Hello Country Magazine - January 2022 Edition

$1.50

JANUARY 2022

MAGAZINE

The Burger Guru’s David Sadowski Rallies Local Businesses In Support of the

New Markdale Hospital p26

Supporting Local Farmers & Businesses In Grey Highlands & Beyond

www.hellocountry.ca

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MASTHEAD EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS MICHELLE PATEY ALEXIS BRENNER Administrator at the Grey Highlands West Grey Resident and Co-Owner of Chamber of Commerce.

DB Trailblazers TYSON RIER HILIARY BREADNER Lifelong Rocklyn Resident and Owner Sales Representative for Huron Tractor in Chatsworth of Hiliary Breadner Graphics JEFF WILSON Priceville Resident and Accomplished Cartoonist, Blogtoonist & Illustrator

LORRAINE IRWIN Rocklyn Resident and Owner of Pure Music Garlic Products

LOUELLA MARTIN KEVIN ARTHUR LAND Markdale resident and co-owner of Arts Educator and Owner of Speaking Azure Highlands Homestead Volumes Books & Audio in Flesherton JONATHAN NHAN MIKE WIXSON Pharmacist, Diabetes Coach, Hypnotist Producer of the Hello Country Podcast & Co-Founder of Curate and Upgrade & Owner of The Pod Plant TALISA HASKINS ERIC ROBERTSON Lifelong Resident of Grey Highlands & Flesherton Resident & Registered Broker at Grey County Real Estate Inc. Psychotherapist ROBERT IANTORNO Curious fellow, Resident of Singhampton

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TABLE OF CONTENTS JANUARY 2022 PUBLISHER’S NOTE...p8

Papa Country reflects upon the new year with skepticism and optimism.

BLAZING TRAILS...p11

Alexis Brenner encourages us all to get outside and enjoy the snow!

FARM LIFE...p14

Louella Martin writes candidly about a recent experience helping flood victims in British Columbia.

THE COUNTY LIFE...p16

Celebrating Rural Life in Southwestern Ontario.

Read Chapter 1

FARMER FEATURE...p18

Meet Kirk & Arlene Wannop from Walters Falls Farm.

WELLNESS... p23

Talisa Haskins helps us set achievable goals for 2022.

COVER STORY ...p26

A wonderful tale of kindness, generosity, and community.

Published By

HELLO COUNTRY MAGAZINE is the only monthly magazine of its kind focused on life in Grey Highlands and beyond. It’s delivered

by Canada Post to homes and farms with Kimberley, Markdale, Flesherton, Heathcote, Maxwell, Singhampton, and Priceville addresses, as well as every business in Grey Highlands. Copies are also available for pickup at selected local businesses.

We capture life in Grey Highlands by highlighting the many positive contributions to our community by local farmers, business owners, elected officials, and residents.

Hello Country is proudly independent and published from a barn / pick-up truck / stable / home office in beautiful Flesherton, Ontario!

From our family to yours, we thank you very much for reading!

No part of this publication in any of its forms may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher.

All Rights Reserved

Our products are made on our Farm from our Certified Organic Garlic right here in

Grey Highlands

Shop our collection of Premium Organic Garlic Products at:

www.puremusicgarlic.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTE JANUARY 2022 EDITION Welcome to our annual Health & Wellness edition and our first issue of 2022.

Another pandemic year has passed and we keep on keeping on. Is life getting easier?

Perhaps for some it is, but for many, I suppose things are still challenging - maybe more so now than ever. Coping with change is never easy. Coping with uncertainty is always hard.

I’d like to think we’re getting used to life under Covid’s thumb. I’d like to think we’ve started to figure out a way to co-exist with it; to manage its ebbs and flows.

The truth is, I have no idea.

I’ll be vey honest with you now. I don’t know what to believe.

Photo: Jenny Jelen

With one foot still in the city and the other in the country, I have a very conflicted view of this whole thing.

PAPA COUNTRY

Publisher, Hello Country Magazine hellocountrymagazine@gmail.com Instagram: @hellocountrymagazine www.hellocountry.ca

More vaccines, more boosters, lockdowns, more homeschooling?

more

I’m not sure who to trust.

The government? The media? The medical community? The pharmaceutical industry?

My own intuition?

I don’t think I’m alone here in posing these questions and feeling this level of uncertainty.

PODCAST

www.hellocountry.ca

Brought to you by

There are some who will believe without question and comply. Others will inherently not believe what they’re being told and will never comply.

What’s the happy medium?

Who am I to say?

Of all the publisher’s notes I’ve written over the years, this has been the toughest. Usually, the words come flying out of my mind and onto my computer screen. This month, however, I’m struggling to find the right ones to write. I hope you take this as it is intended simply one man’s view of our current state of affairs and with a grain of hope for a happier, healthier new year.

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Roger “Papa Country” Tumminieri

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(416) 788-0716

WWW.GREYCOUNTYREALESTATE.COM HOUSING UPDATE BY GREY COUNTY REAL ESTATE INC.

New Year Resolutions! We all make them and...we all break them.

Most of us resolve to improve our health habits and get fit, which is easier said than done. Old habits are hard to change but taking small steps in the right direction is usually the way to achieve our goals or at least make reasonable progress. Just as it is important to look after our physical well being, getting financially in shape also contributes to our mental health by lessening some stress.

For most of us, our home is the biggest financial investment we’ll ever make and learning how to manage this asset is a good first step. Start by knowing the current market value of your property – most real estate agents would be more than happy to provide you with this information free of charge (you probably have seen those “Free Home Evaluation” ads). Once you have this value you can subtract any amount of debt, including your mortgage and other loans, this will provide you with an estimated net asset value. If you’re thinking of your retirement and/or scaling down in the size of your home, then you can use this information to estimate how this asset can contribute to your future plans. If you’re at the stage of life where you’re thinking of expanding and/ or need a bigger home, then you can make realistic decisions as to how much you can afford.

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FAMILY MATTERS SPOUSAL SUPPPORT rejected the wife’s claim for support because the wife’s illness did not occur until near the end of the marriage and there was no economic disadvantage to the wife resulting from the marriage or its breakdown. The Supreme Court disagreed and stated that the disability spoke to the need of the wife and should be considered in determining the quantum of spousal support payable to her. It is now recognized that post-separation illness and disability are considerations when questions of entitlement and quantum of support are before the court.

These post-separation issues can, in some JASON TODOROFF circumstances, lead to a new claim for support after a previous claim for support made before When married or common law couples the illness or disability was rejected. Parties’ separate, an issue that commonly arises is financial positions are not static and they do spousal support. change post-separation. The law recognizes the necessity for support to evolve over time and The grounds for awarding spousal support reflect the actual situation of both parties. have expanded greatly over the years. One of the factors still considered is the need JASON TODOROFF of the recipient spouse for support. In a BARRISTER & SOLICITOR Supreme Court of Canada decision (Bracklow 7A Main Street East, Markdale v. Bracklow), the court dealt with questions jasontodoroff@gmail.com of illness and disabilities and their effect on www.jtlawyer.ca the level of support. The lower courts had 519-986-4494

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BLAZING TRAILS SNOWTIME IS FUN TIME As the snow gathers on the grounds and the Winter settles in, I hope you are still getting out there and enjoying the beauty that comes in the depths of the season. That special quiet the snowpack brings and the joyful twinkle on the trees in the morning sun.

The secret to enjoying an Ontario Winter isn’t all that secret - get outside and have fun! Good layers and the right mindset are equally important for a good day in the cold.

Whether out and about on the hills and trails around the County or exploring on your own property, something that keeps you active out there and the blood pumping is another part of the recipe. Around here, “Who made that?”

And “Follow that track!” are games we all enjoy in the snow. These are some of the best times for reading footprints and seeing who else lives where you do. Fort building and tobogganing, skating or ice fishing, we have a true wonderland of good times on our doorstep no matter what month of the year. A stroll through one of our lovely towns, shopping and snacking can bring some much appreciated business to our local shops and restaurants.

From the slopes of the many ski hills within our area to walks along the beaches, the dramatic changes on our landscapes are a thrill to take in. Inspiration abound for photographers and artists of all kinds lies in the unique moments that only present themselves when snowflakes and icicles surround us. Sunlight streaming through pine branches and the shadows of branches along the forest floor make their own patterns. The colours and reflections that show themselves in the morning and at sunset can bring awe and reverence, and oh how bright a cold, clear day can be!

ALEXIS BRENNER first couple of times shoveling and clearing the walk and driveway. Working up a sweat and then warming up with cocoa for a job well done. That glow after coming in from a good romp or snowball fight and the jackets and boots in a heap by the door bring back happy memories of childhood and dreams of being snowed in for days.

Trails are a key to adventure this time of the year. If you would like to have more room to roam in the colder months, plan ahead for next year! Let’s design and lay out your playground for Winter 2022/2023 long before the snow falls so you can be ready to squeeze the most out of the best of our Wintertime.

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Understanding what you need to wear and bring to stay safe is important. Know how to look for the dangers and be prepared for the areas you are exploring. Stability and good traction are your friends. Stay dry and keep moving.

After spending much of the year being a bug buffet out there I thoroughly enjoy the lack of insects that snack on me - especially buried in my many, many, many layers. I even enjoy the

Independent Publisher of Print Magazines & Podcasts

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TRACTOR TALK WITH TYSON RIER With winter cooling things down, the deals are heating up at Huron Tractor. The time is now to order your new John Deere compact utility tractor. With early order discounts from $500 to $1200 on now, combined with all the current John Deere incentives and 0% financing, the time is right to order your new Deere today.

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FARM LIFE A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS What if you approached the holidays with more trepidation and fear than joy this year?

What if you longed for the quietness of the Christmas spirit to settle into your heart and you just didn’t quite feel it?

What if you wake up the first morning into the New Year and instead of elation and a thrill of wonder in your heart, you feel dead, and empty, and afraid in that settled-deep-in-your-bones kind of fear?

If that is you, then I understand and empathize with you!

There have been years where I just didn’t ‘feel’ it, couldn’t seem to get into the spirit. In fact, I felt like that a little bit this year. We just got back, a week before Christmas, from a 2-week last minute road trip to British Columbia, helping with flood clean-up there. Maybe partly, I felt this way because, when we got home, we had one week left before Christmas and I had nothing ready. But as I stood amongst the ruins of the houses in BC, none of that mattered anymore.

We may have left some things undone at home, but we had a house to come back to. I may not have gotten the sewing done that I wanted to, but the clothes we already had were not ruined by mud and sewage water. I may not have gotten our house beautifully decorated and our Christmas all ‘put together’ but our possessions are all still here and our loved ones are safe.

As I stood in those muddy, dirty, cold, torn up houses, I fought back tears as I said good-bye to these people whom I would likely never meet again and who were left behind with their messes. It didn’t seem fair.

How could I stand there, in their messy, torn-apart kitchen and tell them, “I’m leaving now. I’m going back to my cozy, warm, clean house in Ontario” - and go back and joyfully celebrate Christmas?

The little bit we were able to do didn’t seem like nearly enough. Maybe it wasn’t 14

LOUELLA MARTIN enough. Maybe it was. Their Christmas wasn’t pretty like they hoped it would be this year. Maybe ours wasn’t either. But maybe it doesn’t matter. It’s not that I don’t believe in the wonder and miracle of Christmas and the way that was the start of our redemption story. Because I do! If anything, I needed that more than ever this year.

But that first Christmas wasn’t all prettily wrapped presents and sparkly tinsel. Quite likely, it was dirty and cold and far from what any of us would like.

So what if you reached the New Year and the cold, heavy feeling in your heart didn’t go anywhere and you feel blackness instead of a thrill at a new year?

Then Christmas is especially for you! Because out of that first cold, dirty, bloody Christmas came a little baby who grew into a Man. Immanuel, they called Him. Do you know what that means?

God with us. God. WITH. us.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see.

And out of that little baby came the God-Man who would die a bloody death on a cross to become the answer to man’s problems. And that is why we can face a new year with peace and joy instead of fear!

Worship with me, will you?

AZURE HIGHLANDS FAMILY HOMESTEAD 440164 120 Rd, Markdale www.azurehighlandshomestead.com @azurehighlandshomestead

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THE COUNTY LIFE CHAPTER 1 Let’s start at the beginning...

Before The County Life, there was Hello Country Magazine. Before that, the Etobicoke Lakeshore Press.

That’s a pretty good snapshot of what our lives have been like over the past few years.

We’re one of the families who’ve given up the city life for a new, simpler one in the country.

I know we’re not alone in this pursuit.

The pandemic kicked into high-gear people’s desire for a more simple life - one with more space and further away from other people. We can attest.

We made the move in 2019; pre-pandemic. #blessed We sold our bungalow in the quiet, lakeside neighbourhood of Long Branch in South Etobicoke and bought a farm just outside Flesherton.

Flesherton? Yes, exactly.

We wanted to live outside of a very small town not too, too far from Toronto. At the time, we thought I’d be commuting more since I still had an office in the city. A max, two-hour drive from home to office wasn’t too crazy. I can deal with that. Or so I thought.

By: Papa Country

only one who needed two grocery carts to transport his first lockdown grocery shop from the checkout aisle to the truck. Yep, it’s kind of embarrassing now, but at the time it totally made sense. Two growing boys. A bag of milk a day just for the two-year-old.

You get the picture.

My cart overfloweth.

Then all of a sudden, a woman walked up to me - as if to intervene on what surely looked looting - and said: “I’m a Farmer’s wife. I’ve been a Farmer’s wife for 60 years. We’re prepared.” And then she stood there and looked at me and then looked at my cart and then looked back at me.

Oh, snap (I grew up in Scarborough). What do I do now?

“I’m totally not prepared,” I said as I lowered my head and shook it slightly. “We’re new here. We just moved up from the city and we’ve got two young boys...yada yada yada...and so, yeah...” I gestured with my hands so as to imply innocence. To which she replied...

“We’re prepared.”

And then she smiled at me as she walked away carrying her tiny shopping basket.

Read Chapter 2 now at www.thecountylife.ca

Just as I was starting to loath the twice and often thrice-weekly trips to and from the city, the pandemic hit. I still remember where I was when Doug Ford announced the first province-wide lockdown. I was on my way to drop our eldest off at March Break camp when the Premier took to the radio.

Immediately after the announcement, I turned the truck around, dropped our son off at home, and drove solo to the Foodland in Markdale. I envisioned some apocalyptic scene unfolding as I pulled into the grocery store parking lot. Looting? Fires? Zombies?

Nah! Just a bunch of unmasked people (remember those days), doing the same thing I was doing - well, not quite. I was the Independent Publisher of Print Magazines & Podcasts

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FARMER FEATURE WALTER’S FALLS FARM

Kirk and Arlene Wannop of Walter’s Falls Farm have been involved in agriculture all of their married life doing market gardening, cash cropping, livestock and agricultural field research. Their latest venture is found on their farm between Walter’s Falls and Bognor. It is a year round commercial greenhouse producing leafy greens. They say they love the greenhouse and growing food, especially leafy greens because Arlene always taught her family that their plates should be at least 1/2 salad!

The greenhouse was built by Kirk, Arlene and a friend in 2021 and it employs NFT (nutrient film technique) hydroponics technology. It has the capacity to grow 1000 heads of lettuce per week using sunshine and pure mineral water from their artesian well to produce beautiful, green, nutrient rich products.

trucks travel millions of miles to deliver us food that we can grow at home; and that when grown at home it would be fresher, safer, healthier and more delicious. They are ardent supporters of the ideal that small scale, locally grown food is better ecologically, better for the local economy and helps support strong communities.

Walters Falls Farm lettuce is working to expand its market, but is currently available at Markdale Foodland and The Market Shoppe in Markdale. It can also be purchased at the farm.

Call Arlene for directions at (519) 212-1949.

They were inspired to venture into the greenhouse business because it troubled them that hundreds of thousands of 18

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THE LIFE OF A GARLIC FARMER PART 12 Hello new world…

Last was crazy for Paul and I. We were all facing a second year of a new way to socialize and operate a business. I don’t know about you, but it seemed to go by in a flash. December is truly one of my favourite months for the closing and ending of a long year, and then BANG! January starts off in a flash.

Unfortunately, January can also lead into winter depression, anxiety, disappointment and blahs. That’s probably because it’s right after the rush of the holidays - you start to feel isolated, tired, cold and lonely, the kids are driving you to drink, the dissatisfaction of having to go back to work and overall doom and gloom.

The third Monday of the new year has been known to be called the most depressing day of the year. SPOILER: it’s not true. That is, if you don’t make it the worst day of the year.

But, it is different for everybody. As usual, I set my number one goal in mind for a brand new start of a healthy lifestyle, weight loss, less alcohol, more exercise…blah, blah, blah.

I have started writing down a list of what I would like to change and I don’t have much on it so far. Last January seemed like a pretty good start to understanding that I will not be returning to my full time job and focusing all my attention on Pure Music Garlic products.

I introduced a new product called Ranch Seasoning, I continuously wrote monthly for Hello Country Magazine, (although I’m always late), And I also worked through a whole garlic harvest and planting last year and thought, “oh my goodness, that’s hard work”, but so rewarding.

I also devoted all the time to work in the new commercial kitchen and started to ask for help when I truly needed it. That was very hard for me. There wasn’t much time to dance with Paul in the kitchen, but we sure did at all the Farmers Markets we attended.

I’m hoping there will be the fast pace of garlic festivals coming back in 2022 and spread out my wings to supply to more amazing local stores in Ontario. I enjoy my glass of wine or more when I deserve it and glad I have my health and well-being with my family and friends surrounding me. I should just say, “I’m truly thankful. As those who know our garlic family, we are also welcoming a new 20

PAUL & LORRAINE IRWIN son-in law into the fold and we couldn’t be happier.

Don’t promise to join a gym unless you want to and certainly don’t set impossibly high standards that aren’t obtainable.

Talk to your friends daily, and never pass up a soft, creamy butter tart that has been placed in front of you. Just breathe..

LORRAINE IRWIN Lorraine Irwin is a mother, a wife, a theatre buff and the owner of Pure Music Garlic Products. She makes all of her gourmet garlic products using Organic Garlic grown on their farm (Boars Rock Farm). Check out her ad on Page 7.

PURE MUSIC GARLIC PRODUCTS puremusicgarlic@gmail.com puremusicgarlic.com @puremusicgarlic (519) 942-5410 BOARS ROCK FARM 136407 Grey Road 12, Grey Highlands boarsrockfarm.ca @boarsrockfarm

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n teio cl el l c l o c o r c a l u r p a o l p u e p h o T The p

ite r u o v a f r u o y m o fr Graphic Artist...

month’s See this

7 on page 2

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a n o o s k c o t s n i Back 15 Main St. W., Markdale

WELLNESS A MODEL TO EVALUATE CHANGE Health and wellness is about personal change. Without the readiness to change, no tip, trick or article will help you achieve the level of health or wellness that you want. The underlying assumption here is that you are not at the level of health and/or wellness that you want to be at, so to get there, something must change. At the start of a new year, during a time when new starts and the interest to change are fresh in our collective minds, how can you make the change that you want seem less daunting and more achievable? I used to think that making changes and new habits was hard. I’m going to share with you the principles that you can evaluate the topic of change that you want and break it down simply so you can start moving and taking action.

The model of Logical Levels by George Bateson and Robert Dilts is a way to evaluate and breakdown the various factors that affect a particular change that you want to make. This model describes a hierarchy of six interrelated levels: 1. Purpose; 2. Identity; 3. Beliefs and Values; 4. Capabilities; 5. Behaviours; and 6. Environment. Changes on the higher levels almost always result in changes on the lower levels. Changes on the lower levels may affect the higher levels, but the magnitude of that effect is much smaller.

Starting at the level of Environment, this has the least amount of influence on the changes that we want to make, and also is the easiest to change; however, many people get stuck on this level.

Environment is everything external to yourself, including physical location, the people that you spend time with, and the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of others about you. One of the most common manifestations of getting stuck on this level is finding external reasons that a change does not stick. If the reason a change doesn’t happen is because of something external, then you are stuck on blaming your environment for the inability to achieve your goals.

Ask yourself “what can I change about my external environment to move me towards my goal?”

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JONATHAN NHAN Behaviours are often the focus of change through instilling new habits as a means to make changes stick. From a 2009 study in the European Journal of Social Psychology, it was found that it takes an average of 66 days for a new habit to become automatic. Focusing only on behaviour can be a large time investment and success requires consistency. Luckily, there are other factors that can make this change easier. Improving your Capabilities will help make behaviour change easier. It’s easier to do something if you understand the why, how, and what to do.

Now we have arrived at the level of Beliefs and Values. This is the level that is easiest to explore and can have the most impact, if you are able to look critically and let go of beliefs and values that hold you back. Henry Ford was quoted as saying “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t - you’re right”. When you find that you’re telling yourself that you can’t do something, ask yourself “How is this belief serving you?”. Look carefully at your limiting beliefs and examine how much (or how little!) truth they hold.

What about your Identity? There is the level of your identity that is core to your being, and yet on another level, there are labels that you apply to yourself and mistakenly use that label as your identity. Consider someone who says “I am a smoker”. Is being a “smoker” an identity?

Or is it a mislabeled shorthand description

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for someone who participates in the behaviour of smoking. If you consider yourself a “smoker”, then to continue being a smoker, you must smoke. This is an interesting example of having a behaviour define your identity, isn’t it?

Finally, your Purpose defines all that you do. This is not something that needs changing, but consider understanding your actions in the context of how it serves your higher purpose. When you understand the purpose that you hold, you can then consider how you can reframe your goals in a way that also

serves that purpose.

Consider the goal or resolution that you have set for yourself this year. Where does the perceived barrier to your goal lie on this hierarchy, and how can you utilize the higher levels of this hierarchy to make change quicker and more effective?

Find Jon at jnthn.ca

Jonathan Nhan Co-Founder, Curate and Upgrade

WELLNESS SETTING SMART GOALS FOR 2022 Happy New Year!!

Ever wonder why new years resolutions never seem to stick? Seriously, more than half of resolutions set prior to a new year eventually fail. Mostly because we make big plans without a specific set of actions or steps to follow to help us be successful.

Sure, it’s great to want to go to the gym more, or eat healthier, or quit smoking.

But how can we make sure these lifestyle changes last more than the first weeks of 2022?

The key is just that; look at it as a lifestyle change, not a resolution. Stick with a SMART goal. Make sure your plan is Specific, clear and concrete rather than vague and open ended. Set a Measurement. Whether it’s a timeline, or a tracking method, find a way to hold yourself accountable. Check in to see if your goal is Achievable. Are the parameters you are setting yourself realistic? Ask yourself, is your goal Relevant? Does it really matter to you, and will it be something you want to stick with, or are you choosing a goal based on the pressures or trends of others? Finally, consider the Timeline. Make sure you are giving yourself enough time to achieve your goals, and perhaps break things down into smaller, more manageable steps.

As we enter into a new year, I am eager

TALISA HASKINS to announce some changes that will be occurring within my practice. Stay tuned for the February edition of this publication to learn more. Wishing you a safe and healthy start to 2022..

Talisa Haskins Registered Psychotherapist www.talisahaskins.com 905.960.4876

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THE [re]CALL PROJECT PODCAST BILL HUTCHINSON I look up to Bill Hutchinson, and for good reason. Bill is a Grey County gentleman, and provides a solid example of how to be a good person and how to experience Life.

Bill was born 1 ¼ miles south of Flesherton on April 8, 1930, and vividly remembers baking bread and churning butter with his mother when he was 6 years old. Bill grew up in the Great Depression, but as he puts it, “We didn’t know that we were poor.” These memories come from a time of barter (not PayPal) so Bill and his Mother would hitch the horse to the buggy and trade cream, eggs, butter, bread and gingersnaps for sundries that they themselves couldn’t make. Bill remembers feeling “proud as punch” for helping his Mother.

toys, windmills and model airplanes when he was a boy. He also gives a clear view on the “rough and tumble” world of the country school back in his day.

The interview of course features cameos from the lovely Jean Hutchinson, Bill’s other half.

Bill’s voice alone is worth listening to on repeat. Hear 85 years of [re]collection, and about how he repaired the telephone lines in The Great Storm of ’47 that carried on for 3 days and 3 nights. On The [re]CALL Project. .

Robert Iantorno Host - The [re]CALL Project Podcast

Bill is a prolific farmer, John Deere collector and tinkerer, and shares his memories on making his own matchbox

CHAMBER LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF Business owners are notorious for maintaining an eagle-eye focus on expenses, revenues, sales activities, inventory levels, social media reviews…but only some look after themselves with the same degree of attention.

healthy. The Chambers Plan is a group plan not unlike the benefits plans offered by larger companies to their staff, whereby your premiums are lower because your expenses are being pooled with everyone else’s on the plan and balanced out.

For the most part, we have only one body.

We all know this, and yet we often have to lop off a limb before we’ll go to the doctor.

While I’d love to know why we prioritize our health behind so many other responsibilities, I know that’s a tough question and based on individualism. So instead, let me focus on a possible solution.

More than 30,000 small to midsize businesses choose the Chambers Plan to protect themselves and their employees with comprehensive group benefits including access to prescriptions, dentists, eye doctors, naturopaths, massage therapists, counsellors, and psychotherapists, making it Canada’s #1 employee benefits plan for small business.

The Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan, aka the Chambers Plan, has been protecting Canadian firms (including self-employed people) for over 40 years.

As the name suggests, it’s open to our Chamber’s Members.

By joining the Chambers Plan, you’re prioritizing your health, by removing one of the possible barriers to taking care of your health – the often unexpected and high costs associated with getting and becoming

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Reach out for more details to us at greyhighlandschamber@gmail.com MICHELLE PATEY

GREY HIGHLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 13 Toronto St S, Markdale greyhighlandschamber@gmail.com www.greyhighlandschamber.com 519-986-4612

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COVER STORY BURGER GURU’S DAVID SADOWSKI I couldn’t think of a better cover story for our annual Health & Wellness edition than to feature a community-driven raffle in support of the new Markdale Hospital.

There’s a lot in that sentence to unpack.

Let’s get started :) First, this raffle initiative was started by one person; David Sadowski. You may recognize that name from a story we featured a few months ago. Dave is the co-owner of Burger Guru - which will be opening soon in a permanent location, taking the space of The Restaurant on Highway 10 just south of Grey Road 4 in Flesherton.

Dave pounded the pavement across Grey Highlands for months asking local business owners for donations in order to raise funds for the new Markdale Hospital.

I actually heard about the raffle when I bumped into him at the loading docks behind the Huron Bay Co-Op in Markdale a while back. I was so impressed by his initiative that I offered up some space in the magazine to promote the raffle and agreed to donate some Tractor Toques from Grey County Apparel Company. It wasn’t until we were chatting about the raffle in the following weeks that I started to connect the dots on how big of an undertaking this was for Dave and how much work he was doing to help others in our community. It was then that I decided to make him, and the raffle, the cover story for our Health & Wellness edition.

A little bit about Dave Sadowski...

From what I can tell, and I’ve done some extensive research here, the man is a skilled chef. The Burger Guru became a go-to for Mama Country and I since it opened and right up until it closed - its temporary location, that is. Dave is also a humble man. He doesn’t strike me as egotistical in any way, even though he has reason to be simply based on the food he creates. He’s also a relatively new resident of Grey Highlands.

So what inspires someone who, at the best of times, is an extremely busy entrepreneur 26

to go out of his way to drum up donations in support of his local hospital?

“Well, I’ve always just liked to give as much as I can,” Dave explains. “So I originally thought of just raffling off a gift card for the Burger Guru to help raise some money for the hospital since I figured I could, so why not? Then I started thinking, why not start asking around? I feel everyone always talks about how good it was here back in the day. I started realizing this was because people gave back to their communities more. So I just feel that those with the power to make change should and that we make the community we want to live in. The new hospital will make a drastic change for the better in this community and I’d like to support it the best I can.”

Wow. The world needs more people like Dave Sadowski.

Also impressive is the extent of the generosity among our local business community here in Grey Highlands. The list of participating local businesses keeps growing, but at the time of publishing, it includes the following: • Susan’s Delicatessen: $50 Gift Card • Marilynne: $100 Gift Card • Goodfellas Pizza: 2 Large Pizzas + 6 Toppings ($25 value) • Elfwork Studios/Wareham Forge • The Bakery Flesherton: $75 Gift Basket • Highland Grounds: Two $25 Gift Card • Huron Bay Co-Op: Two $50 Gift Card • Steven’s Restaurant : $50 Gift Card • The Market Shoppe: $50 Gift Card • The Barrhead: $100 Gift Card • Bowlers BJJ: One Free Month + Uniform ($100 value) • Nicole Carter Massage Therapist: Free 60 minute Massage ($90 value) • Artemesia Cheese & Fine Foods: $25 Gift Card • Eco-Refillary: $25 Gift Card • Markdale Computers: $35 Mouse • Markdale Golf & Curling Club: 4 Person Golf Package ($150 value)

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GIVES BACK IN A BIG WAY

By: Papa Country

The Burger Guru’s DAVID SADOWSKI • Barkhouse Pet: $50 Gift Card • Peek Through My Window- $25 Gift Card • Markdale Flowers: $45 Gift Basket • Markdale Foodland $25 Gift Basket • Savvy: $150 Gift Card • Flesherton Home Hardware: $100 Home Appliance • Crossroads Cannabis: Five $85 Gift Baskets & $50 Gift Card • Barbara Pearn Art: Cardinal Painting ($85 value) • Carquest Markdale: $70 Gift Basket • Garage13: $70 Gift Card & $60 Painting • Higginson Farm: $50 Gift Card • RWB Farms: Meat Package with Ham Steaks, Peameal, Pork Chops & Sausage ($120 value) • Mullin’s Pet Store: $50 Gift Card • Allan’s Garage: Car Wash Kit ($30 value) • Markdale Chiropractic: $120 Gift Card • Relive Retreat: 1 free night ($230 value) • Markdale Vet: Gift Basket ($100 value) • Markdale LCBO: $25 Gift Card • Hair Garage: $75 Gift Basket • Ginne’s Groom Room: 2 Nail Clippings ($20 value) • IDA/Flesherton Pharmacy • Colton’s Garage: $50 Off Next Oil Change • Brilliant Bread: Two $25 Gift Cards • TimberMart: $30 Gift Basket ($30 value) • Bernard’s Quality Cars: $50 Gift Basket • Jolley’s Dairy Bar & Video: 10 Free Scoops ($40 value) • Peasemarsh Farm Catering: $150 Gift Card

• Sideroad Farms: Two $100 Gift Cards • Leela’s Villa Inn: 1 Free Night Stay ($80 value) • Nicol Insurance: $30 Gift Basket • Ideal Supply: $100 Gift Bag • Black Market Produce: $100 Gift Card • Kim’s Place: Two $25 Gift Cards • The Flying Chestnut: $100 Gift Certificate • Grist Mill Winery: A free Batch of Wine ($249 value) • Johnson & Schwass PC: $125 Gift Basket • Sparlings: $50 Gift Basket • Vie Taekwondo: $100 Gift Card • Mark Murakami: $50 Gift card for The Bakery, Flesherton • The Bicycle Café • Allison Electrical Services: Five 500ml Bottles of Maple Syrup • Grey County Apparel Company: 5 Tractor Toques ($175 value) The date for the raffle has yet to be set but you can find out more by checking out Burger Guru’s Facebook page: www. facebook.com/tburgerguru Kudos to Dave Sadowski of the Burger Guru for his hard work in spearheading this raffle and to all the local businesses throughout Grey Highlands and beyond for their donations and support of the new Markdale Hospital.

Maybe the “good ol’ days” are still ahead.

Find Burger Enlightenment at The Burger Guru’s new, permanent location is opening this month at 774107 HWY 10, Flesherton.

Now serving Breakfast.

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THE ARTS FLESHERTON CALLING I apologize up front for once again mining personal history this month instead of profiling a Flesherton area artist or cultural collaborator, but as some of you may know, I am working out of town until the end of December.

For this installment, I offer a story nearly a halfcentury in the making, one which not only shows the relationship between an artist and his work, but also illustrates the interconnectivity between artists. Just as writers are also readers, so artists influence, and are influenced by, their colleagues.

I lived in Victoria, B.C. through most of the ‘80’s, in the home of a couple who would become two of my dearest friends: John, an actor and children’s bookstore owner who performed in my first stage play, “Ties” and his vivacious wife Andrea, who was a curator at the provincial museum and her husband’s biggest fan. When Andrea was studying at Queen’s, she had occasion to correspond with Andrew Wyeth, the great American artist, and the Father of Contemporary Realism. Mr. Wyeth, hailing from a generation that responded to correspondence, sent her a handwritten reply. She framed the letter and encased the handwritten envelope on the back of the frame, and it hung unobtrusively in the house the whole time I lived there. Among the things Mr. Wyeth wrote in the letter was a discussion of his occasional encounter with the Canadian painter, Alex Colville. He expressed his great admiration for the Canadian’s work, and the favourable impression he had following their meeting.

When Andrea died in the late 1990’s, my friend John entrusted me with the letter as a suitable memento of my friendship with his wife. The letter hung in my home office in Ancaster and later in Priceville, where Mary-Jo and I moved in 2012. That year my sister, Mary Margaret Land (Curtis), herself an artist living in P.E.I, was in Ontario visiting family. Following a discussion of the letter, she mentioned she had heard that Alex Colville had recently suffered from a health setback, and then wondered if he was aware of the esteem in which he was held by Andrew Wyeth. She asked if she might borrow it, and when I agreed to give it to her, she vowed to make every effort to get it to the Canadian icon.

She took it as carry-on on the plane back to PEI. Some months later, she called to tell me that she made the journey from Charlottetown to

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KEVIN ARTHUR LAND Wolfville, Nova Scotia to have tea with Alex Colville and his wife, Rhoda. Despite his being a quiet humble man, upon his reading of the letter, Alex Colville was clearly moved, particularly when Wyeth referred to the artist’s “deep emotional involvement with his land, his people, and what he has to say about it.” Ever gracious, Alex complimented Mary Margaret on her painting, “Remembering Home”, which he liked. My sister will always remember the afternoon with the artist and his wife, as well as her role in bringing the words of Andrew Wyeth to him. Alex Colville died the following year.

This past summer, my guardianship of the letter came to an end. I returned to Victoria to visit my friend John and brought back the letter. It now hangs in the home of his son, Rory. Although I no longer possess the artifact which underwent such an unusual journey, I cannot look at an image created by the legendary great American artist, his Canadian colleague, or even my sister, for that matter, without recalling my wonderful friend, Andrea, and the peculiar circumstances by which we all came together.

Kevin Arthur Land is a playwright, screenwriter, arts educator, and the owner of Speaking Volumes Books and Audio in Flesherton.

SPEAKING VOLUMES BOOKS & AUDIO 12 Toronto Road, Flesherton kevinarthurland@gmail.com kevinarthurland.ca

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peaking SVOLUMES BOOKS & AUDIO

Currently we are closed .

Feel free to call Kevin to book a shopping appointment.

12 Toronto St., Flesherton, ON 905.719.8878 homeland@sympatico.ca

@speakingvolumesflesherton

MAGAZINE

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS THROUGHOUT GREY HIGHLANDS & BEYOND! Contact Roger Tumminieri hellocountrymagazine@gmail.com

www.hellocountry.ca

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