Perch: Issue 2

SITTING PRETTY & FEELING FINE IN ONTARIO’S EAST

Contents

3 T H E R E E L Concise capsules filled with regional goodness.

1 1 B R E A K I N G B E E R How a small science lab gets big results for

Ontario’s craft breweries. By Simon McLinden 1 4 D R E S S I N G W I T H I N T E N T I O N Build a conscious wardrobe—

one good for the environment and for our local non-profits.

By Lauren McGill

1 9 T H E G R E AT S AT U R D AY C Y C L E The sun is shining and the

bike path is calling. Hop on and take a ride! By Katie Verhoeven 2 2 T H E U N E X P E C T E D P A D R E A trailblazer shares her story.

By Chantal Tranchemontagne

2 6 T H E G R E E N R U S H Akwesasne’s budding economy is about to get a big boost. By Chantal Tranchemontagne 2 8 S U M M E R S I P P E R S A bevy of beverages to wet your whistle.

Coordinated by Sebastien Manigat 3 2 T H E P E R C H P U Z Z L E R Can you solve this summer’s great grid?

By Doug Taillon

COVER

: Flowe

r s an d s tyling b y R a ch e Framed lle Lam Photogr oureux, aphy. T Blooms HIS PAG | Photog E: Photo ra graphy

by Lee L phy by Jason M a do uc e c N am ar ur, Lado a, uceur P hoto.

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PERCH: DEUX

We launched the first issue of Perch on October 27, 2017. After an overwhelming and unexpected onslaught of positive feedback and local love, we decided to continue publishing and immediately began planning this issue.

The beauty (and the curse) of making magazines is that editors never turn off their idea machines. It is hard work that is both intoxicating and intimidating. On the harshest of winter days, our editorial team battled over story ideas and filled our days thinking about bike rides and bright fashion, ice cream and chip trucks, pools and patios.

We hope you find this summer issue celebrates where we live and why we love it. It has been a rollercoaster ride. Hop on.

Ch a n ta l P.S. Have feedback? Ideas? Secrets? Email us at perch@thinkbigcatch.com.

TH I S

I S S U E I S D E D I C AT E D T O

C H R I S TH O M P S O N ,

A M A N W H O E M B O D I E D A N D E N A B L E D C O M M U N I T Y, P A S S I O N A N D L O V E .

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chantal Tranchemontagne SENIOR EDITORS Lauren McGill, Katie Verhoeven DESIGNERS Micheline Tremblay, Studio deLuxe (print); Susan Marriner, Marriner Design (print); Lauren McGill (digital); Ryan Seale (digital) WWW.THINKBIGCATCH.COM/PERCH

Perch is published by Big Catch Communications Inc., 5 Third Street East, Cornwall, Ontario K6H 2C6.

All reproduction requests must be made to Copyright Access. ISSN: ISSN 2561-5912 (print), ISSN 25615920 (digital).

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CONTRIBUTORS Randi Barreiro, Paul Couture, Alycia Douglass, Laura Ellam, Taliah Fast, Astrid Goetze, Steff Groulx, Lee Ladouceur (Ladouceur Photo), Rachelle Lamoureux (Blooms), Sebastien Manigat, Simon McLinden, Jason McNamara (Framed Photography), Daniel Morin, Angele Ouimet, Steven J. Perry, Abbie Sergenese, Kent Shaver, Doug Taillon, Ang Waterton (Moment.us Photography) SPECIAL THANKS Quilles NativitĂŠ Bowl

The Reel Photo credit: Paul Couture

HUMANS | HIGHLIGHTS | HAPPENINGS

HUSTLE AND HEART

There’s a movement that pulses and paces in Cornwall and unless you’ve been swept up in it, you may not have noticed. It’s captivating our youth, spurring on activity and putting the city on the map. It’s our multisport culture.

Our geographic location and our people power are what makes this a perfect place for multisport activities. At every turn you’ll find the St. Lawrence River, endless on- and off-road cycling routes, and running and biking trails. Clubs, organizations, non-profit groups, Facebook groups and coaches are ready to help guide the intrepid to participate—and excel. (contInUED on P. 4)

3

LONG

Runners 2002

Another one of the area’s marquis happenings is

Countries Represented

3:09:11

WEEKS

Average training plan

903

Average training mileage

*The equivalent of running from Cornwall to just past Sault Ste. Marie!

Distances 1k 5k

44% SEX 56%

62

2:45:31

18 Start

737% INCREASE!

KMS

Race Records

event that now features a Boston-qualifying marathon. Race Director Phil Barnes shared some

603

2018

72

May You Run

The 2018 MS Run raised $30,000 for the MS Society!

10k

68,500

2019 Boston Qualifiers!

Total kms run by all runners in all events since 2002.

the earth!

21.1k

42.2k

H U S T L E A N D H E A R T (cont.)

The Cornwall Sea Lions Swim Club coaches youth and adults. The Cornwall Cycle Club offers something for everyone—from rider development to coffee rides to racing. (Sidenote: Their retro club jerseys are, in our opinion, reason enough to join.) The Cornwall Outdoor Club de plein air hosts yearround activities like hiking, paddling, and snowshoeing. And there’s the 165-member-strong Cornwall Multisport Club (CMC), an encouraging crew that focuses on training runners and triathletes.

Many CMC members volunteer for the ultra successful Cornwall Triathlon. This

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year marks the 15th anniversary for the two-day event, one of the most anticipated race weekends on the multisport calendar. It has sold out in the kids, sprint and olympic events for the past 2 years, and even features an entire day for kids’ races. Unique in its approach, the race features a closed inner-city course (rare in the triathlon world), as well as prize money (making the Cornwall Tri the only regional event that offers prize money other than pro purses for events owned by large racing bodies). This attracts a high level of competition featuring pros to the near-pros, according to Rob Allen, Race Director.

Guylaine Barnes, one of the top local performers at the triathlon, understands the factors that are contributing to the growing multisport culture in our area.

“The success of these events and clubs is a direct result of dedicated individuals who tirelessly give their time and energy,” she says. “Their work is what brings our community together with a shared vision.”

We salute the vision, the energy and the contagious nature of this multisport movement and its people. Harder!

Stronger! Better! Faster! Together.

—Katie Verhoeven

A F E W B I K E - R E L AT E D B I T S T H AT M A K E O U R M I N D S S P I N

IT’ S A (R ) E VOLUTI ON!

THE SENIOR CIRCUIT

ste rP res s

Last year, Winchester’s Dundas Manor bought a special rig from CWA so staff members could provide some pedal power for residents who wanted to take a ride in the summer. This year, the Cornwall Senior Friendly Community Committee has plans (pending funding approval) to establish their own local chapter to enhance the lives of local seniors.

The bespoke trishaws— think of a hybrid between a tricycle and a rickshaw— comes with an electric assist motor to help volunteers pedal up hills, a weather hood, and a rain/windproof blanket to keep seniors comfortable and warm. Each one accommodates up to two passengers.

ch e

In 2012, the Cycling Without Age (CWA) movement started in Copenhagen to help the elderly get out and about in their communities by offering free bike rides to local nursing home residents. The program has since spread to close to 35 countries in the world, including our own neck of the woods.

to Pho

Ride on!

: dit cre

in W

@cyclingwithoutage RIGHT ON TR ACK

Watch out for the latest racing series to land in the area.

Starting Monday, June 13 (and, weather permitting, every Monday until September), the Cornwall BMX Club will host races on their brand new track at 3260 Vincent Massey Drive.

(Locals will know the location as Floral Drive in Guindon Park.)

o ot Ph

cr

ed i

t:

Co r

nw all

BM X

Club

Dan Drouin, the club’s president and track operator has dreamt of hosting BMX Canada-sanctioned races in Cornwall since 2013.

A City of Cornwall employee

and BMX enthusiast, he worked tirelessly to make his dream come true, cobbling together volunteers, sponsors, funds and even a piece of land.

Until now, club members typically had to travel to race once or twice a week in Ottawa; they also attended special events in Nepean, Gananoque, Kingston, Milton, Gatineau and Coteau-du-Lac. But all that travel, and the trials and tribulations that go along with it, are a thing of the past. It’s now their time to shine at home. @CBMXClub

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Illustration: Daniel Morin

SOWING AND GROWING At first glance, Pitt Street Garden grows standard garden fare—tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, kale, chard, and broccoli. But on closer inspection, you can see this farm is anything but ordinary.

Its urban setup is located on a two-acre property in the north end of town and is quickly expanding into exotic choices like ground cherries, mouse melons, edible flowers, Siberian pea shrubs and hardy kiwi.

“The conventional way of growing food has a significant negative impact on the environment and the quality of our food,” says Daniel Morin, the owner. “Our goal is

GREENING THE SALON

to grow awesome vegetables and reverse the problems of current food production.

The more that I move to perennial plants, the more efficient the system is and the more resilient it becomes.”

With an eye on perennial production, intensely diversified fruit orchards are a central focus at the farm. Last year, Daniel installed more than 80 fruit trees and 80 fruiting shrubs at his farm including apples, plums, pears, paw-paws, seabuckthorns, currants and six varieties of berries.

Pitt Street Garden runs a Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA) food program

Two standout local salons are doing their part to keep things green. Fox n’ Jayne in Le Village and Oasis Hair and Day Spa in downtown Cornwall are both certified as Greencircle salons.

Subscribers to the program divert up to 95% of their salon waste away from the landfill.

Hair is collected and repurposed (used for oil spill cleanups!), while soiled foils, colour tubes, aerosols, gloves, excess hair colour, wax strips, nail polish bottles and more are recycled in an ecologically sustainable way.

—Lauren McGill

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and sells microgreens at Mindful Cookery and The Kinsmen Farmers’ Market.

This season, the farm will be opening its doors on Saturday mornings to willing helpers. Anyone looking to get their hands dirty and flex their gardening muscles who doesn’t have a garden or simply wants to learn more is welcome. Labourers will be rewarded with lunch and hands-on gardening education.—Lauren McGill

@pittstgarden

Fox n’ Jayne 415 Montreal Road, Cornwall @fnjayne415

Oasis Hair and Day Spa 217 Pitt St, Cornwall @oasishairanddayspa @oasishairdayspa

M A M A’ S G O N N A M A K E No one hustles more than a mother. We found four motivated mama makers who turned their hobbies and passions into adorable creations and businesses—all for the love of kids! —Laura Ellam

Spending time with her family is priority #1 for Fransiska Indromojo but she couldn’t resist launching Lampin Handmade.

This one-woman show produces the cutest hair clips and headbands for little girls. Lampin has been elevating manes for little girls since September 2017. @lampinhandmade

As a stay-at-home mom with four adorable rugrats, Adele Overbury turned her passion for sewing and embroidery into a SouthGlengarry-based small business, Sassy Stitches. Specialities include customized shirts, cake smash outfits, tutus, quilts, cubbies and stuffies.

SPOTLIGHT

@SassyStitches31

THE QUEEN B Last summer, Cornwall native Brandon Mac—a.k.a.

Misty Mac—took to the runway for the Vogue Battle Eleganza competition and sashayed away with the title of Miss Capital Pride 2017. He followed up his winning walk with a performance at Pride Prom, an event for Ottawa teens who weren’t comfortable attending their own high school proms.

More recently, the 24-year-old hairstylist at Shorteez Urban Hair Shop participated in Drag Queen Story Time, a family event organized by Diversity/Diversité Cornwall. It was the first event of its kind for the Cornwall Public Library featuring children’s book readings; themed crafts and games; and a lip sync act

by Misty Mac herself.

Because dragging helps him pay the rent, express himself and have fun, Brandon plans on continuing to deliver the goods in Cornwall and beyond.

We look forward to seeing more from this queen. Go on with your big wild self, Brandon!—Angele Ouimet @mistymac_

In 2016, Rachelle Shaver launched Audin Roy Boutique, focusing on creating finger puppets, masks and any items that encourage play and creativity. Her three- and sixyear-old kids let her know what tykes like and put all the prototypes through extensive durability testing! @AudinRoyBoutique

Maude Beaucaire didn’t discover her passion for sewing until after her son was born. She turned her “me time” into Peak a Boo in July 2017. Maude and her mom specialize in creating bibdanas, bow headbands, teething blankets beanies, and so much more. @PeekaBooCornwall

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Image credit: Lindy Martin

COUNT Y C R AV I N G S

Pickled Wieners: This Dragon’s Den candidate makes ‘em mild, medium, hot and wicked! Curiously delicious.

Available at 50 stores in our region.

Check your local convenience or grocery store, MacEwens, Home Hardware or Foodland. $16.99/jar Krazy Dan’s Pickled Products, Lunenburg @krazydans

stonecropacres.ca

thebrinecellar.ca

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Image credit: The Brine Cellar

@zengarryveg

Coco-Berry Fuzz: A summer seasonal smoothie made using in-season strawberries from Just Farms (an Alexandria berry farm), Niagara peaches, plus cranberries, hemp seeds, bee pollen, lemon juice, vanilla and coconut milk. $6.95/20 oz

Image credit: Anick Bauer Design

Image credit: Fauxmagerie Zengarry

Fauxmagerie Zengarry, Alexandria

@cupofjos

Stone Crop Acres Vineyard and Winery, Morrisburg

Aged Cumin Cashew Cheese: An aged, vegan, cashew-based cheese with a rich exotic finish.

We love their cumin seed version!

Check their website for your closest retailer. $10-$12/round

The Brine Cellar, North Lancaster

Cup of Jo’s, Winchester

Frontenac Gris + Riesling (2016): Frontenac Gris, the locally grown grape, blended with Riesling from the Niagara Region. Makes for a perfect summer white (available year round). $14/750 ml

We took a tour around the counties and found it to be quite tasty!

Here’s what we s ank our teeth into.

— Kati e Ve rh o eve n

Kimchi: Delicious umami and bold flavours. Authentic Korean pepper gives it not only a brilliant fiery orange colour but also a little heat too. Look out for the newly released vegan version! $7.50/227g | $14/454g

Summer Strawberry dessert: Jo concocts a rotating menu of strawberry desserts while the berries are in season. Pop in to see her latest delicious creation. $3.50/slice

The Quirky Carrot, Alexandria

@thequirkycarrot Butter Tarts: Baked with love and lard, says the tagline. Just like granny used to make! $18/dozen.

Available at Henderson’s Grocery, Lancaster and Rurban Brewing, Cornwall Pâtisserie Sweet Tooth Bakery, Lancaster @SweetToothBakeryLancaster

MEE T THE AUTHOR

W E N TA N O R O N R O U N D P O I N T

BY R ANDI BARREIRO

She possesses a spark that might ignite at any moment.

Wentanoron Ariana Roundpoint, a grade 12 student at CCVS, is co-author of Sila and the Land. The book shares Indigenous teachings through the story of a young Inuk girl who travels the four directions meeting plants, animals and elements. Sila learns her responsibility of carrying the knowledge of her ancestors to protect the land for future generations.

Wentanoron’s writing journey began a few years ago when she found a mentor in master’s student Lindsay DuPré at an Indigenous youth gathering in Toronto.

The pair kept in touch and later became involved with TakingITGlobal, a Toronto-based organization that empowers youth to understand and act on the world’s greatest challenges. Inspired by Wentanoron’s passion for literacy and cultural revitalization, Lindsay pitched her the opportunity to produce a book along with a fellow student, Shelby Angalik of Nunavut. Wentanoron leapt at the chance to “show the abilities of the new generation” and to demonstrate “their voices can rattle the stars.”

Sila Land and the

by Shelby Angalik, Ariana Roundpoint and Lindsay DuPré Illustrated by Halie Finney

The young women embarked on a challenging longdistance process, working face-to-face only once. To create Sila, the trio asked First Nations, Métis and Inuit peers about their land teachings and living with a changing climate. For Wentanoron, it was important to gather their stories. “They have an awareness of what’s happening in their communities,” says the wise-buthumble 18 year old. “I wanted to show the truth of what their homes are really like.”

Wentanoron plans to enjoy her big Akwesasne family this summer before heading to Trent University to major in English Literature. She hopes to someday spark students’ imaginations like the Robin William’s character in Dead Poets Society. We’ll keep the fire extinguisher handy.

Buy your copy of Sila and the Land at amazon.ca.

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TUNED IN Since 2016, Glenn Hill Jr. has hand built 25 guitars under the Sonny Boy Guitars brand; he has two or three more planned for 2018. The 38-year-old guitar craftsman from Akwesasne uses his talent, steadfast passion, and 40 to 60 hours of labour to transform blocks of wood into a one-of-a-kind instruments.

There are no shortcuts in his process. No kits. No plywood. No automated machining. He carves by hand, fashions the wood or pearl inlay himself, and hand rubs an oil finish on each piece he creates. The price tag for every guitar is a reflection of this.

His latest one rang in at close to $6,000. But this craftsman and musician—he’s lead guitarist for the Side Piece Blues Band—, is not in it for the dollars.

“I build for tone, playability and the satisfaction of knowing there is one less crappy guitar in the world.” @SonnyBoyGuitars

DO GOODERS

A quick look at some impressive philanthropic figures in our midsts.

@sonnyboy_guitars

Isabelle Paquette is a pint-sized fundraising powerhouse who recently completed her third year of fundraising for the Children’s Treatment Centre. In Year One, she raised $1,000. Last year, the Grade 3 Long Sault Public School student baked cupcakes and exchanged them for donations amounting to a whopping $2,321. For 2018, she upped her fundraising goal to $3,000.

Mohawk Chief Troy Thompson runs on adrenaline, strong training and good deeds. While he ramps up his training for his third marathon, the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon, the 42 year old is looking to help curb childhood obesity by raising funds for Iakwa’shatste Youth Fitness, an Akwesasne organization that encourages youth to stay active.

Kelly Bergeron, best known for her work with Cornwall Innovation Centre and Canada Learning Code, took her boundless energy and poured some of it into a TimeraiserX Cornwall event. On June 7, 2018 at Cailuan Gallery, this party for social good starts off by showcasing the work of emerging local artists. Partygoers bid on the works, not with their pocketbooks, but with volunteer hours donated to local non-profit organizations.

TA S T Y P R O G R E S S Remember Mark Currier—wild foods forager, talented chef and comeback kid— from our first issue? We’re chuffed to see him harnessing his creativity and talent to launch Farm and Forest Food Experience, a 24-foot food trailer in Legion Park. Congratulations, Mark. We look forward to sinking our teeth into every single seasonal item you produce including your duck confit pogos and the only poutine in town with gravy made from scratch. @FarmandForestFoodExperience @farmandforest1 10

BREAKING BEER How a small science lab gets big results for Ontario craft brewers.

BY SIMON MCLINDEN | IMAGES

BY ANG WATERTON Let’s play a game. I say: “Beer.” You say: ”Cold.” “Delicious.” “Friday.”

Or, maybe, “Hangover.” Totally acceptable answers. When I play the game with Louis Savard of River Labs, he has different answers.

“Quality assurance.” “Test tube.”

“Wastewater management.” And “Spectrophotometer.”

Louis is the Program Leader at Cornwall’s River Labs, a division of our beloved not-for-profit River Institute (RI). While most people in town are familiar with the work of the RI, they may not be aware of their commercial offshoot that offers technical services, environmental monitoring, applied research and...wait for it… Brewery Services.

A diehard beer lover and homebrewer, Louis came up with the idea for the brewery services divisions four years ago.

“It all started when I wanted to test my own beer,” says Louis. “Then I got to wondering: Could I offer this service to other small breweries in Ontario?”

The answer was decisive: yes. River Labs has since been certified by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation and the American Society of Beer Chemists. By

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collaborating with the Ontario Craft Brewers organization and building a team of four technicians, Louis has developed the Brewery Services division into a full-fledged operation.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS The space where all the magic happens is full of cool paraphernalia like test tubes and machines that would, as I imagine it, fit right in at a Ghostbusters lab.

“That Funke Gerber Fermento Flash machine is worth about ten thousand dollars,” Louis says of the apparatus that “measures alcohol, extract and density, and also determines wort, apparent extract, and osmotic pressure” according to the manufacturer’s website. (Full disclosure: I’m not 100% sure what that means, but I’m guessing it’s essential for making tasty beer.)

And yet, there’s a less sterile feel to it thanks to the two old, white beer fridges that look like they belong in a basement or like the fridge that your grandma gave you when you went to college. I wasn’t allowed to take a picture of the inside of the fridge—the contents are, apparently, top secret.

CRAFTING BEER FOR THE MARKET Brewers need River Labs’ services because the outfit ensures the beer is up to permissible standards. This is a critical step in getting their product to market.

“Brewers have a pretty good idea of what goes into their beers,” says Louis. “But the LCBO has a strict process before beers can make it into the store. The margin of error is less than one percent for certain things.

We can make sure the product is within those margins.”

Because the LCBO represents one of the fastest growing retail segments when it comes to beer—with a rate 12

of 20 to 30 per cent per year—it’s essential that breweries position themselves for success right off the hop.

“There’s been huge growth in craft beer!” says Dr. Dirk Bendiak, the technical advisor to Ontario Craft Brewers.

Craft beer in Ontario now represents approximately 8 to 10% of beer in provincial liquor and beer stores, and up to a whopping 20% in some of the grocery chains.

RiverLabs is equipped to test almost anything beer related, including most things you see on cans of beer. Things like alcohol by volume, or ABV? They can test for that. International bitter units, or IBU? Check. Shelf Life Analysis? You betcha. Chill haze? No problem. Beyond the basics, River Labs take beer on a journey to the edges of scientific and microbiological testing. They are equipped to help breweries fight the good fight against Lactobacillus(!) Pediococcus(!) and Wild Yeast(!), all spoiling organisms that make beer bad.

THE WATER SOLUTION As if all the testing and support to breweries wasn’t enough, River Labs also works to improve water quality— for H20 going into the beer and H20 coming out of the beer-making process.

“Good water makes good beer” is a favourite tagline of River Labs and if you attended the River Institutes’ most recent Science and Nature on Tap speaker series event, you would have heard Louis talk all about it. The lab offers water analysis for the many things that can impact final flavour, including nitrates and sulfates; metals such as magnesium and manganese; and water hardness.

beer-making process. Making barley pop is a water-intensive process.

Breweries can produce as much as 12 litres of wastewater per litre of beer. “It’s not sexy and it’s not fun, but 70% of a brewer’s job is cleaning,” explains Dr. Dirk. This means that most water leaving a brewery isn’t in a bottle or a can but most likely exiting through a sewer. RiverLabs works with breweries to ensure that water entering the sewer system is the best possible product by identifying and reducing wastewater pollutants like phosphorus, nitrogen and suspended solids.

MAKING HOUSE CALLS For the more intrepid brew houses in the province, River Labs can help brewers set up on-site labs, offer training to employees, and establish a proper quality assurance and control program.

“A lot of people don’t understand the risks associated with getting into bigger operations,” Dr. Dirk says.

“People like Louis are instrumental in ensuring brewers have the skillset to test products effectively or, to take testing off their hand.”

“What we hear from the brewers is ‘We want to do this but we can’t.’

So we provide critical consulting experience,” Louis explains.

Today, this hometown lab works with more than 40 Ontario craft breweries (which represents about 15% of the craft brewers in Ontario) including local faves Beau’s, Cassel Brewery, Tuque de Broue and the new kid on the block, Ingleside’s Humble Beginnings Brewing Co. Next time you pour yourself a Lugtread (Beau’s) or a Fourth and Oak Oatmeal Stout (Humble Beginnings), raise your glass to RiverLabs who made it all possible.

CHEERS

“On-site training, practical assistance and ongoing mentoring helped us build an internal lab at Split Rail and we are deeply appreciative of guidance and support from River Labs.” —Andrea Smith, Co-Founder, Split Rail Brewing Company, Gore Bay

“After working with Louis and his team at River Labs we’ve been able to establish our quality control lab and keep our quality on point.” —Mario Bourgeois, Founder, Cassel Brewery, Casselman

“Having a lab check for beer spoilage organisms is important for small breweries like ours.”

—Mark Campbell, QA & QC Officer, Lake of Bays Brewing Co., Baysville

“River Labs has been a great partner from day one, and are very responsive to the needs of craft breweries. It’s a relationship that helps us reach our goal of providing great craft beer to SDG and beyond.”

—Pierre Doucette, Co-Owner, Humble Beginnings Brewing Co., Ingleside

Louis places equal importance on the wastewater produced from the 13

C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R

S T Y L E C O N S U LT A N T

HAIRSTYLIST

S E T A S S I S TA N T

PHOTOGR APHER

MAKEUP ARTIST

Lauren McGill

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Katie Verhoeven

Kent Shaver

Jason McNamara

Astrid Goetze Kent Shaver

DRESSING WITH INTENTION

Local thrift shops like Baldwin House’s Serendipity Boutique and the Agapé Centre’s New For You shop are making it possible for us all to look good and give back to the community, too.

These two darlings on the local secondhand scene stock their racks with high-style and low-priced gems, from distressed denim to designer handbags, wedding dresses to winter parkas, leather jackets to lace skirts and every accessory in between.

They work hard to leverage the power of generous donors, impeccable organization, dedicated volunteers and some social media savvy to convert once non-thrifting shoppers into regular customers.

Customers with an eagle eye, a taste for quality, and a finger on the pulse on the latest trends visit often to scope out and scoop up the latest items. In the process, buyers are generating revenue for charitable services.

The creative team at Perch dropped in at these two stores, ransacked their racks and curated outfits that reflect their unique vision of summer fashion.

Steff dress $5, Serendipity; belt $2, Agape; shoes $4, Serendipity; earrings $3, Serendipity; bags $3ea, Serendipity.

Flip through the following pages to see how three fashionable females rocked sustainable style.

MODELS

Alycia Douglass Steff Groulx Abbie Sergenese 15

Steff jeans $6, Agape; t-shirt $4, Agape; vest $3, Agape; shoes $4, Serendipity; belt $2, Serendipity; earrings $3, Serendipity; broach $3, Serendipity; bag $5, Agape.

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lycia A pants $3, Serendipity; t-shirt $3, Serendipity; sandals $4, Serendipity; necklaces $3 ea, Agape; bag $5, Agape.

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lycia A 18

skirt $3, Serendipity; shirt $3, Serendipity; sandals $5, Agape; necklace $3, Agape; bag $3, Serendipity.

bbie A

pants $6, Agape; shirt $3, Serendipity; sandals $4, Serendipity; bag $3, Serendipity.

THE GREAT

Saturday CYCLE

BY KATIE VERHOEVEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY TALIAH FAST 19

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Off-road cycling: The Great Waterway cycling path On-road cycling: Bike lane

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THE CALL TO ADVENTURE This slow-travel cycling tour will take you on a 40-kilometre out-and-back journey from Cornwall to Long Sault, with a basketful of cool stops in between.

Start your day in downtown Cornwall by fuelling up at one of the drool-worthy eateries. Choose from greasy spoon Spinners Diner (118 Pitt St.), health-conscious Mindful Cookery (110 Pitt St.) or hearty Love Love Food (109 Pitt St.). With a full tummy, head toward the sparkling shores of the St. Lawrence river and onto the Waterfront Trail. (Psst! If you’re an out-of-towner here on a quick day trip, pick-up a free map and free Cornwall Run/Cycle Pass at the Visitor Centre (160 Water St. W.) that gives you après-adventure access to shower facilities at the Aquatic Centre.) Keeping the river on your left, start off on your ride. At the end of the canal, you’ll find the St. Lawrence Power Development Visitor Centre (2500B Second St. W.). This cool, LEED-certified building (read: enviro-friendly design) has informative tours and 13,000 square feet of fun, educational activities (like chasing a virtual eel up a ladder)! You’ll know it’s time to move on when you get that mid-morning twinge of hunger. Hop back on that bike and ride to the one and only Archie’s (1719 Vincent Massey Dr.) for scoops of your favourite ice cream flavours and maybe even a round or two of mini-putt.

Sugar high in full effect, get back on the main path and head to the Lost Villages Museum (16361 Fran Laflamme Dr., Long Sault), a collection of ten heritage buildings that were all saved in the late 1950s when communities were flooded for the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway. By now, the midday sun is on full blast and you’re probably hungry and thirsty! Bike a little further to find Nautica Grill & Wine (15968 County Rd. 2, Long Sault) featuring one of the best patio views around.

Arrive prepared: this restaurant is bring your own wine with a corkage fee of only $3! Sated and watered, travel on to the beach. Fancy a jaunt on a paddleboard or kayak? Mike and Jenny’s Paddle Fit (15890 Long Sault Pkwy., Mille Roches Island, Long Sault) can rent you the gear. If you’re more into relaxing, soak up more sun with a little laydown in the sand and your feet in the water. After reaching maximum contentment, peel yourself off the beach and ride back to the city at your leisure.

GOOD TO KNOW GRAB YOUR RIDE Bike rentals are available at two local bike shops: Total Cyclery & Sports (241 Pitt St.) and Bicycle World (150 Pitt St.).

STAY THE NIGHT Bed down at one of Ontario’s oldest and cyclist-friendly inns, Chesley’s Inn Bed & Breakfast (40 First St. W.) FILL ‘ER UP Three of our fave downtown refuelling stations.

Esca Gourmet Pizza + Bar (317 Pitt St.), Truffles Burger Bar (155 Pitt St.) and Schnitzel’s European Flavours (158 Pitt St.) 21

22

THE UNEXPECTED PADRE

BY CHANTAL TRANCHEMONTAGNE PORTRAIT BY STEVEN J. PERRY Barbara Helms has lived a full life. She completed two master’s degrees, converted to Islam, raised kids, launched a school, worked with the Cornwall Interfaith Partnership and mounted a private counselling practice. And that was all before 2017.

Last year, Barbara Helms, a 52-year-old Cornwall resident, added three new and notable lines to her LinkedIn profile: Muslim Chaplain for the Ottawa Muslim Association; candidate for the Doctor of Ministry, Muslim Chaplaincy program at the University of Toronto; and most notably, (female) Muslim Chaplain for the Canadian Armed Forces, serving with the 30th Field Artillery Regiment, 33 Canadian Brigade Group, 4th Canadian Division.

All three were firsts in Canada.

In her own words, Barbara shares how she has pieced together this remarkably layered and laudable life.

23

STARTING OUT

Anglican minister. For me it wasn’t so much a religious calling. It was more like a career selection. I liked the idea of doing something that involved spirituality and had a connection with social service. Plus, I liked the church music. [chuckle]

“I was born in Regina, Saskatchewan in the early 1960s. My parents were both American and both classical musicians. They taught music. We moved back to the US when I was quite young. First, we went to Georgia, then Pennsylvania and then Alabama and finally settled in Princeton, New Jersey. I did all MY ROLE AS A of my schooling, CHAPLAIN IS A kindergarten CULMINATION OF through high school, in MY LIFE’S WORK, Princeton.

SHIFTING THE FOCUS

I finished my degree but by then had lost focus of entering the Anglican ministry.

This took me on EXPERIENCE a wider search. I AND PERSONAL I went to Hamilton had already met College which was and married my JOURNEY. I HAVE a pretty preppy husband and that’s A RESPONSIBLITY liberal arts college when I found Islam.

IN A DEVELOPING in New York State.

[It was 1987.] This Their claim to fame discovery came as FIELD BUT MORE was that they had a surprise to me. It IMPORTANTLY, I AM rejected Brooke answered a spiritual Shields from calling. For me, the CALLED TO RESPECT admission. She basic theological THE PEOPLE WHO I went to Princeton perspective of Islam HAVE BEEN CALLED TO instead. I had a love corresponds to hate relationship good human sense SERVE. THIS KEEPS ME with academics. On and common sense.

GROUNDED. one hand, I really There’s a room for liked the intellectual your own thinking work. I found that and discernment. exciting. I liked There’s room for to think and reflect and learn. I still guidance. There’s room for integrity do. But you know, the idea was that and for compassion. you learned how to argue and make footnotes in arguments. I questioned I think you can find truth and balance how that was leading to truth. I was any place you look. I respect my on an existential quest but wasn’t colleagues of other religions. They really getting the answers I wanted. I certainly can make a good argument stayed at Hamilton for a year and then for their choices. But at the time, decided to make a new plan.

Islam is what connected to me and what I connected to. It was an Up until that point, being born in informed choice.

Canada was an exotic detail. But I thought “OK, why don’t I look at the universities in Canada?” I got REALITY CHECK to McGill University in 1982 and started studying comparative religion.

I went back to graduate school to do I thought I was going to become an a master’s in Islamic studies and was

24

doing the coursework for a doctorate.

But I was trying to balance many realities—being a student, a devout Muslim and also a mother. At that point, I was raising five children—one stepson and four biological children.

We moved to Cornwall in 1993, and for the first year we lived here, I was still commuting to Montreal. I would get on the train with my breastfeeding infant, take my doctorate courses and take the train back. That didn’t last long for obvious reasons. That’s when I got started homeschooling my children. But then, people in the community starting asked me to tutor their kids. There was a bit of an education gap, particularly for Muslim girls. The demand for all-girls schooling grew, so in 2001, we founded the Dar-ul-Ihsan Muslim School. We opened it on September 10, 2001. Then everything changed.

We closed for a few days because of the horrific tragedy on 9/11. There was an immediate shift in the perceptions of Muslim people and also in our experience of being Muslim. That has informed how I have grown over time. I feel that I have to be present and show a willingness to cooperate toward a common good. If people don’t like me and close the conversation because I am a Muslim, well that’s too bad. They don’t know me.

MOVING ON Running the school was a really cool learning experience for me because it was small enough [less than 15 students at any one time] that I could be involved in all the tasks. But I realized that all we had was vision and enthusiasm. We didn’t have the structural support. I went for about two years without getting paid before saying, ‘This isn’t working’.

I knew I had to retrain in something that didn’t require me to relocate to

So, I applied to the Canadian Armed Forces as a chaplain. The process took about two years to get through because, let’s be honest, when it came to my case, everything was some kind of exception. Obviously I’m not ordained nor do I have a master’s in theology or pastoral care training.

But when you put together all my work and my studies, there is an equivalency there. I sure didn’t make it easy on them! It’s really hard to find

IN THE WORK I DO, THERE IS LOTS OF DRUDGERY. SOMETIMES IT’S NOT SO INTERESTING. BUT THERE’S ALWAYS A CHANCE FOR REAL CONNECTION AND TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE. AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES THIS WORK SO FULFILLING.

somebody who can check off all the required boxes for the role of Muslim chaplain. Chaplaincy is new in the Muslim community, even though there are many who have been fulfilling the role without holding the title.

© All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of DND/CAF, 2018.

a larger city. I found a Master’s in Counselling Psychology at Athabasca University. I had to go to Calgary for a number of face-to-face trainings but was able to do most of my courses online. I did my placement at St. Lawrence College here at home. That led me to part-time employment with Integrative Counselling Services and to taking private counselling clients.

But I needed more than that.

WHAT IT MEANS

THE BIGGER PICTURE

For me, a chaplain is someone who has grounding in a religious tradition that has also been hired by an institution. So, a chaplain is usually found in the context of a prison, hospital, university, or in my case, the military.

Being a chaplain for the Canadian Armed Forces is completely new territory for everyone and was born out of my 30-year life journey. It’s likely that I will have a very short time in the military because I may be forced to retire within four or five years. The Armed Forces may give me another term but let’s just say my time is limited.

The focus of my job is not on educating people towards the tenets of any particular faith. It’s meeting them where they are. There are only two Muslim soldiers in my unit. So it’s unlikely I will be called to do anything specifically Islamic like read verses or perform any kind of ceremony though that certainly is a possibility.

I am there to give anyone who is in distress—Muslim or not—space for human conversation.

Basically, I have a job to do. Because of the headscarf, yes, I am visibly different. But in so many other ways, I am not different. I think that cooperating towards a common purpose and dealing with each other as decent human beings and showing respect and care—that’s what’s important.

The point is, we’re breaking ground and trying to find a path that needs to exist for the future. The military has stated in public documents that they are aiming for greater diversity in all roles, including 25 per cent of positions filled by women. I’m in a unique position to be able to help create and define these kinds of roles.

I think that’s kind of cool.

NEXT STEPS I’m grateful for the things I’ve been able to achieve so far but my work is not done yet. All my milestones become starting points for the next challenge.

I feel that I’ve been presented all sorts of opportunities and there are more to come, I’m sure. I just have to keep going and see where they lead me!

25

The Green Rush

Akwesasne’s budding economy is ready to bloom thanks to a new medicinal marijuana operation.

BY CHANTAL TRANCHEMONTAGNE

There’s a concerto of construction happening here. Drills whining, saws whirring, impact hammers pounding, steel-toed work boots stomping. To the average person, it might look like a regular warehouse in the process of being retrofitted. To Lewis Mitchell, it’s the future of Akwesasne.

The close to 50,000-square-foot space on Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island) was once the bottling plant for Iroquois Water. Today, it is poised to become the site of one of—if not the first—majority Indigenous-owned and -operated medical marijuana facilities in Canada.

Lewis, an affable 61-year-old, previously served as Chief of Police for the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service for 13 years. Today, he is President of the Seven Leaf medical marijuana production company.

“Akwesasne has always been regarded as a leader among First Nations,” he says. “We’re working hard to build on that.”

1922

MEDICAL MARIJUANA: A TIMELINE

26

Canadian pioneering feminist Emily Murphy published “Black Candle” arguing that marijuana turns users into raving maniacs.

1923

Cannabis becomes a controlled substance in Canada.

Lewis and his executive team— Lorraine White, a local law firm owner and former Chief of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and Michael ‘Gus’ Pyke, a veteran pharmacist—have been talking about and navigating the waters for becoming a licensed medical marijuana producer for the past five years, something he still laughs about.

“We thought getting licensed would take eighteen months from the time we applied,” he says. “It’s been challenging but I can’t really complain.

It’s been an adventure and I’m okay with that. There aren’t too many people, especially those in First Nations communities, who have been down this path.”

In fact, there are very few companies—Indigenous or otherwise—who have received commercial licenses to produce medical marijuana in Canada. At press time, there were 104 approved and operating. Two hundred applicants, await approval, Seven Leaf included.

2000

The courts rule that Canadians have a constitutional right to use cannabis as medicine.

2001

The Canadian Medical Marijuana Access Regulation (MMAR) grants legal access to cannabis for medical patients to grow their own.

Despite the difficult regulatory road to growing and selling medical marijuana, producers are hungry to get in on the action. Health Canada forecasts that the number of registered medical marijuana clients in Canada will more than triple in the next two years.

Currently, the medicinal marijuana industry brings in about $600 million in Canada; it’s estimated that it will balloon to $1.1 billion dollars by 2020.

For Lewis, these statistics point to nothing but opportunity.

“We’re planning on hiring a total of 60 to 70 people and projecting a $70-million injection into our community. That’s huge for us,” says Lewis. “We also know that Seven Leaf will need lots of local services and this could create more businesses, new jobs and more opportunities than what currently exist. I’m excited for that.”

It’s clear Seven Leaf will have great economic impact on Akwesasne but for Lewis, the project can provide so much more.

“We know of other first Nations who have partnered with other pharmaceutical companies but we wanted to do this on our own. I feel great pride in Seven Leaf being Mohawk owned, Mohawk operated and Mohawk directed.”

“Over the years, different leaders have talked about bringing different industry to Akwesasne. They always look to the outside to get companies to come here. In my lifetime, that hasn’t really happened. So we have to do this

2013

Under the new Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulation (MMPR), Canadians cannot growing their own. Large-scale operations are now permitted.

2014

Seven Leaf files their application with Health Canada.

ourselves and show our youth that we can build our future.”

Building Seven Leaf from the inside out has not been an easy task, Lewis admits. The initial application to Health Canada was 600 pages long and the regulatory body requires detailed reports on every detail from humidity levels and air pressure in the growing rooms to the paint used on the walls to the number of security cameras looking in and out of the facility. And with constant changes to regulations for medical marijuana production, there is always more paperwork and more questions to answer. So far, there has been a $8-million-dollar investment made for everything from consultants to the buildout of the facility.

For Lewis, no amount of hardship or pushback deterred him from seeing the process through to the end.

“We’ve put way too much into this to let go now. We’ve done everything we can to meet or exceed Health Canada standards, to educate our community and our Council, to collaborate with our partners. We’ve been transparent every step of the way.”

In late April, Health Canada contacted Seven Leaf and requested their Confirmation of Readiness, a step that requires the company to provide video proof that the facility meets requirements. If all goes well, they will be issued a License to Produce and eventually a License to Sell. According to their application, Seven Leaf will harvest and bring 8,400 kilograms of

2016

The Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulation (ACMPR) comes into effect which adds allowances for personal cultivation.

2017

medical marijuana to market.

This spring, the company started recruiting for 20 positions. The Mohawk-first hiring policy ensures community members will play a vital role in the success of this homegrown enterprise.

“In Mohawk culture, we always try to look at how our decisions affect seven generations beyond us,” Lewis explains. “With the Seven Leaf name, we wanted to hint that we are conscious of this.”

“I’ve spent most of my adult life protecting this community. I’d never bring anything here that would harm it. This is all about positive impact.”

Health Canada confirms that Seven Leaf is in Active Review, the final stage of the ACMPR application process.

2018

Seven Leaf submits confirmation of readiness. Staff is hired. License to Grow and License to Sell is expected.

27

e n i h s n Su ers Sipp

COORDINATED BY SEBASTIEN MANIGAT

When it’s time for sunny sips, most of us head to a patio to soak up the rays and cradle a cocktail. What if your favourite patio happens to be the one in your own backyard? Easy peasy—we’ve snagged three refreshing cocktail recipes from drink connoisseurs who know how to shake, mix, and stir their way through summer.

28

“ W H E N I I M A G I N E T H E P E R F E C T E L I X I R F O R A N I N T I M AT E E V E N I N G , I T H I N K O F S O M E T H I N G B O L D A N D S E X Y. T H I S I S A S U P E R F R E S H T WIST ON THE CL A SSIC MARTINI, PERFEC T FOR GE T TING TO K N O W S O M E B O D Y. ” —KRYSTEN MELDRUM, EIGHT ZERO ZERO

SUMMER LOVE [ Makes 2 servings ] 8 CUCUMBER SLICES 3 OZ TITO’ S VODK A 1 OZ TRIPLE SEC 4 O Z WAT E R M E L O N J U I C E F R E S H M I N T L E AV E S WAT E R M E L O N C U B E S

In a shaker, muddle cucumber slices; add vodka, triple sec, and watermelon juice; top with ice. Give it a good shake. Garnish with mint and watermelon.

29

“ W H E N I ’ M H O S T I N G M Y F R I E N D S A N D F A M I LY, I L O O K F O R S O M E T H I N G T H AT ’ S E A S Y A N D F U L L O F S U M M E R F L AVO U R S .

THIS

REFRESHING

AND

LIGHT

PUNCH

W I L L B E A N I N S TA N T C R O W D P L E A S E R A N D C A N T U R N YO U R PA R T Y F R O M O R D I N A RY TO E P I C .”

—HASSAN R AFIEI, SHEEP’S HEAD BISTRO

A “PERCH-FECT” PUNCH [ Makes 10 servings ] ½ CUCUMBER, SLICED 3 0 M I N T L E AV E S 1 CUP HENDRIX GIN 1 ½ CUPS APPLE JUICE 1 ½ CUPS SODA

In a large pitcher, muddle cucumber slices, mint and gin; add apple juice and soda; top with ice. Stir. Garnish with cucumber slice and mint.

30

“THE

FRENCH

FROSÉ

IS

THE

PERFEC T

ANTIDOTE

F O R T H O S E B L I S T E R I N G S U M M E R D AY S . W H E N M Y GIRLFRIENDS AND I GE T TOGE THER , THE FROSÉ IS OUR G O -T O . I T ’ S L I G H T, F U N , A N D R E F R E S H I N G … L A I S S E Z LES BON TEMPS ROULER!” — D O M I N I Q U E G I L G E N , TA B L E 2 1

FRENCH FROSÉ [ Makes 10 servings ] 1 BOT TLE ROSÉ 1 CUP SIMPLE SYRUP ¾ CUPS S TR AWBERRIE S , SLICED 5 CUPS ICE

In a blender, add rosé, simple syrup, sliced strawberries, and ice. Blend.

Garnish with strawberry slices.

31

PERCH PUZZLER

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Our communities are strengthened by your vision and collaborative spirit.

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