News

It’s New York City, 1939, and detective Harry Monday has a lot of problems. Authorities have condemned his run down building; his bookie, the pawn shop, the IRS and his landlord are all demanding their cash; he’s in the bad books of the NYPD; his bootleg stash could melt your nose hairs.

And, oh yes, there’s the little matter of several dead bodies cluttering up his office.

It can only mean one thing.

The Iroquois-Matilda Lions are into rehearsals for their 2012 production, Monday Always Leads to Murder, which will open at Upper Canada Playhouse on April 26 and run for four performances.

For over 25 years, members of the Iroquois Lions club and their spouses have brought a lot of laughter and a lot of great entertainment to the community through their plays. Staged every other year, the Lions’ productions are greatly anticipated and regarded as one of the highlights of South Dundas year.

Funds raised by the plays, have, for two decades, helped the Lions to carry out numerous charitable activities and important services in the community. The Lions International motto is “We serve.” Productions at the Playhouse are one way local Lions can continue to carry out that goal.

Monday Always Leads to Murder, by Pat Cook, follows in the comic traditions set by the Club in previous productions like The Best Laid Plans, You Can’t Take it With You, Arsenic and Old Lace and Dark Deeds at Swan’s Place.

Rick MacKenzie is private eye, Harry Monday, a Sam Spade ‘wannabe’. He is supported by a strong cast (playing some hilariously colourful New York characters) including Glenn and Margaret Swerdfeger, Joan Mann, Barry Fawcett, Bill Rumble, Brian Speer, Jim Mustard, Ruth Robertson and Donna Swank.

Jim Locke will head up the construction crew at the theatre, building a completely original 1939 set, designed by talented artist John Thompson. Taking over lighting, sound and technical duties for the Lions’ play will be Sean Free, technical director at Upper Canada Playhouse. Wendy Gibb will direct the production.

Tickets and ticket information will soon be available.

In the meantime, mark your calendars for The Iroquois-Matilda Lions production of Monday Always Leads to Murder, coming April 26-28 to Upper Canada Playhouse.

February 29, 2012 W. Gibb – Leader staff

Lynn Miles wins ovations at St. Lawrence Stage Concert

Two minutes after she stepped on to the St. Lawrence Stage on Saturday, February 25, Lynn Miles made it crystal clear why she is the winner of numerous music awards, including a Juno, and one of Canada’s best regarded singer/song writers. The Morrisburg audience loved her voice, loved her music, loved her show.

Backed by the inimitable Keith Glass, singer and guitarist from the renowned group Prairie Oyster, the Lynn Miles concert ended much too soon. We could have listened to her rich voice all night.

Miles’ voice, described by Jeanne Ward of the St. Lawrence Stage, in her introduction, as “utterly beautiful,” can surprize as well as delight. Miles has an incredible vocal range. Sometimes she sings softly with a deep sense of melancholy, sometimes her vocals are upbeat and jazzy: and sometimes she simply belts out good old rock and roll.

She and Glass shared the stage with the ease of professionals who have worked together long enough to be completely comfortable with each other. The banter between them, at times, seemed as much a part of the concert performance as the music.

“It’s really lovely to be back here at the St. Lawrence Stage again.” Miles told the crowd (she performed here in 2009) with a grin, “but I have to tell you that we had to drive all the way up from Collingwood in that snow storm yesterday. When we left, I had black hair.”

“When we left, I had hair,” Glass shot back as the audience roared its approval.

Miles performed a wide range of music at Saturday’s concert. She definitely cannot be fitted into any one “category” or genre. The strong country sound of Three Chords and the Truth was followed by the soft, almost romantic approach of Everybody’s Given Up On Me.

In an earlier interview with The Leader, Miles said that she primarily sees herself as a song writer, one for whom words, and the feelings and images they create, mean a lot.

She said that while she often writes about difficult or challenging themes, she sees her role as an artist to take such issues and “turn them into a kind of beauty, and to touch people in the process.”

In Love is Red, she sang “I wish I could take it back/fix this broken side walk crack…You loved me, I loved you/We said things that were not true..”

Miles poignant reflection on domestic abuse touched the audience as she sang “Love doesn’t leave its mark on you/Love doesn’t leave you black and blue/Love doesn’t push you down in the dirt/Love isn’t mean and love doesn’t hurt.”

Earlier in the day, Miles gave a song-writing workshop for nearly 20 aspiring students.

“The workshop was fantastic,” said Francine Leclair, who came down for the workshop and concert from Ottawa. “It was great to hear her philosophy. I remember most that Lynn said ‘you have to live your life as an artist.’

She shares so much of herself with you when she works with you.”

Sandra Whitworth, on the board of the St. Lawrence Stage, also attended the workshop, and said she gained “such insight. You learn how an artist composes, how she handles challenges. Lynn’s advice really helps.”

“I’ve written about 680 songs,” Miles laughed. “Three are happy.” Then she proved her point with an unexpectedly sweet little piece “Never the grey sky/Never the gloom…Open the windows/ Put your joy on display/ It’s time for the sun to have its day…”

Throughout the entire concert, Miles was beautifully accompanied by Keith Glass both on vocals and on guitar.

Her musical insights, her sense of humour, her powerful voice made Lynn Miles’ performance at the St. Lawrence Stage an evening of pure joy for a very appreciative audience.

Hartford hosts first Chili Cook-off

On the afternoon of February 24th, the Hartford Retirement Centre in Morrisburg hosted their first annual Chili Cook-off to great success.

The event, organized by Hartford’s Community Services Manager, Tracy Jones, got underway with a short presentation by Deirdre Cooke RD, CDE. The presentation, Heart Disease: Diet Can Make a Difference, was well-received with a packed audience in the chapel.

Following the presentation, the chili cook-off got underway accompanied by some live entertainment.

According to Jones, while there had been 10 chili contestants registered, only seven were able to make it due to Friday’s storm.

Judges included South Stormont Mayor Bryan McGillis, North Dundas Mayor Eric Duncan, Upper Canada Playhouse Artistic Director Donnie Bowes, Iroquois Fire Department’s Phil Thompson, and Chartwell’s Regional Marketing Director Patricia Courtney.

The live entertainment was provided by what the Hartford called “the singing policemen.” The group, which has no name, normally performs at Christmastime as the Coppertones. For the chili cook-off they were able to pull together a mix of “country and oldies” as well as a few jokes. The group performed to a very receptive crowd.

Money was raised through chili entries as well as through direct donations. Lise Koslowski, a volunteer with Heart and Stroke, was on-hand to accept donations and write receipts.

In the end, the Hartford was able to raise $354 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Chili cook-off winners included: Reg Anderson in first place; Shirley Lalonde in second place; and, Sue Jarvis in third place. Cash prizes were given.

HVAC Annual Inspection job to Neal’s Heating and Cooling

Funds to cover the cost of HVAC annual inspections of South Dundas water treatment plants will come from the 2012 Water Budget.

At the February 21st South Dundas council meeting, Manager of Public Works Hugh Garlough recommended that council accept a bid from Neal’s Heating & Cooling for the job. The winning bid came in at $1,190 plus HST.

The other two companies invited to bid on the project were Morrisburg Plumbing & Heating and Atel Air, both of which were outbid by more than $1,000.

Garlough assured the concerned Deputy-Mayor Jim Locke that “protocol with tenders” was being adhered to during the process.

Heritage road signs honour history

At the February 21st South Dundas council meeting, Economic Development Officer Nicole Sullivan supported Bill Shearing’s efforts to erect four signs honouring specific events connected to the War of 1812.

Sullivan asked council to “approve an application to the Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP) for funding to support” the initiative. They unanimously agreed to the request.

Former honourary Colonel of the SD&G Highlanders, Shearing pointed out, during a plea to council at their December 20, 2011 meeting, that “our township has an important military history that is largely forgotten.”

At the time, council applauded the idea of heritage signs commemorating the War of 1812, but were resistant to the project’s potential cost.

Since then, Shearing has been able to raise over $2,000 to make the signs a reality. Both the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders Regimental Foundation and the Friends of Crysler’s Farm Battlefield have promised a donation of $1,000 each.

In addition to this, Shearing is pursuing other benefactors, like the Morrisburg and Iroquois Branches of the Royal Canadian Legion.

“If EODP funding for the project is approved, it would offset any costs associated with the project,” said Sullivan.

Furthermore, she added, “the signs installed would be township property. Barring any accidents or vandalism, the signs will last approximately 10 years after which Council can evaluate the merits of having them replaced.”

The total project cost is estimated at $6,200.

Mayor Steven Byvelds said, “I’m glad to see that we’ve found a source.”

According to Sullivan’s report, “the signs themselves will be painted metal with 3M reflective lettering meeting Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) specifications. Sign faces will be a MTO standard size” of three by four inches.

“I like the proposed size of the signs and the proposed materials,” said Deputy-Mayor Jim Locke.

Events commemorated by the signs include: the first engagement along the front of Toussaint’s Island; the landing of the Americans and their occupation of the front of Matilda; the burning of Nash Creek Bridge; and, the Battlefield encompassing the Nine Mile Road to Fetterly’s Farm.

Shearing informed council that South Stormont has already agreed to erect commemorative signs for the War of 1812 and South Glengarry is considering doing the same.

Sullivan pointed out, in her report, that with the erection of signs in South Dundas, it will “provide continuity across the three areas and further promote our common history with which the region appeals to visitors.”

She reported that the initiative has “potential benefits” for South Dundas as it “will bring to life the early history of Dundas County to support tourism marketing and development.”

Shearing told council that he hopes, if signs are complete in time, to have a ceremony and reception on July 11th in Iroquois. He chose this date as it is “the 200th anniversary of the mobilization of the Dundas Militia.”

With support from the community and from South Dundas council, Shearing seems to be well on his way to making this dream a reality.

Dr. Suru Chande honoured with Long Term Service Award

“I enjoy what I do very much,” said Dr. Suru Chande. “I will admit that I am not a morning person, but once I am on the road, on the way to work, I am always looking forward to the day ahead.”

Father of three, grandfather of three, for over 40 years, Dr. Chande has served the South Dundas regions both at the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic. Morrisburg, and at Winchester District Memorial Hospital.

In late December of 2011, his dedication to medicine was recognized at WDMH with a Long-Term Service Award.

“We are incredibly fortunate that a surgeon of Dr. Chande’s calibre has devoted his career to caring for the patients in this area. It represents a more than 40 year commitment to serving our community,” said Cholly Boland, CEO of Winchester Hospital.

On Wednesday, February 8, after a typically very busy day, Dr. Chande sat down to reflect on a long career devoted to caring for others.

He was born in a small community in Tanzania, receiving most of his high school education in that country. He took his medical training at Birmingham University, one of the largest universities in England.

“Back in the 60’s and 70’s, there were limited spots in specialty training in England, and the process often took a number of years,” Dr. Chande recalled. “It seemed a good idea to come to Canada to do my residency.”

Dr. Chande received his FRCSE (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh) in 1968 and his FRCSC (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada) in 1971.

“I am called a general surgeon,” he explained. “The term general surgery has no definite meaning, unlike terms such as cardiac surgeon or neuro-surgeon. Doctors of my vintage, trained as general surgeons, definitely gained a fairly extensive repertoire because we have always been called on to do many different types of surgery.”

Dr. Chande was completing his residency at Ottawa Civic Hospital when he decided to reply to an ad in a medical journal from the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic.

The clinic was started in 1960 by doctors Gerry Rosenquist and Don Robertson. In 1971, Dr. Chande recalls, they were looking to replace a doctor who was leaving. Chande and his wife, Dr. Ann Chande, came to Morrisburg, looked at the area, and decided to sign with the St. Lawrence group.

Dr. Chande laughed when I asked him what made his family choose to put down roots in very rural Ontario.

“Well, my home town may have been small, but Dar es Salaam in Tanzania is a huge city, and so is Birmingham. Frankly, to me, Ottawa seemed little. But we found we loved the small town life in South Dundas. It was easy to make friends within the medical community. We could send our kids to school here, since we were big believers in the public school system.

And I love to play golf and tennis, and it’s much easier to do those things in South Dundas than in the big city.

The doctors at the Clinic are amazing people. If they have left here before retirement, it has never been due to medical issues, but for personal reasons. They love being here in this area.”

In forty years serving this region, Chande has seen a number of changes in the medical profession, and in the actual Winchester Memorial Hospital.

The building additions to WDMH and the professional growth of its staff, as well as its transition to a teaching hospital with university affiliations have been exciting changes. Laparascopic surgery, for example, is very different from when Dr. Chande began his career. And regular in-hospital programs for training young doctors have taken Dr. Chande, in the last few years, into another aspect of medicine: teaching. It is an area he has found he truly loves.

“Most of us want to pass on our medical knowledge to students. Teaching is very important; I believe it is vital to introduce young doctors to rural medicine. And I think that you have to have lived life to be a good physician.

Life’s experiences shape your views and approaches to medicine,” he added. “We teach young doctors every time we bring them (with the patient’s permission) into the room with us, even when we must give a patient bad news. How else can future doctors learn?”

Dr. Chande has worked with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the regulatory body of the medical profession. Licensed medical practitioners take courses and seminars throughout their careers to keep abreast of changes and innovations in medicine.

“I am not an inspector,” Dr. Chande explained. “Rather I go out on arranged visits to look at the practices of other doctors. When I visit, I try to create a dialogue to make it a learning experience for both of us.”

This year will mark Dr. Suru Chande’s final year as practicing physician. “I continue to absolutely love what I do,” he said, “but it is time to contemplate retirement.”

And although he may be retiring in the near future, Dr. Chande remains thoughtful about the direction of medical care in Canada.

“I think the medical profession and the government will have to work very closely together to develop solid, workable medical care for our population. And I think there will never be one ‘magic bullet’ cure for cancer. We will need to find different approaches to different concerns. We must be realistic about the quality of life as our population ages.”

At the end of the interview, I commented that he has been a vital, much respected member of this community for many years, and his retirement will be keenly felt.

“It’s nice to find that people are going to miss me,” Dr. Suru Chande smiled.

Indeed they will.

Luke Whitteker is selected Race 101 ‘premier driver’

When Luke Whitteker first spoke to The Leader about his racing, it was August 2005. He was 11 years old and was busy preparing for the final lap of his first year of competitive kart racing. He would enter grade 7 at Iroquois Public School in September.

Today, the 18 year old is a first year student at Carleton University, Ottawa, where he is studying mechanical engineering.

Recently, he became the first Canadian to win the prestigious Race 101 Premier Driver Award having graduated the one year scholarship program based in North Carolina with top honours.

He claims that had he been asked during that first interview, he would not have thought that seven years later he would be a veteran Dirt track racer about to experience his first ride in a late model car.

Asked if he is about where he wants to be at this time in his racing career, he says, “Right now I’m a Dirt racer, and I’m going to learn about asphalt racing.”

That is what the Premier 101 Driver Award will provide in the coming months. For the Iroquois youth, that is a good place to be.

Race 101 is an educational and consulting program for the auto racing industry. It offers yearly scholarships for up and coming racers and was founded in 2009, by veteran racing crew chief Tony Blanchard, longtime motorsports marketing/Pr consultant Annamarie Strawhand and television announcer Adam Ross.

Students experience the driving, mechanical and marketing sides of motorsports and at the end of the year, the ‘premier’ driver is announced.

The premier driver is then given the opportunity to drive the Race 101 Howe super late model ‘house car’ in actual competition.

Luke says the program was “heavily weighted towards public relations, how to get money and how to establish yourself.”

Most of the program was delivered on line in weekly webinars. “We could all see each other on line, and we got the lectures together. We got together every week for the whole year.”

In addition, Luke travelled to North Carolina four times, Charlotte, North Carolina twice and to Florida once.

He explains that he was aware of the program through a friend who had gone through it. He applied on line and was thrilled to be selected as one of the 16 students for 2011.

He was even more thrilled when he was named the premier driver at the February 11, 2012, awards banquet held in Hickory, North Carolina.

For the premier selection, he admits “I wasn’t the best on the technical and I wasn’t the best in the marketing, but I was good enough at both to win the overall. I put my honest effort into both.”

He figures he did well in the situations the students were put into at various events, that he did well in his radio interview and that he had three great references (which were a requirement) from a local O. P. P. officer, a fellow Dirt Car star and from a very good friend and Motivational Speaker.

As the Race 101 premier driver for 2011, Luke says his job now “is to represent Race 101. You can say I’m hired to represent 101.” He points out, however, that it is a two way track, so to speak, as he too will benefit from the exposure.

“I’m guaranteed three events with the car and however much practise I need. This is special. In our area we are saturated with Dirt track racing. Down there it’s more asphalt tracks.”

With the 2012 season fast approaching the Whitteker Motorsport Team is now busy getting ready. Last year, Whitteker competed at the popular Autodrome Granby track in Drummondville where he was named Top Rookie Driver.

Attracting sponsorships is important for racers and the Whitteker Motorsport team is now in the process of securing sponsorship for the upcoming season.

Since he first began racing in 2005, Luke has been sponsored by Rust Check and Parcoll Products/Napa Auto Parts. Some other major sponsors include Toy Storage & Boat Transport, the 730 Truck Stop, Steve Summers and C Double J Harvesting. Another eight businesses, several of them local, were on board in 2011.

As he wraps up his current semester at Carleton, Luke is busy putting the marketing portion of his Race 101 studies to the test for the first time as he approaches would-be sponsors for the 2012 race year.

UCP Ribbon Cutting for New Addition

Although it has experienced a solid test run since July of 2011, Upper Canada Playhouse’s new addition, containing an attractive and versatile box office and new administrative offices for Playhouse staff, was officially opened on Friday, February 17, 2012.

“We decided to wait until now to officially open it,” said artistic director, Donnie Bowes, “to coincide with the opening of our first show of the 2012 season, the hilarious comedy, The Foursome.”

Upper Canada Playhouse is one of Ontario’s most successful theatres. To accommodate its growing audience and the increasing number of shows the Playhouse is presenting in a season, the theatre had to expand its facilities.

“The box office is a separate part of the theatre at the west end, conveniently connected to the main lobby where audiences enter the theatre at show time,” Bowes explained. “The box office is a spacious, customer-friendly area with plenty of seating and three efficient areas to book tickets. It also provides new offices for our administrative staff. They appreciate the increased space.”

This new facility has drawn rave reviews from the public and the staff.

The original box office, located at the east side of the Playhouse, was directly attached to back stage and production zones. As Bowes joked with his guests, “people waiting to buy tickets might have to dodge stage crew carrying planks and sets through the area.”

The Playhouse addition was built by Swank Construction.

Following this new addition, the Playhouse is preparing to enter phase II of its expansion project: development of the production department’s storage space which the theatre’s increased programming demands.

South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds, on hand with other dignitaries to help cut the official ribbon, said that the new addition was a real asset to the theatre.

“It’s great that we were here to celebrate the opening of this box office,” he said. “Upper Canada Playhouse has experienced phenomenal growth and is a vital part of the South Dundas community. We look forward to continuing to work with the Playhouse.”

Following a brief reception, Bowes invited members of the South Dundas recreation and economic development committees, as well as Playhouse board members and councillors back stage for a quick look at the outstanding sets under construction for the March 16 opening of the riotous Norm Foster golf “classic,” The Foursome.

“March is a new time slot for us, and we can’t think of a better show to start the season and officially open our new box office than this comedy production,” said Bowes.

Sens Alumni are coming to town

The South Dundas Minor Hockey Association is planning a huge evening for Saturday, March 3, an evening of hockey that will see a team of Ottawa Senators Alumni players skate onto the ice to challenge some of South Dundas’ finest.

All proceeds from the evening will go to the South Dundas Minor Hockey Association to help offset some of the costs of running the program for the youth of the community.

Preliminary plans have the Sens Alumni players on the ice from 7-7:45 p.m. when they will skate with local minor hockey players and their families. At 8 p.m. the opening ceremony will see the puck dropped to kick off the game between the Sens Alumni and representatives of South Dundas Minor Hockey.

There will be between periods entertainment and a reception will follow the game at the McIntosh Inn.

Admission for the evening is $10 for adults and $5 for students (4-18). Children under three will be admitted free.

Advance tickets will be on sale at the Morrisburg Arena on February 22 from 7-8 p.m. and on Friday, Feb. 24 from 3-7 p.m.

February 22, 2012 W. Gibb – Leader staff

Lynn Miles at St. Lawrence Stage February 25

She even sang as an infant in her cradle, her mother once said.

An overwhelming passion for music has never left artist Lynn Miles in a performance career that has spanned 40 years. Instead, it has taken her from her home town of Sweetsburg, Quebec, to the major stages of North America and Europe. It has won her numerous music awards and honours as well as critical accolades. It has ensured her a devoted and growing fan base.

On February 25, the extraordinarily talented Lynn Miles will return to the St. Lawrence Stage, the Morrisburg Meeting Centre, for one concert only at 7 p.m.

“Lynn is an artist that some people regard as one of Canada’s best singer/ song-writers,” said St. Lawrence Board member, Sandra Whitworth. “She came to us in 2008, and the audience reaction then prompted us to bring her back this year. It will be a great show.”

I had the chance to talk to Miles about her music, her career and her concert here in Morrisburg.

“I kind of think my professional career was actually decided for me,” Miles said. “I was simply passionate about music. It still remains the chief love of my life. Over my career I have written some 600 songs, and I still feel that there is lots of music in me.

But if ever the music stops,” she added, “I think so will I.”

An accomplished performer on guitar, piano, and harmonica, her rich voice classically trained, Miles has seven albums to her credit and averages over 100 concerts a year. (She’s just back from Europe.) Her 2001 album, Unravel, won the 2003 Juno award for Best Roots and Traditional album. Her most recent CD, Fall for Beauty, was nominated for a Juno in 2011, and did win her the prestigious English song writer of the year at the Canadian Folk Music awards. With time spent in Nashville, she has also been described as a country artist. She is currently working on volume 3 of her Black Flowers Project.

“I see myself as a singer/song-writer, and to me that means I can make any music I want,” she said. “Others can interpret my music the way they want (I sometimes call it roots), but I find inspiration for my writing everywhere. I find it in the people I meet and in my family. I am a voracious reader; I wander art galleries; I listen to other artists. They all inspire my songs.”

Some critics have commented on the “gritty honesty” of her songs, on their deep, hard “sincerity.”

“I do write about life’s problems and issues,” Miles said. “I write of things like addiction, heartache, the challenges out there. But I also believe that the one rule of an artist is to take something unattractive or challenging or dark and turn it into a kind of beauty, finding a way to touch people in the process. Many things find their way into my music.”

The power and poetry of her lyrics have always been inspiring.

I asked her about writing.

“My first rule is that there are no rules in music and writing. You must be open to what happens around you and willing to go in unfamiliar directions,” Miles said. “Each song is an experience. Some take half an hour to write; some cannot be finished in 10 years. You have to let the music simmer, then come out when it’s ready. Of course,” she added with a ready laugh, “all my pieces are my babies. And even if they prove to be ugly babies, I still love them very much.”

Miles will hold a song-writing workshop in Morrisburg on Saturday afternoon, just before her evening concert. It is capped at 20 registrants and is nearly full.

Lynn Miles is looking forward to her February 25 St. Lawrence Stage concert where she will be accompanied on stage by Keith Glass of Prairie Oysters.

“It’s a great stage and always a great audience. It will be a fantastic time,” she said.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 at the door. They are available at www.st-lawrencestage.com or 613-543-2514, at the Basket Case in Morrisburg or Strung Out Guitars in Cornwall.