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Roads
celebrating life in hastings county
Country Roads
DARYL KRAMP, MPP Hastings-Lennox and Addington
celebrating life in hastings county
CR Country CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR Nancy Hopkins 613 968-0499 CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR John Hopkins 613 968-0499 ASSISTANT EDITOR Heather-Anne Wakeling 613 968-0499
Roads
SALES celebrating lifeDEPARTMENT in hastings county CENTRAL & NORTH HASTINGS & AREA Lorraine Gibson-Alcock lorraine@countryroadshastings.ca 613.902.0462
QUEEN’S PARK OFFICE Room 325, Main Legislature Bldg. Toronto, ON M7A 1A8 Tel: 416-326-7005 Fax: 416-326-6999
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Gail Burstyn Heather Cowley Sandy Randle Michelle Annette Tremblay Sarah Vance Jozef VanVeenen
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 year: $25.00 2 years: $45.00 3 years: $67.50 All prices include H.S.T. The contents of this publication are protected by copyright. Reproduction of this p ublication in whole or in part without prior written permission of PenWord C ommunications Inc. is prohibited. The advertising deadline for the Summer 2019 issue is May 10, 2019 COVER PHOTO: HEATHER COWLEY
Thank you Quinte, Thank youBelleville, Belleville, Quinte “TheCountry” County” & & Eastern Ontario “The Eastern Ontario
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Proudly serving the constituents in Hastings-Lennox and Addington
Working with you…. Working for you!
Thank Belleville, Quinte We now you offer one of the LARGEST FACTORY We now offer one of the LARGEST FACTORY DIRECT COLLECTIONS OF& HANDCRAFTED CANADIAN “The Country” Eastern Ontario DIRECT COLLECTIONS OF HANDCRAFTED CANADIAN s MENNONITE FURNITURE in EASTERN ONTARIO. Heirloom pieces ni LarMENNONITE are now crafted from wormy maple, flat &ONTARIO 1/4 cut oak, Heirloom offer one of&inclear the LARGEST FACTORY ry We FURNITURE EASTERN Den rustic & rough sawn pine & Cherry DIRECTare COLLECTIONS OF HANDCRAFTED CANADIAN pieces crafted from wormy & clear maple, flat & Thank you Belleville, Quinte MENNONITE FURNITURE EASTERN ONTARIO “The Country” & Eastern Ontario 1/4 cut oak, rustic &Belleville, rough sawn pine &Heirloom cherry. Thank youin Quinte
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COUNTRY ROADS, Celebrating Life in Hastings County is published four times a year by PenWord Communications Inc. Copies are distributed to select locations throughout Hastings County including the c ommunities of Bancroft, Belleville, Madoc, Marmora, Stirling and Tweed.
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R0011294653
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lorraine Gibson-Alcock Angela Hawn James Kerr Barry Penhale Teddy Ryan Michelle Annette Tremblay Sarah Vance Heather-Anne Wakeling Shelley Wildgen
R0011294653 R0011294653 R0011294653 R0011294653
ART DIRECTOR Jozef VanVeenen
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613-969-9263
Spring 2019 • Country Roads
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CONTRIBUTORS Lorraine Gibson-Alcock Lorraine Gibson-Alcock grew up on a farm in rural Saskatchewan but has lived in a number of cities across Canada and travelled the country extensively thanks to her work for the Hudson’s Bay Company. From holding Regional Sales Manager and national buyer positions, creating instore special events for visiting celebrities (Sophia Loren, Oscar de la Renta to name two), and being the National Budgeting Manager, Lorraine has a breath of retail and business expertise and a willingness and passion to share it. After “retiring” from corporate life, Lorraine met her future husband Doug and moved to Marmora to live by the water and “relax”. In her 4th year as part of the Country Roads’ team, as the Central Hastings Sales Rep, and now recently North Hastings as well, Lorraine somehow finds the time, now and again, to write stories for Country Roads where she shares her enthusiasm for the rural experience. Angela Hawn writes both fiction and non-fiction for various magazines and literary journals, both in print and online. There’s rarely a moment when some story of some sort isn’t rambling through her head, even if she’s making dinner for the family or chauffeuring a kid to swimming lessons while it’s happening.
James Kerr is a writer, broadcaster, arcade champ, and media warrior. For most of his career he worked in radio running small not-for-profit radio stations and penning hours upon hours of radio drama. Now he lives quietly in a severed farmhouse in Campbellford with his lovely lady, two screaming children, a chronically nervous King Charles Caviller Spaniel, and about a dozen barn cats. James can be reached at jamesatkerr@gmail.com”
Paddle the York River & Beautiful Baptiste Lake in Bancroft, Ontario Saturday July 6th & Sunday July 7th
EDITORIAL
Stories in bloom In this issue we bring you an eclectic offering of stories celebrating everything from the people to the land and history of Hastings County that in our eyes, make it a very special place. We’re proud to be honouring the lives of two Belleville men and their immeasurable contributions to the region and the world at large. Barry Penhale’s article “A Tribute to C.W. “Bill” Hunt (1931–2016)” shines a light on the late Belleville resident and his historically valuable contributions to residents of the region. Hunt was a prolific book author, noted tour guide, and incomparable storyteller and his accounts of regional history were far from dry. A national bestseller, his book Booze, Boats & Billions was so popular that speaking engagements and media interest kept him busy for several years. Another fascinating Hunt book was the extremely well-researched Dancing In The Sky. Harry Leslie Smith, who passed away late last fall was a lifelong crusader for democracy and human rights. In his later years his message reached people around the world through his many books and extraordinary foray into the world of social media. One quarter of a million people followed his words, actions, etcetera via his Twitter posts and podcasts. His actions show how the power of social media can be used in a positive manner to create social awareness and change. Its’ the time of year again when local waterways begin their spring runoff and Hastings County’s many rivers flow south. Respecting your waterfront is a wise thing to do. If your waterfront needs renovations and repairs there are experts at the local conservation authorities that will give you the guidance and expertise you need to make your shoreline strong, safe and enhance the look of your property. We welcome a new writer to our pages. In his inaugural article with Country Roads James Kerr, a native of Campbellford speaks about the decision that besets many area families. Should we keep the family century home? Can we keep the family century home? With often generations of family history in a home it’s a complicated, personal, financial, and emotional choice to make. Here’s to spring when the land opens up again and we munch away on the first crops of the season. Strawberries anyone?
•
“Caring for your family’s dental health”
Stirling Dental Centre Dr. Doug Smith
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Country Roads • Spring 2019
9B Tuftsville Road, Stirling, ON 613-395-2800
TURN TO PAGE 18 TO SEE THE PHOTO CONTEST
WINNERS!
VOLUME 12, ISSUE 1, SPRING 2019
CONTENTS 8
12
Bancroft’s Retro Candy Store
Bancroft General Mercantile 16 foot candy counter Fudge, Black Licorice, Pop Shoppe, & Vintage Novelties
75 Hastings St. N
Downtown Bancroft on the Strip
613.332.2332
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Also visit Stirling General Mercantile 26 West Front St., Stirling 613.243.8462
22 health & pharmacy beauty food & home optimum post office
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FEATURES 8 TECHNOLOGY OFFERED HIM INTIMATE WORLD-RECOGNITION
22 THE JOYS OF WATERFRONT LIVING
By Angela Hawn
(corner of Hastings & Station)
www.shoppersdrugmart.ca
By Lorraine Gibson-Alcock
26 FARM TO TABLE - SPRING HARVEST
12 KEEPING THE CENTURY FAMILY HOME
Owner/Pharmacist: Mo Joshi 118 Hastings St North Bancroft K0L 1C0 613.332.4846
By James Kerr
DEPARTMENTS 6 EDITORIAL
21 THE VILLAGE IDIOT
6 CONTRIBUTORS
14 REMEMBERING
The cat and the frog
25 ADVERTISERS INDEX
A Detective Without A Gun...
28 COUNTRY CALENDAR
16 JUST SAYING
29 MARKETPLACE
Size Matters
30 BACKROADS
18 PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS
Spring 2019 • Country Roads
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Technology Offered Him Intimate World-Recognition Last Post for a Soldier of Digital Democracy BY ANGELA HAWN Ever the spokesperson for democracy and civil respect, Smith is pictured giving a speech at a Trades Union Congress event in 2014. Photo courtesy of Smith Family archives.
A
ge is just a number. Perhaps no one suited that expression better than renowned anti-poverty activist and writer, Harry Leslie Smith, who passed away last November in Belleville General Hospital. And no one probably gave his advanced age less thought. Though he certainly felt every bit of his 95 years, Harry wasted little time dwelling on it. He preferred to put his energy into getting his message across. “He saw the world returning to the ugliness of the 1930’s,” explains his son John, noting his father’s outlook on society plummeted in the face of recent disasters such as 2009’s global financial crisis and the ongoing Syrian conflict. “He said, ‘I have a voice and I must use it’.” A survivor of The Great Depression and the Second World War (WWII), Smith certainly had a lot of material at hand. He had witnessed the evolution of the Welfare State and applauded the birth of Britain’s National Health Service, so similar to Canada’s provincially-run health care programs. Life had improved after WWII and Smith dreaded a return to the ways of his childhood. In his opinion, a truly democratic society extends a helping hand to those in need. With John’s encouragement, he set out to write and self-publish a memoir. When one of Smith’s pieces from a popular pro-democracy website went viral, England’s Fleet Street sat up and took notice. According to John, previous attempts to publish in
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Country Roads • Spring 2019
The Guardian had gone nowhere, but now the iconic newspaper clamoured to put out a series of Smith’s columns. A Facebook blog even drew the attention of a literary agent and more of Smith’s words made it to print, including the popular Harry’s Last Stand, Love Among the Ruins and Smith’s last book, Don’t Let My Past Be Your Future. Suddenly the man who had dabbled in a little poetry during the war years was an accomplished author. But perhaps Smith’s greatest leap into the world of public discourse came via Twitter. When an acquaintance suggested Smith give the popular social media tool a whirl, John claims his dad jumped in with both feet. “He could always turn a pithy sentence or two,” says John, declaring the ever-articulate Smith easily adapted his writing style to suit Twitter’s 140 character limit.” Seems pretty savvy for a guy who had not even used a telephone until he joined the Royal Air Force at age 18. Smith’s first taste of mass communication had occurred only a few years prior when one of his mother’s boyfriends purchased a radio just before WWII. Adept at handling steep learning curves and rolling with change, he trained and served as a wireless operator with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It’s not hard to see how a smart man like Smith could make such a splash using 21st century social media platforms nearly seventy years later.
A young soldier, Harry Leslie Smith in uniform.
As the appetite for Smith’s wisdom mushroomed, he suddenly found himself travelling in the same rarified Twitter-sphere as like-minded celebrity activists such as Mia Farrow and John Cusack. With roughly a quarter of a million followers ready to listen, Smith started putting out regular podcasts. In an era of growing disillusionment with political leadership, the elder statesman’s cutting, but on-point remarks about life under figures such as Donald Trump and David Cameron certainly resonated, especially with social media savvy millennials.
A life-time of loving companionship is clearly reflected from the faces of Harry and Friede. Photo courtesy of Smith Family archives.
One of their first photos as a newly married couple, Harry and Friede Smith on their wedding day, August 1947 in Germany. Photo courtesy of Smith Family archives.
Then again, maybe it was just Harry. Reporters near and far frequently marvelled at the man’s ability to relate to his audience in an intimate, almost “folksy” way. But Smith didn’t just rely on the printed word to relay his message. A visit to a refugee camp in Calais, France brought worldwide attention and helped Smith remind new generations of Britain’s more open-minded attitude toward the displaced post WWII. Time and time again, Smith spoke of the significant political change he saw in the late 1940’s. He often found himself wondering about current pushback towards refugees when Great Britain alone had welcomed and resettled 250,000 Polish immigrants immediately after the war. When the British Labour Party invited Smith to speak at a conference in 2014, he addressed another concern near and dear to his heart: publicly funded health care. His rallying tag-line, “Mr. Cameron, keep your mitts off my NHS,” brought the crowd to its feet. “’He’s the real deal’ is what my father said about Jeremy Corbyn,” John remembers, recalling Smith made that confident declaration the first time he met the now famous British Labour Party leader, even before Corbyn had landed the job. Yet fame meant little to Smith. Though he valued the fact so many shared his passion for social democracy, Smith tended to take pleasure in life’s simpler things. “We went into the Belleville Metro every day and people who had no idea who he was just enjoyed talking with him,” smiles John, describing regular shopping outings with his dad. “He was always very engaging.” That long journey from impoverished childhood in a Northern England slum to his senior years in Belleville, Ontario formed the backbone for much of what Smith had to say. As a member of the post-war
Allied Occupation Forces, he’d witnessed firsthand the hardships experienced by displaced Europeans and later watched with distress as similar crises beset his fellow man in a never-ending list of locations around the world, from Chile to Vietnam. Born to a family of coal miners, Smith knew all about life lived in constant want. When his older sister Marion contracted spinal tuberculosis at age 11, the family couldn’t afford medical treatment. She spent her final days in a workhouse/infirmary, ending up finally in the anonymous mass grave of a pauper. Shortly afterwards, Smith’s father suffered an injury on the job. Both unemployed and unemployable, he quickly became a drain on the family’s sparse income. Seven year old Harry suddenly found himself pressed into service as child labourer, pushing a heavy beer cart up and down steep and narrow streets. “This of course meant education became difficult,” explains John, “but his father made sure he always had a library card.” Forced by circumstances beyond her control, Smith’s mother eventually told her husband to leave. She needed to make room for an able-bodied breadwinner who could support her surviving children. John estimates the family had been trying to subsist on what amounted to about $100.00 per month in today’s terms. “His mother went feral because she was emotionally crippled by hunger,” declares John, recounting his father’s descriptions of the up and down relationship he had with his remaining parent. “But Harry never judged her for it.”
Smith was active in his social media reports on the plight of refugees, and in his advanced years visited the refugee camp in Calais, France. Photo courtesy of Smith Family archives. Spring 2019 • Country Roads
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A man of diverse intellectual interests, Smith is shown here as being “in deep thought.” Photo courtesy of Smith Family archives.
Even then, Smith seemed ahead of the curve. Despite his youth, he saw the era for the merciless period it was. He knew his mother and others like her suffered from a complete lack of respect for women and a general disregard for the penniless.
Presents
“He talked about all of the injustices to the poor,” John recalls. “He said it was just as evil as slavery.” No doubt this kind of empathy came into play the first time he set eyes on the young woman who would eventually become his wife. When Smith
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spied a sickly, malnourished Friede bartering for food in post-war Hamburg, he leapt into action. “He used the little German he’d learned and barged into her life,” laughs John, “Eventually he convinced her to let him walk her part of the way home.” The couple married and moved to England, but found life almost as difficult there. Although close friends included several from an eclectic mix of European countries, the couple faced a great deal of prejudice. Many people resented Smith’s German wife. What’s more, financial prospects for the future looked bleak. “My mother left him and went back to Germany,” explains John. “She suggested a third country might be their only hope, and she liked the idea of Canada, probably because she was captivated by all of the open spaces.” Naturally, a cross-Atlantic move in 1953 brought more challenges. With only a meagre sum to start their new life, the couple eventually took up residence in Toronto. At last things started to fall into place. Using his experience as a carpet weaver back home, he talked his way into a job in oriental carpets with Eaton’s department store. Smith thrived in the cosmopolitan company of several Hungarian colleagues who had been forced to flee their homeland during the 1956 revolution and embraced Canada’s reputation as proponent of the multi-cultural mosaic. Life was good. But over time, several new setbacks led to fresh sorrow for Smith. First, one of his three sons, Peter, struggled with schizophrenia. Next, Smith lost his wife in 1999, only to discover Peter had developed pulmonary fibrosis a few years later. “My father and I were living in Portugal at the time, but we came back to help,” explains John, noting the move brought them both to his brother’s hobby farm in Eldorado. “Peter passed away in 2009.” John figures the great joy Smith discovered through writing helped compensate for all of the grief suffered so late in life. Having fallen in love with the area, he and John settled in Belleville and Smith’s career as a writer took off. Yet not even a wise man like Smith could ever have predicted just where a journey started nearly a century before might take him. A quick glance at his Twitter feed says it all. The tributes as Smith lay ailing in his hospital bed flooded in from around the world: “A good man in times of indifference to such good, a necessary voice, legend, hero, the voice of humanity in a turbulent and unjust world, national treasure, world treasure, and grand old lion.” An inspiration to thousands everywhere, Smith’s words of wisdom influenced no one more than his youngest son. Bound and determined to keep his father’s mission alive, John continues to monitor the plight of the down-trodden on his dad’s behalf and still manages Smith’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. Like his father, he plans to carry on visits to refugee camps in hopes of shining a spotlight on the lives within. John even thinks he just might write a book of his own one day. The subject? Life with his incredible father, of course.
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Country Roads • Spring 2019
NEW OWNERS CATHY AND LARRY MASSEY •Ladies Circuit Training•Elipticals & Stationary Bike • Strength Building (Weights 10-140 lb) Members have access to the gym from early morning to midnight 7 days a week.
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Spring 2019 • Country Roads
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Keeping the Century Family Home The Batty Family: Nick, Melissa, and children. Photo courtesy of the Batty family collection.
Is its’ inherent legacy worth the cost? BY JAMES KERR
An aerial photograph of the Kerr family farm, circa 1970s.
A
t my university graduation a bagpiper played two songs: “Marie’s Wedding,” and “A Scottish Soldier.” I was struck by the symbolism of these songs that represented two choices for the coming-of-age adults, either we stayed home and got married, or travelled far away from home. Work kept me away from home for many years. Still, the redbrick 1890 farmhouse where I was raised remained in my heart. Then a few months ago, my job circumstances changed. And I did what many people of my generation have been doing and made the move back home. It was a good decision as my parents are getting “up there” in age and we agreed to take this opportunity to cohabitate for the time being so that our two families could share the demands of such a big house. Lately, a thought has begun to haunt me … I’m going to have to deal with this house one day. What will I do with this gorgeous turn-of-the century farmhouse that has been in the family for generations? What happens if the responsibilities associated with its upkeep prove to be more trouble than it’s worth?
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I began to think that this issue can’t be an uncommon musing for residents of Hastings County. As Richard Hughes, president of the Hastings County Heritage Society, pointed out: “If you go up to anywhere in the county you have lots of century homes.” I wanted to know what other folks of my generation were doing … if they too felt drawn to the rustic charm of the area’s century homes. So, I reached out to Kim Hadwen, the realtor “farm specialist” at Century 21 in Belleville. As he puts it, “I find it very interesting to deal with rural properties that have wells and septic tanks.” It turns out, century homes do appeal to Millennials, but many are “turned off by walls not being straight; floors not level,” says Hadwen — these are some of the physical realities for houses that finished settling 100 years ago. Also affecting the circumstance is the increase in local land value over the past few years. Hadwen says across Madoc, Tweed, Stirling, and elsewhere in the county, “a lot of farmers are severing off the house.” Often this is to expand the land for more efficient large-equipment farming.
When I was young, half of the kids in my class lived on family farms. As my classmates aged into their teenage years we saw that many of the farm kids’ parents who had been running these landholdings for most of their adult lives, had sold their dairy quota and had severed their properties to the surviving mega-farms. By the time I had left university, the feasibility of making a living solely from the “family farm” of my childhood had been ploughed over. Today, Millennials are characterised (perhaps unfairly) as not buying anything more expensive than a new video game, so the prospect of large-scale home ownership can be intimidating. For many, the added challenges of century homes may just be too daunting. “The maintenance and modernization is the problem,” said Janice Bell. Now a retired heritage contractor, she is quite familiar with the area and has extensive knowledge about, “the bad stuff … usually it’s got old plumbing, old wiring, or bad insulation.” She is known to warn buyers to watch out for expensive but necessary repairs, like “galvanized plumbing, knob-and-tube, re-wiring, re-plumbing ...” the list goes on. “The mortar is getting to the point where it needs to be re-pointed, and nobody wants to get it done on their shift.” However, she is quick to point out that, “Once it’s fixed; it’s fixed. It’s going to last a while.” That’s small comfort. Still, some Millennials do choose to own century homes. Nick Batty, 31, owns a red-brick Victorian home in Foxboro, located around the well-known Wallbridge-Loyalist Road. The house was built in 1863. Batty is married with five kids, among them four girls. Poor Nick is outnumbered. “We love it,” said Batty, who then spent most of our telephone interview listing the problems with the house. “The heating bill is extreme,” he bemoaned, describing the two sources of heat he currently juggles. This conversation conjured childhood memories of my listening in as our more senior farming
A photo of a stone home north east of Stirling. Photo by Jeanne Hadwen.
neighbours happily complained about their renovation costs over cards and pie. Growing up, that was a typical weekend at my grandparents’ house. Batty and his wife Melissa both grew up in century farm homes in the Kawartha Lakes district. In adulthood, they wanted out of the Whitby area, so they broke out a map and “went to where we liked and could afford to live.” He said that they explored Hastings County with purchasing a century home in mind. “The appeal of an older home was there for us,” he said. “My wife and I like old things.” Living in his dream-home means that Batty combines working from home and commuting around Ontario for his livelihood. I know from other young people, that Batty’s experience mirrors what they do in order to lead a rural lifestyle and be gainfully employed. By and large people find that they have to continue to work urban, even if they’re living rural. My peers routinely commute two or three hours a day to a place where they can afford to work, and then return to the home that they can both afford, and more importantly, to where they want to live. Though he wouldn’t call himself handy, Batty is doing all the necessary construction work himself.
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Nick Batty and family’s lovely red brick Victorian house in Foxboro. Photo by Jeanne Hadwen.
According to realtor Hadwen, this is vital for young people buying a century home. He warns the alternative can be incredibly costly, and difficult to obtain. He says that “Contractors have no idea what the home owner is getting into until the walls come apart.” As retired contractor, Bell put it this way: “The beautiful thing about some of the old stuff is that they’re really well built. … If you’re a real hounddog for characteristic and beautiful stuff, then yes. The beauty of these houses is worth it.” It is a fact that century homes are certainly unique, often featuring carved wood or stained glass that you just don’t get with newer homes. And the houses are well built — or as my dad would put it, they have “good bones.” Batty said something similar: “There is a level of craftsmanship and quality that you can’t replace.” But, as he also points out, “it’s a lot more money to preserve the historic features rather than gut it.” I asked Batty if their home was ultimately more trouble than it was worth. He emphasized: “It is more trouble than it’s worth!” That was that, I guess. As much as I could fight the investigation, it seemed that taking on the family
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home was a debt sentence I couldn’t afford. I’m not a handy fella — what hope do I have? Then Batty continued: “Except, my view of worth over-shadows the trouble it is. I have banisters in my house that would cost a small fortune to have someone make for me.” In the end, Batty returned to the line where he started: “We love it,” he said. “We want to have grandkids in this home.” He made me think. As I mentioned, work kept me away for years, and during that period my focus was on my career, not on the upgrades and repairs needed at the family home. Now that my job circumstances have changed, I have the time to really look around this old house, and to peek more closely into her nooks and crannies. And while I do, I find myself asking the question, “Will the sacrifices we will be making be worth what it will take to keep her in the family?” Again, I hear Nick Batty’s voice say: “We love it.” Yeah. I love this old house too. It is a hassle and I love it. Even if her walls aren’t straight, they’re strong. They’ve held together through many seasons and sheltered our family for decades. It took me a long time, but in the end, I have chosen “Marie’s Wedding.” I guess I won’t be a Scottish Soldier any more.
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I 13
R E M E M B E R I N G
Historical Award - Hastings County.
Despite his 50 years of dealing with diabetes, Bill Hunt persisted in his passion for the history of his beloved Quinte region. Photo courtesy of Milli Hunt.
A Detective Without a Gun...
A Tribute to C.W. “Bill” Hunt (1931–2016) BY BARRY PENHALE
I
t has frequently been noted that we the living all too often pay insufficient attention to those who have departed this world. The late W.C. “Bill” Hunt is a case in point. This exceptional individual though no longer with us, greatly deserves to be much more than a mere footnote in recorded history. Hopefully this article will serve as a timely reminder of the late Belleville-based personality whose historically valuable contributions as a prolific book author, noted tour guide, and incomparable storyteller represents a remarkable lasting legacy. His is a generous gift passed along to residents of the regions that he explored extensively and knew so intimately, namely Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. Hunt was born in Toronto on June 19, 1931. Though his place of birth is listed as Toronto General Hospital, it can now be revealed that Claude William Hunt was actually born in the taxi cab that was taking his mother to the hospital. The account of his start in life quite delighted Hunt whose sense of humour within his lifetime was one of his most endearing traits. During his younger years, he was keen on the sport of cycling and at age 16 biked (no gears) from Toronto to Peterborough, having signed on for summer employment on a local farm. Cycling wasn’t his only athletic interest, however, and while in his early teens Hunt became an active member of
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Country Roads • Spring 2019
a local boxing club. Those in the Quinte region who knew the man in his later years could hardly picture genial Hunt as a pugilist, but truth be known, while a young teenager he had from time to time entered the ring in boxing matches that pitted him against formidable opponents. As the expression goes, “Who would have thunk it?” Hunt’s arrival in Belleville in 1948 occurred when his father came to take up responsibilities as regional manager for an Allis Chalmers farm equipment dealer. Son Bill attended Belleville Collegiate & Institute graduating from Grade 13 with honours, to be followed by positions in business that fortunately allowed him sufficient time to complete a full year of courses from Queen’s University. Though his work in sales proved lucrative, Hunt was drawn to academia, prompting the move to Kingston where he enrolled in Queen’s full-time, eventually completing an Honours History course. Various teaching appointments soon followed, including head of history at the high school level in Peterborough. As fate would have it, Hunt and wife Milli returned to Belleville in 1968, where he took on the role as Head of History at Moira Secondary School. But his never-flagging entrepreneurial bent and boundless optimism could not be denied and he left teaching in 1979 to take a gamble (as it turned out successfully) by venturing into the business world.
Book covers of titles by Hunt: Whisky and Ice; Rumrunners of the County; Dockside Democracy and Gentleman Charlie.
It wasn’t long before the former teacher hit his stride locating and selling Dixie Lee Chicken franchises and assisting franchise owners with set-ups. In time the always up-for a challenge duo of Bill and Milli Hunt became owner/ operators of their own franchised enterprise in Bancroft, which became one of the chains most successful sites. Yet another Bancroft business venture wistfully recalled by Milli was their very popular eatery and entertainment complex known as The Olde Barn Restaurant & Rumble Seat Tavern, which regrettably burnt to the ground on March 16, 1992. A sad day to be sure, but these extreme circumstances prompted Hunt into semi-retirement and freed up the time he needed to quench his expanding interest in the colourful and abundant local history that surrounded him.
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Bill Hunt was totally fascinated by the stories of the young men of the First World War period who were so eager to fly. His researching and writing of Dancing In The Sky found himself experiencing an astonishing closeness to the hundreds of American and Canadian airmen trained in Deseronto during 1917–18. Courtesy: Penhale Collection, Dundurn Press.
That is when he became a detective without a gun — armed with doggedness and insatiable curiosity that would lead to books, storytelling, and so much more! An inventory of the accomplishments in the lives of certain busy individuals tends to remind observers just how much can be achieved in a single lifetime. Such is the case with C.W. Hunt as we reflect on the imposing body of work he left behind upon his passing in the Belleville General Hospital on December 30, 2016. Vivid book covers remind us of his considerable output as the passionate author of colourful accounts of regional history. A hefty number of much-in-demand books were destined to rack up significant sales figures, and in the case of Booze, Boats & Billions it became a national bestseller. BB&B garnered nation-wide rave reviews including this excerpt from the London Free Press: “If you have any interest at all in that era of flappers, gangsters, great wealth, and grinding poverty, Hunt’s tale will go down like a shot of well-aged rye” So popular was the book that speaking engagements and media interest kept the author busy for several years. Another book that is a personal favourite of mine is Hunt’s extremely well-researched Dancing In The Sky, which, according to Milli, resulted in a research/writing experience that gave her husband an enormous sense of accomplishment, and rightfully so. This
A book review of Booze, Boats & Billions. Courtesy of Milli Hunt.
important book was often cited whenever Hunt was recognized with both regional and provincial awards. His notable contributions to local history resulted in the Ontario Volunteer Service Award in 2014. And, posthumously, in 2018 the first presentation of the Award of Merit from The Deseronto and District Historical Society was accepted by Milli in the company of family and numerous area dignitaries. It can be said that Hunt as a historical researcher and documenter held his own in the elite company of Gerald Boyce and Orland French. No small feat! Obviously we could end this here, but I think Hunt would want us to be less serious and in his typical fashion he would also encourage a respectful nod in Milli’s direction. In a very helpful email from Milli prior to publication, she noted that Hunt was the perfect teacher and that their children on numerous occasions remarked, “We didn’t have conversations at the dinner table, we had lectures.” Finally to paraphrase Milli: “We were High School Sweethearts — my 63 years with Bill were never enough — life was never dull and I could easily take another 63 years!”
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Spring 2019 • Country Roads
I 15
JUST SAYING
BY SHELLEY WILDGEN
O
utsourcing, overspending, underwhelming … downsizing!! That’s it. Downsizing. The word everyone uses for grabbing control of their life by obliterating those extras. It’s turned into a sort of movement and everyone in it says they feel better once they divest themselves of their stuff and simplify their living. Not feeling it? All it takes is a few cheerful tidying Marie Kondo episodes on Netflix and you’ll be stacking, tossing and smiling along with them. Central soul-joy is just a few rubber totes away and if tidy means healthy then sign me up. Sign me up now. What could possibly go wrong? It’s good to pare down our living, right? Of course … it’s good to live clutter free, too? … Of course. So then, it must be good to sell a larger home to fit into a smaller one? Ay, there’s the rub. We’ve all been tiny house-trained by a plethora of neatnik gurus, but living our real lives is messy and large. Here’s what’s so very certain. Size does matter, and one size does not fit all. In a span of six months, a close friend of mine (who shall remain unnamed to protect her shame) downsized and tidied herself into a veritable corner. Long since an empty nester, but still a welcoming, regular stop for her grown children, Trixie (not her real name but cute, isn’t it?) had tired of throwing big family dinners, maintaining extra rooms and paying the monthly heating/cooling bills at her multilevelled home. She decided it was time to make some radical shifts. Up went the sign; on came the staging, soon to be followed by the accepted offer. Fantastic! She got over asking and the deal was done before she could say ‘Table for 12, please.’ Trixie’s real estate agent warned her that finding a perfect, smaller bungalow and finding it fast could be a challenge.
Size Matters
Can your big life be lived small?
As it turned out, finding one happened easily enough, but in today’s market immediate action is required so the deal hurried its way to moving day. Trixie and Thad (yup, artistic licence with him, too) yard-saled their garage and basement belongings and set off for their cozy bungalow in West Park Village. Even the area sounds sensibly pretty. And it is. The only trouble was wriggling into the bungalow and finding that just-right comfy fit. Fast forward to fall and the back-split had hit the fan. In their well-intentioned haste to downsize and organize their lives, Trixie and Thad found that no amount of painting and accessorizing could change one immediate glaring fact. They had downsizing remorse. They needed more room. Space was needed for each other, which they etched out by developing the basement, but entertaining was another matter altogether. They still had a healthy number of friends, as well as three kids and five grandchildren that could not be downsized … in fact, just the opposite; they were expanding every year. Trixie’s new dining room was only dinette friendly, so groups of four or more spilled into the living room pocket, and groups of six had nowhere to go. Their one season sunroom went cold and hot and flooded regularly, so that eliminated valuable square footage for every month of the year but June. That left them with birthdays, holidays, and non-holidays throughout the year wedged into their West Park Village bungalow with no room to spare. Trixie found herself driving by her old house and resenting the new owners as if they’d stolen her life. The buyers had acquired a well-maintained, fix-upfree house with a hot tub and pool, while she and Thad were in their sensible little home with a world of problems. Worse still, the new owners of their old
house phoned for directions on how to use some of the cool features of the house. Arrrrghhhh. It wasn’t long before she realized that she and Thad could have cut back their bills just by eliminating some of those extra features. Pools and hot tubs make for fat hydro bills and without them, the old house would have been … well, would have been. So, the next time some helpful friend (I’m afraid that was me in this story, but I’m going by the unrecognizable name of Alice, because it goes with Trixie) says, “Have you thought about downsizing?” just know that it’s a loaded question. Simplifying isn’t simple at all. If you have unlimited funds, and can afford to try out all kinds of spaces before seeing what fits you right, well then this would be the part in the story where you would just take a moment and then move on … maybe to try out an open concept condo. Thing is, by the time most of us are wanting to downsize, we are nearing retirement age with retirement incomes, so the move to the little house becomes a very big move, and one that’s not easily reversed. So where are we now with our heroine, Trixie? Well, she’s staying put, and thankfully she and Alice are still friends. Her next project is removing the upper part of a wall to get the look of more space. She’ll make it work, because that’s the kind of heroine she is, but there is a lesson here for the rest of us. Once we’ve boxed up our 50 years of stuff and decided on a smaller, more manageable house, it’s important to make sure that our regular size or extra- large size life will fit … and not be jammed into it.
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Spring 2019 • Country Roads
I 17
PICTURE PERFECT
ANNOUNCING OUR 2019 PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS! Country Roads is pleased to announce our 2019 Photo Contest Winners. We received so many beautiful photographs, that narrowing them down to the top three in each category was a challenging task. But one our panel of judges truly enjoyed. Under the direction of Country Roads Art Director Jozef VanVeenen the winning top photographs were chosen based on content, composition, quality and uniqueness. After looking through the photographs we all agreed we live in a truly remarkable area.
PHOTO CONTEST
1ST
WILDLIFE
Featuring local wildlife in their natural environments: 1ST PLACE CANADIAN CARDINAL IN WINTER Photographer: Sandra Lee Randle Photo Description: We rarely get cardinals at our feeders, but we are guaranteed to see a male and a female in the winter. Photo was taken in Stirling, Ontario. 2ND PLACE – TABLE FOR THREE Photographer: Lloyd Holmes Photo Description: Three otters feeding aggressively on north side of #7 Hwy about half way between Madoc and Marmora. 3RD PLACE – WATCHFUL FOX Photographer: Heather Cowley Photo Description: A red fox, keeping a wary eye on its photographer as it visits our cottage property on Lake St. Peter, Ontario.
2ND
Country Roads celebrating life in hastings county
Country Roads
celebrating life in hastings county
3
RD
Country Roads
celebrating life in hastings county
CR Country Roads
celebrating life in hastings county
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Country Roads • Spring 2019
3RD PHOTO CONTEST
LANDSCAPES Featuring the land, water, or sky:
1ST PLACE – BROWN COTTAGE Photographer: Stephanie Brown Photo Description: Early morning views off the dock. 2ND PLACE – MOIRA LAKE SUNSET Photographer: Larry Kirtley Photo Description: This landscape was taken in June on Moira Lake, west off of the old railway bridge. The photograph captured perfect lighting to compliment the colours.
2ND
3RD PLACE – A NEW WINTER’S DAY Photographer: Ronald Swann Photo Description: Photograph was taken at dawn on a very cold winter morning, in a field near Stirling. .
1ST
COVER PHOTO:
By Heather Cowley Photo Description: Forest Floor- a solitary red trillium hides in a nook of the forest floor; Lake St. Peter, Ontario.
Spring 2019 • Country Roads
I 19
3RD
2ND
PHOTO CONTEST
OUTDOOR FUN Featuring people and/or pets celebrating life in Hastings County:
1ST PLACE – MOTOCROSS Photographer: Clara Hopkins Photo Description: Motocross Fun-MMRS racing at the Madoc Fairgrounds. 2ND PLACE – SUMMER SISTERS Photographer: Heather Cowley Photo Description: Sisters Sylvie and Kaelan were caught in this photo leaping off the dock into Lake St. Peter, Ontario. 3RD PLACE – PARTNER IN CRIME Photographer: Cameron Barry Photo Description: Chase, an English Pointer, and his owner stand still, about to embark on one of their daily forest hikes on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Photograph was taken in the Vanderwater Conservation Area, Thomasburg, Ontario.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS Heather Cowley – Canoeing Canines: Xak and Bounty never pass up an opportunity for a ride in the canoe or chance to practice safe boating; Lake St. Peter, Ontario. Mary Cronin – Ducks and nature. Sandra Lee Randle – Great Grey. Found this beautiful creature in Corbyville, Ontario last winter. Sadly its mate had been killed, so it stayed in the area longer than normal.
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1ST
THE VILLAGE IDIOT BY JOHN HOPKINS
The cat and the frog
T
his is a love story. It is a story of connection across boundaries and in spite of seemingly insurmountable differences. It may seem like an unhappy love story, but this is not necessarily the case. It is an unconventional love story, to be sure. We have two cats, Cori and Skittles. Both are indoor cats, Cori a female and Skittles a male. Cori came first, rescued as a kitten from under a neighbour’s porch. To save her (and perhaps us) from any further trauma or worries we turned her into an indoor cat, and Skittles was added to the family to provide some form of companionship. Cori and Skittles have something of a brother/ sister relationship, even though they are not related. They will fight over the preferred nap spot, and then in the next instant be curled up together in front of the fire. Being indoor cats their life can be fairly mundane, especially in winter. In warmer months, however, they will sit together; noses pressed up against the screen door and watch the various chipmunks, squirrels and birds with a keen eye and fierce concentration. Fifty feet or so beyond our back porch is the river, and during the summer we have innumerable frogs populating the water’s edge. They will sun themselves on a rock, or hide under the dock if we step too closely, and in the evening they chatter away, one of those unmistakable signals of easy, lazy days in the country. Occasionally, especially in the second part of August or early in September, the frogs will venture away from the river bank and find their way to the back porch of our house, which is where our love story begins. One evening late last summer we found Cori sitting close to the screen door paying close attention to something on the other side. I had no idea what held her fascination until a goodsized frog came hopping from behind the recycle bin, practically under Cori’s nose. And there he sat, staring at her, while she sat, staring back at him. Often when a carnivorous animal, such as a cat, comes into contact with a smaller animal, such as a frog, the cat’s predatory instincts take over. But I sensed none of that in this instance. There was none of the chattering of her teeth that I’ve seen when a chipmunk ventures too closely, or that licking of the lips that accompanies meal time. Neither did her tail puff up as I’ve seen it do when she feels her territory is threatened by an intruder, such as the black and white cat that sometimes pays a visit and causes considerable agitation. No, Cori sat quite still and stared intently at the frog, while he stared right back. Eventually he hopped away, probably
because I had intruded on these strangers in the night exchanging glances. That may have been the end of the story. But the frog returned. A night or two later he was back at the screen door, with Cori in the same spot. I’m sure it was the same frog. He was of the same size and with identical markings to the first
That may have been the end of the story. But the frog returned. A night or two later he was back at the screen door, with Cori in the same spot. I’m sure it was the same frog. He was of the same size and with identical markings to the first visitor. Clearly, he did not feel threatened by Cori’s presence – quite the contrary.
visitor. Clearly, he did not feel threatened by Cori’s presence – quite the contrary. And even when I did creep more closely to investigate, he was reluctant to leave his spot. This became something of a pattern. The frog certainly didn’t visit every night, but he did make frequent appearances. And one evening, as I prepared to take some garbage out our front door, I was shocked to find him sitting right on the
doorstep. He looked for all the world like a nervous teenager trying to summon up the courage to knock on the door or ring the bell and ask permission to court his girlfriend. I did not invite him in. Summer turned to Autumn, the nights grew cooler and the frogs became scarce. Cori’s friend stopped calling on her and everyone settled down into a sort of hibernation for the winter. During the winter months Cori and Skittles will spend some time looking out the windows, but there is little to see, and it is not nearly as much fun as when Spring comes and the windows and sliding glass doors are open, and a multitude of smells waft in to accompany the sights outside. As this winter wears on I wonder if Cori’s friend will come back, and I wonder if she wonders too. And I wonder if somewhere under the water in the river there is a hibernating frog that will awaken in the Spring and wonder about returning to visit his feline friend. I also wonder if this relationship is a good thing. What satisfaction can there be in a love story where the two participants are separated by a screen door, where their time together is restricted to simply looking at each other and perhaps communicating in some strange telepathic way? And even if there wasn’t a physical barrier between them, how could this relationship work? If I did invite the frog in, it probably wouldn’t be more than five minutes before Skittles squashed him with a menacing paw, partly out of instinct and maybe partly due to some misguided sense of brotherly protection. Even if Cori went outside to meet her admirer, how would the other frogs react? Besides, she hates the water. Maybe this is as far as this love story is meant to go. And maybe that’s OK. Connections between living things happen in many different ways, sometimes due to circumstance and sometimes out of necessity. Maybe it is enough that a cat and a frog spend a few summer evenings staring at each other with a screen door between them, enjoying each other’s company. Maybe when Cori sits at the window looking out across to the river as the snow falls on a winter afternoon, she thinks about those summer evenings with anticipation. And maybe somewhere under that icy water, there is a frog thinking the same thing.
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Spring 2019 • Country Roads
I 21
Anne Richardson Photo
Doug Alcock Photo
The Joys of Waterfront Living Rely on a well-maintained shoreline LORRAINE GIBSON-ALCOCK
I
’m writing this story during the depths of winter, and as I look out the window my eyes see ice formations butting up against flowing water and our local Trumpeter swans not so silently gliding along the Crowe River north of Marmora. My mind drifts to remembering lazy summer days … no longer seeing swans on the river, but boats of all descriptions ranging from canoes to cabin cruisers traveling along our waterway. Along with that memory is the remembrance of the pounding wave action that has taken such a toll on our shoreline. Most boaters are very considerate and visually control their wakes, therefore limiting the damage those waves can make. Unfortunately there are also boaters who have not been so aware … resulting in
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Country Roads • Spring 2019
Doug Alcock Photo
wakes that crash onto our riverfront neighbourhood waterway docks and shorelines so fast and furious that they have been seen to push waves up above the full height of our boat harbour … 12 feet in the air. All wave action, but especially the violent ones create serious damage to our shorelines. But don’t get me wrong, I love boats! The spring and summer months would be such a boring time without them … either playing with or watching them. But I digress … back to the matter at hand. When we moved onto our Crowe River waterfront property, we thought we had died and gone to heaven. A little more grass to cut … what else could be different? We were to find that there are differences between urban, rural and waterfront ownership. In addition to the usual maintenance concerns … windows and roof, and finding and maintaining your own rural water supply plus waste disposal via septic systems, waterfront property owners also have shorelines. Having seen this property in the summer before our final purchase, we knew that a new dock was
15 years, we found the timbers above the waterline were rotting and disintegrating again. So what to do this time? Do we replace the damage or install a whole new different type of retaining wall? After hearing stories about significant fines given to property owners, and after checking with our municipality, we knew our next stop was to see our local Crowe Valley Conservation Authority, (CVCA) Tim Piddick, General Manager, and Robert Cole, Regulations Officer for options. As Tim says, “we are here not to restrict, but to ensure there is the correct development in the right location. Our position as a regulator is to help the public and the environment, while at the same time protect the environment, property and human lives.” Initially, the process was quite simple. We followed all the directions that Tim and Robert gave us (found on the CVCA website). Decisions had to be made. Do we do the work ourselves or hire a specialist company? As we own a backhoe and had helpers available, we decided to do it ourselves. Now what type of retaining wall? Timber, small rocks, or Lorraine Gibson-Alcock Photo
Lorraine Gibson-Alcock Photo
required, and upon further investigation discovered that the existing timber frame shoreline enclosure would need repair. You see, when boats go past, the naturally occurring wake butts up against the hard frame and seeps in between the timbers, dislodging soil, and draining some out. Along with that, the timbers above the water surface disintegrate over time; while the ones below the waterline remain perfectly fine protected by the water itself. So replacing the above timbers was one of our first priorities. This was well before the new provincial laws of 2006 changed the rules of shoreline development/protection. Prior to 2006, property owners could do almost anything to their shorelines without threat of fines. Over the years we have had to add more dirt behind the retaining wall to fill in all those nasty holes created by wakes. Now, after
Lorraine Gibson-Alcock Photo
large flat rocks, and from where could we source them. CVCA gives preference to bio-engineering with native plants or a “soft” natural product called that as it softens and absorbs the blow of the wave energy. The preferred “soft” are natural products such as “rip rap” (large loose stones 6-8” diameter) or large flat stone blocks. Decisions made, application submitted, permit fees paid...now came the wait. During this period, the Waterway Conservation Authority, as part of the review process, usually make a site visit to ensure that the type of material selected matches the slope and contour of the property, ensuring the best wave action absorption. In our case, the CVCA has the final decision. We were told it would take several weeks to hear back, and it did.
A couple of our nearest neighbours decided that they also wanted to replace their existing structures, so all applications were submitted using the same process. Our own timeline for the actual work had to be moved back as we waited for all three approvals to come through. This way the entire length of the waterfront construction could be done at the same time. We thought this best, as the centre property required access to their waterfront from both the downstream and upstream properties, plus the manual labour supplied by all three properties could work together in tandem. The coveted approvals came and then it was on to the actual physical work! My husband Doug, on the backhoe, started removing the grass and dirt behind the original existing retaining wall(s), using a 3 to 1 slope Spring 2019 • Country Roads
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Doug Alcock Photos
calculation as per the permit requirements. Using this method, we would not be putting anything directly into the water, thereby eliminating the need for the “barrier method.” Once this was done and the correct slope achieved, the next step was to lay the heavy duty landscape fabric … “miles” of it! Measuring more than 420 feet, the total frontage of all three properties was installed, and
then the “rip rap” stones were dumped onto this fabric, and manually pushed into place by our “crew,” Wilson, Dan and Jason. Only once this was completed, could the original retaining wall be removed, and the balance of the soil graded to look “pretty”!
Sounds easy doesn’t it?
206 Hastings St N Bancroft, ON K0L 1C0 206 Hastings St N Bancroft, ON K0L 1C0
Not so … it was cold, and at times tough, wet manual labour and our helpers were terrific! The backhoe work had to be done when the soil was firm, so work began in December. With freeze up, then thaw, then freeze again, along with a little rain and snow thrown in, our front river yard became a mess with foot deep ruts caused by the backhoe tires. Fun you say?! But all good things must come to an end. Now with the rock retaining walls in place, CVCA’s Tim Piddick and Andrew McIntyre (Source Water Protection Specialist) came back for a visit to review and approve the work. Now all we need for the three properties to look beautiful again is luscious green grass! We cannot wait for the snow to melt and spring to arrive! Summer, boats and the circle of life flow on. Heaven!
•
For your project in Hastings County always check with your own municipality and conservation authority. Crowe Valley Conservation Authority www.crowevalley.com Lower Trent Conservation www.ltc.on.ca Quinte Conservation www.quinteconservation.ca
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celebrating life in hastings county
Country Roads
ADVERTISER INDEX
Hastings County
celebrating life in hastings county
Country Roads
celebrating life in hastings county
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BANCROFT Ashlie’s Books Bancroft General Mercantile Bancroft Sport and Marine Birchcliff Lodge Jungle Imports McMichael Jewellers North of 7 River Run BCT Shoppers Drug Mart Fudge Factory & Emporium Necessities Retail Store Old Tin Shed Zihua Clothing Boutique BELLEVILLE Glanmore National Historic Site Kraft Village -Sewing Machine Repairs Loyalist College Ruttle Bros. Furniture HASTINGS COUNTY SERVICES Daryl Kramp MPP Firewood Plus Mike Bossio, MP, Hastings - Lennox & Addington Skyhigh Historical Restoration & Consulting Weeds B’ Gone Welcome Wagon Well Dowsing MADOC Chances Fitness Centre Johnston’s Pharmacy & Gift Shoppe Kellys Flowers & Gifts Mackenzie Mills Emporium Madoc Home Hardware Madoc Timber Mart Oats and Honey Bulk Foods Renshaw Power Products MARLBANK Golden Bough Tree Farm MARMORA Boutique Inspiration Iron Rooster Rotisserie & Grill Jillian Antiques & Things Orange Motorsports Possibilities Inc.-furniture & home décor Powell Powersports MAYNOOTH Brush with the North Gallo-Teck Electrical Contractor Hastings Highlands, Municipality of Madawaska Art Shop Gifts & Gallery ORMSBY Old Hastings Mercantile & Gallery SPRINGBROOK Springbrook Diner STIRLING Back 40 powersports Barrett’s satellite solutions/Xplornet dealer Black Dog Family Restaurant & Lounge Brad Comeau Law Office Kings Mill Cider Lavish Gardens Pro Gas Stop Rawdon Creek Soap Co. Rona Rollins Building Supplies Sandra Lee Randle Photography Skinkle’s Feed Depot & More Stirling Dental Centre Stirling Manor Stirling-Rawdon, Municipality of The Apple Store TWEED Black River Trading Company Tweed, Municipality of
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HASTINGS Farm to Table Spring Harvest
Odaemin, the “heart-berry” returns each spring
F
or fans of “spring wild-foods,” one of the first sweet bounties is the strawberry. Indigenous to the Americas it is an ancient fruit that was not actively cultivated by Europeans until the Renaissance period in Europe. Varieties of the plant were shipped from the Americas and the garden strawberry we know today is actually the result of the grafting of two species of plants in the 17th century (F. virginiana and F. chiloensis) that naturally hybridized to create a larger berry (F. x ananassa). Not actually a berry, but a fruit, it is considered to be part of the “rose” family. A perennial plant, with seeds on the outside of its red, conical fruit formed from tiny white flowers, this plant sends out runners to propagate and with careful cultivation a gardener can count up to six years of harvest. Growing best in temperate, cool, moist climates, taking eight to 14 months to mature these are “social” plants, meaning it takes both a male and a female plant to cross pol-
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Country Roads • Spring 2019
linate and produce fruit. The name strawberry comes from the Old English streawberige, most likely because of the plant’s runners that resemble lengths of straw, and have a habit of erratic straying. A traditional, Indigenous food, the wild strawberry is generally sweeter and much smaller than what most usually expect to see. Used in recipes and for ceremony, particularly during the “Strawberry Moon” month of June, it is most often eaten as a raw fresh snack. As well it can be mixed with cornmeal and baked into strawberry bread or pan cake, or blended with animal fats and cut into a form of an energy bar. Excess berries are also picked, dried and stored for winter when they’re generally added to pemmican, soup recipes, or included as a flavouring agent in autumn game dishes, especially moose or venison. Mashed with water they make a sweet drink, or a Strawberry Moon tea. Particularly delicious is a cold tea made by mixing mashed strawberries with the juice of sassafras. Medicinally, the strawberry fruit is a proven source of Vitamin C and traditionally has been used as a general tonic to treat fevers, sore throats, and it is known to help stimulate the appetite. A traditional food-based teaching is the sophisticated connection that author Basil Johnson wrote between a person named Odaemin (Strawberry or Heart-berry), the Midewewin
(Medicine People) and what personal well-being actually means in his book Ojibway Heritage. A very condensed sharing of this teaching is that Anishnabeg history contains a time of disease whereby anyone who contracted this virulent illness died. One of its victims was a boy who, when met by the Watcher at the entrance to the Land of the Souls, was asked why he was sorrowful. This boy replied, “Because the people are dying.” Kitche Manitou (Great Spirit) took pity and restored him to the Land of the Living. During this time Nanabush (teacher-trickster) had been among the afflicted, and hearing about this boy, sought him out because he felt that this child, who Kitche Manitou had returned to the people, would have knowledge of the mystery of life and well-being. And once he met him, Nanabush became determined to teach him the art of healing. Johnson wrote that Nanabush took Odaemin under his tutelage and that Nanabush gave him the greatest gift of all — the ability to learn. For years Odaemin studied the properties of plants. He watched what animals gave to their ill or wounded, what root or plant made a moose, wolf or an owl well. As his knowledge of medicine grew, Odaemin accepted that illness would never be effaced from life. “It was a state of being and existence, as abiding as well-being.” Odaemin, (“Heart-berry”) a learned healer, aptly named after the strawberry, is symbolically associated with the heart: the first sign of life. And what do doctors do? They study life, indicating that Odaemin’s re-birth heralded a time of growth and learning. So too does the strawberry represent a “return to life,” a symbolic continual re-birth from seed to plant, the seasonal turn from winter to spring. And so, life, like knowledge moves forward, passed from one generation to another.
R E C I P E S Strawberry Cornbread
for 18-25 minutes until the top is brown and your testing toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before attempting to slice. (Slice too soon and the cornbread will fall apart.)
1 cup of all-purpose flour 1 cup cornmeal ¼ cup of sugar (optional) ¼ cup honey (suggested) ½ teaspoon of salt 1 tablespoon of baking powder ¼ cup of melted, room temperature butter ½ cup of milk ½ cup of cream 2 large beaten eggs 1 ½ cup of fresh, thinly sliced strawberries
Tea 1 cup chopped clean, leaf-free strawberries 4 cups of spring water Honey to taste
• Preheat your oven to 400F. Sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugar (if using), salt and baking powder. Set aside. • In a cool glass mixing bowl add the eggs, milk, cream, melted butter and honey. Mix. Add your dry ingredients to this mixture. Mix until smooth, no lumps (TIP: cornmeal lumps easily, so add slowly, pinch by pinch). Once thorough mixed, slowly add the sliced strawberries and stir. Pour into an 8 or 9 inch buttered baking pan. Garnish top with more sliced berries. Bake
Spring Salad • A tossed spring salad made with blanched fresh fiddleheads, young dandelion leaves (leaves picked before the plant flowers) and sliced strawberries, paired with an olive oil and Balsamic vinegar dressing, has a delightful flavour combination of sweet, tart and a gentle softness that has an undeniable spring taste.
•S et to boil until the berries become soft, stirring occasionally. (Don’t allow too much evaporation, or you’ll be having strawberry puree with toast instead of tea.) Add more water if needed. •R educe heat and let simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. •S train mixture. • Drink immediately.
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MAYNOOTH & HASTINGS HIGHLANDS THIS SPRING
Spring 2019 • Country Roads
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C O U N T R Y
C A L E N D A R
Things to see and do in and around Hastings County.
To submit your event listing email info@countryroadshastings.ca or call us at 613 968-0499.
Art Galleries/Exhibitions
Theatre/Live Entertainment
ART GALLERY OF BANCROFT, 10 Flint Avenue, Bancroft, 613-332-1542 agb@nexicom.net www.artgallerybancroft.ca. Art openings the first Friday of the month 7:30pm.
BANCROFT VILLAGE PLAYHOUSE 5 Hastings St S. Bancroft 613-322-4682 www.boxofficebancroft.com. www.bancroftvillageplayhouse.ca
A pr 3 - -27 – Carolyn Jongeward Acrylic painting and tapestry. Opening reception Apr 5; 7:30pm May 1 – June 1 – Anita Murphy Painting and sculpture. Experiencing Yellow. Opening reception May 3; 7:30pm June 5 – 29 – Julie Withrow painting and Barbara Allport painting. Opening reception June 7; 7:30pm
JOHN M. PARROTT ART GALLERY, 254 Pinnacle St., Belleville. 613 968-6731 ext. 2040 www.bellevillelibrary.ca A pr 4 – 24 -“Embrace” - the 31st Annual Secondary School Art Exhibition featuring the work of students from the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. Opening reception Apr 4 -6 – 7:30 pm May 2 – 30 - “Expressions” - The Quinte Arts Council bi-annual juried show. Galleries One and Two. Opening reception May 2 - 6 – 7:30 p.m May 26 – June 7 - Presenting works made during the Belleville Plein Air Festival 2019. In conjunction with the Quinte Arts Council, The Parrott Awards and opening reception on Sunday, May 26 - 2-4 pm Info QAC at 613-9621232. 7 – July 11 - Students of Claudia McCabe’s Open Studio present “Confabulation II”. Gallery One. Opening reception June 6; 6 – 7:30 pm June 7 – July 11- “Nocturnal Reflections”; a series of oil paintings by Duoro artist Rob Niezen. Gallery Two. Opening reception June 6; 6 – 7:30 pm
arch 30 - The Next Generation Leahy - play the music M of their Irish heritage, but not tethered by it: the Leahy children bring centuries-old music into the modern era for a new audience. Tickets $35 on sale now at Harvest Moon, Posie’s, Vintage on Hastings, Hospice House or online www.boxofficebancroft.com. May 24 - Mike Pollard – Live Music - Mike Pollard has been writing and performing across Canada since his debut album “RURAL ROOTS” followed by “HICKERBILLY,” Mike has forged a trail in traditional country music at jamborees, rodeos and festivals. Tickets on sale now at Harvest Moon, Posie’s Vintage on Hastings and at Hospice House or online www.boxofficebancroft.com. BELLEVILLE THEATRE GUILD Pinnacle Playhouse, 256 Pinnacle Street, Belleville 613-967-1442 or www.bellevilletheatreguild.ca. Apr 4 - 20 - THE STING; Popular movie comes to the stage with high stakes and loaded dice. Adults $20, Seniors $18, Students $10 May 30 - June 15 - THE LAST FIVE YEARS; A poignant 2-person musical of Jamie and Cathy’s love story as they navigate romantic dreams and uneven careers. Adults $25, Seniors $22, Students $10 TWEED & COMPANY THEATRE, The Tweed Pavillion (Memorial Park) 416-476-1092 Tim Porter, Artistic Director tim@tweedandcompany.com A pr 13 7:30 PM, and Apr 14th 2:00 PM - GHOST LIGHT by Shawn Wright. Presented by Tweed & Company Theatre at the Tweed & Area Marble Arts Centre, Actinolite, ON. Tickets $20.00 online www.tweedandcompany.com or at the Tweed News. May 18th - JESSICA WILSON at The Tweed Pavilion in Memorial Park, Tweed, ON. 7:30 PM. Presented by Tweed & Company Theatre.Tickets $15.00 online www. tweedandcompany.com or at the Tweed News.
Events
Environmentally Friendly Weed & Muck Reduction Solutions for Your Lake Front!
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Country Roads • Spring 2019
March 23 - QUINTE WEST ANNUAL SEEDY SATURDAY, get your garden started at this free seed swapping event. Attend workshops, talk to knowledgeable vendors and bring some seeds to share. – 10am – 2pm. Prince Charles Public School, Trenton. Apr - Saturday and Sunday - 2019 – MACK FEST AND TREATS ON THE BLACK RIVER. (dates TBA, based on highwater conditions). The Marmora Area Canoe and Kayak Festival and Queensborough’s Treats on the Black River collaborate for a fantastic kayaking weekend! Info Lud and Elaine Kapusta, 613-473-1458, FB; Queensborough Community Centre, or go to mackfest.ca. Apr 10 - QUINTE FIELD NATURALIST FUNDRAISING EVENT In support of the Quinte Field Naturalists, enjoy a delicious meal and presentation from one of North America’s most acclaimed science and Nature writers, Wayne Grady. Accompanied by stunning photographs, Grady’s talk will draw from his awardwinning book, The Great Lakes: The Natural History of a Changing Region. 6pm, Emmanuel United Church in Foxboro. $28 per person. 613-477-3066 for tickets.
Apr 10 – HAM SUPPER AT ST. ANDREW’S UNITED CHURCH. Come and enjoy home-baked ham, scalloped potatoes and all the fixings (including homemade pie) at an old-fashioned church supper. St. Andrew’s Church, 812 Bosley Rd., Queensborough. Info Betty Sexsmith, 613-473-2188, St. Andrew’s FB: St. Andrew’s United Church, Queensborough. Apr 20 – QUEENSBOROUGH EASTER EGG HUNT. Bring your children and grandchildren to find what the Easter Bunny has left for them. Info Stephanie Flieler, 613-438-0934, or FB: Queensborough Community Centre. Apr 26 – 27 - ANNUAL HOME & LIFESTYLE EXPO Thinking of updating your home or just want to see what’s available in and around the community? Hours: Apr 26 5:30–8pm & Apr 27 9am – 4pm, Stirling Arena, 435 W Front St, Stirling. www.stirling-rawdon.com Apr 27 – TRASH BASH. Grab a friend or family member, claim a section of roadway, and give it a good spring cleaning. Let’s say no to the roadside trash in and around our beautiful community! Info Katherine Sedgwick, 613-473-2110, FB: Queensborough Community Centre. May 2-5 – BELLEVILLE’S 7TH ANNUAL JANE’S WALK This global event held the first weekend of May honours urban activist Jane Jacobs. Lace up your walking shoes and bring your bike. Organized tours. Each walk (or ride) approx 1-1.5 hours. www.janeswalk.org/ Canada/Belleville janeswalkbelleville@gmail.com May 4 - THE 10TH ANNUAL MOTHER OF ALL CRAFT SHOWS - This is a fun and lively day of arts, crafts and music while engaging with talented makers. Over 70 of the regions finest artisans, designers, and makers. Windows & Park Ballrooms at the Travelodge Hotel, Belleville. www.motherofallcraftshows.com May 4 & 5- STIRLING AUTOMOTIVE FLEA MARKET, Stirling Fairgrounds Two big days loaded with antique cars, parts and automobilia. 7am to 5pm. Admission $5. Children under 12 free. Info Roxanne 613-395-1583 or 613-921-6936 treasurer@stirlingfair.com May 5 – QUEENSBOROUGH PANCAKE BREAKFAST. Join us from 8am to noon for pancakes, sausages, bacon, eggs, and – of course – fresh local maple syrup, at the Queensborough Community Centre, 1853 Queensborough Rd. Info Ann Brooks, 613-473-4550, or FB: Queensborough Community Centre. May 8 - CFUW-N SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISING LUNCHEON WITH GUEST SPEAKER ANNE SADO. President of George Brown College for 15 years, Sado, a strong advocate of experiential learning, will talk about “the transformation of the post-secondary education system.” She will explore the changes shaping the system, how Ontario colleges have evolved in 50 years and what the future holds. 11:30 AM; Dalewood Golf Club, 7465 Dale Road, Cobourg, ON. Advance ticket sales only through Victoria Hall box office 1-855-372-2210. marg.mcaulay@bell.net May 11 - BANCROFT TURTLE & FRIENDS FESTIVAL 2019 10 am - 3 pm Hosted By:THINK TURTLE Conservation Initiative. The Land Between/Turtle Guardians Presentor: Leora Berman, TLB Chief Manager. Leora will be bringing along some of the Turtle Guardians teaching turtles. “JESS’ ANIMAL ADVENTURES” will join us on the day for a REPTILE MEET & GREET: Presentation #2: Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre home of Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre Presentor: Wendy Baggs, OTCC Education Coordinator. Bancroft Fish & Game Club, 27602 Highway 62, Bancroft. Info 647-606-9537 thinkturtle@yahoo.com May 17– QUINTE TWEED MASTER GARDENERS PLANT SALE 8am - 12pm, Parkdale Community Center, Belleville. May 24 & 25 - ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST GORDON HENDRICKS — see the world renowned award winning artist up close and personal. Presented by Tweed Elvis Festival. St Edmunds Hall, Stoco On and Centennial High School, Belleville ON, Tweed, Ontario, ON. 7pm Info www.tweedelvisfestival.com
C O U N T R Y
C A L E N D A R
Things to see and do in and around Hastings County.
To submit your event listing email info@countryroadshastings.ca or call us at 613 968-0499.
June 5 - KIWANIS CHICKEN BBQ - 11am–6 pm, Quinte Curling Club, 246 Bridge Street West Belleville. Dinner includes ½ BBQ chicken, potato, roll, coleslaw. Tickets at kiwanisbelleville.ca or 613-969-8947
Apr 16 - HCHS presents J.D.M. Smith with a behind the scenes account of Canada’s Prime Ministers, based on his book, “Being Prime Minister” THINK TURTLE CONSERVATION INITIATIVE, Cell: 647-606-9537 E-mail: thinkturtle@yahoo.com HOW WE CAN HELP TURTLES - This presentation will cover the perils turtles face on and off the road, what we can do to effectively help turtles, and resources available to do so. A pr 11 - 6 - 7pm – Bancroft Public Library, 14 Flint Ave, Bancroft A pr 13 – 12:30pm – 1:30pm – Hastings Highlands Library, 33011 Hwy 62N, Maynooth A pr 18 – 6 - 7pm - Carlow/Mayo Library, 124 Fort Stewart Rd, RR 4, Bancroft
M ay 4– 11AM – 12 noon – Haliburton County Public Library, 101 Holmes Road, Wilberforce, On. TURTLEY SPEAKING - An hour of interesting & fun facts for kids about the eight species of Turtles that live in Ontario. A pr 27 – 11am –noon - Bancroft Public Library, 14 Flint Ave, Bancroft A pr 21 - 12:30pm – 1:30pm – Hastings Highlands Library, 33011 Hwy 62N, Maynooth M ay 25 - 11AM –noon – Carlow/Mayo Library, 124 Fort Stewart Rd, RR 4, Bancroft
Clubs, Lectures, Meetings HASTINGS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 100 College St W, Belleville, 7:30pm Lectures are free. All are welcome. Bring a friend. Enjoy refreshments, conversation and displays following lectures. Ample parking. www.hastingshistory.ca. QUINTE FIELD NATURALISTS ASSOCIATION - Meetings 7pm, Sills Auditorium, Bridge Street United Church, Belleville. All welcome, by donation. March 25 – CAN BIRDS AND HUMANS CO-EXIST? Trent University Biology Professor Erica Nol will discuss the impacts humans have on birds in the settled landscapes of southern Ontario. Quinte Field Naturalist meeting, 7:00 pm, Sills Auditorium, Bridge Street United Church, Belleville. All welcome. Donations gratefully accepted
Celebrating Life in Hastings County
ATTENTION EVENT ORGANIZERS DEADLINES to submit events as follows: MAY 10 – for Mid June thru mid September AUGUST 9 – for mid September thru mid December NOVEMBER 8 – for mid December thru early April FEBRUARY 28 – for early April thru mid June Visit www.countryroadshastings.ca or email info@countryroadshastings.ca
marketplace
ARTS & CULTURE
LAWN & GARDEN
TO BOOK YOUR MARKETPLACE ADVERTISEMENT PLEASE CALL 613-968-0499
SPECIALTY SHOPPING
SALES & SERVICE
GRAVELY-ARIENS TROY-BILT-BOLENS
• Lawn & Garden Tractors • Roto-Tillers With 35+ years experience, Small but knowledgeable. (613) 473-5160 • R.R. #5, Madoc, ON K0K 2K0 (1 mile N. of Ivanhoe on Hwy. 62 - #11700)
HEALTH
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
BRAD COMEAU Professional Corporation Law Office
SEASONAL
GOLDEN BOUGH TREE FARM GOLDEN BOUGH TREE FARM OPEN HOUSE
Providing bare root Trees & Shrubs to all of Canada for over 40 years
Saturday & Sunday, April 28 & 29 9:00am to 4:00pm Come, browse and choose from our great selection of bare root trees and shrubs.
OPEN HOUSE April 27/28 END of SEASON SALE May 4/5 900 Napanee Road, Marlbank, ON K0K 2L0 www.goldenboughtrees.ca
END OF SEASON CLEARANCE Saturday & Sunday, May 5 & 6 Great buys on over-sized & leftover trees & shrubs. Cash Payment
Box 569, 33 Mill Street, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0
Celebrating Family, Friendship & Love
613-395-2596
www.stirlingmanor.com 218 Edward Street, Stirling
Ph: 613-395-3397 Fx: 613-395-3398 Tf: 877-565-1626
Real Estate, Wills & Estates
bcomeau@countrylawyer.on.ca www.countrylawyer.on.ca Member of Ontario & PEI Law Societies
900 Napanee Road, P.O. Box 5, Marlbank, ON K0K 2L0 www.goldenboughtrees.ca
the
COMPASS WWW.COUNTRYROADSHASTINGS.CA COUNTRY ROADS NEWSLETTER TODAY! Spring 2019 • Country Roads
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Back Roads
Here children at play circa 1900 included hitching up one of their farm’s livestock. Over a century ago, this calf harnessed to a sled gives evidence of the natural creativity of children. The elder boy’s mischievous smile indicates that the younger one was going to be in for quite the ride. That ride no doubt would have included plenty of spring mud, and after sledding, we have hunch that their mother would have had plenty to say about the state of the younger boy’s white shirt. Photo Credit: Community Archives HC00227, photograph donated by Ross Richardson, 1974.
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Country Roads • Spring 2019
Since 1990
Historical Restoration And Consulting
613.475.7141
E-mail: info@skyhighrestoration.com www.skyhighrestoration.com FULLY INSURED AND 25-YEAR WARRANTY.
Restoration, Renovation & Preservation of • Historical Buildings • Churches • Residential • Commercial
Community volunteers and local business donations together with Sky High staff completed the restoration of the facade on the Legion. This is the oldest known surviving building in Campbellford. New stone chimneys – New roof – New windows – New woodwork- repoint of stonework and New paint. With special thanks to Reg Gordon President of the Legion Branch 103 Proudly serving the counties of York, Durham, Northumberland, Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Prince Edward, Hastings, Lennox & Addington, FrontenacRoads I 31 Spring 2019 •and Country