For every person who has loved and lost. If you are feeling lonely, know that you are not alone.  This episode is in loving memory of Peter Wiwcharyk, my grandpa and our time together, here on earth - on Lake Abernathy in Northwestern Ontario. 

This episode of TABLE TALK with Dee Lysak takes us back in time with a retrospective, centred around the theme of water. It also comments on current events and the calamity and chaos of climate change.  The larger over arching conversation suggests that "art" can invite action, from all of us. Action that seeks uncommon solutions for the common good.

Before I sign off, a special thank you to Bill Stunden and Daniel Jordan.  Bill is a master recorder and editor.  And, the lyrics and music of Daniel Jordan brings everyone, from near and far away, to the eastern shores of Lake of the Woods!

Happy listening...

My years are divided into two seasons: Camping and waiting for camping… For many months, here in Ontario’s North the colour white dominates. White is an achromatic colour, literally a colour without hue, that is a mixture of the frequencies of all the colours of the visible spectrum. Imagine if you will – brilliance, faith, possibility, goodness. 

And, 2-3-4…

The first known music festival was the Pythian Games, a precursor of the Olympics, which was held from the late sixth century BC at the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. A general celebration of all things beautiful, it included a day of musical competitions. Fast forward to more modern times and music festivals can be found in small and large centres across the globe – from Glastonbury in Pilton, Somerset to SXSW in Austin, Texas to Osheaga in Montreal, Quebec. Here a little closer to home, you will find the Moose n' Fiddle Music Festival in Nestor Falls, Ontario, Canada at beautiful Caliper Lake Provincial Park...

In Episode 2 of TABLE TALK with Dee Lysak, we explore the early days and milestones of the global movement, that we know as LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES. In the small communities of Sioux Narrows and Nestor Falls, we have two "Book Trading Posts".

The book trading post in Sioux Narrows was designed and built by Jake Blosser.  In Nestor Falls, a small group of community members came together - to design and build their version of a little free library.  And, every time I see someone who is taking a book or  leaving a book, I smile. I hope you enjoy this story and perhaps, more importantly I hope it inspires you to put up a little free library - somewhere soon!

This music essay is the first episode in Season Two of Table Talk with Dee Lysak. In this episode we hear I NEED ANGELS by the incredible singer-songwriter, Adrian Sutherland. I was first introduced to the soulful wonder that is Adrian Sutherland when Midnight Shine played at the Moose n' Fiddle Music Festival in Nestor Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Music helps us explore our innermost feelings and at times our deepest and darkest thoughts. Music also brings us all together and inspires us to see the world we live and imagine an even better one. Here in the Lake of the Woods region, we are surrounded by a beauty that is unsurpassed. And, in that idyllic landscape the hardships of everyday life can often be overlooked or even denied. If you or someone you know is struggling...with thoughts of suicide or suicide-related behaviour, help is available.

Get support from a local crisis centre. There is also Talk Suicide Canada (1-833-456-4566), Kids Help Phone (kidshelpphone.ca), and the Hope for Wellness Helpline (Chat Online by visiting hopeforwellness.ca or call 1-855-242-3310). You are not alone...

The other night I said out loud, to no one in particular. You are a very cute platypus.  To which Mary Anne replied.  What platypus?  I said, “the one hanging on my laptop”.  She looked at me, perplexed and said: That is a parrot. Look at the beak.  “Oh, well the feet – they look like a platypus”.  Either way – parrot or platypus.  It is still hangin’ on my laptop and there it will stay. So here we go from Parrot or Platypus to PORCUPINES AND PONIES…

The place I call home is…Black Lake and it is north of Sioux Narrows. Some of the lakes that surround our waters include Mac Lake, Bug Lake, and Lost Lake. And, the dirt roads take you to much loved places: jumping off points for adventures of all sorts. 

This natural corridor, a winding, scenic stretch of waterways, islands, peninsulas and more… we call this place the Township of Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls.  Dotting the landscape are fly-in fishing camps, outposts, working mines, logging operations, mills, brewhouses, specialty shoppes and so, much more.  If you have always called rural and remote northwestern ON – your home: you have a lived experience that is curated by the great outdoors.  Your ancestors may have been loggers or miners or fishing guides.  Did they work on the steamships that carried passengers and cargo up from the mid-west to destinations on Lake of the Woods?  Were your aunts and cousins, cooks and cleaners – seasonal workers who came to be summertime friends as holidaymakers came to stay and play, right here on the eastern shores of Lake of the Woods? Are your family camps down old logging roads, standing as sentinels in the timber of tall pines? 

When you are canoeing, camping or cooking over an open fire, do you ever wonder – who is watching?  Who else walks with us?  Well, porcupines and ponies…of course. 

This episode is inspired by wild things and for those who know me, that is truly where my heart lies.  And, I wish to give a shout-out to Possums & Allsorts who kindly and generously gave me permission to share one of their poems on this episode. You can find “Possums & Allsorts” on Facebook.

In the wilds of northwestern Ontario, creative residencies dot the landscape with hundreds of miles in betwixt and between. Rural and remote places are creating new pathways for discovery and exploration as artists travel from near and far away to take deep dives into their artistic practices. Old logging roads are now being used by nemophilists and in these deep, dark woods – artists are finding themselves inspired by the great outdoors: Surrounded by lakes, canopied forests, and rocks that have been here for millions of years.

In 2016, the Bridge & Falls Creative Residency (BFCR) set down new roots in the Township of Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls. Since its inception, more than 20 artists have explored their artistic disciplines with time and space away from their usual environment and everyday life. Kindred spirits and soul friends best describe the artist-in-residency (AIR) programs that form a loop, a point of convergence with Whiteshell Provincial Park bordering the west, Quetico Provincial Park marking the southern border, Lake Superior demarcating the eastern end, and the programs in between are the AIRs in the Township of Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls, the City of Kenora, and the Experimental Lakes Area. 

These artist-in-residencies provide a time for reflection, research, presentation and, when possible - production and community engagement.  AIR programs are not cookie cutter in nature.  Some of the residencies are housed within larger institutions, others are part of museums, while some [like the Bridge & Falls Creative Residency] are hosted by municipalities.  What the programs all have in common is that they exist in rural spaces, remote villages and small cities – deep in the heart of our natural environs. 

To learn more, I encourage you to visit these sites:

Bridge & Falls Creative Residency

https://www.clls.ca/programs/artist-in-residence

Quetico Foundation

Last week, I found the most incredible piece of art.  It is a painting of a black bear cub on a tree, on a live edge wood plank. It is rustic and whimsical all at the same time.  The colours of yellow, green and blue – simply pop!  Thank you... April Jones for sharing your art with the world. This painting will bring joy to our home, for many years to come!

In Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls, we invite you to come for the summer and stay for the winter.  Shopping local is sustainable. Shopping local is a circular economy.  It has huge ripple effects.  The dollars that stay in the community – do good things.  Astrophotographers can pay home heating bills.  Craft brewers can be philanthropic, giving back to well deserving charities and not for profits.  Potters can host workshops with school aged children, making pinch pots that are filled with soup – made from locally sourced meat and vegetables.  Farmers can buy more seed for spring and the list goes on and on. 

If you can, support local businesses and shoppes with your words and your wallets. 

I so hope you enjoy this mix of fiction and fact, wrapped around the idea of telling stories around the campfire. The very idea of gathering dry wood, lighting a campfire and watching the flames dance in the dark of the night sky is synonymous with summertime in rural and remote northwestern Ontario!

In every effort to be a responsible citizen and not light a campfire - as wildfires burn in our region and across much of western Canada… this episode of TABLE TALK with Dee Lysak is bittersweet. There is joy in the memories of campfires from summers past. And, at present an enduring gratefulness for the safety of shelter and surrounding woodlands – free from burning fires and acrid smoke.  Growing up, the iconic image of Smokey the Bear pouring a bucket of water on a campfire comes to mind as does the famous saying “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.”

Our future rests in the hands and hearts of those who make this conscientious choice!

Here are a few fire & rescue numbers and links that may be good to have at your fingertips…

Fire, Ambulance & Police - 9-1-1

 Forest Fire (Ministry of Natural Resources) - 310-FIRE (3473)

 ON FACEBOOK, https://www.facebook.com/snnffiredepartment

Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources, and Forestry

Natural Resources Canada

The KITCHEN PARTY returns in 2021. Although we cannot gather at Caliper Lake Provincial Park in Nestor Falls, Ontario, Canada – we can still enjoy the sights and sounds of “this cool little festival at the lake”!  A few summers ago… Roots Music Canada joined us at the Moose n’ Fiddle Music Festival on Saturday, August 19, 2019 and they had this to say in Dispatch #2:

“4:04 p.m. – The festival is kicking off today with a performance they call the Kitchen Party. Really, it’s a giant jam featuring some of the non-marquee acts – you might say. Namely, Siouxperboat, the Fu Fu Chi Chi Choir, and the Black River Drifters, who will play their own set later tonight. It’s the closest this festival gets to a workshop. And what a jam it is. Black River Drifters are currently leading the audience in a rockin’ cover of “Midnight Special,” and it’s a ton o’ fun.

4:30 p.m. – “How are we for time?” asks one of the members of the Fu Fu Chi Chi Choir.“You’re doing great!” yells a voice from the audience followed by several more voices from the audience concurring. Nobody wants this to end. With that they break into a cover of “Northwest Passage.” Covers aren’t Fu Fu Chi Chi’s strong suit, I’ve noticed, but does anyone really care if you’re singing a classic like this?

4:58 p.m. – Whew! That was fantastic. Really every festival mainstage should open with a sing-a-long jam like that. Black River Drifters were the stars of this one, I think. Not only did they choose some great material — “Ring of Fire,” “Up on Cripple Creek” — they also rocked out on everyone else’s numbers, including Siouxperboat’s cover of the White Stripes’ “Hotel Yorba.” The final number was a cover of “Log Driver’s Waltz” at the request of the audience. It was a crazy good time.” Heather Kitching – Roots Music Canada 

For 2021, we have curated a musical revue that is second to none.  We have included some of your favourite musical acts from past Moose n’ Fiddle Music Festivals and invited a couple new friends to the table as well. Hands up if you remember the big, green school bus and Woody Holler & His Orchestra?  This year, the Kitchen Party line-up also includes: Pharis & Jason Romero; Pierre Schryer & Adam Dobres; Fu Fu Chi Chi Choir; and, Red Moon Road.  

Find us on YouTube on August 28th at 8pm, as 89.5 The Lake, our media hosts and sponsor broadcast the Kitchen Party far and wide.  

This podcast might be the most personal one that I have written and recorded to date.  You will hear references to my childhood and times spent picking berries with my Baba & Gido.  If there is one memory, forever etched in time, it is the imagery that surrounds any blueberry hill on any summer day.  And for me, this only happened with the loving and caring arms of my Baba & Gido wrapped around me, as I grew up on a farm in southeastern Manitoba.  

Now here in the wilds of northwestern Ontario, blueberry patches are synonymous with finding and foraging for a food – that is not only bursting with flavour but packed with anti-oxidants, so they are good for you, too!

BLUEBERRY HILL invites you, the listener, to a part of the world that is largely untouched, still rustic and raw.  The next time you are out adventure seeking be sure to save some time, to do just that in late July/ early August so that you can find your own blueberry hill.  Pick enough to make a berry crisp or a berry pie – and, I think it is safe to say that friends and family will not be far away.  

I Am A Settler is a story that looks at the past, the present and the future. 

In this story, we discover Turtle Island and how everything is interconnected! And, to illustrate the power of story we share a personal recollection of a short road trip, a few blue moons ago, and the tale of a turtle heading east. 

Here in Ontario, Canada, the very early days of spring have been marked by a crushing wave of COVID-19 and in that same span of time, the idea of looking back - way, way back took root.  

I Am A Settler takes us down pathways to the past, to ancient art forms and the makings of pictographs and petroglyphs. If you are from northwestern Ontario, you might already know or will soon learn - that pictographs are right here in our own backyard. And, if you are from away: A road trip might soon be in order. 

There is much to see and to do in the wilds and woodlands and we cannot wait to welcome you to the Township of Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls on the eastern shores of Lake of the Woods!

This is a story of how one whitetail deer caught the attention of the human race and in so doing, catapulted one deer, just one deer from Anywhere, Ontario, Canada into the hearts and minds of many.  CUPID the deer created an ecosphere; of faith, hope and love. In the telling of this tale, I have taken liberties to imagine how CUPID came to be.  I have also carved out space for the ecology of a whitetail deer and its natural environs. Whitetail deer are not native to this region. They arrived in the late 1800s – pushed further North from their natural habitats. 

The story weaves in and out of fact and fiction. Let your imagination soar as we invite mythology and the folklore of elves, fairy folk, and others to the table. There are truths and hardships surrounding the animal kingdom embedded throughout the telling of this tale: Loss of habitat, urbanization, poaching, and capture myopathy. 

This story, a memoir of CUPID the deer would never have been told, were it not for the inspiration of a photographer who lives, works and plays in CUPIDs hometown.  CUPIDs story is based on real life events. But that is another story. Follow me, let’s journey together to the forest edgelands, to the Whiskey Jack Forest. CUPIDs woodland friends are walking for miles and they are on a mission - calling upon those seldom heard and not always seen. 

How do you measure a year?  This seemed like a conversation that might happen while sipping on a hot toddy, warming up in a fireside den après ski or in a fishing boat on a sun-filled autumn day in the heart of cottage country. The song from RENT, the musical inspired this episode. I encourage you to have a listen and here is the link to the song on YouTube: Rent, The Musical - 525,600 Minutes

Thank you for listening and sharing your time with me. You can find Table Talk with Dee Lysak on your favourite listening sites – like Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Welcome to Table Talk with Dee Lysak. I believe in the power of words and that WORDS matter. With this hope podcast, I will paint pictures with words creating a roadmap to rural and remote northwestern Ontario. Table Talk leans to active participation on all levels, from you the listener. Discourse is healthy. Conversations are encouraged. I welcome you to go on this season long journey with me.