Daytripping Spring 2023

Closer than
you think!
TOWN NAME, TOWN NAME and another awesome TOWN NAME
Quaint Shops, Great Restaurants, Inns
and B&Bs, Live Theatre, a Harbourfront
Museum and a warm welcome are all part
of a visit to our picturesque port town.
www.portdover.ca
23rd
Annual
Buy your ticket to WIN a
12-ft Innovocean
Metal Master Inflatable Boat
9.9 hp Suzuki Outboard
EZ Loader Trailer
VALUED AT OVER
$10,000
TAGGED PERCH
worth $20,000!
April 29th - May 12th
A showcase h
se of Norfolk olk Artists t
& Artisans
Motherly: affectionate, caring,
comforting, protective—just a few
adjectives found in the dictionary
describing the person we refer to as
mother.
As I sit back and slowly open the heart
shaped locket left to me by my mother,
I gaze upon a miniature face… young,
innocent and incredibly beautiful, a
torrent of memories suddenly flood my
mind.
I remember her as hard working,
tireless in her endeavour to ensure my
siblings and I were always properly
fed and clothed, her surroundings kept
spotlessly clean. This was the normal
role of women in the 1940’s and ‘50s,
but her circumstances were anything
but normal.
Less than two years after marrying
my father, leaving a secure job in the
city, he was persuaded to purchase an
ice cream parlour and confectionery in
a small town 100 miles away. Suddenly
uprooted from her family, she was
thrown into the task of helping to run an
unknown enterprise. I was a one year
old at the time, and foreseeing the task
must have been daunting. Over the next
25 years she would raise three children,
run the household, and assist in many
aspects of the business.
Mom always seemed to be busy. Her
Memories of Mom
days were filled with household duties
as well as obligations to the store. I
will forever remember the hours spent
ironing everything in sight, and I mean
everything. One day I asked why she
felt compelled to put so much effort into
something so unnecessary. She had no
answer, it was just something one did.
I mentioned we were well fed, and my
mouth waters recalling the taste of her
perogies, cabbage rolls, and breaded,
fried chicken. Oh, forgot to mention,
our restaurant boasted the best burgers
in town. No matter how hard I try, and I
really try, I cannot duplicate her recipes.
Something always seems to be missing.
She was a perfectionist, and this
was reinforced one day when we were
making the aforementioned cabbage
rolls. I was having a difficult time
rolling the cabbage leaves, and she kept
slapping my hand and rewrapping them
as I attempted to place my very uneven,
loose little bundles in the pot. “Why did
they have to be perfect?” I asked, after
all, they would be covered in sauce and
nobody would notice. She just gave me
the look. I got the message loud and
clear.
By Betty Popelier,
Sarnia
Although Mom
wasn’t one to
display emotions, or
voice endearments,
she was always
there when a
bandage was
needed for a booboo,
when a nose
had to be wiped,
when a new hairdo
was required, in
fact, whenever
something was
needed, she always
made certain it was
provided. No matter
how hard she worked, or how
much her body ached at the end of a
long day, I never heard her complain.
A fond memory returns, of the
evening my boyfriend and I arrived
home from a date well beyond my
midnight curfew. I was armed and
ready with several excuses, as I didn’t
know what, or who to expect waiting
for me at the door. Sure enough it was
Mom, and I prepared myself for the
worst lecture of my life. Upon entering,
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13 Norfolk St. S, Simcoe • 519-900-9355
9
-935
Tues-Fri 11 to 5, Sat 10 to 3:3030
@capitolartsmarket capitolartsmarket.com
• 10 Flavours of Ontario Peanuts
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11-4 Sunday
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389 Fisher’s Glen n Rd. Vittoria ia • 519-426-9222
9222
I looked into her eyes
and whispered “sorry.”
No other words were
spoken, and it would
be many years before
I understood the
turmoil of emotions
she would have been
feeling that night.
My parents sold
the store shortly after
I was married and
moved back to their
hometown, Windsor
and over the next 20
years I felt that Mom
and I drifted apart.
Unfortunately it was
the death of my
father that provided
the opportunity to
close that gap. My brother, sister and
I persuaded her to move back to Petrolia.
Thankfully I was given a second chance,
an opportunity to hear those three
little words spoken more often, and we
forged a closer relationship before her
death.
Did my mother influence my life? Of
course. High standards were set, and I
learned it is not necessarily what we say,
but what we do, that speaks volumes.
Thanks for the memories, Mom.
Only the best ingredients handled with Old World care!
Welcome W to A Area 151
151
Lamport St., 15 mins. from Simcoe,
15+ Artisanal Breads - &
Specialties!
The
Artisanal Breads
Rye, Sourdoughs, S u
d
ough
Multigrains,
l
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Croissants, Demi-Baguettes,
Cinnamon na m o n
Buns, Butter u ter Tarts & More!
r
PLUS... Seasonal Treats, Deli Sandwiches, Local
Cheeses, Preserves, Honey, Oils & Vinegars.
Weekly W
menu online:
GoodBreadCompany.ca
Your Sunday Drive
Order r online n
or in person!
Destination T hursday to Sunday 9-4
15 Lamport tSt. • Vittoria i • 519-428-1300
1300
Vittoria Rd. (Old Brock St.)
Lamport St.
NOW
Hewitt St.
Murray St.
•Old Fashioned •Old Fashioned Banana Splits•Soft Banana Splits•Milkshakes•Soft Ice Cream, including Chocolate, Ice Cream•Sundaes Vanilla & Twist
•Milkshakes•Sundaes •Frozen Yogurt•Homemade •Frozen Yogurt•Homemade Waffle Cones Waffle Cones & Belgium & Belgium Waffles Waffles
Open
Daily!
HOURS: 11am to 9:30pm
Summer: Open Daily
(Open Friday to Sunday in April
and from Labour Day to Thanksgiving)
BUS TOURS WELCOME
519-586-7994
1028 Bay St., Port Rowan
Spring 2023 Chuck Norris doesn’t cheat death. He wins fair and square.
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