A Taste of the Kawarthas Magazine February/March 2020 issue

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2020

FOOD, SHOPPING & CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

A taste of the KAWARTHAS Derek McGrath Actor & Voiceover Singer/Songwriter

Stranded in the Arctic 19 Days Lost to the World

TJ Connors

Where is he now?

Cal Coons

Murdoch Mysteries

Ice Fishing, ATVs and Snowmobiles Community Spirit is alive and well

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A Taste of the Kawarthas Food Tours Walking Culinary Tours in Peterborough

READY, SET, GO! Explore local restaurants with a behind the scenes experience in food, drink, boutique shops, chefs & community. “During the food tour Karen expertly introduced us to a variety of local establishments. At each location we were greeted and made to feel welcome. We were provided with an abundance of delicious and varied food samples. Karen provided background not only about each locale, but also shared interesting historical facts.�

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Contents

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2020

For Online Interactive magazine go to www.atasteofthekawarthas.com

Features 18 Derek McGrath

34

Community Spirit

22 Stranded in The Arctic

44

TJ Connors

27 Trent-Severn Waterways

46

Cal Coons

Actor , Voiceover, A Hell of a Nice Guy 19 Days Lost to the World Dam Construction

18

22

The Charitable Effect Where is he now?

Showrunner - Murdoch Mysteries and more

44

Columns Palatable Pleasures 6 Kicken’ Recipes 8 Chefs of the Kawarthas 10 Butchers of the Kawarthas 12 DooDoo’s Recipes 12 Restaurant Reviews 14 Where to Eat In Lindsay 16 Where to Eat in Peterborough

Lifestyle 22 Stranded in the Arctic 24 Global Getaways - Saint Barth 27 Trent-Severn Waterways 35 Optician Advice 36 Fashion Files 37 Home - Quiet Times

Real Estate 40 Renovation Talk 42 Real Estate News 43 Home Inspection

Pets 38 The Story of Alice 39 Vet’s Corner with Dr. Kelly

Interviews 18 Derek McGrath 44 TJ Connors 46 Cal Coons

Get 28 30 32

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Out and Play ATV riding in the Kawarthas Ice Fishing Snowmobiling

46

A note From the Editor Here we are, well into our second year of the magazine. It has been smooth sailing, and we are truly

thankful for all your emails about how much you enjoy reading it, and we appreciate you taking the time to send them. Our writers are experts in their fields, and we are extremely lucky to have them.

We are excited to announce an additional section on the website with bonus footage, videos and articles.

It is simply too hard to fit everything in the magazine! So enjoy reading and don’t forget to check out the bonuses on the website!! OH! And Happy Valentines Day! Karen Irvine - Editor, Video Editor, Videographer, Photographer, Social Media Diva & Motorcycle Enthusiast

Email - atasteofthekawarthas@gmail.com Website - www.atasteofthekawarthas.com Facebook - A Taste of the Kawarthas Magazine Instagram - @atasteofthekawarthas Twitter - @atasteofthekaw1 Margaret Swaine, Author, Travel, Wine, Golf, Spas and Spirits Columnist

Chef Brian Henry, Chef Extraordinaire & ATOTK Food Editor

Elwood Jones, Historian Trent Valley Archives & Newspaper Journalist

Jay Lough Hayes, Real Estate Broker Jay Cooper, Musician, Graphics Designer, Motorcycle Enthusiast

Heather Jackson, Boating Enthusiast Fenelon Falls Marina

Nadene Nicholas, Twin Mountains Snowmobile Club

Bonnie Moore Kitchen Designer Patefacio Design

Carolyn Richards, Kawartha ATV Association

Susan Porter Dunkley, Pet Enthusiast Danielle French, South Pond Farms

Dr. Kelly Wasylciw Veterinarian

Courtney Crough Food Blogger

Steve Irvine, Home Sweet Home Inspections

Publisher - Slither Productions Editor - Karen Irvine Creative Director - Jay Cooper Advertising Sales - (705) 772-8074 Email - atasteofthekawarthas@gmail.com Contributors

Real Estate - Jay Lough Hayes Rockin’ Musicians - Jay Cooper Boating - Heather Jackson Kickin’ Recipes - Chef Brian Henry Cover Story Interviews - Jay Cooper Chefs - Karen Irvine Global Getaways - Margaret Swaine Pets - Susan Porter Dunkley Home - Danielle French Snowmobiling - Nadene Nicholas Historian - Elwood Jones Home Inspections - Steve Irvine ATV - Carolyn Richards Renovations - Bonnie Moore Vet’s Corner - Dr. Kelly Wasylciw Restaurant Reviews - Courtney Crough

Photographers

Karen Irvine, KATVA, Margaret Swaine (Global Getaway), Cover story photos by Kristine Hannah A Taste of the Kawarthas Magazine is published bimonthly. Articles do not necessarily reflect A Taste of the Kawarthas Magazine or Slither Productions policy. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole without permission is prohibited. © 2020 Published by Slither Productions www.slitherproductions.com

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Kickin’ Recipes

by Chef Brian Henry Food Editor www.thespiceco.ca www.chefbrianhenry.com

Owner of Angle Iron Kitchens & The Spice Co.

GETTING ALL

FIRED UP!

Offal rhymes with awful and the irony is that offal is the culinary term used to describe the glandular organs and entrails of animals. Liver, heart, spleen and tripe are various forms of offal and their mention often leads to the loss of one’s appetite.

If eating offal is disturbing to you, I suggest you ease yourself into this by starting at the tail end of things, as tails are categorized as offal but they are actually a muscle. Traditionally oxtails came from oxen which were neutered cattle that were harnessed as beasts of burden and put to work. When their life’s purpose had been filled the oxen were slaughtered and sent to the . kitchen.

Oxen were prized for their strongly flavoured meat that can be attributed to their muscles being excessively worked and high concentrations of myoglobin in their bloodstream. Today we call oxen steers and commercially available oxtails are harvested from a variety of cattle including veal calves. As we have forgone the oxcart, cattle are no longer being worked as hard resulting in milder flavoured beef tails.

Oxtails weigh in around three pounds and are mostly bone as the tail is a continuation of the spine. The bones are held together by long bundles of muscle fibres that require them be cooked slowly by a moist heat method like braising. This slow cooking process lets Page 6

the bones release their gelatin creating a delicious broth with a notable lush texture on the palate.

OXTAIL SOUP INGREDIENTS:

1 oxtail (3 pounds) sliced in 1 inch thick rounds 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3 tbsp cooking oil 1 ½ cups spanish onions, peeled and diced ½ cup carrots, peeled and diced 6 cups water 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon thyme 3 cloves 2 sprigs parsley ½ cup port or red wine salt and pepper

METHOD:

Dredge the oxtails in the flour and brown them in the oil in a preheated, heavy

A P I EC E OF TA I L bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat.

Remove the oxtail from pot and set aside.

Lower the temperature to medium and cook the onions and carrots together until the onions are a golden brown.

Stir in the water, tomato paste, and the seasonings tied in a sachet. Return the oxtail to the pot and simmer over medium-low heat for about three hours or until meat is fork tender.

Skim off any surface fat and remove the sachet.

Stir in the port and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with fresh baked bread.

Optionally, you may choose to remove the meat from bones, and cut it into bite-size pieces before serving it in the soup.

Serves 4 people.

CHEFS OF THE KAWARTHAS

By Karen Irvine Editor, ATOTK

MARTIN CARBAJAL

Martin Carbajal is the owner of La Mesita Restaurant in the Café District in Peterborough.

I know Martin fairly well, as he is one of the stops on our walking food tours. He is always very entertaining, making the guests laugh with his funny stories.

When he was 12, in Mexico City he was hanging with the wrong crowd, so his mother put him to work selling tacos. ‘I’m still grounded today because of that’, says Martin. When he was 18, the family had a taco stand. It went so well that they opened a restaurant. ‘We started out living at my Grandma’s because we couldn’t afford our own house. 25 years later, all of my family have their own houses’, says Martin.

His mother was a perfectionist. Martin says, ‘She had me make rice every single day. She would say it was too wet, too dry, too crunchy, didn’t have enough salt. There was always something.

When I finally did it properly, I expected to get a pat on the back or good job or something. All she said was that it’s what you are supposed to do. It was hard, but it taught me that good actions are like a balloon and bad actions are like a needle and will break everything else. You are only as good as your last meal. (he laughs) If your last meal was good, you are perfect.’

Martin was 28 when left Mexico City. He came to Canada, found a Mexican restaurant and went to work. He says, ‘When I came to Canada the first time, I was only here for 2 months.

The restaurant I worked at was in Kensington Market called El Trompo.’ He went back to Mexico and got a job working on a cruise ship in Alaska. He says, ‘The visa process was very arduous. In Mexico there are a lot of businesses Page 8

that scam you – asking for money but there is no job.’ So although it may have been a scam, he decided to try, in case it was legitimate. They told him he had to pay for his American visa and there would be an English exam and a physical. He passed all the criteria and flew to Alaska, where he was an assistant to the steward – the helper to the helper to the helper of the steward – and spent 4 years on the ship. By working hard, he had 4 promotions in his first nine months, a

“It’s great when people come in skeptical and leave with a big smile.” process that normally took 2-3 years. There were chefs from 35 nationalities and they would have cook offs after hours. This is where Martin gained experience with international food.

He has twin boys (9 years old now) from a previous marriage. He met his current wife, Kelly, in 2015. While dating, Martin was working long hours and Kelly would come help him so they could spend time together. She is very supportive. ‘I’m the cute factor, and she’s the brains’, he laughs.

Since opening the restaurant in 2017, ‘It’s been hard because it’s a new enterprise. People don’t really know real Mexican cuisine, so they come expecting burritos and nachos. I want people to know what real Mexican is. It’s not the TexMex that most people think of. That’s why I’m really passionate. I get tired, yes. I’m human. I love it and wouldn’t change a thing. It’s great when people come in skeptical and leave with a big smile. The food we serve is Mexican 101, the basics. If people don’t know the basics they won’t understand what fancy is. It’s very unpretentious. It’s about mixtures and freshness.

That’s the key - everything needs to be fresh. It’s all cooked from scratch. Kelly is as passionate about it as I am. She believes that when people find us, they will like it. When we started dating, she said I was funny, but what won her over was the food.’ (he laughs)

Torta with pulled pork and Mayan sauce

Martin also caters. His forte is Mexican, but it’s not all that he cooks. He got a lot of training on the cruise ship with other cuisines. If you want Greek, Italian, Indian, Filipino and more, he can do it deliciously.

La Mesita won Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018, and is a favourite stop at the Peterborough Regional Farmers Market.

Cochinita Pibil and Suadero with pico de Gallo salsa Page 9

Butchers of the Kawarthas Jacob Hunter Jacob, 31, is the Butcher at One Fine Food, and he loves what he does.

He started his career at the age of 14 working at The Butcher Block in Bridgenorth. I got a lot more passion and love out of working than I did school,’ says Jacob. He knew then that he would be a butcher. He was at The Butcher Block for 8-1/2 years until the owner, Craig Green, sold it and retired. Craig took Jacob under his wing and taught him everything he knew. ‘Craig was a lot like me.

When he was younger, he had somebody to teach him. He was like a second father and made me feel a lot better than school did.’

After that, Jacob worked at a couple of grocery stores including Morello’s Independent Grocers.

Jacob says, ‘Dave is a great guy.’

Jacob has been at One Fine Food for about 3 months now. He says, ‘I’m always learning – that’s the best part about being a butcher. I’m not arrogant thinking I know everything. I’m excited working at One Fine Food because Bryan, the General Manager, has a ton of knowledge. He is a trained chef and knows all about charcuterie, salami, dry curing and things like that.’

Lamb is Jacob’s favourite meat to break down. ‘It’s smaller and you can get some pretty cuts,’ he says.

So what kind of personal life does Jacob have?

He likes music. ‘I like a little bit of everything. I play guitar. I’ve had quite a few failed attempts at bands and being a rock star.’ (he laughs) One of the bands he was in for a few years was Goodbye to Babylon. ‘I was always the big dream when I was younger.’ Jacob’s family is in Lakefield. He grew up in Bridgenorth and has been in the area ever since.

Page 10

By Karen Irvine Editor, ATOTK

“I’m Always learning - that’s the best part about being a butcher.”

Jacob’s tattoos mean a lot to him. Has a lovely girlfriend who has a 6 year old boy. He has a shark tattoo for his girlfriend, a turtle for his stepson, a butterfly for freedom from his high school days, a chickadee, which his mom’s favourite bird that he got 6 years ago for her birthday. A knife which he got 8 years ago to represent his 10 year anniversary being a butcher.

But he’s not done yet! Jacob plans to get more.

He also loves skateboarding for fun wherever he can.

The beef at One Fine Food is sourced from Ontario farms including 100% grass fed pasture raised beef from Heritage Cattle in Keene, Wagyu and AAA Angus beef from Artisan Farms. All raised without antibiotics or growth Hormones. For the most tender and flavourful cuts they dry age for up to 150 days.

THE BUTCHER SHOP EXPERT BUTCHERS AND FISHMONGERS AT YOUR SERVICE!

One offers the finest, highest quality selection of meats, including locally sourced, grass-fed, pasture raised and antibiotic free products Fresh and Custom Cut to Order.

One’s Seafood Counter brings the ocean to Peterborough, with an emphasis on Freshness and Variety.

Our attention to detail and dedication to our craft is what sets us apart from other markets. onefinefood.com

Phone: 705-742-6200 info@onefinefood.com 800 Erskine Ave, Peterborough, ON K9J 5T9

RESTAURANT - MON - SAT 11:00AM - 9:00PM SAT -SUN - 10:00AM - 9:00PM MARKET -MON - SAT 9:00AM - 7:00PM SUN - 10:00AM - 6:00PM

MARKET BUTCHER BAKERY CATERING RESTAURANT CAFE GIFT SHOP

DooDoo’s Bakery Diane’s Favourite Meals: Russian Chicken Breasts

by Diane Rogers doodoos.ca

This recipe is a favourite with my family. It’s delicious and can be served with rice and green beans. Or have a salad on the side. Ready in 55 minutes and serves 6 people.

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp. oil 6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 lb.) ½ C Russian Salad Dressing (Kraft has one) ½ C apricot jam ½ pkg dry onion soup mix (about 3 Tbsp.)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.

Add chicken; cook 4 min. on each side or until browned.

Remove chicken from skillet, place in 3L baking dish.

Mix dressing, jam and soup mix in small bowl and pour over chicken. Bake 45 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Restaurant Review Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews

by Courtney Crough Instagram: @ptbosavouryeats

If you are new to Peterborough and the Kawarthas, or even just look-

ing for a new restaurant, I highly recommend Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews.

Recently I had the pleasure of joining some friends for a night out and we had dinner and drinks at Dr. J’s. I tried the Prime Rib Burger which features savoury applewood smoked cheddar cheese, creamy smoked poblano pepper aioli, fresh dill and dusted crispy onions to top it off. I added a side of their house mac n’ cheese. This was my first-time trying Dr. J’s and let me tell you, my expectations were not disappointed. My burger was cooked to perfection and oh so juicy and the mac n’ cheese, which I learned is their own recipe, is to die for It was so creamy! And it was comforting. A fun fact; this BBQ style restaurant, which is inspired by the Carolinas passion for BBQ, smokes all of their meat in house. Dr. J’s is bringing a little taste of the south right here to Peterborough and is just another one of the city’s hidden food gems that I plan to keep exploring!

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Lindsay, Ontario A Great Place to Live, Eat & Play!

Page 14

If you haven’t visited Lindsay lately, we highly recommend you do. It has matured into a culinary scene rivaling major cities. Historic downtown Lindsay is known for having one of the widest downtown streets in Ontario and, to my delight, parking is ample and easy to find. You will find the people are friendly wherever you go and you will feel right at home.

Photo Credit - Tom Worsley

Great eats, good times.

hobarts.ca

Page 15

Where to Eat

Downtown Peterborough NaKeD Chocolate

Always fresh. Always homemade.

Authentic Spanish cuisine. Simply different. Local products. Affordable. Catering. Personalized service.

Downtown. 373 Queen St. (705) 559-7731

Professional Chocolatier, Warren Eley and Jazmin Slocum craft each recipe to ensure that every bite is a memorable delight. Discover his inspired flavor combinations using fruits, flowers, spices and herbs from around the world.

142 Hunter Street West, Peterborough (705) 775-6253 www.nakedchocolate.ca

The Food Shop

Island Cream Caribbean Cuisine Dine in, Take out and Catering. Downtown. Glen and Theresa will treat you like family.

Making homemade, authentic Caribbean food. 227 Hunter St. (705) 743-8398

Focusing on local produce and products, you will find what you need here! Also featuring inhouse made Kombucha, eco friendly products. Downtown.

372 Water Street, PTBO (705) 775-7467 Find us on FaceBook Instagram @PtboFoodShop

Kit Coffee

Upscale Casual Dining Located in the lively Hunter Street Cafe District.

Enjoy this warm and relaxing atmosphere with a beautiful patio. 224 Hunter St. W (705) 874-1500

Espresso Bar & Bake Shop. It’s fresh, delicious, simple and grounded. It’s familial, calm, and warm. It’s about people eating, sharing, breaking bread together, and the connection between them. 144 Hunter St. W (705) 927-6703

A Great place to have a coffee or meal and relax Coffeehouse, delicious breakfast and Lunch plus Bakery and Catering Services.

Gluten free options available

Authentic Mexican Cuisine

Caribbean Sizzle Authentic Caribbean cuisine at it’s finest.

427 George Street North, Peterborough (705) 743-9320

Healthy Gourmet Bakery Experience the most delicious deserts from this gourmet and healthy bakery offering a wide variety of choices for every lifestyle - gluten free, vegan, low calorie, regular plus more! maison-du-chocolat.negocio.site (705) 761-1089

Brew Pub Atmosphere Warm, rich pub atmosphere with simple yet delicious food and a perfectly hand-crafted selection of ales.

380 George St. N, Peterborough (705) 745-0495 www.oldestone.ca

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The Cheese Shop The Cheese Shop is located in the heart of downtown Peterborough and offers more than 200 imported and domestic cheeses, and a fantastic selection of specialty foods. Known for its fabulous selection of specialty foods and great homemade hot meals to go, catering and lunches. Downtown. 158 Brock Street www.thecheeseshop.ca (705) 745-9221

Derek McGrath

By Jay Cooper Contributor, Graphic Designer, & Musican

Actor, voiceover, HELL OF A NICE GUY!

You have seen Derek on television and in the movies. Some of his televison work includes Cheers (Andy Andy), Doc (with Billy Ray Cyrus), Little Mosque on the Prairie, Newhart, Mary, Police Academy 4, Dallas, Kim’s Convenience, Golden Girls, Good Witch, Suits, plus more. Upcoming movies include Camilla: A Fable, The Marajuana Conspiracy.

ATOTK (Jay Cooper): I’m honoured to be talk-

ing to you today.

DM(Derek McGrath): Oh for God’s sake, that’s very nice, thank you. I’m totally up for the chat.

Somedays I’d rather not be alive but today is not like that at all. (laughs) ATOTK: So you like the magazine or we wouldn’t be talking today (laughs) DM: Yes, of course I am and the funniest thing is I have this little place, a favourite little dinner I go to called St Dave’s Dinner just south of Lindsay and there was the December issue right there on the counter.

ATOTK: Linda Kash says hello and says your a doll.

DM: Linda’s wonderful and she played my wife on the show Doc and she turned me onto the Kawartha area back in 2002.

ATOTK: You have over 100 acting credits and counting. That’s crazy to me! And nominated for a Gemini and Canadian Screen Award.

Now, SCTV and Red Green are favourites of mine but you were also on Growing Pains, Newhart, Dallas, Who’s the Boss, Cheers, Golden Girls, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Ellen and, our Editor’s favourite, The Good Witch to name a few. And now on Kim’s Convience.

DM: Yes, The Good Witch. And I just did a movie last year with the director of that show, Craig Pryce, called “The Marijuana Conspiracy”.

Derek (Andy Andy) and Shelley Long (Diane Chambers) on Cheers

Derek and his beautiful dog Gracie Photo by Kristine Hannah

ATOTK: You were born in Northern Ontario?

DM: Yes, I was born in South Porcupine. It is so small that there is no North Porcupine (laughs). I grew up in Timmins, described as the biggest little town in Northern Ontario, which is mostly bars and churches (laughs).

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“George Wendt rushes to her rescue and sits on my stomach. He almost killed me.”

My childhood growing up was bloody cold. A guy was on the radio one day and said ‘Morning folks. It’s a little chilly out there. Minus 60 today, so you might want to think about not sending the kids to school. If you insist on them going, you might want to drive them.

And if you can’t drive them, tell them not to lay down and fall asleep as little ones do sometimes and gosh they just don’t wake up again.’ (laughs) I was like Ma! Ma! Do I have to go to school? She said yup, your going. It’s a rugged place and you have to be tough to handle it. I come from a large family, 10 kids and our parents and we moved around a lot. I believe before moving to Toronto at the age of 15, we lived in 11 different houses. We lived in one place that Jack Forbes (a professional skier who mysteriously disappeared in Europe) lived in and the house was all black. The rumour was he hid a fortune in the attic and sometimes at night I would hear people walking around up there. We didn’t have a toilet, we had an outhouse.

And in that temperature you really would have to go or say I’ll hold it until the morning. (laughs) One thing we never worried about was a white Christmas. The summers were always very hot and Oh my lord! The mosquitos! (he laughs) ATOTK: What drew you into the arts and acting?

DM: My brother, Douglas McGrath, who is really a Canadian Icon. He did the first successful English speaking Canadian movie called “Goin’ down the Road”.

He joined a company called Timmins Drama Guild of Northern Ontario. They were doing a play and looking for a young actor. My brother suggested me, I read for it and got the part. I think I wanted to be an actor since the age of 5, as my belief was that I could sleep in and meet girls. (laughs) The girl part? True.

The sleeping in part? No. (laughs) So I started getting parts and I did “The Hare”, which was about a guy that wanted to be a rabbit and I played the sickly son. I did some radio plays, then moved to Toronto, and the first thing I did was ‘You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown’, in which I played Linus. So now I had a credit in the professional theatre, which brought more opportunities my way and I started getting work from CBC. ATOTK: What was your biggest break?

DM: That would have been States side with ‘Cheers’.

Derek with some of the cast on the TV show Doc

After that I could go into an audition and say ‘Andy Andy’ so casting people didn’t have to ask who I was. (laughs) Once I did that show I was working a lot more. ‘My Secret Identity’ was also a big hit with Jerry O’Connell, which was shot here. Interesting, Jerry and I just did an episode of ‘Carter’ and we hadn’t worked together in 29 years, which was a huge reunion.

ATOTK: The main characters/actors in any very popular show - are they great to work with or are some a nightmare?

DM: I’ve never worked with a nightmare but some can be a little full of themselves and unprofessional.

I have heard stories though, and when I was doing Cheers there was a whole thing about Shelley Long.

I was talking to George Wendt (Norm Peterson) and asked him what’s up with Shelley, as everyone seems to be walking on pins and needles and she’s been nothing but nice to me. He says, well she’s a little bit of a, how do I call it, PurrFectionist. One thing I found irritating was we were rolling along, set it up, block it and run it at 5 pm with the producers and writers and Shelley would say ‘maybe I shouldn’t wear that hat or maybe I should wear that hat’ and just stop the flow constantly and nitpicking. Another story is George Wendt almost killed me. (laughs) He’s a big boy and in one episode Shelley asks me if there is anything I’d like to do and I say, ‘be an acContinued on Page 20

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Derek McGrath Actor, voiceover, HELL OF A NICE GUY! tor’ and she says the same so we did the scene from Othello. Meanwhile I saw Ted Danson’s character kissing her (and I’m in love with her) and my character is a very polite psycho. I start strangling her (in character) and it never happened in rehearsal, but George rushes to her rescue and sits on my stomach. All 300 plus pounds. (laughs) Brandon Tartikoff, who was the head of NBC came over after the scene and says ‘You know how you just tried to strangle her I’ve been wanting to do that for years’. (laughs) So I guess she did have some issues.

ATOTK: People would think it’s a glamorous thing to be in these shows and having trailers and dressing rooms?

DM: It varies a lot. Obviously, if your a regular on a show, things are pretty nice. But on the way to getting that series it was a little rough. I remember buying peanut butter, bread and rice as those things will go a long way and having $9 in my account and wonder how the hell and where I’m gonna go from here. But somehow, I always tell people, I depend on miracles and think something wonderful is gonna happen and then it would. When I did Doc I was down to nothing in the bank account. First thing I did was go to accounting and ask for an advance on my first weeks’ salary. (laughs) ATOTK: Voice over work like Inspector Gadget, amongst many others. How does that work? Do you mimic what you see on a screen?

DM: There was a time when the cast would get together and read through the script. Nowadays, no.

They found people were having too much fun, laughing and making up our own lines. (laughs) So now you go in by yourself and the director will read the other lines and you say your lines by yourself, do a couple of passes through and your job is done. You don’t have to look your best. Just have a coffee, ‘thanks Derek’ and be on your way’.

ATOTK: The farm allows you to do auditions not only Page 20

Photo by Kristine Hannah

for voice over but acting?

DM: I’m very fortunate as there are two houses on the farm. The other house has an awarding winning film maker and her mother who is a producer, so I call them up and say ‘Hey guys what are you doing today?’ (laughs) The part I don’t like is the fact I don’t get to see and hang out with my friends and fellow actors and go for coffee. It’s just not as social as it use to be, you know.

ATOTK: You’re also a musician / songwriter / singer. Do you find writing and recording is also not as social now?

DM: It’s true and I think it affects the music. When I did my last CD I called everyone to come to the studio and when together they asked “’What are we recording today Derek?’ I said nothing we’re just gon-

“I had $9 in my account. I wondered how and where I’m gonna go from here.” na play and get a feel for what this music is and all get on the same page. Then we can hit record. I did do vocals by myself or just a few players together but when you’re playing with a group you inspire each other.

DM: I’ve got to say the tv show ‘Doc’. Because I got to play very dramatic scenes and be funny as well. I make a distinction between humour and comedy. ‘Kim’s Convenience’ is comedy and I love working with all of them, but humour and being real with a little bit of a blush to it, if you will. With ‘Doc’ you could have tears in your eyes in an episode or deal with your pregnant wife and wear the sympathy packs with the big belly. Play it straight but with humour.

ATOTK: When did the music start for you?

DM: I describe acting as my craft and music is my art and my heart. I’m a singer/songwriter and never really did enough with it as I’m not a businessman. While others would be out peddling their stuff I’d be home writing songs. I’m not kidding, I’ve probably written 800 to 900 songs. I’ll record on the computer with ATOTK: I thank you so much for your time. some different chords and play it back years later and DM: Can’t wait to get you out here on the farm go what the hell is that? I have no idea how to play and create some music. Thank you, Jay. that chord ever again. (laughs) I will get into a fever for years and write and record and then nothing for a few years. I get into a fever with music more than acting, as I like acting and sometimes I really love it, but not to the profound level as music. I forget everything and myself sometimes and just get carried away with it in the here and now. Swept away, I guess you could say.

When I play my guitar something just drops into me and I have to follow it. When I bought this house I went down to Omemee and purchased a rocking chair and just sat there with my guitar watching these two birds Photo by Kristine Hannah and immediately started writing a song.

We Reached out to Linda Kash (Actor) to comment.

ATOTK: Being a songwriter myself, what’s some of your frustration points in writing?

DM: Well the bridge makes the difference between a good song and a great one. Also writing with rhymes and you’ve got two verses ending with ‘bed’ and ‘read’.

So you get to the last line in the last versus and you go, man, there isn’t anymore F’n words that end with ‘ead’ to finish this and I’m not gonna repeat one in the song but there all gone! I can’t finish this great F’n song because there’s no more ‘eads’! (laughs) ATOTK: Best gig you ever had?

“I saw Derek McGrath for the first time on the Second City Stage while I was a waitress there. And by waitressing, I mean spilling beer. I just couldn’t keep my focus on my tray. I was so inspired by the dazzling post SCTV performers! There are sketches that Derek wrote and performed in, that were achingly funny and forever etched in my memory. Derek and I were married for a short time - TV married that is, on a show called Doc starring Billy Ray Cyrus.

Derek sweet talked the producers into hiring me and I was ever grateful. I then later returned the favour by introducing him to my real estate agent Mary Ellen McCamus, who helped find him a little slice of heaven to call home in our community. Just another crazy actor on a tractor!”

Stranded in the Arctic 19 Days lost to the world

By Jeanne Jones

O n September 28, 1956, two Cessna float planes took off from the small Arctic settlement of Coppermine on Coronation Gulf on a 318 mile flight west to Norman Wells. On board were Gerald, 34, a Fisheries Research Board Scientist and his new English bride Mary, 27, a nurse. They had spent all summer in the Arctic and were on their way home to British Columbia.

The two planes were piloted by George Gonzales and Dick Warner, and had very little radio equipment. They got lost in poor weather ending up 300 miles off course. Gonzales’ plane had only 20 minutes of fuel left, so they were forced to land on a lake in the Arctic.

Mary is a beautiful, intelligent, upbeat woman who lives in Peterborough at Kawartha Heights Retirement Residence and kindly shared her story with us.

Before going to the Arctic, Mary wasn’t so much an outdoors girl. “I had never roughed it before in my life. All I was used to were the bright lights of London, the train ride out to the town near Epsom Downs where I lived. Spending the summer in the Arctic changed that. I was living in a small tent, watching Eskimo women cut up white whales on the beach.’ By the time they left to go home, Mary had toughened up a bit. ‘It was very fortunate I was, too,” says Mary.

She kept a diary of their ordeal. In an excerpt, Mary said “My shoes are useless. The leather has hardened and cracked from my wanderings in the muskeg all around camp. Feet so sore I shall not wear them anymore. As we were on our way out to civilization, Gerald and I had all our clothes. I even have a pair of high-heeled pumps and have promised myself I’ll wear them when the rescue plane comes. It must come.”

After 12 days, with no sign of being rescued, Dick Warner set out to find help. He ran out of food Page 22

Mary Hunter today in her home

within 3 days. After 6 days trudging through the bush, he met a party of Indians who took him to Rayrock Mine on the shore of Sherman Lake. The trip took a total of 8 days. He walked an estimated 100 miles.

When they were finally rescued, Mary said, “How thankful I am that Dick Warner was able to summon help. After plunging chest deep in muskeg and clambering over rock heights of eight days, he finally reached a remote uranium mine.“ Gerald had cut his hand. Mary said, “I shall not forget the dreadful professional knowledge I had as a nurse that Gerald’s condition was far more desperate than it seemed.” On the 13th

“I can still taste the strange flavour of barbecued squirrel.”

day, Mary wrote “Gerald’s hand is very puffed and terribly painful. It worries me. Without medical attention it will spread up his arm and into his body. We have never lost faith that the RCAF will find us, but when, when, when!”

By the time they were rescued, Doctors told her that two more days without medical aid and Gerald probably would not have survived. The blood poisoning would have spread through his body.

In summary, Mary said, “There are things about it that are still very vivid in my mind. I can still taste the strange flavour of barbecued squirrel. I remember sitting hunched over the fire in our little hut when I saw the can of water a foot away had frozen solid. And the overwhelming joy when the plane winked it’s lights in recognition as it roared down the dark lake towards us; that too is still very much with me.”

Mary cooked whatever was caught. Mostly fish.

The Air Force had conducted one of the biggest air searches in the history of the Northwest Territories in a vain 17-day attempt to find them.

They put in 250 flying hours and covered more than 75,000 square miles. They never did search the area where the party were stranded.

They managed to build a log cabin before snow set in. While Gonzalez strips a pole, Mary and Warner sit inside the partially built shelter.

Mary wrote in her diary, “For me, I weigh 108 pounds now, 15 pounds lighter than the day we were first lost in the North. And I have just remembered that I forgot to wear my highheeled pumps to climb aboard the rescue plane.”

To read Mary’s detailed diary, go to atasteofthekawarthas.com/magazine-bonus Page 23

global

GETAWAY

NEW GOURMET HEIGHTS SAINT BARTH

by Margaret Swaine Columnist and Author www.margaretswaine.com

When the season opened in November 2019 on the

Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy it was a time of celebration. The Gault & Millau guide to gastronomic dining in the West Indies – French Guiana launched its second edition with a grand reception at the gorgeous reconstructed Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, doling out awards to the islands’ restaurants. Eight esteemed French chefs flew in for the 6th Saint Barth Gourmet Festival cooking up a storm from November 6 – 10. And the last of the five star hotels badly damaged by hurricane Irma in 2017, Eden Rock, had completed its rebuilding and was about to reopen on the 20th.

Talk about new beginnings. Two years ago, in early September, Irma, a Category 5 hurricane the size of France, had engulfed the 25 square kilometre island causing catastrophic damage.

Winds of 285 km/hour gutted houses and hotels, violent seas ripped resorts from their foundations and much of the island’s infrastructure was destroyed leaving most of the population without water, electricity or phone service.

One of the awards Gault & Millau presented was to Marc Dobbels, General Manager of Le Barthélemy, for“Entrepreneur of the Year”. His saga best exemplified the spirit of resilience and the fortitude of the people of Saint Barth. He opened Le Barthélemy on October 28, 2016. The next season it was wiped off the map by Hurricane Irma.

Containers of debris had to be shipped off the island and all construction material shipped in – the hotel reopened on October 28, 2018. At a cost of 50 million Euros (about 75 million CDN dollars), the hotel was restored with great beauty and design throughout the property. Readers of Condé Nast Traveler named it the number one resort in Saint Barth that year and again in 2019 and number one in the Caribbean in 2018. It was also recognized as the 25th best resort in the world by the magazine.

Dobbels, a Michelin-starred chef in his own right, has always focused his career on luxury and tourism. (He has worked are Cannes in France, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Bermuda and Mexico.) As he calmly told me the story of Le Barthélemy, I could only Page 24

“Eight esteemed French chefs flew in for the 6th Saint Barth Gourmet Festival.” marvel how he has taken it all in stride.

I was on the island with my husband for the 6th “annual” Festival (there was no festival in 2017) and the place was abuzz with excitement. Almost every hotel on the island closes during the hurricane season (end of August to end of October), so on November 6, they were just waking up from their seasonal slumber. Hotel staff, most of them contract workers, had come in from France (Saint Barth is an Overseas Collectivity of France with a semi-autonomous status) and other European countries. The island’s many excellent chefs were back in their kitchens and tourists were starting to arrive.

At the opening night ceremony of the Festival, held at the eco-chic Manapany, I spied Chef Jarad McCarroll from Le Toiny at the bar. He had just won Chef of the Year, the night before at the Gault & Millau presentations. McCarroll, a native of South Africa, trained in Switzerland, joined the Ritz in London and then went on to work at two Michelin starred houses. His final stop before joining hotel Le Toiny in October 2107 was as Chef at M Restaurant in Threadneedle where he won Harpers Restaurant of the Year Award.

He had a wealth of experience, so I asked him what his biggest challenge was as a chef on Saint Barth. The answer really wasn’t much of a surprise. Procurement of produce is a constant difficulty on this island. The place is so arid that here’s virtually no agriculture and most all must come in by ship or plane. Other more fertile and verdant Caribbean islands provide some of fruits, vegetables and meats while wines, butter, bottled water, caviar, foie gras and other specialty items come from Europe. At times the seas are too choppy to dock in Gustavia the island’s capital, a situation that can continue for weeks.

“At our hotel, we’ve had to fly in food when the seas are too rough – even recently” Dobbels told me as did McCarroll.

This makes the menu items at the top resorts eye popping expensive. Thankfully it’s a situation made palatable by the quality of the dishes.

It’s often been said that Saint Barth has the best dining in the Caribbean. Certainly with over 70 restaurants there’s lots of choice ranging from gastronomic white

Opening party at Manapany

tablecloth dining, to feet-in-the-sand beach side grills and tasty ethic cuisine such as Creole and Thai. This being a French island there are boulangeries serving the best pastries and baguettes and take out spots offering gourmet sandwiches for a beach picnic.

We were here for the gourmet dining and opted to go to two. The first we attended was at Le Sereno, a five star beach side resort with an Italian connection – its sister hotel is in Lake Como. Most of the staff were Italian and so was the Executive Chef Raffaele Lenzi.

On Le Sereno’s regular menu I found excellent Italian specialties such as pastas, cacciucco (fish stew) and vitello tonnato.

The open air dining room was casual chic, overlooking the bay Grand-Cul-de-Sac with constant cooling trade wind breezes. For the Gourmet Festival menu (105 Euros), created with Chef Guillaume Goupil of the one star Michelin l’hôtel Burgundy in Paris, dishes were fancied up. We had local fish delicately marinated in vanilla oil, a tartar of beef crowned with Krystal Caviar, then grilled langouste on fresh corn pasta and a main of rack of veal. Wrapping up this visually gorgeous and most tasty meal was chocolate tart with mango and passion fruit sorbet.

Our other gourmet meal was at Aux Amis restaurant in Le Barthélemy, four minutes down the road on the same bay. Executive chef William Girard was working alongside Jean-Denis Rieubland of Le Royal, a sister hotel in Champagne, France. The 95 Euro per person menu was haute French – each plate as much art as food. The dining room was partially open air, yet elegantly so, with chicly dressed staff.

The starter for this meal was crab and mango flavoured with kumbawa (kaffir lime) and citrus marmalade, followed by seared seabass with a fish tartar on top and a main of sliced beef tenderloin crowned with a Continued on Page 26 Page 25

global

GETAWAY

NEW GOURMET HEIGHTS SAINT BARTH

generous mound of caviar and surrounded by tiny chanterelles and caramelized baby onions. Dessert was a creamy mango mousse with yuzu sorbet on a buttery, crispy biscuit.

These gourmet meals were delightful but equally so in another fashion was our lunch one day at Le Grain de Sel, an open air eatery close to the spectacular Saline Beach that regulars to the island highly recommended. Chef Eddy Coquin had just won Gault Millau’s Chef Peyi (country chef ) of the year and was renowned for his Creole cooking. We tried an order of his beignets, rumoured to be the best on the island, a stuffed local crab and goat stew.

Portions were generous, prices were half those of the five star resorts and all was lip-smacking tasty. If we were staying longer we would return here again and again.

The Gourmet Festival was the draw that brought us to Saint Barth but what we discovered was much more: an island with resilience and culture where despite the obstacles, fine food was a way of life.

HOW TO GET THERE. Fly to St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana airport (SXM) and take a short 12 minute shuttle plane from there or a ferry from either Dutch St. Maarten or the French Saint Martin side. The

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crossing can take 45 minutes to 90 minutes depending upon the ferry and point of departure. If you fly in, you’ll find the landing on Saint Barth is a thrill. Planes have to swoop down over a hill and then break fast enough on the tiny air strip that’s just 650 metres long or end up in the sea.Many cruise ships stop for the day in Gustavia, St. Barth’s tiny capital that’s brimming with duty-free boutiques and cozy eateries offering views over the harbour. Such an experience can give you a taste of the island and help you decide if you want to come back for more.

If you get totally hooked on the place, visit www. lebarthvillas.com for a list of over 150 villas for rent.

What’s Up with the Dam Construction?

Contributed by Karen Feeley Parks Canada

The Trent-Severn Waterway (TSW) flows 386 kilometres across central Ontario through a system of rivers, lakes, canals and locks. Operated by Parks Canada, the TSW is also Canada’s largest national historic site as the Trent-Severn watershed covers an area over 18,600 km2.

The TSW is an important part of both the local tourism economy and quality of life for residents in communities along its length. As well, its locks, dams and other water control structures play an essential role in water management and the provision of navigation, water supply, and hydro electricity generation.

The Government of Canada has invested more than $615 million dollars into infrastructure across the TSW and its reservoir lakes - the largest investment the TSW has seen since its original construction.

These investments are part of the largest federal infrastructure plan in the history of Parks Canada.

Through these investments, the Government of Canada has taken steps to further the protection and preservation of our treasured places, while supporting local economies and contributing to growth in the tourism sector.

Take a drive down County Road 32 between Peterborough and Lakefield and you will see lots of activity at Locks 23 through 25. As a part of the historic investment program along the TSW, work began last winter to replace both the Otonabee Dam at Lock 23 and Douro Dam at Lock 24 North of Peterborough. Construction for Sawers Creek Dam at Lock 25 followed suit last summer.

The current dams were built approximately 90 years ago in the late 1920s - early 1930s. Locks 23, 24 and 25 are part of a run of 5 locks that take boaters from Lakefield to Peterborough along the Otonabee River. The dam at Lock 23 also has an intake for the hydropower generating facility, run by Peterborough Utilities, located downstream at Lock 22.

These major projects will see the full replacement of the three dams with new structures. Not only will it provide new dams with an expected lifespan of more

Lock 19 - River Road, Peterborough

than 80 years, it will also reduce leakage and increase the safety of the public and water management operators.

The new dams are being built in phases to allow the continued flow of water as part of the Trent-Severn Waterways’ system of water management. The construction site itself will be accessed from both sides of the river with the main staging areas being located on the Western bank.

When making plans to use or visit the TSW this summer, you may encounter one or more construction zones or reduced services as Parks Canada completes this important work. Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead before they travel. The impressive work being undertaken can usually be safely observed from the eastern shorelines, but please pay close attention to detours and traffic control measures as there may be an in increase in construction traffic. More information can be found at www.parkscanada.gc.ca/tswinfrastructure

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ATV TrailS

By Carolyn Richards President, Kawartha ATV Association katva.ca

IN THE KAWARTHAS

As the years go by and the seasons change, winters seem to

get shorter, at least for the snowmobile enthusiasts in southern Ontario. In some areas we don’t seem to get the same amount of snow, or at least it’s later coming which presents a challenge for our friends at the snowmobile clubs. With this change comes other opportunities to fill the gap in some areas with winter ATV trails.

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Winter ATV Trails

“Every year we get asked if we have winter trails.”

Every year we get asked if we have winter trails or if we are going to consider winter trails in the future because of the lack of snow some years.

At the moment the answer is no. In the Kawartha Lakes area we don’t have winter ATV trails for various reasons, the most important ones being that because some ATV trails are used for snowmobile trails in winter we choose to relinquish the trails to the snowmobile clubs and respect the short season that they have.

As an organization we don’t necessarily feel that it is safe for ATVs and snowmobiles to share the same trails in winter because of the difference in speed between the two machines.

Sleds often travel much faster than ATVs do, especially ATVs traveling on trails in the snow.

We also have a tremendous respect for the work that the snowmobile club volunteers do grooming the trails and don’t want to in any way cause damage to the trails. In fact, the E108 snowmobile trail runs right through the property owned by Kawartha ATV Association and we close the trails including that one on our property to ATVs for the winter to allow the sleds to enjoy it. We have a land use agreement with Twin Mountains Snowmobile club giving them use of the trail on our property in winter.

you can see, it’s not as simple as just keeping the trails open year round.

For anyone looking to ride winter trails, Lake of Bays ATV Club in the Dorset area and Quad Niagara in the Welland area have winter ATV trails and your Kawartha ATV Association trail pass is recognized on those trail systems.

Otherwise, please check with your local club before taking your ATV out for a winter ride, even if you think you’re riding on Crown land, to be sure that it’s ok to ride there.

The other reason we don’t have winter ATV trails is because our volunteers simply need a break by the time winter comes. The ATV season runs from May 1st to November 30th, that’s 7 months of trail maintenance, patrolling, club rides, events and governance that keeps our volunteers extremely busy. We use the month of December to take a much needed break and by the beginning of January we are hard at it planning for May 1st when the trails open again. As with any volunteer organization, we rely on a few key volunteers to manage the organization and maintain the trails, and adding winter trails would add that much more work to what they already do. Winter trails would also require significant investment in new equipment such as groomers and a new crew of volunteers dedicated to running those groomers. So, as Page 29

Ice Fishing Have you tried it?

By James Didnower

Ice fishing is a great way to introduce new anglers and children to the joys of fishing, and to the

outdoors. Dozens of area lakes, including such popular angling destinations as Sturgeon, Balsam, Buckhorn, Chemong, and Rice Lake, see winter fishing seasons for bluegill, yellow perch and black crappie. The Walleye season is generally closed during the winter in FMZ 17, however, there are some exceptions including Crowe Lake and parts of the Trent River. That said, be sure to always check the regulations before heading out.

Year round fishing is in place for yellow perch, crappie bluegill and northern pike. Sunfish catch limits are included in the regulations.

Panfish are important for introducing new anglers to fishing. The regulations are included in the Fishing Regulations Summary, www. ontario.ca/fishing For more information, visit www.ofah.org.

TackleShare Program

Are you eager to experience the excitement of fishing but don’t have your own equipment? If so, OFAH/OPG TackleShare is your answer! This program is designed to lend fishing rods, reels and basic tackle to children and novice anglers who do not have their own fishing equipment and want to experience the excitement of fishing.

It allows thousands of new anglers to become involved in recreational fishing and gives new and young anglers the opportunity to go fishing at no cost. TackleShare provides the equipment and knowledge to get started. Participating anglers simply sign out a rod and reel, as well as an assortment of tackle in the same way that they would borrow library material.

The OFAH/OPG TackleShare program has more than 140 loaner sites, which can be found at participating Ontario Parks, public libraries, conservation authorities, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and other community organizations.

Children and new anglers can sign out a rod and reel and an assortment of tackle the same way they would borrow library materials. To learn more, go to www.tackleshare.com The key to ice fishing is to play it safe. If you are unsure about ice conditions, ask at the bait shops or just don’t go out on the ice!

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Here are some quick tips to help keep your head above the ice: Ice does not freeze at a uniform thickness across most lakes and rivers. This can be particularly evident at the start of the winter season when nearshore ice is often much thicker and safer than ice further out. Anglers should check thickness regularly with a spud bar or auger as they move farther out on the ice. When ice is building, it makes a booming sound.

Ice that forms over flowing water, springs, pressure cracks, old ice holes or around the mouths of rivers and streams can be weaker than surrounding ice.

The strongest ice is clear blue in colour. White or opaque ice is much weaker. Ice with a honeycombed look, common during thaws or in the spring, should be avoided.

When travelling on frozen lakes or rivers with snowmobiles or vehicles, added precautions must be taken. At least 20 centimetres (eight inches) of clear blue ice is required for snowmobiles and 30 centimetres (12 inches) or more is needed for most light vehicles. Double these amounts if the ice is white or opaque.

A layer of heavy snow on a frozen lake or river can insulate the ice below and slow down freezing.Never ice fish alone.

Ontario Family Fishing Events No Licence Required!

Ontario Family Fishing Events are an opportunity to fish without the otherwise mandatory fishing version outdoors card. There are 4 license-free dates in 2020: February 15 – 17 May 9 – 10 June 20 – 21 July 4 – 12, 2020 During all other time periods, Canadian residents between the ages of 18 and 64 years must purchase a valid fishing license to legally fish in Ontario.

Participants fishing without a license must fish under the Conservation fishing license limits which are set out in the current Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary. With the exception of the licensing requirement, Ontario fishing regulations, fees and limits continue to apply during license-free days. Printed copies of the summary are available at licence issuers and ServiceOntario Centres.

The key to ice fishing is to play it safe. If you are unsure about ice conditions, ask at the bait shops or just don’t go out on the ice!

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Snowmobiling

Getting All Reved Up!

By Nadene Nicholas Twin Mountains Snowmobile Club

Once again Mother Nature turned her back on snowmobilers who were looking for 2019

start to the 2020 season. The cold temperatures and early snowfall in November brought excitement and anticipation to those eagerly awaiting the upcoming season. Then, everything changed. Mild temperatures and copious amounts of rain were enough to dampen the snowmobiler’s enthusiasm as a new season approached.

Slow seasonal starts seem to be the norm in this area of Ontario, and yet snowmobile clubs always seem to be able to overcome early disappointment once January is in full swing.

It may be a slow start, but usually everything falls into place and trails start to take shape.

Once 2020 arrived, trails slowly started to open one by one across the region. Initially, trail status is posted as “limited availability”. The first “early season trails” to open are usually trails on old railway beds, logging roads, unassumed roads, etc. where the underlying surface is wide and smooth. All that is needed for these trails is a good solid trail base and a decent amount of snow. Bush and other trails with rougher underlying surfaces require a greater amount of snow that is used to pack and fill in holes and other areas, in order to make the trails smooth. These trails usually take a little bit longer to open, but once they’re prepared and the groomers start rolling, they are often the most beautiful trails around. As the area receives more and more snow and the conditions improve, trail status will change from “limited availability” to “available” until such time as trail conditions change or spring creeps in.

Before planning and heading out for a ride, sledders need to know what trails are available for riding, so snowmobilers are urged to check the interactive trail guide (ITG) online or via the Go Snowmobiling app for trail availability updates. The ITG has the most current, up to date information on trail status, and is updated as trail conditions change. Trails are not available for riding unless it is reflected on the interactive trail guide.

The ITG is a great resource for other important information that sledders will also need to help plan rides and tours such as accommodations, staging, lodging, food, tour loops, etc.

OFSC District 2 is located in the heart of the Kawathas, and consists of seven member clubs.

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There are three recommended tour loops that cross multiple club boundaries that can easily be done in a day. Information on these loops can be found on the District 2 website https://www.district2ofsc.ca.

There are also links on the District website to all member clubs within the district, and information on special events that are being held by the clubs during the snowmobiling season, such as group rides, trail side barbeques, club meetings, volunteer opportunities, etc. Another sure fire way to stay informed of events taking place at your local club is to follow your club on Facebook and Twitter. Club volunteers post a variety of information all season long, and are available to respond to messages and inquiries in real time.

The best riding usually happens from mid January to the end of February, so get out and enjoy the trails while the conditions hold.

Since the sport is weather dependent, sometimes we get lucky and enjoy a long, cold and snowy season, and sometimes we don’t.

Dedicated riders will take what they get and go where they have to in order to ride. Let’s hope this snowmobiling season extends into mid March and we all get our fill of sledding.

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Community Spirit

The Charitable Effect

By Susan Lidwigger

Peterborough is a very giving community, so here are just a few of our ‘Community Angels’ stories.

Bonnie Moore chose to help a YES Shelter family.

Not only did she collecting gifts and necessities for a family of five, but she and some volunteers cooked them a full turkey dinner. Bonnie rallied her friends and received money, clothes, games, blankets, scarves and even had a foosball table. She says, ‘I had a really great year and I want to make sure others had a great holiday. We all deserve to feel special and that we aren’t forgotten. A lot of charities only donate for children under 12 years of age, so I wanted to make sure that the teenagers were included.’

Dougie suffers from Schizophrenia and addiction and is homeless. He had no socks and someone had stolen his bike. Dougie is a good guy. He’s doesn’t accost people for money. Canadian Tire is well known for their charitable giving and Ralph Moulton, Dealer of the Canadian Tire on Lansdowne Street, did not hesitate. He immediately offered to help out. He gave Dougie a bike, lock and much needed warm socks. Ralph recently took over the Lansdowne Street Canadian Tire, and we are very luck to have him in our community.

Brian Dainard has been putting on the Christmas on Queen Light Show in Hastings for over 10 years.

It takes months of work to get the light show up and running. Each year he puts out a donation collection box to give to charities. This year the two charities that will benefit are Angel Tree Toy Drive and Sick Kids Hospital. You can watch an amazing Christmas lights display and give to charity at the same time.

To date, Brian has raised approximately $13,500.

Donna Maguire, motorcycle enthusiast, started the Kawartha Chapter of Desiree’s Angels. She asked her women friends to help and, of course, they came out and delivered! They collected 20 purses full of personal hygiene products for Crossroads Women’s Shelter. Donna was a victim of spousal abuse and, at one point, stayed at Crossroads. She understands Page 34

Dougie with Ralph Moulton from Lansdowne St. Canadian Tire

what the women need. She says, ‘My heart is overjoyed, I cannot thank enough all of the amazing women who participated in making this possible. Now we are sharing the love to make somebody else smile and feel they actually matter this Christmas.’

Kudos to every one of these Angels. Helping others is an intangible, unexplainable feeling that, once you have experienced it, will stay with you forever. I realize this is just a few of the Angels out there. To help out, all you have to do is look around to find someone who would benefit from your help. The old adage ‘It’s better to give than to receive’ is very true. Please continue to give all year round.

HELP! my glasses are scratched!

By Tim Mac Licenced Optician

When a scratch occurs, material has been removed from the surface of a lens. Let’s talk about two methods used to remove scratches and apply it to prescription lenses.

Option 1 - Fill in the scratch and polishing it smooth again. Prescription lenses are made from either plastic or glass. Most lenses come with a factory SRC (Scratch Resistance Coating). We are talking about a scratch on the coating, not on the lens. Each individual company has a slight difference on the make up of their SRC, so attempting to apply an over the counter substance to fix it would be rather difficult. If you were to look online, many sites say that you can use tooth paste or baking soda to fix the minor scratches of the lens, but what most sites won’t tell you is that you are actually using the agent to remove a layer of the coating on either the front or back surface of the lens.

Option 2 - Buff out the scratch. When you buff the scratch out, you change the curve of the surface on either the front or the backside.

When one surfaced is changed, especially when your lenses correct astigmatism, it has two curves on the back side. If not buffed to the correct angle of the prescription, you are changing the angle that the astigmatism is correcting.

There are no proper products currently on the market to mend a scratch on a lens. That is the reason why we recommend a proper SRC on your prescription lenses. Obviously there are different qualities of coatings from many different manufacturers as well as materials that can play into the durability of the lens. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us or drop in and we can sit down and discuss what the best option is for you.

Ask your local Optician, or come see us at EyeTech VisionCare (705) 760-9693.

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Fashion Files

By Evelyne Derkinderen Tragically Hipp Fashion Gallery

A Hipp Makeover - Resort Style

Meet Kim Fergusson. She is a Customer at the Hipp and very much a Fashionista; always look-

ing put together. Kim came to me to change it up! She didn’t know what she was looking for, but she felt confident that I could apply some strategic changes that would make her feel good about herself.

At first glance, I would describe Kim’s hair as a Farrah Fawcett look with lifted volume, curls and a parted crown. I felt inclined to change that up since opposites attract. I wanted to make this lovely lady as attractive as possible and shave a few years off her age by straightening her lovely layers. Kim was super surprised, as she never attempted to straighten her hair (like ever!). We both agreed how great it looked, how much it suited her and how it slimmed her face! Without cutting her hair and by only using a hair straightener, I was able to Simplify and Beautify.

Kim’s personal Makeup choice is on the lighter side, however, for a bit more For Resort glamour, we needed to darken the eyeshadow using plum-wine and taupe shades. I added an eyeliner to accentuate her hazel eyes. A highly pigmented yet light foundation, adding a peach blush, achieves a flawless look without bulking up on heavy creams. I applied a rosy red lip gloss as Kim - Before the finishing touch - I always love a little shine on lips!

It makes them look young and dewy. All Cosmetics are by Limelife and are 100% paraben-free.

Kim - After

For the Resort Wear and Style revamp, we dressed Kim in a Rose print Chiffon Cover up made by (Canadian made) Rapz and I recommend this or any other cover up as a must-have Travel Buddy-Garment. How so? It is flattering, versatile and light. Wear it as a top or a cover up, wear with a pant or over a dress – it hides your buffet sins very well.

For a pant, I chose a neutral beige, ankle-length, lightweight crepe palazzo pant by Rapz. A wide-leg pant is a wonderful garment asset for comfort and elegance.

It looks great on most; especially if height is a fashion challenge.

This Rapz up our Before and After Resort Makeover!

The Cosmetics Brand is available online through my website www.limelifebyalcone.com/hippbeauty or visit my store, Tragically Hipp Fashion Gallery, for your personal Makeover or Shopping Experience.

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Quiet Times

by Danielle French South Pond Farms www.southpondfarms.ca

I’ve had the luxury of getting away for a few days venturing to the Bavarian Alps to visit my god-

mother, Renate and her husband Eberhard. The weather was absolutely perfect - sunny and about 10 degrees every day, the mountain air fresh and easy to sleep in. When she and I get together we talk about what we are cooking, stories from the past and staying healthy. She is in her 80’s, fit and filled with energy.

Winter is a quiet time and an easier time for me to get away. My personal theme of the month has been to make way for creative thoughts by clearing space. January is one of my favourite months; I feel able to take the time to gather my energy to take on the busyness of the summer. It is peaceful. It is a time to clear both my head and physical things crowding my thoughts to make way for new ideas to flourish. Before I left, I began clearing closets and cupboards, giving the girls what they wanted and giving away the rest. I look at it like cooking and setting a “mis en plâce”. In order to think clearly about a new idea I need to make space for it to come together.

Being with Renate and her husband Eberhard is always an inspiration for me. I return home with new recipes both for healthy cooking and living.

Renate has a full and interesting life and whenever we visit,I realize how much one can still grow and learn no matter what age.

When she was 70, after living alone for many years, she fell in love with Eberhard and moved from her home into his in another town. She shed many of her belongings, furnishings, photographs, books and other personal things to start a fresh life. I was thinking about how difficult it is for me to let things go as I am cleaning closets but she let a life time of belongings go, a house and her way of life in her community for another. I am inspired about my own desire to live with fewer things, more simply, and less cluttered by my belongings.

Photo Credit - John and Samatha Butler

Bavarian Alps

At the time, I remember feeling a tug of sadness when I visited and my favourite milk cup or cereal bowl I used when I was a kid was no longer there. When I whined a little bit about these losses, she said it was easy to let go. She felt liberated and not burdened by material things.

I’m grateful to be home now. The fires need tending, there are chores and there are puppies to train. But I love where I live, this farm and yes - the house even with all the work that comes with keeping it warm in winter. I’ve taken a bit of my godmother’s energy with me to help letting go and we will see where it leads. Enjoy your January whatever is on your list; getting away for a holiday or cleaning a cupboard or two.

Page 37

Pets of the Kawarthas The Story of Alice

By Karen Irvine Editor, ATOTK

We have all heard horror stories about backyard breeders. I’d like to tell you the story of Alice, our Great Dane.

We found Alice on Kijiji in 2013. Her picture made us love her immediately! The seller was featured on the TV show Pick a Puppy as a breeder, so we thought he must be good. To our surprise, the house where she was had no furniture and we were slipping on the pee covered floor. The ammonia smell almost knocked us off our feet and we took turns going outside to get fresh air. We knew something wasn’t right, but our mind set was that we were SAVING HER. We paid him and got out as fast as we could.

We couldn’t speak. Our heads were reeling and we felt sick! But we got her out of there!

When she was 1-1/2 years old, Alice got very sick with a temperature of 103 and was throwing up. We rushed her to the vets to learn she had Pancreatitis. She almost died. After an extremely large vet bill, we switched her to raw food and got her stabilized. At 4-1/2, she was losing her fur and had an ear ache. We found out that she has allergies so bad that she is now on the equivalent of 24 Benadryls a day. Sometimes she needs steroids and anti-inflammitories to keep it under control. When she was 5-1/2, she started having aggression issues with men.

We spent the next year with a trainer who was very caring and helped her. Alice is now 7, she has turned a corner, and is such now a sweet loving girl. She still has health issues, but we love her. She is a member of our family.

The heartbreak and expense has been huge! We call her our Sweet Sorrow. Learn from our experience - research before you purchase! If someone else had taken Alice, who knows if they would have spent the time and money she needed or would give up on her. Be committed and be prepared for unexpected costs - they can happen.

VETS corner Pancreatitis and your Pet

Pancreatitis can be a difficult disease process to describe and explain to pet owners, but I think it is important to discuss so that we can get a bit more insight about what it is and how to recognize it.

The pancreas is a very important organ in the body.

It has many different types of cells and helps control hormones as well as digestive enzymes in the body.

It produces insulin, glucagon and somatostatins. The digestive enzymes are secreted into the small intestine of the animal and help break down fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas. This means that the pancreas cannot function normally, which can have devastating effects on an animal’s body because of how many different functions it has.

We don’t know all of the underlying reasons pancreatitis may occur because typically we cannot find a reason for it occurring in the first place. Dietary indiscretion is commonly thought to be a risk factor, but other things such as having high triglyceride levels and Cushing’s disease could be also be contributing factors. Pancreatitis is said to be most commonly found in Miniature Schnauzers, but other small breeds as well as sled dogs are said to be over-represented in various studies about pancreatitis.

By Dr. Kelly Wasylciw, Veterinary Services

instead of the gut. Another test can show the exact levels of an enzyme that is released into the blood from the pancreas itself and if it is too high it will indicate that there is pancreatitis and abnormal function of the pancreas.

Treatment of pancreatitis is typically dependant on the symptoms that the pet is showing. In some cases, treatment involves the animal being admitted into the hospital and given IV fluids as well as IV medications. Other times, it can be treated as an outpatient disease. Typically, the pet will need to be given antibiotics, something to help settle its stomach, a pain medication and also a low-fat diet. Once a pet has had pancreatitis in its life, the animal has an increased chance of having it again. These patients normally are placed on a low-fat diet for the remainder of their lives, as it seems to help lower the risk of pancreatitis reoccurring.

Overall, if your pet is showing any of the symptoms noted above, they should be examined by a veterinarian to check and see if pancreatitis is present. The quicker a diagnosis is made and treatment is started, the better for the animal and its overall health.

As always, if you aren’t sure ask your veterinarian!

The symptoms shown by a dog or cat with pancreatitis are very general and non-specific. These symptoms include vomiting, anorexia (being disinterested in food and water), moving around with a hunched back or acting painful in other ways, weakness, weight loss and dehydration. Pancreatitis isn’t the only possible diagnosis if these symptoms are present and there are instances where NONE of the symptoms listed above are seen and the animal is still suffering from pancreatitis.

The easiest way to diagnosis pancreatitis for a veterinarian is by doing blood work tests on your pet.

This can show the levels of some of the digestive enzymes that the pancreas should release into the small intestine but they will be shown to be elevated in the blood. This means that the enzymes are being released abnormally from the pancreas to the blood

Alice, the Great Dane, living with Pancreatitis Page 39

Renovation Talk Advice You Want to Hear

Contributed by Bonnie Moore Patefacio Design Inc.

In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter if we follow the rule of kitchen design to create a work triangle? I say NO!

In my own kitchen design, I moved my refrigerator very far from my cook space for the simple reason of better traffic flow. When I begin to cook, my family automatically gravitates to the fridge and begin to nibble. So I moved my fridge far from where I was preparing a meal to allow me room to move.

When it comes to design, I begin my consultation with multiple questions. Who cooks?

How often do you cook? What type of cooking is done? Are we cooking ethnic foods and need extra ventilation? Are there disabled persons in the kitchen who need access? Are we moving appliance locations? And how do we need to set the kitchen up for the best possible traffic flow in your space.

Often, we tackle design with what type of cabinets we want. I prefer to ask the question of HOW do we want the cabinets to function.

Design does not only mean what type of cabinets we buying, but how do you ‘move’ and function in your space. Think about your work ‘triangle’ - do you prepare a lot from pantry foods? Freezer foods? Is your fridge in a good location based on pantry location, stove location, dishwasher, etc? I run through all these valid points with each and every client who I have the blessed opportunity to help improve their home and main area - the kitchen.

In terms of placement, it is also really important to remember that each movement of an appliance costs money in terms of Trades’ time and relocation of drains or electrical.

The bottom line of my design ideas are, as always, WHO is living in your space and WHO will be cooking? Answer those questions and you will begin your design with ease!

Page 40

Real Estate Talk Being a Landlord

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

People never cease to amaze me. Being 65 means I remember when ‘your word was

your bond’, being on time was important, courtesy, honesty, integrity. I’m not sure we all understand the importance or the meaning of those words but these words made our great country.

In our haste to improve the life we give our children, some have missed passing on some of our much needed life skills. I can’t even imagine how many times I have said - “Just because you give a man a hammer, does not mean he knows how to use it”. Fortunately for my sisters and I, our parents were not afraid to ‘get our attention’ when necessary. We learned a lot before going out into the real world.

Part, and only part, of buying investment property is choosing the right tenant to occupy that real estate you have saved and worked for.

Choosing the wrong tenant makes you lose sleep at night and contemplate our present gun laws.

Thanks to our current government system and hiring freeze, Ontario is short approximately 20 adjudicators who sit on the Landlord and Tenant Board assisting landlords to rid their property of those bad tenants and bad landlords. This is a current topic on the minds of every landlord in Ontario.

Peterborough is, and has been, experiencing an affordable rental shortage for a few years now.

If anyone remembers the five month blip in last years real estate market netting multiple offers on every home put up for sale, this caused investors to perhaps over pay for that investment property.

This inflated sale price is, of course, passed on to the tenant, placing yet another home out of the affordable reach for some tenants.

That landlord has costs - a mortgage, property taxes, maintenance, insurance and, in some cases, utilities. With the new city by-laws allowing basement apartments, investors must hire a BCIN to approach the city with the investors layout for Page 42

Contractor left end cuts of drywall inside the wall

that extra apartment at a cost of $1,500-$2,000.

Then a contractor to complete the work $50,000$75,000, happy to work to the minimum standard set by our government.

As I walked a couple into their new basement apartment, we noticed a little water on the floor.

The contractor had nicked the city water line hidden in behind the beautiful new wall. When opening up the wall to find this pinhole leak, we discovered the contractor had left all the drywall end cuts in the wall, hidden behind that beautiful paint job. A few more thousand to clean that mess up. That hammer thought again.

A homeowner wanting better cable reception, mounted his satellite dish on the roof, bolting through the new shingles. When the house sold and the dish was removed, the home inspector never saw the hole about the size of a loonie. Of course, the hole was discovered with the first heavy rain when the roof leaked. But instead of calling the property manager, they just put a towel down and caught the water in a pot. Hammer time.

Where a home is split in two, people may not realize they have ‘moved in’ with perfect strangers and all – not that perfect. We have solved one problem by installing thermostat covers to avoid the upper tenants turning off the heat to the lower tenants. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. Then there’s

the parking situation and snow sharing, noise and barking dogs, taking your garbage to the street and don’t even get me started about sharing the laundry room.

Part of home ownership/investing in real estate, means understanding how to manage money for that new roof or continuous home repairs. When I hear a buyer tell me they refuse to buy a condo because they disagree with paying condo fees, I realize they may not understand condo fees are nothing more than banking money for that new roof or paying for the grass cutting or snow shovelling and the big one - maintenance.

Even after 35 years selling real estate, everyday is a brand new day in real estate.

Home Inspections

Is it worth inspecting an apartment?

By Steve Irvine Home Sweet Home Inspections

Your buying a condominium apartment and thinking why pay for an inspection. In an apartment building, the only part you own is inside the unit. Everything else is usually the condominium company’s responsibility. If the unit is relatively new and has not had any renovations, your liability is obviously reduced and you may decide not to inspect. If this is not the case, an inspection is a good choice. Since the roof, exterior, structure and insulation are not being looked at, the Inspector’s liability is reduced.

Inspection prices should reflect that. If the unit has had renovations or it is older than 10 years, an inspection is a good idea.

The largest problems come from renovations, plumbing and heating. Renovations, especially recent ones, should always be inspected. You have no idea how good the renovation is. Looks can be deceiving. If the unit has baseboard heaters, they are relatively inexpensive to replace. If there is a furnace, it’s a good idea to have it inspected.

Plumbing inspections include finding any possible leaks, making sure the toilets are secured and working, finding the shut-off valves, and testing the bathroom tiles for leaks with a moisture meter are probably the best reasons for an inspection.

If you don’t feel like an inspection is necessary, that’s your call. Just remember it’s only a few hundred dollars to make sure you have a good investment. www.steveirvine.ca

steve.irvine.1960@gmail.com

FB Steve Irvine’s Home Sweet Home Inspections Inc. Page 43

Whatever Happened To TJ Connors

By Jay Cooper Contributor / Musican

TJ Connors is one of the funniest announcers on radio today. So where is he now? We caught up to TJ to see how life is treating him.

TJ: Hey! Is this that long-haired rocker, Jay Coop? (laughs) ATOTK: Yes it is, my friend. Just older and not so cute anymore. (laughs) How are you doing?

TJ: I have no complaints you find me in the frozen tundra of Winnipeg Manitoba, it’s a balmy minus 28 today and yeah we’re enjoying it. Suppose to get a little break in the cold action next week so that will be nice.

ATOTK: The family has adjusted to the landscape and weather in the west?

TJ: The family is good! My daughter is 7½ and my son is 2½ .

She’s in grade 2 and really enjoying school. I kind of wonder if she’s really mine because she likes school. The jury is still out on that. (laughs) My son likes hockey and likes to eat, so he is definitely mine. Chelsea (TJ’s wife) is great and has put up with me for 12 years so I must be doing something above average. (laughs) ATOTK: You grew up in Winnipeg. Was it your father’s career in radio that pushed you into the broadcast field?

TJ: In 2004 I was working in construction and listening to the radio all day, everyday. When my Dad had his first cancer diagnosis (stage 4 bladder cancer) we didn’t know what the outcome would be. He wanted to do a cross Canada trip to visit all the stations and friends from his career. So we started in Montreal and did a Legion tour of north western Ontario, stopping for a day each time. We made our way to Calgary where I spent a few days at a station there and got bit by the bug, so to speak. I sent out ten demos across the country and Lindsay was one that got back to me. I did not go to Broadcasting school. As my dad would say, ‘I went to Clown College’. (laughs) TJ with his father, Scruff Connors Page 44

“Getting to ride in the Jay Cooper hearse was a highlight for me.”

ATOTK: You’re now on 92.1 back in the Peg. TJ: Yup 92.1 Citi working for Rogers and have been here just over a year now. Before that I was at Hits 97.7 in St.Catharines and was there for 2 years. It was cool to go there, as it was a place where my Dad had worked from 1988 to 1992.

It’s a legendary station. It’s called the Whitehouse of Rock for a reason. Just an old haunted white house and I worked with people that worked with my Dad. It was a great experience. I love the Niagara area and had no plans on leaving, but sometimes you get an offer that you can’t refuse.

Everyone has a price, as Ted DiBiase (The Million Dollar Man/Wrestler) said, so I made the jump and came back to my hometown, Winnipeg.

ATOTK: I’m so very sorry about the passing of your father (Scruff Connors). We had a ton of laughs together.

TJ: Yeah, I know. It is 3 years now. Dec 18th, 2016.

I was living in Kamloops BC at the time and got a message on December 17th from the hospital.

He’d been taken off a train in Hornepayne Ontario coming back to Toronto, he loved to ride VIA Rail. He got off the train for a breath of fresh air and had a stroke. They couldn’t air lift him out because of the weather. I got up the next day with messages from my uncle that he had passed away.

ATOTK: Our friendship started when you were working in Lindsay and then here in Peterborough. What did you love about the Kawarthas?

TJ: I was first exposed to the Kawartha area while in Lindsay in 2006. There’s just a great sense of community. The spirit of enjoying the outdoors, the scenery and affordable housing prices compared to the GTA. A little more quiet and quaint.

And the people were great to me. People would jump on charity drives that we were doing for one of the many organizations in the area. The proximity to the GTA to visit or the airport was

great. My in-laws were in Kingston, so far enough away but close enough if we needed a baby sitter. (laughs) It was a great experience for me and helped shape my career. Also getting to ride in the Jay Cooper hearse was a highlight for me.

And our gigs (Band Bash) up on Stoney Lake together!

ATOTK: What has been your best gig so far?

TJ: I can take something positive away from every job from the Kawarthas to Niagara. But I love my job here in Winnipeg, and I’m truly back home.

Twitter @tjconnorstweets Instagram @teeeejconnors Facebook TJ Connors Page 45

Cal Coons Showrunner, Director and Writer

By Jay Cooper Contributor / Musican

Cal’s successes in Television include Murdoch Mysteries, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Blue Murder, The Listener and The Good Witch, just to name a few.

Born in Peterborough and raised just outside Buckhorn on Sandy Lake, Cal splits his time between here and Toronto. What does Cal like about the Kawarthas? ‘I like the way of life and to be rooted here. I like the lakes, of course and nature, but I’m still close enough to Toronto to do business there as well. Media wise, Toronto is all about itself but you come down the 115 and there’s a real sense of community here. I love that there is a lot of interesting artists here, whether it’s musicians, painters, writers or actors.’

On the set of Murdoch Mysteries

His interest in the entertainment industry didn’t start until high school. He says, ‘It’s sort of a weird story. (laughs) I really didn’t know what I wanted to do until high school. I got injured and couldn’t do any sports, so my mother told me I should play guitar. I fell in love with it and played in bands at the time.

When it came time to decide what I would

take after high school, I was interested in radio and thought maybe I would like to be in that business, so I went to Niagara College. It was a very commercial based program and not the kind of thing I wanted to do. But a part of the program was Film Studies. We watched foreign movies as part of the class and it was an epiphany. I had never seen anything outside of regular television and it was amazing. I started shooting shorts films for the class and editing them and when they played them on the wall I was like, WOW, I’m hooked.’

I asked Cal about the different roles to makes a TV show. Cal clarified, ‘A writer writes the screenplay and a Director oversees the activity on the stage, on the floor picking the camera angles, make the decisions of what goes in front of the camera and oversees the performances. There are many kinds of Producers. Some just raise money, some handle logistics, some do distribution with titles like Page 46

“I love movies, but I work almost exclusively in TV.”

Executive Producers, Associate Producers, Line Producers. I’m a Showrunner, which is technically an Executive Producer responsible for all creative decisions on a TV show. I supervise the writing staff, from the conception of ideas to writing the script and often rewriting the script, work with the Directors to maintain a look and feel for the show and that includes wardrobe and makeup to keep the show consistent. You work with the networks and the broadcasters concerns along with the actors and Directors. It’s a big job - probably the biggest in Television.’

Murdoch Mysteries has had a lot of nominations, especially in the acting categories. Cal says he’s been really luck to work with good people over the years. ‘I have also been personally nominated for various awards but, unfortunately, so far I’ve never won yet. (he laughs) Hopefully I’ll get another chance.’

Cal is a television veteran but times have changed with film and television. ‘I love movies but I work almost exclusively in TV. Films to me are not what they use to be. It’s not a very adventurous time now.

Tons of films are being made of course and technically solid, but to me story telling, well I’m not sure compared to quality television. The one thing here (Canada), is it’s complicated in the cable world since we do not have Apple, Amazon, Hulu here making stuff. We don’t have that kind of infrastructure here. Canada is largely an over the air broadcaster. Playing that game takes you to Los Angeles and largely Netflix shows.

Also, television is in the business of selling advertising and Netflix, etc. are in the business of selling subscriptions,’ he says.

On the set of Frankie Drake Mysteries

Not only is Cal immersed in the world of television, he is a guitarist/singer in his band Pop Machine. ‘We play about once a month. We play all covers but it’s a lot of fun. We play a lot of disco, funk and cool 80’s stuff.’

Page 47

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