Lanark, North Leeds & Grenville - Hometown News July 2023

A.C. Towing

Former Perth Mayor, King of Westport ‘Fleet Street’ buys paper

I headed off to do an interview with John Fenik (you know — THE John Fenik who was mayor of Perth for a long while).

I was intrigued because he’d bought The Review Mirror three weeks ago, the Westport newspaper.

We met in the village, I scrambled into his truck and he drove to a small café.

My questions were ready, prepared over the couple of days beforehand; I’d covered John at Perth council meetings for years and knew he’d answer questions with a style and panache, maybe a bit cagey (as a newspaper owner talking to a reporter from a competing newspaper.)

I felt comfortable the hour would pass quickly, that the interview would be fun.

We chose a table. He took the bench side and I got the chair. The bench, as it turned out, was higher than the chair, so I had to look up while he looked down. At that moment I shoulda remembered something about John — he likes to be in charge…and he started telling me stuff even before I had my microphone rigged!

So here’s the gist.

For the moment, and probably a good time into the future, the paper’s not going to change. It has a “good subscription base, advertising is good,” and “I’ve got nothing else to do,” he grins, adding the one thing he has thought about is shortening the name to just Review Mirror.

He’s going to add to what’s there, that is — grow a presence on social media, make podcasts available to subscribers. For example, the interview he did with Jill Heinerth, renowned Canadian cave diver, would have been a great podcast.

“I’ve no idea how to do it,” he admits about podcasts. “I’ve gotta find someone to

help, someone young, who knows the market.”

The Review Mirror is 16 pages, is always 16 pages, and as the pages have to be filled every week, “I’m constantly dropping cost sheets off,” John says. An inexpensive ad is $30, or advertisers can buy a “costly” full-page. The commitment, he adds, is usually a year.

He again says nothing is changing, leans back on his bench seat, folds his arms and adds his job is figuring out how “all the moving parts work together.”

The Review Mirror has officially been his for three weeks; he carries his camera and tape recorder with him everywhere now, and commits to four or five stories a week. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

The paper goes to bed Monday, is sent off to Winchester to be printed, is on the street Thursday, and if one of his five writers isn’t available, John (as publisher/ owner) jumps in.

He’s not new to writing gigs. His third book, Fox Tail, is his adventure of building a timber frame retreat; he’s working on his fourth now — Trinity Gate.

And, as usual, behind every busy man is a busier woman; John’s wife Laurie has taken on learning the accounts for the paper.

There’s one thing he still has to get a handle on, though. “I’m going to learn to set up. It’s quite technical. I’ll need a software program,” he says. “This will be the last piece.”

So what’s brought him, at 63, to owning a newspaper. At 20, he travelled; at 30, he was at school, then married and first steps into politics; at 40 and 50 politics were it; and a small riverside newspaper is his life now in his early 60s.

What’s next? Once he’s got the paper working and set up so he can work remotely “the

next plan is getting in a sailboat, leaving Perth via [many different] canals, and heading to Cuba for a few years.”

But he admits at the moment because “it’s such a small newspaper, (and he’s still learning the business), you have to be there.” He adds, with a bit of a shrug, and a thoughtful ex-

pression, “…you have to think about your own mortality, too. “Sometimes it’s hard getting out of bed,” he says quietly, “so ya gotta do it while you can.”

He takes a deep breath at the end of our interview, uncrosses his arms. “I want to be known as the King of Westport Fleet Street.” And

he probably will be the more he learns.

So, being John, he shamelessly (and cheekily) asks everyone passing through Westport to “pick up The Review Mirror.

“People still want a newspaper. They want to know what’s going on.”

Regional - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca

John Fenik stands outside his recently bought business — The Review Mirror.. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

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Canada Day in Carleton Place

Canada Day in Smiths Falls

Central Bridge Carleton Place circa 1928

Cartoon by Patrick Labelle.

Bridge Street Central Bridge under construction c. 1928. Photo credit: Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum [cpbheritagemuseum.com]

Canada Day celebrations in Smiths Falls. Photo credits: Kathy Botham.

Central Bridge [Carleton Place] lit up in red and white for Canada Day. Photo credit: Brian Turner.

“Rapid Innovation” a key tenet of OceanGate’s philosophy, downfall

Regional - Brian PReston editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Was Titan destined for disaster because of its unconventional design and its creator’s refusal to submit to independent checks that are standard in the industry?

The Titan, owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, first began taking people to ‘Titanic’ in 2021. Its fatal dive would have been the 14th trip to the Titanic. Marketing literature to the public included statements like: “You can follow in Jacques Cousteau’s footsteps and become an underwater explorer. This is your chance to step outside of everyday life and discover something truly extraordinary.” Indeed, isn’t the hunger to explore and discover hardwired into human DNA?

I attended the presentation here in Smiths Falls recently by Jill Heinerth, Canadian Geographic’s Explorer in Residence, and world-renowned cave diver who also lives near us in Carleton Place. (Read her autobiographical book, ‘Into The Planet’ for more about this incredible adventurer who also shares what got her into scuba diving and this life of travel and exploration.) I too got started scuba diving after watching ‘The Silent World’ about the exploits of Jacques Cousteau in his submersible submarine the Soucoupe plongeante (Diving Saucer), and I have been in a submersible diving to 1000 feet on the Cayman Wall in the Caribbean, as well as diving many wrecks including the ‘Empress of Ireland’ in the St Lawrence River off Rimouski.

Titan was a roomier, cylinder-shaped cabin made of a carbon-fiber - a departure from the sphereshaped cabins made of titanium used by most submersibles, which also meant that it was subject

to far more external pressure. The sphere is “the perfect shape, because water pressure is exerted equally on all areas,” said Chris Roman, a professor at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, who has made several deep dives in ‘Alvin,’ a submersible operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts.

It’s standard procedure in engineering to seek outside expertise to ensure that vessels conform to the highest industry standards. In a 2019 company blog post, OceanGate criticized the third-party certification process as one that is time-consuming and stifles innovation. But it has long been known that many repeated tests over time are necessary, especially for deep-dive submersibles, to deem them safe for public as well as private use. That is what marine standards and certification bodies are all about, and I think we will see government regulation after the full marine inquest along these lines making such testing and certification mandatory.

Carbon fiber is a new material for use in deep diving and to create a cylinder vs a sphere is less proven/safe. The carbon fiber may have suffered fatigue, as when bending a wire back and forth until it breaks. Delamination is when carbon fiber, held together by layers of glue, splits like wood down the grain, which is easier than chopping across the grain. Nondestructive testing can help spot areas inside the structure where the composites are coming apart, and indeed, as they recover parts of Titan, these forensic tests will no doubt be undertaken.

David Lochridge, OceanGate’s then-director of marine operations, said in a 2018 lawsuit that

the company’s testing and certification was insufficient and would, “subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible.”

He advocated for “nondestructive testing” which the company refused. “Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation,” the company responded.

The CEO, Stockton Rush, was serving as the ‘Titan’ pilot when it went missing with all 5 people on board.

Famed undersea explorer Robert Ballard, who first located the Titanic wreckage in 1985, called the lack of outside certification and classification a “smoking gun” in the vessel’s failure. I met and talked to Bob at Canada’s premier diving symposium in Toronto in

the late 1980s when he was our guest speaker. I asked him after his presentation if he had any regrets about the expedition and finding the ship. He looked at me as if to say that he hadn’t been asked that question yet, but he shared with me that he wished he had exercised his right to claim salvage on Titanic, thus protecting it from anyone ever going down and removing artifacts from the site. He himself didn’t think that technology was advanced far enough for others to do what he had done with great difficulty and the unlimited resources of the US Navy. Even by the time of the symposium, expeditions had been launched by the private sector to dive and remove artifacts. I must say that in the early 2000s cruising on Celebrity ‘Millenium,’ their special dining

room called the Olympic consisted of the actual first class dining room of Titanic’s sister ship RMS Olympic. Not only was that a thrill for an old shipwreck diver like me, but also being a certified Sommelier, I had befriended the Romanian Sommeliere on board who, after lunch one day, told me to come back with my camera as she had a surprise for me. Imagine my glee when she handed me a heavily wax sealed bottle of Champagne without a label but with a written wax code number on the bottle. She said that this was recovered from the Titanic and Celebrity kept it on board!

And finally, we have to reverently consider the lives lost, but also recognize that humans will always be curious to see and know the unknown. These exploits must be done with

due regard to the safety of the equipment, the knowledge and experience of those involved in the adventure with us, and reliance on the certified safety of all new technology and equipment before we put ourselves at unnecessary risk. I sum up the two sides of this coin in the following two quotes:

“EXPLORATION IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO OPEN OUR EYES TO THE WORLD, AND TO TRULY SEE THAT IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A WORD.” – RICHARD BRANSON “ADVENTURE, YEAH. I GUESS THAT’S WHAT YOU CALL IT WHEN EVERYBODY COMES BACK ALIVE.” – MERCEDES LACKEY (AMERICAN FICTION NOVEL WRITER OF THE VALDEMAR SERIES)

Undersea explorer Robert Ballard, who first located the Titanic wreckage in 1985. Photo credit: Brian Preston.

Sending an SOS to Health Canada

Regional - Brian PReston editorial@pdgmedia.ca

She doesn’t want to roll her eyes…but she can’t help it.

Heather Mitchell-Adams says Health Canada has threatened this at least once before but hasn’t followed through.

That’s where the eye-roll comes in.

On the other hand, if the federal department does get its act together and imposes extra costs on natural foods and products, Heather says it will be tough on her Modern Thymes business as well as all the other natural food and product stores in the area — like Foodsmiths in Perth, The Granary in Carleton Place, and the relatively new Up Wellness Market in Smiths Falls.

Items include (taken from CNHR, July-August 2023, p. 16): “vitamins, minerals, probiotics, omega-3s, fibre, collagen, herbal remedies, certain topical products including toothpaste, sunscreen, shampoos, deodorant and hand sanitizers.”

And what makes her even angrier, she says, is that Health Canada always

proposes extra costs this way: “for your safety.”

“‘For your safety’ doesn’t hold water, in my opinion,” she says, another eye roll.

But it’s not just the owners of these small businesses who’ll pay. Anyone who uses natural products will pay — and many of these customers are older, perhaps on fixed incomes. Chances are they won’t be able to afford the extra cost.

Here’s a story: A client with ulcerative colitis, who’d suffered with it for many years and had winnowed food intake to only 12 foods, came to her store. She listened, asked questions and suggested a recently new product.

Barely a week-and-a-half later the person returned, grinning, thankful, almost tearful, telling her what a change this particular product had made.

These are the stories Heather remembers, the stories that keep her focussed and at the moment so angry that Health Canada is considering a cost hike.

Who is Heather? She’s a chartered herbalist and certified holistic nutrition-

ist. She talks to people, asks questions, suggests possibilities. She’s been to school, done her training and knows her stuff.

She certainly doesn’t undervalue doctors but does make the observation that “doctors have little nutritional training and are not trained in this. It’s not pertinent to their practice so they’re not required to know it.”

So here’s what could happen.

The cost of natural products will go up — and if you use natural products (list above) this could affect everyone in the family.

As the price increases, products will sit longer on the shelves, perhaps losing their efficacy.

Business owners won’t be able to order as often because of price restrictions.

“Innovations,” Heather says, “will be curtailed. New products are borne out of research” and if the demand isn’t there, research money won’t be there. “It will be much harder for new products to get on the market.”

And finally, it all has to be put on the label — which is not a bad thing, is it? Well… maybe not. It’s all there now

— but Health Canada’s asking for much more.

Labels now “prove what they say they are, do what they say they’re going to do and provide historical evidence why they did this in the first place. Then an NHP (natural health product number) is applied so it can sit on shelves.”

New labeling requirements will demand even more.

A little eye rolling here at the extra-large size of the label which means increased costs. She adds that all this information is available to customers — make a telephone call, talk to store owners, do your own research…most of it is on the label, anyway.

Heather doesn’t know how fast this is going to happen, could be gradual, might not be. Her main concern is the scope of the tax, how broad and

far-reaching it is.

“We’re all pinching pennies,” she says a bit acerbically. “It’s a bit of a slap in the face.”

Kim Ducharme thinks so, too. “Once again the government is trying to control what we put in our bodies. They want to increase the cost of everything so we can’t afford the good stuff…”

Here’s what you can do.

First and foremost “go to reputable/credible sources,

not random supposed experts” like TikTok videos that don’t give accurate information. (Heather says they’re very scary.)

Send an SOS card to your MP. This time, SOS stands for Save Our Supplements. You can pick them up at any health food store.

Check out saveoursupplements.ca/get-involved.

And above all else, “stand on a mountain top and scream. Speak up and make a noise…”

Proposed Health Canada regulatory changes won’t be good for health food stores or their customers, Heather Mitchell-Adams says. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

Pick up an SOS card and send it to your MP before July 26. Photo credit: Sally Smith.

Food & Drink

Beer, Wine and Spirits

River House Vineyard and Winery

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

Monday was a sunny day and perfect for a country drive with the top down, meandering north to Maberly into the beginnings of the Canadian Shield where rocks, forest and lakes dominate the landscape. You can imagine my surprise when I left the road on a long stone driveway to emerge out of the woods to see an imposing huge modern winery building flanked by fields of grapevines set in a southerly facing exposure to capture all the sunlight necessary to maximize the ripening of the grapes for harvest in this northern clime! The grape vines have to be trimmed back in fall, laid down and covered to protect them from harsh low winter freeze in a time-consuming extra process that vineyards in Niagara Peninsula do not have to experience. The winery and restaurant building is absolutely gorgeous and so well laid out with tasting room, modern washrooms and production facilities. This is the dream project of the Fournier family, all of whom are involved in the business, along with a wine consultant expert from Brock University School of Oenology. John and his wife, along with their daughter Meagan and son Andrew, round out the family team doing everything from viniculture and production, to sales and marketing; maintaining not only a Tasting Room but providing lunch or supper in their restaurant and al fresco café. Check out their website and hours of operation for a complete listing of their wines and menus: www. riverhousewine.com. They can be reached at 221 Davern Lane, Maberly, 613-273-9463.

On John’s great grandmother’s farm dating back to 1872, they bought the land to create a winery. After selecting and planting the grape varieties best suited to the sandy soil and based on experts’ recommendations, including assistance/advice from Francois and Allison Scheuermann at their win-

ery just south of them in Westport, their first harvest was last year. It takes four years for newly planted vines to come into production. Meagan at the Tasting Bar put out a tray of tasting glasses and I had the Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and then the red, Pinot Noir (in that order of drier to some residual sweetness and body). All of them can be characterized as New World wines as they are lighter in body with fresh, youthful and emerging aromas characteristic of each wine, and all from their 2021 vintage.

The Chardonnay is unoaked and true to the grape which, in this case, is light yellow with aromas and flavours on the palate of green apple and some citrus fruit. As it warmed up, aromas of light vanilla and a touch of melon were present (hallmarks of the chardonnay profile).

The Riesling was elegant on the nose with a wonderful whiff of petrol you get in what I call a quality Riesling. In the glass, it was clear, light yellow with an edge of green, light florals with apple and pear as well as a seam of refreshing citrus with a minerality expected in Riesling. John tasted Riesling from various clone vines all around the Region to get the one that had the flavor profile he wanted. He did this with the Pinot Noir too as he liked the Scheuermann style, which in turn was based on that of Norman Hardie in Prince Edward County. As John said when I tasted this one, there was a ‘happy mistake’- the wine is a still table wine but in the mouth there is a light frizzante sensation which must be the carbon dioxide being trapped in the grape fermentation process. It is not a sparkling wine by any means but it does give a very agreeable mouth-feel sensation that enhances the aromatics that you get in the taste and aromas you

experience. The nose was lemon with light petrol and citrus and melon played through the palate. Clean and refreshing finish.

Upon the recommendation of their vine advisor, they planted Gewurztraminer. This one was dry with some residual sweetness you expect in this wine. The aroma profile was quite light, probably because the wine was too cold just taken from the refrigerator, but while I could not detect the hallmark lychee fruit nose or taste profile. I did get aromas of fresh grass and floral notes, along with light yellow tree fruit and similar faint fresh citrus profile which was refreshing on the finish. It is on the right track as vines take hold with deeper roots and more flavours will develop.

The Pinot Noir was a beautiful light ruby red, cranberry-like, with a lovely and delicate aroma of ripe cherry and a hint of wild strawberry. On the palate, clean and refreshing acidity balancing the tannins and a light candy-apple flavor; approaching medium body texture and mouth-feel with integrated tannins finishing on a replay of ripe red fruit. This one was on French oak (medium toast level) for 6 months in a combination of two one-year old barrels and one new barrel, so as not to overpower the delicate range of fruit aromas and flavor profile; nicely done!

They treated me like family and spent the time to take me through their wine portfolio. When I asked what the future held, they told me that they have a big riddling rack of Sparkling Vidal bottles on the go. They are using the Vidal sourced from Scheuermann’s. They also plan to introduce Baco Noir and it is in the barrel now. So do visit and plan to try the new products as they come to retail as well! Not only is it a great outing, but you will receive a friendly welcome and taste some lovely wines.

River House Vineyard & Winery. Photo credit: Brian Preston. River House Vineyard & Winery wine selection. Photo credit: Brian Preston.

Left to Right - Meagan, Andrew, John & Colleen Fournier. Photo credit: Brian Preston.

Brian Turner

Coutts Coffee Roastery and Café; You deserve it! Let's Eat

A wise person once said you should never skimp on the quality of shoes or mattresses because you’ll be spending all your time in one or the other. To that short list I would humbly add coffee, because without a good start to the day or a moment to reflect and relax over a delicious cup of java, life can be missing something special.

Coutts Coffee Roastery and Café at 57 Gore St. E in downtown Perth would agree, and so would their thousands of loyal customers.

Since March of 2000, Coutts Coffee has been roasting Arabica, Fair Trade, Organic coffees. As members of Cooperative Coffees, their green beans are sourced directly from small farmers. Roasting is done in-house in small batches, using a purely traditional method to achieve the ultimate development of each coffee's unique characteristics. Their selection is extensive with over a dozen different blends offered; all freshly ground to specification and coffee-maker type. There’s a full array of varietals and blends and even multiple decaf choices. If this was all Coutts Coffee did well (and they certainly do), it

would be more than reason enough to visit, but, as they say on the shopping channel networks, Wait, There’s More!

They also have a great selection of hearty fresh made-to-order sandwiches, soups, and pastries to get your mouth watering along with an almost endless variety of hot and cold beverage accessories, such as mugs, tea leaf infusers, coffee presses, and more.

Did we mention they’re located in an 1841 heritage stone building right on the Tay canal in Perth’s beautiful shopping district? They’ve taken full advantage of this beautiful structure by honoring (not covering or modernizing) the stone-works, fireplace, plank floors, hand-carved work-work and deep windows. There’s plenty of seating inside and out; with the bonus of a patio overlooking the canal. It’s a popular meeting spot for locals and travelers alike and provides a much welcomed oasis to relax and recharge during a downtown shopping spree or day trip. If all these assets aren’t enough to get you heading to Coutts, their staff is absolutely the best at helping you make the perfect selection of brew

Things you can’t do wearing boxing gloves

Regional - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca

We box three times a week.

There are between 10 and 15 of us; half the class we do plain old exercises like balancing on BOSU balls or using weights. The other half we hit things, spar with a partner, duel with a noodle, and then hit more things.

Some of us are tall, some short; we’re many different shapes, both male and female. But…no matter the size, shape or gender there are things you can’t do wearing boxing gloves.

Sam was my sparring partner for boxing one Monday morning.

When I’m enthusiastic about boxing I let fly at the bags.

Sometimes my bra-strap slips. When that happens, I instinctively reach in to grab the strap and pull it up.

You can’t do that with boxing gloves on.

I started to laugh, told this to Sam and he laughed, too.

He looked directly at me, said quietly (and with a grin) “It’s not that hard with a jock-strap”, reached down, grabbed his shorts, and quickly jiggled up and down to straighten things out.

My guy’s losing weight since he had a heart at -

or making your sandwich just right, while making you feel right at home. Treating yourself was never easier.

Coutts Coffee Roastery and Café is open Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm, and on Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. There’s plenty of on-street and public-lot parking and the entrance is wheelchair accessible. You can reach them at 613-4660606 and check out more details at couttscoffee.ca.

TOP: Coutts Company. LEFT: Coutts Coffee Roastery and Café coffee mug. BOTTOM: Patio at Coutts Coffee Roastery and Café. Photo credits: Brian Turner.

tack; he hits and spars and moves around like the rest of us but last week (because of weight loss) noticed his pants were slowly drooping.

What to do.

He headed towards me to grab his pants and hoist them up…but I had boxing gloves on, too.

Who to turn to; he headed towards our instructor.

No hesitation on her part; she grabbed his pants, gave a tug, pulled them up, settled them around his hips, and he carried on.

You can’t blow your nose with boxing gloves on. You can’t do up zippers, either. You can’t scratch an itch, you can’t go to the bathroom…you can’t do up buttons, or undo buttons…

Anything else?

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a conference held every year in Davos, Switzerland where leaders around the world meet to address global challenges, share ideas, and promote cooperation on issues such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and technological advancements. Whether the WEF is seen as good or bad depends on individual perspectives.

Opinions may differ based on political ideologies, personal beliefs, and experiences.

Supporters of the WEF argue that it plays a crucial role in fostering dialogue between various stakeholders, including governments, businesses, civil society, and ac -

opinion: Am I the only one?

Carrie Wynne

Unveiling the dark side of the World Economic Forum

ademia. On the other hand, the WEF’s platform has faced criticism and argue that it primarily serves the interest of the wealthy elites and multinational corporations.

The annual Davos gathering is predominantly attended by wealthy business leaders, politicians, and influential individuals, creating an exclusive environment that shuts out diverse voices and perspectives. Detractors argue that this ideological bias favors powerful economic actors and may perpetuate socioeconomic inequalities.

The WEF has been accused of promoting a neoliberal agenda that prioritizes market-oriented solutions, deregulation, and

privatization. Critics contend that alternative voices and perspectives, which challenge the prevailing neoliberal consensus, are often marginalized within the WEF’s framework.

Transparency and accountability are crucial for any organization operating at a global level. The WEF critics argue that the lack of clear mechanisms for public accountability and transparency, undermines trust and hampers public scrutiny, preventing meaningful engagement and democratic participation in shaping global policies.

While the World Economic Forum plays a significant role in global discussions and policy-making, it is import-

ant to critically analyze its negative aspects. The concerns raised about the WEF’s elitism, corporate influence, limited focus on social and environmental issues, lack of accountability, and neoliberal bias are valid and merit attention.

By acknowledging these downsides, we can encourage the WEF and other global institutions to address these shortcomings, foster inclusivity, and work towards a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

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.

Sally Smith ready to box.

Photo credit: Submitted.

Smiths Falls History & Mystery: the

prime minister, a crystal ball and the keyhole house

by Ted Outerbridge

Did the Right Honorable William Lyon Mackenzie King, the tenth prime minister of Canada, visit the Keyhole House? We are not sure. However, we know that he had his fortune told right around the corner. By 1919, former Keyhole House owner Robert Brodie had befriended Sir Wilfred Laurier and Mackenzie King. That same year, Robert Brodie seconded the motion to name Mackenzie King as Liberal leader, which led to King serving as Canada's prime minister for more than two decades.

Mackenzie King was a rather eccentric man. He had numerous dogs, and they were all named Pat. He never married, but had several close female friends. King took a great interest in spiritualism while in office, and used mediums to communicate with the dead. For a long time, this was a well-kept secret, known only to his close friends and some members of his staff. However, upon his death, over 30,000 pages from his diaries became public.

The origin of King's belief in spiritualism was his Christianity. He was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church. Through his faith, his beliefs in heaven and the afterlife deepened. Tragedy was another catalyst for King’s interest in spiritualism. His mother, father, sister, and brother all died between 1915 and 1922. In his diary, King indicated that he was certain that the departed members of his family continued to exist and remained with him in spirit, guiding him and encouraging him. His conviction was so strong that he believed it was

possible to communicate with them.

King began consulting fortune tellers as early as 1896. He wrote in his diary that while in Toronto, a seer had told him “… some strange truths” and had successfully predicted that he would travel to Chicago in the fall. In 1920, he had his palm read by a Syrian fortune teller while in Calgary. By March 1925, King’s interest in fortune tellers had intensified. He began consulting Mrs. Rachel Bleaney of Kingston regularly. She claimed that she was able to see the spirits of his mother and his brother Max. In 1926, she correctly predicted King's election victory.

In 1932, King met with Etta Wriedt, a medium from Detroit who had conducted séances for Arthur Conan Doyle. She led several séances for King in February 1932 at the Fulford mansion in Brockville. He was very pleased to have been able to communicate with numerous family members, as well as with Sir Wilfrid Laurier himself. King was con -

vinced that his communications with the departed were genuine, and wrote: "There can be no doubt whatsoever that the persons I have been talking with were the loved ones and others I have known and who have passed away. It was the spirits of the departed."

Several sources confirm that King visited Smiths Falls for fortune telling sessions. In Smiths Falls: A Social History of the Men and Women in a Rideau Canal Community, 17941994, author Glenn Lockwood wrote that in the 1930s, one could “have one’s fortune told by Frances Fitzgerald at 42 Aberdeen Avenue.” Lockwood added that “it was no secret in Ottawa that prime minister Mackenzie King came regularly to Smiths Falls to consult with Frances Fitzgerald.” Further research led me to Reading the Rocks: The Story of the Geological Survey of Canada, 1842-1972 and an interview with Eugene Poitevin, Chief, Mineralogy Division, 1922-56. Poitevin shares a story about

a meeting he had with a woman who claimed to have a bag of diamonds: “Madame, these are quartz crystals, they are not diamonds.” She replied, “I went to Smiths Falls, and there’s a woman that told me that.” I said, “This woman, what does she do?” She said, “She has a [crystal] ball and she looked at me, and she said, that I have in my purse something

that will be worth more than all things.” “Well,”

I said, “Surely you don’t believe what this woman would say?” “Well,” she says, “Well, little man, if Mackenzie King can go down there and believe her, why can’t I?”

Poitevin would later discover that this was an established fact. The Right Honorable William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada’s tenth prime minister of

Canada, regularly visited the famed fortune teller Frances Fitzgerald in Smiths Falls.

Ted & Marion Outerbridge are currently restoring the Keyhole House, a Smiths Falls heritage home built in 1892. They are also being swept away by local history & mystery. You can follow them on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok @thekeyholehouse or email ted@tedouterbridge.com.

William Lyon Mackenzie King with his dog, Pat I, at Moorside Cottage. Photo credit: Yousuf Karsh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Crystal Ball. Photo credit: Ted Outerbridge.

Two local students become their own bosses for the summer

Regional - submitted editorial@pdgmedia.ca

This year 2 local students have been selected for the 2023 Summer Company Program in the Lanark County/ Smiths Falls/North Leeds Grenville area. Summer Company provides an opportunity for students to be their own boss and to start/ run a business for the summer. The successful students for 2023 from this area are:

Sam Molomaya (Sam’s Lawn Beautification)

Sam will be servicing the village of Merrickville offering lawn maintenance. He has a friendly positive attitude, and his services will satisfy his customers’ desire to have their lawn & property looking clean, tidy, and well maintained. Let Sam do the work, so you can enjoy the summer. You can reach out to Sam

through email sammolomaya@gmail.com or by phone 613-2694923 or 613-581-8021.

Annie Burnett (Tyler Lane Ceramics)

Tyler Lane Ceramics is a pottery studio it is based just outside of Smiths Falls in Rideau Lakes. Annie will focus on simple designs and offering a range of functional wares (mugs, bowls, vases). In addition, she hopes to work towards a collection of some more sculptural, decorative work over the summer months. She is open to custom orders and commissions. You can follow along with her business on Instagram @tylerlane_ceramics or email tylerlaneceramics@gmail.com to place an order or discuss getting a custom piece made.

The Summer Company Program is an initiative of the Ontario

Government and is in place to motivate and educate young people to possibly choose entrepreneurship as a viable career, equip them with the tools necessary to succeed and provide hands-on business training and mentoring. Summer Company is aimed at students between the ages of 15-29 in school and returning to school in the fall. The successful students receive an award of up to $1,500 to help with business start-up costs, and a $1,500 award in September upon returning to school; approximately 12 hours of business training; and an opportunity to receive support and advice on operating their summer business.

The program is in its 22nd year promoting entrepreneurship to young enterprising students. The students will spend their summer gaining in-

valuable business experience, earning money, and learning what it means to be your own boss. They will be in good company with many other young entrepreneurs from across Ontario.

For more information

about the Summer Company Program, please contact Cindy James at the Small Business Advisory Centre (Smiths Falls/Lanark County/ North Leeds Grenville) at 613-283-0062 or via email at cjames@small-

bizcentre.ca. For more info about the Centre please check us out online at www.smallbizcentre.ca , like/follow our Facebook page @ smallbizcentre and our Instagram page @smallbusinesscentre_sf_lc.

Sam Molomaya (Sam’s Lawn Beautification). Photo credit: Submitted. Annie Burnett (Tyler Lane Ceramics). Photo credit: Submitted.