BENNS’ BELIEF: CULTURAL ASSAULT BY U.S. | TREVOR’S TAKE: SILENCE NOT AN OPTION AFTER HATE CRIME IN FENELON
THE LINDSAY ADVOCATE KAWARTHA LAKES’ FINEST MAGAZINE
AUG 2020
s e k a L a h t r a Kaw d trip roa part 2
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August 2020 • Vol 3 • Issue 28
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CONTENTS KAWARTHA LAKES’ FINEST MAGAZINE
FEATURES
EDITORIAL
Publisher and Writer-at-Large: Roderick Benns Contributing Editor: Trevor Hutchinson Associate Editor: Nancy Payne Research, Strategy & Development: Joli Scheidler-Benns Contributing Writers: Nancy Payne, Joli Scheidler-Benns,
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Kirk Winter, Geoff Coleman, Trevor Hutchinson, Jamie Morris, Ian McKechnie Web Developer: Kimberley Griffith LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND TO
kawarthalakespublisher@gmail.com ADVERTISING & MARKETING
Advertising/Editorial inquiries: Roderick Benns
705-341-1496
CREATIVE
Graphic Design: Barton Creative Co. Photography: Madelaine MacDonald, Nancy Payne,
Evan Aube
On our Cover: Lauren Phillips of Lindsay and her dog, Pancho, visit Kawartha Settlers’ Village in Bobcaygeon.
Visit www.lindsayadvocate.ca for many more stories FOLLOW US ON
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The Lindsay Advocate @lindsayadvocate Roderick Benns @roderickbenns
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Printed by Maracle Inc. OUR PRIVACY POLICY The Lindsay Advocate is independently owned and operated. The opinions expressed herein are the views of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of this magazine. Photos, text, and art work contained in The Lindsay Advocate are copyrighted and may not be published, broadcast, or rewritten without the express permission of the Publisher. Liability for incorrectly displayed advertising is limited to publishing corrections or advertising credit for subsequent issues. The Publisher reserves the right to reject, revise, cancel, omit, discontinue or even decline to print advertising without reason or liability, and without notice. The Publisher has made every effort to ensure information contained herein was accurate at press time. The Publisher does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for damage, loss, or disruption caused by errors or omissions.
26 Resilient small businesses are weathering this storm. 30 HAVE A LITTLE FAITH
The east side of Kawartha Lakes has trails, gardens, heritage, and treats.
Area churches photographed by Evan Aube
14 Editorial: Why we need a “Basic Income Plus”
IN EVERY ISSUE
15 Op-Ed: Government budgets should reflect our caring society 17 WEARING MASKS The latest challenge for local businesses.
/The Lindsay Advocate PRINTING
23 Smallmouth bass paradise in Kawartha Lakes.
4 Letters to the Editor 5 Benns’ Belief 6 UpFront 32 Heirloom Recipe 33 Crossword 35 Friends & Neighbours 36 Just in Time 38 Trevor’s Take
Our Vision
We care about the social wellness of our community and our country. Our vision includes strong public enterprises mixed with healthy small businesses to serve our communities’ needs. We put human values ahead of economic values and many of our stories reflect the society we work to build each day. ~ Roderick and Joli
Advertising Sales: Contact us at 705-341-1496 • kawarthalakespublisher@gmail.com
A TE
LIN
Polarization: Enemy of the Good
DSAY
AD O C V
Winter wins gun debate, says reader
Regarding the great gun control debate (June Advocate), it is my humble opinion Kirk Winter would be the winner by far when he states the proposed federal gun law makes no one safer. On the contrary, it makes society less safe. As the late Paul Harvey would say, you need to know the rest of the story. Soon the federal police will be spending more resources on policing, monitoring, surveillance and punishing responsible gun owners than they will be spending on preventing terrorism, cyber espionage, and criminal activity. This legislation will have no impact on criminal activity. Criminals are clearly beyond the reach of government and police. They don’t register their firearms, they don’t practice safe storage, and certainly don’t discharge their firearms in a safe manner. Wayne Garfield, Lindsay
Cedar Valley Park’s wetlands are being ruined, says reader
An update to Ian McKechnie’s July Advocate article on trailer parks. Cedar Valley Park was bought out by another owner and they are completely destroying the beauty of the park. Many trees have been removed and the shoreline is torn up. Turtles are struggling to live, and birds and herons no longer have a place to be living. My friends who have loved this park are now moving out along with a few other persons because they are not happy with the way the trailer park is being ruined. Having visited my friends at the park, I am wondering if Lindsay and environmental services approve of the destruction of wetland areas along the river. Heather Peter, Kawartha Lakes (Ms. Peter copied Kawartha Lakes Mayor Andy Letham on this letter. He in turn copied us on his response, which we have condensed.) Heather, any work being done along a waterfront or a wetland area would require approvals from a conservation authority or the Trent-Severn Waterway. ~ Mayor Andy Letham
Regardless of the good intentions in reasoning, could we be reducing our personal freedom due to the need of being “right” and not know it? Each successive generation takes for granted what the previous generation worked hard for. At the same time, elders do not fully understand what the new generations’ struggles are. The nuances in relationships with a vast difference in points of view, especially across generations and socio-economic groups, makes for an environment not conducive for healthy debate. Adding fear will only stoke the nuances of these relationships. Everyone is well-meaning in their intentions However different from your own, being empathetic to others’ view of what is “right” will help your own opinion. Becoming polarized is the enemy of the good. Our society was built on different perspectives striving for their version of the common good. It is messy but so is a meal made from scratch and has the same outcome: they are both healthy. Replace name-calling and lines in the sand with a healthy debate and anything is possible. If we expect this for ourselves, our elected officials will hopefully follow. After all, their purpose is to represent the culture of their constituents. To quote Winston Churchill “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Now is the time to debate a new normal that works better for all. Wesley Found, Lindsay
A Staycationer
Really enjoyed your article (Backyard Tourist, July Advocate) but wish there had been an accompanying map. Being a new “Lindsayite” I am only familiar with Highway 35 and would love to visit these places. Hope you write about more interesting places to visit. Dawn Boland, Lindsay, a staycationer
We want your letters! Send us your thoughts to be featured on this page.
The Lindsay Advocate welcomes your Letters to the Editor. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity or length. Simply email thelindsayadvocate@gmail.com. Please keep your letters to 200 words or less.
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BENNS’ BELIEF
RODERICK BENNS, Publisher
Cultural Assault
One of the most irritating things I used to come across regularly in magazines was ads for U.S.-based products with fine print at the bottom that read “Canadian and foreign orders” should add x amount of money to cover shipping. I was never irked at the extra cost; I was dismayed that we were listed separately from foreign orders — as if we were some Puerto Rico-like territory of the U.S. Every day I make a conscious effort to limit my consumption of news or entertainment about the U.S. and I largely ignore news from the U.S. I instead turn to the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and National Post, and CBC in print and online — with a touch of BBC thrown in. This attitude is not being anti-American. This is actually what being a citizen of an independent nation usually looks like. It’s just that in Canada we must work harder to find Canadian shows to watch, pinpoint Canadian books to read, and ignore the dominance of U.S. news outlets. The U.S. pull on our country is enormous. We must make an extra effort through our own actions — and our own policies — to resist the magnetic pull of a country that sees entertainment, consumerism and political rule (usually entwined) as the three tenets of nationhood. When we don’t insist that labour or colour be spelled with a u; when we don’t monitor the level of our own consumption of foreign (U.S.) news and entertainment; when we travel repeatedly to the U.S. and have next to no understanding of other parts of Canada; when we know more about how the U.S. political system works than our own; then we lose a little bit of our Canadian soul each time. It is both an act of neglect toward our own country and political and cultural neglect by politicians. There are things we must do immediately. We should require Netflix, Amazon, Apple and other major content creators to spend 30 per cent of their gross revenue on making original Canadian content, as Richard Stursberg, the former deputy minister of culture and broadcasting for Canada, suggests. We must make movies that reflect our experience as a people, not have Toronto stand in for Chicago to further U.S. expectations for all-American entertainment. Stursberg also suggests dedicated tax credits to support the production, promotion and export of true Canadian content. The widespread prevalence and availability of U.S. entertainment is akin to a permissible assault on Canadian culture – and the permissibility lies at the feet of the federal government (both past and current.) The federal Liberal government made a lot of noise about addressing this issue when it was first elected but has done little to prove it is genuinely interested. Our local MP, Jamie Schmale, should hold them accountable on that note.
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UPFRONT
Local funeral homes kick-start funding to increase urban canopy of city Mackey Funeral Home Inc. and Stoddart Funeral Home have made a total donation of $5,000 to help seed an urban tree canopy in Kawartha Lakes. The new committee of concerned citizens is known as Canopy Project Kawartha Lakes (CPKL) and was established under the administration of the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes (CFKL). The first planting project that has been chosen by the group is the property owned by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kawartha Lakes on Lindsay Street in Lindsay. “The club is thrilled to have been approached to become the first site for an urban canopy project,” says Amy Terrill, executive director. “By increasing the tree cover and diversity on the site, we know that it will become a more welcoming, healthy space for children and families.” Mike Perry, CFKL president, says this could make a practical difference. “It is partnerships like these that are making a real difference in our community.” To donate funds to the CPKL, e-transfer to the email info@kawarthafoundation.ca. In a separate email, provide your full name, address and date of deposit for the benefit of a tax receipt, as well as the answer to a security question. Otherwise cheques can be issued to Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes and mailed to: Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes Suite 211, Kent Place 189 Kent St. W., Lindsay, ON K9V 5G6. Or visit www.kawar thafoundation.ca Discussing plans for the first urban canopy site in the city. and follow the links on Canada Photo: Roderick Benns. Helps to make a credit card donation.
March for Basic Income Plus on Sept. 19 On Sept. 19, people in 36 cities across Canada (and still counting) will show their support for basic income with a march through their downtowns — including in Lindsay here in Kawartha Lakes. Sponsored by CEOs for Basic Income, a Toronto-based group of 120 Canadian corporate leaders and business owners, the march will be organized locally by the Advocate. Building on the momentum around basic income as a result of pandemicrelated government subsidies such as the CERB, citizens in Kawartha Lakes and other cities will be marching for Basic Income Plus. This idea includes five issues: basic income, a green economy, affordable housing, universal pharmacare and more publicly-owned enterprises. Learn more in the Advocate’s editorial on page 12. The Advocate will help connect unions, community service organizations, and concerned citizens for the march. Contact Joli to sign up or for more information at jsbenns@yorku.ca. Please wear a mask and observe all relevant public health guidelines.
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Business UPFRONT
CMS Web Solutions founders have a passion for tech — and trees Richard and Sandi Gauder have a few passions in life and two of the big ones are technology and the environment. The Gauders own and operate CMS Web Solutions, specializing in custom-built WordPress websites for organizations — including taking care of the accessibility requirements now required by the Accessibility for Ontario Disabilities Act (AODA). They also offer “green” and all-Canadian-based hosting. (Full disclosure: The Advocate’s much-read news site is hosted by CMS.) Green hosting simply means using green technologies to reduce environmental impact. The Gauders moved to Lindsay from Port Perry a few years ago. Although they have clients across North America, they remain a business firmly anchored in this region. They love the fact that technology has allowed them to move farther north, away from the city. “People ask me all the time why we live and work here. I tell them ‘Because we can,’” Richard says. Their passion for the environment includes running Plant a Forest (plantaforest.ca) where their concept is simple. They buy trees and plant them — lots of them.
Richard and Sandi Gauder
In fact, last year they planted more than 600 trees. People can visit the website and click Support the Project to buy a tree or two. They make no money from the project and simply to do it to help the environment. “We pool 100 per cent of the money, go straight to the tree nursery and buy the trees. We’ll even let you know where we’re planting them, so if possible, you can visit them and see them grow,” Richard says. Trees and shrubs that they plant typically range from $2.50 to $15 each, so it’s an affordable way for most people to get involved, he says. “The more money we raise for a project, the bigger the trees we can purchase,” Sandi explains.
Pooch Pride }} Dogs dressed to celebrate diversity The staff at Adelaide Clinic, in co-ordination with Kawartha Lake Pride, organized the second annual Pooch Pride event recently. Dogs were decorated in rainbows and multicoloured hues while humans were encouraged to dress similarly to celebrate diversity. Given the pandemic it was a drop-in event this year, so people could take part in whatever part of the walk they wanted to do, with proper social distancing in effect. Adelaide Clinic used pool noodles to help gauge proper spacing. The route went east on Kent, north onto Victoria Avenue North and west onto Bond Street, and then south on Adelaide Street North.
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Backyard Tourist
}} Trails, Gardens, Heritage, Treats Explore the eastern part of Kawartha Lakes to get reacquainted with familiar favourites and discover more than a few delightful surprises.
NANCY PAYNE Associate Editor
Kawartha Lakes road trip
Gamiing Nature Centr
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Anna’s Perennials Wilson’s Blueberries
Busy Bee Bakery Kawartha Coffee Company Kawartha Settlers’ Village Wilderness Park Boyd Museum The Italian Hot Table KawLoarckt3h2a La Bobcaygeon Bakerykes road trip Mennonite bounty liot t FaHalllls CoroElna tion
Doube’sthe Trestle stoneBridge barn
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Lock 32 in Bobcaygeon Photo: Fred Thornhill
ria rotoadvisit in the eastern part If you think you know the besttoplaces of Kawartha Lakes, you may be right. After all, you don’t need me to OAksare wonderful, nor should tell you that Bigley’s and Kawartha Dairy Quaker you need reminding that when the Lakeview Arts Barn is back in full operation, you really must take in a Globus victoria fallsTheatre show or other event there. I, too, figured I was pretty familiar with the area stretchKirkand fieldtheLifeastern ing roughly from Bobcaygeon t Lock arm of Sturgeon Lake south to Omemee but I found lots to enjoy when I took my time den Alvseeing and approached my travels likeCaartourist ar it all for the first time. I came away refreshed, happy and well-fed, and deeply impressed ry’s cemete with the commitment of local volunteers to ry preserving and sharing St. Ma our natural beauty and heritage. This is definitely the year to slow onactually e Fencesgo in — there’s no better down, stop driving by places St and way to remind yourself how very lucky we are to live here.
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kawartha Lakes
ottawa
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peterborough
115 toronto
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1. Gamiing Nature Centre Pronounced “gah-MINJ,” this privately owned not-for-profit conservation site on Pigeon Lake is open to anyone who wants to walk the peaceful trails. Admission is by donation. It’s a good idea to take a photo of the map at the trailhead. Oh, and the deerflies were fierce when I visited in July.
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2. Anna’s Perennials
3. Wilson’s Fresh Blueberries
This is so much more than just a place to buy plants, although it’s that too, and Anna herself grows the vast majority of what she sells, including a huge selection of succulents — plants with thick fleshy tissues for water storage. Vast gardens range from arid and rocky — complete with actual cacti — to cool and shady. When I described where I was thinking of planting one of my selections, Anna won me over forever by telling me I’d be wasting my money. 63 Shoreview Rd. Another great stop with local plants and produce: Rural Roots Gardens, 2369 KL #36
I was surprised and please when I found this family-run operation a few years ago. It offers pick-your-own service or ready-picked berries, and it deserves to be better known. This year the heat is affecting the season, which usually runs until September. Call 705-799-0315 or check Facebook to find out when they’re picking. 61 Settlement Rd.
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4. Busy Bee Bakery Sure, there are meat pies, bread, tarts, cookies and more available at this Mennonite-run store, but I zeroed in on the mini-pies. Picture fruit-filled pastry, deep-fried and dipped in a doughnut glaze. They’re every bit as good as you’re imagining. 2173 Pigeon Lake Rd. CONT’D ON PAGE 10
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BACKYARD TOURIST CONT’D FROM PAGE 9
5. Kawartha Coffee Company Bobcaygeon’s buzziest patio, great vibe, funky and inclusive. People-watch or settle in with a book. 58 Bolton St.
6. Kawartha Settlers’ Village Way too many people have never heard of this gem in Bobcagyeon, or heard of it but never visited. I’m guilty, too; since our kids have grown up, I’ve only attended special events here, but I fell in love with it all over again as I wandered the peaceful grounds with information brochure in hand. The village provides a close-up look at settler life in our area, from the claustrophobic log shanty to the gorgeous quilts in the Wray House. An exhibition on the history of the local dairy industry features items provided by Don Crowe of Kawartha Dairy — my favourite was the oldfashioned milkshake machine. Bring a picnic and be sure to walk the pretty Discovery Trail behind the village. Admission prices are extremely reasonable, and there are bathrooms! 85 Dunn St. 6
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7. Wilderness Park This is a perfect add-on to any visit to Bobcaygeon, thanks to dedicated volunteers who worked to preserve this little piece of “the land between” (as in, between the Canadian Shield and the St. Lawrence Lowlands). It takes less than 20 minutes to walk the well-maintained trails — just enough to whet your appetite for an ice cream cone. Head east out of the village on KL #36 and turn right on Wilderness Park Rd.
8. Boyd Museum This is a terrific little museum that’s easy to overlook. It doesn’t take long to explore and is chock-full of wellorganized and presented artifacts, many related to the prominent Boyd lumbering family. This summer there’s a special show featuring wedding gowns from decades past. The friendly staff provided me with a binder to guide me through the permanent collection and another for the dresses, which are displayed throughout the museum. Admission by donation. 21 Canal St. E.
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9. The Italian Hot Table I’d walked or driven by this spot way too often until I finally tried it last year and became an instant fan. Everything is hearty, homemade and delicious, and the sisters who run it, Gabby and Nadia, are unbelievably warm and welcoming. 74 Bolton St.
10. Lock 32
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FAVOURITE FOODS I haven’t tried every restaurant and bakery in the area, but besides the ones mentioned in this article, I can recommend The Grilled Cheese Hideaway, Just for the Halibut and breakfast at the Full Cup Café in Bobcaygeon. Oh, and don’t ever drive by Mickaël’s in Omemee without stopping in. “Be sure to check beforehand for opening hours and the kind of service offered.
When you live here, it’s easy to get pretty blasé about the Trent-Severn Waterway. This time, I pretended I’d never seen any of it before as the barriers clanged down and the bridge swivelled to let the boats into the lock, and then the water level lifted to send them on their way. You know what? It’s really cool. 11
Photo: Bobcaygeon Bakery
11. Bobcaygeon Bakery “Picky” is such a nasty word. Maybe … “particular”? I love to bake, and I’ll go out of my way for a good bakery, but it better be worth the calories. This one is. The demi-baguette was excellent, and I highly recommend both the strawberry-rhubarb bars and the honeypecan squares. 9 King St. E. CONT’D ON PAGE 12
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BACKYARD TOURIST
PARK IT
CONT’D FROM PAGE 11
12. Mennonite bounty If you take KL #36 to or from Bobcaygeon, be sure to stop at one of the locations selling fresh eggs, maple syrup, and maybe even crafts and quilts. My favourite is the Family Farm Produce store, 1202 KL #36, with its piles of whatever vegetables are in season. Visit on Friday or Saturday and there’s home baking, too. All of these Old Order Mennonite establishments are closed on Sundays, naturally. Please drive respectfully in this area, and slow right down when you see a horse and buggy.
13. Coronation Hall Track down the self-guided tour on the city’s Explore Kawartha Lakes website to hear fascinating historic anecdotes about this beautiful building. Its grounds are also the site of the village cenotaph and a marker honouring local Victoria Cross recipient Harry Brown.
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14. Doube’s Trestle Bridge In the most easterly corner of Kawartha Lakes there’s a beautifully distinct landscape waiting to be discovered. You can cycle or hike here from any point on the main Trans Canada Trail, or take Orange Corners Rd. south from Highway 7 just east of Omemee and watch for the trail signs. It’s about a kilometre walk west to the bridge where you’ll be rewarded with a sweeping vista out over the valley. Unless otherwise credited, all photos by Nancy Payne.
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Whether you want a shallow beach where small kids can splash, a place for a family picnic or some shade by the water to read your book, you’re in luck. Centennial Park south of Bobcaygeon on KL #24, Riverview Park near Bobcaygeon’s Forbert Pool, and the Omemee Beach Park (south on George St. from Hwy. 7; it also has a skate park) are all great places to get out of the house and relax. Check the health unit’s test results before swimming.
Hear Nancy talk about her staycation on episode 11 of The Advocate Podcast, sponsored by Wards Lawyers. You can listen to it for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via thelindsayadvocate.ca.
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EDITORIAL
Basic Income Plus
}} Five demands for a better Canada
Pandemics force us to take stock of our values in society; they clarify our sense of mortality and reveal how strong or weak our social fabric is. More sensitized to our common humanity now, we must organize our economy to care for one another better. What has been exposed in 2020 is that our current economy does not serve the needs of the majority in our society. The social fabric has been torn; too many people are being left behind in poverty, including right here in Kawartha Lakes. To that end, the Advocate has five demands for a better Canada. We call it Basic Income Plus. A Basic Income Plus would build on the widespread support for the Canada Emergency Benefit (CERB), which was in effect a form of basic income. 1) Basic income. It’s time for a social policy that stops people from falling through the cracks and instead gives them a springboard into new job opportunities. 2) Affordable housing. We need relief from skyrocketing home prices and legislation to ensure policies (like basic income) do not unintentionally result in unscrupulous landlords charging higher rents. 3) Universal pharmacare. All Canadians should have access to a common list of drugs that would carry a co-payment of $2, while other drugs would cost $5 as a co-payment. 4) Green economy. It’s time to invest heavily to create meaningful, well-paying jobs that serve a social purpose and address our climate crisis. 5) More public enterprises. This means encouraging all levels of government to consider owning and running, on the people’s behalf, key enterprises. This might mean a pharmaceutical lab or a green energy company. We must limit corporate ownership and foreign ownership in important sectors like these and others. The Advocate will help organize this push locally, provincially, and nationally as we demand action on these five issues. More information to come.
LETTER SPOTLIGHT Pleasant Point history should have been protected The federal government built concrete docks on Sturgeon Lake circa 1880s to accommodate the steamboat traffic on the lake from Lindsay, Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls. People like George Crandell and John Hay had the foresight to see that tourism and not commercial traffic would be the future of the Kawarthas and in particular Sturgeon Lake. Crandell built a hotel on Sturgeon Point, and an inn was built at Pleasant Point. Every weekend there would be an influx of vacationers and family picnics to the “points” utilizing the government docks in each of these locations. The federal government decided to offer the government docks to the local municipalities. Sturgeon Point accepted their dock, but the town of Lindsay decided they would not. In the cover of darkness in March 2000 the government dock at Pleasant Point was removed, much to the shock of local residents. Fortunately, today with the help of councillor Ron Ashmore we now have a dock, launching and swimming area for everyone to enjoy. Everyone must get involved to protect our history because there are those who have no understanding or respect for the unique place called Pleasant Point. George Baillie, Pleasant Point
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OPINION
Pandemic has proven we’re a caring society; government budgets should reflect this
Michael Wesch, a cultural anthropologist and professor, says there are three main questions that unite all of humanity. “What am I doing here? What am I supposed to be doing? And am I doing it right?” COVID-19 has all of us asking these questions again even if we thought we had them figured out. Our governments, for example, are starting to conclude that no, they had not been doing things right. Austerity measures our society has experienced over the last 40-plus years (from both Conservative and Liberal budgets at different levels) were based on notions of self-interest and greed. I would argue our society is founded on ideas of care and social well-being. That’s why governments are going to revisit their long-term care funding and approach. If we weren’t a caring society, then there wouldn’t have been the great national swell of sadness and outrage over our elderly dying the way they did in long-term care homes, like what occurred at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon. A pure capitalist would see the elderly as a drain on society and this outcome as a relief to our healthcare system. Obviously, this is not how we responded as Canadians. Instead we demanded to have an inquiry and expressed outrage over the needless loss of lives. Prior to the pandemic we were already seeing cuts to our healthcare, education and social programs. Our long-term care home infection rates are shown to be a direct result to provincial cuts that had continued over several years. Chicago School economists would say that governments need to keep their hands off and let the free market handle things. This theory would say that everyone in competition with each other means that the strongest survive. Even if this were remotely true within
JOLI SCHEIDLER-BENNS
a pure free market, the free market has never truly been free and is especially broken now. It rewards, disproportionately, the CEOs and shareholders; it disadvantages the rest of us — those who make up most of society.
A full 77 per cent of Canadians want to see more federal support to municipalities. Without support our city will be left with battered social services and broken infrastructure. Municipalities will be the hardest hit having received less redistribution over the last several years. A full 77 per cent of Canadians want to see more federal support to municipalities, according to a recent Angus Reid poll. Without support our city will be left with battered social services and broken infrastructure. There are ways to ensure we keep our social programs in place and from the same report 75 per cent of Canadians support instituting a wealth tax on the richest in society. Our economic budget should reflect our values of a caring society, focused on our social well-being and a fair recovery, rather than once again turning to cold and unnecessary austerity measures against the people.
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Policing the wearing of masks just the latest challenge for local businesses
KIRK WINTER Writer-at-large
Customers are largely complying with mask requirement while business-owners eye an uncertain post-pandemic future.
All over Kawartha Lakes, business owners are relieved that customers have shifted to wearing the face masks required by the local health unit, but that doesn’t mean their pandemic-related struggles are over. Jim Garbutt of Lindsay’s A Buy and Sell Shop said he hopes this new regulation “will not be one more kick in the pants for local business” in what is turning out to already be a very trying and expensive year. Between the drop in tourist traffic, major construction on Lindsay’s main street, increased cleaning requirements and the reduced number of patrons allowed in an establishment at one time, local businesses are doing their best to weather the economic storm. The health-related measures are necessary to fight the pandemic and prevent a second wave of infection, and retailers and restaurants are complying. While the long-term impact of this summer’s challenges won’t be known for months, in the short term, business-owners are working to police the health unit’s requirement that customers wear masks indoors.
Over the first couple of days after the requirement came into place, local businesses reported that some customers grumbled a little, but the vast majority complied without issue, according to an informal survey of many local businesses. LaMantia’s Country Market in Lindsay reported no problems other than a minor amount of grumbling and the “odd claim of a medical condition,” according to owner David LaMantia. Bigley Shoes in Bobcaygeon said that employees have always been wearing masks for doing fittings while most of their customers were “already wearing masks,” according to a sales representative who spoke briefly with the Advocate. “A handful didn’t like the idea, but they know they don’t have a choice,” she added.
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CONT’D ON PAGE 19
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THE WEARING OF MASKS CONT’D FROM PAGE 17
Grrr8 Finds in Fenelon Falls noted a few customers forgot their masks and simply went back their vehicles to get them. At the Woodville Food Market “a lot came in not wearing masks on Monday” a staff member reported, but compliance the next day was much higher. Foodland Omemee reported “very good compliance” overall and observations by the Advocate at Lindsay Square Mall over the course of half an hour showed 100 per cent of shoppers wearing masks. The rules came into effect on July 13, with some business-owners in favour, others cautiously supportive, and some rejecting the idea of masks altogether. Opponents of the health unit’s decree say it’s too open-ended, unenforceable and will further depress already weak local retail sales by frightening more people to stay at home and shop online. However, David LaMantia, supports the mandatory masks policy. He just wonders why the city didn’t act sooner. “Why are we always following other parts of the province?” LaMantia asked.
“The evidence about the efficacy of face masks keeps getting stronger every day and whether it be a mask or a face shield it is simply the right thing to do,” LaMantia said. “A good percentage of our customers (were) already wearing masks,” LaMantia tells the Advocate, “and customers have told me that they like the fact that all my staff has been wearing masks for weeks.” The use of masks will be required while the provincial emergency order remains in force or until the health unit lifts the requirement. Nearly all businesses and public spaces in our area are in Stage 3 of the province’s reopening framework, including restaurants, with public health and workplace safety measures and restrictions in place. Patrons at restaurants are advised to wear a mask entering and exiting a restaurant even though they can take it off, of course, while eating.
“The evidence about the efficacy of face masks keeps getting stronger every day and whether it be a mask or a face shield it is simply the right thing to do,” LaMantia said. The grocer thinks people will need to get used to wearing masks for some time and the sooner it starts the better. “Everyone needs to take responsibility,” LaMantia said, “and councillors have been missing in action on this issue,” referring to overall leadership on issues connected to the pandemic. LaMantia said his level of extra caution has also applied to truck drivers, delivery people and tradespeople. No one has been allowed into the storage areas of the supermarket over the last month without being masked. The grocer began posting the “mask required” signs on July 8, several days before the health unit’s rules would come into effect. “We feel it was important to give people advance warning,” LaMantia added, “and we have found uptake to the concept has been encouraging.” Melissa McFarland, manager of the Lindsay and District Business Improvement Association (BIA) says its members “have a lot of questions about the new policy.” “They have concerns generally not about the masks themselves but more about the responsibility placed on businesses for enforcing (the mask regulations) specifically in cases where people claim they are exempt,” she said. In written instructions to their member businesses, the BIA said that to comply with the new health order, owners would have to have a written mask policy, signage on the door, and staff in place to remind or question customers about why they aren’t wearing masks. The signs, which the BIA has provided, read, “Stop the Spread: Face masks are required on premises.” Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, the health unit’s local medical officer of health, has promised that public health inspectors will provide additional education and enforcement for operators of commercial establishments. Jim and Lynn Garbutt own A Buy and Sell Shop in downtown Lindsay and are working hard to have their business compliant. “We will have a greeter at the door who will remind people of what is needed to be done,” Jim Garbutt said. “We will do our best on short notice.”
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CONT’D ON PAGE 20
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THE WEARING OF MASKS CONT’D FROM PAGE 19
Treatment for Frozen Shoulder A frozen shoulder is a condition where pain and stiffness occurs in the shoulder joint. These main symptoms frequently begin gradually, get worse with time, and eventually resolve with proper treatment. A frozen shoulder typically lasts about one to three years. Why does a frozen shoulder happen? It often occurs when a person is recovering from an injury or surgery. It’s also more common in women than men. The tissues surrounding the shoulder become thick and tight as scar tissue forms. This makes it difficult to move the shoulder, as well as causes pain. However, chiropractic care can help prevent and treat a frozen shoulder, helping you gain your function and mobility back.
How Can Chiropractic Care Help? A chiropractor can advise on various lifestyle changes to help prevent and reduce the chances of a frozen shoulder from happening. In terms of treating a frozen shoulder, a chiropractor can help address realignment of the spine and determine the root cause of the problem, treating the body as a whole. Your chiropractor will start by assessing your neck and shoulder area. From there, they will address spinal dysfunction and imbalances by creating a treatment plan. Spinal mobilizations and techniques may also be used. Further, modalities, such as transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation, or TENS, may be applied to help manage the pain. The goal is to realign your body and correct imbalances to help resolve the issues leading to your frozen shoulder in the first place.
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He said the guidelines are a little vague and there “appears to be a grey area on what we do if customers don’t co-operate.” For instance, in a Q&A section on the health unit’s website, a question asks “Can a person be refused service for not wearing a non-medical mask or face covering?” The answer says the mask policy “should be enforced in ‘good faith’ and any person not wearing a mask will receive a verbal reminder from the staff of the establishment.” Lynn Garbutt feels for the customers who, for legitimate reasons, can’t wear masks, and who will be “constantly asked as they go from business to business.” “We are trying to encourage people to shop, and we don’t want the mask issue to become a negative.” “There are too many exemptions,” Lynn said, “and it is going to take a week or two for this new policy to really sink in.” According to the health unit decree, exemptions include children under the age of two, children under the age of five who refuse to keep masks on, people who cannot safely wear masks, and people with religious reasons for why they cannot wear a mask. A third business owner who requested anonymity because of the owner’s strong feelings about the mask decree, said that, “we are frustrated beyond belief with the nanny state we have to operate in.” “Ontario has record low number of cases, we have flattened the curve and now we are pushing our customers back into the arms of Amazon.” “Many of our customers are older,” says the owner of the multigenerational business. People “have been very hesitant to come downtown as it is and this completely unnecessary health decree sets us back weeks if not months.” The business owner says there is no small business on Kent Street that will flourish between construction, coronavirus “and now this knee-jerk mask restriction.” “There might not be enough plywood available to cover up all the empty store fronts on Kent Street between now and Christmas.” Mayor Andy Letham, speaking for council and the city in his official video, said that wearing a mask “has always been about protecting others.”
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Kawartha Lakes is a smallmouth bass paradise
GEOFF COLEMAN Writer-at-large
Smallmouth bass are members of the sunfish family, and that is an apt designation, because there is no fish more co-operative in the dog days of summer than Micropterus dolomieu. They bite readily on a variety of baits, give a fight that always makes you think you have a big one regardless of the actual size, and they love the warm days of our summer vacations, becoming very active when August weather arrives. Kawartha Lakes is blessed with incredible opportunities to catch smallmouth. Lakes like Balsam and Sturgeon are known across the province as destinations for both their large numbers of fish, and the chance of getting a trophy-sized catch. In a normal year, numerous professional tournaments are staged on these lakes with literally millions of dollars in boats, motors, electronics, gear and tackle hitting the water in search of bass. Luckily for most of us, largemouth and smallmouth don’t care what kind of boat you are fishing from. And while a larger boat is safer on big lakes, there are bass in smaller lakes and ponds perfectly suited for canoes or kayaks, and they should not be overlooked.
At the end of the last portage we confirmed our one rule governing camp life: if you complained about how someone did a job, you took over that responsibility. Then we shoved off. For years, an ancient mounted fish hung in a Kinmount convenience store. It was dusty, and cracking like aging skin mounts will do. It also was the largest smallmouth bass ever caught in Ontario, and, it came from a small lake just a good cast away from Kinmount. Caught in 1954, it weighed 4.46 kg (9.84 pounds), and had a girth of nearly 46 cm (18 inches.) Yes, girth. That is the length of a nice smallmouth. The length was whopping 61 cm (24 inches.) (The average size smallmouth bass is 15-18 inches.) CONT’D ON PAGE 24
Advocate writer Geoff Coleman shows off a smallmouth bass
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CARRIE PEARSON & MATTHEW MADDOX
Co-founders of Kawartha Lakes Pride
Carrie Pearson and Matthew Maddox, co-founders of Kawartha Lakes Pride, first became friends over their love of mystery novels. Carrie’s favourite book is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and Matthew’s is Partners in Crime. Both titles are by author Agatha Christie.
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SMALLMOUTH BASS CONT’D FROM PAGE 23
Inspired by this history-making catch, a group of friends and I did a long-weekend canoe trip with the goal of finding a small local lake rumoured to be loaded with fish weighing well over five pounds (2.2 kg). At the end of the last portage we confirmed our one rule governing camp life: if you complained about how someone did a job, you took over that responsibility.Then we shoved off. Bass eat all kinds of lures, but crankbaits (a lures with a plastic lip that causes a bait to dive underwater) and tube jigs (a hollow soft plastic lures with tentacle-looking appendages) are good choices when you are travelling light. Crankbaits act like minnows flitting around near the surface and tube jigs act like crayfish roaming among the rocks — so you’re covered from top of the lake to bottom, as bass could be in either place. But knowing this was a rocky lake and knowing that once smallmouth reach a catchable size 90 per cent of their diet will be crayfish if they are available, we went with brown and blue-green tube jigs, and did pretty well. There were no nine-pounders, but we got enough fish for a supper. Sitting around the fire after eating, with the same stars that inspired Gord Downie coming into view, one of the guys took issue with the meal, which was odd since he himself had no cooking skills at all. “That fish was basically bad sushi, the potatoes went beyond baked to burned, and the coffee tasted like something drained from a Mack truck.” A hush fell over the rest of us as we all silently recalled our one rule. But before the silence could be broken, he added, “And that’s just the way I like it.” Despite our meal, most bass don’t end up on the table. They are not as tasty as walleye, perch or crappie, but bass provide a healthy, slightly sweet-flavoured flesh. Bass continue to thrive in our lakes, withstanding fishing pressure from pros and weekenders alike thanks to catch and release fishing, and there is no sportfish easier to release than a bass. Because bass don’t typically live in deep water there is no concern that they will get the fish equivalent of “the bends” when brought to the surface. They are hardy fish, tolerating a wide range of water temperatures and oxygen levels so they can put up with any accidental rough handling. And best of all, gripping them by the lower lip immobilizes them, making it easy to remove the hook and set them free. And that’s just the way they like it.
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Small businesses proving themselves resilient despite pandemic challenges When everything ground to a halt on March 15 in Ontario in an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, most predicted small business would be devastated. There were early signs here to back up that prediction. Castle Keep, a personal support workerfocused business, closed April 17. Acu Total Health, a local acupuncturist, closed soon after. In Fenelon Falls, Dolce and Kawartha Shortbread bakeries closed due to financial pressures from the pandemic. And yet as Kawartha Lakes has begun opening for shopping, dining and other services, it seems we’re making it through without the level of business loss that was expected. The Advocate contacted the Lindsay downtown BIA, the Bobcaygeon Chamber of Commerce and the Fenelon Falls Chamber of Commerce to see how things are going in the three largest local centres.
The BIA general manager credits a combination of targeted, quick-response federal programs and the fact that many businesses had already changed their business operations, expecting a slower year anyway due to downtown reconstruction. The portrait, so far at least, is one of resilience. Melissa McFarland, general manager of the Lindsay downtown BIA, says although three other businesses — Buck or Two Dollar Store, Hair Care Salon on William St. N. and the shoe repair shop on William St. S.
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— have closed since the pandemic, “none of them were COVID-19 related and would have closed this spring regardless,” as leases were up or businesses were sold for personal reasons. The BIA general manager credits a combination of targeted, quick-response federal programs and the fact that many businesses had already changed their business operations, expecting a slower year anyway due to downtown reconstruction. “But the most important element was the tenacity of the businesses, many of whom started online stores, kept active on social media, were doing takeout or curbside pickups and using the opportunity to give excellent service to their customers — it was all enough for them to hang on,” says McFarland. She also credits the community for showing “incredible support,” with people going out of their way to support local businesses. Denise Benning-Reid, manager of the Bobcaygeon Chamber of Commerce, says she didn’t know of any outright closures in the village from the pandemic as of press time. The only storefront that has officially closed is the Kawartha Mediums Zen Den and that is because it went online during the pandemic “and it has worked out very well,” says Bennett-Reid. Zen Den co-owner, Emalee Kidman, says the store is now a “thriving online empire.” Benning-Reid says retail and restaurant sales are “not at traditional levels, but the town seems busy now that the summer cottage and boating season has arrived and there are people out and about.” However, she cautions, “Given that many of our businesses count on the high summer season to make up for the quieter winter, we may not know the full effect of the pandemic until we get through this season.” The Bobcaygeon chamber manager also feels that the combination of the resilience and creativity of local
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business owners and federal government programs combined to give local businesses a chance. “Many businesses came up with new ways to do business, from takeout services, curbside pick up, e-commerce, creative patios,” and more, she says. Marylee Boston, manager of the Fenelon Falls & District Chamber of Commerce, says the past few months “have been challenging” but says local chamber advocacy has been a big help. She says at this point local business owners must face each day with “creativity, flexibility and perseverance.” Boston agrees government programs have provided support for some businesses, “but it is the business owners who’ve worked so hard to transition to continue to serve their customers,” such as new e-commerce solutions. “There has also been great collaboration between businesses as they share resources and knowledge,” Boston says. All three business leaders say they’re optimistic about the remainder of the year — provided there are no more major outbreaks that cause wide-scale shutdowns. In Lindsay, “the reconstruction looks great at the east end of Kent Street,” says McFarland, and “we’re happy about what that’s bringing to the downtown and preparing for next year.” “While nobody has a crystal ball for the future, things are looking good and everyone is optimistic,” she says. MARYLEE BOSTON, MANAGER Benning-Reid points out FENELON FALLS & DISTRICT that marketing programs are CHAMBER OF COMMERCE being developed nationally and locally “and there is a great amount of support in the community for local business.” “I am hopeful that we will all come out of this year with new perspectives on how business can be done and how amazing and supportive our community can be.” Boston, too, feels hopeful. “Fenelon Falls is a community where we rally together to support our friends, neighbours and local businesses, so there is always reason to be optimistic.” For more on how businesses around Kawartha Lakes are coping with new pandemic-related requirements such as wearing masks inside businesses, see “Policing the wearing of masks just the latest challenge for local businesses” on pg. 17.
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New project in downtown Lindsay supports healthy tree canopy Downtown Lindsay’s reconstruction project will include a healthy tree canopy, thanks to better growing conditions. The project uses something called silva cells — rigid frames that are able to support hard surfaces such as asphalt parking lots or sidewalks, but also keep soil loose and provide space for irrigation systems and utilities, according to a media release from Kawartha Conservation. “Trees are most healthy when they are planted in uncompacted soil,” explains Kristie Virgoe, Kawartha Conservation director, stewardship and conservation lands. Loose soil “allows water, air and nutrients to reach their roots, promoting healthy growth and healthy trees.” The challenge with urban development is that pavement and sidewalks compact the soil underneath. This will be the first time the silva cells will be used in a municipal project in Kawartha Lakes. The initiative is a partnership with financial support from RBC, Kawartha Conservation and the city. “This was a great opportunity … we have been able to successfully integrate healthy environmental options that will benefit the municipality and the entire community,” Virgoe says. Juan Rojas, director of engineering and assets for Kawartha Lakes, says the silva cells are being used in one area on the north side of Kent Street at Lindsay Street, with trees being planted without the silva cells opposite them on the south side of the street. “This will provide a great opportunity to see and measure effectiveness,” he says.
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Have a
Little Faith
Photos by Evan Aube
“We sold everything a year ago to pursue a minimalist lifestyle and travel,” Evan Aube tells the Advocate. “We spent this past winter exploring Costa Rica.” “When we returned a month earlier than expected and to everything being shut down due to COVID-19, I needed something to fill my need to create...it was a chance to get reacquainted with our home town once again, and give those that never left a different perspective.” Watch for part two of “Have a Little Faith” next month. As well, the Advocate’s Jamie Morris speaks to Aube about their decision to maintain a minimalist lifestyle. Coming in your September Advocate.
Counterclockwise from top left: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian (Lindsay), St. Paul’s Anglican (Lindsay), Woodville United, Sturgeon Point Union, Cambray United and Dunsford United
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LOCAL HEIRLOOM RECIPES Robert B. Marshall’s Cottage Porridge
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Robert J. Marshall acquired what would come to be known as the Marshall Cottage in the summer of 1918. He took the train from Toronto, got out at the Fenelon Falls station and walked to The Grove. By the time he got to Grove Road, he was so hot that when he came over the rise and around the corner, and saw Cameron Lake and felt the breeze, he walked into the cottage there and he bought it.
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Evelyn Nicholson, Marshall’s granddaughter, remembers him making porridge every morning. He soaked 1/3 cup of rolled oats in 1 cup of water, less 2 tablespoons, in a lidded pot overnight. In the morning, he added 1/2 teaspoon salt and some raisins and heated the pot on the stove for three minutes. Nicholson still makes the porridge, measuring the salt by the feel in her hand and eyeing the right level of water in the cup. She tops hers with brown sugar. When her own family went camping she always made a large batch of porridge for breakfast. They even wrote a song about it!
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Discovery Exploration Entertainment KawarthaLakesLibrary.ca Sharon Walker is the creative director at Maryboro Lodge: The Fenelon Museum. She is documenting local, heirloom recipes for a cookbook. If you have a recipe that you would like to see featured, contact her at sharon@maryboro.ca.
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FRIENDS & NEIGHBOURS
Fireworks set local man on trajectory of success Is there a worse career choice during a pandemic than fireworks specialist and balloon artist? Matthew Hutchinson, from a third-generation Omemee farm family, is not deterred. Matthew operates The Ballooning Company and Supernova Fireworks and has long been an enthusiast of art with a twist and a flash. The inspiration for balloon art was the children’s pastor at Calvary Pentecostal Church. Her alter ego, Mrs. Twist, incorporated balloon art into the Bible stories, twisting figures and making backdrops. Matthew was fascinated. With Mrs. Twist as his mentor, nine-year-old Matthew began joining her for birthday parties and other festive events, learning how to craft balloons into monkeys, octopuses and the everpopular swords. The year he started high school, Matthew, again with Mrs. Twist’s Matthew Hutchinson. support, founded The Ballooning Company and at 16 he passed a four-hour practical exam to become the youngest certified balloon artist in Canada. Matthew’s handle is now Super Twist and he is assisted in the business by his sister (Sister Twist) and mother (Mother Twist). Together, they sell balloons and provide entertainment and displays for any kind of special event. Before balloons came on the scene, Matthew was drawn to the spectacle of fireworks. He would eagerly plan fireworks shows for his family. “Birthdays, Victoria Day and Canada Day — any excuse for a show,” he says. “I’d work in favourites such as horse-tails (fireworks that break and come down like a waterfall), and anything with blues and purples, which are more uncommon.”
JAMIE MORRIS Writer-at-large
Matthew was a boy with a plan. “When I was 10 years old I knew I wanted to do fireworks full-time, have my own store and shoot my own shows.” After graduating from high school, he earned a fireworks licence from Natural Resources Canada and created Supernova Fireworks to offer fireworks for sale and orchestrate shows. Not your run-of-the-mill firework displays. Matthew includes 30-cm shells (known in the trade as 12-inch shells) that fill the night sky, rocketing up over 300 metres high and spreading out the same distance. One of his specialties is pyro-musicals — fireworks synchronized with music. In 2017, for Canada’s 150th , the company presented 40 shows. In 2018, with the support of local sponsors, Matthew mounted a pyro-musical at a property on Little Britain Road where close to 5,000 people attended. Matthew hired a lead technical manager for choreography, and steadily increased the number of licensed technicians he can send out. Then came the pandemic, bursting his balloon bubble and making his fireworks business, for the time, a dud. There was cancellation after cancellation. By now, though, the balloon business has become a side gig since he’s much more hopeful about the fireworks. Although sales were down by 50 per cent in May, for Canada Day they were double what they’d been in 2019. “You need to roll with what comes at you and be adaptive,” he says. Matthew has plans. Shows mounted from barges on lakes and enjoyed from a boat or a Muskoka chair on a dock are still possible, and he’s doing some of those. And for this year’s Lindsay Ex he’s just awaiting City approval for a pyro-musical. There’ll be the same oohs and ahhs as fireworks go off, but families will enjoy the wonder of it all from their cars, as the music from their speakers fills the air and their hearts.
www.lindsayadvocate.ca
35
JUST IN TIME
Cycling Through Time
}} A Few Moments In Fleetwood In July’s issue of The Lindsay Advocate, associate editor Nancy Payne took a road trip to the “most sparsely populated part of Kawartha Lakes,” while contributing writer Jamie Morris travelled to Fenelon Falls via electric bicycle. Thinking their thoughts after them, I elected to combine two passions of mine — cycling and exploring — and set out on my trusty Opus Porto bike at 10:03 a.m. on a Saturday in late June with a large bottle of water, two cans of Canada Dry ginger ale, a peanut butter sandwich on raisin bread, some slices of leftover pizza, and a large Granny Smith apple. Oh, and plenty of sunscreen, too. It’s a long way to Fleetwood, after all. To where? Some readers might be saying, “Never heard of it.” Others, particularly those who live south of Highway 7 and east of Highway 35 in the former Manvers Township, will no doubt have driven, walked, or cycled along Fleetwood Road at one point or another. But some of them may still ask the same question: “Where’s Fleetwood?” Perhaps that question might better be phrased as “Where was Fleetwood?” Little is left of this oncehumming community about 23 kilometres southeast of Lindsay. It’s one of a handful of tiny hamlets across Kawartha Lakes that for all intents and purposes exist only on maps. I arrive in Fleetwood around 11:30 a.m., sweaty and slightly out of breath after climbing the steep hills on St. Mary’s Road, which links busy Mount Horeb Road and the quieter Fleetwood Road. Rising before me on the northeast corner of St. Mary’s and Fleetwood Roads is the former Fleetwood School. Built in 1876–77, this red brick building has been a private home since 1967. The swing set in its yard is newer, but evokes memories of when such things were staples of many a rural one-room schoolhouse.
IAN McKECHNIE Writer-at-large
West of St. Mary’s Road there once stood a yellow-brick Methodist church which served the Fleetwood community for just over 70 years, closing in 1947 before being demolished in 1959. A cornfield obscures any trace of this one-time place of worship. (Both buildings replaced earlier facilities, and I’m told that this crossroads was colloquially known as Brick Corner for years thereafter.) A two-kilometre ride east of Brick Corner brings me to the heart of “downtown” Fleetwood. Or, rather, what’s left of it. As I descend a slight hill and bring my bicycle to a stop, I am struck by the sound of sparrows and red-winged blackbirds filling the air — a far cry from the roar of lumber being processed in Thomas Staples’ sawmill, the sound of hammers echoing from one of two blacksmith shops, and the gregarious conversation transpiring in Grandy’s Tavern. The mills are long gone, the blacksmith shops a mere memory.
A private home and the former schoolhouse. Photo: Ian McKechnie.
36
www.lindsayadvocate.ca
Grandy’s Tavern remains in situ, a squat-looking frame building on the south side of the road, its siding peeling off, its interior eerily silent. I take a swig from my water bottle, cognizant that stronger beverages were once on tap mere steps from where I am standing. (One can just about imagine local residents quenching their thirst by bottle or water pump in the summer of 1890, when the Lindsay Warder’s Fleetwood correspondent wrote, “The weather is excessively warm now, people are beginning to wish for rain as turnips are burning up, the fly is also eating them badly. The other crops are doing well.”) Beyond Grandy’s Tavern, rising above the surrounding foliage, is an ancientlooking silo — a reminder that Fleetwood owed its existence to agriculture. It was initially populated by the Staples family, who likely named it after a community in their ancestral Ireland. By the turn of the 20th century, Fleetwood proper enjoyed a general store, a cobbler shop, and a cheese factory — all connected by side streets with names like Main, Mills and Mountfall. From 1891 through the 1920s, visitors to Fleetwood would have enjoyed the smell of curds wafting from the aforementioned cheese factory and cheese-curing building. Built by James A. Wood, it was later overseen by J.C. Cummiskey and in 1922 became a co-operative operation. “My Dad loved to go there, [and] said the curds were a real treat for him,” recalls Jan Johnson, who grew up in nearby Lifford and remembers playing in the curing building long after The old Grandy’s Tavern. Photo: Ian McKechnie. it closed. While the factory ceased operations 1929, the curing building lasted into the 1970s before being removed, leaving only scant foundations surrounded by lilacs. In 1912, Canadian Pacific Railway freight and passenger trains began whistling their way through a level crossing immediately east of Fleetwood. Although this might have boded well for the movement of cheese and milk, Fleetwood’s population declined as roads improved and other communities outpaced the little village in their growth. There are, to be sure, still a few folks living in Fleetwood. A beautiful red-brick house across from Grandy’s Tavern is well-kept, and the former schoolyard echoes once again with the voices of young children. Yet the stillness is haunting, the ghosts of once-thriving shops and streets fading from memory behind page-wire and rail fences. I take one last look at Fleetwood and — to misquote John Lennon — “imagine all the people” who once passed through this place in stagecoaches and horse-drawn wagons, before mounting my bicycle, carrying on, and bidding farewell.
www.lindsayadvocate.ca
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37
TREVOR’S TAKE TREVOR HUTCHINSON Contributing Editor
Silence is not an option
The homophobic incidents in July at the Grr8 Finds Market in Fenelon Falls have elicited some beautiful community responses of support and love. In social media posts about the incident hundreds of people have reached out expressing solidarity with the victims of the attacks. Many people commented they were shocked to be seeing this in 2020. Sadly, I for one am not shocked. Our area — like many other rural communities — has a lot of racists and homophobes living in our midst. They are everywhere. As someone who’s only likely to be a personal victim of such an attack through a case of mistaken identity, I find this depressing as hell. I can’t imagine what the victims of such attacks feel and go through. Just a week before the incidents in Fenelon Falls I spent time with two friends who live in our city: one who had been a victim of a recent hate crime and another who was terribly upset after listening to hate speech at a local business. And it seems to me that these incidents are getting more frequent even though as a society we have taken many steps to be more inclusive. And people who spout homophobic (or racist) views seem more emboldened to do so these days. But why? For starters, I don’t think we can rule out the effect of U.S. President Donald Trump on our national discourse. The president has made openly racist comments which have been whitewashed by his supporters as him just “speaking the truth.” And there are Trump supporters here. A recent poll found that 10 per cent of Canadians would prefer Donald Trump over Justin Trudeau as a leader. For respondents who identified as Conservative voters, that number rose to 31 per cent. Erin O’Toole’s recent Take Back Canada advertising campaign for his Conservative leadership bid may be his way of framing his sense of pan-Canadian nationalism, but such tactics serve as a dog whistle to party members who hold extremist views. Who are we taking Canada back from, exactly? And for sure COVID-19 is not helping. Attacks on Asian Canadians have increased because the virus was first discovered in China. There are undoubtedly many other factors shaping the “why” of this sad situation. And we might not be able to quickly change all these complex problems. What we do have to do is call it out when we see it, be it a racist remark or otherwise. That is not easy and never comfortable. But as Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
38
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SOLUTION
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By Barbara Olson © ClassiCanadian Crosswords
www.lindsayadvocate.ca
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