Godfrey postmistress Shirley McGowan 

Shirley McGowan of Godfrey was surprised when the local area manager and supervisor and a few of her Canada Post chums showed up at McGowan’s Store in Godfrey on December 11 on her 68th birthday to present her with her Canada Post retirement certificate.

Shirley recalled, “I put in my notice three months ago but didn’t know that they would be paying me a goodbye visit.”

December 12 was Shirley’s last official day as postmistress in Godfrey after 25 years of service.

Born in the town of Drayton north of Kitchener, Shirley moved to the area after meeting her husband of 47 years, Les McGowan, who grew up near 30 Island Lake just east of Godfrey. Together they have owned and operated McGowan’s Store and Gas Bar in Godfrey for 44 years.

Shirley took over as Godfrey's head postmaster in November of 1983 when Piccadilly resident and former postmaster Les Judge was forced into retirement when he turned 65.

Shirley recalled, “It was pretty much down to the wire when Les asked me to take over.” She joked, “The way I remember it is that I really wasn’t that interested in the job but Les (my husband) thought it would be a good thing for me to do.”

For her first few months as postmistress Shirley worked from Judge’s home in Piccadilly where the post office was originally located. She recalled the quaint, old-fashioned metal wicket through which she passed stamps, letters and parcels to her customers.

Later in May of 1984 Shirley won the competition for the permanent position and the post office then moved to McGowan’s Store where it has been located ever since.

When asked about retiring now Shirley recalled a conversation she had with a niece who told her, “You’ll know when it’s time.” Shirley joked that the timing of her retirement had “absolutely nothing to do with the new computer system that was introduced in August of 2008.” Instead she admitted to being “very pleased” with how she progressed on the computer, thanks to the help she received from Rozanne Leonard-Stewart, Cheryl Gordon and Lou Richard, postmasters from the Hartington, Parham and Westbrooke branches, who gave her lots of encouragement and help.

Shirley then explained the real reason for calling it quits. “To be honest, it’s really just my age. I just turned 68 and Les and I just decided that we needed to free up time for whatever time we have left.” The McGowans have four children and nine grandchildren and Shirley already has plans for a February trip to Vancouver to visit her son and his family. She also has tickets to see some of the Olympic figure skating competitions, a passion of hers since she was a youngster. “I’ll definitely be rooting for the Canadian skaters.”

What will she miss most after retiring? “The people. When you work with the public, you get to really know a lot of very good people. That’s what I will definitely miss most.”

Friends and acquaintances who have come to know Shirley over the years, and who like myself have enjoyed her sense of humour, need not fret. She will continue to help run the store and gas bar with her husband Les.

For Canada Post customers in Godfrey, service will temporarily be running out of the Verona Post Office until a replacement for the position is found.

Les and Shirley McGowan, who owned and operated McGowan's store in Godfrey for close to five decades, recently relinquished the reins. The couple have sold the store to long-time Godfrey/Sharbot Lake residents Scott and Laurie Love who alongside the McGowans were busy there on Sunday counting stock.

It was a bittersweet day for the McGowans. Les is originally from Godfrey and Shirley, is originally from Drayton, Ont. They have amassed 46 years of memories at the store and during their first 20 years in business they lived there with their four young children.

The couple shared the responsibilities of running the grocery store/gas station though Shirley might disagree since she also was the Godfrey postmaster for 25 years before retiring a few years ago. When not at the store pumping gas, Les was busy renovating their Fish Creek Road home and cattle farm where they eventually moved with their family. The McGowans got a bit emotional as they reminisced about their favorite memories and the many changes that have taken place at McGowan’s over the past five decades. Shirley recalled how the local trappers used to bring in their beaver, otter and other animal pelts, to be stamped and sold for cash to a fellow from the Hudson Bay Company who used to travel regularly to McGowan's and spend the night there as Les and Shirley's guest. “Those were definitely some fun and interesting times and when you think back, a lot has changed since then,” Shirley said.

They also recalled the days when the K&P used to pass by the store window on the other side of the highway and the challenges of trying to care for their four young children, who lived in the store’s apartment way back when. Shirley recalled one memorable day when her kids had gotten into a hot chili plant in the kitchen and were howling their hearts out after rubbing red hot chili residue into their eyes and mouths while she tried to serve customers “I'm sure those customers wondered what kind of a parent I was with all of them bawling their heads off next door,” Shirley said.

The McGowans said they will definitely miss talking to their regulars, many of who came in more than once a day and with whom they could always be sure to have a laugh. For Les the store was an opportunity to “get away from the shirt and tie world of corporate banking” where he worked previously as an accountant.

The couple are looking forward to retirement, though and the many projects that await them at their home and farm. No doubt they will get in more family time with their four kids and nine grandchildren, some of whom live in the area. Shirley will be able to attend more figure skating events and Les is hoping to renew his pilot’s license and get a bit of flying time in. Both feel assured that they are leaving the store in very capable hands and believe that Scott and Laurie Love will be a perfect new fit for the place. “The Loves are the perfect people to be taking it over since they are from the area and also have a great deal of retail experience between them,” Les said.

The two have been customers at the store for years and Laurie worked at the Sharbot Lake Country Inn for close to 10 years. Before that, Laurie, her parents and Scott owned and operated the “Loves to Cook” restaurant for eight years in Sharbot Lake before it changed hands and became The Junction. Scott works with the North Frontenac Telephone Company and Laurie will be taking on most of the responsibility at the store, which they are renaming the Godfrey General Store. Both say that they plan to leave things pretty much as they have always been. “We were customers here for a long time and like how the store works, runs and looks so we think we will keep it pretty much the same. We'll just see what people want and take it from there”, Laurie said.

The Loves’ oldest son Keegan will also be working a few shifts. The couple say they are thinking of possibly bringing in a line of hunters’ gear but besides that things will remain pretty much as is. The McGowans want to thank all of their loyal customers whom they have served over the years.

Stefan Duerst is living the dream. The artist, who hails from Munich, Germany, moved to the Godfrey area in the winter of 2011 and a relatively new sign on Road 38 at Godfrey is fast spreading the word that there is a talented new metal sculptor in town. Duerst studied his art in Munich both in art school, as an apprentice and as a master tradesman and he set up a shop there before moving to Canada in 2002. He settled first in Kingston in 2003 and established Duerst Custom Metal Work, which he operated for eight years. In 2011 he closed the Kingston shop shortly after moving with his family to a century farm near Godfrey, where he built himself a brand new shop on the property.

Judging by the shop alone it is easy to tell that Duerst is a skilled master. The 1800 square foot quonset building has a sliding garage door that enables him to easily move his large sculptures. It houses multiple pieces of machinery - one weighing over a tonne; four gas-fired forges; one large coal-fired forge; plus numerous presses, anvils, drills, and power hammers. Most impressive though is the large, free-standing rack on which hang close to 100 medieval-looking, hand-made hammers and tongs, tools that he says are “invaluable” and which he inherited when the master blacksmith he apprenticed under in Munich retired.

Judging from the numerous pieces in his shop it looks as though business is booming for Stefan. His work consists mainly of fine art metal sculptures, though as an apprentice he also made functional metal pieces - fences, railings, furniture and lighting fixtures.

“Looking back,” he said, “I have really come full circle and have moved back to sculpture and fine art, which is what originally attracted me to the material in the first place. Art is really where my heart is and it is through art that I feel that I can best express my thoughts and feelings.”

Duerst's art comes in many shapes and forms. Public Totem #3 stands 10 feet high and was made from forged steel. It was constructed from 16 pieces of 5/8 inch straight square bar of varying lengths, which he forged, then manipulated and bent. Each rod stands vertically and originates from one single circular metal base. The sculpture is finished with a wire brush to give added texture and Duerst will next oil it to highlight the shimmering colored effects.

Photo: Bubbling Spring #6; 8"x 20"x 48"; forged angle iron and c-channel; surface oiled; photo courtesy of Stefan Duerst

Duerst likes to work “in series”, as witnessed by a number of similar pieces from his Bubbling Spring Series, which was inspired by Jin Shin Do, of which Duerst is a student. Jin Shin Do is an ancient Chinese acupressure system based on the five Chinese elements. One piece from the series is comprised of 1.5 inch pieces of angle iron that were forged and then free formed into separate organic ribbons, which were then welded together to make a single wave-like band reminiscent of flowing water. The piece is designed to hang vertically on the wall.

Other smaller free-standing sculptures are designed to sit on table tops or plinths. One of these, also from the Bubbling Spring Series, was made from four separate pieces of round bar that were forged and then free formed into a single flowing piece that looks musical in its fluidity - not a quality that you would naturally associate with large, thick pieces of metal. Asked about the process, Duerst said that he chooses not to work from sketches but rather likes to work intuitively with the material.

Duerst creates the majority of his fine art pieces on spec and sells much of his work at his home, which not only boasts an outdoor sculpture garden but also a indoor gallery in a former barn behind the shop. His work is also available at LA PAI gallery in Ottawa and the Wellington Street Art Gallery in Toronto. Duerst invites custom work as well and currently is working on a custom public art piece for Bridgepoint Health Centre, a brand new facility in Toronto.

For those wanting to experience blacksmithing for themselves, Duerst is offering classes for both beginner and experienced metal workers at his shop, which can easily accommodate four students at four individual work stations. The next two-day course is March 16/17 and spaces are still available. Students will learn how to twist, bend, pierce steel, how to forge a leaf, and will be invited to make their own self-directed project.

Stefan is planning an Open House in the early spring. For those who cannot wait - you can make an appointment to meet the artist and view his work by calling 613-329-8096, or visit his studio by chance at 79 Buck Bay Road. For more information visit his website, duerst.ca

Currently Verb Gallery in Kingston is exhibiting a solo show of Duerst's work that will run until March 9.

One of Beth Abbott's goals this year was to enter a work in an international juried show. Beth, a local fibre artist based out of Godfrey, entered her quilt titled "Spirit Rising", in an international juried quilt show, “Metaphors on Aging”, which was sponsored by the US-based Studio Art Quilt Association.

Not only was Beth able to check that goal off her list, but she was surprised and very excited to find out recently that her quilt was one of 38, out of a total of 160 quilts from all over the world, that were accepted into the show.

“I really didn't think there was any hope of my piece getting into the show,” Beth said.

The show's sole juror, Pamela Allen, disagreed. In the email that she sent to Beth notifying her of her acceptance, Allen mentioned not only the piece's excellent composition and color, but also “the sincere intent of the artist expressed in a creative way; evidence of going beyond the obvious into personal expression.”

The piece, which measures 28 x 36 inches and depicts a bright hot air balloon floating above a somber-colored, undulating landscape, comes from a very personal place indeed. The inspiration for it came to Beth when she was caring for her dying father in Windsor, Ont. this past summer. She said the idea came to her when she was zentangling one night by her father's bedside. Zentangling, Beth explained is a “controlled form of doodling, a kind of yoga for the brain where you fill spaces with pattern,” a technique she learned at the Garden Time Quilt Shop in Kingston.

She said the balloon represents the spirit of her father, who passed away on July 18, 2012, three days after his 98th birthday. In the artist's statement that she submitted along with the piece, she described the balloon image as “the spirit of my Dad, released from the limitations of age and soaring over the now colourless landscape where the earth is lifeless but his spirit is alive with light.”

The quilt, which was constructed with cotton batik prints in a range of shades, incorporates a free cut landscape and was all machine stitched.

The show will travel first to Birmingham, England for the UK Festival of Quilts, August 8-11. From there it will travel to the International Quilt Convention at the Emperor's Palace in Johannesburg, South Africa for September 6-8, with future showings in the US, and hopefully Canada as well. Beth was pleased that of the 38 quilts chosen for the show at least five were from quilters from Eastern Ontario, which sparked her to quip, “The fibre arts are definitely alive and well in Eastern Ontario.”

The Frontenac Fury Bantam girls were tournament champions in Ottawa last weekend. In games against Kanata, Burlington, Cornwall and Ottawa the girls were perfect in five games. They won 1-0, 7-0 and 4-3. Then they won 3-2 in a thrilling overtime semi final game to get to the A championship game, where they won 4-1 against a tough Kingston opponent. Reliable goaltending, strong defence and timely scoring were again the keys to a Fury win. The win caps a successful tournament run: the girls won two out of the three tournaments they entered this year, and finished second in the other. They represented the community and the Fury organization very well, garnering few penalties and many compliments about their hard but fair play from opposing coaches and officials alike. They made their coaches proud, again.

Over 150 people gathered at the Frontenac Arena in Piccadilly for third annual day of family fun in the winter sun on February 18. Visitors were treated to a free BBQ and a number of games and rides that kept youngsters entertained through the morning and afternoon. There was a constant group waiting for Norm Garrison of Parham, who offered horse drawn wagon rides. Kids won an assortment of free prizes as they snow shoed, ice fished, tossed bean bags, frisbees and rings, and rolled hula hoops, while others opted to climb the 8-foot snow banks surrounding the grounds. Inside the arena volunteers from all of the South Frontenac were invited to enter a draw, and the winners won gift certificates to Local Family Farms and Blossoms, two local area businesses who generously donated the prizes for this year’s draw.

The event was organized by Dan Bell and Pam Morey of Harrowsmith, who enlisted the help of a crew of dedicated volunteers. Bell said the event “is a great friendly, free event for everyone in the area and encourages people to get outside and have some fun. We are Canadians after all .. and the winter season offers up a great opportunity for everyone to enjoy the great outdoors.”