BENNS’ BELIEF: HOW WE’RE SERVING YOU BETTER | LONG-TERM CARE NEEDS ACTION NOW
THE LINDSAY ADVOCATE KAWARTHA LAKES’ FINEST MAGAZINE
FIRST-TIME BUYERS FINDING REAL ESTATE OUT OF REACH
DEC 2020
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December 2020 • Vol 3 • Issue 32
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Fireside Publishing House, a proudly Canadian company. The Lindsay Advocate is published monthly and distributed to a wide variety of businesses and locations within Kawartha Lakes, North Durham and southern Haliburton County. We are a proud member of the Lindsay and District, Fenelon Falls and Bobcaygeon Chamber of Commerce. TEAM ADVOCATE
CONTENTS KAWARTHA LAKES’ FINEST MAGAZINE
FEATURES
EDITORIAL
Publisher: Roderick Benns Contributing Editor: Trevor Hutchinson Associate Editor: Nancy Payne Research, Strategy & Development: Joli Scheidler-Benns Contributing Writers: Roderick Benns, Nancy Payne,
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Printed by Maracle Inc. OUR PRIVACY POLICY The Lindsay Advocate is independently owned and operated. The opinions expressed herein are the views of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of this magazine. Photos, text, and art work contained in The Lindsay Advocate are copyrighted and may not be published, broadcast, or rewritten without the express permission of the Publisher. Liability for incorrectly displayed advertising is limited to publishing corrections or advertising credit for subsequent issues. The Publisher reserves the right to reject, revise, cancel, omit, discontinue or even decline to print advertising without reason or liability, and without notice. The Publisher has made every effort to ensure information contained herein was accurate at press time. The Publisher does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for damage, loss, or disruption caused by errors or omissions.
13 10 Editorial: High-speed
internet has needed big investments since the late 1990s. That moment might finally have arrived.
11 Op-ed: Long-term care needs action now, not in five years 13 Cover Story: With more people moving here from the Greater Toronto Area, the local real estate market continues to push first-time home buyers away with high prices.
20 In a difficult year, Hospice Services is finding new ways to be helpful and relevant 28 Find out Team Advocate’s Top 3s of 2020 34 Roses and Thorns
IN EVERY ISSUE
4 Letters to the Editor 6 UpFront 9 Benns’ Belief 36 Heirloom Recipe 37 Crossword 39 Friends & Neighbours 40 Just in Time 42 Trevor’s Take
Our Vision
We care about the social wellness of our community and our country. Our vision includes strong public enterprises mixed with healthy small businesses to serve our communities’ needs. We put human values ahead of economic values and many of our stories reflect the society we work to build each day. ~ Roderick and Joli
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LIN
DSAY
The ‘Our Place’ Dilemma
Dietitians likely helped in recovery
Acts of kindness hold us together
A TE
Brenda Wall of Bobcaygeon made it sound like the members of Save Pigeon Lake are upset about nothing. (Re: Letter Spotlight: November Advocate.) Well Brenda, if you saw the CBC documentary (Cottagers & Indians) you saw Larry Wood, founder of Save Pigeon Lake, who can only be described as a “true gentleman.” He exudes no hatred, anger or resentment, but just wants a fair and equal resolution. He has said from the very beginning that we don’t want rice growing to stop, we are looking for some guidelines such as sticking to a certain area so everyone can continue to enjoy the lake, as well as harvesting times. Brenda Wall, do you know Mr. Whetung uses a large diesel-powered mechanical harvester all hours of the day or night that is loud enough to be heard for miles? The CBC documentary then showed Whetung, who stated that he doesn’t care about the homeowners, and he is going to do what he wants, and his hope is to re-seed all of the area lakes. Inflammatory statements, Brenda? We attended a town hall meeting where we were told we are behaving like “Nazis.” We have been trying for years to develop “meaningful relationships” but just know that Curve Lake/First Nations are not interested. Susan Sladky, Ennismore
Basil called recently. He is a 35-year-old Bay Street “numbers guy” living in the impersonal and ruthless city of Toronto. I knew Basil when he was a boy growing up in a small, rural town in southwestern Ontario. His father was a tradesman with a range of handyman skills. Basil and his two brothers were encouraged to go to university for degrees that would allegedly lead to high-paying professional positions in big corporations. Today, Basil is disillusioned and disappointed. His career track in the financial district has proven to be less rewarding than he was led to believe as a teen. Basil called me to discuss his career, his challenges with work stress and to vent his frustration in being no closer to his early career and financial aspirations than when he was a new university graduate over a decade ago. The high cost of living and housing have also factored into those elusive dreams. Basil is at a crossroads and contemplating which way to turn. Local tradesmen have told me how difficult it is to find reliable, able-bodied workers. I suggested to Basi that he consider the simpler and less expensive life offered here. It’s a reasonable option since he is intelligent, resourceful, able-bodied and understands life in rural Ontario. Knowing that the lure of big-city corporate success has finally lost its lustre, I wondered if it is time for Basil to return to small-town living and pursue work in the trades as his father had. Basil hasn’t yet decided where to settle. Maybe the sentiments expressed in Roderick Benns’ recent column, “Our Sense of Place” (Nov. edition) will inspire Basil to join us here in the Kawartha Lakes. Gene Balfour, Fenelon Falls
AD O C V
Save Pigeon Lake member defends group’s position
Re: An International Journey and Incredible Recovery for Local Man (online Advocate, Oct. 19). I would guess that the registered dietitian played a large role in his recovery before and after he regained his swallowing ability. It was unfortunate that there is no mention of their contribution to his recovery. Dietitians are an extremely valuable members of any acute-care team and need to be given their fair share of the credit. Melinda Heidebrecht, Lindsay
We enjoyed reading Rev. Joel Holtz’s letter about all the great work that he and his congregation at Calvary Pentecostal Church have done for the community when the pandemic hit. This time last year we were getting ready to celebrate Valerie’s Blessing, the Christmas dinner the church established in the late Valerie Brunst’s name. Acts of kindness like the dinner will never be forgotten. They are what holds the community together in these hard times. Let’s continue to help our neighbours. Love and kindness will never grow old. Stay safe everyone. Mina Coons, Lindsay
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Love your publication! I enjoy the previews and podcasts on social media but also love to pick up a copy to place on my coffee table for my children and their spouses to reach for during a visit. Wendy Steeves, Cameron
Rural challenges for business
Regarding Geoff Coleman’s article, “Tending the Rural Economy” (Oct. Advocate), I found it both interesting and informative. The context was abundantly evident early on into the article. I would like to add that the mention of “no help from Bell” struck a nerve. For over a year, we have had very poor signal coverage for our cellphones and seeing that my wife and I are seniors, I have complained every day to Bell for the last six months for fear of a life-threatening situation whereby we could not call for help on the cellular network. Inbound calls do not generate a ring on our phones and many times, while trying to make a call, a text box appears saying, “Not registered on network.” What?! We have had enough and are switching to Rogers after 59 years of being Bell customers. In years past, I was a charter pilot and flight instructor and did teach at Lindsay. I am, presently, a member of their Kawartha Lakes Flying Club and just have to mention that there was no mention of the airport in the article as a valuable asset for conducting business in the area. As I understand it, quite some time ago when various companies were being lobbied to set up in or near Lindsay, the stipulation from most of the executives being lobbied, was “Will your airport accept multi-engine aircraft re: deliveries and executive movement?” Do not forget that there is a life-saving element to having a municipal airport and that is the rapid transport of casualties and desperately ill patients for specialized care and treatment. I am sure that Ms. R. Mustard (manager of economic development for Kawartha Lakes) agrees because there is further improvement being made to our airport as we speak. Jim Baldwin, Omemee
Government’s action belittles efforts of PSWs in retirement homes
In Ontario, over 700 retirement homes support thousands of seniors. Within these homes, hard-working teams provide essential services to these seniors, just like in long-term care homes. In fact, there are more retirement homes than long-term care homes in Ontario. Retirement homes fill in critical gaps in our current health care system, often bridging the need for long-term care beds and helping to free up much-needed space in hospitals. Throughout the pandemic, retirement homes have worked diligently to keep seniors safe and healthy with less than two per cent of retirement homes experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic the Ontario government has taken steps to recognize these efforts, until recently. The Oct. 1 announcement of additional compensation for personal support workers (PSWs) who work in the public sector only, blatantly belittles the efforts of the PSWs and all team members within retirement homes, and the industry as a whole. Specifically, the Ontario government’s actions send a clear message that retirement home team members are worth less than their counterparts in publicly funded facilities and it threatens the well-being of residents by crippling recruitment efforts in an already existing staffing crisis. The government’s actions also draw dedicated PSWs away from their retirement home careers and sends them to long-term care, and hinders the ability to recruit into retirement homes by offering incentives to new and existing PSWs to work in long-term care only. We implore upon the government to right this inequity by recognizing the efforts and contributions of all personal support workers, and all front-line team members, regardless of what sector they contribute to during this pandemic. Adrienne West, Executive Director Adelaide Place
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5
UPFRONT
Academy diner’s card fundraiser offers deals at 24 area restaurants
The Academy Theatre is once again raising money through its popular diner’s card, this year with 24 area restaurants participating. This year’s fundraiser is all the more critical given that live theatre is one of the industries hit hardest by the pandemic, according to Anne Rodd, diner’s card committee member. “It is more important than ever that this campaign is successful, not just for the struggling situation of the theatre but the restaurants as well,” she said. The cards are $20 and can be purchased at Durham Cafe, Hobart’s, Olympia Restaurant, and The Cat & Fiddle. The cards are valid from Jan. 1, 2021 to Nov. 31, 2021. They can also be ordered through the Academy box office by phone until the end of the year by calling 705-324-9111 or 877-888-0038.
Fenelon Falls second crossing being considered — again Kawartha Lakes City Council is yet again considering ways to alleviate traffic confestion in Fenelon Falls. The second crossing project is in the environmental assessment phase, which includes considerations about transportation, the waterway and surrounding landscapes. There have been traffic concerns near the existing bridge on Colborne Street in the village for many years. Roughly 12,000 vehicles travel through the village in the summer months and often there are long delays during peak traffic hours, both along the bridge and at the intersection of Helen and Lindsay streets. Staff presented two preferred options to council. The first involved making traffic improvements to Helen Street, Lindsay Street and Elliot Street to address the current delays, such as adding a new traffic light and restricting turns in and out of the commercial plaza located on the northeast corner. The second would relieve traffic passing through Fenelon Falls through construction of a bypass bridge connecting Conc. 3 across the Burnt River to the northeast.
Traffic concerns near the existing bridge on Colborne Street in the village have been a problem for many years. Photo: Geoff Coleman.
Council requested an additional public meeting be scheduled to inform seasonal and full-time residents in the affected areas of the study’s findings and recommendations. A final report is expected to come to council in the summer of 2021.
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Business UPFRONT
}} M’s Bake Shop in Coboconk Loyal patrons keep beloved village bakery going
Frank and Mirella DeLuca left the suburban hustle of Ajax back in 1989 for the calm of Kawartha Lakes, settling in Kirkfield. Since they already had family living here, Mirella says “We were familiar with the area and fell in love with its beauty.” While Frank worked in lumber retail, Mirella gardened at The Old Tin House in Kirkfield, a business offering garden maintenance and landscaping. But for the last four years the couple have combined their energies on a new passion: M’s Bake Shop in downtown Coboconk. The shop offers everything from muffins to pastries to light lunches, and has a steady stream of regular patrons dropping by for food and coffee or tea. (It’s also a great place to pick up the Advocate.) “We’re very fortunate to live and work in Kawartha Lakes,” says Mirella. “The peace and tranquility of country living, as well as having great neighbours and customers, are all the things that we love most about being here.” As for many small business owners, the pandemic was a challenge. “When we shut down at the end of March, the CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) helped us to stay home for a couple of months.”
Frank and Mirella DeLuca. Photos: Roderick Benns.
The DeLucas reopened at the end of May “with the love and support of our customers, both local and seasonal,” for which they’re grateful. It also helped that their landlords “were very understanding and let us forgo paying rent while we were closed.” M’s Bake Shop is across the road from the Pattie House, at 6670 Hwy. 35 North.
BarterPay growing in Kawartha region BarterPay, Canada’s largest and fastest-growing organized barter network, is growing in our local area, as well as across Canada. The organization helps business owners acquire the goods and services they need, using their own idle inventory or business services and skills as payment, instead of cash. According to BarterPay’s website, all members get their own “barter coach” to help them make the most of the system. The organization’s partners include the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Business Development Bank of Canada, Restaurants Canada, Retail Council of Canada and others. To learn how your small business might benefit, call 905-777-0660 or visit https://barterpay.ca
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Don’t let the pandemic dampen your holiday spirit. There are safe options for shopping and events across Kawartha Lakes. Consider placing online orders or ordering specialty catering from local businesses. If you’re heading to a storefront, restaurant, or service provider, they’re ready to safely serve you in person. Stay safe, support local.
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BENNS’ BELIEF
RODERICK BENNS, Publisher
How we’re serving you better
When we created the Advocate magazine 32 issues ago, we knew we would use it not only to tell important stories, but also to create change that would benefit the community. For example, we led the fight to save Lindsay’s hospital from amalgamation with Peterborough’s; we helped put basic income on the national radar; we pushed for a national pharmacare program; we rallied for I.E. Weldon’s International Baccalaureate program, which gives our area a competitive edge; we pushed LifeLabs to make changes to support our senior population; we regularly write in support of small businesses. (And they, in turn, are the lifeblood of the Advocate in our community.) We pride ourselves on being the only independent and 100 per cent local news media outlet that also publishes in print. We also have more contributors than any other media outlet in Kawartha Lakes. (And we don’t make you register when you read our online articles.) Our flagship and heart of this operation may be our print magazine, but our online Advocate is dynamic and jam-packed with breaking news and features about city council, education, special events and more. We write so much that we can’t possibly fit it all into our print magazine, and so we’re thankful for our thousands of readers online, too. Our social media presence is an actively moderated discussion on local issues. As well, Jessica Topfer recently joined our team as digital content manager, thanks to a grant from Pinnguaq, and is doing amazing work. The Advocate attracts co-op students, too — young people we are eager to work with. Early in 2020 we launched the third component of the Advocate. The Advocate Podcast: Stories of Kawartha Lakes, is like a radio show you’d hear on CBC. You log onto lindsayadvocate.ca, scroll down a little, and on the right side you’ll see the Advocate Podcast image. Just click and listen — it’s that simple. (Warning: Once you listen to one episode, you’ll be hooked.) Host and producer of the show, Denis Grignon, is a former writer and onair presence at CBC Radio in Ottawa and has lived here for more than 20 years. All of this is made possible only because Wards Lawyers in Lindsay is sponsoring this great community program, which our thousands of listeners appreciate. Earlier this year we asked you to support us with a small monthly donation — and many of you did. Thank you. We have put this money toward paying writers to do more stories and to improving the Advocate overall. If you’re able to make a small monthly donation to us to help keep the Advocate going and keep improving it, visit lindsayadvocate.ca. In the right corner in red text find Support Us. Or call 705-341-1496 or email kawarthalakespublisher@gmail.com. We hope you find we’re bringing you the most professional, authentic and worthwhile media experience in Kawartha Lakes. From all of us at the Advocate, we wish you and your family a safe and happy Christmas and the best of the holiday season.
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EDITORIAL
High speed? High time If there has been one consistent message sent to all levels of government these past few years it’s that now, more than ever, we need reliable high-speed internet. When March, 2020 happened — the height of the pandemic-induced shut down in Ontario — the need was only intensified. Maybe, finally, governments are listening. The federal government — the branch of government with the biggest wallet — originally announced $1 billion in its 2019 budget for this very cause. Last month, additional funding of $750 million for the so-called Universal Broadband Fund was added to help advance these much-needed projects. The government will target households and businesses in underserved communities over the next six years. This includes a $150-million “rapid response stream” for the money, with an accelerated application process. Canada has long been a satellite powerhouse, which is why another investment of $600 million with Canadian satellite company Telesat is welcome news, especially for largely rural areas like Kawartha Lakes. This initiative will improve connectivity and expand high-speed internet coverage to the far north, rural and remote regions across Canada. Now, Kawartha Lakes may be a far cry from northern Ontario or areas in our far north, but anyone in this far-flung city knows the dead zones of connectivity are frustrating for students, teachers and parents trying to work from home. It is also career-limiting for those who may want to call this area home. The CRTC declared broadband internet a basic telecommunications service back in 2016. Yet its own numbers showed just 41 per cent of rural Canadian households have access to suitable download speeds. Mayor Andy Letham has been pushing hard for more funding and has used his pulpit as chair of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus to hammer home this need. The province has come through with some funding to help. But this federal money could be the game-changer we all need it to be.
LETTER SPOTLIGHT Missing the ‘loopers’
Ron and Eva Stob established the American Great Looper Cruise Association in 1990, starting the loop in the United States and entering Canada after boating in Bobcaygeon. They never dreamed in 2020, some 30 years later would be the first time U.S. loopers could not enter the Trent-Severn Waterway, due to COVID-19. The Trent-Severn Waterway (TSW) did not see any of the approximately 275 looper boats that usually grace our waterway. The minimum recommended boat size is 11.3 metres to travel the 10,000-km, 12-month journey using up to $30,000 in fuel. Helping loopers at various stops are “harbour hosts” who greet loopers in their town, and provide local information and assistance from taxi services, eye doctors, groceries, restaurants and a host of other services. Our Water Street Clothesline shop is a must stop on the loopers’ list for gifts and souvenirs. For us it’s an honour as the official harbour host for Buckhorn Lock 31, Bobcaygeon Lock 32 and Fenelon Falls Lock 34 to serve the loopers and guide them to various other businesses for goods or services they need. With the closure of the U.S. border in 2020, we have really missed our looper friends as texts and emails are just not the same. We are hopeful we will see them back on the TSW, which has become a looper favourite, in the summer of 2021. Pam Vaters, Bobcaygeon
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OPINION
Long-term care needs action now, not in 2025 BONNIE ROE Bonnie Roe is the co-chair of the Haliburton-CKL Long-Term Care Coalition.
Just last month, many unions and health advocates for long-term care were initially ecstatic to learn that the Ontario government was finally taking the necessary steps to improve quality of care for seniors in Ontario. The government announced it would establish a new standard that would ensure that residents in nursing homes receive an “average of four hours of direct care, every day,” up from the 2.75 hours of care they receive now on average. However, the glow immediately faded when we learned that Premier Doug Ford’s pledge would not be achieved until 2024–2025. Waiting up to five years is insulting to residents and their families and is totally unacceptable in our current long-term care crisis. More than 2,100 long-term care residents have died to date in Ontario during the pandemic, which is inexcusable. The Haliburton-CKL Long-Term Care Coalition believes that if Ford had the political will to do so, he could and would fast-track this process now to prevent further deaths. Earlier this month, Superior Court Judge Frank Marrocco released an interim report from the province’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission. The report said that Ontario must increase hours of care to four hours per resident per day, increase funding to hire more personal support workers and nurses, increase inspections and have a dedicated staff person in each home who is responsible for infection control procedures and compliance. Minister of Long-Term Care Merilee Fullerton responded to a letter from the Haliburton-CKL LongTerm Care Coalition early last month, about the need for immediate action on this issue. Fullerton estimated the cost to be $1.75 billion to develop and redevelop long-term care homes.
The plan will require significant changes in the sector, like educating and recruiting tens of thousands of new personal support workers, registered practical nurses and registered nurses. About 50,000 eligible workers will receive a temporary wage increase of $3 an hour. As part of the plan, the government has dedicated another $405 million to assist homes with prevention and containment, Fullerton wrote. The recent Ontario budget not only fell short of the funding required, but it also felt empty, considering the timelines involved. Michael Hurley, regional vice president of CUPE, said the government’s pledge “is meaningless if it doesn’t come with a detailed plan to hire thousands of workers. You have to have targets about the number of people that you were planning to recruit each year, and a methodology for getting to that target.”
Waiting up to five years is insulting to residents and their families and is totally unacceptable in our current long-term care crisis. Our group is astounded that an interim report from the Long-Term Care COVID 19 Commission, which offered specific recommendations, has not begun to be implemented. There was no new money allocated in the recent budget — not even empty promises. We as citizens need to contact Ford and all of our respective government representatives at all levels and say, “Our Seniors Matter” and they need change now, before we needlessly lose another life.
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}} Home Stretch
First-time home buyers have few options in Kawartha Lakes
RODERICK BENNS Publisher
Home sales in
KAWARTHA LAKES as of Oct. 2020
SALES Kate Dorotheou says the price of real estate in Kawartha Lakes is a huge reason why she does not yet own her own home. Photo: Erin Burrell.
As a prospective first-time home buyer, Adam Rafton isn’t exactly asking for a lot. He and his partner would like a one-to-two-bedroom home that “hopefully has a garage,” located somewhere rural, preferably east of Lindsay toward the Omemee area. The 25-year-old is working full time in Minden and has a stable, respected job. His partner is a teacher and now has a long-term occasional position with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, a position she can eventually build a full-time career on. Moving a bit east just makes sense for her job — and Minden is “up north” regardless, as Rafton points out. They’ve already been pre-approved for a $375,000 mortgage.
2019 2020
118 163
38%
YR AVG SALE PRICE 2019
2020
$ 428,730
$493,289
CONT’D ON PAGE 14
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15%
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When the pandemic struck, the couple saw an opportunity, assuming the market would cool down. They saw a house in May listed for $350,000 and jumped at the chance. “It seemed to be one of those houses where maybe you could offer a bit less, too,” Rafton said, suggesting the price may been have been a bit inflated. Their bid came in a little over asking price though, just to be sure. In the end, the home sold for about $30,000 more than what it was listed for. “I thought the pandemic would help us,” Rafton said. “But it just hasn’t worked out.” Even the worst economic crisis in a century has not tamped down real estate prices in much of Canada (other than for big city condominiums), and locally there are no signs of that ending. Part of the reality for Kawartha Lakes is that it’s so well-positioned for future growth spurred by an influx of residents from the Greater Toronto Area, according to Lindsay-based realtor Cindy Ray. As older Canadians look to sell off their Toronto-area homes and move somewhere more peaceful, our home prices look like a bargain. During the 2008 financial crisis, for instance, Ray says Kawartha Lakes “didn’t really have a drop in prices. They stayed stable and slowly over time the prices increased. “It’s putting the young area residents Cindy Ray at a disadvantage,” says Ray, who has been a realtor for 15 years. “They are not able to compete with the prices the properties are selling for. They are having to go further north in order to purchase what they qualify for.” Mario Mazziotti, community general manager at CIBC in Lindsay, says first-time home buyers are definitely waiting longer these days to try and qualify for a home. “We are seeing this because of the stress test, which requires banks to check that a borrower can still make their payment at a rate that’s higher than they would actually have to pay. This helps mitigate risk for buyers should interest rates rise.” “Clients are needing to have better-paying jobs and the price of housing is so high,” he says. “First-time home buyers are (often) looking at $400,000 for a first home.” Mazziotti says things slowed down in April at the height of the pandemic but “by the end of May to now it is a massive boom.”
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“We are seeing bidding wars, low interest rates, with rentals being hard to find.” All of this pushes many prospective first-time home buyers out of the running in the local area, where wages are below the provincial median. And it’s not just Lindsay where the bidding wars are going on or where the action is. Trish Todd, a Lindsay-based realtor who works with clients in many locales, says “We are seeing the prices jump and bidding wars not only in Lindsay (but also all of) Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough and cottage waterfront properties.” “We are seeing a lot of GTA buyers escaping the city and acquiring our properties,” Todd says. Brad Bird has been a Kawartha Lakes realtor for more than 33 years. When he first started in the business the majority of the buyers and sellers “were mostly local, and our biggest employer for this area was GM.” That has changed a lot, he says, pointing out that the biggest employers now are the city, along with the Central East Correctional Centre and the hospital. He agrees that the biggest pattern change is that “most of our buyers are coming from the GTA and retirees.” “In the last 10 years there have been more new homes built than in the previous 25 years,” he says. Bird maintains that owning a home is still “the best long-term investment you will ever own, both personally and economically. History has proven that.” Kate Dorotheou is 29 and works full time at Kawartha Lakes Food Source where she earns a living wage. However, the state of the local home buyer’s market has meant she has had to move back in with her parents so that she can save up to buy a home. “I felt that paying rent each month was only a drain on my finances when I could be saving instead. I would rather pay my own mortgage than someone else’s,” she says. Dorotheou says the current price of real estate in Kawartha Lakes “is a huge reason why I do not yet have my own home.” “A small home in Lindsay — a starter home for people my age — is ridiculously priced, and those that are reasonable only stay on the market for a few days with high chances of bidding wars driving the prices out of my reach.” Dorotheou has had her “stable full-time job” for about a year and a half, as well as a part-time job. “The fact that I still cannot find a home even with that is incredibly frustrating.” “The deck is definitely stacked against single people trying to buy on their own,” she says. “It could be that I need to pool resources with my younger brother to make it a possibility for both of us.” Dorotheou has heard so many great stories about first-time ownership from her parents, but it’s just not an experience she has been able to share in. “It’s just too bad that people my age and younger are facing this struggle.” Mazziotti doesn’t see the fired-up Kawartha Lakes housing market cooling down any time soon. “I think it will stay hot,” he says. “More and more people are working from home and they do not need to be living in the GTA.” He recently met a couple that moved up here from Scarborough. “They love the area and the (cheaper) costs so much that they are talking to their neighbours from the city to move up here too.”
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Canopy Project Kawartha Lakes thanks the following people and organizations for their support.
Forest Mackey and Stoddart Funeral Homes Janice Cripps Fleming College*
Stand John Bush, Bobcaygeon Environmental Action*
Cluster John and Janice Ireland Kawartha Computer Clinic*
Tree Scott and Sue Robertson CIBC Lindsay Lindsay Police Association Coach and Horses Matheis Group Victoria Fleming Home Building Centre* Emerald Green Property Services* Seabrook Rental* All Into Storage* Lindsay Advocate*
Shrub Mark Dwyer Judy Robinson Dave Barret Roderick Benns & Joli Scheidler-Benns *Donated products or services
The Canopy Project has begun its first planting project and will continue to add locations throughout the City of Kawartha Lakes. To learn more and find ways to give, visit cpkl.ca or call the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes at 705-731-9775.
15
KIRK WINTER Municipal Affairs
CITY NOTES Many cottagers likely to stay the winter
City staff expect the bulk of seasonal cottagers will remain in Kawartha Lakes at their summer homes over the winter and into 2021. Ron Taylor, the city’s Chief Administrative Officer, has told council that staff is preparing for a boost of up to 25 per cent in the winter population of Kawartha Lakes. The city is investigating the impact this additional population will have on snowplowing, emergency services, libraries and recreational services. Taylor also suggested that with COVID-19 still a daily reality there could be additional strain on provincially funded services such as hospitals, health care practitioners and pandemic assessment centres.
New paramedic chief announced
CAO Ron Taylor told council that Randy Mellow will become the new paramedic chief in Kawartha Lakes, while keeping his position as paramedic chief in Peterborough. After 35 years of service as a paramedic, with 18 of those years in Kawartha Lakes, paramedic Chief Andrew Rafton retired Nov. 27. “This new position will allow the two services to work together and learn from each other,” Taylor said.
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Melissa McFarland, General Manager, Lindsay Downtown BIA As the holiday season approaches, there’s no doubt that the usual festivities in every facet of our lives will look somewhat different this year. The organizations responsible for putting on community holiday events are still fine tuning ways to help celebrate this season without encouraging large gatherings. For Downtown Lindsay, community events have two benefits — fostering community spirit, and supporting our downtown businesses by encouraging holiday shopping and dining. The fear is that without the gathering events, the traffic into our small businesses will suffer. The pandemic that has dominated the majority of 2020 has negatively impacted numerous industries, and small businesses aren’t unique. But what is unique are the people behind these storefronts — not industries, not corporations, but real people who live in our community, and had the most challenging business year of their lives. They’ve had to make tough decisions, ones that have no choice but to impact their personal well-being as well — and not all of them were able to weather the storm. CONT’D ON PAGE 18
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The ones who did are feeling unsure of their future in a pandemic that hasn’t gone away. “Shop Local!” has been a phrase heard again and again in the last six months, and our small businesses have been heartened by the show of community support. There was traffic to their newly created online stores, customers willing to be patient and accommodating of curbside pickup and deliveries, and social media posts showing support to their favourite businesses. Many of these shops and restaurants are just about “back to normal” – as much as that’s possible. There’s no doubt this upcoming holiday season is more important than ever before. A successful holiday season may be the make-or-break for many businesses as they look back on their 2020 and decide if 2021 is even going to be feasible. Fortunately for all of us, our retailers and restaurants are ready to serve you. All have policies and procedures in place to ensure their customers and staff can have safe experiences and workplaces. Your shopping and dining experience this holiday season can be as creative
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and fun as it always has. If you’re having trouble getting into the holiday spirit this year, perhaps a trip through the downtown, visiting our specialty shops and crossing items off your list, could be just the ticket. If you’re feeling like in-person shopping isn’t ideal for you this year and find yourself turning to the computer to complete your lists, consider that many of our local businesses have put their stores online. Government funding became available in the closures of this past spring for small businesses to develop an online platform — and many in Downtown Lindsay accepted the challenge. They now have beautiful, functional online stores that give you the same convenience as the major online retailers, but with the bonus of knowing that you’re supporting the dream of someone in your community, and not lining the pockets of multinational corporations. The pandemic has caused many of us to re-identify and realign our priorities. What is important to us may be different now than it was a year ago. What we do know is that our communities need thriving downtowns, and the holiday spirit can be alive and well, with support from our local community, and people like you.
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Weathering the storm }} With COVID-19 making the gruelling
experience of dying or grieving even more painful, Hospice Services is finding new ways to help
NANCY PAYNE Associate Editor
Michelle Griepsma (l), manager, and Janice Craig (r), program co-ordinator, have helped Hospice Services adapt to support people who are nearing the end of their lives or grieving during the pandemic. Photo: Erin Burrell.
Of all the cruelties inflicted by the pandemic, separating people from someone they love who is about to die has to have been among the most vicious. And what of people who received a life-altering diagnosis this year, or who are trying to adjust to life after the death of a parent or spouse? While the upheaval caused by COVID-19 to the economy, education and daily life tends to dominate the public conversation, the pandemic has also profoundly altered the way people are living with and dying from other causes, as well as changing how we are able to mourn and bid farewell to those we love. For Hospice Services, an arm of Community Care Kawartha Lakes, 2020 has meant rethinking nearly everything it does in order to help clients get through this most unsettling of times.
Hospice volunteers who had previously spent several hours a week providing care and support for people in Ross Memorial Hospital’s palliative care unit were no longer able to do so. (Palliative care is often thought of as comfort measures at the end of someone’s life, but in general is aimed at ensuring the best possible quality of life for people with serious illnesses, and extends to people who are grieving a death.) In the early stages of the pandemic, the hospital allowed patients nearing the end of their lives just one visitor per day, later increased to two. (The hospital also offers half-hour virtual visits for all patients.) The twovisitors-per-day rule applies whether someone drops in for 15 minutes or spends all night by the patient’s side.
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The limit, while an important part of the hospital’s plan to reduce risk from COVID-19, meant that as they approached their final days, more people opted out of hospital care in order to be where they could spend time with as many of their loved ones as possible. “There definitely was an increase from March to the end of October in the number of palliative care clients of ours who died at home, and a decrease in the number who died in the hospital,” says Michelle Griepsma, manager of Hospice Services. “That affirms the anecdotal stories that we’re hearing where people are saying to us ‘My mum wants to die at home. She doesn’t want to go into the hospital because we can’t all be there.’” Hospice staff and volunteers help clients to manage pain and cope with their symptoms at home, and provide emotional support as a loved one slips away. As for the Hospice folks who used to volunteer in the hospital’s palliative care unit, Griepsma says many are trying new things, perhaps making a phone call when they can’t sit at a bedside. “Maybe they visit in the driveway. One volunteer writes letters to clients. They’re finding any creative way that they can.” Faced first with a sharp drop in demand for some services followed by a surge, Hospice had to adapt, and fast. As soon as it became apparent there was a need for COVID-specific bereavement programs, the organization started a virtual group to help people through a uniquely difficult time. “These people would have experienced the death of someone in either a long-term care home or hospital setting or at home, and felt the restriction of the support that was able to be offered to them,” Griepsma says. “Grief is universal in some ways,” but for people bereaved during the pandemic, “there are those extra similarities.” The online group allows people who share the strange awfulness of a loved one’s death in these times to talk to others enduring the same thing. Hospice staff realized early on that they would have to find new ways to connect clients with support and with each other. “Our programs went very quickly to a virtual platform compared to others in the province,” Griepsma says. “Everyone rallied — the volunteers did, the staff did and they all made it work very quickly.” They settled on the Zoom videoconferencing platform to move groups online, learning themselves as they eased clients along. “There was an awful lot of individual coaching that went on to help people feel comfortable with this new technology,” Griepsma says. CONT’D ON PAGE 22
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21
HOSPICE SERVICES
Help in the Darkest Hours
CONT’D FROM PAGE 21
Community Care’s Hospice Services offers a wide range of options for people who are recently bereaved or living with a life-limiting disease. All are free; the organization relies heavily on donations from the public. • Living with Cancer (Zoom and in person) • Living with Illness (Zoom and in person) • Living Beyond Cancer (Zoom and in person) • One-to one phone support • Caregiver Connection groups (Zoom and in person through reserved seating) • Guided Meditation Legal only) Experienced Advice Experienced Legal(Zoom Advice for your • Expressive Journaling (Zoom only)
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Many support groups now have protocols in place to allow some in-person participation along with the virtual option. That’s been invaluable for Tanya Noble, who’s not always able to leave Woodville to attend a support group session at the Hospice offices in Lindsay. “It’s great to be able to Zoom if I can’t get someone to watch my kids — I can just go to another room. I’d rather see people in person but you still get the support even through Zoom.” She credits Hospice with helping her cope after her husband Sean suffered a fatal heart attack at their home in June 2019. “It’s changed my life. It’s given me the tools I need to understand that while my life will never be the same, I have choices about how I live it.” The Circle of Hope program she’s participated in first met in person, shifting online after the pandemic hit. Her two children, who were four and five years old when their father died, had been going to a special kids-only Hospice program run out of Lindsay’s Early Years Centre. A new children’s group, STARS (for Standing Together and Receiving Support), started meeting online in October. Each week the Hospice facilitator leads them through play-based activities to help them work out their feelings through words and art. “They enjoy it,” Noble says. “It’s helped them realize they’re not alone. They felt no one else was like them, but to see that there are other kids who are going through the same thing has helped them become more open.” In the midst of everything else, Hospice also started brand-new programs. One is a weekly session that leads participants through a reflective process to write a journal; another, called Living Beyond Cancer, is for those who have the disease or have undergone treatment. To provide some comfort at a time when many people have not been able to hold funerals for a loved one, Hospice even moved its annual memorial service online, streaming the November event using St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church’s YouTube channel. Although not a perfect replacement for in-person sessions, the virtual groups have advantages when everyone’s concerned about leaving home, says Griepsma. Those living with an illness can stay where they know they’re safe, and caregivers don’t have to worry about finding someone to be with their loved one while they’re out. “Any way that they can connect to some support is helpful, even if it’s online,” says Griepsma. CONT’D ON PAGE 24
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HOSPICE SERVICES CONT’D FROM PAGE 22
Arthritis in the knee, spine or hip Osteoarthritis: Can a Chiropractor Help? Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It occurs when the protective cartilage at the joints becomes worn down. It often impacts the knee and hip joints due to their weight-bearing properties. It can also affect the spine. When severe, this may lead to pain, stiffness, swelling, and limited range of motion. It may make it hard to walk or perform your daily activities. However, the symptoms of osteoarthritis are entirely treatable - and yes, chiropractic care can help!
Chiropractic Care & Osteoarthritis Chiropractic care can specifically help in cases of knee, spine, or hip osteoarthritis. Through spinal manipulations and adjustments, a chiropractor can take some of the pressure off these joints by realigning the spine and body. By using these techniques, a chiropractor can further help improve your gait and reduce inflammation, as well as reduce any dysfunctions that may worsen the problem. Other techniques and treatment methods that chiropractors use include Active Release Technique, therapeutic exercises, and sometimes, nutritional recommendations. A chiropractor further works with other health professionals to get you on your way toward a pain-free life as soon as possible. At Kawartha Care Wellness Centre, our team includes chiropractors, physiotherapists, massage therapists, and more. By having your therapy team all in one place, it ensures you receive the most coordination and best treatment available. Our therapists work together to create a treatment plan suitable to you and your situation. Begin your journey toward recovery. Start today by contacting us at Kawartha Care Wellness Centre.
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Hospice’s embrace of new technology to meet new demands is paying off in other ways. “We’re so resistant to change, but when we’re forced, we can really rise to that challenge,” Griepsma says. She adds that while people in her field have always worked together, “It’s just so easy now. We connect with the greater hospice community and with people all over the province without having to travel.” She and her colleagues are well aware that COVID-19 will continue to require them to adapt for a long time to come. Rituals that help us through death and grieving, such as funerals and meals with family and friends, have been severely limited for nine months, with no end in sight yet. As a result, many in the palliative care field expect to see effects that will linger for years. “The trauma from the pandemic is not like other events,” Griepsma says, especially for children. “Usually a traumatic event is one incident, where the pandemic is a long, sustained thing.”
Rituals that help us through death and grieving, such as funerals and meals with family and friends, have been severely limited for nine months, with no end in sight yet. As a result, many in the palliative care field expect to see effects that will linger for years. It would be easy to get discouraged, but Griepsma says everyone involved in the local Hospice organization can be proud of how they’ve rallied to help their clients. “I think we’ll look back and think about all the things we learned about our community’s resiliency and our own resiliency as a team.” Whether their efforts involve a telephone call with someone in crisis, a Zoom drawing session with kids, an in-person time to share the weight of caregiving or a virtual meditation hour, Hospice staff and volunteers are continuing to find ways to help grateful people like Tanya Noble. “It makes such a difference. What they do is invaluable.”
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BOOKS
READER SPOTLIGHT Courtesy of Kawartha Lakes Public Library
HELENE BRADBURN of Kent Florist
I had a wonderful summer of reading this year. My favourite novel was The Witch Elm by Tana French. It was a real nail-biter — a murder mystery that had you jumping back and forth over a few decades. The ultimate twist at the end is well worth the read. How does a fun night out with friends to celebrate the great life you’re having end up so catastrophic? How did you miss so much and not see it coming? Please support your local library and enjoy the love of reading books!
More news and stories available at lindsayadvocate.ca
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JjoolliiODERICk R 3 things or places you
iA
came to appreciate more • Our small community • Time with friends when possible • The commitment and growth of Team Advocate
RODERICk 3 things or places you came to appreciate more • Ken Reid Conservation Area • The ingenuity of our small business owners • Leaders who put public health above politics 3 local things you’re looking forward to doing again • Seeing a show at Globus Theatre and the Academy Theatre • Having staff meetings again in person • Getting together with multiple friends at once
Jjoollii
3 books you loved in 2020 • Humankind: A Hopeful History (Rutger Bregman) • The Tangled Garden: A Canadian Cultural Manifesto for the Digital Age (Richard Stursberg) • Next (Darrell Bricker)
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ica nCy more of Advocate associate n• aCompleting jesSeditor Nancy Payne’s staycations • Seeing people’s smiles again (without masks) or once again evhugging • Feeling comfortable tRwith jam 3 books you loved in 2020 Jjoollii • Teardown (Dave Meslin) • Policy Paradox (Deborah Stone) • The Sport and Prey of Capitalists (Linda McQuaig)
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3 things or places you came to appreciate more • My garage • The LCBO • Magazine subscriptions
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3 local things you’re looking forward to doing again • Going to a crowded bar • Seeing local live music • Events at the kids’ schools
books you loved in 2020 DENIS miEFallen Feathers (Tanya Talaga) j3• aSeven • Henry IV, Part 2 (William Shakespeare) • The Hilarious World of Depression (John Moe)
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3 local things you’re looking forward to doing again • Ushering at the Academy Theatre • Attending church again — not simply services, but dinners, concerts and other events that regularly take place in our places of worship • Seeing people in person on a regular basis, and not just through Zoom
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3 books you loved in 2020 • Confederates in The Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War (Tony Horwitz) • Royal Progress: Canada’s Monarchy in the Age of Disruption (D. Michael Jackson, ed.) • A Road for Canada: The Illustrated Story of the Trans-Canada Highway (Daniel Francis)
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kirK 3 things or places you came to appreciate more • Anyone who works in retail — pharmacies, hardware stores, grocery stores, etc. That they served us while earning little pay and under such difficult — even, arguably, threatening — conditions is so appreciated. • Our bunkie by our pond. The pond is home to about a half dozen beavers. A nice respite and diversion • Ken Reid Conservation Area: I thought I knew all its trails well, but didn’t. There’s so much there to explore and find peace in
jamiE
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came to appreciate more • The city’s system of trails. They took us out of our homes and were a source of healthy recreation for many. In May alone, numbers enjoying the Kawartha TransCanada Trail were up 214 per cent over 2019. • Tennis courts freshly re-lined to accommodate pickle-ballers. • Lindsay Community Garden on Fleming College’s Frost campus. A tranquil community within the larger community.
DENIS
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forward to doing again • Making music with others in the concert band or choir • Indoor competition (whether pick-up basket ball, hockey, or squash) • Not feeling anxious about going out to a theatre or cinema
heE tTH waarrTThhaa K kaaw lakes libRary
3 books you loved in 2020 • What It’s Like to Be a Bird (David Allen Sibley) • The Odyssey (trans. Emily Wilson) • Dreyer’s English (Benjamin Dreyer)
3 local things you’re looking forward to doing again • Hosting friends for massive potluck dinners • Mini concerts at Boiling Over • Packed houses at the Lindsay Little Theatre and the Lakeview Arts Barn 3 books you loved in 2020 • Where the Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens) • From the Ashes (Jesse Thistle) • Alone (Michelle Parise) CONT’D ON PAGE 30
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3 things or places you came to appreciate more • Bonfires as a safe way to gather with friends • Living in the country • Well-researched, non-speculative health news
heE tTH waarrTThhaa K kaaw 3 local things you’re looking lakes forward to doing again Rary irK k libtheatre • Feeling the excitement of a packed
geOfF 3 things or places you came to appreciate more • Kawartha Settlers’ Village — it has a great vibe for weddings • Northern back roads in fall — the colours are outstanding for so long • The improved boat launches around the city
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3 local things you’re looking forward to doing again • Seeing a movie on the big screen — there is still something special about a six-metre high Halle Berry. • Attending a concert — Jason Isbell, the Arkells, and Bruce Springsteen all have new music out, and though none would be playing in Lindsay, I still miss travelling to see a show. • Playing with my band, Live On the Line. We had a busy summer lined up playing at Canada Day celebrations, the Bobcaygeon Food and Craft Beer Festival, private parties and the Bobcaygeon Fall Fair dance. We have not even got together to practise in months.
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3 books you loved in 2020 • From the Ashes (Jesse Thistle) • The Finder (Will Ferguson) • The Mirror and the Light (Hilary Mantel)
3 things or places you came to appreciate more • Takeout food • Boiling Over’s Coffee Vault • Guided meditation courses by Headspace
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3 books you loved in 2020 • The Soul of a Tree (George Nakashima) • Facing Ali (Stephen Brunt) • Sex, Death and Fly-Fishing (John Gierach)
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• Meeting friends for coffee • Hugging people not in my household
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3 local things you’re looking forward to doing again • Being able to study with friends • Watching a blockbuster at Century Cinemas • Getting back in the gym 3 books you loved in 2020 • The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls) • Bad Feminist (Roxane Gay) • Why Bad Governments Happen to Good People (Danny Katch)
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3 things or places you came to appreciate more • Our cottage — an escape from the daily realities of the pandemic • My phone — it became my lifeline for work in the absence of face-to-face interviews • How lucky I am to have the wife that I do 3 local things you’re looking forward to doing again • Watching a council meeting in person — so much gets missed when you just watch the broadcast. • Going to a live sporting event of any level of skill — there’s no better place to be than watching my boys play soccer at Wilson Fields. • Going to Toronto to see my beloved Saskatch ewan Roughriders play, assuming the CFL is able to survive the 2020 COVID-cancelled season.
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3 books you loved in 2020 • Anything by Douglas Reeman, the master of naval yarns. I have read eight of his paperbacks this year • Red Seas Under a Red Skies (Scott Lynch) • Hue 1968 (Mark Bowden)
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3 things or places you came to appreciate more • Technology that allows us to still hang out with friends and family • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for policy measures taken during the pandemic that helped provide support money while some of us in the family were unemployed • Walks around Lindsay, which clear my mind and give me a sense of optimism toward my goals
DENIS
3 local things you’re looking forward to doing again • The Yu-Gi-Oh card game. I recently purchased a special deck of my own and can’t wait to go out to local tournaments • My local writers club. We’d meet at the library about twice or thrice a month and I’m looking forward to returning there • Properly hanging out with my friends, maybe to swim, go to Ctrl-V, or watch a movie
heE tTH hhaa 3 books youK in 2020 rTT aaw waar kloved • All These Monsters (Amy Tintera) lakes(Tyler Davis) • New America: Awakenings • The State of Us ryHutchinson) ibRaDavid l(Shaun
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“I retired in June and was able to enjoy one of the best summers in recent memory, playing golf at local courses and windsurfing more than ever in the last 40 years.” Andy Bean Fenelon Falls
leman d Geoff Co n a n in G c y William M Compiled b
We asked, aside from family and friends, what are you grateful for in 2020?
Tony Lynn Bobcaygeon
“My brother got me a three-wheeler bike, and with it I have been able to bike about 900 km across Ontario. I’ve been through Oshawa, Whitby, the Trans Canada Trail and so many more places.”
“I’m grateful I got the opportunity to get a full-time job here [at Point of Balance Physiotherapy] after graduating, so I was able to take a year off to work and save up some money for school for next year.” Colleen Fillion Lindsay
Ellen Woodward Lindsay
“We’re grateful our Canadian government took proper measures to protect us from the virus, and we’re grateful for the election loss of Donald Trump down south.” Jim and Pam Horsburgh Lindsay
“I am grateful for the kindness shown by strangers that make me realize just how lucky it is to be a Canadian citizen.”
“The virus, whatever else it’s responsible for, has had a humbling effect on many of us; I don’t think that’s a bad thing.” Garth Stasiuk Cameron
“It was tougher due to COVID, but this year I got engaged.” Annalisa Rielly Lindsay
“My husband and I were able to work together on our flower and vegetable gardens and ended up with beautiful flowers blooming all summer and fall, and amazing vegetables to eat. There’s a great feeling of accomplishment when you look at the beauty of our flowers and the abundance of our vegetables. It also makes us realize that there are still good things in this unsettled world.” Jane Garvey, Fenelon Falls
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All staff at A Place Called Home for meeting the urgent needs of triple the normal number of homeless in our community during this pandemic. Also to Lorrie Polito, outgoing executive director, and David Tilley, who has taken over the same role.
In an extraordinary year of loss, restrictions, and most of just trying to do our best, the Advocate offers all roses this year — and just one thorn
Selina Reevie, Peyton Caldoza, Abigail Jardine and the other organizers of the June 7 Black Lives Matter rally, which attracted hundreds more supporters than they expected. A second rose goes to Kawartha Lakes Police Chief Mark Mitchell for taking a knee along with the crowd and keeping the dialogue going afterward. Small business owners for doing what they needed to do to survive, which was a mix of innovation, choosing a hand up from the federal government, and staying adaptable. The health unit’s Dr. Lynn Noseworthy and Andrew Rafton, chief of the city’s paramedics, as they retire after overseeing local response to an unprecedented public health crisis. Countless kind people who check in on neighbours, buy groceries for seniors and generally look out for each other. They are the heart and soul of our communities.
John Ireland and his Urban Canopy Project team. Tree-planting at the Boys & Girls Club of Kawartha Lakes? What better way to signal faith in a better future? Eleanor Plewes, Barb and John Rose and all the others who contributed, in total, thousands of face masks to Ross Memorial Hospital. Jamie Anderson and his library staff for nimbly refocusing on digital resources to ensure access to books, videos and other resources during the pandemic. The “Home for Coronavirus” webpage was genius.
The federal government for its quick response to help people and businesses stay afloat during extraordinary times. While far from perfect it was integral for millions of citizens. Everyone involved in creating the stunning new Logie Street Park in Lindsay. The amazing efforts of many local faith communities in not only shifting to online services in fairly short order, but also mobilizing to support their communities through box lunches, care packages and other creative forms of outreach. The new disc golf course at Memorial Park. Spearheaded by enthusiasts of the pastime and supported financially by the city and the Optimist Club, the course allows players to keep their distance while getting exercise and having fun … for free!
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The clerks at the checkout counters in grocery stores for their patient, affable, and courteous manner in what were surely stressful circumstances. Overlooked folks like the cleaners, kitchen workers, laundry staff etc. in hospitals and long-term care facilities. The executive of the Lindsay Community Gardens, for providing such a nice oasis in which to de-stress by cultivating the soil and planting a garden.
Teachers at all levels, along with principals and school board staff for making plans, then changing, then changing again, to give kids a sense of normalcy as they returned to learning. The veterinary offices, home reno companies and stores that responded overwhelmingly to a call by the city’s paramedics for donations as their PPE supplies ran low.
Globus Theatre and the Lakeview Arts Barn for finding creative ways to safely stage play readings for a public starved for theatre. United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes for donating more than 5,400 kilograms of food it produced to social service agencies across our area. The fresh, healthy food was much needed by vulnerable community members during this extremely challenging year.
COVID-19 for taking loved ones, contributing to other health issues, and forcing us indoors and to be apart from one another.
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LOCAL HEIRLOOM RECIPES Anne Langton’s Dessert Biscuits Anne Langton lived at Blythe Farm near Sturgeon Point from 1837 to 1846. She offered the first schooling in the area, funded the first school building, and is the namesake of Langton Public School in Fenelon Falls. She is revered in Kawartha Lakes for capturing the surroundings for posterity through art and literature. Anne documented the Langton family’s adventures in local food in her journals and letters.
Anne Langton’s Dessert Biscuits In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup of sugar with as much water as will dissolve it. Add 1/2 cup of clarified butter. Pour this hot mixture over 4 eggs, beating it up until a little cool. Add caraway seeds. Stir in flour until it becomes a stiff paste. Roll the dough and fold it as often as your patience will allow. Form cakes the thickness of two half crowns and prick the dough before baking. (Note: Anne would have cooked her biscuits very differently, perhaps with an open fireplace, so no baking instructions are included. Try baking Sponsored By them at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden on top.)
Sharon Walker is the creative director at Maryboro Lodge: The Fenelon Museum. She is documenting local, heirloom recipes for a cookbook. If you have a recipe that you would like to see featured, contact her at sharon@maryboro.ca.
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You’ll find the solution on page 42 By Barbara Olson © ClassiCanadian Crosswords
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FRIENDS & NEIGHBOURS
Keeping it real
}} Christmas trees are an all-year business for local family
JAMIE MORRIS Writer-at-large
If you’re not already in the camp that regards artifiAs the Nov. 28 opening approaches, Dan brings in cial Christmas trees as an abomination, just spend a little locally cut balsam firs (a species they don’t grow on the time with Dan Vanderzwet. farm). He also fells the wild spruce the family donates Dan is an ardent advocate for the real thing. With to enliven the empty square in Lindsay’s downtown. his wife, Heidi, their daughter Bella and sons Dominic He and his family craft spruce and balsam fir wreaths to and Joshua, he operates Potash Creek Farms, the only sell. cut-your-own Christmas tree farm in Kawartha Lakes. For the eight days a year they’re open — the four Dan grew up in Janetville and his passion was weekends from Nov. 28 to Dec. 21 — the family’s sparked by a summer job pruning trees in Pontypool. “Cozy Shack” opens. Dan harvests gourds grown on He completed an engineering degree in Windsor and the farm (which Heidi paints and turns into ornaments), found a position there but continued and arranges for locally-sourced gift to dream of his own Christmas tree items (this year from LeBeau Bees farm. and Lanesend Farm.) When Dan and Heidi happened The number one challenge in upon a 99-acre farm for sale in rolljuggling a full-time engineering job ing terrain southeast of Emily Park and a farm, he says, is the weather. he knew he’d found what he wanted. “We’ve had two severe droughts The property included a seven-acre over our time here, severe enough stand of wild spruce trees that could to almost wipe out a year of effort.” be harvested over the eight years it But satisfaction far outweighs would take for their first tree plantthose challenges. “I enjoy being ings to mature. outdoors, and feel like I’m working Dan’s firm allowed him to work with nature.” He takes pleasure in remotely, so the Vanderzwets the wildlife that make their homes bought the farm and returned to the among the trees, such as sandhill Kawarthas. cranes, wild turkeys, jackrabbits and I wanted Dan to take me through deer. a year on the farm and help me un“We love Christmas and enjoy The Vanderzwet family. Photo: Jamie Morris. derstand its challenges and rewards. being part of families’ celebrations. “It takes eight months of work We meet neighbours and friends, each year to grow trees people think take care of themfor many of whom coming out to Potash Creek is selves,” says Dan. becoming a family tradition.” After Christmas there’s a lull — he’s mostly thinking Physical distancing measures will be in effect this and planning. At the end of April, he plants two-to-threeyear, and the Cozy Shack will have complimentary apple year-old seedlings. Cones come off in May to preserve cider dispensed through a take-out style window). But that perfect Christmas tree look and from June into the warmth of the welcome won’t be any different. August it’s pruning and trimming, and every week or so Sure beats uncrating a shiny plastic tree manufacmoving their Shropshire sheep to trim the low-maintetured overseas. nance grasses.
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JUST IN TIME
The king of instruments
}} Pipe organs offer connection, celebration Among the many cancellations wrought by the coronavirus on the arts and culture scene this year are the annual Christmas concerts, meaning that many of the magnificent pipe organs that usually lead festive carol sings in our area will be silent for the remainder of 2020. One needn’t be a churchgoer to be captivated by the pipe organ. Over the centuries, it has serenaded bridal parties, accompanied silent films and warmed the hearts of concert-goers the world over. In lieu of hearing them in person this Christmas, I invite you to join me in this story as we embark on an “organ crawl” across Kawartha Lakes — discovering the history and character of these marvellous musical instruments, which in many cases have been operating for more than a century. While they vary in size and age, the pipe organs installed throughout Kawartha Lakes all operate on the same principle. Pressurized air is forced into groupings, or ranks, of pipes made from wood or metal. Each rank is turned on and off by stops, giving the organist an incredible palette of sound, from delicate woodwinds to blazing trumpets. The ranks are spread over divisions, each controlled from a different keyboard (also called a key deck or manual). When a key is depressed, a valve opens and air is directed into a particular rank of pipes, producing a sound. An impressive feat of engineering? You bet. “The organ has been called the king of instruments,” wrote Henry Cooke Hamilton, organist at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Lindsay from 1901 through 1912. “While there may be a divergence of opinion here,” he continued, “no one can deny that it is the most comprehensive output of man’s genius in making a musical instrument.” Somewhat ironically, Presbyterians eschewed organs until about 150 years ago. The human voice,
IAN McKECHNIE Writer-at-large
they claimed, was sufficient. Times had changed by 1899, when the Karn-Warren company of Woodstock, Ont., installed a two-manual, 1,127-pipe organ in St. Andrew’s. With its rich tones and beautiful oak case, this organ attracted recitalists from as far away as England. Feeling ambitious in 1927, the church had this instrument completely rebuilt and enlarged by the Toronto firm of Franklin Legge. Sadly, by 1966, the organ had deteriorated to the point of being almost
Trinity United Church Organ (Omemee, 1907). Photo: Ian McKechnie.
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inoperable. Familiar with the new electronic organs, then-organist William Perry recommended that St. Andrew’s invest in a three-manual Rodgers organ that remains in use to this day. Mackey Funeral Home had better luck with its one-manual Franklin Legge organ, which has been doing its duty in the chapel since 1942. Though small, the instrument has a considerable vocal range. A walk across the street will bring the organ enthusiast to Cambridge Street Baptist Church, which in 1944 had a nine-rank pipe organ installed in memory of the Morton family — the culmination of plans first laid in 1918 by Mr. Fulton Stewart. A short walk north, Cambridge Street United Church boasts the largest organ in this area, with three manuals and more than 2,000 pipes. Built in 1913 by the renowned Casavant Frères company of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, it was upgraded in 2008 with the addition of several digital ranks. This blend of old and new technology has beautifully enhanced many services and recitals, and starred in biennial Phantom of the Organ events held in the church. Smaller though by no means less historically significant is the organ at Trinity United Church in Omemee. A gift from John and Flora McCrea Eaton (later Sir John and Lady Eaton), it was formally dedicated at a concert on Sept. 16, 1907. At 518 pipes, it was modest in size but stunning in sound. “From the faintest whispers Cambridge Street United Church boasts of its soft stops to the loud crescendo of the full organ, every the largest organ in contrast of tone and power was this area, with three given,” wrote one correspondent. manuals and more than There are many other pipe organs in the community, from 2,000 pipes. Built in 1913 by the renowned the splendid specimen at St. Paul’s Anglican Church to that in the former Casavant Frères Queen Street United Church (now company of SaintCelebrations), which incorporates Hyacinthe, Quebec, 140-year-old pipes previously used it was upgraded in 2008 in an organ at a church in Toronto. A “melodious pipe organ” was even with the addition of several digital ranks. installed at the MacAlpine private estate on Sturgeon Lake. Many are the organs, but few are the people skilled at playing them. Even fewer —at least here in Kawartha Lakes — are young people who have taken up the challenge of mastering all of those keys, stops and pedals. Shannon Fiedler, who presides at the 21-rank Karn-Warren instrument in St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Lindsay, began playing the organ in 2008 when she was 14 years old. “It is interesting to note that St. Mary’s last four organists all started in the position before they were 20 years old,” Shannon observes. “It has proven to be an extremely creative and unique outlet for me. More than that, though, I have a deep appreciation for music’s powerful ability to connect people and foster community.”
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Chantel M. Lawton barrister, solicitor and notary public
“Guiding Families Forward”
Accredited Family Mediation Services & Collaborative Law 189 Kent St. W., Suite 220 Lindsay, Ontario
705-878-9949 www.chantellawton.com
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TREVOR’S TAKE TREVOR HUTCHINSON Contributing Editor
Ford’s folly a return to form
Like a lot of people, I was pleasantly surprised at Doug Ford’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis early in the pandemic. Despite a couple of early missteps, he was fairly consistent in his messaging and worked well with the federal government — as it supplied the province billions of dollars in COVID support — avoiding the hyper-partisanship of other conservative premiers. But Ford stalled in the summer. Instead of concentrating on detailed plans for what he was told would happen in the fall, he took a “vacay” from responsibility. Buoyed by rising polls, he embarked on a campaign-style victory lap. Don’t get me wrong; I am glad that the premier likes Kawartha Dairy ice cream. I do, too; it’s the best and we all know that. But during the summer of 2020 we didn’t need a selfie of our leader eating ice cream. We needed a leader heeding the advice of epidemiologists. We needed a leader who prized our health over “owning” the teachers’ unions. Heck, even a leader who could look up “second wave” on Wikipedia might have done the trick. Looking back, we shouldn’t have been fooled by Ford’s brief flash of competency. One of his first acts, only days into his term, was to eliminate the office of the Chief Scientist of Ontario. It was a clear nod to his base of developers and climate-change deniers: pesky things like science and facts won’t get in the way of business. Later, he would be the first premier to fight, in court, the release of his ministerial mandates. (He is still fighting to prohibit us from knowing what he wants his ministers to do to our province.) Ford has returned to his original form: a deliberate lack of transparency, cherry-picking data and pandering to corporate interests. Take the staffing issues in long-term care (LTC) homes, as one example. Ford definitely can’t be blamed for all of the problems in LTC — that is a historic and collective failure. But he had months (and the federal funding) to get a new generation of personal support workers ready and adequately trained in time for the second wave. A second wave he knew was coming. A second wave he knew would hit LTC hardest. Ford’s plan? Remove 50 per cent of the work done by PSWs and have it done by Resident Support Aides, who will make on average $16 an hour. Many experts believe this is the exact opposite of what is needed and is just further pandering to the LTC industry. The folksy “I’m up all night”-isms will not help us. Thoughts and prayers are just that: thoughts and prayers. We need bold leadership. We needed it in the summer of 2020 and we didn’t get it. But it’s still possible to have it now.
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Looking forward to welcoming staff, customers + extended family back New hours! 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
We are ready! Yours in Good Health,
- The Smitty’s Gang
SOLUTION
to this month’s crossword, page 37 Tooling Around 1
A
13
B
2
3
R
17
B
19
R
4
G R A
14
N
I
B
L
E
B
E
L
R
L
G
I
26
S
28
29
G N
37
T
42
A
L
G
38
39
N G A
U
R
57
52
E
53
D
T
I
N
R
I
P
E
A
C
61 65
B 23
P
A
L
G
16 18
A
O W E
R
T
O
27
S
9
N
E
R
I
L
E
D
R
I
L
L
O R
E
21 25
33 41
I
A
T
G
S
48
P
S
54
E M E
S
D
A
E
P
I
P
I
66
T
E
O N
L
68
E
T A
34
R
35
A
36
P
A W S 44
M O O
47
U M
S
O
43 46
12
M B D
Y J
11
I A
32
40
10
A M M A K
T
24
8
A S
A M A
58 62
7
A S T
E N
6
O U
D
S
L
E
I
T W A L
B
20
I
67
5
E
31
P I
I
A
30
H
45 51
D
E 22
N
15
© Classi
N W T
49
A
S 59
50
B
U
55
R
56
E 60
T
R
U M P
E W R
E
N
C
H
E M O N
T
E
A
E
T
63
N
64
D
69
Y
By Barbara Olson © ClassiCanadian Crosswords
www.lindsayadvocate.ca
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