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Archive for the ‘Businesses in Bethany’ Category

Williams Design Studio

Posted in Businesses in Bethany, tagged , , , , , , on December 11, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Williams Design Studio

Williams Design Studio in Bethany, Ontario

Last week, Jeff and I took a road trip so I could meet some of the local businesspeople in Bethany that I wanted to profile for the blog.  We visited the Guitar Boutique at the Ranch Resort and our second visit was a stop at the Williams Design Studio, on 7A, right in the middle of town.

Art, crafts, metalwork and more

leather sculpture

Leather sculpture
‘Sisters of Andromeda’
by Beverly Williams

It was a strange experience opening the door to Williams Design Studio in Bethany.  Strange in a good way, because as soon as I stepped inside, I instantly remembered visiting the studio at least fifteen years ago.  It was the leatherwork on the walls that triggered the memory, the faces worked into the folds of the material.  I had never seen such art before, or since.

Return visit or not, it was impossible not to feel comfortable with the Williams.  They are warm and welcoming, full of enthusiasm for their art and for Bethany.

I’m neither artistic, nor do I know much about art, but I know what I like, and I like the different styles of the Williams’ artwork.  There are the decorated gourds that are Beverley’s specialty, the leatherwork displayed on the walls, the metal work, the tree structures, each piece with their own style and showcasing Paul and Beverley’s unique vision.

With my parents living in Cobourg, I recognized the Copper Maple Tree Paul created that is hanging in the lobby of the Best Western in Cobourg, with over 800 copper leaves!  There are other Trees created by Paul hanging in the Evinrude Centre, the Omemee Medical Centre and the Millbrook Medical Centre.

Copper Maple Tree

Copper Maple Tree hanging in the lobby of Best Western, Cobourg, Ontario by Paul Williams

Paul and Beverly Williams

Paul and Beverley Williams in their Design Studio

Ties to Bethany

Paul and Beverley Williams have been living in Bethany since 1977.  They had been living in Whitby and during a search for a studio/home outside the city they stumbled across Bethany one weekend.

It felt like home to them.

The Williams Design Studio studio was formerly the Antique Store owned by Norman White, and before that was the Grocery Store and Meat Market.  It seems like fate brought them into the area in the form of the old schoolhouse. that they were interested in.  While they were investigating the possibility of establishing their studio within the schoolhouse, they came across the Antique Store in town.

It seemed like a better fit for the couple.

Renovations are trying during the best of times, but only more so during a extra cold and snowy winter and while Beverly was pregnant.  But they persevered and the result is a studio providing a welcoming look at the talent in the art community of the area.

Paul and Beverly know their history of the area as well as their studio.  Research into Paul’s family history showed that he was a descendant of Michael Sisson, who was one of ten children born to John and Mary, one the founding families of Bethany.  Mr. Sisson made a mark for himself in Bethany by being the first to introduce a new and improved breed of sheep to the area, brought over from Scotland.  As well, Levi Sisson, one of John and Mary’s grandchildren, was an early proprietor of the general store where the Design Studio now is.  That origin wooden building was destroyed along with half the town in the fire of 1911.  The general store was rebuilt, as was the town hall.  So in a way, it was home for them.

Rolling Hills Studio Tour

Rolling Hills Studio Tour
Mother’s Day Weekend
May 11-12, 2013

Rolling Hills Studio Tour and More

Paul and Beverley are artists and do all they can to encourage the development of the area’s art community.  They participate in the Rolling Hills Studio Tour, Mother’s Day weekend, next year which will take place on May 11-12, 2013.  This tour is a must see for the area, since it lets you explore the artists’ studios as you drive through the beautiful rolling hills of Manvers Township.  As well the Williams have their Christmas Open Studio Show, going on now until December 24.  They will be at the Peterborough Garden Show April 12-13, 2013 and taking part in the Lake Scugog Studio tour on May 4-5, 2013.  More importantly, their Secret Garden is open Mother’s Day to the end of September and is worth the drive to Bethany to take a look.  I’m planning on coming back next year to visit and see the water features and fountains.

Secret Garden

Williams’ Secret Garden
Water feature in fairy garden

I really enjoyed the visit to the Williams’ Design Studio and meeting Beverley and Paul.  Their artwork is beautiful and unique and creative and they are the  epitome of what embracing small town life is like.

Williams Design Studio

Williams Design Studio

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The Guitar Boutique – from Beatles to Bethany

Posted in Businesses in Bethany, tagged , , , , on December 4, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Road Trip to Bethany!

Jeff and I took a road trip to Bethany last week, visiting local businesses to profile for my blog.

The Ranch Resort Banquet and Conference Centre – Home to The Guitar Boutique

inside The Ranch Resort

The Ranch Resort and Conference Centre

The first stop in Bethany was The Ranch Resort Banquet and Conference Centre, formerly the Ranch Ski Resort, on Ski Hill Road.  We got a tour of the three floors, where there is lots of room (over 10,500 feet) for any special event.  It’s a lovely space for weddings or a New Year Eve party, overlooking the ski hills, trees and private lake.  What I really wanted to see, though, was The Guitar Boutique.

inside The Guitar Boutique, Bethany, Ontario

inside The Guitar Boutique, Bethany, Ontario

When I was younger – much, much younger; high school younger – I went with a guy who played the guitar.  He played in a band and loved his Gibson Les Paul more than me.  Anyway, the time I spent with him gave me only a tiny slice of education about the instrument but enough interest to think a store full of shiny guitars would be cool to visit. We brought our friend Sean Anderson,who plays guitar for Canadian rock group, Finger Eleven along with us.  Sean Anderson

Sean Anderson at the Guitar Boutique
Nick Angelo and his prized Dusenberg guitars

Nick Angelo and his prized Dusenberg guitars

Nick Angelo is the owner/operator of The Ranch Resort and The Guitar Boutique, although he calls himself more of a creator than an owner.  He definitely has a vast array of experiences under his belt; the most pertinent to The Guitar Boutique being how he and his band The Four Frenchmen were the only Canadian band to ever open for the Beatles when they played in Montreal in 1964.  What an experience that must have been!

Nick has brought his many years of music industry experience to Bethany.  I asked him how a guitarist from Montreal wound up in Bethany and he told me a story of wanting a horse and buying a farm in the area.  His claim to be a creator rings true when you hear about his accomplishments – musician, live engineer, real estate, gardening business.  He moves from passion to passion, developing one of his interests, creating a business and then moving on to his next pursuit when the business is established.   And he really moves on.  I asked Nick if he missed music and he assured me he doesn’t miss what he no longer does.  Despite his musical background and being surrounded by some of the most beautiful guitars around, he hasn’t played since the 1970s.

Nick has had an interest in Bethany since moving here.  He was owner of the Rocket Man restaurant (before it was Aunt Dee’s) and oversaw the renovations of Orange Hall before moving up Ski Hill Road and buying The Ranch.  A year without snow put a damper on his dreams of a ski hill, but he was soon moving on to his next venture.

inside The Guitar BoutiqueThe Guitar Boutique has an amazing selection of guitars; electric and acoustic, amplifiers and accessories for the guitar lover.  Some of the brands were known to me, like Gibsons and Rickenbackers, including a rare Rickenbacker signed by John Lennon, which I got to play.  Well, just hold actually, but I did strum a little. I’d forgotten the one song I used to know, Smoke on the Water but it was fun to pretend!

rare Rickenbacker signed by John Lennon!

rare Rickenbacker signed by John Lennon!

Along with the Schecters, Gretsch’s and Tanglewood Accoustics are Nick’s first love- his selection of Dusenbergs, hanging with pride when you first come in to the shop.  The German-made guitars are, in Nick’s opinion, the best guitar out there and his collection of them led to his opening the store.  Another Guitar Boutique has opened in Peterborough and there are plans for a third in Toronto.guitars

Bethany seems like an odd, out-of-the-way place for such a unique business but Nick assured me he gets traffic from Toronto including plenty from locals.  I guess everyone does want to be a rock star!  Nick has been profiled on CHEX news and on the twelve part series, Guitar Picks, hosted by veteran guitar icon, Kim Mitchell.

jamming with Sean and Nick at the Guitar Boutique

jamming with Sean and Nick at the Guitar Boutique

It was interesting meeting Nick and hearing about his life and how it brought him to Bethany.  And I was right – The Guitar Boutique is a cool place to visit, even for the non-playing types!

Next week – visiting the Williams’ Design Studio

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Winter is Just Around the Corner!!

Posted in Businesses in Bethany, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 7, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Devil’s Elbow Ski Area

The trees around Bethany Ontario are looking bare and snow has already been sighted.  The wind has a familiar bite and it’s time for many to start thinking about ski season!!!

Those in Bethany know all about one of the great winter attractions of the Kawarthas – Devil’s Elbow Ski Area. Tucked away in the rolling hills of Manvers Township, it is minutes away from Peterborough, Lindsay, Port Hope and Oshawa and just up the road from Bethany Village.

John and Velfred Holmberg, owners of Devil’s Elbow Ski Area

There is something for everyone at the Elbow, from novice to expert,

Ski Patrol

skiers and snowboarders alike. And this year, there are an additional 2 terrain areas to enjoy. Lineups aren’t an issue with 6 chairlifts and 8.5 km of trails winding through forests for the Nordic skiers.

Open to the public every day, except Christmas Day, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., December – March.  This might make me unpopular with the non-skiers, but I really hope there’s more snow than last year!

Last weekend was the Annual Open House at Devil’s Elbow Ski Area.  It was a reunion of sorts, with great opportunities to take advantage of pre-season discounts to buy a season pass, register for lessons and racing programs – Alpine, snowboarding and junior racing- and meet the ski patrol.

Bethany Parnell

And many enjoyed Parnell’s Ski Swap and Sale!  Skiis could get tuned up and it was great chance to meet up with old friends.  The concession stand was open and ready for business and the kids got some pre-ski season exercise running up and down the hills. It was a fun weekend with everyone preparing for the upcoming season!

Cory Parnell, host of Annual Parnell Ski Swap and Sale

Twins Audrey and Hannah and Kailyn, Betty Ann and Carol at ‘The Grill’

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Who’s Building in Bethany?

Posted in Businesses in Bethany, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 30, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Evergreen Home and Cottage, for one.

Cedar Glen

I’ve always liked research. When I was in school, I always liked getting projects or essays – assignment that would take me into the library, digging through books and papers to find that elusive quote or statistic that would tie everything together. I look at this blog as an on-going research assignment. I’ve been discovering lots of information about Bethany and there is tons more out there, about the businesses and people that make the village of Bethany into a community. I hope to be a resource for those doing their own research if they are looking to make a move into the area.

For this post, I thought I would look into one of the builders who are offering the new homes in Bethany Village.
Evergreen Home and Cottage is a custom home and cottage builder/renovator. Owned and operated by Randy and Cathy Burke. They decided to open their own construction business in 2000 after

The Maples

returning to Canada from volunteering in West Africa and now have a staff of between 12 and 20, depending on the time of the year.

Oak Ridge

There are two things I found very impressive about Evergreen – other than the really nice houses they build. (I’ve included pictures!) The first thing is how they offer cost-effective design solutions for people with physical disabilities, so that they can work and live more independently. Evergreen Accessibility began in response to the aging population in Canada with the realization that many will need modifications to their homes in order to remain comfortable and safe. They have worked with architectural firms specializing in accessible construction as well as client-requested work. Randy was a committee member with the Canadian Home Builders Association on their Accessibility Roundtable and in 2008, Evergreen won the City of Kawartha Lakes Accessibility Award for Excellence in Design. The services they provide are intended to provide solutions for people who require improved access in a workplace, home, or cottage setting. Since Jeff works quite a bit with clients with mobility challenges, I thought having a builder in Bethany who is able to focus on helping their clients achieve greater accessibility in their homes and cottages is a great fit.

The other fact about Evergreen is that their sister company, Evergreen Power, has been designing and installing renewable energy systems since 2006 – solar photovoltaic systems. Their N.E.W (Natural Energy Worldwide)

Randy and Cathy Burke

project was launched in recognition of Randy and Cathy’s concern for the underprivileged in our world today and their sincere desire to give back where it is needed most.
Cathy told me about how in their time overseas, they encountered great poverty and difficult conditions which inspired their charitable attitude and their hope to help improve the lives of others less fortunate. Along with offering PV systems to cottage customers who are located far from existing power lines, Evergreen was also awarded a contract to design and install 10 kW grid-tied PV systems on 14 schools across the province. They also donated Solar PV Microfit and Solar thermal systems in the Community Care facility in Lindsay.

And not only that, but Evergreen Power COO Tim Burke will be fulfilling the company’s desire to give back when he travels to Haiti to install a PV system in a new school in the earthquake affected zone. The photovoltaic system was designed to power lights, computers and other basic amenities for the remote village of Embouchure, allowing the students to study at night, which will be particularly important for the girls, since they help provide food for their families during the day for their families.

Not only do Evergreen build beautiful, comfortable homes, but they care about the planet as well. Randy Burke is co-chair of the 2012 United Way campaign in Kawartha Lakes. The company’s focus on

Hilltop View

energy conservation and green building technology is a core value of Evergreen Home and Cottage.

Exceptional client experience – on budget, on time – is the motto for Evergreen.

Check out the Bethany Village website for more pictures and floor plans of their homes.

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