The new Amazing Dollar Store in Sharbot Lake attracted hundreds of shoppers looking for opening day deals at its official grand opening on May 16. Part of the success of the opening day could have been due to the fact that the store's new owner, Holly Davis, is no stranger to the area. She grew up in Arden and graduated from Sharbot Lake High School years ago.

Davis took over the Sharbot Lake business from its long-time former owner, Cindy Warren, in March 2015. Warren, who owned and operated the Sharbot Lake store for over 20 years, in fact had helped Holly Davis set up her first Amazing Dollar store in Tweed in 1998, which she sold six years ago. Currently Davis has another store in Havelock and recently closed a former location in Campbellford.

Taking a well deserved break from behind the cash counter on the very busy opening day, Davis said the timing to buy the Sharbot Lake store was perfect and when she found out that Warren wanted to sell, she jumped at the opportunity.

Cindy Warren is continuing to work at the new store.

Davis has completely remodeled the space and installed a series of long, single north/south facing aisles, thereby increasing the store's capacity for inventory.

Guests were greeted not only by the renovated store, but also by number of opening days specials, which were up for grabs and included 25% off all gardening supplies as well as 50% off of a number of all-season items like candles and more. Guests also enjoyed free Tim Horton's coffee and donuts and took away free recycled shopping bags as a gift for their opening day patronage.

Holly Davis, who lives half way between Havelock and Sharbot Lake, said she will be working at the Sharbot Lake store regularly along with three to four part time employees.

For those who missed the grand opening, the Amazing Dollar Store is open Mon. - Thurs. from 9AM-6PM, Fridays 9AM-8PM, Saturdays from 9AM-6PM and Sundays 10AM-4PM. The store carries a wide selection of products, seasonal and otherwise. Davis would like to thank all of her patrons for the very successful opening day. The Amazing Dollar Store is located at 14583 Road 38 in Sharbot Lake.

In 1965 a new business opened up at the corner of Glastonbury Rd. and Hwy. 41 in downtown Northbrook. It was located in an unassuming trailer, but it had a marquee name, Bank of Montreal, one of the oldest and most established companies in Canada, dating back to 1817.

The branch was established after Robert Bell, the manager at the Tweed branch, noticed that a lot of customers at their location came from the Northbrook area, and would likely be better served with a local branch.

Pretty much from the start, customers took to having a local bank, and BMO (as it is now known) certainly took hold with the local community. American-based cottagers opened accounts in order to change money and pay their taxes; it appeared that local municipalities were happy to be able to deal with a branch manager locally; and the permanent residents and local businesses jumped on board from the start

A second portable building was put up in the 1970s and, finally, in 1991, a new stand-alone branch was constructed, all at the same location.

An ATM machine, the first one north of Hwy. 7 between Perth and Marmora, followed in the mid-90s. Over the last 15 years or so, the necessity for office space to talk about the range of banking needs of customers has outstripped the need for tellers, so the number of offices in the branch has increased as the number of teller stations has been reduced. This was done to better serve the clientele, by bringing a personal and more private atmosphere to the banking experience.

The current branch manager, Jennifer Baker, moved to the branch five years ago this week. Baker, who has local roots and lives in Tweed, says working at the branch is a dream job for her.

“We are able to offer such a full range of banking services, and meet with people directly in their own community to talk about investing, commercial accounts, lending, financial planning and daily banking,” she said.

Next week, on Wednesday, May 20, the staff will mark the 50th anniversary of the branch, which opened on May 17 in 1965.

The BMO senior Vice-President, Sandra Henderson and the regional Vice-president, Danielle Williams will be on hand with branch personnel for the festivities, as well as a number of former branch managers. A BBQ celebration is open to all and starts at 11 a.m. and, yes indeed, there will also be cake.

For further information, call the branch at 613-336-2696.

With the spring and summer seasons fast approaching, those looking for a bit of personal buffing up will be happy to know that Brenda Repaye, owner of a newly opened business, Northern Radiance Aesthetics in Sharbot Lake, is offering a number of treatments and services that will no doubt give her customers confidence as they get ready to shed their winter layers.

Repaye, who is originally from Sydenham, is no stranger to the local community. She has lived and worked in and around the Sharbot Lake area for the past nine years, as an employee services provider at Community Living-North Frontenac and as a personal support worker providing in-home palliative care.

Due to health reasons she made a recent career change and in 2014 enrolled in a medical aesthetician course offered at the Ottawa Beauty Academy located in Kingston. Following her graduation in July 2014 she is now a certified medical aesthetician.

Repaye, who has a naturally upbeat and friendly personality, is thrilled to be in business for herself. Word travels fast and since her unofficial opening on March 9, she has been busy offering her clients a number of basic aesthetic services that include manicures, pedicures, eye lash and eye brow tints, relaxation massage and body and facial waxing. In the near future she also plans to offer a number of more medically involved aesthetic services that will include micro-derm abrasion treatments, permanent hair removal by electrolysis as well as laser light treatments for the removal of body and facial hair, as well as spider veins, sun-damaged skin and age spots, acne and nail fungus.

Her business space, though small, is very private and well ordered. It is a cozy space that makes one feel immediately welcome, relaxed and at home. Clients enter into a main office area, off of which is located a comfortable treatment room where clients can relax while enjoying spectacular views of Sharbot Lake. Repaye also offers private group sessions as well as individual appointments and has already booked a number of wedding party engagements for May. She plans to utilize an additional outdoor deck area for her clients.

Thanks to a loan she recently received from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation in Harrowsmith, Repaye was able to purchase some of the more expensive equipment she needs to serve her clients, including a hydrolic bed, a facial steamer and a micro-derm treatment machine.

To celebrate the opening of her new business she will be holding an official Grand Opening on Saturday, April 25 from 9am-3pm, which will coincide with the Treasure Trunk's Summer Stock opening day.

On that day she will offer visitors light snacks and refreshments and she said it will be “a great opportunity for future clients to view the new space and to have all their questions about the services I offer answered.” Guests will have a chance to win $170 in free services as well as 12 other door prizes. Northern Radiance Aesthetics is located at 1171 Canon Road in Sharbot Lake, just behind the Treasure Trunk and is currently open by appointment from Tuesday through Saturday from 10am-6pm. For more information call 613-279-2552 or toll free, 1-844-279-2552.

Susan Billinghurst, owner of Litsie, a home-based eco-bag business, is a self-confessed “fabric junky” who has been sewing since she was a youngster.

“I remember making clothes for my Barbie dolls when I was a kid and later making a lot of my own clothes as a teenager” she said when I interviewed her at her home in Perth Road last week.

Serious sewing stopped for her decades ago as she raised her three sons and worked as a consumer and family studies teacher. Later she worked as the cooking school coordinator at the Midland Avenue Loblaws in Kingston.

Billinghurst returned to sewing full time two years ago after leaving her Loblaws job due to health reasons. She started up her business designing and creating a line of eco-friendly safe, re-useable snack, lunch and wet bags. Since that time her business has taken off.

The idea for the business came about after she visited her daughter-in-law, a new mom who was using cloth diapers at the time and who longed for a re-useable bag for the diapers. “I made my first 'Litsie' bag then and was encouraged by my family to keep pursuing the business idea," she said.

The name of the business came from her granddaughter Sophia, a toddler who was unable at that age to pronounce her name and called herself Litsie. Susan decided on that as the name for her business. “It could have been Sue Sews or Sue's Sacks but Litsie seemed unique; I liked it and it seemed the perfect fit”.

Her daughter-in-law also designed the Litsie logo, which includes a humming bird and Susan said is also the perfect fit.

Sue's bags come in various sizes. She uses designer fabrics in 100% cotton or organic cotton, which come in a wide range of colorful prints that are perfectly matched to a youngster's aesthetic. Her snack bags are food safe, and their interior linings are made from Procare, which is lead, BPA and phthalate-free and meet the current FDA and CPSIA requirements. Her wet bags are waterproof and lined with PUL, a polyurethane laminate perfect for storing wet swimsuits, gym clothes and cloth diapers. Their large tab zippers allow for easy opening and closing. All Litsie bags are hand sewn by Susan herself. They boast what seems to be an endless number of colourful, elegant and playful patterns that include lady bugs, elephants, birds, helicopters, alligators and more. They are sold separately as well as in sets.

Susan is a big fan of the designers Charlie Harper and Amy Butler, as well as Parson Gray and Michael Miller, the latter of whom design with older buyers in mind. A grant that Susan recently acquired through the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation in Harrowsmith allowed her to purchase a brand new Bernina Quilting Edition sewing machine, which has enabled her to add baby quilts and quilted Christmas stockings to her inventory.

A year ago and with the help of her son, Susan opened up Litsie's online Etsy store and also launched her own website where she sells her bags and other products. She also sells at a number of local craft shows and her creations are also available locally at Nicole's Gifts in Verona and Go Green Baby in Kingston.

Like most artisans, one of the challenges of running a successful business for Susan is finding enough time to actually sit down and sew. Working from home does make things easier but still she said, “Finding the time to sew is a constant challenge. At one show I sold out on the Saturday and had to rush home and sew pretty much all night long to have enough inventory for the next day.”

Some of the things she enjoys most about owning and operating her own business are shopping for fabrics and meeting her customers and other artisans both on line and in person. Her products range in price from $8 to $150. To see more of Susan's Litsie creations visit her on Etsy or at www.litsie.ca

Linda Irish-Burns has been in the pizza business in Harrowsmith for close to 25 years and her loyal customers will be pleased to know that a recent name and location change is all that has changed at the long-time family-run business, where she works with her sons Scott and Sean.

The business changed location on February 1 after Linda purchased the former Ella's Bakery and Restaurant building, which prior to that had been Castle Coffee. Linda was looking to buy a building, build equity and the new location offered her a bigger and more pleasing space where she continues to work along with her sons and six other staff members. The new building boasts two-thirds more space than she formerly had and it allows space for additional customer seating, storage and parking.

Linda had some key renovations done in December after the purchase was final, which included modifying and opening up the service area, upgrading the plumbing and washroom facilities (one of which is wheelchair accessible), and she is pleased to announce the business is now open for business as usual under its new name, “The Pizza Place”.

Thanks to a business loan from the Frontenac Community Futures Corporation (FCFDC) located just up the road, Linda was able to purchase some new equipment she needed, including a new walk in cooler and a brand new slice oven. Since Linda was no longer associated with the franchise, she chose to change the name when she changed locations. “The new name, 'The Pizza Place' made perfect sense”, she said when I interviewed her at the new location earlier this week. “I thought, everyone has always called it “The Pizza Place”, so why not just go with that as the business's new name.”

Everything else about the business remains the same. The menu, which has kept her customers coming back, is your typical go-to pizzeria fare - subs, wings, a wide variety of pizzas, and salad. Linda said that she is hoping to eventually also offer up a selection of burgers and fries. While Linda continues to work behind the counter on Fridays and Saturdays and still manages the business end of things, (she worked for 28 years as a trust administrator at RBC), she expects that her son Scott will soon be taking over the reins by the end of the year.

Business hours have not changed. The Pizza Place, located at 4946 Road 38 in Harrowsmith, is open 7 days a week from 11 AM; Monday through Wednesday until 8 PM; Thursday until 9PM, Friday and Saturday until midnight; and Sunday until 8 PM. Hours may vary depending on customer traffic and will be extended during the summer season. Staff can deliver (for a fee), north to Westport Road, east to Perth Road, south to Unity Road and west to Yarker and Moscow. Linda is thrilled with the new name and new building and she and her sons are looking forward to serving the community for many more years to come. For more information call 613-372-5693

Andrew Kovacs had an idea, and the former Sharbot Lake Seniors’ Home is where he is turning that idea into a reality.

Kovacs is a Certified Professional Accountant who worked for years in supply chain finance. However he has wanted to make a change and has been looking for a suitable property to turn into a residence where seniors can be active but not have to worry about property upkeep, cooking or cleaning, among other responsibilities.

“I spent over a year looking for the right opportunity and looked at a number of properties, at least eight, but nothing was suitable. Then one day my broker called me and said his daughter had seen the seniors home here when she was driving to Toronto from Ottawa, where she works for Health Canada, and she told her father to check it out,” he said last week from his makeshift construction office/living room in what is fast becoming Sharbot Lake Retirement and Retreat.

That was in late September, and when he came up and saw the building and the location he was instantly sold on it.

“The lake sold it for me; it's gorgeous,” he said.

As we talked last week, the lake was frozen in its winter stillness, but the building was full of activity. All of the rooms have been completely gutted, down to the studs. The furniture, which had been accumulated over the years by the former owner of the property, Dr. Bell, has been or is being refurbished and is stacked in one room under cover. It is in this bare-bones state that Kovacs can see how he wants to set up the building for the 20 or so residents that he will be able to accommodate as permanent residents.

“The rooms are all 250 square feet in size, and we are putting walk-in tubs and showers in each of them. We plan to create what I call a 'boutique hotel experience' here. All the meals will be included of course, plus tray service to the room upon request, and other services such as a hair salon. In a lot of residences that are out there, the initial rent is only a part of the cost; everything comes with a charge. Here, everything will be included.”

One of the changes that came about from looking at the building once it was gutted is that the former dining room, which has large windows and the best view of the lake in the entire building, will be used as an activity lounge instead.

“While it was a beautiful room for eating in, it was not used for the rest of the day,” said Kovacs, “so we can move the dining area over and make this room a focal point for the residents.”

One of the basic improvements being made to the building is the installation of an elevator to help with mobility in the three-level structure. Further down the road, the strip of land between the building and the lake is to be landscaped and made fully accessible to the residents in the home.

“What we are going to be offering is a beautiful location, handy to all the services in the village, at a competitive price,” said Kovacs, who said he sees the region between Ottawa and Kingston as the market for the residence.

“When we are all done renovating this will be a beautiful place to live. The building has really good bones. It is solid and has an approved sprinkler system. What we will be doing is making all the residents’ rooms and all the common rooms look and feel attractive and comfortable. When people come here with their parents they will be wanting to move in themselves; that's what we are after,” he said.

A local crew is now working on the construction project as are local tradespeople, and when the residence is opened there will be employment for cooks and cleaners, personal support workers and other staff.

“Our success will bring jobs and a higher profile to the local community,” said Kovacs, who hopes to make the Sharbot Lake residence the model for others in the coming years.

Once the renovations are complete, Kovacs said he intends to bring the local public in to view the space.

Lori Hamilton and her staff had their work cut out for them earlier this week as they were busy preparing for the unofficial opening of the Country Cafe and Bakery, which opened its doors to the public on January 10.

In November of 2014, Hamilton, who is a long-time resident of Harrowsmith, took over the lease of the business space located next door to the Harrowsmith Variety Store, just north of the intersection of Road 38 and Rutledge Road. Since then she and her husband Orville have been busy renovating the new space. The renovations have included brand new men’s and women’s washrooms, new glass display cabinets, new electrical and plumbing, and of course a fresh new coat of paint.

When I visited earlier this week, Lori and her staff were busy baking up a wide assortment of the daily fare that they will be offering their customers, including fresh-baked muffins, cookies, bars, cinnamon buns, and also a wide variety of pies and fresh-baked breads. Hamilton said that a big part of her business will be her specialty: made to order cakes, which are perfect for weddings, anniversaries and other special events, including Valentine's Day coming up in February.

The bakery that formerly occupied the space was only a take out establishment, but the new Country Cafe and Bakery is a totally separate entity from the convenience store. It offers customers five comfortable tables where they can sit down, relax and “dine in”, choosing from a full menu of breakfast and lunch entrees, all prepared fresh on site. They include hot daily soups, and a wide selection of sandwiches (roast beef, pastrami, turkey and smoked ham, to name a few), each of which comes with a choice of fresh vegetable toppings and condiments. A daily selection of home-made hot entrees including chili, lasagne, cabbage rolls, meat stews and casseroles will also be available as well. Hamilton, who worked for over three decades in the dietary departments of various nursing and retirement homes as both a cook and a server, said that she has ample experience in the fields of food preparation and customer service, which have prepared her well for this new undertaking. “I have always enjoyed cooking and baking and entertaining people and this kind of business offers me a chance to do what I love right here in the community. I am hoping that local residents will appreciate having a friendly place to enjoy a meal, and/or snack while socializing with friends, family and neighbours.” Hamilton is planning an official grand opening celebration on Saturday, February 7 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and on that day she and her staff will be offering guests free sample goodies, beverages and door prizes from 11 a.m. –1 p.m. Hamilton, who will be cooking and serving at the bakery while also running the business, said that the challenges of opening a new business, especially the long hours, will be tough but she stressed that the benefits far outweigh the challenges. “This is a new adventure for me and a new chapter in my life and it is something that I have dreamed of doing for years so I am really excited about it.”

The Country Cafe and Bakery is located at 4937 Road 38 in Harrowsmith and is open Monday to Friday from 6 a.m.- 5 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. For more information call 613-372-5883.

Gray's Grocery, a long-standing business located at the junction of Highway 7 and Road 38, has been making changes over the last year by adding meat from Gilmore's Meats of Harrowsmith and changing the layout of the store.

The store's owner, Jonathan Desroche, has been working lately on building an in-store bakery and this past Monday the bakery opened for business.

“Ever since the Rising Bun Bakery closed, people have been looking for fresh baked breads, pies and tarts, and homemade breakfasts and lunches,” Desroche said when interviewed at the store last week.

He was waiting for a final visit from a KFL&A Public Health inspector to sign off on the kitchen and said that he anticipated opening on January 12, which he did.

Although the product line will be enhanced in the coming months, Gray's Bakery is already offering breakfast sandwiches as well as loaves of bread, pies and other treats. With the cold weather this week, they also sold Beaver Tails

They are contemplating adding items such as pizza later this winter.

The new asset to their grocery business is being run by family members as well as new employees.

“With fresh-baked goods, Gilmore's Meats, local honey and our own relishes and sauces, along with the cold cuts and Wilton cheese we have always offered, things are going well for the future,” said Desroche.

The bakery, which has been busy since opening this week, will only increase in popularity in the coming months.

“We think we complement everything else that is available in Sharbot Lake,” said Desroche.

Those who were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the six gorgeous black horses that walked in this year’s Santa Claus parades in Sydenham and Harrowsmith (and who won “Best New to the Parade” at the Kingston parade) may be interested to know that these regal animals, the Frontenac Friesians, call Harrowsmith home.

Known for their characteristic “upright head sets, high stepping trot, shiny black coats and luscious tails and manes”, Friesians have a mystical and noble presence and have appeared in many popular films, including Ladyhawk, Zorro, and Lord of the Rings, in which they were cast as the Dark Riders.

The Frontenac Friesians have yet to star in a major Hollywood film and spend their time at a small hobby farm located on Bradford Road, where their proud owner, Debbie Givens, gives them plenty of love and attention. The horses are named Lyske, Sunday, Viktor, Joe Black, Dave and Andy and they made a memorable impression on those who saw them walking in the parades.

Givens is well versed in the art of caring for horses and previously ran a large horse boarding facility just north of Kingston. She eventually decided that the facility was too large to manage and enjoy while she was also working full time, so she decided to scale down and moved to a small hobby farm in Harrowsmith in 2008, where she resides with her husband and two daughters.

With help from her mother, Debbie was able to pursue her “bucket list dream” of acquiring the best purebred Friesian mare she could find. She did just that and the mare that she was driving carriage with at the parades is named Lyske Meintse, and came from Kettle Creek Friesians in London, Ontario. Lyske has been judged by the FPS, the Holland group that controls the integrity of purebred Friesians world-wide, as a “Star”, meaning that she is in the top 30% of the FPS's quality judged breeding mares.

Givens has since bred Lyske with two different purebred Friesians from Michigan and in 2013 she gave birth to a filly, Sunday, and in 2014 to a colt named Viktor. While there are no births on the horizon for 2015, Givens has acquired frozen semen from the Netherlands and is hoping for a purebred Friesian foal again in 2016.

She also breeds half Friesian horses and her mare Andy, which is part thoroughbred and part standard bred, was bred twice with a Friesian stallion named Jisk in Peterborough. In 2011 she birthed a half-Friesian colt named Joe Black and in 2014 birthed Dave

The Friesians’ laid back and amazing behavior at the three local parades, especially given their young ages, demonstrates that these animals are highly trainable and reliable and that they like to please.

Givens said she practiced with her horses a few times before the parades and was thrilled with their behavior, saying humbly, “I know my horses.”

When I visited at the farm, Givens was feeding the herd and said that she can’t wait to retire in 2019 so she can devote more time to the animals she loves so much. Until then she will continue to breed, ride and show them - and she may even be convinced to sell one of these majestic lovelies, though she admits that a sale might take a wee bit of arm twisting.

Givens is a member of the Ontario Friesian Horse Association and the Friesian Horse Association of North America. For more information visit the Frontenac Friesians on facebook or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At a special holiday Christmas market at the Verona Lions hall on December 13, many of the Frontenac Farmers' Market's regular vendors gave their loyal customers a chance to get ahead on their holiday merry making.

Twenty-two vendors took part, including new market vendors, Bear Root Gardens who were selling packets of their own seeds, and Long Road Ecological Farm near Harrowsmith, who were selling their home made edibles including their sumptuous Chinese buns.

Market manager Debbie Harris, who is also a regular vendor, said that putting on the special Christmas market is beneficial both to vendors and their loyal following, which has grown steadily over the market's 10-year run. “People called us wanting to know when the Christmas market would be and this event gives customers a chance to stock up for Christmas.”

One notable newcomer to the market this year was Allison Storring, who along with her husband Mark da Silva recently launched their new piano upcycling business called DoFaSo in Yarker. The two are in the business of moving turn of the century upright and player pianos that people no longer want, but these days can't even seem to give away.

The couple bring new hope to these formerly popular salon instruments. They will move them (for a fee) and also upcycle them into useable accessories for the home and person. They had a number of their sample pieces on display in Verona, including some music back boards from a number of turn of the century upright pianos. One wooden beauty had a mirror inset and all of them can be used as the perfect backdrop on a mantlepiece, or as a decorative head board in a bedroom or as a large display shelf.

Samples of the stand alone front upright legs of these same pianos, made of solid wood and some exquisitely hand carved and shaped into attractive columns, are used as elegant free standing candles holders and Storring said that she and her husband also plan to make the legs into shelving units, benches, cornices and more.

Husband Mark, who was not in attendance at the show, is a musician and also works at Renaissance Music in Kingston. He knows a lot about upcycling old musical instruments; for years he recycled electronic tube organs for use as tube amps. “Mark soon realized that there was a market for older pianos, not only to have them removed from people's homes but also to create something new from their parts, which are often comprised of beautifully decorated solid wood. Our business not only prevents these pianos from ending up in landfills but preserves much of the intrinsic beauty that these older instruments possess,” Storring said. According to Storring many older pianos contain up to three pounds of lead but also copper, glass and steel, all of which is unwanted in landfill sites. The couple also sell attractive key chains made from either the Makasar or African ebony keys and Storring said that she also plans to market the pre-ban ivory keys and will also use them to make other items like jewelry.

While these pianos will no longer be making music in the parlor, in the hands of the owners of DoFaSo they will bring a different kind of art into their buyers' homes. For more information, call 613-331-3031 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. DoFaSo items are available at Starlet in Napanee and at Renaissance Music in Kingston.