Frontenac County approves Ompah base construction agreement; Parham move put on back burner

After confirming that North Frontenac Council had already approved a cost-sharing plan for the construction of an ambulance base/fire hall in Ompah, Frontenac County Council authorized Paul Charbonneau, the Chief of Paramedic Services, to oversee the hiring of a project manager for the construction project.

Charbonneau anticipated that it will take a few weeks to prepare a request for proposal for the hiring, and expects that someone will be in place by the New Year, for anticipated construction beginning as early as May, 2012.

Before that happens, however, the project manager will have to do a detailed costing of the project, which will need to be approved by both parties. Frontenac County has $300,000 set aside to cover its anticipated costs, and North Frontenac has $400,000. Preliminary estimates for the project that were done over a year ago pegged it at $850,000 so there might be a shortfall for one or both of the participants. Final approval for the construction will have to come from each council, and the project will not move forward until that happens.

In debating a resolution confirming the cost sharing agreement that staff at the county and the township worked out last month (which was detailed in the Frontenac News last week) members of Frontenac County Council returned to their concerns about the long-term implications of locating an ambulance base at Ompah.

“The assumption is that when the ambulance base is built in Ompah, the Parham base would then go to Sharbot Lake. That is what the original motion, approved by the previous council, says. And that is unacceptable. It is my opinion that the northern sections of South Frontenac will be poorly served if the Parham base moves and I for one campaigned last year on a promise of maintaining service for my constituents. I'm not feeling good about this decision. I don't think it is the right decision,” said County Council member John McDougall from South Frontenac.

“I have to echo the comments of Councilor McDougall, with no disrespect to the representatives from North Frontenac,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski. “I understand the sensitivity of the issues, and I don't know that there is the political will that the move from Parham to Sharbot Lake will happen should this ambulance/garage come to fruition. However I don't accept that we will reach agreement; I'm not sure that the numbers and the challenges around building the fire hall along with the base can be overcome … I echo all of your concerns, John, but I will be supporting this motion as it is presented. But for the next three years I will strongly oppose moving that Parham base.”

“I agree there is a by-law on the books that says Parham will move,” said Paul Charbonneau, “but it was always to be done with additional review. Once we have established the North Frontenac project we will look again at population growth numbers. The move from Parham is not something that is going to happen during this term of council.”

The current council will remain in place until December of 2014.

Clayton concerned about Fairmount auditorium re-build.

Normally, accepting minutes from previous meetings is one of the housekeeping agenda items that causes little fuss at council meetings, with concerns being limited to grammatical and spelling errors.

But North Frontenac Mayor Bud Clayton expressed concerns about one of the clauses in a motion receiving a staff report about a particular fund-raising initiative.

In accepting a staff report on the fledgling fund-raising campaign for the redevelopment of the Fairmount Home auditorium, there was a clause “supporting the establishment of a committee to launch a fundraising campaign ... “

“If we have a committee and it starts to raise funds for redevelopment then we are bound to redevelop the auditorium. I said at the last meeting that we should have a debate about whether we want to go ahead with the redevelopment,” said Clayton.

Susan Beckel, the deputy clerk of the county, who prepares meeting minutes and agendas, said that no amendments had been made to the original motion, which included the clause about supporting a committee.

“I've learned a very important lesson from this,” said Clayton, “I must make sure to formally propose amendments instead of just giving direction to staff.”

“I would respectfully disagree with you about this,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski to Clayton. “I know of a lot of groups that have raised money for things that for one reason or another didn't come to fruition. It's not the best way to go about it, but it happens.”

“The motion was passed as it was written,” said Warden Gary Davison, “but I do understand what you are saying, Bud, as we have not decided whether to do this renovation or not.”

The estimated cost of a full-scale redevelopment of the auditorium, which was prepared in September of 2010, was $1.5 million.

Meeting date changed – Council meetings are normally scheduled for the third Wednesday of each month, which would put the December meeting on the 21st. Since that date is close to the Christmas holiday, council decided to meet one week earlier, on the 14th. One of the agenda items will be the selection of a new warden, as the tradition is for the sitting warden to step down at the end of each year. Warden Davison has been in place for two years, the final year of the previous term of council, and the inaugural year of this term.

(Editorial Note – The public is welcome to all council meetings, at the county and township level. Township meetings, and the county meeting in Lennox and Addington, are all held in readily accessible halls.

At Frontenac County, however, one of the internal doors to the meeting room is locked. To get through the door, one needs to find a member of the county staff to open the door by swiping a card. The council meetings take place in a room that is surrounded by the headquarters of the Frontenac Paramedic Services, which is apparently why security is necessary.

Two reporters normally attend these meetings. As members of the press, we are aware of the security system and we know our way around the offices so we can usually find someone to let us in pretty quickly. However, a member of the public who decides they would like to attend would not have that advantage. There is no signage indicating a meeting is in progress or what to do to get through the locked door.

This means that in practical terms the Frontenac County Council meetings are not as open to the public as are the other municipal meetings that we cover. It would not be accurate to say that these meetings make very gripping entertainment, but they do conduct public business.

Editorial by Jeff Green

The Parham ambulance base will have to close after the Ompah base opens

Barring anything unforeseen, Frontenac County will be building an ambulance post in Ompah next year.

Four members of county council already support going ahead with the project. Two months ago Frontenac County Warden Gary Davison said he would support the Ompah project, tipping the balance in its favour, once county and township staff work out a cost sharing agreement and the construction standards are assured.

With that agreement now in place the project will proceed, with county approval coming this week or next month at the latest.

While those advocating for the Ompah base, particularly North Frontenac Mayor Bud Clayton, have downplayed the connection between building the Ompah base and the eventual closing of the Parham base in favour of a new base in Sharbot Lake, that move will have to take place once the Ompah base is built.

Research done by the IBI group in 2008, and further verified by Frontenac Paramedic Service data that has been collected since then, demonstrates that putting a 12-hour a day base in Ompah creates a service gap in the centre of the County, which can only be covered by moving the Parham base north to Hwy. 7.

For that reason, the original council resolution calling for the Ompah base to be built also called for the Parham base to be moved. That resolution is still on the books.

Undoubtedly the construction of a new ambulance base on or near Hwy. 7 will be brought forward to County Council in 2013 or 2014 at the latest.

Frontenac County Council would be ill-advised to waver on this matter. There are winners and losers any time an ambulance base is moved, and being a winner or a loser can sometimes have life and death consequences. A council charged with this kind of responsibility needs to act based on the data that is provided to it by its staff and the consultants it hires to provide information. Otherwise it is exposing its citizens to increased risks and itself to potential liability.

Council members can argue all they want about whether they agree with the information that is presented to them, but with nothing else to go on but dots on a map marking where ambulance calls actually have actually come from, they will really have no choice.

Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski, who also sat on Frontenac County Council back in February of 2010, opposed building the Ompah base at that time precisely because it meant that the Parham base would have to move to Sharbot Lake, and nothing has changed.

The Parham base has served the northern half of the county and the surrounding region well since it was built over 40 years ago, and closing it will be a blow to a community that is also losing its local school.

Overall, this is really a good news story, however.

Not that long ago the Parham service was the only one in Frontenac County north of the Kingston City limits. With 24-hour a day ambulances stationed in Sydenham and Sharbot Lake and a 12-hour post in Ompah, response times on a county-wide basis will be vastly better in the coming years than they were in the past and the net result of that will be lives saved and hospital stays shortened.

Still, Parham residents will be left with a bitter taste in their mouths because Ompah's gain will ultimately be their loss, particularly in light of the fact that the consultant's report that started off this entire process did not recommend the Ompah build.

It said that the best, and cheapest option would be to build a new base at Hwy. 509 and Ardoch Road, and that the Parham base should remain open. 

Frontenac County approves Ompah base construction agreement; Parham move put on back burner

After confirming that North Frontenac Council had already approved a cost-sharing plan for the construction of an ambulance base/fire hall in Ompah, Frontenac County Council authorized Paul Charbonneau, the Chief of Paramedic Services, to oversee the hiring of a project manager for the construction project.

Charbonneau anticipated that it will take a few weeks to prepare a request for proposal for the hiring, and expects that someone will be in place by the New Year, for anticipated construction beginning as early as May, 2012.

Before that happens, however, the project manager will have to do a detailed costing of the project, which will need to be approved by both parties. Frontenac County has $300,000 set aside to cover its anticipated costs, and North Frontenac has $400,000. Preliminary estimates for the project that were done over a year ago pegged it at $850,000 so there might be a shortfall for one or both of the participants. Final approval for the construction will have to come from each council, and the project will not move forward until that happens.

In debating a resolution confirming the cost sharing agreement that staff at the county and the township worked out last month (which was detailed in the Frontenac News last week) members of Frontenac County Council returned to their concerns about the long-term implications of locating an ambulance base at Ompah.

“The assumption is that when the ambulance base is built in Ompah, the Parham base would then go to Sharbot Lake. That is what the original motion, approved by the previous council, says. And that is unacceptable. It is my opinion that the northern sections of South Frontenac will be poorly served if the Parham base moves and I for one campaigned last year on a promise of maintaining service for my constituents. I'm not feeling good about this decision. I don't think it is the right decision,” said County Council member John McDougall from South Frontenac.

“I have to echo the comments of Councilor McDougall, with no disrespect to the representatives from North Frontenac,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski. “I understand the sensitivity of the issues, and I don't know that there is the political will that the move from Parham to Sharbot Lake will happen should this ambulance/garage come to fruition. However I don't accept that we will reach agreement; I'm not sure that the numbers and the challenges around building the fire hall along with the base can be overcome … I echo all of your concerns, John, but I will be supporting this motion as it is presented. But for the next three years I will strongly oppose moving that Parham base.”

“I agree there is a by-law on the books that says Parham will move,” said Paul Charbonneau, “but it was always to be done with additional review. Once we have established the North Frontenac project we will look again at population growth numbers. The move from Parham is not something that is going to happen during this term of council.”

The current council will remain in place until December of 2014.

Clayton concerned about Fairmount auditorium re-build.

Normally, accepting minutes from previous meetings is one of the housekeeping agenda items that causes little fuss at council meetings, with concerns being limited to grammatical and spelling errors.

But North Frontenac Mayor Bud Clayton expressed concerns about one of the clauses in a motion receiving a staff report about a particular fund-raising initiative.

In accepting a staff report on the fledgling fund-raising campaign for the redevelopment of the Fairmount Home auditorium, there was a clause “supporting the establishment of a committee to launch a fundraising campaign ... “

“If we have a committee and it starts to raise funds for redevelopment then we are bound to redevelop the auditorium. I said at the last meeting that we should have a debate about whether we want to go ahead with the redevelopment,” said Clayton.

Susan Beckel, the deputy clerk of the county, who prepares meeting minutes and agendas, said that no amendments had been made to the original motion, which included the clause about supporting a committee.

“I've learned a very important lesson from this,” said Clayton, “I must make sure to formally propose amendments instead of just giving direction to staff.”

“I would respectfully disagree with you about this,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski to Clayton. “I know of a lot of groups that have raised money for things that for one reason or another didn't come to fruition. It's not the best way to go about it, but it happens.”

“The motion was passed as it was written,” said Warden Gary Davison, “but I do understand what you are saying, Bud, as we have not decided whether to do this renovation or not.”

The estimated cost of a full-scale redevelopment of the auditorium, which was prepared in September of 2010, was $1.5 million.

Meeting date changed – Council meetings are normally scheduled for the third Wednesday of each month, which would put the December meeting on the 21st. Since that date is close to the Christmas holiday, council decided to meet one week earlier, on the 14th. One of the agenda items will be the selection of a new warden, as the tradition is for the sitting warden to step down at the end of each year. Warden Davison has been in place for two years, the final year of the previous term of council, and the inaugural year of this term.

(Editorial Note – The public is welcome to all council meetings, at the county and township level. Township meetings, and the county meeting in Lennox and Addington, are all held in readily accessible halls.

At Frontenac County, however, one of the internal doors to the meeting room is locked. To get through the door, one needs to find a member of the county staff to open the door by swiping a card. The council meetings take place in a room that is surrounded by the headquarters of the Frontenac Paramedic Services, which is apparently why security is necessary.

Two reporters normally attend these meetings. As members of the press, we are aware of the security system and we know our way around the offices so we can usually find someone to let us in pretty quickly. However, a member of the public who decides they would like to attend would not have that advantage. There is no signage indicating a meeting is in progress or what to do to get through the locked door.

This means that in practical terms the Frontenac County Council meetings are not as open to the public as are the other municipal meetings that we cover. It would not be accurate to say that these meetings make very gripping entertainment, but they do conduct public business.

Relay For Life is the largest fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society, and is one of the many ways we, as a community, can contribute to finding a cure for this disease. With the funds raised through Relay For Life, we provide researchers the financial support they need to continue their ground-breaking research to eradicate cancer and make it possible for us to live in a world where no one fears cancer.

This article is going to focus on the “celebrate” aspect of our Relay For Life. It is important to first explain what a “survivor” is. From the minute a person is diagnosed with any form of cancer - that person is a survivor. No matter what stage you are in your treatment, you are a survivor the day you were told you had the disease. Survivors are the folks who inspire us at Relay For Life. They inspire families to put a team into our Relay For Life and spend 12 hours walking and celebrating the strength of their loved one battling this disease. They inspire our planning committee to bring great entertainment to Parham to help motivate the participants to walk our track from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Survivors are the reason we keep fighting back! We are celebrating all survivors at the relay and want them to allow us to recognize their battle and support them in their fight. If you are a survivor, or know a survivor, you are encouraged to participate in our “survivor victory lap” held at the beginning of our Relay For Life event. As a survivor, you are invited to come and share some snacks and receive a T-shirt that recognizes YOU as a reason to celebrate! We also encourage all people including survivors to join a team. Make an evening out of this event and celebrate all night with us!

The Relay for Life will be held on June 15 at the Parham Ball field. All registration for teams, survivors and volunteers and even donations can be done by going tohttp://convio.cancer.ca/site/TR?fr_id=10605&pg=entry. If you are a survivor and want more information or want to sign up to be a part of our Relay For Life survivors lap, but don’t have access to the internet, please contact our Frontenac Lennox and Addington CCS Office at 613-384-2361; 1-866-877-0309 and they will be able to help you.

Photo: Three generations of the Revell family; Harry, Betty, Nathan and Larry, at their 75 year anniversary celebration in Verona

Three of the four generations of the Revell family were on hand at in Verona on September 17 celebrating their family's 75-year-long history in the car business.

Harry and Betty Revell, son Larry and his sons Nathan (25) and Josh (23) were all present greeting customers and members of the community who came out to enjoy the live music, a BBQ lunch and an impressive display of classic Fords.

Included in the line up was a classic 1936 Ford, which was the very same year that Harry Revell’s father Wesley opened up the Verona franchise. Wesley, who first was in the grocery business, learned the retail cars sales ropes from his brother-in-law, who owned a Parham franchise before it closed down.

Harry recalled, “It was at that time in 1936 when my uncle gave up the Parham franchise that representatives from Ford came out and asked Dad if he would be interested in opening up one in Verona, and he said of course, yes.”

That was 75 years and many Ford models ago, and the rest, as they say, is history. The Saturday event demonstrated not only how families tend to grow but also how much cars have changed over the years. Lovers of the classics had a chance to peruse a number of impressive models including a 1940 Mercury convertible, a 1961 Thunderbird convertible, and a 2012- 302 Mustang and many more.

Larry Revell said he felt a celebration was in order to recognize the family’s 75 years in business but more so to thank the community for their ongoing support. “We're so fortunate that my granddad started the business here and are also very fortunate to still be here. We have great customers and great employees, both of whom have been with us for a long time. I think what makes it work for us is that we really enjoy dealing with people.”

Many of those customers have been purchasing cars from Revell’s for years and the Revells are grateful for their loyalty. “We are very thankful for them, “ Harry said. ” If we didn't have them, business would nowhere be as good as it is today.” Joining the celebration was Marco Dodara, Ford parts and service dealer sales manager, who made a special trip out for the occasion. Numerous door prizes were given out though out the day and the event followed on the heels of an employee BBQ celebration that took place earlier in the week.

 By Jeff Green & Julie Druker

Photo: Parham Idol winner, Bram Hazelton

Debra Smith of the Parham Fair Board had an idea, and with the help of her friends from Ambush and five talented local singers, that idea was brought to life last week on the opening night of this year’s Parham Fair.

The sun was just setting after a summer day; the horse pull was well underway, and teenagers were milling about at the midway, when Debra Smith introduced Maria Aiello, the first Parham Idol finalist.

Aiello started up a recorded background band and sung a country heartbreak song to much applause.

She was followed by young Bram Hazelton, who sang the Tom Cochrane hit, “Life is a Highway”, with Ambush’s Mark McDonnell backing him up on guitar.

Third up was Violet Skuce, who sang the same song that Maria Aiello had performed, except she did a spirited a cappella version. Shane Arney was next. He brought some comic relief, telling jokes and performing a novelty number about bears (or was it bares?).

Finally, Brianna Sargeant took the stage to present a Taylor Swift song.

The appreciative audience responded to all the performers. After a tense 10 minutes the Parham Idol finalists were brought back up to the stage and the winner was announced – Bram Hazelton.

Each of the finalists received a recording of their performance and Bram Hazelton performed “Life is a Highway” with Ambush as part of their show.

The Parham Fair is back for the 119th time and it will be a memorable one for at least one aspiring singer.

On Friday night at 7:30, while the horse pull is going on in front of the grandstand, five nervous young singers will perform on the musical stage at the entrance to the fair grounds. In addition to a few hundred of their closest friends and neighbours, there will be two people in particular that they will be trying to impress.

Mark McDonnell and Riq Turner, two members of the country rock trio Ambush, will be listening intently as Shane Arney, Bram Hazelton, Brianna Sargeant, Violet Skuce, and Maria Ayello each perform.

Once they are done, Mark and Riq will put their heads together and crown the winner of the first ever Parham Idol contest.

Ambush has been part of the Parham Idol program from the start, since Mark and Riq joined Debra Smith from the fair board at the auditions for Parham Idol, which were held back in late July to determine the five finalists.

The winner will be joining Ambush on stage when their show, which has become a Parham Fair tradition in recent years, kicks off at 8 p.m.

Saturday is family and agricultural day at the fair, with cattle, horse, and poultry shows taking place in the main and back rings, games for youth and volleyball tournament on tap, as well as reptile shows and the Piccadilly Jam on the music stage throughout the afternoon. Lawn mower races return for another year at 3:00 in the main ring, followed by the Greased Pigs and the 4 wheeler pull, which starts up at 7:30.

The 4-wheeler pull is one event that anyone can enter, and it is not necessary to register in advance. Anyone with an ATV can bring it along and check in before 7:30 and try their luck.

On Saturday night, Dan Stoness will be the one Elvis impersonator in Eastern Ontario who will not be in Tweed, as he will be performing the music stage at 7 p.m. His show will lead into the return of Bauder Road to the Parham Festival stage.

Sunday, the final day of the fair, will start with a pet show followed by the Tug of War and Karate demonstrations. Finally at 2:00, the annual Demolition Derby gets underway, bringing a smashing end to the 119th annual Parham Fair.

As always, throughout the fair there will be Palace displays and exhibits, food available and the Homeniuk midway rides.

Photo: Parham artist Heather Hugh

Landscape artists from all over Ontario and Quebec set up shop under the towering pines at Bon Echo Provincial Park this past weekend for the Friends of Bon Echo 16th annual Art Exhibition & Sale. The annual show is popular with artists and buyers alike.

Multi-media artist, Heather Hugh of Parham, who has family from around the Bon Echo area and who is new to the show, said that it was the first time she has ever seen the famous Bon Echo rock. “For years I have thought of doing the show but its size, scope and history, as well as its association with the Group of Seven artists always kind of intimidated me. But when I got here and actually saw the place for the first time I really felt like I fit in and it really felt like home.”

The show is a perfect fit for Hugh, who continues to be inspired by similar Canadian Shield scenery that surrounds her in Parham. She refers to her latest works as “textural paintings”. They are acrylic works on fabric, which she says came from necessity because as a former seamstress she had huge stores of fabric. Hugh creates three-dimensional animals from a special sculpting medium, paints them and sets them in a similarly painted local landscape. Her pieces also contain a bit of local lore. One such piece, titled “Henderson Moose”, is based on the infamous moose that has been spotted numerous times roaming the Henderson road just north of Arden. “It's fun to take these kind of local legends and use them for inspiration,” she said.

Another local painter, Katie Ohlke of Plevna, who teaches graphic art and photography at the North Addington Educational Centre, was participating in the show for her third year. Ohlke works in acrylics and paints mostly nature and landscape scenes. Katie covers a lot of stylistic ground and is known for changing her styles, which range from realistic nature scenes like her “Mazinaw Giant” to plainer black and white scenes as well as colourful stylized abstract landscapes. “I've been painting all of my life and enjoy the fact that different styles will always teach me something different about painting.” Katie sells her work at the park’s gift shop and in November 2012 she will be one of two artists participating in a show at the visitors’ centre at Algonquin Park which will include landscapes and photographs inspired from that location. “That will be an exciting show and my first time showing there.”

The last booth I visited was that of Napanee artist Tim Nimigan, who has been painting for 40 years and who studied fine art at the University of Guelph and who taught art from 1974-2006 at Napanee District Secondary School. Tim last showed at Bon Echo close to a decade ago and was thrilled to be back. “I wanted to come back to the park and absolutely love the setting here, which also really suits the subject matter I am currently working on.” Tim's small framed 5”x5” acrylic paintings are quaint landscape scenes that he has come across in his travels between Bon Echo park and the Napanee area. He just recently began exploring colour, and his carefully drafted works have a light, whimsical quality, which he says people are really responding to. “I really enjoy doing theses small scale works and they are helping to get my confidence up when it comes to colour.” When not painting, Tim also works as an auctioneer and a silk screen printer. Those interested is seeing more of his work can visit www.artamongtheruins.com.

The three-day show included various activities for kids including soap stone sculpture, pottery and painting, a great line up of food, and live music. For more information about the show and other upcoming events at Bon Echo visit the Friends of Bon Echo website at www.bonechofriends.ca

The Parham Fair has teamed up with eastern Ontario’s favourite country-rock band, Ambush, to host a Parham Idol singing contest for area youngsters.

Ambush is playing the Parham Fair Friday, Aug. 26 and the top performers in auditions will have an opportunity to perform live on stage with the band during their August show. The fair performance will be recorded and the young vocalists will be given a copy of their performance.

Auditions for Parham Idol will be held Wednesday, July 27 from 6pm to 8:30 pm at IOOF Hall on Rd 38 in Parham. It’s open to anyone up to and including the age 16.

Members of Ambush and Parham Fair’s entertainment chairperson Debbie Smith will be judging the performances.

Mark McDonell, the band’s front man, says he’s really looking forward to hearing what Parham and area youth have to offer musically. “They should have a song prepared and it can be in any style they want. If they can bring accompaniment, that’s great. If not, they can do it a cappella,” he says.

McDonell competed in his first talent contest at the Maberly Fair and credits talent contests at small town fairs with inspiring him to become a musician. He remembers attending the Parham Fair as a child. “All three of the guys in Ambush come from Perth – just down the road from Parham and we know how hard it is for kids to find an outlet to perform. We’re really hoping lots of local youngsters take advantage of this opportunity,” he says.

Ambush will be marking 20 years on the Canadian music scene in 2013.  The trio, dubbed “the little band with the big sound,” has had two singles from their self-titled album do extremely well on Canadian charts in the past year. “My Little Girl” stayed in the top 30 for three months and “Take My Picture” which also had a lengthy stay on the charts was nominated for Country Song of the Year at the Canadian Radio Music Awards. 

Please contact Debra Smith at 613-377-6431 as soon as possible to ensure you get an audition spot.

Photo: Newcomers to the Inroads Studio Tour- Brett, Nancy and their son Roland Hilder at Hilderbrook Studio near Parham.

Since their recent move from Toronto to a century farm near Parham, Brett and Nancy Hilder, who are both accomplished artists, have always wanted to become a part of the artist community in Central Frontenac. Now, just a year after moving to the farm where they are raising sheep, chickens and other farm animals, the couple debuted their talent and creations last weekend on the 20th Inroads Studio Tour.

Their home studio, Hilderbrook Studio, was one of the 14 stops on this year's tour. Brett, who paints plein air watercolours and also works in oils, learned his craft from his parents, who were both painters. Brett has been painting for over two decades and has been involved in eight group shows. His comfort and ability in both mediums is immediately apparent. His plein air watercolours, many of which are small postcard-sized paintings, take for their subjects the scenes around the farm, such as its spectacular century-old barn. He paints with a deft and sure hand and his light and airy works capture the beauty and simplicity of the couple's new surroundings.

By contrast, his oils are larger and have a more old-school classical feel. They are compromised mainly of nude figures and portraits. One that stands out is his recent "Blue Nude", which portrays a female figure painted in gorgeous shades of blue and purple, who appears to be reclining in front of a lit fireplace. “I think this piece could keep anyone warm during the cold winter months,” Brett said.

Nancy, who was in the process of cracking open a recently fired kiln, has been working in fused glass for over a decade. She had on show a line of her functional fused glass items, which include platters, bowls, sushi sets, spoon holders and plates. Colour is Nancy's forte and she creates her designs by cutting and arranging pieces of glass into colorful patterns and pictures, which she then fires flat in the kiln. Following a first initial firing, the functional pieces are then fired again in a mold, which gives them their three-dimensional shape.

New for Nancy and one of my favorite pieces of hers is a flat work that she incorporated into a table top and calls "The Water Table". The flat portion, which is framed in wood, is a layered scene that depicts the various layers of the earth beginning with its crust, then its oceans, the sky and lastly the outer atmosphere, all tied together by diagonal stripes of rain and bubbly blobs of clear glass that bring the whole piece together.

Both artists were pleased with the positive feedback they have been receiving from the numerous visitors who stopped in. They are looking forward to pursuing their individual mediums while managing the farm and working at their other jobs. Their studio, located at 1273 Long Lake Road near Parham, is open by chance or by appointment. They can be reached at 613-375-6659.