Personal
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Waiting for Recovery
A lot has happened since our last blog in January. We were hoping for a better year and so far, our hopes haven’t materialized completely. What appears to be working, finally, is the vaccination campaign, despite the issues with planning and administration. There is a reduction in the number of Covid cases and we appear to be breathing somewhat easier. Another positive sign is the demand for seeds and plants at the local stores. At the farm, we planted three fruit trees and have put in a full garden, complete with Ma and Pa scarecrows, compliments of our grandson Ayden. As we were doing maintenance chores at Salamanders, we noted…
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So, we’re Canadjuns, eh?
We are a very recognizable folk, ya know. We have travelled far and abroad, and people in other countries get to spot us pretty quickly. In Paris, for example, all Grandpa Paul had to do when he was doing some work over there was speak one sentence in the language of Molière and the restaurant staff would know that he was from Canada. This gave rise to him recounting the story of the Acadians and the Cajuns, to a rapt audience and extra kind service. People love Canadians. We are kind, polite (almost apologetic), take the time to talk to people and always very helpful. Though there are probably some…
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Portrait of an Artist – Gertrude Cecilia Thibert, 1904-2005
“The Thibert family was pleased to present the art of Gertrude Thibert at Salamanders of Kemptville on 27 and 28 May, 2017. “Gertrude was born the oldest of then children, on the River Road farm to Timothy and Mary McGahey of South Gower Township, Ontario in 1904. As a young woman she obtained her teaching diploma in North Bay as she was too young to attend University. Gertrude was a founding teacher and the first principal of Holy Cross Separate School in Kemptville, Ontario. The school started out as a four room school house in September 1961. Alongside her were the sister-in-law Theresa McGahey and her friend Mary Beach. She…
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Multi-Culturalism and Great Food in Louisiana
Being of Acadian descent, our family is very interested in all things related to our ancestry and our people. I’m sure you remember reading that the Acadians were folks who came over from France and settled in what is now known as Nova Scotia, in the general vicinity of the Gaspereau Valley. They were kicked out in 1755 by the British who demanded that the population swear allegiance to the English King. The Acadians refused; but, then again, they also had refused to swear allegiance to the French King. So, as made famous in Evangeline, a Tale of Acadie by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the Acadians were deported from their homes.…
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We love kids…
One of the great joys of the Salamanders team is the kids…We think that it’s the quiet atmosphere of our home away from home that has kids enjoying our surroundings. We have no televisions and our music is soft, so folks are able to enjoy quiet conversation that includes the young ‘uns. Ok, so once and a while a wee one will act out but most of the time, we are blessed with children who sit and enjoy our food along with their parents and grandparents. It’s not that we believe that “well-behaved” kids should act like smaller adults: frankly, folks, we have had more adults acting out than their…
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Salamanders: What’s in a Name?
Ahem, now hear this: Wikipedia says that “Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by a lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All present-day Salamander families are grouped together under the scientific name Urodela” (gesundheit!). “Salamander diversity is most abundant in the Northern Hemisphere and most species are found in the Holarctic ecozone, with some species present in the Neotropical zone.” Well ok, so much for that. Meanwhile, if you like watching cooking shows on the tube, especially those that are set in restaurants, you may have people…
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What’s a MURT?
We at Salamanders of Kemptville take great pride in the cleanliness and decor of our site. But do you realize the kind of effort goes into ensuring that we are always putting our best foot forward? This effort is due to the hard work of our MURT, that is, our Maintenance, Upkeep and Refit Team. Let’s start with the mission of our Team, which is posted in our servery: “The mission of the Salamanders Maintenance, Upkeep and Refit Team is to exceed regulatory compliance in ensuring cleanliness, hygiene, order and safety in all operations: * For maintenance, to maintain our equipment to the maximum efficiency possible; * For upkeep, to…
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The 5 C’s
Salamanders of Kemptville prides itself in its 5C cooking: Cajun, Creole and Low Country Cooking with a Canadian Twist. This results from our family’s history and travels over the years. First of all, our Cormier name and family originated in Acadia, the 18th century French colony established just North of Halifax, Nova Scotia. So, Salamanders has a number of Acadian-inspired family dishes, which tend to be more French Canadian. Meanwhile, of course, the Acadians were expelled from Nova Scotia in 1755 and some 165 families ended up in the French colony of Louisiana. Over time, Acadians became Cajuns, with typical dishes from that region, involving a fair amount of fish…
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The flag over the entrance way to Salamanders of Kemptville is that of the Acadians. It was chosen in Miscouche, Prince Edward Island in 1884 during the second National Acadian Convention. It was proposed by Reverend Marcel-François Richard from Saint-Louis, New Brunswick, President of the 3rd Commission responsible for studying the choice of a national flag for the Acadian people. Acadians are the original French settlers in the area located north of Halifax, Nova Scotia, – the Gaspereau Valley. In 1755, the British carried out the Great Expulsion, deported some 11,500 Acadians and dispersed them across North America. This gave rise to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem A Tale of Acadie,…
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Remembrance Day
With Remembrance Day being tomorrow, we thought it appropriate to honour one of our ancestors. Staff Sergeant Garnet Cecil Richardson, member of the 1st Division, Canadian Special Service Battalion, RCIC, was 22 when he sacrificed his life on the battlefields of Italy on February 9, 1944. Garnet was the son of Daniel and Violet Daisy Richardson, of Warkworth, Ontario, Canada. Garnet was also a poet. We share one of our favourites, with you, today. We Will Remember Them. Over There Fiction books, shows, and such like, Paint pictures of wars for our minds; Not pictures of war in its truest form, But as an adventure of another kind. There’s music:…