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.

Photo: Deborah & Doug Love Grove, John McDougal, Gary Davison, John & Ginny Trousdale, Ron Vadewal

South Frontenac honoured two of its residents for their volunteerism within the community.

John Trousdale: John Trousdale is a true native son of Sydenham Village, a graduate of Sydenham High School, and a man who has carried on his family business interests, which go back to the early days of the village.

He has worked behind the scenes supporting numerous initiatives financially over the years, and has served on numerous boards and committees, including an 11-year stint on the Limestone Learning Foundation Board. He serves on the Kingston General Hospital Board and on the patient care and finance committees at KGH as well, and on the advisory Board of New Leaf Link.

He sits on the Sydenham Canada Day Committee, and is a member of the cemetery committee, the Lions Club, and the Legion, as well as an active member of St Paul’s Church.

As a local business owner, John has, again quietly, pitched in in times of need and emergency, lending a hand to individuals and the community whenever it was needed, whether after hours, on weekends or holidays.

Doug Lovegrove: Doug Lovegrove has worked in leadership roles and on individual projects to make the community a better place.

Doug has been an active member of the Verona Festival committee and steering committee since the festival’s inception 16 years ago. He managed several duties such as the original festival web site, construction of the entrance kiosks, banners and flags, conducted visitor surveys, assisted with the logistics of setting up and taking down, managed the advertisement and promotion, was active on the steering committee and was chair for the festival for several years.

He has also been a director and vice president of the Verona Business Association, director of the Verona/Bell Rock Policing Committee, coordinator of the Verona and Area Neighbourhood Watch, President of the Prince Charles Public School Home and School Association, and reporter and columnist for the Triangle newspaper.

Doug has endeared himself to the Verona community, and many in Verona deeply appreciate his years of volunteer service and are proud he has received this prestigious award.

Photo: Ryan Harriman.

Ryan Harriman has been building, repairing and selling firearms for over 10 years as part of South Frontenac Rentals, the business he runs with his wife Marcie on Colebrooke Road, 1.6 kilometres west of Harrowsmith.

The firearms business has never been promoted, but it has expanded over the years through word of mouth.

“Finally, last year I decided I’d better pay some attention to it since it keeps growing anyway,” Ryan said of the firearms part of the business.

So, last winter, the Harrimans built an addition to their shop, which is located in the expanded garage at their business/home property.

The new gun shop includes a full display of guns, ammunition, and accessories, and it will be featured this Saturday at an Open House from 8-4 pm.

In addition to door prizes and draws and a free BBQ between 11 am and 2 pm, it will be an opportunity for customers to get a good look at the product lines that South Frontenac Rentals is now carrying.

These include Remington, Savage Arms, NEF, Ruger, Mossberg, Smith & Wessen, and many more.

With duck hunting season coming up in a couple of weeks, and deer hunting less than two months away, the Open House provides an opportunity for hunters to see all the gear and services that South Frontenac Rentals is now able to offer out of its new showroom and shop.

Ryan and Marcie have been working hard to get the shop fully stocked and ready for the Open House and the season ahead. Whether it is just some ammunition that is required, or bait, a new rifle, a repair, South Frontenac Rentals is ready to serve the needs of the hunting public.

For further information about the Open House, or for equipment rentals including log splitters, mini- excavators, compact backhoes, tractors, lawn and garden equipment, scaffolding and more, call 613-372-2662. You can also visit the website for the gun store www.theammosource.com, which is a full online store/catalogue.

Every two years, the Land O'Lakes Tourist Association (LOLTA) celebrates innovative businesses in the nine municipalities where it operates with its Vision Awards.

The biennial awards were created by former LOLTA General Manager Terry Shea and have shown themselves to have legs, as this year marks the fourth time they are being presented.

One winner will be chosen from each municipality and there will be an overall winner as well. While it is LOLTA that presents the awards, anyone can nominate a business for the awards, and the businesses do not need to be LOLTA members to be eligible.

“The awards are intended to celebrate businesses that have “shown innovation, expansion, and extraordinary determination to grow in rural communities,” said Rachelle Hardesty, LOLTA general manager. “In addition, the ability to bring new concepts to the marketplace, improve accessibility to persons with disabilities, achieve a milestone of success, and show new innovations will be considered.”

Among the nine LOLTA municipalities are North, Central and South Frontenac and Addington Highlands. Nomination forms are available online at Travellandolakes.com by clicking on the blog button, on the Facebook or Twitter sites of LOLTA, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, call 1-800-840-4445.

The forms are easy to fill out, and only require a 30-50 word description of why a business should be considered for the award, and there is no limit to how many businesses one person can nominate from one or several communities. In the case of the Vision Awards, it's a true case of vote early and vote often.

The Land O’Lakes Tourism Vision Awards will be handed out at a dinner in late September at the Trudeau Park Resort in Tweed. More details about the dinner will be available after the nomination deadline, which is September 7.

Photo: Mike McKenzie, Anne McKenzie, Ken McKenzie and Kalin Lawless

The old adage about sausages, “Just eat them; don’t ask how they were made” is not something that Mike McKenzie adheres to.

McKenzie, who started making different kinds of cured meats as a hobby over a decade ago, is more than willing to describe exactly how the sausages and other meat products he makes at “Seed to Sausage”, a sausage factory and store that he has opened on Road 38 south of Sharbot Lake, are made.

“Seed to Sausage” is truly a family business. Michael’s father Ken handles the bookkeeping, and his mother Anna and wife Meghan are running the store, which is now open from Thursdays to Saturdays.

Some of the products from “Seed to Sausage” are already known to the local community though the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market, which started up just over a month after Mike McKenzie purchased the Sharbot Lake Meat Market in early May.

Mike and Megan McKenzie live in Kingston, but when Mike decided to leave the armed forces and turn his hobby into a business, it was hard to find a suitable location for what is essentially a meat processing business.

That’s how the Sharbot Lake connection came in. Martyn Jenkins built the Sharbot Lake Meat Market several years ago, and he has been trying to sell the property.

“If I had to build this facility, with walk in coolers, floor drains, three stage power, and all that I would need to open this kind of business, I would never be able to find the money. Martyn had already done so much here, that it was the most economical location for us to be.”

There is strong market for ‘Seed to Sausage’ products, both to high-end restaurants in Ottawa and Kingston, and through wholesalers such as Wendy’s Mobile Market and Old Farm Fine Foods in Kingston. In fact, the demand is more than McKenzie and his co-worker Kalin Lawless are able to produce each week. But opening a store for the local community is one of McKenzie’s priorities, in line with a commitment to the burgeoning local food movement.

“It’s also nice to sell something right where you make it,” said McKenzie.

The name of the business, “Seed to Sausage” is a reference to McKenzie’s insistence that the whole process of producing his sausages is as transparent, and as additive-free as can be.

Each Tuesday, four pigs are delivered to Quinn’s abattoir in Yarker from Haanover View Farms in Marysville, which uses only organically raised feed and ecological practices in the raising of their livestock.

On Fridays the slaughtered pigs are delivered to Sharbot Lake in a refrigerated truck, where they are butchered. Martin Jenkins, the former owner of the property, is now the butcher for “Seed to Sausage”.

From there, every part of the animal is turned to meat products. From cheeks to jowls, and belly to loin, the pigs are turned into speciality meats for the local market and beyond.

The demand for sausages is so great that “Seed to Sausage” some parts of the pig that are normally used for other purposes in their sausage.

“We can afford to do that because we purchase the entire pig, so we don’t pay extra for different cuts,” said McKenzie.

Although it is necessary to use a small amount of nitrates to ensure that the dried meats meet long-term safety standards, one additive that is common in ham and bacon that is sold in stores, phosphates, is not used by “Seeds to Sausage”.

“Phosphates allow meat to absorb and retain water, increasing the weight of the product. So, 100 pounds of raw ham can become 300 pounds of ham, which is good for profit. In our case, without phosphates, there is a loss of moisture when we produce ham and bacon; I don’t want to be selling my well water for profit,” said McKenzie.

Among varieties of meats that are available at “Seed to Sausage” are Italian favourites such as pancetta, guanciale, and sopressata, German style salami and Kielbassa. Red wine and garlic, chorizo and breakfast sausages have been popular at the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market and will be featured in the store as well.

A variety of cheeses, coffee, and maple syrup, steak, and other products are also available in the store.

“Seed to Sausage” is also committed to keeping its prices tuned in to the local market. Many of the products are not available anywhere else locally, while others are, but the pricing is not as high as you would find at specialty stores in Toronto, Ottawa or Kingston.

For more information, go to Seedtosausage.ca

The Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation held their annual business breakfast at the Verona Lions Hall to celebrate the successes of local businesses, many of which have benefited from the Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP). The EODP is an economic development initiative aimed at addressing the socio-economic challenges in rural eastern Ontario.

According to Anne Prichard, executive director of the FCFDC, a total of 75 EODP projects have helped local businesses to grow in this past year alone.

The program, which began in 2006, has made available $10 million a year to rural eastern Ontario businesses by offering a number of programs, including skills development, youth internships, access to capital, and business planning. Since the FCFDC's inception in 2004, local businesses have tapped into $4,798,000 for various EOPD projects. Since the beginning of the FCDFC's fiscal year on July 1, 2010, local area businesses have received $710,000 in funding programs, which has helped to create 37 new jobs while maintaining another 63. Beneficiaries of this past year’s EODP programs included the County of Frontenac, which was able to hire three youth interns.

In skills development projects, Northern Connections of Sharbot Lake and the Eastern Ontario Forest Group were able to receive skills training. Under business planning the Frontenac Farmers Market, Wintergreen Studios, the RKY Camp in Parham and the Land O'Lakes Tourist Association were able to develop their business plans. Other businesses that benefited from other local initiative projects included the National Farmers’ Union's Open Barns Tour, the Bellrock Community Hall Association, the Verona Lions and the Verona Cattail Festival, the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere and the Sharbot Lake Legion.

The EODP also helped to fund the new library in Sydenham; Oaisys Medical, a business that specializes in medical imaging; and Hammer This Home, a home renovation business in Harrowsmith.

While the breakfast celebrated this past year’s successes, the question of future EOPD funding remains up in the air. An announcement was made on in May 2009 by the Minister of Industry, Tony Clement, for a two-year investment in the EODP totaling $20 million, but that commitment remains up in the air for the 2011/2012 fiscal year due to the stalling of the federal budget as a result of the upcoming election. This comes at a bad time for local businesses looking for student interns, skills training and generally making plans to expand their businesses with renovations, since funding may not be available now until October.

While the FCFDC is no longer receiving applications for EODP-funded programs, their regular business counseling and lending services are still available to area businesses.

Anne Prichard is optimistic that the EOPD funding will eventually come through. “It is in the budget for another two years at $10 million a year, so it is just a waiting game now but that being said it comes at a bad time for businesses looking to expand in any number of ways.”

In the meantime, Anne is encouraging local businesses to continue to use the services at the FCFDC, and for those who have EOPD projects in mind, she recommends that they have their applications ready to submit should the funding go through any time soon. 

The National Farmers Union (NFU) Local 316 (Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Counties) has actively promoted the strengthening of the local food system in the Kingston area for several years. Its current project, The New Farm Project, assists farmers to increase their abilities to produce for the local markets in the Kingston area.

Most of the poultry producers in Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Counties are small scale and operate outside of the quota system. Farmers without chicken quotas are now allowed to sell up to 300 birds annually direct to the public. The market for local poultry seems also to be expanding but the distance from producers to poultry abattoirs is an impediment to expanding production in the region around Frontenac County.

The NFU has received a grant from Frontenac County to develop a feasibility study/ business plan for a new abattoir dedicated to fill that gap, and has retained the consulting firm, Expansion Strategies of Montreal, to do this study. The first step in this feasibility study is to assess the likely demand from local farmers for the services of such a poultry abattoir.

“We are asking local farmers who raise or are interested in raising poultry for slaughter and sale to contribute to this project by answering a short questionnaire,” said David Hahn, a director with local 316.

Hahn raises chickens himself on a small scale, as a complement to his garlic and vegetable gardens. The chickens provide manure for the gardens and some are available for farm gate sales along with maple syrup and garlic.

“At one time we did the slaughtering ourselves, but in recent years we have been travelling all the way to Foxboro to an abattoir, which is a long drive,” Hahn said, making him one of the local farmers who would welcome another option.

Local 316 has contacted suppliers of day-old chicks for local families and farms and have found that about 30,000 are sold each year in the local area. The local has also been visiting abattoirs in the region to see if anyone might be interested in chickens.

One potential operator is Mike McKenzie, the new owner of the Sharbot Lake Meat Market, which is south of Sharbot Lake on Road 38. McKenzie is from Kingston and intends to produce pork sausages out of the location, but is open to using the facilities as a poultry abattoir, according to Hahn.

In order to complete a business plan for this new operation, the NFU is asking anyone who is currently farming chickens on a small scale to fill out a simple questionnaire that can be found on the NFU website at http://nfuontario.ca/316 By answering this questionnaire you may help establish the size of the market for such an abattoir. Your personal information will be kept private. If you have any questions about this survey, contact David Hahn at 613-273-5545 or the consultant, Jacques Grysole at 514-274-2641

For many seasonal businesses wintertime is down time, a chance to step out of the cycle.

It can also be the time of year when there is an opportunity to take a long-term look at a business and think about making improvements, or think about starting up a whole new enterprise.

Tracey Snow, who is working with the Lennox and Addington County Economic Development Department as an Enterprise Facilitator, has been making use of the winter months to deliver one-day business coaching workshops throughout the County using an “enterprise facilitation” model developed by the Siroli Institute.

Tracey Snow said that in the facilitation model the workshop “is based on the 'Trinity of Management' – a concept where all businesses, large and small, can be broken down into three categories: Product/Service, Marketing, and Financial Management. It has been proven that very few entrepreneurs have the time, skill, or passion to be successful in every aspect of their business. It is all right to ask for help and let other professionals provide support with aspects of business that individual entrepreneurs aren't passionate about or comfortable doing.”

The other aspect of the workshop, aside from individual coaching, is a community focus. How to build on community strength is as important to the enterprise facilitation model as the technical issues that specific businesses are facing. The Siroli Institute's credo is based on this community model of development, with a specific focus on rural communities.

“We are an advocate for a civic economy, a model of development that supports the creation of wealth from within your community by nurturing the intelligence and resourcefulness of your people. We champion the development of community pride through the passionate mentoring of local talent,” says the institute’s website.

Workshops have already been held in Odessa, Centreville, and Napanee, and next week there will be one at the Flinton Recreation Centre at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, February 16.

For further information and to register for the free workshop, contact Tracey Snow at 613-561-6310 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Back to HomeFeature Article - February 3, 2011 A “Blossoming” businessby Julie Druker

Photo: Pam Morey of Blossoms

Pam Morey of Harrowsmith stumbled across the ad on Kijiji and the rest, as they say, is history - business history. A wife and mother of two, Pam had always wanted to start up her own business and was intrigued by the ad looking for an entrepreneur to open up a Blossoms store in Kingston.

Blossoms is a line of Canadian retail stores based in St. John, New Brunswick, which create and sell edible centerpieces made from fresh fruit. “I knew it would be the perfect kind of work for me - I love flowers and have always loved being creative and making crafts so it seemed the perfect fit for me,” Morey said.

She took possession of the Kingston store on October 1 and with the help of friends did an intensive month-long renovation, knocking out walls, putting in plumbing and rewiring the entire store before her grand opening on November 6.

Pam’s store is one of 10 operating across Canada with many other locations in the States and the business is steadily gaining in popularity. Morey vouches for that. “I had a very busy first Christmas season and as people get to know that I am here and see what I make, I am seeing more and more customers walking through the door.”

Blossoms specializes in a wide array of edible bouquets, each made from a variety of fresh fruit -pineapple, melon, cantaloupe strawberries, apples and pears, some of which is dipped in chocolate and covered in a wide selection of tasty decorative toppings, all arranged into a centerpiece as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat. The bouquets are made fresh daily and prices range from $30-$118.

Pam also sells chocolate-covered strawberries which she says make great Valentine’s Day gifts. Her products are designed to fit that special gift need for any number of occasions including anniversaries, baby showers, hostess gifts, corporate gift giving, retirement or as novel additions to dinner parties. Pam has also created a number of arrangements for patients recovering in the hospital and for a small fee she will also deliver them.

Each centerpiece takes Pam about an hour to make and she will often customize her work to fit a specific special occasion or theme, which she says is a lot of fun. So far she has created a basketball-themed bouquet and an angel bouquet as well.

She is also exploring new items and has been experimenting with candied caramel and chocolate apples, of which she has already sold a number. Fresh fruit smoothies are another idea that she is pursuing. Along with the chocolate-covered strawberries for Valentines Day she will be selling a special Valentine’s Blossom Bouquet made with pineapple hearts and strawberries dipped in white chocolate.

Like with all businesses there are challenges and Pam finds that the business end of things is where she has experienced her greatest learning curve. “I do all of my own marketing, advertising and promotion, so getting to know that end of the business has been a step-by-step process for me but I find that each time I do it, it gets easier.” She also says, however, “I am a people person and the fact that people are often buying for happy occasions makes the business an all-around enjoyable one.”

Pam’s family has been 100% supportive of her undertaking from the get go, something she says is a must for anyone undertaking a full-time business venture.

With that support and a true love of her work, Pam is confident that business will steadily grow.  “I feel that I have found my niche and feel very lucky. I love going to work every day, which is really what it is all about.”

Blossoms is located at 2785 princess St, Unit 3 just west of the Cataraqui Town Centre. Orders should be made two days ahead of time. Call 613-389-3180 or visit www.blossomskingston.com for more information.

Photo: Jane Timbrell & Lanny Newell 

Seven-year Sydenham resident, Jane Timbrell, who is one of the committee members for the Canada Day celebrations at the Point in Sydenham, has come up with a new idea for a competition for this year’s celebrations. The event will be the “Best Decorated House” competition and it will be open to the entire community as part of the Canada Day celebrations.

Jane presented her idea to the Point's Canada Day committee, who not only liked it - but since she has decorated her own home for many years, they also appointed her as the event organizer and the judge. “I have always decorated my own home for Canada Day and thought it would be a lot of fun to run a competition so that the whole community could participate.”

It was around the time that the idea for a competition was born that Jane met Lanny Newell, of the Newell family business, the new owners of the Taylor Plaza in Sydenham. Lanny said the timing was perfect since he was looking for ways to give back to the community, and he agreed to sponsor Jane’s new Canada Day competition. “Giving back to the community is a really important part of what I and my family do.”

On June 10 in front of Hillside Coffee in the soon to be renamed Hillside Plaza, Lanny presented Jane with a cheque for $350 to sponsor her event. As new corporate citizens to the community, Newell, who hails from Brockville, feels it is important for him and his family, “to integrate ourselves with the Sydenham community by supporting community events like this one.” The competition invites all home owners and business owners to decorate their premises for Canada Day. Only the residential entries will be judged on the day of the event and prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place. Area business have donated the prizes, which will be gift certificates for $200, $100 and $50. Canada Day at Sydenham Point will take place on Friday July 1 and will include all of the regular events and local musical entertainment. Watch for further ads and posters prior to the event.