The SCOOP // February / March 2017

SCOOP The

February / March 2017

thescoop.ca

Secrets of the Barred Owl

Hello Operator

Love Is All Around

Remembering Rationing

Oneida’s Story

The

SCOOP Founded in 2005 by Richard Saxe

PUBLISHER & AD SALES Karen Nordrum stonemills.scoop@gmail.com

GUEST EDITORIAL

Robin Hutcheon whurldpeas@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Jazmin Bansagi, Ron Betchley, Katherine Burrows, Mary Jo Field, Julie Fraser, Glen R. Goodhand, Alyce Gorter, Robin Hutcheon, Joseph Imre, Kim Kerr, S.R. Knowles, Lena Koch, Robert J. McCaldon, Blair McDonald, Brenda Mayhew, Sue Meech, Marcella Neely, John Sherbino, Grace Smith, Terry Sprague, Holly WhiteKnight, Steve Williams All photos contributed, unless otherwise noted.

HOW TO CONTACT US 613.379.5369 stonemills.scoop@gmail.com thescoop.ca facebook.com/thescoop.ca Please write to us at: Stone Mills Scoop 482 Adair Road Tamworth, ON K0K 3G0

The SCOOP is published six times a year. We mail The SCOOP for free to more than 6600 households in Tamworth, Centreville, Enterprise, Erinsville, Camden East, Newburgh, Colebrook, Yarker, Verona, Hartington, Sydenham, Roblin, Selby, Parham, Kaladar, Stella, Godfrey, & Marlbank. We also arrange with local retailers to display 1000 additional issues of The SCOOP in Napanee, Cloyne, Flinton, Kaladar, & many other locations.

Here’s The SCOOP Robin Hutcheon

C

ommunity is an interesting thing. It can come from any number of things; where you’re from, where you end up, your skin colour, sexual orientation, gender identification, interests, hobbies, jobs, political orientation, where you go to school, the list goes on. It’s about where you fit in, where you feel comfortable, where you feel at home.

I was born and raised in Tamworth. I left as soon as I could, and I’ve lived at both ends of the country in cities and small towns. Eventually, like many of us do, I came back, and now I’m raising my kids here. If I want people to know where I live, I tell them it’s where Blanche Hinchey used to live. When I introduce myself to people around here, I reference my parents and/or the store. If someone doesn’t know me, they probably know Kathee and Ralph Hutcheon, and almost without fail, they know the Corner Store.

My daughter was six years old when my partner and I bought our house beside the church. Despite spending half of my life trying to escape the perceived confines of my hometown, I made that big investment that speaks to settling down and bought a house here to raise kids in. My daughter is 12 now, and I have three more kids in my little starter house, as the community well knows. When my last child was born, a group of seven friends made my family a meal for each night of the first week after her birth – an amazing, and entirely unexpected, gesture (the thought of it can still make me teary). These are, for the most part, people that I met through the local school. Even though I’ve lived in this community for the better part of my life, it was not until my child went to Tamworth school and I connected with

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those other parents, that I felt “this is my community.”

The great thing about community these days is you can choose your own (thank you social media and interweb). My community comes from my kids, and it gives me, and them, roots to connect to and a place to call home. It provides us with support when we need it and a reason to celebrate when we need that.

Our school plays a huge role in keeping our community solid by providing a place for our kids to come together and share their lives. A school in the heart of a community becomes the soul of that community, where children learn to grow

together and become those friends that you still relate to when you’re almost 40 because you all remember when Mr. Clark had to carry Lisa up the hill at school when she broke her leg at recess.

These are the things that keep us grounded.

I am incredibly grateful for the community I am a part of, and its importance cannot be exaggerated. Our kids feel like they’re from somewhere and I can stand in my yard, turn around 360 degrees and find common ground in every direction because my community is out there. Thank you community.

At their 3rd 100 Women Who Care Lennox & Addington meeting in December, the group raised over $10,000 for a selected charity. On December 28, 2016 they presented Winter Warmth with a cheque for $10,100 at Coffee Culture in Napanee.

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Barred owl at Presqu’ile Provincial Park in Brighton, Ontario. Photo

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The SCOOP • February / March 2017

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Stone Mills Marketplace: Celebrating Community, Local Events & Entrepreneurs Katherine Burrows

information for township residents.

tone Mills is a vibrant community of supportive, energetic people. It is a place where children can safely ride their bikes down the streets, where seniors gather to challenge each other at cards, and where many of us make our living.

To be eligible for the Stone Mills Marketplace, businesses must have a brick and mortar location in Stone Mills or be a home business located in Stone Mills. Independent mortgage brokers, real estate agents or insurance brokers who work from home are also included.

Any events posted must take place within Stone Mills. Charity events are included as long as they are in Stone Mills.

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A resident of Yarker, Diane Giberson, was eager to take part in local events but discovered that community information was scattered and difficult to find. Diane created the Stone Mills Marketplace Facebook page in response to her desire to find out what was going on in Stone Mills. As a service to the community, Diane posts information about upcoming events and local businesses and invites others to do the same. After only one week, the Facebook page was being used by approximately 300 people. And now, two years later, there are almost 1200 users. One of the many functions of the Facebook page was to serve as a place for members of the community to make recommendations about local businesses. However, due to the nature of Facebook, the information wasn’t always available when needed due to the constant updating of feeds.

Diane, determined to create a functional and user-friendly community resource, established the Stone Mills Marketplace website, a forum which better meets the growing needs of the Marketplace. A central location for Stone Mills residents, the site includes a calendar of events and searchable business directory. This community hub is the answer to the previously scattered and difficult to find

Noting that the website is not her full-time job, Diane quickly admits that there are some tasks that she needs help with and encourages other community members to contribute to the Stone Mills Marketplace. Diane’s vision is to increase traffic to the website by posting more events and businesses and including a blog with posts provided by various community members. She sees this platform as a way to make our community great and wants to see more of the “let’s build this community” attitude.

In celebration of our creative entrepreneurs, Diane has also initiated the quarterly events known as Stone Mills Mixers. These events provide the opportunity for local business people to meet, network, share ideas and exchange best practices. As an independent realtor, Diane networks heavily and enjoys sharing her experience with other business owners. Some of the mixers feature a guest speaker, and there is an annual Christmas dinner. The most important part of these events is the opportunity to get to know one another.

Knitting for a Cause Brenda Mayhew

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he Tamworth Lions Club distributed 21 Christmas baskets to families in the area last year, consisting of items donated by local families and merchants.

It would be a nice warm touch if some new handmade mittens could be included in the baskets this Christmas.

I am asking talented knitters in the area if they would be able to come forward and help with this touch of warmth for the 2017 baskets. I am also taking donations of winter wool, needles, beads, etc., for making mittens. The donated items will be given to the capable knitters who are giving their time to create their own design while knitting the mittens.

This program will start now and continue to November 30, giving everyone lots of time to knit. Remember, the earlier we start, the better we will be able to gauge

how well the program is doing. Mittens will be picked up anytime through the year when ready.

Please call me ASAP to let me know if you are able to help so I can start to put projection numbers together with the hope that this will be possible. If we over exceed our needs, we may sell mittens at craft sales this fall to raise funds for the Tamworth Lions to purchase more items for the baskets or to make more baskets.

Can you imagine the feeling you will get walking down the street and passing someone wearing a pair of mittens you designed and donated? In advance, I would like to thank all involved for their help of time and or donations to make this program work.

Connecting with other businesses is important, but connecting with other members of the community is even more so.

Diane is currently looking for volunteers to help manage the Stone Mills Marketplace website and to contribute entries to be posted on the blog. The blog entries do not have to be about a business or event but must reflect some aspect of life in Stone Mills. Companies are free to add information about their own business, which may be especially useful if they do not yet have their own website.

For upcoming events, to post information and to help out, please contact Diane via the Stone Mills Marketplace website at www. stonemillsmarketplace.ca or through its Facebook page: Stone Mills Marketplace or by email: stonemillsmarketplace@ gmail.com

Mr. Winter Winter, oh winter, you soon will be gone; Spring will be chasing you out at the dawn.

I’ve baked enough cookies and read enough books; My feet want to wander the forest and brooks.

While crossing the latitudes of L&A County; I breathe deep and cherish our natural bounty.

As the snow melts away, may it rise up the banks; Restoring our wells and refilling our tanks.

Waking up the soil, and nourishing roots; A magical wonder, of new buds and shoots.

Let me smell in the air, the new signs of life; And feel it myself, wash away last year’s strife.

Like the earth I grow restless, through these months of refrain; I am ready to step out, in search of new gain.

I look forward to long days, some without end; Squeezing in the last chore, or helping a friend.

Predicting the weather and feeling in tune; Before you know it, we’ll be basking in June.

I thank you for your service, and respect your duty; But please go, Mr. Winter, you are freezing my booty.

— Julie Fraser

Please phone Brenda at 613.379.9906 if you’d like to help.

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February / March 2017 • The SCOOP

3

Rural School Closures Impact Bus Rides Robin Hutcheon

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here is a growing trend across Ontario toward school consolidation. The primary motivation for this is purported to be a cost-saving measure, consolidating resources for students in a larger space for more efficient delivery.

The impacts of consolidation on rural communities are rarely addressed despite significant variations in geography and population density between rural and urban communities.

These differences increase bus rides times for students negatively affecting their curricular experience and their safety.

In an urban setting, schools are much closer together. If one school closes, the next one is not likely far away, and with relatively dense populations, effects are minimal. Kingston, for example, covers an area of 450 km2 with a population of 123,363 according to the 2011 census.

From the same year, the census shows that Stone Mills Township covers an area of 708 km2 with a population of only 7,560. Population density for the two regions, therefore, is 273 people/km2 and 10 people/km2 respectively. Population density is a key factor when considering

transportation and has significant implications for children’s bus ride times.

Several Canadian and American studies have shown evidence of the links between bus ride times and student success and behaviour. Long bus ride times are associated with reduced achievement, academic attentiveness and extra-curricular participation as well as less time spent on fitness and social activities. In a 2007 study, Lorna Jimerson, Ed. D. found that 71% of students with bus ride times within regulated guidelines aspired to attend college, compared to 66% of students with commute times exceeding guidelines. In his 2001 study, Craig Howley discovered that “a commonly cited standard for one-way length (duration) of school bus rides for elementary children is 30 minutes”.

A study in 2005 found that “larger number of students with varying ages and grade levels travelling together on the school bus has been indicated to offer more opportunity for bullying where younger students are most often bullied by older students.” More than 70% of riders on school buses are between JK to Grade 8. When faced with bullying from older students, most of these children are too young to advocate for themselves

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and drivers are too busy driving to be able to see what is happening behind the seats.

Besides the risks to the well-being of students, there are physical safety and health hazards associated with bus rides.

Transport Canada recommends anchored child seats in buses for children under 18 kg or the age of 4 ½ years old. Since full-day kindergarten was implemented, children as young as 3.75 years old ride the bus twice a day, every day. There are no provincial standards for seating capacity for school buses; this is left to the discretion of the bus consortium.

Particulate matter released by the diesel fumes that school buses run on has been linked to cancer and asthma. Children riding in diesel-powered school buses inhale 15 times more particulate matter than children who walk, cycle or use private transportation.

An informal survey done by local volunteers found that students in Stone Mills Township already experience maximum bus ride times ranging from 34 minutes to 60 minutes one-way. As well, children are required to be at their stops 5 minutes before pick-up time, thus adding to the amount of time spent getting to and from school each day. The Limestone District School Board’s (LDSB) current policy on bus ride times for students says that students should spend no more than one hour travelling from their home or pick-up point to their school. It goes on to say that in exceptional circumstances a student should be required to spend no more than 90 minutes on a bus each day, though they do not stipulate whether that is one way or not.

Limestone board contracts its busing to Tri-Board Transportation. Their seating policy allows for three children to share a 39-inch seat. Given variations in size and weight, along with winter attire, there is a significant risk that three children will not be fully contained on their seat, negating the purported safety of the compartmentalized design of school buses. Tri-Board currently has two-thirds of their buses outfitted with particulate traps, which still leaves 166 buses with no protection from toxic diesel fumes.

School bus drivers must be admired for their willingness to take on a task with so much responsibility and little support.

The ratio of adults in a supervisory role to children can reach 1:72. Bus drivers have traffic, weather, and road conditions to deal with, and added to that is the monumental task of keeping order on a crowded bus. In the current recommendation to close Yarker Family School, one cost-savings advantage cited by the Limestone Board is the loss of one bus route, further crowding the buses that are already on the road. The inevitable result of school consolidation in Stone Mills would be long bus rides for children 8 and under, and all the accompanying health and safety impacts.

This article is a summary of information presented in a report written by Bev Trachy for Rural Schools Matter.

Dr. Sri Mohan Rajagopalan

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Celebrating Our Families Grace Smith

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amily. What is it? According to Merriam-Webster, family is “a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head.” As we enter February, I can’t help but think of our upcoming day off: Family Day. For most people, it’s just that. A day off. But it must be important, right? After all, the government gave us this special day just to celebrate it.

For me, family isn’t just those who live in the same dwelling as you or a group of people you’re related to by blood. It’s the people who are there for you no matter what. The people who love and support you. The people who listen to you and laugh at your jokes no matter how boring they may be. It’s the people that you would do anything for.

And the best part is that everyone’s family can look and be different. Maybe it’s just you and your parents. Maybe you’ve got a whole basketball team of siblings. Perhaps you’re surrounded by friends. Maybe you glory in the warmth of a significant other. Maybe it’s a combination of all or none of these.

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No matter what it looks like, we should celebrate family. We should celebrate those people in our lives who make us who we are and encourage us to where we need to be.

It could be a sweet word or compliment in passing. It could be a shout from the roof tops. It could be a small gesture or a big one. But no matter what, do not let these people go unnoticed. Let them know the impact they have on your life.

Let them know how much they mean to you. Let them know they matter.

For me, I try to do this every day. I thank my Mom when she drives me to get groceries. I take my little brothers to their favourite movies. I help my sister get organized. I help cook when I’m at home so my parents can take the night off. I invite my best friend over for dinner when she’s feeling down. I help my siblings with their homework. I try to be there when they need me.

I do all of this in part to make up for the extraordinary things that they do for me.

It’s my way of saying thank you. So this Family Day (and every other day) let’s celebrate our families. In any way we can.

The SCOOP • February / March 2017

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Bet the Farm: Part II Joseph Imre and Jazmin Bansagi

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n Part I, (December/January issue of The SCOOP) we looked at the changing landscape of farming in Ontario, and some of the early steps we took to starting a farm in beautiful Lennox and Addington County.

This year we partnered with Forests Ontario’s 50 Million Trees Program.

Through this initiative, we were subsidized for the planting of almost 3,500 trees on our property. One of our most important strategic long-term projects at the farm includes the planting of a walnut orchard for cultivation. A part of that future orchard will provide thousands of pounds of walnuts (I love walnuts by the way), while the black walnut portion will be left for 30 years before it can be cut and sold as mature quality wood. The black walnut orchard is, in part, our retirement plan. Quality walnut trees can sell upwards of $5,000 per tree (and even as high as $10,000 per tree for outstanding varieties). To allay any fears that we are not environmentally sustainable stewards, we have arranged for the orchard to be replanted in 30 plus years and protected for future generations. The contract with Forests Ontario ensures that in years 2, 3, and 5, the orchard will be inspected for health and that any damaged or dying trees will be replaced. The contract also stipulates that no trees can be cut down during the first 15 years and that no contractual obligation would be transferred if we sell the property. If you decide to do something similar, remember to read all contracts carefully to ensure that you are protected and that a partnership benefits you and your farm.

Fun along the way The story of our new farm would be incomplete without a humorous anecdote about a set of new farmers clearly out of their depth. As mentioned early on we lease some of our fields to a neighbouring farmer for cattle grazing.

We are no experts in livestock and didn’t think much about a potential encounter with our bovine friends during one of our many exploration hikes around the property. Now, when I think of cows – and forgive me – I think of the happy female Jersey or Holstein cows made

famous in dairy commercials the world round. Naiveté in tow, we blindly jaunted through one of our grazing fields to be met by a stampeding herd of cows stopped dead in their tracks as they stared at us like extra-terrestrial beings making first contact. I didn’t think twice about approaching some of the hesitant cows, not thinking as I should about the fact that a herd of cows typically has a bull leading it. Nothing occurred to me until out of the corner of my eye I saw a strong looking bull, well equipped for battle so to speak.

To come face-to-face with a white bull with fiery red eyes (I might have added that in for dramatic effect) is a heartstopping event. Your initial thought is an every-man-for-himself approach, but I did have my fiancé next to me. No time to run and cower. I thought perhaps a gentle voice assuring the bull that I was not there to acquire any of his lady friends would do the trick. I am sure I heard some snorting and huffing from the bull, which was more than an invitation to vacate the scene. We slowly backed away, eyes covered, showing a body language that must have wreaked of fear. I told my fiancé that we could easily outrun the bull, but she wasn’t having any of my bravado tactics at this point.

We survived, only to be told later that the bull in question was a gentle soul. Little consolation for our pride. We learned a great deal about personal space that day.

It also reminded us of the importance of sharing our land and space with our animal friends. I guess every once and a while we are reminded that we are not the only ones in control and not the only ones who call this place home.

A little advice can go a long way Our advice for those of you who dream of purchasing and starting your own farm is to be mindful of the complexities that come with land ownership. Due diligence is required before buying a farm or country retreat, and hiring a lawyer who specializes in rural land issues is a must if you want to protect your interests.

Examine all details of the land including water quality reports (some reports are rather dated but helpful), soil, average well depths, roads, leans on the property,

Harvested hay field in early June at Seven Fields Farm & Orchard in Enterprise. and the history of the land and the area.

You will never regret doing more work than necessary, but you will regret missing a crucial deal-breaking piece of information about your property that you may have overlooked. We looked at one property near to the Trent River that had fine-print details about not building structures on the property higher than one story, and no metal roofs were permitted due to its location directly under a prominent flight path. Little details like this can easily be missed, and cause considerable frustration if unnoticed.

If you are purchasing a piece of land as an investment, then research agricultural land prices and historical trends in your area. A real estate agent can help, but they are often motivated by a sale. Do a little digging at your local registry office, archives, library, or friendly neighbours who can shed some light on your property and the area. If however, you are buying for the long haul, consider not only the purchase cost but the sustainability costs of running a farm (i.e. house, property tax, electricity, water, septic tank, etc.). Some initial investing in off-the-grip technology like solar panels, composting toilets, wind power and green shelters and homes can save you a lot of money down the road. Don’t hesitate to dream big.

Any working farm will require equipment. One of the best places to

acquire used farming equipment is local farm auctions. Auctions are listed in your local newspapers, regional listings, dedicated agricultural news sources, and online. Used equipment can be a blessing for new farmers but be wary of equipment that is not up to par, is missing documentation, or has not been properly inspected. Do your research and ensure that the equipment you buy can be stored, maintained, and sustained without excessive cost to you. Buying farm equipment is costly, and resale value is a major factor to consider.

It has been said that farming is a profession of hope. There is something so rewarding – dare I say spiritual – in owning land and having an empty canvas for your ideas and dreams. I feel as if I am connecting with my ancestors who toiled on farms more than a century ago. I like to think that perhaps farming was always in our blood, but that it had just skipped a few generations. In this modern world of high real estate prices, growing cities, and more complicated lives, the call of the wild beckons many to calm rural life.

Don’t be afraid to embrace that call, but also be sure you put all the foundation stones in place so that your dream will last for years to come.

For more information, please visit our website at 7fieldsfarm.com and follow us as we build our dream farm. Don’t hesitate to drop us a line if you have any questions.

What’s Going On at the Cloyne & District Historical Society Marcella Neely

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ow that the Museum season is over and the artifacts are safely packed away for their winter’s rest, we are back to the business of history gathering and “Preserving the Past for the Future.” Always a challenge as those whose memories we rely on are slipping away from us faster than we can track and record.

We continue to meet on the third Monday of each month to discuss local history and enjoy relevant presentations.

A social cup of tea and treats finish off the afternoon. We are open to all, and no commitment is required. Come out when you can. We welcome young, old and everyone in between.

and Addington County General Hospital in Napanee. Later in the fall, old glass slides to pictures had us all trying to guess the people or places while Ken Hook patiently displayed some that could be reproduced. The slides were donated to the museum by an unidentified source.

December’s get together has traditionally been social, complete with turkey dinner, all the trimmings, and so much more. We met at the Cloyne Free Methodist Church Hall, invited some

friends and neighbours, and were indulged by caterers Pat Cuddy and company. The January meeting’s guest presenter, Brian Miller, shared a fascinating account of the Miller Family history.

Our upcoming February meeting falls on Heritage Day a.k.a. Family Day, which is a statutory holiday. With no work and no school, this means more of you can join us! We look forward to hearing more memories of Flinton schools from Glenn Davison.

We are getting excited about our area’s participation in the Canada 150 celebrations. Events will begin on June 24 at the opening of the Pioneer Museum, with the unveiling of an art installation completed by the Land O’Lakes Garden Club.

Our hope for 2017 is for all residents from Kaladar to Denbigh and from Plevna to Flinton to be able to say, “I visited an event/presentation of the Cloyne and District Historical Society”.

At our September meeting, we were amazed by our guest, Steve Manders, as he spoke and showed videos of areas in our own regions and recounted snippets of histories some of us were not aware of.

In October, Ernie Doughty excitedly took us through the story of a County hospital from dream stage in 1958 to the state of the art facility that is now the Lennox

February / March 2017 • The SCOOP

5

The Importance of Being “Ernestine” Ron Betchley

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t was understandable that when one branch of my family decided to move to a different location within the city that the others were sure to follow.

Communication in my formative years was on foot, and the shorter the distance from one another, the better. I remember my cousin arriving at our front door, breathlessly delivering a verbal message from his mother. Upon completion of the memorized recited lines, he enquired not if there was a reply but rather, “Auntie, when are you going to get a telephone?”

Perhaps that is what did it, for not long after, the ominous black box was attached to the wall in our hallway. Our branch of the family was the last to succumb to the installation of the telephone. We had seen them and actually used them but never cohabited with one. And with it came the mandatory tall stool on which one could sit, reach and use the telephone “comfortably”.

Protruding from the centre of the black box, mounted about five feet up on the wall was a mouthpiece resembling the trumpeting beak of a goose, mid-call during mating season. The listening device was a bell-shaped cylinder not unlike a pepper grinder. This hung from a spring held cradle that when lifted activated the connection to the telephone company allowing an operator to connect you to the party you wished to reach. This connection was severed when the weight of the receiver was replaced. Atop the box were two bells which when activated by an incoming call were struck in an oscillating action by a small hammer located between them. There being no volume control, the bell’s volume was adjusted by placing pieces of paper of various thicknesses between the bells and the hammer.

Our area was located in the YORK exchange, and our unit was given the number 4317. Hence, to reach us, one opened the line and were greeted by the always pleasant, always business-like, “Ernestine”, operator extraordinaire, whose requested “Number, please” was countered with “YORK 4371, please” followed by her reply “One moment please” to which we offered “Thank you”. (I wonder if this could be the foundation of why we Canadians are considered the most polite of people?)

Like most homes back then, we had a party line whereby both homes had their individual number but shared one connecting line. The wonders of speaking to friends and family could only be surpassed by listening in on a conversation totally unrelated to your life, or for that matter, your business. I can still hear our conjoined lined neighbour interrupt herself midsentence, raising her voice an octave or two and saying, “I know you’re listening, now get off the line”.

Such were the beginnings of our relationship with the rudimentary workings of Alexander Graham Bell. We graduated to the addition of a dial mechanism, whereby we said adieu to the steadfast and faithful “Ernestine,” it being no longer required to speak to a living soul to connect with someone.

After that, telephone etiquette suffered somewhat. It is said that without the introduction of the dial and with the compounding use of the phone to this day, every woman on the face of the earth would have had to have been an “Ernestine” to have maintained the old system.

Not every revision to the telephone had such lofty objectives. The phone left the wall and was placed on the desk. Soon followed coloured models, selected of course at an additional cost. The

cumbersome straight wires were reconfigured to a curlicue accordionlike design and extended in length, again at an additional cost, although cumbersome begot cumbersome in my view. Small redesigns and fancy names were offered, including incorporating electric lights and always at a premium. Answering machines followed for when you were not available or for wanting to be unavailable. Adding later was the ability to tell who is calling or who had called, permitting the selection of only those The late Carmen Miranda imagined as Lily Tomlin’s with whom we wish to Ernestine, the telephone operator. Image by Ron Betchley. speak. And of course, wireless phones with among others, these: “While the reasons radio transmitters allowing one to roam for my departing this company earlier around the house while talking, or out of than most are few, the most notable one the house while talking, and finally has to be today’s exasperating misuse of talking anywhere, anytime, to anyone verbal communication. The telephone within a tower’s signal availability. systems today are meant to find you no matter where, yea, even unto the grave.

In business, the telephone once allowed Although not able to answer, the thing a person to exchange information and can insist on holding an eternal number ideas, and to negotiate and reason. The of messages with an objective of answering machine changed all that. eventually reaching you, yea, even into People could then direct, instruct, and the hereafter.” demand of you anything at any time, permitting no rebuttal. Personally, I Needless to say that our home is fitted could not reason with the everwith one landline. On the very rare increasing barrage of recorded vocal occasion when it becomes necessary to insatiable demands. And so eventually I speak with a today’s “Ernestine,” I made my decision to take early chuckle at the wonders of hearing that retirement. Some parting words to my polite cadence of a voice being heard all colleagues at the beginning of my long the way from Mumbai, India. sought after greener pastures were,

Finding Lost Ancestors Lena Koch

P

eople who know me know that I came to this country many years ago from Germany to make Canada my home. I have lived in southeastern Ontario since we adopted this country as our new homeland. We adjusted to the laws, customs, and traditions, but still kept our own traditions alive in our home.

travel. Did some of my ancestors come to Yarker or any of the other small towns where I have lived? Towns where they started new lives, as I did almost half a century ago?

I look at the clear blue sky on a cold winter morning and listen to the sound of an airplane overhead. How easy is it to travel today – you just purchase a ticket

and sit on a plane to fly anywhere in the world. How hard was it for my ancestors to come to this country?

I have done a lot of tracing via Ellis Island and other destinations while helping other people search for their ancestors. I have done some research on my husband’s side of the family. His greatgrandfather arrived in

For almost 30 years now, I have worked on my family tree, mainly in Europe. I eventually reached a brick wall and decided to invest in a DNA test in the hope to find new family members.

1907 at Ellis Island with a family of 10 and then carried on to Canada’s midwest. How will I find my ancestors who may have come even earlier to this county, in the 1700s and 1800s?

I turn my eyes back to the winter sky and wonder if perhaps someone will search for me, far in the future.

WAYLEN CAR WASH

I had a big surprise when I found over 2000 matches within the Ancestry DNA bank. Most were not in Europe but in the USA and Canada. Every time I check for new matches, I discover more names. I have even found my third cousin here in North America, where I never expected to find any of my ancestors.

I did not hope to find any because I never found evidence that any of my relatives migrated overseas. I always thought that I was the only one to emigrate with my family. However, it appears that at least some ancestors did indeed migrate, and now, I am finding new cousins and family members.

When I walk now in the morning, looking at the lovely countryside, my mind wanders off to the time when there was no car, bus, or train travel. I think of how hard it must have been then for people to

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Love Is All Around Kim Kerr

W

ith Valentine’s Day around the corner, it seems fitting to call this edition of A Peek in the Vault after a 90s love song. That’s the 1990s…

Theories abound as to why St. Valentine is connected with the celebration of love.

Regardless of origins, we can say for certain that approximately 180 million

Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year worldwide. They have become decidedly simpler than the lace-adorned works of art of the 19th century, but they continue to convey the same whimsical sentiments of their earlier versions.

While the L&A Archives lacks its own 19th-century Valentine, we have several from members of our community, like the homemade card from Florence Kirkpatrick, 14, to her cousin Irene Kirkpatrick, both of Napanee, 1919.

Marriage may be the next step should you find your true Valentine. This social custom was one of the most essential for the growth and development of our county and province. Customs and traditions of marriage have changed in many ways over the years, but one thing

has always remained the same: love is all around.

Here’s hoping your Valentine’s Day dance card is full this year. Thoughts?

Comments? Send us an email at archives@lennoxaddington.on.ca or drop by for a visit!

Valentine’s Day Ball programme and dance card (back), Napanee, 1865.

Dance cards were used by women in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to record their dance partners.

An example of a Valentine’s Day card, pop up, 3-tiered, 1897.

Do you love to write?

We’re looking for contributors.

Handmade Valentine’s Day card by Florence Kirkpatrick of Napanee, 1919, Kirkpatrick Family fonds.

Interested?Email us at stonemills.scoop@gmail.com

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7

Do You Remember: Ration Stamps?

Glen R. Goodhand

O

bert Skye maintained “Desperate times call for desperate measures”.

Such times were those six years during World War II. The “desperate measures” then are summarized in one word—“rationing.” One historian defined rationing this way: “It put limits on what people could buy due to the short supply of goods in the country. It was to ensure families received a fair share of basic items.”

Canada entered World War II in 1939. At first, the government appealed to the Dominion’s citizens to conserve. But like

Wartime meat token.

the modern “Adopt a Road” challenge, voluntarily cutting corners in the usage of energy and goods, for the most part, fell on deaf ears.

So, in 1942, that conservation became law. That’s when rationing began. It wasn’t that Parliament was on an arbitrary authoritarian binge. When one realizes that 1.1 million Canadians were in the Armed Services—one-tenth of the population—a “tithe “of essential produce and products was needed to meet their needs. And it had to come from the other 9/10 of our population.

It started with gasoline. Some historians maintain that it was not so much an actual shortage of fuel, but the suddenly limited availability of rubber. And that meant any kind of rubber by-products— including travel—when limited saved on the wear and tear of tires. This all because it was that year that Japan joined the Axis forces, and trade was cut off from major suppliers in Asia of this precious commodity.

To purchase gasoline, a special sticker had to be attached to the car windshield.

An “A” sticker was distributed to the average Joe and Jane. The “B” symbol was reserved for servicemen, farmers, and newspaper editors. “C” was displayed by doctors, politicians, pastors, and mail carriers. “T,” not surprisingly, stood for truckers; and “X” was for VIPs.

A page of unused meat ration stamps c. 1943.

The “A” sticker allowed users 120 gallons per year—enough for approximately 2,000 miles (3,000 km). The other letters regulated usage according to how essential fuel was to each class of drivers.

By the way, farmers were given special consideration for gas for their tractors. But that petrol was specially coloured—and heaven help you if any was found in the family flivver.

Gradually, as the overseas conflict intensified, Presumably food hoarders didn’t actually label their excess more and more goods, but the point of this poster is clearly about food items fell under rationing.

During WWI, the crime was very serious and hoarders the rationing could face fines of up to $1000—around $14,000 in today’s umbrella. Sugar, money. coffee and tea, bread, milk, and supplement these efforts of frugality. meat all became subject to restrictions.

Salvage drives seeking out large Each commodity, like fuel, required a quantities of scrap metal, old separate ration book, and corresponding newspapers, rags, and old tires were stamps. At the time of purchase, the regularly carried out. Basic leftovers like vendor tore out the requisite number of food fat and bones were collected for coupons, further reducing the amount what amounted to an early “recycling” left to use. process; the latter two items being transformed into cannon shells and Some samples of the restricted weekly bullets for fighter aircraft. amounts: • Tea: 1.5 oz (coffee was less restricted at 5.5 oz). These products were limited to persons 12 years old or older • Sugar: 12 oz • Butter: ½ lb • Meat: 2.5 lbs (little blue tokens resembling a lifesaver was attached to each item)

“Victory gardens” were the rage. People voluntarily grew vegetable staples, harvested to help feed the 1.1 million involved in the war effort. Some produce was even shipped overseas to supplement the waning food supplies of troops there.

In time, certain items of clothing, especially shoes, fell under these limitations as well.

Violations of these policies were viewed very seriously. Fines of up to $5,000 and/ or two years in jail were applied to these lawbreakers.

Citizens were encouraged to actively

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The entertainment industry sought to ease this burden by inserting a lighter side of the scene in popular jokes and in cartoons. For instance, in a Bugs Bunny Merry Melodies cartoon, the mischievous rabbit takes a crack at travel restrictions by tripping Elmer Fudd, and asking, “is this trip necessary?” In an Abbott & Costello movie clip, the chubby half of the comedy duo stumbles upon a bundle of money tied with an elastic band. He snatches up the bundle, tosses the cash away, and, referring to the value of rubber, exclaims “Rubber! Good rubber!”

In some ways, rationing brought genuine hardship on the home front. But, though limitations abounded, while we were warm and snug and safe in our beds, those in Europe knew greater want, and huddled in fear for their lives.

Complaining, criticism of the government, and irritability was evident.

But, as Murrel Harris put it: “People pull together in the time of need. They forget politics, personalities, and where people come from—and it’s an amazing thing to see.” Rationing was proof positive of that community spirit.

A Natural View Who Cooks for You? Barred Owls, of Course Terry Sprague

M

y very first experience with a barred owl was a memorable one. I was employed at Quinte Conservation at the time and had arranged with the agency to hold a three-day event at Vanderwater Conservation Area, just south of Tweed.

In its earlier days, Vanderwater had a vibrant campground. Today, the gated portion of this large conservation area that hugs the Moira River for its entire length is a shadow of its former self, with barely visible signs of where individual campsites had been. Here and there, remain a few decaying campsite posts, and the presence of an outdoor toilet that has survived admirably well against the elements.

My plan was to recreate the past and expose those who registered to how camping might have been when the

CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ARTISTS! Do you have what it takes to be published in The SCOOP? Send us your best photos and artwork documenting rural life in our area: stonemills.scoop@gmail.com

campground was active some four decades earlier. A campfire, feasting on hot dogs and roasted marshmallows over an open fire, a few scary stories that I had put together, all of us sleeping in tents – it was all happening over the next three days. Included in the plans was a night hike – my first ever “owl prowl.” Despite playing recordings of screech owls, great horned owls and barred owls, nary a response did we get as we stumbled along in the darkness for an hour or more.

The prowl was doomed to failure.

It was only after we had returned to our group campsite, and played the recording again in a final effort to get a response, did we hear a distant barking cross the river like that of a dog awakened by some imagined danger. In the moonlight over the river, we could see the distinct form of a barred owl torpedoing across the water. We watched in awe as the large bird settled in a deformed oak beside our tents. We had his attention and clearly, he was annoyed.

I continued to play variations of its song, and with each variation, he repeated it, the faint outline of the large bird surging forward as it emphasized its loud notes to assert his rightful ownership of its territory. My audience was impressed, if not a bit frightened, for we had no idea if the agitated bird would go so far as to make a pass at us. He didn’t, and flew off after a few minutes. For some in our group, it was their first glimpse of a barred owl, and I was pleased. I quickly explained that playing recordings was generally frowned on as it takes birds off their nests, making any owlets vulnerable to attack. However, we were well beyond the nesting season. I have not repeated the practice since, especially after a light sleeper remarked, “your danged owl came back again three times last night!”

The barred owl has become my favourite owl, if not my favourite bird. If its fast paced, accented hoot, “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all” isn’t enough to put it at the top of my list, then its physical features certainly are. The horizontal barring on the throat contrasting with the vertical barring on the belly sets it apart from other owls, not to mention its jet black eyes.

Barred owls are not new to this area.

Pleistocene fossils of barred owls, at least 11,000 years old, have been dug up in

Barred owl at Presqu’ile Provincial Park in Brighton, Ontario. Photo by Derek Dafoe.

Ontario. So, they have been around for a few years. But, why do they seem to become more readily observed during the winter months? One theory is that once nesting is over, the established adults retain property rights. This may force the juveniles out to find their own territories where food is easier to obtain.

This brings them to areas where barred owls usually are not observed – clearings, roadside edges, even backyards.

The food situation has to be dire, though, as barred owls are very opportunistic and will eat just about anything they can hold down long enough to consume. Meadow voles and shrews, of course, but also rats, squirrels, rabbits, moles, mink, and weasels. A barred owl was photographed in Minnesota aggressively grabbing and flying off with a full-grown domestic cat, a semi-regular prey item for the larger great horned owl. Also included in their menu items – woodpeckers, grouse, jays, mourning doves, and pigeons. They also have been seen wading into the water to capture fish, turtles, frogs, and crayfish.

In the summer, snakes, lizards, salamanders, slugs, beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers need to be wary too. I came across a barred owl once at Frontenac Park with a long snake dangling from its beak.

Whatever its misdeeds, in the eyes of those who cannot accept the way nature works in the real world, it makes up for by its fast-paced, almost dog-like barking. Truly a delightful and feel-good sound to hear echoing from the forest.

One night while camping at a canoe-in campsite at Murphy’s Point Provincial Park during a kayak trip on the Rideau Canal from Kingston to Ottawa, five barred owls were calling and answering each other for most of the night. I joyously stayed awake the entire evening. It was a glorious sound.

I have had some wonderful experiences with barred owls in past years. One winter, while leading a guided hike for over 30 outdoor enthusiasts at the H. R. Frink Centre, north of Belleville, I spotted a perched barred owl just as it spotted us. Obligingly, it flew low to the ground right along the entire length of my group that afternoon. For many, this was their very first view of an owl of any kind, and I am sure the experience left a lasting memory for them. It did for me.

For more information on birding and nature, check out the NatureStuff website at www.naturestuff.net. Terry Sprague lives in Prince Edward County and is self-employed as a professional interpretive naturalist.

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Oneida’s Story Sue Meech

O

n a cold wintery day in January 2010, a friend was at an auction barn near Waterloo, Ontario. She watched a thin but beautiful black and white paint mare in the ring being bid on by meat buyers, and she decided that was the horse she wanted to buy for me.

I rescue unwanted horses, but I am too soft hearted to attend auctions, so Michelle was acting on my behalf. Oneida was purchased for 29C/lb or $314 and was brought that evening to my farm in Napanee. She was a strikingly pretty paint mare and is now approximately 12 years old. At the time, she was weak, thin, and had a skin infection. She had

little energy, and I cared for her to gain her confidence and fed her small amounts of high quality food frequently.

I named her Oneida, as we believe she came from the First Nations Oneida Territory.

Gradually she put on some weight, and I started working with her. She was partially trained and quick to learn, but she was young and needed a firm hand and consistent training. I decided to try to rehome her on a lease to someone with experience who could spend time with her. She was still my horse and could not be sold or rehomed without my permission. There was no fee involved.

A promising young rider came to apply, and she and Oneida worked well together. The lady signed the lease, and I said goodbye to Oneida. I kept in touch and visited her when she was moved to a farm in Napanee. She was well cared for.

In April 2016, I emailed to enquire how she was doing and was told she had been rehomed. In fact, she had been sold for $200 to someone in Stirling in late 2015. I

was not given the name or location of the buyer except that it was to a farm in Stirling. I have photos of her in her new home, but I want to see her to make sure she is loved and safe.

Whoever bought her might not know that she should not have been sold. My fear is she will be sold again and end up in a sales barn and be bought for meat.

I am appealing to whoever knows where Oneida is to contact me. I have a responsibility to this horse, to make sure she is well and safe.

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The SCOOP • February / March 2017

Saturday, February 25 8:00 p.m. – 12:00 midnight Tamworth Legion Proceeds to be used for opposing Limestone District School Board’s plans to close Yarker, Tamworth, Enterprise, Centreville, Newburgh and Selby schools!

• Admission by free will donation • Light late night buffet • Music by South of 7

Please contact Shari Milligan via Facebook or call 613-449-1926 to donate to the Silent Auction... every donation appreciated!

To find out more about this issue come to the information session at the Tamworth Legion, Tuesday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m.

Consider the impact on Stone Mills that these school closures would cause!

Hosted by the TECDC and the Tamworth Legion in cooperation with the Rural Schools Matter Committee

Life Beneath the Deep Freeze Holly WhiteKnight

W

ill this be the year that you start seeds while the ground is still frozen outside? You would barely know that there is a deep freeze going on and perhaps this winter, there hasn’t really been one. Although President Trump was just recently inaugurated and has openly taken the position that “action on climate change is harmful and unnecessary,” one simply needs to look out the window to see the effects of global warming. I was still picking ticks off my children just weeks leading up to Christmas, and we’ve barely had enough cold days to safely skate on our pond more than a handful of times.

Fortunately, despite the fluctuating temperatures some things are still in a frozen state and hibernating. My honey bees are snuggled up in their insulated hive, my laying hens continue their winter molt, and the leaves on the trees won’t dare come out of their tightly packed buds for quite some time. Spring is near, but still a ways away.

The season is still too cold to get any gardener excited – except for those lucky ones with hoop houses or cold frames, but on those damp and dreary afternoons, I turn away from the Presidential gossip and toward my beloved seed catalogues. Browsing the varieties of beets evokes the smell of earth and the feeling of the sunshine on my back. I can hardly wait.

If you haven’t learned how to save your own seeds, maybe this will be the year. If you haven’t tried growing an heirloom variety or a new hybrid species, perhaps you’ll branch out this spring. In the early season, I’m always brimming with ambition and grand ideas of the garden’s endless possibilities. Everything seems

possible before the weeds begin to compete with each other and global warming produces another sweltering drought.

Truthfully, the biggest competitor in my garden isn’t weeds, it’s time. With my two little ones tugging at my pockets and the demands of running a busy house and day-to-day life, I’ll consider it a victory if I accomplish half of what I’d like this season.

But there’s nothing like gardening with children to help me refocus on the joy of working with the earth. They always remind me that the yield at the end of the season is a welcomed bonus, but the real reward is in the process. The joy on my children’s faces as they pluck “bad bugs” off of our veggies and drop them in a pot to feed to the chickens; the surprise that comes with digging up each and every carrot; piling cucumbers in their baskets until they spill out of the top; and racing each other to the strawberries to see who can cram more into their mouth before anybody else gets to them.

And isn’t that what it’s all about?

I want my children to value the process and results that come with living off the land. In this damp winter thaw, it is the joy of the outdoors and dirt under my children’s nails (and all over their faces) that I am most looking forward to.

In the next couple of months, we will begin to diligently water and rotate our newly planted seeds in our homemade light shelf in our living room. The children will pluck and prune as they go and although it is difficult with their uncoordinated little fingers, this preseason work gets them excited for the spring to come.

So maybe this will be the year that you try starting seeds. It is an excellent way

to save money and grow a gourmet selection of food that your family will enjoy all season. With some determination and consistency along with a good set-up, you can start your garden 4-6 weeks before you’d be able to get the first frost hardy friends into the ground. There are varieties of apps and websites that can help with what you can plant at what time of the year for your particular growing zone. (motherearthnews/whattoplantnow).

Here’s a list of the items that you’ll need to get your plants off to the races: • A good seed starting mix (you can make your own recipe too) • Seedling containers (as simple as rolled newspaper or as fancy as commercial ones with all the bells and whistles) • Trays to hold your seedling containers with watertight liners • A light source (usually window light is not strong enough and the seedlings respond best to overhead fluorescent light, 12-14 hrs/day) • A light shelf – again, as simple and homemade as you’d like, or you can purchase many pre-made designs at your local hardware store • Seeds (of course) – be sure to check out Seedy Saturday at LCVI in early March for many local options • A calendar so you can keep track of your transplant schedule And if you’re as desperate for fresh local greens as I am these days, you can use your light shelves throughout the winter to grow salad mixes, or you can experiment with different micro-greens or shoots. To make life even simpler, you can ditch the light system during the colder months and turn to sprouts for sandwiches, and garnishes for soups – or to just eat by the handful if you’re in my house.

Hopefully, we’ll get back on track with the weather this winter, but in the meantime, we have to roll with the punches and make use of what we’ve got. Starting seeds in the winter will help you and your family feel connected to the land and will certainly jumpstart your gardening this season.

Growing your own food is both a passion and a chore, and teaching our youth to value these delicious gifts that the earth provides is one of the best gifts you can give. Happy seed starting!

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Limestone District School Board a Disgrace S.R. Knowles

R

ecently the Yarker Family School has been the object of a Pupil Accommodation Review (PAR) – in other words, the Limestone District School Board wants to close the school and eventually all schools in Stone Mills Township.

In the study by their American consultants, no significance is given to the educational, mental, or physical effects of increased busing nor to the increased exposure of the kids to diesel fumes, longer days, bullying, accidents, or the additional release of CO2. They fail to mention that, in most cases, the kids will be removed from excellent schools to larger, poorer performing, less caring schools.

Guidelines for the PAR process are dictated by the province. Premier Kathleen Wynne says in a letter to the author: “… these guidelines ensure that school boards undergo a transparent, open consultation process with parents and the community [my emphasis] before making final accommodation decisions about a school or a group of schools.”

Community members have been stonewalled forcing people to file (as yet unanswered) Freedom of Information requests to get information about school maintenance and who tendered bids on the consultant study. Schoolteachers,

bus drivers, and trustees have been told by the Board not to talk to the public – so much for the Premier’s transparency.

The fact that trustees have been restricted from speaking with the public is disgraceful. Can you imagine calling your local municipal councillor about an issue and they tell you that their staff told them not to talk to you? The Board insists that the public consultation must go exclusively through the PAR committee – a group of volunteer parents most of whom are very busy with work and children, and have little time or resources for analyzing school closure issues.

The Board is guiltless – the province makes the guidelines. The province is guiltless because it’s all up to the local Boards. What a shell game and the kids are the losers. The PAR process has never lead to a school NOT being closed, so one must conclude that it is just a complete

disgraceful sham.

Here’s what a citizen inquiring about a petition to keep the Yarker school open was told by a Board employee: “Petitions won’t make any difference. We could get 1000 signatures and the board won’t look at it. … it would be better for EVERY parent to email her specifically their own comments and concerns, and she would review them and create a report to present to the board. She said the trustees won’t read our emails.” [my emphasis] Does this seem like an open consultation with the community, Premier Wynne?

What is infuriating about closing rural schools is that the savings are small, the impact on rural Ontario is severe, and yet the Ministry of Education is funding new schools in urban areas leading to even more empty spaces. Why not maintain

existing schools and re-arrange catchment areas to make the best use of existing schools?

The Yarker Family School is only one of 600 schools the province plans to close across rural Ontario. This seems so shortsighted – young couples won’t move to a small community if their kids have to be bussed excessive distances. House builders will suffer, store businesses, services and church attendance will decline. Property values will drop, and taxes will go up to support a declining tax base. Is this the future we want for rural Ontario?

Limestone School Board employees and trustees should have the integrity to resist irresponsible and cynical policy guidelines and insist that our rural schools be kept open until the province develops a responsible rural schools policy.

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February / March 2017 • The SCOOP

11

The Trek: Part II (It’s Too Late to Turn Back Now) Alyce Gorter

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

L

eaving instructions behind that if I did not return, this story could be finished with the line, “It did not end well,” we got off to an early start. Not as early as planned, since someone (who has the right of the writer to remain anonymous) slept in and then the Trip Coordinator remembered his passport after we left home and we had to return for it. But we were on our way!

Not to bore you with details of the 4-hour drive to Keene, New York, but we rode in a 4 cylinder, stick shift Acura that, when my son’s butt touches down on the driver’s seat instantly becomes a V8 turbo-charged Ferrari zipping past slower vehicles and screaming around corners.

Well, actually, it was me doing the screaming.

We ate a hearty lunch at the Noon Mark Diner. This appears to be an essential part of the Adirondack experience for many, although it’s doubtful that it’s because of the food. We parked at “The Garden,” paid for our trail pass and geared up. The Trip Coordinator, now

assuming the role of Guide, tossed on his 70-pound backpack as though it were a bag of marshmallows and galloped away up the mountain. The 13-year-old threw her pack lightly over her shoulders and sprinted off after her Dad. Not wanting to be left behind, I struggled to hoist my bulging pack onto my back. My “hoist” budged it a few inches off the ground.

Gotta rethink my strategy. Finally, by heaving it up against a tree and backing into its shoulder harness, I was able to buckle it into place. Then with trekking poles, sunglasses, a warm sweater, Tilley hat set at a jaunty angle, and a bear bell tinkling merrily at my side, I strutted off.

After crossing the parking lot and taking six strides up the mountain, all the gear came off so that I could rid myself of the (too) warm sweater. Apparently, it’s automatic thermostat was out of whack.

I hoisted the pack onto a convenient rock and shouldered backwards into its harness, rearranged the poles, sunglasses, hat, and bell, and picked up the pace again. But 25 long steps later, having already grown tired of the silly hat falling over my eyes, I had to repeat the process to shove it down into the recesses of my pack. By 49 paces, the stupid bear bell had been crammed

The author’s stalwart hiking companions.

Watch This Space Mary Jo Field

A

s this issue of The SCOOP was going to press, Tamworth/ Erinsville GrassRoots Growers (GRG) was contacting and gathering information from Anne-Marie LauzonMiron, the first recipient of the GRG $1000 bursary given to a student studying sustainable agriculture at Fleming College in Peterborough.

Anne-Marie has told us via email that she is interested in the local food movement and encouraging people to grow their own vegetables; we hope to glean more of her thoughts and plans for the future, which we will share in a future SCOOP article. So watch for that.

Also coming up is the GRG’s next admission-free event, to be held in late March. The speaker will be Nancy Cole on the subject of herbs. Nancy is an accredited Master Gardener and has taught at St. Lawrence College, so we know her presentation will be informative and interesting. There will be a free seed table at the event and light refreshments. An email will be sent to all GRG members when details are finalized.

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You can also watch for the colourful GRG posters in all the usual places.

In the meantime, seed catalogues are arriving, and it is time to start planning for the 2017 gardening season! At the last GRG Steering Committee meeting, we talked about what vegetables, herbs, annuals, and perennials we will be starting or dividing and potting up for the next annual GRG Plant and Seedling Sale, always held on the Saturday after the Victoria Day weekend at the Lions Park in Erinsville. This year that means Saturday, May 28. Mark your calendars now. Don’t miss it!

Tamworth/Erinsville GrassRoots Growers is a community-based group. Our mission is to encourage interest in local and organic gardening for both the home garden and the market garden; to raise awareness of issues surrounding food production; to improve our practical knowledge of all aspects of plant life; and to provide networking opportunities for gardeners. We welcome new members.

Visit our website at te-grassrootsgrowers. weebly.com

The SCOOP • February / March 2017

Bushnell Falls Lean-to on Chicken Coop Brook, where the author stayed for two nights. under enough items to silence it for the rest of the trip. After 100 steps, the collapsible trekking poles, having collapsed twice already, were clipped to a loop on my backpack as less of a hindrance there than in my hands. I was exhausted and hadn’t gotten out of sight of the parking lot.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. Carrying the backpack was like trying to piggyback an unruly five-year-old who would capriciously throw itself backwards or offside from time to time causing me to fight for balance. This usually occurred while I was crossing a log over a stream or while clambering around treacherous tree roots. With its weight gouging ruts into my shoulders, I had to bend over the trail gripping the shoulder straps to alleviate the discomfort. At first, I was determined to keep up with the other two, but this enthusiasm soon tapered off to trying to maintain a pace that would keep them in sight. That, too, quickly flagged to merely keeping enough forward motion to move me up the mountain while helping me harbour a faint hope of surviving the trip. The odds seemed pretty much against it.

With muscles screaming and hamstrings pleading for mercy, it was with some relief that I finally came around a bend and saw my fellow-adventurers gazing about speculatively.

Looking for a suitable campsite, I

presumed. “Good,” said my son, “we’ve come half a mile. Only four and a half miles to go before dark.”

“But,” you say, “at least with the fall colours at 80% of their peak, the scenery must have been beautiful!”

I guess so. Bent from the weight of my pack, with my nose pressed against the trail, I could see the lovely mix of bright autumn colours covering the forest floor.

I could only imagine what they looked like on the trees.

We did reach the lean-to before dark – a solid three-sided log structure, raised off the ground with a wooden floor and open front facing Chicken Coop Brook. And yes, it babbled – day and night. The freeze-dried meals were really not that bad, and we had our bedrolls prepared and bear can hidden 30 feet from the lean-to before the darkness and cold descended.

I had survived day one – barely. What could have made it worse? Steel-toed work boots.

Lamb and The Wool Shed on Amherst Island 613 389-3444 888 287-3157

info@topsyfarms.com topsyfarms.com

Hastings Stewardship Council Winter Speaker Series 2017 Thursdays 7 – 9 p.m.

February in Ivanhoe

Huntington Veterans Memorial Hall, 11379 Hwy. 62, Ivanhoe February 9 – Small Scale Maple Syrup – Gareth Metcalfe February 23 – Wildlife and Climate Change – Melissa Laplante and Lisa Solomon, MNRF Management Biologist

Thursdays 7 – 9 p.m.

March in Belleville

Gerry Masterson Community Hall (Thurlow Hall), 516 Harmony Rd, Belleville March 9 – The Birds! – Terry Sprague, Quinte Area Naturalist; Becky Stewart, Bird Studies Canada; and Peter Fuller, Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory March 23 – Nature Photography with John & Janet Foster

Canadian English for Newcomers ... And Some Old-Timers Too Robert J. McCaldon

M

any years ago, a recent immigrant to Canada who became a friend, asked to borrow my comb. He pronounced it like “bomb,” articulating both “b”s. I told him how we pronounce it. “Oh come on, Bob. H-O-M-E is home. C-O-M-B has to rhyme with bomb. I apologized and said that I was not personally responsible for our complicated language.

Misuse of personal pronouns is common here. We sometimes hear “him and me are going fishing,” (“he and I,” subject of the sentence.) More common is the confusion when the speaker adds another player to the mix: “They saw Helen and I at the mall.” (“Helen and me,” object of the sentence.) “A land for you and I”. Sorry, it is “for you and me,” object of the preposition, “for.”

If you would say “they saw us,” rather than “they saw we,” you’ll get it.

when someone says “Kinkston,” he actually means “Kingston.”

Then there are the changes brought about by political correctness or changing social mores. “Actresses” have become “actors.” “Waitresses” are “servers.” (Why not “serveuse” for a female server?) “He or she”, “his or hers”, have become pluralized to “they” and “their.” It is ungrammatical, but likely to stick around. “You’re welcome” has become “no problem,” perhaps reflecting the Spanish, “de nada.” It is now taboo to mention a coloured person, but a person of colour is kosher, (a word borrowed from the Jewish community.)

We are inundated here with spelling from the USA. “Color” and “neighbor” are two examples. The “-our” is our way of spelling. “Center” and “meter” are two other examples, but the device that measures your electricity use (Hydro here) is still called a “meter.”

Some still think that the plural of “you” is “youse.” Perhaps, to avoid ambiguity, we could adopt the Dixie, you-all for the plural.

There are many slang expressions used in industry and the construction trades.

A common one is “git her done”. It means to finish the job as soon as possible, which, itself, is often abbreviated to ASAP.

Pronunciation errors abound in our language. “Gonna,” “wanna,” “ardy,” and “lugzury” are ubiquitous. Close to home,

“You know” and “don’tcha see?” are used for consensual validation—asking if the listener is comprehending your

message. The same goes for the Canadian “eh?” perhaps borrowed from the Scottish “aye” or the French “hein” (which is easier to say than “n’est-ce pas”).

Those from Howe Island in the St Lawrence often say, “by times”, to infer, “occasionally”. Of course, the Newfoundland vocabulary is a dialect unto itself.

At last, we come to the reply to the question, “how are you?” Now the checkout clerk at the supermarket really doesn’t want to know about your arthritis, dyspepsia, prostate, hot flashes, or your recent divorce. The query is just a greeting, and she is being polite. The reply is “fine, thank you,” or “I am well,” or if you are upbeat, “excellent!” But you must NOT say, “I’m good.” “Good” implies a moral quality of virtue, akin to placing a conceited halo above your head.

The only exception to this opinion came from the busty, outspoken film actress, Mae West. She said, “When I’m good, I’m very good. And when I’m bad, I’m outstanding”!

The Lennox & Addington Horticultural Society Monthly Meeting

Wednesday, February 15 7 p.m.

Napanee Fire Hall, 66 Advance Avenue The guest speaker will be Alice Smith who will help us paint our garden. Alice will bring all the supplies we need.

The meeting in March will be

VANNESS AUTOMOTIVE TAMWORTH We do all kinds of vehicle & small engine repairs

held on Wednesday, the 15th once again in the Napanee Fire Hall. The speaker will be Elizabeth Churcher, of Quinte Field Naturalists who will speak about gardening for nature.

Call today to book: 613-379-2909

Lessons Learned Blair McDonald

R

egular users of social media, including platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, need not be reminded that much of our time is (more often than not) wasted observing and comparing ourselves to the lives of others. However, there are those moments, when if we happen to follow the right people on the right day at the right time, these sites can be the source of wisdom and insight.

Such was my experience the other day.

As students of mine can attest to, I make no secret of my enthusiasm for the Instagram profile of America’s unfiltered rebel heart of all-things-social-media, Gary Vaynerchuk, or more commonly referenced by his 1 million plus followers, @garyvee.

We look forward to having you join us.

Solution to the crossword puzzle on page 14:

lessons also dig deeper than that. From his own success, he has learned that a greater sense of self-awareness can accomplish many things and set individuals on the right path to personal success.

Last week, for example, I watched a video on Instagram in which he charismatically reminded his audience that it was just unacceptable for people to make excuses for not having enough time to change their life or career. The solution is simple: To change one’s life one must give up one’s leisure. Truly, a modern-day Montaigne!

Based in New York, @garyvee is a proud, long-standing fan of the New York Jets, a wine connoisseur (based on his years in the family alcohol business) and digital trend hunter tirelessly defending the social media habits of youth in ways that make many parents and educators blush.

Elsewhere on his account, we can find messages that read: “cynicism is the quickest ‘tell’ that someone is structured to lose” or another goody, “You have to understand what you are good and bad at and let go of what you are bad at.” All in all, @garyvee is a true pioneer of providing on-the-go inspiration and worthy of a follow. Cute cat memes and videos of kids falling down are one thing, but @garyvee opens us to new possibilities with Instagram in ways that I had never thought possible.

@garyvee is part of a new era of mediaminded gurus who travel the world sharing insight on how to create compelling content online. But his

Even in ten seconds of video, his posts might not be what we are looking for, but just maybe what we need at one time or another.

February / March 2017 • The SCOOP

13

Puzzle Page Crossword: “Start at the Beginning” by Matt Gaffney

Word Search: St. Patrick’s Day GAEILGE CASTLE GUINNESS BODHRAN KERRY HARP GOLD CLADDAGH GALWAY PARADE CORNED BEEF SHAMROCK DUBLIN CORK

Sudoku

14

The SCOOP • February / March 2017

The 6160 Project Steve Williams

I

t was July 13, 2016, when Marie said: “Hey look, there’s a sign on it”. We had driven by 6160 County Road #4 regularly for the past three years or so.

We watched as the property sat vacant and saw it slip ever deeper into disrepair.

The windows were mostly boarded up with plywood. The summer growths of weeds were getting taller and taller. The wild parsnip was becoming more prevalent.

A quick call to the real estate agent on the sign ended with an invitation to look inside. “Go ahead in. It’s not locked,” he said. Thirty minutes later we stared, amazed that the place hadn’t yet fallen in.

Standing in the centre of the lower (on grade) level, we could look up to the second-floor ceiling. Five of the upper floor joists were actually gone. They had been burned away by the fire that had destroyed the place years before. Floor joists are the large structural pieces of wood, usually 2x10, standing on edge, that support the upper floors. Generally, they run across the shorter dimension (width) of a house. Typically, you can see these in the basement when you look up at an unfinished ceiling. Other joists closest to the missing ones were charred and damaged. They needed to be replaced too.

The upper floor was sagging into the lower level at the south end of the house.

A steel jack post had been put in place to support it. The drywall was virtually all removed, and we could see from end to end through the studs that remained standing. There was a steep staircase to the upper floor at the other side of the room.

Upstairs we watched our step getting off the stairs. The floor had a temporary patch of 2x6’s, and plywood laid over the hole where the joists were supposed to be. The ceiling was covered with smoke and soot staining it a dark grey, almost black. Only bare wall studs remained.

The wiring and plumbing pipes had all been removed. Even the electrical panel was gone. No hydro. Power had been disconnected years ago.

Picking our way around outside to the rear we could see up onto the roof and found two holes, about two feet by three feet, cut by the firefighters to ventilate smoke. They had never been patched.

Later, I would discover that various animals had been living in the attic from time to time over the years. Depending who we speak with, the fire occurred sometime between 4 and 10 years ago.

We’ve never checked for an accurate date.

The ground floor level is constructed using 10-inch concrete blocks. It is nicely parged (covered with that thin layer of mortar that smooths out and hides the square block joints). Some good-looking

The exterior of 6160 County Road #4 in Stone Mills – a real fixer-upper! random fieldstone has been installed on the lower portion of the front wall. It would look nice when completed. So the ground floor structure is solid.

The upper level had been only bedrooms (three, one of them large with a fireplace), huge bathroom, and laundry.

The shell, however, is solid and as straight and square as any house built in the 1940s or 1950s. This house had been moved from Kingston in the mideighties. Build date unknown. The roof shingles had been replaced not long before the fire and were in good shape, other than the holes the firefighters had to cut.

OK, another call to the agent. In a couple of days, we had a deal. In a month, we

owned the house. Or should I say “project”? And no, you’re not the first to ask “What were you thinking?” Marie and I have tackled big jobs before. But not like this one.

I called up a home inspector I knew and asked him to have a look at it with me.

“What am I missing, Steve?” His name is Steve also. We walked all through it again, and he concurred. “Looks like a solid fixer-upper. Nothing too scary for a guy with your skills. Lots of work!” he said. We called Greg Storring to check out the septic tank with his Honey Dipper.

All good. We then called Ed Campbell to check out the well. Ten gallons per minute for an hour. All good.

There are no excuses now. It’s go time!

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The upper floor interior remains of wall studs left after the old drywall had been removed.

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Two Locations to Serve You

Napanee

32 Mill St. E. 613-354-4810

Harrowsmith 5062 Hwy. 38, Unit #9 613-372-2980

Todd Steele 613-354-4810

Susan L. Wright 613-373-9733

Nikole Walters 613-372-2980

Kathy McCaffrey 613-378-6847

Donna Hudson 613-354-5680

Brian Powley 613-374-3888

Gary Hodson 613-354-3664

Tracey Moffat 613-354-7239

Rick Bowen 613-354-4810

Sally Blasko 613-353-2739

✔ Bruised credit? ✔ ODSP? ✔ Self employed? ✔ Unexpected expense? ✔ Facing a divorce?

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613·354·2224 BROKERAGE #10428

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www.l-amutual.com February / March 2017 • The SCOOP

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A GOOD BUY! Drive a little, save a lot! Bungalow in Mountain Grove is a great buy at the listed price. Features large eat-in kitchen, living rm, 2 bedrooms and full bath on main level then down is family room, 2 more bedrooms, full bath, hobby room and huge workshop.

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KINGSTON SEMI Nicely kept semi on Davis Dr. available now. 2 storey with 3 bedrooms & bath up, huge master with walk-in closet. Living room, dining room leads to back deck & fenced yard, 2 pc powder room & galley kitchen with breakfast area. Basement partially finished with bdrm/sitting room, laundry & storage.

Single attached garage & paved driveway. All appliances included. Kitchen recently painted, garage door replaced.

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NAPANEE CENTURY BRICK has been done “to the nines”. Insulated, drywalled, pine floors sanded, double entry doors restored, new kitchen, new main floor laundry area, 2 new bathrooms, new back deck, new double plus garage is all insulated and heated, paved drive and insulated basement. All you have to do is move in and unpack. In town services, don’t wait call now before it’s gone.

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MLS 450910165

The SCOOP • February / March 2017

613-379-2903 613-354-4347 1 866-233-2062 storring@kos.net robert.storring@century21.ca

• 2016 CCMA Winner-Steel guitar, Fiddle players of the Year • 2016 CCMA Nominee-Roots Artist and Group of the Year • 2016 Western Artists Winner - Best Western Swing Female Vocalist • 2015 Country Music Ontario Winner- Roots Artist & Group of the Year • 2015 Western Artists Winner – Best Western Swing Group • 2010,2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 CCMA All Star Band Winners

UPCOMING CONCERTS April 8 The Marrieds $30 May 6 The Skydiggers $40 All shows at the Tamworth Legion 8:00 p.m. start

Concert tickets available at: BON ECO, Stone Mills Family Market, River Bakery & Café and Marie’s Place, Napanee or call 613-379-2808

♫

7:00 p.m. doors open

Call 613 379 2808 for tickets General admission seating Season ticket holders excepted!

Reserve a pre–show dinner at the Devon Café, the River Bakery & Café or the Lakeview Tavern

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! • • • • • • • • •

Barry Lovegrove Photography Bon Eco Suites Classic Custom Framing D&D Electrocraft Devon Café & 5 Corners Craft Gaeltacht Thuaisceart an Oileáin Úir Marshall Automotive Pete Harrison - Newman Insurance The River Bakery Café & Patio

• • • • • • • • •

Robert Storring - Century 21 The SCOOP Stone Mills Family Market Storring Septic Tamworth Legion Tamworth Medical Centre Tamworth Veterinary Services Thresher Consultants Limited Todd Steele - L&A Mutual

With the support of the Government of Canada