Lanark, North Leeds & Grenville - Hometown News February 2022

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No. 2

YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER - LANARK, NORTH LEEDS & GRENVILLE

FEBRUARY 2022

What nation-leading growth means for Carleton Place

Photo credit: Carleton Place Town Hall Facebook page.

Carleton Place - Brian Turner editorial@pd gmedia.ca The County of Lanark has allocated a forecasted growth to Carleton Place of 97% by 2038 which will increase the total population of the town to 20,964, or approximately 8,735 households. Our forecasted annual growth is 3% per year, or 215 homes per annum. In 2021,

the town saw 213 new homes constructed which is in line with the County’s forecasted growth for the community, down 41% from the 361 homes built in 2020.

Growth can be a double-edged sword for a community. In terms of benefits, it can provide a broadrange of housing stock (i.e. singles, semis, towns, apartment units, etc.) for purchase or rental to meet the

demand of the community’s aging population. Historically, our building stock has been mostly ownership models – single family homes on large lots -- which don’t meet the needs of an aging society. By creating new stock, we are providing options for first time homebuyers, aging seniors and anyone in between in our community who wants to upsize or downsize to fit their budget and lifestyle. In addition, having new housing stock equivalent or closer to demand is needed to help keep prices lower.

With the increase in residential growth over the past 5 years (1,354 homes since 2017; 5-year average of 271 homes/year), the community is starting to see a corresponding growth in other job-creating sectors such as commercial/industrial (i.e Eteros, Lauryson Kitchens, Napa, restaurant chains, new hotel, etc.), lifestyle services (new Revera seniors home, Lanark Community Transportation services one day per week, Valley Eats, etc.), and health care (hospital expansion, Life Labs, Dynacare Labs).

The growth in the community has added to the town’s assessment base which is the means used by the town to collect taxation on an annual basis. The added assessment from growth each year means the

town is able to maintain a lower annual tax rate increase than many of our neighbouring communities, often resulting in an increase that is lower than the rate of inflation.

However, the growth also creates a need for new equipment, staffing and puts a demand on existing facilities and services such as water and sewer treatment plants, library, childcare, etc. The town has been planning for the current and forecasted growth to ensure we are ready to meet the extra demand it creates. Currently underway are Water and Wastewater Master Plans / Environmental Assessments for the expansion of both our Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants, a review of our Official Plan to ensure Carleton Place continues to grow in a way that we don’t lose our small-town appeal, a Transportation Master Plan to ensure the town’s transportation infrastructure, including active transportation, can handle the needs of all users and a Recreation Master Plan to help meet the community’s growing recreation and culture demands. The town undertook a Development Charges Study to ensure that the costs associated with growth are paid for by developers, though any new municipal service which also serves the needs of the

existing population will be partially paid for through taxation. Over the next 10 years, over $26 million dollars will be paid by developers towards growth-related projects in the community.

While growth brings growing pains and new pressures to those living in the community, it can also create new opportunities and provide amenities never experienced locally before. Some great examples of this include the new Carleton Junction community space, the creation of splash pads throughout the community, and the addition of a new chain hotel. We undertook a hotel feasibility study about 10 years ago which concluded that the town did not have the population threshold to attract a chain hotel. Today, with the growth in the community, the town now has a 72-room hotel which allows groups within the town to host sporting events, weddings, and special events. All of the spending associated with hotel stays now remains in the community supporting our local businesses. It’s a win-win.

As we continue to grow, we will be become a more attractive destination for future businesses, making Carleton Place a self-sustaining community rather than a bedroom community for the City of Ottawa.

Empty shelves not the biggest problem during the pandemic Regional - Shannon Mclellan editorial@pd gmedia.ca While you may have recently observed a lack of certain items on the grocery stores shelves, or noticed a flood of images of empty shelves and refrigerators on social media portraying what appears to be a food shortage, top Canadian food experts are quickly assuring us that no major grocery shortages are likely despite ongoing disruptions.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra stated in a recent interview that “Canadians have no reason to fear food shortages will result from a small minority of truck drivers refusing to com-

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ply with a vaccine mandate in order to cross the Canada-U-S border.” He also stated that the large grocery store chains and other retailers have assured him that they have plenty of goods to provide their customers, despite a few labour shortages and supply chain barriers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, he said there's been no “measurable impact'' on the number of trucks crossing the border since the vaccine mandate went into effect on January 15 – as reported by the Canadian Press published Jan. 26, 2022.

The most recent event to cause people to race to the stores in panic mode is the pub-

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lic backlash from truck drivers in response to the vaccine mandate that was implemented last month. The vaccine mandate came into effect Jan. 15 for cross-border truckers coming into Canada. Canadian truckers who are not fully vaccinated will have to show proof of a negative PCR test collected within 72 hours of arriving at the border and will need to quarantine after arrival, while unvaccinated American drivers will be denied entry. In response to the new mandate, thousands of truckers joined by supporters have flooded Parliament Hill in Ottawa in protest of vaccine mandates and Covid-19. The “Free-

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Photo credit: The Garden Market Facebook page.

dom Convoy” is made up of teams of truckers and supporters who have raised more than $8.1 million from more than 102,000 donations on GoFundMe over the past several weeks.

The group has been steadily flooding the downtown core to oppose cross-border vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions.

Continues on page 7

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February 2022

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Large igloo draws public's attention

Beckwith Street Smiths Falls c1957

Snow piled up down the middle of Beckwith Street, Smiths Falls. c1957. Photo courtesy Heritage House Museum.

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A large igloo - seven feet in diameter - has been drawing the public’s attention in Jasper, just outside of Smiths Falls.

Les Philip, the igloo’s builder, was intrigued in the early 1980s by a magazine article titled How to Build an Igloo. For forty years the instructions stuck in his mind and this January brought about the perfect conditions to finally put them to the test. “Deep snow with a crust” was necessary for the process, which occurred when a massive snowfall was followed by days of extreme cold.

“I used a stake with a 3.5 foot cord with a peg at the end to scribe a seven foot circle,” Philip explains. “With a handsaw, I cut the rectangular blocks and over a 4-day period I ended up with my igloo.”

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February 2022

community Continued support for the Smiths Falls food bank is essential

Smiths Falls - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca

If there is any rainbow in the storm that we know as COVID-19, now entering its third year, it’s the focus that it has brought to the needs of others. Front-line and emergency workers have been rightly elevated to hero status. Volunteers everywhere, doing all types of community service, have been celebrated. Strangers have come together to create stronger bonds. For area food banks this focus has seen their shelves and refrigeration units filled to the brim, but just as quickly, those goods are given out as the demands for them skyrocket. The provincial and federal governments have injected much-needed and long-overdue cash into the equation. Hometown News was in touch with several area food banks who reported a healthy financial balance thanks to these grants. Their directors appreciate the help but also know that sooner or later the emergency will be over and they will go back to their normal, meaning

pleading for every donation and trying to help others with limited resources.

But in Smiths Falls, it seems that a certain segment of the population holds different views. Social media chats have been populated with very negative comments directed at the Smiths Falls Community Food Bank (SFCFB) suggesting its leadership isn’t taking advantage of the grant monies to expand their services or to help fund a proposal to bring a new model of food donations to town, based on the successful Table model in Perth. Hometown News connected with Pat Anglehart, chair of the board of directors for the SFCFB to get his take on this situation.

Anglehart is extremely proud of the work of the food bank manager Katherine Brown and of all the volunteers it takes to successfully serve over 350 families each month (800-1000 individuals).

2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the food bank and Anglehart, like every

other food bank volunteer, wishes it didn’t have to exist in the first place. As to the comments regarding funds in the bank, Pat reports that every government grant comes with conditions that must be met, meaning those monies can’t be spent on just anything. He, like the other food bank directors and board chairs Hometown News spoke with, echoed the same sentiment along with the position that extremely generous government grants don’t last forever and they take a long-term view towards their operations knowing that running through those dollars quickly means very lean times ahead.

As well as grant funds, individual cash donors have expectations that their dollars will be spent on current programs they wish to support and Pat and others in his position are extremely respectful of those expectations and honour them every day.

Referring to the Table food hub model that may come to Smiths Falls, Anglehart stated his organization is open to collab-

Smiths Falls Community Food Bank . Photo credit: facebook.com/smithsfallscommunityfoodbank

oration as they are with a number of community stakeholders that they work with. Until further details come forward, he isn’t sure exactly what that collaboration will look like, but sees no need to abandon their central location or to merge with another agency. Regardless of what the social services network in Smiths Falls might evolve

into, Anglehart believes the need for a community food bank will continue and the SFCFB will meet that need.

What Smiths Falls has today and will have in the future is an organization with a proven track record of getting donations, collecting and distributing good food, along with the expertise to keep the human touch in situations often

loaded with emotions while treating everyone with dignity and respect. It’s unfortunate that not everyone seems to have benefited from their example.

For the rest of us, show your support for your community’s food bank with donations and/or volunteering. They’ve been here for us for 25 years; we owe them nothing less.

Perth food hub explores expansion to Smiths Falls Perth - Chris Must editorial@pdgmedia.ca

The Table Community Food Centre has been serving Perth residents for the past 10 years. Community partners are working on plans to bring similar programming to the town of Smiths Falls in 2022. Photo credit: thetablecfc.org

Community support is growing for plans to establish a local version of The Table Community Food Centre’s programming in Smiths Falls.

Located in Perth and about to celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Table’s mission is to improve access to healthy food, improve food skills and food literacy, and to advocate for social policies addressing food insecurity and poverty.

Table Executive Director Ramsey Hart said his organization has been approached by individuals in Smiths Falls, including

members of council, expressing a need for “greater coordination of different community meal offerings” and the need to ensure these resources are sustainable and consistently available. Community members have also identified a need for these resources to be available “under one roof.”

Making these plans a reality will require ongoing community support, especially financial support, as well as a location in Smiths Falls.

However, the project is off to an encouraging start thanks to a recent donation of $50,000 from Canopy Growth. Hart said the funds are intended to support the new effort and

to support existing meal programs during the time it takes for a Smiths Falls food hub to be established.

The gift was announced in mid-December.

Hart also made a presentation to Smiths Falls council on Jan. 10, which he said was “incredibly well-received.

“I was blown away, honestly, with the enthusiasm council showed for the project.”

Hart explained that the new programming would not be a duplication of services provided by the Smiths Falls Community Food Bank.

The food bank provides food for those in need, a single service, while the

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Table-style programming would offer access to a wide range of services.

Existing meal programs in Smiths Falls are also being provided by local churches and Rideau Community Health Services.

Having a specific location for all food-related services would also provide a “drop-in space” for people to socialize as well as having access to educational and advocacy services focused on food and food support, said Hart.

Another goal for the new initiative is to ensure that the services are sustainable, with ongoing funding, and not dependent on the efforts of one or a handful of volunteers.

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February 2022

community

Smiths Falls council committed to supporting naturalized gardens

Smiths Falls Rideaus

wishing equipment manager happy birthday Happy Birthday to the youngest equipment manager in the EOSHL, Daven Hamilton, who turned 12 years old on January 30, 2022. If you see Daven at the rink be sure to wish him a happy birthday!

Craig and Beth Sinclair’s St. Lawrence Street property has been transformed into a naturalized garden, a habitat for birds and butterflies, over the past several years. Photo credit: Craig Sinclair

Smiths Falls - Chris Must editorial@pdgmedia.ca Smiths Falls town council has reaffirmed its commitment to allow naturalized gardens, just days after the local Property Standards Committee upheld an order aimed at dismantling the garden built by one local family over the past two years.

At a special meeting of council’s Committee of the Whole Monday, Jan. 31, Mayor Shawn Pankow urged councillors to give town staff “clear direction” to update the town’s property standards bylaw.

He noted that a “degree of concern” arose from the Property Standards Committee hearing held Jan. 25. Adding that “we are not here tonight to debate the outcome of that hearing,” Pankow said that naturalized gardens and individual action to combat climate change are “a trend which makes sense.”

Craig and Beth Sinclair, owners of the home on St. Lawrence Street, told the Hometown News a few weeks ago that bylaw enforcement officers had come to their property on eight to 10 occasions within a year and a half.

The town received complaints from at least one neighbour after the Sinclairs removed the grass from their yard, replaced it

with several truckloads of woodchips, and planted a variety of native species of trees in an effort to create a forest environment friendly to butterflies, birds and other species. Birch logs placed on the property to act as insect and bird habitat were classified as “waste” or lumber in an order issued in November to “clean up” the property.

The town’s bylaw is no longer in compliance with settled provincial law because previous court cases in Toronto have upheld homeowners’ right to create naturalized gardens.

Although the Sinclairs said they had attempted to comply with various bylaw enforcement requests, the visits by enforcement officers culminated in a written order issued Nov. 10 making a number of a series of demands, including “remove all decayed logs classified as waste.”

The Sinclairs appealed the order, resulting in the Property Standards hearing held on Jan. 25. The Sinclairs told the committee that the neighbours who complained had never spoken directly to them about their concerns, and their identity has remained confidential.

The Sinclairs have noted that naturalized gardens are a way for individuals to fight climate change, and are actively encouraged

in many jurisdictions. Expert witnesses supporting the Sinclairs at the hearing stated that bylaws enforcing property standards based on “aesthetics” rather than health and safety issues are arbitrary and unconstitutional.

The chair of the Jan. 25 committee meeting stated that the committee had no power to alter the wording of the town’s existing bylaw, and would be required to enforce it as written.

With all council members voting Jan. 31 to expedite the process of updating the bylaw to permit, or encourage, the creation of naturalized gardens, the status of the bylaw enforcement order issued in November remains unclear.

Councillor Wendy Alford said, “It was evident in October (when the Sinclairs’ case first came to the attention of council) that we wanted to look at better ways to address climate issues.” She added that “property standards is a big deal and has many parts,” meaning that town staff would need to begin revising the bylaw “in chunks” immediately so that the revised bylaw would be ready by the time gardening season begins in the spring.

Direction to staff to proceed with updating the bylaw will be officially voted on at the next regular town council meeting.

Smiths Falls Rideaus road to EOSHL, February schedule. Photo credit: Submitted.

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February 2022

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Food & Drink Brian Turner

Let's Eat North Folk Café: why not sooner?

When you look at what’s required to build, open and run a successful café, diner, or restaurant, several conditions stand out.

Things like location, menu, food quality, and pricing all play a major factor. Another one that few startups can boast of is name recognition. North Folk Café at the corner of Gore and Foster Streets in Perth has all the bases covered and then some.

Their location can’t be beat. If you live in or visit Perth, you’ll likely drive by their heritage stone building at least once a day.

There’s plenty of nearby on-street parking and it’s right on the entrance to the downtown retail sector. Their menu is loaded with items you’re unlikely to find anywhere else and is guaranteed to list something irresistible for any personal preferences and tastes. And while their selection might be hard on the brain for deciding what

Photo credit: Brian Turner

to try, the menu is definitely easy on the wallet. For name recognition, North Folk is owned and operated by the same team that brings you Artizen Kombucha, that great tasting and good-for-you beverage that’s been keeping their kitchen and bottling operation going nonstop since they launched 10 years ago.

I dropped in recently and had a chat with owners Dasha Smolentseva and Sebastien Armand and tried one of their signature sandwiches: a Panini-pressed turkey pesto served with havarti cheese and basil, and of course I enjoyed it with a bottle of Kombucha. The bread had just the right crunch from the press and the turkey flavor was complimented perfectly with their pesto and cheese; a real winner on a frosty winter day.

Their take-out counter is surrounded by a great display of jams, honeys, spices, teas and coffees.

In the warmer weather it’s also home to house-made gelatos, a fact that has kept this café hopping since opening last July, even in the middle of a health pandemic. Their selection of fresh-roasted and ground coffees is almost as large as their Artizen Kombucha choices, and Dasha and Sebastien are just as adept at creating the right blend with coffee as they are with Kombucha.

While many business owners have reduced their operations during our current era of health restrictions, Dasha and Sebastien have their sights set on expansion. They’ve taken over the space just to the north of the building and plan on creating a, wait for it, kitchen to create their own take on fresh bagels. Dasha plans on baking them thick and large enough to take their toppings and I warned them to make sure they have enough space on the sidewalk for the line-ups they can expect.

Dasha is just as excited about heritage as she is about imagining and crafting new flavours and dishes. Their sidewalk sandwich-board sign is a replica of the Perth Hotel neon sign that adorned the building decades ago.

She plans on creating an art installation wall panel inside the dining area celebrating the history of the hotel complete with some original registration cards from the 1930s and 40s.

She’s eager to work with the local BIA to promote some unique street events.

North Folk is currently open 7 days a week from 9

am to 4 pm with plans to extend those hours once the warmer weather and restrictions allow. You can reach them at 613-2013139 and can check out all their offerings which include space rentals, events, and instruction sessions at northfolkcafe. ca. My visit left just one unanswered question; why didn’t North Folk happen sooner?

Photo credit: Brian Turner

Beer, Wine and Spirits Warm winter spirits

Well, here we are in the middle of winter, but the bright note this month is Valentine's Day! A time of year where we tend to enjoy more filling comfort foods and, of course, celebrating our loved ones! To celebrate, I suggest the Barefoot Fruitscato Strawberry, and for winter fare I suggest the Catedral Reserva Dao red wine and the selection of beers. And to finish off a Canadian winter meal, I recommend the Sortilège Maple Cream liqueur.

Note that I have supplemented the LCBO notes with my own tasting notes where I have had the product, and I tried to find new products now available at LCBO. Botter Oggi Pinot Grigio DOC Organic LCBO#19853 $13.95 Established in 1928 in Venicia, Italy, Botter continues to create crowd-pleasing wines. This organic pinot grigio has delicate aromas and flavours of peach, yellow apple and pear. The light

and crisp palate lead you to a clean and balanced finish.

Serve as an aperitif or with garlic and chili prawns or grilled mussels.

Barefoot Fruitscato Strawberry LCBO#22303 $8.95 Extremely versatile, food-friendly, and enjoyable.

Juicy, sweet strawberry is at the forefront of this versatile California Moscato. Flavours of lime balance out the sweet finish. Pair with Thai cuisine, fresh fruit salad, or serve as an aperitif. I suggest that if you’re new to wine and don’t like dry wine, then this is perfect for you. What a way to say sweet love on Valentine's Day! Catedral Reserva Dao LCBO#219816 13% abv $12.45 Ruby red colour; upfront smoke, licorice, prune and spice aromas; medium body, dry wine; round fruit flavours, well balanced; medium/long finish with soft medium tannin on the finish.

Brian Preston

The Travelling Sommelier brianpreston@hotmail.com

Dominant flavour of dark ripe fruits as well as oaky on the nose, moderate tannins with notable forest floor with smooth finish served slightly chilled. I was surprised at the quality, and in a blind-tasting this could easily pass as a $20 bottle!

Beau's Porter Porter 473 mL can | LCBO#22221 $3.65 Founded in 2006, by the father and son team of Tim and Steve Beauchesne, Beau's is located in eastern Ontario.

Featuring flavours of coffee and chocolate, their porter is dark and luscious. Serve with a platter of oysters, a board of flavourful cheeses or try in a vanilla ice cream float. A good home-grown Porter without importing from England!

Hoegaarden 500 mL can | LCBO#667808 $3.30 The Belgian Hoegaarden monks were the first to discover and experiment with flavouring wheat beer spiced with coriander and curacao orange peels. It has a heady, spicy nose with a soft and delightful sour/sweet taste.

Naturally cloudy with a pale golden colour, followed by aromas and flavours of soft wheat, citrus, orange and coriander spice; delicately creamy with a smooth crisp, clean finish. This is one of my perennial favourites!

Sortilège Maple Cream LCBO#352021 17% abv $29.95 From Quebec, blended to be the perfect balance of premium Canadian whisky, pure maple syrup and fresh dairy cream, this is truly a decadent treat. Fragrant with aromas of butter cream, maple syrup and a touch of milk chocolate notes; rich and full with a thick creamy texture and flavours of caramel fudge, maple syrup and vanilla. Probably the smoothest crème liquor I’ve had. Many will likely mix in their coffee for a night cap but I thoroughly enjoy it on its own, with its subtle maple flavour.

I discovered this one on a winter markets tour of Quebec City in December 2021.

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February 2022

culture Smiths Falls History & Mystery: Unlocking secrets to your old house

by Ted Outerbridge

Old houses are keepers of secrets and witnesses to history. They have many stories to tell if you are willing to listen. We bought an old house with a view to restoring it and quickly developed a great passion for the rich history of the house and the community. It began during the home inspection, when we discovered something which made us suspect that the house had chosen us as its custodians.

In the attic, nestled amongst some bat droppings and a bird’s nest, we found a 1946 edition of the Star Weekly.

The headline read: “Dance, Little Ladies.” My wife Marion has toured the world as a professional dancer, so we considered this to be a warm welcome, and bought the house. Since the newspaper was used as insulation, the date told us when the attic was renovated. Later we learned that this was at a time when the residence was being used as a rooming house.

The inspection of a house can reveal many clues to

ted@tedouterbridge.com

Photo credit: Ted Outerbridge

its history. When possible, take a close look between walls, under floorboards, inside attic rafters, and fireplaces. Contractors, carpenters, and plasterers have often signed and dated their work. Upon investigation, we discovered that George Swayne signed and dated the plaster prior to hanging wallpaper for his daughter in 1938. The original carpenters who built our house signed and dated moulding around a door frame and left a note hidden behind it.

They even left one of their tools behind. While the house was being rewired, an ancient screwdriver was discovered under the floorboards in the attic. Reginald Burroughs moved into the house in 1907 and signed his name in a concrete windowsill in the basement. A tax stamp from 1940 indicates that an empty rye bot-

tle in the basement probably belonged to former owner Harry Buchanan.

During our dining room restoration, we discovered a century-old golf ball which sparked a media frenzy and made national news headlines. We even uncovered some archaeological finds buried in the backyard while digging to create a terrace, including broken plates, glass milk bottles, cutlery, fireplace tiles, and some marbles.

Gathering all the deeds for a property and connecting them in chronological order creates a chain of ownership or a chain of title. This is a very valuable tool when researching the history of the former owners of your house. If this information is not available online, you may have to visit your local official responsible for keeping property records.

They should have records of

only one? opinion: AmtheI the free voice Carrie Wynne

I’m old enough to remember when it was considered impolite to discuss religion, politics, or money outside your home. Then social media came along and gave everyone a voice. It’s a new era to navigate. As my motherin-law would say, this is not our world anymore. And while there are trolls being paid to create chaos and discourse on the internet by gaslighting people that take social media seriously, not all internet storms are bad.

Twitter has brought public awareness and scrutiny on the ruling class and all their questionable ethics.

Take the Ontario conservative long term care minister, Merrilee Fullerton, who dropped the ball in long term care homes is now working with vulnerable children and families as the Ontario minister of family and children's services.

See what I mean. The former Canadian conservative Health minister Rona Am-

brose now sits on the board of Juul owned by a tobacco corporation, an industry that floods our healthcare system with chronic health conditions costing taxpayers billions of dollars every year.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Canadian politicians get a sweetheart deal. They get retired with full pensions and shuffle off to new posts.

Over in the US you have Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the house who makes regular stock trades based on laws and votes she is directly impacting and she’s not the only one. Insider trading is normalized with these people and don’t even get me started on Dr. Fauci who seems to be on the side of angels. You need some special goggles to see that. Am I the only one?

We need young vibrant voices that ensure the government is making Canadian lives better. We need feather rufflers. Independent media. Leaders who are more concerned about doing what’s right for Canada than they are appeasing minority groups, corporations, and special interest groups. Public officials who value progress for our country, not their own rep-

utations and contingency plans. We need economists.

Canadians pay for security and safety. Our freedom, healthcare, social assistance, clean water, hot baths, roads, lakes, and parks aren’t free.

Inflation will hit hard, and the media will spin it and politicians will argue the causes. Is it greed, globalization, monopoly power, labour shortages or supply chain disruptions? It’s easy to be cynical and harder to be hopeful. It’s easy to think our politicians are trying to bamboozle us with their malarkey and to see where they use government funds to enrich themselves.

Canada is supporting us today, tomorrow and forever and has been for generations. Despite all our bad ideas and past histories, we are still glorious and free.

A place to call home where good people outnumber bad people. On occasion we should root for the home team. We just need the right people on the bus and dare I say a much smaller bus.

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.

Photo credit: AJ Photography

every sale of your home, dating back to when it was built.

We were fortunate to acquire this information from our lawyer when we purchased our house. We were able to trace the sale of our property through the previous 12 owners, and as far back as the Plan of the Town of Smiths Falls in 1890. We learned that architect George Thomas Martin bought the land in 1891 for $300 and had contractor Matthew Ryan build the house.

We also learned that a person of historical significance lived in the house after it was built.

Agnes Lamb was the niece of Alexander Wood, who was a partner in the Frost & Wood Company, Ltd. For 116 years, this 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 biggest employer in town.

A chain of title opens many avenues of exploration. Town and city directories existed

before the telephone was invented. They are organized by address, and document who resided at your house for a particular year, often with their occupation. Old newspapers are loaded with information such as obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, hobbies, affiliations, and sometimes even a photograph. They can be found online at sites like newspapers.com or at your local museum or library.

Historical maps can also provide an abundance of information. We found concrete evidence that the Poonahmalee Golf Club was at one time located across the street from our house, based on a 1928 topographical map.

Tax departments have records including construction dates, square footage, and number of rooms. The census is taken every 10 years and provides names of all occupants, addresses, ages, professions, and nationality. Local history

books can be treasure-troves of information. Photo archives collected by libraries, museums, historical societies, and government entities are becoming increasingly available online. You can also check to see if your street was located along parade routes.

We were fortunate enough to find photos of our house taken during the Old Home Week parade in 2000.

One of your most valuable sources of history is other people. Spreading the word about your search for information can lead to some wonderful stories from neighbors and older community members.

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.

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February 2022

business “Little nerd den” on the move to 18 Russell Street East

Smiths Falls - Janelle Labelle editorial@pdgmedia.ca

Tayboo Boutique, purveyor of all things cute in Smiths Falls, is moving from Davidson Courtyard to 18 Russell Street East, most recently the home of Pretty Things on Russell.

Taylor Angus, owner and artistic force behind Tayboo Boutique, is hoping for a Grand Opening on March 5, the first Saturday in March. “I’m pretty excited about it,” she says, smiling, looking forward to the street entrance and bright windows of the new space.

Tayboo Boutique has been in Davidson Courtyard since Sept 2020, but has outgrown the space there. “It’s been awesome.

I love the courtyard and I’m really sad to leave, but I have so much stock now and I need some more space for that. I also think the windows [on Russell St] will help let people know what we have.”

Tayboo’s new location at

18 Russell St is nestled between Pizza Unlimited and Bowie’s.

The move is providing Angus with a chance to change up the store’s offerings a bit. They will be expanding the selection of Squishmallows and plush toys, anime figures, and imports from Japan. The shop will be “a little nerd den,” Angus says, pleased.

A large selection of Tayboo’s merchandise is designed by Angus herself.

Cute images, adorable animals, and delightful designs decorate mugs and posters, backpacks and notecards and water flasks. For Angus, inspiration strikes at the funny bone. “I’ll just think of a pun, and it will burst out into characters that I draw on my iPad. I am constantly designing new characters. I’m hoping to bring in new apparel with these characters and offer a wider range of products with my own designs.”

Angus shares that her cat

Boba, an exotic shorthair Persian, is her muse. “I always thought I was a dog person but she was a gift from my boyfriend and she ended up being my life.”

Tayboo Boutique was the dream of an artist, but Angus has spent the past two years learning and expanding as a business woman as well. She credits her homeschool upbringing with her eagerness to tackle challenges and pursue her dream with hard work. “Since I was about six years old, my mom and dad just let me work on all the ideas I had - music, drawing, everything else.

It’s been really awesome to be able to focus on my interests,” she explains.

As well as Angus’ own apparel designs, Tayboo also carries Melleium Apparel, a line of clothing made by designer Kayla Campbell.

“She is local and awesome,” Angus enthuses.

Tayboo Boutique opened after the covid-19 pandemic hit the world. How has

Owner and artist Taylor Angus plays with the claw machine full of plush toys in Tayboo Boutique.

Photo credit: Taylor Angus

she made it work? “Being in such a supportive town has really helped a lot,” Angus replies, giving thanks to her enthusiastic Smiths

Falls customers and fans.

She was also able to provide online shopping, and served “customers from all around the world.”

Look for an explosion of cuteness on Russell St East next month; the grand opening is sure to be adorable.

owner of Smiths Falls’ The Garden Market, told us that he wants to reassure the local community that their shelves are full.

“Will you find a few items short on the shelves?

Of course you will. We’ve been experiencing mild shortages since the beginning of the pandemic on items such as toilet paper, yeast, and Pam spray to name a few. However, there is no shortage of meat, produce, or dry goods to be found in our store; we want the com-

munity to feel rest assured that our shelves are full,” said Buffam.

Buffam also stated that, “the biggest problem during the pandemic that has affected shelves remaining full has been absenteeism, with workers throughout the supply chain resulting in lack of labour due to a shortage of workers, and staff falling sick with Covid-19 or having to self-isolate.”

Other local independently-owned grocers such as Kudrinkos in

Westport and Foodsmiths in Perth have taken to their social media to show their customers visually that their shelves and bins are plentiful with food and products, as the vast amount of their product is sourced in Ontario, resulting in a short and strong supply chain.

Despite these challenging times in the industry, there is still sufficient food and product on the shelves even though the same variety of products may not be available at all times.

Empty shelves not the biggest problem during the pandemic Regional - Shannon Mclellan editorial@pdgmedia.ca Continued from page 1

The "Freedom Convoy" protest at Parliment Hill, Ottawa on January 29. Photo credit: Freedom Convoy 2022 Facebook page.

However, despite the recent panic, local grocers are assuring the community that their shelves will not be bare. Finding the product that you’re looking for could be as easy as heading to another store. Strain on the food supply chain has been an on-going issue since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Local retailer Derrick Buffam,

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