News

 

 I first learned of Pastor John Noordhof’s  bike journey on behalf of those trapped in the cycle of poverty from Joe Groeneveld, Dixon’s youth leader. Pastor John, from the Williamsburg Christian Reformed Church, is involved in an extraordinary nine week  biking adventure, crossing North America with Sea to Sea.

Pastor John Noordhof is part of a group of nearly 200 people of all ages who are biking in order to raise funds for the national struggle to end poverty. Sea to Sea is sponsored by World Renew, Partners Worldwide and the Reformed Church of America. When he left on his bike journey Pastor John had been pledged well over $10,000 by members of the Williamsburg Christian Reformed Church, and other community supporters.

On June 22, Pastor John dipped the wheel of his bike into the Pacific Ocean at Los Angeles. By August 24, he and fellow bikers hope to be in New York City to dip their wheels into the Atlantic.

Friday, August 16, around 7 a.m., following the night in Brockville, Pastor John Noordhof and other riders should be passing through Morrisburg, stopping at Upper Canada Playhouse for a brief reception. Members of his Williamsburg Church family and other interested people in the community are very welcome to come out and greet John and the Sea to Sea riders.  

Sea to Sea recognizes that there are, of course, no quick fixes for poverty. The non-profit Bike Tour, whose motto is “cycling to end poverty”, is part of a multi-pronged approach to the issue.  The 2008 Bike tour brought in $1.5 million for the cause. Organizers of the 2013 tour are hopeful that this year the donations may reach $3 million. The funds go toward organizations combatting poverty world wide.

Pastor John has had a full, and often exciting journey, peddling at least 70 miles every day. Mac Vandemaheen, of the Williamsburg Church, said that he spent part of the winter practicing for the trip on a stationary bike, but “he was ready to be out on the road.” On a blog, which he updates regularly, he has kept his supporters informed about the journey across North America.

Camping out in tents, staying in auditoriums, gyms in schools and community halls, the bikers have made new friends in the communities they passed through.  In Colorado, Pastor John wrote that he stayed in a dorm, in a “real bed, the first since Vanguard nearly three weeks ago.” In Iowa, contending with rainy weather and two flat tires, he was thrilled by an unexpected visit from church members Ralph and Marge Norg, very much a “bright spot” on the journey. He describes beautiful scenery, the wonder of experiencing mountains, valleys and desert terrain. 

There have been challenges. Temperatures along the way sometimes climbed to over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and the cyclists had to travel by truck: it was too risky to bike. Outside Colorado Springs, one cyclist fell and broke her leg. Crossing the Continental Divide, Pastor John wrote “There was one short, steep climb that I had to stop three times because I was totally out of breath. The elevation got me.”

However, all along the route, the bikers have met with hundreds of supportive and welcoming officials and ordinary people. Following their crossing back into Canada, the group was able to relax at Redeemer College, and attend a celebration service, where nearly 1,000 people filled the hall. They recently crossed over Toronto, detours, construction and all, a experience Pastor John recalls as “remarkable.” He also celebrated a birthday on the road.

Cyclists with Sea to Sea have described the tour as a “life-changing experience where they got to depend on God for his protection and had the opportunity to join others in collectively seeking to glorify God by raising money to aid those who are caught in the cycle of poverty.”

Donations to Pastor John’s cause can still be made by going to the Sea to Sea website.

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Hi. My name is Hitch, a name I was given by a nice lady and her children who rescued me when they spotted me running down the road. I am a two-year-old Terrier, not fixed, very friendly and just full of life…love to play and am looking forward to a forever loving home.

 

 

 

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It’s fair time!

The 121st edition of the South Mountain Fair runs August 15-18, and this year features a new, enhanced children’s program as one of the most exciting additions to the festivities.

“The Kids Mountain of Fun”, made possible through a Celebrate Ontario grant, will take place on the fair grounds in a brand new entertainment tent.

Lil John and  Stretch the Clown, with car and scooter will have two shows Saturday and Sunday and Cindy Cook from Polka Dot Door will have two stage shows on Sunday.

Little Ray’s Reptiles, Vanderlaand’s Barnyard Zoo and Tribek Inflatables will provide fun activities for kids of all ages.

Sunday will feature a parade of International/Farmall tractors and equipment at noon.

Sam Simm’s was the first IH dealer in this area and the South Mountain Fair is dedicating this parade to the Simm’s Family.

Top notch entertainment featured this year includes Georgette Jones, the only daughter of the late George Jones and Tammy Wynette, performing with Fred Ducharme and Ninth Line on Friday night. 

Saturday’s entertainment includes Country Roots in the afternoon and High Valley taking the stage at 8 p.m. Landmark will keep the music going until closing at 1 a.m. 

Fred Ducharme and Ninth Line will return Sunday along with some special guests to entertain until Texas native Mark Chesnutt takes the stage at 4 p.m.

The Western Horse Show is back with their NBHA show on Saturday and Western Games fair show on Sunday.

Other events such as the poultry, heavy horse, miniature horse and saddle, plus Farmers Olympics, Jr. Farmers Olympics, Greasy Pig, Wife Carrying Competition, as well as Simmental and Angus cattle show will be sure the entertain spectators of all ages.

Don’t miss the renowned demolition derby Friday evening, as well as all the other agricultural exhibits that continue to make South Mountain Fair “The Best Fair Deal Around.”

Tickets are $20 each day with Thursday half price day.

The $20 admission is an all-inclusive price including midway rides and entertainment in the big tent.

New this year, is a $10 admission ticket which does not give you access to the rides or the entertainment tent. Weekend passes are available for $50.

Free rough camping is available.

Check out the website at www.southmountainfair.ca

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Time travel is very possible for children aged 8-17.

Every year, children travel from across the region, across the province, across the country, across the continent and even across the globe, to attend one of the most unique summer camp experiences available anywhere. 

Upper Canada Village’s Time Travellers Historical Discovery Camp has been offered since the 1990s. Nine week-long camps take place every summer with room to accommodate 30 campers per week. Time Travellers is for boys and girls ages 9 to 14.

“This camp really appeals to a wider geographic range than just the local region,” says Bruce Henbest, coordinator for interpretation at Upper Canada Village, who recently spoke with The Leader about this popular and long-running youth program offered annually at Upper Canada Village.

The program started in the 1990s, has grown in popularity since its inception and has a high rate of return for those children who attend the camp. The bulk of the campers come from Ontario, and particularly the Ottawa area, but they do draw a significant number from Toronto, Montreal, and have had campers come from the U.S., even Hawaii, and from Europe (France).

“A lot of our campers have come back year after year for five years,” said Henbest. “I think that recurring appeal says a lot about the program.”

“This is such a unique program, that we are fortunate to be able to offer,” he said, explaining that other living history museums in the U.S., no longer offer this type of opportunity.

“Upper Canada Village is such a magical setting, particularly in the evenings,” said Henbest, explaining that the campers have the opportunity to enjoy the village after closing. The setting and the unique 1860s experiences offered along with the camaraderie of a week-long camp make the Time Travellers experience unforgettable and unlike anything else out there.

Throughout the six day, five night camp, children stay in historic buildings that are set up as residences that are not open to the public. The buildings are outfitted with period furnishings, but have modern washroom and shower facilities. During orientation they are fitted with period clothing that they wear throughout the day when they are led through a range of activities in large or small groups that may include helping out in the kitchens of the homes or in the barns. 

The authentic 1860s experiences could have the campers helping prepare a meal, milking a cow, feeding farm animals, or helping out the various tradespeople within the village. They too could participate in leisure activities such as painting or scroll working, which would have been popular 1860s leisure activities. The campers even attend school, 1860s style. “The hands-on opportunities we provide here are pretty unique,” said Henbest. The days are structured, but the evenings are filled with fun and games and campfires. 

There are a few spaces available in the Time Travellers program this month. (Anyone interested should call 1-800-437-2233 or 613-543-4328 as soon as possible for details.)

Time Travellers is one a number of youth programs offered at Upper Canada Village.

This year, for younger children, aged 8-11 is the new “Time Travellers Try-a-camp”. It is a three day version of Time Travellers, running from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. 

Like Time Travellers participants wear authentic costumes and take on the role of a child in the 19th century community.

Young Interpreters, another of the youth programs offered, provides more of a day-camp experience. For those ages 10-15, they come to Upper Canada Village for six days over two consecutive weekends to help portray life in the 1860s. For those 15-17 there is a senior youth interpreter program.

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What may have been a barrier to participation in the Winchester District Memorial Hospital Foundation Heel n’ Wheel Fundraiser has been removed.

The event had featured mandatory minimum fundraising amounts for participants but Friday it was announced that those mandatory minimums have been removed.

“The minimum is deterring people who want to participate from signing up. So, we removed it,” said Christina Enright, WDMH Foundation Manager of Community Engagement.

“Our hope is that people will sign up to walk or cycle from one of the seven starting locations and se their own fundraising goal at their comfort level,” she said.

The registration fees of $25 per adult and $10 per child still apply, but they can be applied to go towards your fundraising goal.

The event will be held on September 7, 2013, with walkers leaving each of the seven starting locations (Greely, Osgoode, Russell, Crysler, Finch, Morrisburg, South Mountain) at 8 a.m., and cyclists leaving between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. 

This event is open to all ages to participate, and families are encouraged. 

The Heel ’n Wheel will wrap up with a celebration BBQ in front of WDMH, complete with musical entertainment, children’s activities, and a presentation of awards. To find out more, visit heelnwheel.ca

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Upper Canada Village will host over 30 food vendors at a new culinary event Saturday and Sunday, August 17 and 18 to showcase some of the best of the region’s local food and beverage producers.

Food lovers will have a “Field Day” sampling and shopping in an outdoor farmers’ market, all located in the fairground field found in the heart of Upper Canada Village.  

This eclectic collection of over 30 food, wine & beer artisans and producers will be serving up the flavours, aromas and medleys of nature’s bounty from across Ontario.  

Visitors to the Village will want to bring along a thirsty appetite, to not only sample and enjoy Ontario wines, local craft beer as well as other non-alcoholic beverages, but also to savour the flavours of regional foods such as artisan cheese, signature pizzas, Scottish shortbreads, brick-oven baked bread, home-style baked goods, health foods and mixes, seasonal apples and berries, market-fresh greens, herbs and vegetables, smoked meats, syrup and honey products, pickles, preserves and sauces, chocolate specialties, gourmet popcorn, peanuts and fudge, oils, garlic products, as well as a variety of ethnic foods such as Indian, Thai, Ukrainian, Greek, Mexican and more. 

Upper Canada Village invited Cornwall’s Schnitzel’s European Flavours Restaurant Chef Troy Paquette to create a signature “Upper Canada Village” pizza in a 19th century beehive oven located in the yard of Cook’s Tavern.  The individual size thin-crust “Heritage Wheel” pizzas will be made right before your eyes using Upper Canada Village flour, Village-made cheese, and heirloom ingredients as found in the Village gardens.

Two local food experts – Dwight Saunders a Raw Gourmet Chef, Teacher and Wellness Consultant for Aura Culinary Arts of Iroquois will be presenting demonstrations on ‘Pumpkins Impossible’; ‘Preserving Today for Tomorrow’; ‘Wild Edibles’ and ‘Non-Dairy Cheese Making at Home’.

Lynda Turner a Scientist with Health Canada and also the owner/founder of Zengarry Vegetarian Cuisine of Alexandria will deliver a session ‘All About Greens’ and ‘Cooking with Kids’. They are all timely topics with families starting to think about ‘back to school’ and the challenge of incorporating healthy meals into hectic daily routines.

All in all it will be a great representation of all the region has to offer – right in our own backyard.

How does this fit with historic Upper Canada Village?  

The Village with its wonderful gardens, heirloom varieties of vegetables, operating 19th century kitchens using authentic recipes and methods, cheesemaking and bakery really represents the original ‘100 Mile Diet’.  

For the Food Lovers’ weekend Upper Canada Village will have special sampling with a 19th century flavor at three of the kitchens. 

The Louck’s Farm kitchen represents a typical well-to-do pre-Confederation farm family and will serve up delectable samplings of chocolate delicacies.  Chocolate caramel, Chocolate Sweet Meats, Spiced Chocolate (like hot chocolate) and Chocolate Comfits will be served to visitors looking to taste test the sweeter side of 19th century living.

At the Tenant Farm, or the ‘hired hands’ home, sample a selection of Village-made jams, jellies and preserves – all made using special 19th century recipes. You can sample Cucumber Preserves, Carrot Jam, Citron Preserve, and Apple or Rosehip Jelly served up on your choice of homemade crackers, bread or oat cakes. Visitors will be able to take a recipe home with them or ask the ladies for some preserving tips.

At Cook’s Tavern guests can taste authentic 19th century beverages.  Lemon Syrup, Rhubarb Cordial, Rhubarb Shrub, Gingerbeer, Mead and Raspberry Shrub are a few of the drinks to be sampled at the tavern.  Cordials and Shrubs used vinegar to put some zip in the drink resulting in a very refreshing summer beverage.  Rather exotic sounding concoctions by today’s standards.

Expert Village staff will also provide garden tours led by head gardener Brian Henderson and offer samples of Upper Canada Village’s heirloom vegetables (over 50 varieties of tomatoes are grown onsite) and herbs straight from the garden.  There will also be a special feature on horseradish – how to grow it and prepare this ‘root with roots’ which has been cultivated since antiquity.

Live 19th century music throughout the day will provide the perfect ambience for a food event in this historic setting.

“Developing this event has been a real eye-opener to the depth of talented and unique food producers we have in our region,” said Geoff Waycik, manager, Upper Canada Village. “The world truly is represented right in our backyard.  As more and more people are becoming conscious about using the best quality and freshest ingredients to make healthy meal choices, the more relevant we found 19th century cuisine. We think it is a great way to promote local food and local food producers against the backdrop of Upper Canada Village.  It is a perfect match.” 

Visit www.UpperCanadaVillage.com for a complete list and description of all vendors participating.  Food Lover’s Field Days is sponsored by Smart Serve, the Township of South Dundas, Foodland Ontario and Cornwall & the Counties Tourism.

Admission to Food Lover’s Field Days is Adult (13-64 yrs) $17, Seniors (65 + yrs) $14 and Youth (6-12 yrs) $12.  Children 5 years and younger are free.  The price of admission includes a reciprocal ticket for a return visit to Upper Canada Village or Fort Henry National Historic Site of Canada day program or to a Parks of the St. Lawrence beach / day-use area.  For more information visit www.UpperCanadaVillage.com or call 800-437-2233 or locally 613-543-4328.

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Back to school time is quickly approaching and last week a local trucking company handed out four cheques that will help make heading back a little easier for four area post-secondary students.

Pam and Bruce Mullin of KBD Transportation in Iroquois awarded the KBD Education Bursary of $2,000 each to Justin Duval, Kendra Ward, Megan Van Allen and Megan Gunter, at their company headquarters, July 31.

“The KBD Transportation Education Bursary is awarded every year and provides grants of up to $2,000 to employees and children of employees who are enrolled in, or have received acceptance to full-time post-secondary studies,” says Cindy Ault of KBD, who administers the program. “The employee must have been an active employee of KBD for a minimum of one year to qualify,” she adds.

The 2013 recipients are all getting ready to head back to school and appreciate the help this bursary provides.

Justin Duval is the son of KBD driver David Duval. He is working towards his Bachelor’s in Engineering. He is in his second year of a four year program at University of Guelph.

Kendra Ward has been a summer student at KBD for four years. She is in her second year of a three year program in Dental Hygiene. She is studying at Algonquin College.

Megan Van Allen is the daughter of KBD driver Mike Van Allen. She is in her first year of a three year program in Community Services – Behavioural Science. She will attend St. Lawrence College in Kingston.

Megan Gunter is the daughter of KBD driver Rodney Gunter. Megan is in her first year of a two year program at St. Lawrence College in Kingston where she is studying Early Childhood Education.

KBD started this bursary program in 2006, and since then they have awarded $26,000.

“Before that, we had been giving to an education bursary with the Ontario Trucking Association,” said Pam Mullin. “But, that could go to anyone across the province, so instead we decided that if we were going to support an education program, we would like to give the money to people that matter to us here at KBD.”

With that shift, they started a program in house and award funds annually. 

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Ontario East British Home Child Family, in partnership with Upper Canada Village, is pleased to announce that the Aultsville Train Station will house a British Home Child exhibit on weekends from August 31st 2013 until September 28, 2013.

Between the 1860’s and the 1930’s, over 100,000 impoverished children from the British Isles were sent to Canada to work as indentured servants in the homes and farms of this country.  These children, ranging in age from infancy to 16 years, were removed from their homes by philanthropic organizations and sent to Canada in hopes of securing a better future for them.  

After travelling to Canada by ship and spending time at one of the many receiving homes located in this country, the British Home Child would often travel to their new “home” via train.  There is little doubt that many of these littlest of immigrants would have been found waiting in or near a building such as the Aultsville Train Station for pick up by their new “family”.  

It is for this reason that the Ontario East British Home Child Family, which seeks to preserve and promote the story of the British Home Child, approached Upper Canada Village to seek permission to house a collection of memorabilia and information on British Home Children in Canada at the Aultsville Station.  

The Aultsville Station will be open from 12  to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from August 31st until September 28, 2013.  

The exhibit will be composed of various artifacts and information that have been collected by British Home Child Descendants and interested members of the public. 

On site there will be a member of the OEBHCF available to provide information and answer questions as required.

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Food Lovers’ Field Days at Upper Canada Village is Eastern Ontario’s newest culinary event.

Set for August 17 and 18 at Upper Canada Village, the new event is reminiscent of food lovers weekend events from the past, but it is much expanded.

In the past Upper Canada Village has offered a Food Lovers Weekend that mostly consisted of garden tours, with some sampling of period foods. 

“This year, food lovers will have a field day,” said Jancis Sommerville, a key organizer of the revamped and much-expanded event.

The fair ground, inside Upper Canada Village, will be set with over 30 food vendors offering their products for sample and for sale. Sweets, health foods, fresh produce, comfort foods, wine, beer, and even international cuisine will have a place, set against the backdrop of Upper Canada Village.

Foodie fun will be found throughout the fairgrounds and run over into Village establishments like Cooks Tavern, which will be offering up heritage drinks. 

A 19th century beehive oven will be used by a present day chef to cook up pizzas made specially for the occasion. Heritage Wheel Pizzas will make use of Village flour, cheese and heirloom vegetables. 

Smoking technique demonstrations, of present and past can be seen, along with the regular heritage cheese-making and bakery demonstrations. 

Special cooking demonstrations will take place on the fair grounds some featuring South Dundas resident and Raw Gourmet Food Chef Dwight Saunders.

Some of the latest trends in food are very reminiscent of the 19th century, such as the 100 mile diet, clean eating of whole, unrefined foods, and the return to the concept of the family meal. 

“So many trends are looking back to tradition, so that makes this event really relevant,” said Susan Le Clair of the St. Lawrence Parks Commission.   

Sommerville explained that, through organizing the event she did a tremendous amount of research and learned so much not only about the food, but about what is offered throughout the whole Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec region.

“A lot of people will be surprised to see what there is to offer and all that is available locally and throughout the region,” said Sommerville. “I’ve lived in this area my whole life and I couldn’t believe that we had so much, right in our own backyard.”

Access to the farmer’s market in the fairgrounds, souvenir Bellamy’s Grist Mill bags (one per party), presentations and activities are all included with admission to Upper Canada Village.

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The Morrisburg & District Lions Duck Race was once again a big hit on Sunday, August 4, down at the Morrisburg Beach: but when it comes to star power, the five dogs who pulled prize winning ducks from the water were the true champs of the day. All 1,200 duck tickets were sold, and the Lions will use the funds raised for community activities and to support the five, $500 bursaries given to Seaway DH School grads. With the Leos keeping the ducks corralled on the water, the five dogs leaped in, and each brought out a duck. Winners were Ted Harriman, 5th, $100 Rileys Valu-mart gift certificate, Kim Morrow, 4th, $100 Canadian Tire gift certificate, Brenda King, 3rd, $100 Giant Tiger gift certificate,  Sharon Goddard, 2nd ($200) and 1st prize winner ($500), Bonnie Garlough and duck, Rocket. From the left are Robin Locke and Finnegan, Leanne Casselman and Katie, Juli Strader and Cocoa, Jim Martin and Addison and Wendy Graham with Floyd. Holding the Lions banner are (l-r) organizers,  Lions Judy Charette and Tracey Veinotte, who thanked the community for its support. As MC Janeen Wagemans said, “Not one duck was injured in this event.” And a good time was had by all.

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