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Community Profiles

Reviewing Local Artists

by Mary Jane Gomes

Small Boy in Mexico

by McKellar Resident Joyce Hopkins

JOYCE HOPKINS sees the extraordinary in miniature sizes and through her art she shares that with us. Working in mixed-media, her visual sense is driven by her concern for all living things and the context they live in. Drawn to the truly important, Joyce seeks out the small things that have plenty to show and say. Her contemporary work: showing her pictures in horticulture shows, where I witnessed others acknowledging Joyce’s photographic skills.

Preparing for McKellar's 150th anniversary, Joyce relentlessly supports the arts including two MLCA co-ventures: co-hosting a Treasure Art Hunt, and co-hosting an Art Gala and Art Show, among other things.

With no formal art school training, Joyce headed out to Mexico where she took a a selection (seven courses a day for 8 weeks!) of courses offered at Instituto San Miguel de Allende. Joyce attributes her “story” passion both in writing and the visual world to her studies at the institute.

At 48, after teaching, Joyce travelled the world alone seeking out small villages and the people and stories therein.

The pictures above and below attest to Joyce’s skill. The frog depicted (taken here in McKellar) is roughly the size of a thumbnail.

Native Shrub & Tree Spotlight
by Suzanne Poff & Bettina Ryder

With Springtime around the corner, our thoughts start turning to planting and gardening. When designing or adding to landscapes in the Parry Sound region, it's best to add native plants as much as possible and be cognizant of the growing zone. This gives plants, shrubs and trees the best conditions to thrive and will require less maintenance than other non-native plants. Through the MLCA you can purchase a variety of plants, trees and shrubs that are ideal for our area and would make a wonderful addition to your property and our shared ecosystem.

Three very popular native shrubs/trees you may wish to consider are the Red Osier Dogwood, Pagoda Dogwood and the White Spruce.

The Red Osier Dogwood has striking red stems in the winter, giving this shrub its name, then produces flowers then berries in the summer. It will grow 8-12 feet wide and is excellent for areas prone to soil erosion. This is a suckering shrub which means it spreads by sending out shoots under the ground. If you have an area where you want a gorgeous hedge near a water feature such as ponds, streams or the lake then this is the shrub for you. They need full sun to part shade and will do well in any moist soil type. If you have moose, deer, beavers and rabbits on your property then they will take care of the pruning of these shrubs for you and help produce the growth of stunning new red branches for the next year.

The Pagoda Dogwood is another native shrub that has a distinctive horizontal branching pattern; in fact, it's attractive silhouette is named after the Japanese pagoda. The tiered branches produce small white flowers in the spring, and colourful foliage during the fall. This larger dogwood is fast growing and can grow up to 2 feet annually. It actually prefers to grow in a partly shaded area under the canopy of deciduous trees and prefers moderately moist but not soggy clay soils. Again, another favorite of the winter grazing animals but it can tolerate that well.

Another regional favourite is the White Spruce tree. These trees are so cold hardy that they can be found growing along the arctic treeline. White Spruce will grow in any soil type and although it prefers a full-sun location, it will tolerate some shade. Why is this such a favourite of so many people? Well, they are our most popular cut Christmas trees, very hardy and easy to grow. White Spruce trees are sturdy as a natural windbreak if you experience heavy winds and as visual screen if you are seeking privacy. Fun fact: When sailing up the St. Lawrence River in 1535, Jacques Cartier proclaimed the beautiful White Spruce "the finest trees in the world".

The MCLA still has trees and shrubs available for sale, including the Red Osier Dogwood, Pagoda Dogwood and White Spruce. Check out their website www.mlca.ca and order yours before they're gone! It's always helpful to consult a designer when planning your landscape if you are unsure as wrongly placed trees and shrubs can become troublesome as they grow. I'm always happy to help - feel free to email me at sue@allsummerscape.com.

The Road Ahead
by Stephen Macdonell

I am pleased to report on several projects that we have been working over the winter.

We have expanded the newsletter writing team and we look forward to bringing you new articles dealing with small scale family based farming, ecology, and exciting new West Parry Sound business reviews.

I have had the extreme pleasure to work with the good people of the McKellar Sesquicentennial Committee. Amazing work has been done over the past two years. The enthusiasm that has been generated with events such as the 150th Kick Off has been very inspiring. The connections that I have made are very enriching. It is also great to see so many of our members involved with these events.

My greatest thrill has involved working with 10 other community organizations to bring a Local Amateur Ribfest Competition to McKellar. On July 9, eight competitors will compete for the best ribs bragging rights. The ribs and the entertainment will be local. Stay tuned for more details.

We have assisted the Magnetewan Watershed Land Trust and the GBB with their plans to do a Citizen Science BioBlitz of the new land trust on Grey Owl Lake. Announcements for this will be made in May for this event.

Our lake steward, Jennifer Ghent-Fuller, has been busy making plans for testing Phosphorus, Calcium, and Oxygen levels in all of our lakes. While testing for eColi is good for public safety, this new testing will allow us to assess the health of the lake. We have purchased $7000 worth of new equipment to do this testing - this is a significant investment in the future of our waters.

Weaving Community Together
by Catherine Caetano-Macdonell

This spring we are celebrating sustainable practices and lifestyles that work in harmony to protect our environment and create vibrant, thriving communities. The regenerative farming movement and slow movement are lifestyles that several organizations and people in our community are adopting to create more sustainable and resilient networks and ecosystems.Wave Fibre Mill has a mission to make locally grown and processed products that honour respectful and responsible land-based traditions.

Regenerative farming is a movement rooted in Indigenous wisdom that emphasizes soil health and biodiversity to heal the land from degradation. When Wave Fibre Mill works with local fibre producers like small-scale agriculture and family farms, they are creating close producer-to-consumer relationships and environmental regeneration. By sourcing these fibres from regenerative farms, local fibre mill organizations support a more sustainable and resilient food system in addition to creating beautiful products. We can all be part of the slow movement if we focus on mindfulness by trying to slow down and savour the beauty and craftsmanship of handmade products and their stories.

Sustainable practices impact all three elements in our communities: environment, social, and economy. The connections in a community work like an ecosystem or interconnected web between everything and everyone. At the centre of our local fibre and textile community the Fibre Mill is creating connections. They are connecting people, knowledge, processes, community, and ideas with a sustainable system. They make more than blankets. At the Fibre Mill they weave together environmental protective farming and manufacturing activities, community relationships, and growing business and local job opportunities. Let's celebrate the power of regenerative farming and the slow movement together! Let's celebrate by supporting our local artisans who are at the heart of this sustainable transformation.

To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of McKellar, Wave has created an alpaca throw that represents what was going on in McKellar in the distant past and what is happening right now. We all can be more active in understanding our impact on local environments and make choices that contribute to our environment to build a stronger community.

To read more about the creation of this internationally recognized McKellar tartan and throw, and how to win one, go to McKellar150.com. The lottery for one of these tartans and many other fabulous prizes is also found at McKellar150.com.

Eastern Bluebird
by Mark Calhoun

One of Ontario's most beautiful birds is the Eastern Bluebird. Known as the bird who wears the summer sky on its back.

Here are some interesting facts and some hints on how you can see this great songbird for yourself in the Lake Manitouwabing area.

The Eastern Bluebird is a member of the Thrush family. It feeds on flying insects in its preferred habitat of open grasslands, cemeteries and agricultural pastures. It nests in natural occurring tree cavities or most often these days, man-made nesting boxes.

Photo credit to Adrienne Zoe Photography

In the 1970s the Eastern Bluebird was an endangered species. In part to rampant pesticide use. More detrimental to the Bluebird was competition for suitable nesting cavities from more aggressive species like the introduced House Sparrow and European Starling. The introduction of "Bluebird Trails" started a positive trend. A "Bluebird Trail" is simply man made nesting boxes suitable for Eastern Bluebirds put up and maintained in Bluebird habitat. As more and more trails were established the results became a great success story . The Eastern Bluebird in 1996 was delisted from the endangered species list.

Here in the Lake Manitouwabing watershed we have a very healthy population of Eastern Bluebirds. Steve Bradley and Jeremy Sintzel took it upon themselves to start their very own Bluebird Trail throughout McKellar. In just a few years they have built, erected and maintain over 200 nest boxes.

They have reached out to local land owners in good habitat for permission to put these nesting boxes on their properties. Today over 13 private properties are being utilized. The Township of McKellar has been supportive as well and has in fact supported this project with funding as well as permission to use municipal property. It should also be mentioned Steve and Jeremy have been helped by over 8 volunteers.

While driving along the Lake Manitouwabing watershed roads have a look for these nesting boxes which are mostly found close to the road. Look for the Bluebirds who often are found close by, either on the actual box or a hydro line close by. Steve and Jeremy we all owe you a huge thank you for your continued efforts in supporting the very beautiful Eastern Bluebird.

Just as Valentine’s Day nudges us to cherish our loved ones a little more, Earth Day is a reminder to dedicate our time, resources, and energy to solving climate change and other environmental issues. The birth of the modern environmental movement ocurred 53 years ago. The celebration of eco-consciousness takes place in more than 190 countries around the globe and is the most widely observed nonreligious holiday in history.

From parties, parades and protests to cleanups, rallies, and teach-ins, there are an endless number of ways to activate in celebration of Earth Day.

Earth Day - April 22

Stay Tuned for more exciting 150th Celebrations

Sneak Preview of Canada Goodies for the July 1 Market

A delighful musical treat by the folks down at the Hurdville Community Club

Admission by donation

Filler - Spiller - Thriller

Annual Planter Workshop

McKellar Library

Make an annual planter with a variety of flowering plants that you will take home to add to your deck or front entrance steps. Learn the professional gardeners' technique - 'filler, spiller, thriller'. Learn how to keep these planters looking great from spring right through to the fall. All materials are covered in the fee ($30/person), the only thing you may want to bring is your gloves.