Lanark, North Leeds & Grenville - Hometown News May 2020

Vol. 7

No. 5

YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER - LANARK, NORTH LEEDS & GRENVILLE

MAY 2020

The tale of Godfrey (or Geraldine) goose

See cut out page 8

#COMMUNITYSTRONG

We are “Community Strong” ALMONTE, BROCKVILLE, CARLETON PLACE, KEMPTVILLE, MERRICKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI MILLS, NORTH GRENVILLE, PERTH, PRESCOTT, RIDEAU LAKES, SMITHS FALLS AND WESTPORT

Regional - Kathy Botham editorial@pd gmedia.ca

In late December, goose haunted the ice-bound shore near Murphy Park; in May, she perched in the cool sun. Rob Hrobelsky kept the corn buckets full over winter. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca Over the winter months many of us living close to Murphy Park in Smiths Falls (where the kids swim in the summer) watched an injured goose.

He, or she, had a draggy wing.

It was clear she was on her own, she couldn’t fly, and she probably would be staying all winter.

The residents along Park Ave watched her, too, because two years ago (according to Chris G.) another injured goose over-wintered there and was eventually found frozen to death.

Those who were watching and feeding her said what happened to the previous goose was not going to happen to this one.

Chris’ instinctive response was the goose was never going to be well and “…we had to do something.”

Calls were made to the Town, to the Ministry of Natural Resources, to Parks Canada, and to the Wild Bird Care Centre.

The Town doesn’t deal with wild animals; the goose was on federal land so the MNR wouldn’t deal with her. Parks Canada was called twice, and twice said they would take care of it. Nothing happened. The Wild Bird Care Centre doesn’t pick up birds

FIND US ONLINE

(they have to be taken there).

A dog catcher was brought into the net of people looking out for goose; her solution was to find out where goose nested at night, she would throw a blanket over her and take her to a nearby sanctuary.

Lou McCann who ultimately ended up as president and CEO of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (now retired), and who previously was involved with the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife, learned about our goose. He drew a schematic diagram of a trap for her capture.

Nearby, there was trap-builder who’d been watching the goose, too.

Another team member was a retired wildlife biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service; he offered to oversee the whole operation.

The question was … to do, or not to do.

We waited, and watched.

Goose weathered the winter.

Rob Hrobelsky of the Park Avenue contingent fed her. She swam with the mallards and found a hidey-hole to over-night.

But watchers sometimes saw a ball of ice form on her draggy wing. Fortunately it melted in the warmer weather. One attempt was made to capture her

Facebook/HometownnewsPerth

by the swan-man, Kevin Seward, who cared for the summer swans at Murphy Park; he launched a small boat, but “she proved to be elusive,” Hrobelsky recounted.

On Feb. 13, she was still in the basin; on March 13 she was there.

She swam through April, and now, in May, she’s still alive and thriving. Hrobelsky says he’s cut back on her feeding as the grass on Turtle Island is getting green now; his hope is she’ll feed there.

Walkers watch Godfrey (or Geraldine) as she sits on the rock piles on the bottom of the channel; we cheer for her. We wonder what her future holds, where she’ll be next year, if her mate will return, how will she get along with the swans.

Keep walking, keep watching.

We’ll fill you in as time goes on.

It’s hard to tell the difference between a male and female Canada goose. According to the retired wildlife biologist, it’s mostly behaviour that’s the difference — the male could be a little larger, he would guard the nesting area as the female sat on the nest, he might be slightly more aggressive.

The for-sure way is to up-end the goose and look at its parts. Canada geese are considered monogamous but if separated for any length of time, they pretty much go their own way, he adds.

Facebook/HometownnewsCarletonPlace

I believe as we go through this pandemic, self-care is very important. One thing I do is go for a walk. Even before the pandemic, walking every day has been as important to me as oxygen.

When we began this pandemic, restrictions and directives were put in place to keep us safe. If we follow these directives and maintain social distancing, going for a walk is allowed.

For someone like me who has depended on daily walks for more than 40 years, I was relieved. For those who have taken up walking or going for a bike ride for their self-care since this pandemic, it has been a Godsend I’m sure. For those who have children who have energy that would generally be burnt off on a play structure or park, I’m sure walking and biking through your neighborhood has helped make for a better night’s sleep.

Early into this pandemic, our neighbors started to decorate their windows and homes to help make our walks more interesting.

Windows were painted and filled with stuffed animals. Christmas decorations came back out. Chalk art in driveways changed after each rainfall. One house on Pearl Street posts a joke every day on a chalkboard. I began to take my phone with me to take pictures of daily changes to my walking route.

I began to think of which Christmas decoration I would put in my front window every other day.

I do some of my best thinking while I am walking or like many of us, in the middle of the night.

Recently, I woke up and after I figured out how many hours I had

until I actually had to get up - I started thinking of which Santa I was going to put in my window tomorrow; and it’s really too late to go for a walk right now; and what is the joke of the day going to be tomorrow on Pearl Street.

Then I thought “wouldn’t it be awesome if everyone decorated their windows and shared the same message?” I also thought, “It’s 3am, I can’t call anyone.”

The next morning though, I contacted Shaun Wright at YourTV Smiths Falls who is the producer of the FYI Show that I host. We have a great partnership with Hometown News and Shaun called Trish Krotki. We created the Community Strong poster. And when I say “we”, I just couldn’t sleep one night… the rubber hit the road when Shaun, Trish and Tara worked together and created the poster.

We are “Community Strong.”

We see it in our frontline workers, our first responders, our families, friends, neighbors and even in the people we haven’t met yet. We thank you for everything you do as we go through this pandemic journey together.

Display the poster (page 8) in your windows, front doors, offices, anywhere to show your gratitude to our front line workers. And when this is over, put this poster in an album or file. In years to come, you can pull it out and say, “I remember this pandemic journey.”

We will get through this practicing social distancing, washing our hands, wearing a mask, staying home and following other directives so we stay safe and healthy.

We will do this together while being apart. We will be kind. We are “Community Strong.” That’s what I am going to remember.

Facebook/HometownnewsSmithsFalls

www.Hometownnews.ca

A.C. Towing 613-284-3465 Owned & Operated By:

24/7 Service Local & Long Distance

Groceries

Lockouts

Produce

Boosts Ogilvie's Telephone: 613-283-7444

Fresh Flowers

Fresh Deli Fresh Fish

Bakery Salad Bar Butcher’s Counter

2

PART OF THE DISCOVER COMMUNTIY NETWORK

Hometownnews

May 2020

Page Two

Publisher

Photography

Patricia Krotki pmkrotki@pdgmedia.ca

Kathy Botham Chis Uhlig

Editorial

Sales & Advertising

editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Reporters Kathy Botham Sally Smith Chris Must Janelle Labelle Brian Turner Emilie Must John Kessel

advertising@pdgmedia.ca

Submissions editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Cartoon by Patrick Labelle

derailed freight train - 1974

Submit an Event events@pdgmedia.ca

Contact 613-284-9826 hometownnews@pdgmedia.ca

Hometown News is available at Your Independent Grocers across the region. Pick up your copy at: Andress' (Smiths Falls) • Barnabe's (Perth) Mitchell's (Carleton Place) • Patrice's (Almonte) PLEASE SUPPORT THESE LOCAL BUSINESSES.

Groceries

Garden Matters:

Bakery Lanark FreshCounty Deli Master Gardeners Produce Salad Bar Combining colours Fresh Fish to enhance your garden!

Butcher’s Counter blue or grey foliage is esFresh Flowers

Photo credit: Dale Odorizzi.

The colour red has the longest wavelength seen by our eyes and violet has the shortest wavelength, so red flowers look closer than they really are and blue and violet ones look farther away.

The lens of the eye is in natural focus when looking at green. Green, grey and white flowers are effective in linking different colours for harmony.

White is effective in designing a garden for night time enjoyment. Most gardens are planted to complement the

exterior of the house.

The front yard is generally seen from the street, so the colour of our house or the foundation plantings are the most important to consider.

The hot colours of red, orange and yellow are enhanced by contrasting foliage of green, grey and lime green. Ornamental grasses with brown tones complement hot flowers. In a pink garden, complementary colours are mauve and purple. In such a garden,

pecially effective. Dark or bright green foliage works well but yellow-green is best used near purple or mauve flowers. The blue garden includes violet, purple, mauve and blue - grey foliage works very well with those colours.

Next to white, yellow is the brightest hue in the garden. Red flowers may appear closer but yellow ones are noticed first. Yellow flowers look good with green or grey foliage and purple or blue flowers are complementary.

White flowers against green foliage are elegant and restful. Of all flowers, white ones are the most fragrant and can soothe the eyes by day and excite the senses at night.

Article written by Margaret Inwood who is a member of the Lanark County Master Gardeners.

1974, June 5 – Eastbound freight train #76 derailed the last 16 cars of its 73-car train at Almonte.

The cars ended up over the bridge into the Mississippi River, and hit the flour mill at the highway 44 crossing.

Garden Matters for kids: Lanark County Master Gardeners

Activity to try while young kids are home Here is an activity you can try while kids are home waiting for Covid-19 to subside.

Try growing some easy vegetables/fruits from scraps. This activity may spark your child’s interest in gardening.

Some of the easier vegetables to try from scraps are: Romaine lettuce, celery, green onions.

Romaine lettuce, onions, celery : take the stump cut about 1-2 inches from the end of the vegetable. Fill a container halfway with water, set the stump side down in water, please in a sunny window and watch for new growth, which will start within a few days.

Change the water every couple of days. For those of you on town water, keep some water on hand that has sat for at least a day to

Lettuce on the left and celery on the right. Photo credit: Judy Wall.

reduce the chemicals that would have been added to water. After about 3 weeks you will see new roots start to appear on the lettuce.

At this point when roots are a few inches long you can place it in soil water and continue to watch it grow. Or cut off the small amount of lettuce which

did regrow and enjoy.

Hopefully during this time your kids would have been excited with watching the regrowth occur.

Have fun and stay safe..

Article written by Judy Wall who is a member of the Lanark County Master Gardeners.

3

May 2020

community Seasonal workers return amid COVID

Smiths Falls - John Kessel editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Sweat is something farmers do when they’re toiling in the field. Not in the year of Covid-19, at least not Robert and Shannon Miller of Miller’s Bay Farm.

The Rideau Ferry Rd. couple were sweating that the government wouldn’t believe how necessary their Mexican migrant workers are to their garden market and berry patch since the ban on all foreigners entering the country.

It was the government’s way of “flattening the curve” of infection from the deadly virus.

The Millers cultivate 450 acres along Rideau Ferry Rd, a task they couldn’t possibly do themselves, Robert says. “And there’s not enough skilled farm workers in Canada to do the work,” Shannon adds.

The four-generation farm family had made plans to reduce the operation, says Shannon, whose task in the operation is as administrator. “Robert does the outside work.” Their four children, Lauren, 17, Kendall, 15, Tyler, 14, and Seth,12, all pitch in wherever they’re needed.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about our migrant workers,” she says. The

biggest is that they take jobs away from Canadians. “Not true. For every migrant worker we hire, we hire two locals.” The locals work at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, delivering and more.

The migrants do the “stooping”, says Mel Foster of Foster Family Farm in North Gower, the man who tipped off the Millers about the availability of migrant workers. In other words, the migrants do the tough work, toiling in the heat of summer. Foster’s farm is able to sustain two families, he says.

“We like the lifestyle we have. We appreciate the domestic and foreign workers we have. They do a fabulous job,” says Shannon.

The Millers grow peas, potatoes, sweet corn, cucumbers, onions, wheat, squash, cauliflower, tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, beets, brussels sprouts, and have a massive strawberry patch, the latter to sell by the roadside or as pick-your-own.

They also run “Bountiful Basket,” a community-supported program in which subscribers are given a weekly basket of what’s most plentiful on the farm over a 15-week period. This allows the Millers to increase their pre-season cash flow. A small basket

Regional - Submitted editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Photo credit: millersbayfarm.com

costs consumers $265 and a large one, $445.

“There’s always a surprise element to what’s in the basket,” says Shannon. “We also try to contribute what we can to the Food Bank,” she adds.

The Millers joined the foreign workers program 10 years ago, after moving from a milking operation. They are anxiously awaiting the arrival of seven workers, who would normally have arrived

by March 23. Foster, a larger operation, hired 15 foreign workers. All the workers must go into self isolation before starting work, a government condition.

“Sure, they could probably work under self-isolation, but it was a government condition and we’ll have to suck it up,” says Shannon.

Several years ago, the Millers bought a house along the Rideau Ferry Rd., a short walk away from the farm. It was renovated and designated for the migrants.

The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, which has administered the migrant workers coming to Canada since 1966, says that last year about 18,000 were placed on 1,450 Ontario farms. Recent research by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council says the migrant program is the reason Ontario’s horticulture industry generates “$5.4 billion in economic activity and approximately 34,280 jobs.”

Shannon Miller is aware of the statistics, but says “the migrants are our friends. We have a relationship and we love them.” Robert’s uncle, Cliff Miller, who lives across the road from the farm, visits the migrants in Mexico.

“They are special,” says the former Spanish teacher.

So, will the Miller’s children be the fifth generation of farmers on Rideau Ferry Rd.? Shannon says they haven’t “expressed that as a passion yet.”

Local firm steps up to help battle pandemic Carleton Place - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca Reports of individuals and smaller firms stepping up as of late in a united fight against Covid-19 are inspiring. A perfect example of how a passionate drive to help combined with ingenuity and imagination can make a difference is found in KBR Screenprint and Embroidery in Carleton Place. They have converted their expert skills and equipment to producing non-medical face masks for hospital and public use.

Hometown News caught up with a busy Kelly Smith, KBR’s owner, who reported

that making the switch from creating promotional and branding products to crafting comfortable masks was made easier due to her awesome staff experienced in working with a wide variety of textiles.

Smith noted the idea came to her when viewing social media posts from individuals, groups, and institutions looking for donations of personal protective equipment (PPE).

She saw that she could meet a growing need and responded online. The responses, totaling over 120, were overwhelming but not undaunting to Smith who put plans in action even though she was in the middle of a planned

Giving green thumbs up to the community gardens

relocation of her shop to the Bennett Street commercial park. KBR is creating over 350 masks in a short period of time, thanks in part to Smith's talents in sourcing materials. Kelly offers her thanks to The Pickle Dish in Carleton Place for their support with this initiative.

100 masks will be donated to local hospitals and the remainder offered for sale at rates designed to cover materials’ costs only. Smith was touched that a few of her regular clients have offered to donate funds to help her obtain more supplies for the cause. You can learn more about Kelly and

her team at kbrscreenprint. com or contact them if you can support their efforts (613-257-3332, 50 Bennett St, Unit 6, Carleton Place).

Photo credit: Brian Turner.

Residents in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark will be able to start planting in community gardens soon. On April 25, 2020 the government of Ontario lifted restrictions, allowing community gardens to operate following the guidance of the local Medical Officer of Health.

Dr. Paula Stewart, Medical Officer of Health for the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit supports Ontario’s decision. ”Community gardens increase access to healthy foods, provide a sense of community belonging and support mental well-being, and physical activity”.

Under the provincial Emergency Order, only gardens with the capacity to follow the requirements are permitted to operate. The Health Unit has prepared safe operating requirements for local municipalities, community organizations related to: entrance restrictions, physical distancing, hand hygiene, sharing and cleaning of equipment, signage, and communication.

In addition, rules and guidelines for community gardeners have been developed and should be followed by all users.

• Individuals should not attend the garden if they are sick, have had close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, or close contact with someone who has travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days.

If possible, complete Ontario’s online self-assessment tool before attending. Plot owners should arrange to have someone tend their plot for them until they can return.

• Wash hands with soap and water before and after handling common tools such as hoses or gates and before and after gardening.

If there is not a sink avail-

able, bring alcohol based hand sanitizer and sanitize hands regularly. Remember gloves are not a substitute for washing hands.

• Everyone in the garden must always maintain physical distancing of 2 metres/6 feet (unless gardening with members of the same household).

• Adhere to the garden schedule and do not attend the garden when it is not your scheduled time.

• Avoid touching surfaces such as gates and doorknobs if not necessary.

• Bring your own garden tools and sanitize them after use. Health Canada has created a list of disinfectants that are safe and effective against the virus.

• If you have to bring your children to the garden, they should be instructed to follow physical distancing and hygiene recommendations.

• Do not bring pets to the garden with you.

• Avoid touching your nose, mouth, eyes and face.

• If cloth face coverings are used as an added measure, wash hands before and after use and do not share with others.

• Place all trash in proper garbage receptacle or take garbage with you to dispose of at home.

By working together we can create a healthy and safe environment for our local community gardeners.

The Health Unit has staff answering COVID-19 related questions and concerns for the public from 8:30am to 4:30pm every day at 1-800-660-5853 extension 2499. Public Health Inspectors are also available to discuss environmental health concerns. You can also get more information about COVID-19 by visiting www.healthunit.org/ coronavirus or by connecting with LGLHealthUnit on Facebook and Twitter.

BRIAN RABY & ASSOCIATES INC LICENSED INSOLVENCY TRUSTEE

Free Consultation • Personalized Service Flexible Appointments

613-283-6308 91 Cornelia St. W. Smiths Falls, ON

Get what you need to make this Mother’s Day a special one for all those special women in your lives.

5

May 2020

lifestyle Perth Inside Out: Perth Girls’ Softball Club prevailed in the 1960s

An era which was best known for the counterculture and Vietnam war, also saw the birth of organized women’s softball in Canada in the 1960s, and Perth was in step with the evolution of the game. Playing in the St. Lawrence Ladies’ Softball League, the Perth Girls’ Softball (fastpitch) Club won the trophy in 1968, dominating in most league games. The team had been representing Perth from as early as 1963.

To set the scene, team member Ruth Greigson née Cousans was a local softball star, accomplished in all areas – pitching, batting and fielding. Ruth Cousans was the daughter of Inspector T.W.

opinion: carrie wynne

So now what? After this pandemic does what it does how will things change?

What is the new economy going to look like? What is our new handshake going to be? Is “buy the shoes, take the trip and eat the cake” still good advice?

What felt like a reset button has become a nightmare. All this uncertainty has created a lot of fear and stress which creates panic and chaos. We see this playing out in the news and on social media every day.

(Tommy) Cousans, head of Ontario Provincial Police #10 District in Perth. Tommy Cousans was mentioned in a recent column for his arrest at gunpoint of an armed robbery suspect in 1951 at the Glen Tay crossing.

Ruth Cousans married Wayne Greigson in Perth, however Ruth and Wayne moved to Steinbach, Manitoba in 2007 to be near their son and his family. John Greigson is a Sergeant with the RCMP in nearby Winnipeg. Sadly, I received news while still researching material for this column that Wayne Greigson passed away on March 30 at the age of 74. Ironically, the birth of Softball Canada took place in 1965 at a hotel in Winnipeg, while Ruth Cousans and her teammates were already playing ladies’ softball in Perth, the league still in its infancy.

Before we get to the accomplishments of that amazing team, let me tell you a little about prolific sports writer Murray Stone,

who penned the articles I will be quoting from. Stone covered all local sports teams, whether playing in Perth or out of town. All this without the aid of a vehicle, according to John Clement, former owner and publisher of The Perth Courier.

Clement went on to say that Stone could be rather verbose in his writings, but was very thorough. “Reporting on local sporting events was a huge area to cover, particularly during summers and winters, plus school sports. It was a lot to cover for just one person, but Murray enjoyed his job, always came in on deadline.

Having to cover so much, day and night, seven days a week, required not only dedication, but the ability to write and photograph the sport at hand.”

Here are a few highlights from the early days, and from that championship year of 1968: Aug. 20, 1964, Perth Courier: “Perth girls win conso-

am i the only one? so now what?

Although the storm has hit the entire globe, we are all in different boats. I am so happy to be living in Canada right now. Am I the only one? Our new normal has just begun and with our heads-up paying attention to where we are going, we might get it right.

Jack Dorsey the CEO of Twitter donated one billion dollars to pandemic relief.

Oh, what a wonderful world it would be if all billionaires shared their wealth or even better, we had a world where accumulating that kind of wealth was not allowed to exist in the first place. What happened to the laws and regulations that protected everyone and not just the 1%? How did homelessness become such a gigantic problem in the first place?

How did pharma get such a stronghold in society? How come there’s a pandemic of

addiction loneliness anxiety and depression in our world?

Why are marginalized groups dying in the US of this virus at higher rates? Why is it still okay to emit greenhouses gases without our best efforts to reduce them?

We are not caring for each other and our world the way we should. Our materialistic secular world has become a burden. The pause button could be an opportunity for us to live more sensibly and peaceably and not take more than we need.

Before the marketers get back online trying to convince us we did not see what we saw there is a moral lesson in all of this, and I am still searching for it.

The opinions stated in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hometown News.

lation round in Kemptville Tourney: After 18 consecutive wins in league, playoff and exhibition games this season, the Perth gals finally dropped their first match of 1964 on Saturday.” The team had to go to the consolation round after that one defeat, but did not lose another game.

Oct. 1, 1964, Perth Courier: “Girls bounce back to tie EOSA finals with Mountain: “Before a capacity crowd of cheering fans, solidly behind the gals in their bid to stave off elimination, the Perth team rolled to a 5-3 victory …”

July 11, 1968, Perth Courier: “Girls Sweep Pair of MidWeek Games: Perth girls swept a pair of mid-week games to increase their stature in the St. Lawrence Ladies’ Softball League … Perth 8, Kemptville 0: Ruth Cousans hurled her finest game ... Perth 5, Metcalfe 4: … For Ruth Cousans, it was also her third win of the week. She gave up seven hits, walked two, and fanned two …”

Aug. 29, 1968, Perth Courier: “Perth Girls Whip Ottawa, Montreal, Stittsville to Win Russell Tournament: The Perth girls’ softball club … swept through all opposition at the annual Russell Invitational Softball tourna-

Terry O'Hearn

Photo courtesy of Ruth Greigson née Cousans: Perth Girls’ Softball Club team after winning the 1968 championship trophy in the St. Lawrence Ladies’ Softball League, Ruth second from left.

ment on Saturday to bring home top money and the Carling Trophy ...”

Oct. 24, 1968, Perth Courier: From Murray Stone’s Sports Shots column “…

Ruth Cousans made a class sweep of all awards for the 1968 season of the Perth Girls’ Softball club at ceremonies held recently. She captured the Ken Burns Trophy as the team’s Most Valuable Player by a unanimous vote, won the Brown Shoe Trophy for the Most RBI’s, and the Canadian Tire Trophy as the club Batting Champion. Ruth came on in ’68 to become Perth’s firstline pitcher … Her winning batting average was .626 …”

Ruth Cousans Greigson was modest about her soft-

ball accomplishments, only remarking that 1968 was “a great year of ball.” Neil Fennell, organizer of the Perth Invitational Fastball Tournament, which ran from 1990 through 2001, is convinced that “women’s softball in the 1960s set the stage for the sport's entry in the Olympic Games in the 1990s.” We remember those ladies now, a credit to their community, who helped inspire others and bring the game to the level it has achieved.

Thanks to Stephen Bird, retired lawyer for Lanark Leeds & Grenville Legal Clinic, for the tip.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please email me at: terry@pdgmedia.ca

Celebrating 20 years of Serving Our Community

Keep Calm and Trust Your Chiropractor

On Site Digital X-ray Registered Massage Therapy Advanced Health Analysis Surface Electromyography Thermography Heart Rate Variability Analysis THERALASE Low Level Laser for Muscle, Tendon and Joint Healing

For truly local updates on the COVID-19 outbreak

For Your Information with Kathy Botham

6

May 2020

Beer, Wine and Spirits

Wines of South Africa

Photo credit: www.kleinconstantia.com

We have just completed a 22-day South Africa and Victoria Falls trip including stays at two safari lodges. The country, the wild game foods, and the people were wonderful. Check out my Facebook page under Albums to enjoy the pictures. On the tour bus heading south from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town through Klein Karoo, Robertson, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Constantia, I just had to try a lot of wines and beers along the way. Here are a few that we tried at Boschendal Wine Estate, one of the oldest in South Africa located in the fertile Franschhoek Wine Valley noted for its tourism, exceptional wine, but also for its charming Cape Dutch architecture and abundance of high-end hotels and excellent restaurants.

French Huguenot refugees first settled the valley in the late 17th century and recognized almost immediately that the region’s abundant rainfall and forgiving climate would make it perfect for growing grapes. Smaller than nearby Stellenbosch, the area is home to some of the country’s most renowned wineries, producing excellent Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon and Chenin Blanc, as well as

Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Merlot.

Boschendal MCC Brut, Chardonnay, 750 mL bottle, LCBO#594241 $30.05 Boschendal lies between the Simonsberg and Drakenstein mountains on the Garden Route, an hour’s drive before we reached Cape Town. The name Bosen-dal, or wood and valley was just that. We had a prepared tasting of several wines with different matching chocolates to each wine.

This opener was pale gold with a flourish of delicate bubbles and enticing lemon cream and almond Biscotti preceding lovely layers of citrus and a finish with appealing length and freshness. Maturation on the lees provides a well-rounded, creamy mouth-feel with mouthwatering minerality, good balance and a seamless finish.

Boschendal 1685 Shiraz 2015, Shiraz/Syrah, 750 mL bottle VINTAGES# 542787 $19.95 This 100% Shiraz was hand-harvested from prime sites in the Stellenbosch, Elgin and Swartland regions. It was aged for 14 months in 30% new barrels. The resulting wine has a fine structure with well-integrated tannins that add some grip.

Balanced and spicy with rich red and black fruit

lifestyle

Brian Preston

The Travelling Sommelier atop the pepper notes and a long, dusty finish.

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance, Muscat, 500 mL bottle, VINTAGES#5033 $108.00 Constantia, the birthplace of the South African wine industry. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the region’s sweet Vin de Constance, an unfortified dessert wine made from Muscat Blanc, was one of the most revered wines in the world.

This one I had at The Africa Cafe in Cape Town where I was pressed into service by our lovely local tour guide Tabi who also consults with restaurants on their wine lists. Where else could I have had 3 wine agents pouring over 45 wines for us to try and all I had to do was offer my tasting notes!

Bacchus was smiling on me this day as my spittoon was 3/4 full, but I did drink all the really top end ones!

Vin de Constance Natural Sweet Wine is matured in 500-liter barrels for around 36 months. It has a beautiful floral bouquet with honey, quince, and the palate has a mouth filling texture and beautifully balanced acidity reminiscent of our Canadian icewine. While excellent, I think I will pay the Canadian price for icewine though. It had a very long finish fruit replay and a refreshingly tart yet sweet apple note. Rated 96 by Robert Parker.

Next month I will continue the Garden Route tour of South African wines in and around Stellenbosch, South Africa’s most famous wine region, and the country’s second-oldest town, which is just 50km southeast of the capital of Cape Town.

If you have any topics you want me to cover in future columns drop me an email at brianpreston@hotmail.com.

The Travelling Sommelier!

Keeping the kitchens open Regional - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca

By this time it’s hard to think of a business sector or industry that hasn’t been hit hard by our current pandemic. Certainly restaurants are at the top of the list. On-site dining has been outlawed and not every facility has been able to make the switch to take-out (with or without delivery). We at Hometown News thought we’d connect with some establishments that we’ve previously reviewed in our Let’s eat column to see how operators and staff are faring.

First, don’t simply assume your favourite dining location is completely closed. Many have successfully made the switch to take-out and even if they haven’t set up delivery, there are options for that as well with firms such as ValleyEats.ca. Check their web and social media sites for contact and hours of operation info as well as daily specials.

Thanks to some flexibility with liquor licensing rules, any Ontario restaurant licensed to serve alcohol can now offer take-out libations.

When looking at drink pricing, keep in mind these businesses pay an extra tax or levy on all their alcohol products, so costs will be a little higher than what you will see on LCBO and Beer store shelves.

On the subject of pricing, many restaurants are offering lower prices compared to their dine-in menus in order to attract customers and lower operating costs with closed dining rooms.

These facilities are also requiring their employees to maintain self-monitoring of physical symptoms and are practising a much more stringent level of distancing and hygiene than the general public in order to keep everyone safe. And their food preparation and handling protocols almost equal operating room standards. Non-contact pickup has pretty much become the norm requiring remote plastic payments and no need to physically enter the premises. But most are flexible for those without credit cards.

Places like Boston Pizza didn’t have to completely revamp their operations as delivery and take-out was already a big part of their daily routine. Independent facilities are constantly monitoring their menus and adjusting them to meet new demands.

Pitmaster in Carleton Place has noticed a happy trend in family-sized orders meaning more households are returning to their dining room and kitchen tables for meals with a large helping of togetherness.

Community support is also on the bills of fare of many places. The partners who op-

erate Maximillians in Perth make it a point of frequenting other local restaurants for their own personal meals on days of the week when they’re closed themselves. They also take the time to check in with their staff on temporary layoffs regularly just to see how they’re doing as well as inviting them to grab a meal on the house every week.

Boulton House in Carleton Place has moved their kitchen operations to the Grand Hotel thanks to shared ownership where they and the Grand’s Smith and Barrel have combined forces to provide a wide choice of dishes. They are getting rave reviews for their efforts and customers are happily surprised to find random extras in their packages such as a complimentary dessert or a roll of toilet paper.

As much as things are changing, some trends remain the same. St. Louis Bar and Grill in Perth is still busier on Fridays and Saturdays but service hasn’t suffered thanks to good planning.

They, like others, are revamping their menu but value and good taste are still tops.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed with all the negative news bombarding us everyday, a break from this dreadful routine with some good food and a rest for the home chefs will lift everyone’s spirits.

7

May 2020

Life on the farm

lifestyle

Millers Bay Farm

“Our food had always been there – until it wasn’t”

We all think, and talk a lot about food. It makes sense.

After all, we need it to survive. It’s a huge part of our lives. In ‘easy’ times though, our focus on food is more ‘recreational’. We share stories about which restaurant we visited; which new recipe we tried; our favourite food show on TV. That was then.

When COVID-19 arrived, everyone’s thoughts about food (along with most other aspects of our lives) changed quickly, and drastically.

Our food had always been there – until it wasn’t.

When something we need is taken from us, it gets our attention. We feel fearful, anxious, even angry. This makes sense. Empty shelves don’t give any of us a feeling of reassurance.

As food producers, we have a behind the scenes view of the Canadian food system, so we’re not sounding the alarm bells. In fact, we’re doing our best to ‘dampen’ the noise. We’ve been preaching for years about the safe, abundant food supply that we enjoy.

This part has not changed.

The food is there. It’s just that the system isn’t exactly…. ‘nimble’. There’s no quick fix. No switch that can be flipped and instantly transition from packaging milk in institutional packaging to the 4 Litre bags being sold in limited quantities at the grocery stores a short

time ago.

Many folks are wondering, “What does Spring 2020 look like for local vegetable farmers?”

It looks like a tidal wave of interest in growing food.

Many people are taking matters into their own hands, expanding - or starting - a home garden. This is a terrific idea! We’ve always encouraged those who choose to grow their own to go for it! The more of us there are who understand the effort, the risks and the rewards of taking something from seed to table, the better off our communities and our food system will be.

With that said, gardening is not for everyone. As countless experts have reminded us, now is not the time to be ‘guilted into productivity’. Life is stressful enough. Having one more thing demanding our attention may not be a healthy option right now.

That’s where your local farms come in. In many ways, it’s business as usual.

Spring is ‘go time’. Crops are being planted just as if things were ‘normal’. On other farms, animals keep growing, cows continue to produce milk, chickens continue to lay eggs.

While there won’t be much change in the products, there will be changes in the processes. Farmers are taking proactive steps in the interest of keeping our

customers, our teams and ourselves safe.

To be perfectly honest, there’s a certain excitement to it all. Excitement because people can hardly wait to get eating local produce again.

Excitement at the thought of the many who will visit a farm, or a farmers’ market for the very first time. This will be the year they discover the many reasons that eating local truly is better.

But – full disclosure – we’re a little afraid. Why? As time goes on, and things level out, what choices will we make? Will we return to our old ways – of pinching pennies and preferring convenience over quality, with little concern for the source of our food, or the sustainability of our buying habits?

It’s important to remember that if we don’t make an effort to choose local (or at least Canadian…) in the normal times, that we as a country may not be able to feed ourselves when a crisis happens. A few days of food instability should be a reminder that the systems we have in place appear seamless but they are vulnerable.

Will this be the turning point? The time we’ll look back on as that moment when we – as a country – became fully aware and appreciative of the value of the ‘good thing we’ve got going’ right here on our doorstep.

You could say that it’s ‘food for thought’ – pun intended.

The joys and horrors of travel Regional - Brian Preston editorial@pdgmedia.ca

I booked the trip of a lifetime almost a year ago through an Ontario travel agency. Then I saw a great cruise leaving from Cape Town, South Africa, departing at the end of the African Safari and Victoria Falls vacation I had booked. It crossed the Indian Ocean ending in Singapore. I booked it myself directly with Norwegian Cruise Line and then I used Booking.com, one of the many internet travel agencies we are all so familiar with, to book my hotel in Cape Town for 9 nights before the cruise and subsequently also through Booking.com, I booked my flight home through Egypt Air. Just as we were ending our African adventure, COVID19 hit the scene and there was increased news of travel restrictions in early March. I had already received notice from Norwegian Cruise lines that there was an itinerary change whereby the cruise would divert up the Red Sea touring Eastern Mediterranean countries ending in Athens, Greece, and they offered a further discount. At this point Canada was announcing upcoming travel restrictions and Norwegian then cancelled the cruise as well.

So where did this leave me and those many thou-

sands of travellers at the outbreak of the pandemic?

Norwegian came through with an offer of 125% (highest in the cruise industry) Future Cruise Credit or the opportunity for a 100% reimbursement, the latter which I opted for. But as far as Booking. com was concerned, here I was in travel status with my laptop trying to find contact information to talk to an agent at Booking.com or to correspond with them on a Customer Service email site. None of this information is easily found I soon learned. They make it easy to find what you want and book it with easy to follow prompts, but if you want to change, cancel or even contact them, it is made virtually impossible by the way the website is constructed and by company policy to make it so difficult. The only means I eventually found was a form to fill out and no means to email to follow up to see if they received it or to be informed on any action they would take. There never was a phone contact given or that I could find so that I could actually talk to someone. This is the same for other internet travel companies as well which I discovered when I started to see on social media the sheer number of similar complaints from other travellers.

To date, I have not heard

from them or from Egypt Air about any reimbursements. So the lesson is that while you may find discounts for hotels, air, and travel on these internet sites, it only works when everything goes according to plan. These days this is increasingly not the case because of changed personal circumstances, external affects which seem to occur now more than once every decade, and other unforeseen changes that can affect internet booked travel. There are no refunds and as far as I am concerned, from now on I will only book travel, hotels, car rentals, etc, directly with the company or a travel agent. With regards to Norwegian, I am getting a full refund, but as far as my 9 day hotel stay in Cape Town and my airfare from Athens to Ottawa, I am out of pocket.

Let this be a cautionary tale for the future, as I am sure that travel disruptions will increase in the future.

Let it be a call to use travel agents because if they are a member of TICO in Ontario you have coverage under the Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund. Alternatively, make your bookings directly with the company and don't use third party organizations like those internet discount businesses. In my case, it took a couple of thousand dollars to learn this lesson!

Big Brothers Big Sisters Free Delivery Service in Smiths Falls

Grocery Delivery Service #StopTheSpread

Contact: 613-706-5500

Designed for: Seniors.

Individuals with compromised immunity or health conditions that elevate their risk.

Individuals exhibiting symptoms or who are in close contact with someone with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19.

Provide your grocery list and payment information to volunteer shoppers and they will deliver to your door.

This program will help keep our most vulnerable safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

8

May 2020

lifestyle

Good Design is good business.

Graphic Design, Branding, Web Design, Logos, Marketing

PDG Media

contactus@pdgmedia.ca

613.206.0708 613.284.9826

#COMMUNITYSTRONG

the marketplace directory Advertise Here - $45 per issue. For more information call 613-206-0708 or email us at advertising@pdgmedia.ca ACCOUNTANT

CARPET CLEANING

DENTURE CLINIC

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

PRINTING

WELCOME WAGON

Quick & Friendly Great Quality

PERTH SMITHS FALLS 40 Sunset Blvd 51 Abbott St. N 613-267-1080 613-283-2444 info@impressionprinting.ca

Locations

Affordable Pricing Excellent Customer Service And we are local ~ just like you!