Port Stanley Villager March 2022

Port Stanley Villager March 2022

Port Stanley Villager March 2022 • Issue 37

Letter from the Editor

local women who are succeeding at business and life! We share the stories of Deb Kussmann of Pepper Spice Tree Co., Tracy and Judy Sheridan the daughter/mother team who own Joshua & Company, Barb Booth of The Storehouse, Karen Keeling of BrokerLink, and Sara McTaggert of Beechwood Beauty Co. This weeks weather also reminds us that Spring is around the corner, which will soon bring a little green back into our lives. Kim Ariesen of Studio Style gives us a heads up on what other colours will be big this year with her column on what is big this spring in fashion. Another spring tradition is that Canadian staple, maple syrup, and you can’t think maple syrup in our area without thinking of the Palmer family who we profile. After spring comes summer, and Simon from the Port Stanley Festival Theatre gets us excited about their tremendous show line up, best get your tickets now before they are gone! As you can see, it is an exciting issue we are offering for you this month. Next month in our April issue we are talking about Spring Home Renovations. So if your business could benefit from getting your info in front of thousands of local readers, make sure you email me at [email protected] for more information. As always, if you have a story you think more people should know about in the Port Stanley, Union or Sparta area, get in touch with me and let me know.

People from all over the world marvel at how beau- tiful and peaceful Port Stanley is. Nature of course has given us this amazing home with the views, the water etc. I was on the streets Thursday morning (Feb 17th) mar- velling how calm and peaceful it is compared to the summer months. Later that afternoon mother nature reminded us that

while she can be amazing, she can also be unpredictable. Many homes and businesses suffered severe damage due to flooding. And while parts of Canada are divided over the convoy and protests in Ottawa, our village has shown that no matter how our opinions differ, when it comes to our community we stand together! As of when I write this, there is a gofundme page for Stan’s Marina, a business that has been serving the community since 1961, who still hasn’t fully recovered from a flood last year. March 8th is International Women’s Day, to mark this momentous day The Port Stanley Villager is once again celebrating Women in Business. We celebrate by featuring six

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Page 2 Port Stanley Villager • March 2022

Success Never Tasted So Sweet! For four generations, the Palmer family have been providing Elgin County with their sweet and sticky maple syrup. The family farm/business is now owned by Brian and Laura Palmer and their sons, Cole and Christopher. It all started when Brian’s grandfather John Duncan Palmer started producing on his farm small batches of syrup that he would then sell at the St. Thomas Farmers Market, which he did throughout the 50s and 60s. “Brian’s father, Ken, continued the production of maple syrup as a teenager and throughout the rest of his life,” says Laura. “Ken and his wife, Ellen, began to produce more syrup over the years and in 1991 they decided to do syrup tours and sell pancakes out of their garage.” In 1998, Ken and Ellen moved out of the garage and built a large wooden building which became fondly known as the ‘Palmer’s Syrup Shanty’. From 1998 until 2020, the shanty has been a beacon of family fun every March weekend as the Palmer family offered for sale there syrup and other maple products and giving local and visiting families an excellent family experience with pancakes and waffle breakfasts, while also offering tours. Of course, when the pandemic happened in March, 2020, the sweet spot of the maple season, the Palmers had to pivot and put a hold on the shanty for everything other than sales of their products. With the shift in their ‘business as usual’, I asked what keeps them motivated. They stated, “We enjoy working together as husband and wife to provide for our family and teach our two sons about business, tourism, agriculture and the value and rewards of a good day’s work well done.”

This shanty season, Palmer’s will remain closed for pancakes and waffles but they are excited to still be opening the shanty on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 3pm for syrup-related sales. Brian and Laura also want to

SWEET FACT Did you know that REAL maple syrup can provide many natural vitamins? A ¼ cup of REAL Canadian Maple Syrup contains, of your daily nutritional needs: Manganese, 95%; Riboflavin, 37%; Zinc, 6%; Magnesium,7%; Calcium, 5%; Potassium, 5%. It’s all natural with no additives,and a delicious natural sweetener straight from Mother Nature herself!

remind you that Palmer’s Maple Syrup is available for purchase year-round from their farm with a quick phone call to 519-769- 0007 for curbside pickup. Can’t make it to the farm but are still craving that amazing real syrup taste? Palmer’s is available locally at: Briwood FarmMarket; Foodland Port Stanley; Country Grocery in Shedden; Stan’s Total Tire; Oegema’s Turkey Shoppe; Debackere’s Farm Market; Great Lakes Farms; Simply Pure Water; The Village Market in Sparta, and Whistlestop Peddlers in Sparta.

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Port Stanley Villager • March 2022 • Page 3

Colour is in Fashion this Spring by Kim Ariesen, Owner of Studio Style

Very Peri is the Pantone colour of the year and wow, what a fabulous colour it is! Spring’22 is like a garden of colour with periwinkle at its center. Simplicity with timeless styling is a chic lifestyle trend that is here to stay and continues for Spring’22. When I heard that Very Peri was the colour of year, I was excited and thought of two things… one, the Periwinkle flower, Vinca Minor and two, Monet’s gardens. The colour periwinkle ranges from subtle mauve, through lavender to deep indigo blues like the many flowers Monet painted. His water lilies exemplify this beautifully and his gardens were full of irises, delphiniums, asters and wisteria, showcasing the many shades of periwinkle. Very Peri blends the ‘faithfulness and constancy of blue with the energy and excitement of red’ according to Pantone. And much like the flower, Periwinkle, the colour symbolizes long lasting, hope and passion. Laurie Pressman, Vice President of Pantone Institute said that Very Peri is the ‘happiest and warmest of all the blues, expressing what people are looking for’. Spring’22 offers a welcoming position of forging forward with possibilities. Colour is the key element for all seasons, especially spring, and Spring’22 doesn’t disappoint! Pantone’s newest colour artfully pairs with pastels, saturated colours and neutrals. Pastels and

sorbet colours such as blush, mint, rose and lemon yellow and saturated colours of chartreuse, orchid pink, tangerine and sapphire all harmoniously mix together with Very Peri. The neutral tones of sand, white, denim and black stay in the background as a backdrop and let all the other colours shine, especially periwinkle, which adds a new twist to any neutral. Simplicity and style with silhouette, design and clean lines are the signature look for Spring’22. The 50s and the early 60s

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Page 4 Port Stanley Villager • March 2022

feminine patterns offer that nostalgic feel to each design, especially in tops, knits and dresses.

Spring’22 Key items: • floral blouses or tops • girlfriend jeans • printed dresses • ankle pants • classic knits • white shirts • jackets • fitted tee’s • ‘comfort styled’ items • accessories

Denim is still the number one item and is always in style! A great pair of jeans is crucial to anyone’s wardrobe, from light washed to dark denim; relaxed fit to skinny jeans, and everything else in between. Dress up your jeans with a tee, a blazer jacket and kitten shoes or simply wear your jeans with a tucked in knit and sneakers. There’s a great variety of denim available this season… choose your favourite! Don’t forget the accessories as Spring’22 is showcasing jewellery! Pearls, beads, layered necklaces, whether chunky or fine, hoop earrings, bracelets and stacked, sparkle elements are all on the radar this season. Belts and scarves add to the look. Spring ahead and enjoy Spring’22 for all its colour, especially the blues! Very Peri is fresh, modern and a universal colour! Indulge in the garden full of colour highlighted by periwinkle and express yourself creativity with timeless fashions.

fashions are one of the key inspirations of today’s designs. Think of the series, Mad men with style in mind… classic silhouettes, feminine styling, tailored looks and pops of colour. With tops becoming shorter and more of a ‘trouser’ bottom, showing waist details is reminiscent of this era. Slender ankle pants and jeans or ‘cigarette pants’ which are perfect with kitten heels, flats, loafers or half boots have remained a style trend for many years and continue for Spring’22. By keeping your wardrobe classic and effortlessly pretty, floral elements, polka dots, stripes and

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Page 5

Port Stanley Villager • March 2022 •

There When You Need Her Insurance is one of those things in life you might not think about much until you need it, and then you are thankful to have it. Clients of Karen Keeling are thankful to have her, because she is there with the insurance you need when you need her! Karen, who now calls Port Stanley home, is an insurance broker with BrokerLink Insurance. She focuses on commercial insurance accounts. “I’m an Air Force brat originally,” says Karen. “My dad semi-retired to London when I was a teenager. So basically, I grew up in London, went to school there and started in the insurance business there.” Working in insurance gave Karen the flexibility to move around with her husband as needed and as they neared retirement, they wanted to move back west. “We decided on Port Stanley, as we wanted to be only steps from the beach. I used to come here quite a bit when I was a teenager. It just worked, and we have been here now for a year and a half.” Karen started with an insurance company right out of school. “It’s kind of funny; nobody grows up and says, ‘Hey, I want to be an Insurance Broker when I grow up’. But after I finished business school, my first job was with an insurance company. I quickly learned the things I didn’t like about how brokers and agents were treating their customers and why people didn’t like insurance people. It’s a good product and people need it, so I felt I needed to make a difference in this whole world.” “I progressed through my career, starting as a receptionist like most people do, and just worked my way through the ranks and went into management and into the commercial insurance side. When I started, it was not a female-based industry – the only jobs for women were secretarial or administrative. I just gradually progressed. I’ve done life insurance; I’ve done disability; I’ve done Home & Auto and I just found that commercial insurance is what I really enjoyed, and I felt could make a difference working with commercial clients. I’ve been in insurance for over thirty years now and specializing in commercial for over twenty. There isn’t too much I haven’t seen.” As an Insurance Broker with BrokerLink, Karen feels she has a great advantage due to their breadth of business and their 50 plus years in the business. “They have over 160 offices nationally, so it’s a very widespread organization, with the resources in there. We have the markets that the smaller brokerages don’t and that gives us the clout when it comes to negotiating for clients.” Between Karen’s experience and what being a member of BrokerLink offers, she has been able to work with new clients

to find them the correct insurance and the best rates. Karen recalled one client for whom she was able to save $13,500 a year. “They were charging him $15,000 a year for environmental coverage he didn’t need: I found he needed professional liability coverage which was only $1,500 a year.” To Karen, part of the joy is building relationships with her clients and helping them grow over the years. “I’ve gotten to a point where my client base is like an extended family.” When she isn’t working with clients, Karen loves taking in all Port Stanley has to offer. She is regularly taking photos of our beautiful sunrises, is a member at Kettle Creek Golf & Country Club, and has taken up paddle boarding, piano and pickle ball. If you’re in need of commercial insurance, or perhaps your current coverage could use a review, give Karen a call at 519-841-0472.

Port Stanley Villager March 2022 Cover Louise Macphee of the Kiwanis Club Port Stanley, and her granddaughter, selling roses on Valentine’s Day Weekend outside of our Port Stanley Home Hardware to raise funds for

local programs. Photo by Geoff Rae

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Page 6 Port Stanley Villager • March 2022

Joshua&Company is aUnique Boutique One of the true gifts of living in or visiting Port Stanley is the ability to shop and visit its many amazing stores. From clothing, home décor to giftware, there are lots of options that cover one or two of these categories, but one store that has them all is Joshua & Company. Owned and operated by mother/daughter team Judy and Tracy Sheridan, Joshua & Company is a unique boutique store that in 2021, celebrated its 20th anniversary. Joshua and Company is a destination for unique quality home décor and giftware, including wall décor, rugs, bedding and linens, bath & body, baby boutique and fashion items including an extensive line of Port Stanley clothing. “Judy began her retail venture,” Tracy reveals, “As a merchant in the Harbour House Market, which was a vendors’ market in our location prior to Joshua and Company. Originally, Judy considered naming the business Rye and Ginger, after her preferred cocktail; instead she settled on Joshua & Company after her first grandchild. Of course, she adored him and liked the ring to it,” says Tracy. While Judy is now semi-retired, with Tracy running the day-to-day operations of the store, Tracy says they love working together as a close mother and daughter team. “Which is helpful in our buying and sharing our goals and vision,” she explains. Together Tracy and Judy have used their flair for interior decorating and their love for sourcing new products to help beautify their customers’ homes. “The amazing support we’ve received from our customers during challenging times has kept us positive and motivated,” says Tracy. As a thank you to their loyal customers, Joshua & Company offers what they call their 6 Box Program . “It’s a card we keep at the store,” says Tracy. “Customers have 18 months to fill the six boxes with regular priced purchases, one box/ day. Then, on their seventh purchase, they get a 10% discount based on what they spent in those previous six. So, if they spent $500 in total for the six boxes they would get $50 off their seventh purchase. That way, they are rewarded for frequency as well as amount spent. For those regular customers who complete two of the 6 Box Cards within 18 months, they can become a Joshua’s Club member, which has even more perks.” Like many businesses, Judy and Tracy had to pivot with the pandemic and launched an online platform to help those who couldn’t shop in person. “Since we launched our online store last January, many people are not aware they can shop with us that way,” says Tracy. “We’ve had people call to order things they’ve seen in the window and be disappointed that it has already sold.”

Judy and Tracy Sheridan

To avoid disappointment, you can order online and choose in store pick-up! They also offer Canada-wide shipping! So, while you are out for your next walk, in search of your next gift, or looking for a little treat for yourself, make sure you stop in to Joshua & Company.

Joshua & Company is located at 194 Main St., Unit 8, Port Stanley.

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Port Stanley Villager • March 2022 • Page 7

It is About Your Health, Naturally We all want to live healthier lives, but often in our fast-paced lifestyle, if we get sick, we look for the quick fix rather than getting to the root of the problem. The Storehouse in Port Stanley is a health food and natural supplements store that offers individualized care to help their clients find the right natural product to help. Owner, Barb Booth’s own health issues in the past led her along the path to healthier eating and natural supplements. “I had a lot of lung issues growing up – lung allergies, asthma, that kind of thing,” says Barb. “Right from the beginning, my health really took a turn because I was allergic to dairy and back in the day there was no ability to nurse or get away from dairy products.” After taking allergy test after allergy test, Barb kept getting told she was allergic to both land and air (grass, dust etc.). When in her early 20’s, she was introduced to the owner of a London health food store and she started a new job that changed her life. “I started to work for her part time. She put me on what was called a macrobiotic diet, a Japanese based diet. No dairy, no wheat, no colours, no sugar. It was not the North American style of eating. But within a year, my health completely turned around. I then started to get more passionate about natural health and getting into a more natural way of living. When I had my son, I began to explore herbal remedies; when I had my daughter seven years later, I was into homeopathic medicines. It’s been a natural progression for me, learning, experiencing and walking into this lifestyle.” Barb then worked for another health food store in St. Thomas. When her husband showed her the space that is now The Storehouse, they decided it was time for her to launch her own business. The Storehouse offers natural and herbal supplements, vitamins and minerals, health food, gluten free DO YOU NEED A

bread, natural oils, soaps, sunscreens, and natural beauty products such as hair products and make-up. When Barb opened The Storehouse, she also re-launched her own product, Barb’s Brickle, which is an all-natural gourmet snack that comes in cherry, blueberry or cranberry and is made up of a variety of seeds and dried fruits. While The Storehouse may be the only health food store in Port Stanley, what keeps Barb’s customers from all over the area coming back is her expertise and quality of service. “I think when you’re small, it really affords you to have that personal service,” says Barb. “For me, there’s always the question of why is this [condition] presenting? Why is this happening? What’s going on underneath the picture, because in natural medicine, you want to get to the root of the issue? It’s like gardening – you want to pull out a weed, so you want to get it at the root; you want it to come up and out. Dr. Bach teaches that a lot of dis-ease starts in the emotions. When people don’t properly process emotions, emotions go negative. Then they can get into the body and start to present like more physical symptoms.” The secret to Barb is simple. “I enjoy connecting with the customer. I get the opportunity to know them. The more you know somebody, the more you can help them.” The Storehouse Is located at 211 Main St., Unit 2 in Port Stanley.

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Page 8 Port Stanley Villager • March 2022 519-631-5810 [email protected] 519-631-5810 [email protected] 519-631-5810 [email protected]

Healthier Skin, Happier You People often suffer from dry skin, especially in winter, which should remind us how important it is to treat our skin right. Sara McTaggart of Beechwood Beauty Co. points out that our skin is not only our largest organ, but that proper skin care is also a sound investment that can pay excellent dividends in the long run! “Proper at-home skincare routines paired with professional treatments are certainly an investment. I always compare home skincare routines to brushing your teeth, and professional treatments to visiting the dentist - you’ll see the best results by doing both. If you don’t invest in either, you’ll spend way more money in the future trying to reverse hyperpigmentation, aging, etc. Not to mention treatments are relaxing and you’ll leave with glowing, radiant skin!” Sara is a Port Stanley native who comes from a long line of entrepreneurs. InOctober of 2021, even in themiddle of a pandemic, she decided it was time to live her dream and opened Beechwood Beauty Co. inside Harbour House. “Ever since I was young,” says Sara, “I’ve always taken interest in all things beauty – makeup, skin/ body products, hair – you name it. I would always bug my older sister’s friends to do my hair and nails and would spend countless hours trying new hairstyles and makeup products. However, I’ve always had a more ‘natural’ style, which led me to my interest in skin care as well. I’ve been working in the field since 2017, always with a focus on facial services. Since then, I have worked on thousands of faces and really feel like I have foundmy niche in the beauty industry.” Beechwood Beauty Co. is a face studio that offers facials, skin care, facial waxing, lash extensions andmore. Along with Sara’s years of experience, she also offers her customers top of the line products. “I offer a couple different brands of professional and retail products. Phytomer is a marine-based skincare line from France, which I found fitting, being located on the harbour. It features marine-active ingredients loaded with antioxidants and ingredients that build or maintain the skin barrier. It’s organic, eco-friendly and cruelty-free. Phytomer has partnered with Time for the Ocean, an organization that supports and uses art projects to protect oceans and coastlines. Glymed is the second skincare line I’ve been gradually bringing in. It’s a professional, result-oriented line that focuses on education and resources for their partners. It features patented technology using botanical and natural ingredients in a simplified 4-step system. It’s also cruelty-free and supports the Humane Society, awareness of animal abuse, animal rescue and the general welfare of animals, which is something that I strongly value. It was important for me to partner with lines that offer high-quality formulations, are cruelty free, environmentally conscious, and work with natural ingredients.”

Sara has spent a good portion of her life dedicated to the helping others. “Before practicing esthetics, I went to school for Social Services and worked with people experiencing grief, mental health and/or addictions; I’ve always loved working with people and trying to help them feel their best. Ultimately, I wanted to work with people in a setting where I was able to build close, long-lasting relationships with my clients but also had the ability to make more decisions about what my days would look like. I take pride in offering a judgment-free, comfortable space for everyone. I’m truly the happiest when my clients are happy.” If you would like to invest in yourself and your skin, check out www. beechwoodbeautyco.com to set up an appointment with Sara.

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Port Stanley Villager • March 2022 • Page 9

An Essential Blend of Amazing Products and Experience

If you are on a culinary search for something truly special in Port Stanley, then you are barking up the right tree with the Pepper Tree Spice Co., established in 2010 by owner, Deb Kussmann who had a simple goal in mind. “In all South-western Ontario, there was no such thing as accessible, high-quality spices,” says Deb. Deb blended her degree in graphic arts, her rural background and her 25 years in manufacturing management into a business that allowed her to be creative. It all started at the Western Fair Farmers & Artisans Market. “It was really just a pilot site to test the product and the packaging,” says Deb. “Organic spices had never been introduced in Canada at that point in time. We were really ground-breaking in that area. We chose the Western Fair Market site because it was known for being a small business incubator, but also really, for being the hub of organic foods in London.” Pepper Tree Spice Co. is a leader in organic spices in the area, and Deb knows that freshness and flavour are key. “The benefit of an organic spice versus standard national brands is the purity, and that comes through loud and clear just in the flavor. It is usually different. One of the things I did when I started the company was a supply chain study on how long it takes for spices to work through the system. We discovered that by the time large corporations were purchasing, developing packaging, and distributing them, the spices on the store shelves could be up to two years old. Most spices have a shelf life anywhere from a year for an herb to two years (up to 10) for spices, depending on what it is. Most of our spices come in about three months from harvest, so we’re already about a

year, year and a half ahead of the mainstream spice lifespan.” It is important to Deb that the spices and blends they offer are as pure as possible, so almost all of their spices and blends are made without salt or sugar. And to make them as accessible as possible they are all gluten free, dairy free and vegan. The Pepper Tree Spice Co. has come a long way from their stall in the market and their original offering of 30-50 spices and blends. In 2012, Deb opened their current location where they now offer 300 different spices and over 100 different blends, all manufactured on site. “Being in Port Stanley allowed us to expand what we were doing. We carry a huge array of beautiful gourmet foods, literally from all over the world. We have local preserves; we have been carrying artisan cheeses for probably about seven years now (Including Gunn’s Hill, Bothwell, sheep and goats milk cheeses). On Saturdays, you can come in and we have fresh, handmade sourdough breads from the Downie Street Bakehouse in Stratford. In the height of the pandemic, we took a risk and introduced a Japanese line of chef’s knives called Shun. We’re excited to be the only authorized dealer between Toronto and Windsor.” Pepper Tree Spice Co. also offers two cooking classes a week with local chef, Jason Miller. “It’s just a great way to keep people engaged in the business and keep people interested in exploring food.” With their website, Deb is now shipping products all over Canada and is very proud that all of their spices and blends are created right here in Port Stanley. Next time you need to spice up your palate, walk down to the Pepper Tree Spice Co. and see all the amazing products they have available. The Pepper Tree Spice Co. is located at 223 Colborne St, Port Stanley.

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Page 10 Port Stanley Villager • March 2022

ImPort Stanley by Lisa Brandt You’ve seen us around town. We’re the Port Stanley imports, part of the influx of new residents. You can always spot us by the giant grins on our faces. We’re so happy we live here now. My husband and I had lived in London for a dozen years before we decided to move. We spent a few years in two homes that weren’t quite right. The first was too far from family and friends. The second was too rural for me. So, like a Goldilocks and her patient husband, we finally found the home that was just right, in Port Stanley. And we’re grateful to be here. We’d visited Port often over the years, enjoying lakeside sunrises, the shopping and restaurants and other village charms. But living here is a whole different kettle of fish. Perch and pickerel, to be specific. I’ve been writing a blog for a couple of decades and recently turned my weekly Friday post into a love letter to Port Stanley. Titled ImPort Stanley , it’s a view of this town from the fresh perspective of a new resident. But it’s more than that to me. I’m a former journalist, so I take this venture seriously. I’ve visited the library to do historical fact-checking. We’re planning to try every eatery and elbowing our way out of our comfort zones (as regulations permit) to make sure we’re-experiencing everything this town has to offer. It seems to me that Port Stanley is at a crossroads. The legendary fishing village needs more tourism to thrive but it’s struggling against growing too much, too quickly. We also have our eyes on The Berm and hope it doesn’t completely fall into private hands. We imports care just as much about what happens here because it’s our home now, too. ISSUE: 06 IN HOMES WEEK OF: 5-Jul ARTWORK DEADLINE: 18-Jun PROOF #: TROSUN-0621-JUL-L N-BC-03 FILE NAME: TROSUN-0621-JUL-LON-BC-03 AD SIZE: Back Cover (7.375”w x 10.75”h) PROOF DATE: June 10, 2021 PROOF #: TROSUN-0621-JUL-L N-BC-03

MONEY SAVER MAGAZINE - ONTARIO 2021 Publication Schedule ISSUE MONTH IN-HOMES WEEK ART DUE DATE ISSUE MONTH

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MONEY SAVER MAGAZINE - ONTARIO 2021 Publication Schedule ISSUE MONTH IN-HOMES WEEK ART DUE DATE ISSUE MONTH MONEY SAVER MAGAZINE - ONTARIO 2021 Publication Schedule ISSUE MONTH IN-HOMES WEEK ART DUE DATE ISSUE MONTH ISSUE: 06 IN HOMES WEEK OF: 5-Jul ARTWORK DEADLINE: 18-Jun

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I mPort Stanley is also about history. Take the historic King George VI Lift Bridge, for instance. We moved here just as bridge rehabilitation was ending. My husband remembers going to The Stork Club before it burned. The blog is also about reasons to visit. And, I hope, it will also be about the interesting people who call this beautiful village home. I’m learning so much as I go. And it’s deepening my respect for those who chose to make Port Stanley their home long ago. My blog has gained a following over the years. And I hear from readers all over Canada and in the US. Some are now saying they plan to make a Port Stanley visit at their next opportunity. In the meantime, I’ll continue to do my best to show them what this town is all about. I’m far from an expert, and that’s the point of ImPort Stanley. A new post is published every Friday at https://www.voiceoflisabrandt.com/blog/. IN-HOMES WEEK ART DUE DATE MONEY SAVER MAGAZINE - ONTARIO 2021 Publication Schedule ISSUE MONTH IN-HOMES WEEK ART DUE DATE ISSUE MONTH IN-HOMES WEEK ART DUE DATE

E: 06 OMES WEEK OF: 5-Jul WORK DEADLINE: 18-Jun

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MAY-LON-FC-01 w x 5.375”h)

R

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Another Season’s Promise …

by Simon Joynes, Port Stanley Festival Theatre Artistic Director Growing up in rural Halton County, I remember a neighbouring farmer. He was called Mr. Austin (no idea what his first name was – I don’t think anyone knew … maybe his wife, but I wouldn’t count on it

Discover The World’s Best Walk-In Tub Fully Installed Fully Installed ll I ll Fully Installed The season ahead of us is an exciting one! We welcome Rick Kish and his Crooner show back to our stage, and we anticipate with excitement Gabi Epstein’s tribute to the iconic music of Barbra Streisand; there is brand new work from Norm Foster, Murray Furrow, and Jamie Williams as we continue our commitment to new Canadian stories, and our season closes off with Bonnie Green’s delightful new comedy, Meet my Sister. All in all, we are thrilled to be back. To be sure, there will be some protocols still in place as we move forward, and we’ll be sure to let everyone know what they entail as we get closer to opening night, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still occasionally scanning the horizon for those possible storm clouds … but I think it’s fair to say, as the snow disappears, as the days lengthen, and as new shoots search for sunlight, that, along with all of you, we happily welcome another season’s promise. Fully Installed finalizing set designs; we are in the middle of recruiting and hiring the production team, and marketing plans are ready to launch in earnest as we move through March and into spring proper. Casting for the season is complete as we get ready to welcome a talented group of artists to Port … some are audience favourites who have graced our stage in the past, and some are new faces looking forward to experiencing what a Port Stanley summer season has to offer.

Port Stanley Villager Here at the theatre, like Mr. Austin, we are allowing a tentative smile to cross our collective faces. We launched our season just before Christmas and while sales have not been overwhelming as yet, there is lots of interest, which is a relief! As things have started to look a little more positive and restrictions are gradually lifting, the phones have started ringing with a greater degree of regularity, and our planning process for a full summer season is well underway. Directors and designers for all four in-house productions are in the process of Geoffrey Rae Managing Editor /Sales [email protected] 519-495-7177 Copy Editor – Peter Bloch-Hansen Publisher – Barb Botten [email protected] Graphic Artist – Cathy Wood Please email [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you. … her name, I recall was Mrs. Austin). He was weathered, wrinkly, squinted a lot, spoke seldom, and was unspeakably old … he was probably 45 or so, but what did I know; I was a kid? As is sometimes the case with farmers, living as they do with the vagaries of nature and commodity market prices, Mr. Austin did not have a particularly sunny outlook on life. When he could be coaxed into some brief utterance, it was often to present the opinion that life was a series of calamities that could only be survived if they were somehow grimly anticipated, and that enjoying oneself, even for a moment, invited disaster. In fact, the only time when Mr. Austin stopped surveying the horizon for gathering storm clouds, the only time when a glint appeared in his eye, and an unfamiliar smile tugged unwillingly at his pursed lips … was springtime. Even Mr. Austin could not resist Spring, and the possibilities of another season’s promise.

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Page 12 Port Stanley Villager • March 2022

Port by Marna Berry CEO, Travel Green

Being part of the recent “Still Standing” episode with Jonnie Harris was such a great experience. “Port”, as we locals affectionately call it, Jonnie noted is, in fact a lot like, “Port, high in alcohol but kinda fancy”.

He described the village as a place where, “Kettle Creek runs between the two sides of the town; on one side there’s warm beaches, cold beer, Caesars, Margaritas and on the other side, fine dining, boutique shops, and the theatre. This was the crux of Jonnie’s analogy – “Business in the front, party in the back… You are a Mullet”. He said he found, “The people are great; it's just the bridge that’s a bit stuck up”. Jonnie also noted that, “This Lake Erie town was built upon a fishery and people are very proud of that there”. He likened Port to be, “Sort of like a mix of East Coast fishing town mixed with a sort of Caribbean party vibe – Newfoundland mixed with Jamaica”. Jonnie noted that, “Fishing has declined in recent decades and Port has really leaned into tourism”. As a fisherman’s daughter, it was fun to share some of my roots growing up in a commercial fishing family at a time when it is estimated that 70% of the economy was related to the industry. Chatting with Bernice & Brent Noels, Jonnie went from the, “Coffee side to the Beer Side or ‘Pierside’,” with a great highlight of how locals have remained resilient in spite of all obstacles. Port Stanley icon, Mackie's (since 1911), was also featuredwhen he connected with Greg Lale to find out their ‘secret sauce’ to having generations of locals ‘hooked’ on their beachfront restaurant. Next, he met with our local Spanish teacher, Beatriz Peraza, who has lived in Cuba and Costa Rica. Beatriz explained that she “Loves the lake” because it, “Reminds her of home…you have the sun, the waves”. She also loves that “A lot of the students like to honour the people there (travel destination) and speak their language”. Doris & Gabriel Chordekar, who have lived in India and Israel, explained that they chose Port Stanley as their home after

visiting the beach. “Lake Erie is magical; everything changes at the beach”. They told their lovely story that would “Shwarm your heart,” as Jonnie said. Next he visited local real estate agent, Carol Thompson for some fun with the “Gang of gals she goes paddle boarding with”, now grown into a Facebook page with lots of events and camaraderie. Jonnie went paddle boarding with the crew and, as he said, “The wind was a factor”, which played into this comedy quite well. All in all, it was a great capture of the village which has, as Jonnie says, “Gone through some boom times and experienced loss. The future is unknowable as the recipe for Mackies sauce”. The end result truly made me proud to be part of this village built on hard work and community spirit and blossoming into a popular vacation destination as well as a new home for people and businesses.

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Page 14 Port Stanley Villager • March 2022