JULY/AUGUST EDITION 2014
WELCOME TO THE CLUB:
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BRIAN JAGERSKY
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July/August 2014 | clubwest.ca
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1 • JULY, AUGUST 2014
Dream Big for your vacation - Page 15
All in a day’s work - Page 24
Page 4 Welcome to Club WEST FROM THE PUBLISHER
Page 19 Fresh & Fabulous SUMMER MEALS
Page 6 Wine West Page 20 Go West! DISCOVER WHAT THE WEST END HAS TO OFFER ENJOY SOME SWEET SUMMER SAMPLING Page 8 Mike Weir Winery’s Winding Road LEADS TO LOCUST LANE Page 12 “It is all about helping people.” SHIRLEY MARTIN REFLECTS ON HER CAREER IN POLITICS Page 16 Take to the highway FOR YOUR DREAM RIDE
Page 28 What is on your Bucket List? ONE COUPLE’S ADVENTURE JULY/AUGUST EDITION 2014
ON THE COVER Mike Weir gives a little body English to a fairway shot in a Canadian Open Golf Championship round at St George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto. Photo by Michael Peake - QMI Agency
WELCOME TO THE CLUB:
Mike Weir!
BRIAN JAGERSKY
Pulls No Punches
FRESH & FABULOUS Summer Menu
Club West Front.indd 1
2014-06-25 2:24 AM
OUR TEAM Publisher 15,000 copies distributed in Niagara West,Winona Proudly Published By 100% Niagara owned, operated and printed by 1602207 Ontario Ltd.
2 clubwest.ca | July/August 2014
Mike Williscraft
mike@wn3.ca
Contributors K.D. Dawn, Katherine Grant, John Potter
General Manager Catherine Bratton
catherine@wn3.ca
Graphic Design Donna Wisnoski, Lin Oddi
Advertising Sales Pam Haire pam@wn3.ca Stephanie Sisler stephanie@wn3.ca Erica Huisman erica@wn3.ca NewsNow: 49 Main St. W., Grimsby, L3M 1R3
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opinion STAYING CONNECTED
“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
- Benjamin Franklin
These little comments stick in my brain. There is a reason they hang around for centuries. Not only do they ring true, but they inspire. Welcome to the inaugural edition of Niagara West’s first glossy lifestyle magazine, just for us, local residents who are members of the very exclusive ClubWEST. ClubWEST is not a notion or a dream. It is a very real feeling a great many of us who live here feel every day. We know how lucky we are to reside in this area. In our other incarnation, NewsNow, we work a great deal with all the businesses, organizations and groups which make the area hum. ClubWEST will present us with an opportunity to tell one and all the real stories behind some of the interesting facades of the our community – indeed, their passions, pastimes, pursuits. You think you know someone? Well, we will tell you things not only that you didn’t know, but that you would never have surmised about people who may live right next door. Many, many area residents know Mary Rashleigh, the longtime curator of Grimsby Public Art Gallery. However, did you know one of her greatest adventures was riding an elephant in Thailand? Did you know Canada’s greatest golfer – and newest ClubWEST member via the grand opening of his new winery – Mike Weir showcased uniquely Canadian dishes and VQA wines when he hosted the legendary Champions Dinner at Augusta National the spring after he won his green jacket in 2003? You can read about that right here! We’re not worried about being big and bad. That is not our style. We are ALL about taking care of our readers, first and foremost. If we put out a great publication, whether that be a magazine or a real community newspaper, the rest will take care of itself. And this has proven true as we look at the second anniversary of our community newspaper in the rearview mirror and we look ahead to doing new and innovative things for our “club members” in Niagara West both in print and online. We are actually putting out just over 15,000 magazines with ClubWEST, but we rounded down a bit. If you don’t happen to get one, we will have some overrun at the office and in select locations around the area. Readers can call the office to find a spot close to where they live to pick one up. We will also be online at: clubwest.ca One can read the full e-edition at that site as well as other website-only offerings. So grab a coffee, or a cold beverage, sit back and enjoy! Publisher, ClubWEST Magazine Mike Williscraft
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Touring WINE WEST
Wine Country rocks!
By K.D. Dawn
There are so many reasons why Niagara wine country rocks my world. The vast beauty of our Niagara region never ceases to amaze me. I headed out to the west side of our lovely wine country to see what I could find and was thrilled to find some fabulous people, support our local economy and drink some beautiful wines. This served as an escapade within the everyday life I lead. There were no phones ringing, office windows to stare out blankly or even a deadline to get too. Just me, in my car, sunroof open singing at the top of my lungs and my stomach rumbling in anticipation of the wine and food adventure that awaited me. The first stop was Harvest Estate Wines, nestled inside a fabulous little place called the Harvest Barn on Fourth Avenue. I popped inside to see what was in store. The signs on the wall read “Come and try our new Rhubarb Wine”, and that is exactly what I did. I walked into the winery boutique and was greeted by the sweetest smile. Nancie is a one-of-a-kind wine aficionado with sass. A woman full of energy and a passion for wine, she was able to help me decide on my tasting selection. From fruit wine to ice wine and even a Green Tea Gewürztraminer, these succulent sips were a hit. The price point was phenomenal and I think I might have bought one of the last bottles of their amazing Blueberry Wine too. Once a month Nancie hosts a customer appreciation day and pairs her wines with some fresh bakery items from the Harvest Barn, baked right on premises. This is a great place to stop in for a chat, a sip, or just savour the fruits of our region. Driving down through the lush beauty of Fourth Avenue I headed to my next stop, the hidden gem of Jordan, Di Profio Wines. I drove up past the Bed & Breakfast to this fabulously structured red building that houses a sweet addition to wine country. Inside you are welcomed to a rustic place with a fabulous view of the vineyard and a patio that calls your name. Nikki greeted me and graciously provided a tour and taught me a bit about their wines. Not only do they have a 2012 white wine called Kitchen Zinc, they have an eye-catching tasting bar top made of zinc! This quaint oasis in the vines provides lunch facilities and can accommodate small
6 clubwest.ca | July/August 2014
group events. They offer Sensory Tasting with Sharon for $10 p.p. where one can be blindfolded and taste the wines that are matched with cheese and other charcuterie tidbits. Smell and taste the sensations of the wine on your palate before and after these superb snacks and you will be wanting to pair your wines with food forever. Cornerstone Estate Winery in Beamsville is located ironically on the corner of John Street and Tufford Road, right off King Street the main thoroughfare. A small delight in the heart of rural romance. Cornerstone is owned by Jerry Kopanski. This is a family-run business and I had the pleasure of being served by his daughter Nina, who attends Brock University in St.Catharines. This family opens its doors from Wednesday through Sunday to the public for tastings on site and on the weekends they also head out to local Farmer’s Markets where they sell their wine to those beyond the Club West roads. An exciting history of this farm brings a great story. The wines are succulent and their 2010 Cabernet Merlot is a favourite that will have me going back again and again, not to mention my father loved this wine and he is not an easy guy to please. My last stop of the day was out to Mountainview Road in Beamsville where Angels Gate sits nicely on a hill. This uniquely named winery was calling my name as my angel collection is a sight to be seen. I walked down the gravel path stopping to look for sleeping turtles and fish swimming in the pond that lined the walkway. This Mission style building was once home of the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Christian Charity in Ontario and has now been transformed into a little piece of heaven. I was greeted by Kara an enthusiastic woman with a passion for her wines. Kara gave me the tasting menu but had other things in store. She knew I wanted to please a crowd with a red and I was able to take home a bottle of their 2012 Merlot. The Terrace here offers lunch and the menu was incredible. An Australian Chef creates here who loves to grill. Get your tickets now to join their Winemaker Philip Dowell on July 12th starting at 6:30 pm for Grill with Phil – An Evening Affair. Tickets are only $60 and include a glass of sparkling wine, choice of a glass of red or white during dinner, paella and two salads, dessert and coffee.
Like all good things this day must come to an end and as I headed back to the QEW to drive home visions of wine and fabulous food danced through my head. I thought of tackling a great new recipe to pair with my wines that were coming home with me but instead fell into a backyard chair, relaxed and sipped the wine, savouring the moments that Niagara’s west end wineries provided for me and started to plan the next adventure. Where to next?
Angels Gate Winery
4260 Mountainview Rd, Lincoln (905) 563-3942 www.angelsgatewinery.com
Cornerstone Estate Winery
4390 Tufford Rd, Beamsville (905) 563-6758 www.cornerstonewinery.com
Di Profio Wines
4055 19 St, Jordan Station (905) 562-7080 www.diprofiowines.ca
Harvest Estate Winery
1179 Fourth Ave, St Catharines (905) 682-0080 www.harvestwines.com
Angels Gate Winery
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Passions COVER STORY
Mike Weir provides a youngster with a little tutelage. Photo by Christopher Smith – QMI Agency
Welcome to the Club!
Weir winery’s winding road finally leads it to EastDell And two men have helped steer him there BY MIKE WILLISCRAFT
A
n underlying but consistent characteristic in the life of Mike Weir has been passion. “When he started out he told me when he was 14 years old he would play on the PGA (Professional Golf Association) Tour
8 clubwest.ca | July/August 2014
one day,” recalled Steve Bennett, affectionately known as The Guv by Weir and his family. It was Bennett who helped craft Weir’s game at an early age as the club pro at Huron Oaks in Weir’s hometown of Bright’s Grove, just outside Sarnia.
“As a junior golfer, Mike was always a step ahead of the others but he really wanted it more. He had a passion for it. He wanted to learn how to play the game.”
Passions COVER STORY Continued from page 8 Fast forward about 35 years to Mike Weir, standing officially in what started out as Walters Estate Winery in the 1990s, then became EastDell Estate Winery, and now Mike Weir Winery, on a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon during a grand opening hosted in typical Mike Weir fashion, classy and personal. The June 21st opening was for family and friends only. Weir, who cemented his fame capturing the 2003 Masters in Augusta, Ga., had the Order of Canada bestowed upon him in 2009. The winery opening was the culmination of four years of development for a “winery” which had no home until now. Weir Winery president, Barry Katzman, notes the organization took a very different tack to get to where they are. “We started out in 2005
and developed a national wine sales program which has grown to sell 20,000 cases of wine per year before we even had a retail spot,” said Katzman, who noted the brand launched with help of Laura and Peter McCain at Creekside Winery. “Most wineries follow a more typical route. They go retail first and then try to get into bars and restaurants as well as Vintages and such. The missing tooth in our smile has always been retail. We’re very fortunate. We think we have the best spot in Niagara.” While his interest in wine goes back to his childhood, Weir said the push to develop a winery was solely to generate funds for his Mike Weir Foundation, which was founded the year after he won The Masters and has raised more than $7 million for children’s charities, such as Autism Speaks, the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and a host of others. As for Weir, he thinks he is fortunate to have such a vital support system in his life anchored by such strong, steady influences as Katzman and Bennett.
Mike Weir addresses the gathering at the official opening of Mike Weir Winery in Beamsville, June 21. Photo by Mike Williscraft
“I got my interest in wine from my grandfather who was an amateur winemaker in Niagara Falls. I got involved in the industry in 2005 and met Barry through Peter and Laura,” said Weir, who credited Peter with approaching him to get the ball rolling. “I guess we stole Barry away.” And in doing so, Weir knew he had another key person in his midst to provide the kind of leadership and knowledge base as did The Guv when he was a junior golfer. “Steve gave me a great start as a golfer and Barry is doing that here. I can lean on Barry for his expertise,” said Weir. Jumping in to mention Bennett and Weir’s relationship is on another plane from his and Weir’s, Katzman said, “Guvvy and Mike are on another level.” But Weir wholeheartedly disagreed. “Barry is being humble. I am learning a lot from him,” said Weir. Calling working for the Weir family “the most rewarding experience” in his 15 years in the wine industry, Katzman said the new Beamsville location came about for only one reason, perseverance. The initial targeted location was a piece of land adjacent to Whirlpool Golf Course, but that got tied up in red tape and fell through. All the while, the brand kept on churning out high-quality product year after year. “No doubt, it has been perseverance which has gotten us down this road. You just do what you have to do,” said Katzman. “You over-deliver on quality and stay with it and stay with it. It was not easy, but we did it.” Both Katzman and Weir noted that Weir’s brother Jim has been instrumental, too, in getting things done. Jim runs the day-to-day operations of the winery and has reported to Mike regularly in the planning and development of the business. July/August 2014 | clubwest.ca
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Passions COVER STORY Continued from page 9
Mike Weir at the 2013 Canadian Open Golf Tournament. Photo by Stan Behal - QMI Agency
10 clubwest.ca | July/August 2014
One of the ways the group has taken Katzman’s advice to “stay with it” is through Mike’s ability to market Niagara’s VQA product to the world through golf. He did just that when he won The Masters. As much as the green jacket is part of the Masters tradition, so, too, since 1952 has been the annual dinner hosted by the previous year’s champion. Golf legend Ben Hogan was the first to suggest and host the dinner. The dinner is incredibly exclusive being only for Masters winners. It is held on the Tuesday before the tournament and acts as an opportunity for previous winners to welcome the new member to the Masters Club, as it has become know. While Tiger Woods opted for a meal of cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries and milkshakes in 1998, Weir had a different plan, one that showcased uniquely Canadian food as well as Niagara wines. Among his menu items: elk, wild boar and Arctic char. “We will be replicating the Champions Dinner right here at the winery,” Katzman pointed out. Throughout the winery’s first official day, there was a great deal of talk about family and support. The closeness of the Weir family is apparent when one sees them all gathered together as they were at the opening, so it should not be a surprise that some of the fruits of their labour have been branded as being from the Weir Family Vineyard. “By finally having a property (48 acres in total), we have a 13-acre vineyard from which we can create our own unique wines. These wines will only be available here in our retail store,” noted Katzman. Saturday, June 21 was a proud day for the Weir family. “It has taken a long time to get here, but we are very happy to be here,” said Weir.
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life HER STORY
Sometimes it is just about stepping up ready or not Story and Photo By Katherine Grant
W
hen Shirley Martin stepped into Canada’s House of Commons as a newly elected Member of Parliament, the first thought which crossed her mind was “What have I done?” Martin had made the foray into politics as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party at the urging of friends who, having seen her work on multiple campaigns for others over the years, thought she had the right stuff. Turns out they were right. However, when approached to run in the 1984 federal election, her first response wasn’t at all a positive one. “I said ‘you’ve got to be crazy’,” Martin recalls. “I was more of a back room person.” At the time she had worked on 17 campaigns at different levels of government.
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The party faithful continued to ask but with two teenagers at home and a working Grimsby fruit farm there was much to consider – and a few sleepless nights ensued. “I asked my husband what he thought and he was quiet for a minute and said, ‘I think you’d do a good job’.” Her children, in their teens at the time, both said “go for it mom” in just those words. The deciding factor, as it turns out, was about the future. “Interest rates were at 22 per cent,” she said. “I just didn’t see a good future for our children so I said yes, I would give it a try.” She didn’t expect to win but she did – by a landslide. “I really thought it would just be a good experience when working on future campaigns for others,” she said. And that first day in the House? “It is a moment I will never forget,” she said. There were many moments like that over the next nine years as she successfully ran a second campaign and was re-elected in 1988. Her experience as a businesswoman soon came into play. Martin spent 37 years working for Bell Canada and she wasn’t an MP for long before she discovered that all those years with Bell had provided a bounty of experience that was about to serve her, and her country, well. Martin had lost her father at the age of seven. At 14, she quit school to work to help support her family after her only sister married and left home. “I quit on a Friday and started working for Bell on Monday,” she recalls. Bell had good training programs and the teenager earned a management position by the age of 17 after first working as a long-distance operator. “I had training and opportunities with Bell I used every day in politics,” said Martin. “You have experiences throughout your life and you have no idea how those experiences will affect your future.” Her familiarity with the Welland Canal, for example – Bell staff provided communication systems training on board the ships while they traversed the canal– helped in her later role as Minister of State Transport. Her experience as a manager at Bell came to the forefront again and again over the years. Politics, in its best and purest form, is about helping people. “A good manager has to understand where people are coming from. You need their support because without it you can’t succeed,” she said. “You really have to work as a team to get things done; you really do.” Her experience with Bell served her in a more practical sense on one occasion. Martin represented Canada at the United Nations for three months. “I walked into the Canadian Embassy at the UN in New York and the switchboard operator hadn’t shown up for work so no one was able to get anything done. So I went down to the lobby and started working the phone lines,” she said. Stephen Lewis, Canada’s ambassador to the UN at the time, walked past her and did a bit of a double take as he realized who was working the phones. In 1997, Martin became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
life HER STORY Continued from page 12 of Public Works, After the 1988 election, she joined Prime Minster Brian Mulroney’s Cabinet as Minster of State for Transport. She also served as Minster of State for Indian Affairs and Northern Development in 1990 before returning to the Transport portfolio. It must have been a whirlwind at times. In addition to her duties in office, and her family, she also had her local constituency office on weekends. There are moments – and there are many – that stand out. The first person who came into the constituency office was a woman having problems with a disability pension. In gratitude for the help she received, the woman brought a gift, a cactus plant, to the office as a way of saying thank you. “That cactus stayed in the office as a reminder to all of us that that was why we were there,” said Martin. During her time in office Martin chaired an all-party committee on childcare and travelled from coast to coast talking to parents about their needs and concerns. She remembers being impressed by what she saw. “The Canadian spirit will find a way to solve a problem,” she said. There were two women she met along the way who shared a job so they could care for each other’s children in turn as the other worked. “Canadians are good problem solvers,” said Martin with a warm smile. She met Margaret Thatcher, Great Britain’s prime minister from 1979-1990. “She was ahead of her time,” said Martin. “She really gave you a feeling of strength without flaunting it.”
{
She remembers well the day the Meech Lake Accord was finalized in the wee hours of one morning in 1987. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney attempted to win Quebec’s consent to the revised Canadian Constitution. The result was the Meech Lake Accord, an agreement between the federal and provincial governments to amend the Constitution by strengthening provincial powers and declaring Quebec a “distinct society”. “I remember the experience of sitting in that conference centre in Ottawa where we finalized the Meech Lake Accord; the moment when Canada’s premiers stood and sang O Canada. When it was over it made you proud to be a Canadian.” Political support later unraveled and the Accord was never put into effect. “It would be a better Canada if it had,” said Martin. Throughout her years as a politician, Martin cut a lot of ribbons. One in particular stands out. It was during her time as Minister of State for Indian Affairs and she found herself in the far north. “I was on a northern reserve that had a problem with a high number of suicides among the young people,” she recalled. “The teens themselves had built a cottage on an island for other teens who were contemplating suicide. They could go there and think things through. They took me over in a little motorboat and I cut the ribbon for the opening.” It was an eye-opener for her on the struggles of Canada’s aboriginal people. Martin chose not to run again after spending nine years in Ottawa but her passion remains service to her community. She has worked on any number of local committees. Today she celebrates a long and happy life with her husband, Jack, their grown sons, her daughters-in-law and her six grandchildren.
Canadian spirit will find a way “toThe solve a problem.
Shirley Martin at the United Nations.
}
Shirley Martin with Brian Mulroney.
” - Shirley Martin
July/August 2014 | clubwest.ca
13
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Outdoor public places on municipal and regional properties are smoke-free (BY-LAW NO. 112-2013)
14 clubwest.ca | July/August 2014
CW Is your bucket big enough? O Pastimes
TRAVEL
by john potter
k, I know it’s technically a bucket list, but I like to imagine an actual bucket – filled with all those amazing trips you have already taken. But what about the trips you have been promising yourself you will do some day, but haven’t gotten around to? Have you gone on that elephant ride in India? Have you stayed in an overwater bungalow in Tahiti? Have you seen the running of the bulls in Pamplona? How about walking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu? Stayed in a villa in Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast? Been there and done that? Great! Throw them in the bucket – you’ll see it doesn’t take long to fill it up, but there is still plenty of room! It’s not just about sticking a pin on a map to say you’ve been there and done that; it is about experiencing the culture, the food, and the people of the destination. Whether it’s Carnival in Rio, Oktoberfest in Munich, or the Edinburgh Tattoo – if you have always wanted to do it, now is the time to make it happen. Perhaps you are of the Baby Boomer generation as I am. What a perfect time to take out that list of places you’ve been meaning to go to, dust it off, and make them a reality. Maybe the mortgage is paid off, and the kids are all grown up and out on their own. No more school plays to attend, no more soccer or hockey practices! It is time for you to think about “you”. It’s not being selfish – you have earned this opportunity to see the world. For years you’ve been saying “I’ll get there someday”. Well, your “someday” is now! Since I first saw a photo of Ayers Rock in National Geographic, I knew I had to climb it one day – and I did. The opportunity came in 1982 when I was living in Australia and I will never forget it – standing at the top looking over the vast Australian Outback, I kept saying to myself “I can’t believe I am actually here!” In 1965 my parents took me to see The Sound of Music™, and as I was only six years old at the time, I probably didn’t understand the story, but I certainly loved the beautiful scenery and knew I wanted to go there some day. In 2007 I finally made it to Salzburg! I sought out many of the locations from the film, including the Mirabel Gardens and the Do-Re-Mi Steps, the villa by the lake, and the meadow from the picnic scene (believe me - that was not easy to find!) Yes, I climbed every mountain and forded every stream to
reach my goals. Add another experience to the bucket! Other travel experiences that are already in my bucket include seeing where the Titanic was built, visiting Juno Beach in France, attending an anniversary ceremony at the Vimy Ridge Memorial, and yes, I recently got to stay in an overwater bungalow in Tahiti. I swam with sharks in Bora Bora and with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. I saw a lion kill in Kruger National Park in South Africa, and drove across the Nullarbor Plain in Australia. I saw the Terracotta Warriors in China and the former prison cell of Nelson Mandela on Robben Island. Am I done? Not even close! My bucket still has room for more! Still to come is the great wildebeest migration in East Africa, a cruise to Antarctica, the Trans-Siberian Railway, Petra in Jordan, the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Angkor Wat in Cambodia – the list goes on. And, if and when they do build Titanic 2, I will be on the maiden voyage! Since I started working in the travel business in 1980, I have seen so many changes in the way people travel. Remember when going to Florida was the trip of a lifetime? If you knew of somebody who had been to Australia in the 1970’s, boy, that was really something. The world really has become smaller, and while we may think the world is a more challenging place to explore, with security concerns and such, it has not stopped people from travelling; in fact more people are travelling now than ever. What has perhaps changed is the
way people travel. What I have seen evolve in the past twenty some years, is the popularity of group travel, especially for the 50-plus age group. Group tours with a specific theme are hugely popular, and I will discuss some of these in future articles. What is the appeal of group tours? Safety in numbers? Perhaps. More than that, I think it is that people feel comfortable sharing the same experiences with friends and other travellers in their age group with whom they have something in common. I have a group of seniors that travels every two years. They started with The South Pacific in 2005, then it was South Africa, then Thailand and Cambodia, then Peru and Ecuador, and just last year they went to India. I customize every trip for them right down to the last detail, including drinks and tipping – they don’t want to have to worry about a thing, they just want to travel and enjoy every moment. I so admire these people - they soak up every experience and as soon as they return from one trip, they are already thinking about the next. They have already decided on Vietnam for 2015! These folks are really working on filling their travel bucket – in fact; it must be almost full by now. Will they stop travelling? Heck no, they’ll just get a bigger bucket! (John Potter is a travel expert specializing in customized individual and group tours to Europe, South America, the South Pacific and Asia. For more details, see: www.johnpottertravel.com) Cathedral Cove, New Zealand
July/August 2014 | clubwest.ca
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Passions TRAVEL
Life is a highway S
o you have always wanted a motorcycle and you have been enjoying some afternoon rides along the winding roads of the west end. Maybe you have even ventured out along one of the lakeshores to parts unknown. But you know there is a big wide world out there to explore. Traveling further afield on a bike has its challenges but for those who have ventured forward, the memories of the adventures have lingered far beyond the extra effort involved. Sandra Mione-Kent, who, together with her husband Clyde, ran Clyde Kent Jewelry on Ontario Street in Beamsville for many years, is among those who take the road whenever she gets the chance. Sandra has traveled afar with her husband, with groups of friends and sometimes in groups where all the riders are women. “We rode all the way from Maryland to California. I did a six-week tour with two other ladies and it was fabulous. We left as friends and we came back as friends,” noted Sandra. Sandra said she was always drawn to bikes. In 1989, she took the plunge. She bought the bike first – an 1100 Virago which she rode for only one season – and then took the motorcycle training program at Niagara College. She has since bought and sold a number of bikes and now rides a Harley Davidson Road King which she has customized. On the back is a plate she added that reads, “Road Queen”. Sandra has travelled all the way to the east coast and climbed Mount Washington, camping along the way. She has ridden along the road to the Yukon and to Anchorage, Alaska and spent six weeks making her way to Newfoundland. There were a few unfortunate adventures along the road and rain is something with
{
which you just learn to deal. On one trip she and her husband were riding in the mountains when there was a mudslide. “There was a cliff on one side and a drop off on the other,” she said. The mud and debris was so thick a plow was moving it off the road. “Even our horns were plugged with mud,” she said. It is all part of the experience of riding. They cleaned up, repacked and rode on to their dinner reservation. Even now, 25 years after purchasing that first bike, she smiles when she rides. “I just love anticipating a ride,” she says. “I am constantly smiling when I ride, it is
STORY AND PHOTO BY KATHERINE GRANT
2. Determine points of interest along the way that are must see’s, bearing in mind that some of these moments will happen enroute. You may only pass that way once so make the most of it. 3. Assess the weather you can expect along the way. Weather can be fickle and depending on the season, the terrain and the altitude, you may need to be prepared for a variety of conditions. 4. Compile a list of locations where you can receive reliable service should you need it, particularly for long trips. You may need to have an oil change, new tires, or periodic maintenance. 5. Know the gas range for your bike; if you have a reserve on your tank, know how far it will carry you. Most bikes can go another 30-40 km. or more, however, when you’re out in the middle of nowhere, you want to know. Remember that your mileage will drop if you’re fully loaded, climbing a lot of hills or fighting the wind. 6. Know the road conditions on your intended route. Summer is construction season and if you can avoid construction areas – do so. It can be exciting but not many riders enjoy traveling through deep loose gravel, fresh tar – or sitting in the hot sun waiting for your turn to go. 7. Be realistic about how far you can travel in a day. Keep in mind that 100 miles doesn’t sound like a lot, but on winding country roads, it can take much more time and effort than straight highway riding. 8. Plan to arrive at your destination by mid- to late-afternoon. You want to allow for contingencies, delays, those unplanned stops – and get there in time to relax, enjoy the evening and be well rested for the next day. This is especially important if you haven’t reserved accommodations, even in a campground. For many reasons, you may want to be within walking distance of
to pursue your dreams, “lifeYouisneed too short.”
16 clubwest.ca | July/August 2014
}
- Sandra Mione - Kent
just so uplifting. It is also very therapeutic. Sandra and Clyde are retired now and spend winters in Texas where they are in good company – there are many riders in their neighbourhood. “You need to pursue your dreams, life is too short,” she says.
10 Tips On Planning Trip Routes
Summer will arrive. Riders can use this time prior to the riding season and their summer rides. Answering a few basic questions can make a big difference on your enjoyment factor when you’re planning that weekend getaway or a longer vacation trip. Here are some things to consider: 1. Decide if you’re going solo, with 1-2 others or a larger group. Anything more than solo is a group. Make sure you’re comfortable with group riding; with the riding abilities and styles of others that are in the group. More on group riding considerations will come in an upcoming issue.
Passions TRAVEL
Dean Allison
Member of Parliament |Niagara West-Glanbrook Chair, Standing Committee Foreign Affairs & International Development
Contact Dean’s office for inquiries & assistance with:
Federal programs, legislation and regulations Immigration and Citizenship issues Income Security Programs (CPP, GIS, EI) Canada Revenue Agency Commemorative Certificates and Greetings Constituency Office 4994 King Street Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0 905.563.7900
Ottawa Office 1180 La Promenade House of Commons Ottawa ON K1A 0A6
Sandra Mione - Kent with her customized Road “Queen”.
1.877.563.7900 | www.deanallison.ca
Tim Hudak
MPP NIAGARA WEST-GLANBROOK
“Working hard for you in Niagara” Continued from page 16 restaurants, entertainment and local attractions. 9. If you’re planning a prolonged ride, you may want to have a day or two with no riding. It gives the butt a chance to recuperate. Plan these for locations where there are other interesting activities available nearby. You might want to walk or avail yourself of local transit. 10. Don’t overplan. Riding is about freedom, seizing the moment. A trip can be more relaxing and enjoyable if you’re not under the pressure of commitment. While you may want to make reservations so you know where you’re staying ahead of time, allow lots of time for those breathtaking moments along the way, points of interest, rest stops. Bonus : Expect the unexpected. Rides are always an adventure – you just don’t know the nature of that adventure. Relax and have fun.
Constituency Office: Beamsville Town Centre 4961 King St E | Unit M1 Beamsville, ON | L0R 1B0 Tel: (905) 563-1755 Toll Free: 1-800-665-3697 timhudak@niagara.net timhudakmpp.com @timhudak July/August 2014 | clubwest.ca
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seasonal CUISINE
Fresh & Fabulous
It is summertime and the living is easy. There is little better than an evening spent enjoying a meal with family and friends. To keep it simple we have compiled a collection of recipes sure to become family favourites. So heat up the grill and set the table.
Grilled Beef & Bok Choy Salad Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients: 1/4 cup (50 mL) each vegetable oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce 2 tbsp (25 mL) sesame oil 2 tbsp (25 mL) Ontario Liquid Honey 3 cloves Ontario Garlic, minced 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) Asian chili sauce 2 Ontario Beef Striploin Steaks (8 oz/250 g each) 4 Ontario Baby Bok Choy (about 12 oz/375 g) 2 cups (500 mL) Ontario Snow Peas, trimmed 4 Ontario Radishes, halved and thinly sliced 6 cups (1.5 L) Ontario Mixed Greens 1 tbsp (15 mL) toasted sesame seeds Preparation In measuring cup, combine vegetable oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic and chili sauce. Pour 1/4 cup (50 mL) over steaks, turning to coat; cover and set aside in refrigerator to marinate. Meanwhile, trim ends from bok choy; cut in half lengthwise. In large bowl, toss bok choy with 1/4 cup (50 mL) dressing to coat. Grill over medium heat, turning once, for about 8 minutes. Return to bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let stand until tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Grill steaks over medium-high for 3 to 4 min-
utes per side for medium-rare, or until desired doneness. Let stand covered for 5 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water blanch snow peas for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain and plunge into bowl of ice water; drain and pat dry. Drain any liquid from bok choy; cut each half in half again lengthwise and return to bowl. Add snow peas and radishes; drizzle a little of remaining dressing, tossing to coat. Place greens on large platter. Top with bok choy mixture and sliced beef. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with remaining dressing.
July/August 2014 | clubwest.ca
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seasonal CUISINE
Asparagus Pizza This is a delicious blend of flavour and colour. Substitute your favourite fat-reduced cheese for a change of style. Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 8 minutes Servings: 8 Ingredients 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 1 Ontario Onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tbsp (15 mL) balsamic vinegar 1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar 8 to 10 stalks asparagus, cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces 1 medium tomato, chopped 1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil 1 baked 12-inch (30 cm) whole wheat pizza crust 3 tbsp (45 mL) chèvre cheese, crumbled Preparation In frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat; sauté onion and garlic until softened and golden, about 8 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar; stir. Add asparagus; cook for 3 minutes. Add tomato, basil, and salt and pepper to taste; cook for 1 minute.
Spread asparagus mixture over whole-wheat pizza crust; top with chèvre cheese. Place pizza directly on middle oven rack (for softer, chewier crust, bake on cookie sheet). Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven (or according to pizza crust directions on package) for 6 to 8 minutes or until crust browns. Broil for 2 minutes or until cheese begins to bubble.
For summer fun, Go West ... Teddy’s Food Fun & Spirits 30 Main St. W, Grimsby Celebrate Teddy’s 50th Anniversary Saturday, July 5, Teddy’s will be celebrating 50 years in Grimsby. Award-winning wings will be on special all day for 50 cents each (eat in only). Live entertainment with Doug Feaver at 5 pm. Then 8 pm -midnight we have Brian Neale and Northern Harbour with David Vanduzen and Flashback. Teddy’s will have 50th shirts, hats and mugs available as well as other great specials and giveaways all day. Thirty Bench Wines 4281 Mountainview, Beamsville Oysters + Rieslings – Seminar Saturdays in June, July, August & September 11:30 AM. The Tide & Vine Oyster Company team, known as some of Canada’s Best Oyster Shuckers, will lead a spirited wine and oyster tasting seminar including 4 oysters and 4 of our new Rieslings. $20 pp plus HST. Space limited. Harbour Estates Winery 4362 Jordan Rd., Vineland Picnic by the Harbour weekends from June-August. Lunch time.
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Seasonal patio. Limited cheese and antipasto al a carte selection. Jordan House 3845 Main St, Jordan Live music in July Check out live entertainment Friday and Saturday nights starting at 9 p.m. Fri., July 4 - Broken Cadence. Sat., July 5 - Cardinals. Fri., July 11 - Dubble Trubble, July 12- Rich and the Poor Boys, July 18- Soul Cake, July 19- Mike Lynch, July 25- Slings and Arrows, July 26- North of 49. Good Earth Vineyard & Winery 4556 Lincoln Ave., Beamsville Fireside Feast July 5, 5-7 p.m. Pit Boss Mike gathers some logs and fires up the grills to grill the best the season has to offer. $95 pp Creekside Estate Winery 2170 4th Ave. ,Vineland Sippin’ and Shuckin’ with the Winemaker. July 5, 11 am-1:30 pm and 4 pm tasting sessions. Try our portfolio of delightful new Sauvignon Blancs with winemaker Rob Power. All pared with 4 fresh shucked oysters.
$20 pp or a mere $10 for our Creek Freeks wine club members. Call 905-562-0035 Ext 230 to reserve. Angels Gate 4260 Mountainview Beamsville Grill With Phil An Evening Affair, July 12, 6:30 pm. Reception followed by dinner. The charcoal grill will create a delicious grand paella. The evening will begin with a sparkling reception and a special barrel tasting. Dinner will be served by Phil on the patio overlooking Lake Ontario. Seating limited. $60 pp, plus HST Included in the ticket price: Glass of sparkling wine, choice of a glass of red or white during dinner, paella and two salads, dessert and coffee. Fielding Estate Winery 4020 Locust Lane Beamsville Sauv and Shuck, July 12, noon-5 pm. Tour Fielding Estate Winery and have three wine tastings. Then enjoy a glass of our Sauvignon Blanc (or your favourite) with four of Rodney’s Oysters & condiments out on the Wine
seasonal CUISINE
Maple Dijon Veal Saltimbocca Skewers Saltimbocca, meaning “jump in your mouth,” is the perfect term for these skewers of Ontario veal. The flavour twist of garlic, maple syrup, sage and Dijon mustard makes them pop, leaving everyone wanting more. They’re perfect for entertaining or a quick weeknight meal served with pasta. Cooking Time: 5 to 6 minutes Preparation Time: 15 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients 8 pieces (50 g pieces) Veal Scaloppini 2 tbsp (25 mL) Dijon mustard 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh sage leaves or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) Maple Syrup 1 clove garlic, minced 8 thin slices Prosciutto Pepper Preparation Lay veal on work surface; pat dry. In small bowl, combine Dijon, sage, maple syrup and garlic; spread 1 tsp (5 mL) on each piece of veal. Top with 1 slice prosciutto. Thread skewer through veal and prosciutto from one end to the other in a Place skewers, veal-side down, on 400°F (200°C) grill; cook for 3 few places; sprinkle with pepper to taste (skewers can be covered and minutes. Using spatula or tongs, turn skewers over; cook for 2 to 3 refrigerated for up to 2 hours). minutes or until grill marked and veal is medium-rare.
Go West ... Continued from Page 20 Lodge deck. Includes $5 voucher that can be used towards the purchase of wine. $25 pp, Space limited to 12 people per tour time. Book in advance by calling 905.563.0668. Several Bench Wineries The Rebirth of Cool July 18-20 Cave Spring Cellars Angels Gate Vineland Estates Flat Rock Cellars Hidden Bench Winery Malivoire Among other Niagara wineries Varying times. Taste Chardonnays from different regions of the world and join in an interactive discussion. Discover and enjoy the many reasons to celebrate everything Chardonnay throughout a weekend full of activities. Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, Victoria Ave. at the lake Saturday, July 19
Cool Chardonnay World Tour Grand Tasting & Dinner. 4:30-11:30 p.m. Sip and celebrate cool with your closest friends and family as our team reserves you a private table of 8 for the i4c’s most highly sought after Signature event. Table of 8 $1,000. Good Earth Vineyard & Winery 4556 Lincoln Ave., Beamsville Good Girth: Seafood Supper July 19, 5-8:30 pm. Our fabulous Seafood Supper is back this year and better than ever. This is a Good Girth Supper Club event with a twist…guests will be served every dish on this menu. No tough decisions! The Seafood Supper in the Orchard will be chock full of the best the seas have to offer, prepared to perfection by our kitchen crew. Join us for this incredible menu: $85 per person plus tax and gratuity. Call 905.563.6333 to reserve your place today, because you can count on this event selling out before you know it. Foreign Affair Winery (The) 4890 Victoria Avenue North, An Enchanted Evening Saturday, July 19 at 6pm. Join us in the Sakura Cherry Blossom, on the winery grounds,
for a formal wine pairing dinner. Featuring exquisite local cuisine with a themed menu, this evening will be truly enchanted. (Same Chardonnay event)Cave Spring 3836 Main St. Jordan Vistas and Vintages July 19, noon til 3pm Take part in the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration Cost: $125 per person Featherstone Winery & Vineyard 3678 Victoria Ave. Vineland Sheep in the vineyard: they’re baa-ckSaturday, July 19; and Saturday, July 26 Time: 1:30pm. Tour lasts about 45 minutes. Three wines will be tasted. The sheep are brought into the vineyard for a brief period to do leaf removal on the vines and provide weed control. Sip on our famous Featherstone Estate 2013 Black Sheep Riesling and enjoy a vineyard tour that is unique in Canada. $10+HST per person, to a maximum 20 people per session. We recommend calling ahead with a credit card number to reserve: 905-562-1949 Good Earth Vineyard and Winery (The) 4556 Lincoln Avenue Beamsville 15 MinJuly/August 2014 | clubwest.ca
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seasonal CUISINE
Strawberry Caramel Ice Cream Cake Sweet, juicy Ontario strawberries combined with ice cream and parfait toppings makes for a refreshing yet decadent dessert- ideal for any special gathering. Freezing Time: 4 hours Freezing Time: 4 hours Preparation Time: 30 minutes Servings: 12 Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) graham wafer crumbs 1/3 cup (75 mL) butter, melted 3 tbsp (45 mL) granulated sugar 2-1/2 cups (625 mL) pureed Ontario Strawberries 1/2 cup (125 mL) mashed Ontario Strawberries 6 cups (1.5 L) vanilla ice cream, softened 1/2 cup (125 mL) caramel sundae syrup 1/2 cup (125 mL) toasted chopped walnuts or pecans Ontario Strawberries (whole or halved) Preparation In bowl, combine graham wafer crumbs, butter and 1 tbsp (15 mL) In large bowl, combine ice cream and remaining berry mixture; spoon of the sugar; remove 1/2 cup (125 mL) and set aside. Press remain- half into prepared crust. Smooth top and sprinkle with reserved graing crumb mixture firmly into bottom of 9-inch (23 cm) nonstick ham crumb mixture and walnuts; drizzle with caramel syrup. Spoon springform pan. remaining ice cream on top and smooth surface. Cover and freeze for In bowl, combine puréed and mashed strawberries and remaining 2 4 hours or until firm, or for up to 4 days. tbsp (25 mL) sugar. Remove 1-1/2 cups (375 mL); cover and refriger- To serve, top cake with strawberries in centre. Slice cake into wedges ate until serving or for up to 24 hours. and drizzle with strawberry sauce.
Go West ... Continued from Page 21 utes of Flame: Classes. July 20, 3-5 pm. Seafood and shellfish can be the nemesis of even the most seasoned grill master. Mike shares some of tricks from years of manning the grill.$95 FLAT ROCK CELLARS 2727 Seventh Ave. Jordan YOGA CLASS, HIKE & HEALTHY LUNCH July 26, 10 am - 1 pm. Start the day with a gentle yoga class overlooking vineyards on the Niagara Escarpment. A healthy, nutritious lunch will be prepared by a local favourite August Restaurant and pairing of some of Flat Rock’s finest wines. $50 pp Calamus Estate Winery 3100 Glen Road Jordan 2014 Vinemount Ridge Velo Sun July 27, Aug 24 9:30 am - 4 pm Bike to the five wineries of the Vinemount Ridge Appellation and enjoy wine samples paired to specially selected foods. Your progressive lunch will be served one course at each winery stop along your route. Call the winery or Twenty Valley Tourism to reserve a date. 22 clubwest.ca | July/August 2014
Creekside Estate Winery 170 4th Ave. Vineland The Heat is officially on! July 27, 6 pm. Welcome to the Creekside Estate Winery Sunday Supper Club Series! Cool down with our summer harvest celebration. Beets and Beans and maybe Collard Greens, and a little local game (not Trivial Pursuit). $49 pp. Good Earth Vineyard and Winery 4556 Lincoln Avenue Beamsville Basket Case Aug. 9, 5-7 pm. Local goes global as Jason showcases the best of the local farm scene with influences from other parts of the world Cooking Demo Classes. $95 pp. Featherstone Winery & Vineyard 3678 Victoria Ave., Vineland Sunday Brunch with the Winemaker Sunday, July 27, Sunday, Aug. 10, 11:30 am. Have a mid-summer chat with our winemaker, David Johnson, while enjoying a delicious threecourse Sunday Brunch on our huge outdoor veranda. Brunch is made complete with four Featherstone wines tailored to the meal. $39.95
per person (includes taxes and gratuities), to a maximum of 20 people per brunch. Thirty Bench Wines 4281 Mountainview Beamsville Upcoming Wine Release Aug. 16-17, 11:30-5 pm. Wine release of our 2012 Small Lot Gewürztraminer and our 2013 Small Lot Pinot Gris. Keep checking back to reserve your space. Foreign Affair Winery 4890 Victoria Ave. N. Pig Roast & Movie Under the Star Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014 – 6 pm Conspiracy Council members & guests have enjoyed this popular and magical experience for four years. This year will prove even more engaging. Calamus Estate Winery 3100 Glen Road Jordan Jazz Day with GinTonic Aug. 17, 2 pm Jazz Day with GinTonic; Enjoy an afternoon filled with music by GinTonic upstairs in our loft. Tickets include a glass of wine and snacks. $20 per person. Call the winery to reserve a spot.
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pursuits HIS STORY
Rolling with the punches STORY AND PHOTOS By Katherine Grant
O
wning a campground can keep a guy pretty busy. While Brian Jagersky has a great office manager in Catherine Lafond and staff to help him out, there’s still lots to do. At his other job, he is pretty much on his own. Like on days where he has to move in with Russell Crowe, to teach the actor boxing techniques for his role in the 2005 movie Cinderella Man. “I stayed with him for three months to get him ready for that,” said Jagersky from his Jordan campground. He isn’t bragging – the opposite, in fact. Jagersky is a modest guy even when speaking about a career that has him working alongside movie and TV stars and celebrities most people will only ever see on screen. Jagersky became skilled in martial arts while still a teenager earning a blackbelt at age 17. It was his expertise in martial arts that first drew the eyes of Hollywood. He didn’t plan it that way. Jagersky studied business at Brock University and became a teacher. He spent six years teaching at Lakeshore Catholic Secondary School in Port Colborne. He really enjoyed teaching. But he had a friend who worked in the stunt industry and, when Jagersky was recommended for a role by stunt co-ordinator Steve Lucescu, he took it. “I’m six foot tall and fair,” he explained. “Your look and size is everything. So I doubled for a lot of leads. The bigger guys play bad guys.” 24 clubwest.ca | July/August 2014
Stuntman Brian Jagersky with Ted Ross In the TV series Kung Fu: the Legend Continues, he doubled for David Carradine’s son played by Chris Potter. He flew to Brazil to work on The Hulk. He has doubled for Clive Owen and Dennis Quaid and the list goes on. His TV credits include Lost Girl, Republic of Doyle and Little Mosque on the Prairie. He has worked on films such as Murder at 1600, X-Men, Dawn of the Dead, 300 and Pompeii but that is just a drop in the bucket. Jagersky has now spent more than 25 years in the film and TV industries; for the past four years he has been the stunt co-ordinator on the TV series Nikita which just wrapped up. Things have changed in the stunt field over the years. “It’s not like it was in the old days, tough guys walking around with broken bones. You have to do the job without breaking bones; bruises you’re going to get, but too many broken bones and you won’t get hired.” Saying it can be a strange job might be an understatement. “You have to decide how you are going to get hit by a car,” said Jagersky, offering an example. “You are going to get hit. So you will either roll up on the hood or go flying but you are going to get hit.” That part is real. Arranging it so it is done safely, yet as realistically as possible, is the key. In his role as stunt co-ordinator, Jagersky is responsible for safety.
pursuits HIS STORY Continued from page 24
“You have to anticipate what could happen and communicate what everyone needs to do. And you want to see it turn out how you engineered and planned it.” With stunts, it’s all in the details, he added. “It’s like when the guys practice fighting. I tell them to go slow or no one can see you and then they yell action and they are going too fast, fists are flying,” he said with a laugh. The stunts also fly across the silver screen in mere seconds. The preparation time, of course, is considerably longer. In the Dennis Quaid/Jim Caviezel movie Frequency, Quaid plays a firefighter who is killed while rescuing a teenager from a burning warehouse. Jagersky does Quaid’s stunts. “The scene is set in a warehouse next to the Hudson River in New York City,” explains Jagersky. “I go into the building and up on the second floor and I see these steel rails.” Until the stunt co-ordinator lays it all out for him, he won’t know what he is facing. It is the co-ordinator’s job to work out the mechanics of the stunt and to do it in a way that keeps all the players safe. This stunt presents a few challenges but that seems to be par for the course. Jagersky will have to be propelled through the air, with a young stunt woman at his side, through a wall and out into the Hudson River. “So I am going to have to get shot out through a wall, I can’t just fall out,” says Jagersky who admits to a bit of trepidation at this point. They can’t just drop into the water because there is a concrete pad directly below them and out in the Hudson are huge wooden pilings jutting out of the water. This landing is all about location, location, location. The next issue is how to get them through that wall – now the steel rails come into play – and to make sure it is done in a way where they clear the concrete and miss the pilings when they hit the water. And there are a few practical challenges as well. “It is like a hundred degrees and I am
dressed in this heavy firefighter gear. I can’t have anything get caught so I am taping stuff down,” said Jagersky. He also decides to put a wet suit on under the gear to add the buoyancy he is going to need once he is in the water. There is no practicing either; with most stunts you only do it once. “So I am sitting on this steel plate with the girl next to me and we are going to travel along these rails through the wall and out into the river,” sad Jagersky. “Then, to make sure we go flying off, they spray oil on the seats and now we can hardly keep from sliding right off.” They won’t have to hold on for long; soon the pair find themselves whipping through space and out into the Hudson River where the worst injury Jagersky suffers is a cut to his mouth. So all is well – mostly; then they learn they have to do it again. “So we are wet and gasping for breath and we have to do it again. Then they realize with our clothes wet we are sticking to the metal plates instead of sliding off so we have to get into dry clothes before we can start over.” During the second launch into the Hudson, Jagersky is fine but his partner gets the wind knocked out of her when she hits the water and they have a few bad moments until she catches her breath. All in a day’s work, and that’s a wrap. It was that chilly dip in the cold and dirty Hudson that got Jagersky a gig on another Quaid film. He got a call from Los Angeles asking if he was the guy who “jumped into the Hudson for Dennis Quaid” and he earned a spot as Quaid’s stunt double in the thriller Cold Creek Manor in which Quaid starred opposite actress Sharon Stone. While no special rigging was required for this job, the role had its own memorable moment for Jagersky – and for Sharon Stone. “Sharon falls into a huge hole in the ground and I run up to the edge of the hole and just as I am about to pull her to safety she looks over my shoulder and sees the killer. So I let go and turn around and fight the killer.” That was the way the scene was supposed to go anyway.
Stunt performers put on a show at Shangri-La campground in Jordan to celebrate the pirate playground opening.
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pursuits HIS STORY
This stunt performers were a part of the pirate ship grand opening at Shangri-La campground.
Continued from page 25
“So there is Sharon down in the pit, she looks great, her makeup is perfect.” The scene is set and action is called. Jagersky goes running up to the pit to save the damsel in distress and as he slides to a halt and extends his hand he sprays the face of the lovely leading lady with mud and leaves churned up by his feet. “I really thought she was going to be mad! But she was really nice about it… said it was fine, made it look more like she had really been climbing out of a hole in the ground.” These days the movie Pixels, starring Peter Dinklage, Adam Sandler, and Michelle Monaghan has been what is keeping Jagersky busy in Toronto. Video game experts are recruited by the military to fight 1980s-era video game characters who’ve attacked New York in the film directed by Chris Columbus. That and the preparation for opening day of the pirate ship playground at the ShangriLa Niagara campground, which he owns, on 17th Street in Jordan. There are actually two ships built side by side: the pirate ship and its British Navy adversary. Each measures about 20 x 40 feet and are loaded with cannons, slides, hiding places, ladders and all manner
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of cool elements kids will love to use to create their own high-seas adventures. The ships have been in the making for about six years when Jagersky sketched the designs on a scrap of paper. “When I was thinking of something to build for the kids I thought about what I liked as a kid,” said Jagersky who clearly had an adventurous spirit back then, too. He bought the business 13 years ago after the loss of his dad. His work in the film industry is what allows him to keep the peaceful and pleasant camping resort in fine form. “Anything I have made I put right back in,” he said on the day of the playground launch. Friends of his who work in the stunt industry – a small tight-knit group – came out for the day and put on an amazing show for the families at the campground. (Among them was his son Dillon, 21, who is making a go of it in the stunt industry. His older son Brandon, 23, is a member of the punk band Single Mothers.) Complete with smoking explosions, a firing cannon that sent one stunt performer flying, sword fighting and dramatic falls, the pirate show was a huge hit.
The carefully choreographed explosions were the creation of Ted Ross who worked on Nikita as special effects co-ordinator. Ross, a former properties master for the Shaw Festival, used to have to create swords, shields, candelabras and the like. “Now I sculpt with explosives,” said Ross with a laugh. “You get the first charge going, guys are appearing and disappearing in the smoke, so yeah, a bit of sculpting!” Ross is also Jagersky’s partner in the Muskoka North Film Studio, a business launched to help get the industry going up north and things are going well. Jagersky, together with Ed Queffelec, also teaches a stunt course for actors at Niagara College although it is hard to see where he finds the time. Although life has taken some interesting turns, Jagersky is still having a good time. He didn’t see the film industry is his future back when he was working part-time at the Beer Store. “I’m not sure you should know what you are going to do with your life,” said Jagersky. “Maybe it is more about being ready and taking those opportunities when they come along.”
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pursuits BUCKET LIST
How to ride an E lephant in Thailand
M
y husband, Bill, and I were visiting our daughter, Alison at Christmastime in Chiang Mai, Thailand where she was studying local native tribes. She would subsequently spend several months living with one such tribe. This experience was an adjunct to a course she was taking at Trent University. We could not pass up such a travel opportunity. Our daughter, wanting to enhance our adventure, arranged through her native connections an elephant ride for us and a cousin and his family. What more gentle, romantic way to spend an afternoon could one imagine! In our rented vehicle, as we bumped and thumped our tortuous way through the jungle, my husband’s cousin fretted non stop. We were surely lost...our daughter had misunderstood her native friends....one couldn’t trust local...and so on. Eventually we arrived at a clearing and descended somewhat shaken but happy that our daughter’s planning had not gone awry. Expecting to be inundated with sounds of life we were surprised at how silent the jungle was. (We learned later that hunters have denuded the forests of all big game and most of the small game too.) Then we noticed the elephants. They were having a bath in a river that was way down in a deep ravine. The native keepers were on the opposite bank and it was clear that the only way across the ravine was via a rope suspension footbridge that sagged and swayed like a huge skipping rope draped between two rickety fire towers. The footing of the bridge consisted of rough planks across its width, some of them cracked, some missing and sizable gaps between them. The rope supports for ones
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hands disappeared after the first few feet. We considered going home, we considered crawling on hands and knees. Then we noticed some native women walking sprightly across with large bundles balanced on their heads. Shame is a powerful motivater. No lives were lost. Mounting the elephant was bizarre. From an elevated platform one steps onto the elephant’s head (she didnt seem to mind) and then along her back to a seat that is a bit like a throne. No seat belts necessary. The driver sits on her head. Several minutes into our ride we were horrified to see our driver lie down on the elephant’s head and go to sleep. Not to worry, our elephant knew her way, rambling through the jungle and reaching up to pick branches off trees and stuff them in her mouth as she walked. At the end of our ride we reached a clearing beside the river where our guides made rafts from bamboo logs and rope. Bill & Mary Rashleigh We then floated back on an adventure in Thailand. down the river, our guide poling the raft and singing love songs to our blonde, blue-eyed daughter. Once back at the elephant station we heaved a sigh of relief as our raft pulled in at the opposite bank. Thank heaven we would not have to walk the planks again!
BY MARY RASHLEIGH
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