Christmas is a year long event in the Botham house
Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca
There’s nothing like Christmas for Kathy Botham. Walk in her front door, turn slightly left and Christmas is there in front of you. Every hour, every day, 365 days a year in her own Christmas room. She loves it, and everyone who knows Botham knows her delight in the season. She says it’s the magic and the memories, the warmth of the season, and family ties.
Santa Claus is very present in his red and white iconic suit. Botham has many figures. How many? She doesn’t know she has never counted. But the jolly old guy comes in the traditional form of St. Nick dressed in a long red coat with ermine trim or Santa with his sleeves rolled up working in the toy shop. Sometimes he’s pulling moves with a hockey stick, sometimes he’s glancing skyward with a faraway look in his eye about to launch a model plane.
GET A REAL FEEL FOR KATHY’S CHRISTMAS ROOM. Watch our video as she explains its magic hometownnews.ca/wishbook
He’s there in all forms large, small, always dressed in his red fur-trimmed suit with a big black belt around his tubby tummy, long black boots, a jaunty red toque, white gloves and his ever-present bag of toys.
Santa’s not just present in her living room, he holds a presence in all the rooms of her house in pictures, in throws, in stockings, in children’s books. And as the season draws closer, Botham pulls out her Christmas sweaters. She has a lot of
them. “There are not enough days to wear them all,” she laughs
Botham, 57, is in her element as she chats about her passion. But the Christmas room is just part of it; when she turned 30, she knew she wanted to have a child, and decided to start keeping the Sears Wish Book catalogue as well. So today, at her house she has 25 of the well-loved catalogues in a stack in her Christmas room, dog-eared, well-handled, long anticipated.
Holding one or two of them, it’s clear the quality has changed over the years but not what the catalogues promise.
“I used to look forward to them even before they came into the house,” Botham remembers. When it came, and Botham came in from school, her Mom would nod at the mail saying, “it’s here.”
She also remembers going right to the toy pages, never anywhere else, spending hours and days going through the selection, making a choice, changing her mind, and making another.
Every year she was allowed to order a Barbie doll and a baby doll. She also remembers, with a laugh, that she had to share with her brother “who never looked at dolls,” but she liked his Hot Wheels, too. And she has never not ordered from the catalogue; she had a childlike superstition that if she forgot she wouldn’t get a Wish Book the next year.
Sears produced the last catalogue in 2016; Botham says she carried
Smiths Falls to end Canada 150 on a high note
Smiths Falls - Chris Must editorial@pdgmedia.ca
As 2017 draws to a close, Smiths Falls is planning a final Canada 150 celebration and a musical gift to the community.
Juno award-winning musician Jenny Whiteley will headline an afternoon and evening of musical entertainment on Friday, Dec. 29 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 95 hall.
Winner of two Juno awards, for her first and second albums in 2000 and 2003, Whiteley is a Toronto native who now lives in Elgin with her husband and fellow musician Joey Wright. She was also nominated
for a Canadian Folk Music Award this year for traditional album of the year.
Wright, a multi-instrumentalist who has contributed to recordings by many artists including Sarah Harmer, has recently released a new album entitled Country, Music. He was nominated for a Juno award in 2008.
Organizers are also planning to feature performances by Amanda Jordan, Tom Watson, Ali McCormick and Freddy Dixon. Guests will be backed by a four piece band including keyboards, pedal steel guitar, bass and drums, and will play from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. following the
open mic segment.
Jordan, 21, is a country singer-songwriter who has been playing in public since she was five. McCormick is a folk artist dubbed “The Lioness of Lanark.” She has taken her music to venues across Canada.
Also on the bill is Andy Mason, who was among the performers to play at Lower Reach Park on Canada Day this year. Mason, a former member of the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tribute band Four Way Street, is an award-winning First Nations singer, songwriter, actor and multi-instrumentalist.
Smiths Falls resident Freddy Dixon, a country and rockabilly singer
and songwriter, is a member of the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame. Highlighting a career dating back to the 1960s. He was inducted in 2000 as entertainer of the year.
The jamboree will start with an open mic segment from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The jamboree is the final event in 2017 of the On the Roll music series. This series of Canada 150 events was funded by a federal grant with financial support from the Town of Smiths Falls.
Guests can take advantage of refreshments supplied by Café Whim and the Royal Canadian Legion
through with her annual ritual of ordering, and ordered a sweater. Looking back a little longingly, she wishes she had kept some of the first catalogues from when she was a child. She’s made a promise to herself that if she ever sees some of the earlier ones in antique or collectible shops, she’ll pick them up. What is it about the season that makes her want to see it, and feel it, every day, all year long. It’s the memories, she says, the wanting to save part of a really good childhood, “being blessed with the best Christmases,” the feeling when you saw Santa, especially the anticipation of Christmas.
And did you ever hear St. Nick?
“I did! I saw Rudolph’s nose out my grandmother’s bedroom window,” she crows. To some extent, Botham’s memories about Christmas centre around her dad, Hal. Hal Botham became known as ‘The Voice of the Valley’ and most of his career was spent at CJET Smiths Falls. He rarely said ‘no’ to anyone who needed an emcee for an event. Botham remembers, as a child, that her dad was very good friends with Santa and every Christmas Santa would go to the radio station “to read letters with my dad.”
Maybe that was where the magic began…
Today Botham has followed in her father’s footsteps. You can hear her on a regular basis as a community host at YourTV in Smiths Falls, Cable 10, HD Cable 700.
Juno award winning
Women’s Auxiliary. Tickets are $20 and are being sold through Eventbrite. A link can be found at https://www.facebook. com/Canada150SmithsFalls/
Kathy Botham sits in her Christmas room at her home, a room that is set up 365 days a year. Photo Credit: Sally Smith.
roots artist Jenny Whiteley will headline a year-end musical Jamboree Friday, Dec. 29 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 95 hall in Smiths Falls. Photo submitted.
Letter from our Editor Page Two
The recent news of Postmedia and Torstar trading community papers and shutting most of them down was big news, but not entirely surprising. Money talks — or in this case, silences — and to be honest, there’s no real money in community news.
In the deal, where no cash was exchanged because all the papers “have approximately similar fair values,” according to Postmedia, Torstar got 17 newspapers and Postmedia got 24. All but five have been closed or are on the way to stopping their presses. In total, it’s expected that close to 300 people will lose their jobs, but “synergies associated with this transaction are expected to contribute to an improvement in annualized operating earnings at Torstar in the range of $5 million to $7 million,” as per Torstar’s press release.
Yes, $5 million to $7 million is a lot of money, but community newspapers provide a service that is invaluable.
The local newspaper (or website) can be the lifeline for many to their community. It’s where you learn about the girl next door making the big stage (see
Watch for Perth’s dancing angel in The Nutcracker on page 3), where you see the pictures of your kids, your grandkids and neighbours at parades (page 6), learn about what your local politicians are up to and what sales the grocery stores are having. The “big guys” don’t care about this stuff, but for us it’s our bread and butter.
Community newspapers operate on shoestring budgets and depend on their staff to work evenings and weekends on top of their dayshift, and to do it for modest pay — and that’s at papers owned by the large media companies.
As the editor of a paper that is independently owned, there is a constant struggle between getting coverage and having the budget to pay for it. We don’t have a large staff, or any full-timers for that matter.
We have a handful of dedicated writers and reporters who are either retired or working other jobs but know the importance of community news and get out there and cover the communities for us. We pay our writers and reporters for the stories and events they cover but often times they — or others in the community — will submit items for free. This isn’t because they have to, it’s because they want to. People that cover community news love it. They have a passion for all things local, they know what’s going on
in their town or village and they want to write about it. If you look at it from a dollars and sense point of view, there are many times it’s financially not worth it, but worth it in so many other ways.
The papers closest to us that are slated for closure are the Kanata Kourier-Standard, Nepean/ Barrhaven News, Orleans News, Ottawa East News, Ottawa South News, Ottawa West News, Stittsville News and the West Carleton Review. These communities, like others across the province, will be left with no source of local news or in the best case, a single voice.
Competition and opinions are at the heart of good journalism. If you don’t have anyone out there pushing you to try to get the scoop or making sure you get the details that nobody else has, will the passion to produce great work fade? Will reporters and editors get complacent? I’d like to think not but, you can see how it could easily happen.
I know people look to us to bring them the people stories they aren’t reading anyplace else, to cover our municipal government and to share events and sports coverage. We will remain dedicated to doing this. You just need to continue reading our paper each month, and our website (hometownnews.ca) daily.
Deal?
April Scott-Clarke, Editor, Hometown News
Publisher Patricia Krotki
pmkrotki@pdgmedia.ca
EditoR
April Scott-Clarke april@pdgmedia.ca
Masonic Lode Gun Raffle
Master Gary Brown (right)
Masons by Henry Repeating Arms with
Vendor Space
Watch for Perth’s dancing angel in The Nutcracker
Perth - Sally Smith
editorial@pdgmedia.ca
Just after she turns 10, Perth’s Elizabeth Cox will dance with The Royal Winnipeg Ballet in the annual Nutcracker production at the National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa.
The costume fitting for her part as one of the angels was on her birthday, Dec. 3, with the production starting on Dec. 6.
The Stewart School student went to her first Nutcracker performance at age six, three years after she started dancing.
Elizabeth and her mom, Rebecca, heard about the Ottawa auditions in September. When Elizabeth auditioned she just squeaked in at slightly under the height require-
Pop-up street store coming Dec. 10 community
ments of 4’8”. Nervous?
“Sure…just a bit,” she says. Elizabeth really didn’t expect to get the part but heard shortly afterwards by email that she was ‘in’ — one of 16 angels, and her mom was “delighted.”
Included in the performance this year, besides angels, are mounties, mice, polar bears, reindeer, party girls and boys, and a pond hockey game.
Elizabeth is the only student from her dance studio in Perth, Arts in Motion, dancing in The Nutcracker. “Elizabeth is a lovely young student with a keen work ethic and sweet disposition,” says her ballet teacher Svetlana Timtsenko. “I am very proud of her for challenging herself and trying new things.”
Labelle editorial@pdgmedia.ca
As a mom of four, Tina Percival is determined to teach her children the value of kindness. She makes a point of including her kids when taking their gently-used clothes to share with homeless members of the community. “This year,” she explains, “looking around and seeing just how much we have, we wanted to do something bigger.”
She searched online to discover how other people have done their own “something bigger.” She came across The Street
Store, which calls itself “the world’s first rent-free, premises-free, free pop-up clothing store for the homeless.”
The Street Store encourages hosts to put out a call for donations, and then to advertise the store so the homeless and those in need are made aware of the event.
The Street Store began in South Africa, as a way for people with items to share to give directly to people in need. It has grown to become a global movement, with copycat pop-up shops serving the homeless in 195 countries.
World Street Store Day is Dec. 10, when more than 4,400 pop-up free cloth-
Elizabeth gets a gleam in her eye and a grin on her face when she describes what she’ll be wearing on stage. “A curly, blonde wig with ringlets, and a tulle tutu down to the ankles - probably white,” she says, adding that there might be a halo and pale pink tights. To add to the specialness of it all and to mark the occasion, her Nan bought her new ballet slippers for her first NAC performance.
The first dress rehearsal was Dec. 4 with a second on Dec. 5. Rehearsals last 90 minutes and by the end of November “already there have been four.”
The performance itself is long with a running time of two-and-a-half hours, and Elizabeth is on stage the full second half. “We run around Uncle Drosselmeier doing
ing stores will open their (metaphorical) doors to the needy.
With just enough time to put out a call for donations and to plunge head-first into the busy task of organizing a local event, Percival knew she had found her perfect something bigger. She partnered with The Mission, Lanark County Housing Corporation, Cornerstone Landing Youth Services, the Boys and Girls Club, YAK Youth Services, Lanark County Interval House, and The Soul Space. These organizations have helped her spread the word about the pop-up store for people to attend.
Here in Smiths Falls, the Street Store will be held inside the Rideau Heartland Centre on Sunday, Dec. 10 from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. This ensures the pop-up store will be open regardless of the weather, and it will give shoppers a comfortable climate in to browse the items.
One of the advantages of the Street Store is that it offers each person a chance to choose items they want: the precise article of clothing will go directly to the person
bourrees [travelling steps]. We make a cake for Clara and the prince, but the cake doesn’t taste very good,” Elizabeth describes, wrinkling her nose. “So the Sugar Plum Fairy sprinkles sugar on it,” she grins.
Her favourite part of the performance is making the cake. Elizabeth, with a flourish, pours the flour into the bowl.
Ballet is Elizabeth’s preferred dance choice although she’s studied jazz, modern, tap and hip hop as well. “I like ballet. Not a lot of people do it. I can be myself, I can relax and have fun with it,” she says thoughtfully.
The Nutcracker runs at the NAC’s Southam Hall in Ottawa from Dec. 6 through to Dec. 10.
who needs it.
In keeping with the community spirit of the event, The Mission (23 Beckwith St., Smiths Falls) will be open and serving a potluck lunch to the shoppers. “People can show up hungry, enjoy a meal, then walk across the street to enjoy the free shopping,” Percival explains.
The shopping is setting up to be more than Percival ever imagined. “We’ve been given thousands of items,” she notes, “More than 80
jackets, lots of mittens and scarves.”
Some questions that Percival has been asked are “do we really have a need for this sort of store in Smiths Falls?
We don’t have many homeless people here, do we?”
She points out that homelessness might look different here than it does on city streets, but it still exists.
“People are sleeping on their friends’ couches, or staying temporarily here and there, but they are still
in need. I want to highlight the hidden homelessness here, to make people aware of those around us that we can help. We do have homelessness in Smiths Falls.”
And her original mission, to teach her four children to have compassion and serve the world around them?
“They’re so excited about this, so involved,” she says, “They’re helping me collect the donations, sorting through them and helping me every step of the way.”
Smiths FallsJanelle
Elizabeth sits with Daisy, her two-year-old Poodle-Bichon Frise-Yorkie-Havanese mix in front of the Christmas tree at home. Photo Credit: Sally Smith.
Photo submitted.
Music and food at SFDCI noontime café
Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca
For a bit of a noisy but really good lunch, head out to Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute every second Thursday at noon, dig in to tasty food and sit back and listen to up-and-coming musical artists.
The Restless Red Hawk Café, located in the front foyer of the school, highlights six of the school's programs in that short two-hour time slot.
On Thursday, Nov. 24, Ben Seward and Kevin Baker strummed some familiar music to the filled tables; students lined the windows, clapping and cheering, and everyday school pretty much carried on around this eclectic bunch of music and food appreciators. As well as the high school musicians, local and area bands, on occasion, are asked to come into the school and play.
The menu this day had a Mexican theme - guacamole with fresh tortillas, Mexican rolls with enchilada sauce, and churros dusted with cinnamon and sugar and key lime pie for dessert. Jeff Burns, head chef in the hospitality course, lists other themes they’ve explored this year like celebrating the harvest, east Indian and, of course, fast-approaching Christmas. He says this café gives his hospitality students a chance to “experience real life.” Things as basic as putting the server’s name on the order prevents confusion, he grins. In a more serious tone, he calls his students rock stars, and gives them all the credit for planning, cooking and serving the food at the music noon hours.
Then there’s Doug Miller, a Wood Shop teacher, as complimentary and enthusiastic as Burns. All the table tops
in the café were made in the woodwork shop. Miller says students are working on platters for serving the food, some of which will be cut on the oblong for a more appealing look. He says they’ve worked on spatulas, too. When finished, the platters, and any wooden food-serving utensils will be covered with a non-toxic wood preservative.
That’s three of the six programs at the school — music, hospitality and wood shop — the other three are fine arts, business and media arts. Fine arts students design and paint the backdrop for the music café; this one is an outdoor scene looking inside to a black and white checkerboard floor with flower boxes underneath the windows. Business students make sure the days are advertised and posters are ready and posted; and media arts students are responsible for designing the posters.
Blake Seward, history teacher and no.1 fan of the musical lunches, describes the big picture, how all the departments work together to make the days happen. There are expectations from each department, 26 overall. When all these expectations are met, and all goes according to plan, the day is a success.
The next Restless Red Hawk café is slated for early December at noon; drop in for a bite to eat, a look at what’s going on at the school, and some good music. All for $3 to $5. Call the school before you go just to be sure the café is running that day. The number is 613-283-0288.
community
Perth Inside Out:
by
Terry O'Hearn
Think outside the box for old home retrofit
Standing in the original three-room farmhouse built by John Ritchie in 1816, there is a feeling of the presence of ghosts from that family of long ago. The house is now part of Ecotay Educational Centre, a farm situated west of Perth on the Upper Scotch Line. Michael Glover, a former National Research Council manager, is the owner and director of the facility, and is also an advocate for the human race to adjust the way we use energy with respect to global warming and climate change.
Ritchie was among the first settlers to arrive in the area southwest of the future town of Perth, where the first farms were allocated to the Scottish immigrants. His sons and grandsons would later build many of the mills along the Tay River, and the Ritchie’s also acquired timber rights at both Christie Lake and Bob’s Lake.
The elder Ritchie was a blacksmith, and evidence of his skills can still be seen around the farm. Many of the other immigrants were also tradesmen, and it is probable that neighbouring masons, carpenters, and other trades would have helped complete the house.
Additions, which did not match the original dwelling architecturally, were made to the house in 1840 and 1860, complicating Glover’s project. The dilemma is to complete the retrofit to zero emission (ZE) standards, while main-
taining the original look of the building. Glover fully expects to do that.
“I have been trying to work out how to upgrade the house to zero emission performance for some time,” he said. “We did experiments trying how to insulate the building on the interior, and then we got serious about a couple of years ago. We are taking our time because we are still fine tuning the new component technologies.”
Glover is willing to share with us here the technology and methodology used in the project, which is being carried out with the assistance of Algonquin College as an applied research project through their Office of Applied Research and Innovation. He points out that since many parts of the house are rotted beyond repair, it has become a restore and replicate, so the Algonquin partnership is invaluable.
Glover mentioned that the go-to model for super-insulated older buildings is still The Saskatchewan Conservation House, which was completed in Regina in 1977. The team was led by passive design pioneer Harold Orr of the Saskatchewan Research Council, and the legacy left by those men is that the building has helped shape a global focus on energy efficient design. Engineers from Germany and around the world came to check it out.
Back to the present: Glover stresses that the big issue for
old stone farmhouse, is insulation, and the question of whether interior or exterior.
“A stone house pretty much has to be done on the exterior,” he said. “If done on the interior there is a big issue with mold from moisture.”
He went on to explain that the house will be completely wrapped in sprayed foam insulation after cutting off the eaves. Then a “promiscuous tinting” process is used to create a simulated stone effect using stucco with rubbed-on sand, and lines are etched into the mix. The original exterior was done using a similar technique.
That type of insulation job is sometimes referred to as a chainsaw retrofit, and the work needs to be done when the timing is right – when
the roofing and siding of the building need replacement. The spray foam is commonly called “extreme,” and is described a next-generation product, applied to a thickness of about five and one half inches.
Glover said he hopes “to show you can get to ZE if you put your mind to it, although not every project would be as extensive and the one I am doing at the farmhouse.” If you wish to follow Michael Glover’s extreme green project, check back as I’ll be looking in on him periodically here, or email terry@pdgmedia.ca any comments.
100 Women Who Care find root in Carleton Place
Carleton PlaceMatthew Behrens editorial@pdgmedia.ca
A global charitable movement that began a decade ago in Jackson, Michigan has formed a new chapter in Carleton Place thanks to the networking efforts of local entrepreneurs Lynn Vardy and Jeannie Mongrain.
The 100 Women Who Care campaign – in which selected charities regularly meet up with potential donors, each armed with $100 cheques to be made out to a lucky recipient – began when American real estate agent Karen Dunigan heard through a local family health centre about the urgent need to provide proper cribs for local newborns. She pulled together 100 like-minded women who each wrote $100 cheques, raising enough for 300 cribs while inadvertently serving as the launch pad for a worldwide phenomenon that’s inspired over 500 chapters, including men’s groups as well.
Vardy, a Royal LePage realtor originally from Churchill Falls, Labrador was surfing the net last Christmas when she came across the campaign and found that it aligned with her values. Stunned that she’d never heard of it, shock turned to
inspiration as she contacted her friend, Dominion Lending mortgage broker Jeannie Mongrain, and the two set about launching a local chapter.
Because Vardy and Mongrain were already natural networkers, having organized women in business breakfast events as well as wine and cheese socials, this new idea seemed a logical next step.
“Our motto is connecting to the community, whether that is one glass at a time at our wine socials or giving back to the community,” Vardy explains. “We can do a lot of stuff in an hour and have a lot of fun and laughs at the same time. We don't have to sell tickets or organize a big event, and it makes a big impact.”
Mongrain, who grew up in Pembroke and settled in Carleton Place after 25 years in Ottawa, agrees, adding “we’re always trying to grow the network of people we know, our friends base, and this is another way to meet people in the community and at the same time give back.”
While there are numerous fundraising bodies in Lanark County – many with a national profile – Mongrain says the new group is attempting to focus on
smaller charities that may be overlooked, and for whom relatively modest donations make a major difference.
Among the criteria that the group considers when nominating potential beneficiaries is whether the funding will be dedicated to Lanark County initiatives only.
The group’s first recipient was the no-kill animal shelter LAWS, raising over $2,000.
The Carleton Place chapter plans to meet four times a year as it grows its donor base to the century mark, and while only one group goes home with the evening’s proceeds, Vardy says there is still a major benefit to all the
charities that are invited to make their pitch.
“It's a real educational moment, because it’s a platform to let all these women know who they are and what they do, so some women who haven't even heard of the group might go on to volunteer with them or at least pass on the word about the charity through their own networks,” Vardy says.
Vardy and Mongrain are inviting Carleton Place and area women interested in becoming part of the growing group to contact them via their facebook page or at 100womenlanark@gmail. com
Michael Glover, director of Ecotay Education Centre, in front of his 200-year-old farmhouse, which will be retrofitted to its original appearance using zero emission technology. You can see the eaves of the house are missing, in preparation for insulating the exterior. Photo credit: Terry O’Hearn.
Jeannie Mongrain (left) and Lynn Vardy are the dynamic duo behind the new Carleton Place chapter of 100 Women Who Care, a growing network of community-minded individuals employing an innovative and entertaining approach to support local charities. Photo submitted.
(l to r) Madison Jones, Jordan McEwen, Amy Wynne, Teresa Flegg and Tessa Gilligan enjoyed the noon time “good music and good food” at the Restless Red Hawk Café at SFDCI. Photo credit: Sally Smith
Wood Shop students made colourful, relevant table tops for the twice-monthly Restless Red Hawk Café at SFDCI. Photo credit: Sally Smith. Ben Seward entertains students at SFDCI’s Restless Red Hawk Café. Photo credit: Sally Smith.
Carleton Place Municipal Academy is in session
Carleton PlaceSarah Ritchie
editorial@pdgmedia.ca
Carleton Place council chambers turned into a classroom for a day in early November as 12 curious individuals attended the first of a three-class series dedicated to teaching the workings of local government.
Speakers for the sessions were Paul Knowles, Carleton Place chief administrative officer, Duncan Rogers, Carleton Place clerk and Stacey Blair, deputy clerk. They each spoke in turn about the history of the town along with the nuts and bolts of life at town hall. The history included discussion about one of the sister cities to Carleton Place - Franklin, Tennessee. This Municipal Academy is an idea that was borne from a similar class that Franklin held for their citizens.
This is the sixth incarnation of the course – historically occurring every two years or so – with 10 to 12 people in attendance for each offering. The students
introduced themselves at the onset and stated their reasons for attending; some were there to learn about the workings of their own town, others to see how it is done in Carleton Place so they can share the information with their own municipality. Rogers said students come from “wide backgrounds; young people, elderly people, people who are in the community for many years and people who are newly arrived.”
Academy student Jayne Munro-Ouimet said she wanted to find out “what the influence of the federal and provincial governments have on the bylaws and the decisions made by a municipality.” She also wanted to learn the structure of the council, the election process (nominating process) and how proposals made it to the council for consideration.
Karen Prytula had similar goals. She wanted to learn how motions were presented to council and voted upon along with the
other procedures required around those actions. She was also just genuinely intrigued by the course itself, saying “I wanted to know what I would be missing if I didn’t take it.”
Government methods can vary wildly in each municipality; there is no single method to govern. Rogers said, “There are 444 municipalities in Ontario. What may work well in North Bay may not work at all in Chatham, so it is the local people governing themselves for their needs under the framework of provincial legislation.”
Blair emphasized the notion that government is there to serve the people. “Municipalities all provide similar services and achieve the same goals, but how we get there can be completely different,” she said. “It is also one of the most accountable levels of government and they have to be. The reaction is immediate. If you are upset about something at the municipal level, you pick up your phone or send
an email… It is an immediate interface. Same with staff. We are right here… whatever we can help you with, we will.”
When asked what they would like to see a student learn from the course, Blair indicated her hope would be “that it encourages people to vote in the upcoming municipal election.”
She hopes that civic engagement initiatives, like this course, will put local government on the radar for each student. Bringing
The right kind of quiet opinion: Am I the only one?
Grief, funerals and loss remind me of the sobering reality that life is precious and short.
Sorrowful times leave us numb. We recognize there’s a lot of hullabaloo going on out there about nothing. Atrocities feel like a heavy burden. We try and find our way back to a peaceful state as a means of survival. I wish people the right kind of quiet.
The kind of quiet that feels like a warm yellow blanket. A permission slip that says it’s perfectly reasonable for you to not be feeling okay right now and doesn’t insist we be anything but ourselves.
Where nature becomes a sanctuary and time softens sharp edges. I’m wishing you the kind of quiet that hears a gentle rain or a light breeze moving the trees; where thoughts become flowers and strife is replaced with care and understanding. It is the healing kind of quiet that you marinate in, where you are alone but not isolated. The type of soli-
by Carrie Wynne
tude that welcomes encouragement and novelty so it doesn’t become bland. The kind that feels safe and helps you feel put together inside. It gives you a nice rest but doesn’t threaten your sanity. A restorative silence that brings you contentment and joy.
The kind of quiet that reconnects you to yourself and silence that seems to say, “Oh there you are” as you breathe in huge sighs of relief. “Don’t worry! I will support you.”
The kind that forgives and seems to melt away feelings of angst but not right away. The quiet that lets you recognize your fragile state and accepts your vulnerability with gentleness and loads of self compassion. Where weariness is replaced with wakefulness. Where you feel calm and serene and are gently guided back to your higher self.
A peace that helps you feel slightly more generous to your fellow occupants on planet earth whether it be a dog, a chipmunk, a charity or a dying potted plant. It just doesn’t matter. The world needs our love.
If you’re out there struggling or in pain and feeling lonely or confused and sad I’m wishing you the right kind of quiet. The still moments in life where you see perfectly flawed human beings living un-spotless lives.
A quiet that lets you be okay with not being okay.
the subject of local government to the forefront of their thinking and maybe then they would be “more compelled to participate or even consider running in the election.” Rogers added, that if a student walks away “with a sense that [they] have learned something more about local government and community” he believes the course has achieved a level of success. If people take it a step beyond and decide to serve on the library board, the
recreation committee or the heritage committee, for example, “We have shown people that there is something really worthwhile in getting involved.” Citizen involvement is especially important when you consider that by the end of 2018, eight key positions in town hall will be vacated due to retirement. This course is a step in the right direction for helping to involve the citizens and educate them in the workings of our town.
Instead of struggling though winter, consider our hassle-free assisted living and memory care suites at Carleton Place Terrace. Take comfort, knowing we’re available around the clock to offer assistance when it’s needed. With a variety of activities, delicious meals, and companionship under our roof, why trudge through snow when you can walk down the hall?
Members of the public enrolled in the 2017 Municipal Academy to learn more about municipal politics and how local government works. As 2018 is an election year, the sessions couldn’t be better timed. Photo credit: Sarah Ritchie.
Santa and Mrs. Claus came to Carleton Place on Saturday, Nov. 25 and the crowd along Bridge Street was excited to see them!
Saturday evening's parade was a great success, if attendance was the best indicator. Weather was milder than it could have been, and the smiling faces of children and adults alike were abundant.
Some of the businesses along Bridge Street extended working hours to help make the people feel comfortable and welcomed.
The energy was electric as were the floats all around! Participants were creative and excited to share their enthusiasm and warm wishes for the holidays.
The theme for this year's parade was Canada 150 and there were food donations being collected for the Mountain of Food project to benefit Lanark County Food Bank. Photos by Sara Ritchie.
The CP Holiday Train rolled into Smiths Falls on Monday night, Nov. 27.
As a longstanding tradition it drew larger crowds than ever, eager to see the brightly decorated train decked out in thousands of lights. This year it even featured a Canada 150 themed car. And Santa with his helping elf payed a visit, welcoming kids both young and old.
The show put on by Colin James and Emma-Lee rocked the crowd.
Behind all the giggly festivities of this event lies a more serious cause, our support for our local food banks, and the those in attendance didn’t disappoint.
On top of it, CP presented a cheque over $7,000 to the food bank as well. Photos by Chris Uhlig
Carleton Place - Sara Ritchie
Carleton Place - Sara Ritchie
Carleton Place - Sara Ritchie
Carleton Place - Sara Ritchie
Carleton Place - Sara Ritchie
Carleton Place - Sara Ritchie
Perth - Jason Code
Perth - Jason Code
Perth - Jason Code
Perth - Jason Code
Perth - Jason Code
Perth - Jason Code
Perth - Jason Code
lifestyle
Health Matters
Dr. Jennifer Keller, ND
5 Tips for Managing Holiday Stress
The holidays — all merry and bright in a winter wonderland of joy, right?
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. For many of us, the holidays may bring plenty of stress and sickness, regardless of whether we were naughty or nice. Some of us may know our stress triggers in this season, and others are left dumbfounded as to why, despite many efforts, they end up sick and overwhelmed at the end of the year.
What is stress?
We define stress as anything that pushes your body out of balance. Beyond financial, relationship or other emotional difficulties, stress can take form in many ways:
lack of sleep;
increased sugar intake and overindulging of holiday treats (e.g. cake, wine, or cheese);
crowded malls; and
family dynamics.
No matter what the stressful trigger is, our bodies will always respond in the exact same way. This means that you may not necessarily identify feeling “stressed” but your body is actually functioning in a high-stress state, which explains why you still end up run down, tired, and/or sick at season’s end. This is why it is vital to understand what triggers can throw your body off balance and into a more stressful state.
Symptoms of stress can manifest in a variety of ways. By learning to identify your early warning signs, you can take action and help your system avoid that crazy flight-or-fight response.
Signs of stress can include the following:
high blood pressure;
sweating;
shallow breathing;
poor memory;
palpitations;
getting sick all the
time;
headaches;
indigestion;
brain fog/lack of focus;
anxiety and/or depression;
insomnia and/or fatigue;
irregular periods; and
changes in appetite.
Sound familiar at all?
These days, not many of us are strangers to the effects of stress, and the holidays will only escalate these symptoms. The reality of the holidays is that we can’t avoid them, unless we decide to be Scrooge in our basements for the last month of the year.
The next best thing is to focus on increasing your resilience to stress: how can you support your body amidst stressful triggers, so that it has ample time to rejuvenate and you don’t end up down in the dumps. Here are some tips to get you started.
Eat protein
Proteins are essential for so many functions in the body. When you eat protein it breaks down into amino acids, which make up the building blocks of our neurotransmitters that help to regulate our moods. Amino acids also provide the building blocks for many of the cells of our immune system. When you eat protein with carbohydrates it helps to balance blood sugar, thus ensuring a more steady state of energy throughout the day. It is especially important to focus on proteins when treats may be more readily available than usual.
Prevent blood sugar spikes and dips by including protein in your snacking regime. Want to re-balance even more? Ensure breakfast includes 20 to 30 grams of protein, which helps stabilize your blood sugar for the entire day.
Prioritize sleep
Sleep is vital to our body’s recovering and healing from stressful events. As much as possible, ensure that your sleep is consistent. Create a routine and stick to it like glue. When you know there is a day coming up where you may be out later than normal, plan to have the next day be a quiet one so you can rest and get back into routine as soon as possible.
Hydrate
It seems like a simple one, but drink enough water. Do not let your body become dehydrated. We are made of 65 to 70 per cent water — give the body what it needs! Proper hydration allows all of our body systems to function optimally, and allows us to have greater resistance to stressors.
Take vitamin C
Vitamin C is one supplement that can be helpful during times of increased stress. Our adrenal glands, aka our stress organs, rely on vitamin C for many reactions and have increased requirements during times of stress. A powerful antioxidant, Vitamin C will also play double duty and support your immune system so you don’t catch that endof-season holiday cold.
Breathe
We want our systems to be in a parasympathetic (relaxed) state as often as possible. Stress does not allow this to happen, but breathing does! Research has shown that it takes only five deep breaths to reset our nervous systems. Throughout the day, before entering crowded malls, during the loud holiday parties, or in preparation for family madness, do yourself a big favour and take five deep breaths.
Dr. Jennifer Keller, ND, with her husband, owns VisTree Naturopathic Clinic and Organic Farm. www.vistree.com
Garden Matters:
Tips and tricks for longer lasting poinsettias
If you can't seem to keep these traditional holiday plants alive, we are here to help. Here are few tips that will help them look better and last all season.
1. Poinsettias do not like the cold.
Any store that lets their customers leave with a poinsettia unwrapped should be arrested for poor customer service. Make sure they are wrapped well and your car is warmed up when transporting poinsettias home. Once you get them home keep them away from drafty entrances or heaters.
2. Keep them evenly moist.
Don’t soak your poinsettias but don’t let them
dry out. If you have trouble gauging water then invest in a moisture meter. It is a life (and plant) saver!
3. Keep poinsettias in bright light.
These plants will gradually decline without any natural light.
Want to keep your poinsettia after the holidays?
For crazy plant people only!
Keep watering and fertilize once a month with 2020-20, remove leaves and flowers as they fade.
In late March or April cut stems back to about 15 cm and reduce watering to give the plant a rest period.
In late May, move the poinsettia into a larger pot with fresh soil. In mid-June
put it outside in dappled shade. Keep watering and feeding. In July /August pinch back branches to encourage bushier growth. Around Labour Day, bring it back inside the house and spray with insecticidal soap. Starting Oct. 1 give your plant six hours of bright light and 14 hours a day of uninterrupted darkness (put a cardboard box over the plant in a closet.) Continue this process for eight to 10 weeks until small bracts appear then bring it out into a sunny spot and it should be gorgeous by Christmas once again!
Kelly Heath Head Elf Gemmell’s Garden Centre
Food & Drink
Let's Eat Two Guys for Lunch Smiths Falls
Over my time in retail business I’ve attended more than my share of educational seminars (what’s this got to do with a restaurant review?), read on. One point that always seems to mystify supposed expert business owners/ operators, is understanding the true definition of their operation, their mission so to speak. Some will learn the truth over time, some get it sooner rather than later, and sadly some never get it at all. Very few ever get this right at the beginning. James Ae Perkins of Two Guys for Lunch in Smiths Falls is one of those few.
He never got into the restaurant game to earn money or enjoy some imagined social status, but simply to feed people good food because that’s what drives him and his partner Luc Philippe. One taste of any item from their menu will prove that he’s telling the truth. Their breakfast/ lunch diner recently cele-
brated its 12 birthday and it defies all of what we have come to expect of a modest lunch facility; they deliver delicious, nutritious, hand and homemade food.
Located in the Cornelia Court commercial building (on Cornelia Street in Smiths Falls between the recreation centre and the Garden Market grocery store), this diner has kept its neighbours from far and wide coming back for more for great breakfasts, lunches and take-out. I stopped in recently and now know the secrets of their success. I was treated to a sampler plate to give me an idea of both their regular menu and specials. A bowl of meaty chili was accompanied by a unique take on the traditional smoke-meat sandwich and a freshly made garden salad. The chili had the perfectly balanced flavor and just-the-right amount of heat, crediting its slowcooked process. The smoked-meat was piled
By Brian Turner
high and accompanied by a generous serving of bacon in what James and Luc refer to as a smoked-meat club. The extra-fresh roll had just the right strength to its crust to keep this creation together while still having an incredibly soft texture. A much unexpected treat was the homemade poppy seed dressing that came with the salad.
Luc couldn’t let me leave without a slab of a freshly baked and iced carrot cake which was, hands down, the best I’ve ever tasted.
While their soup, salad, and sandwich menu is loaded with traditional favourites such as roast beef, turkey, and chicken salad, Perkins and Philippe are always moving things up a notch with creative and nourishing meals with a decidedly international flair. They are well known for their legendary quiches, tourtieres, and pies.
The duo has something for every taste and appetite level. It’s not uncommon for regulars to be able to get all three meals at Two Guys because they also do a great take-away with travel-packed dinners ready to reheat and enjoy.
They do a booming catering business (with available delivery) and currently offer well-balanced and nutritious meal programs to three local schools.
They are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and you can reach them at 613 284 2202. Their ground floor location is accessible and they take Visa, Mastercard, and Interac. You can also contact them with any inquiries at twoguysforlunch@yahoo.ca.
Canadians Peter Gamble and Ann Sperling are more than your average ‘flying winemakers,’ they’re also a super-duo of our local wine scene. Wine Access magazine has referred to them as “the power couple of Canadian winemaking.” They both have a great respect for viticulture and distinctive terroirs, and they like to spend a good deal of time on the ground in the vineyards where they consult.
Gamble is one of the foremost winemaking consultants based in Canada, consulting with several wineries new and established to assist them on ways to improve their vines and varietals or on their property and what they could plant for optimum results. He is behind the award winning wines of Benjamin Bridge Winery in Nova Scotia. His 2012 Nova 7, at $24.95 and only 6.5%abv, is a proprietary blend of aromatic whites including Muscat giving a uniquely Nova Scotian lightly sparkling, off-dry white wine that is very refreshing. Ann comes from a line of grape growers in the Okanagan Valley and she puts the dynamic in biodynamic,
pioneering this approach in Niagara and bringing the tenets of sustainable winegrowing to all her vineyards as Director Winemaking and Viticulture at Southbrook Vineyards in Niagara and her own Sperling Vineyards in the Okanagan Valley.
Like some of the famous French winemakers of Bordeaux who were hired by overseas wineries to help them increase the quality and production of their wines, Sperling and Gamble are also 'flying winemakers' owning Versado Winery located in the heart of the old town of Chacras de Coria, now a neighbourhood of Mendoza, Argentina. Their pride at Versado is the Malbec grape. They have two versions available here in Canada: Versado Reserva Ancient Malbec 2012 LCBO Vintages # 316984 at 14.2%abv and $59.95; and Versado Malbec at $24.95.
It has a dense colour and is full bodied and firm. I would decant for an hour and then serve with a roast of beef or venison. Aromas of blackberry with vanilla, some spice and cedar notes; with a mineral thread and good acidity
to balance the tannins, it has a silky mouth-feel finishing firmly with a chocolate note. Tony Aspler, scored this one 93 points in 2016.
Sperling's wines at Southbrook include several lines of red and white wines including Whimsy and Triomphe, each specializing in either a blend of grape varietals or new wines that they bring to market every couple of years. They have various price points starting at $15.95 representing good value to a range of customer tastes. Sperling was one of the early Ontario pioneers preparing vineyards to meet organic and biodynamic standards, and this has resulted in high quality wines being produced under her care as she has worked at several Niagara wineries over the years.
At Sperling Vineyards in the Okanagan, Old Vines Riesling VQA 2014 at $35 is a National Wine Awards of Canada 2016, Silver Medal winner. The rootstock was planted in 1978 and has rooted deeply, accessing limestone soil structures giving a minerality that courses through the vines and bunches with aromas of apricot and citrus. On the palate it begins with bright citrus flavours, settles into the minerality, and finishes with apricot again.
This dynamic duo produce wines that are very interesting to experience or to give as Christmas gifts.
Brian Preston - The Travelling Sommelier brianpreston@hotmail.com
Pantry staples Candied fruit Christmas teas
For all your holiday baking needs visit Modern Thymes in Smiths Falls
Spotlight on business
Father & Son recreates old style barber experience
Perth - Matthew Behrens editorial@pdgmedia.ca
Driving past Perth’s gateway intersection at Foster and Wilson Streets was getting to be a bothersome thing for local entrepreneur Michael McLean. He despaired that for decades, the commercial space at the northeastern corner was often empty as business after business failed to take root.
“I used to think it was such a great location, but the way it was vacant so much, it was becoming an eyesore for this town, so I was always wondering what would be a ‘wow’ place to fill it,” says McLean, who, in addition to running an insurance marketing consulting company, also owns the town’s Blue Wings hockey franchise.
McLean’s successful answer to the conundrum came in the form of the Father & Son Barber Shop at 81 Foster Street that is now entering its third year of offering family-friendly haircuts, shaves, and a nostalgic journey through the popular
culture of the past 75 years. The idea came to McLean – whose former family business, McLean Insurance, was sold last summer after 45 years – during a trip to Georgia where, for the first time, he enjoyed an old-fashioned straight-blade shave that made a deep impression on him.
Truly impressed, he returned home and informed his wife that he planned on starting an old-school, family-style barber shop. After a brief pause to consider that he didn't know anything about the industry, a discussion with the Appleton barber who’d been cutting his hair for a decade, Sarah Montgomery, led to a partnership with her, they in less than three months opened what is likely the only Ontario shop where adults can receive a haircut and a beer for the tidy sum of $30.
McLean handles marketing and attracting clients while Montgomery manages the daily operations of a very active shop that’s a nostalgia
buff’s dream destination, from the retro Coke and Ginger Ale bottles and 1950s and 60s magazines to the extensive collection of classic Archies comics and antique chairs that have been salvaged from legendary hockey arenas like the Boston Garden and Montreal Forum (the latter signed by Rocket Richard). The barber chairs are vintage 50s, while the front half of a 1965 Ford Mustang enjoys centrestage. A suite of large-screen TVs and a custom-made bar that exclusively serves Perth Brewery products complete the multi-dimensional shop.
In an age when cross-generational activities are rare, visits to Father & Son often feature kids and parents equally exploring endless items of fascination, from a 1950s phone Mclean picked up in Westport to a 1970s pac-man game that seems to draw more adults than adolescents. McLean says he designed the interior himself, thinking back to the things he remembered from high school. He realized they would not only be fun for members of his generation, but also provide the basis for teaching younger folks about life in a pre-social media age.
“We really cracked the code on the experience part for both the parents and the children,” McLean says, noting young people getting a hair cut also receive free, fresh popcorn, pop, and oldstyle, big league bubblegum. “I like spending time there even though I only get my hair cut once a month,” he says, adding that he often tends bar on Saturday after-
noons to take in the energized vibe and meet locals and visitors to Perth alike. “There’s always lineups and non-stop chatter.”
McLean and Montgomery took great pains to ensure that the experience is true to the original family shop experience, even bringing in the head of the Canadian Barber Association to provide training on the seemingly lost art of the straightblade shave. That 45-minute treatment often sees men becoming so relaxed that they fall asleep in their chair.
Ever the creative promotional professional, Mclean is constantly thinking of new ways to build brand
awareness. Among his popular outreach efforts are mailed invitations for free haircuts on birthdays, often representing the first piece of real mail young people receive at home. For the past two years, the week before school begins has featured two days of free haircuts for anyone aged 18 and under, with over 110 served last September. McLean says that with the price of backto-school supplies so high, families with three or four kids who need to carefully watch their bottom line especially benefit from the free offer.
“Work is a reward for me,” says McLean, who in
conversation lives up to his own conclusion that “you just can't fake passion. This is a personality business. You can train people to cut hair but you need that personality, and our barbers enjoy people. They can talk with you about anything, the news, sports, whatever you want when you hop into that chair.”
McLean and Montgomery are now discussing the possibility of opening Father & Son franchises, certain that the model that saved one formerly lonely corner of a Perth intersection can perhaps come to the rescue of other Ontario communities as well.
Michael McLean and his daughter, Emery, are all smiles as Sarah Montgomery cuts the 4-year-old’s hair at the popular Father & Son Barber Shop in Perth. Photo courtesy of Father & Son.
