Team Video: BEACON OF HOPE

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Dillan Cools

THE BEACON OF HOPE

“One of the few connections that anyone can have with our past is through these buildings that have been standing for many, many, many decades.” – Marc Seguin
Since the age of 12, Marc Seguin has been fascinated with lighthouses. The shorelines of the Prince Edward County area were once lined with many lighthouses. These structures are of considerable significance to the history of the county, and today, only five remain standing. Driven by his passion for these historic buildings, Marc decided that it was time to take the steps towards preservation and started the ‘Save Our Lighthouses’ organization.

It’s been quite a struggle so far with the responsibility being put solely on the shoulders of such small organizations. Although the government is now involved, the process seems endless as Marc goes through legislation and paperwork, followed by lengthy periods of waiting as the weather elements continuously threaten to deteriorate the lighthouses. Marc has hope that the time, energy and soul that he continues to put in will ensure that these lighthouses don’t disappear.

For more information on Save Our Lighthouses, visit www.lighthouses.ontariohistory.ca.

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Team Video – Family Hoops

Posted on December 3, 2014 by GiovanniCapriotti

Family Hoops

Basketball has always been the bread and the butter of the Barbeau family. Being on the court is a natural extension of Jim and Ryan’s life. They both have a solid past as players, with Ryan who had his shot as a professional baller a few years ago in Germany. Unfortunately, one of his knees blew while he was at the apex of his game and forced him to change his plan and return to Canada.

Jim, Ryan’s dad, has made his name as one of the best youth basketball coach of Canada. He coached his three kids and fostered numerous Canadian prospects. He is a teacher at the Nicholson high school in Belleville and last year was Ryan’s assistant coach at Loyalist College.

Ryan at 27 is the head coach of the Loyalist Lancers and finds himself extremely comfortable in his new role. Despite his young age he has no regrets about his short career as a player. Instead he admits, he was meant for that, as he has always been a leader on and off the court.

The father and son relationship is the core of this story. Both characters have a sincere admiration for each other, something that goes beyond the biological bound. They both are great learners and teachers at the same time. Passion and love for the game have been the key components for their achievements and kept them striving to better themselves and all the players lucky enough to get their guidance.

Jim is not scared of admitting he has taken his son’s cutting edge ideas about some aspects of the game, while Ryan’s admiration for his father’s values emerges constantly in his life and coaching approach.

Family Hoops is a three-minute glimpse on the court with two coaches and role models for several generations of youth.

Text by Giovanni Capriotti
Stills by Hannah Eden

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Team Video: From the Ground

Posted on December 3, 2014 by andrewmeade

Antique tractors still churn up dirt around Sam Loghrin’s Hastings County farmland.  The price and quality of re-buildable antique equipment keeps his farm and life going. Loghrin laments the change in quality and design of much new farm equipment as it cannot be used, broken and rebuilt over and over as tractors and equipment once were designed to be.

 

A transplant from Stratford, Ont., Sam Loghrin found himself planted on a plot of farmland he and his wife bought in Hastings County in 1982. After graduating from University of Guelph with an engineering degree, Loghrin returned home and worked in Stratford doing construction.

A few years later, Loghrin and his wife moved up to Thunder Bay but decided to settle on a small plot of land just outside of Tweed, Ont. while travelling the back roads between Ottawa and Stratford. Tired with the pace of life in his chosen industry, Logrhin found himself drained and unfulfilled with what he called the everyday rat race and chose to relocate to the property he and his wife reside on now.

In the summer of 1982 faced with a wooded lot 40 minutes north of Belleville off of Highway 37 the pair started to clear their land into what became a woodlot and farm producing vegetables, poultry and meat.

Never intending to become a major producer. Loghrin chose to sell his vegetables locally and to the neighbors. He sells potatoes, still his largest crop, beets, carrots, tomatoes and others from a small farm stand and at local markets. Logrhin also sells meat; raising and selling beef and eggs and poultry. Recently on account of market changes and massive farming operations business has calmed down a lot for Loghrin.

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Team Video: Tea And Spinach

Posted on December 3, 2014 by alloyd

Tea and Spinach

Competitive bodybuilding may not be your typical retirement activity, but 67-year-old Wayne St. Pierre says he’s never felt better.

St. Pierre began bodybuilding when he was 32, but decided to kick it up a notch and begin competing once he retired. He couldn’t think of any better way to maintain his health into his old age.

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (09/11/14) – Wayne St. Pierre takes a moment to calm his breath between workouts at Good Life Fitness in Belleville, Ont. Photo by Graeme Murphy

However, he didn’t account for how the large crowds and lack of clothing associated with competitive bodybuilding would make him feel.

St. Pierre was invited to an open mic night one evening at the Codrington Community Centre with his family. When they asked him to play a song he was hesitant at first, but later decided to embrace it as competition preparation.

CODRINGTON, Ont. (10/11/14)- Dancers at the Codrington Community Centre take advantage of the live music to spend time with friends and spouses at open mic night. Photo by Graeme Murphy

“Then I got thinking, if I could perform here, it might help me pose on stage for body building competitions.”

St. Pierre loves competing and performing, and has no intentions of stopping either. He says he plans on bodybuilding until he dies.

“Don’t let anyone ever tell that you can’t. I hate that word. I said I can and I do. Simple as that.”

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Team Video: Operation Deliverance

Posted on December 3, 2014 by mbarber

Operation: Deliverance

The woods outside Bloomfield, Ont., were the scene of a seven-hour gun battle between drug cartels and the police on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014.

El Chapo Guzman, Mexico’s top drug lord, escaped custody in 2001 and had been on the run ever since. In Bloomfield, Guzman and his cohorts were trading drugs for weapons in order to fight a war on the government when the police confronted them.

That was the scenario for Operation Deliverance, an airlift game played out at the Rapid Fire Paintball grounds. Despite the bone-chilling wind, about 80 participants came out and divided themselves into police and drug cartel members. Armed with airsoft rifles, they fought each other on 30 acres of forest and field. The teams were given specific objectives by game designer, Curtis Sprissler.

WELLINGTON, Ont. (01/11/14) A lone gunman breaks cover under the blanket of smoke set off by multiple grenades. Since the games take place in an entirely outdoor setting, event organizer Curtis Sprissler, says that the key to winning a match is to utilize the environment. Photo by Mary Barber, Loyalist College

The first objective was for the cartel to find two briefcases of drugs hidden by the police. The second objective was for each side to capture the leader of the other side. By the end of the day, El Chapo Guzman had been recaptured and the police were declared the winners of the game.

Airsoft guns fire plastic BBs. “They are made from a plastic powder, which is compressed together with a glue that is bio-degradable so they eventually disappear. The guns themselves use electric motors,” said Sprissler. “Half of the sport of airsoft is playing with your equipment, fixing up your gun for more accuracy, and that sort of stuff.”

Rapid Fire is located on rented farmland in Prince Edward County, three-quarters of which is wooded. Sprissler has constructed a “downtown” area of plywood buildings for urban warfare. The fields and woods are littered with other structures and decrepit boats so that combatants can take cover and try to ambush each other.

WELLINGTON, Ont. (01/11/14) Bruce Bell (second from left) gestures the field of fire to his fellow policeman. Operation Deliverance, one of the final Rapidfire Airsoft games of the season, pitted local police forces against the Sinoloa Cartel over 30 acres of open farmland in Wellington, Prince Edward County. Rapidfire Airsoft is an niche area of recreational warfare that has been growing in popularity in recent years, in comparison to paint balling, which is much more widespread. Photo by Mary Barber, Loyalist College

Sprissler said that airsoft is played by people of all ages and fitness levels. Most players are men—only one woman participated in Operation Deliverance. Sprissler would like to see more women get involved.

For anyone wanting to play airsoft, Sprissler would advise them not to be intimidated by all the equipment and costumes that people have.

“Just ignore that stuff and go out and have fun. It’s mostly just a friendly thing. Treat it just like any other social event—just go out and have fun.”

Rapid Fire, which is also home to paintball games, is open from when the snow melts in the spring until it is too cold to play anymore—roughly from April to November.

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