Lanark, North Leeds & Grenville - Hometown News December 2019

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Vol. 6

No. 12

YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER - LANARK, NORTH LEEDS & GRENVILLE

DECEMBER 2019

Sophia’s Animated Christmas Light Show: A son’s love for his Father

Photo credit: Submitted

Carleton Place - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca This time of year, more than our children look forward to the Christmas season and one thing that’s guaranteed to bring out the spirit of the celebration for those who are young and for those who are young-at-heart are festive home light displays. Many of us can remember when our parents

loaded us up in the family chariot for a tour of our snowy local streets to admire the imagination of homeowners who loved to don an elf-hat and attitude when it came to lighting up their little corner of the world. No family knows how much that means more than the Seccaspinas.

Angelo Seccaspina mastered the art of creation with coloured lights and how important it was

to give Christmas a little extra boost to bring some enjoyment to others. His home on Lake Ave East in Carleton Place was transformed into a winter wonderland of light and as soon as they were able, his children joined in to plan, plot and string thousands of lights on their Victorian style home and surrounding gardens.

His son Perry remembers walking with his dad to the local Canadi-

an Tire store just down the street each October to literally buy them out of their incandescent bulbs, because as any Christmas elf can tell you, when you’re planning to string hundreds of sets of lights, you can’t have too many replacement bulbs.

Those shopping trips and the subsequent labour of love to install the lights, made a major impact on Perry and when his dad

passed in 2014, Perry already had one season of lights behind him for his own family and neighbours in Beckwith. This year will be no exception and Perry has been at it solid for the last 2 weeks. He does it on his own with some creative input and supervision from his daughter Sophia, but it won’t be long before she starts handling ladders and cords and sockets.

Continues on page 10

Hard work and determination, the log homes of Rideau Ferry Regional - John Kessel editorial@pdgmedia.ca It’s a story about old-growth forests, pioneers, hard work and a determination not to break the bank when buying a home. It’s our history.

There are at least five cedar log homes in Rideau Ferry that were moved to their current sites by enterprising families. They came from the Lanark Highlands, near Lavant Station, at least 80 km away. The moves began in 1938 and are probably the first time the re-use principle, not just renovate, was applied to homes. The last of the homes arrived in 1948.

It was the same gang, five men, drinking buddies and really hard workers in the community who

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dismantled four of them, numbered the logs and rebuilt them in their hamlet and they’re all still proudly standing. A fifth home also came from the Lanark Highlands, but was rebuilt on Rideau Ferry Rd. using logs from two dismantled barns in 1972.

Why? Drinking buddies bonding, maybe? Likely, cost.

The first log home to make the trek happens to be mine at 1052 Rideau Ferry Rd. It stood abandoned on a rocky hillside from 1923 to 1938, when Dick McLean trucked the logs down to the present site in 1938 and rebuilt it as his matrimonial home.

Before he brought them down, it had been used as a hunting camp.

Continues on page 5

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Christmas Parade 1989. Santa (Lorne Hollywood) and Mrs. Claus (Edna Coutts). Turning at the corner at Perkins Building from Wilson Street to Foster Street. Photo credit: facebook.com/perthremembered

3

December 2019

community Kickoff to a Country Christmas on December 1st

Perth - Arlene Stafford Wilson editorial@pdgmedia.ca December 1st was THE day. We waited patiently all through November, asking again and again, if we could please put up just one or two decorations, but the answer was always a firm ‘No!’ The Sears Wish Book had been around for over two months at that point, and was dogeared, with page corners folded down, and multiple selections circled in black marker.

We pointed out to Mother that many of the merchants in Perth, like the I.G.A. on Wilson Street were already advertising their tasty Christmas specials, and had been selling poinsettia plants for weeks now … but she wouldn’t budge.

Finally, on December 1st each year the ‘Christmas floodgates’ opened wide, and the clock started ticking down to the big day. All of the Christmas cards that Mother had been working on since Hallowe’en were mailed on the first, without fail.

The Christmas lights that Dad had strung so carefully around the spruce tree, beside the old house, were always turned on that first evening in December. He’d plug them in as soon as the sun began to slide down in the sky, and disappear from view behind the Mitchells’ barn. They were always the most beautiful lights on the Third Line … or at least I thought so.

Long before the lights were lit that evening, the old house was a hive of activity because we were finally allowed to decorate! One of the older

kids usually got the job of carrying box after box of decorations and ornaments down the back stairs. The stairs wound down in a curve, and there were little piles of ‘this and that’ stored on the steps, so whoever brought down the glass balls for the tree had to walk down slowly, stepping carefully like a tightrope artist.

After many trips up and down the back stairs, all of the boxes were assembled in the living room. The first job was unwinding the rolls of red and green crepe paper, twisting them, and draping them from corner to corner in the living room, and hanging the gold paper star right in the center.

The old bone china Santa Claus figurines were arranged in a row, along the top of our rickety black and white television set, right in front of the tall, Blue Mountain pottery vase.

The next decoration to be displayed was the brass angel chimes. Great Aunt Nellie had sent the chimes as a gift one year, and it required assembly.

The brass post held four angels, the base held four small candles, and when the candles were lit the heat rose, the angels spun around, and brushed against the bells, making a gentle chiming sound.

There were other sets of bells to be hung as well, and they were attached with small nails to both our front door, and the hall door. Every time someone opened or closed the doors the bells would sound, reminding us that Christmas was coming.

The star of the show came in next – a spruce tree, cut fresh from the

bush, behind the old house. Sometimes there was still snow on the branches, and we’d create a little bit of a mess as we dragged it through the kitchen into the living room.

Between the melting snow and the needles, something always ended up on Mother’s floor. Once the tree was standing up in the red metal stand, and all of the screws were twisted firmly to hold it in place, we were allowed to begin decorating.

The lights were strung around the tree first, followed by the silver garlands, strings of popcorn, and then the beautiful glass balls.

There were boxes and boxes of delicate, old, glass balls, and they’d been around long before me. Some of them were striped, some were plain, and one or two of them always seemed to get broken each year, no matter how careful we were. Mother would always insist on cleaning up, so that none of us got cut on the glass shards, and she would gingerly sweep up the broken ball into her dustpan, and carry it out to the back porch.

Finally, colourful metal birds with silky tail feathers were clipped onto the tree, one at a time. They always reminded me of the beautiful songbirds that filled our yard with music each summer, and they looked very familiar, like dear old friends, perched on the spruce branches in the living room.

The next ornaments were the ones we’d made ourselves over the years – pine cones with the tips painted white, or small Santas, or paper angels.

Some even looked a little worse for the wear, but they were hung on the tree every year, just the same. The last decoration to be placed on the tree was the tinsel, and it

was hung very carefully, strand by strand – not too much so that you couldn’t see the ornaments, and not too little, but just enough to glimmer and shine when the lights on the tree were lit.

Mother often made eggnog while we decorated, and she brought us plates of her homemade cookies while we worked. When we were finally finished we sat back among all of the empty boxes and looked approvingly at our work.

By the end of the day on December 1st each year, the scent of the freshly-cut spruce tree filled the house, and the candles on the angel chimes were lit. The Christmas cards were stacked in the mailbox

at the end of our long lane-way, Dad turned on the outside lights, and near the front door, the big spruce adorned with coloured lights glowed softly.

December 1st always began and ended the same way each year on the farm. In the morning there was no sign of the season anywhere, and it looked very much like any other winter’s day. By the end of the day however, it looked like a magical, festive wonderland, both inside and outside, and at our house, it was the day that the Christmas season officially began.

Wishing you and yours comfort and joy as we countdown the days to Christmas!

Library receives one of four grants Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca Kerry and Sue Badgley climbed the stairs to the top floor of the Smiths Falls Public Library Monday evening to see how their donation was being used. The top floor is the children’s floor at the library, and children’s librarian Debra Kuehl was waiting to greet them. She had applied for the money under the Sarah Badgley Literacy Fund for Rural Ontario Children, and Smiths Falls was one of four libraries who received $500 each from the fund.

In 2001 the Badgleys lost their three-year-old daughter Sarah in a car accident; the next year, to honour her memory,

and because Sarah loved books and reading at the Kemptville Library, the two began to fundraise and donate money to rural libraries in Ontario.

Today, juice jams, felt boards and puppets plus entertaining at the South Mountain Fair and the Farmers’ Market raises half the money; the Badgleys kick in their own resources for the rest.

There were four winners out of 40 applicants this year. “It’s not a huge grant, but for small communities it makes a big difference,” Kerry says.

Since 2002, 60 libraries have received grants.

The grants serve a largely rural clientele from as far northwest as Fort Frances on the Ontario-Manitoba border to

Wyoming, Ontario (east of Sarnia), as well as many indigenous communities. Many, says Kerry, “have been hit by plant closures, or forestry and mine closures.”

The grants are given under the Ontario Library Association (OLA), and the Sarah Badgley Literacy Fund is a registered charity through the OLA. This year Kuehl bought new material for the Fun with ABCs and Reading Rocks tutoring programs. She admitted, with a grin, to making it “stretch” as far as she could.

The Badgleys have not visited all 60 libraries but are delighted “to see the effect the grants have had” in those they’ve been able to get to.

Sue and Kerry Badgley donated $500 to the Smiths Falls Library through the Sarah Badgley Literacy Fund for Rural Ontario Children. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

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December 2019

community

No Stupidity Street birds on her diet Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Friends visit to sit with the birds. When there are birds around there’s no need for television, the birds are entertainment enough.

They splash in the bath, chow down on mealworms, or flit and swoop around a large, open caged area; tiny button quail march lockstep one after the other underneath the flyers, and catch worms tossed out of the bowl above.

And while comic and delightful to watch, it’s noisy, too. Birds sing all the time.

That’s what Linda Herbert likes — their songs.

Herbert raises and breeds birds on her property in the County of Leeds. She’s been at it for almost two decades now and with a lot of reading, research and watching, feels she’s getting to know the canaries and finches she buys and breeds.

She’s involved with three bird clubs, attends sales, goes to meetings and has made many friends who pursue the same hobby.

It started at 10 when she asked her Mom for a budgie; she named him Perry Como…”Perry,” she laughs, remembering. Since then she has had birds in her life most of the time, and today raises them, very untraditionally, in large 14’ x 36’ cages her husband, Michael, built.

“Mine just fly,” she explains matter-of-factly. “I let them go ahead and breed.

Males will see a female, go over to her, dance up and down, turn his tail towards her. If she likes him, she’ll turn her tail towards him. If she doesn’t, she’ll fly away.

“They’re all very polite about it.”

With canaries, however, it’s a different story. “Canaries are a bit more rambunctious — they get chased.”

But if Herbert was purely a canary breeder, “you’d breed them in little cages like this…” she waves at a row of small boxes, “two to a cage.”

Herbert’s cage (bigger than a garage) is part outdoor and part inside.

Birds hop or fly in and out through a pop hole, a sliding door; If Herbert wants them in, she entices them with food, but if they don’t want to come in, she chases them in with a flashlight.

And the food is always inside…more enticement.

Herbert places nests on the trees inside. Some are tiny baskets, some are small boxes and some bird-made.

Herbert reaches gently into one, cups her hand around a 12-day-old chick, and pulls it out to have a look.

It’s a baby Gouldian finch. If it opens its mouth you’ll see lipstick, Herbert says.

The lipstick, she explains, is “four spots on the top and four further

down that reflect light… they look like neon.” It’s dark when parents look down into the nest. Babies open their mouths so mom and dad can see them and feed them. They’re “very obvious,” Herbert goes on, because when the mouth is open, “it’s huge.” Each breed has a different pattern. This one is a little shy, though — no big mouth.

Herbert leads on to the next big cage about 100 steps further. Goldie meets her. She’s a big husky, golden Lab/retriever mix and is pleased to see her. This is probably Herbert’s second trip here this day. The first is usually at 4:30 or 5 after two cups of coffee.

Many of her plants are here, too. People who keep birds usually keep plants, she says. And Herbert grows some of the seed she feeds her birds. “They love dandelions and teasel.”

In this combined bird s anc tuar y-workshop, Herbert fiddles around, straightening, filling, moving bowls, setting a chair in front of the enclosure. She sits and watches, inviting visitors to do the same. A bird bath entices some of the finches and canaries; a cage set to one side holds a bird in quarantine.

Why quarantine? There are two different mites, she explains. “Red mites swarm all over the cage; they eat at night, get off the bird and

Linda Herbert holds a baby Gouldian finch. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

hide during the day.”

The other kind is air sac mites. “Birds have lungs like we do and air sacs in all their big bones. This makes the bones light and helps their breathing.

“They breathe quite differently from us — they breathe all the time — in and out, in and out — and even when they’re breathing in…they’re breathing out. It’s much more efficient than ours.

“They store air in air sacs.

The air sac mites get in the air sacs and suck their blood.”

After that vivid explanation, she sits with a seething mass of mealworms in a bowl on her lap. With pincers, she delicately separates the worms dropping them into a smaller bowl, then opens the cage door and places the worms inside…a daily bird treat.

Herbert grows her own mealworms. “It’s very easy.”

As well as a breeder of birds and a grower of some of her own bird feed, Herbert’s a conservationist at heart. Outside birds aren’t doing well, she says.

“They’re declining by a huge, huge percentage because we’re killing off insects and feeding them poisoned corn.” There’s a decline in songbirds as well, she adds. “If food goes and habitat goes, they’re in trouble.”

She remembers when

STUPIDITY STREET I saw with open eyes Singing birds sweet Sold in the shops For the people to eat, Sold in the shops of Stupidity Street.

I saw in vision The worm in the wheat, And in the shops nothing For people to eat; Nothing for sale in Stupidity Street.

- Ralph Hodgson Chimo Elementary School was built in Smiths Falls.

“It was built over a killdeer nesting site. Killdeer need short grass, shrubby stuff… and there’s a lot of that in Lanark county.”

She adds a hopeful thought. “…they’ll come back like the raptors came back.” Their eggs weren’t forming properly because of DDT. “We quit the DDT

A few of Herbert’s birds. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

For Your Information with Kathy Botham

and the raptors came back.”

She adds if people make enough fuss, solutions can be found — like turning lights out at night on huge brightly-lit buildings so birds don’t fly into them.

The final question: As birds are so much a part of your life, do you eat them?

“Yes, chicken,” she nods.

“But not songbirds like they do on Stupidity Street.”

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December 2019

community

Hard work and determination, the log homes of Rideau Ferry Regional - John Kessel editorial@pdgmedia.ca Continued from cover

It was originally built

by James Barr, a Scottish weaver in 1852. Unlike most log houses of that period, Barr went big – nine foot ceilings on the ground floor, central staircase and a full second floor. Some of the squared logs are 34 feet long, 22 inches high and 14 inches deep. They are chinked inside and out.

The adze work is splendid. They’re definitely old growth cedar, the size hardly available in this area today. One of the few changes was the addition of a massive hearth, built out of one rock. There’s a 1938 penny sunk into its mortar and a dragonfly incorporating the hearth’s keystone.

On visiting the original site of the home, large cedar stumps are still visible, as was the remnants of the pioneers’ garden and dump site, buttons and children’s leather booties still visible.

Dick McLean and his wife Margaret raised four children in the house.

Their son James McLean still lives around the corner. Everyone who was born and died in the home is now known, thanks to a serendipitous knock on our door from Margaret Barr, a Brockville woman working on the history of the Barr family.

It’s not known whether McLean bought or appropriated the logs. He was known locally to be a bit of a mischievous fellow, somewhat of a reprobate, always avoiding game wardens, fishing,

trapping and hunting whenever he wanted.

The other four log house crew were Bill McCue, Rolland and Anthony Thomlinson and Clyde Wilson. Bill McCues’ daughter, Doris and her husband George Ball, still maintain the McCue farm, across the road where the Wilson home was resurrected at 1635 Rideau Ferry Rd. It is now owned by Kristy Ferguson, who moved in in 2017 with her son, buying it from the Wilson estate. “It was the right price... what I could afford and has the potential for rental income,” she says. The property already has a granny flat on the other side of the driveway from the house. It’s where Ali Wilson, the son of Clyde Wilson lived until his death.

Ferguson lived in Smiths Falls before moving and says she couldn’t afford to buy a place in the town because of the escalation of house prices brought on by Canopy, the massive marijuana plant in town. An irony, as she works for Canopy.

The next house, moving east along Rideau Ferry Rd. was the Poland General store and unconfirmed reports say it was a brothel before that, servicing the iron ore miners of the Lavant area of the Highlands. Roland Thomlinson paid just over $800 for the logs.

His son Carl, who lives around the corner, provided the bill of sale.

Today, it is under renovation—the bottom logs had rotted out, the house is now owned by a Windsor couple, Jeff Dowell and Barbara Poushinsky.

It was bought as a retirement plan. Dowell’s brother lives around the corner.

Their plans are to use the house as a bunky, a guest house for their four sons and guests. A new house will be built behind it soon.

The only one of the log homes not on Rideau Ferry Rd. is owned by Pat and Sue McNamara – it’s rebuilt on R7, part of Rideau Lakes township.

Sue owns the Perth Flea Market on Rideau Ferry Rd. It was brought to its present site by the McKimm family and occupied by three McKimm sisters from 1946 until the McNamaras bought it in 1999. Their double garage is also made of logs from the Highlands, with a four-bedroom bunky on the second floor. The McKimm sisters owned the Smiths Falls Spectator.

The last of the log homes at 93 Rideau Ferry Rd., also on the Rideau Lakes township side of the bridge, is owned by Paul Byington, a retired antiques shop owner.

His place is an amalgamation of two log barns brought down from the Highlands by Ron Wilkinson and his wife.

It’s the largest of all five at 2,800 square feet. The logs were brought to the site in 1972 and Byington bought it in 1982.

He traces history even further back than my place, to the United Empire loyalists who moved to Canada after the U.S. War of Independence.

Byington obviously likes his place because of the logs’ age – from the old growth forests of the Lanark Highlands.

Poland General Store. Photo credit: Submitted.

Ferguson house. Photo credit: Submitted.

Kessel house. Photo credit: Submitted.

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Byington house. Photo credit: Submitted.

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December 2019

community

Carleton Place Water Dragons make positive impact Carleton Place - Submitted editorial@pdgmedia.ca Being overlooked by busy parents who spend more time focusing on their eldest or youngest kids is a common complaint voiced by middle children. This phenomenon has the potential to be even more pronounced in a large family.

The middle of our five children is an intelligent, kind nine year old who loves to laugh, and has an infectious smile. Despite these wonderful traits, he has struggled throughout his life with self-esteem and confidence issues.

In an attempt to enable our son to excel in his own sport that is not the same as his brothers’, in which he could be successful and

Photo credit: Submitted.

proud of his accomplishments, as well as to teach self-discipline and healthy living, we enrolled him in pre-competitive swimming two years ago. He has loved it more than we ever expected; moreover, he’s a natural!

Our son swims with the Carleton Place Water Dragons, a local swim team based at the Carleton Place Pool. Joining the swim club has proven to be a wonderful, inclusive activity that has been a source of confidence and self-worth for our little guy.

Thomas now swims with the junior competitive team three times a week, and continues to flourish, both in terms of physical capabilities in

the pool, as well as with regards to mental-health and positive self-image.

This past weekend, our son competed in a local swim meet held at the pool in Carleton Place.

He was awarded with a number of ribbons for his accomplishments, which is incredible, but it is his words that truly sum up the wonderful experience this has been for our family.

“Mom, I got third and fourth place, which is fantastic! I guess I should want to try for first? But I’m happy just being here and it’s awesome that other people got to be first

and second and feel great.

This way we all win! I’m happy to let others be first.

I don’t need that spot to tell me I’m good at swimming. I just want to know I’m being the best me I can be!!”

Those are words to make this mom grin from ear to ear!

We are very grateful for the opportunity to swim with the Carleton Place Water Dragons, and for the positive impact this is having in our middle guy’s life.

Submitted by Jessica Sultan for more information about the swim club can be found on the Carleton Place Water Dragons website at www.cpwd.ca

Dickies Cause 4 Paws annual Christmas bake sale Carleton Place - Submitted editorial@pdgmedia.ca Over 75 volunteers are baking up a storm with a large variety of lovingly decorated cookies, loaves, squares, cupcakes gluten free items, breads and more for our very popular Annual Bake Sale! This year will be our biggest ever! We hope you will visit us,

and bring home some delicious goodies...just in time for your Christmas festivities!

Dickie’s Cause 4 Paws is a not-for-profit, No kill, volunteer-based rescue in Carleton Place, serving the Lanark County region. All proceeds from the bake sale go towards saving the lives of kittens and cats that have

been abandoned, living on the streets and in our back yards. This year, 99 kittens and 32 adult cats have been helped and adopted by the rescue, and 5 adult cats that were neutered and released as they were not capable of being successfully socialized and adopted. The much needed funds will go towards their vet care

and spay/neuter.

What a great way to help a great cause! We hope you will join us.

Event details: 10 am - 3 pm, Saturday December 14th at Carleton Place High School - 215 Lake Ave West For more information contact: Shelly Dickie: dickiescause4paws@outlook.com, 613-809-1617.

Photo credit: Submitted.

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December 2019

community

Local Author's new book release

into the planet: my life as a cave diver

Photo credit: Brian Preston

Perth - Brian preston editorial@pdgmedia.ca Jill Heinerth grew up in Cooksville (now Mississauga) Toronto and she has always been curious about the world, commenting that she has an advanced degree in curiosity. She is one who wants to explore the most dangerous nooks and crannies of the last unexplored places on earth - underwater caves. For just one example of how dangerous it can be, watch this video of her experience under an Antarctic iceberg: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=mLTxB7RTBXw Her career has spanned several decades and she has been all over the world in pursuit of her passion to discover, learn and share with the world. She has been to the Caribbean, Mexico, the Sahara (yes, believe it or not), Siberia, Antarctica and the Arctic covering environmental, animal,

and sea-life stories, being an advocate for protecting our natural environment while at the same time enjoying it all and bringing it to us in books, presentations, films and talks at schools across Canada in her role as Explorer-in-Residence for Canadian Geographic.

Her diverse interests include being a Canadian cave diver, underwater explorer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker. She is a veteran of over thirty years of filming, photography, and exploration on projects in submerged caves around the world. She has made TV series, consulted on movies, written several books and is a frequent corporate keynote speaker. Jill is the first Explorer-in-Residence for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, recipient of Canada’s prestigious Polar Medal and the diving world’s highest honor from the Academy of Underwa-

ter Arts and Sciences, the NOGI Award. In recognition of her lifetime achievement, Jill was awarded the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration. She is a Fellow of the Explorers Club and member of the inaugural class of the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

I heard on Lake 88 radio that she was back in Eastern Ontario midway through a hectic North American book signing tour and would be addressing the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Perth Chapter on Monday the 18th of November at the Royal Canadian Legion.

I got there early and by the time her presentation began the main hall was full.

Her presentation was about Leadership and Explorers.

Her gripping stories with slides and video captivated the audience while showing how we need to care for the planet and how one person can make a difference and have an impact on the world and be a leader and explorer in many ways. Jill wanted to be an astronaut in her early life but then realized that there is so much that is unknown about our own planet that she would explore where few had been before - under the sea, in caves and in remote and unyielding, isolated parts of the world where there was so much to see, learn and tell the world about. She strives to bring us along on the exploration and better appreciate the human condition and our close relationship with the planet - the geology, sea caves, icebergs and the micro-life that inhabit them; animals like seals, sea lions, musk ox, and many other flora and fauna that comprise ecosystems that are all interconnected. Jill masterfully tells these stories and brings us along as armchair travellers on her adventures.

If you ever get the chance to take in one of her presentations, you will not be disappointed. Her upcoming regional schedule includes Tuesday, 10 December in

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Jill has a contract for another book with Penguin Random House, but the theme and content have not yet been discussed, so stay tuned for her next book! In the meantime, get a copy of this one and be amazed by the stories this intrepid adventurer tells. We can call her our own as she now resides with her husband Robert McClellan near Carleton Place.

Photo submitted.

SMITHS FALLS

Prospect of closing Rideau Ferry boat launch stirs up emotions of residents Regional - John Kessel editorial@pdgmedia.ca A sure-fire way to rile up Rideau Ferry residents is an attempt to cut off motor boat access to the water, the Big Rideau.

That’s what happened when three of the most recent residents of Elizabeth Dr., two of whom live next to the township’s public boat launch, appealed to Drummond North Elmsley council to shut off access to all motor boats.

When residents throughout the hamlet heard, the drums – on social media including Facebook – sounded the alarm. The reeve and councillors were flooded with emails. Even residents from Nova Scotia, who had just moved there from Rideau Ferry, had something to say.

Charles MacPhail, now of Springhill, NS, said bluntly, “What a lamebrain idea.”

Be prepared to have an overflow crowd, council was warned. That’s exactly what happened Nov. 26 at the Drummond North Elmsley township offices on Port Elmsley Rd. Council chambers were jammed, standing room only and out the chambers’ doors.

Cindy Laprade spoke for the trio, with the others, Brad Hollywood and Sean Dinsmore sitting beside her. Their

list of complaints included noise levels, pollution, traffic congestion, speeding, parking boat trailers on adjacent lawns, trespassing, public urination, increased complaints to police and use of the launch for boat repairs.

Part of Laprade’s presentation, saying she represented most of the 13 Elizabeth Dr. residents, made the opposition to her appeal to council see red. The Hometown News interviewed many residents on the road. They say all but the three on the application to prohibit motor boats from launching want the ramp kept as is.

Chris Mason, who owns a marine maintenance shop on the road, says his grandfather donated the property before he was born. “It’s part of our history,” he says.

There is an adage town planners use: Don’t give up access to the water, you’ll never get it back unless you pay a fortune.

Field and Stream magazine recently decried the fact that there is a major decline in waterfront access – boat launch ramps in Canada and the U.S. Mason and others in their emails to council reminded them that it should have learned from recent history in Rideau Ferry, when the township refused to buy the former public docks from Parks Canada. The docks

went to the owner of the restaurant property, who prohibited public use, unless visiting the restaurant. It took about seven years of noboat access to Rideau Ferry before a new dock was built, costing over $300,000. The old public docks would have cost the township $1.

When Laprade finished her appeal to council, in what appeared to be a rehearsed good cop, bad cop routine councillor Paul Kehoe moved to deny the appeal and Reeve Steve Fournier seconded his motion.

Kehoe told the petitioners there was no way the ramp would be closed. He reminded the three that at one time there was a marina at the ramp, and traffic would have been a lot greater. He reminded Laprade and Dinsmore they bought their properties knowing they were next to a boat ramp.

When he finished, the crowd applauded.

Fournier, in a conciliatory effort, told the three he would make every effort to get the ramp cleaned up, a garbage can placed there and assign township staff to monitor the space.

Rideau Ferry has three public boat launches, but only the Elizabeth Dr. ramp is free.

After the meeting, Laprade said, "They (council) led us to the slaughter."

8

December 2019

lifestyle Almonte's third annual men’s health event focuses on sexual assault victims

Peter Hamer and CBC investigative senior report Julie Ireton discussed the importance of men having mental health support and breaking the stigma of toxic masculinity at the old town hall in Almonte on November 20. Photo credit: Emilie Must

Regional - Emilie Must editorial@pdgmedia.ca Many male survivors of sexual abuse are still afraid to speak out, an audience at a recent event in Almonte was told.

A capacity crowd packed the old town hall in Almonte on Wednesday, Nov. 20 as Julie Ireton of CBC Ottawa interviewed sexual assault

survivor and advocate Peter Hamer on stage in honour of Men’s Health Month.

The third annual Men’s Health Month event titled “No More Secrets” was part of the “Healthy Minds Healthy Men: a community conversation” group.

Emcee Bill Janes, executive director of Lanark County Mental health told the audi-

ence, “There is help out there for men here at home and there is no shame in seeking help.”

One in six males will be the victim of sexual assault and the effects can last a lifetime.”

In Hamer’s case he drank excessively and dropped out of college at 18.

The two worked on a year-

long CBC investigation of three different teachers who taught at two Ottawa high schools.

Hamer now lives in Stittsville and is the Executive Director of the Ottawa Valley Health Team. Hamer’s wife, 20-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son were in the front row to support him as he shared the horrific details of his high school experience.

Hamer attended Bell High School in the West end of Ottawa. When Hamer was 16 in the 1980s he took Bob Clarke’s Grade 10 music class. Earlier this year the former teacher was convicted of sexually abusing a total of 10 former students – including Hamer - in the 1960s and 1970s.

Hamer had repeated Grade Eight, making him older than all of his classmates. Clarke knew this and repeatedly asked the class if anyone wanted to drive his car.

During the interview process of the CBC investigation, Ireton learned that Clarke had been regularly attending outpatient therapy for deviance issues at the

Royal Ottawa Hospital. She said the school board knew about this, yet Clarke continued to teach at Bell High School for decades.

Hamer was silent about what happened to him for 30 years. He learned he was part of a small group of students who had all been victims of sexual assault and had suffered in silence.

“There’s not enough men who have come out and said, ‘Me too’,” Hamer said.

In Canada, there is no statute of limitations on sexual assault cases.

The CBC investigation consisted of 30 interviews over 14 months.

“We were uncovering systemic failure from two education systems,” Ireton said.

When Hamer was 17, he told the principal what Clarke had done, resulting in Clarke teaching music at another high school.

Hamer said, “The only way to get through depression is to have hope. When your hope is gone…”

He described onstage some of the darkest moments of his life.

In Canada the suicide rate is three times higher for adult

males than it is for women, according to Statistics Canada. This is often due to the way boys are raised.

Lanark Mental Health opened a male-centred mental health program in November in honour of Men’s Health Month.

It’s not uncommon for people seeking counselling to have to wait one to two years for an opening.

Hamer says toxic masculinity was to blame for keeping him silent for 30 years.

“Growing up, you’re taught that being tough means having strong muscles and never showing emotion, but I’ve decided on my own definition,” Hamer said. “I think being tough means having the strength to show your emotions and talk about how you’re feeling.

“This is still happening and students are afraid to come forward.”

Hamer is featured on a CBC Ottawa podcast called The Band Plays On hosted by Julie Ireton. It is an investigative journey to tell the stories of survivors of historic sexual assault from three teachers over five decades from one western Ottawa high school.

opinion: Am I the only one?

Carrie Wynne

Culture Wars

Celebrating 20 years of Serving Our Community

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Mainstream media is constantly pushing narratives that wind people up because strife sells better than unity.

Competing for eyeballs is like catching crabs: they throw us click bait and see how many they catch in the net.

Here’s a recent example of how they get our attention. Mainstream media took a moment on Coach’s Corner, gave it some click bait and it went viral. I’m sure good old Don was cracking from the pressure as a public figure and the responsibility that it carries. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks or as it seems, a new updated politically correct language either. His style and popularity are the exact opposite of that. He’s too old to care or conform. Rogers Media tried to put Don Cherry in a box, and he said NO. Fair enough. I know 80-year olds and they don’t fit in boxes and follow new rules.

Besides, there are far better platforms for this hockey legend than cable television. In fact, we should all be looking for alternative media news sources such as podcasts for current events. Society is already adapting as necessary by consuming our news differently.

Podcasts let you hear from well-educated professionals on topics of interest. When you listen to long form discussions you get the facts from experts, authors, politicians, activists, writers, reporters and intellectuals. No click bait, no fear of retaliatory measures, no posturing or political correctness or pandering to corporate sponsors or public outcry.

These conversations make you realize that people agree on a lot of the same issues and come very close on others as well.

It is so tempting to believe we can be part of the solution by standing for or against something online but it’s an illusion.

Engaging in divisive battlegrounds and bickering online with strangers allows them to sell us more ad space. Engagement is the business model and they want you glued. Social media giants collect our infor-

mation and sell our habits to companies to market ads. We’re being herded like sheep and it’s time to wake up if we want to continue to enjoy our freedom.

People are quietly slipping away from the noise of mass media into more thoughtful rooms where discussions and ideas about current events and topics of interest can open and expand our view of the world.

I’m growing weary of this outrage culture. Am I the Only One? The opinions stated in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hometown News’ management, staff or writers.

Don Cherry. Photo credit: twitter.com/CoachsCornerDC

Presents:

The Abba Holiday Show

abba revisited returns!

Advertorial - submitted editorial@pdgmedia.ca With unstoppable hits like Mama Mia, Waterloo, S.O.S., Dancing Queen, Take A Chance On Me, Fernando and many more, Abba is one of the most well known groups in the world today.

Their record-breaking hits continue to thrill music lovers of all ages. Since their first triumph at Eurovision in 1974, Abba has sold over 400 million copies of their albums. Furthermore, new renditions of popular Abba songs now permeate modern musicals and media, stimulating a new generation of Abba fans.

In April of 2018, Abba announced their reunion to the world after 35 years. They released two new songs in December of 2018.

The group’s avatars performed I Still Have Faith In You on NBC and BBC specials later that year; meanwhile, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again premiered in June, proving that their brand synergy is truly thriving.

Abba Revisited is North America’s #1 tribute to Abba, and its members have been dazzling audiences across the globe since the

year 2001. Abba Revisited recreates the magic of Abba with authentic costumes, spectacular harmonies and note-perfect musicianship taking their audience on a musical journey back in time. From Vegas to Bermuda, Mexico to Dubai and Guatemala, Abba Revisited recreates the showstopping look and sound that Abba fans around the world can’t deny!

Earlier this year Abba Revisited played the 850-seat Gallipeau Center to an almost capacity crowd. The audience was blown away with their awesome show and since then we have received an overwhelming request to bring them back for another show. We are answering the call and the band is coming back with a very special holiday show just for us!

On Dec 14th you will get Abba’s greatest hits plus classic Christmas favorites; a great combination of the happiest music on the planet.

This show is a must see for all Abba fans and Christmas lovers. Get your tickets early, this show could sell out! Visit www.dreamrock.ca for tickets.

Christmas parades around Lanark County LANARK

DECEMBER 14

Santa Claus Parade 1:00pm Lanark Civitan 2144 Pine Grove Road lanarkcivitan.com

MERRICKVILLE

DECEMBER 7

Santa Claus Parade 11:00am Starts at 106 Read Street, Community Center, travelling down Main Street West and St Lawrence Street

Carleton Place and Westport Parades have passed.

MISSISSIPPI MILLS

DECEMBER 8

Almonte Night Parade 5:00pm Downtown Almonte Mill St. 613-256-1077 Exploremississippimills.ca

PAKENHAM

DECEMBER 7

PERTH

Santa Claus Parade & Celebration 1:00pm Stewart Community Centre & Grounds 112 McFarlane Street 613-256-3881 exploremississippimills.ca

DECEMBER 7

Santa Claus Parade of Lights 5:00pm Starts on Sunset Blvd.

613-264-0123

SMITHS FALLS

DECEMBER 7

Santa Claus Parade 5:00pm Starts at Youth Arena Parking lot 613-283-4142 downtownsmithsfalls.ca

For more Christmas events see our Events Around the Region section on pages 10 & 12

Shop local

this holiday season

Sophia’s Animated Christmas Light Show: A Son’s love for his Father

From everyone at Ogilvie’s

Merry Christmas

happy new year

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613.283.7444

www.ogilviesauto.com

Photo credit: Brian Turner

Carleton Place - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca Continued from cover

This year as in the past their homestead at 267 Stonewood Drive (off of Beckwith’s 9th Line) will be adorned with over 40,000 coloured LED lights, all sparkling and flashing in sequence to music. That total is just up a smidgen from the 33K used last year.

The display even has a name; Sophia’s Animated Christmas Light Show. It runs every evening from early December through to the second week in January from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm and the music is available by tuning in to 88.3 Griswold FM. This way the tunes can be enjoyed by all without blasting the entire neighbourhood.

Perry notes that he’s learned a thing or two about securing the lights to the point that little if anything is damaged or put out of commission by inclement weather. The majority of his neigh-

bours are very understanding about the traffic tie-ups that sometimes see vehicles lined up back onto Country Lane Drive. Area retirement homes have even sent busloads of seniors out for their own trips down Christmas memory lane.

While they haven’t tried to estimate the number of visitors each year, Perry mentioned that they were working on a method to capture this number. The weekends can get extremely busy.

Perry gives full credit to his dad Angelo and his grandfather Eliseo for starting this family tradition, and in a world that seems to toss out valued customs like so much torn gift wrap, it really does warm the heart to see the best things continue. As Perry’s mom Linda noted in her legendary blog, “it just isn’t another Christmas light show – it is a son’s love for his father reflected in each Christmas light.”

When heading south on Hwy 15, turn right on the 9th Line of Beck-

714 Kilmarnock Road, Jasper

with and then left onto Country Lane Drive and then onto Stonewood Drive. Perry asks visitors to drive carefully when making their own treasured Christmas tradition by sharing a view of the lights.

Events Around the Region

CARLETON PLACE

SUNDAYS

613-257-5755 Thewaterfrontgastropub.ca

TUESDAYS

Mississippi Blues Soc. Open Jam 8:30pm - 11:00pm Waterfront Gastropub 12 Bell St. 613-257-5755 Thewaterfrontgastropub.ca

THURSDAYS

Gingerbread Workshop Dec 6 at 6:00pm - 8:00pm Dec 8 & 15 at 11:00am - 1:00pm Mitchell's Independent Grocer 455 McNeely Ave carletonplace.ca

Blues w/Redneck Limousine 3:00pm - 6:00pm Waterfront Gastropub 12 Bell St. 613-257-5755 thewaterfrontgastropub.ca Olde Time Bingo 7:00pm - 9:15pm Carleton Place Arena 75 Neelin St. 613-257-1690 Carletonplacecivitan.com Karaoke 9:00pm Waterfront Gastropub 12 Bell St.

DECEMBER 6, 8 & 15

455 McNeely Ave. jsx4@rogers.com 613-250-2803 Mississippimudds.ca Christmas Market 10:00am Carleton Place Arena 75 Neelin St ashleypdoucet@gmail.com Carletonplace.ca

DECEMBER 7

Christmas In CP House Tour Dec. 7 at 3:00pm - 9:00pm Dec. 8 at 10:00am - 4:00pm christmasincarletonplace@gmail.com 613-257-9717 Carletonplace.ca

DECEMBER 6

Mississippi Blues Soc. Open Jam 9:00am - 4:00pm Mitchell's Independent

DECEMBER 7 & 8

DECEMBER 8

Sing-in the Season 2:00pm

Zion-Memorial United Church 37 Franklin St.

613 451-0051 koryearle@hotmail.com

Holly Jolly Christmas Open House 1:00pm - 4:00pm Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum 267 Edmund Street Cpbheritagemuseum.com

New Year's Eve w/Redneck Limousine 9:00pm - 1:00am Waterfront Gastropub 12 Bell St. 613-257-5755 Thewaterfrontgastropub.ca

DECEMBER 14

DECEMBER 22

Beckwith Christmas Carolling Prospect Church 144 Richmond Road, Ashton www.twp.beckwith.on.ca

DECEMBER 25

Community Christmas Dinner 11:00am - 3:00pm Carleton Place Legion 177 George St Carletonplace.ca

DECEMBER 31

MERRICKVILLE

DECEMBER 6

Easton’s Corners Country Christmas 7:00pm United Church 33 Henry Street, Easton’s Corners

DECEMBER 7

Christmas in Merrickville Breakfast with Santa: 8:30am - 10:30am

Legion - 229 Main Street West Horse Drawn Wagon Rides: 9:00am - 10:30am Legion - 229 Main Street West Cookie Walk & Weigh: 9:00am 1:30pm Community Centre - 106 Read Street Children’s Activities: 9:00am 3:00pm Community Centre - 106 Read Street Silent Auction: 9:00am - 7:00pm Knock Knock Shoppe - 117 St Lawrence Street Design your own Christmas Ball: 10:00am - 5:00pm 635 St Lawrence Street Chili Tent: 10:30am until sold out Post Office - St Lawrence Street Face Painting: 12:00pm - 2:00pm

0 00000000 &

12:0000 - 5:0000 9:0000 - 5:0000

0

#experiencesmithsfalls

blitzenestate.com

,

613-880-4110 787 KITLEY LINE 2, JASPER

Smiths Falls Community Hospital Gift Shop Drop by and see our vast array of Christmas gifts.

There is something for everyone on your list.

NO TAX!!! If you spend $35 or more you will receive a parking chit.

The Gift Shop will be closed Dec. 24 - Jan. 6

TO GIVE OUR HARD WORKING VOLUNTEERS A MUCH DESERVED BREAK

Thanks to all for your patronage!

613-284-9826

Events Around the Region Community Centre - 106 Read Street Marguerite-Bourgeoys School: 12:00pm - 3:00pm 306 Read Street CIM Craft and Vendor Fair: 12:00pm - 5:00pm United Church – corner of St Lawrence and Main Streets Christmas Portraits with Mary Kate Laphen: 1:00pm - 2:00pm Community Centre - 106 Read Street Diego the Magician: 1:00pm 3:00pm Post Office - St. Lawrence Street Build a Mountain of Food - Food Drive Blitz: 1:00pm - 4:00pm Merrickville Food Market - 205 St Lawrence Street Petting Zoo: 1:00pm - 4:00pm Between Drummond and Lewis Streets on St Lawrence Street Photos with Santa: 1:00pm 4:30pm Between St Lawrence and Brock Streets Fire Barrels & Snacks: 1:00pm 7:00pm St Lawrence Street Horse Drawn Wagon Rides: 1:00pm - 8:00pm 2 stops - First: Wellington and St Lawrence Streets and Second: Drummond and St-Lawrence Streets Festive Yoga (Ahimsa Naturopathic): 2:00pm - 3:00pm 223 Main Street West Dr. FourFace Extravaganza!: 2:00pm - 4:00pm Community Centre - 106 Read Street Hot Apple Cider: 4:30pm until sold out Merrickville Lions Club Tree Lighting Ceremony: 5:00pm Corner of Main and St Lawrence Streets For more information on any of the events listed above visit: facebook.com/christmasinmerrickville

DECEMBER 14

North Grenville Concert Choir 7:30pm Holy Trinity Anglican Church 106 Church St. Ngcc.net

MISSISSIPPI MILLS

MONDAYS

Cancer Support Group 10:00am - 11:00am Almonte Library 155 High St. 613-726-8040

TUESDAYS

Music Trivia 8:00pm Almonte Lobby Bar in Alm Riverside Inn 81 Queen St. facebook.com/almontelobbybar

WEDNESDAYS

Duplicate Bridge Club 7:00pm Almonte Legion 100 Bridge St. 613-256-4747

THURSDAYS

Naismith Men's Shed 1st & 3rd Thurs each month at Mamma's 2nd & 4th Thurs at the Mill of Kintail's gatehouse boardroom almontecarver@gmail.com Menssheds.ca 613-461-0013

DECEMBER 6

Light Up The Night 7:00pm Downtown Almonte Mill St. 613-256-1077 Lightupthenightalmonte.com

DECEMBER 7

Farmers' Xmas Market 9:00am - 2:00pm Almonte Community Centre 182 Bridge St. Almontefarmersmarket.com Christmas Village 9:00am - 3:00pm Orchard View 219 Paterson St. facebook.com/ events/1343456129141480

DECEMBER 8

Children’s Shopping Day 10:00am - 1:00pm The Hub 118 Mill St. facebook.com/TheHubAlmonte

Adventure In Your Ear LIVE! 7:00pm - 8:30pm Curious & Kind Heritage Mall 12B Mill St. curious.and.kind.almonte@gmail.com Curiousandkind.ca

DECEMBER 11

Writing for Kids 4:15pm - 5:30pm Curious & Kind Heritage Mall 12B Mill St. curious.and.kind.almonte@gmail.com Curiousandkind.ca

DECEMBER 12

Men's Night Sip & Shop 4:00pm - 8:00pm Judy Joannou Designs 83 Mill St. Judyjoannoudesigns.ca

DECEMBER 12 & 26

Board Game Night 5:30pm - 7:30pm Almonte Library 155 High St. Missmillslibrary.com

DECEMBER 12 - 15

Who Stole Xmas from Mississippi Mills Dec 12 - 14 at 7:30pm Dec 14 - 15 at 2:00pm Almonte Old Town Hall 14 Bridge St. Whostolechristmasfrommm.com

DECEMBER 14

Kintail Country Christmas 11:00am - 3:00pm Mill of Kintail 2854 Concession 8 613-256-3610 Mvc.on.ca

THURSDAYS

Open Mic w/Kevin Choffe 8:00pm Fiddleheads Bar & Grill Code's Mill, 53 Herriott St. Fiddleheadsbarandgrill.com

FRIDAYS

Scottish Country Dancing 9:30am McMartin House 125 Gore St. E. 613-264-2767

DECEMBER 5 - 7 & 12 -15

Little Red Riding Hood Dec 5 - 6 & 12 - 13 at 7:30pm Dec 7 - 8 & 14 - 15 at 2:00pm Full Circle Theatre 26 Craig St. 613-267-1884 Barndoorproductions.ca

DECEMBER 6

Festival of Lights 6:00pm Crystal Palace 63 Gore St. E. Ramblin' Valley Band 8:00pm Fiddleheads Bar & Grill Code's Mill, 53 Herriott St. Fiddleheadsbarandgrill.com

DECEMBER 7

Nick of Time Artisan Show 10:00am - 3:30pm McMartin House 125 Gore St. E. Meet and Greet with Santa & Mrs. Claus 11:30 am - 1:00 pm Code's Mill 17 Wilson Street East

DECEMBER 7 & 8

DECEMBER 15

Indonesian Batik & More 10:00am - 6:00pm POPin2SHOP 5 Burchell Blvd. facebook.com/POPin2SHOP

DECEMBER 17

Artists' Xmas Sale 11:00am - 4:00pm Studio 7 Thom St.

Valley Voices Xmas Concert 7:00pm Almonte United Church 106 Elgin St. By-Donation Gift Wrapping 4:00pm - 6:00pm Mississippi Mills Youth Centre 134 Main St. coordinator.mmyc@gmail.com 613-256-5959

DECEMBER 19

Community Meal 5:00pm - 7:00pm Mississippi Mills Youth Centre 134 Main St. coordinator.mmyc@gmail.com 613-256-5959 Coffee: Brew It Right 7:00pm Equator Coffee 451 Ottawa St. 613-256-9560 Equator.ca

DECEMBER 20

Holiday Open Mic 6:00pm - 8:30pm Equator Coffee 451 Ottawa St. 613-256-9560 Equator.ca

DECEMBER 21

AiC: Home for the Holidays 7:30pm Almonte Old Town Hall 14 Bridge St. Almonteinconcert.com

DECEMBER 28

Rag Bag Cabaret 8:00pm Almonte Old Town Hall 14 Bridge St.

DECEMBER 29

Trad Song Pub Session 2:00pm - 4:00pm The Barley Mow 79 Little Bridge Street dave@barleymow.com 613-256-5669 barleymow.com

PERTH

TUESDAYS

Brock Zeman 8:30pm O'Reilly's Pub 43 Gore St. E. 613-267-7994 Oreillyspubperth.com

WEDNESDAYS

Karaoke 9:00pm Golden Arrow 71 Foster St. 613-267-4500 Goldenarrowpub.com

DECEMBER 8

DECEMBER 9, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29

Public Skating All Day Perth Community Centre 2 Beckwith St. E.

DECEMBER 13

Ennis Sisters Xmas Show 7:30pm St. Paul's United Church 25 Gore St. W. 613-485-6434 Ticketsplease.ca Henry Norwood 8:00pm Fiddleheads Bar & Grill Code's Mill, 53 Herriott St. Fiddleheadsbarandgrill.com

DECEMBER 14

The Christmas Palace 10:00am - 12:00pm Crystal Palace 63 Gore St. E. Perth.ca Book Readings: Carson & Bassett 1:00pm - 4:00pm The Bookworm 76 Foster St. 613-264-7257 Bookwormperth.com

DECEMBER 17

Perth Citizens' Band Xmas Concert 7:30pm St. James the Apostle Anglican Church 12 Harvey St. 613-256-4221 Perthband.ca

DECEMBER 19

The Butterfly Fan Club Breast Cancer Support Group - Dinner 5:30pm Michael's Table 110 Gore St 613-812-4474

DECEMBER 20

The Man Who Invented Christmas 7:00pm Studio Theatre 63 Gore St. E. 613-267-7469 Studiotheatreperth.com Loaded SixString 8:00pm Fiddleheads Bar & Grill Code's Mill, 53 Herriott St. Fiddleheadsbarandgrill.com

Steve Stacey & the Stump Splitters 8:45pm O'Reilly's Pub 43 Gore St. E. 613-267-7994 Oreillyspubperth.com

DECEMBER 21

Jingle Boots: Big Heart Holiday Show 1:00pm & 4:00pm Studio Theatre 63 Gore St. E. 613-267-7469 Studiotheatreperth.com

DECEMBER 22

Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols 7:30pm St. James the Apostle Anglican Church 12 Harvey St. 613-267-1163 Stjamesperth.ca

DECEMBER 25

Community Xmas Day Dinner 12:00pm Code's Mill 17 Wilson St. E. 613-326-8365 Perthcommunitychristmasdaydinner.org

DECEMBER 27

Morgan Ryder 8:00pm Fiddleheads Bar & Grill Code's Mill, 53 Herriott St. Fiddleheadsbarandgrill.com The Godfrey's 8:45pm O'Reilly's Pub 43 Gore St. E. 613-267-7994 Oreillyspubperth.com

DECEMBER 31

New Year's Eve w/Canada Rockz 7:30pm Farrell Hall 186 Gore St. E. 613-485-6434 ticketsplease.ca/NYE.html New Year's Eve Dinner/Music 8:00pm - 12:30am Perth Manor 23 Drummond St. W. 613-264-0050x2 Perthmanor.com

SMITHS FALLS

MONDAYS

Duplicate Bridge Club 7:00pm Smiths Falls Legion 7 Main St. E. office95@cogeco.ca 613-256-4747

TUESDAYS

Duplicate Bridge Club 1:00pm Smiths Falls Legion 7 Main St. E. office95@cogeco.ca 613-256-4747

WEDNESDAYS

Where Is My Mind Trivia Night 8:00pm - 10:00pm Bowie's 20 Russell St. E. bowiessmithsfalls.com

THURSDAYS

Open Stage 8:00pm Bowie's 20 Russell St. E. Bowiessmithsfalls.com

DECEMBER 5 - 8

Robin Hood & the Babes in the Wood Dec 5 - 6 at 7:30pm Dec 7 - 8 at 2:00pm.

Station Theatre 53 Victoria Ave. 613-283-0300 Smithsfallstheatre.com

DECEMBER 6

Pat Johnson & Eric Widzinski 8:00pm - 11:00pm Bowie's 20 Russell St. E. Bowiessmithsfalls.com Poetic Justice Band 10:00pm Lee Tavern 72 Daniel St.

DECEMBER 7

Breakfast with Santa 9:00am Civitan Club 613-283-7478 admin@township.montague.on.ca

DECEMBER 7, 14 & 21

BOTR: MonkeyJunk 7:00pm - 11:00pm The Cove Country Inn 2 Bedford St. Coveinn.com 1-888-COVEINN

DECEMBER 8

80s Enuff feat. Pat Murphy 7:00pm - 11:00pm The Cove Country Inn 2 Bedford St. Coveinn.com 1-888-COVEINN

Holiday Photos with Santa Dec. 7 at 2:00pm - 4:00pm Dec. 14 at 6:30pm - 9:00pm Dec. 21 at 11:30am - 2:30pm Settlers Ridge Centre 275 Brockville St./Hwy 29 S Caft & Bake Sale 10:00am - 2:00pm Chartwell Willowdale 9 Armstrong Drive 613-283-0691 paechlin@chartwell.com

DECEMBER 12

Redhawks Wing's Kitchen Community Dinner 4:30pm - 6:00pm SFDCI Cafetorium 299 Percy St.

DECEMBER 13

Lynn Miles 8:00pm Station Theatre 53 Victoria Ave. 613-283-0300 Smithsfallstheatre.com Mountain Head & Ken Workman 8:00pm - 11:00pm Bowie's 20 Russell St. E. Bowiessmithsfalls.com

DECEMBER 14

Ladies Lane Christmas Market 9:00am - 2:00pm 7 Russell St. E. bffboutique@outlook.com Parade Day Festival 2:00pm - 5:00pm Kinsmen Park @ Library Christmas at the Ridge 4:00pm - 11:00pm Settlers Ridge Centre 275 Brockville St. Christmas Market 5:00pm - 9:00pm Settlers Ridge Centre 275 Brockville St./Hwy 29 S Smithsfalls.ca ABBA Tribute 8:00pm Gallipeau Centre 361 Queen St. 613-284-9916 Gallipeaucentre.com

DECEMBER 14 & 15

Holiday Artisan Market 11:00am - 3:00pm Modern Thymes Health & Bulk Foods 11 Russel St. East

DECEMBER 15

Pancake Breakfast with Santa 9:00am - 11:00am Smiths Falls Legion 7 Main St. E. Craft Sale & Baked Goods 10:00am - 2:00pm Smiths Falls Lions 19 Abbott St. S

DECEMBER 18

Scott Woods' Old Time Country Christmas 7:00pm Westminster Presbyterian Church 11 Church St. 613-283-6987

DECEMBER 20

My Father's Son & Grumpy Old Men 8:00pm - 11:00pm Bowie's 20 Russell St. E. Bowiessmithsfalls.com

DECEMBER 22

Songwriter Series: Ambre Mclean & Zachary Lucky 8:00pm - 11:00pm Bowie's 20 Russell St. E. Bowiessmithsfalls.com

WESTPORT & RIDEAU LAKES

WESTPORT SUNDAYS

Open Mic w/Shawn McCullough 1:00pm - 4:00pm The Cove Country Inn 2 Bedford St. Coveinn.com 1-888-COVEINN

DECEMBER 13

Claudio Valentini: Sounds of the Holidays 11:30am - 3:00pm The Cove Country Inn 2 Bedford St. Coveinn.com 1-888-COVEINN

DECEMBER 14

DECEMBER 20

doubleBack feat. Shawn McCullough 7:00pm - 11:00pm The Cove Country Inn 2 Bedford St. Coveinn.com 1-888-COVEINN

DECEMBER 21

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DECEMBER 28

End-of-a-Decade Jazz w/Spencer Evans Trio 8:00pm - 10:00pm The Cove Country Inn 2 Bedford St. Coveinn.com 1-888-COVEINN

DECEMBER 31

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DECEMBER 8

Children’s Christmas Gift Shop 10:00am - 4:00pm Foy Hall 91 Princess St.

DECEMBER 15

Old Time Christmas Concert 2:30pm Foy Hall 91 Princess St.

DECEMBER 17

Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch & Crafts 6:00pm - 8:00pm Lanark Library 75 George St. 613-259-3068

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13

December 2019

Senior Series Health Matters

Dr. Robert Rodine

Shovel right to avoid back pain this season As Christmas nears, there is a lot of excitement in the air.

While images of winter sports, Christmas and beautiful snow keep us warm with cooler weather, many of us are working frantically to change seasons around the house. The interior décor changes, the lawn mowers get put away with the rakes and trimmers…and the snow shovel comes out.

As beautiful as snow is while it falls, it can be a (literal) pain in the back to move and lift, especially when in a hurry. Through my years in practice, I have consistently found those first few snowfalls to be the worst on my patients. The typical scenario is being in a rush to clear a lot of heavy snow, first thing in the morning. This urgency combined with the repetitive bending, lifting and twisting that is associated with shoveling are sure fire risk factors for an acute low back episode.

As a way of advocating for healthier spine mechanics and safe lifting practices, the Ontario Chiropractic Association promotes the ‘’Lift Light to Shovel Right’’ campaign every winter, and is something you will often hear chiropractors touting in the hallways and treatment

rooms of their practices, or from the end of their driveways as they wave at their neighbors - (guilty).

Like any activity, preparation is key.

Wearing the right clothing to stay dry and utilizing layers in order to keep warm, while at the same time avoid overheating. Remember to wear the right footwear too, as you need to ensure a firm grip while navigating the winter wonderland that used to be your driveway.

While a lifting injury can be quite painful, a slip and fall can be devastating.

Next up is picking the right shovel! Your shovel should be lightweight, ideally with a curved handle. This type of handle design is more ergonomically friendly, making it easier to lift the snow, reducing fatigue and muscle strain. People often want to pick a shovel with a wide blade in order to move more snow faster, but the correct option is a smaller blade. Snow can be quite heavy, so you don’t want to overload your shovel and wear yourself out to quickly. (Life Hack – spray a little silicone based lubricant on the shovel to keep the snow from sticking. This keeps the shovel lighter by avoid-

ing packed-on buildup.)

Hydrate. Stretch and move a little before you start, to get warmed up.

Hydrate some more.

These are all very well accepted practices for other winter sports, but quickly ignored when clearing the drive or walkways. Often times these simple adjustments can be a game changer for the spine.

The last elements of saving your spine when shoveling snow are to push the snow as often as you can, bend your knees to use your legs when you have to lift and take breaks. Trying to rush through as quickly as possible rarely works for any job, and taking your time will make it more likely for you to make a snow fort with the kids when you get home from work.

Despite the winter feeling so long, the snow does tend to go away quicker than we would like. This winter, spend your time outside doing the things you love, not on the couch nursing a sore back.

Dr. Robert Rodine is a chiropractor with Optimum Health: Chiropractic, Massage & Fitness in Smiths Falls and Cordick Chiropractic & Optimum Health Clinic in Perth.

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14

December 2019

Food & Drink

Beer, Wine & Spirits

Brian Preston

Great match: Bordeaux with stuffed Christmas turkey In September, we toured the wineries and distilleries of Bordeaux.

In last month's edition I talked about the luscious sweet wines of Sauternes in the Sauternais region of Bordeaux located south of Bordeaux near the town of Langon on the Garonne river.

Our excursion took us about an hour east of Bordeaux on the Right Bank near the town of St Emilion in the region of Libournais near the Dordogne river passing through the flat roads and rolling hills and vineyards of St Emilion and Pomerol. Chateau de Pessac vines were first planted in 1737 and the Chateau has been a strategic location atop a limestone hill since the twelfth century. The Chateau was founded in Mediaeval times and in 1453 was the site of the French victory at the Battle of Castillon La Bataille, putting an end to the Hundred Years War. In fact 'Pressac' is the old French word for Malbec! Today, since 1997, Jean-Francois Quenin and family have owned and operated the Chateau making vast improvements resulting in many awards and the granting of Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe status since 2012.

Their grape varieties include Merlot which is perfectly adapted to the clayey limestone soil giving roundness, volume, boldness, plumpness and plenty of fruit to the wine, with aro-

mas of undergrowth and a hint of meatiness, and truffle tones. This grape variety tends to be early ripening and is often picked before its fellow grapes. Cabernet Franc is also an early ripening variety, giving finesse and freshness, while at the same time enhancing the aromatic bouquet of this Bordeaux wine blend. It has long ageing potential and when well made, as it is here at the Chateau, it offers elegant tannins that are never aggressive. The third classic varietal in Bordeaux blend is Cabernet Sauvignon which gives structure, body, power and tannins to the wine, as well as providing spicy aromas. Other varietals are allowed in Bordeaux and the Chateau also produces Carménère, a thick skinned grape variety which is the ancestor of Merlot and today is mainly found in Chile. Carménère is sensitive and prone to some growing problems explaining why it has almost disappeared from French vineyards. Nevertheless, its spicy aromatic expression adds a dimension of complexity of Bordeaux wines.

Malbec offers deep colour to the wine and provides lovely fruit on the bouquet and palate.

In Saint Emilion, Malbec over time reveals fragrances of tobacco too.

The Chateau harvests by hand and with modern vinification where

each field has its own huge gravity-fed cement fermentation vat, you can see why the price of Bordeaux can be expensive when you are making the best and being rewarded not only with high quality wine but with awards like Chateau de Pressac has garnered! The price differential between two class of wines we tried was not much and I think that at 28 and 30 Euros you are getting very good value.

We entered the grand hall and were seated looking out the many tall windows overlooking the vineyards below as we tasted the 2013 Chateau Tour de Pressac, Saint Emilion Cru Classe, their 2nd growth wine consisting of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Malbec.

It was a medium ruby colour with aromas of light red berry fruit.

On the palate, medium bodied, well structured and balanced tannins with an easy-to-drink, cherry-filled character best consumed at a relatively young age. It was drinking nicely with a touch of tannin and spice which matched the light sideboard charcuterie and cheeses served. Then we had their 2007 Chateau de Pressac, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe, their 1st growth wine consisting of the same varietals in this percentage blend: Merlot 72%; Cabernet Franc 14%; Cabernet

Sauvignon 12%; Carmenere 1% and Malbec 1%.

This one was impressive with a bit deeper colour extraction and simply more aromas and tastes than their lovely 2nd growth wine. It was the ramped up, top quality version.

For those of us who like Bordeaux wines here in Ontario, you can splurge on a top producer Bordeaux or you can opt for more reasonably priced good Bordeaux.

Recently, LCBO Vintages have featured some nice ones which I buy from year to year and they range in the $16 to $20 range.

From Saint Emilion, try Château Lanbersac Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2015, a blend of Merlot/ Cabernet Franc, Vintages#12019 at $19.95 described as: Powerful ripe fruits and rich tannins come together in this jammy Merlot with a dark texture. Packed with spice, berry flavors

and toasty wood aging accents, the wine is still young. It needs time for the impressive fruit to come through, so drink from 2022. Cellar Selection. Score - 92. (Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, Dec. 31, 2018). Or try Château Hyot 2015 Vintages#63537 at $16.95 available in Carleton Place. A round and juicy red with berry and chocolate character, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Medium to full body. Needs a year or two to soften.

Try in 2020. Score - 90.

(James Suckling, jamessuckling.com, Feb. 2, 2018). Also available in Carleton Place is Château Le Peyrat 2017, Vintages#171090 at $16.95. Castillon is fundamentally an extension of the geography of Saint-Émilion. This affords the wines some characteristics of their more renowned neighbour. This one from 2017 is rich and com-

E V E N T S

&

plex with great depth and presence. Smoky black fruit, cassis, herbs, earth and chalky tannins make for a thoroughly satisfying wine. A great value, and a sure-fire hit when served with lamb or beef casserole.

(Vintages panel, April 2019). And the best value now is Chateau Saint-Germain Bordeaux Superieur AOC, Vintages#152587 at $2 off until 1 December for $14.95, available in Westport and Kingston.

Clear medium ruby colour; black cherry and currant with light oak spice aromas; medium body, dry wine, cherry fruit and oak spice flavours to finish.

If you have any topics you want me to cover in future columns, be it wine, spirits or beer, drop me an email at brianpreston@hotmail. com. Cheers and Merry Christmas from The Travelling Sommelier!

C A T E R I N G

#LiveSimpleEatWell

15

December 2019

food & drink

Let's Eat Almonte's newest Italian dining spot, Joe's Italian Kitchen has been packing them in since opening this past summer. It’s located at the bottom of Mill Street in the lower level of the beautifully restored Heritage Mill building at number 7; when you learn the story behind Joe's, you won't be surprised.

Joe's is the latest offering of famed Joe Princiotta (partnering with another Joe, Joe Price) whose family has been building homes for Ottawa and area residents and caring for their seniors for decades. Throughout every project they've imagined, planned, and created, the Princiottas never lost sight of, or their pride in, their Italian heritage.

This philosophy flavours every dish and culinary masterpiece you'll find on the menu at Joe's Italian Kitchen. But there’s more to their offerings than just traditional Italian cuisine. The two Joes have brought Pinsa Romana pizzas to the game which will change your pie world forever. Pinsa

Brian Turner Joe's Italian Kitchen in Almonte forget everything you know about pizza

pizza dough is made from a blend of non-GMO wheat, rice flour and soy flour. Joe's was the first restaurant in Canada to receive a Pinsaria certification. This dough is lower on sugar, carbs, fat, and calories than traditional pizza dough, is much easier to digest, and is fully vegan. What it's not short on is flavour and texture.

My wife and son accompanied me on a recent visit and tried both types of pizza as well as the evening's pasta special (a well prepared alfredo-style dish with a superb Caesar salad). All pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired oven. My son's traditional dough pie was a personal 10� flat crust style while my Pinsa Romana came in a rectangular slightly raised cloud of loveliness. It was topped with house-made meatballs, pepperoni, banana peppers, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Served on a charcuterie board, it was easy to cut while still being firm and crusty and the toppings were just on the neat side of a slippery melted mass

Photo credit: Brian Turner.

of flavour. It was a generous portion for one diner, but as promised it didn't leave you feeling heavy or bloated. This is how pizza should be and will become your go-to favourite after just one bite. There are over a dozen choices of pie on the menu with everything from sausage and pepperoni to salmon and potato with several different cheeses and a number of pure vegetar-

ian/vegan options. Many of the ingredients used in the kitchen are imported directly from Rome.

Our bill (with 2 glasses of house wine) came to a reasonable $86 for the three of us (before tip) and even though the place was packed our service was nothing less than outstanding.

For first-timers, you'll find the entrance to Joe's by walking to the extreme

end of the building (at the bottom of Mill St.) and then going down the small condo-resident only parking lot to the waterfront. Many of the tables have great views of the falls and the riverside patio is open during warmer seasons.

They're open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm and till 10:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and Joe's

is wheel-chair accessible.

On-street and municipal parking is available nearby. They also offer catering. You can reach them at 613 256 4033 and can check out their full menu as well as special events at joesitaliankitchen.ca.

Joe's Italian Kitchen combines the traditions of Italy and the best of newer styles to deliver food you'll be wanting more of.

16

December 2019

food & drink

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Meal planning is a family affair Regional - Stacey roy editorial@pdgmedia.ca Planning a week’s worth of meals is not only a great family activity, but also a great way to save money, time and reduce household waste.

That is what attendees of the Nov. 14 Journey to Sustainability talk on meal planning learned at Trinity United Church in Smiths Falls.

Heather Mitchell-Adams, a mother of three, set out the step-by-step guide to meal planning.

The first step is to shop in your fridge, freezer and cupboards (in that order) to see what can be re-imagined into a new meal or put together to make something delicious. Next she goes to her calendar and looks at what nights need to be quick meals and where does she have more time.

Only then will she pull out the flyers for meal ideas.

“That’s when you’re going to plug in the holes,” Mitchell-Adams said during a pre-event interview.

Having a menu on the

fridge has helped her family many times when things have changed on the fly, and it can help on a larger scale as well.

Norma Wrightly, one of the group leaders of the Trinity on Tuesday program that offers a community meal after service said her group plans meals a month in advance. She has found the menu has helped them adapt to allergies or anything that comes up.

“We can change our menu in a heartbeat even on the fly,” Wrightly told the Nov. 14 crowd.

The event makes meals for $1 a person on average from community donations and is seeing an increase in families coming out each week.

The final speaker was Rebekah Nitschmann, a registered dietician with Rideau Community Health Services. She urged attendees to follow the new Canada Food Guide of half a plate of fruit and vegetables, a quarter protein and a quarter whole grains.

“It’s much more doable for the everyday person,”

Nitschmann said.

To save money she suggests buying in season (root vegetables keep better in winter), buying small amounts a few times a week, and rediscovering frozen vegetables and fruits, which can be healthier than what is in the produce section because they are picked and then immediately frozen. To help make meal planning more doable, Nitschmann encourages her clients to batch cook on the weekends the meals they will need throughout the week and get creative with leftovers in the fridge.

“Planning what to do with your leftovers is just as important as planning your meals in the first place,” Nitschmann said.

Upcoming event The next event in the Journey to Sustainability series will be held Thursday, Jan. 16, 7-8 p.m. at Trinity United Church and will focus on how to conduct a waste audit in your home. All events are free and all are welcome.

From left to right: Heather Mitchell-Adams, Norma Wrightly and Rebekah Nitschmann were the three speakers at the Journey to Sustainability meal planning talk held Nov. 14 at Trinity United Church. The next speaker night will be Jan. 16, 7 p.m. at Trinity about waste audits. Photo credit: Stacey Roy.

17

December 2019

culture Perth Inside Out: Climate change activism comes to Perth

Terry O'Hearn

Students and adults from Perth were not short on words at the climate strike in Ottawa Sept. 27. Photo courtesy of Ramsey Hart.

Although Perth could never be thought of as a hotbed of activism, the recent Global Climate Strike saw an enthusiastic group travel to Ottawa by bus and by car on Friday, Sept.

27. The climate change combustion chamber was ignited by 15-year-old Swedish sparkplug Greta Thunberg in the summer of 2018, and the movement soon spread worldwide.

Cheryl Nash, a co-founder of the notfor-profit organization ecoPerth, was one of the organizers of the local contingent, along with her colleague Bob Argue.

“EcoPerth arranged a bus for primarily high school students.” she said, “We worked alongside Nolan Attridge and Ursula Brown of Perth & District Collegiate Institute to confirm seats.” Nash explained that for many, the event turned into a family affair, with students and parents all travelling together. “Out of the 50 odd seats available on the bus, likely 30 or 35 were filled by youth. Others were taken by adult community members.” Nash went on to say that there was a lot of interest both at the school and in the community, and they could easily have filled another bus.

Major news media sources put the number of protests taking place

as 4,500 locations in 150 countries. The Guardian, a prominent British daily newspaper, reported that roughly 6 million people participated in the events.

Ramsey Hart, Executive Director of The Table Community Food Centre, also travelled to the Ottawa event on the bus. He mentioned that there were many Perth people in Ottawa besides those on the bus, so the Perth and area numbers may have been in the hundreds.

Hart added that “Graham Beck, who owns Little Stream Bakery, organized some car-pooling, and the folks at Blueberry Creek Nature Centre also organized car-pooling.

Graham issued a press release as to why he was shutting down the bakery for the day. He joined a number of larger businesses in doing so like Mountain Equipment Coop and Bridgehead.

“Though the issue and messages on the protest signs were serious and sometimes dire,” mused Hart, “the march had a celebratory feeling - I think this happens because it feels good to share one’s reality of living with the concern about climate change, and voicing those concerns as a large group.

Regardless of the impact on policy change or the election (Canadian federal election 2019) results, this collective action had meaning to those of us who participated.”

Hart recalled a memorable moment, after winding through the downtown core, coming onto Wellington Street, just as the “large and very energetic contingent from Gatineau was coming up the hill from the bridge.

We walked on, spirits lifted, like we were surfing on their wave right up to the gates at Parliament Hill.”

In speaking with some of the youth, Hart found that this was their first big rally of a serious nature.

“It was a positive experience for them and I hope it leads to them to staying engaged in expressing their concerns and their hopes for us to address the climate crisis or other issues that they become concerned about in the future.”

Hart has noticed recently how more people from many walks of life are becoming engaged in climate activism. As an example, the presentation in Perth by the global environmental movement “Extinction Rebellion” drew a large audience.

“This is encouraging,” he said. “I'm confident this momentum will continue regardless of the outcome of the federal election.”

An Ottawa Citizen story by Jacquie Miller confirmed that “the crowd was dominated by young people, who were quick to point out they were the ones who would inherit the environmental disaster created by grown-ups.”

She went on to report that: “Marchers filled the lawn on Parliament Hill and adjoining Wellington Street. They carried clever, heartfelt homemade signs: There is no Planet B. We are Skipping our Lessons so we Can Teach You One. Stop Burning Fuels or we will all be Fossils …”

The teenager Thunberg who fast-booted the global phenomenon was diagnosed with Asperger’s four years ago, and she has said that being afflicted with the disease has caused her

to become more motivated, rather than hiding in the closet. Thunberg had originally become depressed about the fact that adults did not appear to be taking climate change seriously, when she became aware of that fact at the age of 8. Jonathan Watts asked the pertinent

question in a wired.com article: “A Teen Started a Global Climate Protest.

What Are You Doing?”

What started out as a youngster on a lonely watch in front of the Swedish Parliament has grown to the world-wide movement we are now seeing.

Thunberg is now feted

by the masses, as well as heads of state everywhere.

The slight, pigtailed teenager from Sweden has no plans to fade away. Here’s hoping that Thunberg and her generation still have time to save our planet.

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

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December 2019

business Smiths Falls businesses coping with Beckwith construction Smiths Falls - Chris Must editorial@pdgmedia.ca “Signs, signs, everywhere signs…”

The Smiths Falls Downtown Business Association (DBA) sparked some unintended controversy last weekend as it posted some new signage designed to let the public know that Beckwith Street businesses remain open while the first phase of street reconstruction is under way.

The signs, with humorous messages such as “I Dig Beckwith” and “Drills Just Want to Have Fun” are posted on the fences sealing off the excavation in the east lane of Smiths Falls’ main thoroughfare. They also include a line stating that “Sidewalks and all Beckwith Street businesses are open.”

The three businesses most directly affected by the construction, which will see the replacement of century-old subsurface water mains and the installation of new sanitary and storm sewers, are Ger-Bo’s Steakhouse, BMO, and Pizza Pizza, all located on the side of the street which has been excavated.

On Friday, Nov. 15 the

DBA posted a sign on the fence in front of Ger-Bo’s reading “Celery is 95 per cent water and 100 percent not pizza!” with the accompanying message that sidewalks and businesses are open. The sign provoked considerable discussion on local social media pages speculating about the motivation of the message, and whether it was promoting or discouraging the consumption of pizza.

The sign was removed on Monday, Nov. 18. “Some people didn’t get the joke, and Ger-Bo’s approached us last week,” said Gaelle Giraudeau, who has been coordinator of the DBA since August.

Giraudeau said similar signage is popular at construction sites throughout Ontario and is aimed at “trying to lighten the day of people.”

Ann Mavraganis, proprietor of Ger-Bo’s along with her husband John, said customers kept asking what the sign meant. “No one understood it,” she said.

Her son Perry, manager of the restaurant, contacted the DBA and asked for the sign to be removed.

The DBA coordinator said regular meetings with

the construction contractors are held so that the association can provide its members with progress updates. In addition to impacting the right hand lane of the first block of Beckwith Street, the construction work also required the closure of part of Main Street East from Nov. 5 to 19 so that new sewer lines could be installed through the intersection.

The contractors “are trying to work as fast as they can,” said Gireaudeau, and will refill the excavation, install a temporary surface and remove construction fencing for the winter. How soon this takes place will depend on the weather, she added.

Giraudeau said she tries to maintain close contact with DBA members, and is aware that some members are concerned about street closures impacting the flow of customers. The DBA attempts to address all concerns that are brought to the office.

“The DBA has nothing to do with the design of the street,” Giraudeau added.

“We are just here to make sure the businesses are supported.”

John and Anna Mavra-

The Smiths Falls Downtown Business Association has posted signage on fencing surrounding the first phase of Beckwith Street reconstruction to advise the public that all sidewalks and businesses remain open. Photo credit: Chris Must.

ganis said the loss of parking spaces in front of GerBo’s has hurt business, but that the long-established restaurant has many loyal customers who continue to be supportive. Mrs. Mavraganis said she had been thinking of asking the town for a break on water and tax bills to compensate for the loss of business revenue.

The owners of Ger-Bo’s also said they were disappointed that the town has chosen to replace angle parking with

parallel, which they said is contrary to the preference of the majority of businesses and members of the public they have spoken to. “(The Beckwith Street redevelopment) has to be done,” Mrs. Mavraganis said. “We understand the pipes have to be fixed.” She added that the construction crew has been working very hard, and that the workers are very polite and responsive to questions about the progress of the work.

Staff members at both the Smiths Falls BMO branch and Pizza Pizza informed the Hometown News that no complaints from customers about access have been received.

BMO has a rear parking lot accessible from Chambers Street, and Pizza Pizza also has parking available nearby on Main Street, so the impact of the temporary loss of parking spaces on Beckwith is minimal.

On the road again…Windsor, Sarnia, Moncton, Kirkland Lake, Val D’Or…

When not trucking, Karen-Amy Linton is finishing an online accounting course at Athabasca University. Photo submitted.

Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca “It’s cool.” With a grin as wide as a tractor-trailer is long, Karen-Amy Linton sits and talks about truck driving.

Linton, 22, has been driving a big 18-wheeler since she graduated from Crossroads Truck Training Academy mid-September, one of three women in the five person class “It runs in my family. My dad’s aunt was a truck driver, there are a couple of uncles and several cousins….” Linton was driving a small truck in her last job, wanted to be a full-time truck driver so set out to get her AZ licence.

“We spent two weeks in class and four weeks in a truck.” In

the yard they practiced backing-up, coupling and un-coupling, how to do inspections “and then we got to drive around town.

“It’s really cool,” she grins again.

For the test “we do a written part, then a driving part.

There’s a lot of information you have to know when driving a truck — weights, all the rules to comply with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). It’s definitely interesting,” she says. “They teach all the rules in class, then we go to the MTO for the driving test…like the G1…then drive around and get our licence — if we pass.” She can’t stop grinning.

“They teach us on stick shift, so we can drive stick

shift or manual. It’s really cool.”

And how about double clutching? Sure thing, she says with an explanation — especially if shifting down.

“The RPMs are really low when double clutching so you have to bring them up so you can shift back into gear.”

And she adds a tip for exam-takers: every time you don’t shift properly, you get a ‘mark’. You don’t pass the test if you don’t know how to double clutch, unless you use an automatic. “But then it’s on your transcript that you used an automatic for the test.” She shakes her head — that’s a no-no.

Linton accepted the first call-back a week after she finished her training (“there’s

a shortage of drivers right now”)…and trucking companies were obviously looking because she received five or six other calls after accepting the first offer.

According to Trucking HR Canada “…women make up just three percent of freight truck drivers across the country.” And by 2024 the industry will be short 34,000 drivers, a 2016 study by the Trucking Alliance of Canada says.

Hauling started immediately. She doesn’t do “long hauls” but she does do “overnights.” Attached to the tractor part of the truck is a “sleeper” for the overnight hauls. “You don’t have to find a hotel,” she adds. A little scary on your own at night?

Not really, she says, explaining there’s curtain-like fabric to cover the sleeper windows and a driver only enters the sleeper clambering between the front seats of the cab.

There are also curtains over the front, and door windows, and both doors are locked.

“It’s like going into a hotel room and locking the door,” she says with assurance.

“It’s kind of cool,” she adds again.

And she gets to participate in an Ontario pilot project on series-400 highways. Drivers on three highways — 402 from London to Sarnia, the QEW from St. Catharines to Hamilton, and the 417 from Ottawa to the Quebec border

— can drive 110 km/hr up from 100.

“The truck has a governor of 105. I can’t go any faster.

The engine won’t power the truck any higher so I can’t go any faster than 105. It’s kind of cool to have people passing me ‘legally’ (she emphasizes) going the limit.”

On longer routes she hauls a full load. When she gets to the drop-off point “I have to unload it.” This is where the electric jigger forklift comes in. She manoeuvres goods off the truck and takes them into the store…alone.

Still very new at her job, Linton says she’s, so far, only found one clear instance that trucking is a ‘man’s’ job — finding a safety vest. There are few small sizes.

The trucking-life is pretty cool — she can adjust the driver’s seat to suit her 5’6” height, on the road she listens to her choice of travelling music, she can call her grandmother if she wants, she makes “pretty good money,” and she likes where she is at the moment.

This is what she’s learned in the short time she’s been driving: people don’t understand how to drive around big trucks.

“They don’t realize just how much space a truck actually needs. I’ve had people pull into a space that I need to stop at a stoplight!

“I’ve had vehicles cut me off — it adds to the excite-

ment (she grins) — but at the same time I don’t want to get in an accident — so I have to compensate for what they don’t know.

“It’s definitely different!”

Another grin.

“I’ve heard that companies like to hire women because they’re more careful, less hard on equipment.

“I’m constantly learning; laws are constantly changing.

I’m constantly watching road signs, too, i.e. a curve in the road that says 60 km. I have to pay attention to that or the truck could tip over!

“It’s definitely exciting!”

Being a 22-year-old she has other things to say. “I get to go places. I’m paid to go places!

“It’s interesting, exciting and a bit of a challenge. I’m constantly thinking about what could go wrong — a car could wipe out in front of me — and then there’s my driving as well.

“I have to make sure that when I stop places I check over the truck and make sure it’s still working, that all of my lights are working, that everything’s still in good condition.

“Every day’s different on the road.

“It’s so cool.”

And finally: “It’s almost a mystery; people don’t talk about truck driving. I see it as a mystery, romantic almost…”

How cool is that…?

ations

19

December 2019

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