Scott Forbes and Dawn Forbes have been involved in providing a wide range of products to help people and organizations with mobility needs for years. They worked for five years, with partners, as Goldline Mobility and Conversions, but have now opened their own independent business, Berg Elevating, in a brand new location at the Harrowsmith Plaza (next to the new L&A Mutual Insurance Office) off Road 38.

Their office includes a reception and showroom area and a large shop where they are able to do van conversions and still have storage space available.

“Scott has been doing this kind of work for 30 years,” said Dawn at the opening celebration and ribbon cutting last week, which took place on December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Berg Elevating Repairs and General Services does a lot more than van conversions. They sell, install and maintain lifts, ramps and elevators for home and commercial use, and provide wheelchairs, handrails and dozens of other products for clients throughout Eastern Ontario.

Because of their history and experience, Berg Elevating is a very busy start-up company. They already employ three technicians and travel across the region to satisfy an ever-expanding demand for their services.

They were joined at their opening by Michelle Parmenter Smith and her team at All-In, a one-year-old company that works to help those with mobility impairment access supports, equipment and services, and also provides case management and peer support.

“I've worked with Dawn and Scott for years,” said Michelle Parmenter Smith. “They are good at what they do, very good, and they are committed to this community. This is more than a business for them.”

The Simkins family, who were originally from Harrowsmith, are celebrating 150 plus years in the sewing machine business. The business's current owner, Eric Simkins, had a display of his machines, both modern and antique, at the Trinity Quilters’ Heritage show last month in Verona.

Eric is the third generation of Simkins in the family business of selling and repairing sewing machines and his display at the show included a history of the family business, which began with his grandfather, Miles Wesley (M. W.) Simkins, who was born in Harrowsmith and is buried in Sydenham.

One of M.W.’s sons was Ivon Simkins, Eric’s uncle, who was born in 1920 and passed away in 2004, and he was the one who wrote the family history that was on display.

The account says that at the age of 19, M.W. left the family farm located near Harrowsmith and headed for Kingston looking for “fame and fortune”. An ad in the British Whig newspaper from a Toronto firm needing a salesman in the Kingston area caught M.W.'s eye, so he paid the $1.50 fare and sailed in the hold of a Lake Ontario freight ship to Toronto to apply for the position.

He landed the job and was given a hand-operated sewing machine, likely an Abbott (see photo), as a demonstration model. It was his “convincing sales pitch of every household’s need for such a marvel in the home” that quickly made M.W. a very busy and prosperous man. He soon began buying and selling machines and became known as “The Great Sewing Machine Man”.

In 1866 he opened a store in Kingston on Montreal Street in Kingston, where he sold and repaired machines and as the city expanded to the west, he moved the store to 366 Princess Street. That same year he served in the militia and hired a trusted friend to run the business until he returned in 1867. Around that time he purchased a building lot in the village of Newburgh, and as his new business flourished he began building a home there complete with a showroom and repair shop.

The new 12-room home was completed in 1875 and M.W. married in 1870 but his first wife died in1889. As his business flourished M.W. quickly became a well-respected, trusted and prominent businessman in Newburgh and when a fire destroyed 30 buildings there in 1887, Simkins was one of the key rebuilders of the town.

His second marriage in 1898 produced four children, one daughter and three sons. The two eldest were Hubert and Vernon; the latter was Eric's father. The two brothers were both employed in the business for many years and both continued on when a stroke took their father in 1936, at the age of 93. Vernon continued to sell and repair machines in the village shop and in 1937 the brothers formed a partnership and purchased a grocery store in the village where they also sold and serviced sewing machines.

Twenty years later in 1957, the three sons split up and went their separate ways. The eldest son Hubert stayed on in the store in Newburgh while Vernon opened the first egg grading station in Kingston but also continued to repair sewing machines at his home.

Eric Simkins is continuing the family business in Kingston and has brought it into the 21st Century, selling the latest in Janome and Elna machines, which offer the latest features and range in price from $250 to $3,000.

Eric recalled working with his father as a young boy. “One of my first jobs when I was just nine or ten years old was working on the old treadle sewing machines. My job at that time (circa 1962) was to disassemble the bases of the old treadle machines, paint the iron stands and sand and varnish the wooden parts, then reassemble, clean and oil them and replace the old belts with new ones. I'd then put them outside and sell them for $15.”

Included in Eric's display at Trinity United Church last month was one of the earliest kinds of sewing machines, an Abbott sewing machine dating from around 1867. It is a compact, tabletop, hand cranked machine capable of only of a chain stitch and it took more than one pair of hands to operate. “The sewer would hold the fabric in place and usually the kids in the family would turn the wheel.”

Eric's grandfather M.W. began selling this kind of Abbott machine in 1863. Roughly 100 years later in 1957, Eric's father Vernon started selling the new electric Bernina sewing machines, which boasted a free-arm to get into sleeves and had zig-zag stitches.

Twenty-two years after that, in 1979, Janomes, the first computerized sewing machines, which are capable of roughly 500 kinds of stitches, were sold by Vernon's son Eric. Regarding the changes in machines in his family's era, Eric made a car analogy that seemed fitting. “The Abbott machine is like a model T Ford; the Bernina, a Mercedes Benz; and the Janome a self-driving Rolls Royce”.

For Eric, the business is second nature and it was after his father Vernon became ill that Eric decided to step in and take it over. “I knew it was the right decision because of the satisfaction I got doing the job.”

Simkins Sewing Machines is located at Unit #1-754 Baker Crescent in Kingston. Eric stocks numerous makes and models and well as parts and also does repairs. You can contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 613-546-6110 or 1-800-667-2164. Website: www.vbsimkinssewingmachines.com

On November 6, Rick Walters, president of Lennox and Addington Mutual Insurance, was beaming at the official ribbon cutting celebration for the opening of the company's first ever satellite office, which is located in the Harrowsmith Plaza.

L& A Mutual board members, along with staff from the new branch and the company's head office in Napanee, were joined by dignitaries and members of the local business community to celebrate this milestone for a business that has been serving rural property owners for close to 14 decades. L&A Mutual first opened its doors in 1876.

The company’s six-member board of directors all have an agricultural background.

Rick Walters said the company chose Harrowsmith as the location for their first branch office not only to help serve their existing customers in Frontenac County but also to generate some new business in the area. Walters said that when looking for a new location, it was the Harrowsmith Plaza, the new hub of business activity in the local community that made the perfect fit. “We chose Harrowsmith because we wanted to commit to our customers in Frontenac County and are moving forward by continuing to take care of future rural customers, who are our niche. We do business online but still find that a lot of our customers like to be able to shake hands and talk one on one with staff, and with this new office we can accommodate that.”

After giving a brief history of the company, Walters updated guests on the 140-year-old business, which now offers its clients farm, homeowner's and small commercial, as well as auto insurance. He said he is hoping that by this spring the company will be able to offer a recreational dwelling package as well. Currently staff at L& A Mutual are looking into offering aviation insurance with the hopes of insuring the commercial use of drones. Walters then thanked a number of individuals and companies, including the board of directors who committed the necessary dollars to open the new branch; Ann Prichard of the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation; and Walters' wife Susi, who supplied the artwork that decorates the new branch.

Mayor of South Frontenac, Ron Vandewal, who was in attendance along with Deputy Mayor John McDougall, also spoke at the event and welcomed the new business, congratulating staff on their expansion with the words, “ A business that has lasted 140 years is obviously doing something right.” Ann Prichard, executive director of the FCFDC, who helped organize and promote the event, said she was thrilled to be able to welcome a new business to the community. Following the ribbon cutting, guests enjoyed a light lunch and other refreshments courtesy of Desert Lake Gardens of Sydenham. The new branch office is located at 5062 Road 38 in Harrowsmith and is open Monday to Thursday from 8:30 am-4:30 pm; Fridays from 8am- 4pm. For more information call the office at 613-372-2980 or visit
www.l-amutual.com

Lennox and Addington Mutual Insurance was established in 1876 after a meeting of farmers that was held in the Village of Newburgh. The farmers were unable to obtain fire insurance from companies based in urban centres so they set up their own mutual insurance corporation.

One hundred and forty years later, the need for an insurer specializing in the needs of rural property owners has not abated, and while a number of similar sized companies in Eastern Ontario have merged, L&A Mutual continues to thrive on its own, so much so that they have opened a new Frontenac County office in the Harrowsmith Plaza.

Rick Walters is the current president of the company. He succeeded his father with the company, so, as he says, he is pretty familiar with the community of Napanee where L&A Mutual is based and with the company as well. He is also one of the directors of the Canadian Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.

While it was fire and livestock insurance that was the basis of L&A Mutual Insurance's original business, the company has since expanded its insurance offerings for rural property owners whether they farm their properties or not.

Products include farm owner packages, homeowner packages, condominium unit owner packages, small commercial packages, yacht packages and automobile insurance.

Rick Walters said that L&A Mutual has developed a strong client base in Frontenac County over the years, and by establishing an office in the township it will be more convenient for the three agents who work with the company in Frontenac County to meet with existing clients. The agents are Sally Blasko - Inverary, Brian Powley - Hartington, and Nikole Walters - Harrowsmith. The new office will help attract new clients as well

L&A Mutual Insurance Company will be officially opening the branch office in the Harrowsmith Plaza on Friday, November 6. The official opening will take place from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony taking place at 11:00 a.m. Refreshments will be served after the ribbon cutting.

This has been a year of transition for Gray's Grocery and more is coming.

Starting back in January, store owner Jonathan Desroche opened up a bake shop where the store's office used to be located, and ever since then the bake shop and catering business has steadily increased, to the point where “I would say it probably represents about 50% of our business now,” said Desroche when interviewed in the closet/office off the bake shop.

That is not to say that the grocery and deli sections of the store have taken a back seat.

“We still do everything we've always done,” said Desroche, “including having fresh meat from Gilmour's on 38 in Harrowsmith, Wilton Cheese and our deli counter. We've only added more.”

The bake shop sells breakfast sandwiches and savoury lunches, take-out dinners, fresh bread, pies, cookies, date squares, etc.

“I'd have to say that our butter tarts are our best selling single item, though,” he said. “We sell a lot of butter tarts just about every day - up to 200 a day in the summertime.”

The bakery also does catering jobs, large and small, and thanks to employee Chris Henderson, prepares custom decorated cakes for any and all occasions. All in all, Gray's Grocery employs seven people, most of whom work full time during the summer and part-time in the slower seasons.

The Desroche family has been in the retail business in Sharbot Lake for three generations. Jonathan's mom Sharon, who works behind the counter and bakes as well, operated Marg's Shoe Store for years, which was established by her mother-in-law Marg DesRoche.

“I think we understand how important it is, in a small town, to take the time to engage our customers, who are our neighbors, after all. It is also essential to make changes to bring in more customers and keep the business growing” said Jonathan Desroche.

To that end, Gray's will be selling pizza for takeout from Thursdays to Sundays starting this week. A customer appreciation event is set for tomorrow (Friday, October 30) between 11:30 and 12:30 to thank customers and to introduce Gray's Pizza. Free pizza and cake will be available for all customers over the lunch hour.

Heather Woodyard, who has resided in Verona for just three years, never expected that she would enter the retail business. But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens.

It was a lack of jobs in her specific field of study that led Heather to open Verona's newest yarn store, called Ewe Can Knit. Heather returned to school at Loyalist College in Belleville to become a community and justice services worker, but after graduating with a diploma in 2012, she and her 90 other fellow graduates got the news that the Kingston penitentiary would be closing, which meant that hundreds of students would be vying for fewer jobs.

After having no luck at landing a job in her field, Heather decided to create work for herself and was determined to “do something that I love and am really passionate about”. She looked to the past and the years she spent in Toronto working at Lewiscraft, where she had learned to knit and crochet, pastimes that she continues to be very passionate about. “After coming to Verona I realized that there is nowhere between Kingston and Perth to buy knitting and crochet supplies so I decided to open up my own shop.”

The store is located at 6667 Highway 38 in Verona just next to Verona Convenience and it fronts onto Walker Street. The 650 square foot store is bright and airy and has ample parking. Inside, Heather is busy unpacking supplies that have just arrived, and a long stretch of shelving across one large wall displays a veritable rainbow of coloured yarns. She stocks a wide variety of yarns and wools including two major classic lines, Paton's and Bernat and also offers everything from sock and baby yarn to bulkier yarns as well. She sells merino wool and alpaca blends, and will also be carrying fine hand-dyed yarns from Fleece Artist and Hand Maiden of Nova Scotia. Along another wall hang a wide assortment of knitting and crochet needles as well as a variety of patterns designed for hobbyists at various levels of ability.

While Heather said that she has received “a lot of positive response” on her current inventory, she added that she is happy to order other items that customers might want. “I know that people like different things so I am happy to stock different items that customers might request.” Heather has future plans to also offer a variety of all-ages knitting and crochet classes in the near future.

Though the store officially opened on Tuesday, August 4 and is currently open for business, Heather is planning a special official grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10am - 6pm. Guests will be able to enter a draw for a gift basket and cake and refreshments will be served free of charge. The store is currently open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am - 6pm and on Sundays from 11am - 3pm. For those who have never knit or crocheted, Heather encourages them to give it a try. “It's a lot of fun and an excellent hobby to start. If I can do it, having taught myself, I am sure that anyone can learn.” For more information call 613-374-3000.

Rachel Hosseini, the owner and operator of Sharbot Lake's Subway franchise, marked the business's first year anniversary on July 23 by offering her customers a one-day special to help celebrate the event. Patrons who visited the shop on that day received a free 6-inch sandwich with the purchase of a second sandwich and a drink, and also a free piece of anniversary cake.

Hosseini, who is originally from Richmond Hill, bought the former Rising Bun bakery and set up the Subway franchise after becoming familiar with them while working with a construction company in Toronto. Looking for a calmer, quieter life away from the city, and wanting to be closer to nature, she took the plunge and is now living and working full-time in Sharbot Lake.

Currently the business employs 10 staff members - five full-time and five part-time. Hosseini said that the anniversary celebration was her way to thank the many loyal customers who have helped her and her team by continuing to patronize the business throughout the winter months. Hosseini said she is grateful for the way the local community has welcomed her and said that there is lots of room for the business to grow in Sharbot Lake.

She said her first year has been busier than she anticipated. Her regular clientele consists of local residents, many of whom came out to celebrate at Thursday's event. Local nine-to-fivers in the area have been taking advantage of the business's early bird special that Hosseini and her staff offer, a six-inch breakfast sub with a small coffee for $3, which is available before 9am. The business also gets good traffic from weekenders passing through on Highway 7, as well as seasonal cottagers.

Hosseini said that she traveled from Toronto on Thursday especially to be at the event since the business is “her baby”. She thanked her team, including long-time manager Alana Botting, who has been with her since day one and she looks forward to continuing to serve her customers in the many years to come. She said that with a full year now under her belt, she has a few new plans up her sleeve, one of which is to support local school teams and/or events in the area.

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It might surprising to see a 13-year-old running a successful business at the Saturday farmers’ market in Sharbot Lake. But what's even more surprising is that it is Ellie Larocque's third consecutive summer doing just that.

Ellie started up Cassnelli's Cookies and Lemonade in 2013 with her friend and cousin Cassidy Donaldson (hence the business name) when she was just 11. It was Ellie's mother Donna, who suggested that the two set up shop at the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market, and for her first summer, Ellie used her birthday gift money to invest in the necessary supplies.

While Cassidy, who lives in Lanark, is no longer involved in the business, Ellie has continued on and her friend Annika Putnam has joined her as a co-baker/seller. The two bake all-butter-based cookies, with Ellie offering up huge and reasonably priced cookies that come in chocolate chip, ginger and oatmeal, and Annika adding her own peanut butter and sugar cookies to the mix.

I recently interviewed Ellie and her mother Donna at their home in Sharbot Lake and got a close up look at what makes this young entrepreneur tick. Coming from a family of self-motivated business people, (Donna is an artist and sign maker and father Dennis a mason), it is no wonder that Ellie is herself an enterprising young entrepreneur.

Ellie let me in on a couple of trade secrets, like the fact that some of her recipes come from Evelyn Raab's cookbook, “The Clueless Baker”. She uses only butter, never lard, and the cookies that I was lucky enough to sample are light and chewy but with a definite crispness. It comes as no surprise that one is never enough. They are affordably priced at $1 each, $5 for a half dozen and $10 for a dozen.

Ellie’s longest work days are the day before the market. She mixes up fresh batches of cookie batter throughout the week and always bakes the cookies the day before the market, ensuring their freshness. She bakes over 100 cookies on Friday and often sells out.

While cookies are the girls’ main focus, they also sell ice-cold glasses of real, homemade lemonade as well. Asked what her motivations were for starting up a business, Ellie answered that making her own money to spend as she likes is one of the reasons, but added that she was also looking for experience in running a business, understanding that it will make her more knowledgeable and employable in the future.

This summer she set a personal goal for the season - to sell enough cookies to afford a Macbook since she is also interested in graphic design.

Of course the business could not exist without the help of Donna, who does the driving to local stores to purchase the ingredients. An understandably proud mom, Donna said the business venture has been a project they worked on together and she admitted that though the road was bumpy at the start, things are now running smoothly and efficiently. “I'm very proud of the initiative Ellie has shown and her hard work.”

Ellie herself says that she has learned a lot since she first began three summers ago. “Baking is more difficult that I thought it would be and I am a much better baker now then I was back then. I am also a lot better at handling money and understanding the costs of doing business."

She admitted that balancing school and the market in May and June can also be tough. That being said, Ellie said that she expects to be continuing at the market for another year or two.

For those not in the know, Ellie and Annika's cookies are worth every penny and though the two are not able to attend every single market day, as the saying goes...Get ’em while you can.

On Canada day, July 1, hundreds of excited patrons streamed into the newly transformed former Catholic church in Sharbot Lake for the widely anticipated opening of the Cardinal Cafe and Shop.

Co-owners of the new business, Nicole Tarasick and Sylvie Smith, decided to welcome the public into the renovated century-old church three days earlier than planned after finding out they had passed all of their mandatory inspections.

The official grand opening followed on Saturday, July 4 and customer traffic was, not surprisingly, even busier. The day began with an official ribbon cutting ceremony where Town Crier Paddy O'Connor and Mayor Frances Smith each congratulated the owners, who both said they were thrilled to be so warmly welcomed and supported by the local community. The ceremony was orchestrated by Marcel Giroux, who said he felt the new business owners deserved a special welcoming by the local community.

Housed in the old red brick church, which was built in 1905 at the corner of Elizabeth Street and Road 38, just across from the Sharbot Lake Country Inn, the Cardinal Cafe and Shop is the perfect place to drop in, relax, visit with friends, enjoy a drink and snack, and many of the patrons have expressed their excitement at having a new place to go in town.

The church sat vacant for years after a new church was built on Road 38 further out of town. It was purchased by Steve Tarasick of Tarasick Carpentry (Nicole's father) and her partner Mike Dellios in February 2014 and the two men began the renovations a year later, in February of this year.

They gutted it back to the original brick and studs with the aim of preserving the building's original charm and unique features while also adding the owners' own personal aesthetics - simple clean lines, and bright wide open spaces. Preserved are the building's beautiful stained glass windows, its newly sanded and finished original wood floors and the gorgeous wooden overhead cross beams that float 40 feet above, as well as the large back window that inspired the business's logo. Ceiling fans give the room an open airy feel as do the clean white walls and white wood trim.

New are the double glass front doors, and a white tiled coffee bar and back wall that houses the servers and the prep area. On the opposite wall stretches one line of simple tables and chairs and one long bench that can seat 15-20 patrons comfortably.

Outside is a new patio that holds four large picnic tables that can seat another 25 customers and there is parking on site as well. The back entrance is wheelchair accessible and leads to two beautifully tiled washroom facilities that are also wheelchair accessible from the main front room.

At the jam-packed opening the owners, along with a few key helpers, offered guests the regularly available selection of espresso-based coffee drinks that include iced and hot lattes, cappuccinos and more, all made with Reunion Island Coffee, as well as a wide selection of loose leaf teas, home made lemonade and a fresh assortment of tasty home made sweet and savory goods direct from Field House bakery in Perth.

Also to be had at the opening day were grilled sausages courtesy of Seed to Sausage and thanks to a special events liquor license, Empire Cider from Bath, ON and MacKinnon Brothers beer from Brighton, ON.

Tarasick and Smith are highly committed to bringing only the best in high quality food and drink to their customers and their regular fare will also include fresh baked goods from Gray's Grocery, Chocolate by Ludwig, Conboy's maple syrup and more.

The cafe is not only a beautiful place to lounge, sip and nibble but also a place to shop. The owners, who are one half of the artisan collective known as Cardinal Handmade, (the other half are design/builders Mike Dellios and Lucas Brancalion) will be adding additional display space for a selection of the collective's hand made gift ware, which will include screen printed pillows, tote bags, t-shirts, candles, wooden toys and other cottage and home accessories, some of which were for sale on opening day.

As they are newbies to the cafe business, the ladies no doubt have their work cut out for them but are looking ahead and are currently brainstorming about possible special event nights, including a trivia night. They are also open to renting the space out and/or hosting private parties, receptions, anniversaries, birthdays and other community and private events. They also have plans to add more substantial light meal fare to their regular menu come late summer/early fall. Judging by the brisk business that they did on July 1 and 4 it looks as though the Cardinal Cafe is a much welcomed refuge for locals and seasonal residents alike.

The cafe is located at 14153 Road 38 in Sharbot Lake and is open Wednesday to Friday from 7:30 AM- 4PM and Saturday and Sunday from 9AM-4PM. For more information visit cardinalhandmade.com

When Jen Andrews' (nee Seguin) parents purchased Saylor's Inn in 1994, she came along to help run the business with her boyfriend Kyle Andrews.

The Seguin family found that while the business, which was located on Highway 7 just east of Arden, did very well during the tourist season, it was very slow in the off-season and the overhead was very high. Kyle and Jen went to work elsewhere, and in 2004 the Seguin family sold the business.

The story only starts there for Kyle and Jen, however.

“We moved out here from Montreal in 1996 and fell in love with the area, so even though the Saylor's Inn was a struggle, we learned about business and found the place where we wanted to live,” said Kyle.

Not surprisingly Kyle and Jen were immediately drawn to the restaurant business. They were both working at Swiss Chalet in Kingston, Jen as a manager and Kyle in the kitchen. He decided to start up a small cleaning business, which he promoted during his part-time evening job delivering pizzas for Domino's Pizza .

“I would stick my flyer onto the back of the pizza boxes,” Kyle recalls.

One thing led to another and the cleaning business, Hubby's House, developed over time, and Kyle and Jen have been working full time in their own business for over five years.

Based in Tichborne, Hubby's House runs two crews who clean houses all across Frontenac County and in Kingston. They also do window cleaning and offer a variety of handyman and other services.

Business has been steadily growing for eight years now, and the key to it all is a professional approach and consistency.

“We learned a few lessons over the years, as does everyone in business,” said Jen, “such as not to take on work that is beyond what we can handle with the excellent staff we have.”

It is homeowners who have been making them busier and busier, and the business has seen constant growth year after year.

“Many of our customers have us in once every two weeks, to keep the home or cottage in top form,” said Kyle, adding that before starting with any customer either he or Jen visits the customer and goes over every part of the house to see what needs to be done and how often in order to determine a final price.

The same level of care is offered for one time jobs such as homeowners getting ready for a large event or preparing a house for sale, a seasonal cleaning job on a cottage as the summer season approaches, or for their monthly, bi-weekly or weekly customers.

Hubby's House cleaners work in teams of at least two, adding to efficiency and decreasing the amount of time their customers are inconvenienced.

Hubby's House uses all their own equipment and eco-friendly, scent-free cleaning supplies.

For more information, contact Kyle or Jen directly at 613-375-6573 or 613-888-3758, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit their website hubbyshouse.ca.