Country Roads Fall 2017

HASTINGS COUNTY’S 1867 ARCHITECTURE STILL STANDING LEARNING SOLAR SYSTEMS FROM LOCAL EXPERT CRAFTSMAN CREATES WITH THE LIVE EDGE OF TREES

COVERING THE ARTS, OUTDOORS, HISTORY, PEOPLE AND PLACES

FALL 2017

is proud to unveil

parkin’s professional building The first of a multi-phase revitalization of downtown Marmora

At FairTradeWorks, we dream of working with local business owners to not only replace old, unsafe buildings with new structures but also to restore historical structures to provide new commercial options for local and incoming business to Marmora.

Our newly designed structures offer 65+ seniors housing options on top of the commercial spaces. We see the added density in the downtown core providing opportunities for local businesses, allowing seniors accessibility to all amenities, and creating a safe, close knit community.

Parkin’s Professional Building is phase one of the revitalization project. It will be the heartbeat of the community vision and home to numerous professionals offering a vast array of needed services.

Melanie Williams, Barrister, Solicitor and Notary Public of Law In Motion is our featured professional this month. Her practice areas are: real estate, wills & estate planning, corporate & commercial, estate administration and guardianship law.

Melanie will be one of the professionals holding office at Parkin’s Professional Building.

Read more about her at: www.LawinMotion.ca

Spaces are still available. For more information or to discuss rental fees, please contact us at 1-855-860-7366 or email ContactUs@FairTradeWorks.biz

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Country Roads • Fall 2017

SPRINGBROOK • 10 KM NORTH OF STIRLING 613.395.3883 • 1.800.465.9297 For over 80 years “We keep doin’ what we’re doin’”

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S T I R L I N G

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

Country Roads

celebrating life in hastings county

CR Country

CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR Nancy Hopkins 613 968-0499 CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR John Hopkins 613 968-0499

Roads

SALES DEPARTMENT

CENTRAL HASTINGS & AREA

celebrating lifeGibson-Alcock in hastings county Lorraine

lorraine@countryroadshastings.ca 613.902.0462 NORTH HASTINGS & AREA Hope McFall hope@countryroadshastings.ca 613.202.1541 ART DIRECTOR Jozef VanVeenen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Orland French Barry Penhale Lindi Pierce Michelle Annette Tremblay Sarah Vance Shelley Wildgen

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jason King Michelle Annette Tremblay Sarah Vance Jozef VanVeenen COUNTRY ROADS, Celebrating Life in Hastings County is published four times a year by PenWord Communications Inc. Copies are distributed to select locations throughout Hastings County including the c­ ommunities of Bancroft, Belleville, Madoc, Marmora, Stirling and Tweed. Copies are also delivered to select homes within southern Ontario.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 year: $25.00 2 years: $45.00 3 years: $67.50 All prices include H.S.T. The contents of this publication are ­protected by copyright.

Reproduction of this p­ ublication in whole or in part without prior written permission of PenWord C ­ ommunications Inc. is prohibited.

The advertising deadline for the Winter 2017/18 issue is October 27, 2017 COVER PHOTO: JASON KING PHOTOS Made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation

Proud to be named One of Canada’s Most Reputable Companies

By Canadian Business Magazine

HOW TO CONTACT US Telephone: 613-968-0499 E-mail: info@countryroadshastings.ca Website: www.countryroadshastings.ca For written enquiries you can reach us at: PenWord Communications Inc. P.O. Box 124, Tweed, ON K0K 3J0

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Fall 2017 • Country Roads

I 5

EDITORIAL

Small but mighty In the Summer Editorial we likened the creation of each issue of Country Roads to assembling a puzzle and introduced readers to our key puzzlers. We’ve always known how invaluable each and every one is to successfully releasing a new issue each and every season. But this issue really reinforced that.

Statistics Canada defines a small business as 1–99 paid employees. Country Roads is most definitely a small business. We’re doubtful we’ll ever reach anywhere near the 99 stat. Around here every contributor is essential. There’s no extraneous fat or room to maneuver, or so we thought.

What happens to a small business when its staff gets sick? This round seemed to be an epidemic.

We’d already been working in an altered state for a while due to a health issue with a member of the team but were chugging along just fine. Then we got a bit of advance notice that there was a hernia operation set for mid-August, so we worked around the recommended recovery time and thus potential extended workdays required for said CR staff

member to complete their job. Others upped their game with a revised timeline. All good!

Even the computer had a mild virus and we experienced some creative hiccups, but we were still chugging along just fine, thank you. And then -- appendicitis struck and it was an emergency appendectomy for another staff member. So we zigged and zagged accordingly. The flu hit and we forged on. Despite all the health factors we’re happy to say everyone has recovered well. With all

available hands on deck we got there on time, some perhaps a bit weary but medal-worthy none the less.

The experience reminded us of how staff really is the fabric of small businesses and that Hastings County seems to be full of lone eagles and small enterprises, and how invaluable they are to the region. We revisited Statistics Canada and if our math is correct approximately one third of all employees work at a small business in Hastings County. It sounds quite incredible but we deal with hundreds of small companies year round.

We know many quite well. You probably know a lot of independent operators in your area. The commitment by these entrepreneurs drives the local economy and employs many.

Again Statistics Canada reminded us of how prevalent they are – of the 1.17 million employer businesses in Canada 97.9 percent are small businesses. In Ontario they account for 87.3 percent of the employment. Amazing. As small business owners we know the incredible value of talented and committed staff members.

Shop local, eat local, read local, it’s all important on many levels. The truth is, if you reside, part or full time, in Hastings County you are the ‘local’.

•

CONTRIBUTORS

Barry Penhale, veteran radio/TV broadcaster and publisher has treasured his love of Canada in general, and Ontario in particular.

He also believes that recognition should shine on those too frequently unsung women and men who have contributed much to our country. His mission is to bring the stories of extraordinary Canadian people and places to public awareness. Still active in the historic community, Barry and his wife Jane live in an Ontario century farmhouse.

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Country Roads • Fall 2017

Lindi Pierce, of Prince Edward County United Empire Loyalist stock, enjoyed life in Vancouver, Grand Forks, BC and North Bay before returning to her roots and settling in Hastings County. Lindi is an active volunteer at Glanmore National Historic Site. She indulges her passion for heritage architecture with her blog at ancestralroofs.blogspot.ca and by writing and photographing for ‘Country Roads’ and other local publications.

In her spare time, this nature-nut joins her husband Denis, a vintage motorcycle frame designer/builder, on their camping, hiking and cycling expeditions, always on the lookout for another good house to snap.

Michelle Annette Tremblay writes because she’s interested in everything. Interviewing fascinating people and sharing their wisdom and ideas is one of her favorite things and has led her to writing features for newspapers and magazines. After completing a Creative Writing degree from the University of British Columbia she spent many years teaching and writing on the west coast of Canada and internationally. But, a country girl at heart, she gave up the city life to return to her roots in Paudash, where she freelances for multiple publications and is the Creative Director of WordBird Media. When she’s not picking remarkable brains, writing or photographing the wonders of rural Ontario, she’s usually in her garden, running after her kids or cooking up something yummy with her husband.

V O L U M E 1 0 , I S S U E 3 , FA L L 2 0 1 7

CONTENTS 8

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Fun Starts Here!

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Open seven days a week

16

Also visit Stirling General Mercantile 26 West Front St., Stirling 613.243.8462

22

FEATURES 22 RURAL RENEWAL

8 STILL STANDING

By Lindi Pierce

By Sarah Vance

14 THE SOUNDS OF STIRLING 26 REMEMBERING

By John Hopkins

The hermit of Lake St. Peter

16 SOLAR’S BRIGHT FUTURE

By Michelle Annette Tremblay

DEPARTMENTS 6 EDITORIAL 6 CONTRIBUTORS 13 THE VILLAGE IDIOT

Laughing in your face

15 JUST SAYING Jumping Jack-o’-lanterns, Fa La La La La

25 28 29 30

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Fall 2017 • Country Roads

I 7

STILL STANDING Had a great time; wish you’d been here

By Lindi Pierce • Contemporary photos by Lindi Pierce • Historic photos as noted In Hastings County communities there are dozens of commercial, civic, religious and residential buildings that were standing on the very day of Confederation. Some are designated heritage structures, carefully preserved as museums.

Others are maintained by dedicated volunteers or owners. Yet others are buried under subsequent additions, humble old workhorses who still serve their communities. Perhaps your favourite is on this list.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL (1854) – QUEENSBOROUGH

This handsome frame building in the village of Queensborough appears on an 1854 survey as the American Hotel. A short time later, it was renamed Diamond’s Hotel, owned by Abraham and William Diamond. A large addition was built in 1860, likely the wing to the rear of the main structure, and large sheds were added a decade later. The building displays distinguished architecture, with classical influences in its proportions and detailing.

The building served as hotel and tavern until prohibition closed the tavern in 1919, and a store appears in directories from 1860 on. Mr. Clayton Hamm purchased the building around 1919, and operated it as a general store, adding a cold room and large display windows.

Many Queensborough residents recall McMurray’s General Store operating out of the building from 1931 until the late 1970s. Clayton McMurray, nephew of Clayton Hamm, and his wife Blanche were store proprietors; Blanche ran the post office there from 1947 until its close in 1969, which marked the end of an important village gathering place.

Historic image courtesy Grant Ketcheson and Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County

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Country Roads • Fall 2017

WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH (1858) – HAZZARD’S CORNERS

Wesleyan Methodists were holding religious services at Hazzard’s Corners by the early 1830s. Their white frame church with its graceful spire opened in 1858; for years it was the centre of community life.

The church became part of the newly formed United Church of Canada in 1925, and was closed in 1967. Since then a volunteer board, many of whom are descendants of the founders, has maintained the church. Visitors admire the wellmaintained cemetery, the dignified old locust trees, and the ‘ecclesiastical loo.’

With support from the Parrott Foundation, volunteers have undertaken exterior and interior restoration in recent years.

Simple hand-hewn wooden pews, wood-burning stoves and off the grid lighting recreate the old country church feeling.

The non-denominational country church holds two services per year, a summer lawn social service in August and its wellknown ‘Christmas in a Country Church.’

Historic photo courtesy G. Ketcheson/CABHC

DR. T.E. POMEROY RESIDENCE (C.1855) – TWEED

Tweed’s first doctor, Dr. Timothy Ebenezer Pomeroy, came to town in 1854. The well-respected doctor served as coroner for Hastings County for many years, and was appointed surgeon of the 4th battalion of Hastings Militia in 1857.

Pomeroy Hall housed an apothecary shop and meeting hall at the front of the property. Dr. Pomeroy’s house and its 12 and a half acre property appear in a rendering in the 1878 Belden Historical Atlas.

‘Woodbine Cottage’ sat just outside the surveyed town lots, on a rural holding called the Pomeroy Reserve. The lawn and gardens which once extended to Metcalfe Street were later severed for brick residences, which still stand.

The house has been completely remodelled, but retains the proportions of the original, seen in this 1906 photograph. Even today, the mature trees and expansive lawns hint at some of the early grandeur of the estate.

Historic image courtesy Tweed and District Heritage Centre

JAMES REID STORE (C.1865) - TWEED

Tweed’s ‘House of Chop Suey’ restaurant on Victoria Street has some distinguished connections. The stone structure, now clad in stucco and stone veneer, has always been a commercial building.

It was built as a general store called the Tweed Commercial House by 1865. The shop appears in the 1864/5 Hastings County Directory advertising dry goods, hardware, groceries, boots and shoes, and merchant tailoring. Reid was also offering cash for potash, furs, hides and grain.

The Tweed Commercial House was operated by James Reid, whose wife was the sister of Sir Mackenzie Bowell, Canada’s fifth Prime Minister (1894-6). Bowell represented North Hastings in the House of Commons from 1867 until 1892. Bowell’s name appears on the Commercial House deed in 1864; perhaps he was holding a mortgage for the couple. The property was in the Reid name by 1876.

Historic photo courtesy Tweed & District Heritage Centre

Fall 2017 • Country Roads

I 9

STILL STANDING JAMES JAMISON RESIDENCE (C.1866) – TWEED

James Jamieson [Jamison], a staunch Methodist from Berwick on Tweed in Scotland, was born in 1803. He came to Canada as a boy and lived in Belleville for much of his life. He established the Victoria Foundry in the city.

In his fifties, around 1864, Jamieson traded the foundry for property and water privileges in Hungerford Township.

Jamieson’s flour and sawmills stood at the foot of Bridge Street in Tweed. Jamieson is credited with laying out the village of Tweed, which he named in honour of his place of birth. He recorded that he was in his “new house” in 1866.

This frame two-storey house has been home to many Tweed families, and has served as the popular House of Boutiques outlet store for the past 10 years. This illustration of Jamieson’s house and mills appears in the 1878 Belden atlas.

Historic image courtesy Tweed and District Heritage Society

O’HARA MILL HOMESTEAD (BEFORE 1848) – MADOC

RICHARD CAMPION RESIDENCE (C.1860) – MARMORA Paul and Rosalie Payer, hosts at Limestone Bed and Breakfast since 2008, recount that this beautifully maintained stone house was built in 1860 by Richard Campion, son of a British colonel. He married Margaret McEachern from Scotland on February 12, 1864. The couple had no children.

Campion reportedly operated an inn and stagecoach stop at the house. At some point, the stone house was used as accommodation by the Page, Rathbun or Gilmour logging companies. The building later served as a boarding house for the Cobourg, Peterborough and Marmora Railway.

Anne and Andre Philpot owned the stone house from 1973 until 1997,

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Country Roads • Fall 2017

undertaking significant restoration. They describe “full sized timbers in the attic and basement, some of which still [had] bark on them.” The walls are two feet thick; at one time a series of French doors opened onto the verandah. The basement had an earth floor until the 1970s.

The popular Limestone Bed and Breakfast offers welcoming rooms and suites, with historic details throughout. The inn is a ‘Ride the Highlands’ member, and welcomes motorcycle touring groups. The one-acre village property features beautiful gardens and a pool.

Historic image courtesy Marmora Historical Society

In 1823, ‘Squire’ James O’Hara and his wife Mary arrived as homesteaders in Madoc Township, and raised nine children.

Their son James Jr. was the first European child born in the area. In 1850, father and son entered into a partnership, establishing the O’Hara mill, which operated until 1908.

The mill and adjacent property was purchased by the Moira River Conservation Area in 1954; in 1965 the homestead was purchased from descendant Minnie O’Hara Maines. Volunteer labour and community donations have made possible the restoration of five original buildings and the addition of several others.

The white house began after 1848 as a small frame home for James and Mary.

The O’Hara family resided here for 115 years. The house expanded over four generations, and now interprets farm life from 1847 to 1935.

The 1890 photo shows the family enjoying the last of the maple syrup season, with the house in the background.

[L to R: James O’Hara Jr., Minnie O’Hara, Frank O’Hara, Ben Lear] Historic photo courtesy Grant Ketcheson

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Fall 2017 • Country Roads

I 11

STILL STANDING

BRIDGEWATER SCHOOL (1861) – ACTINOLITE

In the roaring 1850s lumber baron and temperance champion Billa Flint established the booming industrial village of Troy, later Bridgewater, now Actinolite.

An aggressive businessman, Flint was also a great philanthropist. He donated half of the funds to build the Wesleyan Methodist Church in 1864, of locally quarried white marble. The village was almost completely destroyed in the disastrous fire of May 24, 1889, while the townsfolk celebrated Victoria Day in nearby Madoc. The church was rebuilt, and today houses the Marble Arts Centre.

Bridgewater School was built in 1861.

In a building practice as common now as then, the public facade was of showy white marble, while the less visible sides were of less costly fieldstone. The c.1890 photo shows students with Flint (white beard) and Principal George Meiklejohn (grandfather of Evan Morton, Tweed and District Heritage Centre.)

Today the stone school with a new addition serves as Actinolite Community Hall.

Historic photo courtesy Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County

ST. PETER’S PRESBYTERIAN MANSE (1864) – MADOC Reverend David Wishart became the minister of St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church in April, 1857, a position he was to hold for 40 years. In the Scottish stone-building tradition, Reverend Wishart built a manse, believed to be the first stone house in the village. The plain one and a half storey house with a centre gable and pointed arch window was built of stone quarried at the Malcolm McIntosh farm quarry nearby.

The stone was finely-worked ashlar on the facade, rubble stone on other sides.

The manse narrowly escaped the fires which destroyed much of Madoc on May 4, 1873. The nearby frame church was razed and rebuilt of the same stone as the manse

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Country Roads • Fall 2017

by stonemasons brought by Reverend Wishart from Petershead, Scotland.

A red brick manse replaced the stone cottage in 1900; the stone house was later sold by Reverend Wishart. In 1983 the stone manse was purchased by descendants of Malcolm McIntosh and returned to St. Peter’s. Church history was once again complete. Today the house serves as a rental property.

Illustration from Fabric of a Dream, used with the permission of Brenda and Robert Hudson

HENRY OSTROM SR. RESIDENCE (1854) – MOIRA

Moira is a Hastings County community with a strong stone-building tradition. The oldest stone house, built by settler Daniel Wood, dates from about 1832. The Ostrom/ Walmsley house is built of rubblestone with a stone side addition once housing a summer kitchen and stable used as a harness making shop around 1900.

The house is restored with historic integrity, retaining chimneys, 12over12 sash windows, deep cornice and eaves returns and a charming trellis verandah.

The property is known for its unique water source. From the hill behind the house spring-fed wells run through the house and barn. At one time, the spring also fed the cheese factory, with the stern proviso that the water not be used to produce ‘spirituous liquors.’ This prohibition was logical, given two of the home’s most famous occupants.

Native son and popular American evangelist Henry Ostrom Jr. composed many hymns under the pseudonym George Walker Witcomb. Reverend Carrie Hazzard, who served throughout her life as a Wesleyan pastor and missionary, also resided here at one time.

The photo shows the Moira community gathered in front of the house in 1954.

Historic image courtesy of Darlene Walmsley

THE VILLAGE IDIOT

BY JOHN HOPKINS

Laughing in your face

•

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R0011294653

Regular readers of this column will remember that last autumn the beavers and I staged a battle over the trees around our house on the river, and I remarked on their industrious and clever nature. Earlier in the summer I had fought a similar battle with a family of raccoons, this time regarding a hummingbird feeder.

One thing I will say in defense of the beaver is that, in victory, it will not lord its triumph over you like a raccoon will. A beaver is all business; it takes its success in stride. A victorious raccoon likes to rub your nose in it. If you were playing poker with a beaver and a raccoon, the beaver would calmly gather up its winnings and move on without a word.

The raccoon would hoot and holler, laugh in your face, and generally make a spectacle of itself.

I can respect a beaver. If I met a beaver after it had outmaneuvered my defenses and taken down a

NOVEMBER 3,4,5 AND 10,11,12

R0011294653

“I can respect a beaver. If I met a beaver after it had outmaneuvered my defenses and taken down a tree, I would be able to shake its paw and say, “well played.”

I cannot respect a raccoon. I must get even with a raccoon, and let him know it.”

tree, I would be able to shake its paw and say, “well played.” I cannot respect a raccoon. I must get even with a raccoon, and let him know it.

So, back to the hummingbird feeder. This feeder hung above a railing on our back porch, where you could see it from the kitchen window. The hummingbirds came, we enjoyed watching them, all was good.

Then one night in June, while Nancy was sitting outside, not six feet from the feeder, a raccoon waddled over from the woods, hopped on the railing, stood upright, grabbed the hummingbird feeder in both its paws and drank the sugar water.

Nancy hollered, squirted water at it, made a general scene, but the raccoon was unperturbed. He finished his drink, hopped down and waddled back into the woods.

You would think that, given the commotion of the first experience, the raccoon would be somewhat wary of returning to the feeder a night later, right?

Not at all. The following evening, this time with Nancy and I both watching, the raccoon coolly returned to the porch railing and again enjoyed a sweet drink. Again we tried to scare him off, but he was unmoved. In fact, he made a point of looking at us, mockingly, as he continued to slurp away at the contents of the feeder. As I squirted him with water he actually turned to look at me, as if to say, “Bring it on big guy, I’m not leaving.” When he had drunk his fill he calmly hopped down again and made his way back to the woods. I swear as I watched him disappear he had his rear end hoisted in the air in my direction, and that once he was back among his buddies I heard their chortling in the rustling grass and leaves.

We took the feeder down for the rest of the summer, and I probably could have left things at that. But this was a raccoon, and there was no way I was going to let a raccoon have the last laugh. I had to win. Plus, I needed to see the expression on his face when he knew he was beaten.

This summer, we found a hook higher up, inaccessible to raccoons or any other four-legged creature. Only the hummingbirds can reach the feeder, and they have been regular visitors again.

We have not seen any raccoons. It could be nature’s cycle, but I like to think they have admitted defeat and moved on. But I am only halfway pleased.

Having triumphed over the raccoon is somewhat satisfying. But I really want the opportunity to laugh in his face.

R0011294653 R0011294653 R0011294653 R0011294653

I

am told that many animals go through population cycles over the years. So, while an area may have an abundance of rabbits for a few years, the number of bunnies may then decrease for a similar period, and then increase again. It is, I understand, a perfectly natural event, unrelated to any human interference. I notice, however, that this cycle does not seem to apply to mosquitoes, blackflies or dock spiders… But that’s another matter.

At any rate, I did notice that our raccoon population was down this summer. I am not sure if this is due to Mother Nature’s own devices or perhaps can be explained by my own cunning. I suspect it is the former, but I hold out some hope that there is at least one member of the wild kingdom that I can ultimately match wits with and triumph.

~

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Fall 2017 • Country Roads

I 13

The sounds of

Stirling Village ready to host fall musical feast

By John Hopkins • Photos courtesy Stirlingfest

Guido Basso (foreground), shown performing with Morgan Moore, has helped turn the John Sherwood Trio into a quartet for the jazz portion of Stirlingfest this fall.

S

o picture this. You’ve stepped out on a limb and organized a classical and jazz music festival in the village of Stirling, and during a break in the action Guido Basso appears backstage and asks if he can sit-in with the jazz band, the John Sherwood Trio. Yup, that Guido Basso, internationally-acclaimed horn player and recipient of the Order of Canada.

That was the experience last fall of Robert Wright, creator and organizer of Stirlingfest, a three-day musical event running October 13-15 at St. John’s Anglican and St. Paul’s United churches.

“Guido bought a ticket for last year’s jazz concert, bringing his horn along with him, and asked John Sherwood if he might play a couple of tunes with the trio,” recalls Wright. “John, of course, was honoured, and a little nervous, and Guido played two or three tunes with the trio.”

This year Basso will be back, although this time he will not be making a surprise guest appearance; he is on the program along with a slate of accomplished classical and jazz musicians.

“We want to show what Hastings County has to offer,” says Wright, a retired Anglican Minister who was Rector of St. John’s Church between 1986 and 1998. “You don’t have to go to Toronto to hear the best.”

A Quinte native who has now retired to the Madoc area, Wright decided to combine his passion for music and Hastings County in a weekend festival that would also feature the best the area has to offer.

For the most part his roster of musical talent has strong links to the area, and his sponsors include Maple Dale Cheese, The Apple Store, Ontario Water Buffalo Co., DB Designs and Fine Line Design. Tweed’s Potter Settlement Winery and the newly-launched Signal Brewery from Corbyville will also participate in this year’s event.

“I grew up with music and it touches the deepest part of my life,” says Wright in explaining

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his reasons for launching the festival in 2016.

“Classical music has such a rich tradition and people like jazz. Jazz is stuff that moves you; it’s familiar and it’s got a beat.”

To perform the music Wright has been able to assemble a top-notch line-up of musicians, mainly through the help of his Artistic Director, Atis Bankas. Wright and Bankas became friends when Wright was based in Niagara-on-the-Lake between 1998 and 2015 and Bankas founded Music Niagara, a summer music festival.

A native of Lithuania, Bankas has been a member of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra since 1982 and is currently a professor at the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

Bankas is first violinist with the Gould String Quartet, which will perform classical music on the Friday and Sunday of this year’s Stirlingfest.

Other classical performers will include organists Matthieu Latreille and Francine Nguyen-Savaria, music directors at St. Thomas’ Anglican Church in Belleville, pianist Victoria Kogan, and Sora SatorMound, an eight-year-old violinist and student of Bankas, whose grandfather lives in the Stirling area.

The jazz side features the John Sherwood Quartet, which includes Basso, Sherwood on piano, bassist Dave Young and drummer Brian Barlow.

A native of Oakville, Sherwood has played with the likes of Peter Appleyard and Moe Koffman, in addition to Basso. Winnipeg-born Young has shared the stage with Oscar Peterson and Lenny Breau, among others, while Belleville’s Barlow spent 15 years as percussionist for the internationallyrenowned jazz band Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass.

A key cog in the classical portion of the event is longtime radio personality Eric Friesen, who will act as something of an emcee for Friday and Sunday’s program.

Eight-year-old violinist Sora Sator-Mound will be part of the Friday classical music concert at St. John’s Anglican Church.

“Eric will provide some description and context for the music we will be hearing,” Wright explains.

“We want to get away from the highbrow image of classical music and bring the people into it, and Eric will be able to do that. We want people to feel that they’ve learned something along the way.”

Another feature of the festival aimed at breaking musical barriers is an opportunity for festival goers to meet the artists at the end of each performance.

In the St. John’s Church Wright feels he has the ideal venue for the classical portion of the festival. Erected in 1860 the church has “a warm and intimate interior and possesses a very suitable acoustic for listening to music,” according to Wright. St. John’s also possesses a tracker action pipe organ, purchased from Gabriel Kney of London in 1989, and in 1995 received a Steinway Grand Piano through the generosity of the Connor family of Belleville.

After sharing St. John’s Church with the classical music last fall, the jazz portion of Stirlingfest will move this year a few blocks west to St. Paul’s United Church. “ Wi t h S t . J o h n ’s w e r e a l l y h a v e a n embarrassment of riches, between the history and the instruments,” Wright points out. “They do a lot of music at St. Paul’s and it’s a lovely facility and larger than St. John’s.”

Last year Wright estimates he had 60 visitors for each of the classical concerts and 50 for Saturday’s jazz performances. This year he is hoping to see 100 at St. John’s each day and 150 attend the jazz at St. Paul’s. This time, however, Basso will not be in the paying crowd.

Says Wright, “I have assured Guido that we won’t be charging him admission this year!”

For more information on Stirlingfest, including ticket information, visit www.stirlingfest.com or call (613) 398-7573.

•

JUST SAYING

BY SHELLEY WILDGEN

Jumping Jack-o’-lanterns, Fa La La La La

I

don’t get it. No one loves a seasonal holiday more than me but something has taken a rather wicked turn. The whole Halloween hoopla seems less about trick or treating and more about, well, I’m not sure. Orange light strings deceptively decorate front porches as bodies hang from apple trees, makeshift cemeteries pop up where friendly front yards used to be. I can feel my very soul adjusting uncomfortably while catching a quick glimpse from the corner of my eye as I blithely drive to the grocery store. Last year, the day after Halloween, I spied a girl I went to high school with gathering skulls off her front lawn. Jeepers!

When did fun go all evil? Here’s the part where I morph into the lamenting old auntie constantly whining about better days. Why, when I was a kid Halloween was about just dressing up as something different and, oh, usually not as a post-apocalyptic zombie. We were cartoon characters, lady bugs, princesses, pirates and when props were low, bedsheet-sporting ghosts. That’s as scary as it got.

Since budgets were limited, some kids just dressed as hobos year after year -- grandpa’s old clothes, some fake whiskers smeared here and there and, voila, a ‘Belleville Boxcar Willie’ was born. Fast, easy and ripe for hours of candy grabbing.

Somewhere along the line the nonsensical Halloween lines got blurred and we find ourselves in 2017 dodging bloodied corpses on our dog walks. I realized not long ago that some subtle action needed to take place. It’s a quiet intervention of sorts but not one that would offend anyone. November can’t come

soon enough for me but I do understand that many people love Halloween. I just don’t understand them.

What I do full on ‘get’ is Christmas! Oh yes. The holly, the twinkles, the happy snowman faces, frothy first snowfalls, oodles and oodles of garlands, bows and Santas or nativity scenes…all good, peaceful, and soothing.

I started my ‘Horrorween’ rebellion, as one does, with simple movements, limiting them to the confines of my own four walls. The minute I get a whiff of macabre rumblings in the neighbourhood, say early October, I head for the garage and pull out the Christmas boxes. Just setting them on the living room floor provides a certain calm. Here’s where strategy is important because I’m well aware that outdoor décor sensitivities are not mine alone.

Rules must be respected. There are many who feel that Halloween is an extension of fall, along with Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day. This wide swath of the general population has deemed that December 1, and not a moment before, is when Christmas bling can be tolerated. In deference to these folk I slowly…gingerly…start placing ornaments indoors and away from windows.

The festive pig is the first to be unloaded, ‘round about say…October 29. Passive/aggressively I wage my private war on Halloween by starting my festive internal process for about a month -- kind of a decorating advent of sorts. Each day, something new is plucked from its box. The Christmas pig is followed by the stained glass dangling Santa, then the musical snow globes, the soap dispensers, an

artificial tree here and there, but never so anyone can see from outside.

This is my own personal decorating revolt and I have accomplices. Certain family members almost embrace the early efforts, which is nice but my main co-conspirators are the big box stores. Truly, I have a love/hate relationship with their early displays.

See, I understand they are rooted in conspicuous consumerism and that’s more than a bit ugly, but I applaud them for kicking the corpses out of Halloween by upping the Christmas décor musthaves good and early. Since it’s important to stay on trend, within reason, I limit my new acquisitions each year. I prefer to stay with the classics for the most part but those store displays do churn the creative Christmas décor juices, conservatively, of course. Gone are my forays into life-size karaoke snowmen and sing along Santas, replaced now by an understated new focal point each year. Last year I found a mantel size wooden sign with ‘Be Merry’ spelled in wire. You know it took less than an hour to hoist that baby above the fireplace with twinkle lights!

As eccentric as my festive penchants may seem, they come from a good peace-loving place. I may not be able to erase evil from the planet as a whole but I can certainly remove the visuals from my own little world and improve my view with some friendly sparkle. Twinkling lights, happy carollers, pretty presents over skeleton bearing trees any day! But that’s just me.

There is one thing I cannot change and that is the two- to three-hour window of Halloween hijinks on October 31. So, how do I battle Halloween night itself? Turn out the lights and scream ‘get off my lawn’? No, of course not. Unlike the revellers, I’m not a monster. As a peaceful protestor, holding one’s ground is essential but acknowledgement of the occasion is unavoidable. Besides, it’s not the kids, it’s the corpses – ‘member? So, here’s how it goes. We don’t put out a pumpkin so in reality we never get a caller but I do have a big ol’ bowl at the ready, just in case.

A big ol’ bowl of candy canes.

Merry Halloween

•

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www.VisitTrentHills.ca or call 1-888-653-1556 Fall 2017 • Country Roads

I 15

Even though Gallo placed his solar array away from the house, which would usually lead to voltage-loss, his system is highly efficient.

Solar’s bright future North Hastings’ Gallo charts innovative energy path Story and photos by Michelle Annette Tremblay

I

spent a lot of time during the August eclipse learning about solar systems. But not the cosmic variety. Instead I got a VIP pass to the brain of a local renewable-energy expert, who some might call North Hastings’ very own Elon Musk. And he had a lot to say about what’s coming up in the world of renewable energy.

At just 42, Michele Gallo is a Master Electrician, Licensed Solar Electrician and Industrial Millwright Mechanic, with an extensive background in electro-mechanical engineering, automation and robotics. After graduating from York University, he worked for IBM’s Celestica and continued studying at Centennial, Humber and George Brown Colleges in Toronto. Gallo has played a key role in developing and scaling up Canada’s green energy economy, including helping to lead the procurement and installation of a $30-million manufacturing line for IBM

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Canada. His multi-discipline knowledge allows him to be inventive and see solutions that may be inaccessible to others.

Through his company, Gallo-Teck, the entrepreneur designs and installs automated renewable energy systems and collaborates with some of the biggest names in the industry. What does all that mean in layman’s terms? Basically, Michele got into renewable energy right at the cusp 18 years ago and has been on the cutting edge ever since, constantly upping his game with new skills, knowledge and groovy innovations.

Like his solar-powered pontoon boat. As far as he knows, it’s the only one like it in the world.

“With vehicles it’s always a space issue,” says Gallo. “There are great big yachts that are solar powered, because they have enough space for the solar panels and the battery packs, but I don’t think there’s anything smaller on the market.”

He explains that a pontoon boat is ideal for fitting with solar because of its larger size.

The battery packs can be stowed out of sight under the seats, and even with the solar panels on board, there’s still room for about a dozen people. And it has enough power for tubing!

I had no idea battery packs take up so much room. As a solar newbie I had a ton of questions, and Michele was more than happy to wax poetic about his favorite subject, even inviting me to his home for a tour. The impressive waterfront residence is 100 percent off grid, though you’d never know it at first glance.

When I arrive, Michele’s wife, Madonna Gallo and their daughters are playing in the front yard with gymnastics ribbons. The house is large and stately behind them, with formidable architecture, and huge windows.

I am struck by the swings incorporated into

(Clockwise from top left) On average, the Gallo house uses about 20 kilowatts of energy per day and on a sunny day, that amount of solar energy can be collected and stored in as little as an hour and a half.

Michele’s wife Madonna shows off the thermostat-like panel that indicates energy storage and usage.

The Gallos waited four years to find a piece of land that would satisfy their needs, but the wait was well worth it. With help from extended family the couple did most of the construction themselves.

the patio cover, the stone work and the natural materials.

Though Madonna works in Public Relations, she is no stranger to her husband’s alternative energy industry. In fact, she grew up in an offgrid home, not far from where she lives now. She has spent her whole life living off grid, except for a 15-year stint during which she and Michele lived in Toronto while developing their careers.

Once they were established, they decided they wanted to leave the city in favour of wide open spaces where they could put down roots and be self-sufficient.

“The main thing I wanted was to live off-grid on an acreage with clean water. My parents have acreage in the Hamilton area, which is nice, but there’s no supply of clean water nearby.”

In the end, it took four years before the perfect piece of land came on the market. But it was

winter, and covered in snow. Still, the real estate listing had everything the Gallos were looking for: a great location close to Bancroft, ample space, privacy, a level area for building, and a beautiful waterfront. It was too good to pass up.

“The sale closed on Christmas Eve, site unseen,” recalls Madonna. “It was a bit of a risk to buy an acreage covered in snow. But we felt confident after talking to the neighbours that it was the right spot for us. And in the spring when the snow melted, it was even better than we could have imagined.”

“All of this was covered in trees,” Michele says, motioning to the house and front yard. Of course the first step was to clear the building area. “I took a year off work and we built the house ourselves: Madonna, my father-in-law, my brother, and my brother-in-law. We had a couple of contractors for concrete and stone work, and

some of the drywall, but everything else we did ourselves.”

Spinning in the distance is the wind turbine that powers the house along with the help of a few arrays of solar panels. The idea is that the house is powered by solar energy when the weather is pleasant and sunny, and by wind when the weather is overcast and windy. On average, the Gallo house uses about 20 kilowatts of energy per day. On a sunny day, that amount of solar energy can be collected and stored in as little as an hour and a half.

Inside, the home features all the comforts of a traditional dwelling, and then some. The bright and spacious kitchen (with the nicest island I’ve ever seen, by the way) has all the regular appliances: big stainless steel fridge, stove, dish washer and espresso machine. Throughout the house there are radiant-heated floors, a Fall 2017 • Country Roads

I 17

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Hastings Highlands Steps from Heritage Trail.

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Country Roads • Fall 2017

contemporary laundry room, computers, wifi, entertainment systems, central vac, and of course Michele’s workshop and research and development lab with all manner of equipment.

You name it, it’s there. And it all runs completely off renewable energy. “ O ff - g r i d h o m e s a r e b e c o m i n g m o r e mainstream now,” says Madonna, explaining further that Michele often shows their own home to prospective clients as an example of an off-grid system that has plenty of power.

“It used to be that alternative-energy attracted certain types -- environmentalists, hippies, homesteaders... There was this idea that off-grid meant a rustic cabin in the woods somewhere.

And for some people that’s exactly what they want.”

Madonna herself had a happy childhood in the cabin-in-the-woods archetypal off-grid home, living with limited access to electricity. For her, it was always normal to be hyper-aware of how much energy was being produced and consumed.

She grew up immersed in the natural world. It was normal and comfortable to go without certain comforts and conveniences.

“But now, thankfully, off-grid homes are having wider appeal,” she says as she collects flour and other ingredients for pizza crust.

“And not just homes,” adds Michele. “We actually just finished up a project in Orillia that’s an auto shop. They use a lot of power.

The hydro bill used to be $2000/month. Now it’s nothing.”

The Gallos show me a panel on the wall that looks much like a digital thermostat. Instead of displaying the temperature though, the screen shows how much energy is currently being produced, and how much is being consumed.

“Look here,” says Michele, pointing. “Right now you can see our system is in float, which means we’re making power but it’s not being stored because all the batteries are full. This is the perfect time to do laundry.”

Whereas people on a traditional Hydro One system often save laundry for the evening when electricity rates are lower, those living off-grid do the opposite. On a bright sunny day, so much energy is produced that a lot of it goes to waste because the batteries fill up within a couple hours.

So it’s a perfect time to run appliances to use up as much of that sunlight as possible.

Michele gets excited thinking about ways to increase efficiency. For example, when his solar powered boat’s batteries get full, any extra energy is automatically re-routed to the house. He has also rigged his solar system to divert extra energy that would otherwise be lost to his hot water tank.

And it’s all automated.

“We have just one circulating pump for our radiant flooring, and zone valves all through the house,” explains Michele as he supervises his daughters dressing the pizza with fresh veggies.

“A lot of other people put in pumps for every zone. We put in zone valves instead, that are automated to turn on and off as needed. It takes a fair amount of energy to get going, but once it’s

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I 19

(Clockwise from top) The lifestyle and picturesque setting of their North Hastings home suit the Gallos, and Michele enjoys the convenience of being able to attend to his clients quickly.

Gallo’s custom-built house includes such innovations as swings incorporated into the patio cover, which meet with the approval of his three daughters!

The Gallo home features all the comforts of a traditional dwelling, bucking the perception of off-the-grid living as existing as a recluse in a rustic cabin in the woods.

going a vacuum is created, and the circulation continues with very high efficiency.”

He goes on to explain that even though he placed his solar array away from the house, which would usually lead to voltage-loss, his system is highly efficient.

“I like to bring it in at a high voltage so it can come from more of a distance. So our power comes in from the solar array, at 600 volts, and

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then we step it down to the charging voltage. It’s so simple. I don’t know why other people aren’t doing it.”

Another option for those wanting an alternativeenergy home is what Michele refers to as gridtie. Being off-grid completely is exactly what it sounds like: you’re responsible for all your own power, usually with a generator as back up. But grid-tie means you have an alternative-energy

system and Hydro One. In this scenario, any excess energy you generate is fed back to Hydro One as a credit, which you can then draw from when needed.

“There’s nothing better than pulling a full home like this off the grid,” says Michele with a wide grin. “I like to make a big production for homeowners who have been on the grid. I flip this switch and hydro goes off, then flip this switch

Solar’s bright future and the power comes on. The feeling that comes out of that is amazing.”

Michele’s mother deserves a lot of credit for his successes, he says. He hated school growing up, and would rather spend his time building things and taking things apart.

“I was a D student,” admits Michele. “I sucked at math. All I wanted to do was play sports and work on cars and stereos. I wanted to be a mechanic. But thankfully, my mom applied for universities for me, without me even knowing, and pushed me to work harder.

“I’m the guy people come to when they’ve been told something can’t be done. I can always figure something out.”

The advancements and efficiencies in renewable-energy are only going to get better as the technology advances. When I ask Michele which advancements he’s looking forward to, he gets positively giddy.

“The Tesla solar tiles are exciting! But they’re not cost effective yet,” he explains. “They will be, though.” As the systems become more popular and ubiquitous, manufacturing will become streamlined and less expensive. “They’re not as efficient as regular solar panels, but they’re only going to get better.”

Electric cars will become more common, too, says Michele. “The technology isn’t that complicated. It’s the self-driving that’s

complicated. The electric motor is actually kind of simple.”

But what he’s most excited about is continuing down the path he and Madonna have already started. Now that their solar and wind systems are fully operational, they’re planning on installing a water turbine, also known as a microhydro system, at the back of their property. The advantage of water turbines is that they produce all the time, regardless of the weather or season.

“The trail is cleared and ready for the cable,” says Michele. “I just haven’t had time to put it in yet.

I’m so busy working on other people’s installations that I barely have time to work on my own.”

This is another reason why the Gallos are happy to be in North Hastings. They could have stayed in the city, and would have made significantly higher incomes. Michele easily could have hired more people and expanded Gallo-Teck. They’re here for the lifestyle though.

“The majority of my clients are within an hour of my home. I don’t want to spend all my time traveling,” admits Michele. “And if one of my clients’ systems goes down, I want to be close by so I can service it and get it back online immediately.”

One of Michele’s furthest clients came as a complete surprise.

“I got a call, and the guy says, ‘I’m the prince of Dubai, and I want you to send me one of your speedware consoles.’” Speedware is Gallo’s other

business. He designs and manufactures control panels for race-cars.

“He said, ‘give me your bank details so I can send you the money.’ I thought it was a joke or a scam, so I hung up on him. He called me back, asking ‘what are you doing? Why’d you hang up?’ Then he sent me an email, and I went to the bank with it and asked, ‘Is this for real?’ And it was! Then he says, ‘I want three of them, and I want you to Fed Ex it to Dubai tomorrow.’ It cost $3,000 just to Fed Ex this guy.”

As we walk outside to the waterfront I’m fairly convinced that I’d like a solar-system of my own.

And maybe a lake.

“We can retro-fit any house to renewableenergy,” Michele assures me. The best systems are priced above $30,000, he says, but he’s always happy to work with people with a smaller budget because there are ways to start small and then expand over time.

His biggest piece of advice is to do careful research and not to rush into a bargain. He’s seen a lot of people invest in a lower-cost system thinking they can upgrade later, but then realize their system isn’t as easy to expand as they thought, and it ultimately ends up costing more.

“High end systems are the most reliable,” he says. “That’s what we pride ourselves on, highend, reliable, turn-key energy systems.”

If this is the future, it is bright.

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Fall 2017 • Country Roads

I 21

Rural renewal Live edge milling reviving lumber trade Story and photos by Sarah Vance

Live edge featuring the natural cracks and crevasse of the tree, showing the cambium of the trunk.

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hen you get to thinking about it, that old saying about “not being able to see the forest for the trees,” could actually be a blessing if you were to take a chainsaw and fell them like it’s nobody’s business.

Considering that the forestry sector’s annual revenue from sales is calculated at $12.9 billion, it might also come with some financial incentives.

For live edgers like Justin Hennessey, it’s the tree, and not the forest that is piquing consumer interest.

Live-edging is a way of milling trees so that the curves and bark of the trunk are preserved and then made into a focal point of the final timber slab.

Unlike the traditional, uniform 2x4’s and 8x10’s that dominate the market, live edging involves slicing slabs sagittally, which draws attention to both the cross section and the perimeter of the tree. Using a kiln, or natural drying, the moisture is then removed from the wood. Initially, when a tree is felled it has an 80 percent moisture content and kilning reduces this content to about 30 percent, which prevents the wood from cracking later in its use.

During live edge milling the bark is left intact and the natural lines of the tree are preserved.

Then the wood is sanded and hand polished, so as to highlight every knot and ligament in the cut. Each live edge slab is a unique and artisanal ‘slice in a tree’s life’ - which is then manufactured into functional art and furniture.

“I can build several tables from the same tree, but no two tables will be the same,” says Hennessey.

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Country Roads • Fall 2017

Benches, counters and bar surfaces, along with fencing and decking, have provided Hennessey with a foot in the door of an industry that has traditionally been dominated by large scale mills.

Although arguably, Hennessey was born with a foot in the door, as a result of his upbringing on his family farm near Bancroft.

Harvesting hay bales, raising livestock and building with tools are just some of his early memories. And at the age of 20 he built his first square-timber home, near Cardiff. But he didn’t stick around long enough to live in it. Instead, with $2,000 in his pocket and a backpack on his shoulders, he boarded a plane out to Calgary, then a bus up to Fort McMurray, where he chased fibre optic jobs that were cropping up around the pipelines.

This was a transient lifestyle, which kept him living in trailers and mobile tents that crews would set up wherever the work happened to be that day. Within a few years he had his own crew of guys and a small fleet of trucks, along with a niche he built for himself assembling fences and decks at residential homes near the oil fields.

Despite once having booming logging and mining industries, Bancroft struggles to retain tradespeople like Hennessey, many of whom have instead come to occupy a presence in the Fort Mac labour force. If you get to talking to residents in North Hastings, it is not usual to find that someone in their home “works away” for at least six months of the year in Canada’s Far North.

B u t t h e r e i s m o u n t i n g ev i d e n c e o f a revitalization occurring in Ontario’s forestry industry, with a growing number of the labour force transitioning right out of high school into

logging and lumber manufacturing trades. In 2014, the Globe and Mail reported that “forestry students have a 100 percent employment rate, higher than that of computer science, math and physical science specialists.” And in 2015, the Ontario Forestry Association reported a 12 percent growth in lumber exports across the border for an industry boasting 50,900 employed tradespeople and approximately 152,700 direct and indirect jobs.

When Hennessey graduated from North Hastings High School in 2005, he was part of a cohort of students who followed an outdoor education stream that involves experiential learning outcomes. To a Northern Outdoor Studies (NOS) graduate working in a fish hatchery; trapping beaver; canoeing in Algonquin and building with lumber are all just part of the daily curriculum. But it was living in ‘Fort Mac’ that helped Justin appreciate Ontario trees, both in their plenitude and also for their diversity.

Logging in Bancroft brings the advantage of choosing trees grown in rich soil compositions.

Known as the Mineral Capital of Canada, Bancroft’s forests grow in deposits of granite, sodalite and quartz, which influence the composition of the cambium layer, where each year of a tree’s lifespan is etched.

“You will see variations in the veins and cambium of these trees because of minerals in the soil where they grow - deep mahoganies and reds are prevalent,” says Hennessey.

It is also the types and kinds of trees selected by live edgers that is helping the field gain momentum.

“Because of their twists and knots, many of the trees I am interested in would never see

(Clockwise from top left) Justin Hennessey hand sanding a mahogany walnut slab, for use in a table.

Blue epoxy is used by Hennessey to create a contrast in a walnut slab. The epoxy will be stained and finished, using natural tones, by hand.

production and would not be selected by larger logging crews,” adds Hennessey, who also sometimes travels by boat to forage lumber from the shoreline.

For a live edger, timing can be everything.

“If you are able to fell a tree when it is dying, but still standing, there are chemicals and hormones that would not otherwise be present after it falls.”

These create colouration in the veins at the time of felling.

Live edgers study the trees they harvest, observing their growth or their decomposition while considering how they will offset the different species of maple, cherry and walnut in future furniture designs.

Sometimes, instead of felling, live edgers salvage undesirable cuts that have been left

behind after logging crews have gone through a property.

“Some of my pieces have been discarded cuts,” says Hennessey. “They could never be used for a traditional pressure treated product but they are what my clients are looking for.”

Other times, Hennessey’s clients have already selected the tree they want him to use and they contact him to fall and manufacture it.

“People have memories and feelings for the trees in their yard,” Justin points out. “They call me when they want to manufacture them into something that they can include in their home in a new way.”

His customers are as unique as the furniture he creates, coming from varied lifestyles and who are seeking to incorporate the sophisticated ambience of live edge in their homes.

Coffee tables crafted with slabs of Cherry, Walnut and Maple are specimens that Hennessey works with.

Hennessey’s Cherry Bench at Country Camera Studio and Image Gallery, on Hastings Street, in Bancroft.

“I have customers in Toronto who live in modern condominiums and want live edge to channel a connection with nature,” says Hennessey, “and rural customers, who want an edgy contrast in a square timber log home.”

While Hennessey refers to himself as a logger, he could just as easily be described as an artist. His art is functional, practical and, in many ways, his work is a natural extension of Bancroft’s logging trade and an indicator of how its labor force is evolving to remain competitive.

Fall 2017 • Country Roads

I 23

Trees in North Hastings grow in rocky, granite and sodalite permeated mineral soils, which influences the composition of the cambium layers in the tree.

In the early 1900’s, during the time of John Egan, J.R. Booth, Grenville Martin and John McCrae, there were mills every 20 miles around Bancroft and along the York River, where hundreds of logs were driven out of the wilderness daily by men who wrestled them through the water. At that time, work was in abundance if you were daring enough to set up shop with a lumber camp.

While the camps are few and far between today, people like Hennessey are contributing to the evolution of logging in North Hastings and are keeping the trade pulsing by focusing their eye on quality over quantity.

Birch cLiff Lodge

on Baptiste Lake

A great place for weddings, conferences and vacation getaways. www.birchclifflodge.ca 613-332-3316

24 I

“I could never compete with the larger mills, or their rate of production, so I focus on individual trees and I might work for a whole season refining and finishing the same few slabs,” he says.

To see Hennessey’s one-of-a-kind, live edge furniture, you can visit Country Camera Studio and Image Gallery on Hastings Street in Bancroft, where his furniture is displayed in a gallery setting alongside photographs and visual installations. Proprietor Lesley McCormack notes the popularity of his furniture, which she classifies as works of art, “His benches and furniture are all one of a kind and show loving care and dedication to his

Country Roads • Fall 2017

“Dappled” by Marc Gagnon

Exhibitions change monthly Beautiful gifts in the Gallery Shop 10 Flint Ave., Bancroft (613) 332-1542 www.artgallerybancroft.ca

trade,” says McCormack. “We are very satisfied working with him. He has repeat customers and we recommend his furniture.”

While the philosophers ponder whether a tree makes a sound when it falls in the forest, contractors like Hennessey just get busy turning out wood furniture and cupboards for the home and kitchen -- an industry worth $1.8 billion annually in Canada.

Notwithstanding the sounds a tree may or may not make in the forest; live edge milling sure has got them listening.

•

ON THE COVER

Country Roads Social Scene

We’re very social and we’d love to hear from YOU.

Letters to the Editor can be sent via www.countryroadshastings.ca, email or snail mail.

Dear Country Roads My friend and I saw Country Roads for the first time yesterday. She visits me once a year and we take day road trips around Belleville. I have already made notes of ‘must see’ places for next summers visit, and all thanks to Country Roads. Will search it out from now on.

I am enjoying checking out all the interesting websites in your magazine. So many places to explore!

Judy Raymond, Belleville, ON

AUTUMN LEAVES Cover Photo: Jason King Photos

Like our Facebook page and you will see the many posts others are e­ njoying and sharing with their friends.

This photo was taken on Rapids Rd just south of Martin Rd on an autumn day in 2015 by amateur Tweed area photographer Jason King.

Rapids Road is one of Hastings County’s endless scenic country roads perfect for a fall drive. It runs south off Hwy 7 and winds through the countryside for approximately 20 kms before reaching the community of Thomasburg.

Nature is King’s primary photography passion with an equal emphasis on macro, floral and wildlife with a little bit of landscape photography thrown in when the scene is too good to pass by.

His photography has appeared in the Stoco Lake Stewardship plan and at www.ontarionature.org

DID YOU KNOW UP TO 1,200 PEOPLE CHECK OUT WWW.COUNTRYROADSHASTINGS.CA EVERY MONTH FOR GREAT HASTINGS COUNTY STORIES & MORE?

BUILDING A NATION: Two Tweed families did their part 9,913 PEOPLE REACHED / 109 SHARES

Link to Summer 2017 issue digital version 1,090 PEOPLE REACHED

Potter Settlement Wines Wins Silver Medal at The National Wine Awards of Canada

1,768 PEOPLE REACHED/29 SHARES

www.deseronto.ca 613-396-2440 /Deseronto Experience Deseronto…

Country Roads is searching for

Freelance Writers to join our team.

If you are interested you can submit story ideas, and samples of your work to nancy@countryroadshastings.ca

Situated in Hastings County at the heart of the Bay of Quinte region, with Prince Edward County at its doorstep; it’s the ideal destination for visiting, living and business.

Explore the historic downtown and uptown business district to discover a unique blend of specialty shops, antiques/collectibles, artisans, dining, culture and events.

Just a short stroll from downtown you’ll find the picturesque waterfront and many recreational pursuits & amenities it brings.

Urban advantages in a natural setting Fall 2017 • Country Roads

I 25

R E M E M B E R I N G

By Barry Penhale Photos courtesy Barry Penhale Collection

The hermit of Lake St. Peter

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Country Roads • Fall 2017

(Top) “Ole Joe” rowing on Lake St. Peter Lake in a wooden boat he himself built.

(Bottom and facing page) In the early 1960s visitors to the Lake St. Peter park office were greeted by a small display related to Joe Goulah and his time. Over the years the hermit of Lake St. Peter had become wellknown to area residents.

“Ole Joe” Goulah lived on his own terms

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stablished in 1956 and situated on a point of land dividing upper and lower Lake St. Peter, a scenic park whose name is shared with a birch-lined lake and a long-established community has charmed travelers exploring Ontario for many years.

Though limited in size, the park’s almost primitive beauty lures many repeat campers back to their favourite location among the inviting campsites.

A colourful and highly independent individual once lived here in the spot he considered “heaven on earth.” His name was Joe Goulah but his many local acquaintances simply thought of him as “Ole Joe.” Though ultimately he was to live the life of a hermit, it is generally believed that Goulah first came to Lake St. Peter in the 1920s while in the employ of the Rathbun Lumber Company of Deseronto. Following the sale of Rathbun’s local logging operations, Joe opted to stay in the area by locating at nearby Mink Lake. Thus began his solitary lifestyle, devoid of human companionship but surrounded by an increasing number of pets. In addition to chickens and ducks it was said at one time he had a pack of 14 dogs and a lone raccoon. This menagerie seemed to satisfy Goulah’s need for companionship during a lengthy period that ended in the 1950s, when concerned Lake St. Peter residents successfully encouraged him to relocate to what today is Lake St. Peter Provincial Park.

As a one-time regular visitor to Lake St. Peter, I well recall when, across from the park campgrounds, I first ascended the hill that led to the overgrown remains of “Ole Joe’s” log cabin.

It’s a trek I heartily recommend to others and one easily found in park brochures, providing a local history lesson that causes one to admire one man’s independence and obvious ingenuity.

R E M E M B E R I N G

Building his 24x18-foot cabin home without any helpers obviously did not faze Joe! The end result would have done any craftsman proud. His hand-hewn logs, handmade rafters and intricate details were neatly fitted one to the other — all without a draftsman’s skill or blueprints. The remains of his dwelling and what had been his garden were at that time still visible and some limited evidence existed of the owner’s early attempts to keep away unwelcome intruders.

I have no idea if any of the cabin or its remains are still there today but back in the early 1960s visitors to the park office were greeted by a small display related to “Ole Joe” and his time. Over the years the hermit of Lake St. Peter had become well-known to area residents and, as he aged, some of his acquaintances would buy Goulah’s handmade axe handles or purchase miniature canoes or his own line of unique jewellery.

Of all his creations, however, he was bestknown for handcrafted violins and lutes made from local birch and maple trees. A prominent area teacher with whom I would chat when the opportunities arose, Vi Card often spoke of the time when she had Joe come to her classroom and play for the assembled students. Between his playing and singing — both greatly off key — the weird sounds he produced were unlike any she had ever heard! Goulah would on occasion entertain local friends but always made it known that a “hands-off” stipulation was a must when it came to his prized lute — his reasoning — “the music was so sweet, it would kill ya.”

That “Ole Joe” was quite a character is an understatement. He obviously marched to his own drummer and did so reasonably well for one lacking formal education and saddled with a mind that often acted more than a wee bit odd. Rumours

abound that while exercising horses around a racetrack, a younger Joe had suffered a serious kick to the head. Perhaps there is something to those stories and since the Rathbun Company used horses in the bush, he may have been employed as a teamster. But there would appear to be an incomplete chapter facing anyone attempting to shed further light on the life of Joe Goulah. There remains much that we will likely never know.

Decades have passed since Goulah was on the scene and I confess to not knowing how or when he passed on. My friend Esmond Skidmore, late of Belleville, once took on a magazine-writing assignment at my request that focused on “Ole Joe.” Himself known as Lake St. Peter’s “hermit with a difference,” Esmond had over time attained a local celebrity status as the operator of a popular tea room. Intrigued by the occasional mention of “Ole Joe” by local residents, Skidmore responded positively to my suggestion and came through with an interesting piece.

Today, “Ole Joe” is long gone and the most distinctive sounds locally are those made by the majestic loons that cavort on the sparkling waters of Lake St. Peter. He would have heard such haunting cries many, many times and most likely didn’t think them to be the least bit weird and primitive. Perhaps he even accompanied them in his own original unorthodox fashion -- strumming his favourite lute.

•

the

COMPASS VISIT WWW.COUNTRYROADSHASTINGS.CA AND SIGN UP FOR THE COUNTRY ROADS NEWSLETTER TODAY!

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Stirling Dental Centre Dr. Doug Smith A N D A S S O C I AT E S

Dr. Lauren Allen, Dr. Ross Erwin & Dr. John Allen Family & Cosmetic Dentistry New Patients & Emergencies Welcome Friendly people and gentle dentistry for your whole family.

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I 27

C O U N T R Y

C A L E N D A R

Things to see and do in and around Hastings County.

To submit your event listing email info@countryroadshastings.ca or call us at 613 968-0499.

ART GALLERIES/EXHIBITIONS Art Gallery of Bancroft, 10 Flint Avenue, Bancroft, ON 613-332-1542 www.artgallerybancroft.ca Aug 30 - Sep 30 – Mark Gagnon - Two Mediums, Two Techniques Oct 4 - 28 – Dianne Woodward – Exhibition of Works

Nov 1 – 25 - Don Wilson & Arne Roosman - Exhibition of Works Nov 28 – Dec 30 – Freddie Towe Exhibition of Works M. Parrott Art Gallery, 254 Pinnacle St, Belleville, ON 613 968-6731, www.bellevillelibrary.ca Sep 7 – 28 – Frank Casey: From Beginning to End & Hedy Campbell’s first solo show “2 Islands – Life in Paradise” Wildewood Gallery, 33012 Hwy 62N Maynooth 613-338-3134 Sept 17 – Dec 24 – Alan Dhinga Wildlife in their natural habitat using topographical maps and vibrant colours.

THEATRE/LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Belleville Theatre Guild, 256 Pinnacle Street, Belleville 613-967-1442 bellevilletheatreguild.ca Oct 12 - 28: OUR TOWN by Thornton Wilder, Pulitzer Prize winner and 20172018 season opener

Stirling Festival Theatre, West Front St., Stirling 613-395-2100 1-877-312-1162 www.stirlingfestivaltheatre.com Oct 13 & 14 6pm - Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre – Office Parties Can Be Murder! On the eve of his retirement, CEO Goldman Sacks is throwing the biggest party the company has ever seen. There will be infighting, office politics, secret romances and someone will die.

Oct 19 - 29 – Hilarious Haunted Mansion – An SFT Academy Show A group of kids start a rumor that the old house on the corner is haunted. The rumor spirals out of control and turns into an international incident!

Nov 25 – Dec 31 – Little Red - 2017 PANTO - Little Red Riding Hood is grown up and is going back into the woods.

This time to visit her Aunt Violet. Along the way, she meets a woodsman named Jean Paul (whose initials are JP), a wood nymph and, yes, the big, bad wolf (B.B Wolf, who is now a blues singer).

ART STUDIO TOURS Sept 16 & 17 10am - 5pm - Apsley Autumn Studio Tour is renowned for the quality of the artists working in a variety of disciplines in the North Kawarthas. www.apsleystudiotour.com/map/ printable-map-2017/ Sept 16 & 17, 23 & 24 10am - 5pm Bancroft & Area Studio Tour 25th year featuring the area’s rugged landscape & spectacular autumn colours. www.bancroftstudiotour.org/map

Nov 30 – Dec 16: NOISES OFF by Michael Frayn, considered the best farce ever written about theatre shenanigans.

health & pharmacy beauty food & home optimum post office

Sept 23 & 24 10am- 5pm - Tweed and Area Studio Tour Artists and artisans will be showcasing their talents in our 20th year. www.tweedstudiotour.org/map.htm Sep 30 & Oct 1, 2 10am-5pm – Madawaska Valley Studio Tour As the nights get cold, brilliant yellows, oranges and reds mark Autumn in the Valley & the tour’s 26th year. www.madawaskastudiotour.com/index. php?whichpage=maps

EVENTS Sept 16 – Water Buffalo Festival – taste water buffalo cheese, meat, ice cream and more. Family event, food, music, kids zone.

Winner of the 2016 Hastings -County Festival of the Year. Facebook.com/WaterBuffFest/ Sept 16 - Gilmour Days for Doors Open – Featuring a wood carver outside and a “Lumberjack” lunch with all displays Gilmour – $7.50pp Trenton Town Hall – 1861 Heritage & Cultural Centre, 55 King Street Trenton 613-394-1333 Laura, www.facebook.com/trentontownhall Sept 17 - Terry Fox Run - It is a day of celebrating Terry’s legacy and helping to keep alive his dream of finding a cure for cancer. *Some Runs are held on days other than Sept 17, please check for site & date: www.terryfox.org/Run/Find_A_Runsite. html” http://www.terryfox.org/Run/Find_A_ Runsite.html Sept 15 – 17 - Madoc Fall Fair Established in 1905, Madoc has a great country fair. Experience animal shows, live entertainment, horse pulls, tractor pulls, home craft & school displays, midway, great food, one of the best demolition derby’s and more! 47 Cooper Rd Madoc, Clara Hopkins whiskey141@hotmail.com

Sept 21 – 7pm – Drew Hayden Taylor -a special evening with the playwright, theatre director, comedian and scriptwriter.

Autographed books and refreshments available. Presented by the Friends of The Tweed Public Library, Tweed Public Library, 230 Metcalf St, Tweed www.tweedlibrary.ca Sept 27 – 4:30pm – 7pm – St. Andrew’s United Church Supper Turkey Dinner Betty Sexsmith 613-473-2188 or Katherine Sedgwick 613-473-2110 812 Bosley Road, Queensborough Sept 29 & 30 - Quinte Canadian FilmFest – A film presentation and party.

Trenton Town Hall – 1861 Heritage & Cultural Centre, 55 King Street Trenton 613-394-1333 Laura, www.facebook.com/trentontownhall Sep 30 – 5pm – 11pm – Bancroft Area Oktoberfest – Bancroft District Fish & Game Club, 27602 Hwy 62S, oktoberfest@bancroftfishandgame.com 613-332-0667 Oct 13 – 15 - StirlingFest – A Feast of Classical & Jazz Music – featuring local and internationally acclaimed musicians. Meet the performers and taste the best local fare. www.stirlingfest.com or 613 398-7573 Oct 14 – 9am – The Hastings Highlands Hilly Hundred, billed as “The Toughest Century Ride” in Ontario, will leave you in awe as it weaves it’s way through the colourful fall hardwood forests, lakes and hills and valleys of the Canadian Shield. Bike ride, start at Heart of The Park, 26 Station St, Bancroft. hillyhundred.ca/ Oct 20 – 7:30pm – A Small Act – A screening of the award-winning documentary presented by Quinte Grannies for Africa. St. Thomas Anglican Church, 201

RIVER TRIP NORTH

$49.95 + HST per person Reservations Only

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Owner/Pharmacist: Helen Phan 118 Hastings St North Bancroft K0L 1C0 613.332.4846 (corner of Hastings & Station)

www.shoppersdrugmart.ca

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Country Roads • Fall 2017

All ages and abilities Canoe or kayak the York River 3 hour trip daily 10:00am and 2:00pm Includes canoe/kayak, gear & shuttle to departure point.

258 Hastings St N Bancroft (613) 332-1969 • WWW.TRIPSANDTRAILS.CA

Church St, Belleville Tickets, $10, available at the door or call 613-968-9659 or 613-962-5507 Nov 3 - 5 - 10am – 6pm - The Maker’s Hand Festival Of Fine Craft - “The Finest Artisan Show in Eastern Ontario” showcasing international and local artisans. Picton Fairgrounds, 375 Main Street East, Picton Admission $6, children under 12 free. www.themakershand.com Nov 4 – 10am – 4pm - New Knowledge Circles Project invites citizens in The Land Between region to share their observations/ knowledge of the land and build community relationships. Arts Centre Hastings 230 Durham St S, Madoc, Registration required (free including lunch) - Leora Berman at 705-457-4838 or info@thelandbetween.ca, register online at knowledgecircles.ca.

Nov 5 – 3pm – Stage and Screen Friends of Music present the Toronto Concert Orchestra with Maestro Kerry Stratton.

Highlights from Hollywood’s greatest film scores. Trinity United Church, 184 Division Street, Cobourg Tickets 905-797-2295. www.friendsofmusicontario.ca.

Nov 9 – 5pm cash bar, 6pm dinner - AFRICAN DINNER - hosted by Quinte Grannies for Africa featuring African recipes at Sans Souci Restaurant, 240 Front St., Belleville. For tickets, $30, call 613-966-4620 or 613-969-0285 Nov 18 - 10am - 4pm, Christmas Vendor Show – Vendors such as Flight of Life Lockets, Mary Kay, Steeped Tea, Nygard Slims, Sunset Gourmet and many more - Enjoy coffee and cake – $5pp Trenton Town Hall – 1861 Heritage & Cultural Centre, 55 King Street Trenton 613-394-1333 Laura, www.facebook.com/trentontownhall

C O U N T R Y

C A L E N D A R

Things to see and do in and around Hastings County.

To submit your event listing email info@countryroadshastings.ca or call us at 613 968-0499.

Nov 24 & 25 – Rally of The Tall Pines, Bancroft www.lincolnelectric.com Nov 25 - County Festival of Trees Silent auction of nearly 200 decorated Christmas trees, bucket draw, Christmas boutique, entertainment, visit from Santa, bake and preserves sale. Isaiah Tubbs Resort, 1642 County Road 12, Picton ON. www.qhc.on.ca. Free - Proceeds to support healthcare needs in the community.

Nov 25 - Rum Runners Murder Mystery Spaghetti Supper – A gangster theme highlighting Rum Runners of the 20s – $20pp Trenton Town Hall – 1861 Heritage & Cultural Centre, 55 King Street Trenton 613-394-1333 Laura, www.facebook.com/trentontownhall

Nov 26 – 3pm – Christmas Tidings Friends of Music present Ensemble Vivant (piano, strings, voice) in concert. Hope United Church - Tickets 905-797-2295 www.friendsofmusicontario.ca.

Dec 3 - 11am- 5pm - Prince Edward County Christmas House Tour of old and new homes decked out in holiday finery. sheltonpeta@gmail.com Dec 9 – 10am – 5pm - Christmas Farmers Market & Home Again Toonie Sale Chris Hass 613-338-5303 or christinehass44@gmail.com 33011 Hwy 62 N, Maynooth

CLUBS, LECTURES, MEETINGS Hastings County Historical Society free public presentations held on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 7:30 pm at Maranatha, 100 College St. West, Belleville, rear entrance. www.hastingshistory.ca Sept 19 - Hunter of Dreams: A Story of the Underground Railroad, Presentation by historian and author, Steven Duff, on his book focusing on Dr. Alexander Milton Ross, a physician born in Belleville, who was a driving force in the safe passage of American black slaves.

Dec 9 - 5 pm - Brighten the Night Christmas Parade & Kids Party Downtown Maynooth www.maynooth.on.ca

Oct 17 - Bancroft Then and Now -Bancroft Councillor, Mary Kavanagh, showing pictures and telling stories of the community of Bancroft Nov 21 – The Movie Years: 100th Anniversary of Trenton’s heyday as Hollywood North – presentation by Filmmakers Doug Knutson and Peggy Dymond Leavey.

Quinte Field Naturalist Meeting, Sills Auditorium, Bridge Street United Church, 60 Bridge St E, Belleville. All welcome, by donation.

Sept 25 - Around the Orient in 80 Birds - For 6 years Tom Wheatley has spent winters birding in Southeast Asia. Join him for a photographic journey highlighting the region’s birds, their conservation status

marketplace

Celebrating Life in Hastings County

AUTOMOTIVE

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Oct 23 - Moths in Your Backyard - David Bree, Head Naturalist at Presquile Provincial Park, will describe the fascinating life histories a few of the thousands of moth species that can be discovered right in your backyard!

Nov 27 - The Bobcat and the Lynx A Tail of Two Ontario Wild Cats - Senior Research Scientist with MNRF Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Dr. Jeff Boman, will share his findings from years of field studies on these two elusive felines.

TO BOOK YOUR MARKETPLACE ADVERTISEMENT PLEASE CALL 613-968-0499

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

LB PERSONAL SERVICES Lawrence A. Bennett CLU CHS Estate & Financial Planner

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With 35+ years experience, Small but knowledgeable.

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(1 mile N. of Ivanhoe on Hwy. 62 - #11700)

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Dawn Ebelt, R.M.T. Registered Massage Therapist

Wells Ford Sales Ltd

Providing effective treatments since 2003

48 Belleville Rd., P.O. Box 160 Stirling, Ontario K0K 3E0

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and how our actions here, affect bird populations on the other side of the world.

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Body Shop: 613-395-3378 Wells Ford: 613-395-3375 Toll Free: 1-800-637-5944 Service: 613-395-3377

237 Hastings St. N Bancroft

call 613-332-1010 cell 613-318-8227 debelt@sympatico.ca

North American Customer Excellence Award Winner

SEASONAL

20TH ANNUAL TWEED & AREA STUDIO TOUR Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 23 & 24, 2017 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

14 venues - lots of door prizes!

Location brochures available from local businesses, or visit tweedstudiotour.org

HEALTH

BRAD COMEAU Professional Corporation Law Office

Box 569, 33 Mill Street, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0

Celebrating Family, Friendship & Love

613-395-2596

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Ph: 613-395-3397 Fx: 613-395-3398 Tf: 877-565-1626

Real Estate, Wills & Estates

bcomeau@countrylawyer.on.ca www.countrylawyer.on.ca Member of Ontario & PEI Law Societies

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Back Roads

Wallace Bakery at the Labour Day Parade The Wallace Bakery bread & sweets wagon was a popular attraction at the Belleville Labour Day parade, circa 1913. Wagon and horse fancifully decorated for the special occasion. James Wallace’s bakery was on Front Street in Belleville.

The photo was taken by William James Topley, a prolific photographer from Ottawa.

Photo courtesy of Community Archives of Belleville & Hastings County Photograph 3243 by William James Topley, Library and Archives Canada CABHA HC01077

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Country Roads • Fall 2017

Bancroft Theatre District JAG JEANS TRIBAL MARBLE

“COME FIND ALL YOUR FALL DECORATING INSPIRATION!”

22 Bridge St. W., BANCROFT

613.332.2812

FLOWERS & FASHIONS

zihuaboutique@bellnet.ca www.zihuaboutique.ca

...a Unique Downtown Destination

Floral designs for all occasions 3 BRIDGE ST. W. BANCROFT 613.332.5645

Ashlie’s Books

65 Hastings St. North, Bancroft, ON

613.332.2946

www.ashlies.ca • books@ashlies.ca Tons Of Fudge Made On-Site

20+ Flavours – Free Samples

Browse Our Gifts, Clothing, Furniture…

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

16 Bridge Street. W., Bancroft 613.332.1336 www.fudgefactory.ca

Posies

Open Mon-Sat 10a-5p, Sun 12p-4:30p SPECIAL ORDERS ARE WELCOME!

New & Used Books. Plus... Topo, Crownland & GPS Ontario MAPS, Local Artist CARDS and PRINTS 10% OR MORE OFF MOST* NEW SOFTCOVER BOOKS 25% OR MORE OFF MOST* NEW HARDCOVER BOOKS GREATER THAN $16.95 *ONLY A FEW EXCEPTIONS MAY APPLY.

NECESSITIES RETAIL STORE

• Decor Items for All Seasons • Furniture • Books • Home & Cottage Decorating

34 Hastings St. Bancroft 613.334.1513

Alive with entertainment, first class shopping, and dining.

Fall 2017 • Country Roads

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