Mailbag

PRAISE FOR MONARCHS

Your monarch post came through my LinkedIn feed and compelled me to check it out and then bookmark Watershed. Just a note to say: Really nice work, congrats.

Joel Centano, Seattle, Washington

Well done Watershed. You have a wonderful stable of contributors. I especially appreciated the well-crafted monarch butterfly article. It reminded me of précis writing in Grade 13, part of the three-hour English composition exams. At that time I had little appreciation for the art. After 40+ years of freelancing, that has altered, hence my appreciation of the monarch article.

As for school buses we had none; we walked the two miles, and no, both ways were not uphill. Rain, sleet or snow … we were well qualified to deliver the mail. Years later, a bus driver who was taking my track & field team to Trenton High drove over a cement block, removing the bus’s muffler. I was told not to say anything. This was the same lady who was frustrated when her Jeep wouldn’t start, so she got her hunting rifle and shot the engine block. Fair warning!

Barney

WATERSHED AND A CUPPA

I just finished reading your Fall edition and want to thank you for the thought-provoking articles. I so enjoy reading through Watershed with my morning tea! Once again, thanks to all involved in producing this wonderful magazine.

Sharon Bradford

“What a burst of pleasure this morning opening Watershed magazine! Just the first look into the pages has me mesmerized – the quality of the writing, the inspired ideas, the charm of the artwork. I am gaga, and I don’t mind saying so.” HEDY CAMPBELL

GREETINGS FROM IRELAND

Earlier in the year, my four-year-old grandson in Ireland had to do a little project about a foreign country for school, and he picked Canada, as his mom (my daughter) is Canadian. Last fall when I was visiting them, I took a Watershed with me because I knew my daughter would really enjoy reading it. When my grandson came to do his project, his mom gave him the magazine, and he found plenty of things to cut out. So now you know that your wonderful publication has gone as far as Ireland and ended up in a small school over there where kids can enjoy the pictures.

Teresa Glover, Cobourg

PRAISE FOR THE FALL ISSUE

What a burst of pleasure this morning opening Watershed magazine! Just the first look into the pages has me mesmerized – the quality of the writing, the inspired ideas, the charm of the artwork. I am gaga, and I don’t mind saying so. I love the balloon idea and artwork by Charles Bongers for the story, “Departures”; and always the writing style of Dan Needles (“the bloom is off the rose”) and how he weaves all his humour and thoughts seamlessly; and I can’t say enough about the “Solace in Art” story. It’s a gem! I marvel at this wonderful in-depth article about inspired art, with equally inspired writing by Janet Davies, and soft, sensitive photographs by Christine Reid. It sparks the artist in me. I’m in love with Watershed magazine!

Hedy Campbell

THE DEACON BROTHERS

The fine photograph of the Deacon Brothers factory in Belleville serves to remind us of a manufacturing sector that has long since disappeared. But the old industrial buildings that survive – be they grist mills, woolen mills or distilleries – never lose their magnetic charm. Just consider two such structures in the Port Hope area, namely the Molson Mill on the Ganaraska or the Canton grist mill. These are big, arresting structures that dominate the landscape. Their wonderful human scale and such details as the Canton Mill brickwork endear them in a way that the Cameco factory can only dream of.

Harry Lay, Harry M. Lay Architect Inc.

The story of the Deacon brothers in your Fall Watershed was very good, but the photo is not of the Deacon Brothers’ factory. That photo is of the JT Lanning hat factory. Deacon Brothers was south of that on the corner of Bridge and Coleman. Incidentally, they’re both still there.

Editor’s Note: Thanks for your letter. Sorry we couldn’t respond personally but your note wasn’t signed and didn’t have a return address. The archival research sent to us indicated that the photo was of the Deacon Brothers’ factory. We’ll do some more digging.

REMEMBERING FRED SIMPSON

Greetings from rainy London, England. I came across the fascinating Watershed article about 1908 Olympic marathon runner Fred Simpson online. Fred’s photo was taken some sixteen miles into the race, as he and William Wood cross the railway, close to Harrow on the Hill tube station. From their finishing positions it looks as though Fred and William may have run together for a good part of the remaining nine to ten miles of the race. Fred Simpson features prominently in a film fragment of the start of the race. This video can be found on YouTube and is best viewed at the slowest possible speed.

Joe Neanor, UK

FENTANYL & FISHING

Your Watershed Fall issue has been the most educational for us to date. The “Invisible” article gave us lay persons an excellent insight. Thank you Mr. Kinsella for the report and for quoting Dr. Kahan. “Respecting the River” pointed out how authorities are failing nature. While one jurisdiction tries to control misbehaving humans, another one enables that same problem by lack of regulations and enforcement. Norm Wagenaar suspects that enforcement in one area will cause the problem to migrate to where it is tolerated. His assumption is correct. We always eagerly await a new issue of your outstanding Watershed magazine.

Immy & Wilf Loewrigkeit, Cobourg

A GROUP EFFORT

First of all, I wanna say how much I enjoy Watershed magazine, along with some of the other guys that meet at McDonald’s. We love to leaf through it and identify things and places we’d like to visit. We always have a contest, trying to figure out where the back page is from; none of us have any idea this time because it could be one of a million beautiful places. Wonder if you could identify the setting of the back page?

Dave, East end McDonald’s crew, Belleville

Editor’s Note: Hi Dave & crew, Just point your phone at the QR code on that back page and you can identify the location. Winner, winner chicken dinner.

ADVERTISING WORKS

I have your latest edition in our store window and three ladies just came in “just for the magazine.” They all bought a good amount of clothes and items from the store! So, thank you.

Big Brothers Big Sisters, Second Helpings, Port Hope

RESPECTING THE RIVER

When my friend invited me to take in the Port Hope salmon run, I enthusiastically accepted. It was thrilling to see the innumerable black fins crowded into the shallow waters in their heroic efforts to leap the ladder of the spillway. Then I read your article (Respecting the River, Fall 2024) and was appalled to learn of the grotesque threat posed to the species by overfishing, illegal fishing, harvesting for roe and the apparent paralysis of your local authorities to police this abusive behaviour. Surely there are enough environmentally conscious members of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters armed with cell phones, cameras, pen and paper to record licence plate numbers of the miscreants. If I lived there I’d be first in line asking to be “deputized.”

Brad Sloan, Timmins

DEPARTURES

I read the last issue cover to cover, and “Departures” had a lot of information that was pertinent to me, as I am 95 and live alone. It pointed out, in a gentle way, that decisions need to be made as well as outlining some of the options available. That article was so well done, covering problems often not talked about. Fall Fairs brought back many pleasant memories of my years in Ontario. I’m so pleased to see that Sheila Trenholm’s page is back. I love her family stories and her recipes are always mouth-watering. I also must mention the cover. It is beautiful. Bittersweet reminds me of my walks to school as an 8-year-old, with the bushes along the sidewalk. Thank you for a great magazine, and I look forward to reading the next issue.

Addie Amundsen, Penticton, B.C.

Thank you, Watershed, for the excellent series of articles by Christopher Cameron about healthcare in our region. Cameron’s careful research, incisive description and analysis backed by interviews with involved individuals illuminate how the state of our system affects us all. While giving due weight to the challenges faced by the medical community, patients and those who have not been able to find a primary caregiver, Cameron’s articles also highlight innovations already taking place in the system or planned for the future. In the final article about end of life care, Dr. Graham Burke, who pioneered palliative care programs in the County, is quoted as he references the passing of Willie Loman in Death of a Salesman, “The end of life is as important as any other part. And attention must be paid.” Beyond that, it’s implied new ideas must be brought forward and implemented. These are balanced and timely articles for uncertain times.

Felicity Sidnell Reid, Colborne

Editor’s Note – Respecting the River – Update: On August 30 the province announced the closure of portions of the Ganaraska River from September 1 to October 14 in order to create a fish sanctuary that would protect vulnerable salmon during peak migration. To compensate anglers for the closure, the MNR created an extended fall season. This extension began October 15 and runs to December 31. Norm Wagenaar