drive, Smiths Falls. See their website (www.milkhouse.ca) for details.

Their cheese production is similar to that described above where you watch the Ph level drop in the vat indicating that it is converting to lactic acid (one of the secrets of making really good cheese), and then the curd is separated from the whey and put into moulds to set overnight and the cut. Feta is aged for a minimum of 60 days in a brine based on a Greek recipe, which several of their Balkan customers say tastes just like they had it back home in Greece and Eastern Europe. It is rich-

er, smoother and creamier than a cow based feta cheese. The Tomme is aged for at least 90 days to develop full taste.

Milkhouse Tomme is based on a traditional French Recipe from a cheese called Tomme de Savoie; a summer cheese native to the French Alps.

It is made with a full cream sheep's milk, leading to a rich flavour and creamy texture because of the sweet summer grass feed.

This firm cheese has an edible natural rind that adds an earthy flavour with

some tangy, slight citrus and mushroom notes, a hint of grass, nuts and rusticity. It finishes long with a sweet but dry creamy texture on the palette. This would go with Cotes du Rhone red wine.

Milkhouse Feta is a Greek style traditional Feta (meaning 'slice' in Greek) which is a soft, salty, creamy cheese - perfect for crumbling on salads or pizzas, or on its own with olives. Try a Pinot Gris white wine or in red, a Beaujolais or Pinot Noir to match this Feta.

October 2017

12

Life on the Farm Aren’t you glad we live in Canada! There are so many reasons, but one of our favourites is the changing seasons. That’s not only due to the fact that this business is a seasonal one, although we’re not going to lie — that definitely a big one. The happy thought we’re thinking right now though, is of the way that we feel like preparing and eating different types of foods each time we move into a new season.

Of course, when fall arrives, it’s all about the comfort foods. Chilis, casseroles and soups rule the day.

What could be better than arriving home after a busy day to the aroma of the dinner that’s been simmering away in the crock pot? Maybe we’re the only ones, but the whole day seems to go better when dinner is already planned (or made) when we leave the house

in the morning. Perhaps it’s the illusion it gives us that there is at least ONE part of our lives where we actually ‘have it together’!

What’s on the menu this week in your house?

How about soup? Tangy tomato, creamy butternut squash, maybe a corn & vegetable chowder, or even a potato soup of some description? Of course, it only makes sense to put together a nice, big batch. Then you’ve got the next days lunch taken care of, and if it works out, some for the freezer as well.

More of a chili family, are you? Turkey, beef, or perhaps a veggie option?

We like to play a little game when we make chili in our house. It’s called “How many vegetables can we cram in here and have everyone still eat it?” If memory serves us correctly, the record is about 12.

Shannon Miller

Millers Bay Farm Speaking of cramming in vegetables, this is the time of year when the onset of winter can no longer be denied. It is on its way. But before that day comes, there are so many wonderful fresh, local vegetables still to be enjoyed. This is the time to get your fill before freezeup. The squash crops this year are phenomenal. If you choose carefully, you can store winter squash for several months in a cool, dry place. The same goes for potatoes, onions and garlic too.

Even if summer is your favourite season and you’re not thrilled to see it go, take heart. Find your happy place in the beautiful season of fall.

Warm up that tummy with some tasty, healthy comfort foods and enjoy each day. After all, as Virginia Woolf says, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

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Now is your chance to take advantage of our fall promotion! We have released a limited amount of suites at a 15% discount. Call now for choice of suites at this special price!*

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