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. W t l K A L oiKvrLLfe Public library Wednesday, March 31, 1999 V S THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Nine artisans from Oakville have been chosen from thousands of applicants across Canada to participate in the largest craft show in North America. This month's Love o f Arts & Entertainment section will focus on the art work of the Oakville contingent in this juried show, which attracts 425 artisans and more than 60,000 visitors. The One-of-a-Kind Spring Show will take place in the National Trade Centre at Exhibition Place, Toronto, March 31st and April 1st from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., April 2nd and 3rd from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., atid April 4th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults, $6.50 for seniors and youths (ages 13 to 17), and free for children aged 12 and under, accompanied by an adult. This year there is also unlimited free re­ admission for all. Complimentary daycare is available for children under age 8. Special features will include the Visual Art Gallery, the Potting Centre (buy a one-of-a-kind flower pot or vase and get it filled free), the Out­ door Entertaining Display (trends and acces­ sories for outdoor entertaining), fashion shows, and the Bird's Nest Competition (artisan compe­ tition and display of bird's nests made from every material imaginable). For more information, call (416) 960-3680. Cortez dream s of depicting an opera in one of his m urals By Carol Baldw in ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Gabriel Cortez is content. He now works at his art full-time, something he never thought would happen - it was too risky giving up a full-time job to create things out of stone. Then he met Roma, a career consultant and currently his wife and partner, and she convinced him to go for it. "If I hadn't met her, I wouldn't have been brave enough to do it on my own," he says. But he has never regretted taking her advice. In fact, all it would take to make his dream com­ plete would be for him to be able to look out his window and see his art stone furniture in a num­ ber of prominent places along the street. "When I came to Canada, I was dreaming that one day I could open a window in my room and could look down the street and see my work," he says, explaining that he would like to have his work, which he has dubbed 'Art Stone,' in more public domains. "Parks and Rec in St. Thomas probably will have a medallion of mine in their community centre, outside." However, he adds, he would also like to cre­ ate a few murals for public consumption. For example, turning a subway station into a work of art using stone rather than coloured tiles would suit him to a tee. But he'd be willing to settle for one of his murals in a reception area of any busi­ ness or corporate office. Or, the ultimate com­ mission for him would be to create a mural of stone in the foyer of an opera house. "I always listen to music while I work - opera, especially German and Italian opera," he says. "I would love to create a famous opera in a mural composition at a Toronto opera house. It would be wonderful if I could compose a beauti­ ful mosaic with natural stone expressing all that power and colour." A lth o u g h he has y e t to rep ro d u ce an opera (See 'Stone' on page C5) Photo by Peter C. McCusker Gabriel Cortez sits at one of his 'art stone' tables. i f w 4 s i • r M l > a f c l And the beet goes o n ... everything ' ^ IA i $ i m v i 1 ' m 'M mats; I I ..... Photo by Peter C. McCusker Grace Lallemand creates a variety of tasty products and unusual recipes with beets. By Carol Baldwin ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Unbeetable. That's how Grace Lallemand describes her products. But then they are all made from beets - beet jelly, beet vinegar, beet ketchup, beet chutney, beet relish... 10 products that extol the virtues of the Ontario beet. The Oakville entrepreneur has even researched the history of the beet, and she tells the story of Caesar and Brutus who were given a beet compound by an apothecary to rid them­ selves of garlic breath. "When they didn't die, that's how beets were discovered. There were using them as a salve before that," she explains. "White beets grew wild across Europe...Then in the 16th or 17th century they turned red, and to this day no one knows how they turned red." Lallemand loves beets and she loves working with them. "Beets are my livelihood; they are my passion," she says. Her blooming beet-based business began with beet jelly, which she used to make as gifts for family and friends. At the time she was working in Montreal as a management consul­ tant. But when she was transferred to Toronto, she wanted, and asked for, a more senior posi­ tion with the firm, vice-president to be exact. She was turned down. So she quit. "Friends were asking, 'What are you going to do?' And I said, 'I think I 'm going to bring beets to market'... I spent a year getting the beet jelly product to market," she says. Since then her famous beet jelly has been joined by nine other products. Lallemand says she uses hundreds and hundreds of bushels of beets each year. And although her products are produced in a shared kitchen in Mississauga, they are tried and tested in her own Oakville kitchen. And her many beet recipes are devel­ oped in her own kitchen as well. "I 'm trying to get a cookbook out," she says, estimating that she has developed at least 100 beet recipes from appetizers to condiments to desserts. "You name it, and I'll do it with beets...During the depression and the war, peo­ ple didn't have butter to put in their cakes, so they used beets to keep them moist without imparting a flavour.. .Beets are very adapt­ able...They were begging to be discovered." And discover them she has. And although people readily accept carrot and zucchini cakes, she says, they still seem a little wary of beet brownies. Yet, Lallemand says, her research indicates that beets were used in desserts long before she discovered them. "There is even a coffee substitute that has beets in it. Beets are a cleanser for your system. They are very good for you," she says. "You (See 'Unbeetable' on page C7) FERN fj SCHOOL FERN HILL SCHOOL FERN HILL SCHOOL FERN HILL r SCHOOL Fern Hill School to open new location in Burlington wenty-two beautiful acres situated off the 1 North Service Road, 3 west of Brant Street -JB L near King (joint entrance with GAN Canada at 649 North Service Road West), will be the new home of Fern Hill Burling­ ton. The school, slated to open in September of this year, will : be designed by archi­ tect Gren Weiss and built by Cooper Construction. / Fern Hill direc­ tors Joanne McLean and Wendy Derrick, who founded the Oakville school in 1982, received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1998 in the Quality Plus Category. This category recognizes the mainte­ nance of excellence in every aspect o f a business with particular emphasis on customers, communi­ ty, employees and the environment. Fern Hill Burlington will be developed with the same vision, dedication and attention to derail as the original Oakville campus. Imagine an elementary school where every child is free to step for­ ward at his or her own pace. Where experienced professionals teach the subjects they love most, and follow a child's progress through several FER N HILL SCHOOL grades. Where art, music, drama and sports are integral, and stu­ dent of every age have access to accelerated math and French pro­ grammes. Where the goal-- even with the youngest children-- is to lay a foundation of information and learning processes they will use throughout their lives. Mrs. Barbara Goldbloom Hugh­ es, who has a B.A. in French Litera­ ture from McMas­ ter University and a M.Ed. from Har­ vard, will head a faculty comprised of dedicated indi­ viduals who are a c c o m p l i s h e d instructors in specif­ ic areas of learning. Students of geogra­ phy, French, the sciences, art and music will be taught by the same teachers through several levels. As students build knowledge and skills, each teacher can track their progress, pace expectations to achievement, and provide a conti­ nuity of learning where children are challenged and excited. Fern Hill Burlington will offer an academically challenging experi­ ence for children from Jun io r1 Kindergarten to Grade Five in 1999 - 2000, and Pre-School to Grade Six the following year. Its programmes are designed to enrich the mind, spirit and individuality of each child. Band will begin at Grade Five and students will choose from a variety of brass and wind instru­ ments while the younger grades develop their interest in music from the Orff and vocal classes. French will begin with the Junior Kindergarten children and is designed to extend each student's ability, until Grade Five, when an immersion Geography course-- offered to those who qualify--will challenge the French Language skills of each student while estab­ lishing strong geographical skills. Art is a very important part of the Fern Hill curriculum. Patricia Moore, Head of Art at Oakville -------------------------------y-------------------- campus has developed the art cur­ riculum for the Burlington campus. Moore is an accomplished artist I whose work may be seen in galleries in Canada and the United States. Science, history and geography will be taught as three separate dis­ ciplines starting at Grade Three. These courses are designed to stim­ ulate the curiosity of the young stu­ dent, while acquiring interesting information. A qualified instructor will teach physical education. This curricu­ lum will encompass the range of ball : sports and activities which encourage sportsmanship and build team spirit. w ' The topography of the site and beautiful ravine will afford many opportunities for exploration and study of the natural environment. The property is home to deer, hawks, owls and a wide variety of other birds. Landscape architect Richard Moore plans to create specific areas to maintain the natural beauty of the site by using planting materials which will attract butterflies and birds and will compliment Weiss' beautiful building where colour and light integrate the outside with the inside. Fern Hill Burlington will indeed be a most exciting building on an absolutely magnificent site-- a place where children will be chal­ lenged, enriched and supported. For more information call 905-