Muskoka artists make gifts for G8 SummitBy Dale PeacockThe G8 Summit was a once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity for a handful ofMuskoka artisans who created uniqueworks of art that were presented as giftsto the delegates.Respected Huntsville potter EricLindgren describes activities around the2010 G8 Summit as “pretty exciting.”Lindgren Pottery was chosen to producethe distinctive square dinnerwarethat he’s been crafting for 30 years forthe G8 Summit at Deerhurst Resort.His work was selected by the Departmentof Foreign Affairs and the SummitsManagement Office following anapplication he made through local MPTony Clement’s office.Once approvals were in, Lindgrenworked with Deerhurst’s chef RoryGolden to <strong>com</strong>e up with the perfectdesigns for breakfast, lunch, dinner andcoffee, as well as several large one-of-akindserving pieces for the event. Theorganizers wanted something that wasn’ttoo delicate and that had a Canadiancountry feeling.“The process began early in the yearbut we only had the better part of threeweeks to make this large order. Ourteam had the kiln going almost nonstopfor awhile there,” Lindgren says.The pieces will remain as a summitlegacy at Deerhurst to be used for specialoccasions. He is thrilled he got torepresent Canada to the world throughwhat he describes as his “buggy whipjob,” referring to the timeless, low-techmethods of making pottery.He muses, “I think that the government’srecent support of local artists’work is somewhat redemptive of itsposition on the arts in general.” Heconcludes, “I only hope that it’s a harbingerof better things to <strong>com</strong>e.”Drawing upon ancient traditions ofweaving, Huntsville resident MarniMartin creates hand-woven tapestriesand wearable art. Martin was excited toreceive a call in January from theSummits Management Office requestinga date to visit the studio. When thesmall delegation visited they informedher Laureen Harper had chosen herscarves to present to the spouses of theG8 leaders.“Apparently, Mrs. Harper was madeknown of my work through people inher office that visited the studio in thefall without identifying themselves,”Martin says. “When they first droppedin to my studio I assumed they werejust a group of friends out shopping forthemselves.”Martin was given full creative freedomto create the scarves and afterresearching the various recipients on theInternet she felt confident she had asense of what to do for each person.She explains, “My natural way ofworking is intuitive and I worked thisway being inspired by the variouscolours and styles of each person.”Huntsville potter Eric Lindgren spent many hours at the wheel creatingthe dinnerware for the G8 Summit at Deerhurst Resort.The thrill in being chosen to createsomething for the G8 was in partbecause she had made no contact withthe Summits Management Office tooffer up her craft.“I was pleased because my work obviouslyspoke for itself during that initialvisit,” she says.Utterson resident Don Thur turnswooden bowls from unique burls foundthroughout Muskoka. Thur was<strong>com</strong>missioned to create 20 large highlyartistic and functional maple bowlsfor the world leaders. He also produced10 smaller bowls for later additions tothe summit.“All through February I worked sevendays a week and eight to 10 hours a dayto get the samples ready,” says Thur.“This is the largest single <strong>com</strong>missionI’ve ever had and it’s not likely to berepeated in my lifetime,” says the 70-year-old.Modestly, he adds. “I’ve been reallylucky.” He chuckles, “As I told my wife,I’m going to bask in the glory for aboutfive minutes and then get back to workgetting enough products ready for theMuskoka Autumn Studio Tour.”Following the visit by a federal scoutingparty in January, stained glass artistCharles Knapp of Huntsville was askedto create a prototype of a glass box thatwould hold the accreditation pin forspouses of the G8 delegates. He sent thesample to Ottawa and once LaureenHarper approved of the design, Knappgot busy making the exquisite containersincluding two with a more masculinesensibility for presentation to malepartners.Knapp’s work ranges from soaringchurch windows to small colourful suncatchers. He’s been <strong>com</strong>missionedcountless times for projects large andsmall and has published three books ofhis lamp designs.“It was an honour to take part in theG8 in this way and to know that mywork is scattered all across the globe,”he says. “Maybe one of my boxes is sittingon the dresser of a world leaderright now!”Langford Canoe in Dwight crafted25 solid cherry wood canoe paddles forthe G8 Sherpas following a governmentcontact made last November. OwnerSteve McAllister describes the paddle ashaving a small protective resin tip andan otter tail blade with an unfinishedhandle for a natural feel and no slip.The paddles were standard issue exceptthe grains in the wood used in the paddleswere carefully selected, accordingto McAllister.“The only really custom part was thelaser engraved logo and the custommade Sunbrella paddle carrying bagPhotograph: Kelly Holinsheadwith draw string and custom logo,”he explains.The G8 honour <strong>com</strong>es hard on theheels of being chosen to manufacture aline of canoes using the historic colourschemes and iconic insignia ofHudson’s Bay blankets and jackets,which were introduced in the Best ofCanada Pavilion at the recent Olympicsin Vancouver.Karin Kriekaard, owner of EclipseArt & Design in Huntsville, was theproject manager of a G8 gift proposalthat a group of local artists initiated lastsummer. The <strong>com</strong>plete submission wasn’tchosen but two elements of thepackage – a burl bowl by AlgonquinPark ranger Kirk McEathron and amaple leaf marquetry inlaid box byNick Hally – were purchased as gifts forthe G8 Youth Summit delegates.Port Carling model boatbuilderChuck Allbon also had his work presentedat the G8 Youth Summit.Allbon builds 30 or 40 boats a yearselling them out of his Port Carling cottageand a couple of summer craftshows. At last year’s Dockside Festivalof the Arts a visitor planted the idea ofthe model boats playing some part inthe G8 Summit.Allbon didn’t act on the suggestionuntil it was repeated by a visitor to hisdisplay at the Bala Cranberry Festival.“What says Muskoka more than theSegwun?” Allbon’s wife, Sandi, recallsthe admirer asking.With that prodding, she called TonyClement’s office and was directed toSanjeev Chowdhury at the SummitsManagement Office in November. Amonth later a model went to Ottawafor approval and in March the Allbonsdelivered five handcrafted cedar modelsof the iconic craft to Chowdhury forpresentation to the senior speakers tothe Youth Summit.Deerhurst general manager JosephKlein asked Darla Stipanovitch, ownerof SoapStones in Huntsville to providesoaps, hair products and lotions for theresort’s VIP guests. Klein and his assistantchose the Cold Water fragrance forthe men and the Cranberry HoneyDeerhurst Blend for German ChancellorAndrea Merkel. Beautiful porcelaingift baskets were piled high with productsfor the leaders and a variety ofother SoapStones products were availablein the public spaces.The placement generated plenty ofmedia buzz for the excited soap makerwho says, “It was a scramble to getit ready but this was the biggest thrill ofmy business life. It will be hardto duplicate!”She reports, “After the event, Mr.Klein was kind enough to write me andlet me know that not a scrap of ourproduct remained in the leader suites;they had taken it with them. This iswhat we wanted to hear! They liked it;they really, really liked it!”12 July 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong>
Advertising FeatureNew animal hospital is state of the artBy Sandy LockhartFish hooks, porcupine quills and stomach upsets are afew of the pet problems that regularly <strong>com</strong>e through thedoor at the <strong>Bracebridge</strong> Animal Hospital. In addition toemergency services, the veterinary hospital also offersmany other services including digital X-rays, full dentistryand orthopaedic care as well as more routineappointments such as regular vaccinations.The business is owned by veterinarian Jason McLeodwho also owns the Algonquin Animal Hospital inHuntsville.“A number of our seasonal clients prefer to see us forannual care,” he says, explaining they feel they get morepersonal care here than in a larger city. “They are not justa number.”He says clients like the small-town approach wherepeople know your pet and its medical history.“They appreciate that we take the time to talk withthem and they appreciate our knowledge base,” McLeodsays.McLeod’s practice also focuses on wellness and preventativemedicine, including dental care. The dentalsuite is truly a designated dental area in the new <strong>Bracebridge</strong>Animal Hospital.“We are very proud of that,” he says. “Very few placeshave a dental suite let alone the dental radiology.”The dental suite has a digital imaging system that issuperior to conventional dental X-rays. “The quality isamazing, “ he says.“When you bring in your pet for a dental cleaning,they are having everything done that you’d have with adentist,” he says. “The difference is that your pet has togo under light anesthetic.”The specialized equipment allows them to take a preventativeapproach and recognize potential problemsand address them before they be<strong>com</strong>e a larger healthissue.The <strong>Bracebridge</strong> Animal Hospital also has the newCuattro X-ray systems, the most advanced system availablein the veterinary market. The clinic was the secondin Ontario to use it.“We decided to invest in that because of the superiorimage quality,” he says. “We did it because of the capabilityof diagnostics. We can solve problems far moreeffectively than with the older style X-ray system,” hesays.McLeod says a pet does not have to be re-exposed tofurther radiation from a second X-ray if the first X-rayisn’t suitable.“We can manipulate the image instead of having thepet face an X-ray again,” he says, noting images are thenkept in the pet’s electronic file.With the advances in veterinary medicine, more referralsand expertise are available.“We can simply send the digital file to specialists anywherein the world,” he says.With X-rays, veterinarians have to wait from five to 15minutes to see the image.“The digital image we see, literally, within two seconds,”he says.As a result, this lessens the time that the pet is un<strong>com</strong>fortable,and waiting for treatment. It also drasticallyreduces the time that a pet is under anesthetic, asrequired for some X-rays.A new addition to the <strong>Bracebridge</strong> Animal Hospital is<strong>Bracebridge</strong> Animal Hospital owner and veterinarian Jason McLeod, with two of his dogs, designedhis new facility to provide the best possible service along with a <strong>com</strong>fortable Muskoka look and feel.laser therapy used to reduce pain, facilitate healing andreduce inflammation. It also kills bacteria and decontaminateswounds. Already, McLeod is very pleased withthe results.An older feline patient had an orthopaedic diseaseresulting in osteoarthritis.“The mobility of the cat had dropped. It refused tojump on the couch or go up the stairs and it was be<strong>com</strong>ingreclusive,” he explains. “The owner felt the cat wasun<strong>com</strong>fortable.”Through a physical exam they determined whichjoints were affected and tried a treatment of laser therapy.“The owner was somewhat skeptical but saw significantimprovements after just one session,” he says. “Nowafter subsequent sessions it is playing again.”That is just one of the many success stories associatedwith laser therapy. McLeod’s own 15-year-oldboxer-bull mastiff has had positive results from laserContinued on page 14Photograph: Sandy Lockhartwww.whatsupmuskoka.<strong>com</strong> July 2010 13
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