country roads 10-03

FALL 2010

COVERING THE ARTS, OUTDOORS, HISTORY, PEOPLE AND PLACES

CJBQ On The Air Buddhism Retreats To Hastings

Artful Couple Drawn Here

Country Roadsdiscovering hastings county

Country Roads

discovering hastings county

Country Roads


Country Roads


RC

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3Fall 2010 • Country Roads I

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3, FALL 2010

Contents

F E A T U R E S

6 - A breath of fresh airCJBQ Radio trusted voice of the region

10 - Peace and TranquilityAsian religion finds home in Hastings

14 - Man of Many TastesArtist Jim Christy tough to pin down

18 - Striking a ChordMercier takes music back to its roots

22 - Back to the FutureLocal farms take a step back in time

D E P A R T M E N T S

26 - Cross RoadsSweet Music for local church

28 - Country CalendarThings to see and do in Hastings County

29 - Marketplace30 - Back RoadsArmistice Day 1918

14

6

10

18

22


Country Roads


Country Roads


Country Roads


RCCO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR

Nancy Hopkins613 395-0499

CO-PUBLISHER & EDITOR

John Hopkins613 395-0499

ART DIRECTOR

Jozef VanVeenen

SALES DEPARTMENT

Michael [email protected]

613 395-6226

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Anna SherlockBrandon West • www.westphotography.ca

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Michael BeestonShelley Wildgen

HOW TO CONTACT US

Telephone: 613 395-0499Facsimile: 613 395-0903

E-mail: [email protected]: www.countryroadshastings.ca

For written enquiries you can reach us at: PenWord Communications Inc.

P.O. Box 423, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0

COUNTRY ROADS, Discovering Hasting County

is published four times a year by PenWord Communications Inc.

Copies are distributed to select locations throughout Hastings County including the communities of Bancroft, Belleville, Madoc,

Marmora, Stirling and Tweed. Copies are also delivered to select homes

within southern Ontario.

Subscription rates: 1 year: $10.50 2 years: $18.90 3 years: $27.30

All prices include G.S.T.

The contents of this publication are protected by copyright. Reproduction of

this publication in whole or in part without prior written permission of

PenWord Communications Inc. is prohibited.

The advertising deadline for the Winter 2010 issue is October 22, 2010.

Cover Photo:Irene Van Rompaey,

IVY Photography, Frankford, [email protected]

Correction: In the Stirling-Rawdon advertisement that ran in the Summer 2010 issue we incorrectly stated that the Farmer’s Market runs from 9 – 1. The correct time is actually 8 – 1. The market continues through Thanksgiving weekend. We regret the error.


4 I Country Roads • Fall 2010

Fall in rural Ontario If you read this column regularly you may have noticed that the photograph has changed. Winnie, top dog and Country Roads CEO has been joined by two felines that now grace, or should I say, rule our home.

Our neighbour Cathy found Coriander (on left) under her porch early last summer. Only five weeks old she weighed less than a pound. By the time Christmas was approaching we knew the gift she needed was a friend. So circa the Belleville Humane Society Mr. Skittles (on right) arrived on the scene. They became fast friends and tear around the place with typical kit-ten energy.

Animals aside, we hope this issue captures your interest. We worked hard to provide a wide range of articles and are proud to also be a vehicle for area businesses and organizations to get the word out about the many great things they have to offer our readers. In many ways they are the back-bone of the community and we encourage you to support their endeavour, whether it is a retail business, local event or community service.

Fall in rural Ontario is synonymous with studio tours. The opportunity to soak in the colours of Mother Nature alongside the creations of local artists makes it a special time of year. It’s very exciting to report that Hast-ings County is developing The Arts Route. The Arts Route will be promoted through a new website (www.artsroute.ca and .com), signage along the roadways throughout the county and at each participating location, and through printed materials. Fall Studio Tours will always be a special out-ing but it won’t be long before you can follow the arts route year round.

On a different note we want to share an interesting statistic with you, one that as magazine publishers we found very encouraging but one that we believe also speaks about our communications world at large. We have excerpted parts of a piece that ran in an April 2010 issue of Sports Illus-trated as follows:

“Barely noticed amidst the thunderous internet clamor is the simple fact that magazine readership has risen over the past five years. Think of it this way: during the 12-year life of Google, magazine readership actually increased 11 percent. What it proves once again, is that a new medium doesn’t necessarily displace an existing one.”

Now don’t get us wrong. We love technology. It makes our job signifi-cantly easier and we hope it helps us produce a high quality product. But we also love the feel of a magazine in the hand, and seeing it on a coffee table or countertop – ready for reading when the time is right.

The fact that you’re reading this editorial tells us you were drawn to pick up our magazine, and that’s very important to not just us as publishers but to all the people profiled in these stories, advertisers that have chosen to spend their money on our pages, and all involved in the production of Country Roads, Discovering Hastings County magazine. On behalf of all – thanks for picking up our rag. Hope you enjoy the read and get to know a bit more about Hastings County, Ontario. Happy Fall!•

COMFORT COUNTRY

FALL IN LOVE WITH

For more information on events, attractions, places to dine, accomodations, shopping and more.

www.comfortcountry.ca

• Shops • Hiking • Heritage Sites• Accommodations • Sumptuous Dining• Live Entertainment • Antiques• Artist Studios & Tours• Lakes and Rivers to Explore

MA

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DESERONTOExperience Deseronto’s specialty shops, restaurants & charming accommodations, scenic waterfront parks, boating facilities, and unique heritage.WWW.DESERONTO.CA

TYENDINGA TOWNSHIP Come visit Tyendinaga Township in Hastings County and experience our exceptional agriculture, recreation, and history – or just take a quiet ride in the countryside.

September 25 & 26Maguire’s Motocross Racing Series Don’t miss the season wrap up at the Madoc Fairgrounds.WWW.MMRS.CA

October 31Spooktacular! Have a ghoulish good time trick or treating at Memorial ParkWWW.MARMORAANDLAKE.CA

October 2 & 313th Annual Tweed & Area Studio Tour, 27 ARTISTS, 21 STUDIOSFree Admission. Free Draw Prizes in Most Studios.WWW.TWEEDSTUDIOTOUR.ORG

Star Lite Christmas House TourNovember 25 4 - 9 pmTour 6 lovely area homes, and historic St. Paul’s United Church in Stirling - all are ready for the Holidays and waiting to welcome you !FUNDS RAISED TO SUPPORT THE HASTINGS COUNTY MUSEUM OF AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE.

Tickets $20.00 For info:

613-395-0015 or 613-395-2976

October 8TWEED CHARITY

JAMBOREETweed Royal

Canadian Legion 613-336-9633

62

62

37

37

49

401

401

14

7

7

14STIRLING

DESERONTO

TO TORONTO

TRENTON

BELLEVILLE

TO KINGSTON

TO OTTAWA

MARMORAMADOC

TWEED

DESERONTO

...and more.

Phot

o: H

aley

Ash

ford


s t i r l i n g

View the wreaths, trees, swags and centre pieces that abound in the village. Place your prize draw tickets in the gold and silver boxes of the items you would like to take home for the holidays!

Pick up your Village Christmas map and brochure at participating business locations to view the draw prizes available!

Vintage Junction 22 West Front St. 613-395-4555

Rustic Routes & HI Country18-20 Mill St. 613-395-2929

Wine Kitz30 West Front St. 613-395-0002

Fine Line Design22 North St. 613-395-1717

Stirling Festival Theatre613-395-2100Panto “Hansel & Gretel”Nov. 19 - New Years!

www.stirling-rawdon.com

in Stirling-Rawdon!

It,s a

Event Date:

November 1-25

Tickets: $1.00 each

or 6/$5.00

available until the 25th

Get a taste of Fall at The Apple Store

Visit this charming, old-fashioned, best smelling store in the world!

• Over 15 Varieties of Fresh Apples• Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch

• Cooney Farms Home Grown Beef• Specialty Foods – Jams and Jellies

• Hot Cider... and a whole lot more!

A harvest of apples…A harvest of gifts…

All hand-picked for you!

Family owned and operated Celebrating our 26th anniversary

613 395-2395 • www.cooneyfarms.com5 miles north of Stirling on Hwy. 14

While at West Wings visit Allure Day Spa (2nd floor) and Infinity Clothing (next door)

New & Used Books, Fairtrade & Organic Coffee & Tea, Local Tea, Honey & other food products

Unique Gifts Ideas, Home Decor as well as Art Gallery featuring local Photographer Brandon West!

14 West Front St. Stirling, ON K0K 3E0 613-395-0990 Email [email protected]

clothing & accessories

Celebrating our 6th Anniversary this October

JOIN uS FOr IN StOrE SpECIAlS All mONth lONg!

A FUNDRAISER FOR

Star Lite Christmas House Tour

Thursday November 25th, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.

6 Stirling and area homes - all decorated for the holidays. Sponsored by the

Hastings County Museum of Agricultural Heritage437 West Front Street,Stirling, Ontario.

Tickets $20.00 each Tickets available by calling the Museum office

613-395-0015 or Sandy Donnan 613-395-2976

Rustic Routesand

20 Mill Street, StirlingPhone: 613.395.2929Fax: [email protected]

Thursday, October 28, 20106:00-9:00 pm

Hi CountryA prelude to Christmas Hi Country style!

Stirling T H E L I T T L E V I L L A G E W I T H T H E B I G H E A R T !


d i s c o v e r i n g h a s t i n g s c o u n t y

And so it goes. Since the early 1920’s, radio has woven a continuous thread into the fabric of our lives with music, information, nostalgic rumblings,

and in the case of Ms. Monroe - a blanket of imagery.

A breath of fresh air

CJBQ Radio trusted voice of the regionBy Shelley Wildgen

Often referred to as ‘theatre of the mind’, ra-dio toes that fine line between passive techno consumption and the brain calisthenics of reading. From the ‘Fireside Chats’ of Franklin D. Roosevelt to the launch of rock and roll, ra-dio rides the tide of cultural awareness, rarely missing a beat.

Here in Hastings County, it all started in Bel-leville at a 250 watt AM radio station.

On August 12, 1946, CJBQ erupted onto the airwaves with 25-year-old general man-ager Bill Stovin at the helm. Managing a staff of no more than 20, the crew announced/op-

Radio station CJBQ has become a well recognized part of Belleville’s heritage.Photo courtesy CJBQ

erated, pulled music, ripped news from the teleprinter, even ad-libbed children’s stories.

Stovin remembers sitting in his office on Vic-toria Avenue.

“I’m reminded of the ire of one ladieswear mer-chant I had to face who was extremely unhappy with one of our announcers giving weather fore-cast details and suggesting that people not venture out that day. The window in my office overlooked a brief alleyway to the rear of The Belmont restau-rant where the garbage cans rested with the swill waiting for a farmer to pick it up for his pigs. The aroma was a bit overpowering.”

The NBC Thesauraus transcription service pro-vided music and programming on LPs with ac-companying scripts. Horatio Hornblower starring Gregory Peck was a favourite.

Bill Arnold was Program Director, Jack Devine held the title of Sports Director. Sales Manager was Tommy Wilkinson. Hamie McDonald became his sales staff and Jack “Bucky” Buchanan, the Engineer. All were RCAF veterans.

But not every new hire was airborne. Bill Boyle, ex Royal Canadian Navy took up du-

ties as an operator, and Phil Flagler, another Navy man arrived just a little later.

‘It’s not true I had nothing on. I had the radio on.’

-Marilyn Monroe


Hookings, who was “Up With The Sun” and never failed to deliver the best of the double entendres, once even broadcasting live while milking a cow. Maybe you greeted your day with the big city tones of Peter Thompson, who spent some valuable core career years as ‘Red Knight’ at CFTR in Toronto. If you’ve been a BQ listener since the mid-eighties, you’ve been enjoying a.m. laughs with mighty Matt Mitchell in the morning. Whoever led the way, you’re not likely to forget the radio announcers and their music, nudging you through the early part of your days, year after year.

Flagler believes, “It’s not the music that matters; it’s what happens between the songs.”

Who could forget the long running open-line talk show host Quinte loved to hate – ‘Why Not Call’s’ Milt Johnston? For almost 30 years Johnston covered a myriad of topics ranging from farmers’ woes to federal election candidates -sometimes with an acerbic wit, but often with stone cold silence. If Milt was bored by your call, then you were no more. But despite his cool manner, Milt’s ratings grew, as did the unshakeable popularity of CJBQ.

And say what you will about the moody man with the mike, he managed to land a most im-pressive guest in the early seventies - then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The Bridge Street radio station was bustling with local folk, all craning their necks to get a better look at the glamorous politico. In his seersucker suit, and everpresent lapel rose, the PM glided into Milt’s studio with smiles and handshakes for all.

Johnston left the radio station in the nineties and was last seen shuffling along a tropical beach. It’s been rumoured that he was grinning.

In contrast to the mercurial temperament of Johnston, many decades were guided by the steady and affable Flagler. He took a turn as program director, ran the sales department, wrote award-winning ads, and was one of the most recognized voices on BQ, heard daily on the noon hour Farm Report as well as on oodles of commercials.

You may think that such a likeable guy wouldn’t be bothered with surly Milt, but that wasn’t true. The duo could be seen every lunch hour, sharing bologna sandwiches and a newspaper in Milt’s soundproof studio. They are still friends today.

That’s the thing about radio in general. Person-alities and friendships that wouldn’t thrive in other daily grinds often flourish within the unconven-tional rhythms of a radio station.

Phil Flagler joined CJBQ early on and was a gradu-ate of the Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts. But he says a lot of the education came on the job.Photo courtesy CJBQ

Lee Jourard came on board in the 1950s as a pro-duction manager and stuck around.Photo courtesy CJBQ

Marg Farrell (standing) and Margo Hall confer with Phil Flagler. In the early days of the station roles for women were limited. Photo courtesy CJBQ

This 1961 flyer celebrates 15 years of CJBQ. While some of the names moved on a number couldn’t pull themselves away from the Quinte region.Photo courtesy CJBQ

Arnold and Flagler were grads from the highly respected Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts.

“We were trained to talk well,” Flagler explains, “but the business surrounding the talk, that was dif-ferent. Had to learn that once the job was landed.”

By the 1950’s, Scott Hannah was program direc-tor and Lee Jourard had joined the team as produc-tion director. When asked to define his role and an-nouncing shift, Lee stated that there was no “shift.”

“We did it all. Everything was a production. Start-ing at six in the morning till five in the afternoon, we put it all together LIVE. From the Party Line and Trading Post, which was chit chat and the selling of household items, to Jack McCaughen and the Trent Valley Ramblers performing in the Trianon Ballroom, to the Commodores at the Belleville Fairgrounds’ Club Commodore. We were there, putting it all on air.”

“We were broadcasters,” Jourard says with a smile. “That was it. We worked all day.”

Somewhere along the line, news reporter Harry Mulhall nestled into the red leather couch at CJBQ’s Victoria Avenue location. Long since passed away, Mulhall still defines the spirit of old school radio. Boasting a charming Irish brogue, shaggy black hair, and an uncontainable twinkle, his name is never mentioned without a smile.

Always working far too late, Mulhall sometimes slept at work, on Stovin’s couch. His mop of black hair would pop up at the first sound of a key in the door.

From day one, CJBQ has been owned by the Mor-ton family, who bought out two minority sharehold-ers very early on. The station has been owned solely by the family ever since. Good business instincts, along with the wisdom to hire some amazing tal-ents have helped the Mortons secure the continuing success of “CJBQ - 800 on your AM dial.”

Perhaps you were raised by Quinte’s original morning man, Russ Hawkshawe, or you took to Tom


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FIVE STAR

As with many industries, the early years were ar-guably the best according to those who were there.

By the late fifties, Stovin left for greener Sas-katchewan pastures and Frank Murray became general manager. Murray’s vast sales experience included a knack for schmoozing, very elegantly! He liked his people to be profes-sional, and they were – Bill McKay and Al Hall on air, Ted Snider in Trenton, sales mavericks Dave Sovereign and Bob Rowbotham in both Belleville and Trenton.

No women. In the sixties, Murray did not

like women to wear pantsuits and he didn’t fancy them in sales.

The sixties and seventies brought many chang-es to radio. What started as a big contraption

in the living room providing fam-ily entertainment was now mu-

sic driven and moveable – the Beatles, Elvis Presley and the advent of the transistor ra-dio. The medium now shim-mied, shook and went to the beach! CJBQ needed a rock ‘n roll deejay, and so it got one. Dave Charles shot out of high school and took on the ‘Brit-i sh Invas ion! ’ His

knowledge of rock ‘n roll charged through the airwaves with excite-

ment and yes, sex appeal. This was a new genre for the staid radio station and it somersaulted through all the changes.

Charles got the kids listening, but what about the country and western fans? They were there long before the Beatles grew bangs and darn it, they were loyal. So Ryerson grad, sloooooow talkin’, homespun Dick Lovering saddled up, came to Quinte and carved a notch in the Country audi-ence, hosting his radio show by day and Stirling’s live Trent Valley Country Jamboree on Saturday nights. Eventually, Lovering felt the call of the west and returned to his hometown of Winnipeg, but by the mid-eighties he too returned to Belleville to be best friends with his grandkids - and he is.

Then there were the old standards. Classical music expert Eugene Lange played album after album of classical favourites on Sunday after-noons, Art Watkins took on the world of Jazz late into the night, and if you listen carefully after a quiet snowfall, you just might hear Jimmy Cor-radi tickling the ivories from his grand piano in the back studio.

Together again (clockwise from top left): Peter Thompson, John Ferguson, Phil Flagler and Lee Jourard. Photo courtesy CJBQ

Virginia and Bill Morton now run the station their great grandfather founded over 60 years ago. Selling to a larger broadcasting company is not in the immediate plans.Photo courtesy CJBQ

(Below) A memento of the grand opening, suitable for the times.Photo courtesy CJBQ


a breath of fresh air

You’ll find us at:40 St. Lawrence St. W., Madoc, Ontariop: 613.473.1800 f: 613.473.1801

Check out our menu at www.barleypub.ca

Open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Seven days a week.

New pub brings an old-world tradition to Madoc!Step through our doors and enter into another time. Our newly-renovated old building with a patio overlooking Deer Creek will charm even the most discerning of tastes.

Enjoy one of our freshly cooked meals and wash it down with an ice-cold beer on tap – we have nine to choose from! Our menu has a wide variety too. From the traditional: Fish & Chips (made with real Atlantic Cod) and homemade fries, Cottage Pie and Liver & Onions, to a more eclectic fare like Chicken Panini sandwiches with roasted red peppers, elegant salads and freshly made soups - it’s all good.

Longhaired Jack Miller joined the staff in the early seventies, first as a daytime rock jock, later moving into sports, even spending some time with Global TV. Miller maintains his title as sports director at CJBQ today, as well as city Council-man.

The seventies is also the decade the station rolled out promotions like Pandemonium, where-by big buses delivered giant Pandas to long term advertisers. Why? Don’t ask. It was huge and ev-eryone wanted one.

Many BQers, like CBC’s Roy Bonisteel, Hol-lywood producer/director Bill Davis, and CTV’s Beverly Thomson cut their teeth at Quinte Broad-casting then moved on - although both gentlemen are residing again in the Quinte area. There are also a curious number of individuals who rode the waves and stayed at CJBQ. Despite the tran-sient nature of the business, Quinte’s mothership consistently held onto Flagler, Jourard, John Fer-

guson, Mary Thomas, Miller and ultimately the station’s prodigal son, Peter Thompson.

Son of local photographer Lloyd Thompson, Peter started out at BQ after graduating from Ry-erson, but soon headed for the ‘Big Smoke’ and beyond, Toronto and Windsor being his more notable stops. Not for long though.

Home, hearth and raising a happy family were more valuable and so Peter returned in the seven-ties, first as morning man then, after Milt’s abrupt departure, he pulled up a chair and brought a new flavour to the open line show.

Gerry Fraiberg, Tom Gavey, Paul Laing, John Henderson and Lance Jeffrey also polished up the airwaves as the best in their field of news, sports and music respectively.

Ferguson started at CBC Ottawa then came to CJBQ, twice, the second time after working in Hamilton, Ontario and then Hamilton, Ber-muda. Ferguson met everyone from the Queen

to the Pope, but as with Peter, he wanted fam-ily stability and Belleville was his best bet, so he returned to BQ as news director.

No one knows exactly how long Thomas has been steadfastly reporting the news, but let’s just say she’s attended all retirement parties, including her own, written books, taken assign-ments in war weary Bosnia, and still shows up for regular work.

With a current staff of 46, and a wattage of 10,000, CJBQ is now run by Bill Morton and his sister Ginny Morton. This is a family business.

Bill has been managing the day to day business of the station since 1984. Ginny manages the re-ception desk while her dachshund, Lily sits on her lap and greets the guests at 10 South Front Street, the third building to house the 64-year-old radio station, as well as its FM offspring, MIX 97 and ROCK 107.

CJBQ AM lives well with a full-on retro fifties show, starring Freddy Vette in the afternoons, Lorne Brooker hosting the open-line show, Jim Wright playing the hits of yesteryear and Mitch-ell kicking off every weekday. Miller continues to cover local hockey and the station is front and centre with all election coverage.

With AM radio stations becoming almost non-existent, and the recent passing of Bill and Gin-ny’s dad, Myles Morton, grandson of founder W.H. Morton, the question of the station going on the auction block sometimes travels through the streets of Quinte.

“There may come a day when it makes busi-ness sense to sell to a larger company,” Bill Mor-ton says, “but at this time we don’t see that day coming anytime soon.”

If it ever happens, Harry Mulhall will no doubt sleep through the huge party from the big red couch in the sky, while the many former BQ broadcasters still walking among us will gather at downtown Belleville’s Cozy Grill, hoist a cof-fee and celebrate having had a great run.

But it’s not today.It’s seven minutes past nine at 800 CJBQ, on

a pleasant Thursday morning in November, and you’re on the air.•

Bill Stovin (shown with his wife Doreen) was just 25 years old when he became general manager of CJBQ upon its launch in the summer of 1946.Photo courtesy CJBQ

A station poster from 1986. CJBQ owes much of its success to an ability to adapt to the times and keep abreast of listeners’ tastes.Photo courtesy CJBQ



The road in from the hamlet of Cooper, a little north of Madoc, is long, narrow and winding. There is little evidence of civilization, and it is easy to assume that you must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

Peace and Tranquility

BY JOHN HOPKINSPHOTOS BY BRANDON WEST

Asian religion finds home in Hastings

But, after about 8km of driving, the dense trees open up to reveal the stunning profile of the Or-gyan Osal Cho Dzong, a 350-acre retreat for the study and practice of Nyingma Dharma, a form of Tibetan Buddhism.

The centre is funded and maintained by the Palyul Foundation of Canada, an incorporated, non-profit charitable organization. The centre is equipped with a large temple, a 15-room re-treat house and a Lama house for the ‘head’ of the group.

If the middle of Hastings County seems like a strange spot for a Buddhist temple, well, how about two? If you were to drive north of Tweed on Highway 37 to the village of Actinolite, and take a right turn onto Bridgewater Road you would eventually come to a sign pointing in the direc-tion of the Huong Hai Zen Forest, a 25-acre re-treat that specializes in the practice of Vietnamese Zen Buddhism.

Spend a few minutes at either location and it soon becomes clear what draws Buddhists to the area. The peace and quiet, and natural beauty of the region provides an ideal setting to meditate,

reflect and leave behind the cares and worries of daily life.

“It’s so isolated here and people appreciate the tranquility,” explains the Venerable Lama Jig-meChokyi Lodro, who was installed as the head of the Orgyan Osal Cho Dzong in a special cer-emony on Aug. 21. “For someone who might live in Toronto, it’s like coming to another planet.”

Given the idyllic and remote setting, it is per-haps not surprising that the Palyul Foundation of Canada was not the first group to settle on the land in Cooper. Indeed, what is now the main temple was in fact part of the Hastings-Rawdon Rifle Club, a men’s club that was established on the property in 1959. As legend has it, the club was in operation for two years before the wives of some of the members determined that hunting animals wasn’t the only recreation their husbands were enjoying at the club, and paid a little visit one weekend. That was the end of the Hastings-Rawdon Rifle Club…

The property was basically unused until the Palyul Foundation discovered it in 1985. The or-ganization had been based in a Victorian house

in Toronto but had outgrown the property and was looking for a more expansive, rural setting.

“The place was in pretty bad shape when we got it,” admits Lama Jigme, a 54-year-old native of Niagara Falls, New York. “It’s been an ongo-ing renovation project. But the basic structure has some nice features. They used good BC ce-dar to build it.

The marble dragons, at Zen Forest, protect the Buddha at the top of the steps. These pieces came from Viet Nam eight years ago.

The Venerable Thich Thong Tri came to Canada from Viet Nam and spent considerable time finding a lo-cation for his Zen Buddhist retreat.Photo by John Hopkins


“Soon after we bought it people would come around and use the property because they weren’t used to anyone being here. But that soon died out. We’ve acquired a lot since we’ve moved here.”

Having a suitable building already on site was an appealing aspect of the property, but so was the lay of the land. The Orgyan Osal Cho Dzong is bordered on one side by the imposing Mount Moriah, one of Hastings County’s most prominent geological features. Not only did the setting ap-peal aesthetically to the Palyul Foundation, but the significance of Mount Moriah in Native Canadian history also had an impact.

“We felt the mountain was sacred and it pro-jected good energy,” Lama Jigme says. “We later discovered that one of the native groups associate Mount Moriah with the creation of their people. It turns out archaeologists have discovered evi-dence of human activity there dating back 5,000-10,000 years, so there is a sense that it represents the origin of life.”

In a similar vein, the Venerable Thich Thong Tri got a positive vibe from the land around Actino-lite when he bought it 20 years ago.

“I looked in many places but I felt this was the best,” explains the 60-year-old native of Viet Nam, who came to Canada in the late 1980s. “To me, I feel more healing, from the rocks, the trees, and there is good weather.”

The land was vacant when Tri acquired it, and he waited before starting construction of his retreat.

“I built a small cabin, 10x10, and I meditated for four winters,” he explains. “Then, in the fifth winter I started to build and clean up the area.”

There were practical considerations when the location was chosen as well, as the Huong Hai Zen Forest is equidistant between Toronto and Ottawa (about a two and a half hour drive from each city) making it relatively easy to access.

Tri also has occasional visitors from the United States, and his facility is equipped to handle up to 20-30 visitors.

The buildings at Huong Hai Zen Forest are per-haps not quite elaborate as the main temple of the Orgyan Osal Cho Dzong in Cooper, but the setting is no less spectacular. The retreat is locat-ed in a serene, forested area with a river running adjacent to the buildings.

Buddhist-liteBy John HopkinsPhotos by Brandon West

Madoc poet Chris Faiers wasn’t really trying to create a Buddhist retreat when he began con-struction of ZenRiver Gardens, but the finished product does possess some connections to the Zen Buddhism traditions.

Located in the hamlet of Malone, ZenRiver Gar-dens is a secluded getaway designed to afford visi-tors a chance to meditate and reflect in a peaceful and calming setting.

“I consider ZenRiver Gardens a ‘gateway’ in-troduction to Buddhism and meditative retreats, maybe ‘Buddhist-lite,’” explains Faiers, who was featured in the Summer 2009 issue of Country Roads. “I find many westerners are comfortable visiting ZenRiver Gardens, who would be a bit ap-prehensive or even intimidated by a visit to either of the formal and traditional retreats.”

The venue is a focal point for PurdyFest, the lit-erary festival organized by Faiers in honour of the late Al Purdy, which runs over the August Long Weekend each summer. The property is bisected by a river, and includes about 150 feet of river bank and a third of an acre of land on one side, and 300-feet of river bank and almost an acre of land on the other.

The only structure on the land is a ‘Shaman Shack’, which consists of a bed and a desk.

The term ‘feng shui’ gets thrown around a lot in home decorating circles, but it has its roots in ancient China and its principles were adopted by Buddhism when it reached that country.

The very basic concept of feng shui specifies that a property should have raised land to the north of it with a river to the south, flowing east to west.

The Venerable Thich Thong Tri of Huong Hai Zen Forest visited the retreat last year and, according to Faiers, credited it with possessing, “powerful feng shui.

“We’re right on the edge of the Canadian Shield, the toenails of the Shield, and so this area has the power and energy of the Shield.

“The spot chose me and I worked on the area on an intuitive level. I wasn’t sure what I was doing but it worked out to be very right.”

Faiers considers ZenRiver Gardens an ideal re-treat for artists.

“It’s a quiet place for people.”

ZenRiver Gardens is designed to give visitors a taste of the contemplative life without taking on the full Buddhist experience.

The Tibetan retreat consists of 350 acres of land in a quiet and remote setting.

The building that serves as the main temple of the Tibetan retreat was originally constructed for a gentlemen’s club in the 1950s.


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The most spectacular elements of Zen Forest are the marble statue of Buddha and two drag-ons located just inside the entrance gates. These were carved in Viet Nam and transported to the retreat about eight years ago. The dragons are protectors or guardians.

Although the setting is modest overall, Tri has big plans for Huong Hai Zen Forest. He would like to build a meditation centre and eventually a meditation village that can accommodate a larger

number of visitors. He is a tireless worker, and on the mid-August morning of my visit proudly showed off a recently completed gazebo just off the main building where visitors can enjoy their tea.

“Some of this I build myself, some with help,” he acknowledges. “Every year we move step by step. It is not work. We build because we feel good. When we need something we build it.”

Tri has also co-authored a book with Canadian writer Martin Avery titled ‘Zen Forest Medita-

tions,’ which provides an introduction to Zen Buddhism.

Development of the Orgyan Osal Cho Dzong has been quiet since the death of Lama Jigme’s predecessor, the Venerable Lama Jampa Rabjampa on May 14, 2009. But with the investiture of Lama Jigme in August expansion plans have resumed. This fall construction will begin on the ‘Padma-sambhava World Peace Temple’. The temple is named for the seventh century Buddhist master

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The 25-acre Zen Forest retreat is located in Actinolite, just north of Tweed.

The Venerable Lama Jigme was recently installed as the head of the Tibetan monastery.

The Tibetan retreat consists of 350 acres of land in a quiet and remote setting.


Peace and tranquility

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who is credited with bringing Buddhism from India to Tibet and is regarded as the founder of Tibetan Buddhism.

The first floor of the three-storey temple will house a 13-foot statue of Padmasambhaya, one of several that are being cast, consecrated and ritually installed around the world to promote peace. The first of these was placed in Pharping, Nepal and others have been erected in India, Bhutan and Alameda, California.

“The funding for this project is being raised solely by donations,” says Lama Jigme. “The build-ing will be constructed in a traditional Tibetan architectural style, but using modern methods and materials, and is designed by an Ottawa ar-chitect, Toon Dreesen.”

The members of the Orgyan Osal Cho Dzong and Huong Hai Zen Forest are clearly comfort-able in their surroundings, and it looks like they plan to stay for many years to come. •For more information on the Orgyan Osal Cho Dzong and the Palyul Foundation of Canada please visit www.palyulcanada.org.

Readers can contact Huong Hai Zen Forest by calling (613) 478-5984.

Our thanks to Chris Faiers and Dr. John Burke for acting as guides on our tour of the retreats and giving us an introduction into Buddhism.

While not particularly well known in Canada, Buddhism is the fourth largest of the world’s religions, the domi-nant religion in Asia and there are estimated to be 350 million practicing Buddhists around the world today.

Buddhism was founded about 2,500 years ago and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in what is now Nepal (in northeastern India). He became known as ‘The Buddha’, or ‘Awakened One’ after he experienced a profound realization of the nature of life, death and existence. He travelled and taught people how to realize this enlightenment for themselves.

Indeed, a key element of Buddhism is that it is non-theistic and focuses on practice rather than belief. En-lightenment comes through one’s own experiences. At the core of Buddhism are the Four Noble Truths: The truth of suffering; the truth of the cause of suffering; the truth of the end of suffering; the truth of the path that frees us from suffering.

As with many forms of religion, such as Christianity, Buddhism has divided into different schools over the centuries. About 2,000 years ago, the first split came and two schools were formed, Thera-vada and Mahayana.

There are many subdivisions of the Mahayana School, and they include Tibetan and Zen.According to a BBC article, Buddhism took hold in Tibet near the end of the 8th century when it

was brought from India at the invitation of the Tibetan King, Trisong Detsen. He invited two Buddhist masters to Tibet and had important Buddhist texts translated into Tibetan.

Tibetan Buddhism consists of four groups – Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Geluc. According to the Palyul Foundation of Canada, the Nyingma (or ancient) school was founded in the eighth century.

The Geluc group is led by the Dalai Lama.The Nyingma school was further divided by the six monasteries that upheld that tradition, one of

which was the Palyul in eastern Tibet.Zen Buddhism reportedly emerged in China 15 centuries ago and then moved on to Viet Nam and

Korea. It became popular in the west after the Second World War.The word ‘Zen’ is roughly translated as ‘meditation’.

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Buddhism in briefBy John Hopkins

The tranquil setting of much of Hastings County has made it a popular retreat area for those practicing the Buddhist faith.

Man of many

tastesArtist Jim Christy tough to pin down

In July Christy opened an exhibition of his artwork at Gallery ArtPlus in Belleville with a reading of some of his poetry.

Photo by John Hopkins

Man of many

tastes



BY JOHN HOPKINS

If you’re lucky, you may find writer/poet/artist/adventurer Jim Christy relaxing on his recently acquired 100 acres of property just north of Stirling.

More likely, however, he will be working on a new art project, or penning one of his regular ‘Scalawags’ columns for Vancouver-based NUVO magazine, or heading off to a poetry reading in Europe or Australia.

Or any combination of the above.

Suffice to say Christy, who turned 65 in July, is not an easy man to pin down – or define. Rather than try to achieve notoriety or financial stability through excelling in a single line of work, he has drifted wherever the mood has taken him, and not with-out considerable success along the way.


Born in Virginia and raised in Philadelphia, Christy has travelled much of the world. He has made his home in Canada since 1968, how-ever, and it perhaps says something about the area around Stirling that even a man with the nomadic leanings of Christy feels a sense of permanence here.

“I love it here and I don’t intend to move,” says Christy, who has now lived in his 1830s era stone farmhouse with his partner, painter Virginia Dixon, for about a year and a half.

Christy came this way from BC, where he had lived since 1981 be-fore finally tiring of the weather, among other things. (“Whoev-er named the ‘Sunshine Coast’ probably also gave ‘Greenland’ its name,” he says cynically).

He was familiar with southern Ontario through his research for the TV program ‘Weird Homes’, which ran on the Life Network for three seasons in the 1990s. But it was Dixon who even-tually found the property they now consider home.

“My trips east from Van-couver whetted my appetite to be back in Ontario,” ex-plains Christy, “but not in To-ronto. Other than Texas, for some reason southern Ontario is the best place to find weird homes. So I spent a considerable amount of time driving around southern Ontario and I got to like it, especially this side of To-ronto, it seems more diverse.

“Virginia found this place but I fell in love with it right away. It just seemed too good to be true. Before I even saw the house, as we turned into the driveway, I knew.”

Rural Ontario is a far cry f rom Philadelphia, a city Chris- t y de -scribes as, “where all the singers and boxers came from.” Perhaps not sur-prisingly, he got a taste of both in his youth.

American Bandstand, hosted by Dick Clarke, was taped in Phila-delphia and Christy was among the throng of teenagers who would sometimes appear on camera in the studio audience. It was through the show that Christy also discovered his knack for writing. He dated the sister of a girl who wrote a teen advice column for a magazine, answering questions sub-mitted by readers. Christy

would go through the mailbag and come up with funny answers for the questions.

His boxing exploits were slightly more dis-tinguished and he won his first two Pro bouts before deciding to get out of the ring.

“I knew I would get killed sooner or later,” he admits. “You have to be dedicated to be any good and I just wasn’t prepared to go there.”

Christy’s love of boxing never diminished, and among his writing credits is a book, Flesh and Blood, about boxing in Canada. Indeed, a

great deal of his writing borrows exten-sively from his varied personal expe-riences. He began running away from home at the age of 12 and learned to ride the freight trains at a young age.

Christy dabbled in writing while living in the U.S. and worked in a variety of jobs, but it wasn’t until he came north permanently in 1968 that he took on journalism as a career.

“I would write now and again but I just wasn’t confident enough,” he recalls. “But when I got to Toronto

I started an underground paper, Gorilla, and that got me writing jobs.”

Christy contributed pieces to Saturday Night, Toronto Life, The Canadian, and a magazine called Quest, which was edited at the time by current CBC national ra-dio host Michael Enright.

Christy travelled the world as a freelancer, covering interna-tional events for a variety of pub-lications.

“I probably covered six or sev-en wars,” he says. “I would just do the stuff that I wanted to do.”

In the early 1970s Christy had his first book published. Titled

The New Refugees: American Voic-es in Canada, it was a compilation of submissions from American deserters and draft dodgers who had settled in Canada, all edited by Christy.

Christy’s star shone brightly in the Canadian literary constellation in the early 1970s, and he was described by noted journalist June Callwood as one of the best writers in Canada. But despite such high praise he maintained a low profile in the

mainstream, partly because he held a number of other jobs.

“It was not the life of the writer I admired so much as just the writing itself,” he ex-plains. “I was not so concerned with pur-suing the social life

that goes with it, not

“I’ve always done the stuff I want to do,” he says simply.

‘March Break’ was part of the Gallery ArtPlus exhibition this summer.Photo courtesy Gallery ArtPlus

Christy uses objects he finds around him to create his pieces. ‘Danger On The Farm’ consists of objects he gathered from his new property.Photo courtesy Gallery ArtPlus

‘Escondido Night’ combines Christy’s poetry with painting. This piece had a run on transit vehicles in numerous Canadian cities.Photo courtesy Gallery ArtPlus‘Nice Walk Anyway’ gives another

example of Christy’s creativity.Photo courtesy Gallery ArtPlus

because I didn’t like these people but because I had fun elsewhere. I was working other jobs at the time and when I got home in the evening I didn’t always feel like going out to a poetry reading or some-thing like that.”

Christy’s debut as a novelist came in 1981 with the publication of Streethearts, which also set the stage for his settling in the Vancou-ver area. In 1997 he pub-lished Shanghai Alley, the first of a series of detective novels set in Vancouver in the 1930s. The fourth in the series, Nine O’Clock Gun, came out in 2008 but Chris-ty says that will likely be the end of the road for the series.

“I’m tired of writing prose,” he admits. “I did what I had to do. I in-vented a Vancouver I liked, and that’s more or less over. In the old days Vancouver was like a frontier town, there was the shipping and log-ging, industries like that. It used to be a city where people would come in from the bush and put up at a hotel until they were ready to get another job.

“That lasted until about the time I first went out there in the early 1970s. Now all Vancouver really consists of is an aggressive yuppie part and a desper-ate crime and poverty part.”

Christy’s emergence as a poet has come about somewhat late in life, although that is now the focus of his written work. His first book of poems, Palatine Cat was published in 1978 but it was almost 20 years later, he says,

before he started reading po-etry in public after a publish-er asked if he had anything available.

“I always wrote poetry but I didn’t make a big noise about it,” he says. “I guess it was a matter of confidence. It’s only recently tha t I started getting invited

around. In 2003 I did 15 gigs in New Zealand. I couldn’t believe it. Here I am about to

turn 65 and I’ve dis-covered this whole new

gig. I’m backed by bands full of guys half my age. When I was in Melbourne they were amazed

that a guy my age was do-ing this. And that sort of thing is big over there,

unlike here. I mean there, they’ll get 400-700 people out to a reading.”

On May 19 Christy appeared in Amsterdam at the Fiery Tongues

Poetry Festival, a four-day cel-ebration featuring dancers, singers and poets. That was part of a tour that also in-cluded stops in Germany and England.

On May 6 in Toronto he celebrat-ed the launch of his 25th book, an autobiographical novella. Nowadays Christy says art occupies

an increasing amount of his time.“I wrote a bit before I came to

Canada,” he recalls, “but before that I was inclined to draw.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, Christy’s art covers a wide range of forms.

“Right now I’m making figures

out of driftwood, but I’ll use whatever I find around,” he explains.

On July 15 a month-long solo show of Christy’s work opened at the Gallery ArtPlus in Belleville. He has previously been part of two group shows, one also at the Gallery ArtPlus.

Sometimes Christy integrates his poetry with his artwork, and a painting with one of his poems, ‘Escondido Night’ written on it was displayed on public transit buses and trains through most of Canada as part of a national poetry apprecia-tion campaign.

Although his poetry and art consume more of his time, Christy continues to contribute a quar-terly column entitled ‘Scalawags’ to Vancouver-based NUVO magazine. The column first ran in 2000 and in 2008 a collection of his columns was put into a book of the same name. The book profiles no fewer than 36 “rogues, roustabouts, wags and scamps” and Christy says there is always plenty of material to mine for future columns.

Just in case Christy finds he has some additional time on his hands, or is looking for a diversion from his ‘mundane’ existence, he has started a company called Extreme Research (www.extreme-research.com). Christy and his business partner, a Vancouver-based private investigator, assist in specialized research for reports, dissertations, articles or personal use.

“We gather information that cannot be ob-tained at the usual sources,” says the company’s website. “We go places where you are not pre-pared to go.”

The business suits Christy’s adventurous na-ture and provides a stark contrast to the more sedate country existence he has found in the Stirling area. But that dichotomy has long been a part of Christy’s life, and as much as he has enjoyed the travel and discovery that has tak-en him around the world, he is also looking forward to pursuing his art and exploring the possibilities available to him on his 100 acres in the country. •


Man of many tastes

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Some of Christy’s work shows a somewhat irreverent sense of humour! This one is titled ‘He Feels It But I Think He Likes It.’Photo courtesy Gallery ArtPlus


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Shared passionBy John Hopkins

In May, 2009, when Jim Christy and his partner Virginia Dixon both exhibited at Belleville’s John M. Parrott gallery, she earned first prize for paint-ing, he earned an honourable mention for crafts.

Although Christy recalls the snub with a touch of resentment, it doesn’t appear to have affected their relationship. Both share an appreciation for the written word as well as visual art, and each has carved out their own reputation in the field.

Dixon has had her art exhibited across On-tario, including Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario in 1997. A collection of her work can be found at Victoria College at the University of Toronto, and in May, 2009 she received the Juror’s Choice Award at a show at the Agnes Etherington Art Gallery in Kingston.

Dixon, who turned 55 in late August, was born and raised in Montreal, where she pursued paint-

ing, modern dance and writing at the Musee des Beaux Arts, the Saidye Bronfman Centre and Concordia University.

“I think from the age of four I just thought I was going to be a painter,” Dixon recalls. “But all art interested me and I felt like it added to my knowledge base. I did mime and modern dance because I felt that contributed to my un-derstanding of the human body.”

After completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Concordia Dixon moved to Toronto, where she continued to pursue her artistic in-terests while raising a family of three children.

“I had a studio and always painted full time,” she says. “I exhibited fairly regularly and really just tried to balance everything.”

Once her children had become a bit more independent Dixon returned to school, com-

pleting a Masters degree in Fine Art at Vermont College in 1996-97.

“I felt out of touch with modern theoretical practice,” Dixon says. “It was a low residency pro-gram which brought together people of different backgrounds and ages. It was two very intense years. After that I reached a point where my art career and married life were in flux.”

Once on her own Dixon opened the Pteros Gallery in Toronto in 2001. The gallery featured the visual work of writers and featured such poet-artists as Christy, who was living in Vancouver at the time, Bill Bissett and Joe Rosenblatt.

“The primary focus was showing the visual art of writers,” explains Dixon, who also writes po-etry. “I find a lot of similarities between poetry and painting. They’re both non-linear ways of making a picture. I find words are big triggers for things for me.

“When I was at Concordia I did a lot of abstract work, which is great if you’re a shy or private per-son because it’s a way of not revealing yourself. But when you’re writing poetry you can’t do that.

“We managed to get a fair amount of publicity [for the gallery]. We had articles in the Toronto Star, Border Crossings, a national art magazine. When you consider the competition for space it’s really quite remarkable. But I recognized I wasn’t a businessperson, and I reached a point where I either had to treat it as a business, and focus less on being an artist, or close it down and concen-trate on my art.”

In her online biography Dixon describes her paintings as responses to “the episodes, emo-tions, enigmas and entrails of life.”

“There’s a lot of autobiographical stuff in my work,” she says. “But I like to think that it’s not only relevant to myself. Anyone in this field has their own reasons for doing the work. I’m focused on developing myself and my work, and being as honest as I can be.

“The last few years have been the most excit-ing. I feel like I understand what I am doing.”

Jim Christy and Virginia Dixon met while she was running the Pteros Gallery in Toronto.Photo by John Hopkins



Striking A ChordMercier takes music back to its roots

BY NANCY HOPKINSPHOTOS BY ANNA SHERLOCK


“Music is not an escape; it presents a way to make it possible for life to go on.” - JOHN COHEN

Springbrook’s Luke Mercier makes music. And he does so in a number of ways. He plays a variety of different musical instruments, performs and records with multiple bands, is an accomplished composer, and a highly skilled luthier (a luthier is someone who makes stringed musical instruments such as violins or guitars).

At only 37 years of age he has been crafting, restoring and repairing violins, banjos and other stringed instruments for nearly half his life. And if he’s not in his workshop you may catch him play-ing a fiddle with the local trio Lazy John.

Stepping into Mercier’s workshop is like enter-ing another world. Clad in a thick apron Mercier is surrounded by hundreds of clamps, chisels, gouges and other tools of his trade. A cello with a cracked back is propped up on a stand. Over in the corner on the long work bench rests a hurdy

tion ready for their new owners. Over the summer 100 or so school violins were fine tuned and re-turned in time for the start of the new semester.

The workshop of a master craftsman like Mer-cier looks much like it might have for the last few hundred years.

“The tools and methods have been virtually un-changed for the past 300 years,” he says. “Some things have changed, clamps, etc., and they are not easy to find. I’ve made a lot of the tools my-self. I’ve been lucky by having or inheriting certain tools - chisels, files, hand held planes – the ones you see at old garage sales.”

These old tools come into play when the next gem comes through the door.

“And you never know what is going to walk in,” Mercier points out. “Recently I had a very rare Russian violin that I

restored. The instrument had been sat on and the belly was

completely crunched so that needed extensive res-toration.”

The owner was appar-ently from eastern On-tario.

gurdy that will one day be the focus of his attention when he brings it back to working order. Hanging from the wood beam is a row of violins in need of repair. A banjo and parts in vari-ous stages of creation stand out from the overriding presence of violins.

In a separate space out-side the workshop are in-struments in pristine condi-

(Inset opening page) Mercier holding a Mercier. Springbrook’s Luke Mercier shows off a violin built by A. Mercier, who worked at Mirecourt in France between 1860 and 1882.

Two violins and a viola on the right.

Mercier’s interest in roots music encouraged him to learn how to

build and repair banjos.Photo courtesy Luke Mercier

A Luke Mercier hand-crafted violin. Violins in various stages of repair can be found all over Mercier’s workshop.


STRIKING A CHORD

“It was made in early 1900’s but what was spe-cial about it was that any dealer of rare (musi-cal) instruments has probably never seen a great Russian-made violin,” Mercier continues. “There were only a couple of makers (Russian) but even there most were destroyed. This instrument was most likely made when Czar Nicholas was send-ing students to France and Italy (to learn the fine art of a luthier).”

Mercier’s foundation in music began at the piano at age four with his mother Leslie, a very competent pianist and by the age of 18 his solo piano composition ‘Five Meditations’ was pre-miered by Juno Award-winning recording artist Antonin Kubalek to critical acclaim. Mercier stud-ied under Kubalek at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

Mercier’s own journey toward becoming a lu-thier began in his final semester of high school. In search of a co-op work placement, he was hoping to learn to build a harpsichord. This was spurred partly by his experience playing pianos, and his years of study.

But it was the suggestion of a close friend that set things in motion. The young Mercier had just borrowed a violin from school with the goal of learning how to play. On the inside it said the instrument was distributed by Geo. Heinl & Co. Ltd. Before long an interview was set up with the noted shop.

“George Heinl is a fourth generation business,” explains Mercier. “They are the foremost violin

experts in Canada – on an international scale. Ric Heinl is valued by other big shops in the world.

“An employee had just left a couple of months before that. A violin house prefers that you don’t have prior training. They prefer to groom you from the start. You just need to be competent or have experience with tools, which I had through

carpentry construction with my father. And every-one’s job there is equally important.”

For the next 15 plus years Mercier studied under Timothy Bergen, head of restoration, and along-side Steve Martinko and bowmaker John Sirdevan.

“All highly skilled craftsmen,” Mercier points out. “I was always picking up little bits from all of them. During my time there, there was always something exciting on the (work) bench.”

Mercier’s hands have worked on pieces worth millions of dollars.

“To put it into perspective,” he says, “a Guadag-nini violin can be worth as much as a Da Vinci painting.

“But they teach you to get over your nerves quickly and even when starting out they hand you school instruments and you simply learn repairs the proper way, which is the only way.”

While at Heinl Mercier continued to compose and perform music. In 1997 he was part of a funk/rock group ‘Magnificent Octopus’, which appeared on the Toronto club circuit and made numerous recordings before disbanding three years later.

During the same time period Mercier found himself drawn to old time Appalachian music, also known as bluegrass.

“Old time is the term for music from the turn of the 19th century,” he explains. “Really ear-ly black string band music, rural music that is mountain music, the result of melting pots of people coming from all over the world – poor-est of the poor.”

This 1860-era violin is awaiting a soundpost patch, which will involve making a plaster cast of the belly. Original wood will be excavated from the inside of the soundpost area and new wood grafted in to replace the damaged wood. The plaster will serve as a backing to work and clamp against as well as prevent the belly from distortion due to the introduction of moisture (glue) in the region of the crack once the belly thickness has been reduced to 0.3mm in the soundpost area. There are also other repairs to belly cracks needed.

Mercier works his magic on a violin made by John Frederick Lott II of Soho, London in the 1850’s.


STRIKING A CHORD

His exposure to this style of music led to him learning how to make banjos.

“I needed to find out, not just because of my own personal interest through Appalachian mu-sic playing the fiddle (another name for violin) but also from the violin maker perspective,” Mercier says. “I was drawn to the pre-industrial revolution era of the banjo, 1850-1880, when they were hand made.

“It’s a very small niche but I build them in the style of those hand made instruments. Orders have been mainly from the States, UK, Australia.”

A basic fretless model takes Mercier 30-35 hours to produce while a fully-fretted instru-ment can take up to 120 hours to manufacture by hand.

By comparison, a violin can take up to 200 hours to construct.

So how does a world class luthier wind up settling in Springbrook? Mercier made the de-cision to come to the area in 2003.

“My folks bought land here 16 or 17 years ago so I already knew the area,” he says. “I wanted to build a house.”

Initially Mercier and his wife Janet lived in a cabin on the property while the house was built. At this time Luke experienced a surreal moment when he unexpectedly heard his com-position ‘Fantasy for Violin & Piano’, played by Martin Beaver and Jamie Parker, on CBC Radio. Mercier had written the piece nearly 10 years earlier.

Although no longer based in Toronto Mercier continues to do work for Heinl as well as his own projects.

“It was nice to be able to plant myself here,” he says. “I’m the first person from Heinl to contract work outside of Heinl, so they trust me enough to do what I do.”

Mercier’s Springbrook workshop is humidity con-trolled, which is important to his work, and features large, bright windows and a walkout basement.

These days you won’t find Mercier sitting for countless hours composing at the piano.

“When family life started up it was too self-ab-sorbing,” he says. “I didn’t pursue a career solely

in music because I didn’t want it to be work; it dic-tates life and becomes a chore.”

He gets great musical pleasure from his trade and his connection with old time music.

“After moving here I had no idea that the interest in the violin was so big in Ontario,” he says. “The grandparents of two of the members of Lazy John played bluegrass music in this area.”

Mercier has clearly found a musical home in the area with plenty of opportunity to enjoy his craft.

Mercier’s business card says “Luke Mercier Hand-made Violins & Banjos, builder and restorer of qual-ity stringed instruments.” Perhaps he could simplify it - Luke Mercier - maker of music! •

Inside the workshop of luthier Luke Mercier. These violins for sale have been professionally restored by Mercier. Prices can range from $500 to $10,000.

This unusual instrument, a Hurdy Gurdy, is also known as a mechanical fiddle. It is made of a variety of different types of wood including maple, oak, fir and beech. The head is really the highlight of this piece.Photo courtesy Luke Mercier



Almost as soon as a visitor steps through the front door of the Farm Meat Shoppe, the ‘farm gate’ es-tablishment located on Wallbridge-Loyalist Road, a few kilometers north of Belleville, they are con-fronted by a sign posted on the wall.

“Back to the future farming is practiced on our farm wherever possible as time allows,” it reads. “More and more ‘of the older ways’ will be re-es-tablished. It is our part in reducing our footprint on Mother Nature.”

What the heck is “back to the future farming?”In short, it is the attempt by some farmers to revert

back to the practices used in farming a few genera-tions ago; things like replacing tractors with horses, eliminating the use of pesticides on crops, not treat-ing animals with growth hormones or antibiotics.

The Farm Meat Shoppe proprietors Kim and Jeanne Hadwen have spent the past eight years selling eggs and meat from their farm, specializing in Black Angus beef, and they tout their meat as be-ing hormone free, antibiotic free and naturally fed.

What has been consumer response in the area?“At first we were open five days a week but we

couldn’t keep up with demand, so now we’re at three days a week and we’ve even reduced our hours,” says Kim.

With business so brisk, one would imagine the Hadwens are raking in the money, right? Perhaps not.

“There is so little margin,” Kim explains. “It takes three, four or five months longer to get cows to the

size than it would if we used hormones. The big operators have to do it to survive.

“I’d hate to be a young guy getting into farming. A farmer shouldn’t have to work off the farm to keep the people of the world fed.”

So why do it?“We do it because this is the way we want to eat,”

adds Jeanne.Two factors have given a boost to operations like

the Hadwens’. One is the ‘100-Mile Diet’. Launched by Vancouver writers Alisa Smith and J. B. MacKin-non as an experiment to see how they could man-age if they were forced only to eat food produced

within a 100-mile radius of them, the 100-Mile Diet has turned into an international phenomenon.

“Locally raised and produced food has been called ‘the new organic,’” says their website, www.100milediet.org, “better tasting, better for the environment, better for local economies, and better for your health. From reviving the family farm to reconnecting with the seasons, the local foods movement is turning good eating into a revolution.”

A second key is a film called, ‘Food Inc.’, the Acad-emy Award nominated documentary that analyzes the massive consolidation of the American food pro-ducing industry and the widespread use of growth hormones, pesticides and other chemicals in an effort to produce food at a faster pace and in in-creasing quantities.

The film features commentary from experts such as Eric Schlosser, who wrote Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

The Hadwens spent 25 years as dairy farmers north of Toronto before they decided to downsize and change their operation. They now have about 300 head of Black Angus beef cattle on 150 acres of land.

Raising free range, hormone free animals has had its benefits, the Hadwens point out, as they find there is less need to treat their animals for disease.

“We don’t have the health issues we used to,” Kim says. “In the dairy years, when we were milking three times a day, it seemed the more we pushed them [the cows] the more we had to treat them.”

The Farm Meat Shoppe has been selling meat and eggs for eight years now, but had to cut back its hours due to overwhelming demand.Photo by Jeanne Hadwen

BY JOHN HOPKINS

Back to the futureLocal farms take a step back in time

The Hadwens now offer seminars on how to drive a horse team as they encourage other farmers to take a step back in time.Photo courtesy Jeanne Hadwen


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Back to the future

This summer the Hadwens launched a new ven-ture, Community Gardens, where folks can raise and pick their own vegetables. Taking 30 acres of land, they planted 10 acres this year and will rotate the gardens through the remainder of the land in subsequent years.

“As soon as spraying with pesticides started people got away from this sort of crop rotation,” Kim ex-plains. “But if you keep the land fallow it improves weed control and you don’t need the sprays. The weeds are pretty heavy in there now, but as we go along it will get better.

“So far it’s been great. We’ve got millions of tomatoes – I’ve never seen so many tomatoes in my life. And we have so much produce that we’re even selling some of the stuff up here [at the main shop].”

In another throwback to an earlier era, the Had-wens also are increasingly using horses in their farming work in place of tractors. Horses have been used to prepare the land for the Community Gardens project, and Kim recently sold four of his seven tractors.

“The price of fuel was a factor,” he says. “We de-cided to just go back to the way it used to be. I guess you could say it cuts out the middleman.”

The Hadwens have 24 Belgians on their farm that are used for the work. The farm now offers semi-nars on how to drive a horse team.

“Last year we did quite a bit of seeding and ma-nuring with the horses,” says Kim, who estimates planting 12 acres with a tractor would take about three hours, as opposed to four hours with a four-horse team.

Pioneer Equipment Inc., an Ohio-based company specializes in farm equipment that is well suited to applications with horse or mule teams. Kim Had-wen used a Pioneer Power Forecart for cutting and baling his hay this summer. The air-cooled motor on the cart used five gallons of fuel for cutting, rak-ing and baling 12 acres of hay, a fraction of what a tractor would have burned up.

Another operation, albeit a smaller one, reverting to more traditional practices is Shanrock, owned

by Terry and Ann Shannon and located just north of Stirling.

The Shannons have a modest dairy farm that’s been in operation for 25 years. They milk about 25 cows and also have 25-30 acres of corn they grow primarily as feed for their cattle.

They started changing some of their practices about eight years ago, on the recommendation of friends in the farming community. They started by getting away from commercial fertilizer and now use strictly manure.

“The manure is cheaper and we find we have healthier soil, more worms,” Terry explains. “We feel it’s better for the environment.”

They have stopped the use of herbicides on their corn.

“We cultivate it [the corn] so it gets rid of the weeds in the middle of the rows,” Terry explains. “Then when the corn comes in ahead of the weeds it acts as a canopy that prevents the weeds from getting much sun and thriving.”

The Shannons also rely more on herbal remedies for their cows.

“We’ve been using the herbal remedies for the past six years,” Terry adds. “We’ve had astonish-ing results. I was skeptical but the proof is in the pudding. We will still go to antibiotics if we feel the need.”

One of the diseases the Shannons have to deal with in their cattle is Mastitis, a condition that af-fects the udder of animals. According to a Univer-sity of McGill study, Clinical Mastitis affects 15-20 percent of cows in major milk-producing countries.

While it is common to treat this disease with antibiotics, the Shannons have discovered natu-ral remedies like oil of oregano can also tackle the condition. As an added benefit, milking can continue during treatment, which is not the case if antibiotics get into the system.

“With the herbal remedies, you have to start right away for the best results,” Ann points out.

The Shannons agree that their practices take a bit more work but feel the extra labour is worth the time.

“People are conscious of what they eat; they want to know,” Terry says. “We’re just doing something our forefathers did, and they seemed to get along pretty good.”

‘Back to the future’ farming may have its draw-backs. The profit margins aren’t great and it may not be the most efficient way to feed a growing world of hungry people.

But concerns over the environmental impact and health risks of certain products, plus campaigns like the ‘100-mile diet’ have definitely opened up both consumers and producers to alternatives to modern farming practices.

The good old days weren’t always as great as people like to think they were, but they did have their good points too. •

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The Shannons have started using natural remedies to treat their cattle and have moved away from pesticides and commercial fertilizer.Photo by John Hopkins


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• c r o s s r o a d s •

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Sweet music for local church

Sunday, July 4 was a big day for the Reverend Bradley Smith and Christ Church, Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal of the Mohawks in Deseronto.

Father Smith and 10 parishioners from the Church, which was featured in the Spring, 2010 issue of Country Roads magazine, attended the Sunday Liturgy at Toronto’s St. James Cathedral. Special guests at the service were Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of England, who were in the midst of their Canadian Royal Tour.

Additionally, the Queen presented the Chapel Royal with a gift of eight bells to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the alliance between England and the Mohawks.

The event was spectacular according to Father Smith, who read the Second Lesson as part of the Liturgy.

“About three weeks out I was contacted by St. James Cathedral,” Father Smith said, “and then the Saturday of the week before I was told I could bring 10 people. I was a bit worried about trying to limit the group to 10, but actually it was not that hard. We put names in a hat and then a number of people were gracious enough to bow out because they had met the Queen when she was here in 1984, or earlier, so we actually were left with 10 people.

“It was a fantastic liturgy, awesome. When you heard 2,000 people singing ‘God Save The Queen’ it really sent a chill down your spine.”

The bells are just the latest gift from the English Royal Family to be presented to Christ Church, which is one of only six Chapels Royal outside of the United Kingdom. The church also has in its pos-session a footed paten, chalice and flagon Queen

Anne presented to the Mohawks in 1711, a bell, a triptych that depicts the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer in the Mo-hawk Language, a bible received from Queen Vic-

toria in 1842 and the Bicentennial Chalice given by Queen Elizabeth II in 1984.

There is also a royal coat of arms from King George V that replaced the original coat of arms that was given by King George III in 1798 but was destroyed by fire in 1905.

In 1710 four Mohawk chiefs based in Fort Hunt-er, NY travelled to England to seek an alliance with the Crown. When they returned they built Queen Anne’s Chapel and received as a gift a seven-piece communion set from the Queen.

During the American Revolution the Mohawks relocated to Lachine, QC and eventually divided themselves between the current Tyendinaga Terri-tory and Brantford. The communion set was pre-served and a flagon, footed paton and chalice went with each group. The seventh piece, an alms basin was kept by the Brantford Mohawks.

Christ Church, Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal of the Mohawks was built in 1843 and elevated to the sta-tus of Chapel Royal in 2004.

The eight handbells presented in July were manu-factured by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in Lon-don, the oldest and most distinguished manufac-turer of bells in the world and the oldest continuing factory in the United Kingdom.

“The bells are really beautiful,” said Father Smith. “You can’t get any better.”

The only disadvantage to the bells is they are dia-tonic – there are no sharps or flats in the octave – so there is a limited amount of music that can be played with them.

“The trick now is we’ve got to find some music,” Father Smith explained. “But I had researched get-ting bells to start a handbell choir and they are very expensive. So I guess our prayer was answered. And by only having the eight to start with it will be a little easier for people to learn to play them and they’ll be less intimidated.”

To learn more about Christ Church, Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal of the Mohawks, you can reach Father Smith at 613-396-3797 or visit www.parishoftyen-dinega.org/chapelroyal. •

Christ Church, Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal of the Mo-hawks, had its links with the English crown reinforced this summer. Photo by John Hopkins.

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY ....... Page #

Albert College .....................................................31Amazing Coffee ..................................................29Apple Store, Cooney Farms ................................ 5 Artists in Motion ..................................................24Barley Pub & Eatery ..............................................9Bernard Interiors ...........................................12, 32Brandon West Photography .............................29Can Asia Imports .................................................25Carpet One Floor & Home ..........................12, 32Comfort Country ................................................... 4 DeDell Seeds ........................................................2Deer Fence Canada .....................................17, 29Deerhaven Farm & Garden Ltd. ........................31Dinkels Restaurant & Courtyard ........................25Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance ..........................13Eco Alternative Energy ......................................24Elizabeth Crombie, Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty ....................29Fine Line Design....................................................5Greenley’s Bookstore ..........................................25Hastings County Historical Society ...................28Hearts to God, Christian Books and Gifts ........29Hunter Douglas ...................................................32Johnston’s Pharmacy & Gift Shoppe ................16Kelly’s Flowers & Gifts .........................................29L’Auberge de France Bistro, Bakery & Gourmet Shop .................................25Leona Dombrowsky, MPP, Prince Edward-Hastings .........................24Madawaska Art Shop Gifts & Gallery ................26Market Café & Fudge Factory, The ...................29Maynooth General Store ...................................26McKeown Motor Sales ........................................8McMichael Jewellers ..........................................16Mill Creek Spa .....................................................29Municipality of Tweed .........................................23 Old Hastings Gallery, The .................................17Old Tin Shed, The ..............................................17Prince Edward County Antique Show & Sale ...29Paulo’s Italian Trattoria .......................................25Plumbing Plus ......................................................12Quinte Global Foods ..........................................29Regent Theatre, The ..........................................13Rustic Routes/HI Country ....................................5Scotia McLeod Financial Services Inc. ..............25 Star Lite House Tour..............................................5Stirling Festival Theatre ........................................5Stirling-Rawdon BIA .............................................. 5 Studio 737 Art Gallery ........................................23Sun Volts Unlimited ............................................29Tweed & Area Studio Tour .................................23Tweed Chamber of Commerce .........................23Vintage Junction ...................................................5Ward’s Marine ......................................................31Welcome Wagon ................................................28West Wings/Infinity Clothing ..............................5Wild Rose Sandwich Shop, The .........................29Wilson’s of Madoc ..............................................16Wine Kitz ................................................................5


• c r o s s r o a d s •


Country Roads


Country Roads


Country Roads


RCIn The Mailbox

Dear COUNTRY ROADSYour magazine really grabbed my heart and soul.

I was born in Marysville and know all about the Wyman’s bridge being replaced and the general area of Hastings County. You people have it all covered. Love it.

I was in the 4H Club through high school and always had to go to Stirling for the Awards Night. My Dad drove me there to pick up my award and four dollar cheque, just for being in the 4H Club.

Edward FreemanOshawa, ON

Dear COUNTRY ROADSI look for the new issue every time I go to the library and enjoy every story, and I often visit places you have written about, either by myself or with company.

There are so many wonderful areas here in Hastings that it would take a lifetime to find them with-out you. Thanks for the mag.

Patricia BeurtreauxMarmora, ON

Dear COUNTRY ROADSThis is just a short note to pass on our satisfaction with your magazine as an advertising medium. The response to our ad has been quite gratifying.

We’re very proud of our products and our service, but we’ve rarely advertised, so it’s nice to have such a positive response, and to be able to reach a wider audience.

Thank you for your excellent publication.

Julie LangeDirector of Wealth Management; Branch Manager Scotia McLeod, Belleville office

In The News!

P.O. Box 423, Stirling, ON K0K 3E0 • P: 613 395-0499 • F: 613 395-0903 E: [email protected] • www.countryroadshastings.ca

Casey Ruttan recently placed in the top 10 in a Quinte Fishing Series event.Photo courtesy Casey Ruttan

Stirling’s Casey Ruttan, who was one of the experts consulted in our ‘Gone Fish-ing’ feature in the Summer, 2010 issue of COUNTRY ROADS, placed eighth in the Quinte Fishing Series bass tourna-ment Aug. 28-29.

Ruttan and his teammate Jeff Kerr pulled in a fish weighing in at 17.15 pounds.

The event was the final qualifier for the Quinte Classic. First place went to Danny Elliott and Ed Bunnett with a fish weighing 19.90 pounds to lead the 67 teams competing. •


Country Roads


Country Roads


Country Roads


RCDon’t miss a single issue!

Get your subscription today.COVERING THE ARTS, OUTDOORS, HISTORY, PEOPLE AND PLACES


Things to see and do in Hastings CountyTo submit your event listing email [email protected] or call us at 613 395-0499.

• country calendar •

GUEST SPEAKERGUEST SPEAKER

FLORA MacDONALDP.C., C.C., O. Ont., O. N.S.

on

The Other News From AfghanistanEfforts to Build Peace Through Social Development

Flora MacDonald is deeply involved in developing social projects inAfghanistan to improve daily life in that war-torn country. Her presentationwill focus on efforts to stimulate and encourage self-sufficiency on the partof the Afghan people. It’s a story of what one influential Canadian can do tobetter the lives of people half a world away.

RAMADA HOTEL BALLROOM

Saturday, November 6, 2010

(Social Hour 6:00 pm, Dinner 7:00 pm)

Tickets $50

Book Now: Richard Hughes 613-961-7772, Vera Morton 613-966-4859Greenley's Book Store, Front Street, Belleville

Proceeds to the Community Archives Development Fund

HASTINGS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETYANNUAL BANQUET AND CELEBRATION OF HERITAGE


ART GALLERIES/EXHIBITIONS

Art Gallery of Bancroft, 10 Flint Avenue, Bancroft, 613-332-1542 www.agb.weebly.com Sept 29 - Oct 31 - “Bark, Bark” Works by Kevin & Julie Lockau Opening Reception October 1, Sponsored by Bartlette Insurance, Insur-

ance Brokers Nov 3 – 28 - Early Christmas at the

AGB (Featuring the work of DAVID PAR-SON)

Opening Reception November 5 - In memory of Paul David Cooke

Belleville Art Association, 392 Front St., Belleville. 613-968-8632. Sept 14 – Oct 9 - ...scapes Oct 13 - Nov 6 – Artists Choice Nov 9 – Dec 11 – Autumn Colour Gallery ArtPlus, 54 North Front St. Belleville. K8P 3B3 613-961-1977 ext. 246 , [email protected] September 25 & October 1 1 1 am – 5pm - Intermediate oil and acrylic

painting classes with Bruce St. Clair, unlock the mysteries of realism For more informa-tion call 613 961 1977 x 231

John M. Parrott Art Gallery, Belleville Public Library, 254 Pinnacle Street, Belleville, 613-968-6731, ext. 2240, www.bellevillelibrary.com Sept 2 – 30 - Galleries One, Two and

Three - Celebration of local artist Manly MacDonald! Original works from our own collection, the Loyalist College Collection and private collections. Glanmore National Historical Site will also display artifacts and personal items which once belonged to the artist.

Oct 7 – 28 - Galleries One and Two – Mindscape - Annual juried exhibit – works by members of the Belleville Art Association.

Open Studio Tuesdays - second Tuesday of each month from 10 am to 1 pm, begin-

ners and professionals come together to create, share and learn in this unstructured and casual atmosphere.

Madoc Performing Arts Centre, Centre Hastings Park, Madoc Nov 5 – 7pm – KEN WHITELEY, Blues,

Roots & Gospel - One of Canada’s most re-spected “roots” musicians and a 7 time Juno award nominee he has performed and recorded with such legends as Pete Seeger, John Hammond Jr., Tom Paxton, Blind John Davis, Stan Rogers, The Campbell Brothers, Guy Davis, Raffi, Linda Tillerey & the Cul-tural Heritage Choir and countless others. Tickets $15.00 call Dianne at 613-473-4281 or available at the door. Doors open 6pm

Tweed Heritage Centre Art Gallery 40 Victoria St., Tweed. 613-478-3989. Sept – Native Show Oct – Abstract Nov – Military Show Dec – Art Show and Sale

THEATRE/LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Bancroft Village Playhouse, 613-332-5918 Oct 2 – MY SWEET PATOOTIE! - Armed

with fiddle, finger-style guitar and two voices, My Sweet Patootie is an old-fash-ioned shotgun wedding of cool uptown swing and rural Ontario grit. Annual Fund-raiser for the Bancroft Village Playhouse.

Belleville Theatre Guild, 613-967-1442 www.bellevilletheatreguild.ca Oct 14 – 30 - STAFF ROOM by Joan Bur-

rows, directed by Bill Petch. A funny and sometimes poignant glimpse at the adven-tures behind the door of “any” high school staff room. Winner of Best Production at the 2004 Theatre Ontario Festival!

Quinte Film Alternative, P.O. Box 22172, Bellevile, www.quintefilmalternative.caor call 613-391-4310 Sept. 15- Mao’s Last Dinner Sept. 29- Max Manus Oct 13- The Secret In Their Eyes

Oct.27- I Killed My Mother Nov. 10- I Am In Love Nov. 24- The Girl Who Played With Fire Dec. 08- Winter’s Bone The Regent Theatre, 224 Main St., Picton, Ontario, 613-476-8416, ext. 28 or 877-411-4761 www.theregenttheatre.org The Stirling Festival Theatre, West Front St., Stirling 613-395-2100 1-877-312-1162 www.stirlingfestivaltheatre.com Sept 18 – 8pm - The Big Band Revue

featuring The Commodores A benefit for the Community Cupboard

(Special Dinner at 6PM) Sept 22 - 25 - ELVIS - The Concert Se-

ries, The great Stephen Kabakos returns with an exciting series of concerts, each one perfectly re-creating the songs, costumes and arrangements. Pre show dinner $20.

Oct 1 - Jimmy The Janitor - Jimmy re-turns from P.E.I. with a comedy show that is sure to please everyone. Jimmy’s “clean” style of humour is will keep you in stitches!

Oct 6 – 2pm & 8pm - Walter Ostanek - The Polka King returns to Stirling for a great concert of polka and traditional tunes, favourite country classics and beer barrels of entertainment!

Oct 16 – 8pm - Hot Rocks The Roll-ing Stones Show - A theater-like show complete with the sound, the look and the energy. You’ll get satisfaction!

FALL STUDIO TOURS

Sept 18 &19- Apsley Autumn Studio Tour - www.apsleystudiotour.com 705-656-2235 Sept 25&26, Oct 2&3 - Bancroft and Area Autumn Studio Tour. Various Locations. www.bancroftstudiotour.org 613-332-4111 Oct 2 &3, – 13th Annual Tweed & Area Studio Tour – 10 am – 5 pm www.tweedstudiotour.orgOct 2, 3, 9 & 10 - Haliburton Studio Tour, Haliburton County www.haliburtonstudiotour.on.ca 705-457-9110

Oct 16, 17 - 10 am - 5 pm -The County Handspinners present their annual FIBRE ARTS SHOW AND SALE at Foxglove Studio, 30 Wellington St., Bloomfield, Ont. Handknit, woven, felted, hooked items and more. Spin-ning and weaving demonstrations. Call (613) 393-1352 Free admission.Oct 30, 10am - 4pm - Arts Quinte West Au-tumn Show and Sale, Knights of Columbus Hall, Trenton. Recent works in painting, pho-tography, sculpture and more. Free admission. 613-392-7635 www.artsquintewest.ca

EVENTS

Sept 17 – 19 – Prince Edward County Antiques Show, Featuring a wide selection of antiques and collectibles...Crystal Palace, Picton Fair Grounds, 375 Main Street EastPicton, Prince Edward County. Admission $4.00 For more information contact:Holly Newland at (613) 393-5886 [email protected] Sept 19, 10 am-4 pm - First Annual Open Farms Tour - Visit more than 30 operating farms within a 100 km radius of Kingston in the height of the harvest season! Learn about local food production and meet the farmers who grow our food. Buy products at farm gate. www.openfarms.ca. Sept 25 -TASTE! a celebration of regional cui-sine Historic Crystal Palace, Picton11am – 5pm A Top 100 Ontario Festival. TASTE! showcases the finest artisanal products, wines, beers, cider and cuisine that Ontario’s Gastro-nomical Capital, Prince Edward County, has to offer. Must be 19 years of age and older to attend.866-845-6644 www.tastecelebration.ca Sept 25 & 26, 10 am - 4pm - Amazing Graze Alpacas - Canadian Alpaca Farm Days Open House Experience the joy of alpaca! Meet this year’s cria crop. Spinning, felt-ing and weaving demonstrations will be hap-pening throughout the day. In addition to our usual selection of yarns, rovings and felt sheets

and the always popular alpaca socks, we have hats, mittens, scarves and shawls made from our alpacas’ fibre. All of our product is Made in Canada. Free admission. 127 Sine Road, Stir-ling, 613-395-6406 www.amazinggrazealpacas.ca Sept 25 & 26 - Maguire’s Motocross Rac-ing Series, Don’t miss the season wrap up at the Madoc Fairgrounds. www.mmrs.ca Oct 31 - Spooktacular! Have a ghoulish good time trick or treating at Memorial Parkwww.marmoraandlake.ca Nov 1 – 25 – Stirling Village Christmas – Raffle for holiday wreaths, trees, and swags. Visit participating stores to pick up map and tickets. www.stirling-rawdon.com Nov 5 -7 - Batawa Race Club Ski Swap, Batawa Ski Hill, Batawa, Sat 8am - 4pm, Sun 8am - 2pm 613-398-6568 www.batawaskiracing.on.ca Nov 6 - Hastings County Historical Society- Annual Banquet And Celebration Of Heritage, Guest Speaker - FLORA Mac-DONALD P.C., C.C., O. Ont., O. N.S.Flora MacDonald is deeply involved in develop-ing social projects in Afghanistan to improve daily life in that war-torn country. Her presen-tation will focus on efforts to stimulate and encourage self-sufficiency on the part of the Afghan people. Ramada Hotel Ballroom (Social Hour 6:00 pm, Dinner 7:00 pm) Tickets $50 Book Now: Richard Hughes 613-961-7772, Vera Morton 613-966-4859, Greenley’s Book Store, Front Street, Belleville. Proceeds to the Community Archives Develop-ment Fund Nov 11 - Remembrance Day in Bancroft, Bancroft Legion Hall (613) 332-3250 Nov 11 - Remembrance Day in Maynooth, ANAF Cenotaph, Maynooth, 1pm (613) 338-2343 Nov 13 & 14 - Bancroft Art & Craft Guild Christmas Show & Sale 2010 10 am – 4 pm: (613) 338-5431

Nov 17 – 7pm - Bancroft Horticultural Society Meeting, Riverstone Retire-ment Residence, 34 Hastings St. S., Bancroft (613)-332-4365 Member discussion. Garden successes and disappointments. Competition: “Tall Pines” An arrangement featuring tall greenery, branches, seed pods, dried flowers and suitable props. New members always welcome. Nov 19 & 20 - Rally of the Tall Pines, Dungannon Recreation Centre, Just imagine if you took a small car, gave it four-wheel-drive, turbocharged it to over 300 horsepower, and then drove it flat-out sideways down twisty treacherous forest roads – lined with trees, rocks and rows of cheering fans. Kicking up dirt or snow, spitting flames. Sliding on the edge of control, and sometimes over it! www.tallpinesrally.com Nov 20-Dec 5- P.E.C. –WASSAIL WINE FESTIVAL - Wassailing is an age old tra-dition, as the harvest comes to a close Winegrowers (and wine drinkers!) celebrate the harvest with music, entertainment and generally toast to good health and good crops. www.thecountywines.com or call 613-921-7100 or 1-888-313-WINE Nov 25 – 4 – 9 pm - Star Lite Christmas House Tour, Tour 6 lovely area homes, and historic St. Paul’s United Church in Stirling - all are ready for the Holidays and waiting to welcome you ! Tickets $20.00 For info: 613-395-0015 or 613-395-2976Funds raised to support the Hastings County Museum of Agricultural Heritage.

If you would like to include your community event in ourfree COUNTRY CALENDAR listing please email details to [email protected]. 22, 2010 is the deadline for events occurring early Dec thru mid Feb 2011.


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September 17, 2-7pm September 18, 10am-5pm September 19, 11am-4pm Crystal PalacePicton Fair Grounds, 375 Main Street EastPicton, Prince Edward County*2011 Spring Show & Sale April 29,30 & May 1st

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Front Street, Belleville on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918. Vehicles and dogs decorated for the occasion.

Photo appears in Belleville – A Popular History, by Gerry Boyce. Photo courtesy Hastings County Historical Society

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