Feb. 2009 - Simcoe Life

Trippin’ out
Tale of life
Exploring winter
with a kick
One last thing
Plucking with
the Ukuladies
Trolling online
for a ‘sole’ mate
W O R K
Whisky Wise
Jan/Feb 2009
The undistilled
truth about scotch
•
H O M E
•
L I F E
Updating a
tired look
Old rooms
refreshed
Shooting higher
The art of capturing a changing world
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519-578-0300
705-719-1390
932 Victoria St. N.,
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42 Caplan Ave.
(next to Home Depot)
BRANTFORD
195 Henry St.
(next to Coraʼs Restaurant)
519-750-1118
M o n d a y t o F r i d a y 9 - 9 , S a t u r d a y 9 - 6 , S u n d a y 11 - 5
index
What’s inside
January/February 2009
Up front
5
Editor’s note
6
8
Culture shot
Acting out, Note for note, Art spot,
Eye on books, Wintery fun
taleS of life
Ukes in search of vinyl; A taste of CK
9
11
12
27
artful
Sculpted paintings a
marriage of convenience
out there
Neat stuff, just for fun
14
19
22
28
31
34
36
38
Business Sense
Steeped in history and
the community
40
s
pirit of simcoe
Gala on stage
42
Features
Work
Shooting for an emerging market
46
t
ravel
Beyond the beaches
in the Dominican
T
ripping out
Exploring winter with a kick
W
ine
Heavy medals
foo
d
Recipes from the heart of a city
inside
Cookstown brings the past home
31
Pec
uliar Past
Huronia’s native battleground
E
vents
O
ne Last thing
Looking for a ‘sole’ mate
in a sea full of fish
L IFE
Cheers to a smoky spirit
HOME
Updating a tired look
11
Departments
9
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
22
28
editor’s note
January/February 2009
WORK • HOME • LIFE
winter 2009 VOL. 4 No. 5
Editor Marg. Bruineman, ext. 253
Contributors Barry Ward
Roy Green
Dave Dawson
Lauren Carter
Susan Doolan
Laurel Lane-Moore
Kim Masin
Mark Bisset
Manon Ringuette
Elizabeth Bokfi
Columnists Janie Robinson
Chris Waters
Tom Villemaire
Simcoe Life Magazine is published six times each year and
is distributed to paid subscribers of Osprey’s regional newspapers in Barrie, Collingwood, Midland and Orillia and
through select dealer locations throughout the region.
The publisher accepts no responsibility for advertisers’
claims, unsolicited manuscripts, transparencies, other materials, errors or omissions. No part of this magazine may
be reproduced in any form without the written permission
of the publisher. All content copyright 2008. Printed in
Canada.
Marg Bruineman
Illustrator Keith Milne
Copy Editors Laurel Lane-Moore
Dave Dawson
Layout & Design April Barber
Director of
Advertising Denise Tucker, ext. 364
Advertising
Sales Kelley Rock, ext. 228
Ryan Huston, ext. 266
Carrie Leduc, ext. 226
Teresa Plati, ext. 272
Shawna Harrison, ext. 357
Jeff Faulkner, ext. 260
Amanda Babineau, ext. 299
Ashley Bell, ext. 225
Kim Black, ext. 235
Nick Muriella, ext. 284
I
n this time of rapid change,
the old and the new
constantly compete for our
attention.
On one hand, we’re venturing
into a new realm with many
businesses redefining themselves.
Photography has taken great
leaps, exploiting the many
wondrous things that advancing
technology allows. Photographers
are using new processes. Instead
of heading into the darkroom,
they switch on their computers
and work on their images through Photoshop or other software.
But the metamorphosis of the business of photography doesn’t end with
technology, points out writer Dave Dawson. Many photographers are looking
beyond hanging a shingle on main street marking the classic photography
studio. In our cover story, Picture perfect, we find photographers out of
the studio, often abandoning the studio altogether and pushing both
geographic and creative boundaries.
From new, we go to old - the centuries-old pleasure a glass of whisky can
bring. For discerning fans, it’s a nectar to savour and celebrate, as writer
Mark Bissett explains in Dancin’ around the whisky. Bottles can fetch
$700, so it’s important, say some connoisseurs, not to alter the flavour
with additives, even ice. Some establishments carry a variety to please the
scotch and whisky drinkers. At Orillia’s Brewery Bay Food Co., Steve Clarke
keeps a good stock on hand, including some of the very best. But because
the very best can be costly, he accepts a lower percentage margin when he
serves the $40 glass of the finest whisky.
And then there’s making the old new again. These days, when money is
tight, it’s all about doing more with less. But when it comes to breathing
new life into your tired home interior, you don’t have to sacrifice style when
the décor budget is skinny. In Happy Re-new Year, writer Laurel Lane-Moore
looks at how the pros work their magic and shares tips on freshening up
an old look.
Here’s to celebrating what’s good about the old and embracing the best of
the new!
Contributing
Photographers Mark Wanzel
Chris Lusty
Something old,
something new it’s all good
Publisher Don MacLeod
Simcoe Life Magazine is a division
of Central Ontario Magazines
571 Bayfield St. N. Barrie, ON, L4M 4Z9
Tel: 705-726-6537
Fax: 705-726-5148
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: simcoelife.ca
Simcoe Life Magazine is a division of
C E N T R A L O N TA R I O
MAGAZINES
About the cover: Shooting higher. Changes in business is
perfectly captured in this snapshot of photography. Photo
by Mark Wanzel.
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
culture shot
Setting out in search of art and culture? Here’s a sampling of upcoming activities in Simcoe County.
For more, check out the Events listings starting on Page 42.
acting out
South Simcoe Theatre’s mid-winter show tells it from the perspective of six southern
women in a place where all females spill the beans - the local hair salon. The comedy
drama Steel Magnolias centers on a wide variety of situations and emotions relatable
to both women and men.
It is more fleshed out, says an insider, than its 1989 movie counterpart which starred
Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia
Roberts, as well as several well-known male actors.
The play, which debuted off-Broadway in 1987, is entirely set in Truvy’s Salon, and
the story hinges on the friendship that sustains the women through life’s difficulties, a
timeless theme that accounts for its worldwide popularity some 20 years later.
It plays from Feb 5-22 at the old town hall in Cookstown. For tickets, contact the box
office, at 705-458‑4432.
Elsewhere in the county, the Mariposa Arts Theatre Foundation is staging Out of
Sight - Out of Murder in the studio theatre of the Orillia Opera House, Feb. 12-22. Tickets
are available at the box office, 705-326-8011. Andy Jones, one of Canada’s top comic actors, brings Uncle Val, a displaced fisherman trapped in the big city, to Barrie’s Gryphon
Theatre, Feb. 27, 705-728-4613.
note for note
The Orillia Wind Ensemble is featuring world-renowned flute player, Sergio
Pallottelli, at its mid-season concert, Feb. 28.
Pallottelli is travelling to Orillia from his home in Connecticut to perform and
the concert is expected to be the highlight of the year. He is renowned throughout the world as a flutist and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician
throughout the United States, Europe, South America and Australia.
The OWE likes to mix it up with special guest artists - some, like Pallottelli,
professional performers at the height of their career - but they have also been
known to team up with choirs from across Simcoe County. The 40-member
group is led by conductor and musical director Roy Menagh, a retired instrumental music teacher and school principal.
The concert takes place at St. Paul’s United Church in Orillia, at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available at the Orillia Opera House box office, 705-326‑8011.
In other musical notes, look for The Drifters, featuring Rick Sheppard, at OLG
Slots at Georgian Downs in Innisfil, Feb. 13. For tickets, call 705-726-6770 ext.
4950. Meanwhile, Barrie has everything from jazz to world music, Irish music,
and Broadway at Gryphon Theatre. For details, call 705-728-4613.
Art Spot
The Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts (BMFA) and its Arts Centre is the hub
for artists in the Georgian Triangle area. They converge for regular monthly shows
at the gallery, which is housed in a restored century-old building on the main street
of Collingwood. Over 100 artists display work ranging from jewelry to pottery, glass,
woodworking, painting, sculpture, photography and more.
Since its inception in 1975, the BMFA, a non‑profit, charitable organization, has offered arts awards and scholarships to students. Programs and events include juried
shows, an annual studio tour, a performing arts concert series, book publications and
more.
The BMFA kicked off the new year with a members’ show that ends Feb. 2. It turns
its attention to contemporary portraits with Face Off, Feb. 4 to March 1. This is an open
show to all artists in all mediums. Next up is Vessels: To Transport - cups, bowls, pitchers
that are functional art pieces. There is another meaning to the word, linking it directly
to the town’s heritage of boats and ships. The exhibition is on display from March 4-19.
The Arts Centre is located at 163 Hurontario St., Collingwood. It’s open from Wednesday through to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on the BMFA, call
705-445-3430.
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
eye on books
A local photographer has published
three books - all within the last year.
John Jacquemain, from Oro Station,
has an interest in a wide variety of subjects - from the life and culture of the
Dominican Republic to the historical
and architectural significance of Simcoe County churches. In between there
are Moments - black and white photographs Jacquemain has collected over
the years of people in places such as
New York, London, Toronto and Cardiff. Each photograph tells a story
about people relating to each other or,
as the case may be, not at all, and some
are in the midst of being left behind.
Jacquemain’s first photography
book is called Dominican Diary. It describes in words and pictures the work of Georgian College
nursing faculty and students in the Dominican Republic. Beyond documenting this experience,
the book also captures in striking colour the day-to-day life of Dominicans: families, children,
homes and fishermen.
The third book focuses on local churches. A collection of 34 colour photographs, Simcoe
County Churches was inspired by Jacquemain’s photographic work with the United Church of
Canada.
All three books – in soft-cover and hard-cover versions – are available in the Georgian College
bookstore, Barrie campus, where Jacquemain taught photography until his retirement several
years ago. Two of the books - Simcoe County Churches and Moments - are also available at Page
& Turners in downtown Barrie.
wintery fun
It’s snowy, cold, and icy - three good
reasons to embrace the season. Go
ahead and celebrate winter - there’s a
festival in just about every community.
In Orillia, they call it a carnival - cool
family fun for all ages. It runs from Feb.
13-15 at the Port of Orillia and Couchiching Beach Park
Midland’s Winterfest celebrations –
featuring all kinds of snowy activities take place Feb. 6-7 at the North Simcoe
Sports & Recreation Centre and Little
Lake Park. In the town of Penetanguishene, it’s Winterama, the 61st annual
winter extravaganza, Feb. 20‑22.
Innisfil’s Winterfest, Feb. 20-22,
takes place at the Recreation Centre
and Innisfil Beach Park.
Tay Township puts a different twist
on the annual celebration and calls it
a Frosty Frolics Winter Carnival. The
eighth annual adventure takes place
Feb. 13‑15.
For the first time ever, the Township of Tiny is holding a winter event. Called the Annual Carnaval D’hiver, activities take place in six large community parks, Feb. 1.
Wasaga Beach celebrates Winterfest with lots of snowy activities from mid-January through
to the middle of February. Creemore’s Winterama is slated for Feb. 5-8.
Barrie’s Winterfest, considered one of the top 10 in Ontario, combines family activities with a
music festival designed to chase away the winter blues. It unfolds at the waterfront and in the
downtown core Feb. 7-8. SLM
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
tales of life
Mark Wanzel
By Marg Bruineman
I
don’t want you to think we’re professional,” begins Judi Bolton,
adding she knows nothing about music. But somehow she’s become
the director of a Barrie group called Ukuladies and Friends. As the
name suggests, it’s a musical group, but there’s more than just ukuleles and
it’s not just ladies.
It all began in an intuitive art class several years ago. One of the group
members, a former ukulele instructor, pulled out her instrument and taught
Bolton three chords. There was something so fine about that plucking
sound that Bolton quickly got her own ukulele. Three others in the group
followed suit. Soon they were on stage at the Moonstone Coffee House
almost shyly plucking away behind their instructor, somehow thrilling the
audience. There’s something about the ukulele that conjures up smiles
and turns heads when it’s played.
The group has seen a few members come and go over the years and
now has 13 members – several singers, a keyboard player, a violinist, a
mandolin player and someone who plays the hand drums, in addition to
a handful of the core ukulele players. They perform at seniors’ homes, at
special occasions and for organizations wanting some fun entertainment.
And they don’t charge.
“We play a spring session, and then we have a party. Then we play a
summer session and we have a party. And then we play a fall session and
then, well, we have a party,” chuckles member Ellie Murray.
Clearly, there’s some fun to be had here. And that’s precisely the point.
Bolton says it’s all about having fun and spreading a bit of cheer around.
For many of the members, making people happy is par for the course.
Both Murray and Bolton are involved in a variety of organizations including
Grandmothers and Grandothers, Ladies of the Lake and Ride and Drive.
Ukuladies and Friends benefited from the experience of having a
professional musician in their midst for a couple of years and they continue
to develop with weekly practice sessions. A local retirement home offered
the use of its chapel for rehearsals in exchange for repeat performances
for the residents.
The unspoken goal is to continue to improve.The ultimate goal is to be
on Stuart McLean’s CBC radio show, The Vinyl Café, which adopted the
ukulele as its official instrument close to three years ago.
“Deep in my heart I thought we’re going to build it up until we’re good
enough to go on the Stuart McLean show,” says Bolton rather timidly. “Stuart
doesn’t know about it yet. But he’ll be thrilled when we tell him!” SLM
The more things change,
the more CK stays the same
By Barry Ward
CK owner Wesley Kwan and wife, Linna
A
t least, that has been the case until
now. Someone opening a fortune
cookie at the Bayfield Street takeout
landmark these days might just find one that
says:“Big changes may be on the way.”
Little has changed since CK first opened its
doors nearly four decades and a couple of million
chicken balls ago. It still offers only take-out and
delivery, some of the staff have been there more
than a decade, the place still closes Mondays and
the building…well, the counter and screened-in
waiting area could use some sprucing up.
Owner Wesley Kwan, who has outlasted eight
Canadian prime ministers, a couple of recessions
and likely a thousand competing area restaurants,
says he fears a customer revolt if he called in a
renovator.
“Customers always come in and say, ‘Wes,
don’t change anything. My dad brought me
here as a kid and nothing’s changed. I like it like
this.’”
Kwan grew up in Swift Current, Saskatchewan.
SIMCOE LIFE
Mark Wanzel
Ukes in search of vinyl
jan/feb 2009
His grandfather had come to Canada, like
many Chinese men, to work on the railway in
the 1800s. He ended up staying and opened a
restaurant. Two generations later, Kwan came to
Southern Ontario to go to school and spotted
an opportunity to open a Chinese restaurant in
what had been a hamburger stand.
“At that time, every town, every city, had a
strip. I recognized Bayfield was going to be that
strip,” says Kwan, who remembers Bayfield north
of Highway 400 at the time as being little more
than Towers, McDonald’s and an A & W. Kwan
has made subtle changes to the menu over the
years, adding more spicy items to suit changing
tastes, but never varying from the principle that
everything is made from scratch on-site.
CK has seen its share of famous regular
customers over the years, including former
Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard, boxer George
Chuvalo -- who insisted on eating off the hood
of his car in the parking lot with his family -- and
hockey player Jason Arnott, who makes CK one
of his first stops on the way home to Wasaga
Beach after every season and had CK supply the
food for his Stanley Cup party in 2000.
And there have been many, many less famous
ones. Sam Hornung has been a CK customer since
1973, when he moved to Barrie. He first visited
the Bayfield Street outlet on the recommendation
of his parents, who were already living in the
area. Now, a fourth generation of his family are
believers. When he gives his grandchildren a
choice of visiting one of the big Chinese buffets
in town or getting food from CK, they choose
the latter.
The food may remain the same but the
location and landmark building may soon be
history.A site plan for a bank on the site has been
approved.Wesley and his wife, Linna, aren’t quite
sure what they’ll do but he promises to maintain
the name somewhere.
“I want to keep it going because CK is really
part of Barrie,” says Kwan. SLM
artful
Partners in art – and life
Creators of sculpted paintings
share space at new gallery in Midland
By Kim Masin • Mark Wanzel Photography
Stuart Leggett combines his sculpture with Carol Currie’s painting
C
ollaborative artists Carol Currie and Stuart Leggett bring a unique
platform of artistry to North Simcoe that fans are lining up to buy.
Currie and Leggett are far from your run-of-the-mill married couple
- Leggett holds several titles in The Guinness Book of World Records, one
for rappelling the CN Tower in 1995 and Currie, born in Whitefish Falls,
has made her mark in the art world. The artist and the sculptor, each
with very different backgrounds, have teamed up to create sculpted
paintings that are so sought after you have to purchase a number to
secure your place in the line-up for commissions.
The opening of The Carriage House Gallery in 2007 brought new
artists to Midland and put the couple on the map. In their gallery in
a downtown heritage building, Currie and Leggett display their own
pieces as well as work by local and out-of-town artists, bringing a unique
artistic culture to the town.
The couple met in Midland. Currie was creating wood-sculpted signs
and was in need of a sculptor to do the carving for her work. Leggett was
the man for the job; from there, the signs and the relationship evolved
into an entity that took on a life of its own. The “live sculpted paintings,”
as they fondly refer to them, are intricately designed pieces of work
from start to finish. “This is a very controlled creation, more so than
(work by) other artists,” says Currie. “It’s planned and extremely timeconsuming. It’s hard to explain to people what goes into these pieces.”
The process begins with Currie’s love of geology. “My goal is to
travel to places in Canada and worldwide and immerse myself into the
environment and photograph rock formations. I have a list I want to
visit.” Currie contributes the design element of the artwork – she grew
up surrounded by La Cloche Mountains in northern Ontario and says
she feels an intimate connection with the surroundings. She depicts a
sense of calmness and strength in her landscapes, providing a grounding
presence that has become her trademark. Once she finds her subjects,
she takes photographs, makes sketches and blows them up to the final
size of the piece.
The process then falls to Leggett, who transforms the wood into the
framework for Currie’s paintings. This is an extremely lengthy process,
so Currie paints on canvas while she waits for the final framework. She
uses depth and shadowing in her paintings to evoke a sense of peace and
tranquility. “I deliberately simplify my paintings to take away the noise
of society, to bring the observer together with the natural environment,”
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
says Currie. Her creations on canvas are just as
sought-after as the wood-sculpted pieces, but
are more readily available.
Leggett carefully selects small pieces of
wood, picking out just the right grain so he
can piece them together for the foundation
on which Currie will paint. He chooses wood
based on the depth and direction of the grain.
The play of textures brings an organic essence
to the paintings.
begins the sculpting process. ”By placing the
wood a certain way, I discovered I could bring
features of the painting into the forefront,” he
explains.
After several hundred hours (about 800)
of woodworking and sculpting, the framing
is protected and prepared for Currie’s touch
and the painting begins. Currie applies up to
seven translucent layers of acrylics to build the
illusionary depth in the painting and bring the
“I deliberately simplify my paintings to take
away the noise of society, to bring the observer
together with the natural environment.”
Leggett designed the unique wood framing
system to solve a practical problem. “The
artwork passed a certain size and the wood
started to warp and Carol’s pieces need to be
completely flat,” says Leggett.
“This is how his mind works,” jokes Currie.
“He has an engineering type of mind.”
Once the frame is glued and secured by an
aluminum grid frame Leggett also designed, he
sculpture to life.
The Carriage House Gallery is located at 372
Midland Avenue in downtown Midland. For
more information and news about upcoming
exhibitions, call 705-527-4632 or visit
carriagehousegallery.ca. SLM
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SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
64 Mary Street, Barrie
w w w. t h e g r e e n d a y s p a . c a
front
outup
there
New gadgets for ‘09
Cool, new, fun stuff
Mini Alarm
This personal security system is an incredibly small size personal security
alarm with high-pitched 105dB resonating alarm sound. The simple ripcord
design allows quick and easy alarm
activation in the emergency situation.
One CR2032 battery is included (preinstalled).Available at Future Shop for
$14.99.
Digi Microscope
This 1.3 Megapixel Digital
Microscope allows you to capture some higher
resolution images and
video and display them on
your PC using
a simple USB
connection.
View speci mens collected
around the house, backyard,
your desk, or the fridge. Look
at the micro-printing on a dollar bill or examine
the traces on your motherboard. This microscope provides you an easy way to zoom in on
a wide variety of objects to satisfy your curiosity above the world around you.
Available for $200 at Thinkgeek.com
Diving Mask Camera
Capture breathtaking underwater photos and full motion
videos using this underwater digital camera mask, distributed by Barrie company LEI. Choose from either a 3.1 or a
5.0 Mega Pixel model starting at $109.99. For purchase information or to experience live Video Images made using
the Digital Camera Mask, go to www.leiproducts.com.
Spy Video ATV-36™ - NEW!
Radio-controlled ATV with Real-Time Video & Listener! Wild Planet (creators of the
Spy Video Car) introduces the Spy Video ATV-360, the first remote-controlled Spy
Gear video car to offer audio transmission, full-circle spin control and tank tracks.
The upgraded ATV-360 lets secret agents inspect enemy territory from the
safety of their own spy headquarters. They can scope out a room and hear if
anyone is coming from up to 75 feet away. The new track-based movement
system traverses treacherous landscapes such as laundry-strewn bedroom
floors and foyers filled with books and backpacks. The vehicle climbs over
obstacles and wirelessly transmits real-time video and audio back to the
driver. Requires 12 AA batteries, sold separately.
Available at Sears in Canada for $129.99.
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
11
business sense
Building on a strong foundation
Family-owned Sarjeant Company
carries on tradition of giving and growing
By Barry Ward • Mark Wanzel Photography
T
here’s a little bit of the Sarjeant Company in many places around
Simcoe County and it’s not just the concrete and aggregates for
which the company is known.
The Sarjeant Company Limited has also been extremely generous
on the charitable front, setting a standard few companies can match.
President Scott Elliott says it’s all part of an effort by a locally-owned
company to give back to the community.
“We’re not a public company,” says Elliott.“We’re not owned from
France or Switzerland or places
like that. This is where we work
and play, so we give back to our
communities. It’s just our nature.
Those decisions are easier made
because it’s just me, it’s just Dad,
and it’s just the group of people
at Sarjeant’s who make these decisions.”
Sarjeant and the Elliott family have a tradition of giving, one Scott,
past chair of Barrie’s Royal Victoria Hospital board, knows well and
takes seriously.
“In 1908, Sarjeant’s was one of the original givers to the RVH and
on that campaign committee, so history repeats itself.”
The Barrie-based company traces its lineage back to 1871 when
James Johnston began selling coal, wood, cement and building
supplies. In 1889, an employee, Walter Sarjeant, became a full
partner in Johnston and Sarjeant. Soon after the turn of the century,
Johnston retired and a new partnership began between Walter and
his brother, Samuel, creating the Sarjeant Company, which continues
to this day.
Over the years, the company has expanded throughout Simcoe
County and Ontario. If it comes out of the ground, the Sarjeant
Company is probably involved, especially fuel oil, concrete and
aggregate. Today, it is the largest independent fuel distributor in
the county. The company is also
in heating and air conditioning
and recently moved into the
development business.
At one time, the company
was a leader in the ice industry,
both in terms of harvesting Lake
Simcoe ice and building an artificial ice plant in Orillia.The Sarjeant
Company also ventured into the water business, founding Aberfoyle
Springs, since sold to Nestle, and owned a coal mine in Pennsylvania.
A Sarjeant started the insurance company that bears the family
name, although it split off more than 50 years ago. Elliott says the
“weirdest” venture was to raise silver foxes for their furs.
Even during The Great Depression, the company never had a
year it lost money, something Elliott attributes to a sound business
philosophy.
“The true fundamentals remain
the same. It’s about relationships,
how people are treated.”
12
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
63412067
“The true fundamentals remain the same. It’s
about relationships, how people are treated,” he
says. “It is a relationship industry, I think most
are, and when you don’t recognize that, you
have issues.”
John Elliott, who had built up the Custom
Concrete business in the Toronto area, took
over the Sarjeant Company in 1970. Son Scott
became president in 2001 and has continued to
take the business into new fields. The 50-yearold lives in Midhurst with wife, Lorie – they’ve
raised two sons and two daughters - and still
discusses business decisions with his father.
Like his father, Scott has devoted much of
his time to charitable causes. The Elliott family
and the Sarjeant Company combined for a
$1-million pledge to the RVH expansion and
the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Care
Centre. Midland’s Huronia District Hospital and
Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital in Orillia have been
helped, as well.
Georgian College has also been the recipient
of Sarjeant’s or the Elliotts’ largesse, as have
Barrie’s Talk Is Free Theatre, the Barrie Public
Library, Barrie’s MacLaren Art Centre, Habitat
for Humanity, Communities in Bloom, the Out of
the Cold program and the Grieving Children’s
Foundation.
Elliott has been an active member of the
Rotary Club of Barrie. “The Rotary clubs in
Barrie are some of the best Rotary clubs in the
world. We’re more active,” he says.“That’s a feelgood thing as well. You feel really good about
it.”
Many sports groups have been assisted by
the family or the company, including numerous
hockey and baseball teams, the Bradford Curling
Club, the Essa Salmon Festival and recreation
centres in Innisfil and North Simcoe.
Scott Elliott has also found time to serve
on the Ready Mixed Concrete Association of
Ontario, the Barrie Construction Association
and the Transportation Safety Board of Ontario.
He is a former Barrie Business Man of the Year
and Sarjeant was once named Employer of the
Year in Barrie.
Sarjeant has some 120 to 140 employees,
depending on the season, plus another 110 at
Northern Custom Concrete, which operates in
Northern Ontario. Elliott preaches community
participation to all the employees.
“I think it’s important, and certainly we say it
to all of our employees as well, to participate in
community events. It doesn’t always have to be
cash. It can be efforts and helpfulness.”
Elliott’s day-to-day goal is “seeing things
operate well and making customers happy. You
start by saying thanks. And smiles help.” SLM
Reading this in the doctor’s office?
Get your own copy at
simcoelife.ca
WORK • HOME • LIFE
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
13
work
Picturee
Pictur
perfectt
perfec
Digital revolution pushes the boundaries of century-old craft
By Dave Dawson • Photographs from Phil Steingard’s portfolio
T
here was a time – not long past – when the darkroom was a magical
place for photographers. It was that mystical laboratory where
images came to life thanks to a laborious chemical process that was
at once time-consuming and tedious – and utterly breathtaking.
Today, that is no longer the case.The digital age has transformed the life of
photographers, drastically altering their craft and taking an ancient art form
to new heights. It has
also opened doors that
pioneers such as Eastman
and Kodak couldn’t have
envisioned.
Just ask Phil Steingard.
When he began to follow
in his father’s footsteps,
opening the doors to his
downtown Alliston shop
in 1982, a digital camera
must have seemed as if it
would be a millennium
away. But Steingard has learned to embrace the new technology, re-inventing
his business and evolving, much like a roll of celluloid exposed to chemicals
in a darkroom.
“The photography business has seen huge changes over the past decade,”
says Steingard, his stylus artfully dancing over a custom keyboard, the results
projected on a massive high-definition screen mounted on the wall above
his work-station. “To be
honest, I feel like a kid
again.”
When Steingard was a
kid, he worked part-time
for his father, Bill, in the
original Steingard Studio
which opened in 1970. “I
learned the business from
him,” says Phil. “I worked
part-time for him, after
school, on weekends…so
did my brother Kevin,
Phil Steinguard’s photography frequently gets him out of the studio since
he changed his approach to business.
14
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
work
who owns his own studio in Barrie today.”
Peter Northcott owned a studio in Barrie for almost three decades; he
recently shuttered the doors at Amora Portrait Studios. But he certainly isn’t
going out of business. He’s just “riding the wave” of the new technology that
has transformed his livelihood.
Northcott has embraced the move to bytes and mega pixels. He recently
unveiled his “new” business – peternorthcott.ca – and the response, he says,
has been better than expected.“We were actually hoping to slow down a bit,
but business has increased,” he says.
The decision to switch to an internet-based enterprise was not difficult.
“This is the way the digital era is going. Nobody wants to come to a portrait
studio any more; they want the photographer to come to them. Nobody wants
hundreds of photos – they want to look at them on-line in the comfort of their
own homes so they can select the ones they want.”
With that in mind, Northcott, who teaches digital/commercial photography
at Georgian College, will photograph his subjects at their home, their cottage,
a park or any other location.The customer can then look at their proofs online
– on their own password-protected pages they can share with family and
friends. They can also fill their virtual shopping
cart online and have their photographs shipped
directly to their home.
“We’ve done a lot of research into this
concept that has worked well in the States and
Australia,” says Northcott, who operates the
cutting-edge business from his Minesing home.
“It’s an excellent way to offer our services the
way today’s customers want them.”
When it comes to wedding photography,
today’s customers have different tastes. One
example? Traditional church weddings are
waning; these days, many brides are opting for
destination weddings.
“This year, I will be doing 26 destination
weddings,” says Steingard of the new niche he
has carved for his growing operation.“I’ve been
told that about 18 per cent of weddings these
days are destination weddings, so it’s definitely
a growing trend.”
For Steingard, it started innocently enough. He and his wife love to travel
and decided, about five years ago, to try to snag a wedding photo shoot while
they were away to help defray travel costs. He never thought it would become
a big part of his business.
“My father was sort of known as the go-to guy for unique photography
and that rubbed off on me,” says Steingard.“So I introduced a ‘trash the dress’
concept here – although it’s not entirely new. And it has become so popular
– the brides love it.And for me, it’s fun and it’s something a little different that
we can offer.”
The trash-the-dress concept sees the bride, in full gown, wade into ocean
waves or water caves or somewhere exotic – and usually wet and messy – for
some unique photos that become keepsakes for everyone associated with the
bride and groom.“I’m finding that once they see the photos I’ve taken, almost
all the brides want to do it,” says Steingard.“Some are very adventurous.”
Some would say Steingard is adventurous, trekking to exotic locales,
sometimes photographing multiple weddings on a busy weekend getaway to
the Caribbean. But he says it’s just one way that he’s adapted with the times.
“There are new trends that come every few years and you really have to
be up on them,” he says. With that in mind,
he has introduced colour gels, underwater
photography, multiple lighting set-ups and
various other innovative devices and techniques.
“You can’t just stay the same; you grow stale if
you do that.”
While Steingard and Northcott have
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
15
work
The latest tools of a photographers trade
embraced the new trends, it’s hard to predict new
phases in a business that changes often.“It’s hard to
judge the next 30 days let alone the next few years,”
Northcott chuckles.
But some things never change and Steingard
says he hasn’t forgotten his roots. He continues
to take school photos for the ten schools in his
region and he shoots individual and team photos
for various minor
sports groups and
dance
studious.
“Let’s face it, this
is a small rural
community; you
have to do a little
bit of everything,”
he says. “That’s
why I do framing,
(and) I offer
passport photos.
To be successful,
you have to do all
those things.”
Steingard’s
business, while no
longer traditional
in many respects,
remains a family-run business. While Phil is the
public face of the company – and the main man
behind the lens – his wife, Tootie, is his partner,
helping with all aspects of the business and
overseeing the bookkeeping function. A nephew,
along with two other photographers, is also kept
busy. Their daughter, like Phil many years before,
also helps out, fulfilling myriad functions at the
bustling operation.
But it all comes back to hard work; fancy
equipment and talent will only go so far. “Anyone
who owns a successful small business will tell you
it takes a lot of hard work.Yeah, it’s exotic to go to
the Caribbean, but when we go, we go to work.You
have to work hard to be successful. I’m not some
fly-by-night guy; I’m a professional businessman.”
These days, that means, among other things,
being computer-savvy. Steingard has spent tens
of thousands of dollars in recent years investing
in state-of-the-art cameras, computers, programs
and training. “The camera I use is worth about
$10,000,” he says of his professional-grade Canon.
“You have to have the best equipment to be the
best and I think people recognize that. Quality is
important – especially when you’re talking about
photographing a wedding that is a once-in-alifetime event. It’s important to get it right.”
And while equipment makes a big difference,
Steingard likens his craft to cooking.“You have to a
have a good piece of meat to start out with. It’s the
same for me. I spend a lot of time colour-correcting
and working on the photos in Photoshop, but you
have to start with a great image; that’s still the key.”
But Steingard is the first to admit that the advent
of technology has opened new doors. “I spend
From copper plate to digital technology - the evolution of photography
1826 – French physicist Joseph Niepce coats a pewter
sheet with asphalt, puts it in an artist’s ‘camera obscura’,
and sets it on a windowsill. Eight hours later, the world’s first
photograph - a semblance of a scene on his French farm
– comes to light.
1830s - Niepce joins with Louis Daguerre to create the
Daguerreotype – the forerunner to modern film. In this
process, a copper plate is coated with silver and exposed to
iodine vapour before it is exposed to light.
1850s - The Daguerreotype is replaced by emulsion or wet
plates. These are less expensive and take only two or three
seconds of exposure time, making them more suitable for
portrait photography.
1870s - Photography takes a huge leap forward when Richard
Maddox discovers how to make dry gelatine plates which
are nearly equal to wet plates for speed and quality and can
be stored rather than made as needed. Cameras are also
smaller, so they can be hand-held.
1880s - George Eastman starts a company called Kodak
16
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
and creates a flexible roll film that does not require the
continuous changing of solid plates. He invents a selfcontained box camera that holds 100 exposures of film - the
first camera affordable enough for the average person.
1940s - 35mm film emerges and soon becomes cheap
enough for most people to afford.
1950s – Asahi and Nikon SLR-type cameras and models,
complete with interchangeable lenses and other accessories,
are unveiled.
1969 - George Smith and Willard Boyle invent the chargecoupled device (CCD), the image sensor that’s the heart of all
digital cameras, at Bell Labs.
1970 - Smith and Boyle build the CCD into the world’s first
solid-state video camera.
1975 – Smith and Boyle demonstrate the first CCD camera
with image quality sharp enough for broadcast television.
1981 - Sony produces the first prototype digital camera, the
Mavica (Magnetic Video Camera) electronic still camera.
three times as much time at my computer than I
do behind my camera. And it really does allow for
some very dramatic effects.”
Technology has also allowed him to expand far
beyond the four walls of his business – and the
borders of Simcoe County. Steingard can often be
found trolling online bridal forums and Facebook
groups offering advice and looking for clients.
“I spend a lot of time online,” he says. “A lot
of people around the world know me as Photo
Phil and will ask me for advice. And people will
recommend me. There are a lot of sites where
brides are looking for a professional photographer
to shoot their wedding; they don’t want a resort
photographer…I’ve done weddings for people
from all over the world including Sweden, Alberta
and many other places. The Internet has opened
up a whole new avenue for us.”
Steingard says one of his advantages is his
unique style – a hybrid one-of-a-kind that he
admits he has borrowed from several renowned
photographers. “I’ve taken a little from a few
different guys, put it in a blender with my
personality and that’s what you see.You have to
be flexible, you have to give people what they
want …I have 25 years experience and I’m still
learning.”
He’s also still having fun. “You know what, I
love what I do,” he says with a smile.“When I’m
doing a trash-the-dress shoot, I can be a little
funky and have a little fun. I get as excited as
they do.You have to be creative and I like being
creative and today, the possibilities are endless. I
love it.” SLM
1986 - Kodak scientists invent the world’s first megapixel sensor, capable
of recording 1.4 million pixels which could produce a 5x7-inch digital photoquality print.
1990 - Kodak develops the Photo CD system and proposes “the first
worldwide standard for defining colour in the digital environment of computers
and computer peripherals.”
1990 - Logitech comes out with the Dycam Model 1 black-and-white digicam,
the world’s first completely digital consumer camera.
1991 - Kodak releases the first professional digital camera system (DCS),
aimed at photojournalists.
1994 – The Apple QuickTake 100 Camera, the first digital camera for the
consumer-level market that works with a home computer via a serial cable, is
launched.
NOV/DEC 2008
SIMCOE LIFE
17
LOOKING FOR
YOUR NEW DREAM KITCHEN
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705-326-7371
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PLEASE ASK ABOUT OUR FINANCE PLANS
18
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
up front
Dancin’
around
whisky:
the
A primer on the cult of scotch
By Mark Bisset • Chris Lusty Photography
dancin’ around the whisky
dancin’ around och aye!
hey ho, away we go
we’ll dance and drink until we die
whisky ja for breakfast on a cold and frosty morn’
you go right for that bottle it’s like you’ve been reborn
when you’re drinkin’ down that bottle
it’s like you’ve been reborn
– Real Mckenzies, Dance Around the Whisky
I
n my 20s, it was whatever I could lay my hands on. At 30,
it was bourbon.
By 40, red wine had won my favour for its known health
advantages. I had friends and family who drank scotch, but I
drank it wrong. I asked for water. Just a little water.
This is a taboo I constantly challenge. After all, from about
500 AD on, the stuff was known as aqua vitae, the water of life,
according to Whisky.com. The website – one of 23,300,000
hits posted after a Google search lasting 0.13 seconds – is a
wealth of information about whisky. By the way, do not spell
it whiskey. It would not be keeping faith with the original
Gaelic word for aqua vitae, usquebaugh which begat usky,
which begat the English whisky.
And know this: only whisky from Scotland can legally be
called scotch, says a history posted on the website. Scotland
has “internationally protected” the term.
“Excellent whiskies are made by similar methods in other
countries, notably Japan, but they cannot be called scotches.
They are most often referred to as ‘whiskey.’ While they might
be splendid whiskies, they do not captivate the tastes of
Scotland,” reports Whisky.com.
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
19
Nationalism, pedigree and credibility are
key elements of scotch drinking culture, and
this is where I sometimes stumble.
One Christmas, my brother-in-law, used to
a more elegant life than mine, asked me if I
drink scotch. When I said I did, he asked me
how I liked it.
“With a little water?”
Expression of horror.
“All right, on ice then.”
“I’ll give you one ice cube.”
We drank it then, a fine, peaty, expensive
scotch that I enjoyed thoroughly with my
single ice cube. At that house, I was served
wine ever after.
I’ve gradually developed a taste for scotch.
I was introduced to Laphroaig, an Islay single
malt, by my good friend, Chris Lusty. One of
my publishers sold me on the deeper flavour
of Lagavulin. Reluctantly, I succumbed to peer
pressure and dropped the water. Scotch goes
on canoe trips with us for long discussions
around the camp fire, the smoky drink
blending well with the smell of burning cedar
and birch. It goes sailing with us. It carries us
through the winter.
This fall an email arrives from Lusty; just
a link, with no commentary: www.whiskylive.
com.
Whiskylive is an international whisky
sampling event that tours the world from
Glasgow to Shanghai to Johannesburg.The tour
was stopping in Toronto in the fall.
We had to go.
“World peace thro’ whisky, one dram at
a time.”
From the business card of Simon Brooking,
master brand ambassador for Laphroaig
“When you talk about a whisky being
smoky and peaty,” says a kilted Simon Brooking,
lighting a chunk of black peat with a lighter,
“this is what you’re talking about.”
The show is a bit of a disappointment until
the peat chunk catches fire. The sterile Metro
Toronto Convention Centre and its shopping
centre collection of cardboard distillery kiosks
is changed momentarily by this little burning
chunk of Scotland.
“The whole top shelf of the island of Islay is
this peat and what it is, all the organic materials,
all the grass and plants and moss, bog myrtle
and bog cotton and all of that dies, decomposes
and becomes compressed over hundreds of
thousands of years,” Brooking says with a light
Scots brogue.
“We dig it up in the spring and by the fall
20
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
Steve Clarke keeps Orillia’s Brewery Bay well stocked for those who appreciate a fine glass of whisky.
it’s dried and cured enough to heat your homes
and cook with and dry the barley. So what we
do is we shovel seven tonnes of grain into the
malt kiln and then down below, you light the
peat fires and on the island of Islay, where it
rains sideways for most of the year long – it’s a
very damp place to live and make whisky.”
Peat from different regions gives you different
flavours, just like different woods are used to
give smoked meats different flavours, Brooking
explains.The local water is also filtered through
the peat.
“The peat from islay, there’s a lot of seaweed
in it. One of the big components is sphagnum
moss, and it’s long been known to have
antiseptic qualities. During battle you could
take a hunk of it, wrap it on a wound and it
would clean out the wound. So, a lot of time
folks say Laphroaig’s got a medicinal antisepticlike quality.”
There’s a living-history flavour to distilleries
like Laphroaig.
“We’ve been making it legally since 1825,”
Brooking says. But the bottle says:“Since 1815.”
The Johnston brothers came to Islay to farm,
bringing grain with them. But they soon found
it was easier to export a liquid version of their
product from the bleak spot where barley rarely
has a chance to germinate before it’s blown out
to sea, Brooking says.
Scotland’s spirit industry was a battleground
between smugglers and tax men for generations.
By the 1820s – about the time the Johnston
brothers became legitimately licensed to
make Laphoaig – as many as 14,000 illicit stills
were being seized every year in Scotland, says
Whisky.com. Despite that, more than half the
whisky still being consumed in the country
was bootlegged.
Laphroaig remains a classic example of an
old farm distillery, producing with a small staff
about 2.5 million litres of aqua vitae a year, says
Brookings, who is clearly passionate about his
topic.
Not a bad job, I think, and I ask him how he
got it.
“Well, I had to kill the last guy. That’s why
I carry a little knife in my sock. I’m always
looking over my shoulder for the next one who
wants my job.”
Only when Brooking is gone do I realize I
forgot to ask him about water and ice.
We move on, tasting expensive scotches
– Talisker, Oban, Macallan – most of which I
could never afford to buy. I realize price does
make a difference, but not always. We talk to
a seller of mini oak casks that allow whisky
drinkers to age their own liquor.
The show starts filling up about 6 p.m.
and I’m struck by the general nature of the
crowd. Rather than the idle rich, the samplers
are pedestrian, variously ethnic, wearing
everything from ball caps to business suits.
Several wear kilts to lay claim to their whisky
royalty.Two guys from Orillia don’t really stand
out in the crowd. Scottish dancers do the
Highland Fling to taped bagpipe music.
We try a Johnnie Walker Blue Label blend,
our first departure from single malt that night.
Single malts are distilled in one batch, giving
them real character. Blends are made of two
or more single malts. The Blue Label is very
good, extremely smooth, but nondescript.
There’s nothing of the earth in it, and I realize
that either the booze is putting me in touch
with my inner highlander, or I’m becoming a
scotch snob.
I stop to talk to a couple perched at a cocktail
table with empty whisky glasses in hand.
They’ve toured several distilleries in Scotland.
For them, a glass of scotch is a wormhole back
to Scotland, transportation through taste and
smell. It’s my first experience with the poetry
of the drink.
That night, I pick up a copy of Whiskey
Magazine. It’s there I discover the haiku-like
reviews of Dave Broom, associate editor and
whisky guru.
Laphroaig 1990
18 years old
Dewar Rattray
NOSE
“Clean and very open. Salty. Rockpools
in the morning light. Peat oils and a dried
lavender-like fragrance. Tarry with water. Light
all the way.”
PALATE
“Purple peat smoke rising from the beach.
Soft and layered with a little vanilla smoothness
before pepper burnt timbers and creosote.”
I linger over “pepper burnt timbers and
creosote,” feeling like I’ve just discovered the
lost poems of Dylan Thomas.
Nose. Palate. Finish. This is the structure, the
iambic pentameter of scotch writing: the smell,
the taste, the afterburn.
Dave Broom again on 16-year-old Craigellachie:
“Resinous. Pigskin and wax cut with a slightly
metallic note. Angular. Underneath there’s some
farmyard notes: wet straw, slightly musty. Chalk
with water, then milk chocolate.”
This is word alchemy. I actually taste the
purple peat smoke rising from the beach.
“Once you learn to appreciate a scotch, you’re
going back for many reasons,” says Steve Clarke,
proprietor of the closest thing to a scotch mecca
Sampling the offerings at Whiskylive.
in Orillia. “It’s a very complex drink.”
The owner of the Brewery Bay Food Company,
Clarke has held an annual scotch nosing for the
past 15 years. Tickets for the event, this year
scheduled for March 2, usually sell out in 48
hours.
At one point, the restaurant’s collections of
single malts hit an all-time high of 45. Right
now, the most expensive bottle in the house is a
$600 Tullibardine, a single malt distilled in 1964.
Wrapped in a tartan cloth, it rests in a finelymade wooden case.
But when it comes to expensive whisky,
Clarke says the sky is the limit.
“In Scotland, they say they have more capital
tied up in scotch reserves than they do in gold
reserves,” he says.
An exaggeration? Maybe, maybe not.
According to Forbes.com, the most expensive
whisky in the world is the Macallan Fine and
Rare Collection, 1926. It’s listed at $38,000. But
even if you’ve got the cash burning a hole in
your calf skin wallet, you can’t buy it. It’s sold
out. Forbes says you can still get to a glass of
this 60-year-old Macallan at the Old Homestead
Steakhouse in the Borgata Hotel Casino and
Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Give yourself
lots of time to nose this one; a single glass costs
$3,300.
“It seems to have, for lack of a better term, a
bit of a cult following,” says Clarke.
He names off the six different distilling
districts in Scotland, explaining that each
district brings specific elements to the single
malts they produce. Different wooden casks
are used for aging, such as wine and sherry
casks. The spring water used also has distinct
characteristics. When the process is complete,
you can taste the licorice, the heather, the wood,
the peat and a dozen other components.
“All those casks are permeable to air,” Clarke
says. “The Islay side of Scotland has a lot of
winds and that sea salt gets into the wind and
into that maturation stage.
“I’ve gotten to the point that I can taste a
single malt whisky and with some accuracy tell
where in Scotland it’s from. So if you get to the
point where you take the time to try to sense
those characteristics and if you appreciate the
different tastes, it’s kind of fun and exciting,
and maybe that’s part of the attraction.”
Clarke pours a precious bit of theTullibardine
into a fluted snifter and holds it up to the light
to show me the way it adheres to the glass. He
instructs me to watch for the “legs” to form –
individual drip lines in the residue. The longer
the legs take to form, the older the scotch is.
And finally, a kind of vindication. He tells me
master distillers recommend adding a drop of
water to further release the aromas.
“It can only be distilled. It can’t be tap water,”
Clarke says.
Consummate host that he is, Clarke is
diplomatic about the conventions of water and
whisky.
“That’s one thing about scotch drinkers
– what’s right is the way they want it,” he says.“I
have four or five friends who come in here, and
it’s one ice cube. One ice cube.”
I wonder to myself if they know my brotherin-law.
The Japanese have sake
The Frenchmen Wine in Drums
The Germans have their kegs of beer
and pirates they drink rum
But we drink juice of the barley
with water from a spring
It makes us feel so light and cheerful
As we start to sing
Lyrics from Pass the Bottle,
source unknown SLM
jan/feb 2009
Simcoe Life
21
home
Happy Re-new Year!
Resolve to refresh your rooms
By Laurel Lane-Moore • Mark Wanzel Photography
up front
home
“You don’t have
to spend a lot of
money to get a very
nice-looking home.”
Designer Lynda Nixon
I
t’s not just people that suffer from the winter blahs. After the holiday
decorations are put away for another year, your home can look as weary
and careworn as you feel.
And just as you can benefit from a new fitness plan to boost your
physical and mental health, you can reap the feel-good rewards that come
with shaping up your living space, where, after all, you’re going to be
spending a good deal of time over the long winter months.
But creating a fresh new look doesn’t have to mean gutting your
house and undertaking radical – and expensive - renovations. Despite the
proliferation of reality shows that transform humdrum spaces into dazzling
designer digs in a few days, not many of us are equipped – financially or
emotionally – to deal with the chaos of an extreme makeover.
The good news? Updating your tired décor is one NewYear’s resolution
that is absolutely achievable, according to designer Lynda Nixon, of
Collingwood-based Rustic Pear Custom Interiors.
“Not everybody can afford to throw out their old furniture and buy
new,” says Nixon. “De-cluttering,” repurposing and even just moving
pieces from one room to another can help shake things up.
Editing and revising accessories can also make a big difference, she
says. Simple changes like replacing the dated hardware on kitchen
cupboards with modern stainless steel knobs or sleek nickel handles
can instantly update a kitchen. Switching door hardware from dated
brass to stainless steel throughout the house is one of Nixon’s favourite
modernizing tricks.Adding throw cushions in the latest colours and luxe
fabric can bring that boring but serviceable sofa back to life.
“Accessories are like the jewels of the home,” says Nixon,an experienced
retailer who moved to Collingwood in 2007 to open Rustic Pear North,
a Collingwood home décor store.“If you put old dated accessories with
a great dress, it can kill the dress. Adding a beautiful new scarf can make
the outfit. French women do it best. It’s the details that count.”
When you’re ready to up the “wow” factor, “changing light fixtures,
paint colours, flooring, and window treatments can dramatically change
the feel and the look of a place,” says Nixon.
The designer recently worked her magic on four model homes in
Collingwood’s Georgian Meadows, a Reid’s Heritage Homes project built
by Sherwood Homes Ltd.
The model homes, completed six years ago, were looking a little tired,
especially next to The Fraser, the developer’s first Energy Star qualified
high performance home. Nixon was hired to whip the four original
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
23
Renovate in 2009
Gregor Homes Ltd.
PO Box 131
Barrie, Ont.
L4M 4S9
Ph: 705-721-3354
www.gregorhomes.com
www.outdoorlivinglandscapes.com
When asked what he had
planned for his business in
2009, James Bazely of
Gregor Homes Ltd.
answered, “People will be
renovating in 2009. In
times of economic uncertainty, we find people tend
to spend time at home with
friends and family. This
often spawns discussions
around what could be done
with that kitchen, or finishing a basement for more
entertaining space.”
Despite the state of the
economy, this is a great
time to invest in your property. Interest rates are
extremely low, the price of
materials have decreased,
and people are more likely
to be spending time at
home this summer.
Gregor is gearing up to
respond to the demand.
Renovations are different
than building homes in that
every project is very
customized.
That takes a more focused
planning process to ensure
the needs and expectations
of the client are met, and
the project is completed
within the budget.
Although Gregor is most
recognized for building
high quality homes, Bazely
tells us that sales in renovations have doubled with his
business over the past two
years. “That’s a real indication of where people are
spending their money.
Over $10 Billion is going to
be spent in Canada on renovations this year with contractors.” When asked about
the most effective ways to
find a renovation contractor,
Bazely advised, “This is the
most critical part of the
entire project. It is important to spend a lot of time
planning the project, and
bringing in a contractor that
you can trust early on in the
process will make the project
so much more enjoyable.
Asking for references, and
speaking to past clients of
the renovator can be a great
indicator of the type of
service you will receive.
Gregor Homes and
Outdoor Living Landscapes
demonstrates that accessible
can be beautiful.
Custom Crafted Living
24
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
You should talk to satisfied
and dissatisfied clients,
however, to know what you
are up against. If the contractor tells you that they
don’t have any dissatisfied
clients, you should question
that.” Bazely also suggests
looking for renovators who
are part of your local
builders association.
“ ...bringing in a
contractor that you
can trust early on in
the process will make
the project so much
more enjoyable.”
These contractors will be
knowledgeable on all of the
latest industry regulations,
ethical best practices, and
most importantly, the latest
building codes. “We have
seen significant growth in
the do-it-yourself market,
giving friends, family and
neighbours fried chicken
and beer to help finish a
basement. This is a fun
way to do a project, but
can result in disaster.”
We will manage your project from concept
development to project completion. Make your dreams
a reality with Gregor Homes.
Let Gregor Homes create your dream kitchen
Into this room!
Turn this room...
Or let Outdoor Living Landscapes create your outdoor cottage oasis...
We offer full professional service for residential landscaping
and aim to provide the highest level of craftsmanship,
creativity and quality for all your landscaping needs.
After
Before
Custom Crafted Living
jan/feb 2009
Simcoe Life
25
models into showcase shape.
The results have received rave reviews and
demonstrate the value of a good professional eye.
“When you do a remake, it’s important to know
what to change,” says Nixon, “and that’s where
getting good professional advice really pays off.”
Introducing new colour palettes for each of
the model homes was an important starting point,
says Nixon.“Paint can make a huge difference.”
But choosing the right palette is no easy task.
26
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
“There’s an art to picking out colours,” she says.
“It’s the least expensive way to have the most
impact, but it’s also the thing people can most
easily screw up.”
In three of the model homes, Nixon chose a
palette of soft neutrals that flow from room to
room. Bolder accent colours are picked up in
accessories and soft furnishings such as rugs
and upholstered chairs. The Watkins model, for
example, looks like “a brand new house” after
undergoing a dramatic transformation with
edgier, modern appeal.
“It’s our urban-feel house, designed
for a very stylish, up-and-coming young
couple,” says Nixon. In the revamped
kitchen, pickled-pine cupboards gave way
to sleek espresso-hued cabinets with “very
cool,” stainless steel pulls and a mochatiled backsplash punctuated by bronzehued medallions. The new granite-topped
island adds storage and a convenient place
to entertain guests in the open-concept
space.
The living/dining area, painted in a cool
neutral, gets its punch from the 60’s-style
circle theme carried out in “the funky rug
to go with the funky chairs and the funky
screen.”
Next door, The Kressview also has a
bright new face – very different in style.
Designed to appeal to active retirees, the
home welcomes with a bright and cheerful
palette of clean green, butter yellow and
warm rust. Chartreuse-coloured walls pop
against crisp white cabinetry and informal
white-painted furniture, giving the space
an airy, relaxed vibe.
“I tried to make it feel like a Florida
home,” says Nixon. “Most people retiring
up here go to Florida in the winter and
spend the summer months here. I thought,
why not make it feel just as cheerful? Older
people need colour in their lives.”
Updating your home decor is not just a
way to banish the blues, says Nixon; it’s a
smart investment strategy.
“I consider decorating (done well) equal
to maintenance in terms of an investment.
All my homes have sold very quickly,” says
Nixon, who recently moved into her 28th
house, in Wasaga Beach.
Paralyzed by the challenge of
redecorating, many homeowners would
rather sell than renew their existing house,
she finds.“Most people move because they think
decorating is too overwhelming and too costly. So
they pack up and move and they’re right back in
the same situation.
“It doesn’t require a lot of money to get
updated, but it can cost you a lot if you don’t
update.” SLM
Design lessons from a pro
ASK AN EXPERT: Before you tackle
your redesign, consult a professional to
come up with an overall plan and colour
palette. “Paying to get good advice can
save you thousands in the long run, says
Lynda Nixon.
SIMPLIFY: “We all have way too much
stuff,” says Nixon. “You have to be able
to part with clutter. Less is more is my
philosophy.”
FINISH WHAT YOU START: You’ll see
better results if you focus on one room
at a time and completely finish that
room, rather than spreading your money
throughout the house, says Nixon.
SWITCH YOUR FIXTURES: Updating
your light fixtures is an easy way to
instantly improve the look of your home,
says Nixon. Tall headboards call for tall
bedside lamps, she adds. Get creative
and customize your lampshades. In a
little girl’s bedroom, Nixon hot-glued a
variety of vintage buttons to a readymade
shade, selecting buttons in shades that
complemented the colours of the room.
CONSIDER THE
NEIGHBOURS:
Window views go both ways, Nixon
notes. So, it’s important to consider what
your window treatments look like from
the outside of your house. “My choice is
to make draperies work for the house
and the neighbourhood,” she says. And
because it’s easy to get them wrong,
Nixon believes “draperies have to be
professionally designed, in my opinion.”
spirit
of simcoe
1
2
3
4
up front
5
Red carpet premiere of Anne & Gilbert ~
The Musical at The Gryphon Theatre
for Arts and Entertainment
On Friday evening, October 10, 2008, The Gryphon Theatre for Arts and Entertainment hosted
the Red Carpet Premiere with the new Canadian show, Anne & Gilbert ~ The Musical. The
event marked the opening of the 2008-2009 Headliner Series featuring 18 performances.
1 - Daniela Relja, Operations Manager of the
University Partnership Centre, Georgian College,
co-sponsor of the Red Carpet Premiere.
2 - Isobel Allison, Director, The Gryphon Theatre
Foundation on the red carpet at Anne & Gilbert
The Musical at The Gryphon Theatre for Arts and
Entertainment.
6
Bob Kennedy, Vice-President, External Relations,
Georgian College.
6 - Donna Kenwell, Chair, The Gryphon Theatre
Foundation; Barbara Aoki, Executive Director, The
Gryphon Theatre for Arts and Entertainment;,
and Greg Wanless, Director of Anne & Gilbert ~
The Musical.
7
3 - Joan Revie, former Director, Gryphon Theatre
Foundation.
7 - Ashleigh Ireland as Anne Shirley, and Adrian
Marchuk as Gilbert Blythe with contest winners,
Michael Harwood, Laura Harwood, Doreen
4 - Michelle Winniski, Marian Noble, Samantha
Ward, Carol Ward, Bethany Winniski, and Leanne LeDrew, and Joan Harwood after the show.
Noble show they are in the spirit for Anne &
Gilbert ~ The Musical.
5 - Gay Ainsworth, Assistant to Bob Kennedy,
Vice-President, External Relations, Georgian
College; Jen Ainsworth, Debbie Kennedy, and
8 - Cast and crew with Grand Prize Winners of the
Red Carpet Premiere Contest on ‘A’ Barrie at a
Meet The Stars reception in the Georgian dining
room after the show.
8
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SIMCOE LIFE
nov/dec 2008
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
27
travel
Discovering
Dominican
Republic’s
Rural Roots
I
An eye-opening journey
for Simcoe County travellers
Story and photos by Janie Robinson
t’s hard to miss the kitschy orange tigerstriped vehicle pulling up to the graceful foyer
of our all-inclusive beach resort.This tacky tour
truck is not exactly what I pictured when I
signed up to discover “the real Dominican.”
Bouncing our way inland in the back of the
open-air jeep, what’s billed as the North Coast
Jungle tour promises us glimpses of rural life
hidden away in the lush mountains and fertile
valleys behind the all-inclusive beach resorts
of the Dominican Republic. Just 20 years ago,
this country’s economy was centered almost
exclusively on agriculture. Tourism is now
No. 1, but 40 percent of the fertile landscape
remains protected farmland. About one-quarter
of Dominicans still live in the countryside,
despite large numbers forced to give up their
rural heritage to earn a living in the cities.
28
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
“Coffee, coco, bananas, plantain, sugar cane,
rice, tobacco and other crops flourish here,”
says our 49-year-old guide, Jesse Brechtefeld,
explaining how many of the villagers subsist
largely on what grows around them.
Fresh-cut grass for the cattle is being delivered
by a hay-stacked donkey. A farmer in rubber
boots, pipe clenched firmly between tobaccostained teeth, has a bag of calabash (to be used
as gourds) slung over his shoulder. Chickens,
roosters and turkeys run wild in the yards, while
fresh laundry hangs on bushes to dry in the hot
humid breeze.
“Looks like we’ve got a Dominican traffic
jam,” laughs our driver, José, stopping the truck
for a farmer leading his cattle across the red dirt
road.
Small wooden homes dot the countryside –
some are sad and weather-worn, while others
are painted bright green, blue, red and orange
“to ward off evil spirits,” we’re told. Stopping
by one “typical” rural home, a local woman
smiles and welcomes us into her tiny spotless
kitchen, the unmistakable aroma of coffee in
the air. She offers us a tasty sample of a rich
Dominican brew.
“Eridalia is using a pilón (wooden mortar
and pestle) to grind the coffee beans,”explains
our guide, who then points out the simple
rock stove our host will use to cook tonight’s
family dinner.
“The main dish for villagers is rice, beans
and chicken. The next day is totally different
– chicken, beans and rice,” laughs our guide,
sharing his joke with Eridalia in “Spanglish” – a
musical blend of Spanish and English you’ll
hear often in the Dominican Republic.
Life’s obviously not easy here in the
country, despite the extra funds Eridalia and
her family get from inviting tour groups into
their home. No running water means long
walks to the nearest river. An outhouse stands
out in the backyard. Smoke and heat from
the woodstove can fill the tiny home, already
packed with various family members.
“Meet my best girl,” says Jesse, swinging
an adorable baby into his arms. “Little Alex is
Eridalia’s niece and I’m a little more careful
now when I pick her up since the time she
peed all over me,” laughs the guide, sharing
the wonderful humour that is such a part of
life here.
“Jesse has really opened our eyes to how
people live in the Dominican Republic,”
marvels Barrie couple Cori Burden and Trevor
Kelly, visiting the country for the first time.
“They work so hard, but seem truly happy
for what they have in comparison to our
lifestyle.”
While we’re certainly not confronted by
the crippling poverty facing the poorest
Dominicans and Haitians living in this country
on our tour, this small glimpse into a more“real
Dominican” turns out to be an eye-opener for
many folks.
“I’m now seriously considering moving to
the DR and helping out in any way possible,”
says 47-year-old Kimberly Ferwerda from
London, Ontario. “I know that this tour
company offers financial support to the
people we pass by, and I’d like to help them in
any way to support the children and also the
local people on the tour.“
While gifts brought from home are more
than welcome, Jesse did discourage some
well-meaning guests from handing out what
they had brought as we travelled through the
countryside.
“We try never to distribute the items we
receive while on the tour since this encourages
the children to wait for our trucks as we pass
by and beg,” he says.
Feel free to bring along anything from
toys to soap and toothbrushes, old clothes
and shoes, games and sports equipment, and
school supplies like pens, pencils, crayons,
paints, paper and books.The folks at Outback
Safari, which runs this particular tour, promise
to discretely distribute the donations to
worthy causes in the Dominican Republic.
“Canadians want to learn about the culture
of other countries they visit,” comments our
guide.
In fact, we’ve have been coming to the
Dominican Republic longer than any other
nation. Canadian travel wholesalers pioneered
charter flights to Dominican airports in the
early 1980s.
“We’ve worked with Canadians since Day
One of Outback Safari, bringing them with
us to see the areas and schools we help,”
Jesse explains as we pull up to Escula Rula El
Choco, a local public school sponsored by the
tour company.
Initiatives include painting and maintaining
the school buildings, along with supporting
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
29
Janie’s Travel Notes
My trip to the Dominican Republic was subsidized
by WestJet and WestJet Vacations. WestJet flies 3
times a week from Toronto to Puerto Plata and Punta
Cana, along with a new weekly flight to La Romana.
See www.westjet.com or www.westjetvacations.com.
Dominican Republic tourism information is available
at www.GoDominicanRepublic.com or by calling 1888-494-5050.
Find out more about Outback Safari tours and charity
work at www.outbacksafari.com.do. The tour company
suggests several websites for those interested in
helping out in the Dominican Republic, including
www.islandimpact.net, www.newmissions.org and
Photos on Page 1 clockwise from
bottom:
Young bare-butted, barefoot boy rolls an
old tire along between two sticks.
Eridalia uses a pilón (wooden mortar and
pestle) to grind coffee beans beside the
simple rock stove in her tiny spotless
kitchen.
Little Alex - Eridalia’s niece.
Fresh-cut grass for the cattle is being
delivered by a hay-stacked donkey.
Page 2 clockwise from top:
A farmer stops traffic while leading his
cattle across the red dirt road.
Kitschy orange tiger-striped tour truck
parked in front of brightly painted rural
home
30
SIMCOE LIFE
july/august 2008
www.dominicandream.org.
In Simcoe County, Elmvale Community Church helps
Dominicans and Haitians who are facing crippling
poverty in the Dominican Republic. Find out more
about the Dominican Republic Mission Project by
calling Lisa Coles at 705-322-1360.
Let me know some of the places you’d like to read
about or explore. Or maybe you know of someone
from Simcoe County living and working abroad
whose adventures I can share in a travel story. My
email address at J-Walk Travel Media Productions is
[email protected]
Young girl smiling in front of her small
wooden home painted in bright colours “to
ward off evil spirits”
Primary education is officially free and
compulsory for children between the ages
of 7 and 14, but those who live in these
more isolated areas often have limited
access to schooling.
Janie discovers the lush mountains and
fertile valleys of the Dominican Republic.
Two young girls at Escula Rula El Choco, a
local public school sponsored by Outback
Safari
Page 3
Chickens, roosters and turkeys run wild
in the yards.
A farmer has a bag of calabash (to
be used as gourds) slung over his
shoulder.
promising students to continue their education
through scholarship funds. Though primary
education is officially free and compulsory for
children between the ages of 7 and 14, those who
live in these more isolated areas often have limited
access to schooling. Few lower-income students
continue their education because of the cost and
their rural isolation.
Isolation doesn’t come without some benefits
though – at least not for the young barefoot and
bare-butted boy running down the slope in front
of his small wooden hut, nimbly rolling an old tire
along between two sticks.
“Usually he’s naked,” laughs Jesse with a
contagious Dominican Republic smile. SLM
up front
tripping out
ickit up
K
this winter
Scandinavian sled sport
translates well
in Simcoe County
Story and photos by Manon Ringuette
Cresting the top of a snow-covered sand dune with a little help
from man’s best friend – Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
K
ick the season into gear with a winter activity everyone can
enjoy. Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or more of a stroll-inthe-park type, this piece of equipment will have you acting like a
kid again – literally bursting at the seams of your waterproof pants
to get out and play in the snow.
What is this cool toy, you ask? A Potkukelkka – translation from
Finnish: kick sled! Used by outdoor enthusiasts in Finland, Norway
and Sweden, the kick sled has served as a winter substitute for the
bicycle for over a century while providing fun and exercise without
the expense of costly lift tickets or special gear. The Scandinavian
pastime of kick sledding is catching on in North America and what
better place to have fun with an ecologically-friendly outdoor toy
than on the frozen lakes, snow-covered trails and unsanded back
roads of Simcoe County?
Families and individuals with mobility issues can enjoy an outing
in a natural setting with the assistance of a kick sled at Wye Marsh
Wildlife Centre in Midland.Two sleds are on hand to facilitate winter
hiking through the wetland on snow-covered trails and boardwalks.
A nominal fee applies and it’s a good idea to call ahead to reserve.
Be the envy of Lake Simcoe’s ice-fishing community by gliding
silently across wind-swept ice on tempered-steel runners with
fishing gear secured to a sled designed especially for fishing
enthusiasts. Trade up the white plastic bucket for the comfort of a
slatted wooden seat while you leisurely put your feet up and wait
for the “big one” to come along.
Self-propelled sports fans will be impressed at how quickly heart
rates increase when running behind a kick sled on a hard-packed
surface. And those who like to share their workouts with their
canine companions will be thrilled to discover a winter sport that
is truly dog-friendly.
Most kick sleds have rings mounted to their frames to
accommodate a bridle and tug line, so the family pet can get in on
the action, too. But be warned that there is a bit of a learning curve.
Suiting up your canine with winter booties and a harness may be
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
31
up front
32
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
straightforward, but trying to keep the sled on the straight and narrow
with Fido at the helm can be difficult if distractions get the better
of him. Dogs and their people interested in trying out kick sledding
should contact www.dogpaddlingadventures.com. The company has
experience with canines and one kick sled available to try.
Let’s face it, an attractive frame with long legs commands attention.
Be prepared for lots of curious stares when you take the kids to the
bus stop on your handcrafted sled on a snowy morning. Every child
and parent on the block will want a test drive before the school bus
shows up!
A kick sled on the roof of the car will also turn heads wherever you
go. Weighing less than 20 pounds, it’s easy to lift, relatively aerodynamic
and travels much more quietly than do the kids. Acquiring a sled
will require online research. Sled manufacturers and distributors in
North America work from original Scandinavian designs with some
modifications and most will ship their products directly or provide you
with a list of Canadian retailers. Prices vary but expect to pay between
$200 and $350 (about the same as quality snowshoes).
You’ve unpacked and assembled your sled and are ready to test it out.
Head to Wasaga Beach Provincial Park and glide across a section of the
world’s longest freshwater beach where winter squalls dump copious
amounts of snow and grinding ice sheets can be heard moaning in the
distance. Or, find refuge from the prevailing winds under the snow-laden
branches of pine trees that pepper the sand dunes on the west side
of Powerline Road. Ample winter parking and an extensive network of
snowmobile trails make the park a great sledding destination. Caution
should be exercised while travelling on OFSC trails as snowmobiles can
appear suddenly and without warning. So, be attentive when meeting
up with power-driven sleds and step off the trails to ensure everyone’s
safety. Now get out, fly some snow, and kick up a storm this winter.
SLM
Kick sledding – an inclusive family activity
jan/feb 2009
Simcoe Life
33
wine
Heavy medals matter
Winning isn’t everything, but winning wines sell
By Christopher Waters
F
or certain consumers, shopping for wine
is a treasure hunt.They scan liquor store shelves
in search of gold, possibly silver, stickers on the
bottle that signify the wine has won a medal in
competition.
Those flashy decals are a vote of confidence
for shoppers who aren’t sure what to buy,
explains Dan Sullivan, winemaker and co-founder
of Rosehall Run Vineyards in the Prince Edward
County wine region.
“Third-party validation is important,” Sullivan
explains. “There is some consumer assurance,
whether it is seeing a medal from a competition
on the bottle or a quote from a wine critic as a
shelf-talker, that somebody thought it was good.”
Sullivan says that a medal won in competition
gives consumers a positive recommendation and
emphasizes that there are good inherent qualities
in the wine - “it gives consumers some insight
into the overall quality of the wine.”
Those types of endorsements work in his
favour, too. The talented vintner credits his
success in wine competitions as well as other
support from wine writers for helping him get
listings at the LCBO. Rosehall Run has landed
two wines in 30 LCBO outlets as part of a new
incubator program. His 2007 Chardonnay Sur
Lie ($14.95, 111914) and 2006 Sullyzwicker Red
($14.95, 114686) are part of the liquor retailer’s
Go-to-Market program.
“The nature of how I view wine competitions
has changed considerably since I started making
wine as a commercial venture. That’s because
wine competitions are definitely good vehicles
for selling wine,” says Sullivan, who was a
celebrated amateur winemaker before making
his first commercial vintage at Long Dog Winery
in 2001 while preparing his own vineyards for
planting. “It’s better to have a medal on a wine
than not to have a medal.”
But as a creative type, Sullivan is also aware that
good wines exist outside of the wine competition
framework.“The nature of competition is that it
is a snapshot of a moment in the marathon of a
wine’s life.” Judgment is passed based on small
Recommended Wines
Cave Spring Cellars 2007 Chardonnay Musqué Estate Bottled
Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula $16.05 (246579)
This dry white wine is sure to go down as one of the finest Chardonnay Musqués produced at Cave Spring. It has the viscosity that
characterizes this more aromatic clone of Chardonnay, but doesn’t lose its pitch-perfect balance. The spicy, Muscat-style flavour
profile makes it a natural for grilled or pan-roasted fish dishes, but it’s also lively and flavourful enough to serve by the glass.
www.cavespring.ca (LCBO Vintages)
Fazi Battaglia 2006 Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi Classico
Marches, Italy $10.95 (024422)
This stylish white is perhaps best known for its uniquely-shaped green bottle, which looks like an amphora, a misshapen
cola bottle or a fish, depending on who you ask. Get past any issues you may have with the package and taste the wine.
There’s an appealing richness to the flavour, suggesting baked apple, butter, nuts and ginger spice, which makes this wine
remarkably intense and complex for its price. (LCBO General List)
Finca Flichman 2007 Misterio Malbec
Mendoza, Argentina $9.90 (028803)
The new vintage of Finca Flichman’s 2007 Misterio Malbec picks up where the 2006 left off. It’s another approachable
and enjoyable red that has good complexity in the form of smoky, spicy oak and savoury herbal notes. (LCBO General
List)
French Rabbit 2007 Green Rabbit Merlot
Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhone, France $13.95/1 L (087379)
As you might suspect, the green in Green Rabbit has eco-connotations. This Tetra-Pak wine is produced from organically
grown grapes grown in the South of France. This successful red reveals the soft, juicy red berry side of Merlot while
retaining its innate French character (read medium-bodied, with some spice and fruitcake notes). For ease of pouring,
decant before serving. (LCBO General List)
34
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
pours of wines, usually without an accompanying
meal.They are evaluated outside of the context in
which most of us enjoy wine.
He also worries that a certain breed of wine
- higher in alcohol, with more residual sweetness
and obvious oak influence - has been created to
perform well at shows. “An international style of
winemaking has evolved that produces wines that
are more easy to appreciate,” he says. “I would
hope that once you get past that, people (judges
and consumers alike) start digging deeper.”
That said, Sullivan says he sees more good
than bad with the system. “Wines that I know are
outstanding out of the box tend to be consistently
well received in competition.”
Another County winemaker shares Sullivan’s
take. Jeff Innes has amassed a cache of medals
from the All Canadian Wine Championships,
Canadian Wine Awards, Ontario Wine Awards, the
Finger Lakes International Wine Awards and other
competitions during his six years at The Grange
of Prince Edward Vineyards and Estate Winery in
Hillier, Ontario.
“From a winemaker’s perspective, winning
medals is great. It shows that people enjoy your
wine and that they showed well against your
peers,” says Innes, who worked at wineries in
Niagara and the state of Georgia before settling
in Prince Edward County. “But I can also say, you
enter more competitions than you win. So, you
try not to get too worked up when you win or
when you lose. It all comes down to whether or
not your wine tasted best on that given day.”
Like Sullivan, Innes says a winery’s medal haul
matters most to its marketing team. “You never
make a wine with the idea of winning a medal,”
he says.“You make the best wine you can. From
a marketing perspective, however, they truly are
gold. Medals sell wine.”
Case in point, Innes says traffic at The Grange’s
booth increased exponentially at this year’s
Ottawa Food and Wine Show after its wines
performed well in the affiliated Cellars of the
World competition. The 2007 Trumpour’s Mill
Riesling, 2005 Trumpour’s Mill Cabernet and
2007 Trumpour’s Mill Pinot Gris won gold, silver
and bronze respectively.
“People stopped when they saw medals
dangling from the necks of our bottles,” he
recalls.
That kind of success has a ripple effect that
casts the whole County in a positive light, says
Innes.
“Being a new region, winning medals just goes
to show that we can compete against the big
boys in Niagara,” he says. “It’s great for our entire
region. It brings people here. Wine writers write
about these achievements, which reflects well on
the County as a whole. It reinforces the fact that
we’re actually legitimate.”
Typically, wines that win in competition can
be counted on to be clean (meaning free of
obvious faults), well-made wines that have wide
appeal.You could do worse than opt for a bottle
tagged with a wine competition commendation.
As with anything involving fine wine, the
more you know about the provenance of the
competition that awarded the medals the better.
You also need to know that no matter what huge
acclaim is garnered by a wine, there’s absolutely
no guarantee that you will like it. And, that’s okay.
At its base level, the purpose of wine is to bring
pleasure to those who consume it.
Your favourite bottle may never rate a gold
medal from an illustrious international wine
competition. But for winemakers like Sullivan
and Innes, landing on your dinner table is just
as good - if not better - than any medal podium.
SLM
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
35
food
Great starts
Food is undoubtedly the tie that binds at social gatherings.
Here’s some wonderful suggestions from At the Five chef/owner Rachael
Whitman for dishes that can be served with your favourite meals. They’re
a bit different from the standard fare and may well end up as topics of
conversation themselves.
The red cabbage and citrus slaw can be served as an appetizer or
accompany the main course and the hazel vinaigrette works nicely over
a plate of mixed greens.
Panna cotta offers a nice finale that isn’t complicated to put together and
the candied citrus segments are surprisingly simple to make. Combined,
they offer the guests a fine dessert to accompany good comversation.
Mark Wanzel Photography
36
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
Red Cabbage and Citrus Slaw
Use as a garnish on salads, accompanying burgers,
grilled seafood
2 lb red cabbage, finely sliced
500 mL mayonnaise
70 mL fresh lemon juice
50 g finely diced shallots
50 g each fresh chopped chives, parsley, coriander
25 g sugar
10 g pureed garlic
10 g salt
White pepper to taste
Add all ingredients together in a large bowl and toss well.
Allow to marinate in refrigerator 3 hours before serving.
Variations
Shred carrot, green onion, broccoli, or celery into the mix.
Hazelnut Vinaigrette
750 mL grapeseed oil
125 mL apple cider vinaigrette
2 cups Toasted hazelnuts (can be changed
for pecans, walnuts or macademia nuts)
20 g finely diced shallots
10 g dijon
10 g sugar
Zest and juice of 2 lemons, 1 orange
Salt and pepper to taste
Add toasted nuts to food processor and pulse to a fine
grind. Then slowly add oil to allow ingredients to emulsify.
Add the vinegar, citrus and shallots. Pulse again and then
season to finish with salt and pepper.
Panna Cotta
360 g 35% cream
60 g milk
32 g sugar
4 g gelatin
Lemon zest to taste
Vanilla to taste
Soften the gelatin in cold water with a few ice cubes. Bring
cream and milk to a boil, add sugar and vanilla, stirring
constantly with a whisk. Add large pieces of lemon zest (to
be strained out). When a slow boiling begins, remove milk
from heat and whisk in the gelatin. Pour into 6 oz. ramekins
and allow 3 hours to set in refrigerator before serving.
Candied Citrus Segments
Segment the sections of 1 orange, lemon and lime.
Submerge in simple syrup mixture (equal parts water and
sugar) for 20 minutes while syrup is still warm. Remove
and let dry on a baking sheet in a warm place for 24
hours.
Chef Rachael Whitman recently opened At the Five
restaurant in the heart of Barrie’s core, at the Five
Points intersection as a fine dining establishment
and a spot where people can gather after an event
or show.
jan/feb 2009
Simcoe Life
37
inside
Craving for
collectibles?
Cookstown Antique Market serves up a hot selection
Story and photos by Elizabeth Bokfi
F
or the past 17 years, Sally and Gerry Robinson at
Cookstown Antique Market have nurtured their common
love of antiques and parlayed their passion into a successful
family business.
Initially selling from the Robinson workshop, the
thriving Cookstown Antique Cupboard, as it was originally
named upon opening in 1991, demanded expansion soon
after its first year in business.
In spring 1992, the Robinsons purchased an old barn
from a Vespra Township farm. With help from sons Brad
and Bill, the barn was dismantled and transported to their
present-day location on Highway 27, in Cookstown. Piece
by piece, the barn was re-assembled and is now the pièce
de résistance at Cookstown Antique Market.
The barn’s welcoming country atmosphere beckons,
with goodies mounted on its exterior – a small hint of
the treasure trove inside. The 6,000-square-foot antique
38
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
shopper’s paradise is air-conditioned and offers a superb
selection for the discerning hunter. Every nook and
cranny is utilized to display items, in addition to sections
of themed buys – glassware, travel/transportation-related
items, such as globes and wooden airplanes, as well as
baby room decorating ideas. There is literally something
for everyone, from traditional antique fare to eccentric
items sure to generate discussion.
A multi-dealer and vendor operation, Cookstown
Antique Market procures items through a network of
collectors hailing mainly from south-central Ontario.
However, items also find their way to the market from
other parts of Canada, U.S. and even Europe.
One vendor supplies the Robinsons with items that are
particularly popular: newly constructed harvest tables and
cabinetry made from century-old pine.
Another item sought after and considered their
63408644
Buying trends tend to follow the season,
note experienced vendors at the antique
market, which is open year-round.
“Believe it or not, (what we sell) varies
with the time of year,” explains manager and
self-dubbed chief cook and bottle washer
Debbie Lou Bernardi. “In the summer, we sell
furniture for cottages and our pine harvest
tables are a hot item, as well as side chairs and
arm chairs. In the fall, we sell a lot of furniture,
especially dining room tables and chairs.
Winter and spring (sales) tend to be china,
crystal, silver, chandeliers and other lighting. I
guess because it is a darker time of year.”
For the Robinsons, Cookstown Antique
Market has been a labour of love. And in their
antique cupboard, you’re sure to find all the
comforts of home. SLM
63408630
specialty piece is their Renfrew early-century
scale. Manufactured only in Ontario from
1911 – 1932, the scales are restored for use
as coffee tables, and have been shipped from
the store to the U.S. and Europe. Some items
have been shipped as far away as Japan,
Thailand and Norway. With the soaring price
of gas, Internet inquiries and sales are on the
rise.
An interesting spin-off from their traditional
sales to the off-the-street customer has been
selling to production companies searching
for items to use as movie props. Cookstown
Antique Market items have found their way
into movies such as Cinderella Man, Chicago,
Eloise at Christmastime and Eloise at the Plaza.
The store has also sold its share of items to
famous visitors – actor Graham Greene, singer
Russell deCarle of Prairie Oyster and country
music star Pam Tillis.
Cookstown Antique Market
Located on Highway 27, one km north of Highway 89
Closed December 25 and 26, and January 1
Phone: 705-458-1275 Fax: 705-458-1847
Email: [email protected]
www.cookstownantiquemarket.com
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
39
peculiar past
Revenge of the Huron
By Tom Villemaire
I
t should come as no surprise that aboriginal
bones are found anywhere in Simcoe
County. It has been inhabited by Ojibway
and Huron cultures and before them, other
woodland native cultures, since at least the retreat
of the glaciers 9,000 years ago.
The news last fall that Orillia and area was
home to hundreds of aboriginal graves drew a lot
of interest across the county. But Orillia and the
surrounding area, in particular, have long been
noted as a place where many native bodies have
been laid to rest.
Maybe this is why: Sometime shortly before
1660, a remnant of the Huron tribe living near
Sandusky, Ohio met with Ojibway warriors and
allies. According to Kah-Ge-Ga-Gah-Bowh, a chief
of the Ojibway in the 1850s and a historian of his
tribe, this meeting set in motion a series of battles
that was to drive the Iroquois from central Ontario
forever.
One of the biggest battles took place where
Orillia is today, the remainder down the shore
of Lake Simcoe, then up the Trent to where
Peterborough is today, and then at Rice Lake.
The Iroquois had practically destroyed the
Hurons in 1649, wiping out the French settlement
near Midland and leaving this area virtually
abandoned and the Huron and Petun dispersed.
The area where the Huron had once lived, growing
corn and fishing and hunting, became a vast
hunting ground, primarily for the Iroquois.
In 1649, the Huron first fled to Christian
Island. The following year, most made their way to
Quebec. Jean Baptiste Atironta of Cahiague, one
of the Ahendarhonon (Rock) band’s villages just
north of the shores of Lake Simcoe, had escaped
the destruction wrought by the Mohawk because
he had gone to Quebec to be baptized (hence the
two French Christian names).
He died in 1650, returning to his people with
Father Bressani, when the Iroquois ambushed
the party he was travelling with, killing eight
companions. The survivors fled, only to meet the
Hurons coming from Christian Island with Father
Rageneau to seek shelter in Quebec.
The Iroquois would continue to harass the lines
of communication to the west of Montreal for the
next decade. Small skirmishes would spring up,
mostly between bands of hunting Iroquois and
Mohawk and other natives friendly to the French.
The French had enough trouble to the east of
Montreal, keeping their lifeline open to France
with the small number of troops available, without
trying to clear the vast lands to the west.
The Iroquois-Mohawk confederacy, frustrated
that they had not been given the newly vacated
position as fur provider that the Hurons had filled
until 1649, pressed the French and all France’s
native allies with battle.
By 1652, the Ojibway were being waylaid by
roving bands of Iroquois, so when the Hurons
met with Wah-Boo-Jeeg, an Ojibway leader and his
people, the Ojibway were sympathetic.
Wah-Boo-Jeeg was an old man and had come
with his people from the west.
up front
After hearing the Hurons, Wah-Boo-Jeeg
ordered his warriors:“With your war clubs, make
a straight path to the wigwam of the paleface
and demand the land of the weeping Huron.”
Menomonies, Pottawatomies, Sacks, Foxes and
southern Hurons came with other tribes from
across Lake St. Clair and overran the south, said
Ka-Ge-Ga-Gah-Bowh in his Traditional History of
the Ojibway Nation. This book was written in
1850, long after the fact.
Three spearheads pierced the Iroquois
outposts, the major one running right through
Huronia.
There were several objectives; one was to
seek retribution against the Iroquois for breaking
treaty with the Ojibway; a second was to clear
the Ottawa River of Iroquois camps to make a
path to the French for trade; a third was to regain
the land of the Hurons and if possible, push the
Iroquois completely from southern Ontario.
At what Ka-Ge-Ga-Gah-Bowh calls Ramma
(sic), about a “quarter of a mile northward” from
where Orillia is today, the bloodiest of the battles
took place.
According to the Ojibway historian, the Huron
warriors who accompanied the Ojibway “fought
like tigers.”
It was the Mohawk that faced the Huron allies
at this first battle.The Mohawks had collected in
large number - several hundred - and for three
days they held off the Ojibway.
Finally, with many killed, they sued for peace
and according to the Ojibway historian, the “few
survivors were allowed to go to Lake Huron,
where they remained for the rest of the war.”
A second battle followed at Pigeon Lake, a
third near Mud Lake, 21 kilometres north of
where Peterborough is today. A fourth took
place on a shoal in the Trent River and then one
of the Mohawk outposts north of Lake Ontario
was wiped out. The last battle took place at the
mouth of the Trent River in the early morning,
wiping out most of the warriors.
Midland’s Huronia Museum curator, Jamie
Hunter, is also an archaeologist. He says often
when bones are discovered over a wide area,
stories crop up about battles to rationalize the
discovery.
“So it’s not unusual for someone to hear about
a large number of bones and think, must be a
battlefield,” says Hunter. Although the Ojibway
did band together with allies to force out the
Iroquois and Mohawk during the time period
Kah-Ge-Ga-Gah-Bowh mentions, the bones found
in the vicinity of Orillia aren’t necessarily from
those battles, says Hunter. SLM
Irvine Carpet One
Floor and Home
514 Bayfield St., Barrie
705-728-5566
and
551 Byrne Dr., Unit A - Barrie
705-728-5567
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
41
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY 1-22
BARRIE
Hockey Town
EVENTS
The MacLaren Art Centre presents an
exhibit that combines our love for
the sport of hockey with a passion
for art. Discarded hockey equipment
forms a vision of the Canadian
landscape, while a smooth, white
surface carries the traces of hockey
pucks.
Location: MacLaren Art Centre,
37 Mulcaster St.
Times: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to
5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.;
Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
Info: 705-721-9696
or www.maclarenart.com
FEBRUARY 2
MIDLAND
Midland Winterfest takes place at the
North Simcoe Sports and Recreation
Centre. Events include art show,
pancake breakfast, dog sled rides,
Seniors Got Talent show and more.
Info: 705-526-4770
or www.town.midland.on.ca
FEBRUARY 6-7
ORILLIA
A Moment in Time
Marriott Productions presents the
6th annual dinner and musical
revival. The gourmet dinner and
show is a step back in time aboard
the classic railcar.
Location: Ossawippi Express
Dining Car
Time: Friday, 6:30 p.m.;
Saturday, 2 p.m. matinee and lunch
Cost: $55
Info: 705-329-0001
or www.ossawippi.com
World Wetlands Day
Celebrate International Wetlands Day
at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre.The
Wye Marsh has a number of events
planned to recognize World Wetlands
Day.
Centre hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
daily.
Info: 705-526-7809
or www.wyemarsh.com
FEBRUARY 3-24
MIDLAND
Woodcarving Workshops
The Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre is
offering a series of woodcarving
workshops on Tuesday afternoons
and evenings.
Session times are
1-5 p.m. or 7-9:30 p.m.
Centre hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
daily.
Info: 705-526-7809
or www.wyemarsh.com
FEBRUARY 5-6
MIDLAND
Winterfest
42
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
FEBRUARY 7
WASAGA BEACH
Winter Family Snowshoe Event
Location: Oakview Woods
Time: 12 Noon - 2:00 p.m. (If no snow
- Sat. Feb 13th)
Free admission. Snowshoes provided
- Wear flat snow boots
Call 705-429-9365
FEBRUARY 7-8
BARRIE
Info: www.barrie.ca
FEBRUARY 11-14
RAMA
The Rat Pack is Back
A truly Canadian winter adventure for
Casino Rama presents the glamour
of a classic Las Vegas-style show
with a tribute performance to Frank
Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop
and Dean Martin. Enjoy the mellow
sounds of the Rat Pack, complete
with all of their antics.
Location: Casino Rama
Tickets: $15 and up (must be 19 years
of age and older)
Info: 705-739-7666
or www.casinorama.com
FEBRUARY 12-15 and 19-22
ORILLIA
Out of Sight: Out of Murder
A mystery-comedy solved ingeniously
with romance, suspense and cosmic
wit. Mariposa Arts Theatre Foundation
presents this delightful performance.
Location: Orillia Opera House,
20 Mississaga St.
Time: Evening performances, 8 p.m.;
matinee performances 2 p.m.
Admission: Adults, $20;
seniors/youth/children, $17
Info: 705-326-8011
or www.operahouse.orillia.on.ca
Winterfest and Festival of Ice
FEBRUARY 13
WASAGA BEACH
A truly Canadian winter adventure
for the whole family. Downtown
Barrie will be transformed into a
winter wonderland complete with
events including dog sled rides,
horse-drawn wagon rides, lumberjack
shows, skating, polar bear swim, crafts
and more. Youngsters will enjoy
exploring the ice maze and slipping
down the giant snow sculpture.
Memorial Square is transformed into
a winter spectacular as ice carvers
sculpt blocks of ice into visual
masterpieces.
Location: Memorial Square
and Heritage Park
Youth Valentines Dance
Location: Wasaga RecPlex
Time: 7 – 9 p.m.
Ticets: $5
Call: 705-429-3321
FEBRUARY 12-28
MIDLAND
The Memory of Water
Huronia
Players
presents
a
bittersweet comedy of the trials and
tribulations of family. When three
FEBRUARY 13-15
TAY TOWNSHIP
Info: 705-728-5030
or www.icefishingbarrie.ca
TO FEBRUARY 14
Orillia
Tay Township is celebrating winter
with its 8th annual Frost Frolics
Winter Carnival. A winter weekend
of fun for everyone. Events include
cardboard toboggan races, snow
pitch tournament, arts and crafts
show and more.
Info: 705-534-7248
or www.tay.township.on.ca
FEBRUARY 13-15
ORILLIA
Winter Carnival
Cool winter family fun for all ages.
Events include snow sculptures, dog
sled rides, petting zoo, polar bear dip
and Shivers’ Ice Castle.
Location: Port of Orillia
and Couchiching Beach Park
Info: 705-329-2333
or www.orilliawintercarnival.ca
FEBRUARY 14
BARRIE
Ice Fishing Tournament
The Barrie Construction Association
and Greater Barrie Home Builders
Association presents the 4th annual
Ice Fishing Tournament. Prizes
in excess of $50,000 will be awarded.
Fish licence free during this event
as part of the Ministry of Natural
Resources Annual Family Fishing
Weekend. This is a fundraising event
in support of the Learning Disabilities
Association of Simcoe County.
Location: Kempenfelt Bay.
Fee: $80 per ice fishing hole
parade, crafts, silent auction and
more.
Info: 705-549-7453
or www.winterama.ca
Exposed: Celebrating the Nude Form
FEBRUARY 21-22
BARRIE
Location: Orillia Museum of Art &
History, 30 Peter St., South. Artists
from Orillia, Coldwater, Hawkestone
and Barrie present several mediums,
including sculpture – some are fun,
some are exquisite, all are designed
to keep you warm.
Call: 705-326-2159
The Body Show
Frosty Frolics
FEBRUARY 14
Wasaga Beach
Wasaga Loppet
Location: Wasaga Nordic Centre
10 & 20 km races
Time: 9 a.m. - 12 Noon
Call: the Nordic Centre
at 705-429-0943
FEBRUARY 15
BARRIE
Colt for the Day
Kempenfelt Rotary Club and the
Barrie Colts present a unique
opportunity for young hockey fans
aged six to 11. Participants receive
a Colts jersey, photo session with
players, an autograph and pizza
lunch. A Colts skills competition
will follow the event at 2:30 p.m.
The event raises funds for the Big
Brothers/Big Sisters of Barrie.
Location: Barrie Molson Centre
Fee: $85
Info: 705-726-5550
or www.coltfortheday.com
FEBRUARY 20-22
PENETANGUISHENE
Winterama
Celebrate winter at one of North
America’s oldest winter carnivals.The
Penetanguishene Winter Carnival
started in 1948 and continues today
to provide a weekend of fun family
activities in the great outdoors.
Events include a unique winter
EVENTS
sisters return to England for their
mother’s funeral, their recollections
of family life brings laughter, tears,
anger and sadness.
Performance takes place at The
Studio Theatre, 427 William St.,
Midland.
Show time is 8 p.m.
Tickets: Adults, $18; Youth,
$10; and Seniors, $15
Info: 705-526-9395
or www.huroniaplayers.ca
Want to be the best you can be? Then
check out Barrie’s Body Show. This
annual trade show is about living
better. The entire show is dedicated
to body, beauty and health. Show
includes product exhibits, guest
speakers, workshops and more.
Location: Barrie Molson Centre
Admission: Adults, $10; seniors/
youth, $8; free for children under 12
Info: 705-734-1728
or www.mbmshows.com
FEBRUARY 21
ORILLIA
Spring/Summer Leisure Fair
Get ready for spring and summer
activities at this showcase of
things to do in the area. Presentations
include activities for youth and adults,
sports, dance clubs, hobby groups,
general wellness programs and more.
Presented by City of Orillia Parks and
Recreation Department.
Location: Orillia Square Mall
Times: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Info: 705-325-2366
or www.orilliasquaremall.com
FEBRUARY 21
BARRIE
Red Door Gala for Gilda’s Club
The Fourth Annual RED DOOR GALA
for Gilda’s Club in Barrie hosted by
Wendell Ferguson will include an
exceptional night of entertainment,
hors d’oeuvres, door prizes and a
silent auction. The Canadian Tenors
will headline. The Gala will also
feature Marmalade, The Sound
Project and The Ontario Fire Service
Pipes & Drums.
Location: Gryphon Theatre
Time: Doors open 6 p.m.
jan/feb 2009
SIMCOE LIFE
43
Show time: 7 p.m.
Tickets: $75.
Call : 705-726-5199 or
e-mail [email protected]
FEBRUARY 21
Wasaga Beach
Moonlight Ski
EVENTS
Location: Wasaga Nordic Centre
Time: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Discounts on rentals available.
For more info call the Nordic Centre
at 705-429-0943
FEBRUARY 27
BARRIE
FEBRUARY 28
BARRIE
FEBRUARY 28
ORILLIA
Barrie Concerts Series
Ensemble Concert
Barrie Concerts and Georgian Music
present Kai Gleusteen and the
Orchestra of the Glenn Gould. The
concert is part of the Barrie Concerts
Series.
Location: Hi-Way Pentecostal Church,
50 Anne St. N.
Tickets: Tickets must be purchased
for the entire series
Show time: 8 p.m.
Info: 705-728-8679
or www.barrieconcerts.org
World-renowned flautist Sergio
Pallottelli joins the Orillia Wind
Ensemble for this classic winter
evening concert, Focus on Flute.
Location: St. Paul’s United Church
Show time: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: Adults, $18; seniors, $15;
Students, $5
Info: 705-326-8011
or www.operahouse.orillia.on.ca
Andy Jones
FEBRUARY 28
BARRIE
Gryphon Theatre presents Andy
Jones, An Evening with Uncle Val as
part of their Arts and Entertainment
Headliner Series. Andy Jones, one
of Canada’s great comic actors and
founding member of Codco, stops in
on his Cup O’Tea in the Woods Tour
for a colourful theatrical presentation
on Newfoundland, daily life and fear
of mortality.
Location: Gryphon Theatre for Arts
and Entertainment, Georgian College
Admission: $35
Time: 8 p.m.
Info: 705-728-4613
or www.gryphontheatre.com
TJamie Adkins Circus Incognitus
Gryphon Theatre for Kids presents
the adventures of Jamie Adkins as
he tries new ideas and shows the
importance of not giving up when
everything goes wrong. The show is
part of a theatre series for families
with young children. There are five
shows in the series.
Location: Gryphon Theatre,
Georgian College
Show time: 1 p.m.
Tickets: $15.95 per ticket
or $60 for all five shows
Info: 705-728-4613
or www.gryphontheatre.com
FEBRUARY 27 to MARCH 7
BARRIE
Trees Die Standing Tall
A truly Canadian winter adventure for
Barrie’s Talk is Free Theatre presents
a bittersweet comedy making its
North American premiere. A secret
organization of courageous people
seeks to help humanity through
unusual and selfless means.
Location: Downtown Theatre,
1 Dunlop St.
Show time: 8 p.m.
Admission:
Single tickets, $45.
Subscription and
group rates available
Info: 705-792-1949 or www.tift.ca
44
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
FEBRUARY 28
Wasaga Beach
Poker Run/Silent Auction & Dance
Location: Poker Run at Clubhouse
Time: Registration 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Tickets: $15 per hand
Dance is at the RecPlex
(Oakview Room).
Time: 8:30 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Tickets: $15 in advance
$20 at the door.
Call: the Snowmobile Club
at 705-429-3822
TO FEBRUARY 28
ORILLIA
AMORE
Location: Zephyr Art Gallery
Zephyr Art Gallery invites you to view
our collection of new works.
Featured artist is Debra Shelswell
Call: (705) 326-0480
FEBRUARY 28
BARRIE
Spelling Bee
The Barrie Literacy Council presents
the 6th annual Spelling Bee finals.
Students from Grades 1 to 8 started
qualifying in January for this final
event.
Location: Kozlov Shopping Centre,
400 Bayfield St.
Info: 705-728-7323
or www.barriespellingbee.com
march
MARCH 5
BARRIE
Think Film Series
The Think Film Series presents a
special presentation for International
Women’s Day. All Think films begin
with special facilitation by various
professors from the University
Partnership Program. Films
are selected to engage the community
in discussion about our world and
Midwinter Magic
King Edward Choir presents a Midwinter
Magic Choral Concert featuring works by
Mozart, including his Ave Verum, Laudate
Dominum and Sanctus movements from
his Requiem. Several pieces by Poulenc will
also be featured.
Location: Collier Street United Church
Show time: 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $20
Info: 705-726-1916
or www.kingedwardchoir.org
MARCH 7-30
Creemore
Variations
Location:The Mad & Noisy Gallery, at 154
Mill St. is open Monday, Thursday and
Fridays from 11 to 5, Saturdays from 9 to
5 and Sundays from noon to 4. Artist Tanya
Zaryski presents “Variations”, a series of
new panoramic landscape acrylic paintings
on board. Returning repeatedly to favourite
scenes throughout the Beaver Valley and
Mount Forest areas, Tanya captures the
impact of changing lights, seasons and
circumstances on local houses, barns
and fields. All are invited to the opening
reception for “Variations” on
Saturday, March 7th from 2 to 5 pm.
Call: 705-445-8191
MARCH 8
BARRIE
The Joy of the Organ
Huronia Symphony presents Organ soloist
Jim Leonard. Organ Symphony No. 1 by
Joseph Buillmant and the Symphony No. 3
by Robert Schumann will be performed.
Location: Gryphon Theatre, Georgian
College
Show time: 4 p.m.
Admission:Adults, $25; students, $12. Season
subscription for five concerts: $100
MARCH 14-15
THORNBURY
Winter Antique Show
The 19th annual Thornbury Winter Antique
Show features 26 professional antiques
dealers. The show is known as Southern
Georgian Bay’s premier antiques event.
Location: Beaver Valley Community Centre,
81 Victoria St., Thornbury
Times: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: $5
Info: 519-599-5017
or www.fineartandantiques.ca
MARCH 16-20
BARRIE
Drawing Cartoons with Bob Kain
Join renowned cartoonist/illustrator Bob
Kain for this unique Cartooning Camp.
Learn how to generate ideas, create funny
characters and produce a story to be used
in a humorous comic book. For ages 11 plus.
Registration required.
Location: MacLaren Art Centre,
37 Mulcaster St.
Time: 9 a.m. to 12 noon
Fee: $80 per child
Info: 705-721-9696
or www.maclarenart.com
MARCH 21
Collingwood
Rockin’ the House Curling Bonspiel
Location: The Curling Club of Collingwood
Register: by Feb. 27.
Tickets: $50 each, $200 per team
(4 plus 4 spares)
Call: 705-445-1543 ext. 107
gaudaur
natural foods
vitamins - beauty care
books - herbs - bulk food
organic meat & dairy
63412127
MARCH 7
BARRIE
Info: 705-721-4752
or www.huroniasymphony.ca
open monday - saturday
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
shop on-line @ www.gaudaur.com
705-325-7143
17 andrew st., n.
orillia, on - L3V 5H9
ON-LINE COURSES/FREE TIPS NOW AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE
VALERIE SAMSON
FSAC, CT/CRA, Reiki Master
(President, Feng Shui Association of Canada)
“THE SUBTLE DIFFERENCE, THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING!”
www.fengshui911.com
P h : 705-487-7889 E: [email protected]
Residential
Commercial
Construction
jan/feb 2009
63408637
our place in it.
Location: Room K227, Centre for Technology
Enhanced Learning, Georgian College
Show time: 5 p.m.
Admission: Free
$2 fee for parking required
Info: 705-728-1968 ext. 1774
Renovations
SIMCOE LIFE
45
one last thing
Plenty of fish
And maybe even a ‘sole’ mate in the great big online dating sea
By Elizabeth Bokfi
F
orty-two, and thrown into the sea
of mid-life singledom – who would
have guessed? After a fun-filled year
of unbridled liberty and non-domestication, my
chemo brain’s thought processes regressed, yet
again, and well-meaning friends united in an
effort to find me a romantic interest. I, on the
other foot, having lost my left foot to a bone
tumour last year, was merely happy to be alive
– happy they didn’t shoot this lame horse. How
does one go about marketing a lame horse?
Lava Life®, eHarmony®, Plentyoffish.com™
- there is no shortage of dating sites to choose
from when searching for that elusive soul mate.
Upon clicking Where Singles Click®, the lava
somehow flowed over to the sea of plenty, and
I found myself on the dating site Plenty of Fish
(POF for short).
Contrary to most of the POFers, and
determined not to be bridled, saddled and
broken, I created my profile under the double
entendre, “ampitup,” a melange of amputee and
my amplified passion for music, followed by
a “looking for fun-to-be-with.” After spending
a good portion of last year in a hospital and
wheelchair, I was ripe for adventure, friends only
- anyone that was happy not to be resigned to
his sofa.
My journey had begun. After uploading my
pic, sitting atop my Harley Davidson, with my
prosthetic leg clearly displayed, it was not long
before I began receiving mail.
46
SIMCOE LIFE
jan/feb 2009
Surprised at the volume of responses, in each
reply to a received e-mail, I would ask if they had
noticed I was differently abled. Yes, they were
aware. Hmmm. Apparently, lame horses aren’t
necessarily sent straight to the glue factory after
all.
Thrown into the sea, I turned from lame horse
into a floundering minnow, and at the other
end of the computer spectrum, I learned how to
Instant Message (IM for short). I also learned how
not to “triple chat” - after inadvertently sending
one message, in three parts, to three different
POFers. Techno-challenged, but catching on,
I soon learned how to view others’ profiles
without them knowing I had viewed them.
Eventually, I also figured out how to disable that
feature to allow the viewee to see that I, the
viewer, had viewed them. It was a mind game
played out between computer reefs.
Once a dating site skeptic, I began to see
these sites in a different light. There certainly
are plenty of fish in the sea. Dinners, coffee
shops, engaging conversations and activity
partners found, I measured my success not by
the all-too-commonly-sought-after diamond ring,
but rather by the number of enjoyable “visits”
experienced through the site. After hearing
gentlemen reiterating horror stories of datesgone-wrong and being fished by hungry trolling
females, I began to, in a rather humble way, feel
like a rare catch. I was brutally honest during
my fishing trips, sporting a what-you-see-is-what-
you-get attitude, which was, surprisingly, very
well received by the sharks I chose to meet with.
The hook? Not one of the gentlemen was fazed
by my prosthetic leg. Apparently, it isn’t about
scaly perfection at this level of reef. Pursued not
only by men in their 40s, but a great number of
younger men in their early 30s, I no longer felt
like the minnow missing a fin in a sea of beautiful
angel fish - I was the angel fish itself. Fears about
my desirability were slowly swept away. Then,
one day a dolphin swam over to me.
At first, I didn’t quite know what to do with
him. Although I had made it clear that I was not
searching for a “sole” mate, I couldn’t help seeing
this dolphin swirling inside my weir as a keeper.
With music being my forte, I had first viewed his
profile after noticing the set of cymbals in the
foreground of his profile pic. Well, a musician
he was; and a musician I had not, thus far, met.
Remember that feature I disabled in the settings
to allow my viewee to see I was a viewer? I had
long forgotten the day I clicked this drummer’s
profile.
So, after my mid-life dating site experience,
what have I swum away with? I learned it ain’t
over ‘til it’s over, there really are plenty of fish in
the sea, and to a drummer boy, I am fresh catch o’
the day. I have always marched to the beat of my
own drum, but at forty-two, and swimming in the
sea of singledom, I was snared. SLM
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Simcoe Life
47
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