Four students finish at the top of their class
By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star
Another school year has ended and another cohort of graduates are moving into the next phase of their lives. Some with trepidation, some with excitement – but all with the hope of furthering their lives whether it’s through academics or entering the workforce.
Four area students in particular are looking forward to seeing just how far they can go in their respective fields after receiving the GovernorGeneral’s Academic Medal for finishing at the top of their class at their respective schools.
This year’s top scholar in Orléans is Yen Pham who earned a 99.70 average at Cairine Wilson Secondary School. Pham had a perfect mark in four different subjects – applied chemistry, biology, calculus and vectors, and functions –he also earned a 99 per cent in physics and 98 per cent in English.
Pham is fortunate in that he is one of those rare students for whom academics comes naturally. It also runs in the family. His older sister, Xuan, won the Governor-General’s Medal at Cairine two years ago.
His ability to do well academically without studying for hours on end meant that he had time to fully enjoy his final year of high school by joining a number of school clubs. In fact, he had a different club every day. But his favourite club was as a member of the school’s tech crew.
“We basically did the tech for all the theatre club stuff and the assemblies,” says Pham, who will be going to the University of Ottawa next year to study computer engineering. His goal is to one day be a part of Canada’s space program.
The Governor-General’s Academic Medal recipient at St. Mathew High School was Lona Khandil who earned a 96.90 per cent
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
Kids Kingdom shuts doors for good
ORLÉANS – The Kids Kingdom Amusement Centre on Trim Road is closing its doors for good along with its summer camp program. The news came in the form of a post on the company’s Facebook page on June 22. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the permanent closure of Kids Kingdom Amusement, effective Monday, June 23rd, 2025,” the post states. “We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all the families, children and staff who have been a part of our journey over the years. Your laughter, support and smiles made Kids Kingdom a truly magical place to play and grow.” The post went on to explain, “Like many businesses, we faced significant challenges in the wake of COVID. Despite our best efforts to adapt, the changing landscape has made it impossible for us to continue. Thank you for the unforgettable memories. If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to reach out to us directly. With heartfelt thanks, Kids Kingdom.” Clients who are owed refunds for parties or camps will be contacted by the centre if they haven’t been already. The closure has left many parents scrambling for last-minute summer camp alternatives for their children. The options for summer camps at this late date are few and far between. The City of Ottawa has a limited number of spots left in a limited number of camps that are age specific. You can see what’s available by visiting register.ottawa.ca.
Navan’s Érik Bédard inducted into Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
ORLÉANS – Former major league pitcher and Navan native Érik Bédard has been inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. During his 11-year career from 2002-2014 Bédard played for seven different teams – the Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox, the Seattle Mariners, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Houston Astros, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers. By the time he retired from baseball in 2014, he had amassed a win-loss record of 71-82 with a 3.99 ERA. His best season was 2007 with the Baltimore Orioles when he went 13-5 with an ERA of 3.16 and 221 strikeouts. Despite having immense talent, Bédard’s career was often interrupted by injuries. In 2003, he underwent Tommy John surgery, a surgical procedure to repair a torn ligament in the elbow. In 2005, he was out for two months with a sprained knee. In 2007, his season ended prematurely due to a strained oblique muscle. After being traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2008, Bédard missed more than two months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder. He was placed on the disabled list again in 2009 due to a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder. He missed the entire 2010 season while rehabing and in July 2011 he was traded to the Boston Red Sox. After a limited number of starts over the next four seasons with the Red Sox, Pirates, Astros and Rays, he announced his retirement on June 11, 2015. After retiring, Bédard moved into a home which he had built in rural Cumberland. He lives there with his wife Jessica, who owns her own high-end shoe business, and Jessica’s son from a previous relationship.
Orléans
top students con’t
Continued from page 1 average. St. Peter High School’s Julianne Adams was not far behind with a 96.88 per cent average and Ruqaiyah Mohamed Aashique from Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School earned a 96.83 average.
A self-admitted robotics junky, Ruqaiyah will be heading off to the University of Toronto in September where she will be studying mechanical engineering. Her passion lies in the areas of automation and design.
She chose to go to the U of T because they offer a full term co-operative program over the course of 10 months rather than just three or four months in a semestered co-op, allowing students a chance to make a real connection with a potential employer.
Like Pham, Raqaiyah also made a concerted effort to balance her academics extra-curricular activities.
Besides being a member of several school clubs, she also played clarinet and saxophone with the school band and she played on the school’s badminton team. The extra-curricular activities were a great way to relax and get away from her text books.
Pham holds up the Governor General’s Academic Medal he received for achieving the highest average in his graduating class at Cairine Wilson Secondary School. FRED SHERWIN/PHOTO
Érik Bédard
Yen
East end councillor revives decades-old ring road concept
By Fred Sherwin
The Orléans Star
Beacon Hill-Cyrville councillor Tim Tierney wants the city to consider building a ring road around Ottawa, running from the east end of Orléans to Kars in the South and Stittsville in the west, before any consideration or money is spent building another interprovincial bridge.
Tierney brought up the idea during a public works and infrastructure committee meeting last week as members were debating potential updates to the City’s Transportation Master Plan, the guiding document for future transportation infrastructure investments for the next 20-30 years.
He then put forward a motion asking all levels of government to pursue a “full and fair evaluation” of a southern ring road, which passed by a vote of 9-2.
“If the province is looking for some guidance for where they would like to provide some money to the city, we’ve just indicated, it’s this. It’s not an interprovincial bridge,” said Tierney.
The idea of building a ring road around Ottawa was first floated in the mid-90s by then-Cumberland mayor Brian Coburn. Ironically, it was tied to a proposal to build
an interprovincial bridge at Petrie Island, which was also being pushed by the former mayor.
The idea was to connect the bridge to a ring road along Frank Kenny Road, which was re ferred at the time as the North-South link.
When the first interprovincial bridge study was mothballed in the late 90s, so was the idea of building a ring road. It hadn’t resur faced until Tierney brought it up at last week’s committee meeting.
The federal government made a commit ment to build a sixth interprovincial bridge in January, reviving the controversial subject after it was swept under the rug following the most recent study on the subject in 2013 which listed Kettle Island near the northern end of the Vanier Parkway as the highest ranked location.
Beacon Hill -Cyrville councillor Tim Tierney successfully introduced a motion to add a ring road to the city’s Transportation Master Plan at a infrastructure and transportation committee meeting. CBC PHOTO
The study’s findings were kiboshed by the former Liberal government under Dalton McGuinty, largely due to the level of dissent and outrage voiced by the residents of Vanier.
However, the study also indicated that the bridge would be used disproportionately by residents living in Gatineau to get back and forth from Ottawa, causing many proponents of the bridge to question why Quebec
shouldn’t pay for it.
While estimates of the potential cost of a sixth interprovincial bridge have varied widely over the past 25 years, the current estimate is somewhere in the neighbourhood of $3 billion.
“Three billion dollars for an interprovincial bridge, we have no interest in that,” Tierney
said. “We have a bigger issue where all of our traffic is going through downtown and we see highway closures that really affect people’s lives right now. We have to start looking at this (ring road) as an option.”
Tierney’s motion will no go before a future city council meeting to be voted on by the committee of the whole.
HOV DOA
When the east end O-Train extension was first being considered, many people, including yours truly, believed that the westbound busonly lane on Hwy. 174 would be turned into a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane. It’s one of the reasons why I argued that the LRT be placed down the middle of the highway. It’s also a big reason why east end commuters have put up with three years of lane closures.
The construction of the O-Train extension along with the creation of a westbound HOV lane would be a win-win situation for both transit users and commuters.
Imagine my surprise then, when I recently learned that there would no HOV lane after all. It turns out that in order to have an HOV lane, you also need to have a paved shoulder with a width equal to size of a car or bus. And since there is no paved shoulder beside the current bus only lane, the city would have to pay to create one.
Unfortunately, having sunk all its money into the O-Train expansion, there is nothing left to widen the 174. And even if the City did have the money, they certainly wouldn’t use it on a highway that the province is expected to take over in 2027.
So here we are. When the O-Trains extension finally comes online, east end commuters will be stuck with the same two lanes they’ve had forever.
The new shoulder will be reserved for emergency vehicles only. It could also be used by buses should the LRT be shut down for weatherrelated or mechanical issues, but that contingency is still under consideration.
Turning the westbound bus-only lane into HOV lane should have been part of the plan from the beginning. The fact that it wasn’t is outrageous and a further demonstration that Orléans seems to always be playing the second fiddle to Kanata when it comes to transportation infrastructure in this city.
Kanata has had an eastbound HOV lane since 2009. That’s 16 years ago. The only improvement made to Hwy 174 since then was the creation of an extra lane through the split in 2015 to accommodate the extra buses during the construction of the LRT line from the Hurdman Station to Blair Road.
In the meantime, the traffic has only gotten worse as Orléans continues to expand and the volume of traffic from Clarence-Rockland continues to grow.
Orléans deserves better. Which is why pressure needs to applied to the provincial government to right this wrong and widen westbound Hwy. 174 to allow for an HOV when and if they take over responsibility for the highway.
– Fred Sherwin
Busy week included Senior’s Bingo, local Canada Day celebrations
Canada’s new government is taking action to strengthen our laws and keep Canadians safe. Earlier in June, we tabled legislation that gives law enforcement additional tools to secure the border, combat organized crime, stop the flow of illegal fentanyl, and crack down on money laundering.
On June 20, the House of Commons passed the One Canadian Economy Act, which will remove federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility, expedite major nationbuilding projects, and unleash economic growth, with Indigenous partnership at the centre of this growth.
MPP Stephen Blais – our Annual Strawberry Social and Canada Day Bingo on June 21, as we celebrated Seniors’ Month in June.
Together we welcomed close to 200 seniors at the Collège catholique Mer Bleue.
Jody Maffett Editor The Orléans Star
Fred Sherwin Owner and publisher fsherwin@orleansstar.ca
Jean-Marc Pacelli Editor L’Orléanais
The Orléans Star is a bi-weekly publication distributed to over 40,000 residences in Blackburn Hamlet, Orléans and Navan. The newspaper is locally owned and operated by Sherwin Publishing Inc., 745 Farmbrook Cres., Orléans, ON. Inquiries and delivery issues should be sent to info@orleansstar.ca.
This summer, let’s choose Canada. The Canada Strong Pass has officially launched – inviting you to rediscover the country we call home. From June 20 to Sept. 2, the Canada Strong Pass opens the doors to national parks, museums, galleries, and historic sites, helping families make memories, save money, and celebrate what unites us as Canadians.
I am very happy to have been named Chair of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs as well as Chair of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF) – Canada Branch.
Locally, I am hoping that you will support the Orléans Legion Bottle Drive Fundraiser. Bring your empties on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., at the Orléans Legion, 800 Taylor Creek Dr. In the lead-up to Canada Day, I hosted – alongside
A huge thank you to the Lions Club of Orléans for helping with the bingo. I would also like to express my gratitude to many local businesses for the 66 door prizes, and to the following retirement residences: Jardin Royal Garden, Willowbend Retirement Community, Portobello Venvi Community, Chapel Hill Retirement Residence, and Forest Valley Terrace, who donated an amazing array of delicious food.
On July 1st, I attended several activities marking our country’s birthday, such as joining the celebrations at the Baitun Naseer Mosque in Cumberland and the Orléans Legion Branch 632, which respectively hosted a community barbecue. It was great to celebrate Canada Day back at Petrie Island this year, thanks to the leadership of the Canada Day Orléans organization. Wonderful to meet so many families and kids enjoying the celebrations at our booth.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025! It was a privilege to attend some of the graduation ceremonies to present the Governor-General’s Academic Medals.
**La version française est maintenant disponible sur ma page Facebook**
Ring road proposal
You know you’ve been covering a community a long time when an issue you wrote about nearly 30 years ago is back in the headlines.
In this case it’s the idea of building a ring road around Ottawa, from Orléans to Stittsville through Osgoode.
The idea has been dusted off and dragged out of the closet by Beacon Hill-Cyrville councillor Tim Tierney, who wants to put it back in the city’s transportation master plan and make it a priority over another interprovincial bridge.
The irony is that when a ring road was first being proposed in the mid 1990s it was in the context of being connected with a interprovincial bridge at Petrie Island.
Both the ring road and the interprovincial bridge were being pushed by former Cumberland mayor Brian Coburn and his colleagues on Cumberland town council. This was long before the municipalities that made up the former region of OttawaCarleton were merged together in 2001.
Coburn’s idea was to link Cumberland to both Hwy. 417 and Hwy. 416 which was just being built at the time. As a result, Cumberland would become the eastern hub for commercial and industrial development
Up Front
Fred Sherwin
in the region.
To that end, Coburn managed to convince his colleagues on regional council to build the North South Link from Innes Road to the 417, which would eventually be named Frank Kenny Road.
The whole idea fell apart when Petrie Island as a possible site for an interprovincial bridge was rejected for obvious reasons and the ring road began to be referred to as the road to nowhere, largely because it would be too far south to do any good.
The idea was shelved, to never see the light of day again until Tierney pulled it off the shelf and dusted it off at last week’s infrasturcture and transportation committee.
Somewhere Brian Coburn is smiling. Whether or not a ring road makes any more sense today than it did 30 years ago is a matter of debate.
It would definitely be useful for Orléans residents who want a quick route to Hwy. 416 and Hwy. 7 without having to go through Ottawa and deal with traffic on the Queensway, and vice versa for folks in Kanata and Stittsville who want to go to Montréal.
It would also be useful for commercial truck traffic trying to get to the south end of the city.
As for the potential impact the ring road would have on traffic on the Queensway or Hunt Club road, it would likely be minimal if it’s built too far south.
A ring road would also cost hundreds of millions of dollars at a time when we still have to pay the tab for Stage 2 of the LRT Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure we still haven’t paid off Stage 1 yet.
Tierney’s motion to put a future ring road in the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) as done more to throw smoke on the federal government’s desire to build another interprovincial bridge than anything else.
The TMP sets out the city’s transportation infrastructure priorities for the next 20 to 30 years.
The mere thought that the feds want to push ahead with a bridge is stupefying.
While study after study has come up with
Kettle Island as the best location to build a bridge, the fact that it would have to be linked into the Aviation Parkway and the Hwy 174/417 split means that it will be met with intense opposition. Plus time has made a bridge redundant.
When it was first being studied 15 years ago, federal government workers were still having to report to their office five days a week.
When the last interprovincial bridge study was released in 2013, it showed that the vast majority of people who would be using the crossing would be Gatineau residents coming and going from Ottawa. The split between Quebec and Ontario users was between 80/20 and 90/10.
The study also showed that a new bridge at Kettle Island would only have a minor impact on interprovincial truck traffic downtown.
The truth is that the desire to build an interprovincial bridge or a ring road is based more on wishful thinking than reality.
Orléans commuters would be much better off with an HOV lane on the 174 than either of the aforementioned and it would be far less expensive. Too bad it’s equally unlikely to be built anytime soon.
The east end deserves the infrastructure it’s paid for
At last, the east end is being heard — and more importantly, prioritized.
At the Transportation Master Plan committee meeting last week, major milestones were achieved for Orléans South-Navan.
Several motions I brought forward to address long-standing infrastructure gaps passed their first hurdle. These included directing staff to review the feasibility of how and when key road and transit infrastructure could be delivered before new homes are approved and a separate motion on developing new funding strategies to speed up new road construction in fast-growing areas.
For years, growth in our community outpaced the delivery of transportation infrastructure. While families moved in and schools opened, roads remained two-lane bottlenecks and transit options were limited, with one way in and one way out.
The revised TMP includes long-overdue commitments: the realignment of Renaud Road, the widening of Brian Coburn, the
Cumberland Bus Rapid Transitway (BRT), and crucial arterial upgrades — all built around “complete streets” principles that support not just cars, but cyclists, pedestrians and transit users.
At last week’s meeting, I secured priority status for the Cumberland BRT – ensuring both segments are positioned at the top of the City’s list for federal funding through the 2026 Canada Public Transit Fund. I also pushed for key critical east-end corridors to be incorporated in the next Transportation Master Plan update due in the next 2-5 years, including a review of how the urbanization of both Tenth Line and Navan Road could be phased in more quickly.
This was just the first step – the full plan still needs Council approval in late July –but it represents real momentum for our community. This progress didn’t happen by accident. It took relentless advocacy, hard data and a community that refused to accept being left behind. Finally, we are poised to get what we deserve.
Literacy is a right, not a privilege
As Chair of the Ottawa Public Library Board, I’ve seen firsthand how access to knowledge can transform lives. That’s why I’m so proud of the steps we’ve taken to remove barriers – like eliminating late fees, which disproportionately affected families and low-income residents.
books at a young age, we’re not just raising readers, we’re raising thinkers, doers, and leaders for tomorrow.
No one should be penalized for wanting to learn or for returning a book a few days late.
We’ve also adopted a strong and principled intellectual freedom policy. In a world full of disinformation, censorship, and division, libraries remain one of the last truly democratic spaces – open to all, free to enter, and rich with ideas. No one should get to decide what you can read or learn. Libraries defend your right to explore, question, and grow.
But that journey begins in childhood. Early literacy lays the foundation for everything that follows. When we invest in storytimes, reading readiness, and access to
As a dad, I’ve watched my daughters fall in love with reading. That moment when a book captures their imagination is nothing short of magic. Every child deserves that spark, and every parent deserves the chance to share it.
With the new central library, Ādisōke, we are re-imagining what a library can be. It will be a vibrant, inspiring space for learning, creativity, and connection – with recording studios, musical instruments, a community kitchen, Indigenous knowledge, multilingual collections, and, of course, thousands of books.
Libraries aren’t just about books. They’re about belonging. They are for everyone. And in Orléans and across Ottawa, they’re helping people of all ages connect with knowledge, with each other, and with the kind of future we all deserve
Orléans Road Map soon available at select locations
Starting July 5, copies of the 2025 Orléans Road Map will be available at the following locations (while supplies last):
• Caravela Restaurante, 3712 Innes Rd.
• Computer Rise, 1803 St. Joseph Blvd.
• Romantic Fireplaces & BBQs, 5380 Canotek Rd.
• Royal Oak Pub Orléans, 1981 St Joseph Blvd.
• Cosenza Pizza, 6505 Jeanne D’Arc Blvd. N.
• Golden Fries, Convent Glen Plaza
• Symphony Senior Living, 6419 Lumberman Way
• Sure Print, 2507 St Joseph Blvd.
• Pantry Plus, 2433 St Joseph Blvd.
• Sound & Sight, 2288 St Joseph Blvd.
• The Garlic King, 2586 St Joseph Blvd.
• Service Ontario, 2864 St Joseph Blvd.
• Vantage Jewelers, 2866 St Joseph Blvd.
• Michael Willems Photo, Place d’Orléans
• Taproom 260, 260 Centrum Blvd.
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 500 Brisebois Cres.
• Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre, 240 Centrum Blvd.
• Stray Dog Brewing Company, 501 Lacolle Way
• Sobeys Trim & Innes
• Distinctive Kitchen and Bath, 2035 Lanthier Dr.
• Orléans Brewing Company, 4380 Innes Rd.
• Precision Automotive, 385 Vantage Dr.
• La Ha Tacos, 3746 Innes Rd.
Cumberland
has a lot to offer those who wish to stick close to
home
By Fred Sherwin
The Orléans Star
Is the price of gas getting you down? Are you looking to stay close to home this summer? Then why not consider spending a day visiting some of the businesses in the former township of Cumberland.
Cumberland has a lot to see and do and best of all, it’s right next door to Orléans.
Cumberland is a largely rural community containing several small villages such as Navan, Sarsfield and Cumberland Village, all of which are within a 10- to 15-minute drive from Orléans. The area boasts two wineries, an antique store, a paintball action centre, a bakery, a heritage village museum, an art studio and gallery and one of the best restaurants in the east end.
Cumberland Village is located just a few minutes from Orléans along Hwy. 174. Besides being the home of the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, it is also where you will find the Black Walnut Bakery, the Da Artisti Art Gallery & Studio and the Maker Feed Co. restaurant. And if you visit the community on a Saturday, you can also take in the Cumberland Farmer’s Market at the R.J. Kennedy Arena on Dunning Road. The market is held every Saturday between
9 a.m. and 1 p.m. until October.
The Black Walnut Bakery is located on Cameron Street near the corner of Hwy. 174. The bakery has become extremely popular thanks to their freshly made breads, pies and assorted pastries, which can be enjoyed on their porch with coffee or tea.
The Da Artisti Art Gallery & Studio is located in a heritage building on Old Montreal Road just as you enter the village. Besides holding fused glass workshops, the gallery and studio displays and sells works made by artists and artisans from the area and beyond, including jewelery, paintings, stained glass, wood work, wearable fabric art and accessories and other items. The gallery is owned and operated by fused glass artist Wendy Canci.
Maker Feed Co. is owned and operated by Chef Michel Gaumond. It is located in the Ferguson House at 2607 Old Montreal Rd.
The restaurant is a farm-to-table establishment with most of the ingredients consisting of whatever is available at local farms. As such, the menu can often change and each dish is made to order.
Take Dunning Road southbound from Cumberland Village and you will come to Blue Spruce Antiques where you will
find hundreds of antiques and vintage items housed in two buildings. Owner Lorraine Seguin has been buying and selling antiques for most of her adult life, but it wasn’t until 2016 that she decided to open up her own store.
Continuing south on Dunning Road, you will come to the village of Leonard where the original Cumberland Town Hall used to be located. Now it is home to the Vignoble Clos du Vully vineyard and winery, which is one of two wineries in Cumberland. The other is the Domaine Perrault winery in Navan.
Vignoble Clos Du Vully was established in 2008 by Jan-Daniel Etter and his partner Anne Grenon. The winery now produces a wide variety of wines using their own grapes blended with grapes from the Niagara Region. Private tastings can be booked by e-mailing closduvully@gmail.com. You can also purchase wines at the store on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Just south of Leonard is the Commando Action Centre where you can play a variety of projectile games including low-impact Airsoft that utilizes small BB-like pellets, Bazooka Ball which uses Nerf-like paintless projectiles that are safe for children four
and up, and – of course – regular paintball. If you continue south past the village of Bearbrook, you will find Bearbrook Game Meats at 5396 Dunning Rd. which sells exotic meats of all kinds in the form of sausages, hamburger patties, and steaks made from bison, wild boar, venison, emu and ostrich. They also sell various game birds, free range eggs and many European products.
To the southeast of Orléans is the village of Navan, home of J.T. Bradley’s Country Convenience Store, the New Oak Tree furniture store and the Domaine Perrault winery.
Domaine Perrault has been around since 1999. Owned and operated by Denis Perrault, his wife Lyse and their two daughters, the winery produces over 15 different wines which they sell on site. The store is open every Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can sample some of the wines before you purchase them or you can book a private tour and tasting by visiting domaineperrault.ca.
There is so much to see and do in Cumberland you take your very own staycation right in your own back yard.
Area wine lovers have two local vineyards they can visit
By Fred Sherwin
The Orléans Star
If you enjoy a glass of wine every now and then, you will love the fact that Cumberland has two local wineries which you can visit to indulge your palate and your taste buds.
The Domaine Perrault vineyard and winery is located on Perrault Road, just south of the village of Navan.
The winery was started on the Perrault family farm in 1999 by Denis Perrault. Today it is owned and operated Denis, his wife Lise and their two daughters.
The Domaine Perrault vineyard and winery produces five red wines, a fortified red, six white wines, a dessert wine and their signature rosé.
You can purchase most of the wines in the winery’s retail store, or you can book an organized wine tasting starting with a twohour tasting that includes two ounces each of five different wines.
To check out the wine tastings and other events visit their website at www.domaineperrault.ca/patio-packages.
The store is open Fridays from 12 noon to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sundays from 11a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cumberland’s second winery is Vignoble Clos Du Vully, located at 2501 Magladry Road near Dunning just outside the village of Leonard. It is 15 minutes southeast of Orléans.
The winery is owned by Jan-Daniel Etter who planted 5,000 cold climate vines on the property between 2008 and 2011. In 2013, they transformed an old dairy barn into a winery, and in May 2016 they opened a retail store on the site.
Today, they grow five varieties of grapes which they blend with grapes from two producers in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Clos du Vully currently five white wines, one orange wine, four red wines, two bubbly sparkling wines and two fortified wines.
You can find out more about the Vignoble Clos Du Vully and the wines they make by visiting www.vignobleclosduvully.com. The store is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment.
Jan-Daniel Etter, above, is the owner of Vignoble
Du Vully near Leonard, while Denis and Lise Perrault, right, are the owners of the Domaine Perrault winery near Navan. FILE PHOTOS
Clos
Commando Action Centre offers low-impact options
By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star
When one thinks of paintball, one thinks of high-velocity projectiles which can often leave a bruise. Highly popular among the younger male population, paintball omitted younger children and women largely by default. But all that has changed with the addition of low-impact options offered by Commando Action Centre.
Celebrating over 30 years in business, Commando Action Centre (AKA Commando Paintball) wants the whole family to be able to enjoy the full paintball experience! Low-impact paintball takes the pain out of paintball and is offered to anyone over the age of seven.
The paintballs are smaller, softer and break more easily on contact and the markers are set at a low pressure. This makes it a less intense experience for those that may be nervous about participating in regular paintball.
Commando’s low-impact option is quite popular among families with younger children and for birthday parties or corporate
functions. It can also be a great teambuilding activity.
Another option for younger children and families is Bazooka Ball.
Bazooka Ball is a high-intensity game that provides good, clean fun for the entire family. It is completely safe and quite entertaining. Bazooka Ball uses a traditional paintball marker with a modified barrel and low-impact Nerf-like balls instead of paint, so there’s no need to be worried about your clothing getting covered in paint, or ugly bruises and welts showing up.
Bazooka Ball is perfect for kids as young as four who can participate without the fear of getting hurt. Adults can also join in the fun without getting covered in paint.
Commando Action Centre also offers a unique airsoft-only field that covers 20 acres. Airsoft is a popular sport in which players imitate firefights. It’s similar to paintball in concept, except instead of paintballs, it uses high-powered replica airsoft guns that fire tiny plastic BB pellets.
The Commando Action Centre is a great place for a family outing, birthday parties, or as an activity for a group of friends . PHOTO SUPPLIED
Airsoft is a fun and safe activity since it follows stringent rules that ensure players are aware of and capable of avoiding possible dangers.
To find out more about the many exciting and fun-filled options offered at the Commando Action Centre, visit commandopaintball.ca, where you will find
the various pricing options as well as tons of pictures. You can also reserve your next outing on the website.
The Commando Action Centre is located at 4565 Dunning Rd. between Colonial and Russell Roads.
Blue Spruce Antiques & Collectables
We have items from every era –come in and browse today! WE STOCK NEW FINDS REGULARLY, SO VISIT OFTEN!
(Between Innes & Colonial Roads)
Turn the ordinary into the extraordinary with a visit to Bearbrook Game Meats
By Jody Maffett
The Orléans Star
Bearbrook Game Meats is one of the best-kept secrets in the east end. Located on Dunning Road just south of Russell Road, Bearbrook Game Meats sells traditional and exotic game meats and free range poultry both at their retail store and online.
Bearbrook Game Meatsoffers a wide variety of chemical-free game meat in several different cuts including steaks, roasts, ground meat, sausages and chops. Their selection of chemical-free burgers, roasts, meatloaves and steaks is second to none.
They have all the above in venison, wild boar, buffalo, elk, ostrich and emu, as well as red angus beef, pork and lamb.
And everything is additive-free. That means no antibiotics, no hormones, no chemicals, no fillers and no MSG. That goes
for their cured meats as well, including their salamis, pepperettes, jerky and bacon.
Bearbrook Game Meats also sells a wide selection of free-range poultry and game birds including chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, Guinea hens, pheasant and partridge as well as a variety of free-range eggs. Their game meat burgers, sausages and steaks are a wonderful way to turn an ordinary BBQ into an extraordinary dining experience.
One of the items the Bearbrook Game Meat Store is most famous for is their WildGame-To-Go takeout dinners that you simply have to warm up in the microwave or oven. For example, they have Buffalo Stew with Wild Currant Sauce, Venison Stew with Juniper Berries & Red Currant Sauce, and Emu Meat Balls with Videlia Onion Sauceto name just a few.
The meals are made on site and then flash frozen to ensure they are fresh and flavour-
ful when you serve them to your family and friends.
If you visit the Bearbrook Game Meats Store, be sure to bring the kids along and visit the many buffalo, elk, deer, llamas and peacocks that roam on the property. Food pellets can be purchased in the store.
The Bearbrook Game Meat Store is located at 5396 Dunning Rd., just south of Russell Road. To get there from Orléans, take Frank Kenny Road south to Russell Road. Turn left at Russell Road and continue until you get to Dunning. Once at Dunning Road, turn right and the farm is on the righthand side. The store is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
You can also shop online by visiting www.bearbrookfarm.com. Delivery is free for orders over $100.
And if you can’t make it out to the store, you can find Bearbrook Game Meats at many local fairs and farmers markets including the
Original Navan Market which is held on the last Sunday of each month at the Navan Fair Grounds. You can also find them the Cumberland Farmer’s Market, which takes place every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena; and the Orléans Farmer’s Market which is held every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Centre on Tenth Line Road.
COMMUNITY BILLBOARD
FRIDAY, JULY 4
STRAY DOG BREWING
COMPANY presents Strut by Capital Tease Burlesque. Tickets $20 available at straydogbrewing,ca. The Stray Dog Brewing Company is located at 501 Lacolle Way in the Taylor Creek Business Park
SATURDAY, JULY 5
CUMBERLAND FARMERS’
MARKET from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena in Cumberland Village with 85 local farmers and vendors ready to showcase their freshest produce, handmade goods, and unique finds! FREE ADMISSION
SUNDAY, JULY 6
STRAY DOG BREWING COMPANY presents Crroked Creek live and in concert in their taproom. From Montreal,
Crooked Creek effortlessly blends bluegrass and country music genres. Tickets $15 available at straydogbrewing,ca. The Stray Dog Brewing Company is located at 501 Lacolle Way in the Taylor Creek Business Park.
TUESDAY, JULY 8
TRIVIA NIGHT every Tuesday night at the Royal Oak Pub Orléans from 7:30 p.m. Free to play and prize for the winning team! The Royal Oak is located at 1981 St. Joseph Blvd. near the corner of Jeanne d’Arc Blvd. For more information visit facebook. com/RoyalOakPubsOrleans.
TUESDAY, JULY 9
TARTARE NIGHT every Tuesday night at the Orléans brewing Co. from 5-8 p.m. Beef, tuna and beet options. The Orléans Brewing Co. is
located 4380 Innes Rd., next to McDonalds.
THURSDAY, JULY 10
ORLEANS FARMERS’ MARKET from 11 am to 4 pm in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Centre on Tenth Line Road.
DJ NIGHT at the Orléans Brewing Co., 4380 Innes Rd. (near the McDonalds) from 7-10 p.m. to 6 p.m. Join us and our roster of DJs every Thursday, and jumpstart your weekend.
SATURDAY, JULY 12
CUMBERLAND FARMERS’
MARKET from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena in Cumberland Village with 85 local farmers and vendors ready to showcase their freshest produce, handmade goods, and unique finds! FREE ADMISSION
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
