Getting recognized for contribution

 

 Irena residents were on edge last week when a neighbouring farmer chose breezy days to burn brush piles left over from a recent land-clearing project.

Smoke and ashes from the piles located directly on the north side of the Irena Road were falling onto the homes located on the south side of Irena Road.

The land was cleared by Dentz, who did obtain a burn permit to dispose of the left over brush. 

However, according Chris McDonough, fire chief South Dundas Fire and Emergency Service, although Calvin Dentz did obtain a permit from the municipality, he failed to comply with the rules laid out in the bylaw governing this type of burning.

“The brush was piled in wind rows, rather than piles, and was too close to the road and too close to property lines,” said McDonough, who warned the landowner to stop burning on August 27.

“We gave him a warning and then we had to come back (August 28) for six hours to put out the fires,” said McDonough. 

The firefighters from the Iroquois Fire Station attended the scene.

Area homeowners couldn’t believe the landowner didn’t heed the initial warning, as it was obvious to them watching from their front yards and front windows, that the situation could have easily gotten out of control.

“We had to close up all our windows in this heat,” said one of the area residents. “Our houses were filling up with smoke so bad it was hurting our eyes and it was hard to breathe.” 

All were worried for their safety and the safety of their homes. “They’re showing no regard for us or our homes,” said another resident.

Because the South Dundas firefighters had to attend the scene after the warning, McDonough says that the landowner will be invoiced for the cost, which McDonough estimates at about $5,000.

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“The interesting thing about spring trade shows is, not only are they great for local businesses, they’re great for communities as a whole,” said Donnie Bowes of the South Dundas Chamber of Commerce Home and Trade Show committee. “It’s a chance to shake off winter and get out and explore what the community has to offer.” 

“And, there aren’t that many of these trade shows in our area,” he said. “Ours attracts more exhibitors and visitors every year.”

When the South Dundas Home and Trade Show opens its doors at the Morrisburg arena Friday April 11, the venue will truly have something for everyone. 

“We are thrilled to be in a sold out position,” said Geraldine Fitzsimmons, manager of the South Dundas Chamber of Commerce. 

Sold out, means that over 70 exhibitors will be on site for the two day event that runs Friday from 4-9 p.m., and Saturday starting at 9 a.m.

“This trade show is really a win-win for both the business community and the community at large,” said Joey Van Koppen, president of the trade show committee.

Organizers say, that the timing of this show is perfect. 

After a long winter, with lots of time to plan for summer projects, people can now, go and see all the great products and services that area businesses offer.

One of the feature attractions of the South Dundas Home and Trade Show, is ‘Ask the experts’ where knowledgeable people in a wide variety of areas are on site to offer free advice. 

This year the experts include Josh Beimond, who will discuss organic lawn maintenance Friday at 6:30 p.m. Barry Keicks is talking about the wild turkey hunt Friday at 7:30 p.m. 

Flo McKenzie offering advice on flower and vegetable gardens Saturday at 10 a.m. At 11 a.m. well known fisherman Reno Viola will talk fishing. At 1 p.m. Karen Marshall will discuss decorating trends. 

South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services will talk Fire Safety at 2 p.m. The final experts of this show will be cooking by Pampered Chef at 3 p.m.

“We have a really great lineup of experts this year, so we are really hoping people will take advantage of the opportunity,” said Fitzsimmons.

The Morrisburg and District Lions Club will have a great food concession on site throughout the event, offering a chicken barbecue Friday night, pancake breakfast Saturday morning followed by pulled pork for lunch.

As always, the South Dundas Chamber of Commerce is proud to offer, not only free admission to the show, but also a free door prize draw. 

Ten door prizes of $100, to be spent at one of the trade show exhibitors businesses, will be given away.

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“Music, I think, comes out our pores, and expresses itself in all sorts of ways,” laughed Raven Kanatakta, who, with partner and wife ShoShona Kish, is part of an extraordinary  multi-member musical group, Digging Roots, which will perform at the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage on Saturday, April 12, at 7 p.m. “Music is like food to us,” he added.

Digging Roots, which originally formed in 2004, has garnered extensive critical and popular praise. Nominated for numerous awards, the group won a Juno in 2010 for Best Aboriginal Album of the Year, Best Pop Recording at the 12th annual Native American Awards and Best Blues CD at the Aboriginal People’s Choice Awards.

Bill Carriere, on the board of the SLAS, is simply awed by the musical versatility and talent of the band.

“One number finds you immersed in reggae, the next…the music is clearly blues with vocals and guitar working together. Next up one hears something that might have…been done by the Fifth Dimension. Then you’ll be treated to something that is clearly contemporary hip hop. Terrific voices, amazing harmonies…it all comes together beautifully.” 

I asked Raven about the band’s eclectic approach to music.

“Well, I come from the 70’s generation, a kind of ‘hippy child’ on the Rez,” he explained, laughing. “I was always listening to the Beatles, to rock bands, jug bands, classical music. It was the same for ShoShona, growing up in Toronto. 

I was attracted to a wide variety of music. Listening to music, playing music, and travelling (Digging Roots has toured throughout North America, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand), all these influences come out in our music.” 

I asked Raven about the themes, the ideas, the group find themselves exploring through their compositions and performances. 

“We spend a lot of time on identity and understanding the world around us. ShoShona and I fell in love in Hawaii, and one Christmas I bought her a ukelele. A uke just seems to lend itself to love songs, and we wrote a whole series of those.”

However, reflecting  their rich heritage, Raven and ShoShona have also begun working on a traditional form of composition called Song Lines.

“The Anishinabe were  nomadic people who often followed the rivers and waterways, camping at night on the beaches. People sang by the water, sometimes just to hand drums. By the waterside, you could look out, right or left, and see the landscape spread before you, mountains, hills, valleys, forests, and the melodies literally followed the contours of the scenery, rising and falling. 

Modern chord progressions allow us to take the same approach, creating songs from the land. We take panoramic photos wherever we go to inspire our melodies. I always say that we are nomadic ourselves in our musical travels.”

Raven and ShoShona are strong advocates of the importance of introducing children to music and the arts. 

On Friday afternoon, April 12, in collaboration with the St. Lawrence Stage, and with the support of the Akwesasne Mohawk School Board, they will be performing with, and for, grades 6-8 students at the Akwesasne Mohawk School.

“Holding workshops with students is vitally important,” Raven said. “This is the next generation, and the education children get dictates the kind of adults they become. I believe that exposure to music, dance, culture is important. We need to bring creativity to our schools.”

Finally, I asked Raven the origin of the band’s name.

“Well, Digging Roots is about understanding where we came from. But it also has a symbolic meaning for us as well.” 

For seven years, despite conventional medical therapies, Raven’s hands caused him serious health issues. Finally he approached a medicine person on a Northern Reservation. “He took me into the bush, and said to bring a shovel.”  Directed to dig up certain roots and plants, (“some in the middle of a bog!”), Raven made a special tea and began drinking it regularly. “In two months, my hands were back to normal and I was playing again. That is also why we chose our name.”

With a new album, For the Light, due to be released in June of 2014, and a cross Canada tour scheduled for the summer, Digging Roots has a very busy schedule. “We are really looking forward to the intimacy of the St. Lawrence Stage, to doing numbers from the new album. It will be fantastic,” said Raven Kanatakta.

Tickets to the Digging Roots concert April 12 are $18 in advance or $20 at the door. Contact www.st-lawrencestage.com

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