Seasons

The forecast predicts warmer weather this week. Might woolen hats and down-filled jackets at last be put away? Will the tree buds please unfurl their long-dormant canopy? Has this long. cold winter finally eased its bitter grip?

There would, I think, be some poetic alignment if the past weekend proved to be the demarcation between summer and winter in Prince Edward County. A week of incredible hockey, capped with a celebration of food and wine born of County soil. Winter ends. Summer begins. Rarely do seasons line up so neatly with human events.

The Dudley Hewitt Cup provided a week of thrilling excitement and drama in Wellington. Each team brought a unique story. Fort Frances hosted the Dudley Hewitt Cup in 2003, the first time the Dukes won the tournament. It is closer to parts of Florida than it is from FortFrances to Wellington—yet dozens of Lakers fans made the trip to cheer on their team. The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners with their golden flowing locks and black facial hair resembled a horde of pirates more than the hardrock blasters their team name would suggest—or the 19- and 20- year-olds they are.

The Toronto Lakeshore Patriots had risen to the top of the OJHL with a lethal balance of speed, skill and strength. A depth of incredible talent was evident throughout the line up.

Yet the underdog Wellington Dukes bested them all. Faster than KirklandLake. More skilled than FortFrances. More opportunistic than Toronto Lakeshore. The Dukes beat every team in the tournament. Until the very end.

The surprising story of the Dukes success lured more and more fans to the Wellington and District Community Centre with each passing night.

During the day, schoolchildren were inspired by world-level athletes telling their story of achievement. How they did it. The sacrifices that were made along the way. The glory of competing at their personal best.

On Saturday night, there wasn’t an empty seat in the house. Nor were there many gaps along the railing or board side either. Win or lose—everyone knew they were witnessing something very special. In the end, the Dukes came up just short. With three minutes left in the game the Dukes trailed Toronto Lakeshore 2-1. The Patriots drew a penalty and would be shorthanded for the next two minutes. The crowd was on their feet, loudly pressing their support. But shot after shot was blocked by the OJHL champions. Toronto Lakeshore sacrificed their arms, legs and face for the win. They put their bodies before every blast. Scarcely a shot made it on net. The Patriots’ wall held. The Dukes’ incredible week was over.

For the players’ it was a bitter disappointment. They had come to believe over the week that they might represent central Canada at the RBC Cup next week—some will dwell on what might have been, for weeks to come. But for their fans, disappointment quickly dissolved into gratitude and celebration. It had been an unbelievably exciting week of hockey—everything sport should be.

Before the final game was played, another storyline was playing out at the Crystal Palace in Picton. It was here that the annual celebration of County wine and food was pioneering an idea not experienced in Ontario since temperance laws were enacted in 1916.

Terroir has evolved from a wine-centric exhibition— a place to showcase the County’s rich pageant of wine and wineries—to a much broader presentation of food and drink uniquely identified with Prince Edward County.

In past years, arcane regulations permitted wineries and cideries to offer samples of their product only. You could have a taste—but you could not buy. This year, the province eased those restrictions. Beginning on May 1, wines and ciders may be sold at farm markets.

Visitors to Terroir became the first beneficiaries of the new rules. Despite cold and rainy conditions, folks from across the province and further afield, milled between stalls of rye bread, cheese, vegetables and wines from across the County.

The Crystal Palace was filled with the aromas, the tastes and the sounds of a traditional farm market. Like the seasons that define agriculture in the County, the experiences of Terroir are fleeting and unpredictable. The freshness and exquisite taste on offer today is entirely unique to a moment in time. It is part of the allure of locally grown and locally prepared food and wine. It will be found nowhere else. And it will be different next year.

Next month, County food and wine innovation will be on full display again as the Great Canadian Cheese Festival unfurls across the Picton fairgrounds. Two marquee events of the cheese show have already sold out.

If you missed Terroir—make plans to experience the Great Canadian Cheese show on June 6 and 7. Even if wine, bread and cheese are just groceries to you—it is illuminating to see how creativity and innovation in food, agriculture and wine is putting PrinceEdwardCounty at the centre of the gastronomic map in this province. It is a brilliantly clear window upon the workings of the County economy in 2014.

Perhaps winter, at last, has ended.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca