ClubWest July August 2016

JULY/AUGUST EDITION 2016

old to be replace new one use this guide past the red line 1/8 inch Handling Specialty Dreams & Vision Become Reality

Ming'S dynaSty Endurance swimmer takes on challenges

SMoke on tHe Water Ethan McAlpine leaves rowing foes in wake

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VOLUME 3, NUMBER 1 • JULY / AUGUST 2016

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The “Fire” scene from Cirque du Soleil’s O show - Tomasz Rossa Photo O helped launch Handling Specialty’s entertainment sector growth, Page 6

Page 12 – Smoke on the Water - Grimsby’s Ethan McAlpine’s engine worked overtime in earning a rowing triple crown

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Page 16 – Ming’s Dynasty - Ming Scott and friends bested Lake Ontario enroute to endurance swimming record Page 18 – Luxury travel ideas may be FORE! you Page 22 – Fresh herbs: It’s never too late to start JULY/AUGUST EDITION 2016

ON THE COVER There are actually two different photos there. With Cirque du Soleil’s artistry it can be tough to tell.

Both photos are from O, the trapeze shot in the top right is separate. Both photos courtesy Tomasz Rossa Handling Specialty Dreams & Vision Become Reality

Ming'S dynaSty Endurance swimmer takes on challenges

SMoke on tHe Water Ethan McAlpine leaves rowing foes in wake

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OUR TEAM 15,000 copies distributed in Niagara West,Winona Proudly Published By 100% Niagara owned, operated and printed by 1602207 Ontario Ltd. 49 Main St. West Grimsby L3M 1R3 Ph: 289-235-9500 Email: info@wn3.ca

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Mike Williscraft

mike@wn3.ca

General Manager Catherine Bratton catherine@wn3.ca Advertising Sales Jen Mendonca jen@wn3.ca Erica Huisman erica@wn3.ca Graphic Design Donna Wisnoski, Dorothy Deak

Statements and opinions of writers do not necessarily represent those of the publisher or NewsNow. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article, artwork or photograph without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

July/August 2016 | clubwest.ca

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opinion STAYING CONNECTED

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

- Benjamin Franklin When I was rounding up feature ideas for the July edition, as I always do, I go back through my notepads, current and dated. Reason being, I scribble notes in there about all kinds of things - from story ideas, to possible special section and information tidbits which may come in handy down the road.

I was going back quite a way when I came across some anecdotes taken during a chat with Tom Beach. Now, anyone who knows Tom will know he could make me look like I am at a loss for words at the best of times. Always colourful, insightful and to-the-point, he had been telling me of some developments with one of his family members, Handling Specialty.

Because, again, if you know Tom, he lives, breathes and sleeps every detail of every project underway within the walls of their South Service Road location - and their Hamilton plant for that matter.

Without a doubt, he is one of my favourite people with whom to speak.

The problem with HS is - from my vantage point - there is a different story angle there about every three months. Where do you stop and start? Being July, and the season of travel and vacations upon us, it seemed prudent to go with the entertainment and travel sector angle since many folks travelling this summer may see the fruits of HS’s labour while vacationing.

Vegas, cruise ships, Macau...they cover a lot of ground and to see (and hear) how their achievements were realized is inspiring, not just because of the sexy factor - and it is - but because, as Tom so eloquently states in this month’s feature, all this is done right in Grimsby, in Niagara, in Ontario, in Canada!

There is a fierce pride in his explanation of this fact.

Not to be confused with arrogance or boasting, he’s just plain proud of the fact our community has the expertise right here to create from thin air truly amazing products which do things never before seen on the planet.

In a similar vein, we have a couple of Grimsby Secondary School grads doing great things on the water - sticking with the summer theme. Ethan McAlpine earned the coveted triple crown of high school rowing this year, while Ming Scott helped set a record for endurance swimming on the Great Lakes and continues his training to take on new challenges.

All, undoubtedly, make the community proud as they put Grimsby on the map via their achievements.

Publisher, ClubWest Magazine Mike Williscraft

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5

Dreams -vision-reality: That is Handling’s Specialty

In 30-plus years at Handling Specialty, president Tom Beach has seen a lot of amazing things, but talk to him for five minutes and you will know only the surface has been scratched.

Williscraft - Photo

6 clubwest.ca | May/June 2016

Synchronized swimming scene from the Bellagio’s “O” show, iron-clad reputation for getting things

By Mike Williscraft done in a realm on which there is no very chef has his secrets.

In the case of Handling Specialty’s floor to build. There are precious few known quantities and often even the president, Tom Beach, his ingredients - the HS teams - are not secret but destination is just a vision from the mind of a client. the methodology and cooking time are.

“We do things that have never been “It is a mix of wisdom, energy and done before,” says Beach. desire to get the job done,” says Beach of “Because of that, we go into things the manner in which the company has with two basic beliefs: one, confidence is continued to grow, innovate and provide what you have before you understand the premium service to its clients around the problem. We love that saying.” world.

“Two, we don’t know what we don’t “We try to mix in students from McMaster or Mohawk College, for example, know.”

Never were those idioms more evident and that is how we take care of our future by mixing them with our experienced and than one project with which HS truly knowledgeable team to instill our culture, earned its collective bones in the entertainment industry - the construction of and, voila! The recipe for success.” the underwater lift system for Cirque du Sounds easy, but just as with many Soleil’s O at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. of the groundbreaking projects HS has This project started out as an inquiry for taken on over its 50 years in business, a small lift system but turned out to be a achieving success if a painstaking road. whole lot more when the apparatus iniHandling Specialty has developed an

E

tially developed for the 1.5 million gallon pool fell out of favour.

In the end, and it almost seems unfair to leave out many of the anecdotes about this project’s trials and tribulations to get the final design, it was decided to go with 12 large cylinders buried into caissons in the desert floor to drive the lift system.

“This was very difficult due to ground water seepage which was stopped by corrugated tube inserts followed by an epoxy fill to keep the caisson clean,” notes Beach.

That was not the only thing difficult in this job.

HS leased an old Slater Steel building in Hamilton in order to build the system which was too heavy and too tall for its Grimsby facility. Huge ‘scissors’ were constructed to guide the stage lifts perfectly vertical as the spec called for a gap between cylinders of no more than July/August | clubwest.ca

7

PASSIONS Industry Continued From Page 7 three-eighths of an inch at any point in travel.

A sophisticated control system was sub-contracted. The idea was to give each cylinder the intelligence to tell the main controller (the brain) where it was located, thousands of times per second.

This way HS could control each lift individually or all together to make one full common stage floor or individual lifts.

The lifts are completely submerged at all times. Twice a year the pool is emptied and HS technicians perform maintenance. A sophisticated corrosion protection system is employed at all times.

The stages are all steel constructed with a very special coating. All welds are fully wrapped and sealed to prevent water seepage into the structural tubing.

Basically, no stone was unturned in the detail of development or planned maintenance. The proof of this is clearly evident to Tony Ricotta, who is now company manager for Cirque’s Ka show, but spent 12 years with O spanning back to 1997 when the project was developed.

Ricotta realized Cirque was asking for something to be created which had never been developed previously. On top of that, he also knew the result needed to be able to act the same whether in water or in air, as well.

“It had to be able to perform in both, so we knew we were looking for a happy medium,” recalls Ricotta.

“The best way I can describe it is it would be like riding a bike on sand and riding a bike on pavement. We had to figure out how packed the sand needs

to be to get the bike to move like it was on pavement. That’s the same as moving with water and without.”

Again, a great deal of effort went into getting them to the point where the work was done, hopefully, and the hundreds of thousands of gallons of water filled the tank for a test run.

“We held our breath and hoped nothing shorted out,” recalled Ricotta.

All went well, except for a shimmy developed by the hydraulic cylinders when they were driving to raise the stage.

Everything was calculated to the exact specifications but the system struggled ever so slightly.

The sand was packed just a little too tightly it would seem.

“We weren’t sure, but we thought if we

Lift systems constructed for Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino’s Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson ONE show are pitted 25 feet below the stage. Special controls allow for acceleration or deceleration of each individual lift.

Smooth Criminal Photo - Aaron Felske

PASSIONS Industry

(Left) The kidney lift on the Handling Specialty floor before being shipped overseas for installation on a Royal Caribbean ship. (Centre) The pool awaits. (Right) An artist’s rendering of the final look. sense. Since that time others have tried infrastructure is the largest underwater Continued From Page 8 to replicate O and, maybe, in some ways, stage lift system in the world. cut some bolts which held the system in A key feature with the La Reve place it may loosen it just enough to move they have, but nobody has surpassed it.” production was dealing with staging issues With that calling card in hand, HS has freely,” notes Beach. for performers.

“When we cut that last bolt, there was a continued to excel in the entertainment “The challenge with the theatres in the huge ‘crack’ sound as the cylinders shifted industry completing intricate works for other Cirque projects as well as Royal round is how do you get performers and to where they needed to be. They found equipment from back stage to on stage their happy place. Problem solved.”

Caribbean Cruise Lines and Franco Dragone’s Dragone Entertainment, which and back again,” notes Beach.

Indeed.

“This is where our vomitory lifts come “What we asked was the impossible,” includes La Reve’s theatre-in-the-round into play. They are the access “bridges”, style structure at Wynn Resort in Las says Ricotta.

“We had a bid process and there were Vegas and the House of Dancing Water at for lack of a better term, that allow performers to either run onto stage or swim the City of Dreams in Macau. much larger companies involved, but The House of Dancing Water’s onto stage. The lifts raise and lower to Handling Specialty’s design made the most allow for either wet or dry access.”

Dragone’s Dancing Water project drew on all the knowledge HS had accumulated by constructing both theatre-in-the-round with La Reve and O’s proscenium style stages as it employed both. “(The design) allows for the show to use Sea Doos and motorcycles for a very dynamic viewer experience,” says Beach, adding the theatre was constructed at a cost of $240 million taking nearly 3.5 years to complete with 18 months of installation time in Macau.

To give an idea of the size, Beach noted the surface would allow for 115 mini-vans to be parked on it.

“Again a sophisticated control system was employed so that our controller knew where each axis of motion was at all times.

The Dancing Waters stage under construction in Macau. The system employs This system has over 40 axis of motion more than 2,000HP of hydraulic power.

July/August 2016 | clubwest.ca

9

Tom Beach relates a story to Nick Moskaluk, left, and Jerry Sloat, right, on the Handling Specialty floor.

Williscraft - Photo

Continued From Page 9 that “the brain” has to control at all times. Fluid compression, water motion, show loads all come in to play when tuning out a system so that the audience sees a perfectly flat, smooth motion of any one lift or all lifts together at once,” says Beach.

“The costs were significant in that the project had to be manufactured, then broken down and sent out for special blasting and painting, then re-assembled for fit-up, then broken down into overseas containers, extracted and lowered down into the gigantic pool, re-assembled, capped with flooring, power on, tuning, commissioning.”

“There is a huge amount of coordination as the lifts must employ thousands of feet of water hoses for the water cannons which sit within the stage flooring.

The show is called the House of Dancing Water for a reason - hundreds of water cannons set to music and light make for a very eye-catching presentation.”

10 clubwest.ca | July/August 2016

“...Hundreds of water cannons set to music and light make for a very eye-catching presentation,”

Handling Specialty president Tom Beach And if you’re already in the pool, so to speak, why not get involved in a water on water project....enter Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, which sought a “wow” venue for the stern of its new largestcruise-ship-in-the-world lineup: the Oasis, Allure and Harmony of The Seas.

After 10 months of technology exchanges, vessel interface design changes and an agreement signing, HS was contracted to produce the underwater stage lift system, the trampoline rotating special EFX and dual parallelogram diving board assemblies for RCCL.

Midway through design of the kidneyshaped stage lift system, it was discovered a key element was not taken into consideration.

Because any vessel shifts left and right of plumb, RCCL very specifically designs the size of their pools to allow for control of the water, but the stage pool was much larger to allow for the production.

Unattended, the result could have produced swells which could have displaced water as much as six rows into the crowd.

The project was immediately halted.

“We came up with a very creative “runway lift” which doubled as a retaining wall down the centre to calm water in the pool during difficult seas,” notes Beach.

“This telescoping wall sits in between stage left and stage right of the ‘kidney bean’ shape. The project was re-started and, to this day, there are three lifts in the show with the centre runway lift also acting as a water retaining wall.”

PASSIONS Industry Continued From Page 10 Not all of HS’s entertainment industry venture have been all wet. A great variety of unique projects of the more traditional stage variety have also been part of the mix.

Productions of The Lion King, Mama Mia, Mary Poppins, Dirty Dancing, The Scarlett Pimpernel, Sunset Boulevard and Cyrano de Bergerac have also benefited from HS’s skills.

A show which Rolling Stone Magazine says is “a virtual parade of WOW moments” - Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson “ONE” at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino is also part of the roster.

“The stage lifts are lowered into a 25-foot-deep concrete pit and elevate to the audiences line of sight when they bring up special FX or performers,” says Beach.

“A special controls technology is employed so that the lifts can be accelerated

or decelerated at any ramping speeds as well as keeping three individual lifts level to one another.”

No matter the venue, no matter the country, no matter the vision, Beach is confident his team can hit the mark set by their customers each and every time.

That confidence is built on track record, but also on the qualities and abilities of his team.

“When we go in to bid a job, someone might say, ‘You’re a small company. Why should we go with you?’” notes Beach. “‘You’ll know when something goes wrong’, I tell them. Our strength is our people. We have great employee retention and that allows us to compile experience and years and years of wisdom.”

The track record of consistency and success has allowed Beach and his crew to maintain a pretty simple sales pitch

Mark Vanderbeek welds a component for a jet engine test cell.

when they get to the right person.

“If I get to show them with my tablet to show them the pictures, show them what we’ve done, it’s usually very fast.

You’re in or you’re out,” says Beach.

“We sell motion. What we have to do is make motion smart.”

Their efforts are good enough for Pratt and Whitney, which requires jet engine test cell lifts. These lifts have a 40,000lb. capacity and hold engines for testing before they get shipped for installation.

The future looks bright to Beach and his team at Handling Specialty, but his future does not focus that far down the road.

“I don’t like to look more than five years down the road but I don’t like limiting it to two years, either. We have projects that take two years,” he says.

“But we can see expansion in the AGV (automatic guided vehicle) sector - controls, processors, tuning and programming. We are good to go with the physically big projects. We’ll also see growth in the project management end of things.”

“We’ve done well and I am very proud of that. I’m proud we are in Niagara and Grimsby. Our families are here. We grew up here. We were educated here.”

“We want to represent the province and the whole country. We want people to know we’re Canadian and we do cool stuff!”

Tony Ricotta knows they do cool stuff and he will gladly serve as a reference.

“We have contracts with all kinds of suppliers who have support built in. We did not have that with Handling Specialty, but they came anyways whenever there was an issue. I cannot think of when we had a relationship that was so supportive and attentive,” said Ricotta.

“Tom would show up himself, the GM of the company. You don’t get that kind of service anywhere, but that’s Tom, no matter who the client is. He says, ‘this is my product and I want my product to be outstanding now and when we work together in the future’.”

“He doesn’t do it to sell. He just wants to make sure what they did sell was done right!”

July/August 2016 | clubwest.ca

11

Smoke

on the water That is all Ethan McAlpine’s opponents see coming from his rowing “engine”

PURSUITS Athletic Excellence

Rowing triple crown caps great year David Erman rimsby’s Ethan McAlpine has had a remarkable year.

A Grade 12 student at Grimsby Secondary School, McAlpine recently captured the prestigious Triple Crown of high school rowing.

This spring, competing in the senior men’s single category, McAlpine won the Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Championship at the Royal Henley in St. Catharines; the Stotesbury Cup held in Philadelphia, and; the Scholastic Rowing Association of America regatta in Ohio.

All three regattas feature the top high school rowers from across North America.

Not only did McAlpine win all three races, he won them all by respectable margins.

As icing on the cake, McAlpine found out earlier this month he was named to Canada’s junior rowing team. He will be competing at world’s this summer in the Netherlands.

All-in-all, the 17-year-old is one of the best high school rowers in North America.

Peter Shakespear, Rowing Canada’s director of national talent ID and development programs, is just as effusive talking about McAlpine the person as he is about McAlpine the athlete.

Shakespear calls McAlpine “a class act” and a “nice kid”.

“He’s not at all arrogant, He’s almost too nice to be true, to tell you the truth,” said Shakespear.

McAlpine works hard and has a good coach in Meredith Petrychanko, Shakespear said.

“He really understands what he’s trying to do and very responsive to advice.”

McAlpine is still growing and physically maturing. A basketball player as well as a rower, McAlpine is a lanky 6-foot-4.

He has long levers -- long legs and arms,

G

“I didn’t know that rowing existed until I went to high school,” said GSS graduate Ethan McAlpine, who has a solid shot at making a future Canadian Olympic crew which means long strokes that are more efficient.

Shakespear said he thinks McAlpine has potential to be a member of Canada’s Olympic rowing squad in 2020, and said he believes McAlpine has the ability to develop as he physically matures.

“He’s getting very good results with superior technique and good concentration. He paces himself exceptionally well.

We’re giving a whole lot of strategies to use and he seems to perfect them quite quickly. It will be quite exciting to see where he goes,” added Shakespear.

Shakespear has rowed at two Olympics and coached national crews at all levels from junior to Olympic in Australia prior to coming to Canada. He knows a potential Olympic rower when he sees one.

“His response to everything that we’ve asked him to do is first class,” said Shakespear.

It will be an eventful summer for McAlpine, as he will spend the bulk of his time training and competing.

He was one of 48 athletes selected for this year’s junior national team. The junior national team is made up of rowers under the age of 19 and come from 21 rowing clubs across the country.

McAlpine will compete at the World Rowing Junior Championships which

will take place in Rotterdam, Netherlands from Aug. 21-28.

He found out in mid-June he was selected. He knew the day the announcement was coming, but didn’t know the exact time. McAlpine kept waiting, refreshing his phone in between classes.

He finally found out for sure he was on the team while on lunch.

“They make you wait until it’s officially announced on the Rowing Canada website. I know I was really nervous but excited waiting for the announcement to come out that I was named to the team,” McAlpine said.

He will be competing in men’s sculls pairs, teamed up with Brockville’s Nicholas Everett.

“I think they will be a force to be reckoned with in later years. Both of them definitely have put together a really good summer so far,” Shakespear said, noting that it’s not the results they’re concerned with, rather than the pair’s progress.

“I think they’ve got some really good long-term potential.”

McAlpine has only been rowing for four years. He signed up in Grade 9 after hearing an announcement at school.

“I didn’t know that rowing existed until I went to high school,” McAlpine said. He said he was hooked shortly after trying it.

The son of Chris and Clair, McAlpine has a younger brother - Christian, who is in Grade 9 and is also involved in rowing.

Rowing is a year-round endeavour for McAlpine, who trains with the St. Catharines Rowing Club. and credits coach Petrychanko and training partner Owen Voelkner for their help with coaching and training.

“They push me hard every day,” McAlpine said.

May/June 2016 | clubwest.ca

13

Pursuits Athletic Excellence Continued From Page 13 On the water, McAlpine says the atmosphere is strangely tranquil.

“It’s kind of like a moment at peace, it seems: like when you’re doing yoga. It’s surreal and calm,” he said.

McAlpine’s other hobbies also give him a sense of calm. He likes to play the guitar and write music, as well as hike.

Winter training starts in December when the water starts to freeze. Training consists of indoor rowers (ergometers), as well as running, biking and core work.

In April, as the ice goes away, rowers go back on the water to train with some off-water training. In the summer it’s all on the water competing.

In a normal week, McAlpine spends 24 hours training.

“We always work harder than what the race is going to be so that we can prepare and make the race seem easier for ourselves with the excess of training that we have.”

Unlike a lot of rowers who wake up before the sun to practice, McAlpine said his prac-

“It’s kind of like a moment at peace, it seems, like when you’re doing yoga. It’s surreal and calm,” says Grimsby Secondary’s Ethan McAlpine, member of Canada’s Jr. national rowing team, of being on the water tices for the most part are in the afternoon.

Training daily is a grind. To fuel his engine, McAlpine tries to consume between 4,000-5,000 calories daily.

He is thin, but he eats a lot.

“I eat pretty much whatever I can get my hands on,” McAlpine said.

He prefers homemade meals. McAlpine usually starts his day with a big bowl of oatmeal. Lunch is usually some fruit, a couple of sandwiches and a granola bar.

Supper is usually loading up on something like pasta.

McAlpine said the Triple Crown was a huge accomplishment for him. The last area person to win a Triple Crown was

St. Catharines’ Dan de Groot a couple of years ago.

De Groot has spent time on the national junior rowing team, and now attends Princeton University where he’s on the rowing team.

“He set some pretty great records that I set out to beat and be better,” McAlpine said.

McAlpine will spend the next year training, as he will be taking a gap year between high school and university.

Rowing powerhouses such as Harvard and Princeton are recruiting McAlpine.

Not only is he a strong athlete, he is also a solid student with marks in the high 90s.

Ethan will take a gap year before deciding on his academic future after graduating from GSS this year.

14 clubwest.ca clubwest.ca || July/August May/June 2016 14 2016

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July/August 2016 | clubwest.ca

15

Members of the successful Lake Ontario endurance swim team, including Ming Scott, top middle.

Ming’s dynasty

Grimsby’s Ming Scott, 18, building his endurance swimming reputation one challenge at a time David Erman wimming Lake Ontario is a challenge that many have tried to conquer, but only a short list has completed.

Grimsby’s Ming Scott knows all about the challenges and tribulations of Lake Ontario.

The 18-year-old was one of eight young swimmers who conquered Lake Ontario in August of 2015. They smashed the record for the most distance covered in 24 hours by a relay team, swimming 90 kms in 24 hours.

Scott said there are many challenges to swimming long distances in Lake

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16 clubwest.ca | July/August 2016

Ontario.

For Scott, one of the biggest challenges was swimming at night in the dark water.

It was unlike any other experience he had gone through.

“I will admit that I am terrified of dark water, so it was quite the experience,” Scott said.

While swimming at night he had a kayak beside him. The kayak had a large lantern attached. Additionally, he had glow sticks on his wrist and ankles, as well as on his wetsuit.

“It was extremely terrifying to me,” Scott said As he was swimming along in the

middle of the night in the Niagara River current, a piece of seaweed wrapped around Scott’s leg. He started to panic and Scott confessed to screaming a bit.

“But we pushed through and I think honestly I was the wimpiest of those out there in the night,” Scott said with a chuckle. “Everyone else dealt with it well.”

Pacing is also an issue for swimmers.

“It’s so easy to lose track of time. You’re out on the water just churning your arms. Sometimes you get into a rhythm and you look up and you’re not sure if it has been two minutes or 20 minutes the

PASSIONS Endurance Swimming Continued From Page 16 last time you checked,” Scott said, who just graduated from Ridley College this month. He plans on attending King’s College in Halifax in the fall.

The relay team also included Charlie French, Pelham; Jayson Pigeon, Welland; Abby-Gail Jones, St. Catharines: Ayla Jukosky, Port Colborne; Michaela Arsenault, St. Catharines and Alyssa Mundy, Kitchener.

The swimmers ranged in age from 11 to 17 at the time. Scott was one of the oldest on the team. Christine Arsenault organized last year’s record-breaking relay.

The team trained at Ridley College as members of the West Park Aquatics Club. The previous record of 65 kms in 24 hours was held by marathon swimmer Vicki Keith’s Y Penguins.

Swimmers swam in one-hour shifts.

All eight members swam the final moments together, landing in St. Catharines at Lakeside Park beach.

The swim relay raised money for Jumpstart, a Canadian Tire program which offers financial help to families who want to get their children into organized sports.

Arsenault recently crossed Lake Erie - the youngest person to do so at just 14 years old. As an added challenge, she completed the crossing while doing the butterfly stroke.

Scott was part of Arsenault’s support crew. The swim took close to 11 hours, which was longer than expected due to unfavourable conditions.

“I am astounded at the reserves of willpower and a sheer physical endurance that someone has to have to do 10 hours on the water straight, especially butterfly like she did,” Scott said.

“It’s a fantastic feat of endurance that I hope to replicate.”

Even doing shorter swims, Scott said he knows the pain that distance swimmers can experience. Scott said long distance swimmers often experience cramps in the shoulders, shoulders start to lock up, and they can’t feel their toes

“I think I was the first person to say, ‘let’s go now. Let’s strike while the iron is hot. We know what went wrong. We can correct for that.

Let’s just do it,” said Ming Scott of refiring the endurance challenge and fingers properly.

While Ming Scott and his team was ultimately successful and broke the record, it wasn’t their first attempt. They tried to set the record a few weeks earlier in August of 2015 but, whatever could go wrong, did go wrong on the team’s first attempt.

The boat experienced mechanical troubles, there was inclement weather and a number of people were suffering from sea-sickness.

“We failed on that one unfortunately,” Scott said. “But if doesn’t work, try again.

And we tried again and it worked.”

Scott said the first try was a “learning experience”.

“I’m happy to say everything that went wrong the first time, we adjusted for and corrected the second time and it went really smoothly.”

Water temperatures are fairly constant, but water temperatures can dip to 5 C due to changing winds and other factors, says Ming Scott of the challenges endurance swimmers face

After the disastrous first attempt, Scott said he wasn’t deterred to try again. The coaches held a meeting a couple of days later and asked if the swimmers wanted to wait until the summer of 2016 or try again last summer.

“I think I was the first person to say, ‘Let’s go now. Let’s strike while the iron is hot. We know what went wrong. We can correct for that. Let’s just do it,” Scott said.

Every summer a number of swimmers try to conquer Lake Ontario in a solo swim. It’s rare for someone to be successful.

Exhaustion, cold water, hypothermia and other challenges make the swim difficult. Swimmers need endurance, persistence, and courage. They also need a little luck.

Currents, weather, and water temperature are also potential problems.

Due to these currents, even in midlake, swimmers will find themselves needing to swim in a direction that may be up to 40 degrees from a straight-line course.

Water temperatures are fairly constant, but water temperatures can dip to 5 C due to changing winds and other factors such as Lake Ontario having a lot of shipping traffic.

“You end up with these huge drifts of cold water, which can basically end a swim,” Scott said.

Lake Ontario is very deep, which means on one day you can have perfect swimming temperature, and the next day a storm or current will turn over the water and drop the water to a temperature that is just above freezing.

There are also issues on Lake Ontario with waves, which can get up as high as 10 feet.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s one of the more risky lakes,” Scott said.

Despite all the challenges, Scott said he would consider embarking on a solo marathon swim in the future.

“It would be definitely something that I am looking forward to.”

July/August 2016 | clubwest.ca

17

Luxury travel just F RE! you

A bird’s eye view of Cape Kidnappers Golf Course.

By John Potter ne of the fastest-growing segments of the travel business is the luxury travel market.

Of all the destinations in the world, New Zealand has to be at the top of the list when it comes to luxury travel as it offers some of the world’s best luxury lodges such as Huka Lodge, Matakauri Lodge, Solitaire Lodge and Treetops Lodge and Estates.

New Zealand is renowned as a location of pure nature. The country consistently comes out on top as one of the world’s top travel destinations where travellers can see the crystal clear waters of Milford Sound, the spectacular geysers of Rotorua, experience the fascinating Maori culture, and taste fresh local produce and fine New Zealand wines.

This is also where you can find some of the most exclusive golf courses in the

O

18 clubwest.ca | July/August 2016

world. Is it just coincidence that some of the top luxury lodges in New Zealand also offer some of the best and most challenging golfing in the country?

In New Zealand, golf and luxury accommodation go hand in hand.

Not too far from the city of Napier, you will find the incredible Farm at Cape Kidnappers.

This stunning lodge offers 22 guest suites and a four-bedroom owner’s cottage. Every suite offers its own private balcony and affords spectacular views of the property, the golf course and the Pacific Ocean.

The main lodge features lounge and dining spaces, outdoor rooms, roaring open fire places, a wine cellar complete with tasting room plus a fully-equipped gymnasium. The spectacular golf course at Cape Kidnappers is perhaps its most famous feature.

It was designed by golf architect Tom Doak, who said, “Our goal in designing golf courses is to create interesting holes you wouldn’t find anywhere else.”

That wasn’t hard to do at Cape Kidnappers, because the site is not like anywhere else in golf.

It’s an overwhelming experience to stand up on top of the 140-meter-high cliffs and look out across the waves far Passau, Germany belowCruising in Hawke’sinBay. The Cape Kidnappers par 71 golf course measures 7,119 yards (6,510 meters) and will challenge golfers of all skill levels. It has been hailed as one of the great modern marvels in golf.

Not a golfer? No worries - there are many activities and ways to spend your time at The Farm. Plan an indulgent day at the Cape Kidnappers Spa, take a farm tour, explore one of the many walking

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19

Walking Cape Kidnappers.

Continued From Page 18 trails, go horseback riding, or enjoy a private picnic in a private location.

Another luxury lodge, located north of Auckland near the town of Keri Keri, is the Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, a member of the Relais & Chateaux family.

The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs is Northland’s premier luxury vacation destination. It affords spectacular 180-degree views of the Pacific Ocean.

Enjoy exquisite cuisine prepared by the talented chefs while taking in the stunning panoramic views of Cape Brett and the offshore Cavalli Islands from the verandas, lounge, and dining rooms.

The lodge offers 22 guest suites, and a two-bedroom owner’s cottage.

Every suite offers its own private porch, bedroom with sitting area and open fireplace, walk-in-wardrobe and ensuite.

The cottages are nestled in a native forest overlooking the golf course and the Pacific Ocean.

20 clubwest.ca | July/August 2016

Fifteen of Kauri Cliffs’ 18 holes have spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean Fish, dive or discover New Zealand’s pristine shorelines, play your best ever round on the world-class golf course or indulge in a therapeutic treatment at the full service luxury spa.

Kauri Cliffs features a stunning golf course designed by David Harman.

Fifteen holes have spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, six of which are played alongside cliffs that plunge to the sea. The course played host to the 2003 ‘Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf ’ match between Fred Couples and Michael Campbell, and the PGA Tour’s Kiwi Challenge in 2008. It has received numerous accolades and awards including being ranked among the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World.

Luxury Lodges of New Zealand deliver the ultimate relaxing vacation. Sip world

renowned local wines and savor culinary delights, all while being immersed in breathtaking natural beauty.

Indulge your senses through relaxing spa treatments, take in a round of golf, or make some time for a wilderness adventure.

New Zealand is an ideal destination to experience a luxury vacation. Few people travel to New Zealand just once – following your first trip, you will be compelled to return for a second visit.

John Potter is a TICO certified travel expert with TravelOnly – a Canadian-based Travel Company that has been in business for forty years. He specializes in river and ocean cruises, as well as customized individual and group tours to Europe, the South Pacific and Asia. He is a certified specialist with the Australian Tourist Board, as well as with the New Zealand and Fiji Tourist Boards. In November of 2017, he is offering an eighteen-day tour to Cambodia and Vietnam featuring an eight-day deluxe river cruise on the Mekong River. Please contact John by e-mail at jpotter@travelonly.com or phone 905-646-1117

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July/August 2016 | clubwest.ca

21

Never too late for an

Herb collage

By Jan Willem-Stulp ell, as predicted, the summer, though finally here, came much too quickly and, perhaps, too harshly.

Our lawns and gardens went from verdant and bright green, to sprightly, and (at least at our house) crisp….

Great in a bag of chips, less so in the lawn.

I’m not too concerned with the lawn, though, it’s one less thing to look after, I think. My wife does not agree.

She loves our ‘lawn’ (1.5 acres;… really?) to be neatly trimmed, manicured and green as, um,… well, grass, I guess; only it isn’t. At this rate, I think we’ll have to get a longer hose, and we can just vacuum it from time to time.

I make fun of it, but in fairness, my wife is also the one who looks after getting all the lawns etc. mowed. My responsibility is the garden.

I’ve always enjoyed gardening, planting, potting, even weeding, with flowers and vegetables and making designs, and harvesting, etc, so it’s not a bad thing at all.

These days, of course, I have almost no time for that. I began putting together a raised bed for my vegetables this spring and have already missed out on the potato ‘deadline’.

Our asparagus and rhubarb have done well, although the reason for that is predictable; they are perennials!

Our various berries are close to being ready, the currants, gooseberries and raspberries, and I’m still hopeful the deer will leave me some Saskatoonberries, some time.

These crops, of course, are not a necessity for me, or our family, strictly speaking. Of all the people who have access to the best locally grown and seasonal harvests, we have got to be in a pretty good place!

At the Grand Oak, we have daily interaction with many growers, who ‘specialize’ (obsess, really,) over two or three products, and it shows! We have beautiful herbs, fruits and vegetables, all the time!

Even some of the planters and flowers we sell are produced by people who are very focused on just a few specialties. We

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22 clubwest.ca | March/April 2016

always enjoy local crops, and strawberries, lettuces, and various vegetables are beginning to show up at our door, and I have first pick of whatever I’d like.

So, in theory, I don’t need to grow vegetables at home. I do enjoy the process, but time is, as usual, the one thing I don’t have.

The gardening that I will always make a point of getting done though, regardless of my deadlines, are my herbs.

These grow in various planters, not far from the kitchen door. They’re off the ground, easy to monitor and harvest, and so practical and rewarding!

Though they require daily watering, I thoroughly enjoy the process of selecting and harvesting fresh thyme, basil, rosemary and lemon balm. Chives, mint and oregano are easy (and invasive!) additions also, and this year I’m working with cilantro, as well as lovage.

Many of these herbs are very aromatic, and quickly add a great fresh, flavour dimension to whatever I’m playing with in the kitchen, as well as colour.

I’ve expanded my planters this year to include a couple of cherry-tomatoes, and I’m trying to see if mini cucumbers will grow over the edge of my planter. The success of that will be determined by what our dog will allow, I’m afraid. Lesson learned.

In the meantime, I’m already deadheading the basil, to encourage it to bush out a bit, and the other herbs are thriving.

The tomatoes are the size of marbles, but still green.

It’s not too late to put together a simple ‘collage’ of herbs in a planter. They’ll be going for half price everywhere, soon.

Grab an herb planter and begin enjoying this micro-garden in everything you cook, even if it’s just to snip chives over your potatoes, or nasturtium flowers on your salad.

I’ve put together some great ideas to make your herbs stand out in your cooking. Have a read…..

(Chef Stulp co-owns, along with his wife Jane, Grand Oak Culinary Market in Vineland.)

Chef In Residence CUISINE

Herb Pesto This is amazing on chicken dishes, in bruschetta and pasta.

This recipe is not carved in stone. You’ll adjust based on what’s ready and what you like. If you omit the cheese and nuts, it is readily useable in simple herb dressings, too!

INGREDIENTS • 2 Cups various herbs, washed, patted dry; basil (lots), thyme, oregano, chives, rosemary, and cilantro, if you like it.

• ¼ Cup good quality extra virgin olive oil • 1 ½ Tbsp vinegar - I prefer malt, or cider vinegar • Good handful of walnuts, toasted •Freshly grated parmesan – to your liking.

DIRECTIONS You’ll note there is a lot of room

for variation. I suggest you pick and wash your favorite herbs, using basil as the ‘bulk’ of them.

Toast the nuts (toaster oven is handy) while you combine the herbs with the oil and vinegar.

Pulse this, then add the nuts, once they’re golden and fragrant. I prefer a bit of a courser texture, but you may puree it to a smooth

consistency if you like. At this point, begin adding parmesan, grating it directly into the processor, and pulsing every now and then.

Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. This will keep in your fridge nicely, in a sealed container, especially if you coat it lightly with more olive oil.

To Make Summer Special, Go West JULY • Muddy Paws Wine Festival July 9-10, Noon-5 pm, Vineland Estates Winery & Featherstone Winery. Tickets $20 + HST (includes one glass of wine and one commemorative glass)* Children 12 and under free * Children 12 and older and Designated Drivers can use their wine coupon for a food purchase from our chefs. Tickets may be ordered through calling Featherstone (905-562-1949) or Vineland Estates (1-888-846-3526) or by ordering online through EZTix (found on muddy paws website). Vineland Estates Winery and Featherstone Estate Winery will open their doors to well-behaved dogs on leash who wish to accompany their owners.

Chefs will be serving delicious fare all afternoon. There will be a canine theme to the weekend, with special events at each winery and a portion of wine sales will

support National Service Dogs.

• Open House at Casablanca Winery Inn (4 Windward Dr, Grimsby) Sunday, July 10 from 2-4 pm. Elipsis Day Spa OneYear Anniversary Open House. Join us in celebrating our first year of business! Door prizes, food & drinks, exclusive discounts on products. First 25 people will receive a product giveaway bag! Let us thank you for your support in making it a great year.

• Cinema Sips & Chips July 14 at Di Profio Wines (4055 19 Street, Jordan Station). Join us for our second annual Cinema Sips & Chips! A movie night in the vineyard at Di Profio Wines. For $10 you can enjoy a glass of wine, a bag of potato chips and a movie in our vineyard. The evening will begin at 8:30 pm and finishes up when the movie ends! Bring your own blanket or lawn chair, and enjoy an evening under the stars for an unforgettable wine pairing. All ages are welcome!

• International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration July 22 at Creekside Winery (2170 4th Avenue, Lincoln). Join winemaker Rob Power and 38 Ontario member wineries as we come together to celebrate the coolest grape on Earth! An exciting weekend filled with education, world-class food & wine and the best the Chardonnay world has to offer. What are you waiting for? Get your tickets now!

To find out more about getting involved in this year’s festivities and the schedule of events, please visit - #i4C website for more information.*Special Creek Freek Wine Club discount for The Cool Chardonnay World Tour on Saturday, July 23. To receive your special $25 discount, please contact the winery (905) 562-0035 ext.230 or email Jessica Greene - Events Leader for your unique promotional code.

July/August 2016 | clubwest.ca

23

Chef In Residence CUISINE

Early Crop Salsa A great way to begin using your sweet peppers and tomatoes, even cucumbers.

It results in a very colourful mixture. You’ll be very pleased with how the herbs impact this.

Cilantro is an unexpected player here, and I love how it gives a sense of ‘fresh’ to this recipe.

INREDIENTS • 1 Cup each - diced tomatoes, sweet peppers and cucumber • 1 small onion, fine dice • ½ Cup cilantro, basil, chives, finely chopped • 2 or 3 Tbsp lime juice, (or ver jus if you can find it.)

• Salt and pepper • *** for those of you into spicy foods, add finely diced

hot peppers, to taste DIRECTIONS Simply combine the first

three items, in a bowl and adjust the taste or heat, to your liking. Several hours of melding

together the flavours is beneficial, but not critical, for a very tasty salsa!

To Make Summer Special, Go West Continued from Page 23 • 14C at Cave Spring (3836 Main St, Jordan) Saturday, July 23, 11 am-2 pm.

Delve into some amazing global Chardonnay while chatting with the folks behind the wines at Cave Spring Cellars, along with their producer guests from Tenuta Mosole (Veneto, ITA) and Landmark Vineyards (Sonoma, CA). Walk among the vines at the winery’s iconic Cave Spring Vineyard, nestled along the Beamsville Bench overlooking Lake Ontario and take in some of Niagara’s most picturesque vistas.

Enjoy innovative cuisine from Chef Ryan Crawford of Backhouse, the region’s newest dining hotspot. Cost: $60 + HST or $45 + HST for Cave|Inn Members.

Call 905-562-3581 ext. 304 to purchase tickets or email wineshop@cavespring.ca • Chardonnay Deconstructed July 23, Noon-2 pm at Creekside Winery (2170

24 clubwest.ca | July/August 2016

4th Avenue, Lincoln). A food and wine exploration of the major components of cool chardonnay - fruit, wood, earth and acid. Join Executive Winemaker Rob Power and wineries Vina Tabali from Chile and Lightfoot & Wolfville Vineyards from Nova Scotia, for an interactive guided tasting.

Food pairing provided by Chef Nathan Young of In the Smoke Cookery. Cost: $25pp. Space is limited. Reservations are required.

Please contact Britnie Bazylewski, hospitality manager, to secure your reservations at bbazylewski@creeksidewine.com or (905) 562-0035 ext.230 • Sundays @2 Music Series. July 24 at 2 pm at Calamus Winery. Join us for Warren & Randy Stirtzinger playing jazz guitar and vibraphone in our Sundays @2 Music Series. $25 admission includes wine samples, treats at intermission.

Season’s passes available for $80 (Cosmic Club tickets $22, Season’s pass $75) • Vertical tasting from 1-5 pm on Saturday, July 25 at Rockway (3290 Ninth St, St. Jordan).

Join us for a unique tasting hosted by Winemaker David Stasiuk. Taste through our 2010, 2012, and 2015 Merlots and learn how each of these vintages produced Heriots with unique characteristics.

Learn about the Merlot Varietal in the Niagara Region and why the 2013 vintage will likely be the last Merlot from Rockway Vineyards. Gourmet cheese will be served to compliment the wines.

Cost $15 per person (complimentary for wine club members) Tasting fee refunded with purchase of four bottles or more.

To make a reservation please call (905) 541-5771 or email wine@rockway.net:

Chef In Residence CUISINE

Frittata Verde To get a nicely fluffy frittata, it is important to incorporate air, prior to baking, and serve immediately.

You might make a large frittata, and divide that, or, as I’ve done here, make an individual one, to serve beside a salad.

It is a beautiful brunch idea!

INGREDIENTS • 2 large eggs • ¼ Cup Light Cream (10 or 18 % coffee cream is fine) • ¼ Cup various vegetables, fine dice (onion, leek, sweet peppers, asparagus etc.)

• Fresh Herbs (your call – don’t be shy, experiment with them) • Oil, salt and pepper DIRECTIONS Multiply the quantities based on the size of your pan, or crowd. I recom-

mend letting the eggs sit at room temp for half hour. They will cook much better for the frittata.

Set your oven at 350F before you begin.

Preheat your non-stick pan, and begin with your vegetables. If you add the oil after the vegetables, you’ll have a much lower chance of ‘spitting’ or splashback.

Saute on medium heat and add the herbs. Meanwhile, vigorously whisk the

eggs with the cream, and add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Pour this carefully in the center of the pan and allow to cook for another minute, then transfer to the oven.

It will cook in approximately 8-15 minutes rising high. It should be just set, and no longer jiggly in the centre.

A light crumbling of soft Goat’s cheese on this is fantastic!

To Make Summer Special, Go West Continued From Page 24 AUGUST • Summer Open House The Whiskey Brothers and Gourmet Haute Dogs, Aug. 13 at Di Profio Wines (4055 19 Street, Jordan Station). Di Profio Wines will be hosting their annual summer open house.

You’re invited to join us for an afternoon of wine tasting, live music and our famous gourmet Haute Dogs. All Haute Dogs will be expertly paired with a glass of wine for only $10! Winemaker Marc Pistor will be featuring his Fogolar wines, exclusive to Di Profio Wines. Ed Hughes of Hughes Vineyard will be pouring his 2012 “Hard Fought” Pinot Noir and his 2010 Ambria Riesling. We hope to see you for a delicious afternoon on our patio among the vines!

• Flowers and Wine Aug. 19 at 2:30 pm Flat Rock Cellars & The Watering Can Flower Market are partnering up for

this event. Location: Flat Rock Cellars 360 room with a view. Price: $75 ($75 deposit required) Length: 120 minutes.

Join us at Flat Rock Cellars perched atop a gentle slope offering breathtaking views of the Peninsula and across Lake Ontario to Toronto. Experience a superb tour of this state-of-the-art five-level gravity flow wine-making facility led by their funloving staff. Discover the secret to their consistently exceptional wines. Enjoy wine tastings paired with scrumptious canapes from August, a popular local restaurant.

Designing a stunning floral arrangement will be a highlight! Book on The Watering Cans website : thewateringcan.ca • Sundays @2 Music Series, Aug. 21 at 2 pm at Calamus Winery (3100 Glen Rd, Jordan Station). Melissa-Marie Shriner & Doug Mundy will be performing Jazz Standards in our Sundays @2 Music Series. $25 Admission includes wine

samples, treats at intermission. Season’s passes available at $80 (Cosmic Club tickets $22, Season’s pass $75) MULTI-DATES • Sheep in the vineyard… they’re baa-ck Saturday, July 23 and Saturday, Aug. 6 at Featherstone Winery (3678 Victoria Ave, Vineland). Tour begins at 1:30 pm.

David Johnson, our winemaker, has added ‘shepherd’ to his job description. Each year, sheep are brought into the Featherstone vineyard for a brief period to do leaf removal on the vines and provide weed control. Sip on our famous Featherstone Estate Black Sheep Riesling and enjoy a vineyard tour that is unique in Canada.

Tour lasts about 45 minutes. Three wines will be tasted. Please wear appropriate footwear to meet the sheep (high heels will be regretted). $10.00+HST per person, to a maximum 20 people per session.

July/August 2016 | clubwest.ca

25

Chef In Residence CUISINE

Vegetable Stirfry For a stirfy, certain herbs put up with heat much better than others. The hearty herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, savoury, etc, do well in these situations, and the finer, more tender herbs such as basil, tarragon, cilantro and the like are better served sprinkled over the stirfry at the point of service.

This stirfry is nice, in that it’s light and very quick, but don’t let your imagination be restricted by this. I used a seasonal approach to this, featuring Bok Choi, Snow peas and small Rainbow Carrots, with Asparagus. Delicious! Stirfry INGREDIENTS Variety of vegetables, in season, and local.

• 1 Tbsp washed parsley, thyme and rosemary • 2 Tbsp washed, and slivered basil (2 colours if you have it), and Lovage • Oil, salt and pepper • Lemon zest, juice

DIRECTIONS In a bit of oil, sautée the vegetables over high heat, adding the first herbs, and a squirt of lemon juice.

This will take perhaps 4 or 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, then add the fine herbs, and serve immediately.

To Make Summer Special, Go West Continued From Page 25 We recommend calling ahead with a credit card number to reserve: 905-5621949 • Rosewood Bee Experience. July 9-2324 & Aug. 13-14-26-27 @ Noon at Rosewood Estate Winery (4352 Mountainview Road, Beamsville). Have you ever wanted to see inside a working beehive? This summer we’re proud to offer a special experience where you’ll get to interact with our estate apiary under the guidance of our beekeepers. Together you’ll open the inside of a hive to see thousands of honeybees working together.

You might even be lucky and catch the Queen running around. Following the visit in the apiary, you’ll have a chance to see the winery and taste a flight of wines (& meads) with the beekeeper. We’ll provide all the safety equipment (beekeeping gloves, hoods and jackets) needed to

26 clubwest.ca | July/August 2016

keep you safe and comfortable throughout the experience. We just ask you bring closed-toe shoes with you. We cannot allow anyone wearing sandals or flip-flops on the Bee Tour. Each tour is limited to 10 people – email us to reserve your spot.

Cost: $30 pp (4-person minimum to reserve a tour time) Please note – above dates are subject to change and are all weather dependent.

• Firepit Fridays July 22 | Aug.19 from 6-9 pm at Stoney Ridge Winery (3201 King St, Vineland). Wine, music, woodoven pizzas and a summer evening with friends. What could be better? Enjoy our beautiful gardens and casual setting next to a warm fire. Call for more info (905) 562-1324 • Summer Weekends at Angel Gates (4260 Mountainview Road, Beamsville).

Join us this summer for a glass of our own delicious VQA wine and a hand-crafted,

wood-oven pizza at Angels Gate. No reservations, just come on up to the Gate from 11-4 on weekends and enjoy a taste of heaven. Questions? Give us a call at 905-563-3942.

• Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Calamus all summer by appointments. (3100 Glen Rd, Jordan Station) Hike the vineyard with owner Derek Saunders and enjoy an informative tasting amongst the vines.

Includes a vineyard tour, a tasting, and a glass of wine. Call the winery to book your group (min 6). Click here for information about Calamus vineyard tours $15 pp.

• Wine Wednesdays at Stoney Ridge Winery (3201 King St, Vineland). Is your week half full or half empty? Join us every Wednesday 6-9 pm. Featuring live music, $5 wine by the glass and half-price cheese and charcuterie boards. Call for more info (905) 562-1324

Chef In Residence CUISINE

Berry Gazpacho This is used as a cold soup, at the Grand Oak; but we have had many of our customers mention how dessert-like it is.

You decide!

INGREDIENTS • 1 Qt Fresh Berries (I used Strawberries here), cleaned, washed • 1 Tbsp Lemon-Thyme • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice • 1 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil • Pinch Pink Peppercorns (6-7) • Vanilla Paste (organic, whole beans; ground to a paste • Garnish – Shredded Mint leaves DIRECTIONS Puree all this at high speed until completely smooth. Serve, chilled, with the mint leaves sprinkled on top.

To Make Summer Special, Go West Continued From Page 26

• Hike to the Falls at Calamus winery all summer by appointment (3100 Glen Rd, Jordan Station). Join us for a hike through our vineyard, on to Balls Falls Conservation Area and back to the winery for a tasting, lunch and a glass of wine on the deck overlooking the vineyard. Contact winery to book your group (min. 6) $25 pp • Southern BBQ Every Weekend from noon-4 pm Susannah’s Smokehouse Southern BBQ at Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery (3210 Staff Ave, Lincoln). Nothin’ fake...Nothin’ fancy...Just real Southern Barbeque.

Pulled pork sliders, sausage on a bun, hickory-kissed ribs, two-meat combo, satisfyin’ sides. Taste the difference our homestyle recipes make! Garden Side

Dining, Wines by the glass, Reservations recommended for tables of 6 or more. Take-Out offered! (Menu subject to change) • The Daily Cheese Plate at Fielding Estate Winery (4020 Locust Lane, Beamsville) starting July 29 until the end of December. Join us daily for our cheese plate served up in the retail store. Choose from a changing selection of artisan cheese and locally made condiments and made to enjoy alongside a glass of our wine year round. Best enjoyed on our deck in the warmer months and fireside in the cooler months. Cost for basic cheese plate is $20 and can be added on to.

Served from 11-5 during summer hours and 11-4:30 during fall/winter hours.

• Train Ride at Puddicombe Farms (1468 Hamilton Reg. Rd 8). July August: 10 am-2 pm Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, 10 am-4 pm weekends.

Enjoy a train ride while discovering the farm. Call for more info (905) 643-1015.

• Old MacPuddi’s Summer Camp (1468 Hamilton Reg. Rd 8) Puddicombe Estate, Old MacPuddi’s Summer Camp staff are dedicated to your child’s inner growth and development. Our summer camp programs encourages inclusivity and strive to meet your child’s intellectual, moral, physical, social needs and interests. This caring environment will install self-confidences, self-realization and foster both independent and group belonging.

For more info: (905) 643-1015.

July/August 2016 | clubwest.ca

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#rotarywingding 28 clubwest.ca | July/August 2016

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