Explore Durham

Storefront history in Whitby

A former shop on Whitby’s Brock Street seems like an unlikely location for a museum, but inside this small space the Whitby Historical Society’s dedicated volunteers have done an admirable job of preserving the town’s heritage.

With all the antique furniture and china, it could almost be mistaken for an antique story, but then Whitby Historical Society president Margaret Boyce starts to share some of the stories behind these pieces, it become clear that these old sofas, vintage piano and Victorian odds and ends, have some powerful stories to tell.

I was drawn immediately to this wonderfully ornate piano made in Whitby in 1868 by Joseph Rainer.  “We’re told it took first prize in the 1878 World’s Fair,” said Margaret, as I admired the mother-of-pearl inlay, the gleaming gold leaf and the carved beavers, maple leaves, cardinals and blue jays. “Joseph Rainer was making one piano a week but he took three months to do this one,” added Margaret.

The piano wasn’t the only luxury artifact. “From 1840 to 1890 Whitby was one of the wealthiest places in Ontario,” thanks to its many industries. Among them Canada’s first clock factory, an organ factory, two furniture factories, a blanket factory, a buckle factory (for cart horse hardware) and award-winning piano factory.

 

With all that industry it’s not surprising to learn that the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) visited the notable Perry family in Whitby, the same family that gave its name to the Lake Scugog town of Port Perry. This is the chair the Prince said to have used during his visit.

Housing some 9,000 artifacts, this compact museum has plenty to show its visitors, from stained glass windows to the Perry family stamp. But the best part is hearing the stories that bring these objects to life. The historical society stages several special events throughout the year, including a Christmas tea in mid-December.

A Victorian afternoon at Tea Grannys & Friends

If my mother is reading this, she should stop right now. Especially if she doesn’t want to know what she’ll be getting for her birthday.

Afternoon tea with Kimberly Chant-Allin, or “Lady Kimberly” is so engaging that it will be remembered long after the last Balmoral shortbread has been nibbled, making it a perfect gift for hard-to-buy-for mothers, sisters, wives and friends. While you don’t have to be female to enjoy it, afternoon tea certainly is rooted in feminine tradition, according to Tea Grannys proprietor Kimberly Chant-Allin. “In the parlour, ladies could gather and talk over tea…prior to the telephone, it was an important source of information.

A collector of Victoriana since she was 13 years old, Kimberly Chant-Allin has turned her lifelong passion for late nineteenth century food and fashion into a delightful tea parlour where she, “educates people about the Victorian Way of life.”

Kimberly and her farmer husband Ivan Allin, both in Victorian costume, both welcomed me to the tearoom situated in their farm home where photos of Ivan’s Victorian ancestors hang on the wall. History buffs like could spend hours poring over Kimberly’s fascinating collection of Victoria artifacts, including these white canvas bathing boots designed to cover ladies ankles and protect their modesty.

Protecting modesty seems to have been somewhat of an obsession as Kimberly explained, “a lady never wore fewer than seven layers of clothes.” One layer would be these crotchless bloomers.

The skirts of Kimberly’s reproduction costume rustled pleasantly as she bustled between tables explaining the place setting which includes a porcelain tea strainer to catch the loose leaves and a tea timer for a perfectly steeped cuppa. Even the paper napkins were embossed the Tea Granny’s logo, as though they were monogrammed linens.

With a selection of more than 40 teas, making a choice wasn’t easy, but I finally settled on a tasty single estate Mim Darjeeling. Then came the next serious decision: a choice of teapot. After clearing out palates with delicious berry compote, the tea and an assortment of crustless sandwiches were served. Using vintage cookbooks for inspiration, Kimberly produces some tasty and unusual fillings, including a wonderful sockeye salmon with red pepper jelly and three-year-old cheddar with ginger chutney. A colourful three-tiered stand followed, laden with rose petal scones, strawberry jam, fresh fruit and an assortment of pastries baked fresh by Kimberly earlier in the day.

Luckily “Lady Kimberly” happily supplies boxes so we could take home all the little treasures we were too full to finish off, like the tasty mini tartlets filled with lavender-scented peach jam.

Christmas teas are very popular and feature seasonal treats. Advance booking is required.

Old and new shopping in Port Perry

Maybe it’s the view of Lake Scugog at the bottom of Queen Street, or maybe it’s the beautifully maintained Victorian shop fronts, but Port Perry has always been one of my favourite destinations for a shopping getaway. This week, I wanted to check out a sampling of both old and new before the Christmas rush.

Michael Robinson's striking black and white etchings of mythic and real creatures, drew me to the window of Native Focus. Although the gallery-cum-shop specializing in First Nations arts has been in operation for some 15 years, Erin and Jeremy Lepage took it over roughly five years ago.

Jeremy’s father, Peterborough painter Edie Lepage is one of the featured artists. His detailed paintings of animals and people draw attention to man’s relationship with the natural world. A father-and-son exhibit opening on November 20 shows us how artistic influences can run in the family. Take the work of Jim Oliver and his son Justin. Jim carves bowls from natural wood featuring knots and burls. His son Justin, also a woodworker, specializes in furniture, but takes the same care in choosing interesting pieces of wood. This organic table combines black walnut, spartan apple wood and crushed amber inlay.

Carrying the works of some 100 artists from Cape Dorset to Port Perry, Erin and Jeremy’s shop features an eclectic mix that reflects their tastes. “If we like and generally if it’s made in Canada, we’ll show it.”

My favourites were this dancing bear carved from serpentine stone by Inuit artist Jimmy Tunnillie and the this wonderful little wooden birds by Coldwater artist Marc Degagne. Traditional crafts including quill baskets from Manitoulin Island are well repsresented here, along with modern takes on traditional crafts such as Shane Norries’ interesting pottery. “We sell a lot of moccasins and, at this time year, mukluks,” said Erin.

In additon to the fine arts and crafts, Native Focus carries Cedar Point Soaps made in Waubushense; the sweetgrass and cedar is a refreshing fragrance.

You can also buy  braids of sweetgrass and bundles of white sage used in purification ceremonies. We burn that in the store all the time,” said Erin.

If you haven’t shopped in Port Perry lately, you should make a point of checking out two of its newest shops. F.M. Finds has some wonderful home décor objects like onion baskets imported from Holland as well and richly scented soaps in fruity fragrances like pomegranate and passionfruit from the Australian Rituelle line. Across the road at Russell's Delectables Jean Templeman offered me a sample of her brown sugar fudge – one of 10 to 12 flavours she normally makes. She also does these wonderful caramel apples and some chocolate classics. A $2-bag of chocolate-and-nut covered sponge toffee was too tasty to survive the drive home.

Shopping for soap in Enniskillen

  

Timeless Essentials is probably the smallest shop I’ve ever been in – just a few square feet at the side door of Crystal Mowbray’s Enniskillen house, but Crystal makes it work. Somehow she makes and sells thousands of bars of soap here each year, not to mention the bath salts, essential oils, jams, soup mixes and gift baskets.

A certified herbologist trained at Durham College in Uxbridge, Crystal has earned a reputation for producing high-quality, affordable bath products in her home kitchen, including some 4,000 bars of soap each year. “Glycerin pulls moisture from the air to our body, other soaps pull moisture from the body. When we are stressed our bodies require more moisture,” she explained. “While most Canadian-made glycerin soaps contain just two percent glycerin, the base I import from England has nine percent.”

Working in her home, she whittles down the 25-pound blocks of glycerin soap base and melts the pieces with natural colours and essential oils. The result smells wonderful. I loved the refreshing grapefruit-mandarin-lime blend, which is also available in an essential oil to sprinkle on the bathroom mat for an early morning wake-up. Jasmine, vanilla, chocolate truffle, green apple and lavender are just a few of the scents available in pretty blossom shapes or rectangular massage bars. Made with a high-quality essential oil imported from France, the lavender bath salts are irresistible, as is the Sensual Spa Bar made with shae butter, glycerin, cocoa butter, aloe vera, ground oats and chamomile. While I browsed through the bath salts, this friendly cat came for a visit.

Crystal makes gift baskets to order, catering to tastes and ages, many include her homemade soup, dip and cookie mixes, as well as a jar or two of her fabulous homemade jam. If you are looking for something unusual to liven up your morning slice of toast, you’ll find it here. There are dozens of varieties to choose from including eight new ones this year: banana, strawberry-banana, pluot, strawberry-raspberry, sweet red pepper jelly, blueberry and blueberry marmalade.

Like the soaps, Crystal makes all the jams herself. She even grows her own raspberries in her backyard garden, along with extensive plantings of herbs. 

Although her shop is small, it’s well worth the drive to Enniskillen to Crystal who happily shares her wealth of herbal knowledge. I came away with an array of handy tips: lemon oil smells nice but it also disinfects, a few drops of rosemary essential oil on the dashboard will help keep you alert while driving, and patchouli essential oil smells sweetest when it has been aged for a few years. The shop is open when the signboard is placed out in front of her home.

If you plan on doing a little Christmas shopping, visit during the Christmas in the Village Show and Sale, November 20 to 22. The scenery along Regional Road 3 is so beautiful that it's well worth the drive at any time of year.

 

Discovering Bowmanville’s history on a cemetery tour

Dressed in an antique beaver felt top hat and tailcoat, Charles Taws looks every bit the part of a Victorian undertaker—suitably solemn for a tour of Bowmanville’s historic cemetery. But the tour is anything but dull. Using his skills as an archivist for Clarington Museums, Charles has researched a fascinating tour that covers everything from Victorian funeral customs to the tribulations of early settlers.

Earlier this week I joined Charles for a preview of the Bowmanville Cemetery tour that will be offered on Oct. 17 and 24 at 3 p.m. As we walked through the gates, Charles explained that Bowmanville is a garden cemeteries—a style that began in England in the early 1700s as an alternative to crowded churchyards. Their park-like settings made them fashionable places for both the dead and the living.

Though always respectful, Charles adds a touch of gentle humour. As we stopped at the stone of Digory Truscott, who served as the cemetery caretaker for 60 years, dying at the advanced age of 89, Charles observed that some might attribute his longevity to the calm working conditions: “He didn’t have to argue with co-workers.”

Most others were not so fortunate. The average life expectancy of a working-class person in 1890 was only 35, according to Charles—less than half of what might be expected today.

Now tilting with age, the flat slab stone was the most popular grave marker of the 1800s Most were decorated with symbolic images: a hand pointing the way to heaven, weeping willow trees for perpetual mourning and angels guarding tombs, to name a few.

One of the most outstanding “stones” is the Prower monument. Made of cast iron, this towering obelisk was an innovation suitable for the Bowmanville undertaker and reeve, who had one of the largest funeral corteges ever seen in the town.

While many stones have fallen with time, others were intentionally made to lie flat on the ground. “You can tell by the border carved around all four edges,” said Charles who went on to explain that such a stone might deter grave robbers—a problem in an era when medical schools did not have enough cadavers for their students to dissect.

One of the most interesting tomb stones is the marker below. It’s written in a language that remained a mystery until quite recently. You’ll have to take the tour to discover the answer. Tours are 90-minutes long and should be booked by calling the museum office at 905-623-2734.  The museum is also offering spirit walking tours through the town every Wednesday evening in October.

Apples and a taste of autumn at Watson Farms

How can a great apple pie get even better? When it’s eaten for a good cause. This weekend Watson Farms holds its first annual Pie Bake Off in support of the Bowmanville hospital. Bakers can sign up for the competition when they buy a bag of apples. If they bring two pies back—one for judging and another for the silent auction—they receive a free bag of apples in return. Pies will be judged on Saturday at noon; the silent auction closes at noon on Sunday. The idea is the brainchild of Tami Watson who wanted to use the buy-local campaign to support the local hospital.

When I asked her which apples to choose for a prize-winning pie, she didn’t hesitate: “My grandma says, ‘the Northern Spy makes the perfect pie.’ I don’t fight with her; she’s 88. The spy keeps well and it’s not as sweet so the true apple flavour comes through.”

But Tami was also quick to point out that the Cortland is also a popular pie choice and, being a little sweeter, it also makes a great eating apple. A newer variety that also bakes well is the Honey Crisp, “the size of a small meal.”

Watson Farms’ new market building is now well stocked with a wide variety of apples, but you can also pick your own in their orchard where Macs, Galas, Cortlands, Empires, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Northern Spy, Ida Red and Mutsu are all grown.

While it doesn’t take long to fill a basket with apples, allow plenty of time for children to visit the petting farm and playground.

When I dropped by earlier still this week, visitors were picking their own raspberries and green beans. Day-neutral strawberries are also still bearing fruit. If you prefer your fruit ready-cooked, I suggest taking home one of the market pies baked by Kings Court Catering. In addition to apple, apple-cranberry and apple-crumble, there will be plenty of pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving.

Highland cattle and purple potatoes on Gates Open

With Gates Open coming up this weekend, I decided to sneak a preview visit to Eric and Jennifer Bowman’s farm where they were getting ready to welcome visitors on the upcoming rural tour.

I’ve been curious about Gallery on the Farm, just west of Enniskillen, ever since I first noticed the highland cattle standing in a field off Regional Road 3.

And not just shaggy highlanders with their distinctive long horns. Red Angus, Maine Anjou and Murray Gray cattle are all raised here along with Belted Galloways, named for their distinctive Oreo cookie-like markings, black front and back, white middle. Also black and white and muddy is Toby the Border collie who can’t resist a chance to start a game of stick toss.

“The highlands were a birthday gift for Jenny,” said Eric, as we made our way to the barn to take a look at the cattle. These beasts don’t spend much time in a barn because of their ample coats. “They can be outside in the winter with half an inch of snow on their backs and they’re still very warm,” added Eric. “In the barn they’ll sweat.”

But Jenny has them conditioned to come at the sight of white pail filled with organic grains, so Priscilla and Dream quickly show up for their turn at the trough. When I asked her why she wanted a gift of cattle rather than jewelry for her birthday, Jenny smiled and said, “I just like the look of them, especially when they’re young, they’re just like teddy bears.” I had to admit she was right.

To ensure the cattle are organic, Eric grows all their corn and forage feed. “I don’t call it grass because red clover, alfalfa and trefoil are all legumes.” It’s details like that that make Gates Open such an interesting day out. Kids love the tractor rides and baby animals, but adults will learn what of wealth of knowledge and expertise goes into producing food.

In addition to cattle, Eric and Jennifer grow heritage vegetables including seven varieties of potatoes: white, yellow and even blue. “They make a great potato salad,” said Jenny. Check them out if you are driving by. These colourful tubers are sold at the farm’s roadside stand.

The farm’s name comes from Eric’s hobby: he’s earned a reputation for his oil paintings of farms and rural buildings.
 

Here he is (above) in his studio showing me some of the knives he uses to achieve his richly textured canvases.

Tasting the harvest at Willowtree Farm

Before my daughter heads off to Britain for a couple of years, she wanted to enjoy all the old-fashioned fun of an Ontario autumn: picking a pumpkin, taking in the changing leaves and tasting the fresh produce of the season.

With the trees just starting to colour on Durham Region’s back roads, we drove to Willowtree Farm, just west of Port Perry. We were expecting to find some fresh veggies and possibly a few pick-your-own items, but the bounty of this farm took us by surprise.

Marlene and Rod McKay, along with sons Alex and Jordan, grow some 34 different fruits and vegetables on these scenic 300 acres, along with a herd of naturally raised beef cattle.

We strolled through a patch of pick-your-own gladiolas, sunflowers and flowering cabbage before we noticed this trio of turkeys watching us.

This goat, aptly named William, was also pretty curious as he monitored our movements from his elevated walkway.

Marlene (below) was eager to show us the range of fruits and vegetables, from their late-ripening raspberries to the super sweet corn—a variety so tasty and juicy that we ate it raw while standing in the field.

Heads of orange and purple cauliflowers caught my attention, so we headed out to the field to see it growing. The massive leaves are left open for the coloured varieties, explained Marlene, unlike the traditional white variety in which the leaves are tied over the head to prevent it browning. After the cauliflower is harvested, the cattle (Limousin and Angus) eat the leaves, along with corn stalks and many other leftover veggies. “After Halloween they go into the pumpkin field where they kick open the pumpkins and eat them,” said Marlene.

The veggies sold at this market are presented as close to their natural state as possible, like the Brussels sprouts still on their stalk. “We think people should be able to see how things are grown,” said Marlene.

Autumn’s last tomatoes were still hanging like grapes on the vines that had been carefully tied to keep their fruits off the ground.

In October, visitors enjoy wagon rides into the field of pick-your-own pumpkins where the choice is amazing. Marlene gave us an excellent tip for choosing a long lasting pumpkin. “The more ribs and ripples on the pumpkin the thicker the shell and the longer it’s going to last.”

Cooking up a storm at the Chicken Coop

When my sister-in-law brought over Chelsea buns last weekend, I had to admit they were the best I’ve every tasted: sticky and sweet on the outside, studded with raisins on the soft inside. “Where did you get these?” I wanted to know as everyone reached for the last crumbs. The butter tarts and cheese bread were also amazing.

It turns out the Chicken Coop in the village of Greenbank has a reputation for serious old-school baking of the sort your grandmother probably poured so much love into. The bakery takes its name from the poultry and gas bar business Madeleine (pictured below) and John McCabe bought in 1960s, after they immigrated to Toronto from the Yorkshire Dales village of Knaresborough.

When Madeleine’s mother, May Greenshaw, came to visit, she suggested the couple should go into the bakery business after she discovered she couldn’t buy a good loaf of bread locally. May, pictured in the photo over Madeleine’s shoulder, wrote out some recipes and the baking began.

Today dozens of varieties of fresh bread, including molasses-enriched Maritime bread, a sport protein loaf with walnuts and dates, and the best-selling cheese and garlic loaf with a quarter pound of cheddar, emerge from the oven throughout the day, along with old English classics like Yorkshire tea cakes, currant-filled Eccles cakes and buttery Empire biscuits. But the key to staying in business for 41 years, according to Madeleine, “is you have to move with the times.”

Eight freezers filled with home-style baking and 50 different heat-and-serve meals offer convenience to cottagers and commuters. Everything, from the flaky pastry in the quiches to the meat filling in the pies is cooked right in the store with “the same ingredients you would use at home,” said Madeleine.

No wonder the place is so busy. Madeleine and John are joined by twin sisters Michelle (above) and Donna Oldnall (below), who have been working at the Chicken Coop for the past 26 years, helping with whatever needs making, from the classic chicken vegetable soup to the range of jellies, jams and relishes including the classic Lady Rose.

A small café in the back of the store is the perfect spot for a cuppa and a snack if you don’t think you face the temptation of driving home in a car filled with the yeasty aroma of fresh bread.

Discovering Art Deco delights at Parkwood Estate

In recent months, I’ve enjoyed many visits to Parkwood, the beautifully preserved home of General Motors founder Col. Sam McLaughlin, so it came as a surprise to discover a whole new side of the national historic site.  Art Deco tours led by museum volunteers, Joan Horner and Elizabeth Stewart, reveal many treasures that might otherwise go unnoticed amid the grandeur of the house and its many stories.

The women have done a great job of researching the period, the house and its many artifacts to create a fascinating look at the uniquely Canadian contribution to the elegant Jazz Age style we now refer to as Art Deco.

As Elizabeth led us into the traditional drawing room, she pointed out the heavy draperies, dark wood paneling and ornate décor of the original 1917 section of the house. By contrast, a 1930 renovation includes a sunroom filled with light and images of nature. Designed by Canadian architect John Lyle, the new addition reflects the sleek style of Art Deco.

Images of nature abound, both on the wall murals and ceiling. I was fascinated with these parrots.

“John Lyle was trained in the Beaux Arts style,” explained Elizabeth, “but in the 1920s he travelled to Europe where he attended the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Moderne in Paris,” a key event that shaped thinking in the design world. “In the meantime the advent of aviation, more travel, industrialization, the Ballets Russes, African design and new materials all influenced the new style.”

Decorative items, like this clock-barometer-thermometer in the breakfast room, “reflect the Art Deco fascination with modern modes travel, especially after Charles Lindbergh’s 1927 flight to Paris,” said Joan.

Some parts of the house, like the railing on this stairwell, were retrofitted to add an Art Deco update to older areas of the house. Others were built fully in the new style. Nowhere is this more in evidence than the magnificent suite built for Sam McLaughlin, where Lyle lavished his attention on every detail including the furniture, a 23-piece set crafted from pollard oak. A dressing room designed to look like a room on an ocean liner opens into an ensuite bathroom with a chrome wall clock set into a wall of vitrolite, a newly invented form of glass tiles. When members of the International Art Deco Society travelled from around the world to tour the house in May, “they were really excited when they saw this suite,” said Joan. Lyle worked Canadian influences into the sleek design, including this remarkable bas relief of a buck and doe in the sitting area.

My own favourite Art Deco treasure was this remarkable costume illustration from Ballets Russes designer Leon Bakst.

Until Thanksgiving tours also include a garden visit to see the magnificent fountain and tea house.