Graham Davies, photographer | Lynn Leavitt, farmer | Jennifer Lester, web whiz
At the start of 2011 I decided to review the last 10 yrs of my Picton Gazette “Our Creative Rural Economy” columns about people doing business in the County. 10 years! I was surprised and delighted with how many people and businesses I’ve featured: 109 – and I’ve only scratched the surface, from brand new enterprises to venerable established firms, including a 180 yr old drug store. Most are still going strong, many have grown a lot, only 5 have folded – that’s a 95% retention rate! The full list is at the end of this post.
Of the 109, 62 were established, 47 were new and 20 focused on young people. The Services sector got the most ink, which reflects the wider Canadian economy that is dominated by service industries and growing less labour-intensive & more high-tech. Five were about Manufacturing, 9 Wellness; 10 Tourism; 10 Culinary; 11 Arts and Culture; 30 Agriculture (including several in a series we called Farmers Faces) and 35 Services – from financial to construction to dog grooming.
I showed my husband the list and he pointed out a glaring omission. Him. Oops. In business in the County for 11 years he deserves recognition, so I started the new year with a profile of my favourite County artist: Graham Davies. Very briefly: a fine art photographer with a photojournalist background. A rare beast these days: a master of the art of black and white, real film photography and darkroom printing. He came from the UK to Toronto in 1993 and to the County in 1999. His Toronto colleagues thought he was crazy to leave the city back then. They don’t any more, not with PEC featured regularly in news and lifestyle pages. Best known for dramatic B&W nudes and landscapes, he shoots digital for commercial work but is a fierce champion of B&W for his fine art and portraiture – particularly those body portraits, as he calls them. He proves there is no age or weight limit to beauty and art. A professional photographer since his teens, he looks puzzled when you mention retirement. He just finished shooting for the Arts and Taste Trail brochure and says his life and work have never felt better. A good quote, I think, to kick off another year of Our Creative Rural Economy columns. Now take a deep breath and check out that list of 109 business.
A-1 Excavating | Alex Hunter – vineyard mgr | Amans Abbatoir | Anne Van Vlack – Infolink | Aspens Dog Grooming | Avon Interiors |
Avon Lady – Karen Mulima | Baitley Farm | Barley Days Brewery | Benchmark Works | Betty Chambers – organic | Black River Cheese
Bloomfield Bike Co | Books on Bay | Breakaway Magazine | Brent Timm – financial | C B Fennel – concrete, gravel | Carl Ferguson – mechanic
Carruthers Chocolatier | Cascades Pub | Chris Currah – catering | Chris Skeat – property developer | Christian Marchsteiner – pastry chef
Christmas Trees – Moores | Clearwater Canoes | County Farm Centre | David Gale – carpenter | Debbie Moynes – seniors services
Debug Computers | Della Bosca – organic | Devonshire Inn | Dick Prinzen – chicken farm | Dough Control – music studio | Drop n Flop
Falconer Farm | Fosterholm Farm | Glow Hair | Goodfellow Meats | Goreland Farms | Graham Towers – elk farm | Grand Bay Fisheries
Hagermans Farm | Healing with Horses | Honey Wagon – organic | Ideal Bike | Indulgence Spa | Jackson Falls B&B | Jenn Ackerman – catering | Jenn Lester – new media | Jim Hughes – Apples | Justin Williams – Maple | K. Foster Morgan – grief counsellor | Kathy Kennedy – Taste the County | Larry Spencer – planning consultant | Laundry Farms | Lindsey Reid – architect | Lloyds Heating | Loyalist Manor – retirement home | Lynn Leavitt – farmer | Main St Organics (left and came back as Just Sweets! | Maple Brae Farm | Martin Miller – farmer | Merland Park Fishing | Mindful Movements | Mustang Drive In | Noreen Vader – gift service | Oeno Gallery | Olivias Books | Ostranders Farm | Parx Fairies – porcelain | PE Engine Services | PEC Glass | Peggy deWitt – photographer | Peta Hall – arts activist | Picton Ice | Quinte Isles Camp Park | Sunset Farms (& Cottages) | Renata Claudi – organic | Reachview Farm | Renia Tyminski – educator | Rick Clarke – barn restorer | Rogers Hospitality | Rosehaven Farm | Saha Yoga | Sandbankers – vacation shop | Shyrl Nussey – 3 retail shops | Slickers – ice cream | Sidestreet Gallery | Simpson Strawberries | Smith & Smith – financial | Spaah-go | Spas in the County – multiple | Stormys – autos | Sunoco | Teasels Drug Store - est. 1829! | Therapy on Bay | Thru the Cedars – music producers | Thunder Cycle | Tom Wiltse – mechanic | Timber Island Productions | Town Line Processing | Trevor Crowe – videographer | Twilite Industries – carpentry & caskets |Universal Fan – international R&D | Vicki’s Veggies | Walkers Greenhouse | Willow Garden – Shetland sheep | Winstead Dogs – training |
