Lanark, North Leeds & Grenville - Hometown News November 2022

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Vol. 9

No. 11

YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER - LANARK, NORTH LEEDS & GRENVILLE

NOVEMBER 2022

The 16th annual Build a Mountain of Food campaign begins

Regional - Shannon Mclellan editorial@pdgmedia.ca

The 16th annual RCL Automotive Build a Mountain of Food campaign’s Title Sponsor, RCL Automotive, has once again joined forces this holiday season with media partners Metroland Media, Lake 88 Radio, Your TV, and Hinton Auto Group to fill the shelves of local area food banks across 11 communities, starting with Almonte and Carleton Place on November 5th.

With the cost of food continuing to rise significantly, the annual Build a Mountain of Food campaign couldn’t have arrived at a more crucial time. On October 18 food bank representatives, sponsors and media partners were brought together at the Smiths Falls Civitan Club to kick off the campaign. The BAM campaign efforts aim to keep the shelves well stocked at area food banks beginning on Saturday November 5th, and concluding on Saturday

December 10th. As in past years, dedicated volunteers will be visiting different towns and villages over the six week food drive, including Almonte, Carleton Place, Perth, Lanark, Smiths Falls, Westport, Elgin, Portland, Merrickville, Athens, and Delta.

The RCL Automotive Build a Mountain of Food campaign serves as a primary food drive for many of the area food banks. The campaign’s mission is a clear and simple one, “to help fill the shelves of our local community food banks to serve the people that depend on them.”

Community food banks across Smiths Falls and Lanark County have seen a significant increase in the number of families coming through their doors in 2022.

Fundraisers such as BAM, are astronomical in allowing them to be able to support and keep up with the growing demand for accessible food for local families and individuals in need. Our local food banks help bring aid

to many faces of hunger such as seniors with dwindling incomes, single parents, homeless and unemployed people in our community who can't make ends meet and struggle with food insecurity.

With 15 years under its belt, the annual campaign results have continued to rise to a remarkable total of 1, 927, 458 lbs. of food and $1,420, 429.43 in cash, with 100% of all cash and food going straight to the shelves of local food banks across Smiths Falls and Lanark County.

When asked what his hopes are for the 2022 campaign year, organizer Chris Craig stated, “to fill the shelves of all of the area food banks with non-perishable food items, and collect enough money that they can continue to buy perishable foods throughout the year.” Craig also wanted to share his thanks to the generous sponsors of the campaign for their continued support throughout the years.

The full schedule for the 2022 season of community

Food bank representatives, sponsors, and media partners met with campaign organizer and title sponsor Chris Craig of RCL Automotive at the Smiths Falls Civitan Club to kick off the campaign.

Photo credit: Shannon McLellan.

food blitz dates has been revealed, with the RCL Automotive Build a Mountain of Food launching in Almonte and Carleton Place Satur-

day, November 5th which supports the Lanark County Food Bank, also known as The Hunger Stop. For more information and to

keep a watch on this year's donation totals visit: www. buildamountainoffood. com. See page 2 for regional donation locations.

Past permit issue leaves local woman homeless

“Is there not a better way to do this - with a little humanity perhaps?”

Julie Chagnon sits in her big, sun-warmed kitchen, thinking about her options. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca Julie Chagnon just put large new windows in the small brick building on William St W in Smiths Falls that she purchased in 2021. It stands immediately beside The Independent Assemblies of God church.

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Now she looks from the inside out into the light, and, when she’s there, revels in the brightness and warmth.

But she’s not there very often because the Town of Smiths Falls has taped an eviction notice on her front door. In other words, she can’t reside there until everything is ‘fixed’.

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And there’s a lot to ‘fix’, according to the Town.

She has been ordered to: “Immediately secure the portion(s) of unsafe building from any and all unauthorized entry, and clean and disinfect and repair the premises in a manner acceptable to the Town of Smiths Falls…

So that means a whole lot of stuff, including: obtaining permits, finding an architect and an engineer, contacting the health unit, making sure work designated by the Town to be done is completed to the satisfaction of the Town, making sure both electrical and mechanical services are in good nick, giving copies of work done to the Town…and anything else that may be required by the Chief Building Official.

There was a very short time frame to get things done; the eviction notice went up September 13 with compliance demanded by October 1.

“So I started on some work,” Julie says, “but learned I had to cease and desist from David Sutherland, Chief Building Official, until I obtained a building permit.

That’s when I discovered I couldn’t obtain a new permit because an earlier permit existed….a permit that was opened in 2014 and never inspected and never received an occupancy permit to live here or run a business…ever.

“Had I known I would never have bought the place.

It wasn’t posted on the door.”

So…she’s homeless. She can’t sleep in her own home, can’t live there over winter,

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will have to turn the water off and the heat down to minimum to keep her cat warm.

How long will this go on?

If her battle to win back her house is settled out of court, she could be back in by spring, she says; if, however, she has to litigate, it could take two or three years.

There are many who will say it’s for her own good… and this is so, if only she had known before she bought the building, put in the windows, landscaped the front lawn, buried her small dog there.

At the moment she’s living a block-and-a-half away with a young family. She keeps an eye on her home from afar, keeps the outside tidy. Many of the vegetables she picks from her front garden are contributed to

the Food Bank, the others she gives away. There’s been more than one night she’s spent in her van, and that’s okay in this weather. But winter’s coming…

She moved in knowing “there were certain things I had to do” but “didn’t realize the severity of this.”

When all is said and done it could cost as much as “$400,000 to get it finished.”

In saner moments, after a good night’s sleep, after a long walk, Julie admits the craziness of it all has “allowed me to appreciate things I have all the more,” but it also makes her “want it even more. I long to shower there, enjoy the windows, sleep there…

Her mantra? “One day at a time, one breath at a time, 10 minutes at a time…”

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2

November 2022

Page Two

Letter to the editor

re: am i the only one - trans activism Please pass on to Carrie Wynne a thank you from the Cooper family in Carleton Place and please let her know that, no, she is not alone with her concerns over trans activism in our schools.

We worry for our five grand daughters as they navigate through the public school system barraged by calls from influential mentors and social media to reconsider their gender and claim a new one to solve the problems of their young lives. The need to "affirm" non-traditional in-

clinations seems to be the go-to position of school authorities even though it flies in the face of authoritative research by Thomas D. Steensma and others.

This research notes that as many as 80% of so-called gender-confused children will, if left to their own devices, settle on the gender that matches their biological sex as they attain adulthood.

The question now becomes, "why the rush"? It's a question that needs to be asked as following up early

affirmation with irreversible hormone and surgical remedies will leave a young one up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Is this science that has any respect for the "precautionary principle"? Perhaps it's time for schools and medical opportunists to drop the fake concern and get back to the "three Rs" and "do no harm".

After all, parents know their children best and are best positioned to guide them through confusing times.

Russ Cooper Carleton Place ON

Build a Mountain of Food campaign regional donation locations

Cartoon by Patrick Labelle

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH

opinion: Am I the only one?

Carrie Wynne

Almonte: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Patrice’s YIG. In support of the Lanark County Food Bank (The Hunger Stop).

why politics matter

Carleton Place: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Mitchell’s YIG, and Giant Tiger.

In support of the Lanark County Food Bank (The Hunger Stop).

Note: FreshCo will be supporting Build a Mountain of Food this year on the following week, Saturday, November 12th

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH Perth: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Metro Perth, Barnabe’s Your Independent Grocer, Foodsmiths and Giant Tiger.

In support of the Perth Good Food Bank. (The Table)

Lanark: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Lanark Highlands Thrift Store.

In support of the Lanark Food Bank.

Smiths Falls: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Andress’ YIG, Food Basics, The Garden Market, and Giant Tiger.

In support of the Smiths Falls

PART OF THE DISCOVER COMMUNTIY NETWORK

Community Food Bank.

Food Bank.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH

Merrickville: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, at the Merrickville Food Market.

Elgin: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Gordanier Freshmart.

In support of the Elgin Food Bank.

Westport: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Kudrinko’s.

In support of the Westport Food Bank.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH

Hometownnews

Photo credit: Shannon McLellan

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10TH Athens: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Athens Fresh Market.

In support of the Athens Food Bank.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3RD Portland: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Portland LCBO and RBC. In support of the Portland

In support of the Merrickville Lions Club Christmas Food Hamper Campaign.

Delta: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Delta Country Market.

In support of the Delta Food Bank.

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Patricia Krotki pmkrotki@pdgmedia.ca

Kathy Botham

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Community engagement

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shannon@pdgmedia.ca johnnyfive@pdgmedia.ca

Kathy Botham Sally Smith Chris Must Janelle Labelle Brian Turner Shannon McLellan

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Politics matter because the stability of our country depends on it. Canada is changing and in an effort to remake ourselves, we want to make sure our political leaders are fighting for our rights and upholding the values we believe in. We all want a liveable world we can happily give to our children and grandchildren.

In Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided

by Politics and Religion, Haidt writes, we are divided politically because of our innate differences and that we all suffer from confirmation bias. He says that we make moral decisions intuitively then justify them with rational arguments.

For example, I can see

why I’m a right of center person politically. I come from a blue collar working middle class home. I was educated in the school of hard knocks. There was no coddling in my household and nurturing someone’s self-esteem was considered laughable. There were no freebies. If I wanted something I had to go out and earn it. My upbringing, the era I was raised in, and my education has led me to this place. The world has changed but I have not. I feel like one of the most valuable things I can strive to attain in this lifetime is a well-rounded, informed mindset that expands my ability to see other points of view. Lord knows I’m trying but probably not as hard as I should be. I need to remind myself that we all come from different backgrounds and hold certain beliefs.

When you spend as much time as I do online following politics you real-

ize how easily we are divided into hostile groups each one certain of its righteous beliefs. The 24-7 news cycle can drive anyone insane. It puts so many contentious issues on repeat. How do we even begin to unite our own country when we have a media ecosystem that profits from dividing and demoralizing society?

We should care about Canada as a whole. Whether we align more right or left we can still elevate the principles of democracy, cooperation, and respect for our fellow Canadians.

History is full of bad ideas, bad actors and bad policies and more will come but if we keep demonizing each other it will only lead to further destruction. 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.

3

November 2022

community Portland welcomes a new community partnership

Community Clothing Co-operative. Photo credit: Submitted.

Country Roads Community Health Centre. Photo credit: Submitted.

Regional - Brian Preston editorial@pdgmedia.ca The Township of Rideau Lakes and Country Roads Community Health Centre (CRCHC) are pleased to announce a new partnership with the Portland Food Bank and the Community Clothing Co-operative. Their doors opened and the Portland

Food Bank welcomed its clients for the first time at its new location on September 20, 2022, and the Co-op Clothing opened their doors on October 5, 2002 at the same location.

The organizations found a natural connection in their efforts to support the community, and the opportunity to include

the Food Bank and Clothing Co-operative within the Health Centre aligns with the vision and values of the CRCHC. “Partnerships allow us to break down barriers and create points of access for our community members, which helps us build individual and community capacity,” stated Kerri Chof-

fe, Executive Director of Country Roads Community Health Centre.

Louise Martin, Manager of the Portland Food bank said, “We at the Food Bank are very excited with this strengthened partnership since it gives us the opportunity to offer services all under the same roof. We currently have 20 families, (40 adults and 17 children), and currently we are busy getting ready for our major fundraiser, Build A Mountain of Food, which will be held in Portland on Saturday December

3, from 9am until noon.

Prices of food have skyrocketed, and families are having a difficult time making ends meet. Once again, we are hoping that the Portland community will come through.”

Locating these community services within CRCHC improves access and reduces barriers to food, clothing, and community resources. A natural link exists between community resources and the centre’s Social Prescribing Team whose mandate is to facilitate linking vulnerable res-

idents to community supports required for a healthy lifestyle.

The Portland Food Bank and the Community Clothing Co-operative are to remain as independent organizations: the Food Bank will continue to be an outreach project of Portland United Church and the Clothing Co-operative an outreach project of the Elgin-Portland Pastoral Charge. Martin said, “We are excited to engage in this partnership and to continue growing and providing essential services for the community”.

If you need help navigating uncertain times, call the Social Prescribing Team at CRCHC at 613272-3302 ext. 258, or if you are interested in volunteering for this new opportunity or other volunteer opportunities call Emily at 613-272-3302 ext. 256.

Contacts: Kerri Choffe, Executive Director, 613-272-3302 ext. 242 Portland Food Bank: Louise Martin 613-359-5397 Community Clothing Co-operative: Joan Kelly 613-272-3134

Perth’s new Mayor hit the ground running long before election day Perth - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca In Monday’s municipal election, Perth once again bucked the Ontario trend of low voter turnout with just over 46% of eligible voters having cast their ballots.

The provincial average was around 36%. In a race many would describe as close, councilor Judy Brown won out over incumbent mayor John Fenik and challenger Stephanie Drummond.

Brown took 983 votes while Fenik garnered 919 and Drummond had a first-time respectable 563. Brown will be joined by acclaimed deputy mayor Ed McPherson

when council resumes this month. McPherson publicly supported Brown’s run for the head of council. Incumbent councilors Barry Smith and David Bird will return along with former councilor Jim Boldt and former school trustee Isabel Anne McRae and Gary Waterfield.

Hometown News caught up with mayor-elect Brown to get her feelings on the campaign and the plans ahead.

We asked what resonated with residents about her campaign. From the many conversations she had she heard the call for change in leadership and an appreciation for her collaborative style. She has plenty of history to back

that claim up. She was first elected to municipal council in the former township of Bathurst in 1985. She served as the Reeve of Bathurst Burgess Sherbrooke from 1998 to 2000 and landed in Perth council in 2006, where she has been ever since.

She noted some of Perth council’s first challenges will be found in the affordable housing file, where she thinks her town can do more.

She’s been in contact with groups interested in building cooperative housing and thinks the municipality can help with the acquisition of land. She’s also prepared to start immediate work on the 2023 budget and tackle the

infrastructure deficit by prioritizing needs for responsible spending. She added the town was very fortunate to obtain Joanna Bowes as their planning officer, a professional with extensive experience in managing housing growth to ensure subdivisions represent what the community wants.

She wants to continue to expand on the work the town has done of helping to improve food security, fighting climate change and ensuring residents are prepared for severe climate events such as the precedent-setting wind storm of May of this year.

And she believes that an arterial road to divert heavy truck

traffic away from residential streets and the downtown core is worth putting back on the planning table.

When it comes to team building around the council table, Brown started off early by speaking at length with as many council candidates as possible during the campaign. She wanted to get some input on their views and visions for the town.

She’s also been in touch with most of the area’s municipal leaders since the election to start building cooperative relationships. Most successful political candidates would be taking a breather at this point, but Brown shows no sign of slowing down.

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Judy Brown. Photo credit: Judy Brown's Facebook page.

4

November 2022

community

Carleton Place’s newest Mayor aims for better communication Carleton Place - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca After the October 24 municipal election, Carleton Place’s town council looked decidedly different. Only two incumbent councilors, Jeff Atkinson and Linda Seccaspina got the voters’ nods for four more years and they will be joined by Sarah Cavanagh, Dena Comley, and Mark Hinton around the table. At the head of council, first-termer Toby Randell beat incumbent mayor Doug Black by almost 200 votes and will have another first-termer Andrew Tennant as deputy-mayor.

This was the first election done electronically and the results were flashed on the screen at the town-hall auditorium about 30 minutes after the polls closed.

41.2% of eligible voters cast their ballots this time, down from the 55.1% turnout in 2018, but following a province-wide trend that saw low numbers in most municipalities.

Hometown News caught up with Randell to get his views on the election results and what he is looking forward to in the upcoming term.

He’s a lifelong Carleton Place citizen and was first elected to council in 2018. He’s also a married father of five and co-owns Blade Sports at the arena.

He began by admitting that he takes ownership of the low voter turnout and feels everyone on council has to do more to engage the public in the future. He feels that consistent and responsive

communication was one of the top items on voters’ wish lists and that they liked his performance in this key area over the last four years. He also found that with Carleton Place’s record setting growth recently, residents were looking for fresh views on managing that surge.

On the topic of early challenges for the new council, Randell wants to see new councilors brought up to speed on agenda items already in the works, such as a revised official plan and a proposed recreation master plan. He said that the town was fortunate to have most of its infrastructure up to date thanks to the work of staff and previous councils. He noted that the new deputy may-

or and he will have to get into their roles as Lanark County councilors and he looks forward to working with his counterparts around that horseshoe table as well as staff.

He has few worries about a council composed mainly of people in new roles, as the town continues to enjoy a solid well-performing complement of staff from top to bottom as he puts it. He’s also looking forward to working with a council that counts five current business owners and one former owner in its ranks.

He can’t think of another term that could boast of this and believes it will serve the residents well in keeping the municipality on solid financial footing and meeting expec-

Mayor-elect Toby Randell. Photo credit: carletonplace.ca tations. He extended his hopes to increase interest thanks to all the candi- and interactions as coundates and those that came cil fulfills their mandate out to support them and going forward.

Working on things that need to happen From mayor to

Dawn Quinn. Photo credit: Submitted. them in on what ‘could Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca be’ for the town. The town is “amazing” she says and The Come-Back Kid’s people need to know. “We got a lot on her mind — need to tell everybody the Railroad Museum, what’s happening here.”

Confederation Bridge, For instance, she says Woods Museum, Christ- the Back on Beckwith mas for Lonely Seniors.

Street Party was a good Dawn Quinn, re-elect- start but the whole town ed to council after a four needs to be included, not year hiatus, is brimming just the stores and shops with promotion ideas to along the main street. put Smiths Falls on the And Confederation tourism map.

Bridge is on her mind.

During the Railroad “If it can be fixed, let’s do Museum Open House this it.” If it can’t, she adds, fall, she spoke to 400 peo- let’s think outside the box ple in the dining car over and do something with it a two-day period filling like “make it into a ‘wow’

feature” to entice people into the park. “It’s a good walking bridge,” she adds, maybe put a tin roof on it, make it a focal point for visitors to cross to see what’s on the other side.

She’s been thinking about Agnes Lamb, too.

“Agnes has been wrapped in a blue tarp for the last couple of years,” referring to the Agnes Lamb who was Alexander Wood’s “trusted companion and housekeeper” for twenty years.” This is the Wood of Frost and Wood Company, one of the largest manufacturers of farm

implements in Canada, and the largest employer in Smiths Falls in the late 1890s.

Quinn goes on: “Wood left Agnes his estate and $20,000; she bought the keyhole house.” The Keyhole House is now owned

by Ted and Marion Outerbridge of Clockwork Mysteries fame.

“The gravesite has been deteriorating” badly and “Masonpro has been rebuilding the memorial plaque,” Quinn explains, so Agnes is getting a fresh look (see Ted Outerbridge story in this edition of The Hometown News).

But the project she’s most excited about is Smiles for Lonely Seniors.

Last year, 276 bags were filled and handed out to seniors; this year there will be 300 filled and delivered. But before they’re handed around, the “plain brown paper bags” will be taken to three schools in Smiths Falls — Duncan J. Schoular Public School, Chimo Elementary School and St. Francis de Sales Catholic School — to be decorated.

“We’re getting the kids involved.”

So it’s like she never left. She’s jumping right in “working on things and getting things done that need to happen.”

timber-framing a man of many talents Perth - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca Expect to hear chain saws in the background if trying to get hold of John Fenik at the moment.

Taking advantage of this wonderful weather, he’s been out at Fox Tail on the Upper Rideau “three kilometres down the lake from Westport on the North shore.” To pinpoint it accurately, he adds “it’s a 25-minute hike in the winter.”

They’re building a “timber-frame pine cabin” for his six-year-old grandson. But, being Fenik, who’s known to do more than one thing at a time, he’s also written a book about “all the things I did wrong in building the cabin along the way.”

Were you disappointed in the results of the October 24 election?

“I was,” he says, “I knew it was going to be close.”

And it was, just 64 votes between him and Judy Brown.

But he adds (with what was probably a shrug)… “it’s been 23 years for me — 16 as mayor.

John Fenik. Photo credit: Submitted.

“I’ll miss it… but that’s what democracies are all about.

“And I was the longest serving mayor in Perth.”

He reminisced a bit about his first term, and it taking him a bit of time to mature, but when he won the second term “I was cooking with gas.”

He has lots to do. He’s a writer, a film-maker, an actor, and a writer.

The book is called Fox Tail: A Tale of a Timber Frame Retreat. He’s going to self-publish and the illustrations are being drawn by a graphic artist in Toronto.

Stepping back, taking a breath before moving on Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Wendy Alford. Photo credit: Wendy Alford’s Facebook page.

Wendy Alford says after she’s processed the last four years and thought through what happened she might write a book called Wendy Alford — My Turn.

She wasn’t shocked about the outcome of the October 24 vote, neither was she surprised nor sad.

For her, the four years she spent on council (despite the vitriol and misogyny

directed her way) were productive and exciting and “we moved ahead more in the past four years than in the previous 40.

“Individual councillors,” she says, “did everything they possibly could to help everyone in this town.” And, she adds, they did it through the pandemic and on zoom.

She has a lot to say about Beckwith Street parking. “When we made the decision to reconsider

the parking orientation, it lit a fire under people.” Even to the point, she says, that people she’d known all her life began to believe some of the stories spewn about her.

It was alarming to see the mob mentality, how people who had no relationship to the town or the issue gave opinions, how it was mostly done on social media “where people can be anonymous and never add a name,” she remembers.

“It was character assassination; not one person ever spoke to me face-to-face.”

She stops for a moment.

“Then it became boring…then just a headache.”

And she has a prediction: “Now it’s going to become about the pedestrian bridge. If people wanted to save it, it should have been done years ago.”

Because now it’s going to cost as it’s “rusted through and full of lead paint.”

She returns to her first point, to this new council; instead of competing with, they compliment each other, she says. “There are no worries they’ll keep us moving forward.”

She’s not sure what she’s going to do — take some time, do some thinking.

The calls, texts, emails and phone calls over the past days — some angry on her behalf — have been nonstop and heart-warming.

She’ll take those for now.

November 2022

5

Food & Drink

Beer, Wine and Spirits Let's Eat a newfoundland & labrador adventure

Brian Turner

Dining returns to Lanark Timber Run Golf Club

Brian Preston | The Travelling Sommelier | brianpreston@hotmail.com

Photo credit: Submitted.

This month I am going to venture off the local path and share with you our trip to ‘the Rock’ in early Fall where we had a great 12 day escorted bus tour all over Newfoundland and southern Labrador.

Along the way we had a variety of local brews, spirits and wines. Following is a list of Newfoundland products available at select LCBO outlets. For the rest, I am afraid you will have to go and enjoy them ‘in situ’ where they taste much better too for some reason! It’s like that beautiful bottle of French wine you had on the terrace in France. You spent a fortune using your skimpy Duty Free allotment and when you have it on your backyard patio, for some reason, it just doesn’t quite ‘fill the bill’. This must also be part of what they mean when they say ‘terroir’ is important to wine quality, just as ‘location and ambiance’ is important when tasting wine.

Newfoundland Screech 40%abv. $28.75 Amber colour; dense nose of spice, brown sugar, vanilla, white chocolate and caramel; rich, toffee flavour with a hint of brine and a spicy finish.

While my wife had never been to Newfoundland before, she and others on board ‘Bon Tours on Bonne Bay’ were ‘screeched in’ after reciting “ may your big jib draw”, meaning, ‘I wish you good luck’. (A ‘jib’ is the bow sail in a schooner), thus becoming Honourary Newfoundlanders (to help pay their taxes as Captain Reg told the audience). And to see Sandy kiss the cod and down the screech was worth the trip as far as I was concerned. A couple of elderly British ladies came up to me after as we were disembarking and told me how they laughed watching Sandy’s facial expressions as she downed the screech and kissed the cod!

The following two vodkas by Crystal Head are

made in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It was conceived and founded by actor Dan Aykroyd and artist John Alexander in September 2008. Together, they designed the iconic skull shaped bottle as a symbol of life, reflecting power and enlightenment. The vodkas are quadruple-distilled, filtered seven times and packaged in a Crystal Skull bottle. Aurora, crafted from English wheat, and Onyx, crafted from Blue Weber agave.

Aurora Crystal Head Vodka 40%abv. Created to celebrate the natural phenomenon the Aurora Crystal head uses English wheat and pure waters from Newfoundland to produce this smooth vodka that offers aromas of sweet grain, citrus, and vanilla. The palate is creamy and delicate with gentle flavours of grass and lavender followed by a medium length finish. A clean, clear and colourless spirit. On the nose – crisp with delicate floral aromas with a subtle hint of anise. Warm with strong peppercorn notes and a touch of sweetness. Dry, clean and warming sensation on the finish.

Aurora Crystal Head Onyx 40%abv. $69.95 An exceptional expression of Crystal Head made from blue agave grown in Mexico's Jalisco region, and pure Newfoundland water. It is double-distilled in pot stills, resulting in an ultra-smooth spirit that drinks like vodka, but with the complex herbal and earthy nuances of agave providing a unique vodka experience. Fresh green grass nuanced white pepper and hints of citrus on the nose. Soft and smooth with a touch of spice and sweetness which develop into the subtle, yet unmistakable earthy grip of agave. A medium finish of green grass, pepper and citrus.

Iceberg Vodka 40%abv. $29.75 Made with

water harvested from icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador creating a spirit that is crystal clear in the glass with delicate aromas of citrus; the palate is remarkably pure and smooth-tasting with a crisp finish. Create the ultimate Canadian cocktail by using this to mix up a Caesar. Gold winner – Craft Spirit Competition 2019 Gold winner – San Francisco's 2019 World Spirits Competition Markland Blueberry Wine 10%abv. $19.90 Blueberry- forward tasting fruit wine. Formerly Rodriques Winery, now called Markland Cottage Winery just north of St. John’s, this winery creates many fruit wines using two stills that they purchased from the French Protectorate islands of St Pierre et Miquelon which were used during Prohibition to distill spirits off the coast of Canada for shipping illegally into U.S. ports along the Eastern seaboard. I have had their wines for years and enjoy the difference of having fruit wines as an aperitif.

Newfoundland and Labrador are ocean windswept colder lands supporting the growth of low-bush berries but not for cultivating grapes for wines as we know them.

Next month I will provide more of a travelogue of our journey tasting a variety of alcoholic beverages but also enjoying several unique wild berry jams! Stay tuned!

Signal Hill Canadian Whisky 40%abv. $36.75 Aged in three different barrels then blended to perfection; this ultra-smooth whisky opens with a delicate nose of honey, vanilla, dried fruit and a touch of barrel spice. The palate is rich with a round and creamy mouth-feel followed by a lengthy, warm finish. This blended whisky is made from Canadian 95% corn and 5% barley, and blended with waters from Newfoundland. The whisky is aged in new white oak casks, first-fill bourbon casks and Canadian whisky casks and is non-chill filtered. The whisky is named after Signal Hill, right near where it is produced in Newfoundland - the site of the first reported transatlantic transmission by Guglielmo Marconi.

Well, that’s all for this installment, so I hope you enjoy some of these beverages.

Next month, I will focus on Newfoundland and Labrador beers with special mention of another rum and an outstanding cocktail!

Photo credit: Brian Turner.

After an absence that has had many locals and visitors alike starved for great food in a breathtaking setting, the Lanark Timber Run Golf course has reopened its legendary log clubhouse to regular dining. To be fair, the club house wasn’t closed, but continued to offer its rustic expansive yet warm and welcoming space to special events, weddings, corporate events (both small and large), family reunions, and of course golf tournament dinners since the regular restaurant offering stopped a few years back.

Now, a new owner group that took over operations earlier this year is swinging open the doors with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even Sunday brunch.

Timber Run Golf Club’s assistant manager Katie Paul says the atmosphere will be family oriented but adults will enjoy lots of evening musical entertainment with their food as well. Like any restaurant or diner, Timber Run Golf Club is limiting its operating hours of the restaurant at the beginning due to staffing challenges that all businesses are facing today. But they plan on extending those hours and days as quickly as they

can without risking their traditional Lanark County warm and friendly service. They’re starting with Thursday evenings from 5 pm to 9 pm, Friday breakfasts from 7 am to 10:30am, Saturdays from 6 am to 2 pm and Sundays for brunch from 10 am to 2:30 pm.

Well known area Chef Jayme Murphy has ensured their lunch and dinner menus have no shortage of favourites and flavor. From wings and salads and vegetarian quesadillas for starters to burgers and hand-helds including a black-bean burger, they’ve got your appetite covered. On mains they’ve got the traditional offerings such as fish and chips and chicken Parmesan as well as some surprises like traditional shepherd’s pie and pork schnitzel. Of course, there’s also a full dessert and children’s menu to round out the affair. Breakfast will be Lanark-sized and guaranteed to get your day off to the right start with Eggs Benedict, pancakes, and French toast as well as the traditional egg and meat standards.

The big stars in the Timber Run Golf Club’s universe have to be the clubhouse itself and surrounding countryside.

They’ve got a second level

loft you can only get to by climbing a staircase hewn out of a massive tree and a fireplace that’s been the backdrop in a number of movie productions. New ventures have found a place among the traditional settings at Timber Run Golf Club as they’ve partnered with a number of local craftspersons and artisans to offer vendor space to such talented entrepreneurs as Holistic Healing Rays and Lanark Village Treats.

Veteran manager Susan Kelford is always on the hunt for new and unique treasure crafts to tempt visitors. Live entertainment is on the schedule for Friday nights and a comedy special starring Dan Allaire will happen on Friday Nov. 18 ($15 at the door).

Lanark Timber Run Golf Club is fully accessible with plenty of parking. Reservations are recommended and you can reach them at 613 259 5313 or by email at info@timberrungolfclub.ca. If you’re a fan of family friendly dining in an atmosphere that can’t be matched, you can find the entrance to Timber Run Golf Club at Caldwell Street, just off Hwy 511 at the south entrance to the village of Lanark.

6

November 2022

culture From Clockworks to Keyholes Smiths Falls - Janelle Lanelle editorial@pdgmedia.ca October marked the year-end closing of the Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries show in Smiths Falls. Since they first began performing in Smiths Falls in 2019, husband and wife team Ted and Marion Outerbridge have been mystifying and amazing crowd after packed crowd in the Station Theatre. It isn’t every small town that can boast a world-famous illusionist show, available for enjoyment without taking a trip to the city, no parking fees or nose-bleed seats. The intimate setting of the Station Theatre makes for a wonderful experience, with the audience and performers interacting throughout the show.

During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries sold out every single show in the reduced-capacity theatre. After two years of performing to partial audiences for social distance purposes, the Outerbridges were thrilled to welcome a full complement of attendees.

This year their performance season ran for 30 shows, which began with modest numbers that soon swelled

to sold-out crowds.

Performing to full audiences again “has been an absolute joy,” said Marion. “Our heart is in performing, celebrating our magic, and we love to share it with the audience.

To entertain, to be able to do what we do … it was a liberation. There was so much joy, so much energy.”

“I was wondering if I could still do it, after not performing for a year, but it came back very quickly with the first show,” Ted said.

Typically, the Outerbridges explained, a venue buys their show approximately a year in advance and assumes the financial risk. However, during Covid-19, the performing world largely shut down.

Venues were unable to host live events, and due to the uncertainty and unpredictability of the pandemic’s risk, chose not to purchase shows. Undeterred, the Outerbdriges hosted their own show at Smiths Falls’ Station Theatre.

Clockwork Mysteries has had a huge economic impact on Smiths Falls.

According to a report from the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture, audiences coming into the town spent

an estimated $745,000 locally in 2022.

“We’ve attracted 6000 people to the theatre since we started in 2019,” Ted shared, “And 5000 of those people came from out of town.”

After the final show of the season, Clockwork Mysteries hosted an awards night at Keyhole House, the iconic Smiths Falls home that the Outerbridges are restoring.

They presented hand-crafted awards for each of the people who made their show possible this year.

“Our entire crew was just phenomenal,” Marion explained, “we couldn’t do this without them.”

At this time of year, the Outerbridges would typically be on tour. This year, however, due to the slow re-opening of venues, they are taking time to create an entirely new show.

“Normally we would just change ten minutes of the show at a time,” Ted said, but they have been inspired to take on the challenge of crafting something new.

Since moving into Keyhole House, the Outerbridges have been captivated by uncovering the history and secrets hidden within their century home.

Their new show, Myster-

Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries "The Master of Illusion" billboard. Photo credit: Ted Outerbridge.

ies from the Keyhole House, will play with the magic of history and mystery that is being unfolded in the Keyhole House. His interest in history is new, Ted said with a bit of surprise in his voice, “the Keyhole House just captivated me. We walked inside with the realtor and knew it was the one.”

Home is where the heart

is, and the Outerbridges knew their hearts belonged to the Keyhole House.

Crafting the show together, working together in their home, performing together - do they ever get tired of too much togetherness? Not a chance, Marion laughed. “Being on the stage together is the best part of being a husband and

wife team,” she said.

“Performing on stage with Marion,” Ted said, smiling, “is paradise. No matter what else is going on, the curtains open and we’re in heaven for 90 minutes.”

The curtain has closed on Clockwork Mysteries this year, but keep your eyes on the billboards - there is much more to come.

Another thrilling play from Theater Night in Merrickville Regional - Submitted editorial@pdgmedia.ca Theater Night in Merrick in Merrickville (TNIM) is preparing to thrill audiences with their fall production of the play Deathtrap, written by Ira Levin. Mystery enthusiasts won’t want to miss this clever piece that first appeared on Broadway in 1978. More than 40 years after its debut, the play still has enduring lure and power to make the audience gasp and laugh out loud at the author’s brilliant marriage of wit and terror.

The story unfolds in the

Westport, Connecticut, study of down-on-his-luck playwright, Sidney Bruhl (Al Billiald). The study walls are covered with a collection of fierce-looking weapons - mementos of past successful stage productions that made Sidney famous and rich. Now going through a lengthy dry spell, he's living off his wife Myra Bruhl’s (Heather Steele) money and has been reduced to teaching writing classes at the local college. When Sidney reads a manuscript sent to him by one of his students, he is amazed by it’s utter per-

fection — so much so, that he even jokes about killing the student and claiming the script as his own. Myra suggests that Sidney could offer his services as a (completely unnecessary) script “doctor” and collaborator in order to convince the author, Clifford Anderson (Michael Phillips), that they have actually co-written the play. If the plan works, Sidney would be in for a share of the glory, and more importantly, the money that would surely follow the play's publication.

Once the plan is hatched, the audience is

entertained with a series of suspenseful twists and murderous turns that also draws in Sidney’s Lawyer, Porter Milgrim (Keith Stanton) and Dutch psychic Helga Ten Dorp (Andrea Howard), who is staying at the cottage next door. The clever script delivers as much double-crossing amusement as one could expect from a theatrical murder mystery, and will keep everyone guessing right up to the final curtain.

Before writing Deathtrap, Ira Levin achieved international success with

three iconic horror novels: Rosemary’s Baby, The Stepford Wives, and The Boys from Brazil. These novels, along with Deathtrap, have all been adapted into successful screen films.

TNIM thanks Scott Fleming from the Rideau Home Hardware Building Centre in Smiths Falls for their generous sponsorship of Deathtrap. Performances will take place at the Merrickville Community Centre, 106 Read Street on November 24, 25, 26 at 7:30pm, and on November 27 at 2:00pm.

Tickets are $15 and can

Serving our Community since 1997

 On Site Digital X-ray  Registered Massage Therapy  Low Level Laser Therapy for Muscle, Tendon and Joint Healing During rehearsals, highly observant attorney Porter Milgrim (played by Keith Stanton) and Dutch psychic Helga Ten Dorp (played by Andrea Howard) discuss the mysterious manuscript at the center of the plot in Deathtrap by Ira Levin. The TNIM production opens on November 24th. Find more information and order tickets at http://www.merrickvilletheatre.org. Photo credit: Submitted.

 Improving Your Quality of Life for 25 years

be purchased online at merrickvilletheatre.org or at the door. Any inquiries can be directed to mail@ merrickvilletheatre.org.

On a final note, this production of Deathtrap will be entered in the Eastern Ontario Drama Leagues (EODL) Full Act Festival, and will be judged at one of the performances. Following the performance, the adjudicator will critique the play. One of these critiques is open to the public.

Keep an eye on the TNIM Facebook page to find out which performance will be adjudicated.

7

November 2022

culture

Smiths Falls History & Mystery: Lying in wait for a new tomb

by Ted Outerbridge

Agnes Lamb was a wealthy woman when she died of tuberculosis in 1903 at the Keyhole House. The 60-year-old spinster left executors of her estate with some very clear instructions. In her will, Agnes set aside $1,000 as an investment with the Molsons Bank. She asked that the interest be used to maintain the Wood Cemetery “for all time to come.” Her remains were entombed at the Wood Cemetery, but the money that was invested to maintain the property has yet to be found.

Since then, her tomb has crumbled. In 2021, it had to be covered with a tarp in order to protect it from the effects of winter.

Agnes Lamb lived with Alexander Wood for the last twenty years of his life.

She was his “trusted companion and housekeeper,” according to The Record News. Alexander was her uncle, and Agnes moved in with him following the

ted@tedouterbridge.com

Agnes Lamb's tomb before. Photo credit: Ted Outerbridge.

death of his wife, Henrietta.

The mother of Alexander’s seven children died at the young age of 43. Only two of the Wood offspring lived beyond their sixth birthday.

In 1893, the Toronto Globe newspaper wrote that Alexander Wood was the most enterprising man in Smiths Falls. He had formed a partnership with Ebenezer Frost in 1846.

For 116 years, The Frost & Wood Company played a huge role in the history of Smiths Falls. They were one of the largest manufacturers of farm implements in Canada, and the largest employer in town.

Upon Alexander Wood’s death in 1895, Agnes be-

came heiress to a $20,000 fortune. This was a considerable sum at the time. She was also named executrix of his estate along with executor Robert Brodie. The Wood family purchased an acre of land for $100 on a farm facing the Maple Vale Cemetery. The property was located on “Vault Hill” just outside of Smiths Falls in the Township of South Elmsley.

The Wood Mausoleum and Cemetery was constructed for Alexander Wood’s entombment. Just like his Glenwood mansion, it was a spectacular show of wealth.

It was reserved for Wood family and friends only. Following Alexander’s death, Agnes Lamb and her mother

Agnes Lamb's tomb after restoration. Photo credit: Ted Outerbridge.

downsized and moved from the Glenwood mansion to the “Keyhole House” on Brockville Street. They remained at this address until Agnes died in 1903.

The last burial at the Wood Cemetery and Mausoleum took place in 1949.

After that, it was abandoned. Trees and brush grew up and the cemetery was lost to time. Locals forgot that it existed. Vandals broke a number of the gravestones and even smashed and opened a tomb. In October 1987, it was documented that multiple headstones were missing from the Wood Cemetery—including the headstones from three WWI veterans’ gravesites.

A metal maple leaf marker was discovered and placed in the mausoleum, but later went missing. Numerous padlocks were broken by vandals repeatedly breaking into the mausoleum; the original padlock even contains a bullet hole.

Agnes Lamb’s tomb continued to decay from neglect. The money invested by her executors to maintain the cemetery had vanished. In 1925, The Molsons Bank merged with Bank of Montreal. When an account at a bank or trust company has been inactive for ten years, and the owner cannot be contacted, it is considered an “unclaimed balance.” Did the Bank of Montreal transfer the balance to the Bank of Canada? Was some accounting error to blame, or is the

truth more scandalous?

In 2014, the Wood Cemetery Committee (originally spearheaded by Joan Hogan) was revived. Leisa Purdon Bell, Ron Lyon, Tony Humphrey, Councillor Dawn Quinn, Peter Maddock, and Dave Pringle joined forces to oversee the restoration of the historic cemetery. An arborist was hired to cut down the wall of cedar trees and brush. Their work revealed a cemetery littered with fire pits, beer bottles, and garbage. A dedicated group of volunteers came together and cleaned the space.

When a cemetery is declared abandoned, the municipality in which the cemetery is located becomes the cemetery’s owner and takes over the previous owner’s cemetery assets, rights, and obligations. The Township of Rideau Lakes has accepted ownership of the abandoned Wood Mausoleum and Cemetery and has funded and orchestrated a new tomb for Agnes Lamb. During the summer of 2021, they hired an archaeologist to ensure that work on the deteriorating Agnes Lamb tomb would be in compliance with the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) guidelines. The BAO is a government-delegated authority which regulates and supports funeral establishment, crematorium, and cemetery operators across Ontario.

Agnes’s crumbling hip

tomb was a chest with a foursided, hipped or pointed roof on top. The chest was constructed with rubble and concrete over an in-ground burial. Because her remains are buried below ground level and would not be disturbed, it simplified the Cemetery Investigation Authorization.

In October 2022, Len Leitch and Tyler Gunn from Masonpro removed the crumbling remains of the ancient hip-tomb.

They constructed a new chest tomb using locally-sourced sandstone.

The experienced masons demonstrated incredible attention to detail. They sculpted the mortar binding the sandstone together using a Tudor joint identical to the treatment of the historic Wood Mausoleum, built in 1895 and located just a few steps away. Kevin Costello of Costello & Company lowered a 1500-pound smooth grey concrete lid down on top of the sandstone structure with the help of a crane to finish off the new chest tomb.

The result looks dignified and befitting of a woman of historic significance.

Ted & Marion Outerbridge are currently restoring a Smiths Falls heritage home built in 1893. They are also being swept away by local history & mystery. You can follow them at on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @thekeyholehouse or email ted@tedouterbridge.com.