A Taste of the Kawarthas February Issue

February 2019

A taste of the KAWARTHAS

FOOD, SHOPPING & CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

Jeanne Beker Been there, done that, wrote the book!

Loving life in Warkworth

CheFs of the kawarthas Craft Breweries Bobcaygeon Brewing Co.

Brock Street Burial

Human remains found from over 2,000 years ago

THE SLAB

Peterborough’s Best Kept Secret

SNOWMOBILING

Puppy Love

FREE PUBLICATION - PLEASE TAKE ONE

Stories of Adoption and Rescue

Page 2

A Taste of the Kawarthas Culinary Tours Walking Culinary Tours in Peterborough 2018 has been an amazing year for the culinary food tours. We would like to thank all the guests who have come to Peterborough and Warkworth to enjoy the culinary delights that the creative chefs have presented. We hope to see you all in 2019!

A Special thank you goes out to Black Honey Cafe & Bakery, La Mesita, Island Cream, Hunter Street Tavern, Green Up, Tiny Greens, Maison du Chocolate, Caribbean Sizzle, Hi Ho Silver, Cork & Bean, Fresh Dreams, Charlotte Anne’s, Hobarts, The Cheese Shop, Kettle Drums, Watson & Lou & La Hacienda in Peterborough.

www.atasteofthekawarthas.com

Page 3

Contents

FEBRUARY 2019

For Online Interactive magazine go to www.atasteofthekawarthas.com

Features 18 Jeanne Beker

29 Ice Sculpting

24 OPP talks about new fines

38 Local Industry

26 Brock Street Burial

45 The SLAB

Talks about her career and life in Warkworth Distracted Driving and Driving under the Influence Finding remains from over 2000 years ago

Lakefield Polar Fest What support is out there to find a job?

Home Concerts are the lastest trend

41 Valentines Past

Inspire: An 1825 Valentine

18

24

45

29

Columns Liquid Treasures 11 Black’s Distillery 14 Craft Brewers in the Kawarthas 16 Wine Pairing with cheese

Real Estate 42 Real Estate in the Kawarthas 43 Home Inspections Rockin’ Musicians 45 Musicians of the Kawarthas

Palitable Pleasures 6 Chefs of the Kawarthas 12 Kickin’ Recipes

Pets of the Kawarthas 36 Puppy Love - Rescues & Adopting

On the Trails 34 Snowmobiling in the Kawarthas

Global Getaways 30 Golfing in the Dominical Republic

Health & Wellness 33 Five Simple Rules to weight loss

Where to Eat 40 Where are the best restaurants?

Published by Slither Productions

Page 4

www.slitherproductions.com

A note From the Editor We are going into the third issue of this new and exciting magazine. So far, it has been a fun ride.

So why did we decide to publish a magazine about the Kawarthas and surrounding areas? SO many reasons! But first and foremost is that we wanted to showcase the PEOPLE of the Kawarthas. We have so many interesting people here. Musicians, artists, restaurant owners, chefs, and everyday people. In this issue, you will find people who care about their communities and their families. They are passionate about what they do. And many do it without being compensated by money. Their compensation is their love for what they do. These people are the heart of the community. So please enjoy! And send me your feedback! We’d love to hear from you! Tell us your stories!

Karen Irvine - Editor, Videographer, Photographer, Social Media Diva & Motorcycle Enthusiast

atasteofthekawarthas@gmail.com Facebook - A Taste of the Kawarthas

www.atasteofthekawarthas.com Instagram - @atasteofthekawarthas

Of course, this wouldn’t be possible without these amazing contributors!

Shari Darling, Sommelier, Owner of Fresh DOH & Newspaper Journalist

Chef Brian Henry, Chef Extraordinaire & Newspaper Journalist

Margaret Swaine, Author, Travel, Wine, Spas and Spirits Columnist

Jay Lough Hayes, Real Estate Broker

Michael Bell, owner of The Wire Magazine & Musician

Jay Cooper, Musician, Graphics Designer & Motorcycle Enthusiast

Elwood Jones, Historian with Trent Valley Archives & Newspaper Journalist

Susan Porter Dunkley - Manager, Development & Outreach, Peterborough Humane Socienty

Gina Livy, Personal Coach & Weight Loss Guru

Steve Irvine, Owner of Home Sweet Home Inspections

Nadene Nicholas - Snowmobile Enthusiast, Twin Mountains Snowmobile Club

Publisher - Slither Productions Editor - Karen Irvine Creative Director - Jay Cooper Advertising Sales - Kim Holmes (705) 772-5998 Contributors

Wine Pairing - Shari Darling Real Estate - Jay Lough Hayes Rockin’ Musicians - Michael Bell Kickin’ Recipes - Chef Brian Henry Interviews - Jay Cooper Global Getaways - Margaret Swaine Health & Wellness - Gina Livy Pets - Susan Porter Dunkley Snowmobiling - Nadene Nicholas Historian - Elwood Jones Home Inspections - Steve Irvine

Photographers

Heather Doughty, George Pimentel, Karen Irvine, Iain MacInnes The opinions expressed in this magazine are not of this magazine, but are those of the writer or columnist

Page 5

Photo by Heather Doughty Photography

Page 6

CHEFS OF THE KAWARTHAS CHEF ANDREW ORDE Meet Andrew Orde, Head Chef at Electric City Bread Co. Andrew is more than just a Chef. He’s an interesting, colourful, tattooed guy who has traveled the world learning his craft. He’s back in Peterborough, and we are lucky to have him in this culinary city.

I asked Andrew why he became a Chef. “It more or less found me. When I was 15 I got a dishwashing job. I wasn’t necessarily interested in it at that time. My first kitchen job was on an island in Lake Tomogami. It was a lot of fun and a great experience. It was for a summer camp, so I moved my way up very quickly from dishwasher up to Sous Chef. After that I moved out west for a few years.

When I moved back to Peterborough I actually reconnected with the Chef from the summer camp, who was the Chef at Parkhill on Hunter at the time. He hired me right away. From there, I’ve been in Peterborough, as well as the West Coast. I spent a little time in Europe working in the French Alps at a ski resort. That was definitely one of the highlights in my career. “

which I think is really cool. At this point, I’m 31 and I’ve been doing this for about 16 years now.“ Where is Andrew’s favourite place to work so far? “My favourite and most challenging would be here at Electric City Bread Co. just because it has really pushed me to

Andrew came back to Peterborough because he was born and raised here. “Everyone can get out for a bit, but Peterborough seems to have a way of bringing you back. The food community in Peterborough is unlike anywhere else. There’s no competition, we all work together rather than working against each other. I think it’s a really cool thing to have that kind of community. “ says Chef Andrew.

What does he think about Culinary School? “ I do see an importance in the culinary school, but I think that you can grow outside the box a little bit more when you have that amount of freedom rather than being confined to the French old school. I think in the end, (not going to school) makes for a way more interesting Chef. I’ve been able to pick up my own style. It can build your character as a Chef,

Page 7

Chef Andrew Orde AROUND THE WORLD ...

AND BACK again

Page 8

“Peterborough seems to have a way of bringing you back.” evolve, and very quickly as well. Everything we bring in we do ourselves. We bring in all of our animals whole. We make our own bacon. We cure it for 7 days and smoke it ourselves.

We do absolutely everything – our mustards, ketchups, relish, pickling – everything is from scratch. So it’s really tested me. You always have to be thinking at least a week ahead of time. We’re not the kind of place that would just go to the store and pick some up to make due. I’ve been here for two years now. “ Chef Andrew has a say in what gets created. “Jeremy (the owner) and I work pretty close at putting things together. At the end of the day, it’s generally my vision that comes through, and I do all the recipes for it. We change our menu every 6 to 8 weeks, and that keeps it very interesting.

As soon as you have it down pat and can do it with your eyes closed, you are starting all over again. So it definitely forces you to be a better Chef, and offers the opportunity to continually evolve and out do yourself. We do a lot more seasonal menus. We get to work with the local farmers, Circle

Organics for the most part, and smaller farms like Little Leaf Farms. We go organic and local as much as possible. For our produce supplier, we use The Market in Lakefield. For example, we don’t have tomatoes unless it’s tomato season.

You won’t see a BLT on the menu in January.”

Baking is new for Andrew. “We do absolutely everything from scratch here. Our sourdough is a three day process. We use a variety of specialty flours in our sourdough and our bagels. It was very stressful at first. I didn’t have any interest or experience in baking at all before I started working here.

But over time, I have fallen in love with the art of baking.”

Andrew is very focused. “There’s not really a lot of off time (he laughs). I have my own personal catering business (Cast Iron Catering). I have a pretty large family of dogs, so with the early mornings and late nights here, I go home to walk the dogs and hang out with the dogs. I also host cooking and dinner parties for friends and family. That’s a pretty common pass time of mine.”

Page 9

“It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Chef Andrew Orde Photo by Heather Doughty Photography

One thing that Andrew doesn’t do is sports. “No, no, no, I gave that up years ago (laughs).”

The colourful side of Andrew is his many tattoos. “It’s just something I’ve always been into. All my idols were all very heavily tattooed. It’s just something that I’ve always wanted to do. “ I suggested that Chef Andrew resembles Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe. (he laughs) “I don’t play much anymore, but I was in a band for quite a few years (May Weather). On top of wanting this kind of image, it went hand in hand with the style of music we played, the persona. I’m going to keep on collecting, and keep on growing as long as I have room.

They all mean something to me. Even if it doesn’t resemble something in particular, it’s a time period and reminds me of that. “

What does Andrew see for the future? “I intend on staying here at the Bakery. As it stands right now, I’m pretty happy. I get to do a lot of stuff that I know I wouldn’t be able to do anywhere else. I get to hone in my butcher skills here. I really enjoy it. I’m very proud of being able to take a pig from the local farmer, be able to break it down, do different types of charcuterie, salamis, sausages, bacon, head cheese, being able to use every bit, and see that product afterwards. It is very rewarding.

I’m very humble, I’m very modest, I don’t self promote. I feel like I’ve taken my road the right way, and learned to do things a little bit more the way our grandfathers did, and that’s very rewarding.”

Watching Chef Andrew Orde work is seeing his passion and he is a great Chef.

Andrew has PUNX tattooed on his left knuckles. “Going back to my teenage days, I considered myself a bit of a punk rocker. “ On his right knuckles is P-S-P-D . “A group of friends, we all got it done, which is Peterborough Street Punks and Drunks. (he laughs) It was pretty fitting for our high school years. There is me and a handful of other people who all have that. Not necessarily what represents me anymore, but it’s sentimental. All the friends who have it are still very close friends.”

Page 10

Photo by Heather Doughty Photography

Black’s Distillery

Crafting the Spirit of Peterborough County Robert Black was born and raised in Peterborough. He

started Black’s Distillery because he has a passion for wellmade spirits. Being of Scottish decent, in 2010 he was in Islay, Scotland where they produce smoky, peaty infused Scotches. They harvest the peat from the ground, and then stop the malting process and dry the grains with peat fires.

That infuses the peat flavour into the grain. Robert says, “I just thought that was the most incredible flavour you can get. They don’t do that anywhere else.”

“It’s kind of like an extension of food for me. I like good food, and things that are made from real products. I remember going to Lang Pioneer Village as a young boy and learning about the red fife wheat and how important is was for Canada and the United States for the grain industry. We are excited about having that little piece of history“, says Robert. “I’m also interested in the science side of it, taking one substance and turning it into something else. I wanted to do this for a long time. I was laid off from my toolmaking job.

Barb, my partner, and I decided to do it. I had done a lot of research already, so I went out West, did a Master Distillers course and it began from there.

Photo by Robert A. Metcalfe

Reception for Black’s Distillery in the Kawarthas has been great. They use red fife wheat in their Vodka, a local grain developed in Peterborough County in 1840 by a Scottish Immigrant. Their Gin is made from their Vodka as the base spirit. They use locally grown organic grains (Douro) for their products.

Black’s opened March 14th 2018. They are at the LCBO for Gin and Vodka in 32 stores (from Ottawa to Toronto) or you can buy online at the LCBO. You can also purchase all of their products in their online store at www.blacksdistillery.com or at their Distillery at 99 Hunter Street East in Peterborough.

TASTING ROOM | TOURS | RETAIL STORE 99 Hunter St. E. Peterborough, ON K9H 1G4 1 705 745 1500

BLACKSDISTILLERY.COM

by Chef Brian Henry

www.thespiceco.ca www.chefbrianhenry.com

Kickin’ Recipes

DES ERTS M A D E W I T H

LOVE Chef Brian Henry has been a Chef for 35 years. He is the owner of Angle Iron Kitchens and The Spice Co.

A s Valentine’s Day approaches many people are ordering flowers, buying chocolates and

making dinner reservations in pursuit of romance. For some, romance means sex and what we eat on Valentine’s Day can ruin the mood. Eroticism and foods have long been paired together, even before pairing food with wine.

Numerous foods are considered to be aphrodisiacs, something that increases sexual desires which historically people believed foods that resemble genitalia were the best catalyst for arousing desires. This saw people consuming clams, oysters, bananas, asparagus, eggs, avocados and caviar in pursuit of increased sexual drives.

Others choose foods based upon texture, for which I will forgo discussing and leave this to your . imagination.

Sharing a meal is like a slow seduction, anticipation builds upon seeing a particularly inviting meal.

It can cause us to salivate, our eyes widen, and our pulse quickens, just like a sexual response.

Modern day science has been able to determine that it isn’t so much the food but what is in the food that gets us going. Oysters contain zinc and amino acids that trigger production of sex hormones, chili peppers stimulate endorphins which quicken your heart rate and make you sweaty, chocolate

Page 12

increases our dopamine levels, bananas contain bromelain triggering testosterone production, strawberries are loaded with Vitamin C which improves blood flow to all body parts, Pumpkin seeds are high in magnesium which helps raise testosterone levels, watermelon contains similar ingredients as Viagra increasing blood flow and your libido and vanilla for its sensual scent and exotic taste.

Trying to combine all of these foods into a meal could see you leaving the table and heading to the bedroom for the nap and nothing else. So I developed the following recipe to include as many sensual ingredients in a manner that is mutually satisfying and falls under #foodporn.

Aphrodite Ganache Tart Ingredients: For the crust 3/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs ¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds, chopped fine 1/4 cup butter at room temperature 2 tbsp. Humble Pie, from The Spice Co. naturally Method: Combine crumbs, chopped seeds, butter, and sugar in a medium sized bowl and mix until evenly incorporated. Press the crust mixture

APHRODITE GANACHE TART firmly and evenly into a 9 inch pie or tart pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 °f for 10 minutes. Cool on a rack before filling.

For the filling: 12 oz. 70% bittersweet dark chocolate chopped 1 tbsp. butter 1 ž cups light whipping cream 2 tbsp. ginger peeled and coarsely chopped 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. Kick Ass Cajun, from The Spice Co. naturally Method: Place the chocolate and butter into a medium sized bowl. Separately in a medium sized sauce pan heat the cream, ginger and Cajun seasoning over low-medium heat, until hot but do not let it boil! Immediately pour the cream mixture through a fine meshed sieve into the bowl of chocolate. Discard the remnants. Allow the cream and chocolate to stand for about 2-3 minutes, and then stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Pour the chocolate mixture into the cooled crust. Refrigerate for at least four hours before serving. Serve with fresh strawberries, water melon pieces and whipped cream.

Page 13

Craft Beer Breweries

Bobcaygeon Brewing Company The Kawarthas are rich with Craft Breweries. Bobcaygeon Brewing Company was founded by Richard Wood and Vince Castronovo, along with the ingenuity of Brewmaster Jake Garvey.

Richard and Vince came up with the idea in the winter of 2013. They are both very passionate about beer. Richard has always had a family cottage in the Kawarthas between Buckhorn and Bobcaygeon, and while there, they decided to check out Breweries. The closest ones were in Peterborough or Port Perry and they thought it would be an awesome idea to bring a Brewery to their local area. They launched Bobcaygeon Brewing Co. in March in 2015. Richard has been working at the brewery full time since July 2015, and has loved every minute of it. He is doing what he loves. “It’s pretty special”, says Richard.

Before Richard started, he was doing his Masters in Applied Math at Queen’s University. “I’m sure my parents are very happy that I’m putting my education to good use”, he laughs. “They really are supportive. It is my passion”.

Vince is in Houston right now, and working in finance. He is involved in the business, working on special projects. Not so much the day to day routine.

Why are Craft Breweries becoming so popular? “I think there’s a couple of reasons”, says Richard.

“One of the biggest drivers for Millennials, when picking where to spend their tourist dollars, is food and drink. So when they go and explore different towns they want to try different things. The other reason is that people have learned there are different styles of beer out there, other than your typical macro lager. It’s something different and new to try, and they may find a beer they actually really enjoy”.

Page 14

In general, most Craft Brewers market themselves as a more premium product. “We are using ingredients from all over. For our Chocolate Stout Starry Night, we use 100 pounds of hand roasted cocoa nibs for every batch. There is a higher cost to producing, and we don’t have the footprint that the macro brewers do.”

Bobcaygeon Brewing currently have three fulltime available beers as well as a range of seasonals, and are starting to release more one-off batches. Their one-off batch, Northern Lights

“It’s something different and new to try.”

Hazy IPA, will be coming to the LCBO in March. Richard says, “We are really excited for that.”

“Our Brewmaster Jake Garvey is always working on new styles of beers and we’re very excited to be launching more one offs in the upcoming months. Our next one off is inspired by ginger molasses cookies and is sure to be a crowd pleaser”, says founder Richard Wood.

Last year they made approximately 450,000 tall cans.

They have been growing strong, and their beer is available across Ontario as well as in Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. You can find their products at the LCBO and select grocery stores, mainly Loblaws and Sobeys. You can also find them at restaurants and bars throughout the Kawarthas.

Richard told us they are about to start construction at their Brewery in Bobcaygeon at the old post office on Lock 32.

Bobcaygeon Brewing Company should definitely be on your “Must Try” list.

wine pairing: WITH cheese Sometimes it’s fun to forgo dinner altogether and put together a plate of favourite local cheeses, along with some olives and toasted almonds to pair with a glass of harmonizing Ontario wine.

Here is a list of combinations you may want to try for yourself: Tangy and Saltiness Cheeses: Celebrity Herb and Garlic Soft Goat Cheese, Lenberg Farms Tania hard pasteurized Sheeps Milk, and Lenberg Farms Lindsay (Bandaged Goat Cheddar).

Sauvignon Blanc’s zesty acidity marries extremely well with all soft goat cheeses, including this herb and garlic version. It is the zesty personality of fresh goat cheese that complements all white wines offering a good backbone of acidity. Other wines with zesty acidity include Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris.

Tania is a delicious Tuscan-style sheep’s milk cheese from Lenberg Farms and is made with 100% Ontario Sheep’s milk. Aged for six months in temperature and humidity controlled maturation rooms, the cheese develops a semi-firm, smooth and slightly crumbly texture while maintaining its creamy, mellow yet somewhat earthy notes and saltiness. This cheese is a local alternative to Pecorino. The zesty acidity in Sauvignon Blanc nicely counter acts the saltiness of Tania. This is in much the same way as brut, acidic Champagne works with salty caviar or salty smoked salmon.

Or to offer a less wine savvy example, salt and vinegar chips.

Lindsay bandaged goat cheddar is an awardwinning cheese, handcrafted in small batches

Page 16

using premium Ontario goat’s milk. The crafted wheel is carefully wrapped in its bandage to preserve freshness and flavour. After aging in a humidity controlled room for 12 months, Lindsay is ready to enjoy with a glass of zesty Ontario Sauvignon Blanc.

This cheese is creamy with a slight goat’s milk tanginess and also some fruity flavours.

Trius Sauvignon Blanc VQA, (CSPC 221804), $15.95, offers classic citrus and gooseberry flavours on the nose and palate. A hint of minerality comes through on the finish. The wine is light and crisp with stinging acidity that partners with the tanginess of soft goat cheeses. The wine’s acidity also offsets the saltiness in cheeses.

Cheeses with Sweetness: Empire Medium Cheddar with Caramelized Onion, Empire Medium Cheddar with Canadian Maple Mustard, and Celebrity Chipotle Soft Unripened Goat Cheese.

Celebrity cheese comes from Mariposa Dairy in Lindsay. The first two cheeses have some sweetness that need to harmonize with sweetness in some white wines. The Chipotle spice and sweetness in the unripened goat cheese is nicely matched to the sweetness in an off dry white wine. Sandbanks Riesling-Gewurztraminer VQA, (CSPC 459982), $15.95, offers apple and floral notes on the nose and palate. The palate is medium bodied with some honey sweetness. The wine’s sweetness will partner well with all three cheeses.

by Shari Darling

Journalist, ‘The Sophisticated Wino’ CEO , FRESH DOH

WH ICH WI NE TO CHOOSE? Smooth Cheeses: Empire Mozzarella with Garlic Empire Mozzarella with Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Empire 2 year old Cheddar The mozzarella cheeses have a smooth texture, making them a good choice to pair with Merlot’s smooth texture.

The 2 year old Cheddar has some saltiness and bite that is also nicely offset by Merlot’s soft tannin and astringency. Jackson-Triggs Reserve Merlot VQA, (CSPC 109959), $14.25, offers classic cherry and cassis aromas and flavours with soft to medium body and soft tannin.

Dessert Cheeses: Celebrity Cranberry, Cinnamon Goat Cheese, and Celebrity Blueberry and Cinnamon Goat Cheese Kawartha Country wines produces a few ‘social’ wines that range in sweetness from 2 to 4 on the sugar code scale. Apple Social and Cranberry Social compliment the

flavours in the Celebrity Cranberry Cinnamon goat cheese. Wild Blueberry Social is sweet and smooth with loads of blueberry fruit flavours. It’s ideal with the Blueberry and Cinnamon Goat Cheese.

Apple Social and Cranberry Social compliment the flavours in the Celebrity Cranberry Cinnamon goat cheese.

Jeanne Beker

Been there, done that, wrote the book!

By Jay Cooper Contributor / Musican

Jeanne Beker and Gus - photo by Iain MacInnes

I had the chance to talk to the incredible Jeanne Beker.

Jeanne is an icon in the music and fashion industries. She is also an author. Here is our conversation.

ATOTK (A Taste of the Kawarthas): So very excited to have this chat with you.

JB: Oh that’s so Nice!

Page 18

“I have travelled all around the world, and never found a place quite like (Warkworth)” ATOTK: Okay, Actress, New Music, Fashion Television, Editor in Chief, Author, Order of Canada, Walk of Fame to name a few.

JB (Jeanne Beker): Yeah, my Mom use to say if you live long enough, you get to see and do everything. Yeah, I’ve been around (she laughs).

ATOTK: I am just curious if you ever slept?

JB: Not very much in those early years (she laughs). I use to pride myself on getting by with 3 hours, 4 hours of sleep for years. Can’t believe I did that. I’m making up for lost time now. A little more, anyway (she laughs).

ATOTK: Now you’re living in Warkworth, Ontario.

JB: Not full time. Half the time we’re back and forth from the City. Northumberland has been a big part of my life since 2000. I bought my farm in Roseneath and just really fell in love with the hills and with that whole pastoral setting. The first place I looked at was this 1842 stone house in the middle of 123 acres. I just fell in love with it, bought it. The property had a pond on it. It was just magical; absolutely fell in love with this neck of the woods.

ATOTK: Warkworth truly is an amazing, unique little town.

JB: I would say it is charming and has a lot of heart, and obviously it’s the people that make it so great. There are a lot of creative people, a lot of artists, a lot of people that think outside the box. I have traveled all over the world and never found a place quite like this. The fact that it’s only like an hour and a half from Toronto, it’s really ideal for us.

ATOTK: It’s a wonderful place, I totally agree.

JB: It just seems to be getting better all the time, and now that my daughter is putting down her roots, she moved to the farm house with her husband, and decided to open an animation studio there and become organic farmers. They just opened a store in Cobourg. It’s a studio shop where they can do their thing but also sell stuff that comes off of the farm. She’s a great illustrator; it’s quite the artful little store.

ATOTK: My first knowledge of you was on The NewMusic. You and JD Roberts - would you have ever thought both of you would have that success?

JB: We were both driven in different ways, and we were both hard workers. But we were both, in many ways, flying by the seat of our pants. I had been working professionally as an actress since I was 16. JD and I started working together at Chum radio back in 1978. I always aspired to get into the TV end of things, it was serendipitous because that was the year the Chum Radio bought City TV. I had been hired as the Good News girl at Chum Radio after having come from Newfoundland working at CBC. I went to Newfoundland as a Mime artist and came back as a radio personality. Go figure (she laughs). When I did land the job at Chum, there was excitement in the air. And I thought, wow, this could be an interesting company to get with. Within a year of me working there in radio, Moses Znaimer came to JD and me and said we want to do a music show, and we want you to co-host it. And, I mean, I knew as much about music as the average kid that grew up in the sixties and loved Rock and Roll. I certainly wasn’t a music journalist at that point. But I think that’s what made the show more appealing, because there wasn’t that kind of esoteric approach.

Obviously, we learned a lot by osmosis as the years went by, but at the beginning I was more of the Fan Girl. Just turning everyone onto the music that I was discovering. Late 70’s, early 80’s, Second British invasion, Punk, New Wave.

ATOTK: I loved that era. So many choices.

JB: I got to meet so many of my idols from Paul McCartney to Keith Richards, Robert Plant. I mean, it just went on and on. It was incredible the people I had the chance to get up close and personal with.

And then, you think of all the great bands to come

ATOTK: Wow that’s incredible to come from a creative mother and I guess it stuck with your daughter.

JB: Yeah, you know, it’s a mixed blessing to be creative.

It’s wonderful to be creative and I always hoped that my children would be creative, but then I think sometimes, do you really have to be that creative (laughs). And I have another daughter who is a singer songwriter, who lives in the Yukon. Off the grid in a little log cabin. I’m very proud of them.

Page 19

Jeanne Beker

Jeanne with Keith Richards (Rolling Stones)

Been there, done that, wrote the book! out of that era, like The Police, and I got to go on tour with Sting and the band (laughs). That’s when you got to see what the band was made of, and no one else was doing it, which was a very good thing. When we started, we were Pre-MTV, because we started that show in 1979. Then we launched MuchMusic in 1983. It was just a ride of a lifetime. It was absolutely phenomenal. I always felt you can only do something for so long. The music started to change by the mid 1980’s. It wasn’t turning my crank and I wanted to find something I could grow older a little more gracefully in (she laughs). Then I thought Fashion is cool.

The only constant in fashion is change so that will keep me young (laughs). And I loved (fashion) as any young girl that grew up in the 60’s. So I started doing Fashion Television. Jay Levine at the station started the idea of putting together Fashion Videos on TV. But they wanted to hire a young model type chick that would be a Fashion DJ. When I heard about that, I said “Hold On! I know a lot about fashion, I paid my dues, and you should let me do it”. So I hissed and screamed, and they said “OK, OK! You can host the Pilot”. I urged them to do more than Fashion Videos. Let’s interview the Designers like we did with the Rockstars. Lets go behind the scenes, go to the studios, go back stage, find out who these personalities are behind the labels. So we started profiling designers and photographers and models. We were really the first to look at fashion as entertainment and I think that’s why the show really worked.

ATOTK: Was Fashion a field you ever dreamed would take you on a nearly 30 year adventure?

JB: I remember the show took off and started selling all around the world. They said to me, “Well this will be fun for a couple of years”, and I thought, yeah, a couple of years, then off to the next big thing. But it lasted 27 years (laughs).

Jeanne and Paul McCartney (The Beatles)

Page 20

ATOTK: Congrats on an unbelievable run for that many years. Most don’t have a gift like that.

JB: You know, I was in that world but I was not of that world, and because of that, I sort of got turned on to things as I went, and then to take people across the nation, literally around the world, and show them this - Gee Golly look at this. Can you believe what we’re seeing here? Fashion was just such a brilliant, theatrical arena back in the day. I think it has changed a lot of the artistry.

It’s become common in ways. But back in the day, you just felt so privileged to have this back stage pass. And

“It was incredible the people I had the chance to get up close and personal with”

it inspired a whole generation for people to get into the business, for better or worse (she laughs).

ATOTK: What’s your take on affordable fashion choices as the go to places now that Eaton’s and Sears are no longer available?

JB: We have a beautiful Boutique here in Warkworth called Trentmendous. You know, fashion is everywhere now, and if you don’t have it right there, you can order it from The Shopping Channel. I know I work (at The Shopping Channel), but there’s so many ways to get fashion these days.

ATOTK: Now the success of The Shopping Channel is well known but do you yourself prefer shopping online or getting out there on the front lines, so to speak?

JB: Well, I’m old fashioned so most of my shopping is not online. I guess I’m just a bit of a creature of habit. Stores that are interesting, that’s more like experiences I really appreciate. I like to go in and experience it. Touch it and feel it. That, to me, is more appealing than shopping online. That being said, well, if you’re super busy and you know exactly what you want, (The Shopping Channel) is the most wonderful, convenient way to shop. I see the ease of it, and yes, I just bought a bunch of Christmas presents online. Wow, it’s so easy, and did that ever save me time.

ATOTK: Fashion culture seems like it could be very challenging to cover - much like music. Which do you feel presented to be the most difficult at times?

JB: (laughs) Well, looking back at it, I’m surprised I handled myself so well. I mean each presents it’s own challenges. But what became harder in the Fashion industry as we started the show, was a popularity of covering fashion in the media. More and more people that we had to compete and fight with to keep our position at the front of the line. And sometimes it wasn’t the Designers themselves, it was their PR people. They were the gatekeepers. The actual Designers themselves were lovely, but that was frustrating at times. Dealing with temperamental genius artists, well, that’s to no end and with music, too. I always thought I covered the biggest egos with the Rockstars and then I met the Designers (laughs). We wanted to get something special and we did - unprecedented access. Now-a-days, it’s just so common. The business just became such a Monster that it actually managed to

Jeanne with Karl Laugerfeld

burn its people out. Just chew them out and spat them out. Fashion is merciless. You’re in one minute, out the next.

ATOTK: So what are your winter activities?

JB: Well, when I was on the Farm, I used to go snowshoeing and cross country skiing, but going for long walks with the dogs is really what we do now.

Page 21

Jeanne Beker

Been there, done that, wrote the book!

My partner and I are intent on picking up cross country skiing again this winter, and maybe we can rustle up my snow shoes again, because there are so many beautiful trails here. We love antiquing and flea markets, that kind of thing, so we’ve got all these great little places, whether we go to Peterborough or Belleville or Brighton. We discovered Stirling not long ago. We spend a lot of time indoors too, being cozy, reading, I do a little bit of painting, I took up pottery. My partner plays guitar, we love old movies, I still do quite a bit of writing, baking. I bake a lot of cookies (laughs). We entertain a lot, because there is a big, big social scene here. It’s just so much fun, never a dull moment.

ATOTK: The Walk of Fame must have been something very special to you?

JB: Yeah, that was very special. Especially because the sidewalk where my star is, (Toronto), in the hometown I grew up in as a little girl. My parents were immigrants.

They came to Canada in 1948 with absolutely nothing, and my father built a little business for himself around John and Adelaide, just about a block from where my star is located. He used to walk those sidewalks everyday.

Now I go there and look down, and there’s my name embedded in the cement. It’s pretty cool. It’s about celebrating people from all walks and gives Canadian kids something to aspire to. It’s like receiving the Order of Canada for me. It’s so humbling. I thought OMG, it’s not like I got my medal and now I can sit back and rest on my laurels.

It makes you think, Ok, now what can I do to really prove myself worthy. What can I do to really touch people, and help people, and have a voice in my community?

ATOTK: Well, I will never have such an honour as a Star on the Walk of Fame. But don’t you ever just want to lay down beside it and take a Selfie?

JB: (laughs) Lick the sidewalk. Not really (laughs). It’s a very strange thing to see yourself objectified, in a way, but it represents a career milestone. It’s not something I ever aspired to. I just worked as hard as I could, loved what I did, put myself out there for good, using my personal platform to make to world a bit of a better place. A more loving, compassionate kind of place. Then you get a call one day and your jaw just drops. It’s just quite heart swelling, really. I thank God everyday.

Jeanne and her daughters, Bekky & Joey O’Neil

ATOTK: There are so many talented amazing people that came from this area and relocated here in the area and the trend continues. Wonderful neck of the woods, as you say.

JB: Yes, and it’s how I discovered the area. I discovered Warkworth and there’s something very mystical and magical about this place. It almost draws you to it. It’s a very special place, a happy, accidental meeting so to speak. We pinch ourselves ten times a day, we are so lucky.

ATOTK: You have been more than kind to take all this time with me today and I thank you for that.

JB: You are very welcome Jay. And you’re not far from us, please come visit sometime.

Cover photo courtesy of George Pimentel

Page 22

To see other interviews done by Jay Cooper, go to slitherproductions.com/Musicmag

Experience Warkwor th

Unique Boutiques & Delicious Culinary Treats

Fines in Driving Laws What has changed?

There are some drastic changes in the charges and fines for Distracted Driving, and Impaired

Driving that you need to know about. ATOTK met with Constable Joe Ayotte, Community Safety/Media

Officer at the Peterborough County OPP, to talk about the new changes in fines for Distracted Driving and Driving under the Influence. The four biggest problems are distracted driving, impaired driving, aggressive driving and lack of seat belts. 2017 marked the fifth consecutive year that inattentive drivers were behind the highest number of lives lost on OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) patrolled roads. On January 1, 2019 the fines have increased dramatically. The OPP has laid more than 7,300 impaired driving charges across the province between January 1 and mid-November, 2018.

ALCOHOL IMPAIRED DRIVING PENALTIES (as of December 18, 2018) Alcohol-impaired driving that does not cause bodily harm or death - mandatory minimum penalties: First Offence: First offence + blood alcohol content (BAC) of 80-119 mg: mandatory minimum $1,000 fine First offence + BAC of 120-159 mg: mandatory minimum $1,500 fine First offence + BAC of 160 mg or more: mandatory minimum $2,000 fine First offence of refusal to be tested: mandatory minimum $2,000 fine Second Offence: Mandatory minimum 30 days imprisonment Third and Subsequent Offences: Mandatory minimum 120 days imprisonment Page 24

Police officers will now be able to demand a roadside breath sample from any lawfully stopped driver to determine whether a person has alcohol in their body without first having to suspect the motorist has been drinking.

Until now, officers had to have a reasonable suspicion that a driver had alcohol in their body before demanding a sample. Drivers need to be aware that it is mandatory for them to comply with this demand and that those who do not can be charged with failing or refusing to provide a breath sample.

The alcohol impaired limit used to be OVER 80 mg.

It is now 80 mg AND OVER. It used to be that if a person blew 88 mg, it would be truncated down to 80 mg, therefore your over 80 mg charge would not happen. Now, at 80 mg you will be charged.

“If you decide to fight a ticket, don’t count on the police officer not showing up”

DISTRACTED DRIVING If you have an A, B, C, D, E, F and/or G licence, (starting January 1, 2019) you’ll face: For your first conviction: a fine of up to $1,000 (previously $490) 3 demerit points 3 day driver’s licence suspension (new) For your second conviction within 5 years (new): a fine of up to $2,000 6 demerit points 7-day driver’s licence suspension For your third and all subsequent convictions within 5 years (new): a fine of up to $3,000 6 demerit points 30-day driver’s licence suspension The licence suspension for distracted driving happens after you are convicted, unlike impaired driving, where your licence is taken away immediately.

As far as cell phones go, the MTO states that they can only be used to activate or deactivate a hands free function, and only if it is secured. It can’t be in your hand.

Dialing or scrolling through contacts is not allowed.

DRUG IMPAIRED DRIVING New summary conviction offence: 2 nanograms (ng), but less than 5ng of THC per millilitre (ml) of blood: maximum $1,000 fine New hybrid offences: 5ng or more of THC per ml of blood: First offence: mandatory minimum $1,000 fine Second offence: mandatory minimum 30 days imprisonment Third and subsequent offences: mandatory minimum

120 days imprisonment Any detectable level of LSD, psilocybin, psilocin, ketamine, PCP, cocaine, methamphetamine, and/ or 6-mam: First offence: mandatory minimum $1,000 fine Second offence: mandatory minimum 30 days imprisonment Third and subsequent offences: mandatory minimum 120 days imprisonment 5mg/L of GHB: First offence: mandatory minimum $1,000 fine Second offence: mandatory minimum 30 days imprisonment Third and subsequent offences: mandatory minimum 120 days imprisonment 50 milligrams (mg) of alcohol per 100 ml blood + 2.5ng or more of THC per ml of blood: First offence: mandatory minimum $1,000 fine Second offence: mandatory minimum 30 days imprisonment Third and subsequent offences: mandatory minimum 120 days imprisonment Drug-impaired driving that does not cause bodily harm or death Maximum penalties upon conviction: 18 months imprisonment 5 years imprisonment Drug-impaired driving causing bodily harm Maximum penalty upon conviction: 10 years imprisonment Drug-impaired driving causing death Maximum penalty upon indictment: Life imprisonment

If you decide to fight a ticket, don’t count on the police officer not showing up. Court appearances are now mostly scheduled during the officers shift instead of on their day off.

Page 25

The Brock Street Burial Finding human remains from over 2,000 years ago

When you walk by the parking lot on Brock Street between Aylmer and George Streets in Peterborough, there is a plaque by the road on a granite boulder, with indigenous prairie grass around it, and a narrow stone pathway marking the boundary. The plaque was installed on November 8, 1962. It marks the site where the complete skeletal remains and 30 associated artifacts of a man, believed to have lived in the Trent River System over 2,000 years ago, were found while excavating the lot on December 6, 1960.

Archaeologist Walter Kenyon of the Royal Ontario Museum described it as an important find. He said in a newspaper article, ‘The Indian chief in the Brock St parking lot probably lived before Christ was born on the other side of the world’. After extensive research, officials concluded the skeleton belonged to a Point Peninsula Native, 45 to 50 years of age, and that group lived all through this region. The remains were reinterred at Curve Lake First Nation Reserve on May 30th 1991.

So you may ask, as I did, where were the remains for the 36 years between finding them, and interring them?

In the 1960s, the remains were on display in museums around the world. This was normal practice for that time period. They were at the ROM, and the last place that they were displayed was at Peterborough Museum and Archives. The remains and the grave goods were on display until approximately 1983, where the Curator at Peterborough Museum and Archives advised that it was no longer appropriate. Even though the Brock Street Burial has been removed from public viewing, it was not until 1988 that Museum staff, with the consent of the Board of Museum Management, decided that the skeletal remains should be removed from the collection.

On May 30th 1991, the morning of the burial, a sweet grass ceremony was held at the Museum to purify Museum staff, the route to be taken, the burial containers, and the vehicle. A sweet grass ceremony was started at Curve Lake when the remains left the museum.

For the reburial to Curve Lake First Nation Reserve, an informal Feast of the Living was held at Curve Lake Community Centre. Chief (at the time) Jacobs described it, “So the feast began, all formed a circle with

Page 26

Large plaque for the remains from 1960 at the front of Brock Street Parking Lot (photos courtesy of Peterborough Museum and Archive)

“This repatriation process has been viewed as precedent setting. It’s an emotion issue.�

four pipe carriers on their blankets leading. There was the smell of sweet grass and sage. They cleansed the people and the food they offered. The pipe carriers spoke to Grandfather, spoke of Mother Earth, hoping that the spirits understood that it may not be exactly right but they would do the best they could. They spoke of the break in the travel of the spirits and that tomorrow they would be on their way. The drummers and singers sang an honour song, the four pipes were passed around the circle to young, to old, to white, to Indian, to men, to women in kinship and the being of one purpose. After the meal, a plate of food was prepared for the spirits to take on their journey the next day.�

In the Peterborough Precedent, written by Ken Doherty from Peterborough Museum & Archives written in 1991, the heart of the matter is discussed.

earthed, the grave goods were removed along with the remains. At some point, the remains and the grave goods became separated and the artifacts dropped off the radar screen. The ROM may have had them at some point or the archaeologist that did the work, but when the remains were repatriated and interred at Curve Lake, the grave goods were not with them.�

But that isn’t the end to this story. Erik Hanson explained, “In 2004, the city was refurbishing the same parking lot, and unearthed a small pocket of bone. It was analyzed, and while most of it was animal bone, a small number of bone fragments were identified as human. The City asked what the First Nations wanted to do with the remains. At the time, I thought that since it was almost certain that they were part of the remains found in the 1960s that the Chiefs / %"**"'& . '& +"'& / ) )#"& / **" $ / &" ' +"'& /

“This repatriation process has been viewed as precedent setting. It’s an emotional issue. Too often, museum professionals have been desensitized in their dealings with native skeletal remains. While they may no longer regard them as curiosities, they still tend to view them simply as accessions, specimens and interpretive material. By doing so, they have lost sight of the values and emotions that they readily equate with their own dead – like dignity, compassion, and perhaps most importantly, respect�, wrote Mr. Doherty. “It was a muggy, overcast morning. The grass was wet, the ground muddy. The birds were singing. At one quiet point in the service, the sun suddenly broke through the clouds and the atmosphere was charged.

It was a deeply moving experience.� “Mr. Doherty continues, “When this process started, there were no known precedent in Canada for this kind of under-taking. It has been learned subsequently, of course, that there have been many repatriations, especially of skeletal remains. But, not only have many been shrouded in secrecy, some were literally conducted in the dead of night.�

Eric Hanson, Heritage Resources Coordinator for the City of Peterborough wrote, “The story of the grave artifacts is not a pretty one. (It is) my understanding that back in the 1960s when the burial was first un-

& $' & )'%

,&+ ) + + ) ')', ! ( + ) ')', !%,* ,% & ) !"- * $ (!'&

Page 27

The Brock Street Burial Finding human remains from over 2,000 years ago

would want them interred in the grave with the other remains, but Chief (at that time) Knott said that unless it was 100% certain that they were the same person, the remains should be reinterred where they were found.

The City agreed and redesigned the parking lot to create an Unapproved Aboriginal Cemetery designated under the Provincial Cemeteries Act. All parties signed a site disposition agreement and agreed that at a later date, the remains would be reinterred and a plaque commemorating the site would be installed.”

Anne Taylor, Curve Lake Historian, said ‘the plaque … seems appropriate when one considers the importance and likely social status of the individual re-interred at the site.“ Mykawartha.com did an article on Friday September 26, 2003 about the find. “Gordon Dibb with York North Archaeologists says carbon dating on the bones have discovered they are anywhere from the year 655 to 780. “They are small, like slivers, but they’re still human remains.” Mr. Dibb says there is little chance these fragments will go on display. “It just doesn’t happen anymore”.

So what is the lesson to be learned from this? Has there been a change in the Archaeological Community on how we treat human remains that are found?

Mr. Doherty summed it up by saying “Despite previous reference, there is hope for the Archaeological Community. The Museum Manager was recently asked to defend the museum’s actions at a graduate level class on Ethics in Archaeology at Trent University. The attitudes of the Professors in attendance probably reflect the broader community. Of the four, one openly supported repatriation of cultural material and especially native remains; one was still hedging her bets by sitting on the fence; one was adamantly opposed and argued that this trend – if it continued – would be the deathblow to pre-historic archaeology in Canada; and one had gone through radical conversion. He too had been adamantly opposed, but after attending the recent conference in Ottawa where the Task Force officially unveiled their recommendations, he left with a new respect for aboriginal concerns.”

Bill Ramp, the Chair of the Board of Museum Management for the Peterborough Centennial Museum & Archives best described it by saying “I think I can safely say that all who were involved in the process leading up to these ceremonies received very great gifts. We, at the Museum, were profoundly touched by the generosity with which the people of Curve Lake responded to our overtures. For a very small and long-overdue gesture of respect, we received a hand of friendship and gained a renewed appreciation for the vibrant and enduring culture and aspirations of the First Nations.”

What I have learned while researching for this article, is that when Indigenous human remains are found, they are given much more respect than back in the 1960’s. After all, this was a person whose home was the Kawarthas.

And that, is progress.

NOTE: A book has been published and released on Jan.22, 2019 documenting this story, “The Ancestors Speak: Stories from the Brock Street Burial”.

You can purchase it at TUARC, The Peterborough Museum and Archives, the Curve Lake Cultural Centre, Chapters and at the Trent Valley Archives for $20.

One of the grave artifacts found in 1960

Page 28

Lakefield Polar Fest Ice Sculpting Competition What an incredible event! Held on February 2, 2019, this event had seasoned Sculptors coming from as far away as Poland. So who are some of these artists and Chefs?

Chef Michael Tuinstra

Chef Fred Marquina

Chef Fred Marquina was born and raised in Paete, Lagunam, in the Philippines. He started mostly wood carving at a very early age. He has been working in the hotel industry since his teens, carving fruits, butter, chocolate and ice. He competed internationally, earning medals and awards and was on the Pride of Philippines Ice Carving team. In 2003, Fred worked in a five star hotel in Bermuda where his culinary and ice sculpting skills have been a definite asset. He was the Grand Prize winner of the 2008 Bermuda Gourmet Getaway Ice Sculpting Competition. He was also one of the nominees in Best Chef category at the BELCO VIP Excellence Award, the highest award-giving body in Bermuda’s Ministry of Tourism.

Now residing in Canada, he launched his career as a professional ice carver in the winter of 2011, representing Canada around the world in ice carving competitions.

Chef Steve Benns Realizing at a young age that cooking was his passion, Steve attended George Brown College and Ryerson Polytechnic University. Steve started teaching at Fleming College in 2000. He challenges students to put the most into their career goals. Chef Steve volunteers as a Technical Chair with the Skills Canada Organization on a regional, provincial and national level to promote culinary competitions for high school and post-secondary students. In his spare time Steve enjoys ice carving and enters various competitions across Ontario. He lives in Cavan with his wife and their children.

Rob Brooks

Levi Caya

Chef Steve Benns

Ken Ardnt

Ken Ardnt started wood carving in the 1970s. These were sold at local craft shows and privately commissioned clients. During the 90’s Ken lived in Toronto and was a regular at the annual ice sculpting competition held at City Hall in Nathan Phillips Square, often receiving 1st, 2nd and 3rd place honors. Ken went on to join ice carving competitions like Niagara on the Lake’s Ice Wine Festival, The Bloor-Yorkville Icefest and Ottawa’s International Ice Carving Competition “Winterlude”. Ardnt carved at the Peterborough Snow Festival creating a likeness of the clock tower which led to his becoming a regular carver at the Lakefield Annual Polar Fest Ice Sculpting Competition. To this day Ken Ardnt enjoys the fellowship of the carving community and receiving top place honors.

Levi Caya, a professional woodcarver from Apsley, owns and operates Out of His Mind.

Chef Philippe Saraiva is Professor Culinary and Hospitality programs, Conestoga Col-

Chef David Hawey

David Tettman

Chef Philippe Saraiva

Nandasiri Polwatta Gedarage

Chef Brian Henry

lege, and has been teaching culinary Arts since 1999. He started Ice carving after taking a seminar with Steve Brice and Aaron Costic, two of the best ice carvers in North America back in 2009, and been taking part in festivals around Ontario since. Toronto Ice Fest 10 times and Winterloo Waterloo 6 times. He sees ice carving as a fun Hobby that he highlights with hisstudents when they need carvings for events at the college. He loves the comradery among the carvers. In addition, Chef Philippe says it is a great challenge to work with this ephemera medium.

David Tettman was introduced to ice carving back in 1998 by a master carver and found it fun, creative and challenging. His artistic background with his sign business made it a natural fit to express himself and develop his ice carving skills. He’s participated in many community events throughout Ontario and has won several awards. His family prefers to support him in this hobby from the warmth and comfort from home and hopes to see him in the evening news as they don’t enjoy the winter elements as David does.

Nandasiri Polwatta Gedarage is an artist like no other, with many years of skills, talent, and experience in hand he has mastered ice sculpting, fruit carving, painting, and digital art.

Polwatta Gedarage came to Canada with 30 years of experience in Sri Lanka working under his own company Rusiru Arts and Advertising services Pvt; which focused on advertising through radio, TV, and press.

Chef Brian Henry is an artist in his own right. Sculpting for over 20 years, Brian uses his craft to sculpt in ice, butter and chocolate. Brian is an integral part of this competition, bringing sculptors and ice together in this beautiful event.

Page 29

global

by Margaret Swaine Columnist and Author

GOLF GETAWAY

If you’re a golfer, winter in Canada means mostly you don’t play or you fly away to a golf getaway. One of the best warm weather places to whack that dimpled ball and enjoy other pursuits is the Dominican Republic.

The DR (Dominican Republic) is my favourite island for golf in the Caribbean for the diversity and excellence of its courses and resorts around them. Located on the eastern part of Hispaniola Island shared with Haiti, it’s the oldest European settlement in America. Years ago it set on establishing itself as a premier golfing vacation destination, as well as host for major tournaments in the Caribbean.

Punta Espada Golf Course

Casa de Campo Lounge

Page 30

Teeth of the Dog Golf Course

At least seven of the DR’s courses have consistently been in the top tier of Golfweek Magazine’s Top 50 courses in the Caribbean and Mexico. These include Punta Espada which was number one on the 2018 list, Teeth of the Dog in the third spot and Los Corales where the 2018 PGA Tour was held last year, ranking tenth. The DR’s courses have at last count 86 sea-facing holes and 39 ocean-side along with lush tropical inland fairways.

Famous golf course architects Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Rees Jones, Gary Player, Tom Fazio, Nick Price, and Greg Norman have all designed for the island.

The island’s golfing tradition began at Casa de Campo in 1972 and at the Amateur Golf Championship held there in 1974.

Pete Dye was the designer of the famous “Teeth of the Dog” course, consistently rated among the finest courses on the globe. Dye said at the time that he actually laid out only 11 holes of Dientes del Perro (its Spanish name) because God created the other seven on the Caribbean Sea. Also within the resort community of Casa de Campo, Dye designed The Links, which plays homage to the classic British Isle courses and later the 27-hole Dye Fore with its challenging cliff side holes.

One could easily argue this resort on the southeast coast by the town of La Romana pretty much has it all. If I could only pick one spot for my winter golfing vacations, this would be it. Set on 7,000 private acres of verdant land, it’s edged by the Caribbean Sea on one side and the winding Chavón River on the other. The property’s so large guests are given personal “carritos” (modified golf carts) to tour around. I spent an hour driving in one direction one day and never got to the end of

Punta Espada Golf Course

the property. It boasts those 63 holes of the Caribbean’s best golf, multiple tennis courts, three private sandy beaches, seven outstanding restaurants including the new Minitas Beach Club, a marina, hundreds of stations for trap, skeet and sporting clay shooting and an equestrian centre that offers trail rides, lessons and even polo.

To top it off, there’s a spa with rooms like a private sanctuary.

These individual spaces have private patio gardens, hot and cold plunge pools, steam room, sauna, private shower, toilet, change room and therapy bed. They are like your own tropical apartment where you can wander around naked while enjoyed the pools in the garden area - open roofed to enjoy the sun but walled in for privacy – and the steam and sauna. www.casadecampo.com.do All the famous all-inclusive resorts are found in Punta Cana, including Excellence, Dreams, Bahia Principe, Iberostar, Paradisus, Secrets and Hard Rock. The beaches which stretch for 60 kilometres along the east coast of the Dominican Republic are actually a string of nine pristine beach areas that run all the way from Playa Uvero Alto - about an hour drive north of the Punta Cana airport - to Playa Juanillo in Cap Cana which is half an hour to the south.

Punta Cana is also a golfer’s destination, with 10 courses located all along the strip. To add to the fun, there are luxurious marinas, fine dining and some of the country’s top spas, including the first of two Six Senses in the Caribbean.

Those staying at the Cap Cana’s resorts have access to Punta Espada, the oceanfront course by Jack Nicklaus that has been a regular venue on the Champions Tour. The Nicklaus design boasts eight holes playing either alongside or over the Caribbean Sea, and another five with ocean views.

Vacationers at the Amanera Resort can tee it up at the Playa Grande Golf Course, the first golf operation of the Aman hotel corporation. Opened in 1997, the Playa Grande Golf Course is not only the last course Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed, but considered among his best. All 18 holes overlook the Atlantic Ocean, with many played directly oceanside. Many say it’s evocative of Pebble Beach, at least visually. www.aman.com/ resorts/amanera

Punta Espada Golf Course

Honoring his father’s legacy, world-renowned golf architect Rees Jones recently redesigned Playa Grande to challenge golfers of every skill level. On the new layout, the last five holes are played on the edge of the ocean.

Robert Trent Jones also created the championship course of Playa Dorada, which is surrounded by a multitude of lodgings that are all part of the popular Playa Dorada Resort Complex near Puerto Plata in the north. Golfers play alongside resorts’ pools, beaches and buildings.

Opened in 1976, golf here is an easy swing along a relatively flat course with wide fairways and generous greens.

When you need a break from golfing there are lots of other activities on the island. One recommendation I have is the Marinarium Marine Park and Aquarium. An excursion here sets off from the company’s Cabeza de Toro base for a half day of snorkelling and marine encounters in a unique off-shore marine park. You’ll ride in comfort on a two deck glass-bottom catamaran to the marine park, a 40,000 square metre area where you can swim with the stingrays and nurse sharks. Then pull out your iPhones as you cruise by the coast of Cabeza de Toro and Bávaro.

When you reach what they call Paradise, you can relax in waist deep waters of Bávaro’s natural pool with your favourite cocktail in hand. http://www.marinarium.com

Playa Grande Golf Course

Page 31

globalGOLF GETAWAY A half day outback safari will give you a good taste of the country without losing too much golf time. You’ll pass by local plantations and villages on your way to visit a typical Dominican home and enjoy some of that aromatic Dominican coffee with them. Stop at a rum shack to check out the local rums, cigars, vanilla and coffee. You’ll visit a local arts and crafts centre where you’ll learn how the palm woven hats and baskets are made. Your last stop might be a secluded beach or depending upon the tour, a sugar plantation. www.outbackadventuresdr.com

Casa de Campo Restaurant

The largest beach handicraft centre in Punta Cana features what you’d expect. Rows of stalls selling t-shirts, inexpensive jewellery, rather garish Haitian paintings, wood carvings, sarongs and the like. The most fun items to buy here are cheap cigars and Mamajuana, a local drink made by soaking rum, red wine, and honey in a bottle with tree bark and herbs. Rumoured to be an aphrodisiac, it’s also said to have medicinal properties. Its taste varies depending upon who’s made it and what roots and barks they have used.

There are lots of other adventures to enjoy on the island but for a golfer the courses are the big draw. I’ve played the most renown of them and ones such Teeth of the Dog, Playa Grande and Punta Espada remain etched in my memory as some of the most spectacular in the world…with far better weather conditions than the famed links of the British Isles.

Playa Dorada Golf Course

About Margaret - Margaret Swaine has visited over 125 countries writing about the good things in life such as wine, spas, restaurants and fine hotels. She spent over two decades as the wine and drink columnist for both Toronto Life and Chatelaine magazines and 16 years writing features and wine and culinary travel columns for the National Post under the titles “Wine Picks” and “Forks & the Road”. She has been a restaurant columnist for Toronto Life, and the Toronto restaurant critic for Gault Millau’s website gayot.com. She has covered spas for Best Health Magazine in her column “Paradise Home and Away”, golf for ScoreGolf and Fairways and the ski scene for SkiPress.

Her current bi-weekly column under the banner “Global Gourmet” for www.travelindustrytoday.com focusses on culinary travel.

Instagram: margaret.swaine Twitter: @globaltaster Facebook: margaretswaine LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-swaine

Page 32

Weight Loss

by Gina

by Gina Livy Health & Welllness Coach www.ginalivy.com

It seems like every time you turn around there is something to throw you off track.

Between birthdays, holidays, special events and occasions, even if you have the best intentions it seems like there is always something to test your willpower. Here are 5 tips that will help you navigate your way through those days so you not only look and feel your best for the occasion but you also stay on track with your weight loss goals.

1: Drink more water In the days leading up to the event or special occasion, try to increase your water intake to the min 3.5 litres that is required for basic body function. Not drinking enough water can quickly lead to dehydration and dehydration leads to the body feeling a need to retain water, causing you to feel bloated. You may be inclined to think drinking more water will just make the bloating worse. Not true, in fact drinking more water will help reduce the need for the body to retain water.

4: Eat small meals and snacks through out the day After eating a high protein breakfast it is beneficial to continue to eat small meals and snacks throughout the day, even if you are not that hungry. This will keep your digestive system working so when you do eat, you won’t be as inclined to over eat. And the food you do eat is digested easier, so you end up feeling satisfied on less.

2: Don’t NOT eat all day in anticipation of eating a bigger meal later This is very typical of people trying to save up their calories for a bigger meal later. It just doesn’t work. In fact, it only leads to under stimulating your digestive system so that when you do finally eat, you instantly feel overly full and bloated. Skipping meals and snacks also leads to over eating, making it harder to regulate portion sizes.

5: Balance it out the next day After indulging in a big meal the night before, you might feel inclined to keep things light the next day.

This again under stimulates your digestive system and actually takes longer to get your body back on track.

The day after, focus on the water. After eating a higher protein breakfast, eat small meals and snacks all day to stimulate your digestive system, which will signal food in and food out and help to clear the backlog of food from the night before.

3: Start your day higher in protein Starting your day higher in protein gets your body working harder and burning more calories from the get go. Higher protein will also give your more sustaining energy, which will help you feel more satisfied. When you are satisfied with the foods you are eating, you can keep the portions smaller.

Indulging is no big deal as long as you are mindful how to balance things out. So enjoy the meal. If you follow these few steps, the impact will be minimal. And before you know it, you can get back to losing weight!

About Gina - “It was in my own weight loss journey that I started to look into why traditional diets were not working for me.

I was teaching aerobics and exercising a lot and working as a personal trainer, but found even though I was eating super low calories. I just couldn’t lose the weight. Everything I had been taught about weight loss wasn’t working for me so I set out on a mission to figure out why. From food history to how foods break down in the body along with the affects of additives and preservatives, biology, evolution ... you name it, I looked into it and though my findings managed to come up with a plan that helped me lose 80 pounds in 6 months and the rest within the year. After having lost 120 lbs the first time, I repeated the process 4 more times after the birth of each of my children, and have easily maintained my weight since. My approach to weight loss is based on that same program which I have continued to fine tune and perfect over the years as new research comes out and studies are done. The diet industry isn’t designed to actually help people...there is a lot of hype, misinformation and half truths that are preventing people from reaching their weight loss goals and improving their health ... so I am on a mission to change that.” Gina Livy

Page 33

snowmobiling in the kawarthas When compared to 2018, the 2019 snowmobile season in the Kawarthas got off to a very poor start.

It appears that someone forgot to tell mother nature that winter should have officially arrived on the 21st of December. That date came and went and the early sledding season that everyone wanted to see in December was no where to be found. There is nothing quite as disappointing as a slow start to the season after waiting for months to get back on the snow. Riders everywhere were chomping at the bit to get back out and ride but the weather just wouldn’t cooperate.

As the new sledding season approaches, not only are riders anxious to get out there and put on some kilometres, clubs with new grooming equipment are also eager to put their groomers out on the snow and test out the new units. Many clubs wait years in order to be eligible for new equipment. After working with old, worn out machines, it is always exciting when a club receives a new groomer and drag.

Clubs don’t want to wait until February for the first test drive.

Page 34

by Nadene Nicholas Twin Mountains Snowmobile Club Bobcaygeon, Ontario

When the temperatures finally drop and the snow starts to fall however, clubs can start to prep their trails. Volunteers will begin to pack or roll trails in order to form a trail base. A solid base under the trail ensures structure and longevity. This is also why cold temperatures are needed to freeze the ground before it snows.

Large accumulations of snow received before everything freezes act as an insulator and can prevent the underlying surfaces from freezing properly. Trails without a solid base are harder to maintain and are often the first ones to deteriorate during an unseasonal bout of warm weather mid-season.

Once a suitable amount of snow falls on top of the trail base, full grooming operations can commence. Most clubs run their groomers on a daily basis, usually late afternoon or evening, when lighter traffic and colder temperatures will allow the trails to set up. Coordination of grooming schedules between neighbouring clubs in a district results in a trail network of smooth, well

SCENIC LAKES, WINDING TRAILS, & GREAT COMPANY

groomed trails that hook up with the trails of the surrounding districts.

Once trails start to open, riders can check trail status on the OFSC’s Interactive Trail Guide (ITG), in order to plan their ride. The ITG reflects current conditions and can be checked via the internet or on the downloadable app. Trails are updated by club members on a regular basis. Red indicates closed trails, yellow is for trails that are “limited”, and green is for open trails. Trails are generally posted as “limited” as a result of trail abnormalities such as water holes, logging operations, equipment breakdowns, etc.

Because the season is so short and unpredictable, special events are generally scheduled in February when decent trail conditions are more likely.

The OFSC Try our Trails weekend is scheduled for February 2nd and 3rd. This year Kawartha Lakes Snowmobile Club will also hold their Family Fun Ride on Saturday February 9th and Buckhorn District Snowmobile club usually hosts a trailside BBQ on the Saturday of the February Family Day weekend. Other functions such as club rides are posted as weather and plans permit. Event information can be found on individual club websites, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, and on the District website’s “coming events” links.

After a less than stellar January, clubs, volunteers and sledders across the Kawarthas are grateful for a cold, snowy February and March.

Seasons often get off to a slow start, and then finish strong but predictability is not a term used when talking about sledding. Every season is different, with its own challenges. Snowmobilers learn pretty quickly how to make the best of each one.

Pets of the Kawarthas

Puppy Love

By Susan Porter Dunkley, Peterborough Humane Society

In 1959, Puppy Love was written and performed by Paul Anka. My favourite version, and the one I pined to, was the version by Donny Osmond in 1972. February is the month of love, and I cannot think of anything more wonderful than the love of a puppy – young or old! This month we share stories of some great love affairs. Anyone who has had a dog – be it a rescue or not – knows that there is nothing as amazing! I have been blessed to have the love of a dog in my life since I was a young girl. My most recent “love” is my beautiful girl Zoey who you will read about, along with a few other wonderful pups, in the stories below. In my job, however, I find love on a whole different level! I have the distinct honour of helping dogs (and cats) who are looking for their forever home and a little piece of my heart goes out the door with every adoption. I am privileged to be loved wholeheartedly by a dog, and I can only hope that my “puppy love” never ever ends.

Shontelle O’Connor - Three years ago I talked my husband into fostering a dog. A local rescue needed a temporary home for the dog, so it was a good way to see if we wanted to foster. We fell in love with Tank, a Mastiff, and he became a permanent member of our family! He stole our hearts.

Our second foster was Juno, a Dalmatian/lab/husky. She had a rough past, but was still young. She was terrified of everyone. With some love and patience, we soon saw a crazy, sweet girl who just wanted to be loved. We adopted Juno. Then came Molly, an American bulldog, who had fear aggression. That wild girl turned out to be the absolute sweetest, goofiest girl ever. Once she realized she was safe, we saw her true colours shine. We were devastated when she was adopted, but were happy she found a home. A week later she was returned to the shelter. Molly was adopted again. A few months later the couple contacted me. They were devastated, but their other dog had attacked Molly. This meant Molly would have been in 4 homes in under a year. It was clear that Molly HAD to stay with us. These dogs all have their quirks but the love and

Page 36

Shontelle, Sheyanne and Tank (photos courtesy of Heather Dougthty Photography)

happiness they bring into our home far exceeds any of the “baggage” they carry. They give us the unconditional love and appreciation that you can only find in a dog who understands that you gave them another chance and have shown them love that they hadn’t experienced that before. We fell in love with our “foster fails” and are so lucky to have had these crazies come into our lives. They changed our lives for the better. We didn’t choose them, they chose us.

Sofie Andreou - Duke was a 3 month old abused puppy when we adopted him. We have had many Camper adventures, having crossed Canada, US & Mexico multiple times. He loves to body surf in the Ocean. Because of Duke, I’ve actually completed10 half marathons! In 2014 we saw a young dog at the Humane Society who looked just like Duke when he was younger! We just had to adopt him. We figured that Duke needed Buddy! Duke was 8 then, and was just slowing down. Buddy turned Duke back into a puppy! Buddy was found on the streets in 2013, he was very thin and sad. His paw pads were all cracked . These two boys have become very close. While Duke has had a few strokes recently and is having ongoing knee issues, Buddy doesn’t leave his side. In 2015

“We didn’t choose them, they chose us”

these boys saved me. I was diagnosed with a large brain tumor. They say the only reason I am able walk as well as I do is because of all the walks with the boys, retraining myself to walk. I can’t imagine life without both my boys. I thank the Humane Society for saving them and them for saving me!

Susan Dunkley and Zoey

Sofie Andreou and Duke

Tammy O’Connor - We adopt our fur baby in April 2017.

We heard of a dear little Shih Tzu that was in danger of being put down. His deadline was midnight THAT night!

He looked SO much like the dog my husband adopted a month after we were married. We had had that little guy for 17 years. We agreed to foster him. JUST foster, as we have a troubled American Eskimo that doesn’t play well with other dogs. The next day the Shih Tzu was put in a car in Quebec and began his long trek to Peterborough.

He went from one car to another until he arrived here.

He was a sweet little guy that had been mistreated and abused. Still, we said he was just a foster. He had issues for sure! Needless to say after just a couple of days here he wasn’t going anywhere! We fell in love withhim. His name is Charlie. We are a ‘foster fail’. Our other dog gets along with him amazingly well, which is something we never thought would happen. I guess it was just meant to be. We couldn’t love him more!

Susan Dunkley - Zoey (aka Lady Gorgonzola) came in to my life on cold January morning and while I am a strong advocate for rescuing animals, truth be told, she rescued me. She was born to a friend of mine and was spoken for. When the new home failed, she become our family pup and my world turned upside down. Her beautiful eyes and quick kiss have seen me through a tumultuous divorce, a major change in career, a new and wonderful man and the teenage years of 2 boys.

She is almost 14 but still manages to walk daily with me almost 4 km and I cannot wait to walk in our front door for the greeting that I know awaits me. Owning a dog has changed my life forever – and is truly one of the greatest privileges ever!

Tammy O’Connor, Charlie and Pat O’Connor

Page 37

LOCAL INDUSTRY Where can I get a JOB? With the closing of General Electric and the announced closing of General Motors, we won-

dered what do those displaced employees do? Is it possible that there’s a silver lining?

Technology change has been a constant throughout history. The 80s had worries about the effects of computers on the employment of people who work in an office; the late 19th century caused a panic as the industrial revolution took hold.

The loss of General Electric in Peterborough has put a lot of people out of work. Many of GE’s employees worked there for over 10 years. Some have been there for over 29 years. It’s going to be a difficult transition, but there is help out there.

James Bogar, President of Cameron Steel Inc. in Lindsay, has created 6 new jobs that have been filled by ex-General Electric employees. James told us that if he could find more good Machinists, he would be able to take on more work. Cameron Steel pays very competitive wages, ranging from $28 to $35 per hour. They also offer benefits, and a starting vacation of 3 weeks.

The difficulty in finding workers such as welders, tool and die makers, machinists and millwrights has long been a problem for industrial companies. A recent survey by the Ontario Skilled Trades Alliance reported that 41 per cent of employers would hire more people if they could find those with the skills they needed.

The Workforce Development Board/Local Employment Planning Council website has many resources for both Employers and Job Seekers. They have an

Page 38

abundance of information that can be very helpful, including - Job Boards, Programs and Resources for Entrepreneurs, Employment Support Services and Apprenticeship Opportunities. Workforce Development Board tie together much of the information which is helpful in your job search. Their website is very user friendly, and so are their staff. www.wdb.ca Another avenue to consider is becoming an Entrepreneur. For some people, this is the answer to a happy and fulfilling career. There is help for people inclined to strike out on their own.

Community Futures offers confidential one-onone business consultations at no cost to you. They can help you with your business plan,offer loans and are the gateway to grants to get started. Visit their website, and browse around. www.communityfuturespeterborough.ca There is also help through Economic Development. They have programs designed to provide business training for Entrepreneurs; such as Starter Company Plus and New Venture Sessions. www.peterboroughed.ca While it’s devastating to find yourself out of a job, there is help out there. Make use of the services available. If you do your research, you may find more than you expected - you may actually find your dream career.

Page 39

Where to Eat and Shop Downtown Peterborough Always fresh. Always homemade.

Tiny Greens Plant Cafe

Simply different. Local products. Affordable.

Vegan Gluten-Free Cafe in downtown Peterboroug.

Caterer. Authentic Spanish cuisine. Personalized

We harvest greens daily from our micro-

service. Affordable. Downtown. 373 Queen St,

green gardens. 431 George St N, Peterborough

Peterborough (705) 559-7731

(705) 874-7554 tinygreens.ca

Serving Premium quality steaks & dishes

Authentic Caribbean Cuisine Dine in, Take Out, and Catering. Downtown Peterborough. Making home made, authentic

139 Hunter Street West, Peterborough (705) 775-4000 189 Kent Street West, Lindsay (705) 328·1219 www.hobarts.ca

Caribbean food. 427 George St. N 705-743-9320

Upscale Casual Dining in Downtown Peterborough

Boutique shopping at it’s best

Located in the lively Hunter St. Cafe

Unique items for sale. Workshops / classes. Find

district of downtown Peterborough.

the perfect present for that perfect someone.

Enjoy a warm and relaxing atmosphere.

383 Water St, Peterborough (705) 775-7568

224 Hunter St.W (705) 874-1500

Cork & Bean Coffee, Wine & Craft Beer

A Great place to have a coffee or meal and relax

Discover Peterborough’s finest coffee, wine, and craft beer in the heart of downtown. All in one place. 383 George Street N, Peterborough

Authentic Mexican Cuisine

Island Cream Carribean Cuisine Authentic Caribbean and Halal Food.

“The mixture of spices and robust flavour in this food is like poetry for the taste buds.”

“Best Roti I’ve ever had! Might be here a few times a week now.”

227 Hunter Street West, Peterborough (705) 743-8398

Healthy Gourmet Bakery

Charlotte Anne’s Restaurant

Catering for all events, A chocolatier with impecable

Open for Breakfast, lunch or dinner, you’ll find

taste. www.maison-du-chocolat.negocio.site

plenty of delicious food options at Charlotte

(705) 761-1089 460 Gordon Avenue, Peterborough

Anne’s Restaurant. 390 Queen St. Peterborough (705) 742-2944

Page 40

Inspire: An 1825 Valentine

There is a delightful commonplace book at the Trent

Valley Archives. To me it is a scrapbook, containing material copied from sources that I cannot always identify, but that nonetheless captures the world of two sisters in Montreal in 1825. The spinsters still had lots of interest in boys, fashions and courtship.

They also seemed quite captivated by political and historical stories. It is absolutely exciting to turn the pages of this delightful volume illustrated frequently with fine water colours, little games, clever epigrams, and stories. There were also some valentine items.

By Elwood Jones Archivist Trent Valley Archives & Editor Heritage Gazette of Trent Valley

However, women can also make men nice.

All ill stories of the Sex are false; To temper man B we had been Brutes without her.

Angels are painted fair to look like her; There’s in her all that we conceive of Heaven, Amazing brightness, purity, and truth, Eternal joy and everlasting love!

No one said love would be easy. However, thank goodness for women who save such touching stories. How lucky that we can make contact with the past through archives. Will archives be able to keep pace with the new valentines?

Oh do, Kind Cupid, aid me pray And make fair Jamesima kind; Great joy and mirth shall crown the day, That Hymen doth us bind.

Say, lovely Jamesima, cruel maid, Oh! astry, beguil’d in ffriendship’s name, Thou hast my heart a captive made, And bound me fast in Cupid’s chain.

Thou sweet offender, may’st thou prove, Enthral’d, like me, in Cupid’s snare; Repay thy victim love, for love, And thus the tender crime repair.

This is perhaps typical of the love poetry and tales that punctuate the commonplace book.

Love has its downside.

No tales of love to you I send, No hidden flame discover, I glory in the Name of Friend, Disclaiming that of Lover.

And now, while each fond sighing Youth, Repeats his Vow of Love and Truth, Attend to this Advice of Mine B With caution choose a Valentine.

NOW OPEN! ANGLE IRON KITCHEN 15 Charlotte St Lakefield ON

(705) 875-0428 Page 41

TODAYS REAL ESTATE IN A NUTSHELL

Contributed by: Jay Lough Hayes, Sales Representative Re/Max Rouge River Realty Ltd. 705-772-1025

Things To Do Before Selling Your House Getting ready to sell your house? It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work! Selling a

home, after all, entails a lot more than just planting a “For Sale” sign on your front lawn or uploading a few random photos of your place—especially if you’re angling for the most cash. (And, honestly, who isn’t?). But my story goes a little deeper ...

If you haven’t used something in the past 6 months, recycle, reuse or give it away. All very good ideas and wise words one lady finally took to heart. A few years ago, Santa’s for Peterborough Seniors put out a plea for used Christmas cards and hundreds answered the call. But one lady stands out from the rest. She was selling her home for the first time in 50 years.

To heed the checklist, she was going through years of safe keepings, hats, clothes, photos and boxes of cards. These cards were left at my office for me to read through, save or toss at will. I opened the first of the donated boxes that were stored in the basement for a very long time.

As I opened card after card, looking for ones to reuse, I realized this was an opportunity to read this lady’s life that had spanned some 87 years.

Donald and Isabelle had 4 children (now grown with their own children) who stayed in touch with cards and postcards. I read through Anniversary cards Isabelle and Donald exchanged over their 67 years together. Every Mother’s Day and Father’s Day card expressing the children’s love for their parents. Even a few cards from the family dog on Father’s Day saying Cannon was happy to be part of the family too. Happy Valentine’s Day cards to my one and only, some gushier than others, Get Well Soon cards – Donald was in hospital with the BIG C, Isabelle for

Page 42

heart troubles. Happy Grandparent’s Day cards, hundreds of Christmas cards, each with the year received penned at the top. Happy New Year cards stating where the house party would be that year.

Happy Halloween cards from friends and neighbours inviting this loving couple to house parties or a night out at the bowling alley. Thank you cards for gifts received and thank you cards for spending time. Isabelle had sat holding the hand of her girl friend while the aging husband was in hospital.

Thank you cards for gifts received, Cards of love and Just Because cards, Cards of Friendship from the woman who worked behind the lunch counter at Woolworth’s, cards from the grandchildren with newspaper clippings about their accomplishments at track and field events, cards with clippings about friends’ memorable moments.

A handmade Dad and Mom card, “You’re Invited to my Christmas concert, I have saved you a front row seat”. Congratulations on your son’s wedding, your daughter’s wedding, A Graduation card as their daughter Abigail graduated from university, another when their son Greg got his job promotion with Quaker Oats. Congratulations cards on your grandbabies, (there are 7 now). Happy Retirement cards to Donald signed by everyone he worked with.

Celebration cards saying their minister would be

“Donald and Isobelle had four children who stayed in touch with cards and postcards” seeing them in church the next week, mentioning there would be a guest speaker all the way from Ottawa. You’re Invited Cards asking this couple to a church picnic and “please bring those fold up tables in your garage”. You’re Invited cards to Tupperware parties and bridal showers. Too many Birthday cards to count, one forgotten as the gift of $5 remained in the opened envelope, Cards for a few missed birthdays, Happy Easter cards from aunts and uncles.

Then, dozens of Sympathy cards as Donald passed on, wishing Isabelle encouragement and love in the coming days and years ahead. One special card telling mom she had her suite if she chose to come

live with her son in Moncton New Brunswick, this opened card, still in the envelope with the return address in the upper left hand corner.

There is nothing more precious than a loving family home, something most of us strive for in this life.

Donald and Isabelle worked hard to keep this love alive. I know because I was fortunate enough to get to know them.

Reduce, declutter, give away, and throw away what you don’t need. But be careful to keep the irreplaceable.

Home Inspections Your child buys a $15K car on extended payments, almost maxing out their

budget. They didn’t bother having a mechanic look at it. You’re probably not too happy. Now you go buy a house, the biggest purchase in your life, and you decide you don’t need a home inspection?

By Steve Irvine Home Sweet Home Inspections

You have only seen the home for a short period of time and have been concentrating on the layout and feel of the home. It’s impossible to properly assess the overall condition of the home in this manner. If you have built homes, or have extensive knowledge, take the time to inspect the house. But remember, if you miss something, it’s yours.

A better idea is to have a professional inspector look at the it. You will probably pay between $300 - $500 and if the inspector misses something big, they get to pay for it. If they find something, you may renegotiate or at least know what you’re walking into. Knowledge is never a bad thing. This is why you need a good inspector.

There are 2 important questions for your inspector. What are their qualifications and do they carry insurance.

I have a Civil Engineering Degree with 10 years of structural design, and that makes me qualified. I carry insurance because I don’t want to pay for your house. Yes, home inspectors have liability. If I miss something, I can be made to pay for it. A smart inspector will point out everything visible and tell you which ones are major, minor or concerns for the future. Don’t be afraid to ask the difference. I consider anything over $500 to be important. Yes, I’m going to find things - I’ve been inspecting for 18 years. That perfect house doesn’t exist.

There’s always something. I tell my clients “Don’t sweat the small stuff. We’re here for the biggies”.

Attend the inspection. It gives you the opportunity to visually see, and have explained to you, what is identified in your report. A detailed visual inspection will focus on the roof, exterior, structure, electrical, heating, air conditioning, insulation, plumbing and interior. It takes 2-1/2 to 4 hours, depending on the age and square footage of the house.

A home inspection will leave you feeling much more familiar, and appreciative, of your home long after you take possession.

Page 43

A View from the Wire

By Michael Bell The wire Magazine

Musicians of the Kawarthas

Featuring Jay Cooper Had the chance to sit down with Jay Cooper. We go back a long way. Road Bands, Solo Albums, TV, Commercials, Radio and still continuing. But where did it all start?

“I grew up in Campbellford, ON. Music was a huge part of my life. My father was an Opera Singer in Holland. His love for playing piano and singing was present almost every day. He always dreamed I would be a classical pianist.

At the age of 4 or 5, I started taking piano lessons.

It was always very strict guildlines, even at a young age, practicing 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after school. As I improved and moved in to the Conservatory training, the practice time was extended to 1 hour twice a day.

I never knew any other kind of music, just Classical and Jazz, which my parents loved. I mean, this was the 70’s, while other parents would be blasting Rock or Country.

The lessons in piano started me creating my own music at 7 years old. I would hear songs on the Jazz records that I liked and recreate that sound.

I only knew at the time how to read music, not learning by ear. But it turned out I had a pretty good ear. I found so much pleasure creating, other than reading music.

In public school, a classmate had a KISS shirt on. I was like, what the hell is that all about? We became friends. He would bring me magazines with Kiss in

it, and all the 70’s bands of the day. I couldn’t get enough of it!

I knew I wanted to be a drummer. I begged my father for 2 years for a set of drums. Nope. But he was very creative and built me a Macgyver kit made of old pickle barrels with inner tubes stretch over for skins, the snare was an old cookie tin with rocks in it, and the cymbal was an old brass clock frame.

Finally, at 12 years old, for Christmas, I got a real drum kit. The deal was, continue with my piano training and possibly Santa would bring me a kit.

I took to drums very quickly on my own, and as I entered High School, the school band allowed me to play with other musicians.

Then, at school assembly, this band comes on and starts playing Stepping Stone and Rocky Moutain Way at a Huge Volume.

I literally thought I had seen God (he laughs). Their drummer left school and they asked me to play drums. I literally could hardly speak! These guys were 3 years older than me! (I just started Grade 9).

A rehearsal at my parents house and that was it. I was a member of my first band.”

To be Continued next issue ...

To listen to some of Jay Cooper’s songs, go to http://slitherproductions.com/JayCooper

Page 45

PETERB O RO UG H ’ S BEST K E PT S ECRE T

THE SLAB

H ouse concerts are nothing new, they

Al Black and Phil Connor

have been around for many years. It’s a concert, with professional musicians, in an intimate setting of song and conversation.

Phil Connor does exactly this in his garage, or as it’s known – The SLAB. The experience is a relaxed and intimate atmosphere, with patrons of Americana music coming together to listen, enjoy each other ’s company, and have a wonderful evening. Phil says ‘I like to call it Canadiana music (laughs). It’s mixture of folk, rock and rhythm and blues.’ The musicians tell stories and the listeners get to know the people behind the music.

Weber Brothers

Photo: SLAB Productions

Joey Landreth & Rick Fines

Photo SLAB Productions

Page 46

Phil is a humble, intelligent, well-spoken man. In his appreciation for musicians and their talent, he has been hosting concerts featuring local musicians since November 2016. Some of the musicians who have performed at The SLAB are Rick Fines, Cris Cuddy, Pat Temple, Al Lerman, Emily Burgess, Kayla Howran, and The Weber Brothers.

‘The whole objective of this is to support local artists’ says Phil. ‘It’s the 40th anniversary of the $100 gig (Phil jokes, tongue in cheek).

But when a musician performs at The SLAB, it’s $30 a person times 34-35 people. The musicians can make 5-8 times more (at The SLAB) than they make at a bar.’ And for this service Phil takes no honorarium.

All the money raised goes directly to the musicians. So what does Phil get out of

by Karen Irvine

it? Phil says, ‘I sit in the corner and get to listen to great music’ (he laughs). ‘I’ve consumed music from the UK and the States, and now I’m consuming it directly from the town that I live in. And I think that’s a better way to consume music.’

‘I’ve always been a big music fan. Always. The first musician I met in town was Al Black. And gradually I got to know a lot of musicians. I just want to pay back and one of the ways I can pay back is by doing this.’

Phil says ‘I try to keep a low profile. I always refer to myself as SLAB Productions. I never use my name. I do this purposely such that others around me get the spotlight. I work better below the surface. I use my knowledge and experience to impact those around me ... all with the best intentions. No hidden agenda, no politics. I simply work with and associate myself with people I admire. Possibly with folks that exhibit traits and behaviour that I aspire to.’

The SLAB also does a set of concerts called the Visiting Artist Series. They have had Morgan Davis, Tim Williams and Joey Landreth, to mention a few. ‘I’m a huge Landreth fan. That was purely selfish’ (laughs), says Phil.

Al Black, a local musician, was also present when I met Phil. He is one of five people on the Board of Directors with the Peterborough Music Benevolent Association (PMBA). Al explains, ‘Phil Marshall was a local musician who would do benefits. His widow asked if we would create a Board to raise money (by donation and raffles)’. The money raised from

“ I use my knowledge and experience to impact those around me” PMBA helps local musicians who are having a problem (health wise, or a flood or a fire etc). ‘Rather than a benefit, we can get (the musician) money immediately. Sometimes within hours’, says Al. They also host monthly shows (PMBA Deluxe Jam) at Dr. Jay’s Brews and BBQ in Peterborough on the third Saturday of the month. If you would like to donate, please go to their Facebook page, or attend a show.

With the support from Chef Brian Henry and with Terry and Phred’s Jus-Jellin’s beer jelly, a portion of the proceeds from The SLAB concerts goes to the PMBA as well. Terry says ‘we are in our second year of supporting Slab Productions and the PMBA. Our contribution to The Slab is through donation of product that is sold at these events and proceeds are forwarded to the PMBA. We sometimes are fortunate to have Chef Brian Henry on site and he prepares some unique dishes using our beer jelly. We serve these dishes at intermission to our guests and, in turn, they throw a donation into the tip jar. All proceeds from the tip jar are also forwarded on to the PMBA. I give thanks to Phil for providing us this opportunity and Jus-Jellin is happy to assist and support local artist and live music.’ To date, The SLAB has donated approximately $2,000 to PMBA.

Another way Phil and Al want to ‘pay back’ is with a music initiative called Music Peterborough. The goal is to make Peterborough a musical tourist destination.

Al says, ‘we know what we want to do, but it’s in the really early stages. There aren’t many cities the size of Peterborough that have live music every night of the week.

We have a lot of musicians living here for that reason. We want to get more people coming to Peterborough to hear the music.’

The SLAB is by invitation only. If you want on his email list for future shows, contact Phil at SLABprod@ gmail.com or call 705-768-4084. This is one guest list you don’t want to miss out on. You can also find SLAB Productions on Twitter (@SLABPROD), on Facebook (SLABProductions) and on Phil’s website www.pconnorphotography.com. Concerts are the last Wednesday of each month.

The SLAB isn’t the only place to experience house concerts in Peterborough. There is also the Gilmour Street Music Hall. Rob and Annie have been doing this for over 10 years. You can contact them at 705745-6538 or on Facebook to get on the mailing list for upcoming events.

GET OUT AND PLAY

Karen Irvine Editor

“The Kawarthas are a fun place to play, live and work. Enjoy your time here and be adventurous!”