James Norris lives a quiet life. He has lived in a small house in Northbrook for the last 15 years, after moving there with his wife from Oshawa.

They both suffered health problems. He has Multiple Sclerosis and was forced to retire from the auto industry after injuring his back, and his wife suffered from lung disease, which ended up taking her life in 2006.

Norris lives alone now, trying to make ends meet on a Disability pension from his work, and some support from the Ontario Disability Support Program.

He receives $1085 a month, has a $285 mortgage, and he also has hydro, property tax, and phone bills to pay. That leaves only about $400 for food and day-to-day necessities. And then there is heat.

“As the weather gets colder this year, I have no oil in my furnace, and no money to buy oil,” he said on a cool, cloudy afternoon, from his candle lit kitchen. He wore a housecoat over his clothes, and I kept my coat on in his kitchen. A small space heater was on in the sitting room.

For the past seven years, ever since his wife died, James Norris has slowly built up a balance on his VISA card, to the point where he has to pay $400 each month towards the balance. He has a driver's license but could not keep a car on the road, and now faces the fact that he cannot afford oil this winter.

There is a program that he has accessed in the past through the Ontario Works department in Napanee that has covered one tank of oil per winter in the past, but he cannot access that until at least January.

Getting to January is a problem, however, and the fact that oil companies have a minimum delivery of $400 worth of oil has him basically out of luck.

“It is really tight surviving right now. I only get food that is on sale. I basically shop when I need to. I certainly could eat better,” he said. “I try to get out and volunteer as much as I can. I'd rather be out doing something than sitting at home. Between my back and MS I can't work but when I feel ok I can volunteer, but I always need to be picked up and brought home.”

He says that his situation is not unique.

“There are many other people like me and worse. Costs go up but benefits don't. At $1085 a month, it doesn't add up for someone like me to get through the winter,” he said.

Ann Marie Langan works for the Legal Clinic, which provides legal services for residents of Lanark, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington from an office at Northern Frontenac Community Services in Sharbot Lake. She has been providing legal advice to clients facing financial difficulties as well.

“More and more families in the area are facing a lot of financial hardship,” she said, “and it only escalates when winter comes.”

Kendra Godfrey lives in Mountain Grove with her husband Sean. Between them they have seven children ranging from five to 20 years of age, and six of them are living at home.

Sean receives Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) support and Kelly works at the Maples in Sharbot Lake. They have had financial struggles, and not only do they face the coming winter and the cost of oil for their rental home, Ontario Hydro is threatening to pull the plug on their electricity.

“Since we moved here two years ago, ODSP has been paying $240 a month to Hydro from Sean's funds all that time. I have been after Hydro One to send us bills that whole time, and each time gave them our address but the bill never came, so I had no way of knowing if we were paying enough,” she said.

On October 2, a letter came to their home by Purolator, saying they owed $6,900 were going to have their power cut us off unless they made arrangements within 10 days to start paying off the debt. Hydro One is looking for $600 per month for service and $240 per month for two and a half years to pay off the debt.

Anne Marie Langan is working on the case with Kendra Godfrey, and last week put in a demand for the bills but has not received them.

Meanwhile in a subsequent phone call with a representative from Hydro One, Kendra found out that it is no longer $6,900 that Hydro is asking for in back payments. “I talked to someone on October 27 and she said that it is $8,500 that is owing, so I don't know what is going on at all now.”

Not only are the potential hydro costs spiralling out of control, oil costs are very high in their home, leading Godfrey to wonder how they will keep the home warm and bright this winter.

“We live as carefully as we can, don't leave lights on, and we close off part of the house in the winter to save money,

but this hydro mess has made it impossible for us to budget,” she said.

Michele Zigman administers a number of emergency funding programs for Frontenac County residents out of her office in Sydenham with Southern Frontenac Community Services. She is also worried about the coming winter.

“We are still working with people who are trying to recover from last winter, which was cold and long and particularly hard on those who heat with propane. This coming winter could be really devastating to a lot of people,” she said.

Wigman pointed out that most of the money she is able to access to support families struggling with costs is subject to strict conditions, one of them being that the families do not receive social assistance. She also said that the funds she makes use of are provincial dollars administered by the City of Kingston.

“Frontenac County, based on its share of the regional population, should receive more funding than it does for these programs,” she said.

A new homelessness initiative will bring a change in the supports for families in situations such as those faced by James Norris and Kendra Godfrey's family, but funding remains an issue.

“The goal is for people to have sustainable housing in the long term,” said Zigman, “and my fear is that people will be forced to give up their houses if this winter is as bad as last winter was.”

Sharbot Lake and District Lions president Bill Zwier welcomed the over 100 seniors who gathered at the Land O' Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove on October 22 for the 38th rendition of their annual Seniors Night. The event, which is sponsored by W. A. Robinson Asset Management Ltd. of Sharbot Lake, buses in seniors from the townships of Central and North Frontenac who wish to attend the event. Guests enjoyed an evening of first-rate entertainment courtesy of local Elvis tribute artist and Johnny Cash impersonator Dan Stoness, young fiddler Jessica Wedden and local musician Tommy Asselstine. Guests had a chance to win numerous door prizes that were handed out throughout the evening. Members of the club also had a chance to show off their star power in a number of comical skits. Elvis put on a very memorable and interactive show and offered a special birthday tribute to two lucky ladies in the audience, Shirley Jones and Lois Webster, who were both celebrating their birthdays the night of the event.

The evening concluded with a generous spread of refreshments and once again the Lions proved that they indeed know how to put together a show and entertain guests.

Hats off to all the Lions, including chair of the Seniors Night committee Linda Zwier who unfortunately, due to a fall, was unable to attend. It was the second year that the Lions held the annual event at Land O' Lakes P.S. Previously it had been held at the former Sharbot Lake High School.

Grade 7 and 8 students at Land O' Lakes Public School had a chance to break the ice while also learning how to trust one another during their first few weeks back at school.

In a special art project, students made plaster casts of their faces, which involved putting themselves into a vulnerable position. The students chose groups and each student in the group had the others make a negative mold of their face. This meant that each participant had to lie down and breathe out of straws while their peers covered their faces with plaster bandages. Once the molds were dried each student then made a positive cast from the original negative molds. The end result is 26 white plaster faces that now hang in the school’s main pod area and will be on display until Christmas.

Their teacher, Mr. Hull, said that the project, which is part of the casting curriculum for the students, is also a great trust exercise. “It's a great opportunity for the students to learn about the positive and negative elements of casting, the chemical reactions that take place, concepts of volume, as well as learning to trust the partners in their group.”

In addition to the mold making, students were asked to write biographies of themselves, which hang under their nameless faces. For many, the project was their first encounter with mold making, and it was also enjoyable for them because they had a chance to bond with their fellow students.

Hull said it was the first time he did this particular mold making project with students and he felt it was a huge success. “I am always amazed at how well the students respond to these hands-on cooperative, creative projects. Not only did they do all of the work themselves but they also did a great job.” Hull said the project works particularly well with older students who have the maturity to deal with being able to stay still for an extended length of time while breathing through straws.

Grade 8 student Leah-Anne said she “enjoyed the project and though having the plaster bandages on your face at first was a bit weird and at first scary, it was fun and interesting.” Grade 7 student Mariah said she also enjoyed the project and said it was her first time making a plaster face mask.

The project is attracting the attention of other students in the school, who often try to guess which face belongs to whom.

Last week, Central Frontenac Council decided to stay an order to remove two miniature horses from a property on Clarke Rd. Margaret Mallory and Brian Skillen have been keeping the horses on their one-acre property and petitioned the township to allow them to keep them. Council asked township staff to report back on whether this constitutes an “agricultural use”, which would require a minimum lot size of four hectares (9.9 acres).

Council is considering changing the bylaw or fine tuning the definition of agricultural use to exclude animals that are being kept as pets, as the horses are.

Two people read the account of this debate with interest, for different reasons.

One of those people is Peter Lister, who was one of the very few in the audience at the meeting who was not there to support Mallory and Skillen. In fact it was Peter Lister who made the complaint that activated the bylaw officer to order the miniature horses removed in the first place.

“I have nothing against the horses,” he said later when interviewed at his home, which is next to the home of Mallory and Skillen, “nor do I have anything against the people living there. My problem is with the potential effect of those horses on my water and on the water in Big Clear Lake.”

As was reported last week, the Ministry of the Environment will be investigating the matter, not because of the bylaw but because the wellhead on the property in question is located in the same converted garage where the miniature horses, Teddy and Tommy, are stabled.

Lister's concern is based on the fact that his own well is the same depth as the well on the neighbouring property and he is concerned it might be the same vein that feeds both wells, making his well subject to potential contamination.

“I am trying to sell my house and if anything happens to the water that would be the end of my sale,” he said, “and I would be left with contaminated drinking water.”

Lister said that he has been testing his well water every week since the spring, when he became concerned, and thus far the tests have come back clean.

“The garage also backs onto a flood plain that drains directly into Big Clear Lake,” Lister said, pointing to the back of the properties, “and the animal waste can feed into the lake.”

We attempted to contact Mr. Skillen to comment on the concerns raised by Peter Lister, but were unsuccessful thus far.

If two horses are ok, what about six goats?

Shawn Blackburn also read the article last week, and called us to talk about his brush with the bylaw officer. Blackburn lives with his wife Julie and daughter Christina on Brock Road close to Mountain Grove. Last month he was served with an order from the Central Frontenac bylaw officer to remove the pet goats that he has had on his three-acre property for the past 18 months.

“I have permission from my neighbour to use 10 acres of his property, which backs onto mine, in order to get the township off my back,” he said, taking a break from doing some excavator work in preparation for putting up a fence around his neighbour's field. The order from the township requires that the animals are removed by August 23, and Blackburn does not know what will happen then. He has been working on a combine in Saskatchewan and will be flying back there to work until the season ends in mid-November. He is hoping the township will give him enough time to find a way to comply with the bylaw.

Blackburn does not know who complained about the goats, which he keeps in a penned-in yard next to his house. The six goats started off as two goats, Billy and Daisy, who were purchased as pets for Christina, but now there are six, two of which, twins Bob and Burt, are set to be given away.

“We're going to fix the males so we'll have four left,” said Blackburn, adding that the animals are kept entirely as pets, not for milk or meat or any other agricultural use.

“I'll do what I have to to keep them; my daughter is very attached to them. She pampers them; she feeds them by hand. We all do.”

If the motto for the parent council at Land O' Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove is not “the show must go on”, it definitely should be. That was the case for the school's annual Fun Fair, which took place on May 22 despite some heavy downpours that in no way dampened the spirits of the hundreds who attended. The annual event, which is put on by the school’s parent council with the help of school staff, is a fundraiser for the school, and every year numerous local businesses, individuals and organizations donate their time, goods and skills to the event.

There were dozens of activities for kids, including wagon rides from Brian Skillen and his team of miniature horses Teddy and Tommy; cupcake decorating; crafts; fire hose demos with Central Frontenac's Station 4 volunteers; a hockey shoot out and giant sling shot; bouncy castles, duck and fish pond games and much more. The older crowd had a chance to shop for fresh baked goods and to bid on a number of silent auction items and theme baskets, and to dine out at BBQ chefs Fred Knapton and Laura Woods’ grill. New this year was live musical entertainment in the school gym, which included performances by the Granite Ridge High School band, the LOLPS Glee Club, local country crooner Mitch Barker and Sharbot Lake’s the Feral 5.

The funds raised this year will go towards helping to construct a covered outdoor sand play area for younger children at the school as well as to help purchase new team shirts for the school’s Timber Wolves. School Principal Emily Yanch said the event is important one for the small rural school, which relies on ongoing support from the local community. It is an opportunity for the parent council not only to raise funds for the school but also to give back to the community.

'Small-scale seed producer' is not listed as one of the top 10, or top 100 career choice options in the post-modern, post-manufacturing, post-agricultural economy, but don't tell that to Dawn Morden.

A passion for vegetable gardening led Dawn to an interest in saving seed, and one thing led to another. Five years ago she founded the Mountain Grove Seed Company, and while sales were small at the start they have increased steadily ever since.

Currently, she has three different garden plots on the go, all located within a short distance of the house her husband Rob recently built. The couple have two children, Sarah and Bayley.

The current property is pretty well surrounded by woods, which makes growing difficult, but although some day Dawn would like to consolidate everything on one sun-lit property, there are some advantages to having garden plots separated by some distance.

“Isolation distances are very important for plants to avoid cross-pollination. Before selling any seed, I need to be sure they will reproduce true to form,” she said.

Some vegetables, such as corn, need to be located at least three kilometres away from any other variety, whereas a separation of a few roads is sufficient for tomatoes.

“I grow seed for at least two years before selling it, to make sure it reproduces true to form, and to make sure the taste is what I expect,” she said.

The process involves a lot of gardening, a lot of care in selecting the best fruits from the most successful plants, and carefully drying the seeds out. Every vegetable and flower is different, so there is a lot of research and trial and error involved before seeds are added to the company's catalogue.

The seeds are mostly heirloom varieties, and only organic gardening techniques are used in the garden. The Mordens keep bees and chickens for pollination and fertilization.

Among the vegetables and flowers they have available are 28 varieties of tomatoes, 10 kinds of beans, and all the other common vegetables. The limited selection of flowers includes many of the flowers that would have been found in the gardens of the family farms that dotted the landscape around MacLean Road, Parham, and Mountain Grove 125 years ago: Hollyhocks and Cosmos, Sunflowers, Sweet William, Sweet Pea and others. A few of the varieties can be traced back to Dawn's great grandparents, Jean and Melvin Scott.

Much of the marketing that the Mountain Grove Seed Company does at this time of the year, which is coming up on high season for garden seed, is done through Seedy events in Eastern Ontario. They will be one of the seed vendors at the Seedy Saturday event, which will be held at the Oso Hall, 9 am to 1 pm in Sharbot Lake on March 22.

The event, which includes a farmers' market, seed exchange and vendor booths, is free. The morning will also include a workshop by Cate Henderson from the Heirloom Seed Sanctuary, for which the fee is $10. To register please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Dawn Morden has been travelling to Almonte, Perth, and beyond to Seedy Saturday and Seedy Sunday events over the years. Aside from being good markets for her heirloom seeds, they are great opportunities to talk about local growing conditions, the upcoming season, and to share seeds. “I always put seed into the exchange and I like to see what other people bring,” she said.

As far as battling for a share of the market with other small seed companies at the events, the relationship is more collegial than competitive. “We all love seeds and gardening, and the interesting thing is, we all seem to have different varieties for sale,” she said.

To reach the Mountain Grove Seed Company call 876-8383 or go to Mountaingroveseed.com. All seed packets sell for $2; corn & garlic $3.

Last week students at Land O'Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove with a passion for art started up the second year of an extra-curricular art program at the school. The popular program, which first ran in 2011, is back this year thanks to a $800 grant from the Limestone Learning Foundation, which pays for the cost of all the materials and makes the program free for the students.

Grade 7/8 teacher Lee Hull, who is a trained illustrator/classical painter, and an award-winning artist in his own right, is again heading up the program, which he calls the Land O'Lakes Art Club. It is Hull's passion for painting that attracted the 24 budding young artists to the class this year and when I visited the school last week the students were just getting started.

Mr. Hull was demonstrating to the students how to hold their pencils and how to make rough gestural sketches of a draped plastic mannequin, which he positioned in the centre of the gym along with a large plant that he invited the students to include in their compositions. They were instructed to make four rough sketches and then to choose their favorite, which will be the foundation of a painting that each student will produce by the end of the course.

Each student was provided with their own easel, smock, paints, pencils, brushes and palette and canvas and the LLF grant also allowed Hull to purchase the plastic mannequin, which the class named Lola (Land O'Lakes Art Model). During the course the students will learn basic classical drawing and painting techniques, including how to make an effective composition, how to paint folds, and how to paint light and shadow. Hull is passing on to the students the classical drawing and painting techniques that he studied at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and also in Florence, Italy.

Hull said he enjoys the energy of the students. “These students are here because they are interested and excited about making art and the fact that they are giving up their free time to learn demonstrates that fact,” he said. Asked about the challenges of teaching students who may have no previous art background Hull said, “Classical techniques follow a predefined series of steps that are very straightforward. Basically you start with drawing a line and then defining the lights and darks by making gradations first from dark to light and then back again.” Hull said that when he last ran the class two years ago he was amazed and shocked by the quality of the work that the students produced. “The fact that you can teach them the steps so that they can then harness their creativity is an amazing thing.”

Hull's passion for painting is apparent in his very upbeat and energetic approach. He makes his way around the circle of easels, speaking to each student individually, giving them pointers and encouragement along the way. French teacher Max Campbell and parent Brett Hilder are assisting in the class and judging by the concentration and enthusiasm of the students, it looks as though there will be 24 very interesting paintings by the end of the 10-week course. The course will end with a final art show at the school.

Hull, who is not one to toot his own horn, has had numerous shows here and abroad, including in Italy and in Japan. A portrait he painted of former LOLPS staff member, Brian Robertson, earned him the second place award last year in the Kingston Art Council's portrait competition. Lee did say that he feels it is important to learn from someone who practises art themselves. “If I wanted to learn something new, like music or ceramics, I would definitely want to learn from someone who practices them.”

Hull continues to paint in his spare time and currently is working on a watercolour painting of an old barn.

Though he was raised in rural Prince Edward Island, Darin MacKinnon is no stranger to Ontario. The new student minister at the Arden Pastoral Charge just finished his second week of services since he was appointed to his new post on January 1. He will be leading the three congregations that make up the charge, which includes the United churches of Arden, Mountain Grove and Henderson. MacKinnon is replacing outgoing Reverend Barbara Mahood, who left the post last August after serving for 13 years to head up the Pastoral Charge of Newburg and Centreville. In the interim, a number of supply ministers served the three congregations prior to MacKinnon’s appointment.

At his first services, which took place on January 5 in Arden and Mountain Grove, MacKinnon was introduced to the congregations by John Purdon. MacKinnon grew up in eastern Prince Edward Island and went to school at the University of PEI. He also studied for three years at Queen's University’s School of Religion in Kingston and graduated from there in June 2013 before beginning the first of a required two-year internship. MacKinnon comes to his post with a diverse work background. He first studied education and worked as a supply teacher and also taught history courses at the University of PEI. He said that history remains close to his heart and helps to inform his style of ministering. “I like to reflect on history and heritage in my sermons. I like to know where certain ideas came from and why we say and do certain things and to know where that comes from.”

MacKinnon also worked in the environmental and heritage/culture departments for the provincial government while in PEI and said that that those experiences allow him to appreciate the natural world, its current issues and the unique heritage we share as Canadians across the country. “A lot of what these small churches are about is a unique heritage. There is a lot of personal history that people have here and they value that. I think that they want to see that history celebrated and honored and I feel that I am someone who can honor and respect that.”

For his first experience ministering MacKinnon said that this is an exciting time for him. “I look forward to meeting new people in this new place and exploring my faith with them and new ways of talking about Christianity. This is a great opportunity to test the waters of my sense of calling and for me to see how that is received. It will also present an opportunity for me to learn from the people here, to learn about their customs, values and traditions.” Regarding the challenges his new position poses, MacKinnon said that one will be trying to relate to “all generations and to come up with a relevant message that all can appreciate and one that is still true to what I feel and believe.” Serving three separate congregations will also pose its own special challenges. “I am assuming that each congregation will have its own personality and its own needs and perspectives, which is something that I will have to learn to appreciate, understand and be able to respond to.”

MacKinnon said that he has received a very warm reception so far. “I have visited some people already, at their homes and shared some meals and feel that the people here seem very open-minded and friendly.” MacKinnon said that he is looking forward to an upcoming meeting with the church elders, where he hopes to learn more about the work and life of the local church community. He added that he is also excited to be living and serving in such a naturally beautiful part of Ontario and said he hopes to do a bit of canoeing, hiking and biking.

Regular services take place on Sunday morning in Arden at 10 a.m. and in Mountain Grove at 11:15 a.m. Services will resume in Henderson at the end of February. Anyone wanting to contact the new minister can call the church office in Arden at 613-335-2474.

Gary Auerbach uses his skills as both a former world freestyle Frisbee champion and as an inspirational speaker to help young people learn the tools they need to be successful.

Auerbach, who won the World Freestyle Frisbee Championship in 1995 while living in Toronto, has been speaking to youth at school assembly programs for close to two decades.

He made a special visit to Land O'Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove on November 21, where he engaged the entire school in an assembly and conducted small workshops focused around Frisbee skills. “It's not so much about showing them what I can do with a Frisbee but showing them what they can do with one,” Auberbach said. “Frisbee is the perfect life-long physical activity that they can do with family and friends and it gets them outside, away from all the little screened boxes and puts a fun circle in their hands.”

Auerbach was invited to the school after LOLPS student support teacher Kathy Bateman saw Auerbach years ago at an Ontario Physical and Health Educators' Association conference. “I loved what he did and have wanted to get him to come to Mountain Grove for years now,” Bateman said.

Auerbach, who is a citizen of both Canada and the United States, now works and lives in Winchester, Virginia but comes to Canada often to visit family and friends. Mountain Grove was just one of the two Canadian stops on this trip and he captured the attention of the LOLPS students from the get go. He demonstrated the many ways to throw, roll, balance, juggle, flip and handle a huge assortment of Frisbees in all shapes, colours and sizes. He told of the history of the Frisbee and how it was modeled after tin pie pans made at the Frisbee Pie Company in Connecticut, where workers liked to toss the tin plates around on their breaks. After plastic was later invented, the first Frisbees, which were then called flying saucers, were made from it. Later they would be named Frisbees after the owners of the Connecticut pie company.

Auerbach delivered a polished performance and his lively sense of humor and friendly delivery had students smiling, laughing, and generally falling in love with the game. What staff liked most about him was his underlying message. LOLPS Principal Emily Yanch said Auerbach's presentation fit in perfectly with the school board's focus on the development of “growth mind set” in students. “The idea is to encourage effort and perseverance in students and to show them how both pay off in terms of becoming life-long learners,” Yanch said.

Auerbach's presentation reinforced those ideas. When he demonstrated one “next to impossible” under the leg move but did not succeed, he quipped, “It's okay to mess up but not to give up." He then tried the move again with the words “Take two!”. He had the students mesmerized with the huge assortment of Frisbees he performed with: a yo-yo style Frisbee, a long-tailed Frisbee, a tiny baby one, a kite-tailed one, a huge oversized yellow one, a pizza Frisbee, a feather-tailed Frisbee, one ninja, one Elvis and a recycled plastic Frisbee, a flying saucer, and one with raised markers, which is used by the visually impaired.

He spoke of initially being scared of Frisbees but gradually overcoming his fear. After a lot of practice he became good at it and later on a world champion. He likened the flight of a Frisbee to the way an airplane wing works. "Throw it straight - it goes straight; tilt it upwards and it flies upwards.” He showed how to angle or blank its flight, and how to fly it upside down.

Auerbach invited any students with new Frisbee ideas to let him know. The students I spoke to said the presentation inspired them to play the game and some even said they planned on making their own yo-yo style Frisbee at home.

With the goal of “ramping up” public exposure for the business he opened in 2003, Paul Scott, owner of the Sumac Centre, is hoping to attract the attention of businesses, groups and individuals looking for a place to hold any kind of event in what can only be described as a very special place.

Located on a 586 acre property between Parham and Mountain Grove, on the shores of a private pristine lake, the center's two-storey, 6000 square foot lodge took Scott and his design team eight years to plan. Their meticulous attention to detail has created a center that places its natural surroundings front and centre while simultaneously offering up a fully functioning indoor space equipped and furnished with all of the modern conveniences that any small and large group may require.

Scott, who up until now was running the center on his own and entertaining usually one or two groups a month, recently hired on a co-director, Victor Heese, and business partner, David Campbell, with the hopes of increasing his business.

“We are now entering a new phase at the center and have made many changes to it. Now we want the public at large to know that we are here and open for business”, Scott said when I interviewed him and Heese on November 2.

The lodge's main floor, which is100% wheelchair accessible, boasts a series of huge passive solar windows that offer a panoramic view of the lake and surrounding woodlands. Outside, just 30 meters away, a dock protrudes into the lake, and a few canoes and a rowboat are beached close by. Just beyond, a fire pit stands lined with benches. The center's “great room” functions as the central hub of the building and it includes ample living and dining space. The room encompasses a fully equipped kitchen, a large gas stove, a large central island with three built-in sinks, and cupboards and cabinets filled with utensils and dishes for groups keen on cooking for themselves. A large, screened-in porch equipped with a barbeque invites outdoor cooking.

Photo:  l-r, Victor Heese with his daughter Natsuki and Paul Scott in the kitchen at the Sumac Centre

For those who prefer to have some or all of their meals provided, Heese and his wife Naomi offer a diverse catered menu with dishes that include locally sourced ingredients and much of their own home-grown veggies and herbs. Equipped with audio/visual equipment, the great room is perfect for businesses and or corporations, groups or individuals wanting to hold conferences, seminars or workshops. Also on the main floor is the center's largest guest room, complete with an office area and an ensuite bathroom.

The remaining seven guest rooms are located on the second floor. They are all simple, clean, bright rooms each with a twin bed, their own sink, and with adjoining washrooms between them that offer up shampoo, soaps, hair dryers and even an iron and board, for those needing a last final pressing. A large conference room on the second floor can easily accommodate 15-20 and it houses folding chairs and tables and a handy kitchenette. It connects to a second storey deck where guests can lounge. The center offers a high-speed wireless connection, and last but not least is the “quiet room”, a cozy second-storey hideaway for guests who want to get away from the crowd. This room is windowed on three sides and seemingly hangs amongst the tall pine trees that surround it.

Scott and his team are transforming the center's 2000 square foot basement into a multi-purpose room perfect for yoga retreats and art or craft workshops. There are also plans for a whirlpool and sauna. Scott says he hopes to host a wide array of clients for events that may include weddings, family reunions, church groups, corporate retreats and workshops, high school and university groups, couples and individuals just looking to get away from it all.

Sumac Centre is located on a private lane. It has ample parking and is open throughout the year. Anyone wanting more information can visitwww.sumaccentre.ca or call Paul Scott at 613-335-3417.