With so many social activities to enjoy this winter, there’s no need to hibernate. These entrepreneurs are all about experiences that offer fun, laughter and maybe a little something different. One thing’s for certain: these business owners are all devoted to what they bring to the local community.
Glen Wallis And Vanessa Rieger,
Escape Camp Picton
What if you could be trained as a secret agent to promote sabotage behind enemy lines? Intrigued? Glen Wallis, an exhibit designer, and his artist daughter, Vanessa Rieger, are the masterminds behind Escape Camp Picton, the escape room adventures at Base 31 historic site, one of the last remaining air force bases in Canada for Second World War military training. The clues and puzzles are based on events of the 1940s and 50s and spycraft techniques. “I love history and I’m also super-picky, a Type A personality,” Glen explains of his exacting approach to creating the rooms and incorporating artifacts. He was travelling with his wife in California when he tried his first escape room and liked the challenge, which sparked an idea to do something of his own with his talented daughter, Vanessa.
photograph by Gabriele Cole
Amber Lucas,
Quinte Little Theatre
“We’ve got a crazy amount of talent around here,” says Amber Lucas, co-chair of the new Quinte Little Theatre that recently opened in Trenton’s former town hall. The multi-talented Corbyville mom can’t say enough about the benefits of the production space and plans to stage musicals and play readings that appeal to kids and adults (to get everybody off their screens to experience live performance). There’s even a youth workshop. “We want to be inclusive and lay a foundation for what community theatre can be.” Amber has performed with the Belleville Theatre Guild, but she also appreciates being out of the spotlight as stage manager, producer, director and box office manager. “Actually, I love an Excel spreadsheet,” she says. Best part? She’s “overwhelmed in the greatest sense” by the support she’s getting for the new venture.
Bob and Linda Chatten,
Northshore Lanes
What does a guy who’s had years of experience in the working world do for fun?
For Bob Chatten of Port Hope, it’s bowling. He’s retired from his other roles and now he and his wife Linda run Northshore Lanes five-pin bowling alley in Cobourg. He was the manager before it closed down in March 2020 because of the pandemic, so he was thrilled to have the chance to revive the business. “I wanted to bring it back so the community would have something to do,” he says of the game, the leagues and glow-in-the-dark Rock and Bowl on Friday and Saturday nights. “I just enjoy it so much. It’s good entertainment, good exercise and I enjoy the people.” He loves seeing kids learn how to bowl and be part of a team. He also plays in the seniors’ league, so he might just beat his best score of 328.
Story by:
Karen Hawthorne
