Wind group dissolved

 

Stage actor. Genie nominated film star. Radio personality. Model. Composer. Singer.

Especially a singer.

Terra Hazelton, who will be coming to the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage on Saturday, November 17, with her band, Easy Answers, is a multi-talented Canadian artist who will be offering a stunning mixture of blues and jazz at her show. 

Sandra Whitworth, of the St. Lawrence Stage, described Hazelton as a “..powerhouse singer. And the band is just a whole lot of fun. This is just going to be a terrific show.”

When Hazelton was asked how someone just 33 could have already accomplished so much, she laughed. “My passion for the arts started at a very early age.” 

Hazelton first earned her acting chops with the Loose Moose Theatre Company of Calgary, an organization founded by Keith Johnstone. Artistic director, Dennis Cahill, has had a profound effect on some of Canada’s best performers, including members of the Kids in the Hall, and of course, Terra Hazelton.

At age 14, Hazelton was already learning improvisational comedy and taking part in children’s theatre productions.

She credits Cahill and  the company with infusing her with “a taste for the stage, for telling stories and for making people laugh. My theatre experiences really nurtured all my natural urges to perform. And,” she laughed, “I also found I had a strong affinity for singing.”

Time spent at the prestigious American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, really exposed Hazelton to the classic lyricists and composers, to Broadway legends like George Gershwin and Cole Porter. And her career soon took a new direction. “I discovered I loved that kind of music, loved singing it. I began veering away from my original Broadway stage ambitions” and instead found singing taking precedence. 

She returned to Toronto and started performing in cabarets and on stage. 

Then came the moment Hazelton calls “kismet.”

She had been performing around Toronto, particularly at the Brunswick House, when legendary singer/guitarist Jeff Healey heard her sing. His band, the Jazz Wizards, had been formed about a year earlier, and he was looking for a vocalist. 

“He sort of ‘musically courted’ me,” Hazelton laughed. “He came around to hear me at different clubs for a while, and then he offered me a wonderful job” as his band’s featured vocalist. 

It was a magical match: Hazelton toured with his band and Healey eventually produced the young performer’s debut record, “Anybody’s Baby” in 2004.

“The reaction to her (Hazelton) has been overwhelmingly positive to say the least,” Healey said. “I can say that I’ve rarely, if ever, seen a vocalist receive more of an outpouring of affection and adulation.”

Hazelton’s repertoire is grounded in her interpretations of classic jazz and the blues. 

“Jeff exposed me to some of the early great jazz musicians, singers from the 20’s and 30’s. I love Bessie Smith, for the blues and Connie Boswell is my favourite for jazz. Boswell was really the Brittany Spears of the 1930’s. Some of these artists are a little less known today, but I love singing them. Let’s just say my blues choices are earlier than my jazz choices.”

Hazelton is very much looking forward to her performance with Easy Answers at the St. Lawrence Stage. “It will be a great evening.”

Tickets for Terra Hazelton’s concert on November 17 are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. They are available at the Basket Case, Strung Out Guitars and Compact music or on line at the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage.

 

[…]

Health and wellness for everybody is the topic of the much anticipated “It’s All About “ME” Health and Wellness Fair coming up at the Winchester Arena on Wednesday, April 30 from 2-6 p.m. 

Presented by the Dundas Interagency there is no admission charge for the Health and Wellness Fair.

The Dundas Interagency is a local group comprised of various agencies representing North and South Dundas. 

Each year the Dundas Interagency plans a community event to showcase all that is available in Dundas County, and the Interagency is especially pleased this year to be offering a Health and Wellness Fair that’s focused on “It’s All About Me”. 

Too often caregivers of all kinds constantly look after others without stopping to care for themselves. This day is about celebrating the intrinsic value in all of us. 

Over 40 exhibitors will be at the “It’s All About Me” Health and Wellness Fair on April 30th. 

There will be a great selection of local business and services covering health, wellness, fitness, entertainment and much more. There will be demonstrations on food and food sources; exercise, yoga, dance; community resources on health, education, community building; arts and culture to name a few. 

Residents from throughout the Dundas community (North and South) are invited to come out and see what Dundas County has to offer and enjoy a variety of presentations and explore the many opportunities available. 

Demonstrations are happening throughout the day beginning at 2:15 p.m. In addition, each exhibitor will have a display and be happy to discuss their product or service. 

The mission of the Dundas County Interagency Committee is to provide a forum where individuals and organizations serving the residents of Dundas County can network for the benefit of the general population and to promote awareness of community services.

The initiative to promote networking began in the early 1980’s at a brown bag lunch meeting, where community workers from various agencies could share information.

In the early 1990’s, a number of interested individuals representing various agencies sat down together to plan a course of action. From a survey, quarterly meetings were established, which included time for networking and sharing information and, of course, lunch.

In 2005, representatives from several agencies serving Dundas County agreed to meet once or twice a year to share information about services available, participate in educational workshops, get to know new staff members and ensure that the community is well informed on what the agencies can provide

The committee has hosted a variety of event over the past five years.

Some of the 44 participants in the April 30th, “It’s All About Me” Health and Wellness Fair are: Canadian Blood Services, CMHA, Winchelsea Farms, TR Leger ALEPP, EOHU, SD&G County Library, Naomi’s Family Resource Centre, Upper Canada Playhouse, Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network, Poppa Beans, Marion Stanley Mosaics, The Rythym Room, Linking Hands, Hartford, Kim Hutt, Garden Path Homemade Soap, Carefor Health and Community Services, Chesterville Dancers, Isagenix, Lakeshore Massage, Ryunolshi Tai Chi, Addictions Service Aura Culinary Arts.

[…]

The final notice has been received and the Helping Hand, a mission of the Pentecostal Church, has until October 17th to vacate its location in the old Morrisburg High School, where it has been a source of clothing for those in need for the past 11 years.

Unfortunate, but true, the Helping Hand used clothing depot, answers a very big need in South Dundas and the surrounding area with an average of 2000-2,500 visitors benefiting from it each year.

The fact that the Helping Hand has to vacate is not a surprise as they were put on notice way back in 2009, that they were in their location on a monthly basis. With the upcoming renovation to the historic high school building to house an expansion to the St. Lawrence Medical and the South Dundas Municipal offices, the monthly basis has ended and the Helping Hand is closing.

The problem is that since they were put on notice of the eventual loss of their location they have been unable to find a new location that would be rent-free, or at the very least, very cheap.

“We have a lot of people not happy about it,” says Pentecostal minister, Rev. Duncan Perry.  “But we can’t afford to go somewhere else. We have a couple thousand dollars (donations) a year coming in, but that is not enough to rent.”

“We don’t want to locate in the mall, and the only other building in town is the former St. Lawrence Parks building.”

According to Rev. Perry, that building is in such poor shape it is no longer an option, and he understands the Food Bank will replace the County Library in its lower level arena location should the library move to the high school, once renovated.

“I was really hoping they (municipality) would give us half of the bottom of the arena,” says Rev. Perry. “But I understand that it is going to the arena staff for a workshop/storage. It would have been a perfect fit for us.”

“We’ve been open for 11 years, and we are averaging 2,000 to 2,500 people a year. The $2,000 we receive in donations (goodwill donations from those who benefit from the Helping Hand, and donations from the community) is put back into the community.”

Recently, money was donated to the Breakfast Programs at Seaway High and Morrisburg Public Schools. “We’ve also given a lot to the Food Bank over the years.”

“People have come to us and told us that if we weren’t (Helping Hand) here, they didn’t know what they would do. The clothing donated to us is top notch and we made a decision at the start, that if we wouldn’t wear it, it wouldn’t be used.”

“One lady has been using it over and over through the years to clothe her children.”

“Those are the kind of stories we hear every week.”

“It is really amazing what we have done locally, and we’ve sent truckloads of clothes overseas when we couldn’t handle it all.”

The Helping Hand is run by volunteers and there is no charge for the clothing, although visitors can make goodwill donations.

“We have helped people from all over. We wish we could keep it open, we really do. It’s too bad, and I understand the town doesn’t have the money for a building.”

“I do believe the number of working poor is getting larger. It’s unfortunate we need a place like this but we do. If there was a place found, we wouldn’t even think about shutting it down. If they would reconsider letting us share with the Food Bank that would be ideal.”

That, however, according to Rev. Perry, is not an option at this time, and the Helping Hand is preparing to close by the October 17 deadline. Arrangements have been made for representatives from Agape in Cornwall to visit the facility, with the hope that they will be able to take the clothing.

Located at 40, Fifth Street West in Cornwall, the Agape Centre runs a Food Bank, Soup Kitchen and Thrift Shoppe.

South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds says he is appreciative of the service the Helping Hand provides to the community. “It’s unfortunate, but hopefully they will find somewhere in the community.”

Byvelds confirmed that the long-term plan is for removal of the former Parks building. “That building is done, and we are only spending what we have to, to keep it going.”

He says there has been some discussion of moving the Food Bank to the arena location, but the discussions are very preliminary and nothing is decided and nothing can or will be decided until the final plans are in place for the high school.

Those plans, are for the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic to occupy the first floor (ground level) and the municipal offices to occupy some or all (if necessary) of the second floor. Once these two entities are accommodated then the remaining space, including the third floor, will be considered.

[…]