The project was part of the annual WonderCoaster Contest held by Canada’s Wonderland, and this year three of those Wellesley students – Grade 7 students Nathan Green and Jaden Pretorius and Grade 8 student Sawyer Grubb – finished second overall for technical merit at the finals held at the theme park north of Toronto on May 11.

Wellesley PS students Jaden Pretorius (left), Sawyer Grubb, and Nathan Green were the runners-up for technical merit at the annual WonderCoaster rollercoaster competition at Canada’s Wonderland on May 11. [JAMES JACKSON / THE OBSERVER

“It meets the Grade 7 and 8 science curriculum; Grade 7 looked at the structures unit and Grade 8 looked at the systems at work unit. There is a lot of physics involved in it,” said Grade 7/8 teacher Rhonda Hergott, adding that even when elements of the students’ construction failed it continued to provide valuable life skills.

“It’s a really good life-lesson for them that it doesn’t always work out right away, you have to go back and re-examine your plan and recreate your plan and move forward from there.”

“The elements and principles of designs are all thoroughly covered in the activities they were working on,” added Grade 7/8 teacher Debbie Moore. “I’m always so fascinated by what the kids can come up with and the originality of each of them. There were no crossovers or similarity in their ideas.”

The competition was broken down into three categories: technical merit (the rollercoaster that is determined by the judges to record the highest score according to the technical merit calculation), creativity and artistic value (the rollercoaster that is, in the opinion of the judges, the most creative and makes the best use of available materials), and the most exciting to ride (judged by engineers who helped construct the park’s newest ride, Leviathan).

There was also a long list of rules, including size restrictions of 30 cm x 90 cm x 80 cm; magnets and other forms of energy were not permitted; the marble had to be between 1.3 cm and 2.5 cm in diameter; each team needed a minimum of two members and a maximum of four; and the marble must complete one of three test runs in order to be counted by the judges.

Scoring was based on a score for the vertical drop (maximum of 80 cm), the total time it took for the marble to complete its ride, the number of loops, and the loop diameter. In total the boys collected a score of 647,920 for their rollercoaster to take second place.

“The thing I really liked about this project was the boys got to use tools they had never used before,” said Jaden’s mother, Jeanette. “You start out with big ideas, but then they started doing it and it was way too hard to do all their ideas. We went to the thrift store and got all kinds of funky things, but it was just too much. “

She was also impressed with how the three boys – who sometimes struggle in school – could work together and make such a successful design.

“I told them I think it needed more loops, and they told me ‘We’re the committee and we think we have enough.’”

In total the boys’ coaster ride has seven loops and lasts 13 seconds, and their theme for the project is of the popular television show “Wipeout” which forces contestants to navigate a series of obstacle courses to determine a winner.
“It has wood, plastic tubing, pins, hot glue, paper towel roll, spice tray, two napkin holders, and a CD holder,” said Jaden, adding it was a serious case of trial-and-error to get the pieces to fit together and not have the marble gain too much speed and fly off the track, or not have enough speed to make it through to the end.

In total it took about five weeks for them to build the rollercoaster, meeting a couple nights a week on their own time to get it done.

Originally, the top four teams from Wellesley were slated to compete at Wonderland on May 11 but a mix-up with the buses that day meant there were none  available to take students to the park. Luckily, Jeanette was able to take the day off work and drive the three boys to Wonderland to compete.

The other student’s efforts won’t be wasted, though, as they all travelled back to Wonderland Thursday to listen to the engineers of the Leviathan give a talk on all the work that goes into designing a real rollercoaster.

A version of these recipes were introduced to us by our husbands!  While we are busy working on a Saturday they are home taking care of things and creating recipes of their own. You never know where the next great dish will come from.
This Saturday I encourage you to grab a basket and take a walk, enjoy a coffee and pop over to the market.  Recreate these recipes for your breakfast and Sunday dinner.  Fun, fresh and fabulous food is our passion and the market provides the local inspiration.  Enjoy your long weekend and Happy cooking.

Roasted Asparagus with Floralane Cherry Tomato
Ingredients

• 1 lb asparagus, medium, baby finger size
• 1/4 cup panko crumbs or crushed croutons
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil or local cold pressed soya oil
• 1/2 pint Floralane cherry tomato (cut in half)
• 1 shallot or 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tbsp pesto
• 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
• Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F or BBQ to medium high heat;
Place asparagus in a oven-proof glass or ceramic dish. Drizzle the asparagus with a tablespoon of plive oil. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmesan or asiago cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Parmesan can be salty so don’t get carried away;

Roast in oven or BBQ for 8-10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crispy;
In a medium bowl combine cherry tomatoes, onion, pesto, remaining olive oil, red wine vinegar. Put on top of the asparagus and place in oven or BBQ for another 3 minutes to warm through. Adjust the cooking time if the asparagus is thin or thick.

Rhubarb Oat Flaxseed Muffins
Ingredients1 cup oats

• 1 cup Balkan-style yogurt
• 2/3 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp grated orange rind
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped local rhubarb
• 1 tbsp flax seeds and 2 tbsp of oats for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 12-muffin tray and add muffin papers. In a large bowl combine oats, yogurt, sugar, oil, egg and orange rind;
In separate bowl stir flour with flaxseed, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then stir into the wet oat mixture. Toss in the rhubarb until mixed through.
Divide amongst the prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle the top with the flax seeds and rolled oats. Bake in preheated oven 23-25 minutes, until golden and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool on a wire rack.

“That was my first time competing in the photography competition, so I wasn’t expecting to place at all,” said Rex, 17, who beat out 30 other competitors from across the province.
“I was thoroughly surprised.”

McLean, 18, failed to make it past the qualifiers in last year’s Skills Canada competition and had a similar sentiment for her second-place finish this time.
“It was surprising. I wasn’t expecting it,” she said.

Skills Canada was founded in 1989 as a national, not-for-profit organization that works with employers, educators, labour groups and governments to promote skilled trades and technology careers among Canadian youth.

There were three components to the photography contest. The first was each competitor had to submit a portfolio of their work, the second was an interview portion with the judges, and the third was a practical test of skills broken down into three challenges. One was a before-and-after test where they had to edit a ‘before’ photo to look like an ‘after’ photo that they had been given.

Stacia McLean (left) and Kristi Rex of Breslau both took home medals at the Skills Canada provincial finals earlier this month at RIM Park. McLean won silver for the culinary competition, while Rex took home gold in photography. [JAMES JACKSON / THE OBSERVER

“I folded mine in different ways and played with the shadows and exaggerated the shadows and put it in black and white,” Rex said.

The competitors were given six hours to complete their assignments and Rex completed the assignments using a Canon Rebel DSLR.

For the culinary competition, McLean had 3.5 hours to make a complete three-course meal from scratch by herself. The first course was minestrone soup, the main course was a beef roulade with braised cabbage, potatoes, and steamed broccoli, and the dessert was chocolate mousse.

“I had known the menu since February because the first competition was at the beginning of March, so I had time to practice and perfect it and get all the nerves out,” she said.
Rex said she was first exposed to photography in her Grade 11 communications technology class, and it was her teacher who encouraged her to enter this year’s contest.
Her passion led her to apply for photography at Humber College, which she will be attending in the fall with the hopes of establishing a successful career in the future.

“Eventually I’d like to do freelance work and travel and take pictures all over the world, but to start off I’d like to work in a studio as an assistant photographer.”

McLean started cooking when she was very young. Her father owned his own catering business and bistro, and eventually opened a kiosk in the airport. It was his death about two years ago, however, that really pushed her into culinary.

“That was the moment where I decided that I really wanted to do this.”

“I was the only one cooking in the household, so I was kind of forced to, but I wanted to.”

She also intends to turn her passion into a career as she will be attending Niagara College in the fall for Culinary Management.

“The head judge was actually my professor this fall, so it was cool to meet him and now he’s seen what I can do, rather than just being another student,” she said.
“Now he can say ‘oh it’s the silver medalist.’”

Neither student can proceed to nationals this year as there is no photography competition and only the gold medalist from the culinary competition moves on, but both say their experience at provincials has given them an enormous boost.
“It’s definitely given me confidence in photography and it showed me that I can work under pressure,” said Rex.

“I wasn’t sure of that, but in the competition I was really calm and that surprised me. It just shows that when you’re doing something you enjoy, you’re OK with that pressure.”

This recipe may be a little out of your comfort zone but after giving it a go you will have the confidence you need to be more creative every time you fire up the barbecue throughout the summer.

Our recommended side dish is crisp and refreshing and should be served cold. Making this a few hours ahead of time is ideal along with the wasabi butter. Wasabi butter goes well with numerous dishes, especially fish, so be sure to make at least a little extra. Try it on your favorite cut of steak. It’s also great on popcorn and gives traditional mashed potatoes some serious attitude.

All of these ingredients are easily found at your local grocery stores, so no need to fret about having to find exotic ingredients. Always remember to wash your produce thoroughly.

This healthy, feel-good summer time dish is quick to put together and will be sure to impress your family and friends.

Chickpea Salad

• 1/4-cup oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 medium red pepper, diced
• 3 sprigs of green onions, chopped
• 1/4- cup celery, diced
• 1/4- cup carrots, diced
• 1 medium sized raw baby bok choy, thinly sliced
• 28 oz can chick peas, washed and strained
• Chopped cilantro to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sized mixing bowl add oyster sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and ginger and wisk together to create vinaigrette. Then combine remaining ingredients, cover and place in the fridge for up to 2 hours.

Wasabi Butter

• 1/4-cup salted butter, room temp.
• 1/4 tube of wasabi paste
• Pinch of black pepper

In a small dish, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly and then set aside.

Almond Crusted Trout

• 4 6-oz trout fillets, skin on
• Oyster sauce to glaze fish
• 3/4-cup of sliced blanched almonds
• Salt and pepper to taste

Turn one side of BBQ on low and other side on medium to high heat until BBQ is preheated to 400 degrees;

Thinly coat trout with some oyster sauce, followed by a bit of salt and pepper. On top of the glaze, press a generous amount of almonds to fully cover and so almonds are sticking to the fish;

On the low heat side of your grill, place fish skin side down (fish does not get flipped). Cook for 6-8 minutes;

Finish with a dollop of wasabi butter on fillet immediately after it’s removed from the grill and serve alongside chickpea salad.

“I didn’t know her too well – I didn’t spend a lot of time with her – but all four of my grandparents are alive so for me it was the first family death,” said Martin in a phone interview from Chicago, a city he’s called home for almost two years.
“Out of that myself and an uncle and my grandparents travelled around in the evenings and visited some of my great-grandmother’s surviving relatives and family members and friends, and we got a sense of her story.”

That story formed the roots of the Elmira native’s essay, which was recently named as one of four shortlisted essays for the prestigious 2011 Edna Staebler personal essay contest in The New Quarterly magazine. The award, now in its third year, is for $1,000 and is named after a Kitchener author who donated $25,000 to The New Quarterly upon her death in 2006 at the age of 100.

Elmira’s Geoff Martin has been shortlisted for the prestigious Edna Staebler personal essay contest in The New Quarterly Magazine for 2011 for his essay “From the Banks of the Grand,” a personal and historical look into his ancestral Mennonite roots. [submitted

The essay is much more than a family history lesson, however, and was originally written for Martin’s English and cultural studies class while working to complete his masters degree in English Literature at McMaster University in 2009-2010.

It traces the history of Block II, a parcel of land in what is now Waterloo County that was settled by his own Mennonite ancestors under deeds that were illicitly issued by Richard Beasley more than 200 years ago. The land is part of what’s known as the Haldimand Tract, formed in 1784, and extends about 200 km from the mouth of the Grand River in Lake Erie, through Waterloo Region, before ending near Dundalk.

Beasley had done business with the Iroquois in the past, so when the Six Nations decided to divide and sell their land along the Grand River, they turned to Beasley. Under the terms of the treaty the Iroquois couldn’t sell land directly, only through agents who had to take out a mortgage with the government.

That mortgage became problematic when Beasley eventually sold parts of the land to the Mennonites who were moving to the region from Pennsylvania. The Mennonites could not own the land until the mortgage was repaid, and so they felt cheated. The Mennonites eventually formed what is known as the German Company and eventually bought Block II from Beasley, as well as other tracts of land throughout the region, including in Woolwich Township, which was known as Block III.

Through his research, Martin not only uncovered the wrongdoings towards his own people, but that the Six Nations Iroquois people, also known as the Haudenosaunee, were never adequately compensated for the land.
In his writing Martin explores the events that took place along the banks of the Grand River centuries ago from a Mennonite perspective, from the British Loyalist perspective, and from the Six Nations perspective.

For example, Martin writes that while Beasley is often highly regarded as the first European settler of Hamilton, he also suggests that evidence from historical placards found in Brubacher House, a  Mennonite homestead-turned-museum at the University of Waterloo, describes Beasley’s dealing’s as decidedly criminal.

“The thread through it all is my own personal interaction with that history and the way that I kind of stumble upon it and what I learn in the process,” said Martin. “At the end of the essay I’m forced to confront my own politics in terms of my attachment to that place and my sense of home in that place and my greater understanding now of the complicated history of that place.”

His work also helped him realize that the modern contention surrounding land claims along the entire watershed have a real historic precedent and that “the past” is never really past, particularly in places like Caledonia that have ongoing land claim issues to this day.

“The fact of the matter is that these contentions and land claims are not going away. They’ve been around for 200 years,” he said. “When the land claim flared up in Caledonia in 2006, most Ontarians had no way to account for this strange, sudden interruption; wasn’t all that stuff settled hundreds of years ago?

“In truth, it wasn’t.”

As one of the shortlisted winners for the award, Martin has had his entire essay published online at The New Quarterly website, and despite this being the 28-year-old’s first published work, he has plans for more writing in the future.
“I definitely owe it to my family because they invested a lot of time, so I owe them something and I’m still interested in that,” he said.

“I think this is the start of a bigger project and I’m continuously reading and thinking about it. I’m not sure what the next step is, but whether this portion becomes a chapter in a book, we’ll see.”
To read his essay for free, visit http://tnq.ca/magazine/free-e-book-banks-grand.

Crepes

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 6 eggs
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• vegetable oil

 
Whisk eggs, milk, and melted butter together, add the flour, sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Place in refrigerator for approximately 1 hour or make the night before. Bring the crepe batter up to room temperature;
Preheat teflon crepe or sauté pan on med-low. Brush pan with vegetable oil, ladle crepe batter into pan. This will make a very thin pancake once golden on one side flip to other side.

Garnish for the crepes

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato cut into matchsticks
• 3 honey crisp or red prince apples
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 5 sprigs of thyme remove leaves
• 2 tablespoons soya oil
• 1/2 tablespoon maple vinegar or balsamic
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
• 4 oz crumbled goat cheese

Peel apples, cut into 4 wedges and remove the core, each apple should be cut into 8- 12 wedges depending on size of apple;
Place on parchment-lined baking tray with sweet potato and pecans;
Drizzle with maple syrup, soya or olive oil, season with salt and pepper;
Bake in preheated oven at 375 F until tender.
To assemble the dish, fold crepe in half and then in half again, to create a cone or triangle shape, do this for 3 crepes. Add apple and vegetable garnish to the top and crumble on the goat cheese. Serve with a side of bacon or sausage. We suggest the apple smoked bacon found at Stemmler’s. Drizzle with maple syrup and celebrate each other.
Happy Mother’s Day.

Clark first travelled to Kenya back in 2009, but has returned every year since and made a deep connection with her host family and with the children at the Faraja Children’s Home in Ngong – about 40 minutes outside the capital city of Nairobi.

“Even before I went I had always had a heart to help and I’ve been overwhelmingly blessed,” she said while sitting in her Elmira home.

“I can’t help but have compassion, especially after being there and seeing how they lack the basics. It’s so overwhelming that we can live at such extremes in our world, and it’s not fair.”

After her first trip with the Global Volunteer Network, Clark made the trek in 2010 with two of her friends, and last year she brought a group of nine other Canadians to volunteer at the orphanage and to tour the Kenyan countryside in conjunction with the Waterloo-based Bucket List Travel Adventures.

Rachel Clark will be hosting a benefit concert today (Saturday) at Trinity United Church in Elmira to help raise funds for her ongoing volunteer work in Kenya. Clark has enlisted the help of some 50 friends and family, and the show will include performances ranging from acoustic duets to solo dance routines. [JAMES JACKSON / the observer

She is helping her host family build a bigger house so they can accommodate more volunteers from around the world, and she hopes they can convert their existing home into a safe house for street kids or families looking for a fresh start.
This will be Clark’s second benefit concert for her ongoing work in Kenya. The first was in 2008 in preparation for her first trip, and the fact she can now speak personally about the work being done there and show photos of her working with orphans will inspire others to do the same.

“It’s an interesting perspective now, having gone three times,” she said. “They’re going to see pictures of me with the kids and it makes it more tangible.”

Her travels even inspired her cousin, Heather Clark, to write a novel incorporating Rachel’s stories of Kenya. “Chai Tea Sunday” was published earlier this month and Heather will be at the show to read excerpts of the story and to sign copies of the book.

“We went through my journals and pictures and she videotaped me and interviewed me. We kept in touch while I was in Kenya the last two times, and she wrote a book based on some of my experiences there and characters that I’ve come in contact with.

“It’s literally as if she was there. I read the book and thought ‘these are my words’ and it’s still sinking in.”

Never one to sit still for long, Clark has toured the world while working on a cruise ship, and is currently working as a waitress in Waterloo while also teaching Zumba dance classes and working at Reid Woods group home in Elmira – work that she says has helped make her transition from working in Kenya to returning to North America.

She hopes to return to Kenya in the next few years and take her parents with her to show them the work she has done and to teach them about the country she has grown to love so much.

The benefit concert on Apr. 28 will have two show times, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children and students, or whatever you can. It will be held at Trinity United Church, 21 Arthur St. N. in Elmira and the church is wheelchair accessible and care for young children will also be provided.

Most of this recipe can be done ahead of time and is a great time-saver or addition to any potluck or family gathering.

The key to creating great pulled pork is to braise your meat for 5-6 hours until it becomes fork tender.  This can be done in your oven or slow cooker, but you may need to add extra cooking time of 1-2 hours for the slow cooker.

To make your pulled pork into a stellar meal, we recommend constructing a sandwich using fresh hoagie buns and top your pulled pork with our Good Ol Granny Slaw served beside your favorite leafy green salad.  A delicious and fun BBQ-style meal that can be done indoors and ahead of time that the whole family will enjoy.

The Pork:

• 1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

The Rub:

• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon of canola oil
• 2 tablespoons of ketchup

The Stock:

• 1 cup diced onions
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1-2L of beef stock (to fill roasting half way)

The Sauce:

• 1/2 cup of pork shoulder stock reduction
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup yellow or brown mustard
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/4 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for as long as you have time for, as little as 1 hour or up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator;
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F;

Put the pork and stock in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours, flipping the roast at the half way mark.  Roast the pork until fork tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees F;
To make the barbecue sauce: combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until smooth;

Remove the pork roast from the oven and transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks and “pull” the meat to form shreds. Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with 1 fork and pulling it away with the other. Put the shredded pork in a bowl. Pour 1/2 of the sauce on the shredded pork and mix well to coat;

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom 1/2 of the hoagie bun, and top with the slaw. Serve with your favorite leafy salad.

Good Ol’ Granny Slaw:

• 1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 large carrots, finely shredded
• 3/4 cup best-quality mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup diced Granny Smith Apples
• 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the shredded cabbage, carrots and apples in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, dijon, sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.  A dash of water never hurts.

Those conditions created a public outcry and political debate over what should be done for the residents and how the $90 million that the community has received in federal funding since 2006 was spent.
For St. Jacobs’ Mark Bauman, the feelings surrounding the conditions at Attawapiskat are much more visceral.

“I was ashamed to be a Canadian,” Bauman said Monday, a little more than a week after the contractor and Woolwich Township councillor returned from a two-week trip to the isolated Aboriginal community as part of a Mennonite Central Committee Ontario project called Building Hope.

Bauman works with Menno S. Martin Contractors in St. Jacobs and said that while working in the community he had to be much more frugal with his building materials as the ice road that is vital for supplies broke up six weeks early this year. [submitted

Since 1981 MCCO has received invitations from the community to improve the quality of life for the approximately 2,000 people that now live there.

There are currently 122 families living in condemned housing that was built in the 1970s and has not been properly maintained, and there are 19 families living in makeshift tents and shacks without electricity, running water, or plumbing. The MCCO estimates that some 250 new homes are needed to alleviate the over-crowding ad sub-standard housing in the Mushkegowuk Cree community.

Bauman arrived at the MCCO north office in Timmins on Mar. 19 and after a couple days of orientation, the group of three volunteers travelled 500 km north to the community. He said that from the moment they arrived he felt welcomed by the people that call Attawapiskat home.

“We were strangers, we were a minority definitely in their community, and they would stop and talk to us; you wonder if we would do the same here, stop and talk to a minority that was working in our community,” Bauman said.
Attawapiskat is very similar to towns in southern Ontario, Bauman explained. They have a hospital, an airport, an arena and a community centre. There is an elementary and a high school, a number of churches, coffee shops, gas stations, a fire department and government offices.

Yet the community is so remote that it is only accessible by air year-round. It is accessible by water in the summer as it sits on the edge of a river that is one of the main drainage rivers of James Bay. It was historically a seasonal camp site that had been visited for centuries by aboriginal ancestors, and families traditionally left the location during the winter.

That all changed in the 1960s and ’70s when the temporary dwellings gave way to more permanent buildings. Yet those buildings have not been properly maintained, leading to the problems seen today.
While in the community, Bauman worked on about three separate houses to try to improve the standard of living for those families. Most of the work was focused on removing wet wallboard or floorboards, and any insulation that was wet or moldy. He replaced the floors and the ceilings in several bathrooms, as well as the front entry on another home.

Bauman admitted the work he could do was limited mainly by the lack of supplies. Given the isolated nature of Attawapiskat, supplies must be transported in via an ice road from the south, but because of the warmer temperatures this spring the road broke up nearly six weeks early, which meant many supplies failed to make it to the community this year.

“You don’t go next door to Fairway Lumber; you have to plan six months ahead,” he explained.

As a result Bauman said that he had to be much more frugal with his demolition jobs than he would be working at his job with Menno S. Martin Contracting, located in his hometown.

“We would tackle one room in a house, or part of a room, and get that done and try and finish everything up in one day,” he said, “whereas around here I would just gut the whole room.”

The actual construction process was similar to his experiences working in more southern climes, but with one major exception: in Attawapiskat the frost can reach depths of up to 10 feet, compared to about four feet here, and there is even permafrost in some areas, meaning a lot more care was required when installing underground water pipes to prevent them from bursting.

“Their main waterlines are 18-feet below ground,” Bauman said, adding they placed styrofoam around the pipes as well to insulate them from the cold, and that a second piece of pipe surrounded the original pipe to prevent frost from tugging the joints apart.

While he may not have accomplished as much work as he wanted to before returning home on Apr. 5, Bauman said that the trip really opened his eyes to the challenges that face the First Nation’s people of Canada.
“I’ve learned to take a second look. When people say ‘they should just move’ well, no, they shouldn’t just move,” he said, noting the fact that they were living on that land centuries before Europeans ever set foot in North America.
“It really bothers me when people say ‘here’s the solution.’ First Nations people are rightly suspect of ‘White Man’ solutions.”

Bauman believes that a movement towards the Habitat for Humanity model of volunteers building new homes hand-in-hand alongside the people who will actually be living in those homes could be adopted for future projects like this, and he is acting as a construction liaison for MCCO to determine what needs to be in place before any similar projects next year.

“I’ve laid out what has to happen each month for the next year in order to make a new house or a renovation, and it would be the chief and council that would need to identify where the need is the greatest and we’ll work with that.
“Obviously this isn’t the whole solution, building one house, but it’s a way of building a bridge and saying that we here in the south understand and sympathize with their plight.”

Try sesame oil and soy sauce together with a little maple syrup to marinate chicken. Or an oyster sauce rubbed on steak before grilling.  We’ve tossed the steak slices in cornstarch prior to cooking, as opposed to adding the cornstarch in later to make a thick sauce. This will give the beef a nice crispiness against the smooth sauce.

The beef was enjoyed alongside a big pan of stir-fried veggies: mushrooms, peppers, onions and broccoli.  Another option is to roast your broccoli, to get similar results from a quick stir-fry: toss broccoli in a little oil and salt; spread on a baking sheet and roast in a hot (425°F) oven for 5-10 minutes, until edges begin to brown. The whole dish would be great with steamed rice, of course, or even egg noodles.

Stir-Fried Beef with Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained; divided
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1-2 red chili, or red chili paste, seeded and chopped
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or dry sherry
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 lb top sirloin steak, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• About 2 tbsp grapeseed oil

To make sauce: place 4 tbsp of the beans in the bottom of a small food processor, or use a hand blender; Add remaining sauce ingredients and blend until the sauce is smooth;Slice steak into thin strips: a trick to doing this is to freeze the beef for about 30 minutes;  Just before frying, toss the beef in the cornstarch. If you do this too far in advance, the meat will become sticky and gummy; Heat a very large frying pan or wok over high heat; add oil and then quickly add all of the beef at once;  Using tongs or a wooden spoon, quickly cook beef until desired doneness (medium is nice). Then add all of the sauce and cook for one final minute.