How much history are you missing behind Kingston’s polished facade? Beyond the historic buildings and beautiful limestone of the city lays a dark past waiting to be uncovered by locals and tourists alike. For nearly twenty years, Haunted Walks Inc. has been offering Kingston-area thrill seekers and history buffs engaging tours of the city that you can’t experience simply by browsing Wikipedia. The Haunted Walk tour guides are hand-picked from the best of local storytellers, dramatists and amateur historians, and the stories they share come from only the most reputable sources – local and national news archives, old newspapers, books and interviews with Kingstonians actually involved in the hauntings. It’s immediately apparent that Haunted Walks has done their homework, and they leave it to their participants to decide which ghost stories they want to believe.
Do you dare explore the darker side of Kingston?The tour guides at The Haunted Walk make the your experience a truly spooky affair.Explore the streets of Kingston like never before!
The Haunted Walk of Kingston gave its first tour in the summer of 1995, the brainchild of then Queen’s history student, Glen Shackleton. Inspired by the many walking tours he experienced while studying abroad in England for a semester and already aware of some of Kingston’s off-beat stories and darker history, he recognized the unique opportunity to change the way visitors and locals alike looked at the Kingston. As they say, the rest is history. Today the Haunted Walk operates tours in Kingston, Ottawa and Toronto, and has become the largest walking tour company in Canada. Since its inception, well over half a million people have enjoyed a Haunted Walk.
“Entertaining and spooky! What a great way to see Kingston, learn some history, and have some fun! Our guide Adelaide gave us a great tour and made the evening. Highly recommended! Enjoy!” – Erik C
“Great fun! What a wonderful way to spend an evening! Engaging guides, wonderful stories and a unique way to view historic Kingston!” – Cathy S
“So spooky! I loved the tour of Fort Henry that we did at night! Our guide Megan was amazing and we had loads of fun! I would recommend this to everyone!” – Dominique L
As we draw closer to Halloween, The Haunted Walk has a brand new experience scheduled for October, in addition to their tried and true favourites:
Original Haunted Walk of Kingston
Now to October 9, 2014 The Haunted Walk is an evening walking tour through the quiet streets of the limestone city by lantern-light. This tour features the hangings at the old Courthouse, the Organist’s ghost and the haunted student ghetto house. Experience Kingston as it was meant to be seen, up close and on foot. The Original Haunted Walk of Kingston is wheelchair accessible with assistance. Duration: 90 minutes Tickets: Adults $14.75, Students $12.75, Children (6 – 12 years) $8.75 Buy Tickets
Kingston’s Greatest Ghost!
October 10 – November 1, 2014 A brand new adventure for the 2014 Halloween Season, this October The Haunted Walk is giving their customers the chance to decide once and for all, who is Kingston’s Greatest Ghost? The tour will feature their favourite eerie tales from the Original Haunted Walk of Kingston along with a series of a new interactive challenges and games. Prizes and bragging rights will be up for grabs during this exploration of Kingston’s haunted history. Duration: Approx. 90 minutes Tickets: Adults $16.75, Students $14.75, Children (6 – 12 years) $10.75 Buy Tickets
Ghosts of the Fort at Midnight
October 10 – November 1, 2014 Are you brave enough to explore a 19th-century fort at the witching hour? This Halloween Season the Haunted Walk is offering their special midnight ghost tours of Fort Henry in Kingston! These tours will be departing at 11:00pm from inside the gates of the fort. You’ve been warned, though: this tour is definitely not for the faint of heart since you can never be sure what’s going to happen when the clock strikes midnight. Tour space is very limited, so be sure to buy your tickets in advance for this spooky adventure to avoid disappointment. Duration: 90 minutes Tickets: Adults $16.75, Students $14.75, Children (6 – 12 years) $10.75 Buy Tickets
To celebrate the launch of the Kingston’s Greatest Ghost Haunted Walk Tour, Haunted Walks is giving away 4 tickets to the experience! If you love to get spooked play with us on Facebook by answering the daily trivia question on Visit Kingston’s Page for your chance to win! For more information on The Haunted Walks, visit their website or give them a call at 613.549.6366. Be sure to show them some love and Like them on Facebook, too!
Romance is in the air in Kingston, whose pretty, small-town vibe and an expanding roster of fine restaurants, small hotels, and spas make for an easy romantic getaway. Enjoy the open air (and fine dining) on an Island Star Dinner Cruise or watch the sun set over Lake Ontario during the Fort Henry Sunset Ceremonies. Perhaps you’ll go retro, holding hands in the dark while watching a romantic comedy at The Screening Room, the city’s comfy independent movie house. Spa opportunities abound, with many inns, including Secret Garden Inn and the Rosemount Inn & Spa, offering stay and spa packages. Others, like Frontenac Club Inn, promise old-world charm in an expansive heritage building. For the more outdoorsy, Green Acres Inn offers lovely perennial flower gardens for strolling. Larger waterfront hotels like the Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront, Four Points by Sheraton, and Residence Inn by Marriott have rooms with stunning views over Lake Ontario. Looking for the perfect outfit or lingerie for your trip while you’re in Kingston? Check out these luxe boutiques!
Agent 99
Young and fun, the clothing selection at Agent 99 runs toward trendy pieces in smaller sizes — featuring lots of bright colours and strapless necklines — at prices that won’t break the bank. The same owner stocks Blueprint (246 Princess St., 613.544.5050) with more casual fare — think cool T-shirts for men and cute print dresses for women. 244 Princess Street 613.547.0587 agent99kingston.com
Chris James
Classy, timeless clothes for men and women best sums up the stock at Chris James. Previously an art gallery, this 2,700- square-foot luxe store carries the latest collections from fashion brands around the globe. Timeless meets contemporary and cool here, with so much to swoon over it’s hard to know where to begin. Let the expert staff get you started. 253 Ontario Street 613.541.0707 chrisjameskingston.com
Cybil Scott
This sleek boutique brings to Kingston the haute fashions of more than 30 designer collections. Strolling through the shop is like a fascinating treasure hunt — you might stumble across anything from classic separate and chic cocktail dresses to luxurious lingerie. Adjacent to Cybil Scott and run by the same owners, Catwalk (65 Brock St., 613.544.9721) focuses on high-fashion shoes and accessories. 63 Brock Street 613.549.0511 houseofangelis.ca
La Maison D’Eva
Open and airy, La Maison D’Eva Fine Lingerie is stocked with pretty lingerie and chic bathing suits. Conveniently located, it’s a lovely shop to browse through. Popular collections carried include Chantelle, Prima Donna, Hanky Panky, and Hanro. 208 Princess Street 613.545.0777 facebook.com/lamaisondeva This article has been reproduced from the 2014 Kingston Shop & Dine Guide.
The city of Kingston is a cheese lover’s paradise, with many fine cheesemakers located just a hop, skip and a jump away. Take a short walk downtown or drive down the 401 to discover some of Canada’s best artisan cheeses in an array of shapes, sizes, smells and colours from coast to coast to coast.
Ontario’s Back Forty Artisan Cheese’s Highland Blue – Semi-firm, unpressed blue mold cheese with natural rind.
When buying cheese, it’s best to find a reliable source like a specialty market or gourmet food store to ensure that the products are in the best condition. Each wheel of cheese should have a moist rind while every wedge of the cheese should display consistent full flavours throughout from batch to batch. A general but important rule of thumb is to ensure that the interior of the cheese is bright and shiny, never dull or faded. Knowledgeable staff i.e. cheesemongers are key, and within the City of Kingston, you are sure to find what you are looking for. As cheese lovers, we celebrate the passion and dedication of cheesemakers throughout the country – let’s cheese out!
Specialty Stores
Cooke’s Fine Foods & Coffee
A true historic staple in downtown Kingston, Cooke’s is a specialty food store with imports mainly from the UK. It is a blast from the past with old wooden counters and the original pressed-metal ceiling still intact. Aromas of fine food fill the air, though when it comes to cheese – a counter is tucked away to the back left corner with hidden gems waiting to be tasted. How about Guinness Cheddar? 61 Brock Street, Kingston, Ontario in downtown Kingston 395 Princess Street, Unit 6, Kingston, Ontario
Pan Chancho Bakery and Café
Pan Chancho is a go-to spot in Kingston for brunch, this retail store with gourmet food to-go also has a fine selection of cheeses that are sourced both locally and nationally from across Canada. Pairing with a loaf of artisan bread made fresh daily (I recommend the olive and rosemary baguette or French batard) will surely satisfy your cheese indulgences. 44 Princess St, Kingston, Ontario
Farm Boy
Known for creating a fun shopping experience, Farm Boy is a specialty grocery store located in the west end of Kingston. Their cheese counter boasts over 100 different quality cheeses, and includes a specialty Italian section, plus well-trained staff to answer any of your questions. 940 Futures Gate, Kingston, Ontario
Love charcuterie and artisanal cheeses?
The best charcuterie in Kingston isn’t just plates of cold cuts and crackers, but rather a myriad of fruitful tastes, textures and aromas to compliment the cheeses offered. Luckily for Kingston locals and visitors alike, this translates to an astounding collection of restaurants to choose from for diners looking to get their cheese fix.
Le Chien Noir Bistro
Inspired by classic French cuisine, Le Chien Noir is a proud proponent of using fresh, high quality local ingredients – sustaining the vision of farm-to-table comfort food. A wide range of different cheeses and meats are offered each week from across Canada – recently, the 2014 Canadian cheese of the year, ‘Le Baluchon’ of Quebec was featured. 69 Brock St, Kingston, Ontario
Charcuterie board from Le Chien Noir Bistro with two cheese options and cured meat.The 2014 Canadian cheese of the year – Le Baluchon from Quebec.
Olivea
Olivea is a modern Italian eatery located right across from Market Square offers meat and cheese boards accompanied by marinated olives, Italian condimenti and Ontario artisan cheeses – Lankaaster aged gouda (cow), Lindsay Bandaged Cheddar (goat), Celtic Blue (cow) and Mountain Shepard (sheep). 39 Brock St, Kingston, Ontario
Tango Neuvo Tapas & Wine
Tango Neuvo embraces the Spanish tradition of sharing small plates of food, bringing people together, and of course, encouraging conversation – so why not mingle over a charcuterie board? Tango Nuevo’s offerings include a selection of cured meats, and local/international artisan cheeses along with seasonal fruits, pickled vegetables, olives, cranberry relish and fresh focaccia. 331 King St E, Kingston, Kingston
Chez Piggy
At Chez Piggy, eating locally means eating seasonally and this summer’s menu articulates this notion especially well with their offerings of cheeses paired with slices of apples, grapes and crostini from Pan Chancho. Available cheeses include Highland Blue of Back Forty Artisan Cheese and Pilgramish of Bushgarden Farmstead Cheese. 68 Princess St, Kingston, Ontario
Unique Pairings of Cheese
MLT DWN
It’s “more than just cheese and bread” at MLT DWN, where comfort food has been taken to a whole new level with gourmet-grilled cheeses. Unique flavor combinations like their famous Mac N Cheese Grilled Cheese have been wildly popular. Their unique Lobster MLT summer feature sounds just as tempting – Wild Caught New Brunswick Lobster seasoned with MLT DWN’s own special blend of spices and paired with both brie and aged cheddar on thick cut Texas toast. Mouth watering, right? 292 Princess St, Kingston, Ontario
MLT DWN’s unique pairing of housemade raspberry spread, cheesecake and graham cracker dust on Texas dipped in crème brûlée French toast batter. Yum!
Last but not least:
The Great Canadian Cheese Festival
This festival is indeed an homage to fromage founded by “head cheese” Georgs Kolesnikovs. Held in Picton’s Crystal Palace – only an hour drive from Kingston, it features 125 different types of artisanal cheese from across Canada. The Great Canadian Cheese Festival brings together the country’s leading cheesemakers from coast-to-coast-to-coast, where cheese lovers can meet to learn, talk, taste and buy the best in artisan and farmstead cheese, as well as sample fine wine, craft beer and an assortment of artisanal foods.
Kingston is Canada’s museum capital with something for everyone at our 20 museums and national historic sites. It’s all here, from small, specialized museums to national historic treasures. Discover Canada’s nautical heritage at the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes, including the 3,000 tonne ice breaker Alexander Henry or explore the Canadian tradition of hockey on display at the International Hockey Museum featuring memorabilia from top-calibre NHL players (rumour has it that hockey started in Kingston). Experience Kingston’s past first hand at one of its many fascinating museums. Many sites offer guided tours, special programs and exhibits for children throughout the year.
Pump House Steam Museum
The Pump House Steam Museum offers learning events throughout the season for museum-goers of all ages. Drop-in programming for families, tours and special events for school and camp groups, lectures and programs for adults, and a number of free days, when the museum is accessible to all. The Pump House Steam Museum is adding even more science, tech, engineering, arts and mathematics to their programming – putting the S.T.E.A.M in the Museum! Through new programming and exhibitions, its clear that the museum is devoted to providing a space where kids can play and learn. Check out their current exhibits below:
Ashes to Innovation: Fighting Fires in Kingston
Limestone City has been plagued by fire since its foundation. Find out how fire has shaped Kingston – and how firefighters have learned to use science and technology to prevent and put out fires. Explore amazing artefacts from the past and present – including a piece of the infamous crane at the centre of the dramatic rescue on Princess Street in December 2013. Created in partnership with Kingston’s Fire & Rescue Services, this exhibition give visitors unprecedented access to the work of real fire fighters and the tools they use to do their job. Check out this exhibit until November 29!
Phoebe Centennial: Celebrating 100 Years of the Steamship Phoebe
Built in 1914 as a private pleasure craft, the Steam Launch Phoebe spent her early years in the Muskoka region, and five years travelling the Rideau Canal before officially retiring in 1984. Now, the ship makes her home at the Pump House. Celebrating her 100-year journey from Kingston’s Davies Dry Dock and back again, the volunteers at the Pump House present a special exhibition for visitors to enjoy until November 29!
The MacLachlan Woodworking Museum
In 1967, Sandy MacLachlan created the Woodworking Museum as a Centennial Project. To house the collection, he dismantled an 1855 log house and moved it to Princess Street in Kingston. There it operated as a privately-owned museum for over a decade. In the early eighties, it was bought by the former Pittsburgh Township and once again, the log house was moved to its present location at Grass Creek Park. The MacLachlan Woodworking Museum holds the most extensive, nationally significant collection of woodworking tools in Canada. Be sure to check out their current exhibits:
Foundations: The Making of a Museum
The Log House remains the largest object in our collection. Museum founder Sandy MacLachlan brought this historic structure to Kingston in 1966 to house his collection of woodworking tools. This year the Log House gets a facelift including a new exhibition that delves into the history of the house and its current site at Grass Creek, the creation of the museum and building of the collection. Don’t miss this informative exhibit on until November 29!
Ivor Blower: Inside the Mind of a Collector
The MacLachlan’s collection of over 3000 woodworking planes is widely recognized as being nationally significant. Many dedicated collectors have donated to this collection, including Ivor Blower. Blower spent many years assembling a highly personal collection of hand planes that demonstrate the artistry of the toolmaker. With over 100 planes on display, this exhibition allows visitors to get a sense of the beauty of these objects, and to delve into universal questions of why we collect and what makes an object collectible. On until November 29!
Kingston Penitentiary Museum
The “Friends of the Penitentiary Museum” are dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the fascinating history of Canada’s Federal penitentiary system. Some have a correctional background while others have a passionate interest in Canada’s history. It’s obvious that they are not alone in thinking exposure to correctional history is key to understanding any society since more than 25,000 people per year visit this award-winning museum housed in the former Warden’s residence of Kingston Penitentiary. The Kingston Penitentiary Museum is located in the former Warden’s residence of Kingston Penitentiary, built by inmate labour between 1870 and 1873. To date, eight rooms have been converted for use as public display galleries. Exhibits range from contraband items to inmate art; staff uniforms and insignia to full-scale replicas of Canadian federal penitentiary cells. The collections consist of historically significant artifacts, photos and documents from federal penitentiaries from all across Canada, which reflects the national scope of the museum’s mandate. While museum visits are self-guided, when possible, volunteers and staff are always on hand to answer any questions.
Marine Museum of the Great Lakes
Tall tales, high adventure, bold exploration and mighty enterprise highlight the story of Canada’s great inland seas. Founded in 1975, The Marine Museum of the Great Lakes‘ facilities now include a library, reading room, archives and a book & gift shop and houses the original pumping station and steam engines built in 1891. The Museum has on display a wide ranging collection of marine artifacts and exhibits, a significant fine art collection, and is home to the Gordon C. Shaw Study Centre, andAudrey Rushbrook Memorial Library. Current exhibits highlight the growth of ship building and shipping technologies, the history of boat building, the life of the sailor, as well as regional Kingston’s maritime history and our place on the Great Lakes. The recently opened Eco Gallery focuses on environmental issues/successes related to the Great Lakes.
New Age of Sail Exhibit
Until November 30, The Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston will present a look back at the explosive growth in the popularity of recreational sailing from the late 1950’s, through the 70’s. During these innovative years, the transition from wood construction to fibreglass gave designers the ability to conceive lighter, stronger and more durable boats. They were boats that builders could mass produce for an affordable price. And since they required less maintenance than their wooden predecessors, their owners could spend more time sailing them, and less time working to keep them shipshape. New yacht clubs and class associations sprang up as a post WWII affluent middle class began looking for new ways to spend leisure time.
The Original Hockey Hall of Fame
Founded by the National Hockey League and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association on September 10, 1943 – Kingston’s International Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is the “Original Hockey Hall of Fame” and the oldest sports hall of fame in Canada. Captain James T. Sutherland of Kingston spearheaded the bid to bring the Hockey Hall of Fame to Kingston and was inducted into the hall in 1947 – one of the first forty members inducted into the hall during the Kingston-era. The Original Hall of Fame is proudly located in Kingston, Ontario.
See hockey’s rarest and most unique artifacts, take a stroll through hockey history and learn about the evolution of the game and the prominent role Kingston played in its development. You’ll see hockey’s only square puck used in the first organized game in Kingston in 1886, Canada’s first Olympic hockey gold medal won in 1924, hockey’s oldest jersey from Queen’s University (1894) and a salute to Kingston’s own Don Cherry. There is also a tribute to four Kingston players who scored Stanley Cup winning goals, Kingston’s ‘Golden Girl’ Jayna Hefford and many of the top artifacts from the NHL’s ‘Original Six’ era.
Don Cherry Exhibit
Don Cherry grew up just around the corner from the Hockey Hall of Fame on Albert Street in Kingston. The exhibit includes one of the Hockey Night in Canada icon’s trademark loud sports jackets and high-collared shirts. The exhibit follows Cherry’s career from his early days in Kingston as a 15-year-old playing for the Jr. B’ Kingston Victorias, his Memorial Cup winning season with the Barrie Flyers, his lone NHL game as a player with the Boston Bruins in 1955.
There are also artifacts from his days as captain and Calder Cup winner with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League, his outstanding five-year run as coach of the Boston Bruins in the 1970’s, his one-year stint coaching the Colorado Rockies and his involvement with Team Canada at the 1976 Canada Cup tournament and the 1981 World Hockey Championships. There is also the ‘Key to Kingston’ he received when honoured by the City in 1993.
Original Six Collection
In 2002, the IHHOF unveiled the “Original Six” collection, a tribute to the N.H.L.’s original six teams and the stars of hockey’s golden era. Sweaters, sticks and photographs of hockey’s all-time greats are featured including Richard, Beliveau, Howe and Bower. This collection is located on the main floor of the Hall.
So much to taste, so little time! Your exploration of the local scene might begin with culinary walking tours such as Kingston by Fork or Dishcrawl Kingston. The Kingston Public Market, meanwhile, is at its tastiest on summer Saturdays when chefs host demos using local ingredients. Then there’s the Beer & Food Truck Festival (June 14), which rolls into Fort Henry, and The Taste of Kingston Festival (July 5), which takes over Confederation Park with culinary samples and entertainment. In the morning, you might search out Pasta Genova, a hole-in-the-wall Italian food shop with 25-cent espresso shots for the sleep-deprived. Combine a love of fine dining with an appreciation of history at Fort Henry’s Battery Bistro, Kingston’s largest waterfront patio. Don’t forget to bring a cooler — you’ll be needing it for those local food finds you want to take home. Below are some picks for must-try food, drink, and local goods!
Card’s Bakery
This is a seriously sweet bakery, with a colourful vibe and a real knack for old-school baked goods. We’re talking giant peanut butter cookies, jam-filled sugar cookies, thumbprints, haystacks, and shortbreads. Squares are similarly retro and the butter tarts are brilliant. Homemade fudge also makes an appearance. The bakery includes a compact shopping section jammed with super-colourful cookware and aprons. 304 Bagot Street 613.544.4448 cardsbakery.ca
Cooke’s Fine Foods and Coffee
This charming building, with its big display windows and pressed-tin ceiling, has housed a food shop since 1865. Hugh Cooke purchased the business in 1924, and his descendants run it to this day. With its wooden floors and cranberry-glass pendant lamps, it may seem preserved in amber, but the up-to-the-minute stock includes must-haves for discerning foodies today. Think Dutch licorice, Rogers chocolates from British Columbia, Spanish olives, Duchy Originals cookies, Indian spice mixes, and much more. Though they don’t specialize in local products, they do carry a selection of award-winning Henderson Farms jams and jellies from nearby Wolfe Island. 61 Brock Street 613.548.7721 cookesfinefoods.com
Kingston Olive Oil Co.
Let the tasting begin. With over 60 flavours and types of extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars, that could take a while. Luckily, staff at this pretty store are well equipped — on a table in the centre of the room sits a basket of freshly baked Pan Chancho bread, broken into chunks ready for dipping. The shop hosts regular chef demos and tasting experiences so check the events calendar on its website to see what’s coming up. Can’t decide on one or two flavours? Customize your own gift box with an array of 60-mL tasters ($4 each). Our box included a cilantro and roasted onion infused olive oil and a black mission fig balsamic vinegar. 62 Brock Street 613.546.5483 kingstonoliveoil.com
Pan Chancho Bakery
Bright, fragrant, and always busy, Pan Chancho bakes up a huge range of loaves, baguettes, muffins, scones, and other carb-olicious treats (many of them gluten-free). The caf. does a brisk business during breakfast and lunch — think French toast, savoury wraps, and clever sandwiches. It’s all brought to you by the same folks who own the iconic Chez Piggy restaurant up the street. Fans of local goodness will want to browse the shelves and fridges. We spotted pale Queen Bee Wildflower Honey from Tamworth, as well as a buckwheat honey from Shane’s Apiary in Odessa. There were much sought-after lankaaster and fleur en lait cheeses from Glengarry Fine Cheese and rich chocolate milk from the Limestone Organic Creamery. DIY gourmets can pick up the Chez Piggy and Pan Chancho cookbooks. 44 Princess Street 613.544.7790 panchancho.ca
Tara Natural Foods
Looking for some pesticide-free produce for your lakeside picnic? Head to Tara, a busy warren of a store packed with natural, healthy foods and personal-care products. Fortunately, the helpful staff do customers a favour by tacking up little signs to highlight local and regional products. Among the finds was local honey and milk, yoghurt and kefir from Pinehedge Farms near Hawkesbury, and a big selection of bacon, salami, and sausages from Seed to Sausage near Sharbot Lake. 81 Princess Street 613.546.4439 taranaturalfoods.com
White Mountain Ice Cream
A landmark on the Kingston scene, on a hot day, White Mountain Ice Cream is the cool-down spot of choice. Some of their homemade flavours are self-explanatory (vanilla, say), but, much like celebrity parents, the ice cream makers here tend to give their concoctions innovative names. Try to stop by at a slightly off -peak time so you can quiz staff on what’s what. They’ll probably have some interesting tales to tell about some of the more unusual flavours. Our suggestion: pair a White Mountain waffle cone with an early evening walk by the nearby marina. 176 Ontario Street facebook.com/WMICECREAM This article has been reproduced from the 2014 Kingston Shop & Dine Guide.
Every year, it seems, Kingston WritersFest attracts a more eclectic group of renowned wordsmiths than the previous year—and 2014 is no different. From September 24 – 28, seventy-seven writers ranging from Stephen Brunt and George Elliott Clarke to Sarah Harmer and Miriam Toews will descend upon downtown Ktown for readings, conversations, workshops and even tastings. The only problem with all of that choice is figuring out which events you shouldn’t miss. Luckily, organizers have made the search a little easier this year by grouping some of the events into six themes: Planet Earth, The Digital World, Memories of Kingston Pen, Canada Made Me, The Heroic Redefined, and Canada: War, Peace, and Politics. Most events take place at the Holiday Inn and cost $13.50 in advance or $17.00 at the door (special events and workshops are more). Read on for what you can expect at events within each of the six themes.
Planet Earth
Sarah Harmer hangs up her guitar on Friday evening to moderate a discussion on how we can become better stewards of the planet. (photo: Flickr Creative Commons)
How do we understand our planet and our role in making sure it has a healthy future? These are the questions at the heart of four events happening on Thursday and Friday. In the first, Sustainable Future, Chris Turner will talk about his book How to Breath Underwater: Field Reports from an Age of Radical Change and invite us to meet the challenges of a sustainable future (Thursday, 9:30 am). Then, Jennifer Cockrall-King takes us on a global tour of cities that are re-localizing their food (Thursday, 11 am) and Trevor Herriot teaches us how to make conscious choices when writing about the land (Thursday, 5 pm). Finally, Sarah Harmer chats with James Raffan, Trevor Herriot and Diana Beresford-Kroeger about our role in the planet’s downfall and the path toward better stewardship (Friday, 7:30 pm).
The Digital World
Experimental UK novelist Kate Pullinger will explore how she’s using digital technology in her work and how that technology impacts us. (photo: Flickr Creative Commons)
The way we experience the world is becoming increasingly mediated by digital technology, and five writers have something to say about it at this year’s festival. Novelist Guillaume Morissette and poet Sarah Yi-Mei Tsiang will talk about how the digital age, and particularly social media, influences the way we find meaning (Thursday, 11 am), award-winning journalist Paula Todd will take us into the dark world of online harassment and how we can protect ourselves (Thursday, 1 pm), experimental novelist Kate Pullinger shows us how to use digital platforms to create new literary forms (Thursday 2:30 pm), and Charles Foran, along with Pullinger, will discuss how technology has affected our lives, including how we read (Friday, 1 pm).
Memories of Kingston Pen
Former inmate Stephen Reid and photographer Geoffrey James take you behind the walls of the most feared jail in Canadian history. (photo: Flickr Creative Commons)
If the walls of Kingston Penitentiary could talk, they might sound a lot like Stephen Reid. He penned his first novel, Jackrabbit Parole, while incarcerated there and says it was one of the harshest prison’s on the continent (he’d know; he’s served time in more than 20 jails). Hear him at two events this year. At the first, he’ll talk about his award-winning memoir, A Crowbar In Buddha’s Garden, and discuss the line between creativity and redemption with his wife, author Susan Musgrave, and novelist Wally Lamb, who runs writing workshops at York Correctional Institution (Thursday, 3 pm). At the second, Reid will join photo-essayist Geoffrey James, who photographed the interior of Kingston Pen just before it closed, to talk about the experience of being inside Canada’s most notorious prison (Thursday, 6:30 pm).
Canada Made Me
Canadian expat Eleanor Catton, the youngest Man Booker winner in the prize’s history, will be on hand to talk about how Canada has shaped her literary voice. (photo: Wiki Commons)
The three events under this theme will explore how Canada influences a writer’s literary voice. The Globe and Mail Books Editor Jared Bland will kick things off with Man Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton, who lives in New Zealand, Kate Pullinger, who lives in the UK, and British born Nancy Lee for a discussion about what this country has or hasn’t done for their creative voices (Thursday, 8 pm). Next, Governor General’s Award winning author Kim Thúy talks in French about her newest novel, Mãn, and how the protagonist, an immigrant with three mothers, survives and finds love (Saturday, 10:30 am). Then, Wayne Grady moderates a discussion with Shani Mootoo, who was raised in Trinidad, and Cecil Foster, born in Barbados. They’ll talk about how they use their country of origin in their writing.
Canada: War, Peace and Politics
Historian Ted Barris will be onhand to offer his thoughts on the personal experience of war. (photo: Flickr Creative Commons)
At these two events, writers will read from their works and discuss this country’s military past and democratic future. Jan Walter hosts the first, which welcomes Ted Barris, Frances Itani and Leo Brent Robillard. They’ll discuss how our nation is shaped by our armed conflicts from the perspective of the individual (Saturday, 12 pm). On Saturday evening, voice your opinion on the state of our democracy with Carol Off, Chris Turner, Michael MacMilland and Brent Rathgeber, who issue a report card on how well this country is being run and ask: do we need to demand more from our government? (Saturday, 7 pm).
The Heroic Redefined
Stephen Brunt will talk to local writer and hockey buff Steven Heighton about how Brunt came to write Jordin Tootoo’s biography. (photo: Flickr Creative Commons)
As the title suggests, the five events that fall under this theme challenge our notions of what it means to be a hero. First, Governor General’s Award-winning poet Phil Hall speaks with poets Susan Musgrave and Sandy Pool on how they redeem unsung women through the act of poetry (Friday, 2:30 pm), and then poet Brad Cran leads a workshop on how the role of the writer can be used to create positive social change (Saturday, 7 pm). On Sunday, Cran moderates a talk with Wayne Clifford and Jeramy Dodds on the poetic legacy of ancient mythology (Sunday, 1 pm), and later sports writer Stephen Brunt joins Steven Heighton to discuss Brunt’s biography of Jordin Tootoo, the hockey great from Rankin Inlet (Sunday, 4 pm). If you’d rather learn how to create strong female protagonists, head to Lesley Livingston’s workshop, where you’ll find out how to use tools like mythology, folklore and past civilizations in your writing (Sunday, 4 pm).
History of Kingston WritersFest
Kingston is arguably Canada’s most literary town. Embedded in the foundation of Kingston Penitentiary lies a copy of the first novel printed and published in Canada –St. Ursula’s Convent, or The Nun of Canada, written by Julia Catherine Beckwith Hart, who visited an aunt in Kingston in 1820. She stayed on to marry a bookbinder who, in 1824, issued her novel. The first Canadian cookbook, The Cook Not Mad, was published here, too.
Among the authors associated with the city are Robertson Davies and Grant Allen (who completed one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels, thus producing the first Canadian detective novel), Matt Cohen, David Helwig, Tom Wayman, Tom Marshall, Bronwen Wallace, Gérard Besette, and Stan Dragland. Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, and Kate Stearns have all set novels here. Judith Thompson made the city famous with her play The Crackwalker. Some 300 published authors live in the region, and several writers of international stature make their homes here now.
Kingston is a city that not only writes, it reads. The metropolitan area supports two major chain bookstores and half a dozen independent or specialist booksellers as well as three antiquarian retailers. There are scores of book clubs: the public library alone services 166.
Into this vibrant literary environment, Kingston WritersFest was launched in 2006 by a core group of dedicated and hardworking volunteers under the auspices of Kingston Frontenac Public Library and Kingston Literacy.
In 2009, under the direction of a new team headed by Merilyn Simonds, Kingston WritersFest was professionalized, moving to its home at the Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront and expanding to include dozens of writers in every genre. Over the next five years, WritersFest developed outreach programs that touch thousands of local children and youth: Festival Field Trips for high-school students, Authors@School for elementary students, Kids on Sunday for families, and free rush seats for Queen’s and St. Lawrence students.
Still lovingly organized by a dedicated staff and a corps of book-loving volunteers committed to fostering a love of literature, the festival now welcomes an audience of 8,500 to more than 50 events featuring some 70 authors from around the world, across the country, and down the street. Hailed as one of the best festivals in the country, it is renowned for its unique programming and the intimate atmosphere within which this community of readers and writers continues to grow.
In 2014, Barbara Bell takes over as Artistic Director, leading Kingston WritersFest into the next exciting stage of its evolution.
You know those days where it’s so hot that everyone is cranky? You need to cool everyone down, both literally and figuratively? We have a few of those days every summer. Our solution? We hit one of Kingston’s many water parks.
View of the waterslide from the outside.
Operated by the city of Kingston, SCOTT Aquapark is our biggest water park. Featuring a 10m waterslide, 25m pool, toddler pool and lazy river, it is a paradise to all. Well almost. There are some pretty tight rules to be followed. And a staff of young folks not afraid to stand behind those rules. Even to a wet mom in a tankini with a crying child who failed the swim test.
For $9.75 the three of us enter the pool and head over to the swim test area. My six year old (Iain) passes, and my eight year old (Fintan), well he doesn’t. Iain has to stay within arm’s reach of me, regardless of his pass (kids six and under must stay within arm’s reach of a parent). Fintan has to wear a lifejacket. AND stay with me, as he “failed”. When the tears of injustice are over (he can’t redo it; one of the rules in one test per day) he dons a lifejacket and we head over to the lazy river. Another rule: there’s a ratio of 1:1 (parent and kid in lifejacket) thankfully one passed! After some floating down the river, Iain wants to jump off the board. This can be done, as long as I am in the water (arm’s reach?). He jumps over and over again. I snap a picture of this great feat, and am quickly told that cameras are not allowed. Another rule. I get it though, all the rules make sense, makes for a safe place!
The jump before my camera is “confiscated”.
Neither of them can go down the slide, as the minimum height is 4.5 feet, which they’ve both missed by at least 6”. Eventually, we pack up and head out. There’s a great little playground and free splash pad outside of the building, we visit briefly. Despite all of the rules, I get an enthusiastic “YES” when I ask if they enjoyed the park, and they can’t wait to go again. And my eight year old? He wants to practice the swim test before we go again.
The splash pad outside of SCOTT Aquapark.
Also operated by the city, Lake Ontario Park has recently received a big makeover. A wonderful green space where you could spend the day walking along the water, visiting the cobble beach, picnicking under trees, or the pavilion, and watching the kids frolic in the splash pad and play structure all while enjoying a great view of Lake Ontario. The splash pad itself seems to be a work of art, and although has only a few features, the kids have a great time splashing around. The playground alongside the pad gave lots of climbing and spinning opportunities, and the soft rubber ground made for no skinned knees. This park is less hands on than SCOTT Aquapark, leaving us Moms time to visit.
Fintan taking a rest. Waterparking is fatiguing!
The green ball on top is actually a bucket that randomly dumps water on an unsuspecting head.
Kids can climb atop the merry-go-round to dry off in the sun before getting soaked again.
We’ve been visiting this little gem in City Park since 2009, when the boys were two & four.
Maybe they’ve outgrown it some, but my six year old still found the child within to play while his eight year old brother chased squirrels and climbed the coolest tree in Kingston. The park is walking distance from city hall, making it very accessible. There are a couple of playgrounds, washrooms and plenty of trees for shade. It’s a great park for toddlers!
Iain’s first visit to the splash pad in 2009 – it’s still a lot of fun, five years later.
Anyone within reach of the park’s water gun is fair game!
Even the seagulls approve!
And, after a day of waterparking, you can always dry off and do some good old fashioned tree-climbing.
If you are a proud Kingstonian anxious to showcase your city to friends, don’t hesitate to suggest a Kingston 1000 Islands Boat Cruise. A wide variety of lunch, dinner, sightseeing and charter tours is offered between now and October 31, but there is no time like the present!
I recently experienced an idyllic three-hour luncheon cruise on the Island Star, one of the three unique 1000 Islands Cruise ships. The weather was perfect, the meal was delicious and the entertainment was outstanding. The theme was Mardi Gras, so guests got into the spirit by donning sparkly top-hats, glittery shades and colourful beads. When musician Spencer Evans and his trio weren’t belting out a mix of jazz, zydeco, Cajun and R&B that would do New Orleans proud, he was regaling us with interesting facts about the 1000 Islands area.
What a tasty start to a Cajun culinary adventure!Prepared fresh on the boat, these entrees were memorable.
An amuse-bouche of skewered chorizo and shrimp set the culinary tone for the afternoon. From the four entrée choices on the Island Star lunch menu, I selected the chicken chasseur and was not disappointed. My companion raved about the fresh Atlantic salmon skewers and we both enjoyed the Caprese salad and delectable cake. Amazingly, all of this bounty is prepared fresh (no microwave, no heat lamp on board!) in a galley that would appear to measure less than a hundred square feet. Dinner cruises on the Island Star offer a different, equally appealing menu. Lunches on Kingston 1000 Islands cruises are more casual affairs while the vest and bow ties sported by the serving staff at dinner raise the bar a notch.
Between courses, guests initiated several impromptu Conga-line circuits of the dining area. Musician Spencer joined in; at other times, to the delight of the diners close by, he played his clarinet while standing on a chair.
On this particular day, there was a lunch cruise on the Island Queen as well. This ship, a Mississippi paddle-wheeler, offers its own lunch and dinner buffet menu. At several points during the three-hour tour, the passengers on the decks of the Island Queen were visible to us on the Island Star. They were clearly having as good a time as we were.
The third member of the Island fleet is the Island Belle, a replica St. Lawrence Steamer. The three vessels offer varying degrees of accessibility, with the Island Star being the most accessible. Captain Lee of the Island Star told me that the fleet is in the third year of a five-year plan to “green” the operation by introducing electric motors.
Some of the music lent itself to a sedate two-step.
The Mardi Gras cruise was a total delight. Although that ship has sailed, there are many more special themed events scheduled over the next four months, including several wine-tasting cruises, a beer-tasting cruise, a comedy cruise and a dozen music events ranging from gospel to big band to disco to blues to The Beatles and beyond. Can you imagine a more beautiful setting for Thanksgiving lunch or dinner, when the scenery along the St. Lawrence will be spectacular? But don’t wait; today is a beautiful day and any day is a good day for you to be part of a Kingston 1000 Island Cruise.
Revellers ranged in age from 9 to 92 and the energy was high on both ends of the spectrum.
Romance, drama, intrigue and of course… murder! What else would you expect from a murder mystery dinner theatre experience? I had the opportunity to attend the advance screening of the Sir. John A. Mega-Park Murder Mystery last week. I had never been to a professional murder mystery before but Mr. Spot Mysteries did not disappoint. All the of the characters brought another level to the mystery; all of them had motive to commit the murder! I won’t spoil the ending for you – you’ll have to go out and see the performance for yourself.
Mara (played by Genevieve Landis) gets intimate with the audience.
As the audience arrived (or “potential investors” as we were dubbed by the actors) the actors mingled with the crowd and seated themselves with the patrons. This was their chance to set the stage – or rather restaurant as we were hosted by Aunt Lucy’s – and give hints about their characters stance on the building of a new theme park set to take over LeMoine Point. The evening was to be a pitch to the media and a chance for potential investors to take a cut of the theme park’s profit. The actor’s were great at ad-libbing conversations with the audience and setting the tone of the night.
I meet Sir John A Macdonald for the first time in miniature form.
We were served a prix-fixe meal with our choice of a main and dessert. Dinner started with an excellent caesar salad or seafood chowder. I had the caesar salad – it’s not too often that you find a caesar salad with real bacon, freshly grated parmesan and, to top it off, homemade croutons. For the next course I chose the chicken marsala. The sauce was perfectly balanced with red wine and mushrooms and went well with the mashed potatoes on the side. Dinner was concluded with a dessert of apple crisp or bread pudding.
Aunt Lucy’s tasty chicken marsala, caesar salad and apple crisp.
During dessert all the characters mysteriously had to do something outside – when they returned one was missing. We soon found out the director of the theme park had been killed in the parking lot! As dessert progressed we heard more about the events leading up to the murder.
Some clues were so subtle I didn’t realize they were clues until we found out who the killer was!
The under-cover detective leading us on the trail of clues kept the audience roaring with laughter. The detective even incorporated a few audience members into the story of who killed the victim. A subtle – yet hilarious – French-Canadian assistant joined the detective on the hunt for the true killer.
Alex Johnsson (played by Martin Fobert) and the French-Canadian detective (played by Jason Bowen) in the midst of following the trail of clues.
After we had explored all the clues leading up to the murder we were given a chance to cast our ballot and decide, by democracy, who dunnit. Of course the detective didn’t really use our ballots to decide who the killer was but reading our ideas was a good source of entertainment for him. In the end I didn’t guess the true identity of the killer but, after hearing the conclusion, I have to say it can be done!
The under-cover detective (played by Ilke Hincer) trying to solve the crime.Mara pleads her case in the Mr. Spot murder mystery dinner theatre.
Mr. Spot Murder Mysteries are running the show every Friday and Saturday in August. The cocktail hour starts at 6:30pm at Aunt Lucy’s followed by dinner at 7:15pm. Be sure to bring your thinking cap and be ready to laugh!
Kingston is a wonderful mix of heritage and progressive thinking, and nowhere have I seen that better exemplified than in Le Chien Noir’s Chef Derek Macgregor. Derek is known among locavores as ‘the chef with the little yellow wagon.’
To begin this story, a locavore is a person interested in eating locally produced food—grown within one hundred miles of point of purchase. Locavore thinking is rooted in sustainability and eco-consciousness.
Derek is just one of many Kingston chefs whose philosophies reflect this thinking. Derek is unique in that he visits the Kingston Public Market, located less than a block from Le Chien Noir, pulling a little yellow wagon behind him. He used to return to the restaurant from the market unable to carry all his purchases, so he decided to get a wagon to make the trips across easier. “We buy from fifteen to twenty local farmers at any given time—Patchwork Gardens (in Battersea), Kitchen Garden (in Wilton), Enright Cattle (in Tweed), to name just a few.”
The team from Patchwork Gardens has you covered for produce!
Curious about his reasoning, I ask Derek, “Why does it matter to you to use Ontario ingredients?”
“For a variety of reasons,” he tells me. “Taste is the big one, but we also know the community that produces it. At the market, we build relationships.”
“The farmers are very approachable!” I say. “I like that we can discuss how my food was grown and how to prepare it.”
“Yes,” Derek agrees. “People are more educated about foods these days, so our buying local produce that’s mostly organic is reassuring to our customers.”
“Kingston’s restaurants haven’t always had this relationship with local farms,” I suggest.
“No,” Derek says. “but today Kingston has a very real, very vibrant farmers’ market where you can get almost anything you want. And those relationships we’ve built have made a big difference.”
“It goes deeper, doesn’t it?” I say. “I’ve heard from such restaurants as Atomica, Harper’s Burger Bar, Dianne’s, Olivea and Chez Piggy, that several of the downtown chefs have meetings each spring with local farmers, discussing which seeds they should plant.”
“It’s true,” Derek admits. “For instance, all our in-house lettuce is from Patchwork Gardens. We buy about seven hundred heads of lettuce a week, between Le Chien Noir and Atomica.”
Derek wants to bring his customers a sense of the field where their food was grown, the barn where the livestock were raised. He wants his customers to have a genuine, reliable, honest sense of the reality of their food. Another way he and Tim Pater, the owner of Le Chien Noir, bring diners and farmers together is by building community over a meal. They work closely with other restaurateurs, with the local farmers and with the BIA.
“This city’s hosted lots of events, like ‘Feast of Fields’, and ‘Local Food, Local Chef’. We do tapas pairing events and harvest dinners.” Le Chien Noir even brought farmers and vintners into the restaurant for events, encouraging them to go table-to-table and speak to the diners about what they were eating.
Tim Pater once told me, “On all our branding, the phrase Eat Local appears first, and then the list of our restaurants. Local ingredients matter that much to us.”
Local ingredients should matter to us, as any locavore will tell you. This spring, the non-profit organization Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA) launched the initiative Feast ON. Feast ON is a criteria-based program that recognizes businesses committed to showcasing Ontario’s unique tastes of place, bring eaters and eateries together over local food.
Proudly grown in Ontario.Delicious offerings from local producers.
“The nice thing about being a chef in Kingston,” Derek says, “is that here it takes fifteen to twenty minutes and you’re in the country. There are a dozen farmers half an hour away!” In only a very few cases has he not walked the fields with the farmer to visit the harvest that he’s going to be using in the kitchen. “We have access to great produce!”
“Does this mean your menu is dynamic, that ingredients could change depending on what’s available?” I ask, excited at the prospect. A true locavore hopes for such an open-minded approach.
“I’m kind of a spontaneous cook,” he confesses. “I like to go to the market and create the pairings for the meats as I shop. I visit the stalls three times a week with my little yellow wagon. They have good produce, as you know!”
Kingston’s bustling Family YMCA offers two locations to help you stay fit, and it will soon offer a third. Currently, 100 Wright Crescent sees most of the action. A workout here can fit in nicely with running other errands, since it sits beside the Calvin Park branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library and opposite the Kingston Centre. The building has received regular upgrades over the years, the most recent to the main upstairs gym.
The upper gym at St. Lawrence is also used for spinning classes and offers a great view of King Street and Lake Ontario Park from its wall of windows.
The second Y location is three kilometres away, at St. Lawrence College. Open to all members, not just St. Lawrence students, its upper level offers two squash courts and a gym. A state-of-the-art weight room with a variety of endurance machines is on the ground floor.
Once Fit for Life participants begin work on the rowing machines, there are few smiles; smile muscles are pre-empted by determination muscles.
One of our Y members is a youthful ninety-five-year-old. Along with five other hardy souls who have reached the age of ninety, this member enjoys a lifetime membership. I found some of these sprightly souls participating in the Y’s Hearts program in the Fit For Life Centre at Wright Crescent. This is a smaller, quieter gym area available to regular members for a portion of each day, which also houses a number of specialty programs. One participant told me proudly that he was a graduate of the Cardiac Rehab program at Hotel Dieu Hospital.
Free weights or barbells, a light load or a heavy one, it’s your choice.
Push-ups can be traditional, from the knees or against the wall.
RIP Participants do chest presses while lying back on benches.
Usually my favourite program, but occasionally the bane of my existence, the 60-minute barbell program called RIP accounts for four of the 100 adult classes offered each week at the Y. RIP classes take place Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at Wright Crescent and Wednesday evening at St. Lawrence. Participants use a variety of traditional barbells or resistance bars (weighted bars with a foam casing) and free weights. The music is engaging and suits the movement. New compilations are introduced every few months and older ones (we’ve done twelve!) sometimes make a reappearance. The ten musical tracks entertain and soothe the participants of this high repetition routine with the knowledge that after these 16 (or 32!) squats, lunges, chest presses or bicep curls there will be some relief (such as crunches, planks, dead lifts…)
Members are looking forward to the opening of YMCA West.
The present Progress Fitness, at 745 Progress Avenue will reopen August 10 as YMCA West. Only six kilometres from the other locations, this newest branch will be especially convenient for members living in the west end of the city. Like Wright Crescent, the new Progress Avenue site will offer swimming and a wide range of classes, with child minding available.
The Wright Crescent Y offers two accessible pools, a lap pool and a warmer leisure pool.
All hands are on deck to help with life jackets.
Aquatics is very popular at Wright Crescent. Currently 1,400 children per week participate in swimming lessons.
Beyond the pool, there are many activities for children and youth. Babies as young as six weeks old join their mothers for post-natal yoga classes. There is a movement class for preschoolers aged three to five. From there, the world of sports gradually opens up; programs begun at age five continue to be available up to age 12, starting with Sports Sampler, Basketball and Youth Soccer. A special, girls-only Sports Sampler is offered for six-to-nine-year-old athletes. Squash and badminton are available from age seven and a learn-to-run group starts at age eight. On Thursday and Friday evenings, teens can participate in Fit Play in the gym. There are family workouts, art and quiet games as well. For more information visit their website!
For the holders of those age-ninety-plus lifetime memberships, for the little people splashing around in the pool and for all those in between, the Kingston Family YMCA is a great place to be!
Anwyn Studio is an open, bright space in Portsmouth Village, in which small, human moments occur. This afternoon, I’ve come to learn to a new skill using hand-dyed, natural wool.
The welcoming sign outside of Anwyn Studio/
The owner, Meriel Taylor, is calmly making lego-shaped paper invitations for a child’s birthday party with her girlfriend. A young boy is playing nearby; his baby brother fusses on the couch. Because their mother is looking a little overwhelmed, I happily insert myself into the process so the mother can nurse.
Meriel introduces us. “This is Christine. She wants to learn to Drop Spindle!”
Handspinning wool is an ancient textile art, where you twist fibres, fleece or wool into a continuous thread with a spinning wheel or a drop spindle.
The mother becomes more agitated, thinking that she’s taking me from something important, so I assure her that I’m here to relax and can think of nothing more wonderful than making lego invitations. The new skill I want to learn will take but a few moments and I can easily take in the studio as I cut and paste.
The studio walls are adorned with similar yarns, some in batt form for spinning, some spun and plied, and ready for knitting. Drop spindles, knitting supplies and even felting supplies—all the tools necessary for enjoying “slow fashion” skills involving wool are nestled enticingly on shelves. The studio epitomizes homemade, local, and beautiful.
“How did Sunday’s stall at the Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market go?” I ask Meriel. I hope to purchase a kit—consisting of three hand-dyed lots of local, organic wool and a wooden drop spindle—if she has any left.
“I sold many bags of it!” Meriel tells me, brightly. In fact, she only has one kit left. “Will green be alright?” she asks. It’s a delicious combination of earthy shades, and it will be more than alright. It will be perfect.
“For the farmers’ market grand opening [which opened on June 8] I’m offering some impromptu lessons on my spinning wheels, so people can sit for a few minutes. I’ll also offer some already cast-on knitted projects, so kids and grown-ups can learn a new stitches. There’s a closeted-ness to knitting and I want to bring awareness to these arts generally.”
Anwyn Studio at a local Market.
“That sounds like fun!” I say, noting that my new friend and her boy are now tranquilly colouring; the baby is fed and asleep on the couch. The atmosphere at Anwyn Studio can have that effect on you, I suspect.
Handcrafts offer us so much more. According to recent studies, handcrafts are therapeutic—a powerful distractant, helping people manage long-term physical pain. They’re a motivator during depressive episodes.
They’re a conversation starter, allowing shy people to interact politely without requiring eye contact. They build confidence and self-esteem.
Skills like spinning, felting and knitting are calming, they improve concentration, can reduce the risk of dementia and they offer a break from our technology-saturated world. And, they make people happy.
The lego invitations complete, Meriel and I curl up on the couch where she ties a leader of fibre onto my spindle and starts my line. Meriel then demonstrates the park and draft method of spinning. Park and draft is a simplified form of drop spindle where you spin a small length of previously drafted fibre and then ‘park’ the spindle between your knees. The spindle stops spinning, which allows you the freedom to concentrate on drafting more fibre for the next spin. My new spindle is small and portable, and the techniques involved are easy to learn and satisfying to practice. Once I gain confidence with the park and draft method, Meriel encourages me to combine the skills, drafting fibre as the spindle continues to spin.
A spindle up close and personal.
“On June 15th, I’m celebrating International Knit in Public Day,” Meriel tells us. “I’m going to invite people to bring a knitting, spinning or felting project to the farmers’ market. It’s a celebration of the fibre arts, a reintroduction of a heritage craft into the public sphere.”
Within ten minutes, I’ve learned a marvellous, new skill based on an ancient craft. The mom and her boys are preparing to leave, so I rise to join their exit. My drop spindle kit fits nicely into my bag, the textured wool and the meadow of greens peeking over my shoulder are likely to draw attention in the village on my walk home.
Anwyn Studio offers a variety of classes based on “hand-dyed fibre from nature.”
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