OUT and ABOUT with Seeker Chick Mai-Liis: you never know who you will meet on Pitt Street “promenade”…

So I’m sure by now you all know that on weekends Pitt Street, between Second and First is closed to traffic but open to people walking, just like it was many years ago when I moved here from England in 1979 … but of course then it was a permanent closure and I remember flower beds where the road is now. It may never go back to the “Spark Street Mall” look that it had but hopefully as the summer months progress it will get busier with foot traffic and people enjoying the restaurants and shops that we have downtown.

I was happy to meet up with a few peeps that I know as I walked down Pitt Street. I found myself standing in the road and looking out for traffic and then realized that there won’t be any cars to worry about on weekends and I love the fact that restaurant patios were busy again. – I hear though that in the evenings it is busier still with people coming downtown for supper.

Things are gradually starting to return to “a new normal” but of course we still have to be careful. Also while I like time alone I realized that I really do miss being around people!

So I ventured down Pitt and stopped at the Pop Up Shops where I finally met one of the Summer Company Entrepreneurs who I had seen on Zoom (a place where a lot of us I’m sure have been meeting over the last year or so). Sadie Thompson is the owner of a business called Amare Crowns and I was happy to meet her friend who inspired her to start this business. Her friend is from a country where people wear flower crowns to celebrate their birthdays (and special occasions) and she was sad that this tradition isn’t practiced here, so Sadie decided that Canada needed such a tradition and she now makes custom flower crowns (with real and forever flowers) for everyone. Visit her website at www.amarecrowns.com

My next stop was the The Cornwall Waterfront Farmers’ Market that takes place each Sunday from 10am to 2pm at the Civic Complex parking lot. I love to support local growers knowing that their produce is super fresh. Check out The Cornwall Farmers’ Market on Facebook and at www.cornwallwaterfrontfarmersmarket.ca

My haul today included two types of lettuce from Cornerstone Organics, located at 16574 County Rd. 36, Long Sault ON – 613-577-3419 – www.cornerstoneorganics.com

Fresh peas were purchased from Just Farms – 613-551-8113 who also have a roadside stand in Alexandria at 359 Main Street North, which is open Monday to Friday 9 to 4 and Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 2.

Then from Ferme Butte & Bine Farm which is located in Williamstown, Ontario I purchased for the second time, orange coloured beets which are amazing just sliced an put in a salad. I don’t know about you but the more things I can eat just raw the happier I am because as they say, if you boil veggies all you are doing is boiling the nutrients out of them! They are actually a BnB Farmstay – check them out on Facebook at Ferme Butte & Bine Farm and at http://airbnb.com/h/buttebine/ or give them a call at 1-604-356-5009

The Cornwall Waterfront farmers’ market will be here again next Sunday and please stop by next Sunday, July 18th, at the Pop- Up Shop on the corner of Pitt and First Street, to visit with The Cornwall Seeker and Yafa arts and crafts where we will be launching the Seeker’s very first published book “Letters from my Window” which is a community collaboration between the Seeker and Yafa arts and crafts and 5 local artists, Jane Macmillan, Linda Geisel, Mandy Prevost, Yafa Goawily and Tracy Lynn Davies, who have illustrated the book. Julia and I are super excited to see you all and while you are here be sure to pick up a copy of the July issue of the Seeker!