KIng Country Magazine, fall 2017, volume 1, issue ii

KINGCOUNTRY magazine autumn 2017. volume 1, issue iiHow to impressthe admissionsdepartmentpage 18Selling Fincham’sHarness Shoppage 32PTSD and equineassisted therapypage 28

All the benefits of a quaint country setting. All the perks of a bustling metropolis. KINGSGATE PLACE kingsgateplaza.comFor all inquiries contact:Janice Williams, [email protected]





KING COUNTRY magazine the fine print Concerts at Michele’s publisher, editor-in-chief Tickets only $30 online or $35 at the door Yevgenia Casale (purchase in advance at brownpapertickets.com) copy editor Eleonora Tartakovsky Michele Mele proudly presents the 4th season of her Saturday afternoon jazz concert series contributors Gary van Bolderen Enjoy world-renowned musicians in a relaxed setting, in the heart of King Township! Tickets include light refreshments. Joyce Chau André Flys Michele Mele Sept. 16 (Season Four Opening Nov. 18: Ross Wooldridge Band Brian Kielstra Andrew Prebul website: michelemele.com Concert Double Bill): Cettina Donato with Alex Pangman vocals Freyda Tartak Youtube: Michele Mele Music piano and Michele Mele piano and Dec. 16:Christmas Special featuring illustration & creative direction vocals with Neil Swainson bass and Maya Casale John Mele drums Guido Basso on fluegel horn and Bernie Senensky on piano photographers Oct. 21: Don Naduriak Latin/Salsa Stephanie Berger Don’t be disappointed, book your Band with Don Naduriak piano, Bill tickets today, available online at: Jim Craigmyle McBirnie flute, Russ Little trombone Lisa Pace George Koller bass, Joaquin Nuñez brownpapertickets.com drums/percussion cover Andy Cook with Hudson (page 28) wearing custom holster, A lovely concert going experience! crafted at Fincham’s Harness Shop (page 12).details King Country Magazine isdistributed quarterly, free of charge, viaCanada Post throughout King Township,at select bulk drop-off locations &online at: kingcountrymagazine.com.All content reflects the opinions of theauthors and advertisers respectively anddoes not necessarily reflect those of themagazine. It is the responsibility of thosesubmitting content and photographyto ensure that they have the legal rightto use and distribute it. All content isthe property of PRAS Publishing or thecontributors and cannot be reproducedwithout express written consent fromthe magazine.content submission KCM proudlysupports local artists and communitygroups. Submit content by Oct. 30th forinclusion in our December issue. Submitearly. Inclusion consideration based onspace availability. CONNECT WITH KCM: [email protected] website kingcountrymagazine.com Facebook & Instagram: @kingcountrymagazine Twitter: @kingcountrymag

editorial soap boxOn best laid plans & gratitudeThe summer of 2017 slid ten ways from Sunday for me. Itstarted off nicely: after the last issue, my inbox hummed withemails offering congratulations. My favourite is this one: “I have just received your magazine and I am quite impressed by its content, but to make it short, I have a suggestion about how you print the telephone numbers. I make particular reference to page 46. Using a dot as a separator of the groups makes it very hard to read, so why not use an old-fashioned dash (-). It makes it so much easier to see the grouping of the numbers. Please beg your advertisers to do the same thing. I would greatly appreciate. Keep up the good work! Rolf E.”Thanks, Rolf, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Those dots wereintentional. But, we took your preference under advisementand appreciated your time in sharing it. Thank you toeverybody who wrote in with your congratulations andopinions. Your feedback is important to us!In June, we had a roster of content lined-up, certain we wouldpublish those stories this time around. Then life happened.Suffice it to say I spent a lot of time in Sunnybrook Hospital’s2nd-floor lounge. Everything worked out, and I am eternallygrateful to the nurses and doctors there! Well, but one nightI was a wreck, and I couldn’t face the kids in that condition.Instead, I opted for a drink at The Summerhill. Thanks for thehug and the drink Jaclyn, I’m not sure which I needed more.Speaking of thanks, check out Sweetie Cakes on Instagram(@laurabaggetta). Schomberg’s Laura Baggetta made up anarrangement of cupcakes for me looked like a bouquet ofroses. I looked like mother-of-the-year that day! If you don’thave Instagram, send me a note. I’ll send you her number.Don’t worry, I’m grateful to Southlake Hospital, too. Thanksfor the stellar job with that cast, Dr. Lee. Yup! Eventful is agood word to describe my summer. Some days, I think thismagazine was the only thing that kept me grounded. It wouldhave been easy to get wrapped up in life and forget about therest of the world. KCM gave me the balance I needed.So, thank you to the Evesons, Andy Cook, YRP, Can Praxisand everybody else for trusting us with your stories. I hopethis edition of KCM will serve justly to honour the fallen andhelp the living. Let me know what you think of it.Nothing makes us happier here at KCM than engaged readers.I’m always thrilled to hear from you! Be sure to connect withus through social media, on our website, or via email. Youmight even win a copy of Kelly Mathews’ new book, just forthinking of us!Warm regards, Yevgenia Casale, B.Tech Editor-in-Chief, King Country Magazine

In this issue...Researching stream health  .....................................................8Sinnotts’ turnkey offering ....................................................... 12Agriculture-driven mindsets ...................................................14Ultimate guide to postsecondary applications ................ 18Rack of lamb recipe....................................................................24Port Soirée Restaurant Café..................................................25Jazzy afternoons near home ................................................26Embracing equine assisted therapy.....................................28Back yard bee keeping .............................................................34From spark to innovation, one concept at a time ..........36Peeking inside Schomberg’s Kingsgate Place...................38Katherine McManus................................................................... 40Throwing rocks through grass roots ................................. 44Custodians of King’s heritage ................................................46On coping, believing and purpose .........................................48Kelly Mathews’ road to Marylake ....................................... 50Fleeting moments & afterthoughts .....................................52Cool ideas & how they happened .........................................54... and there’smore online!We’re always throwing stuff up there, so be sure tofollow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. Visitkingcountrymagazine.com to watch Fincham’s BrianSinnott’s mini-leather working lesson, step inside thenewly renovated Sasso’s Trattoria & Wine Bar, and getto know celebrated illustrator Giovannina Colalillo.If you have something you want us to share online,send your post ready content or artwork overanytime to [email protected] print deadline for the December 4th issue isOctober 30th, (no extensions)! This magazine is madepossible through advertising dollars. We call you ourpartners in success! If you’re thinking of advertising,we’d love to hear from you.The Christmas issue isbooking up fast. Get in touch early to not miss yourchance. 10,000 copies, distributed door-to-door, and atbulk drop-off locations all over town!

Researching stream healthby Joyce Chau and Brian Kielstra Headwaters are the smallest streams in a watershed. In fact, if you add them up, they represent 70% to 80% of the total stream length in a watershed! Headwater streams move important nutrients, sediment, and organic material downstream. Since most water eventually ends up downstream, it makes sense to have a good understanding and protection of headwaters. Headwater streams are often disregarded during urbanization. As a result, streams are being altered or lost with an insufficient grasp of the environmental impact of those changes.page 8 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

Rot is usually something people try to avoid or get rid might lead to a low rot rate. Forested sites had less variable of. This wasn’t the case for thirty Rot Squad volunteers rot rates and may provide a healthy range for this indicator. who got down and dirty last spring to measure rot! These preliminary results show a lot of potential in using rot to determine ecosystem health.Our trained citizen scientists measured rot (or decomposition)rate in headwater streams across southern York Region this Not only was this a great way to collect new data in headwaterpast April. Rot rate can be recorded by placing small cotton streams, it was also a lot of fun!strips (artist’s canvas) in streams, leaving them for aboutthree weeks, and then testing how much they decompose. One volunteer wrote: “the most fun I had was getting out into the field because it allowed me to put into practice theEcoSpark and the University of British Columbia recruited training we received earlier on in the day and it was very funan awesome team of volunteers to join the Rot Squad. The working with the rest of my Rot Squad crew.”goal was to crowdsource data to determine if rot rate couldbe a successful measure for stream and ecosystem health, It was also an eye-opening experience. For many, it waspotentially informing and improving land use decisions. their first time learning about headwater streams, wearingWith funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and waders, and exploring streams. Another volunteer said, “itin-kind support from the Toronto and Region Conservation was interesting to see how each stream differed. This was aAuthority, we developed a citizen science protocol, secured great opportunity to learn about how data is collected andthe equipment, identified headwater streams, trained how streams are analyzed.”volunteers – and the Rot Squad was born. We were amazed by the dedication of the volunteers.EcoSpark is an environmental charity whose mission is to Our 30 Rot Squad volunteers contributed 340 volunteerempower communities to take an active role in protecting hours in April 2017. Some even came out three consecutiveand sustaining their local environment. We specialize in Saturdays in April! “Yes, great organization, great people,sparking environmental protection through education, great volunteers, great food. I would volunteer again,” saidcitizen science, and civic engagement. For the Rot Squad, a volunteer.EcoSpark partnered with Brian Kielstra, an aquatic ecologyPhD student from the University of British Columbia. His We look forward to recruiting more Rot Squads in the future.research focuses on the impacts of headwater stream loss on This will contribute more data to better understand thedownstream ecosystems. power of rot in determining stream health across different land uses. It will also increase the capacity of people to beThe Rot Squad visited forty streams in total, ten of which actively involved in protecting our precious headwaterwere in King Township. We learned that rot rate was both streams.the highest and lowest in disturbed headwater streams (i.e.,agricultural and urban sites) and modest in undisturbed Joyce Chau is the Executive Director of EcoSpark. Brian Kielstra is an aquatic/sites (forested sites). This may be attributed to higher levels landscape ecology PhD student from the University of British Columbia (UBC),of nutrients in disturbed sites leading to a high rot rate. Onthe other hand, higher levels of pollution in disturbed sites working with Dr. John Richardson. His research focuses on the cumulative impacts of headwater stream loss on downstream ecosystems. Brian is interested in how ecosystems are quantified and understanding how they are impacted by patterns and processes occurring at different scales. UBC and EcoSpark partnered for this new citizen science project to test rot as an indicator and the feasibility of collecting data through citizen science. Why York Region? Rot Squad volunteers placed canvass strips in headwater streams to allow researchers to assess the various test strips’ rot rates. There is a tremendous amount of For more information on EcoSpark visit ecospark.cagrowth in York Region. According to the 2017 Growth Plan, the region’s population is expected to reach1,790,000 by 2041. Current growth isalready having impacting watershed health. A 2013 report from the Conservation Authorities MoraineCoalition showed that surface water quality in the Oak Ridge Moraine received the lowest grades in York Region, ranging from “C” to “F”. King Township is blessed with a beautiful and bucolic environment with most of its lands within the protected Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt. However, despite these protective policies, surface waterquality in King Township was graded mostly “D” in the same report. KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii page 9

Anna Raeli Facing down the next decade When Anna Raeli was growing up, she was sure that she wanted to be a youth and childcare worker. But when every family dinner conversation turned to insurance she started reconsidering her career options. Her cousins were both working for a State Farm agent and offered to get her in. It took Anna a while to come around. “Then one day after this dream that I had, I woke up with such certainty and confidence that, you know what? It’s insurance that I want to do,” she recalls. By then the agent that her cousins worked for had already hired somebody. It turned out to be a bit harder to break into the business than she thought, and her lack of typing skills initially stood in the way. But, what she lacked in finger agility she made up for with tenacity. She kept knocking on doors until somebody finally let her in. “I was just 19 years-old. My boss was a great mentor,” recalls Anna. Within half a year, she was performing in the top 25th percentile. Eventually, she was appointed to an office of her own and evolved into the local go-to insurance agent. “The path that I took was insurance, and I’ve never looked back. So, yeah, I didn’t know how to type. I’m still not the best typist,” she laughs. “I still help people in many ways, through life’s good times and bad times.” She and her team offer home, auto and business insurance.page 10 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

“We actually help people through the great times in theirlife: they have their first baby, they buy their first house…and we build those relationships with people, and then weare with them through not the easiest times in their life,”she explains.Her success is rooted in her natural tendency to be a riskaverse and nurturing person. When you speak with Anna,it’s easy to feel comfortable with her, trusting that she hasyour best interests at heart. “People don’t care how muchyou know about insurance until they know how muchyou care about them,” she explains.“I came to King City before the growth was here. I saw thepotential and took a chance to start a scratch business,”says Anna. This year she celebrates her 10-year anniversary,and in some ways, she is starting all over again.Back in January, 2014, State Farm sold majority stakes inits Canadian business to Desjardins Insurance. For the pastthree plus years, the companies have been transitioningthe business over to Desjardins, while continuing tooperate under the State Farm brand for the time being.Anna knows things will change. Behind the scenes, agentsare learning new systems and ways of doing things. From aclient facing perspective, as policies renew people notice adifferent company name at the top of their forms. But, thehuman relationships will be the same. Anna is optimisticthat the impact on customers will be for the better.Regardless of who owns the company, Anna and her teamwill still be looking out for their clients’ best interests basedon their answers to questions like: ‘What’s important toyou?’ ‘What do you want this life insurance policy to dofor you and your family?’ ‘What are your dreams?’ “Lifeinsurance, savings for children’s educations, all thosethings help protect and fulfill our client’s tomorrows.”That’s what Anna Raeli loves most about her job.

selling fincham’s After more than 40 years, Brian and Lauryn Sinnott are looking forSinnotts’ somebody to sell their business to.turnkey That’s excellent news for anybodyoffering looking for an established artisan business to run. Check out: kingcountrymagazine.com to watch Brian in action.. Nobleton’s renowned Fincham’s Harness Shop is for sale. This summer Brian and Lauryn Sinnott sold the building but, the change to King’s landscape won’t happen overnight. For now, 68-year-old Brian and 65-year-old Lauryn Sinnott will continue to operate the widely respected tack and harness shop. But, after 40 years they are ready to do for somebody else what an old friend did for them, so long ago. Opportunities like this are rare: a true craftsman with a lifetime of knowledge ready to share all his skills and pass over the reigns of an established turnkey operation, complete with a loyal and dedicated clientele. “We came from South Africa,” begins Lauryn. “We left Cape Town in 1972. When we came over here, we were just travelling, backpacking, and we wanted to do something we couldn’t do in South Africa. Because of the cheap labour there, you could never work on a farm, as a nanny, any of those things because they were done by the black population and you just wouldn’t have the opportunity.” Back home, Lauryn worked in medical technology, and Brian was a land surveyor. After visiting Canada for the first time, they decided to return a year later and settle down. “We worked on a farm when we first came. I looked after a little girl, and he worked with the horses, and we knew the fellow that had started Fincham’s. He’d only had it a couple of months at that point,” continues Lauryn. Ron Fincham and Brian Sinnott formed a close friendship. In South Africa, Brian always found ways to work with his hands, fixing cars or building furniture. Ron, a master saddler, always dreamed of moving up north. “So we bought the business from him, and we have had it for over 40 years,” explains Lauryn. “Ronpage 12 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

stayed for nine months. Brian worked with overseas, the hand stitching is fine. But, the “I’m ready to handhim for those nine months, and you do learn leather is not,” says Lauryn. over the reigns.”very quickly when you have to.” After that,Brian continued to hone his craft, creating With a smile, she retells the story of a let me get you going!everything from pet accessories, belts and customer they had not heard from in so longpurses to artisan equine halters and saddles. they assumed she had retired. “But, she is still loyal client base around. She called and said, ‘Brian, you have Turnkey operation“It is a long time of knowledge,” agrees to do something different. I’m still using yourLauryn, adding, “I cannot think of one single halter. It’s 20 years old. How can you run your (905) 859-4052day in these 40 plus years when I could say, business?’”‘I’m bored.’ I can honestly say I’ve never had a 416.562.1533day of boredom.” It’s had its challenges. Their Fincham’s makes other things, too, becausespace is cramped but, Brian made do with that gives Brian a chance to be artistic. Home Theatre Installationwhat he had. “There’s no hurry for us to leave He enjoys the challenge of making purses Smart Home Integrationyet.” The buyer of the building gave them at and other products, carefully selecting the Multi-Room Home Audioleast a year to stay. material for each project. authorized dealer of:“Brian does the fixing and building,” shares Though they don’t throw away scraps, leatherLauryn. “I’ve always done the business side is not forgiving like fabric. So, knowing whatof it, all the paperwork. I used to spend a lot you will run into at the end of a project willmore time physically at the store. I’ve always allow you to pick the right piece at the start.had a home office, as well, so when the kids “We are very happy when anybody from thewere younger, I could do my billing from school asks for leather scraps because wethere. In the last few years, I haven’t been able have tonnes of scraps,” confides Lauryn.to spend as much time physically at the store,and I honestly miss that because we are very In true artisan fashion, many of the tools andfortunate to have an amazing customer base. machines in the shop are the sort that doesn’tWe have customers that we have had for 40 get made anymore: quality crafted tools andyears.” Fincham’s clients are the sort of people equipment that have stood the test of timewho care deeply for their horses, the same and extended use. “We have one sewingway they treat their babies. machine in there that… I think we figured the machine was 100 years old when weFincham’s does a lot of repair work on gear bought the store, and it’s still going. We havepurchased elsewhere too. Even if the repair a modern sewing machine, too. But, some ofis on some thirty dollar halter, the repair the old sewing machines, the old hand tools,work is always done with the same attention some of the quality of them is just far better.to quality. That business model served There’s a lot of really old tools in that store.Fincham’s well over the years. “In the last It’s a neat thing to wander around that store.”ten years, I think I wrote off one debt of tendollars. What we decided a long time ago is A lot of things come with experience, likewe cannot compete with the market. Some what kind of thread you are going to use,of the workmanship that comes in from and how to make sure that it won’t unravel on the saddle. It’s more than just choosing a hide. Having an opportunity to apprentice under a true artisan is a unique chance to learn skills that are becoming increasingly harder to come by. Getting to take over with an established business while acquiring the benefit of 40 years of knowledge and learning to work with your hands is a rare opportunity indeed.

The Davis family stopped farming a long time ago but, as Barb Davis says: “Once dirt is in your blood, it’s in your blood.” Photo credit: Stephanie BergerAgriculture driven mindsetsThe Davises arrived in Canada in 1804. As the story goes, and sold it,” says Karl. “We farmed on the side. We had a beefwhen the family first got here, they drove across Highway 9 feed lot over here and some cash crop. It was more aboutand kicked one out every five miles. “There was a big group demonstration,” continues Karl’s wife Barb, who took overof them. We are the Schomberg Davises. We’ve been on this the administrative duties from Phyllis when she passedfarm, or the next one north, since about 1870,” smiles Karl, away. “For instance, if we had a used trade-in tractor fromco-owner of Green Tractors. a customer, we could take it and try it out to make sure it works before we sold it again. We have the space to do that,Karl’s family has always been good at spotting great which is a great opportunity.”opportunities. “He was just trying to be out there in thefront,” says Karl of his great-great-grandfather, Alfred Davis. While the company’s main supplier is John Deere, selling“He was known for being a pioneer, trying new crops and everything from children’s toys to state-of-the-art farmingmaking a lot of money because he was the first one to do it.” technology, they do carry other brands, as well. New equipment sales make up about 70 per cent of their business,Though dad, Glenn Davis, was more interested in selling with the rest generated from service and parts. Accordingequipment than farming, “we did grow a bunch of different to Karl, “we’re in the service business. We always say, ‘ourcrops over the years. We grew canola here, which was not solutions are your success.’” Consistently positive customerbeing done at the time, and then sunflowers. The field to the satisfaction survey results are a testament to how deeplywest of us was all bright yellow flowers for a while.” ingrained that sentiment is within the company.Glenn got into business by repairing threshing machines. He’d Green Tractors’ solution-based philosophy is a nod to thego to the States, buy what he could because nobody was using Davis family’s knack for entrepreneurial foresight andthem there anymore, then fix and resell them in Northern showmanship; qualities that have served them and theirOntario. For him, farming supported equipment sales. “It was surrounding community well over the past century. Evensecondary to what we were doing. We were selling machinery,” Helen Lucas’ famed sunflower, a print that hangs on manyreflects Karl, the 61-year-old agricultural engineer. walls around town and beyond, was sketched at the side of King Road, overlooking the Davises’ fields. “Anybody whoGlenn opened Nobleton Farm Service Ltd. in November grew up in this area, myself included, used to love going to1956 with three employees. He relied on his wife Phyllis to Bolton when the sunflowers were up because they follow themanage all the administrative aspects. “We probably had the sun,” remembers Stephanie Lee Berger.first round baler here, well probably anywhere, here. I forgetwhat it was, ‘77 or ‘78. We brought one in here, demonstratedpage 14 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

Stephanie does all of Green Tractor’s market forecasting, explains Karl. “When we started we had five stores. Now weplanning, budgeting, advertising campaigns, promotions, have seven, each with its unique character, reflective of theevents, clinics, sponsorships, “and about a million other things – communities that they serve,” explains Karl.and I still sell equipment. It’s quite a task to balance but, I like the Green Tractors’ key competitive advantage is in their ability tochallenge,” she confesses. think like a farmer. Solving customers’ problems sometimes“We’ve been using GPS driven tractors for 20 some years. involves re-engineering what is in the marketplace andEverybody is talking about driverless cars. My goodness, adapting it to what they need. “We have some customers inwe’ve been doing that for 15 years in the ag business,” says the Holland Marsh, the very northern tip of King Township.Karl, shaking his head. There is nothing off the shelf that fits everything they need“If I sold a tractor and had to send it home I could watch it in a tractor. So we have to do some creative modifications todrive itself there. I can watch its fuel levels and tell you its some of their products,” confides Karl.idle time, it’s incredible,” says Stephanie who, even after 12 “If dirt’s in your blood, it’s in your blood,” says Barb. “We hadyears is still blown away by what’s available on the market. one gentleman who came in here who was missing a leg.“You could be in a combine harvesting and set up a tractor We had to do some modifications to the machine so that hetelematically to follow you with a buggy to dump out your could use it to mow grass.”corn, or whatever you are harvesting, and send it back to the Stephanie remembers another customer who wanted tobarn, with no driver interaction in the tractor.” continue working after an awful farming accident that cost“There are still certain things that you need a human to do. him both of his arms. Green Tractors was able to modify aThe tractor can’t fill itself up with fuel,” explains Barb, “you combine for his purposes.still need an operator in the cab to monitor things.” While working together to evolve the business, Karl and BarbEver the mechanical engineer, for Karl the most exciting also raised two sons, both of whom are now integral topart is “the data coming out of our farm machinery, the the company. Their oldest son Keith, 34, acquired his MBAtechnical and agronomic information that is coming—it’s from the Schulich School of Business and holds his Humannot just that it’s driverless but, we’re getting all this data, as Resources (HR) designation. He handles the company’s HRthey’re driving along.” The advantages of collecting statistics requirements. Their youngest Kevin, 32, is the in-house“from a machine that is spraying Green Tractors is a large company, information technology expert. with over 150 employees. We are spreadchemicals on a field within an Back in the 70’s the Davisesinch of its pass are tremendous. projected that by 2000 farmingTechnology is taking the out from Milton to New Liskeard, to in the area would be overrunguesswork out of farming, by the urban environment. “Itallowing operators to use fewer Kingston. It’s a big area to cover, and it’s didn’t happen quite as quicklychemicals and apply them on the run by a lot of good people. as we anticipated. In the end,”right spots. “Because we have a ~ Karl Davis our ratio of what we sell to thedata map of the field, we know where the weeds are. We can urban versus the farming community hasn’t changed overspray only the weeds. The driver doesn’t have to be involved. The the past two decades. It’s pretty interesting,” reflects Karl.map is built into the machine. He just pushes a button, and “Farming has got some good future in it, even in this area.”the sprayer takes care of it,” explains Karl. “The savings are But, true to the family legacy, the company never stoppedincredible but, the technology is also something that requires adapting and changing with the times. “Who knew 20 yearsa higher level of expertise that couldn’t be afforded by a ago that we’d sell as many tractors to move snow in parkingsingle store, operating out of one place that maybe doesn’t lots as we do now? It’s a good chunk of our business in somesee it every day. So we spread that over seven locations, the of our stores.That wasn’t even there 20 years ago,” marvelsknowledge is there. We have a team, that’s all they do.” Karl. “We’re using big farm tractors to push snow.”“Some people are not interested in adopting that level of The subcompact tractor is another interesting trend. Overtechnology, and that’s okay. That method of farming is not the past six years, people have learned to love the idea of afor everybody,” adds Stephanie, who still sells plenty basic, basic tractor that comes with a hundred possible attachmentbare bones equipment to people who are not looking for options. It even comes with a loader on the front and a littlea tractor that can drive itself across the country and sing loader on the back. “It’s a machine aimed at the weekendhappy birthday. warrior with a bit of property,” suggests Stephanie.Over the years the company grew and contracted several As King continues to evolve, Green Tractors is sure to remaintimes before joining forces with the Svendsens, based in a relevant member of the community, perpetuating itsLindsay, and Clows, based in Kingston. “It was a natural reputation as a local success story.evolution of dealers growing together into a bigger entity,” KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii page 15

Stretching into Tiziana D’Angelo, owner of King City’s Stretching Canvass, is shown looking at playful therapy one of her quickly executed paintings. Tiz runs art classes focused on mindful exploration, incorporating yoga and payful, intuitive art programming. In school, Tiziana D’Angelo majored in geography and psychology. But, from the first time she held a crayon as a child, her heart belonged to making art. As a certified teacher and yoga instructor Tiz continues to weave in what she enjoys most; sharing, enlightening and delighting students and workshop participants with the many therapeutic benefits of making art. Though people often delight in her paintings, for Tiz, making art is about the journey, not the outcome. “I love inspiring others to connect with themselves through yoga, wellness workshops and our, intuitive art programs,” explains Tiz. “The focus of my art classes is to help the creator be present and in the moment through mischievous prompts and unexpected guidelines like painting with their eyes closed.” According to Tiz, “beginning a piece this way allows us to get our thoughts, judgments and criticism out of the way and enjoy the sensations of the painting process. It’s a sort of yoga with art. I sometimes call it yogart!” Her brightly lit studio space allows Tiz to offer a variety of programs. Sometimes it’s just about the yoga mats. Sometimes, it’s just about the canvas. Sometimes, the yoga and the art are combined. “I teach yoga in the Kripalu tradition and help people learn how to listen to their intuition and allow their soul to guide them along their creative journey.” In addition to the adult centric classes and workshops, Stretching Canvas also offers a full menu of intuitive painting and yoga classes for little kids and teenagers. Students learn about mindfulness and techniques to help them better deal with worries, stresses and anxiety. Before settling into her current location, Tiz ran Messy Hands Happy Hearts, a mobile art studio in the form of a converted school bus. Those already familiar with Messy Hands will be happy to learn that the bus is back! The bus is a great opportunity to let kids loose with clay and paint, without having to worry about the clean-up.page 16 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

NOW ACCEPTING Registration for our 2017/18 SCHOOL YEAR! NOW OFFERING Textile Design The only school in YORK REGION Specializing in Fashion Arts & Portfolio Prep for the Fashion Arts Industry for over 23 years. PROGRAMMES & COURSES FOR ALL AGES Fashion & Art Shows | Sewing & Patternmaking | Fashion Illustration | March Break & Summer Camps | Professional Photo ShootsVisual Arts | Graphic Design | Textile Design | Cosmetics | BEST Portfolio Prep | Scholarships | Internships | *Elements of Design Trip*ELEAMLENTTASOFMDEOSIGDNA FASHION WEEK ROME, ITALYONLY AT HAUTE COUTURE ACADEMY: An exclusive opportunity to work and network backstage with fashion’s biggest names.In addition every student will showcase their collections and compete to return and present in the Camera Nazionale Giovane Fashion Designer Show where they will be recognised as up-and-coming designers in the Italian Fashion Scene.PARTNERED WITH BEST Interactive Learning Programmes MEMBER OF and Courses for Pre-teens and Teens8099 Weston Rd, Unit 10, Woodbridge | www.hcfashionarts.ca | 905.264.9341 Helping students excel, since 1993 Customized Learning Programs. Excellent Tutoring. Proven ResultsMention this ad for a free, no obligation academic assessment at our Aurora, Nobleton or Woodbridge locations

Illustration by Maya Casale Navigating the school application process is a daunting task. Fortunately, King Country Magazine teamed up are you nervous about applying? with some of the best in the industry to share what every admissions department looks for in your application Insiders’ guide but, won’t tell you to give them. to gaining school acceptance letters How to pick the right school for you Across Canada, thirteen institutions offer fashion and textile design courses, and sixty-seven schools offer accounting. Every single one of them is unique in some way. Within any discipline, there are many different strands and many different approaches. You can line up representatives from each of the sixteen Ontario institutions that offer accredited engineering degrees only to discover that each has a different focus and boasts a unique social dynamic. The types of people who survive and thrive there are often very different from one school to the next. In short, not every applicant is right for every spot and not every spot is ideal for every applicant. Making sure that the schools you select align with your beliefs, motivations and worldview with work to your advantage. What Admission Departments won’t tell you Sought after schools have an ever-evolving need to outmanoeuvre potential candidates looking for golden tickets in chocolate bars. There isn’t much difference between Willy Wonka’s search for a successor and a school’s search for next year’s student body. In the end, the reputation, wealth and resources of a school are at the mercy of their student attrition (drop-out) rates and alumni success stories. Who they pick can either advance or damage their legacy. That’s something most of your competition doesn’t fully understand. There is a huge difference between getting in and succeeding. Schools can openly ask only for what most people can be expected to have by the time they graduate from high school. That doesn’t mean they don’t need more from you. Our current elementary and high schools are geared toward equity, not excellence. Though the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive, experience teaches us that they are. Education in our publicly funded school systems is meant to be accessible, not comprehensive. Teachers are constantly told to reduce the homework load to accommodate for more unstructured free time in the evenings, robbing students of guidance and direction to explore further and reinforce the subjects they are studying in school. Examples abound of teachers being assigned to subjects that they have a marginal comfort level in themselves. In theory, as long as students apply themselves, any child graduating from an Ontario school should have everything they need to compete for the spot of their choice. Kids shouldn’t require outside education but, we know that they do. “Schools will always look for the most developed skill they can have. Where you get it is up to you,” confides Joanne Dice,page 18 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

Scholar’s Edge Tutoring owner, designer and creative director at Haute Couture Academy of Fashion, Fine Arts & Design. It’s not unusual for Haute Couture’s students to out-compete17-year-old Iggy Mazza dropped AAA hockey in favour against other applicants vying for the same spots, as well as finish at the top ofof CrossFit training. His focus is on competing on the their classes in the programs of their choice. That’s because many of the school’sworld stage in the CrossFit Games. But, Iggy knows students are with Haute Couture throughout their high school years, and oftenthat he’ll need something beyond sport and ultimately even earlier. By the time they start working on their portfolios, many of thosewants a career in environmental architecture. kids have already had four to ten years of sewing, design and pattern making in their back pockets.His dedication and focus on performing at an elitelevel means that even regular days include three-hour Deciphering the questionsworkouts. To keep himself on track, Iggy relies on No matter where you submit to, you need to pay attention to how your responsesScholar’s Edge Tutoring. align with that school’s focus, culture and philosophy. Admissions departments receive tons of applications. A large numberof excellent candidates get dismissedIggy isn’t alone. Many kids and their families balance because their answers are too generic, lacking proof that they understand andthe demands of school, outside interests, and learning want what the school has to offer.styles with the aid of this tutoring service. In somesituations it’s competitive dance or hockey. In others Schools care a great deal about the character of applicants who make their shortit is simply the understanding that kids benefit from lists. They search for signs of tenacity, resilience and a willingness to learn. Yourroutine reinforcement and expansion of what they application and portfolio, if required, should clearly and neatly illustrate yourcover during the day. focus, talent, skillset and evidence of a growth mindset (the belief that you can acquire your goals through learning and practice).The approach to teaching at Scholar’s Edge is reflectedin the buildings from which to choose to operate. Don’t just pilfer their website for catch phrases. Show that what you want isThey recently expanded to a third location, this time what the school has to offer. As Kai Shin Karate’s Sensei Giancarlo Espositoin Aurora. Once again, they chose a heritage home, says, they are looking for kids “with an open mind and a willing heart.” Thatbuilt in 1860. As with their Nobleton purchase of the sounds simple enough but, we know it isn’t. Keep reading. We’ll get you there.postmaster’s house, built in 1856, Scholar’s Edge enjoyspaying homage to and building on solid foundations. Every school’s task is to assemble a student body comprised of individuals who collaborate well with peers and educators. They judge suitability base on how“Even though we have always been strong in teaching well-rounded you are and your appreciation for the world around you. Schoolsacademics, our focus has always been in teaching want people who demonstrate a capacity to be genuinely interested in theself-study skills to develop independent learners,” things that matter to their institution.explains Rajesh Verma, owner of the widely respectedlocal tutoring school. “We emphasize transferable While schools are pretty open about their philosophies, it is their socialskills. If your foundations are strong, you are basically dynamic that will seal your fate. That is the hardest element to predict. You canprepared to face challenges in school and in life.” Rajesh and Monica Verma own & operateScholar’s Edge operates under two models: group Scholar’s Edge out of three locations:lessons and 1:1 tutoring. As in Iggy’s case, Rajesh worksclosely with teachers to minimize disruptions while Woodbridge, Nobleton, and now Aurora (inset).serving to accommodate special requirements. continued on next page...“Group lessons have always been very productivebecause they are not monotonous,” relates Rajesh.These often consist of peers working on the sameassignments or toward the same test or exam dates.“So, it actually helps them because they feed off eachother, they share insight.” Even in group settingseach student is carefully monitored, blending inan individualized approach to ensure students areadequately supported and challenged.“I believe it is a common goal that we are workingtoward in developing their child overall,” says Rjesh.Scholar’s Edge collaborates with parents and teachersto detrmine what is in the child’s best interests. Forgrade eleven and twelve students Scholar’s Edge offerscareer path guidance, supplementing school guidanceto further improve the students’ chances of success inpost secondary education. They offer flexible schedulesand often continue supporting students throughouttheir postsecondary education, as well. KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii page 19

... continued from previous page. and just about any coach at the King Curling Club, are great examples of people who place importance on quality overimprove your chances by attending campus tours, looking for accolades. As a result, the awards and recognition their kidsopportunities to eat lunch with current students, and maybe receive are worth more. Interviewers are no longer allowedauditing a class or two. These are great ways to gain a better to ask certain questions. But, volunteering that informationunderstanding of what you are up against. helps them set you apart from your competition.Another important consideration to take into account is the An increasing number of companies are partnering withschools' industry partners. Many of the coolest toys at colleges academia to change the quality of their graduating classes.and universities (like state-of-the-art printing presses) are Industry, not schools or, even governments, are the onesdonated or sponsored by industry partners. They are also the pushing for the emphasis on learning skills and ability to beones who often end up hiring the best from the graduating self-motivated, creative problem solvers.classes. If you want to know what schools are looking for,try to find out who is getting the attention in the senior Karl Davis, co-owner of Green Tractors suggests, “you almostclasses. Chances are, they'll be the student ambassadors the have to interview the parents before you interview the kidsschools will present to you during their open houses. If the to know what you’re going to get.” Many employers agreetype of character that gets the prized job isn’t somebody you with that sentiment. They are struggling with a pandemic.see yourself wanting to be, reconsider your picks. There are Companies, across the board, are finding it difficult to hiremany schools from which to choose. qualified staff with a growth mindset. Graduates who can show confidence, humility and willingness to learn are prettyHow to package yourself much able to name their price.There are many ways to present yourself. That part is up toyou. But, ignoring the need to show how well you’ll fit in with What you need to tell themtheir social dynamic is the same as submitting an incomplete A person that is teachable will always rise above thoseapplication. Some schools look for extroverts. Others don’t. unwilling to admit that they can improve. Schools wantSome have a high tolerance and appreciation for self-driven students who are coachable and resilient. Many tend to placeinitiative and creativity. Others don’t. Two equally skilled more weight on the learning skills section of reports cardscandidates might see very different results based on their than they do on academic performance. While marks matterindividual characters. what your next set of educators want to know is what your previous ones thought of your propensity for responsibility,A way to address that is by listing your extra curriculars like independent work, collaboration, organization, initiativekarate, dance, curling, hockey, or music lessons. When asking and self-regulation.about your ‘outside interests or hobbies,’ they are giving youa chance to demonstrate who you are. It is one of the areas You have to demonstrate to your current teachers that youwhere you can afford them a view of your capacity to apply care for and are careful with what you are doing. Establishyourself and stay on task rather than always looking for a reputation for being tenacious and resilient in the faceinstant gratification. As a bonus, it also shows your ability to of challenges, admit that you are not yet at your goal. But,build strong relationships with peers and adults. keep believing in your ability to get there. Show that youThe mentors that parents select for their children also provide approach your work with integrity, effort andvaluable background clues. Sensei Giancarlo, Keys passion. This is where presentation matters.Piano’s Karen Kastner, Evidence of research, neatness, etiquette, proper spelling, grammar, and an attractive presentation are excellent ways to speak to those points. Tips on investigating potential schools The earlier you start your research, the better because, it takes time to settle on a shortlist and prepare that winning application. Sample spread from Natalie Rapallo’s portfolio. Natalie graduated from high school in 2017 and is currently attending New York’s prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology.page 20 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

Illustration by Maya Casale Haute Couture you have to understand those basics. Academy of Fashion, Fine Arts & Design Haute Couture’s teachers help students piece together their portfolios and assemble concise Joanne Dice, owner of Haute Couture, likes and effective resumes. They teach that work to remind people that there is a difference must be presented cleanly and professionally between artistry and skill. “Artistry is the to be taken seriously. How careful you are ability to do it. Skill needs to be developed.” with your work reveals the nature of your character. People have varying degrees of artistry. Some are born to paint, sew or sing. But, Haute Couture's staff is comprised of experts the technicalities of honing those skills are in their fields. In many cases, they work universal and the difference between two elsewhere, too. They choose to teach at the talented people boils down to commitment. school because they love the atmosphere and the opportunity to mentor kids who are Each September, Joanne is inundated with passionate about their craft. “Our perspective students looking for help building the portfolios is you are going to learn more and better they need for their college or university from somebody who actually has a lifetime entrance applications. of working experience in that area.” That expertise comes in handy when the kids are She helps them but, she warns them, too. “A making their own formal wear for prom and portfolio is just an indicator that you can graduation, too! sew and draw. You can have a great portfolio but, if you don’t have the skills to back it up, you don’t have the skill set to carry you through the program once you’re there. Your portfolio should be the culmination of your best work.” The person who puts in the time to practice, and actively seek opportunities to leverage, will always surpass even the most artistic of people who neglect their talents. Joanne’s studio places a great deal of importance on teaching fundamentals, including courses on bra corset and pattern making. To understand how to make a gownSchools tend to welcome requests for students: everything from internshiptours by prospective tuition payers. opportunities to actively preparingIn many cases, getting to see what a for and participating in professionalschool is like, and possibly even sharing fashion shows. Choosing stong locala lunch hour with current students, mentors allows you to leverage theiris a simple phone call away. Book an reputation and relationships. Overappointment and go for a tour. the past 24 years, Scholar’s Edge hasHaute Coutre organizes an annual gathered extensive insight into whatNew York college campus tour to various schools are looking for.for its students. As well, each year In Ontario, there’s no excuse to claimJoanne offers up spots to fifteen of her ignorance about university and collegegraduating students to work backstage options. Private and speciality schoolsat Fashion Week in Milan. host open houses where you can speakHer years of experience in the industry with faculty and student ambassadors.and willingness to support and Beyond any specially organizedpartner with external interests pays private tours we, also have plenty ofoff in numerous advantages for her readily available and free tools at our disposal. One great place to start is the Lady of the Vally Look #2 from Nicole Dice’s, Evellyon lingerie line collection. The line was prepared for Mass Exodus, Ryerson University’s annual year-end fashion show featuring the work of its graduating class. The Collection took six months to prepare and was featured again in Calabria, Italy, garnering Nicole a coveted spot at the May 2018 Camera Nazionale Giovane Designer fashion show in Italy. This fall, Nicole launched her company, Evellyon, selling the ultra feminine lingerie commercially. (Model: Rachel Romu) continued on next page... KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii page 21

THE KING CURLING CLUB HAS LOTS TO OFFER! ... continued from previous page. Beginner to Advanced Instruction Campus Tour website at campustour.ca. As well, each year, Youth (7-17), Women’s, Men’s & Mixed Leagues universities and colleges collaborate amongst themselves toDay & Evening, Recreational & Competitive Leagues offer free public access events where they gather under one roof to answer questions and provide information. New For 2017 Friday Evening 8 Week Adult Instructional League The annual Ontario Universities’ Fair (OUF) is a free, 3-day New Member Registration Opens Sept. 5, 2017 event taking place each fall at the Metro Toronto Convention Open House Thurs. Sept. 28 & Sat. Sept. 30, 2017 Centre. This year’s dates are September 22-24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each of the twenty-one Ontario universities hosts a booth TRISAN CENTRE (25 Dillane Dr., Schomberg) at OUF, as well invite you to view scheduled presentations. If email: [email protected] you can’t make it to the OUF, all twenty-one universities also Membership Director: 905.939.2173 set up booths at high schools throughout Ontario as part of the University Information Program. Anyone is welcome to www.kingcurling.com attend either the OUF or the UIP. The full schedule is available at ouf.ca/docs/uip_schedule_2017.pdf. Ontario Colleges offer a similar event on Tuesday, October 24, 2017, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Wednesday, October 25, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Enercare Centre, at Exhibition Place. Again, admission is free and open to everyone. The Ontario College Information Fair organizing committee even offers a $250 bus subsidy as incentive for schools to send students to the event. For more visit ocif.ca. If you are considering going to school in the U.S., think about attending a public event from 6 to 8 p.m. at either York Mills C.I., on October 24th or Oakville Trafalgar High School, on October25th. A sampling of US Colleges and Universities will be on hand to offer insight into all aspects of the U.S. Admissions process, from selection, application, and financing to student athlete considerations. Avoiding hidden traps Schools provide applicants with forms and outlines. There may be a theme. There may be guidelines. There are deadlines, and so forth. Submit what they want, how they want it, and when they want it. Being too creative will get your application dismissed very quickly. Ignoring what the guidelines they give you is how to fail the first question instantly: are you coachable? Find a way to be creative in the confines of what they tell you to do to pass the second one: how strong are your learning skills? They’re asking you questions that don’t have wrong answers. How well can you turn that to your advantage? Providing evidence of planning and working through a process answers the third question: are you tenacious? This is where presentation matters. A clean, organized, well- presented application show that you care about what you are doing and about the school for which you are applying. Offer evidence of how you arrived at your best work to answer the final question: are you resilient? Every school understands that the person applying to get in is a work in progress. They want to know you appreciate that honing a craft takes time. They want to see that you are willing to put the time in by showing them your absolute best work and giving them some indication of what you did to get there. Tell

them where you started, how long ago that was, and how it each year, to review all of his graduating students’ collegehelped you get closer to where you want to be. and university applications. His combined insight into who they are and what schools are looking for allows him to workBuilding your credentials with students to maximize the impact and consequently theThe most successful applications tend to belong to people chances of their application's success.who start preparing for them some time in advance. Youneed the grades but, you need all the other things, too. “Our There’s no magic formula to what Haute Couture or Scholar’sapproach to teaching gives each student significant insights Edge do for their charges. They spend a long time developingand detailed learning techniques that can be applied to any their students’ learning skills. Then, when the time is right,post-secondary art or design program, thereby boosting they help the kids discover how to package and marketstudent marks and catapulting our students to the top of themselves, armed with the insight that comes from knowingtheir class,” explains Joanne. and nurturing children for as long as they have.Kai Shin, Keys, King Curling Club, and any number of other When parents partner with great mentors for their children,quality extracurricular service providers in the area, don’t they gift their kids with experiences and information that arereplace the need to have a solid relationship with your high impossible to acquire at home. People like Joanne, Rajesh,school but they are another resource that has gotten to know Giancarlo and Karen work with many kids. They see manyyou over a significant period of time and will serve as great applications. They know what tends to work. They strivereferences. These people help describe your qualities through to develop and maintain community partners and industrythe lens of educators who are experienced in helping lots of relationships, giving them a good understandign of theother kids grow into their potential. philosophies and culture of the various schools to which your kids are applying. Those are invaluable details when lookingBy the time Scholar’s Edge clients are ready to apply for post- for the right words and ways to assemble your story.secondary education, in many cases, they have spent yearsworking on developing strong, transferable learning skills at Of course it, is possible to get into the school of your choicethe tutoring practice. Rajesh and his staff are so familiar with without any outside help. But, as Joanne says, schools arethe kids that he is very comfortable helping them narrow always looking for the best picks from that year's crop ofdown their school choices and dedicates an entire week, applicants. Some of it is luck. The rest is up to you.

Demi-glace • Roast veal bones in oven until brown • Roast onion, carrot, celery and tomato paste • Add thyme, bay leaf, and other desired herbs • Simmer in water until reduced by half (about 8 hours) • Create roux in another pot by melting equal parts butter and flour • Stir together and cook until golden brown • Strain stock into the roux and bring to a boil Side vegetables • Blanch vegetables in salted boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds • Drain and place in bowl of ice water • Heat seasoned chicken stock and butter and cooked vegetables until tender Rack of Lamb • Sear frenched rack of lamb in a sauté pan with a touch of heated oil • Place the pan with the lamb in a 500°F oven • When desired doneness is almost achieved, take lamb out of the oven • Spread Dijon mustard on lamb and crust with finely chopped pistachios • Place back in oven until desired temperature is achieved • Take lamb out and rest for a few minutes • In frying pan, sauté shallots, garlic, reduce red wine and add demi-glace • Pour demi-glace over lamb and serve with spring of rosemary Rack of Lamb by Chef Andrew Prebul, Port Soirée Restaurant Cafépage 24 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

Port Soirée Restaurant Café writingbyFreydaTartak photography by Jim CraigmyleWhere Church meets Main, in is always outstanding. The cuisine is an Then, plates wiped clean of sauce, Schomberg, stands a small eclectic mix of Mediterranean inspired you’ll get to see their faces light up oncehouse with a pretty garden. It’s easy to dishes; not exactly Portuguese, Italian more, in repeat disbelief: “I never knewoverlook. You could drive by a million or, anything else but, always amazing. this was here.” Anybody who tastedtimes and not realize what is inside. the difference of food that was freshlyBut once you discover it, you’ll notice it On the walls hang works by local picked from the farmer’s field will attestevery time. artists, including those of its proprietor to its impact on the flavour of a dish. Alvaro Nascimento. In the backgroundEarlier this year I noticed a group of there’s jazz. Come on the right night The skill of Chef Andrew combinedpeople, including a local teacher, open and it might even be live jazz by the with vegetables from Alvaro’s gardensthe door to a house and walk in like likes of Michele Mele. make for a truly delicious combination.they had the right to. They didn’t knock Where possible, Port Soirée alwaysor wait to be let in. I had to pay attention Though everything about Port Soirée strives to use sustainable culinaryto realize it wasn’t somebody’s home. is executed masterfully, Alvaro and his practices. The gardens around the staff are always gracious and humble. restaurant are all cultivated for thisI wasn’t looking for a sign so I never “I am grateful for all the support the purpose and everything, including thenoticed one before. Inside, I was greeted community has shown Port Soirée over oil in the kitchen is recycled.as though they knew I was coming. Port the past ten years and I look forward toSoirée Restaurant Café has a way of the years to come,” he says. Port Soirée is the culmination ofexuding that air of welcome familiarity. Alvaro’s greatest joys. Walking in, youI’ve been back often since that first Indeed, those who discover this local feel like you could be standing in hisencouter and the feeling is always the gem tend to become loyal patrons. Once actual front foyer. He serves food grownsame: like you’re just in time and lunch you chance upon Port Soirée you will in his own gardens and opens hand-or dinner is about to be served. keep coming back, and you will bring picked wine bottles from his collection. those you care about. It’s a magicalI adore the intimate setting of Port feeling to see the wonder on people’s Eating at Port Soirée is a privilege, andSoirée’s dining room, the charming faces as they discover something they one that I would recommend that youpatio and its cozy wine cellar. The meal never knew was there, so close to home. take full advantage of.

Photo Credit: Jim Craigmyle Tickets are a modest $30 Setting: Port Soirée Restaurant Café per person and include a glass of wine, a snack at Vocalist, composer, lyricist and intermission, a chance to pianist, Michele Mele is a masterful meet the artists, and an communicator of melodies and lyrics intimate musical journey that resonate in the hearts of her that will transport you into a listeners. Her monthly Saturday three-hour reverie. Imagine, afternoon concert series, now in its spending anything close to 4th season, infuses jazz into the heart that for driving down to the of King Township. city, paying for gas, parking, tickets or a cover charge, and then drinks and a meal. Everybody is welcome. You can bring the kids. “I welcome that,” confides the former music teacher. She loves children and even pioneered the music program at Country Day School and taught at several local high schools before deciding to focus on writing her own music.Jazzy afternoons near homeNo matter what is on your mind before you Her daughter may be the professional acrobatturn onto Michele Mele’s driveway, that last but, Michele too has been known to takesection of unpaved road will make you forget advantage of the impressive aerial trapezeanything other than why you came. that graces her front lawn.Flanked by tall trees, bowing to your arrival, This pianoforte was the impetus behind athe private road is a passageway into a music unique offering: a Saturday afternoon jazzlover’s paradise. The entire place is a music concert series with world-class players andlover’s dream. It is obvious at first glance no need to travel downtown.how much care and attention was paid toacoustics when the house was built. Michele considers herself lucky to know some of today’s best jazz performers (she workedThe living room is an intimate concert space with so many of them).with windows instead of walls and a ceilingthat’s missing a floor beneath it. A magnificent Initially, she was thinking of putting on aconcert grand Fazioli piano serves as anchor, much larger production, somewhere in thewith a giant Helen Lucas original above it and city but, she and Luciano kept coming backa circus trapeze suspended at centre stage. to that grand piano and thinking, “why don’t we just do it here?”The prized instrument was a 50th birthdaypresent from Michele's husband, Luciano Michele and Luciano insist on paying theTauro. The stands ready to be played, not just visiting musicians. But, aside from recoveringadmired. At Michele’s everything has purpose. costs, it is not about the money, she is “motivated by the love of music.”page 26 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

She grew up in a house full of composing, arranging and performing are all made of stardust. Inspired by herprofessional musicians. Her father Latin inspired jazz albums. circus performer daughter, Michele’sused to play for Don Rickles. Her show, based on an out-of-this-worldmother played the accordion and sang. Along the way, Michele has managed concept, will include stunning aerial“We used to have music in our house to incorporate her other favourite acrobatics. “Maybe the gravitationalevery weekend.” There are only two pastime: preparing food. She figured pull of a black hole is the same as thethings that this woman loves as much if she’s going to need promo videos pull of love between people. Perhapsas music: her family and food. “My for her albums, why not do it from the the reason we are drawn to certainmother always stayed home when we comfort of her kitchen? Et voilà, you people and not to others is that maybewere little, and I wanted to be there for have her Michele in the Kitchen five- at the big bang, particles that 14-billion-my children, as well.” minute videos, shared via YouTube. years ago were pulled apart are drawn together to this day,” muses the lyricistWhen her kids were small, Michele Each easily digestible chunk starts and composer.would organize “little soirées, little with, “Hi, I’m Michele Mele. Come andrecitals with all my friends.” Her friends join me in the kitchen and we’ll cook That certainly does sound like fodderwere all musicians, too. some food and sing some songs, and for a jazzy show. But not having put we’ll have a wonderful time.” The one on before, Michele is still lookingDespite a thriving career Michele took segments are fun, quirky, energetic, for somebody to help her assemble it.time from her craft to focus on raising and you always learn something new All the content is ready to go. She justher four kids. “I stopped because I (like the unconventional way her needs a little help with the mechanics.loved being a mother and I felt like I grandmother had with garlic). Thecouldn’t do either one hundred per cent shows went from clips in her kitchen to In the meantime, check out her YouTubeif I were trying to do both at the same on-location shoots. channel and consider spending atime.” Now that all of them are grown Saturday afternoon tucked away in theand exploring their passions, Michele Currently, she is developing a production quiet beauty of King Township, enjoinghas returned with gusto to writing, called “Universe in a kiss,” based on a lovely conert experience. Neil deGrasse Tyson’s assertion that we

York Regional Police embracing equine assisted therapy for mental health Today’s police officers have more occasion than ever to experience PTSD and a disproportionate level of access to adequate tools with which to address their needs. Afew years ago the Master of Ceremonies at a police appreciation night asked York Regional Police Sergeant Andy Cook, “What’s so special about horses?” Without hesitation, and in his usual calm demeanor, the 48-year-old military veteran returned with: “Nobody ever wanted to pet my cruiser.” He wasn’t trying to be funny but, everybody started laughing anyway, picking up on the pure truth of the sentiment. “People come up. Even those who don’t like the police. They don’t care. They still want to come pet your horse,” he explains. Andy was born on a British military base in Hong Kong. By the early 70’s he was attending school in Northern Ireland. “I remember we used to take the green school bus to school, with an armed soldier in the back of the bus. I sometimes had to stay home twice a week because of IRA bomb threats.” Andy immigrated to Canada in 1983, finishing high school in 1987. In 1989, Andy joined the Canadian Armed Forces and became an armoured crewman, riding in a tank as part of the 8th Canadian Hussars, in Germany. “I joined the reserves when I was 17. When I finished high school, I joined the military.” As soon as he finished training on the East Coast, they sent him to Germany. “I thought it was a good time. I saw the fall of the Berlin Wall. There were a lot of good experiences, some bad ones.” His next tour of duty was much different from getting to personally experience the end of the Cold War. In 1994, Andy got deployed to the former Yugoslavia, as part of the Strathcona Battle Group. It was supposed to be a UN Peacekeeping mission, Operation United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). But, “it was not.” The Canadian armed forces were there to bear witness to genocide. “It was very much as Lieutenant-General Roméo Antonius Dallaire describes of his experiences in Rwanda. I have pictures upon pictures that make most people’s stomachs turn inside out. The experience wasn’t very good.” Our soldiers came back mentally scarred and often self-medicating with alcohol, or worse. \"Back then you weren’t allowed to be sick in the army until somebody told you that you were sick. Mental illness was no different. I remember we got off the airplane and we were standing in a big room, in a hall. The base commander stands therepage 28 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

and says: ‘Is everybody good? Anybody Saving Paul from his demons was the 2016 Annual YRPgot any problems? Anything you want final straw. By then, Andy had become, Remembrance Dayto talk about?’ Everybody just looked as he puts it, “disenfranchised with Ceremoniesaround and said, ‘No, I’m good.’ So the military.” He asked to be released. York Regional Policethe commander said, ‘Okay, well, you But the military, unwilling to let a Station, Georginaguys take the week off, we’ll see you good soldier go, transferred Andy toback to work in a week.’ That was the The Strathcona Mounted Troop, anextent of the soldiers’ debarkation and authorized volunteer display unit of thecounselling,” he relates. Canadian Armed Forces, reminiscent of Lord Strathcona’s Horse from the 1920’sSome guys, like Andy, turned to and 30’s. It was a ceremonial position,the bottle. Others, like the guy who pretty much the marketing arm of thelived upstairs with his girlfriend, Canadian Military.resorted to other measures. “He wasa radio technician, and I knew him Starting in 1994, Andy spent thefrom Germany. His girlfriend came better part of four years travellingdownstairs, all frantic. She said, ‘Paul’s across Western Canada, performing inin the bathtub, he slit his wrists.’ We musical rides and parades, mostly insaved his life. He didn’t cut himself bad the Grey Cup and Calgary Stampede.enough but, he bled a lot. It was close,” There, Andy discovered how easily asays Andy. horse can bring a man to his knees. “No matter how tough you think you are,“After I came back from the Balkans, it’s still all about respect. You need hisin the early 90’s, there wasn’t any permission to get on his back.”decompression,” he continues, “I stillhave friends who are in the military “That experience changed my life. the deputy chief’s office when you’reor recently retired, killing themselves After I came back from the Balkans, a constable.” It turns out that at theby their own hand. I had a friend who I developed a bit of a habit to self- recent police appreciation night someserved for 30 years, took his own life on medicate with alcohol. Indirectly, money was allocated toward starting athe 22nd of May.” riding a horse helped me end up in a ceremonial police mounted unit. “Make place where I wanted to be. Sir Winston it happen,” said the deputy chief. “ByOver the past three decades, Andy Cook Churchill once said, ‘There is something 2014 York Regional Police had a fullylost count of how many soldiers have about the outside of a horse that is good functioning ceremonial mounted unit.”taken their lives. He stopped trying to for the inside of a man.’ I believe that.”rationalize it a long time ago. “I was Based on the successes and examplesexposed to suicide from an early age By 1995, Andy was ready to come home. of the New York Police Departmentin the military. In my first year and a Aside from his horse, Edmonton had (NYPD), YRP recognized that policehalf in Germany, I had one of the guys little appeal for him. He applied to cruisers create a physical barrier and afrom my basic training kill his wife join Peel Regional Police but, they felt sense of isolation from residents.and himself. Then, a year later, we had it was too soon. It had only been sixanother soldier kill himself.” months since his last tour of duty. They As Andy puts it, “Getting on a horse encouraged him to give it more time helps bridge that gap. It doesn’t matter Visiko and reapply, so he did. In 1998, Andy what language you speak or what Bosnia, 1994 returned home to Brampton and suited colour, creed, or background you come UNPROFOR up as a police officer. from, everybody loves horses. Well, not peacekeeping everybody, some people are deathly mission In 2000, Andy decided to transition over afraid of them. I mean they’ll stand to the York Regional Police (YRP), and there, they come close. They may not eight years later he finally got a chance want to touch them but, they still like to get back on a horse. The Governor the idea of them, and they forget that Generals Horse Guard had a mounted you’re wearing a uniform or firearms aspect to it in Ontario, so he joined or what your primary purpose in the them as a civilian rider. “It was nice to community is. So if it were me, I’d love get back on a horse,” he admits. continued on next page... Suddenly, in 2012, Andy got a call he never expected. “I was a bit worried because you don’t usually get called to KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii page 29

... continued from previous page.to have a full-time unit that, that’s all we do. It is a great protect. As Steve explains it, “People suffering from anxietypublic relations tool.” and depression are not in a positive sphere. Everything isIn 2015, Andy reconnected with Steve Critchley, co-founder negative. So, the whole thing is we need to get them to theof the Can Praxis program, out in Calgary. The two served barn, get them to sweep the stalls. You don’t interfere withtogether in the Balkans. They spoke at length about how Can them just get them to accomplish something so they canPraxis uses equine assisted therapy to help military couples feel good about themselves. When people are smiling andaddress unresolved conflict. In addition to being a 28-year laughing, they aren’t killing themselves.”veteran of the Canadian Forces, Critchley is an international “Find something, give them something worthwhile. So atmediator, facilitator, negotiator and trainer. Jim Marland, the the end of it, they feel like they’ve accomplished something.other co-founder of Can Praxis, is a registered psychologist, There are other programs like building houses but, there’sand equine assisted learning facilitator. no feedback from that. With a horse, it’s based on trust andAll of a sudden, Andy had the “When people are smiling respect and nothing else. If youmissing piece to his puzzle. Based aren’t giving it your all the horseon his experience with both and laughing, they aren’t won’t respond,” continues Andy.the Peel and York Region policedepartments Andy knows all too ”killing themselves. Ever since the war in Afghanistan,well that post traumatic stress public awareness has focused ondisorder (PTSD) is not limited to the plight of military veterans andwar veterans. To him, Can Praxis their struggles with mental health. The Canadian Forces have come asounded like an exciting opportunity for police officers long way in acknowledging the need to support our veterans'suffering, or at risk of suffering from PTSD. and their families’ mental health. But, when it comes to our“I have some riders who are proficient at their riding but, they police forces and their fellow emergency service providers,have some limitations. The horses can always tell. They say: the subject is still one that is very much shrouded in stigma.‘Oh, the horse is doing this.’ So I get on, and the horse won’t At the same time, today’s police officers have more occasiondo it. The difference is, the horse picks up on whatever you’re than ever to experience PTSD and an inadequate level accessfeeling. So if you are confident without being over confident, to adequate tools with which to address their needs.it will do what you ask. You can’t be afraid, and you can’t “Everybody thinks policing and military are very similar.be cocky either. If you’re going to play the wrestling match, They are not. They do have some similarities but, couldn’t beyou’ll lose. You have to put away the ego and deal with it on more on further ends of the spectrum,” says Andy.a basic level. It’s a 1,500-pound animal. You’re not forcing it to “When I left home to join the military, I went through basicdo anything. You have to ask it firmly but, you have to figure training. Continued that for a year and then went to ahow to ask it.” regiment. After that, I served with those same individuals.Like Andy, Steve and Jim know first-hand how PTSD can We went overseas together, stayed and suffered together.destroy relationships and is especially common in overly For however many years that is your family. That’s the onlystressed families. Their program was specially developed to family I’ve ever known. So, realistically what happens in theteach participants how to manage their conflict effectively, military is you create your own internal support. Those areusing mediation as the therapeutic tool and the horses as the the guys you rely on when you go out to bars; you drink,way to test how well the mediation is going. you cry on their shoulders, you talk about anything andAndy found the design ofthe program especiallycompelling. It focuses onreintegrating people livingwith PTSD into the qualityof life they volunteered to As unresolved conflict destroys relationships, and is especially common in overly stressed families, Can Praxis trains participants to manage their conflict effectively. Shown here, the determined Veterans and their spouses workinghard to overcome PTSD on Can PraxisPhase I, in Rocky Mountain House, AB.page 30 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

everything. It’s funny In mid August, Andy joined YRP Deputy Tombecause going on 18 Carrique’s nine-member team for the Woundedyears, and I’m still very Warrior Highway of Heroes Ride. The teamclose to the guys I served raised $21,000 to support Wounded Warriorswith in the military. A and the Can Praxis program. The ride spannedlot of them are police two days and 240 km, from the Afghanistanofficers. A lot of them are memorial in Trenton to Queen’s Park.firefighters. Occasionally,we all get together, have In addition to raising money Andy says, “it wasa few laughs, look at old therapeutic riding with so many veterans andpictures, giggle, and talk first responders, many of them suffering withabout people we’ve lost PTSD, listening to their stories and sharing minealong the way. That’s part is what the ride is all about.”of our healing process.We’ve learned to do that These types of events also raise money to assistbecause we continue veterans and first responders suffering withwith that internal support PTSD. This year’s ride raised over $150,000.network.” extend the average length of service of with what you’re experiencing. I canIn the police force, it isharder to develop that our members.” say ‘yeah, I get it.’”same family-type unit ofpeople experiencing the When he first started, “It took me a long On top of that, “Everybody is filmingsame things, at the same time to realize that just because I’m a everything you do now. There aretime. First responders are police officer or a soldier, it doesn’t more complaints against police nowat a high risk of developing make me any better or less than anyone than ever before. It adds an enormousPTSD. Reportedly, nearly else. The first couple of years after the amount of pressure on the officer.half of paramedics are military I had a bit of a chip on my When you go to deal with a situation, itat risk. For police, the shoulder. Yeah, we’re the police, yeah, could be a traumatic situation; it couldnumbers range from you know what? We’re people just like be you have to use force on someone,eleven to twenty per cent, everybody else, and we feel pain just it could be a situation where someonedepending on the source. like everyone else—and sadness.” is missing body parts, or death. At the top of your head is ‘will there be“You go to the police Today, confides Andy, “you have young a complaint or Special Investigationscollege for ten weeks; then you come officers still living at home, 21, 22 years- Unit (SIU) investigation?’ So, it doesback, and you’re on a different platoon. old, going to a domestic where this add to the stress.”You can spend all day going from call man and this woman are fighting overto call and not see a person on your their hydro bill. They’ve never paid In the military, mental health is noplatoon aside from the one or two that a hydro bill. So, how are they going longer the elephant in the room.go on that call with you. You don’t to mediate? How are they going to Everybody knows you’re in pain. Inhave that relationship with anybody,” understand? It’s the same with all the the police force, mental illness is notexplains Andy. “So, how do you get rid lines. I’ve experienced a lot of things. something people want to admitof it? You go home, take out the anger So, I understand life. I can sympathize readily. When you break a leg, peopleon your children or your spouse orwhatever.” continued on next page...Statistically, divorce rates tend tobe higher amongst first responders,offering some insight into the numberof people who don’t feel that they havesomebody that understands them,that they can talk to. According toAndy, “YRP has a Peer Support Unit,and they are taking steps in the rightdirection. But, those efforts are in theirinfancy. We are a long way from havingthe support systems in place that will KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii page 31

... continued from previous page. non-threatening environment in which dialogue, which has never happened but was so desperately needed, did occur. I say: “Oh, that sucks.” When you admit that job-related stress truly believe your support with this program will save more is affecting you, people label you as crazy. than just lives; it will save families.” As Andy suggests, “It’s going to be a long time before people We are still in the early stages of YRP’s emerging treat an injury to a broken limb and mental illness in the understanding of how to support the mental health of its same way. They’re both injuries, just one you can see, and officers. Still, it is encouraging to see that they recognize the the other you can’t.” need for focusing on prevention. “The question I ask is why are we waiting for people to be diagnosed with PTSD before Andy is a strong advocate of helping people learn how we help them? Why don’t we help them before?” says Andy. to channel their stress. He is as mighty and resilient as “It’s a slow process. The York Regional Police is at the front they come. But, he also believes people need to feel safe in end of spearheading the programs. As an organization we’re asking for help when they need it. “It’s not about admitting still learning,” explains Andy. weakness it’s about returning them to health,” he explains, “when you always put on a brave face, nobody ever asks you Andy had pitched extending the Can Praxis program to how you’re doing.” officers identified as ‘at risk’ of PTSD. But, even if the YRP peer support team opts to go in a different direction, perhaps His work in promoting the advantages of working with something right here in Ontario, it is comforting to know horses is something he does on his own time, though with that similar programs are popping up and that increased the endorsement and support of YRP. “I think that you have awareness is leading to meeting a broader spectrum of to show the human side of you, which we’re not robots. Yeah, people in need of attention. we wear body armour. That stops the bullet, it doesn’t stop the hurt,” says Andy. Things are getting better. Andy is amongst many working toward advocating for mental health and PTSD prevention. Policing benefits are designed to cover only the successful Current measures such as physically locating Wounded applicant with a PTSD diagnosis. Currently, spouses are not Warrior, YRP’s Peer Support unit and Tema (offering PTSD covered by insurance because they don’t have PTSD even support to medics and firefighters) in the same building though we know that PTSD has a lasting and significant is a significant step toward fostering collaboration and impact on the entire family, not just the individual. That’s partnerships while maximizing available funding programs. why Can Praxis is a couple’s program. So far, YRP was the first police service in Ontario to be offered Steve and Jim attest to a 62% success rate. According to the to send officers down to Can Praxis. As such YRP is leading latest returns provided by Dr. Randy Duncan, a research the charge and setting a great example by looking after the psychologist and adjunct professor at the University of people we rely on to keep our communities safe. Saskatchewan Sociology Department, “up to 83% of Can Praxis participants gain something useful.” Next year, Wounded Warrior will do a battlefield ride After speaking with Steve, Andy pitched the horse aspect to the deputy and the (BBR18) in the Balkans from YRP peer support team. That led to the Sarajevo to the Medak 2016 partnership between YRP and the Pocket. Wounded Warrior program, sponsor of the Can Praxis program. “This will be the final chapter in closing those ghosts of the To date, three couples from YRP attended past for me, and the terrible the program with success. As Andy points out, “It is not about riding horses; it’s memories that still haunt about feedback from the horse. Horses me,” says Andy. are not like dogs. Dogs are loyal to the end. Horses aren’t like that. With horses, At the time, the battle was everything is built on respect. Unless you considered to be one of the earn the respect of that horse, it couldn’t most severe fought by the care less about you. You have to work; you Canadian Forces since the have to put all that anger, all that anxiety aside to be able to build the respect with Korean War. this horse. Otherwise, it’s just not going to work. So a horse is used as a barometer. honour the fallen, help the living. The rest is all mediation.” A testimonial on the Can Praxis website reads, “Steve and Jim provided a safe andpage 32 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

LESSONS ♦ BOARDING ♦ PONY PARTIES ♦ HORSES FOR SALE (905) 859-0057 13955 8th Concession THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING! ENJOY DELICIOUS, ELEGANT, STRESS-FREE SPECIAL EVENTS AND HOLIDAY PARTIES SPACE IS LIMITED. BOOK EARLY. RESPONSIBLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS The SummerhillMAKE A WORLD OF DELICIOUS DIFFERENCE RESTO PUB PATIO Est. 2015 GENUINE GOOD FOOD LIVE MUSIC ON THURSDAY NIGHTS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES 13775 Hwy. 27, Nobleton. 905.859.4445 thesummerhillrestaurant.ca FINE DINING UPSTAIRS CASUAL PUB DOWNSTAIRS RELAxING OUTDOOR PATIO

a lot of reading. We’ve all heard stories of well-minded people who get a dog, iguana, cat, or even have children, only to find out these are not just ‘things’ we ‘own’ but living creatures. Keeping bees is a responsibility. I look at our 58-acre forested property similarly: our family may have the title but, we would be naïve to think that title grants us much more than the right to steward a piece of the earth, for the short time we happen to reside on it. Something to consider First, and foremost, the managed honey bee “Apis mellifera,” that we beekeepers work with today, is not a native species to North America. Early European settlers brought honey bees over here a mere 300 years ago. Looking at the health status of managed honey bee colonies in Canada can give us only a tiny glimpse of the overall health status of the more than 400 species of beesSo you want to take up native to southern Ontario or,back yard bee keeping more the than 20,000 worldwide. Although many of the issues facing honey bees also affect our native species, a goodby André Flys comparison might be that we wouldn’t look at the number of managed hogs as a measure ofI often hear people say, “we know bees are bees and spread disease and parasites to the native wild boar populations.in trouble. We’d like to keep bees to help There might be connectionsthem.” Instead of back yard bee keeping, other people’s populations.let’s imagine that the latest trend is back but, fluctuations in the amountyard dairy farming. The impacts of irresponsible bee keeping of a managed livestock do not can be widespread. I encourage interested necessarily jive with what’sWhat if people started buying dairy cattle parties to take up bee keeping but, it is an happening in the wild.to help the decline of native bison. Sound art form not to be ventured onto lightly.ridiculous? As Ron Miksha writes on his The Rusty Patch bumble bee,Bad Beekeeping blog, “there are thousands Like other artisans, apiarists enjoy sharing just twenty years ago, was theof species of bees in the world. Our what we do and learning from one another. most common bumble bee here.favourite, the honey bee, is just one of the I love to volunteer my time to my local The last one spotted at Pineryestimated 25,000. It’s not even the cutest, and provincial bee keeping associations, Provincial Park was in 2009; itsfriendliest, or most interesting.” whose mandates include educating Ontario nest was never found—just a beekeepers. Over the last few seasons, I even solitary bee.Experienced apiarists like to say: “There instructed a few bee keeping courses withare beekeepers and bee havers.” Keepers the Ontario Beekeepers Associations Tech In that instance, for thatare custodians of bees, servants if you Transfer Program.If you are interested, by all particular species, we havewill. Havers have good intentions but, can means, take up bee keeping. But, take the climate change to blame. As itinadvertently jeopardize the health of their time to do it right. Take a course, join a local turns out, the Rusty Patch relied keepers association, find a mentor, and do on deep snow drifts to coverpage 34 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

their nests over wintering burrows, something the Pinery are some basics about bee health every beekeeper should bewas one of the last places in southern Ontario to have. We aware of before ever considering managing a colony of theirhaven’t had decent winter snow pack here in close to 15 years. own. Mistakes can cost more than just your hobby; it mightMost experts thought the species would move north but, as it cost your neighbour, the commercial beekeeper, a lot more.turns out, they just disappeared. A recent study out of BritainCase in point number two: “There are thousands of species of bees showed that bees were flying in the world. Our favourite, the honeyearly last summer, James bee, is just one of the estimated 25,000. It’s a round trip of 17 km to gatherMurray, a bee breeder and not even the cutest, friendliest, or most Heather nectar from thefriend of mine in Sharon, ”interesting. Moores. If I, as a beekeeperOntario, found himself in the within that range of myunfortunate situation of a neighbour’s bees, contract apesticide incident. Seventeen disease without a diagnosis, Icolonies in his back yard were ~ Ron Miksha risk exposing their bees, andwiped out in a matter of hours. all the bees in range of thoseTens of thousands of dead and dying bees started piling up bees, and so on. It’s not that difficult a thing to learn but, it’sin front of their homes instead of bringing their forage back surprising how many people take up the hobby without evento their nest mates. Showing all the classic signs of pesticide considering taking a course or registering their colonies.exposure the local bee inspector (yes, there are local bee Another trope often brought out by beekeepers is: “askinspectors) called in the Pest Management Regulatory three beekeepers a question and get five different answers.”Agency (PMRA) to take samples for lab analysis. A year later, Sometimes those answers can all be correct, just differentthe results showed five different pesticides all in levels high management styles. Sometimes they can all be wrong.enough to damage honey bees. As bad as it was for the bees, Nowadays, bee keeping courses and clubs are everywhere.James was out tens of thousands of dollars and his customers, So, how can you be sure the information you are gettingwho rely on his queen bees, had to look elsewhere. is correct? I always suggest starting your first course withThe stresses on pollinators don’t stop at pesticides and the OBA Tech-Transfer team or, at the University of Guelph.climate change. There are the usual matters that plague all They’ve been offering classes for decades, keep up withliving things such as disease and parasites. There are also and even perform the latest research available, and profferthings that maybe we hadn’t considered until they happened, insight that is relevant to our geographic area and climate.like mono culture cropping, increased, and irresponsible use If, after doing your research, you decide that keeping honeyof fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and loss of habitat bees isn’t for you there are many ways you can help our nativeand forage. We could go on ad nauseam about the reams of populations. Pollinator habitat can be improved everywherestudies completed on these topics over the last decade but, I and anywhere, starting in your backyard or even a balcony.think you get the basic point. Other ways to helpBee keeping primer Many solitary bees survive winter in the stems of hollowedI know I said I don’t try to discourage people from becoming out plants. Simple things like leaving garden clean-up untilbeekeepers and all that stuff was very discouraging. However, spring gives them places to stay warm and safe throughwe mustn’t give up now! If you think bee keeping is for you, unpredictable winter weather. As well, selecting floweringthere are more resources now than ever to equip you with plants that bloom either early in the spring or later in thethe knowledge to become a successful beekeeper. fall help bridge the famine as there are few forage options atThe Ontario Beekeepers Association (OBA) was established those times of the year.in 1886, by local postmaster David Allanson Jones, in a To learn more about how to help native populations or, beeSouthern Ontario town then called Clarksville. But, thanks keeping, contact the OBA. As well, York University or theto D.A., everybody called it Bee Town, and in 1874, the name University of Guelph both have labs with researchers whoofficially changed to Beeton. The entire North American are focused on native pollinators. To learn more about beeshoney industry was born here, thanks to D.A and his bee in general, beyond the domesticated western honey bee, lookbreeding experiments. up melittologist Dr. Lawrence Packers (yorku.ca/bugsrus).Close to 150 years later, the OBA continues to be just as His academic passion is the study of wild bees.relevant. For the last three years, I’ve had the pleasure of So, by all means, go out and get some bees. Become aserving as OBA Vice President. I can tell you the push to beekeeper. Join the club. But, don’t do it for the bees. Do it foreducate new beekeepers is important to a growing number you. If you want to help bees, then it’s time we focus on theof commercial beekeepers. Given that bees often develop reasons managed honey bees, and native populations areridiculously large forage ranges, it is imperative that new struggling for their lives. Regardless of species, be it a humanbeekeepers understand how to recognize communicable being or insect, we all live on the same planet, and it seemsdisease and parasite infestations in their colonies. There we’re just not looking after it all that well. KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii page 35

Founded in 1989, Spark Innovations is an award-winning industrial design company specializing in the development of innovative products and inventions. They boast a professional team of industrial designers and mechanical engineers and have taken thousands of products from the early stages of an idea to mass market infiltration.From spark toinnovation, oneconcept at a timeOver the past 28 years, King’s Spark Innovations has tired of tightening that rope around their waist or bringingestablished itself as a reputable resource for idea people. water to their face instead of their face to the water, or theyThe company is an award-winning industrial design and were cold and didn’t like it. So, they did something about it.products development firm. The only reasons we know about them are that the peopleThey specialize in working with clients to bring their visions who came up with those solutions weren’t the only ones whoto life and nurturing them into self-sustaining businesses. had those problems and the products they came up with were makable. Plus, they relied on the right resources.The Spark team is comprised of mechanical engineers andindustrial designers, with a broad skill set. Operating out More than likely, the world has missed out on a lot of brilliantof an unassuming house on King Road, Spark Innovations’ ideas that never got explored just because those people didn’tdesign studio is an impressive powerhouse. Their main floor know who to consult with on next steps.showroom features a wide assortment of materialized ideas. Sometimes, people arrive at Spark with little more than ideasThere are three types of notions: the kind that you’re happy to get things going. In other situations, products alreadykeeping to yourself, the kind that you want to bring to life exist, and clients want to turn them into something better.(just to say you did), and the kind that could make you rich. Spark collaborates with innovators to evolve ideas into a concept by exploring variations of those ideas.If you have an idea but, haven’t acted on it, chances areyou also have a few reasons holding you back. Maybe you Once ready to proceed, Spark’s team of designers anddon’t know where to start. Perhaps you are worried about engineers materialize concepts with professionally producedsomebody stealing it, or you aren’t sure it is doable. models and drawings, ready for application. Their output is used for everything from rapid prototypes on Spark’s 3-DMany of the world’s best, most significant and lucrative printer to product manufacturing and marketing.inventions were born out of a combination of frustration andintimate insight. Just think of how things like the belt buckle, Spark Innovations is a one-stop shop. They are adept atcup or blanket ended up as household items. Somebody got working with clients to develop prototypes, acquire patents, develop distribution channels and navigate the details Spark Innovations related to bringing concepts to reality. employs a team of engineers adept at The company attracts a mix of clientele, servicing both bringing imagination large and small enterprises. Projects can be a re-imagination to life. of an existing item, or they can be the solutions to age-old problems. In some cases, clients just need a final push to the finish line by way of a prototype, set of production drawings, or a website with e-commerce capability. The intellectual property that people walk in with will remain theirs. In most cases, consumers and end-users have no idea that Spark was involved when they pick up something great that solves a headache for them. All they want to do is buy the product and take it home. Spark does more than collaborating on materializing ideas. They also help you make sure that those ideas remain yourspage 36 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

to benefit from, offering a wealth of easily attaches to most ceiling ventsresources and expertise related to and diffuses air along the ceiling,patent development. improving air circulation and making a lot of office workers much happier.When Alessandro Volta came up It was a simple idea that turned into awith electrochemical battery cells, he nice business for their client.made sure to protect his interests bypatenting his discovery. Robert Noyce Another obstacle which keeps peopledid the same with the microchip, from exploring great ideas further iswhich he created along side of Jack their lack of certainty that their ideaKilby. Thanks to Noyce and Kilby, is original enough. Spark’s extensivemost people have long since forgotten experience and access to legal expertsthe days when computers took up who specialize in patents will ensurelarge rooms and needed several days that the concept you come up withto process information. is one you can defend and monetize. With Spark Innovations, turning anThough credited, Kilby didn’t hold the idea into a self-sustaining business ismicrochip patent. He did hold patents likely easier than you imagine.for inventing both the hand-heldcalculator and the thermal printer. After protecting your ideas, the next hurdle Spark helps clients overcomeWhat Volta, Noyce, Kilby, and so is making sure the idea is physicallymany others, had in common was possible to manufacture. The teamhow knowledgeable and immersed does everything from determiningthey were in the problems they were the ideal materials to use, through tosolving. Volta was a physicist. Noyce developing the product’s ergonomicand Kilby were electrical engineers. and aesthetic appeal.Not every idea needs to be that So, yes, it makes sense why mostrevolutionary to be worth protecting people don’t take their ideas further,and exploring. One of Spark’s clients despite being armed with solutions toworked in heating, air conditioning problems that irritate a lot of people.and ventilation. He was always going Then again, maybe the only thingout on calls to offices where the you need in order to go from thinkingceiling air vent was blowing cold air about it to holding it in your hand isright above somebody’s desk. asking for a signed non-disclosure agreement and having a conversationWorking with Spark, he developed a with the right people.deflector (shown at middle right) thatShower caps lined with terry cloth to protect yourhairstyle, speaker supports that allow speakers tovibrate while keeping them steady and secure, air flowcontrol guards, ball cap liners, drywall cutters withmeasuring tapes, clever kitchen gadgets. The team atSpark Innovations worked closely with each of thoseidea owners to bring their ideas into reality. KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii page 37

Exploring thepossibilities ofSchomberg’sKingsgatePlace Rosanna Bitonte and Jennifer Bonadiman are eagerly awaiting Drive and Highway 27, in Schomberg, is an ideal example of the completion of Schomberg’s Kingsgate Place. The two are the type of sustainable land use that the company promotes. launching Let Them Be Little Childcare Centre, specializing in The new plaza was designed to enhance and leverage what already exists in the area by offering increased employment,providing affordable, quality daycare for children of all abilities. services and product accessibility to a growing community and surrounding areas.Rosanna Bitonte and Jennifer Bonadiman, both 30 years-old, each have over ten years of experience Its location is within easy walking distance of anywhere in working with kids. Opening a business was always Schomberg, with ample parking and immediate access toa common goal. When the opportunity to take advantage both Highway 9 and Highway 27. At the same time, its layoutof a unit in Schomberg’s Kingsgate Place, Landmark’s infill and aesthetics all point to maintaining the integrity of itscommercial development, was presented to them, the pair location: safe, calm, family-friendly and inviting.realized the timing and location would be perfect for theirnew daycare business. While a developer can only set the stage, it is up to the individual businesses that move itLandmark DevCo. specializes in optimizing infill to deliver on the promise. So far, we’re off to aopportunities. The new Kingsgate Place, located at Doctor Kay great start. Rosanna and Jennifer’s combined background, insight, and good nature are sure to be welcome complements to Schomberg’s community of young families. In choosing a name, for their business, Rosanna and Jennifer settled on ‘Let Them Be Little Childcare Centre,’ inspired by the title and lyrics of Billy Dean’s country song. “We wanted something that would serve as a daily reminder of the need to allow children to play, explore and learn in their own way,” explains Rosanna. The two believe that’s all part of ensuring a loving and inclusive environment for all the kids in their care, regardless of ability. Rosanna and Jennifer went to teacher’s college together and maintained their friendship over the years. In addition to her teaching certificate, Jennifer graduated with a sociology degreepage 38 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

from York University and has extensive experience workingwith toddlers as an early childhood assistant (ECA).Rosanna holds an honours degree in early childhood studiesfrom Guelph-Humber. Along with her teaching certificate.She has a long history of caring for people, both when shemanaged a large, high-end hair salon and spa, and when sheturned her attention to early childhood education (ECE) andrespite work. Currently, she is working at ErinoakKids Centrefor Treatment and Development, supporting inclusion in thechildcare community.Rosanna is forever enriching her educational background.She participates in numerous workshops, seminars/webinars, conferences and classes to further enhancing herqualifications and skills. She also has extensive backgroundand training working with children with special needssuch as Autism, ADD/ADHD, Down Syndrome, Speech andLanguage, Behavioral and Defiance Deprivations.Let Them Be Little Childcare Centre’s aim is to ensure thesafety and emotional well-being of all children by teachingacceptance and non-judgmental practices that help shapeempathy. “We will be a welcoming and safe learningenvironment fostering uniqueness by celebrating diversity,developing independence, and stimulating children’s self-esteem,” concludes Rosanna.Aside from them, there will be a pharmacy, nail salon, walk-in clinic, karate school, and a dental office. The rest couldbe up to you. Kingsgate Place still has a few units available,including potential double unit opportunities. There is stilltime for buyers to get in. If you ask Rosanna and Jennifer,“we’d love to see other child welcoming establishments tohelp us in our journey.”Certainly, there are many businesses that would thrive atKingsgate Place. For example, Schomberg does not have storesthat sell pet supplies, books, shoes, or children’s clothing.There are very few options for women’s clothing, and nonefor men. There are no art galleries or fishing supply stores.The list of possibilities is long. From a zoning perspective, theplaza is open to most uses.The location of Kingsgate Place couldn’t be better. It is easilyaccessible to foot traffic from Schomberg, as well as to feedertraffic from Highways 9 and 27. The plaza will have ampleparking and a design that is reflective of its community whileoffering modern, clean and inviting architectural features.Units start at $450,065, for 1,169 ft², with more sizes andprice points available to chose from. As can be expected,interest in the project has increased dramatically, now thatconstruction has begun. According to Landmark DevCo., theplaza should be ready by spring 2018.If you are opening or relocating your business, it’s worthyour time to check out what Kingsgate Place has to offer.With only a few spots left, and now under construction, thisopportunity won’t last.

KATHERINE McMANUS

Katherine McManus doesn’t have a studio. She livesin a lovely King countryside bungalow and makes do witha small, well-used table beside her shed. A garden umbrellastands at the ready for those overly hot days. “That’s my littletable. That’s where I carve,” points Katherine.At every corner of her yard stand handcrafted birdhouses,perched on fence posts or dedicated poles.Katherine started carving soapstone animals ten years agowhen her friend Patrick Tucker handed her a little chunkof it and said: “Here. You’re artistic. Do something with it.”So she took it home and carved a little polar bear, “and Iwas just enthralled with this stone. When I started sandingit, and the beauty of this stone started showing up, I justthought: ‘I love this!’ So then I went out and got 100 poundsof soapstone, and I started carving.” Katherine learnedeverything she knows about carving on the internet, and“mostly just learned by trial and error, just by doing things.”Soapstone is a very dense stone, really hard on the hands.A few years ago she had surgery on her right hand to fix thedamage and still hasn’t recovered full use of it but, that didlittle to slow her down. She simply adjusted and kept going.“I love carving bears. Their shape lends itself well to stonecarving but, I do lots of other shapes. I started out doingInuit figures but, it evolved into more of what interests me,which is wildlife animals: bears.” She doesn’t know whybears. “They’re not necessarily my favourite animal. I justlike carving bears.”Before retiring, Katherine was a teacher and her love ofsharing has never gone away. Occasionally, people approachher for carving lessons. She doesn’t accept payment, justtells them to come learn for the afternoon. She does sell hersculptures but, prefers to go through social media ratherthan her website. “I have a website that I don’t use becauseyou don’t get the feedback that you do with Facebook. That’show people find me.”“I keep a journal of all of the pieces that I’ve sold. The otherday I counted them all. I’ve sold about 200 pieces all overthe world. I recently sold a sleeping arctic fox to Germany.I carve these little reading bears. I recently sent one toAustria, and I sell an awful lot to the United States. I keep alist of all the different states that I’ve sold to.”Typically, pieces take Katherine 12 hours to complete. Shesells them for $200 to $400. It has never been about themoney. Katherine genuinely enjoys knowing that somebodyappreciates her sculptures. “Selling them is a big bonus andmainly because I can’t keep all these pieces. I post becauseI love to share my work. Not because I want compliments.”

Crupi’s loveof trickywindows &upholstery Peter Crupi used to love watching his mother sew. from Lebanon who ran a successful upholstery business back When he was 16 years-old, he went to the dollar store home. With no interest in starting from scratch, in a new in Bolton and bought everything he needed to make country, he happily lent his talents toward building Crupi’s a small carrying case. What he couldn’t find at the store he success. “That’s how we made the business here: from him,” improvised with at home. “That was probably the best part. remembers Teresa. “He knew how to start the job, cut, sew I made the handle frame and case out of coat hangers. They and finish the fabric… and the speed,” agrees Peter. all used to be made out of wood back then,” he recalls. Their new employee turned out to be reliable, patient, When he was growing up, Peter’s dad used to sell textiles out produced clean work, and generously mentored Peter as he of the back of a station wagon. Back then, it was a booming learned the craft. business. By 1986, times had changed. People preferred to buy things from a store. So, he and his sons found a great location Crupi Interiors carries the latest textile fashions and blinds in Nobleton, just east of Highway 27 on King Road. The trio but, they continue to rely on machines that have stood bought the entire building with the idea of operating a the test of time. “Once you know what a sewing machine department store, leasing out a few units to other businesses. does, figure out how it functions, it’s mechanical,” explains Peter. “I’ve been told that I’m patient. Once you work with a As time went on, Peter and his wife Teresa took full ownership. machine, you learn what it can do. If it takes two hours to sit At first, they sold shoes, gifts, textiles and drapery. Gradually and finish it, then you sit there for two hours.” the shoes and gifts disappeared and Crupi’s focused entirely on window coverings. The store became a Hunter Douglas Some of Crupi’s machines date back to the turn of the last dealer, and Peter discovered how much he enjoys executing century. “The other machines we have down there, we complex installations. Teresa, a trained dressmaker, took bought for $40. Pretty much everything you see in here we over most of the drapery sewing. built. Peter even made his foam cutter out of a skill saw,” adds Teresa. When he could, Peter would go next door to explore the upholstery shop. He was enthralled by the work. After that To this day, it’s the challenging projects that get Peter most company relocated, he decided to incorporate upholstery into excited. “I love to do the complicated stuff that nobody his business, to keep the service available in the community. tackles and nobody wants to do,” he says with a gleam in his eye. That’s good news for anybody losing sleep over that Without prior experience, Peter knew he needed help. As luck particular window in their home. One person’s insomnia is would have it, a gentleman recently arrived in the country another man’s utopia. It’s all about finding the right balance.page 42 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii



King Curling Club is truly a grass roots initiative, organized for the volunteers’ personal enjoyment. What the club lacks in poor sportsmanship it more than makes up for with generosity of spirit and love of the sport. Photos at bottom right and on opposite page supplied by King Curling Club.Throwing rocks through “It’s a good sport, open to anybodygrass roots by Freyda Tartak from any age,” says outgoing president Karl Davis. “We’ve got kids at seven orMy son (that’s not him in the photo) is join the others. A week after he started, six playing, and we’ve got eighty-fivenot into team sports. In fact, up to this another boy signed up, and they did the year-olds playing. Everybody is verypoint, I didn’t think he was into any same thing for him. generous with teaching each otherorganized physical activities. That was and volunteering their time.before volunteers from King Curling Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not justClub hit the local schools with their for boys. The curling ice is open to The coaches are all trained byLittle Rocks program. It’s not exactly everybody. the Ontario Curling Association.”curling but, kids get a general idea, and This year, the club introduced anmy little guy couldn’t get enough. The teenager who mentored my little instructional 8-week ‘learn to curl guy that first day was incredibly for adults’ component to encourageBefore we had children, we tossed patient and supportive on the ice. I was people to take a shot at throwingaround the idea of taking up curling. impressed right away. rocks. You’re never too young or tooThen, I got pregnant, and we forgot old. I’m thinking of signing up too.all about what, to us, seemed like this Then, after everybody relaxed in theexotic old-school Canadian thing to lounge, as per custom, he blew me away Kids get hot chocolate after eachdo. But, after months of hearing him by making a point of coming over to match, and parents take turnstalking non-stop about curling, at every congratulate my son on his first time bringing in snacks. The rest of theturn, I caved and signed him up for the out. Patting him on the back, he said, “I time, the lounge is a fully licensed bar.second half of the season. Let me tell started when I was your age. It took me All the volunteers have their Smartyou that it was the best decision ever! a lot longer to do what you did out there Serve license, though the club did do today. You’ve got a real knack for it.” away with the two-drink minimumHe started in January. Almost everybody tradition because they didn’t wantelse started back in September. Instead My son tried to play it cool but, you anybody having excuses to drive homeof tossing him onto a rink full of kids could tell how much that meant to him. drunk. There’s never any pressure towho were a lot more proficient, the club He felt them accept him as their own, socialize. People just want to.dedicated a person to work with my even though his mentor for the day wasboy, one-on-one, until he was ready to twice his age. As the weeks went by, more seasoned volunteers took over coaching the little guys as the teen who took the extra time to welcome my son went back to practising with his team. All of the coaches do an amazing job, full of insight, patience and encouragement. Partway through our coach left forpage 44 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

vacation, and another volunteer stepped in, offering fresh leagues and everything else,” remembers Karl. “None of usinsight. Nobody missed a beat. Absolutely everybody there had ever started a club before so, we had a steep learningis a volunteer. Nobody gets paid for the hours they spend to curve.” It took them a couple of years to get things to thebenefit the club. point they are at now. Out of the current 350 members, 100 are volunteers, dedicating their free time to doing everythingThe sense of camaraderie, regardless of how long they’ve from preparing the ice to planning bonspiels, manningknown each other, is incredible. I’ve never seen such a booths at community events, and going to schools the wayjudgment-free, encouraging and supportive group of they did to get my family interested.individuals, except for maybe the staff at the King PublicLibrary (but that’s a whole other story). It’s normal for King Curling Club to experience an annual ten to fifteen per cent attrition rate. As a result, recruiting is I’m still learning about the culture vital to its ongoing success. “We have to recruit thirty to forty of curling. But, as a parent of a people every year just to man the club. And we’ve been able kid who isn’t into hockey, I am to do that,” boasts Karl. “Finding people to sit on the Board grateful to people like Karl, and has never been a problem. Everybody knows they have to so many others, for spending the serve their time.” past ten years turning the club into the self-sustaining, well-oiled Despite the marginally selfish reasons for being so machine that it is today. welcoming to newbies, I challenge you to find one person at King Curling Club who’ll treat you like they are doing you a Initially there were two separate favour for coming out. From what I’ve seen, people who find clubs. Curling was going strong in a connection with the sport tend to have a genuine desire tothe area for over 50 years. Both Karl’s father and grandfather share their love of it in a way that is as Canadian as you cancurled. Wednesday was curling night in Schomberg, and get: polite, courteous and generous to a fault. They see it asThursday nights were spent in Nobleton. The new rink at the simply being part of the community.Trisan Centre encouraged their amalgamation.The beautiful, dedicated curling rink andpub-style lounge at the Trisan Centrewere the outcomes of a true grass rootsmovement. Everybody just got togetherand poured a lot of effort into preparinga case to present to the Township.Now, they had a new challenge: “It’s kindof interesting because we had forty-eightpeople in Nobleton and maybe eightyat Schomberg. Now we had all this iceto fill,” recalls Karl’s wife, Barb Davis.“So with a lot of volunteer help andrecruiting we ended up the first yearhaving 328 curlers, 100 of which probablynever curled before,” the two chuckled.“It was all hands on deck trying to geteverybody to learn how to curl and build KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii page 45

Jan Humphrey, middle, owns and operates King’s Briarwood Farms, providing everything from riding lessons to homes for King Pony Club and Upper Canada Cavalry School. Hers is an example of vibrant, dedicated owners committed to preserving the living history of King and country.barn keepersCustodians of King’s heritage byGaryVanBolderenThe cultural evolution of King can be seen in statistical King’s successful development was agriculture and this,records. The numbers are clear: King is growing in population. in turn, depended on individual farm families. EverythingThe pillars of growth for any community include industrial relied on the family farm, and it could survive only if it haddevelopment, the pressures of the urban on the rural, and a barn. The barn remains an authentic representative of thethe continuous expansion of infrastructure like roads, water real story of our past. It is an icon of King Township.mains, schools and hospitals. These critical structures were built using local skills andThese same pillars inevitably forced change in the past, too. resources. Each barn was unique, based on local needs andToday this evolution is happening so quickly, and on such a the character, skills and preferences of the builder. Barns ingrand scale, that it seems more like a revolution. As this wave one area are similar because the same builder was used toof change washes through our community, we lamentably orchestrate the construction. A few miles away, the buildingslose some of yesterday’s benchmarks. might showcase different local talent with identifiable personal features. Raising the barn was a significant150 years ago, when this country was forming its political community event and demonstrated the inherently commonstructures, the settlement of King was driven by villages and purpose of the farming industry.towns to the south, who were in need of the basics of life. KingTownship became the source for reliable food production, While it is important that we record our history usingwood for heat, and transportation routes for hauling the statistics, photos, music, stories and statues paying tributeessentials of a growing society to the urban centres. to past political and local personalities, there is also a great deal to be said for the authenticity with which our past isFor a maturing region, these resources depended on the rural marked by barns.areas being able to grow grains, raise livestock, and harvestforests in order to build houses, shops and factories. The area These often massive, functional and integral parts ofnorth of Toronto was rich with natural resources to support everyday life were built by farm families who invested all ofa vibrant agricultural industry. Good soil, dependable water their resources, hopes, dreams, sweat and entrepreneurialsupplies, a temperate climate and the energy and ingenuity spirit into them. There is no denying the significance of theof individual persons made King an important cog at the farm family as the cornerstone of King’s past.edge of what we now call the Greater Toronto Area. As we see the number of farms disappear with the force ofThe evolution of those changes was as dramatic as those we today’s fast changing times, there are fewer and fewer ofsee today. To be sure, the scale was smaller but, each change these impressive structures to remind us of the remarkablewas all the more critical as part of the whole. The key to successes achieved by the farming community.page 46 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

The loss of these structures is due to the ever-changingagricultural technologies. Modern machinery, livestockhousing systems, specialization of farming, and the naturaldecay of structures left to misuse or abandon are just someof the causes. The typical bank barn, for example, with itslivestock housed in the lower level and crop storage above,was a masterful design. But, it was based on the idea thatlivestock housed during the winter months would generateenough natural heat to keep the frost out of the foundations.Today, such structures are not used for housing livestock,and the lack of seasonal build-up of a manure pack in thewinter cannot protect the foundations from the effects offrost. As the years go by, stone walls begin to deteriorate, losetheir structural integrity and eventually fail altogether.With absentee owners who are simply inventorying land andfarmers who do not have a use for these buildings, barns areleft to slowly succumb to the harsh realities of age, weatherand neglect. These slowly crumbling monuments are likescars on the rural landscape of the Township. With each lostbarn structure, another monument of the past disappears.But, there is hope. Many people are interested in thepreservation of our history. Historical societies, localheritage committees, and even provincial guidelines givethe community some influence over retaining some of ourhistory in its many forms.When it comes to barns, there some unique owners, whohave decided to use their resources to renovate, rebuild andre-purpose these magnificent structures. They do this for noother reason than their interest in preserving these barns fortheir beauty and their historical footprint of the Township’spast, for the next generations to appreciate.The cost of properly rebuilding or doing major renovations onthese structures is considerable. The huge timbers, mortiseand tenon joints, wood dowels, swing beams, threshingfloors, fieldstone foundation walls, hand-hewn framingmembers (to name only a few items) are all key ingredients inthe process and the costs. The results of these reconstructedand refurbished barn projects are truly something to behold.When Canada celebrates its next 150 years of nationhood,these monuments will stand proud and real. They willhave been built by families of farmers and by new ownersbecause they too appreciate the significance of the historytold with every unique barn. These barn keepers, are uniqueindividuals, who should be celebrated. They are the keepersof our history, archivists of sorts, preserving something real,building these time capsules.What’s more, they are doing this on their own with no oneforcing them, and with neither subsidized nor appealing forpublic funding. We will all benefit from the work of the barnkeepers in King Township today and for generations to come.Thank you to our barn keepers.

Photos supplied by Becky Eveson (top)local heroesOn coping, believing and purposeWithin 3 hours of her birth, Abby Eveson was rushed to Sick Starbucks and inconspicuously dropping them off in theKids Hospital. While pregnant, Becky Eveson “had a feeling hallways of the pediatric intensive care unit at Sick Kids. Itthat they were going to tell me that something was wrong made them feel better knowing they were making somebodyand then they never did. I didn’t have that with Charlie. You’d else’s day a little brighter and were able to continue thinkingthink with the first one is when you… when it’s unknown.” of others despite going through their own difficult time.The Toronto Star found out and published a story.At 14 hours of age, Abby had her first open heart surgery.The diagnosis was tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia From, that point, their small gestures of random kindnessand major aortopulmonary collateral arteries, a rare type began evolving into a proper movement. Others startedcongenital heart defect. copying them.“It didn’t give me a lot of time to look for coping strategies “It turned into Abby inspiring our community, and others,and look for different ways to deal with this enormous stress, just to be nice to each other,” returns Becky, who is alwaysall of a sudden put into our lives.” Becky Eveson still has a with you and at the same time paying careful attention tohard time holding it together when thinking of those initial what Abby is up to. For her part, Abby has a way of stealinghours but works hard to recover her composure, “I’m usually your heart. She seems entirely oblivious to the fact that sheokay talking about this. I think it’s just because her birthday is more fragile than a porcelain doll. Her attention is alwaysis on Monday and she wasn’t even supposed to get to her first on those around her, engaging and daring you to come closerbirthday. I cry every time I think about her birthday.” and share in her pure love of life. She radiates sunshine and empathy for everybody in her path.“Leading to her third open heart surgery my husband and Idecided we needed something else to help us cope with this Since Abby, the Evesons welcomed another baby, and Abby ishuge step.” Craig came up with the idea of paying it forward every part the doting big sister. She listens carefully for signsas a coping strategy to help them through such a dark time of Jack waking from his nap and trades knowing glancesin their lives. That’s all it was, a small coping strategy. with big brother Charlie when Jack does something silly.Becky and Craig discovered that their efforts to pay it forward Becky and Craig’s coping mechanism turned into a discoverygave them exactly what they were looking for. “It’s healing, of what they refer to as Abby’s purpose, “to help create ait’s really healing,” confesses Becky. They started writing positive atmosphere, help inspire others to be nicer to eachlittle encouraging notes on five dollar bills or gift cards from other, and that whatever the future has in store for her wepage 48 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii

The Schomberg Minor Hockey Association found out that some iPads had gone missing in the Critical Care Unit at SickKids Hospital. They decided to raise money at the arena and In January 2015, presented the Evesons with a cheque to help with their random acts of kindness. The money was used to support the purchase of the replacement iPads Believing in Abby has given a family themselves, the Evesons decided to give back by proposing hope, brought a community closer a family-friendly community event to raise money for Sick together, and so far, helped raise Kids Hospital. About 500 people came out and keep coming almost $43,000 for Sick Kids Hospital. back to what has evolved into an annual traditon, to-date raising $42,952.20.know why she was given a special heart. It has really been toinspire people and make the world a better place.” When Becky and Craig were getting married and looking for a place to settle down they were attracted by how family-By her second October, Abby was spending Halloween friendly Schomberg seemed to be. “They have the fair andattached to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation they have the parades,” remembers Becky. She had no idea to(ECMO) machine to circulate blood through an artificial lung what extent she would come to rely on her new neighbours.back into her bloodstream, and undergoing an emergency After they decided to put on the now annual fundraiserprocedure. Feeling helpless Becky and Charlie decided to Becky put out a call for volunteers on the We Believe in Abbycarve a pumpkin for her with the words We Believe in Abby. community page. Aside from a couple of people, most of the members of her support team were complete strangers at theA few days later the prognosis returned with dim results. time. They just wanted to help.“We didn’t take the pumpkin down until she was off ECMO,which was November 11th, and then we made a sign to hang In 2017, Becky received a community volunteer award. “Iin the window that was made of lights that we could turn on didn’t feel like it was just mine. I feel like I represent theso people could still see it,” remembers Becky. committee. It’s my ideas for the big stuff, and then they help make them happen.” That award brought more recognitionThe family was told to prepare for the worst. Her chances of for their efforts, with more community members and localsurvival at that point were not good. Meaghan, businesses stepping forward and asking how they can help.a lady in the community, drew a heart on a To ensure full transparency, they have embarked on thepink background with arrows on both sides process of developing specific roles and responsibilities, aand repeated the words from the pumpkin: charter and so forth, and are currently deciding betweenWe Believe in Abby. She then proceeded to registering as a not-for-profit and a full fledge charity.change her Facebook profile picture to theimage, and a lot of other people followed the In the meantime, Abby is going strong, recently startedexample. “One day, sitting in the hospital by preschool and made new friends there. “I like playing in theAbby’s bedside we saw a sea of pink. So, that sand,” she says. The world needs people like Abby and we’resort of became our logo,” remembers Becky. looking forward to seeing her smile on her 5th birthday, right along with Becky, Craig, Charlie and Jack.People wanted to help, doing whatever theycould to make sure the Eveson family knew photo credit: Lisa Pace Photographythey weren’t in it alone. People startedshowing up with food so they wouldn’t haveto worry about cooking dinner.Both Craig and Becky’s dad, Brian Grubbe,work for King Township. When Craig tooktime off work to be with Abby, at SickKids, his co-workers wanted to show theirsupport. They held an internal fundraiserand presented the cheque at a councilmeeting. Unwilling to keep all the money for KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii page 49

Local author Kelly Mathews, recently publishedManager of the Seneca CollegeOutdoor Education Centre and Kelly Mathews’King Day Camp is an active The Road tocommunity volunteer, and is Marylakecommitted to preserving King’shistorical roots. Marylake wasn’t always a place reserved for respite and pilgrimageWhen Kelly was twelve, hers Local historian Kelly Mathews has a passion for single spot and I love the opportunity to make itmother bought her a copy of exploring the lives of notable figures and their come alive through story-telling.” Her first book,Susan Kay’s award winning novel, association to significant landmarks. Her books Eaton Hall: Pride of King Township, publishedLegacy. “I must have read it a share her fascination with how successive in 2015 by The History Press, sold almost 2,000hundred times. Without question changes in ownership of large estates link to copies and explored the life of Lady Eaton, herthis book is responsible for the evolution of Canadian society, particularly impact on the local economy, community, andinciting my lifelong love of British during WWI and WWII. “I find it absolutely the Canadian WWII effort.and Commonwealth history.” amazing that so much history can happen in a The Road to Marylake is Kelly’s second effort.Her love of land, people and This time, she focused her attention onhistory runs in Kelly’s family. Marylake Monastery & Shrine, located just west“I am related to author and of the subject of her first book. Nestled aroundenvironmentalist Farley the tranquil, 35-acre Mary Lake in King City,Mowat through my paternal Ontario. Marylake has been a place for spiritualgrandmother, as well as to Sir retreat under the leadership of the AugustinianOliver Mowat, one of the fathers Order for the past 75 years.of Canadian Confederation.” It wasn’t always a place reserved for respite and pilgrimage. At the turn of the 20th century, the landed gentry in Canada were still expected to hold a country seat.page 50 KING COUNTRY magazine . volume 1, issue ii