ATOTK Winter 2022/23 A Taste of the Kawarthas

A note From the Editor

Here we are. Winter. You either love it or you hate it. There’s really no middle ground on this - except when fresh snow blankets the world, bringing a hush that envelopes your whole being.

This issue has been so much fun to publish! Sarah Richardson is such a talented designer, and her new show, Sarah’s Mountain Escape, rocks! We can’t wait to see the whole project completed! Sarah has been an HGTV television personality for 25 years - since its inception! Let that one sink in for those of you who, like me, have been watching her grow and thrive on our television screen!

Ian Thomas is a personal favourite of mine. We would go see him play in the GTA area in our teens and twenties. His insight on the music industry is fascinating and gives you an idea of how crazy it was back then. And he talks about it in depth in the feature. So this is my coo, so to speak, to have Ian in ATOTK.

The online shopping feature hit home for us. We aren’t out and about like we used to and we mostly buy online these days. We wanted to show you that you can still support local - from the comfort of your livingroom!

As usual, we welcome your input and comments and love to hear from you! Keep on sending those emails! We pride ourselves on not being an advertorial publication. We feature PEOPLE who are making a difference.

Karen Irvine - Editor, Video Editor, Print Editor, Videographer, Photographer & Social Media Diva

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 & Spirits Columnist

Travel & Spirits Editor

Karen Laws Ontario Dog Trainer

Danielle French South Pond Farms

Dr. Kelly Wasylciw

Veterinarian

Dianne Guzik

The Art of Home Inspections

Turner Carol’s Kitchen Angela Beal Health & Safety Michelle Savage Home Staging

Chef Brian Henry Chef Extraordinaire & ATOTK Food Editor

Jay Lough Hayes Real Estate Broker

Jay Cooper Musician, Photographer Graphics Designer

Nicole Cooke

Organized by Design Carolyn Richards Kawartha ATV Association

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

Photographers

Karen Irvine, KATVA, Jay Cooper, Valerie Wilcox, Ian Thomas

© 2022 by A Taste of the Kawarthas Magazine (ATOTK) is a free publication distributed locally an is supported by our advertisers. A Taste of the Kawarthas Magazine or Slither Productions do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsi ble for the products and services advertised. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced an reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

Carol

Contributors

Kickin’ Recipes

by Chef Brian Henry Culinary Editor

www.thespiceco.ca www.chefbrianhenry.com

GETTING ALL FIRED UP!

I have prepared thousands of turkey dinners over my career. By the time my Thanksgiving dinner was served this year I was repulsed by turkey, by the time Christmas dinner arrives I’ll begin to develop a twitch in my left eye. The smell of turkey bones being simmered down into mud colored stock to create an entire week’s worth of turkey noodle-a la kinglasagna-soup is bordering on postal-worker retaliation a la chef.

Many of us look forward to getting together with family over the holidays. Once the elation has worn off and we settle into our surroundings the fights will begin. My family seems to do battle over the rules of board games with Monopoly being the most heated and contentious of all. I often wonder why Monopoly was never released in a contact sport edition.

Food is another hot topic which, if nothing more the question of white or dark meat, is an opener for at least one person to deliver a long-winded opinion on the topic. My favourite way to prepare turkey is to soak it in brine before cooking it no matter what final cooking process you choose; roasting, smoking, deep frying or barbecuing. The brining process forces water into the muscle tissues of the meat through diffusion and osmosis causing the muscle tissues to swell and hold more water. Any spices, herbs or other flavourings you add to the brine solution will get taken deep into the meat with the water.

Chef Brian Henry is Owner of Angle Iron Kitchen in Lakefield, and The Spice Co. Best Damned Chef in The Kawarthas!

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME ... TO FIGHT FOR THE HOLIDAYS

How to Brine your Turkey

Thaw out your turkey in the fridge.To avoid crosscontamination place turkey in a drip tray on the bottom shelf to thaw.

Turkey requires 4½ hrs/lb or (10 hours/kg) to thaw under refrigerated conditions. The average turkey weighs in at 15 pounds. Let me do the math for you, an average sized turkey will need 67 hours to thaw or 2.8 days.

Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling poultry, or any raw meat.

Thoroughly wash all utensils, cutting boards, counters and dish cloths that have been in direct contact with raw poultry and its juices.

MAKE THE BRINE SOLUTION

Mix together one gallon of water

3 /4 cup kosher salt, do not use iodized table salt

1/2 cup of white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 sliced cooking onions

6-8 cloves of crushed garlic

2-4 tbsp. of herbs and or spices like rosemary, thyme sage.

And any other flavours you might want. DO NOT use an acid like wine, apple juice, beer, orange juice as these will have an adverse effect on poultry.

Let the turkey soak, refrigerated, submerged in the brine, for 12-18 hours.

Remove turkey from the brine solution. Discard brine solution.

Rinse the turkey off under cold running water and pat dry.

Proceed to cook your turkey at 300°f for 3-4 hours or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 85°C/185°f or higher. If you can, remove the turkey when it has an internal temperature of 175°f. Take this temperature in the thigh. Let it rest loosely covered with foil or a clean kitchen towel so that the internal temperature will cause carry over cooking to raise the temp to the 185°f range.

Prepare your stuffing separately in its own container in the oven, as a stuffed bird takes longer to cook and can have uneven internal temperatures which can cause food poisoning.

Chef Basel Selva Chefs of the kawarthas

Chef Basel is the owner of Chef Basel Cuisine at 2641 Television Road in Peterborough. Our Real Estate writer, Jay Lough Hayes, introduced me to this restaurant when we met with Sylvia Sutherland for a delicious breakfast. The morning special is just $7.99 before 10am and it’s quite busy, as you would expect.

Chef Basel is no stranger to running a restaurant. He came to Canada in 1992 and started working as a dishwasher and short order cook in Scarborough. Basel moved to Winnipeg and went to Red Deer College for a culinary education. He came back to Toronto in 1995 and worked at Alice Fazoolie’s for five years.

Basel then ran a restaurant in Oshawa and after that, owned a restaurant with a partner. When Covid hit his restaurant in Oshawa had a tough time, as all restaurants did, so he moved to Peterborough and opened Chef Basel Cuisine in January 2020. Basel’s style is ‘fusion’. His restaurant serves a full variety on the menu - breakfast, salads, appetizers, pub fare, sandwiches & wraps, pizza, pasta and dinners. They also have a takeout menu and offer kids meals. He likes cooking all types of food. “This is my whole life. My daughter says I’m a workaholic. We love it here in Peterborough”, he says.

The fact that Basel survived Covid and is still go ing strong speaks for itself. Chef Basel Cuisine is li censed for beer and wine.

Carol’s Kitchen

Leek Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Pecan Cream Sauce

E

By Carol Turner

legant enough for entertaining but easy to prepare for weeknight dinners, this family fa vourite has been on rotation in our household for over 30 years. Walnuts or almonds can be substituted for the pecans. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS:

2 large leeks (white and light green parts only) washed well, split lengthwise and cut in 2 inch pieces

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and Pepper

3 tablespoons 35% cream plus 2/3 cup for sauce

1 tablespoon white wine (or water)

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter over medium-low heat, add leeks and sauté until beginning to soften (do not brown) Roughly 15 minutes.

2. Add 3 tablespoons cream, wine, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Lower heat and continue to cook until leeks are soft and liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently. Roughly 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

5. Pound each chicken breast to 1/4 inch thick ness and season generously with salt and pep per.

6. Spread one rounded tablespoon of leek mixture on each breast, roll up tightly (jelly roll fashion) and secure with string or toothpicks. Reserve extra leek mixture for sauce.

7. Brush chicken lightly with oil and arrange seam side down in an ovenproof skillet. Bake until lightly brown and just firm when pressed (25 minutes)

8. Transfer chicken to platter, remove string or toothpicks and cover with foil. Do not wash skil let

9. Add 2/3 cup cream, chicken stock and remainder of leek mixture to skillet and simmer until reduced to 2/3 cup.

10. Stir in toasted pecans, taste sauce and sea son with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Meat Me in the Kawarthas

Meat tastes so damn good because it contains glutamic acid, glutamates and nucleotides, which are amino acids and these define the taste of protein known as Umami. The flavour can be strengthened by matching the proper cooking method for each cut while giving consideration to the marbling, quality, degree of doneness, breed, feeding practices and knowing that well exercised muscles have more umami. We put all of these dynamics into practice at the A Taste of the Kawarthas “Meat, Greet & Eat” which was held at Chef Basel Cuisine.

The beef came from Otonobee Meat Packers, Traynor Farms, One Fine Food, Franz’s Butcher Shop, Leahy Farm and Flannigan’s Butcher Shop. The pork sausage was from Ralph’s Butcher Shop. To accompany the meat, Christel, the owner of Delectable Fine Foods brought delicious cheeses that were served as appetizers to start the evening. And what could be better than pairing each dish with Kawartha Country Wines?

Kicking it off was a tray of 5 amazing cheeses from Delectable Fine Foods. There was a young, natural smoked Goudda from Holland. Next, we had a tasty buttermilk Blue Cheese (Blue Moo from award win ning Cows Creamery in Prince Edward Island). Also, a Pecorino Romano, and a lovely Gruyere that is a cave aged, raw milk cheese and is great for cooking and snacking. Lastly, we had a Lindsay Bandaged Cheddar.

The first tasting was a Flat Iron Steak cut from the shoulder from One Fine Food. The meat had a fine, even marbling and was a very tender and flavour ful steak. It is a great value to purchase and is best cooked medium rare to medium. The steak is from Penokean Hills farm on the North Shore of Lake Huron in Bruce Mines, Ontario. It is pasture raised and finished on pea and barley. Next up we hunkered down on a mouth watering Rib Eye Steak from Franz’s Butcher Shop with a fine

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Meat Me in the Kawarthas

a fine texture flesh. Pow! Another one to the kisser! This delicious cut paired perfectly with both the Ber ries Treasure and Black Currant wines that we were quaffing from Kawartha Country Wines.

Next, we ventured off in a different direction with three premium Sausages from Ralph’s Butcher Shop. The Piccadilly, Peachy Brie and Buffalo Blue all had distinctly different flavours. Everyone was surprised at how tasty they were served in pasta with tomato sauce which ramped up the taste profile and mouth feel to new levels of oral pleasure.

Back to the beef, a Rib Eye Steak from Leahy’s Farm that gave a delicious, meaty bite was brought to the table. The guests were getting satiated, but definitely enjoyed the melt in your mouth taste.

Next up, a Grass Fed Flank Steak from Traynor Farms that was marinated in a Caribbean-style barbecue sauce made with The Spice Co’s own Reggae Rub Jerk Seasoning, Kyoto Coffee and lime juice yielding a delicious mouth feel.

Second to last was a Skirt Steak from Otonobee Meat Packers that was topped with veal bone gravy. Look ing around the table, you could see how much the guests were appreciating it.

We closed off the evening with a New York Strip Loin from Flannigan’s Butcher Shop that had a very tasty flavour and texture and was paired with Black Elder Kawartha Country Wine.

The guests of A Taste of the Kawarthas magazine learned that all cuts of meat, regardless of how they were raised, fed and their breed, are just as important as how you handle and prepare them if you want to truly enjoy a feast.

For video and more photos of the evening, go to the online version at www.atasteofthekawarthas.com

I love a good martini! I don’t usually order them when I’m out because I’m very particular and know what I like. These two choices are up to my expectations.

VODKA MARTINI

INGREDIENTS

60ml vodka

1 tbsp dry vermouth olive or lemon peel, to garnish

METHOD

Stir the vodka, dry vermouth and a little ice together or put them in a cocktail shaker to combine.

Strain into a chilled martini glass. Serve with an olive on a cocktail stick or a twist of lemon peel

ESPRESSO MARTINI

INGREDIENTS

SUGAR SYRUP

100g golden caster sugar

COCKTAIL Ice 100ml vodka 50ml freshly brewed espresso coffee 50ml coffee liqueur (we used Kahlua) 4 coffee beans (optional)

METHOD

SUGAR

SYRUP

Put the caster sugar in a small pan over a medium heat and pour in 50ml water. Stir, and bring to the boil.

Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Put 2 martini glasses in the fridge to chill.

Once the sugar syrup is cold, pour 1 tbsp into a cocktail shaker along with a handful of ice, the vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur. Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker feels icy cold.

Strain into the chilled glasses. Garnish each one with coffee beans if you like.

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GETAWAY

NEW YEAR’S IN NEW YORK

F

by Margaret Swaine

and Author www.margaretswaine.com

inally, this fall borders opened up again without COVID related restrictions, mask mandates and other hassles. I took advantage of this to make two trips to New York City. It’s a quick, easy 90 minute flight from Toronto to the gorgeous new LaGuardia Airport. If you go in December, you’ll find a many Christmas and New Year’s related activities to enjoy, which I’ll tell you about later in this article.

On my recent trips, I explored some of the colourful neigh bourhoods on Manhattan. On my first trip I stayed part of the time in the Wyndham Garden Chinatown in order to be close to my friend’s condo so we could get together for walks and meals. While the area was a bit scruffy, it wasn’t dangerous, and from my floor to ceiling windows on the executive floor, I had unbeatable views of the city skyline. Accommodation was bargain priced for NYC and the hotel had a rooftop bar, the Shinka Ramen Bar (their beef bone marrow named best ramen in NYC in 2021), and a sports beer garden. Pretty cool.

Chinatown was just around the corner from the hotel’s Bowery Street location, and it was fun to walk around the busy streets, packed with shops, restaurants and produce markets. One of the oldest Chinese ethnic enclaves in North America, its first immigrant set up shop here in the 1850’s. Of course, my friend and I had to go for a Dim Sum lunch at Golden Unicorn. Established in 1989, it was the neighborhood’s first “upscale” Cantonese-style dining restaurant, and is a huge, bustling, spread out place in an office building.

Further along Bowery towards downtown, you get to SOHO and NOHO, areas that are full of the hip and trendy. The terrace of my friend’s condo looked onto the gardens of Public Hotel NYC, an Ian Schrager property (of Studio 54 fame). Room rates at this sophisticated party hotel, were double what I was paying at the Wyndham. Their roof top bar is a sexy late-night hotspot with the best local and international DJ’s.

We went instead to Freemans, hidden down an alley between The Bowery and Chrystie Street. The theme of the place is rugged, clandestine colonial American tavern, with wooden floors, lots of animal heads mounted on the walls, and a speakeasy on the second floor at night. During the day, the kitchen serves tasty, generously portioned comfort food, such

Columnist

Freeman’s NYC

Katz’s Deli

Tuna Schnitzel at Abiata

as huevos rancheros, and excellent craft cocktails. At Dutch, another cozy American style eatery in the area, we enjoyed oysters and plump juicy cheese burgers.

On my second trip I stayed in Midtown, home to iconic attractions such as Times Square, the Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, and Madison Square Garden. It’s a great location that also has friendly neighbourhood restaurants where food is delicious and reasonable. My arugula and artichoke salad and piccata di vitello at Toscana 49 was tasty indeed. At Abaita Kosher Dairy, sitting at the bar counter, I had a tuna schnitzel with potato salad and Boston lettuce that was generously portioned and delightful. This trip I signed up with New York Historical Tours for a stroll through Lower East Side. Immigrants first stepped off Ellis Island and into the 19th century tene ments here. We heard the story of this bygone era, saw photos, and explored a few actual tenements at The Tenement Museum. The museum’s two historical tene ment buildings were home to an estimated 15,000 people, from over 20 nations, between 1863 and 2011. Our guide filled us in on some of stories of those who lived here.

We also visited some of the oldest immigrant stores, still operating and highly popular. We stopped at Kossar’s Bagels and Bialys for ‘everything’ bagels with salmon cream cheese, popped into Economy Candy, Russ and Daughters Appetizing, and The Pickle Guy. Lunch was at the insanely popular Katz’s Deli. The line-up went all the way out the door and down the street.

This deli was the scene of Meg Ryan’s iconic fake orgasm in the movie When Harry met Sally. (“I’ll have what she’s having” is the famous quote from that scene.) One must order the legendary pastrami sand wiches here along with pickles, coleslaw and potato salad.

Big events during the holiday season include the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Nov 30 and the New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball Drop. Performances include the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes (Nov 18 to Jan 2), A Christmas Carol at the Nederlander Theater (Nov 21 to Jan 1), and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center (Nov 25 to Dec 31).

ARTECHOUSE, a pioneer in innovation digital and experiential art, will hold an immersive holiday art experience for the whole family. SPECTACULAR FACTORY: The Holiday Multiverse will be open to the public for guests to immerse themselves into a multi verse of holiday villages. Visitors will float among giant swinging jingle bells, crash the party of a thou sand nutcrackers, join a thrilling train ride through wreaths, take a spin in the candy cane carousel and more. (November 19 to January 8).

Fifth Avenue’s holiday celebration, The Fifth Season, returns for its second year to bring cheer to Manhattan’s most famous avenue with its holiday windows and breathtaking decorations. New for this season, Fifth Avenue will launch Open Streets, which will not only close Fifth Avenue to all vehic ular traffic, but also open the sidewalks to a variety of food vendors and musical performers from local choirs and instrumental ensembles. (Dec 4 through the holiday season).

That’s just a part of what’s going on in NYC during the holiday season.

For additional holiday celebrations and itineraries, visit www.nycgo.com/holidays

If you go in December, you’ll find a many ... New Year’s related activities to enjoy...

Photo credit: Valerie Wilcox

SARAH RICHARDSON Designer

HGTV’s Sarah’s Mountain Escape

What can I say about Sarah Richardson that has not already been said? She has been an HGTV staple since it started 25 years ago. Her shows include ‘Room Service’, ‘Sarah’s Summer House’, ‘Real Potential’, ‘Sarah’s Cottage’, ‘Sarah 101’, ‘Design Inc.’, ‘Sarah’s House’ and ‘Sarah Off the Grid’. I had to go to the woman herself to get the inside scoop on the newest addition to her resume with this new show, ‘Sarah’s Mountain Escape’ and find out her intimate connection to The Kawarthas, her love of design and, of course, her 350 plus episodes on HGTV.

JAY COOPER (ATOTK): Thank you so much for your time and I am wishing you an early happy birthday!

Sarah Richardson (SR): Well thank you so much, Jay! I’m going to be in France for my BD and it’s the first time in 5 years I’ve travelled with my husband just for fun.

ATOTK: I wish you great success on your new show “Sarah’s Mountain Escape”, but do you watch other current shows on HGTV?

SR: I love to watch the network whenever I can and see what the others are up to. One of the greatest things is that HGTV is running 24/7, with a vast coun try with people with different tastes, interests and preferences. Focused on curating content that ap peals to different people for different reasons. If all the other hosts were doing the same thing, it would be boring (laughs).

ATOTK: HGTV stands for Home & Garden TV but there is not a lot of gardening going on (laughs). SR: Well, gardening, they really try and there is an ap petite for it, but the challenge lies in a very real limita tion which is, when you plant a garden it really doesn’t look like anything. My show “Sarah off the Grid” was 5 years ago and now the gardens look spectacular but it took that long to get there. Everyone wants a juicy payoff at the end of a show.

ATOTK: Yet another reason you love design.

SR: What I love about design is the process, but I love hearing about success stories of projects that have been well executed that I can tour. I would tour an existing garden but not one that is just being built, right? (laughs).

ATOTK: You are a mother, wife, author, a beloved TV celebrity and extremely successful entrepreneur. Is there anything I’m missing?

SR: Ah, over-worked and under-paid (laughs). I’m a creator; I live to be creative with everything I do.

ATOTK: You have a very solid connection to the Kawarthas.

SR: Yes, I truly do. I grew up on Stoney Lake. Both my parents had family cottages there and that is how they met. My grandparents had exactly the same ex perience and outcome. So yeah, I spent my summers there on Upper Stoney zipping around in a tin can and buying penny candy at the general store. Funny enough, my husband was a fan of Kawartha Diary Ice Cream when we met and that sort of sealed the deal (laughs). Another connection is that my daughter goes to Lakefield College. I just picked up the coolest guitar for her at Long & McQuade in Peterborough. My uncle was also a minister at the Anglican Church near the courthouse in Peterborough, so I know the area very well.

ATOTK: Have you checked out the magazine?

SR: I have and it’s wonderful! It’s a great way to see what’s happening in The Kawarthas and equally in teresting to see the area’s resources of businesses that advertise in the publication, as those are the connec tions you need for restaurants to renovating.

ATOTK: Your newest show, ‘Sarah’s Mountain Escape’, is now airing, but you have been a part of the HGTV family since it’s inception.

SR: I’m just a natural born creative person that fell into TV through chance and happenstance. A fun fact is I was the set decorator on the first show that went

SARAH

SARAH RICHARDSON

to air called ‘Savoir Faire’ with Nik Manojlovich 25 years ago. I pitched my own show in 1998 and it aired in 2000, called ‘Room Service’. I always said I’m not the oldest person on the network but I’ve been around the longest and I’m thinking at this point I may be both (laughs).

ATOTK: When did the first door open for you to get on a set?

SR: After Western University I shared a house with my best girlfriend and got a call wanting to know if I was interested in working on a home design show and I said I would. The criteria was to have someone with taste, as they couldn’t find the right person and a reception ist friend that worked there suggested me. So that was the beginning of my behind the scenes role. Then, a few months later I was asked if I was interested in doing an on-camera segment and I said sure. I always said the only answer is ‘yes’ and ‘sure’ and look where it got me (laughs).

ATOTK: As we see all the time, the designated amount of money for a project gets eaten up on the unknown?

SR: Yeah, well that’s why most of our projects are our own now so we don’t have to negotiate that (laughs). In this project, ‘Mountain Escape’, the budget went right out the window. It’s challenging, but you don’t know what’s lurking behind the walls and the other problems that do arise. It’s only when you start the demo that you see what’s been done wrong previously, what’s gone

wrong, what’s not been sustained and what needs immediate work.

ATOTK: What are the origins of the new show since it was filmed in Whistler BC?

SR: We were on a Covid pandemic escape to get some fresh mountain air and I thought it was just a ski trip. But my husband quickly decided we should connect with a realtor and I thought ‘What? No, we don’t need to be doing that’ and he said, ‘come on, it will be fun’. So let me know after watching all ten episodes how much fun you think it was (laughs). We survived and it was a very unique project, which I like. I don’t like doing what I’ve done before and I’m motivated to take on a new challenge. It’s a small town with a set number of houses that is an inter national destination in a four-season playground. From a rental perspective, you can attract people all year long as opposed to a cottage that is seasonal. It’s a local landmark and I liked the idea of restoring and re-imagining it to make it work for the future.

ATOTK: So you were on vacation in the middle of a pandemic and phoned the network up and said, “Hey we want to do this as a show”?

Photo credit: Valerie Wilcox

Photo credit: Valerie Wilcox

Photo credit: Valerie Wilcox

SARAHSARAHRICHARDSON

Continued from Page 18

SR: Well yeah, as we had been in development with shows during that time that had gotten pushed aside. It was an extraordinarily challenging time for an en trepreneur or small business but I couldn’t think that this (pandemic) was never going to end. So I launched 3 books with Simon & Schuster, made huge changes to our business during it and thought, well, we bought the property, now is the right time to get back to do ing another show. I had no clue if they would pick it up. They did and I hope the viewers enjoy it.

ATOTK: Is there anything we don’t know about Sarah Richardson outside of your designs and TV?

SR: I love to cook and educate, snow and water-ski ing. I think I’m happiest when I’m on the water. Jay, you and your readers being in The Kawarthas have a true gift where you get to experience the fresh water lakes and pristine natural environment and have that escape right in your backyard.

ATOTK: I spent my summers on Baptiste Lake, north of Bancroft, so I’ve been enjoying the experience my whole life.

SR: Ah! Camp Ponacka. My dad was the director there and my brother went there along with my husband. It’s just another example of the beautiful places you have in the area.

ATOTK: So, with all that going on in your life, what’s in the future?

SR: Something on the water of course (laughs).

ATOTK: What would you like to say to all of your fans and supporters?

SR: I’m grateful and humbled that people have been with me on this journey for the last 25 years - and it’s still ongoing. My mission is to help create designs that inspire and educate people with the tips and the know how they need to execute their project, so they are empowered to go and tackle them. Live in style and love your home.

www.sarahrichardsondesign.com

Instagram @sarahrichardsondesign

FaceBook Sarah Richardson

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Decor Dilemmas

DESIGN CHALLENGe SOLUTIONS

By Michele Savage Our Uncluttered House

I’m back for the Winter Issue after a busy year of helping others with their design and decor di lemmas. COVID really had people hunkering down and wanting to renovate and redecorate, and I am always honoured to help.

Sometimes it’s as simple as a new paint colour and new flooring, like Luxury Vinyl Plank. Both affordable ways to totally transform any room in your home, like this primary bedroom makeover I worked on recently.

A new kitchen is always on everyone’s wish list. This busy family needed a more functional kitchen that flowed with the aesthetic of their home and that is what they got. Or maybe you’ve already renovated and need help making your space cozy. Bringing in texture and layers adds instant coziness and doesn’t have to break the bank. Throws, pillows, candles and don’t forget the fresh flowers.

I love helping with design dilemmas. No project is too big or too small. Working within a budget is what I do best - besides creating a warm and cozy home.

www.ourunclutteredhouse.com www.instagram.com/unclutteredhouse michele@ourunclutteredhouse.com

“Bringing in textures and layers adds instant cozyness.”

“Sometimes it’s as simple as new paint colour and new flooring.”

Decor Dilemmas

DESIGN CHALLENGe SOLUTIONS

House Proud is a beautiful feeling

A cozy home is a great place to snuggle up this winter

Real Estate Talk

Just Not Enough Homes to Go Around

By Jay Lough Hayes, Peterborough Realty Inc. 705-772-1025

With the 500,000 new immigrants coming to Canada in 2023 plus the current housing shortage experienced, Ontario is laying down some definite … ’ground’ rules to get shovels in the ground and homes built, and built faster.

Ontario needs to build 1.5 million homes in the next 10 years. But not in Peterborough, the 32nd largest city in Ontario. The Place to Grow Act puts Peterborough’s 2031 population at 103,000. That’s another 20,000 people who would require roughly 6,600 new housing units.

An increasing population will create even more demand for all types of housing which creates a need for more skilled labour and jobs which creates a solid foundation for the economy. But thousands of skilled trades workers are close to retirement, increasing the shortage of trades people in the housing sector.

In the Peterborough area, development lands to create housing is at an all time low with develop ment approval timelines at an all time high. De velopment approval delays continue to increase due to Nimbyism - (not in my backyard) and the ability to finance new housing communi ties diminishes with increased costs and delays. Peterborough & Kawarthas building and plan ning departments haven’t increased staff levels much over the past 30 years. Without the staff, paperwork has greater delays which can cost the home builders more cash which is passed on to homeowners.

The provincial growth plan mandates a 50% population increase by 2051 for Peterborough & Kawarthas which can only be achieved through densification which existing communities oppose. NIMBY.

The Provincial Government provides a minimum standard set of rules and guidelines that munici palities must follow but every municipality cre

ates their own local by-laws to govern. Then Con servation Authorities enforce provincial legislation to ensure that local natural heritage and water sheds are protected.

In 1992 the development charge rate for a single family home was $2,500 per housing unit (HU)but as of Aug 2022, the development charge rate is, on average, $50,000 per HU with increases every year. These rising costs contribute significantly towards the rising cost of housing. Have you calculated the Land Transfer Tax on a single family home lately? Scary!

Ontario Home Builders Association released a 5 point plan to address making homes more afford able by speeding up approval times and eliminat ing red tape.

The cost of building a new home already has fees and taxes account for up to 25%.

Laying the infrastructure groundwork for future growth by ensuring servicing and transportation infrastructure are prioritized. Peterborough is landlocked and needs to expand its borders: Un fortunately Peterborough is not on the list of 29 housing target centres in Ontario’s more homes built faster act. And finally…

Take politics out of planning to ensure local deci sion making does not undermine the provision of new housing.

We really need to cut the cord and let Peterborough grow, welcome new growth while encour aging, attracting new businesses along with new families. Expand, Excite, Educate and in the words of Star Trek…Engage.

Jay Lough Hayes has been a real estate sales representative for 36 years and services the Peterborough, Victoria, Durham, Northumberland Counties and all points in between.

Home Inspections

Radon Awareness

By Dianne Guzik The Art of Home Inspection

So what’s this all about anyway? Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that escapes from the ground and is quickly dissipated. However, if it gets trapped inside your home, over time it may build to an unhealthy level.

It gets in through cracks in a foundation floor, walls, pipes, vents, sump pumps, floor drains etc. Most often during heating season the vent ing of furnaces, wood burning appliances, bath room and kitchen fans etc. will depressurize the interior of the home causing it to pull air in from wherever it can. If your home sits on an area that has a high concentration of Radon gas it pulls the Radon into your home. Over time the trapped Radon can build to an unhealthy level leading to a risk of lung cancer. Even if you are a nonsmoker but greater if you are a smoker. We now spend way more time in the basement and it can raise concerns. Radon concentration is higher in the basement level but it can migrate up to other

levels. The only way to know your homes Radon level is to test it. Hiring a professional will give you the most accurate results but a store bought do-it-yourself test kit is a good start. Follow the instructions carefully. When talking about Radon we don’t say safe level, only acceptable level. Can ada’s standard lags behind the world at below 200 Becquerels (200 Bq/m3) for an acceptable level recently reduced from (800 Bq/m3). That level is scary. The World Health Organization (WHO) sets the acceptable level at (100 Bq/m3). The U.S.A. at (148 Bq /m3). Seal all the above mentioned areas and install an H.R.V. I encourage more research on this important topic www.healthcanadagc.ca/ radon or call 1-800-622-6232 to start.

WINTER SAFETY

Tips for an Injury-Free Winter

By Angela Beal HRS Group

(705) 749-1259

Winter is just around the corner and as we all know that means snow and ice on our roads and poor weather conditions for driving. It’s important to be aware of the road conditions before leaving home.

Check with your local weather radio station, as well as 511on.ca, for the current road conditions. Adjusting our driving habits to suit the weather is imperative. Every year we see those bad driv ers who are going too fast, changing lanes too often and too quickly, not using signals, and all without snow tires. Doing your own hazard as sessment before getting into your car will help you stay safe this winter.

For those of you who enjoy walking every day be aware of icy patches on sidewalks and intersec tions. Black ice is hard to see and you may not be aware of it until it is too late. Last year while walk ing my dog I stepped off the sidewalk to cross the street not realizing there was an icy patch there. My dog was confused seeing me laying face down on the road. Luckily, I did not injure

myself, but it could have been very serious. I bought new boots with better grips and stopped crossing the road at stop signs where the ice ap pears to build up the most.

There is also the possibility of foggy conditions in the winter. This usually happens first thing in the morning on your commute to work. When driving in the fog slow down, be alert to what could be in front of you, watch for flashing lights ahead It may be a school bus picking up children for school.

Stay safe this winter by ensuring your car is in good condition and put those snow tires on, they could save your life.

For more information about Occupational Health and Safety, call our professional team.

HOME Trail Walk, Anyone?

by Danielle French South Pond Home www.southpondfarms.ca @southpondome

Anyone who follows me on social media knows I have two Aussie Shepherds, Ozzie and Harriet who came to town with us when we sold the farm in Pontypool last year. Now I am an avid walker because those two dogs need a lot of exercise! People often ask me how the puppers have adjusted to living in town. I can happily report that Ozzie and Harriet have adjusted quite well - most days. In fairness, it is up and down. A squirrel sighting is locked into their memories like money in a bank vault. They never forget it - even if it is miles away or was months ago. If we pass by car or on foot, they bark with a craze that sounds like I’ve separated them forever.

Peterborough County Trails - One of the wonder ful things about the move into town is the abun dance of trails there are. Peterborough is the gate way to a web of trails both north to the Kawartha Lakes and south and east to Northumberland and the Ottawa region. There are trails for walk ing, biking, snowmobiling, cross country skiing that link parks and communities to each other. I am originally from Vermont and often travel home to visit my parents and while Vermont is certainly beautiful and full of hiking opportunities, the well groomed trails here begin at virtually everyone’s doorstep.

Rail LInes - Rail connections were constructed in the mid 1880’s when in 1849 the Province of Can ada passed the Railway Guarantee Act offering funds to build rail lines to smaller communities to allow for better transportation of goods and peo ple. While Cobourg was the main hub in our re gion along the waterfront from Toronto, Kingston, Montreal and cities in the US soon, secondary rail lines reached north to Peterborough and to Lindsay and smaller communities.

100 years later, the northern rail lines were no lon ger in use and in the 1980’s the Kawartha Rail Trails Organization proposed turning the now aban doned rail line from Peterborough/Lindsay into a trail system, connecting these communities and promoting recreation and tourism in the region.

Over the years, local philanthropists have worked with the towns and municipalities to encourage trail expansion not only of the former rail lines but trails in and along the Oak Ridges Moraine, The Kawartha Land Trust, Ganaraska and many pro

vincial and county parks; segments of this larger trail system being completed every year.

At my door - When I first arrived here in town, I stepped out my front door to explore the trail around Little Lake, then discovered the Peterbor ough locks and walked both along the Otonabee River and along the canal. It reminded me a lit tle of Europe - seeing the boats pass along and the wide walking areas alongside. In the winter, the trails are just as busy in this spot with skat ers on the canal and snowshoers further north.

I then discovered the Lang Hastings Trail which wanders through forests and fields stretching along the TransCanada Trail from Peterborough to Hastings. The dogs love finding wildlife, more squirrels and chipmunks to bark at.

After the Covid Pandemic, access to outdoors, provincial and municipal parks (often connected to one another by trail systems) became a criti cal part of all daily life and well being. We may not notice how having these areas for recreation affect our lives in a positive way until we live in a community that doesn’t have them or our access to the outdoors is taken from us by climate con ditions or political changes. The puppers and I have happily exchanged the 100 acres to the na ture we have at our doorstep, while it isn’t quite the same it leads to adventure every day.

Danielle French is the founder of South Pond Farms. She hosted the tv series Taste of the Country on Netflix. She has a new adventure called Design your Escape offering help for those starting event based business.

ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE

Are You Ready for Winter?

As autumn comes to a close, we start looking ahead to winter and the holiday season. This stresses many people out, as it is such a busy time! Try these organizing tips below to help ease the transition.

ORGANIZE YOUR VEHICLE FOR WINTER

Put a pair of knit gloves in the door pocket to use a “gas gloves” when pumping gas. Store the following items in the trunk: a blanket in a plastic bag, a small shovel, a seat cushion for watching games at the hockey arena, extra reusable shopping bags, extra mitts, windshield wiper fluid and an emergency car kit. Kleenex or paper towel is handy to clear dirt/salt from your headlights.

KEEP FOOTWEAR TO A MINIMUM

Purge summer/fall shoes and pack away the ones that won’t be used during the winter. Winter boots are bulky - removing unnecessary footwear from the hall closet gives you much more room. If you have shoes you only wear occasionally in the winter, store them in the bed room closet and take them out when needed.

KEEP HATS AND MITTS WITHIN REACH

If you have littles at home, try using an over-the-door shoe organizer to hold hats and mitts so they can reach them on their own. Hang it inside of the hall closet door or use zip-ties to tie it to a hanger and hang it on the rod. (Hint: In the summer months, use it for storing flip flops!).

MAKE HOLIDAY SHOPPING EASY

Create a gift list in your phone’s ‘Notes’ section for each person you buy for during the holidays. This is a great way to keep track of their wish lists (including links to online items). More importantly, it allows you to keep track of what you have already purchased! Simply put an asterisk (*) or other symbol beside items as you buy them. (Hint: Wrap gifts as you go!)

ORGANIZE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Sort and store decorations by type: wall art, table décor, tree decorations, lights, hats & stockings. Now I don’t have to drag out every box at once! We have a real tree each year, so I can add my wall art and table décor earlier in the season and save the Christmas tree decorations until the last. Don’t forget to label each box!

Happy Organizing!

Facebook: Organized by Design Instagram: @organized_by_design_ nicole@organizedbydesign.co www.organizedbydesign.space

Nicole Cooke

Organized by Design

Shopping Local - Online!

In the Kawarthas

ONE FINE FOOD

A unique food experience in the Kawarthas. The offerings are endless! From truly in spired prepared meals and tempting baked goods to their wonderful selection of artisan cheeses and imported Italian products. A full service butcher featuring local, ethically raised meats cut to order. They also bring the ocean to Peterborough with their fresh seafood counter!

Dine in and enjoy a wood-fired pizza or house made fresh gnocchi. www.onefinefood.com

800 Erskine Ave, Peterborough (705) 742-6200

BIGLEY SHOES

Everybody LOVES Bigley Shoes & Clothing, Bigley’s Beach House, Bigley’s Little Shoppe & Bigley’s Cottage Kitchen. Over 40,000 pairs of shoes - and much more! Hundreds of brand name clothing & footwear, bathing suits, jewellery, accesso ries, even home decor and kitchen gadgets! Over 25,000 fabulous swimsuits in the amaz ing Beach House. Located next to the locks in Bobcaygeon. www.bigleyshoes.com

35-45 & 50 Bolton St. Bobcaygeon (705) 738-2522

It’s all about the taste of place at Centre and Main Chocolate Co. Award-winning chocolatier, Angela Roest, combines the flavours of Northumberland County with the finest ethically sourced chocolate from around the world. Experience Angela’s handcrafted small batch choc olate creations in her gallery-style bou tique at the corner of Centre and Main Streets in the designated arts village of Warkworth. centreandmainchocolate.com 50 Centre Street, Warkworth (705) 868-2068

DELECTABLE FINE FOODS

Delectable Fine Foods offer an expertly crafted range of fine cheeses and specialty foods. They continue to explore the world to delight custom ers with inspirational tastes crafted from the finest ingredients.

A mix of artisanal cheese and specialty food items sourced locally through out Ontario and Canada or imported from around the world. All are created with quality ingredients. www.delectablefinefoods.ca

550 Lansdowne St #13, Peterborough (705) 750-1200

CENTRE AND MAIN CHOCOLATE

LOCKSIDE TRADING COMPANY

If you can’t make it to the store, Lockside has online shopping offering a multitude of choic es from indoor and outdoor furniture, lighting, giftware, mattresses, bedding and casual clothing, Hunter Douglas window treatments and floor coverings.

Lockside is a multi-national award-winning retailer offering Canadian Made products at great prices and superior quality, keeping it lo cal. To make shopping seamless and simple, check out their Gift Registry.

www.lockside.com

2805 River Ave. Young’s Point (705) 652-3940

Highland Street Haliburton (705) 457-5280

MARIPOSA WOOLEN MILL AND FARM MARKET

Mariposa Woolen Mill and Farm Market in Oakwood is located less than 10 minutes west of Lindsay. Owner Ellen Edney and her team welcome you to their boutique shopping experience. Featuring all things local jams, cheeses, treats & more! Lots of selections are available in the farm market. Find the perfect gift, including the very popular Kawartha Box, a gift box fea turing products from multiple local busi nesses. 3% of each purchase goes back into our community.

www.mariposafarmmarket.ca 1275 Hwy 7, Oakwood (705) 928-5670

CHEMONG CITY GREENS

Chemong City Greens is an indoor vertical microfarm growing organic microgreens all year long, providing top-quality, fresh and locally grown organic microgreens delivering directly to Peterborough, Lake field, Bridgenorth and surrounding areas.. Tiny greens with big flavour - so try fresh microgreens today!

Our goal is to elevate the diversity of Pe terborough and the surrounding commu nity’s local food network by offering deli cious organic microgreens! www.chemongcitygreens.ca FaceBook chemongcitygreens Instagram @chemongcitygreens (705) 486-5525

THE CHOCOLATE RABBIT

Indulge in the Extraordinary! Home of the ‘Mud Bugs’, the Chocolate Rabbit gives you more choices than you could ever imagine. Beautiful hand crafted truffles, specialty loose leaf teas, premium hot chocolate + hot chocolate bombs, chocolate peanut butter cups and the ever-popular Holiday Share Bag; perfect to try all the favourite dipped goodies and maybe sharing with friends. Locations in both Lakefield and Bancroft for your convenience.

www.thechocolaterabbit.ca 11 Queen St, Lakefield 16 Bridge St W, Bancroft (705) 652-8884

KAWARTHA COUNTRY WINES

I bet you didn’t see this one coming! Not just wine and cider! Find unique gifts, soaps, gourmet preserves, candles, hon ey, maple products, hot sauces, dips, spic es and so much more! Create your own personalized gift basket!

A family-owned winery specializing in fruit wines, ciders, vinegars and gourmet pre serves! All made using locally grown with farm-fresh fruits, 45+ wines and ciders. Discover your favourites for free at our complimentary sampling bar!

www.kawarthacountrywines.ca 2452 County Road 36, Buckhorn (705) 657-9916

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

WATSON AND LOU

Watson & Lou showcases dynamic, beau tiful and inspired works of local creatives. Items that invite people to try new artsy skills or help in finding the perfect, unique thing to brighten someone’s day, all while investing in the local creative community. A Taste of the Kawarthas approved for fun items you won’t find anywere else! www.watsonandlou.com 383 Water St, Peterborough (705) 775-7568

THAT’S AWRAP! KATVA 2022 Riding Sea son

By Carolyn Richards katva.ca

I

t’s a wrap! The 2022 riding season is over for most ATV, SxS and dirt bike owners in the Kawartha Lakes. As of December 1st the shared trails are turned over to the snowmobile clubs to get ready for their riding season and the KATVA and KORMA volunteers take a much needed rest over the winter. It’s been one of the best riding seasons in Kawartha Lakes but the same can’t be said for some of our neighbouring riding areas such as the Ganaraska Forest.

After the Derecho swept through the area back in May, the Ganaraska Forest was left devastated and the unimaginable happened, a riders life was lost in the forest during the storm. An indescrib able amount of damage was done with trees cov ering most of the trails and forest access roads. As forest staff and contracted logging companies worked to assess the damage and start the cleanup, it was clear that the forest would not open back up for most of the 2022 riding season. Eventually the Ganaraska staff reopened some trails to current members as of September 30th, but the trails were very limited and almost no single-track trails were reopened. It was mainly forest access roads that were cleared. The work continues in the forest and the forest staff have a cleanup and restoration plan that they are working with. It’s hopeful that most trails will be reopened in time for the 2023 riding season, and we want to thank the Ganaraska staff for all their hard work over the past 6 months.

We understand the challenges facing them. The KATVA trails in the 5 Points were hit with several microbursts during a major storm back in 2011 so we understand the work involved in safely clean ing up the debris from the storm. We had sever al people trapped in their hunt camps after the storm who had no way of getting out without us

clearing the trails to reach them. The first day of the cleanup it took crews 8 hours to clear 1.5 kms of trail. In the 5 points we are dealing with much larger, older trees. Some of the trees that came down were 5 to 8 feet in diameter. It took many weeks and several volunteer crews working every day to work their way through the trail system to open all the trails back up. This was the first time that all the trail users worked together. We met at the Tim Hortons in Bobcaygeon every morning to map out where we were going to send the crews that day. We called in volunteers from the OF4WD, the local snowmobile clubs, KATVA and HATVA to help clear the trails. This built the foundation of an ongoing stewardship agreement between these organizations that has lasted 11 years now and will hopefully continue as long as there are trails. We accomplish so much more when we work as a team.

Tasteful Curiosities

Imagine sitting in a small shoppe in the back streets of Paris, wine glass in hand, surrounded by wine bottles from around the world, antiques, knick knacks, edible goodies and curiosities ev erywhere, all the while smelling the finely roasted Columbian coffee that drifts through the air!! Okay, it’s Lindsay Ontario, not Paris and this little shoppe is called Needful Things, located at 15 Cambridge Street S.

Jennifer Boksman is the shoppe keeper of this weird, whimsical, eccentric little place. Yes, shoppe, not shop. As soon as you enter you will see why. There are wines from around the world, 30 labels and growing, hand selected by Jennifer. Let her guide you to the perfect bottle of wine for any occassion. She may even entice you to step out of your comfort zone to try something new. Wines are nicely priced, but drink like they are so much more. Sit in the antique open concept parlour or at the medieval looking dining room table. Find unique gifts - jams and jellies from La Dee Da Gourmet Sauces, wine infused popcorn, Olive That! olive oils and vinegars, organic and fair trade loose leaf teas. Products are as local as possible. Needful Things are ever evolving and changing with new products added weekly.

There is an espresso bar with all kinds of coffee delights for stay in or take away. The cups and lids are compostable, as they are working hard to keep their carbon foot print as small as possible! They offer a place for your book club, bachelorette night, date night, business meeting, team build ing or any other event. Would you like to do a wine tasting event? The shoppe is an intimate space for up to 10 people, offering a unique experience suited to you.

WALKING YOUR DOG

By Karen Laws www.ontariodogtrainer.com

This story could be dismissed as ‘just another day in a dog trainer’s life’. Sharing may prevent this happening to you. Bea and her 4-year-old pit bull, Suzie, have been training with me since the summer. Suzie’s on-leash walking has transformed from chaos to calm and Bea is ecstatic at her progress.

We headed to a public trail. The wet ground made walking treacherous. Suzie was muzzled and dragging her long line.

A man appears behind us with his Duck Toller dog. I told Bea to pick up Suzie’s long line, KEEP MOVING and get off the trail to let them pass.

I politely ask the man to stop until our nervous dog gets off the trail. He keeps moving forward. Thinking he has a hearing impairment, I held up my hand to gesture for him to stop. He con tinued moving forward. I repeated, “Please stay there until we can get out of your way!” Again, he kept moving forward.

I joined Bea off the trail. The man and his dog immediately appeared in front of us and Suzie attacked his dog full-on.

Like a movie playing in slow motion I was at the top of the hill, Bea is screaming and the man ap peared mesmerized watching the dogs fight.

In a nanosecond, I realized that Bea’s screaming is aggravating the chaos, Suzie intends to kill and the other dog’s owner is waiting for the dogs to stop fighting, which is NOT going to happen. What happened next was surreal. I grabbed Suz ie’s line to drag her away, and the two dogs were wrapped together!

Bea tried to untangle the dogs, but they’re writh ing and snapping and wrapping the line tighter!

I yelled, “Let go of your leash! ” The man lamely held up a retractable leash! If he let go, it could catapult toward us and cause serious injury! Minutes seemed like hours. I hoisted both dogs

up for Bea to unhook the clip from the Duck Toll ers collar, with one dog fighting for its life and the other fighting to take a life.

The retractable leash wrapped around Suzie’s snout and pulled her muzzle off, wedging her lower jaw open. Bea unhooked the retractable leash.

And ... It’s Over. The Duck Toller scrambled away with his owner.

I gently lowered a panicked Suzie to the ground, holding her away to prevent her redirecting on me. Her jaw is pried open. Bea swiftly removed the wedged muzzle. Suzie gave a full-body shake with a look that said, “well, that was that”. We headed out.

The Bottom Line: Three factors may have changed the outcome –1. Plan for Safety First. Always be prepared for the unexpected. Know your audience. Assume you have no help. Repeatedly practice your plan until your response is automatic.

2. Advocate for your Dog, and 3. Be Tool Aware! A retractable leash is usually a sign that the other person has no control over their dog. These dangerous tools can cause serious harm and should NOT be used in public. Muzzles keep dogs safe. Go to https://www.youtube.com/@TheOn tarioDogTrainer to learn more about the benefits of muzzles.

4. A fixed animal compared to an intact animal has a decrease of up to 20% of their calorie needs. Once your animal is fixed, make sure to decrease their daily caloric intake. If you are interested in reaching out to a nutritional specialist, please speak to your regular veterinarian to set up an appointment with one of them.

VETS CORNER

NUTRITION FOR YOUR PET

By Dr. Kelly Wasylciw Norwood Veterinary Services

What do you feed your pet? As a vet, we always ask owners during most of our appointments what food(s) they are feeding their animals. There are so many places to get information regarding what to feed your pet and what is best, that it can be very overwhelming. To be honest, a lot of pets do really well with the food that an owner has chosen for them to eat.

The broadest categories for food come down to feeding for growth (when you have a puppy or a kitten), feeding for adult maintenance and then finally feeding for a geriatric. Sometimes it is dif ficult to know when to switch an animal from one food to the next, as it isn’t just as clear cut line as to when an animal needs to be on one diet vs. an other. There are lots of really good diets and food companies selling food in pet stores, veterinary clinics, and sometimes even in grocery stores and big box stores.

The next major categories we get into for feeding a pet are: dry food, commercial wet food, commercial raw food, home cooked meals or home raw meals. Which is the best? I wish there was a straight for ward answer, but it comes down to your pet, your lifestyle, your time and of course, money.

The third largest category has to do with your pet’s health. There are tons of different diets that have certain claims and labels regarding how they can help your pet’s health in different ways. These are for the most part true! Think about yourself and how what you are eating can affect your health, the same occurs with your pet. This means that there can be times when a specific type of diet or even a very specific diet can be recommended for your pet based on diseases or vet visits they have had in the past. Some examples of these diets are diets that can help with cats that have had urinary block ages, diets to help with pets that have higher levels of anxiety, animals that have seizures, animals with dental problems, and the list goes on and on! Due to the overwhelming number of options out there,

one of the best places to start gathering infor mation regarding what food to feed your pet is with your veterinarian staff. The vets, techs and staff at a veterinary clinic try to keep up to date on the newest information regarding foods, calo rie intake and new studies regarding the diets, as much as possible.

As a vet, there are a few things that I would al ways recommend for anyone with pets generally, but mostly it will come down to an individual dis cussion, and of course, there are always excep tions to even these rules. These general rules are as follows:

One: Always introduce your pet to a variety of

different textures of food (including shape, size of kibble), snacks and wet food textures. This is espe cially important for cats as they learn what texture ‘food’ is and if they haven’t been introduced to it as a kitten it can be extremely difficult to make food changes as they get older.

Two: Don’t feed a grain free diet to your dog. There is a potential heart problem risk with feeding it, and it isn’t necessary for them so why take that risk?

Three: Cats are carnivores! They cannot handle a fully vegetarian diet and should always makes sure to have a meat ingredient and if possible, a lower carbohydrate diet as well.

Ian Thomas

Singer - Songwriter - Actor - Producer

Canadian Gold

By Jay Cooper

Ian Thomas is known for his many talents - hit songs and albums, Juno winner, SCTV, The Red Green Show, Snap the Rice Krispie, The Boomers, Lunch at Allen’s and so much more. This Canadian icon graced me with his time to run down the successes, history and his continuing journey to entertain his huge fan base. At some points, the conversation had me laughing so hard that I couldn’t speak! Ian Thomas is Canadian Gold!

JAY COOPER (ATOTK): You are a musician/singer/songwriter/producer/actor/Juno award win ner and husband … probably the wrong order (laughs). You have a very strong love for the Kawartha area.

IAN THOMAS (IT): It’s just so beautiful and we are so very fortunate to have the Kawarthas. I constantly say we are the winners of the lucky bugger awards being Canadians. It’s just such a gift. I often thanked my parents and remain eternally grateful to them for emigrating from the UK to Canada, my home and native land.

ATOTK: Karen, our Editor, is a huge fan of yours and saw you perform as often as possible. She recalls that at every gig you would start playing ‘Long Long Way’ and you would stop the band and say, “This is Canadian Gold!” And the audi ence would start cheering.

IT: (laughs) True story. The Canadian Gold thing was a sort of a humorous point of contention. I think it was Dave Broadfoot who put me away one day with the comment; “The difference between Canada and the USA is, with only one hit in the United States you need an entourage and security guards for life. With a dozen hits in Canada, you need a name tag” (laughs). It kept you in a fairly humble position, which I think was probably the design of Canada’s sort of indifferent attitude towards its own. I remember the Second City cast experienced that as well. When they went to the US, they got “you sold out man” and when they came back they heard, “couldn’t make it in the States, eh?” (laughs).

ATOTK: Was it difficult to get airplay here as well?

IT: All of your music was judged and now program ming is so monotonic unless it’s on the billboard chart. I remember being told that they should get extra points for playing a Canadian song on the radio that wasn’t on billboard and I just thought, well there it is.

ATOTK: As a multi-instrumentalist, what was your first instrument?

IT: My mother was a piano teacher so of course piano was first. There was always music in the house and when you’re the kid of a musician, you hear it all the time and it just becomes a part of who you are. From piano, I was really attracted to the social purpose of folk music and you needed a guitar for that. And then the Beatles hit so of course electric guitars became mandatory (laughs).

ATOTK: What was your recollection of the first song you wrote?

IT: That would have been at the age of 15 and it was a very traditional sounding folk song. But the doing of it was like my sub-conscience had been chewing on a whole pile of things and it spat out in this song. It was a song about being directionless, which I certainly was at that age. It was revealing that writing was good for me. It allowed stuff to come out of myself that otherwise wouldn’t have. My brother Dave thinks that cre ative writing is as much an affliction as it is a talent

and I believe there is an element of truth to that. Some of my greatest creative joy has been in the demo stage of songs where something emotionally resonant oc curs.

ATOTK: My knowledge of you was from SCTV play ing ‘Pilot’ and ‘Hold On’, but you got into the fun with your brother Dave with the Doug & Bob char acters. My all time favorite show!

IT: They are all amazingly talented people. When my son broke his spine and became a paraplegic five years ago, all of those folks came together to do a fundraiser for my boy. Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dan Aykroyd, Catherine Ohara etc. The generosity and love from my brother Dave’s colleague’s was incredible. It was more like family. I have known them all from theatre days and SCTV or bumping into each other at parties.

ATOTK: Does your brother Dave play an instrument?

IT: Well, he played a 5-string banjo a little bit and noodled some on piano but he was never all that in terested in it. He learned a classic jazz piece on piano called ‘That’s All’, a lovely little piece of music, but that’s all he wanted to learn. Once he did that, he went back to writing comedy (Laughs). He’s an amazing creative soul. I really admire my brother. He’s a constant source of inspiration to me.

“Some of my greatest creative joy has been ... where something emotionally resonant occurs.”

ATOTK: Most musicians want to be actors/comedi ans and vise versa, but you do it all.

IT: Well, it was all part and parcel, basically stretching out, as I did not want to move my family to LA. Mak ing a living at music in Canada was difficult, but for tunately for me international artists like Santana cov ered my songs. Around 1974 I started singing on jingles and then character voiceovers. It was all something I had fun with but when I did ‘The Red Green Show’ for 6 years, I realized I had no business doing it because it bored me to tears. Just the process of being around all day, on call, for maybe 5 minutes of work time and it just made me mental. So I just lost interest in it. It was fun initially for me but then I realized I was actually de priving some real actors from work.

ATOTK: Other people we have featured make a nice living doing jingles and voiceovers.

IT: The commercial business supported my family for 20+ years. I had no agent, no cattle call; the phone would ring from a producer and ask if I wanted to do a couple of spots the next day. My god, I was Snap the Rice Krispie for 25 years, voice of the Corporation and the Firkin Pub ads, and it was all just great fun.

ATOTK: With all the success, there is a side of the music business that exists - to hold the music back

from climbing to the top of billboard?

IT: Fredric Dannen wrote a book called ‘Hit Men’, and he said that you wouldn’t break the top 20 without $250K changing hands. I talked with Billy Joel about this when we were playing together at Massey Hall around 1975. His Piano Man stalled at 27 on Billboard chart, just like Painted Ladies did. We both scratched our heads, but it was the same thing - his label also didn’t put the money down. Fortunately for him he was associated with very good concert agents and did huge gigs. Unfortunately I was stuck in the clubs of Ontario (laughs).

ATOTK: In the glory days of record stores, I remember all the top of the charts albums were the first things you would see.

IT: Painted Ladies was in heavy top 10 rotation in ma jor markets and to see it stall at 27 was fascinating to me. So you are correct. If you broke the top 20, the re cord stores would open up with better product place ment and albums would start to move through.

ATOTK: Ian Thomas Band, then solo and then the next phase is The Boomers success?

IT: In typical fashion, the band wasn’t a hit in Canada. To my good fortune a really organic thing just ….hap pened. A guy in a record store in Germany played the

Lunch at Allen’s

THE BOOMERS

“I have nothing but gratitude for people ... for music I’ve created that means something to them.”

album in-store and sold out the 50 copies he imported within a couple of hours. He kept re-ordering new cop ies until 7 thousand went out the door. A reviewer said, “If the president of Warner’s Germany doesn’t see fit to release this in Germany, he should be selling socks” at which point they picked it up and it took off over there. I was on vacation licking my wounds over the supposed failure of the album, but when I got home there were all these messages of “You need to get to Germany for press - now”.

ATOTK: Your music is available through streaming but are record companies still on top of it?

IT: Anthem is just now releasing my back catalogue, so I’m getting out there. Record companies own a whack of Spotify, so they’re just paying themselves again. Honestly, the record industry to me generally speaking has always been a farce. You now have 360 deals where they want a piece of your T-Shirt sales and squeeze everyone who’s trying to eke out a living. The bodies they leave in their wake with artists who are penniless or in debt just keep piling up, while they fly in corporate jets. It’s true to the Capitalist credo, maxi mizing profits.

ATOTK: You opened for great acts and the next gig would be in a bar?

IT: We played to standing ovations every night open ing for Al Stewart on ‘Year of the Cat’ tour. We left Tex as with all this respect and the next gig was the Knob Hill bar in Toronto after the strippers (laughs).

ATOTK: You are currently on tour doing Lunch at Allen’s with your best friend Murray MacLauchlan?

IT: Yes, Murray, Cindy Church and Marc Jordan are indeed some of my best friends. Murray and I would hang out from time to time at Allen’s on the Danforth. He was asked to put a song-circle together to do some theatres,. He called me first and said he didn’t want it to be the usual song-circle approach, where one per son plays a song while the others try to look interested and pick their noses. He wanted to make it like a band where everyone backs each other up. Right off the bat

the vocal blend of the 4 of us was stupid good, which surprised me, as we are all very different singers. We did those 8 dates and 20 years later we still travel across the country once a year.

ATOTK: Best gig for you?

IT: I’d have to say it was with The Boomers. After our first Germany tour we still weren’t thought much of here. But we played Ontario Place and that was a tran scendent date. I heard from many people that said that was one of their favorite shows and it was one of mine also.

ATOTK: Worst gig ever?

IT: Oh that would have to be some clubs where you’re sharing the dressing room with strippers. Then you start playing and some guy is yelling ‘Judas Priest, play some god-damn Judas Priest’ (laughs). Another one, we played a place called The Norwegian Wood in the basement of a hotel in Jarvis. We fin ished the first set and this guy says to me ‘What is this shit your playing and when are you gonna play Four Strong Winds!’ He thought I was Ian Tyson and had turned into this egghead that just played shit (laughs).

ATOTK: Final thoughts?

IT: At this point in my life, I have nothing but gratitude for people that give this old man a sense of validation for the music I’ve created that means something to them.

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