Load up everything you need for a day at the beach in this beautifully embroidered beach bag. Razzmatazz Art Lounge 312 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville Razzmatazzonline.com
Change your look, not your sole. Adorable snaps and straps can be changed out on these summer sandals – creating unique and endless options! Forever Summer 389 Brant St, Burlington Foreversummerswimsuits.ca
It looks like glass…until you drop it. Tritan gives you the look and style of glass, with superior durability and shatter resistance. BPA-free. Oakville Home Leisure 1318 Speers Rd, Oakville Oakvillehomeleisure.ca
Rustic Daisy’s has everything you need for your trip to the beach this summer. Trendy totes, water bottles, colourful beach shawls, and more! Rustic Daisy’s 25 Main St S, Waterdown
Perfect for picnics, beach, and travel! The Picnic Time Piccadilly Picnic Basket Set is both stylish and functional. It features a spacious area to put your food and drinks. Comes with picnic necessities like a corkscrew, knives, spoons, wine glasses and more. Nicetys 146 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville Nicetys.com
Find yourself a lazy river and float the day away in these classic Canadian floaties. Fairhome Interiors 2289 Fairview Street, Burlington Fairhome.ca
This year marks the 9th Annual International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) in Niagara and this three-day weekend celebration will be taking place July 19-21. From an idea hatched by a handful of winemakers around a summer bonfire back in 2010, the i4C has evolved into a world-class wine and culinary celebration. Over the past decade, the i4C has been instrumental in raising the profile of this noble grape by showcasing hundreds of exceptional cool climate Chardonnays from renowned Ontario and International producers. These elegant and complex wines have awakened a renewed interest and appreciation for this often misunderstood grape.
All photos courtesy of the i4c
Chardonnays presented at the i4C must pass the “cool” test, meaning they must meet at least one of the following criteria – cool by coastal effect, cool by continental effect, cool by altitude, or cool by latitude. This year 53 producers from nine countries will come together to celebrate in the heart of Niagara wine country, showcasing over 95 Chardonnays and sparkling wines. Among the 29 Ontario producers, you will find the following Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake members – Château des Charmes, Inniskillin Wines, Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate, Peller Estates Winery, Queenston Mile Vineyard, Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery, Southbrook Organic Vineyards, Stratus, Strewn Winery and Trius Winery. Each will feature outstanding cool climate chardonnays from the Niagara-on-the-Lake appellation.
During the three-day weekend, guests can attend one or more of the i4CSignatureEvents held in various locations across Niagara-on-the-Lake. The weekend will kick-off with The School of Cool on Friday, July 19, at White Oaks Resort where some of the brightest talents in the world of Cool Climate viniculture and winemaking will explore three provocative topics with accompanying tastings. The keynote speaker this year will be Julia Harding, a U.K. based author, journalist and Master of Wine. This is a must-do event if you want to expand your knowledge of Chardonnay and network with some of the industry’s finest. On Friday evening, you can sip your way through Chardonnays from all corners of the globe, poured by their winemakers, at the Flights of Chardonnay. This event is held at the Niagara District Airport, a truly unique setting to mix and mingle while sipping on Chardonnay and enjoying mouth-watering offerings from some top Niagara chefs.
On Saturday, July 20, the Cool Chardonnay World Tour Tasting & Dinner will showcase the world’s best Chardonnays and Ontario’s best cuisine. This signature event will be held at Niagara College and this year guests have the option to purchase tickets to the Tasting portion (6pm to 8pm) of the evening only. This is the only public tasting event that showcases all the International and VQA Ontario Chardonnays and Blanc de Blancs of the i4C. The dinner portion of the evening sold out quickly earlier this year.
The weekend will conclude with the Moveable Feast Brunch on Sunday, July 21. This perennial favourite will be held at Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery, one of our member wineries. Ravine’s culinary team, led by Chef Matt Payne, in partnership with local artisan producers, will present a classic brunch menu highlighting regional flavours that pair harmoniously with cool climate Chardonnays. For more information about this premium wine and culinary celebration and to purchase tickets, visit coolchardonnay.org.
In addition to the signature events, there are also several Explore Wine Country Ontario Program events to choose from. Five of our member wineries are hosting Explore Wine Country events, click on the links below to learn more and to purchase tickets:
While in Niagara-on-the-Lake for the i4C weekend, take advantage of the free time in between signature events to visit some of our member wineries. They all have something special to offer this time of year. Download the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake map to plan your personalized itinerary.
by Laura Vertucci, Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake
The hot, hot summer sun has finally arrived, and there’s no better way to beat the heat than to plunge into one of our community pools. While indoor pools serve us all year long, outdoor pools are a special treat we can only enjoy for a few months out of the year – and there’s one in particular creating some hype this summer.
First open in 1963, Nelson Pool, located on New Street between Appleby Line and Walkers Line has been a family favourite for decades. However in 2015, after endless dives and cannonballs, the pool was deemed unsafe by a structural engineer and closed for public use.
With tremendous support from the community, City Council approved a plan to complete an extensive two-year renovation on the pool and surrounding area. The finished product reopened for the 2017 summer season, impressing crowds and welcoming all skill levels and abilities.
The new pool – which cost $4.9 million – is a 50-metre heated outdoor pool with eight lanes and a beach-entry leisure pool. But that’s not all.
If you think you have what it takes, you can brave the climbing wall feature in the deep-end, or jump in off one of the two 1-metre diving boards. For those who prefer a leisurely swim, there’s a large shallow end to enjoy playtime with family and friends. The pool itself is perfect for all ages from infant to adult and unlike many pools, is completely accessible with a ramp, beach entry, or ladders to enter the pool.
Then there’s the new splash pad. Take a run through the small animal spray features or get soaked while standing under the giant tipping bucket. The park was designed to engage children of all ages and is the perfect summer day getaway if you’re in need of a little staycation.
This treasured community gathering place provides a great opportunity for residents to get outdoors, play, and stay cool all summer long. With a dry children’s park, community change room, deck chairs, and picnic tables, you can pack a lunch and expect to spend a full day splashing around and having fun.
Drop-in recreation swim costs $4.40 for youth to 60+, but if you plan on swimming all summer long, it might be worth purchasing a summer swim pass for $32.40 – granting you access to all of the City’s pools.
Barbeque, it’s about as summer as summer gets. As soon as the weather starts warming up, we head to the grill. It becomes a weekend pastime – throwing on a thick patty or a juicy sausage, calling over a few friends, and sitting around the backyard patio. But there’s more to the grill than meats the eye – we can’t forget our sides. No summer picnic or barbeque is complete without those side staples: a Mediterranean pasta salad, maybe some grilled veg, and we certainly can’t forget the always crunchy and delicious sweet summer corn.
Driving down the highway on a warm summer day, the cornfields can’t be missed. Rows upon rows of silky green stocks. From pick-your-own to roadside stands, corn husks are ready to be picked and enjoyed from August through to October.
At Andrew’s Scenic Acres in Milton, visitors can take a wagon ride out to the cornfield where you’re welcome to pick your own corn. Wanting only the best of the bunch, you’ll want to look for bright green and moist husks – this means they’re fully ripe and sweet! The silk should be stiff, dark, and moist. If you’re not confident in picking your own, you can stop by Andrew’s farm market and find fresh, ready-picked produce depending on season and availability. While you’re there, you must stop by their flower gardens lined with sunflowers, dahlias, and gladioli – they make the perfect Instagram backdrop.
Now, let’s not forget about the incredible farmers’ markets we have right here in our own backyard. Aldershot Farmers’ Market, Burlington Mall Farmers’ Market, OTMH Farmer’s Market, and Oakville Civitan Farmers’ Market, and Oakville Place Farmers’ Market welcome vendors that carry a wide variety of locally grown and fresh produce. If you’re not able to make it directly to the farm to pick your own, this is an opportunity for the farm to come to you. Here you will find the freshest food available, and you will be supporting your local farmers! Be sure to keep your corn moist, and pack a cooler for the trip home from the farm or market.
The best part about getting this delicious treat home? Eating it. There are endless ways to prepare sweet summer corn. Barbeque or boil the corn and serve it with butter and a touch of salt, make it into corn relish, use it in salads, or bake your own corn bread. These tender, succulent, little nibs burst in your mouth the moment you bite in.
Familia Fine Foods
Familia Fine Foods in Burlington knows a thing or two when it comes to incorporating corn into unique and vibrant dishes. Corn is a staple inLatin Cuisine, and Familia uses Ontario sweet corn in a variety of ways. Their arepas are a popular foundation for Latin American dishes. A typical Colombian type of cornmeal tortilla, they can be used for every occasion…add meat, tuna, shredded chicken, stuff with vegetables or use as a pizza crust. You can even pick up their corn meal flour and make your own arepas at home (recipe at looklocalmagazine.com)! While their arepas are scrumptious, Familia’s corn cakes are the essence of summer. Between salty and sweet, this family recipe delivers and goes well with everything – enjoy them for breakfast, as a snack, or a side.
Wherever you’re dining this summer, be it a backyard barbeque or one of our fabulous local restaurants, be sure to bite into to this sweet summer treat. Ontario sweet corn will inspire you to peel away the husk and discover sweet gold.
by Melinda Paletta Melinda Paletta is a food writer, gourmet epicure, host of her food show DA EATS TV, and she is always ready for a culinary adventure. www.dabutchersdaughter.ca
Rosé used to be considered a slightly unsophisticated patio pleaser, a wine somewhere in between red and white. Historically, it was often sweet and mostly fairly unexciting.
However, times have changed and rosé is rapidly on the rise, both in quality and flavour and certainly, cool factor. One of the many great things about modern-day rosé is its versatility. It’s adaptable to seasons as well as to food, becoming a serious wine and food player. Plus, that colour is bound to make you feel happy.
Lucky for us, in Ontario, there are loads of rosé choices to be had. Almost all wine producing regions in the world produce a rosé, often with its own style and character.
Here we have highlighted some delicious rosés from all over the world. One of the even greater things about rosé is that good quality examples are available at every price point. It is often not necessary to spend a lot to get a really pleasurable bottle. All products below are available at the LCBO.
by Jennifer Ratcliffe-Wright
Picnic Wine Co. Rosé Lemonade
Ontario •$3.50 per 473ml
This summery tipple is made in Ontario (we love local) and is a half and half (rosé and lemonade blend). At 5% alc, it’s the perfect drink to sip all afternoon with its light flavours of lemon and strawberry. Dry and refreshing and so so easy; top it up with ice.
LAB
Portugal •$9.75
Portugal is high on the cool factor barometer right now with exotic local grapes and easy to drink wines. This wine is made close to Lisbon from Cabernet Sauvignon along with local red varieties. It works beautifully with a fresh Portuguese meal straight from the ocean or anything from your barbecue. Offering bursts of red fruit leaping from the glass, LAB is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
La Vieille Ferme Rosé
France •$12.45
A beautifully styled dry rosé from the Ventoux area in the Southern Rhône in France made by the Perrin family, who are the rock star winemakers of the area. Its delicate ballet slipper pink colour just smacks of summer. With scents of fresh strawberries and delicate florals, its aromatics will have you reaching for another glass.
Rustenberg Rosé
South Africa •$13.95
Made by South African wine royalty, the Barlow family have been making wine in the Simonsberg area of Stellenbosch on the Rustenberg estate since 1941, with the estate producing wines since 1682. This easy dry rosé is made from the Bordeaux variety Petit Verdot. It achieved a gold medal at the Michelangelo awards, one of South Africa’s top competitions. Perfect for an alfresco picnic.
Malivoire Ladybug Rosé
Ontario •$16.95
From the Niagara Peninsula and a local leader in sustainable winemaking (we like them already), comes this zesty, spicy wine that is bright and perky on the palate. Ninty-two points from Natalie Maclean, it’s a foodie kind of wine that will adore any dish you choose to pair it with.
Izadi Larrosa Rioja
Spain • $16.95
This Rioja rosé made from an old vine Garnacha (Grenache) is made in a Provençal style. Delicate pink with a whisper of cherry scented flowers, it will work as an early afternoon aperitif, with a charcuterie lunch, or while standing around the barbecue snacking tidbits.
Sassy Rosé Cocktail Recipe
If you prefer your Rosé in other forms, try this Sassy Rosé Cocktail that will have your guests complimenting you from the first sip.
The garage is often the last unorganized frontier in the family home… the place where boxes, sports gear, discarded hamster cages, gardening and lawn equipment, bicycles, and various other odds and ends are tossed. Let’s be honest, if you’re actually able to store a vehicle in the garage – you’re way ahead of the game. For those who use this space for storage, there are endless ways to keep your goodies in the garage while keeping enough room for the car – and we’re here to help!
For most busy homes, space is at a premium. “The garage is often a dumping ground, so the first thing you want to do is get everything out and off the floor,” says Linda Fiore Ceolin of Garage Living. “Ideally, you want nothing on the floor, to make it easier to get around and to keep clean and walk without tripping.”
She suggests that the flooring be looked after first. If the flooring is cracked or worn, it should be fixed or replaced to match the garage interior, ensuring a cohesive look.
Garage Living provides a wide range of storage options to help with organization and keep items either out of sight or displayed neatly on the walls. “We offer everything needed to get organized, including storage bins to purge what needs to go first,” she says.
When it comes to storage equipment, slatwalls seem to be the go-to. The grooved panels make it easy to hang sports equipment, ladders, and gardening tools.Custom cabinetry is great for storing items in designated bins, like tools, nuts and bolts, or even paint. “Cupboards can be treated as a pantry, where you can hide items from view if you choose,” explains Linda.
The ceiling is another popular option for storage opportunities. “The ultimate goal is to keep things neat, clean and dry so you can actually park your car and sweep or shovel out water, slush, and leaves.” she says. Building custom shelving can create loft-storage, giving you extra square footage to store items such as seasonal furniture and decorations.
The slat wall system is definitely the most popular and efficient way to get the garage space neat and organized, says Austin Macaulay of Burlington Closet and Garage.
“We provide an all PVC, Canadian-designed and made-in-Canada slat system that comes in four colours,” he says. “It’s appealing to the eye with heavy-duty hooks that lock in and hold 75 pounds per square foot of space.”
Austin also suggests wire baskets and shelving for gardening tools, and hooks on the walls and ceilingto accommodate bikes, kayaks, and paddle boards.
He says, “If you utilize the back wall and the ceiling, that can help free up a lot of space you may not have realized you had.” There are even motorized lifts available to make reaching items stored on the ceiling easier to access. And the slat system can be installed by professionals, or by yourself: “It goes up like siding, with a very clean look and you can’t see the screws.”
Although getting organized is a great feeling when you’re all done, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the entire process, Linda suggests tackling it a section at a time.
“The garage is usually the last place in the home to get organized, but you can always do it in steps if you choose, bits at a time,” she says. And if you’re worried that your space is unable to be organized at all, she also has advice for that: “No space is too small!”
With the right organization tools, some planning and maybe a bit of purging, your garage can hold everything it needs to, including your vehicle.
Farm to table, earth to table, garden to table, farm to fork – it’s a movement that is rapidly becoming mainstream in the food world. As Fraser Macfarlane, a locavore himself, from Quatrefoil Restaurant in Dundas says: “most high-quality chefs are moving towards using local farmers exclusively where possible.”At the RBG (Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington) the chefs have been striving towards a farm to table philosophy for more than 5 years.
There are many reasons for the movement taking off.Quality is naturally the driver.“When we first opened, there was a knock on the door and a local farmer showed up with fresh strawberries that had just been picked that day – they had never even been refrigerated,” says Fraser.Quality is so much higher but so is freshness.Shelf life is also longer and then there is the provenance of knowing exactly where your produce is from and the integrity that brings.You actually know the farmer that grew your goods.
Quatrefoil
Chef Peter Mancini from RBG includes the environment, nutrition, and flavour as the main reasons. “The shorter the distance the product travels, the lower the impact it has on the environment.Serving local products means that the food is at the peak of freshness, nutritional value, and flavour when it arrives in front of our guests.”
Environmentally, the huge upside is also that the produce arrives without any packaging.It is delivered in large stackable plastic crates which are returned to the farmer for reuse once empty.No cardboard.No disposable plastic.
At Cucci in Oakville, ingredients are selected from local farmers and blended with fresh Italian sensibilities to create modern Italian cuisine. While, low-ley farm to table restaurant Wundeba in Burlington prepares scrumptious dishes with all organic and/or local ingredients. For these restaurants, price is not really a driver as the products are marginally more expensive than using a produce company, but there is great pleasure in knowing the product is locally and sustainably sourced and everything is done by the farmers themselves.
Cucci
When evaluating farms as potential suppliers, restaurateurs visit farms and look at things like organization and cleanliness, as well as continuity of supply.You can’t put something on your menu for the season if the farmer cannot guarantee supply.
When dealing with small farmers, the possibility of exotic products opens up.Fraser is very impressed with the quality of game birds that he can get from Carol Precious of Chassagne Farm.Her squab is outstanding, not to mention the quail, pheasant and Cornish hen.The eggs are free-run and super fresh and even the honey (often with the natural comb) is wild and unpasteurized.
Some restaurants have enough demand that they have farmers grow exclusively for them, some even have their own kitchen gardens like the Veggie Village at the RBG.Another offshoot of the farm-to-table movement is people who forage the land.Pat Coswick from Babalink Farm off Highway 5 forages what grows on her farm and supplies it to restaurants.She manages to find interesting mushrooms like chicken legs and lobster mushrooms, and even wild greens like wood sorrel.
It’s a style of eating that is growing in momentum. Always be sure to ask where the products are sourced from to join the revolution.
Earth to Table Bread Bar
Here are some other farm to table restaurants in the area worth a taste:
Earth to Table Bread Bar in Hamilton and Guelph (they also have a cookbook: Earth to Table Every Day by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann).
Community Restaurant on Kerr Street in Oakville serves plant-based dishes andis currently sourcing products as locally as possible.
Community
Spencer’s at the Waterfront in Burlington. Whether it’s mouth-watering steak from their butcher, sustainably sourced seafood or freshly harvested produce from their farm, each ingredient is transformed into something delightfully delicious.
Kamoosh Bistro in Waterdown sources meat from local butchers and fresh produce from Ontario farms.
Turn up the brightness in this two piece by Seafolly. Cool and colourful, it swaps soft flowers for bright leaves in a 70’s inspired print. Forever Summer 389 Brant Street, Burlington Foreversummerswimsuits.ca
Hit the beach in this classic and colourful paisley print swim trunk paired with another classic – the short brim, straw Fedora hat. For a look and feel that’s both cool and comfortable. Bush’s 375 Brant Street, Burlington Bushs.ca
Suntegrity Face +Body SPF 30 products use physical block ingredients (non-nano size zinc oxide) to provide broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Super anti-oxidants and amino acids are added to enhance that protection and help with skin repair. Awarded “Champion” Status by the EWG/Compact for Safe Cosmetics! Anise Apothecary 429 Elizabeth St #3-4, Burlington Aniseapothecary.com
Ted Baker knows how to enhance a classic style with fun and adventure, so whether plain or printed, make a splash in his latest swimwear styles. Burrow’s Clothiers 200 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville Burrowsclothiers.com
Physician Endorsed makes sun protection a snap for fashionistas seeking the season’s must-have headwear looks. Chemical-free sun protection up to UPF 50+, perfect for turning heads at the beach. Available in various styles. C’est Naturel Boutique 3300 Fairview Street – 6B, Burlington
Roidal is a beautiful, luxury swimwear brand from Spain. With a gorgeous range of swimwear in a fantastic array of colours, the shimmer and soft feel of the fabric together with beautiful draping and ruching, makes for an exquisite range of styles to suit all women. Bocana Boutique 435 Pearl Street, Burlington Bocana.ca
Can you tell us a bit about Oakville Home Leisure?
We specialize in patio furniture, hot tubs, water care and billiards. We’re proud to be celebrating 20 years in business this year.
What’s your favourite part about the business?
We have a lot of loyal customers. Many have been coming to us for the past 20 years. They come, and they see the same faces, and they really trust us. Our customers see the vested interest that we have in what we do.
In the age of digital retail, what’s your secret to keeping customers coming back?
We’re not too big and we’re dedicated to making things better for people. Customers appreciate the time that we take with them and the fact that we know them. Although the retail experience has changed with the ease of online shopping, there’s a loyalty that can’t be beat in having a brick and mortar store, and it’s that face-to-face connection that makes Oakville Home Leisure so special.
What’s your mission at Oakville Home Leisure?
We all work too much. People are working 50-hour weeks, their kids have extra curricular activities, there’s no time or money to drive to a cottage every Friday. People are looking for a vacation at home. People want to relax at home and have a backyard that is a paradise. In today’s digital age, it’s also hard to connect as a family and offering those moments where families can disconnect, spend time together at home, and really have fun is where the team at Oakville Home Leisure’s passion lies.
