Relish Elgin Fall 2013

Culture Home Recreation Fall 2013 | Volume 7 | Issue 4

FREE

Alma College

at Elgin County Museum

PLUS

Chair Affair for STEGH Foundation • Alley Kat Music Salt Creek Market's Pies • Pear & Walnut No-Knead Bread

Wind nWillow

HOME & GARDEN DÉCOR INTERIOR DECORATING AND GIFTWARE 435 Talbot Street, St. Thomas • 519.637.3904 • www.windnwillow.ca • windnwillow@bellnet.ca

ACCESSORIZE!

We have everything you need to complete the look of your home & outfit!

PLUS TEAS & ACCESSORIES, GOURMET GOODS, LAMPE BERGER, FASHIONS, JEWELLERY & MORE

Come and Experience

Southwestern Ontario’s Largest Yarn Shop Located in a charming 1842 home in the historic district of St. Thomas, across from the famous Jumbo monument, Little Red Mitten is a complete yarn shop with knowledgeable, helpful staff.

We also offer spinning and weaving supplies, knitting Little groups and classes. oo

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“a

86 Talbot Street, St. Thomas • 519-207-2880 Open Mon-Wed & Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs & Fri 10am-8pm • Closed Sundays & Holidays

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Mon 10am-4pm, Tues-Fri 8:30am-7pm & Sat 8am-4pm

76 Talbot Street, St. Thomas

519-631-7629

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FROM THE EDITOR It’s the time of year for “back to” school, starting music lessons, fall baking, autumn fundraisers… Along those themes, this edition includes Susan Butlin’s article on one school, Alma College, whose influence on the arts was far-reaching; a check-in with Alley Kat Music in West Lorne on their one-year anniversary; Cindy Bircham’s recipe for walnut-pear bread; a chat with Salt Creek’s prize-winning pie makers, and Dorothy Gebert’s article on St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital’s Chair Affair—a fundraiser combined with an art show.

September is also the month when many return to leisure pursuits and activities, or look for something new to do. Active Elgin Day on September 28th provides opportunity to check out many leisure and recreational activities, free or at reduced cost. Find out more at www.activeelgin.ca.

On Sun Sept 22nd, active challenges, as well as mental ones are part of Expedition Elgin, the signature annual fund-raising event for the Elgin St. Thomas Community Foundation. Its location moves each year to highlight a different community in Elgin County and this year it is in West Lorne. Top secret locations, mystery clues and challenges mean fun and a chance to help support ESCF. Donors to the ESCFs various funds wish to invest in building a strong local community. The foundation makes that possible primarily through building and managing endowed funds, and granting to charitable organizations. Expedition Elgin is a great way for groups of friends, work groups or family to contribute to the on-going success of ESCF and our community. To take part, pre-register, collect pledges and join the expedition. Find our more at www.escf.ca.

Debra

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ~ L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 5 The Season's Events in Elgin 13 Chair Affair

Unique art pieces support hospital's mental health program

By Dorothy Gebert

16 19 21 23

Elgin Map & What's in Season Alley Kat Music in West Lorne Salt Creek Farm Market's Pies The Fulcrum of the Arts

Elgin County Museum exhibition on Alma College from 1881-1939

By Susan Butlin, Ph. D.

29 Pear & Walnut No-Knead Bread

By Chef Cindy Bircham

OUR COVER IMAGE Elizabeth Wilkes, View of Alma College, ca. 1940.

Watercolour. St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre.

Purchased from the Alma College Collection, 1990. Part of the Elgin County Museum exhibition The Fulcrum of the Arts: Canadian Culture & Alma Collge, 1881-1939, on from Sept 8-Dec 20.

See entire image and article on page 23.

Editor • Debra Bagshaw • editor@relishelgin.ca Design • Joanne Rowles • jo@relishelgin.ca Advertising Info • ads@relishelgin.ca TO SUBSCRIBE Send a cheque for $10 (to cover mailing) to the following address. Includes 5 issues.

Relish Elgin Magazine P.O. Box 20058, St. Thomas, ON, N5P 4H4 519-633-1992

www.relishelgin.ca

Copyright 2013, Relish Marketing & Promotions Inc. All rights reserved. Relish Elgin is published by Relish Marketing & Promotions Inc. Reproduction of any material published in Relish Elgin is strictly prohibited without the written permission of the Publisher.

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SEPT 14-15

Both Days

Winery Open House • Tastings

HUGE WINE & GIFTWARE SALE

Steed & Co Lavender Cooking Demos (1:30 & 4:30pm) Village Cheese Mill Sampling • Artist Shelley McVittie Belgian Horse Drawn Wagon Rides • Kennedy’s Kridders!

Artisans • Food & Beverage Available to Purchase Corn Maze • Free Pumpkins* * with corn maze admission or boutique purchase; limit one per family

Plus Live Entertainment Saturday 1-4:30pm - Deni Gauthier (blues/pop) Sunday 1-4:30pm - John Milles (blues/folk)

FREE

FAMILY EVENT SAT 10AM-5PM SUN 12-5PM

www.rushcreekwines.com

519-773-5432 • 48995 Jamestown Line, Aylmer

Friendsof Portside Gallery ANNUAL SHOW AND SALE

Sept 20-29, 2013 Opening Reception

Friday Sept 20, 7-9pm Window of Life by Terry Needham

187 ½ Main Street, Port Stanley | 519-782-7066

©istockphoto.com/jkinsey3291

Events

Fall Frolics EVENTS ACROSS ELGIN • MORE AT WWW.RELISHELGIN.CA

Ongoing Events

Thurs Aug 1 to Mon Oct 28 Rush Creek Corn Maze

Mon-Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 12–5pm $5/person (children in strollers free) Rush Creek Wines | 519-773-5432 48995 Jamestown Ln, Aylmer www.rushcreekwines.com

Sat until November Horton Farmers' Market

8am-12pm Manitoba St, just north of Talbot St www.hortonfarmersmarket.ca

Every Sun Jammin' Cabin Open Jams

1-4pm | All musicians welcome Jammin' Cabin at Pinecroft 8048 Rogers Rd S, Aylmer 519-773-3435 | www.pinecroft.ca

EVERY Mon Port Stanley Music Group Open Jams

Port Stanley Legion, 310 George St 6:30-9pm | www.facebook.com/ groups/portstanleymusic/

Current Exhibitions

Tues July 16 to Sat Sept 21 Exhibition: 1870-1950 Advertising

Wed May 1 to Mon Oct 14 Exhibition: Accounts of a Hard Day's Work

Business and personal ledgers Backus-Page House Museum 29424 Lakeview Ln, Wallacetown 519-762-3072 | backuspagehouse.ca SEPTEMBER EVENTS

UNTIL Sat Sept 14 Port Stanley Theatre: Drinking Alone

Admission by donation Aylmer-Malahide Museum & Archives 302 Bridge St, Port Stanley 519-782-4353 | portstanleytheatre.ca 14 East St, Aylmer | 519-773-9723 amtelecom.net/~aylmermuseum Sat Sept 7

Sat Aug 24 to Sun Sept 29 STEPAC Exhibitions

Farm Adventure Tour

10am–3pm | 519-633-0114 Annual tour by Elgin Federation West End Arts Mingle: West end St. Thomas from artists’ perspectives; of Agriculture; maps at Elgin & St. Thomas Libraries, tourism locations Parade of Elephants: Papier3RD Sun of Every Month mâché elephants decorated by artists and at www.elginfarmers.ca Sunday Paper Craft Pop-In and Elgin Arts Trail members; Sat Sept 7 12:30-2:30pm | Free, for JK-grade 5; The Circus is Coming: Wayne Elgin Plowing Match must be accompanied by an adult McKinnon's model circus Jones Family Farm, 45044 Dexter Ln, St. Thomas–Elgin Public Art Centre, St. Thomas–Elgin Public Art Centre Central Elgin (E of Yarmouth Ctr Rd) 301 Talbot St, St. Thomas 301 Talbot St, St. Thomas Contact Dave Cryderman, 519-631-4040 | www.stepac.ca 519-631-4040 | www.stepac.ca 519-773-8531 | www.elginfarmers.ca

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

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Events Sat Sept 7 Aylmer Performing Arts: Patricia O'Callaghan

Sat & Sun in September & October, Mon SEPT 2 & Oct 14 Scenic Train Rides

Canada's reigning Cabaret chanteuse performs "Songs of Leonard Cohen" Doors at 7pm; show starts at 7:30pm $25/show or $100 season ticket Aylmer Old Town Hall Theatre 38 John St S, Aylmer | 519-765-3039 www.artsinaylmer.com

Booking not req’d; arrive 30 min prior to departure–11am, 1pm & 2:30pm Port Stanley Terminal Rail 309 Bridge St, Port Stanley 519-782-3730 | www.pstr.on.ca

Sat Sept 7 & Sun Sept 8 Great Lakes Farms Applefest

9am-5:30pm; 2:30 Bee Beard demo $11/person, $50/group of 5 Clovermead Bees & Honey Adventure Farm, 11302 Imperial Rd, Aylmer 519-773-5503 | clovermead.com

Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 11am–5pm 5111 Union Rd, Port Stanley 519-782-3433 www.greatlakesfarms.ca

Sat Sept 7 & Sun Sept 8 Canadale Fall Mum Festival

269 Sunset Dr, St. Thomas 519-631-7264 | www.canadale.com

Thurs Sept 12 Talbot Teen Centre Spaghetti Fundraiser

5-8pm | $10 adults; $5 kids 745 Talbot St, St. Thomas 519-631-8820

Fri Sept 13 to Sun Sept 15 Rodney Aldborough Agriculture Society Fair

Sat in September Clovermead Honey Festival Horse shows, competitions, farm

Sun Sept 8 to Fri Dec 20 Exhibition: FULCRUM OF THE ARTS

Canadian Culture & Alma College, 1881-1939 | Elgin County Museum 450 Sunset Dr, 4th floor, St. Thomas 519-631-1460 x160 | elgincounty.ca

olympics, tractor pull, lawnmower races, demo derby & much more Rodney Park, Queens St, Rodney 519-768-1858 | www.rodneyfair.ca

Sat Sept 14 Vintage Prom for Big Brothers & Big Sisters

Celebrating 100 years of service 6pm | $125/person Canada Southern Railway Station 750 Talbot St, St. Thomas 519-633-3830 | www.bbbselgin.org

CENTRAL TO EVERYTHING, SECOND TO NONE

Wallacetown

153rd Annual

Fruit, Flowers, Fall...

FAIR September 27, 28 & 29

Parade • Tractor Pull • Demolition Derby Chariot & Chuckwagon Racing Let’s Make a Deal, Wallacetown Style Beach Volleyball Tournament Tom Bishop’s Wild West Show Wallacetown’s Got Talent Black Family Fiddlers & Steppers Classic Tractors & Automobiles Midway Birds of Prey Dotsy the Clown Petting Zoo & Pony Rides

Plus

...and much more! www.wallacetownfair.com

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...come discover the tastes, smells and sights of autumn in West Elgin UPCOMING EVENTS IN WEST ELGIN September 13th-15th

Rodney-Aldborough Fair October 31st

Free Hotdogs at Rodney Town Hall Sponsored by Rodney Lions Club

Hallowe’en Treats at Old Rodney Jail

WEST ELGIN

We’re just down the road and off the beaten path.

WEST LORNE • RODNEY • PORT GLASGOW

www.westelgin.net 519-785-0560

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

Events Sat Sept 14 Doors Open East Elgin

Sites of interest in Aylmer, Bayham and Malahide | 10am-4pm Contact Nancie Irving, 519-773-3164 www.doorsopenontario.on.ca

Sat Sept 14 & Sun Sept 15 17TH Annual Rush Creek Harvest Festival

Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm Rush Creek Wines | 519-773-5432 48995 Jamestown Ln, Aylmer www.rushcreekwines.com

Sat Sept 14 & Sun Sept 15 Canadale Fall Bulb Festival

269 Sunset Dr, St. Thomas 519-631-7264 | www.canadale.com

Hawk Cliff Bird Demos Sun Sept 15 Terry Fox Run

Run/walk/ride 1km, 5km, 10km or what you are capable of doing; bicycle and wheelchair accessible Heritage farm displays & demos, BBQ, 12pm-3pm (registration at 11:30am) wagon rides, vendors, music & more Sons of Scotland Park, Dutton/ 10am-4pm | 519-762-3072 Dunwich Community Centre Backus-Page House Museum www.terryfox.org 29424 Lakeview Ln, Wallacetown Wed Sept 18 www.backuspagehouse.ca

Sat Sept 14 & Sun Sept 15 Heritage Farm Show

Sat Sept 14 & Sun Sept 15 and Sat Sept 21 & Sun Sept 22 Hawk Cliff Bird Demos

Thousands of September migrants; live bird demos at 11am & 2pm Dexter Ln at Hawk Cliff, Port Stanley

Sat Sept 14, Sat Sept 28, Fri Oct 25 & Sat Oct 26 Murder Mystery DINNER & Train Rides

100 Mile Harvest Dinner

Dinner & music; limited seating, please reserve ahead; $12 adults, $6 children, $30 family, under 6 free 4:30 & 6pm sittings | 519-775-9953 Sparta Meeting House 6387 Quaker Rd, Sparta

Thur Sept 19 to Sat Sept 21 Elgin Theatre Guild Presents Old Love

Oct dates are Halloween edition rides Dinner at 6pm, train departs at 7pm Port Stanley Terminal Rail 309 Bridge St, Port Stanley 519-782-3730 | www.pstr.on.ca

Encore performance, 8pm each date, plus 2pm matinee on Sat Arts Project Theatre | 519-633-8530 203 Dundas St, London www.elgintheatreguild.ca

Sun Sept 15 Concert: Roy LeBlanc & Band

Thurs Sept 19 to Sat Sept 21 Family Flowers Fall Festival

Gospel Elvis style! Fundraiser for Christ Church Anglican Port Stanley 2pm | $25 | Port Stanley Arena 332 Carlow Rd, Port Stanley 519-631-4533 or 519-782-3264

Fall family activities, including petting zoo, BBQ and plant specials 9am-5:30pm | 519-631-6004 44329 Talbot Ln, St. Thomas www.familyflowers.ca

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

Fri Sept 20 to Sun Sept 22 L&PS Corridor Grand Opening Event

Celebrate the newly reconstructed London & Port Stanley Corridor with ticketed gala Fri; entertainment, food and free train rides Sat & Sun 519-631-1680 x4132 www.railwaycorridor.com

Fri Sept 20 to Sun Sept 29 Friends of Portside 3RD Annual Show & Sale

Show by regional artists Opening reception Sept 20, 7–9pm Gallery open 11am–5pm daily Portside Gallery | 519-782-7066 187½ Main St, Port Stanley portside.cuttingpromotions.com

Sat Sept 21 2ND Annual Lace Up for STEGH FUNDRAISER

11am start for 10k, 11:10am for 5k $40 entry fee | 519-633-4300 Pinafore Park, 89 Elm St, St. Thomas www.raceroster.com/ events/2013/450/lace-stegh-2013

Sat Sept 21 TEAM Caboose Pull for United Way

Elgin County Railway Museum 225 Wellington St, St. Thomas 519-631-3171 www.stthomasunitedway.ca

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Events Wed Sep 25 Elgin Historical Society Presentation: Alma College Artists

Historian and author Susan Butlin will speak to the society on her exhibition on Alma College currently at Elgin County Museum 7:30-9:30m | Elgin County Museum 450 Sunset Dr, 4th floor, St. Thomas www.elginhistoricalsociety.ca

Wed Sept 25 Words & Music

Walk A Mile in Her Shoes (photo by Mark Girdauskas, Photos by MG) Sat Sept 21 Doors Open Port Stanley/ Sparta

Sun Sept 22 Expedition Elgin

Elgin County's own "Amazing Race", this year in the Village of West Lorne!

10am–4pm | Historical & cultural sites, some not usually open to public Family friendly race (approx 3km) of physical & intellectual challenges; www.doorsopenontario.on.ca registration is required; Sat Sept 21 annual fundraiser for the Elgin-St. Canadian Cancer Society Thomas Community Foundation Wheels of Hope: London 519-637-8230 | www.escf.ca

to Port Stanley Cycling Adventure & Car Cruise

Cycle or cruise to benefit transportation for treatment program | 519-432-1137 www.cancer.ca/WheelsLondon

Sat Sept 21 & Sun Sept 22 Canadale Fall Harvest Festival

Decorating seminars, kid’s activities Sat 8am–5pm, Sun 10am–5pm 269 Sunset Dr, St. Thomas 519-631-7264 | www.canadale.com

Sat Sept 21 & Sun Sept 22 3RD Annual Port Stanley & Region Outdoor Art Fair

Sun Sept 22 Walk a Mile in HER Shoes

Men walk in women's footwear to raise funds for Women's Place, Violence Against Women, Services Elgin County's emergency shelter 1:30-3pm | www.vawsec.on.ca Pinafore Park, 89 Elm St, St. Thomas 519-633-0155 or 1-800-265-4305

Sun Sept 22 Final Day of GT's 2013 Season

11054 Sunset Rd, Talbotville 519-615-1164 www.talbotvilleberryfarm.com

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Wed Sept 25 Boston Pizza FUNDRAISER Buffet for United Way

All-you-can-eat, excluding beverages Advance tickets only (519-631-3171 or 103-10 Mondamin St, St. Thomas) 5:30-7pm | $20/person 860 Talbot St, St. Thomas www.facebook.com/ UnitedWayElginStThomas

Thur Sept 26 2ND Annual Walk With Me: Newcomer and Service Provider Networking

70% off from 11am til food runs out 8:30am-1pm | 519-631-9800 GT's Beach Bar & Grill | 519-782-4555 www.ywcastthomaselgin.org 350 Edith Cavell Blvd, Port Stanley Fri Sept 27 www.gtsportstanley.ca

11am–5pm | Dominion of Canada Building, 191 Carlow Rd, Port Stanley Sun Sept 22

Sat & Sun Sept 21 to Oct 27 Talbotville Berry Farm Fun Fall Family Weekends

The St. Thomas Public Library presents author Barbara Fradkin and the Rainbow Gardens Quartet with Jazz vocalist Martin Traynor Advance tickets by donation ($15 suggested) at Library; remaining tickets will be available at the door 7:30pm (doors 7pm) | 519-631-6050 Princess Avenue Playhouse 40 Princess Ave, St. Thomas www.st-thomas.library.on.ca

St. Thomas Stars Fish Fry and Meet & Greet

4:30-6:30pm (doors open at 3:30pm) Knights of Columbus Hall 265 Wellington St, St. Thomas $14/person, $8/kids 12 and under stthomasstars.pointstreaksites.com

First Annual North America Railway Hall of Fame Golf Tournament

Proceeds to restoration of the CASO Railway Station | 11am shotgun start $75 for green fee, cart and lunch Kettle Creek Golf Club 320 Carlow Rd, Port Stanley 519-633-2535 | www.narhf.org

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

Events Friday Sept 27 to Sun Sept 29 Culture Days in Elgin

Participate in free interactive and “behind the scenes” activities to discover your cultural spirit & passion; Elgin events include “Artastic Elgin” on the Elgin Arts Trail, Art at Algoma Campus St. Thomas, Step-by-Step Classes at Art Gallery of Lambeth, WEDS Improv workshop in Dutton, Who’s Your Daddy’s Daddy at John Kenneth Galbraith Library in Dutton www.culturedays.ca

Fri Sept 27 to Sun Sept 29 153rd Wallacetown Fair

Fri evening “Let’s Make a Deal” & Ambassador contest, Sat Tractor Pull & Talent Show, Sun Demo Derby Wallacetown Fairgrounds www.wallacetownfair.com

Sat Sept 28 Active Elgin Day

Sat Sept 28 & Sun Sept 29 Pottery Workshop: The Narrative Tile

Fri & Sat in October Dotsy's Dungeon of Doom Haunted House

With Mary Philpott of Verdant Tile $150 | Pinecroft Centre For the Arts 8048 Rogers Rd S, Aylmer 519-773-3435 | www.pinecroft.ca

7-10pm | $5/person Dotsy's Costume Shop | 519-633-7767 111 Ross St, St. Thomas www.dotsytheclown.com

OCTOBER EVENTS

Sat Oct 5 The Amazing Wallacetown Challenge

Wed Oct 2 Cooking with Herbs Workshop

Use herbs in your everyday cooking 7pm | $25 (preregistration required) Heritage Line Herbs | 519-866-5577 53443 Heritage Ln, Aylmer www.heritageLineherbs.com

Fri Oct 4 (SOLD OUT) Aylmer Performing Arts Presents John McDermott

Organizations across Elgin offer a chance to try recreational activities for free or at a discounted rate!

519-631-9900 | www.activeelgin.ca

Juno Award winning Celtic crooner Doors at 7pm; show at 7:30pm $25/show or $100 season ticket Aylmer Old Town Hall Theatre 38 John St S, Aylmer | 519-765-3039 www.artsinaylmer.com

Sat Sept 28 First Annual United Way "Honey Do" Auction

Fri & Sat in OctOBER Haunted Aylmer Fairgrounds

7-9pm | 139 Pine St East, Aylmer Auction of local business services 519-773-3445 | www.aylmerfair.ca 6pm | $15 | Midtown Tavern 701 Talbot St, St. Thomas 519-631-3171 | www.facebook.com/ UnitedWayElginStThomas

An event to challenge your mind & body; ages 16+; register by Sept 21; Min $200 in sponsorship per team Contact Shirley, 519-762-3520 www.wallacetownfair.com

Sat Oct 5 Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin LIVE AT THE MET

Galaxy Cinema St. Thomas 417 Wellington St, St. Thomas 519-631-2261 | www.cineplex.com

Sat in October & MON OCT 14 Clovermead Pumpkin Festival

9am-5:30pm | PYO pumpkin, wagon rides, pumpkin cannon show, huge jumping pillow, animals & more $11/person, $50/group of 5 Clovermead Bees & Honey Adventure Farm, 11302 Imperial Rd, Aylmer 519-773-5503 | clovermead.com

Sat Sept 28 Four Seasons Long Lunch at the ARTS & COOKERY Bank

Family–oriented event to gather and celebrate our local food.

11am-1pm | 519-768-9986 242 Graham Rd, West Lorne www.theartsandcookerybank.com

Sat Sept 28 & Sat Sept 29 Doors Open London at Art Gallery of Lambeth

Step-by-step sampler classes, demos 2454 Main St, Lambeth (London) 519-652-5556 www.artgalleryoflambeth.com

The Forge & Anvil Museum, Doors Open Port Stanley/Sparta

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

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Events Tues Oct 8 Harvest Tea at the CASO Railway Station

2 & 3pm seatings (reservation only) Tea, scones & desserts | $10/person 750 Talbot St, St. Thomas 519-633-2535 | www.narhf.org

Thurs Oct 10 Elgin Theatre Guild Presents Sloan

8pm (doors at 7pm) | $45 (at Bell's Bookbin, 552 Talbot St, St. Thomas) Princess Avenue Playhouse 40 Princess Ave, St. Thomas 519-633-8530 | elgintheatreguild.ca

Thur Oct 10 to Sun Oct 20 ElginLicious

Offers at three great price points from Savour Elgin member restaurants, wineries, specialty food shops and agri-tourism destinations www.savourelgin.ca

Fri Oct 11, Sat Oct 12, Fri Oct 18 & Sat Oct 19 Periscope Playhouse Presents Squabbles

Mon Oct 14 Thanksgiving Dinner and PORT STANLEY Train Ride

11:30am dinner, 1pm & 2:30pm rides 309 Bridge St, Port Stanley 519-782-3730 | www.pstr.on.ca

Sat matinees at 2pm; Fri & Sat evening shows at 8pm $15 | St. Paul’s United Church Robinson St, Port Burwell Contact Marion, 519-874-4286 www.periscopeplayhouse.ca

Thurs Oct 17 to Sun Oct 27 Elgin Theatre Guild Presents Rumours

Sat Oct 12 Duck Dynasty's Call on Farmtown Canada

Farmtown Canada's Funny Farm Ministries Inc. presents Jase Robertson of A&E's Duck Dynastry in a family-friendly show about faith, family, and ducks 7pm | $58.25 Budweiser Gardens | 1-866-455-2849 99 Dundas St, London www.budweisergardens.com

Thurs-Sat at 8pm; Sun at 2pm $16 in adv (at Bell's Bookbin, 552 Talbot St), $17 at door, $10 1st Thurs Princess Avenue Playhouse 40 Princess Ave, St. Thomas 519-633-8530 | elgintheatreguild.ca

Fri Oct 18 to Sun Oct 20 4TH Annual Bowling for Boobs Fundraiser

Park 'n' Bowl & Heritage Lanes 1213 & 1016 Talbot St, St. Thomas 519-520-2235 event.bcsc.ca/p/1319/l/1119/m/0/t/

BRIDGEVIEW MOTORS NEW STOCK WEEKLY

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www.beamishlandscape.com Proud Member of Landscape Ontario

Quality Used Cars & Trucks Sales, Service & Leasing BUY • SELL • TRADE • LEASE 1207 Talbot St, St. Thomas

519-633-0240

Find our featured cars and trucks online at

www.bridgeviewstthomas.ca

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RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

Events Sat Oct 19 WestERN Elgin Community Expo

Businesses and organizations serving West Elgin and Dutton Dunwich 11am-4pm | Free admission Elgin International Club 11070-11584 Kerr Rd, West Elgin

Sat Oct 19 Cooking with Herbs Workshop

1:30pm | $25 (preregistration req'd) Heritage Line Herbs | 519-866-5577 53443 Heritage Ln, Aylmer www.heritageLineherbs.com

Sat Oct 19 & Sun Oct 20, Sat Oct 26 & Sun Oct 27 Talbotville Berry Farm Haunted Corn Maze

11054 Sunset Rd, Talbotville 519-615-1164 www.talbotvilleberryfarm.com

Wed Oct 23 13TH Annual Small Business Sample Show

Clovermead Pumpkin Festival Sat Oct 26 Shostakovich's The Nose LIVE AT THE MET

Sat Oct 26 & Sun Oct 27 Great Lakes Farms' Pumpkinfest

Samples from St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce members 4-7pm | St. Anne's Community Centre 20 Morrison Dr, St. Thomas 519-631-1981 www.stthomaschamber.on.ca

Galaxy Cinema St. Thomas 417 Wellington St, St. Thomas 519-631-2261 | www.cineplex.com

Thurs Oct 24 to Sat Nov 2 Aylmer Community Theatre Presents 1-900-DEE-LITE

9am-9pm | 519-785-2164 West Elgin Community Centre 135 Queen St, Rodney

6pm | 217 Furnival Rd, Rodney

Sat Oct 26 A Chair Affair Gala & Live Auction

Thurs Oct 31 Halloween Treats at Olde Rodney Jail

Thurs, Fri & Sat at 8pm, Sun at 2pm $15 adult, $10 student/preview (at The Prime Ingredient, Campbells II, Aylmer Video, or by phone) Aylmer Old Town Hall Theatre 38 John St South, Aylmer 519-765-3039 www.aylmertheatre.ca

Friday Oct 25 Haunted Library

6:30-8pm | Free admission St. Thomas Public Library, lower level 153 Curtis St, St. Thomas 519-631-6050 www.st-thomas.library.on.ca

Sat Oct 26 Tiny Tots Scrap-A-Thon

New signature fundraiser for St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation with live auction of chairs by Steve Peters and guest speaker Women’s Gold Medal Hockey Champion Cheryl Pounder 10am-4pm public silent auction; 5:30pm dinner gala & live auction $100 for dinner gala & live auction CASO Railway Station, 750 Talbot St, St. Thomas | 519-631-2030 x2727 www.steghfoundation.ca

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm 5111 Union Rd, Port Stanley 519-782-3433 www.greatlakesfarms.ca

Wed Oct 31 Halloween at Rodney Town Hall

135 Queen St, Rodney www.westelgin.net

NOVEMBER EVENTS

NovEMBer TO MID-December Sparta Village’s 200TH Christmas

Sparta Village will host an array of Christmas happenings throughout November and December www.villageofsparta.com

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Events Fri Nov 1 STEPAC Fall Art Auction

Preview artwork on website 7-10:30pm | $10/person St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre 301 Talbot St, St. Thomas 519-631-4040 | www.stepac.ca

Fri Nov 1 to Sun Nov 3 Port Stanley Women's Getaway Weekend

www.portstanley.net/womensweekend-getaway

Sat Nov 2 & Sun Nov 3 Pottery Workshop: Harlan House—Making Dishes for Ourselves

$150 | Pinecroft Centre For the Arts 8048 Rogers Rd S, Aylmer 519-773-3435 | www.pinecroft.ca

Sat Nov 2 & Sun Nov 3 Purple Steeple Antique Show & Sale

Sponsored by Trinity Anglican Church $5 | Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm CASO Railway Station (accessible) 750 Talbot St, St. Thomas Contact Monique, 519-631-4335 www.trinitychurchstthomas.com

Thurs Nov 7 2013 Elgin-St. Thomas United Way Stair Climb

Fri Nov 8 TO Sun Nov 10 18TH Annual Christmas in St. Thomas Tour of Homes

Thurs Nov 7 Women's Breakfast for Everyone

Fri Nov 8 to Sun Nov 10 'Twas the Art Before Christmas

Timken Centre | 519-631-3171 2 Third Ave, St. Thomas www.stthomasunitedway.ca

8am | Hosted by Violence Against Women, Services Elgin County St. Thomas Seniors Centre 225 Chestnut St, St. Thomas Contact Pam, 519-633-0155 www.vawsec.on.ca

Thur Nov 7 to Sat Nov 23 8TH Annual Healing Palette Art Exhibition

A project created by and for individuals with firsthand experiences with mental illness, showcasing how art expresses spirit and gives strength Opening Gala Nov 7, 7pm St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital Atrium, 189 Elm St, St. Thomas Contact Anne, 519-631-8510 x47749 www.thehealingpalettehome.com

Presented by St. Thomas Rotary Club Fri 6-9pm, Sat & Sun 10am-4pm $17 adv, $20 at door | 519-633-0838

7th annual show and sale of the St. Thomas Elgin Artist's Guild Opening reception Fri Nov 8, 7-10pm Fri 7-10pm, Sat 12-8pm, Sun 12-5pm CASO Railway Station 750 Talbot St, St. Thomas

Sat Nov 9 Feast at the Forge

Historical re-enactment dinner with food and entertainment from 1913 Forge & Anvil Museum | 519-775-2292 46316 Sparta Ln, Sparta

Sat Nov 9 Cooking with Herbs Workshop: Party Planning

1:30pm | $25 (preregistration req'd) Heritage Line Herbs | 519-866-5577 53443 Heritage Ln, Aylmer www.heritagelineherbs.com

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RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

Arts & Community

UNIQUE ART PIECES SUPPORT HOSPITAL’S MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM

BY DOROTHY GEBERT Would you sit on a piece of art? Artist Laura Woermke hopes you will. She is painting a chair to be auctioned off at the Chair Affair, a new fundraiser for the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation this October.

“I jumped at the opportunity to paint one and to make it a fine art piece,” Laura said. “I’m not sure if people will sit in the one they purchase, but if I had one, I would sit in it. A chair is like a work of art, except it’s more accessible. It’s understandable. And

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

whatever is on it and how it is decorated makes it a great conversation piece.”

The Chair Affair is the brainchild of Joanne Beaton, Staff Representative for the Chair Affair, at the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation. “The hospital has wanted, for some time, to do a major fundraising event or signature gala, so we tried to figure out how to do that,” she said. Joanne had seen similar Chair Affair events work well in other communities, where fundraising for a good cause

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Arts & Community All the chairs will be displayed at Elgin Mall and the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital in mid October for people to see (and bid) on them. They will then be delivered to the CASO Station for final display and bidding at a Public Silent Auction on October 26. In the evening, ten special chairs will be auctioned off by Steve Peters, honorary chair of the event. Rob Mise from myFM will host the gala dinner and Olympic gold medalist Cheryl Pounder will be the evening’s speaker.

All proceeds from this year’s Chair Affair will be directed to providing “comfort” items for the new Mental Health Unit at the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital. The 15-bed inpatient unit, including services for 500 outpatients, is currently being constructed on the first floor of the hospital’s former ambulatory area. The facility is slated to be completed by the end of 2013. was combined with a celebration of local artists.

She thought it was an appropriate time for the hospital foundation to host one.

Deb Gibson, Manager of the Mental Health Care Program, is thrilled that the foundation is

“We knew there was wonderful artistic talent here in Elgin County,” Joanne said. “So it was a matter of contacting the artists to see if they would be interested in putting something together for us.”

Since the call went out, almost 30 individual artists have signed up to create one-of-a-kind chairs and donate them to the event, including local craftspeople, designers and upholsterers. Many of the artists represent organizations such as the Port Stanley Artists Guild, St. Thomas Elgin Artists Guild, Association of Port Stanley Artists, Portside Gallery of Port Stanley, and the Art Emporium of Port Stanley.

Local businesses and organizations are participating as event sponsors in the myFM 94.1 Muskoka Chair Corporate Challenge. They have purchased unpainted Muskoka chairs and will be decorating them in a unique way, vying with each other for awards, including ‘Most Creative’ and ‘Best in Show.’

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Arts & Community supporting the unit with the Chair Affair. “This is exciting,” she said. “The event provides an opportunity to raise awareness and have a dialogue about mental health and the challenges surrounding it.”

A few artists have linked their chairs loosely to mental health themes. Deb Underwood painted a tribute to Vincent van Gogh with her rendition of his painting “The Starry Night,” (opposite page, top left) and Pat Curtis decorated a chair with a rush seat that looks similar to one pictured in van Gogh’s painting called “Bedroom in Arles.”

But because no criteria or restrictions were given to the artists regarding style, colour or medium, every chair is different and unique: Carolyne McLeod designed a zebra-patterned chair to fit in with any décor (oppostie page, bottom right); Mitch Vachon created a train trestle bench; Kit Cutting painted lotuses and water lilies on a director’s chair; Laura Woermke designed a folding chair with a slipcover in the style of Clark McDougall; Robin Baratta created a pond-inspired table that complements a heron Muskoka chair designed by artists from the Art Emporium; Ursula Rudd and Marlene O’Donnell collaborated on a chair with Zentangle designs; Judy Ross painted a rose-covered child’s chair (right); plus many, many more.

Chair Affair is October 26, 2013 at the CASO Station, 750 Talbot Street, St. Thomas. The Public Silent Auction is from 10am-4pm and Dinner Gala and Live Auction at 5:30pm (tickets $100). Call 519-631-2030 x2727 or visit www.steghfoundation.ca.

Dorothy Gebert is an Elgin County writer with an interest in telling our local stories.

Photo on page 13 of Foundation staff representatives Joanne Beaton and Carrie Ford

by Mark Girdauskas of Photos by MG; Chair photos by Philip J Bell of Shutter Studios

According to Joanne Beaton, the Chair Affair is not just about decorated chairs: “It’s an art show.”

“And you can never have enough chairs,” added Carolyne McLeod.

Joe Preston M.P. Elgin - Middlesex - London Ready and available to help with your Federal concerns.

Constituency Office: 2-24 First Avenue, St. Thomas, ON N5R 4M5 Tel: (519) 637-2255 • Fax: (519) 637-3358 Toll Free: 1-866-404-0406 www.joeprestonmp.ca

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Map of Elgin

Happy Harvest SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER PRODUCE

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EXPERIENCE FALL IN

From original paintings to pottery, the studios, galleries and crafters that comprise the arts trail are ready to take visitors on an imaginative and unforgettable journey.

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Arts & Culture

Alley Kat Music Alley Kat Music is approaching its one-year anniversary. When owner Josh Davey chatted with Relish Elgin this past August he was busy with instrument repairs and gearing up for a fall season already well-booked with music lessons.

Alley Kat Music opened in West Lorne in September 2013, offering service, sales and lessons. Considering Josh’s long-standing love of guitars and music, this seems like a natural career destination, though he has arrived here via some interesting detours.

Toward the end of high school at Parkside in St. Thomas, Josh found himself looking for a career which would provide a living, job satisfaction and a chance to work with people. He completed a co-op course at a funeral home in St. Thomas and thought the job of funeral director would give him the opportunity to help people at one of the times when they need it most, during bereavement. He investigated the courses that would take him down that path.

Then, via his father Wade Davey, he was introduced to Grace McGartland and the Arts & Cookery Bank.

Wade’s company, Upper Canada House Fitters based in Sparta specializes in historic building restoration.

Grace had brought Wade to West Lorne to work on The Bank. He needed a workshop throughout the long-term project of transforming the old Bank of Montreal into a cultural centre, so bought the building across the road as a work space. During the two-year renovation, Josh was often to be found in West Lorne helping out with the carpentry.

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Wade’s plan was to eventually renovate the building where he had his workshop and rent it out.

But in the meantime, Josh’s thoughts turned to starting up his own business in the building, doing something he would find rewarding. Music was the natural something that came to mind, and his parents were quick to get behind the idea.

Josh had taken piano lessons early on, although he admits “I was not the best piano student—I enjoyed the music but not the theory.” He went on to learn guitar on his own, and then diversified into playing other instruments.

Josh had also become very interested in building guitars. A few years ago, he had jumped at the chance to learn from luthier Marc Beneteau, a longtime friend of his parents. Marc’s guitars are finely crafted and highly regarded by musicians who play them on stages all over the world. Says Josh, “Many of Marc’s guitars are bought sight unseen.

He is very particular, very meticulous and has a process for everything.” Learning from him was a golden opportunity.

Now, with a year at Alley Kat almost up, and asked to imagine what he anticipates he will look back on down the road as having been the biggest success factor, Josh’s answer is quick and concise, “My parents.” They have been solidly behind him, he notes, from the beginning.

Josh’s dad and mom, Vera, helped with renovation of the part of the historic 1901 building where Alley

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Arts & Culture

Kat is located. The store retains the original floor and ceiling of pressed tin. It suits Josh, who says he has an appreciation for tradition. The other part of the building was formerly a bowling alley—hence the name “Alley Kat Music”.

His parents also pointed Josh toward doing some smart groundwork for the business. He was encouraged to investigate business planning resources for young entrepreneurs and ended up getting connected with the Canadian Youth Business Foundation. The program he enrolled in requires a mentor, and he was happy when Grace agreed to take on that role. In assessing the location in West Lorne, he found that the closest music store in any direction is 40 minutes away, leaving plenty of market potential within the surrounding area.

Instrument repair work so far has been busy.

Josh points out four guitars, three violins and a banjo which he is currently working on, and he is usually building at least one guitar. He teaches beginner guitar, mandolin and banjo and also has other instructors for in-house guitar, drum and piano lessons.

Sales are composed mainly of guitars and drums.

Alley Kat is the only dealer between Detroit and Kitchener of Reverend electric guitars. It’s one of the signature brands played by Unknown Hinson, a favourite of both Josh and his father, so he looked into becoming a dealer almost as soon as he got the

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idea for Alley Kat Music. (“Hinson” is also the name of the store’s resident dog.)

Josh feels good about Alley Kat’s progress to date.

“We started out with a good plan and we are ahead of it.” He credits invaluable support from his family, but also suggests another important factor is a willingness to “persevere, to just keep going.” Along with personal career satisfaction, that perseverance will also mean a nice expansion of the musical possibilities for people in West Lorne and surrounding areas.

Unknown Hinson

Unknown Hinson (Stuart Daniel Baker) has developed the persona of a hell-raising country and western singer. He performs hilariously politically incorrect songs in a style sometimes called “country psychobilly”. Baker, who rarely steps out of his often outrageous Unknown Hinson role has a cult following and is known for his legendary guitar skills. He is one of several well-known musicians who have endorsed Reverend guitars over the years.

Alley Kat Music is located at 235B Graham Street, West Lorne. For more information, visit www.alleykatmusic.ca or call 519-768-1140.

Photos by Mark Girdauskas of Photos by MG

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

©istockphoto.com/MentalArt

Food

PERFECT PASTRY AND SEASONAL INSPIRATION A WINNING COMBINATION AT

Tender pastry skillfully rolled, fresh fruit perfectly sweetened, all baked to browned, aromatic perfection….pies! Not so many years ago, they were made by the dozens and served up around big farm kitchen tables, at Sunday suppers and church gatherings. Today, from-scratch pies are a special treat and their artisans are becoming a rare breed.

Creek Market. Andrew Sloan had helped to start the new family business—at the time they sold only their own apples and corn from a nearby producer.

He knew about Pat’s baking talents and thought the pies would make a nice Thanksgiving special.

They were a success, and the next year he asked her to bake 100.

This past July, FreshFest, an event showcasing locally produced food, held its first annual pie bake-off at the CASO Railway Station in St. Thomas.

The judges were tasked with choosing among ten fantastic entries from businesses across Elgin County. All of the pies produced satisfied grins but when the scores were tallied, there was one first place winner. It was Salt Creek Farm Market’s cherry pie—surprisingly, the baker was likely the youngest of the talented pie makers.

Gradually the store expanded its selections and Pat made a suggestion. “How about offering a changing selection of pies, reflecting the seasonal availability of fruit?” Customers loved the parade of rhubarb, strawberry-rhubarb, cherry, raspberry, blueberry, peach, apple, apple crumb and elderberry and Pat kept on baking. Nowadays, she typically makes thirty or forty pies a day, six days of the week (in recent years with help from Brooke).

That’s ten to fifteen pounds of pastry daily and it’s all mixed by hand as Pat notes, “It’s faster to clean a bowl than to clean a machine.”

The Salt Creek cherry pie was made by Brooke Howard who began helping her grandmother Pat Martyn make Salt Creek pies six years ago at age thirteen. Pat notes, “Brooke started out doing the not so fun jobs like cutting fruit for pies and dates for squares.” Says Brooke, “I have just always loved to bake.” She wasn’t likely to find a better piemaking instructor than her grandmother and she enthusiastically took advantage of the opportunity.

Back in 1994 Pat baked the first fifty apple pies at Thanksgiving for the then recently opened Salt

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Her idea of offering seasonal pies came naturally.

“Living on a farm, you cooked with the seasons.”

Pat learned to bake from her mother, although she says, “You didn’t bake in Mother’s kitchen. I watched and learned by doing after I got married.”

After marriage, Pat joined husband Harold on their own farm where, with farm helpers, there were regularly eight to ten at the table for dinner. They were the benefactors of her hearty farm cooking

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Food

and lots of pies. It wasn’t long after they retired from farming and moved to town that she was asked to bake that first batch of Salt Creek pies for Thanksgiving. Over the years, Harold has been a willing assistant. Says Pat, “He went from farming to baking.”

In recent years Pat has baked annually about 6,000 pies, 29,000 tarts, along with quiche, date squares and a whole assortment of Christmas baking during the eight months Salt Creek is open.

Even after seventeen years, Pat doesn’t intend to stop baking Salt Creek pies anytime soon, “I think it’s important to have a purpose.” But she has agreed to slow down a little and with Brooke going off to school in September, the staff at Salt Creek has been diligently taking some baking instruction of their own from Pat. Salt Creek manager, Michele Steckler, reports that the lessons are coming along nicely. That’s important because Salt Creek continues to be a favourite stop for fresh produce and an ever-growing selection of prepared foods, right up till Christmas time.

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Do Pat and Brooke have pie secrets to share? They note that all of their fillings are basically made simply from whole or chopped fruit and sugar, some with a little cornstarch. How about the pastry? They begin to describe the pastry recipe—the same one Pat’s mother used. It sounds like the usual pastry ingredients, though the method is one I have never heard of before. “But maybe,” they both agree, “we shouldn’t tell all of our secrets.”

Does Brook plan to go on to a culinary career? She smiles, “Yes, I am starting the Culinary Management program at Niagara College in September.”

She will definitely have some tricks of her own to share when it comes to baking classes.

Salt Creek Farm Market is located at 11143 Highbury Road (just north of Ron McNeil Line), St. Thomas. They're open daily from mid-April until Christmas. For more information, call 519-633-9338 or visit www.saltcreekmarket.com.

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

Arts

ON THE EXHIBITION

Canadian Culture and Alma College, 1881-1939

BY DR. SUSAN BUTLIN, PH.D. Guest Curator, The Fulcrum of the Arts: Canadian Culture and Alma College, 1881-1939 A few weeks ago an acquaintance asked me how my work was going on the exhibition The Fulcrum of the Arts: Canadian Culture and Alma College, 18811939. After assurances that all was going well, there was a polite pause, and looking at me expectantly she asked, “Alma College was a high school, wasn’t it?” (Figure 2) Her question was a good one, and I think she was asking why we are paying such attention to a former high school? The answer

is that, especially in the years focused on by the exhibition, Alma College was much more than just a high school. The exhibition focuses on the years from 1881, when Alma College accepted its first students, to 1939, for specific reasons. For much of this time Alma College was a Ladies College and Junior College where girls and young women could receive a liberal arts education and senior students could be awarded academic standing for the first

Figure 1. Elizabeth Wilkes. View of Alma College, ca. 1940. Watercolour. St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre. Formerly in the Alma College art collection.

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ROTARY CLUB OF ST. THOMAS PRESENTS

18th Annual Christmas in St. Thomas

EXHIBITION: SEPT 8TH - DEC 20TH

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Experience the Candlelight Preview on Friday evening with any 2013 Tour Ticket

Canadian Cutlure & alma College, 1881-1939

Explores the role the college played in educating women artists and supporting art and culture in the region. Drawing on public and private collections, the show features a number of original works, photographs and memorabilia.

Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith, Alma College art students, Marilla Adams, Eva Brook Donly, and Cornelia Saleno at work in the college’s art studio; STEPAC

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Arts

Figure 2. Carolyn Curtis, Alma College with Students, ca. 1931. Lithograph on laid paper. Elgin County Museum.

two years of their university education. As well, they could qualify for their teaching certificates through the Ontario Department of Education, and secretarial certificates, while at Alma College. The years from the 1880s to the early 1940s was a time in Canadian history when Alma College, along with other private schools in the country, played a much broader role in support of the arts and culture in the region and Canada. This point is emphasized by the fact that the title of this exhibition is drawn from a 1929 local newspaper review of an art exhibition, then on show at Alma College, which featured work from the National Gallery in Ottawa.

Cultural “progress,” the reviewer wrote “has been made mainly due to the influences radiating from Alma College as a sort of fulcrum upon which [the arts] have hinged.”1

Drawing from public and private collections the exhibition The Fulcrum of the Arts: Canadian Culture and Alma College, 1881-1939 reunites many art works formerly in the Alma College art collection, including paintings by William ‘St. Thomas’ Smith, Art Department Director in the early twentieth century; and longtime art teacher Lila Taylor McGillivray Knowles and her husband the eminent Canadian painter Farquhar McGillivray Knowles, including a pair of paintings by the artist couple which were presented by them to the college around the time of their marriage in the early 1930s. Also formerly in the Alma collection and returning in the present exhibition are landscapes

by George Agnew Reid, and views of the college

by Alma art instructor Elizabeth Wilkes (Hoey) who later became a celebrated Canadian silkscreen

“Fine Canadian Works of Art Displayed at Alma College.” Unidentified newspaper clipping, ca. 1929. Alma College 1928 Scrapbook, p. 8, Alma College fonds, Elgin County Archives.

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Arts textile designer. (Figure 1) Art formerly in the college collection is shown alongside little before seen work by Alma art graduates, guest artist lecturers, teachers, and images of Alma College by St. Thomas artists Clark Holmes McDougall, Carolyn Curtis, and Evelyn Knight.

Archival photographs and artifacts narrate a story of the growth of the Alma College Fine Arts Department, its teachers, students and their achievements, which culminates in the 1920s and 1930s when the college presented many cultural performances to the public and college. During the period 1880 to 1939, the Dominion of Canada’s artistic and cultural life was in its infancy, geographi-

cally scattered and relatively ill-funded, sometimes relying on foreign support for its cultural institutions. Employment as teachers at private colleges supported Canadian musical, visual, and literary artists and their artistic production during this time. Alma College’s principals and teachers drew on and promoted their many professional and personal connections within the emerging and close-knit Canadian cultural world, to bring artists and their work to Alma College. During the Principalship of Reverend Perry Dobson, beginning in 1919 and continuing into the 1920s and 1930s, a steady stream of cultural performers, educators, exhibitions, in the visual arts and music came

Figure 3. Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith, Three Artists, ca. 1884. Oil on canvas.

St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre. Alma College Art Department Director F. M. Bell-Smith depicted three of his students at work in the studio (L to R) Eva Brook (Donly), Marilla Adams, and Cornelia Saleno. Formerly in the Alma College art collection.

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Arts

Figure 4 (left). Alma College Art Instructor Susan McKay with her students, ca. 1911. Posed near the new front fence of Alma College, which had been installed in 1910. Alma College fonds, R6 S3 Sh5 B2 64, Elgin County Archives.

Figure 5 (right). Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith. Marine Landscape with Ship, ca. 1882. Watercolour on paper. Elgin County Museum. This miniature painting and inscription is in an autograph book, previously in the collection of Ethel House Troyer (Alma College Class of 1906).

to Alma College. In company with other private schools and ladies colleges, Alma College supported the emergence of Canadian culture through these efforts in the years prior to 1939 and the Second World War, before the advent of the Canada Council for the Arts, recommended in the Massey Commission report of 1951.

One of the most significant successes of Alma’s early years was the education and launch into successful practice of some of the first generation of Canadian professional women artists. Some of the early success of Alma College’s fine art department is due to the fact that the College Board and Principal hired Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith, one of Canada’s most celebrated artists, as its first Director of Fine Art in 1881. The exhibition tells the story of BellSmith, his influence in the art department and his students. We follow early students Marilla Adams, Cornelia Saleno, and Eva M. Brook (Donly), the trio portrayed by their teacher, Bell-Smith, in two group portraits, both included in the exhibition. (Figure 3) Regional Alma students represented in the exhibition include St. Thomas artists Carolyn Curtis; Susan

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

M. McKay; Eva Smith, daughter of Alma art teachers Julia Payne Smith from Payne’s Mills, and William ‘St. Thomas’ Smith; and Jennie Teeple from Aylmer, Ontario. This exhibition brings together for the first time, a number of art works, paintings, drawings, design work, and book illustrations, by Alma’s early women artists. To work as a professional artist or support oneself as an art teacher was no small achievement for a young woman in the 1880s when Alma produced its first graduates. Women, especially middle class women, were not encouraged to work and earn their living. Eva M. Brook (Donly) from Simcoe, Ontario, became a successful painter and craft designer; others such as Marilla Adams and Susan McKay supported themselves as art teachers. (Figure 4) The exhibition tells their stories and relates the difficulties women had in breaking into the professional world. One Alma fine art and secretarial graduate in the 1890s achieved work in the office of Kingsmills department store, in London, Ontario, only to be forced to resign by her father. Her story and painting are part of the exhibition.

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Arts The Fulcrum of the Arts: Canadian Culture and Alma College, 1881-1939 has a number of ‘firsts.’ As previously mentioned it reunites, from a variety of sources, many artworks formerly in Alma College’s art collection. It is also the first time that art production by Alma’s early Fine Art graduates has been brought together and their careers explored and celebrated. Another first is the exhibition in public, and together, of two newly discovered miniature works, a pen and ink drawing and a watercolour painting, by Canadian artists George Agnew Reid and Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith, respectively.

(Figure 5) Both works lay quietly for years within the pages of an Alma College hostess book, and an autograph book associated with the college.

The appreciation of Canadian cultural heritage is the subject of increasing general enthusiasm and scholarly concern in Canada and internationally.

Visitors to the exhibition will discover Alma’s role in the development of the Canadian arts community and how it gave the people of southwestern Ontario a cultural infusion. Much more than just a high school, in the years 1881 to 1939 especially, Alma College was one of the centres of a developing art world in Canada and a key contributor to the cultural life of its community. I feel inspired by the role that the college played in supporting and sustaining the growth of Canadian arts and culture, and I hope others feel that way too.

Exhibition Schedule

Elgin County Museum, St. Thomas, ON September 8–December 20, 2013 Eva Brook Donly Museum, Simcoe, ON January 18–June 14, 2014

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RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

Food

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BY CHEF CINDY BIRCHAM I first made no-knead bread dough about two years ago. Up until that point, all of my training had instructed that proper bread dough must be carefully kneaded by hand or machine before an adequate loaf could be baked.

bread, it's actually the yeasts that are doing the work. As long as you provide the right environment and enough time, the yeasts will work their way through the wet dough aligning the protein strands—all without you working up a sweat.

"Are you going to nanny that dough Cindy, or are you going to knead it?" was said more than once.

To celebrate the joy of Autumn, I've adapted the basic recipe for this bread and added a filling of toasted walnuts and caramelized pears. By shaping the finished dough like a jelly-roll before baking, the filling pieces remain intact when the loaf is sliced. After you finish one slice you will want to ask the breadmaster, "Chef, may I have another?"

As it turns out, the whole idea of no-knead dough is a misnomer. Bread needs a network of protein strands (glutenin and gliadin) to be developed to provide strength and liveliness in the dough (forming gluten). Those strands are what hold in gases and set with heat to become the recognizable holey texture of bread, also known as the crumb. If you have ever had a "gluten-free" version of bread and wondered why it felt like a brick, it's because there wasn't any gluten to hold in the gases while it proofed and baked. The gases come from fermentation.

The general premise of fermentation is yeasts feed off sugars and create carbon dioxide (as well as alcohol) as bi-products. This is what makes the loaf inflate.

In traditional bread making, dough is kneaded to develop gluten strands. In the case of no-knead

RELISH ELGIN FALL 2013

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Food

Pear & Walnut No-Knead Bread For the bread dough: 4 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (600 grams) 1 3/4 cups water (420 grams) 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (9 grams) 1 tsp instant yeast (6 grams) 1 Tbsp cinnamon For the filling: 3-4 firm pears, peeled and finely diced 1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped 1 Tbsp butter pinch salt 1. Mix flour, yeast, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Pour in water and stir until flour is combined, about 1 minute. Cover tightly and set aside for at least 12 hours and up to 48. If more than 12, place dough in the fridge.

2. Heat butter in a skillet pan. Sauté chopped pears until caramelized and excess moisture is evaporated. Set aside to cool.

3. Remove dough from bowl and on a floured surface divide into two pieces. Using your hands and fingertips, gently stretch and push out dough to form a rectangle about 12-inches wide by 14-inches long. Sprinkle 1/2 of both the walnuts and pears onto the flattened dough. Start from the short edge closest to you; roll dough tightly and evenly to form a cylinder. Tuck ends under and place seam side down into a greased 4"x9" pan. Repeat with second half of dough. Cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise 1-1 1/2 hours or until the dough no longer bounces back forcefully when prodded with your finger.

4. While dough is proofing, preheat oven to 450°F. Bake bread for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 400°F for an additional 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway, until the bottom of the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Allow to cool on a bakers rack. Serve with blue cheese, cranberry chutney, or butternut squash soup.

Cindy Bircham is a professional chef and food enthusiast cooking her way across Elgin County with a passion for quality, local, and made-from-scratch.

Visit www.ElginHarvest.ca for her blog 'From the Kitchen'. Cindy is currently working with the Arts & Cookery Bank in West Lorne.

Photos couresty of Cindy Bircham

Jeff Yurek, MPP Elgin-Middlesex-London

Here to help you with: Ontario Disability Support Program, OHIP Cards, Driver’s Licences, Ontario Works, Birth Certificates 750 Talbot Street, Suite 201, St. Thomas, ON, N5P 1E2 P: 519-631-0666 | T: 1-800-265-7638 | E: jeff.yurekco@pc.ola.org www.jeffyurekmpp.com

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