November 14, 2024

Port Dover Maple Leaf

By Donna McMillan

The whimsical spectacle of Cinderella: The Panto will bring the magic of the holiday season to Port Dover’s Lighthouse Festival Theatre’s stage from November 28 to December 8.  Following on the successful heels of LFT’s 2023 first Panto: Jack and the Beanstalk, Jonathan Ellul has returned to direct this Panto “where glass slippers meet pumpkin chariots and a Fairy Godmother moonlights as a life coach for mice.”  

A British Christmas tradition dating back to the 18^th Century, Pantos are designed to entertain the entire family and all ages whether you have kids to bring or not.     Cinderella: The Panto, created by playwright Ken MacDougall, is a skewed, fractured and raucous couple of hours; somewhat unpredictable, Jonathan told the Maple Leaf in an interview last week.    Jokes are two levels of humour, Artistic Director Jane Spence said, appealing to adults and children alike.    The two explained Pantos are generally based on Fairytales because they are in the public domain, they star iconic characters and the cast can play with it.    Jonathan said the cast comprises very experienced actors who are enjoying the improv nature of a Panto.    He jokingly suggested “the script of Cinderella is written for the Muppets but we got hold of it.”    Every production depends on the personalities of your cast and the ideas that percolate with them, he said. It will be unique, Jane added.   You won’t see it again because each production is specific to its year.

Over the years, Jonathan has performed in many Pantos, including Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White and the Seven Vertically Challenged Dwarfs, Aladdin, and Cinderella.    Jonathan remembered last year two women walked out of the theatre arm in arm and said the Panto “was so corny; just loved it.”

It’s a heightened, stylized show with the addition of an extra live musician to lift things up, Jonathan shared.   This format was precursor to cartoons/looney tunes and uses all the tropes that a Panto can take from a classic story and make it so funny. There are jokes and innuendos that will be funny to adults and over the heads of kids, he said.    And yes, in this staging, “the clock strikes midnight, but not before Cinderella swaps the ballgown for tattered rags,” LFT shared.   “The ugly stepsisters compete in a high stakes dance – off and the Prince insists on using a GPS to find the mysterious shoe owner.”   There are talking mice, disco balls and a pumpkin spice carriage.   

It’s promising a great night, Jane said.   “It’s fun for every age.   A family tradition.”

The cast comprises: Helen Belay as Prince Charming; Allan Cooke as Shania; Raquel Duffy as Fairy Godmother; Katie Edwards as Cinderella; Sal Figliomeni as Lustyria; Steve Gauci as Dandi; Brad Hart as Drummer; and Stephen Ingram as Buttons.    The Creative Team includes: Eric Bunnell, Set Designer; Alex Amini, Costume Designer; Steven Lucas, Lighting Designer; Kiri – Lynn Muir, Choreographer; Daniele Guillaume, Stage Manager; Ben Tuck, Assistant Stage Manager.    For tickets, contact the Lighthouse Festival Theatre Box Office at www.lighthousetheatre.com , by calling 519 – 583 – 2221 or visit at 247 Main Street, Port Dover.   

UNEXPLAINED HAPPENINGS AT LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE, STONEY’S HARDWARE & MORE

October 30, 2024

Port Dover Maple Leaf

By Jacob Fehr

IN celebration of Halloween this week, the Maple Leaf sought out some spooky stories about spectres in Port Dover, speaking to people who could share accounts or legends of seemingly supernatural experiences. What follows is a series of frightening tales of phantoms found in our quiet port…

Ethel Steele and paranormal investigations at Lighthouse Theatre

Perhaps Port Dover’s most famous ghost is believed to be that of Ethel Steele (1881–1979), a local homemaker whose descendants say she had will like her last name.

Mrs. Steele was well known in the area for directing more shows during her lifetime than anyone else at Port Dover’s Town Hall venue, which is now Lighthouse Theatre, and was active in many community organizations, such as the Legion, the Red Cross, and the Rebekah Lodge. She donated proceeds from her midwinter shows to charitable causes.

“Ethel was so much a part of live theatre in Port Dover that it is believed her ghost lives in the building to this day. A photo of her hangs in the second-floor lobby, watching over the events of today,” the theatre’s website states.

Port Dover Harbour Museum curator Katie Graham offered additional information.

“A portrait of Ethel was presented by her children to be hung in the auditorium lobby. It’s tradition for performers to tap her portrait before going on stage, asking Ethel for good luck—as some may say, the spirit of Ethel may still be lingering around. There are stories of computers turning on by themselves and pens flying off desks,” she said.

Lighthouse has had members of a group known as Spirit Hunters Ontario investigate a possible paranormal presence at the theatre multiple times. On October 13, the group returned with guest medium Angel Morgan. Theatre production manager Alice Barnett was in the building for the investigations.

“They always come fully prepared with a lot of equipment. This time around they had five cameras set up, three recorders, dowsing rods, and pendulums,” Ms. Barnett said. “None of the experiences they have are described as scary, they describe the activity here as being very happy in nature.”

She said she hasn’t experienced anything at Lighthouse that seemed supernatural, but some of her coworkers have reported “seeing things move in the corner of their eye, hearing footsteps when no one else is here, and hearing glasses clink together.”

“Lots of folks think the theatre is haunted!” she said.

Ms. Barnett explained Spirit Hunters Ontario members sift the data from investigations, but Lighthouse has not yet received the group’s report on the October investigation.

Hair-raising hijinks at the old haunt

Before it was demolished at the beginning of this year, Norfolk Tavern was believed to be Port Dover’s oldest building, having been built around 1836. Nearly 200 years of history unfurled outside the tavern as it stood through the growth of the community around it.

The tavern’s former owners and customers have told stories about strange goings-on within the building for years, a few of which were reported on by the Maple Leaf last fall. Some people reported seeing objects flying into the air.

Susan McIntyre, who owned the tavern for 17 years with her husband, the late Jim McIntyre, and a group of others, said she believes the building was haunted. She would hear footsteps coming from the recently renovated apartment above the main floor when no one was there.

“The dog’s ears would perk up. I would think Jim was coming home, but there was no one there,” Ms. McIntyre said.

One time, she found all the cupboards in the kitchen seemingly opened on their own. She also recalled a server who said they saw a spectre in The Brig, which operated in the building’s basement. While she remembered a story about someone falling off the tavern’s balcony “over a century ago,” she wasn’t sure if it was true or connected with the staff member’s frightening sighting.

Darryl Swarts and Alana Swarts owned the tavern for 12 years after Mrs. McIntyre’s group sold it to them. He heard lots of ghost stories and even experienced something spooky himself.

One day, the fire alarm sounded from the building’s attic. They found no fire when they checked, but beneath the pulled alarm, they discovered an old copy of a Port Dover Maple Leaf issue that was opened to a page featuring a picture of Darryl’s sister in skating attire. At that time, she lived in the apartment above the hotel but had no knowledge of the old newspaper.

“The Lady in Black” at Port Dover’s east pier

Residents have reported seeing what appears to be a woman dressed in all black near the east pier in Port Dover, especially when there’s stormy weather on the water. Known as “The Lady in Black,” some say the eerie figure looks longingly out at the lake.

Local legends have it that “The Lady in Black” is the spirit of a Port Dover widow whose husband was lost at sea, never to be recovered. Without a body to bury, she couldn’t move past her husband’s tragic fate.

Overwrought with grief, some say the ghost still wears her funeral garb as a reflection of her inability to move on, as if to tell the world she’ll keep waiting to bury her husband. Ms. Graham said “The Lady in Black” has been connected to a home by the lift bridge.

Startling stories from Stoney’s Home Hardware

Employees at Stoney’s Home Hardware have had a handful of uncanny incidents at the store over the last few decades, especially in the 2000s.

Owner Greg Cable recalled one morning decades ago when he was working alone before the store opened. “Because it was early and quiet, I thought about having some music on,” he said. At the time, they had radios in the store not too far from where he was working near the front.

About five minutes later, “all of a sudden, one of the radios turned on,” he said. Struck by the strange occurrence, he checked out the radio and found it working fine. He couldn’t explain why it turned on by itself, especially after thinking about doing it himself.

“We’ve never had one of them turn on by themselves before and haven’t had one do it since,” he said, adding it was a weird experience. “That was my very first one.”

Another time, around midday 10–12 years ago, Mr. Cable was working on an order in the store’s back room with employee Pam Meade. Ms. Meade left the room and started walking down the store’s main aisle. As Mr. Cable passed by the doorway to the main aisle, he saw a bird feeder launch off a shelf and clatter on the floor behind her.

“Something was not happy with me that day,” she said.

“It didn’t roll out of the aisle; it flew out of the aisle. It came at her,” he said. He mentioned that they typically don’t have specific spots on the shelves for birdfeeders, so they couldn’t find where it came from. It was as if it appeared out of nowhere.

“Those are two things that I have experienced that I could not explain,” Mr. Cable said.

One night around closing time a few decades ago, he said an employee “swore she saw a figure walk in the shadows” in the same part of the store where the birdfeeder incident would happen many years later. They looked around to see if a customer was still in the store but didn’t find anyone.

Stoney’s employee John Sinkowski, who has worked at the store for many decades, shared some of his inexplicable experiences.

In the 2000s, his daughter Katie Sinkowski brought paranormal investigators from Toronto to check out the business. Once the group’s leader introduced himself to any spirits who might be listening, the store’s paint-mixing machine turned on.

Using electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors to search for a spike that may indicate a spectral presence, one of the group members recorded a high EMF reading near the front of the store that they couldn’t attribute to a hydro connection. A medium found that “the place was full.”

“The first one I had any connection with, it was closing time and [one of the staff] didn’t want to come to the back because some things had been going on,” Mr. Sinkowski said. They saw a shadowy figure and split up to follow it, thinking it might be a customer, but couldn’t find anyone.

“It was the same height as the EMF reading at the front,” he said. The account strangely resembled Mr. Cable’s experience with another employee seeing a shadowy figure.

During the investigation at the store decades ago, Ms. Sinkowski reportedly felt something touching her. After they went downstairs, a bike suspended from the ceiling started to swing like a pendulum, stopped, then started again. Mr. Sinkowski said it shouldn’t have been possible for it to move like that on its own.

“Nobody touched it. We were just standing there watching them,” he said. He still has recordings of voices captured at the store from that night.

Another time, some employees were setting up displays of Barbie doll clothes and mirrors near each other. Suddenly, and all at once, the Barbie clothes came off the hooks and fell on the floor.

“The next day we came in and all the mirrors were on the floor. We figured somebody didn’t like where we put them,” he said.

One incident involved a customer who Mr. Sinkowski was helping at the time. He said a can of paint came off its shelf and fell straight down, never turning or rotating as if it had slipped from a precarious position. When it landed, its lid didn’t pop like it usually would.

“She just looked at me and left,” he recalled with laughter. “Never said a word, never said nothing.”

He speculates the store’s staggering stories are the work of the spirit of Miss Giles, a woman who he said built the building and operated a dry goods business there for decades during the late nineteenth century. As he understands it, she had no family and bequeathed the store to an employee to continue operating.

“As far as here goes, I think the odds are good—whether you believe or not—it’s Miss Giles. Still looking after the place,” Mr. Sinkowski said.

He speculated that she “still wanted to feel part of the place and was helping out,” or maybe she just “didn’t like” how they arranged those displays they found knocked over.

Originally published October 30, 2024

August 28, 2024

Port Dover Maple Leaf

By Jacob Fehr

SUMMER is the busiest time of year in Port Dover. As a town known for tourism, the community annually anticipates droves of visitors between June and September. Many local business owners consider summer the most important season for their stores. The Maple Leaf spoke to Lighthouse Theatre and some business owners about how their summers went this year.

Lighthouse Festival marketing and communications manager Don Kearney-Bourque said the organization “had a great season this past summer” at Lighthouse Theatre. Some theatregoers brought their business to other places in Port Dover, too.

“We’ve exceeded sales targets for a number of our shows, so we’re quite pleased on that front,” Mr. Kearney-Bourque said. “We’ve also noticed patrons attending restaurants and shops before or after shows, so that’s great news for Port Dover and Norfolk County.”

Comparing this summer to last summer, Lighthouse “noticed an increase in patrons this year, which we’re very pleased about,” he said. He mentioned the organization attended many festivals this year to promote itself and has observed an increase in “the number of people interested in Lighthouse.”

“I think people felt cloistered during the pandemic and were hesitant to do things after it subsided, but they now feel more energized to go out and do things to make up for the years they couldn’t. We’re very happy to see that business is rebounding and is up from last year,” he explained.

Lighthouse has also noticed changes in how audiences arrive for shows and the kind of shows they attend.

“We’ve seen an increase in our patrons attending our relaxed performances, which creates an environment where barriers are removed or reduced for people that wouldn’t be able to attend a regular show. We’ve also observed more group tours, indicating that people are feeling better about travelling together,” Mr. Kearney-Bourque said.

“Mostly, we feel that audiences are ready to laugh again after several years of less than stellar headlines so that’s the most welcome change.”

Fisherman’s Catch owner Debbie Knechtel said the restaurant was busy this summer.

“It’s been really good. We’ve had a great summer,” Ms. Knechtel said.

She stated they were busier last year but “still had a really good year” in 2024. Staff haven’t noticed any changes in the restaurant’s clientele.

“Same as usual,” she said.

Cindy Vanderstar, owner of C-Squared Home, Cashmere & Cobwebs, and Second to None on Main Street, said business was good at her stores this summer.

“We have been very busy at all of our stores, and it started much earlier this year with the better spring weather. So we actually went to seven days a week in March rather than May!” Ms. Vanderstar said.

One of the trends she’s noticed this year is an increase in shoppers from other areas.

“Sales are up. Traffic is up. And yes, we are getting a lot more visitors from the GTA, Hamilton, Europe [and the] U.S. We make a point of asking,” she said.

“It definitely seems like Port Dover has been discovered by city folks as a great place to visit that’s within an easy distance. With better weather, great shops and restaurants, and of course the beach and water.”

Seeing unfamiliar customers is important for her stores because “locals are not our core business—80 per cent [is] from out of the area.”

Another trend she’s seen this year and is “thrilled about” is an increase in younger shoppers at Second to None and the vintage section of Cashmere & Cobwebs.

Ms. Vanderstar elaborated on how business differs between her stores. C-Squared Home and Cashmere & Cobwebs share a location at 334 Main Street, which impacts sales, while Second to None has its own space at 335 Main Street.

“Cashmere & Cobwebs has the fashions and the home décor combination, which we are changing. It is a constant draw for folks because they get two stores in one and say they can always find something. We try to choose unique, quality items at the most affordable prices. That reputation is what brings people in.

“Second to None… is a completely different animal. Gals who know their designers and brands are flocking to this store—it has been a destination for many ‘city’ people because our quality, choice and selection are so good. They find ‘treasures,’ they say.

“The theatre has used our fashions for their productions, influencers have promoted us, and we know other businesses are buying from us! It is truly a phenomenon. And they can order online where we have close to 2,000 pieces. This store is expected to explode with our future plans and changes coming,” she explained.

She attributes strong business this summer to promotion, local events, steady hours, and attention to detail.

“We work very hard to promote our businesses. Theatregoers have helped (we are a sponsor of the theatre), lots of beachgoers, the various events like Art in the Park, Canada Day… being open seven days a week is very important during the summer and keeping those consistent hours,” she said.

“And we keep an eye on our mix of products. As well, we sell and promote our online business, which draws in lots of people specifically from outside the area.”

Stephanie Misner, owner of North Shore Soapworks at 359 Main Street, said her first summer with the business has been good and met her expectations “thanks to my great patrons and staff.” She mentioned they’ve made some significant changes at the store.

“It’s been going well. Lots of new things,” Ms. Misner said. “It’s certainly been a learning curve: the name change was a big one, and with that a point-of-sale system, and a new website, [making] online ordering now available.” Online ordering through northshoresoapworks.com has expanded her ability to serve customers.

While a lot has changed at the shop, she suspects customers appreciate that they can still find their preferred products from the staff they know.

“I think people have been pleasantly surprised. I think they were worried things would change but all their favourites and familiar faces are still here,” she said.

Ms. Misner believes Port Dover’s 2024 paid parking arrangement has helped boost business on her block, which she loves being part of.

“I love my block. It’s been a lot of new and exciting things [here]. We certainly help each other. It’s a great little community,” she said.

“And it’s great being a part of the [Port Dover] Board of Trade. It’s such a vibrant downtown. We’re lucky.”

She also loves the local customers who have shopped at her store throughout the year.

“Although we depend on tourism, it’s the locals who keep us going by supporting us all year long. It makes a difference. Shop local,” she said.

“All in all, it’s been a great summer and I’m looking forward to the next six months.”

Lakeside Décor owner Denise Kirby reported a strong summer for her store at 19 Harbour Street.

“Last year was not a good year but this year has been amazing,” Ms. Kirby said. She believes removing paid parking on Harbour Street helped her store “tremendously.”

On April 1, she started a guest book at her store for customers to sign and indicate where they’re from. She said she’s blown away by the variety of visitors she receives.

“I wanted to prove to people that a lot of people come to this town,” she explained. “It’s amazing what they say and why they come here. I find it interesting.”

Her shop has had customers this year from locales around the globe—from Texas to Transylvania. “I’m so happy we did it. It’s been very rewarding,” she said.

“The only thing we’re concerned with is the road and why it needs to be fixed.”

Ms. Kirby opposes municipal plans to make traffic one-way on Harbour Street and widen its sidewalk. In her opinion, those who support the existing plan would change their views if they watched vehicle and pedestrian traffic around her store.

“Why do they have to make it a one-way? Just beautify the pier,” she said. “I think it’ll cause a huge accident down the road if they make it a one-way there.”

She pointed out that many pedestrians walk on the street rather than the sidewalk there and suggested they’ll continue to do so, making sidewalk expansion unnecessary.

“People will still walk on the road; they just don’t use sidewalks. So why spend all this money to expand the sidewalks when people aren’t going to use it?” she said.

“I’m a little concerned about really why they’re doing it. I don’t think it’s going to help the businesses down here, I think that it’s going to hurt them.”

Willie’s co-owner Andrea Cronmiller said, “Business has been decent, but somewhat average,” for the restaurant this summer. Their customers are content with the current parking plan in downtown Port Dover.

“Sales have increased by approximately 4.5 per cent compared to last year, which we attribute to the clarity about the beach being open and the resolved parking situation. With fewer questions and complaints about parking, our customers seem happier and more relaxed,” Ms. Cronmiller said.

Cool conditions have kept some customers away this summer, but they’re optimistic sunnier days are ahead.

“As always, our sales are highly weather-dependent. Unfortunately, August has been cool, cloudy and rainy, which deters out-of-town visitors. Even if the rain doesn’t materialize, a forecast predicting bad weather significantly impacts our foot traffic.

“On warm, sunny days, however, the beach and shops are busy, and many visitors stop by to enjoy a Willie Burger or some Hewitt’s ice cream. We’re hopeful that the rest of August and September will bring more warm, sunny weather.”

Originally published August 28, 2024