Diane Chorney and her husband, Jon Alvarenga, recently relocated to Sharbot Lake after purchasing a home right across from Oso Beach. That is good news for those who enjoy massage and other spa-related treatments.

Chorney, who hails from Timmins, Ontario, has been offering massage and other holistic treatments and study for over 12 years. Her business is called Aravinda, which means White Lotus in Sanskrit. In her words, it is all about “blooming where you are planted” and “rising above the muck that life can throw your way.” Aravinda offers a wide range of courses and treatments, including a condensed six-month myomassology course, and treatments in massage, aromatherapy, deep tissue relaxation, yoga, meditation, hot stone treatments, Indian head massage, Chinese fire cupping, as well as spa wraps and scrubs and more.

Chorney, who for five years ran a retreat centre at her former home in Nellie Lake near Timmins, had been looking for the past year to relocate and said she is thrilled to have landed in Sharbot Lake. She said that the natural beauty of the surroundings makes Sharbot Lake the perfect location for her new family home and business.

The business offers beautiful views of Sharbot Lake and the feeling upon entering their bright and spacious living room is one of instantaneous peace and calm. Chorney is a registered holistic nutritionist and studied at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition at Aromatica, a holistic study centre located on the Bruce Peninsula. She is also a honours graduate in English from Carleton University in Ottawa. She did healing work at a number of First Nations communities including Attawapiskat, and in Quebec at Chisasibi and Nemaska.

Chorney also offers retreats to smaller groups in her home and will travel to offer her services to larger groups as well. She also sells gift certificates for those wanting a bit of hands on healing and relaxation during the upcoming busy holiday season. Aravinda is located at 1017 Mathew Street in Sharbot Lake beside The Maples restaurant. Appointments can be made by calling 613-464-1183. For more information visit http://aravinda.guru/

(Editors note: a previous version of this article said that a "massage therapy certification" course was available at Aravinda. This wording was printed in error on the part of The Frontenac News and was not a claim made by Diane Chorney)

A visit to the home-based shop/studio of local chocolatier, Ludwig Ratzinger, feels a bit like winning one of Willy Wonka's golden tickets. An experienced chocolatier, Ludwig recently set up his studio in the new straw bale home he designed and helped to build near Maberly. The studio is located in the basement of the home, where Ludwig works full time and on average produces from half to three-quaters of a tonne of chocolate per year.

When I visited his studio early last week a brand new semi-automatic tempering machine, which Ludwig purchased thanks to a grant from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation, was in full operation. Its fly wheel was spinning up a fresh, warm, velvety batch of sweet-smelling chocolate and pouring it from a spout, where Ludwig was filling a series of intricate, feather-shaped bar molds.

Made from “single origin noble grade cocoa beans” from South America, Ludwig’s bars are premium quality and are not your average chocolate bar. The process involves first creating batches of chocolate from raw blocks and pellets, which Ludwig imports from a Swiss company that offers South American cocoa farmers 50% more than other Fair Trade rates. Ludwig explained that as a result of the way the pods are harvested the raw beans are a higher grade than those used by commercial chocolate producers. “Each pod is first picked and left to sit in its pulp, where it ferments for a day and then is sun dried, which gives the cocoa its unique high quality flavour.” The pods are then bagged and shipped directly to Switzerland (sans middle man), where they are refined and then purchased by a host of premiere chocolatiers, of which Ludwig is one.

In his studio Ludwig mixes these imported raw batches in his special tempering machine, sometimes adding flavors of lime or mint. He explained that the tempering process allows the chocolate to go through the necessary crystallization process, which gives the chocolates their ideal colour, texture and density, and their bright, crisp-sounding “snap” when a piece is broken off the bar.

Once crystallization has occurred, the temperature of the mix is then raised to 32 degrees Celsius and the liquid chocolate is poured into a series of decorative plastic molds and left to cool. Prior to cooling, additional ingredients can be added; Ludwig incorporates high quality sea salt, caramelized cocoa nibs or barberries to create interesting and unusual flavors.

Later the individual bars are removed from the molds and packaged as either single or double bar offerings. Packaging is another area where Ludwig excels and he designed some of his own packaging. “I figured, since I am producing a premium product why not also make an effort to package it right?” The smaller sized 40 gram bars ($4.50-$5.50) are wrapped more simply, and the 100 gram double bars ($13-$15) are wrapped in silver/gold metal foil and encased in an aesthetically pleasing heavy paper pull sleeve and come with an explanation of the ingredients, the production process and suggested wine pairings.

A fourth generation pastry chef who hails from Bavaria, Germany, Ludwig came to chocolate making in 2006 after a successful eight-year stint as pastry chef at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa. “I decided to focus at home on chocolate making because it is a simpler, more immediate undertaking that requires less space and less equipment, and I have a lot more control over the production process.”

Ludwig has future plans for his chocolate products and is hoping to talk to a local brewery about making beer truffles. Ludwig sells his premium chocolate bars at Foodsmiths in Perth, Peches et Poivre in Almonte, Mrs. McGarrigles in Merrickville, Read's Book Shop in Carleton Place and at Seed to Sausage's brand new store in Ottawa at 729 Gladstone Ave. Local chocolate lovers can find Ludwig and his sweet offerings this Thanksgiving weekend on October 11, 12 &13 at the Perth Autumn Studio Tour. He will be a guest at studio # 7, the Brent Kirkham Studio located at 2486 Christie Lake Road and will be there each day from 10am-5pm.

Changing careers mid-life is very rare but crossing an ocean to do so is even more rare.

Tess Steenberghe and Jeroen Kerrebijn, who took over the helm at the Fall River Restaurant in Maberly in July, moved from the Netherlands to the area after deciding they wanted a change - a big change. She, a lawyer and he, a neck and head cancer surgeon, left Dordrecht, the Netherlands along with their three children to embark on a new life in Canada.

The couple first became enamored with the beauty of this country after Jeroen completed a fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto in 1996. Ten years ago they purchased a cottage in the Haliburton area and they have known for decades that they wanted to make the move to Canada. It was their 20-year-old daughter Isabel who gave them the final push they needed. “She said that if we were going to do it we needed to do it now,” said Tess.

Both knew that they would not be able to pursue their professions here without having to go back to school, but they embraced the challenge of finding new work. “It was a combination of factors,” Jeroen said. “We knew that we and the kids were getting older and knew that the sooner we came over the better.”

Tess said that buying the restaurant/coffee house and gift shop in Maberly was a complete coincidence. “We love the nature and the ample outdoor space in Canada and were looking at outdoor businesses, like resorts or campgrounds and a friend put us onto this area. We actually found the restaurant listing on the internet just by chance and it looked like the perfect thing for us.” Neither have experience in the restaurant business though Tess waited tables as a student and Jeroen delivered goods to restaurants, but former owners Michelle Murphy and Paul Zammit agreed to help by showing them the ropes.

While much remains the same at the restaurant in these early days, Tess and Jeroen have some interesting new plans. They are aiming for a varied but smaller menu and will be both growing and sourcing out local ingredients as well as adding a choice of daily chef specials to the regular menu.

Customers can expect the same goodies at the Coffee House located beside the restaurant, where one son will be serving up fair trade specialty coffees, pastries and sandwiches. The Coffee Shop is open all day on Saturdays and Sundays and is open during the week for breakfast from 7-11am until Thanksgiving. Outside of those hours, coffee lovers will be able to get take out coffee and pastries from the restaurant. The tradition of a fine dining experience will be continued and an affordable daily menu of lunches with numerous healthy starters, home made daily soups, fresh baked breads, home made pizzas, a fresh charcuterie (meat) plate, a cheese platter and delicious locally made desserts will be offered. A prime rib dinner special is another plan and will be offered regularly on the weekends.

The new owners bring with them a love of Indonesian food, which is popular in the Netherlands. Customers will be able to enjoy skewered meats dipped in a spicy peanut sauce, as well as a native Indonesian treat called Rijsttafel, a large plate of different meat, fish and veggie dishes served with different kinds of rice, which will be offered on special nights. Some of the traditional Netherlands desserts they have planned are Stroopwafel, a thin caramelized sugary and chewy waffle-type cookie as well as poffertjes, mini puff pancakes that are made fresh and served with butter and powdered sugar. The couple plan to cater special events and parties off site and invite special events bookings at the restaurant as well. Live music is also a consideration and there are hopes to have a regular live music evening once monthly. Renovations for the restaurant are also in the plans and the new owners hope to make the interior walls friendly to local artisans who might want to hold a show and/or display their work there.

Jeroen and Tess are working on a new website but the old one, which is still up and running, will offer current information (fallriverrestaurant.ca). While the gift shop is currently closed until later this year, the couple plan to stock it with a wide selection of gourmet food products, cottage/home wares, truffles and more.

While Tess and Jeroen definitely have their work cut out for them, already they are enjoying meeting and serving their new customers and are looking forward to making the Fall River Restaurant their own and a popular destination for both tourists and locals alike. The Fall River Restaurant is located at 21980 Highway 7 in Maberly and will be open year round Wednesdays through Sundays with the kitchen open from 11am until 8pm. Call 613-268-2197 to make reservations or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At a special ribbon cutting ceremony outside of the recently renovated W.A. Robinson and Associates building in Sharbot Lake, guests witnessed the official handing over of a 31-year-old family legacy to a younger member of the Robinson clan.

The ceremony took place on August 21 last week, when Wayne Robinson, who has been head of W.A Robinson and Associates for over three decades, officially handed over the torch to his son Matthew Robinson, the business’s new CEO.

The ribbon cutting was aided by Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski, who spoke about how the family businesses, under Wayne's initiative and leadership, have had so much success and contributed so much to the local community.

Long-time friend and colleague, Colleen Allison, spoke about Wayne’s legacy and history.

Wayne is a graduate of Sharbot Lake High School and Queens University, and has had an extensive and diverse working career. Allison cited Wayne’s tendency to move on after every success to new endeavors. He was the first director of North Frontenac Community Services. Then in 1979 he formed a construction company and also worked as a plumber. His focus soon turned to propane and he established the company ICG Oconto Propane, which would eventually grow to sell 10 million gallons of propane to over 600 domestic clients and over 30 gas stations in eastern Ontario before being sold to Superior Propane. In February of 1983, Wayne, his wife Alison and Marcel Giroux, established a group self-directed RRSP where clients could invest in mortgages. The business immediately attracted interested investors looking to improve their investment returns, and in 1986 Wayne purchased the Simonett building, which now houses the many financial businesses that he developed and built up over the years. Over time, the businesses have grown from an initial $100,000 in investments to currently now over $140 million world-wide.

Colleen Allison described Wayne as a “visionary and a problem solver” and as the “heart and soul of the corporation. She finished by wishing Wayne the best in his retirement.

Wayne was then presented with a legacy plaque by Dawn Reiser and he thanked his family, friends and colleagues for giving him the opportunity not only to make a living in the community, but also to provide employment to many of its members and to support the local community in so many ways.

Next, Bill Calvert, chair of the board of the Frontenac Mortgage Investment Corporation, introduced Matthew Robinson, the company's new CEO. Matthew is a Queen's University science graduate, an accredited real estate and mortgage broker, a chartered investment manager and portfolio manager. He has been the executive vice president at the company, and over the last three years has played a lead role in the multi-year succession and transformation plan at W.A Robinson Asset Management Ltd. Under Matthew’s direction staff teams at the company were strategically restructured and expanded; treasury management systems and regulatory requirements were refined and enhanced; and the lending policies, principles and procedures were also studied, advanced and refined. After being presented with an “Our Team” plaque that will be displayed in the building’s board room, the new CEO spoke briefly, citing his excitement over his new role. He said he believes he “won the lottery” on the day he was born. He spoke of the pride he takes in living and working in this special community and thanked his parents and the dedicated staff at the company. He said he was honored to be heading up the business and promised to “do his best to continue to build and grow the company.”

Following the speeches guests were invited to enjoy refreshments and tours of the building.

New partners in farming, Jonathan Davies and Xiaoeng Shen, opened their Long Road Ecological Farm just last year and the business is quickly catching on. The farm is located south of Harrowsmith at Murvale. This is the first season that the two have been offering up their organically-grown market veggies for sale at the Frontenac Farmers Market's two new locations.

Recently at the Friday market, which takes place every week from 3 to 7pm south of Harrowsmith, the two had for sale not only the usual market veggies - cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, beans, greens and other fresh organically grown produce, but also their pastured, organically fed meat and eggs plus a number of other unique specialty items that include Chinese dim sum-style dumplings, steam buns, sweet egg tarts and more, all home made from their own organic produce.

Both men, who did not farm prior to opening the business, have farmers in their families. Jonathon, who hails from Alberta, had relatives who farmed. He studied arts, taught English overseas and worked for a number of not-for-profit organizations in Toronto prior to opening the business.

Xiaoeng, who grew up in China in a small rural village near Wuhan, said he watched his mother farm there from a young age. He left China and studied geomantics and engineering at the University of Calgary, which was where the two met. Johnathon said that it was while they were in Toronto in 2013 that he and Xiaoeng took a four-weekend workshop last year with FarmStart, an organization that runs out of Guelph, Ont., which offers workshops all over Ontario to those interested in learning more about farming. The two were looking for a business venture where they could both enjoy more physical outdoor work. “After that workshop we took out a space at the McVean Incubator Farm, a community farm located in Toronto where we had a chance to grow our own produce and learn from a number of farmer mentors there,” Jonathan said.

It was after that that the two decided to get into farming full time and purchased the property where their business is now located. “We knew that we were both really keen and being young and strong, we knew we were able and willing to put in the hard work involved.”

Long Road Eco farm is located on a 36 acre property and they are currently farming one acre as a market garden. Signs on Road 38 now mark the farm and when not selling at the Friday and Saturday markets they sell directly from their farm gate from 9am-7pm. Currently they are also experimenting with growing shitake mushrooms, which they hope to be offering up to customers as well. So far the business is steadily increasing, with many customers now returning either to the farm gate or the farmers' markets. While farming is the businesses primary focus, Xiaoeng is also offering dim sum cooking classes at the farm. For more information visit www.longroadecofarm.ca.

Goodfellow's Flowers, the local flower business that was started by Ann and David Goodfellow roughly 20 years ago in Parham, has once again changed hands.

Until June of this year the business had been owned by Michelle Greenstreet, who bought it from the Goodfellows around a decade ago and moved it to Clement Road. Greenstreet had been looking for a buyer for the business and in late May, 2014 she paid a visit to Rimpy Kaillon, wife of Ram Kaillon, owners and operators of Ram's Esso station on Hwy 7 in Sharbot Lake.

It was then and there that Rimpy, who has always loved flower arranging, decided “on the spot”, as she says, to purchase the business and move it to its new location at Ram's Esso. Rimpy is no stranger to flower arranging; she studied it in the past with Erik Wesseling of the Canadian Association of Flower Arrangers in Woodstock. She recalled that, “When Michelle came here in May and we spoke, I decided right away to buy the business. I knew it was the right kind of business for me and the kind of business that I always wanted to have."

The official transaction took just a few days to complete and a few more to move the shop from Clement Road to Ram's Esso and into the store where it is now open for business.

Prior to the purchase, Rimpy had been making and selling silk flower arrangements at home and selling them at the store, but once the official papers were signed she was eager to learn everything she could about the business. She decided to enroll as a student at the Canadian Institute of Floral Design in Toronto for their three-week course. There she was taught everything there is to know about flower arranging, including its business side. Five instructors taught her, including Donald Waltho, Ashley Waltho, Brad Higginson and Rhonda Ristich and after successfully completing the course she was thrilled to finally return home to Sharbot Lake with her framed certificate in hand.

Rimpy Kaillon is now ready to serve her customers and she exudes the confidence and enthusiasm that new business ownership brings. She is planning a grand opening at the store sometime this fall. The store's name will remain the same, Goodfellow's Flowers, as will its website www.goodfellowsflowers.com, and long-time phone number (613-279-6446). Rimpy will offer customers a wider selection of fresh cut and silk flowers, and arrangements for all occasions, including weddings, proms, anniversaries, birthdays, funerals, memorial services and other special events as well as gift baskets, corsages and more.

Goodfellow's Flowers is located at Ram's Esso, 24515 Highway 7 just east of Road 38. Proud new owner, Rimpy Kaillon, will be on hand to serve you and meet all of your floral needs.

In May of last year, Anne Howes sold the Rising Bun Bakery to Rachel Hosseini, a construction project manager from Richmond Hill who wanted to move to Sharbot Lake and start up a Subway franchise.

“It took several months to formalize the franchise and do the Subway training, and then there was a delay as the renovations to the building to fit the Subway model took more time. As well, the winter was pretty hard for construction this year,” said Hosseini, who ended up opening the store just over a week ago, on Wednesday, July 23.

The customers were waiting, and the Subway restaurant, which is the first and only fast food restaurant anywhere in Frontenac County, has been busy most of the time since it opened.

The staff of 10 have been putting in long hours over the last week, none more than Hosseini herself, who has been working alongside her employees pretty much from open until close every day.

“It has been a challenge for all of us to deal with all of the work since you only learn so much through training, but everyone has done well. I'm ready to leave them on their own, but it is hard since I am a bit of a workaholic,” she said.

Subway has over 28,000 stores in Canada and the US and over 42,000 stores worldwide, so the brand is drawing some of the crowds into the store from Highway 7.

“I think having the store here will be good for the two other restaurants that are here,” she said, “because not everyone wants a Subway sandwich; people also want fries and burgers and pizza.

The other businesses in the area have been welcoming, she said. The closest neighbouring food business, Jossy, even brought flowers to her on opening day.

Rachel Hosseini was born in Iran, but moved with her family to Toronto in the 1990s, when she was still in high school. She studied Project Management at George Brown College, and then opened a construction company in Richmond Hill.

The appeal of starting up a new business in Sharbot Lake is partially the challenge, and also because she was drawn to the beauty of the village, where she is now renting on the lake, and to the receptiveness of the community.

“I love it here,” she said.

The Sharbot Lake Subway Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 am until 10 pm weeknights and 8 am until 9 pm on weekends. The hours may be altered a bit in the winter time.

The year was 1946; the Second World War had just ended, and Bob Bence had returned to Arden from military service in the United States. With his father Joe, Bob decided to start up a car dealership in Arden.

The Bence family, who originally came from New York State, had moved to Arden on a full-time basis after having a cottage there for years.

After preparing a site in the middle of the village for construction, and even pouring a foundation, something happened that changed the family history, much to the benefit of the Bence family, the village of Kaladar, and thousands of truck and car buyers from across Ontario.

As Bob Bence, now 89, recollected this week from the spacious, brand spanking new Bence Motors showroom at the junction of Hwy. 7 and 41, it all had to do with the then Reeve of Kennebec Township.

Photo: Robert (Bob Sr.) and the late Glenda Bence.

“He made an inappropriate pass to a close relative of my father, while her husband was still overseas, and after my father told him what he thought of his behaviour, it became difficult for us to do business in Arden any more."

At the time, the trains were still going through Arden and Highway 7 was still a dirt road. Nevertheless, Bob Bence visited the site at Kaladar, thought it looked promising, and moved the business, lock, stock and cement block, over to Kaladar.

Highway 41 was also no more than a gravel road then, but over the years the train has stopped running through Arden, and Highways 7 and 41 have become transportation corridors to far-flung corners of the province.

In 1959, two major events took place in Bob Bence's life. He married Glenda, who was 13 years his junior, and he purchased Bence Motors from his father. During the 1960s, Bob did most of the work on his own, both selling cars and running the repairs end of the business. Meanwhile, Glenda gave birth to six children over the next 10 years.

“Glenda was always an extrovert,” Bob Bence said fondly of his wife, who died of cancer in the winter of 2007, “so she started selling cars while I looked after the rest of the business.”

One of the reasons for Bence Motors’ staying power is the way three of Bob and Glenda Bence’s children, Joe, Bob Jr. and Tammy (Gaylord), have taken up the business. Tammy is the bookkeeper/manager for the sales and repairs; Bob is a master technician; and Joe takes care of the sales end of the business.

Photo: Robert (Bobby) Bence Jr., Tammy Gaylord, and Joe Bence in front of the new Bence Motors.

For Tammy, the fact that the business is a three-generation family-run enterprise is key to its continued success after 68 years.

At one point it looked like only Bob Jr., who was interested in being a technician ever since he was a boy, would stay in the business. But in 1983, Joe came back to Kaladar and started selling cars, and in 1989, Tammy, who at the time was running a hair salon, started working as a part-time book-keeper for her parents.

“I was part-time for about two months,” she recalls now.

Even in a new, modern car showroom, the Bence family keeps things pretty informal. Joe Bence prefers a ball cap and a t-shirt to a suit and tie, and for the picture accompanying this article, a new Ford shirt had to be found for Bob to replace and not-so new shirt he was wearing.

But car sales are about service and having the products people want, and Bence keeps a wide selection of Ford trucks in stock, which Joe Bence complies himself, in order to have the trucks their customers always seem to want.

“A lot of our sales are now done through the Internet” said Tammy, “and mostly people see trucks listed with the features they need and they get hold of us for them. We have customers who order vehicles from Toronto, from Quebec, from all over, as well as from the local community.”

Even though the final decision to build a new showroom, office and six-bay service centre was only finalised last spring, leading to a frenetic year of building while the old Bence Motors remained open for business, it has been coming for a number of years.

“We knew we had outgrown our old dealership 15 years ago,” said Tammy, "and we starting thinking about what we should do.”

A little over five years ago, work began on flattening some of the huge outcrop behind the old building, and some more land was purchased to accommodate the ever expanding business.

“We had to lay the groundwork, and then last year we decided to make the investment and go for it,” said Joe Bence.

“Dad didn't see the need for it, after all he is 89, but I think we all have seen, since we opened the new building, that it is what we had hoped for and more,” said Tammy.

Back in 2003, we ran an article in the Frontenac News about the staying power of Bence Motors, which at that time had outlasted other Ford and car dealerships along Highways 7 and 41, even though it did not have the fancy showrooms that the other dealers had.

In recent years, other dealerships, including A&B Ford in Perth and Revell Ford, another generations-old family-run business in Verona, have upgraded their facilities, and Bence Motors was falling further behind.

Not any more.

Earlier this month, motivated by concern about the environment and a love of business, young entrepreneur Hayden Rasberry launched his own business called WeDrink. The 16-year-old KCVI student, who divides his time between Kingston and Yarker, was one of the vendors at this year’s Canada Day celebration in Harrowsmith.

WeDrink offers consumers a unique, reusable glass water bottle that Rasberry designed and has had manufactured. He said that the number one reason for starting up the business was his awareness of “the growing demand for glass water bottles in and around the Kingston area.” He noticed, for example, that the Limestone Organic Creamery's glass bottles were being used by people post consumption to store their drinks. He said, “I knew that I could create a better, lighter weight glass bottle that was actually meant to be used and carried around.” Environmental and social concerns were a second motivation and Hayden said that his bottles are great for the environment since they are 100% recyclable, and as they are not plastic, they lack the health concerns associated with plastic water bottles, many of which, prior to 2008, contained bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound associated with health problems. WeDrink bottles are made from high-density, thin, lightweight glass. They are long-lasting, can be used for hot and cold drinks, which Rasberry says “taste much better when drunk from glass”, are dishwasher safe and come with a neoprene cover and a washable stainless steel cap.

Rasberry says that the glass used in WeDrink bottles is less breakable than ordinary glass, and he is trying to help people overcome their fear of using a glass drink bottle. He has done numerous tests on his bottles and said they can withstand breakage from a one-metre drop onto concrete. The neoprene covers, which are available in five colors, are included in the cost of $15 per bottle and also help to protect them. “We use so much glass in our homes every day; it’s in our cups and plates and the very thin wine glasses and I am trying to encourage consumers to see that a glass drink bottle is a viable alternative to other metal and plastic alternatives.”
Rasberry's company is also partnered with a charity called Watercan, which helps to bring clean water to communities in need. Ten percent of the profits from each WeDrink bottle goes to WaterCan, hence the name of the business. “Every time a WeDrink bottle is sold, someone much less fortunate benefits as well.” Rasberry strongly feels that by offering an environmentally safe alternative to plastic water bottles and by supporting a local charitable organization, he is meeting the needs of his customers and he reported that the business, at this early stage, is doing well. Just one week after its launch he is close to having sold the first 200 bottles he had manufactured and will be ordering 400 more. This summer Rasberry will be able to focus on the business full-time after receiving a $3,000 grant from Summer Company. “My goal this summer is to establish a solid base as well as trying to gauge the consumer demand in Kingston and the surrounding area. After that, I am going to consider expanding to other cities and areas in the fall.” The business has caught the attention of some potential investors, who he said are hoping to help him grow the brand.

This fall Hayden Rasberry will be returning to KCVI for grade 11 and said that he will be putting academics as his primary focus. He plans to study commerce after graduating from high school and said he has a huge interest in business, especially those that focus on environmental and social issues. “I'm convinced that triple bottom line companies like WeDrink, which focus on people, the planet and profit are the businesses of the future. Because the people denying problems, like global warming, are becoming fewer and fewer, companies like this one offer consumers an opportunity to relieve some of the anxiety and stress they have about these issues while offering up a product with social and environmental benefits.”

Rasberry credits his parents, musician Gary Rasberry and Rena Upitis, founder of Wintergreen Studios, for helping him build the company. “Not only did I have a place to stay and food to eat while I was planning and setting up the business, but both my parents gave me a lot of good advice, since both have experience as entrepreneurs.”

WeDrink bottles are sold at Plover's and Living Rooms in downtown Kingston and will be available at a permanent summer retail location soon to be announced on the company’s website. Hayden will also be selling the bottles at a number of different events throughout the summer, which are also listed on the website. Customers can also order bottles by contacting the website. Visit www.WeDrink.ca

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Craft lovers visiting the north country take note. A new craft store recently opened its doors in Ompah, where local crafters, Debbie Emery and Betty Hunter have set up shop. They named the new store "Creative Inspirations" and it is located in the old Ompah United Church. The craft business is not new to either lady. In 2011 and 2012 the two ran a craft store in Plevna in the former United Church manse, which they had to close when the manse was sold two years ago.

Debbie Emery, who is a sewer and quilter, has for sale in the new store an impressive assortment of quilts, pillows, tea cozies, table runners, place mats and wash mitts. Her lines are crisp and clean and her colour choices are harmonious. Her teddy bears make the perfect cuddly toy for youngsters.

Betty Hunter knits, crochets and tats and her items include garden aprons and lovely denim vests made from recycled clothing. Her unique line of pine needle baskets are exquisitely made and are a native craft she learned from her mother decades ago.

Also in stock are works by other local artisans, which include Jennifer Hunter's one of a kind “garden totems” which she creates from “upcycled” glassware and china. Richard Emery of Forest Frames has a interesting line of natural wooden frames made from hollow logs, which he dries out and slices and uses to frame photos and wild life scenery. Other works include acrylic still life paintings by Linda Rush, and stained glass and watercolour landscapes by Ardoch artist Catherine Owen. Local cottager Denise Elms has a unique line of beaded jewelry for sale, and Don Hunter's decorative birdhouses are also a delight.

Creative Inspirations is located at 10223 Road 509 in Ompah and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am-4pm. For more information contact Betty Hunter at 613-479-2979 or Debbie Emery at 613-479-8057.