Explore Durham

Santa Claus is coming to town

When my kids were young they couldn’t get enough of Santa. Rain or snow, sun or sleet, we waited on downtown Toronto streets – sometimes for hours – to nab a front row spot on the sidewalk for the big Santa Claus Parade.

But then I discovered the delights of small-town parades with brigades of Boy Scouts cheered on by their parents, wagon-loads of kids waving from the local service club float and free candy canes handed out to all and sundry. Best of all, there was no waiting. We’d turn up five minutes before the start time and before our noses had a chance to turn pink, Santa was waving and ho-ho-hoing his way down the street. Sure the floats aren’t as glitzy, and there are no TV cameras to broadcast the event, but my kids remember those local community parades as especially enjoyable.

Santa Claus comes to Pickering and Ajax on November 13, Bowmanville and Oshawa on November 20, Uxbridge and  Port Perry on November 27 and Whitby on December 4.

Canada’s own Marks brothers and more Vaudeville acts in Bowmanville

What a surprise to learn that Canada had its very own version of the Marks brothers. Not Harpo, Groucho and Chico. I mean Joseph, Thomas, Robert, Alex, Earnest, John and McIntyre – a dapper looking dramatic company of Perth, Ontario-based brothers and their wives who travelled across North America bringing Vaudeville-style shows to entertainment-starved towns, both small and large. Among their many stops was the Bowmanville Opera House (now the municipal offices). These stars of the late 19^th and early 20^th century stage are part of a fascinating exhibit based on the photos Peterborough’s Roy Studio Collection, titled Voices of the Town.

  “In the era before television, Vaudeville tended to be a family-friendly entertainment. For just 5 cents a ticket you saw mixed acts including song-and-dance, drama and mesmerism (hypnosis) in a format that foreshadowed later television programs such as Ed Sullivan, David Letterman and even Sesame Street” said Dave Cox, Clarington Museum’s program co-ordinator. In addition to the photos, visitors to the Sarah Jane Williams Heritage Centre in Bowmanville will find artifacts including a replica Kinetescope showing loop of early Vaudeville entertainments, and the costume of Oklahoma Jack “who performed rope tricks and staged knife fights with his partner.”

Winter bird identification workshop

 If you want to have them eating out of your hand, you have to know how and what to feed these chickadees. Learn how to attract wild birds to your backyard and identify them by sight and sound at a free workshop, Winter Birds on the Moraine, Friday November 5, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Enniskillen Conservation Area in Clarington. The workshop, led by ornithologist Elizabeth Kellogg, will be held indoors at the Education Centre. Space is limited so you must reserve by calling Cathy Grant at (905) 579-0411, ext. 108 or email cgrant@cloca.com.

A toast to the Durham Brewing Company

Look what I found in The Beer Store earlier this week. Who knew there was a brewery in Pickering? Turns out, County Durham Brewing Company is just a short hop from Lake Ontario in Pickering, at 1885 Clements Road. Apparently, you can call (905) 686-3022 to arrange a visit.

According to Ontario Craft Brewers, County Durham’s Hop Head Cask Ale took the Golden Tap Award for the best beer brewed in Ontario in 2009. But that choice wasn’t available so I settled for a six-pack of their Signature Ale instead. With a nice hop-malt balance it tasted just as attractive as it looked. County Durham also makes a Hemp Ale—not available where I was shopping—but described as having a nutty flavour.

As a dedicated locovore, I’d love to know anyone is familiar with a local pub that serves County Durham. Any suggestions?

Apple cider vinegar: a cult classic

It’s been credited as a weight-loss aid, a tonic to keep cats flea-free and a non-toxic household cleanser, but Fred Archibald makes his cider vinegar purely for the great taste. “Cider vinegar has almost a cult following,” said Sandy Archibald when I dropped by Archibald Orchards recently to see what was new.

 

Not doubt part of the vinegar’s mystique is the 2- to 3-year-long process to make it. Fred’s quick-pressed sweet Macintosh apple cider is first fermented into hard (5% alcohol) cider. When that’s ready, Fred introduces and acetobacter culture into the cider that eats the alcohol, transforming the cider into vinegar. And what vinegar! There is nothing like this high-quality, natural product for making a really tasting bean salad. It’s great for making pickles, relishes and this amazing sweet onion preserve made by Rebecca’s Kitchen and sold at Archibald’s. The caramelized onions and cider vinegar have a sweet-sour flavour that transforms a grilled cheese sandwich into a gourmet treat.

 

Lucy Maud Montgomery Day in Leaskdale

 

“Lucy Maud Montgomery lived in Leaskdale for 15 years and wrote 11 books while there,” according to Kathy Wasylenky, President of the Lucy Maude Montgomery Society of Ontario. “She continues to be Canada's best-known author world wide.Anne of Green Gables is one of very few Canadian books that have officially become classics on the world scene.”

While the author’s descriptions of Prince Edward Island are famous, she also described many striking scenes from her years in the Durham Region village of Leaskdale, where she lived in the yellow brick church manse with her husband and where her children were born. This special connection is celebrated on October 23, from 9.30 a.m. to 3 p.m., staring with tea, coffee and snacks, followed by a presentation by Donna Campbell, one of the foremost collectors of LMM books, and a presentation by the LMMSO on the influence of the landscape of Leaskdale on Maud’s writing, “particularly an area down the sideroad that many considered to be ‘Rainbow Valley.’” Scenes from the local grist mill pond will be paired with quotes from Montgomery’s writings so you can draw your own conclusions. A lasagna lunch is followed by Anne Kathleen McLaughlin’s performance of her one-woman play Maud of Cavendish. “This play has been performed many times throughout the Maritimes and Ontario. It is a great performance,” said Kathy. All this and a tour of the restored manse is only $25. For tickets call Kathy at 905-852-5284.

Fall Colours in Clarington

The leaves are falling fast, but there were still some stunning views to be had from the back roads north of Bowmanville, this past weekend. Quick, before they’re gone, take a drive along one of the concession roads. If you need a destination, try picking up some organic beef at Gallery On the Farm (1721 Regional Road 3, Enniskillen) or some cider doughnuts at Tyrone Mills (2656 Concession Road 7, Tyrone). Your trip will prove as tasty as it is scenic. These photos were shot along Concession 6 near Solina.

Bowmanville Apple Festival and Craft Sale

The apple harvest is in, now the celebration is about to begin. On Saturday October 16, some 30,000 people are expected to stroll Bowmanville’s main street for a tasty seasonal celebration that features all things apple.

 

Archibald Orchards is already baking hundreds of apple dumplings to serve with caramel sauce. Kathy Cochrane was just taking this tray of pastry-wrapped apples filled with cinnamon and brown sugar, ready to be served with a hot caramel sauce. Dumplings draw long lineups on Apple Fest day. “Last year we made 500 and they were all gone by 2 o’clock,” said Sandy Archibald. “This year we’re making 800.” But with nice weather predicted for the weekend, crowds are bound to be large so you had best plan on arriving early. Also on the menu: deep fried apple fritters prepared by Knox Christian High School and cider doughnuts cooked by the folks at Tyrone Mill, as well as goodies from other orchards.

 

Ten bands perform at 5 sites and upwards of 60 craft vendors will be selling quality handmade goods. Children’s rids, a visiting camel from Bowmanville Zoo, chainsaw carving and apple pie baking contests round out the fun.

Pumpkins and more at Knox’s

 

There’s an art to picking the perfect pumpkin. I look for deep ridges to ensure a nice thick skin that will last well. My daughter insists on a long stem that will become the handle on the lid of our jack-o-lantern once it’s carved out. Whatever your criteria are, there are plenty of pumpkins to choose from at Knox’s Pumpkin Farm where a wagon ride into the pumpkin patch makes the picking easy.

 

This fourth generation family farm north of Courtice may have pumpkins in its name, but its barn is filled with pigs, poultry and plenty more—all the old fashioned fun one expects to find on a traditional mixed farm. I love walking down the drive lined with century-old maples and planning my front porch display as I choose from masses of gourds, Indian corn and bales of straw. Now if only I could add one of the peacocks.

Thanksgiving veggies at Willowtree Farm

 

For many people Thanksgiving dinner is all about the turkey. Although I have nothing against the gobbler, to me, it this is the time of year to celebrate great vegetables. When I want something different I head for Willowtree Farm on Regional Road 21, just west of Port Perry. This awesome family farm uses the best sustainable agricultural practices, like crop rotation, to produce a vast array of veggies.

This year I’ll be adding a little colour to the table with a mixture of purple cauliflower and cheddar (orange) caulifower.

It’s not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie and squash—perhaps cubes of roasted butternut squash or the deliciously sweet potato squash. A massive blue hubbard makes a delicious decoration for a Thanksgiving display and feeds a small army afterwards. Check out the Willowtree website for this interesting “lasagna” made with squash.