Old East Hill

The Ghosts of Glanmore Never Sleep.

2008-02-01T13:31:00.000-05:00

Tucked away off the beaten track is one of Ontario's oldest and most beautiful, small cities with such a fantastical and intriguing history that it would rival that of many of Europe's oldest cities. The small city wraps itself around the old limestone-bedded, snaking Moira River with one of the oldest, still-standing, limestone mills, the mill itself the centre upon which the settlement grew.

Named after Lady Arabella Gore, wife of Sir Francis Gore, after their visit to the small settlement in 1816, Belleville boasts some of the finest architectural beauties to be found in the province of Ontario. One of these timeless treasures rests in the area known as the 'Old East Hill' of Belleville.
Glanmore, sits aloof and untouchable amidst century old trees and fine Victorian homes.Built of a subdued greying, brownish-yellow brick and being of a 2nd Empire architectural style totally unique unto itself, the house appears alive with the spirits of the past and a beating heart all it's own standing testament to an eccentric and lively time in Canada's history.

Built in 1882-1883 for the prosperous banker, J.P.C. Phillips and his wife Harriet, it remained in the same family for three generations before being donated to the city of Belleville in 1971 and subsequently being turned into a museum.

Phillipa Faulkner, an artist who was born in the house, is purported to have experienced numerous supernatural occurrences during her days spent living there. The spirit of Harriet Phillips, herself, is said to still remain walking the halls and frequenting the cavernous victorian rooms of the fine old mansion.

Phillipa had witnessed the piano in the drawing room play of it's own accord and doors that had opened and closed with no visible human entity in sight. She sensed that the spirit behind these occurrences was her Grandmother, Harriet Phillips.

In 1962 Phillipa engaged a Roman Catholic Priest to come into the home and exorcise the troubled spirits who wandered the grand old Belleville mansion. Family accounts written by Anne Burrows Faulkner, Phillipa's daughter, state that the supernatural occurrences seemed to abate somewhat after that time period, however Harriet's restless spirit never completely left the beautiful old home she had so steadfastly loved.

The mansion is open to the public now, and houses a magnificent collection of period antiques and art, many of them original to the home. On my numerous visits to the house, I always feel a certain 'unease' as I walk around the creaking, old rooms and hallways.
There is a strong sense of loneliness and abandonment that seeps into one's pores with a heavy foreboding as one walks from room to room.In many areas of the home, I've sensed an invisible presence nearby as it observes the comings and goings of the visitors to the house.

As happy as I am to bring visiting friends and relatives on a tour of the stately Victorian home, I experience a great relief when it is time to leave. The house is beautiful and certainly a timeless Canadian Historic treasure, however it exists in another time and place and hastens to remind you to never leave go of that oppressive and heavy fact.

Upon leaving and re-entering the sparkling, sunlit air, you step back into the present and feel a great sadness for the house and for those who lived there in the past and for some reason, were never able to leave. Caught in a time warp of their own volition, they serve the gracious home to this day, and make certain it will always remain just as it was over one hundred years ago.

©2008JoSmith

Jo-Anne Smith, the author of this article, is a REALTOR® with Royal Lepage Proalliance Realty, Brokerage, in Belleville, Ontario and welcomes your real estate inquiries. To contact her, visit http://www.quinteregionrealestate.com/

A Cornucopia For Making 2008 Your New Year of Personal Power.

2007-12-30T14:32:00.000-05:00

Possibilities~anything is possible.
The universe is non static and non bounded. The only bounds exist within your awareness or limiting beliefs that you place upon yourself and others.

Always remember Phil Daniel's words 'reward excellent failures, punish mediocre successes'.
Dare to go for it, dare to be different and try outrageous things.
Failing while trying something innovative and outrageous, is far better than succeeding while doing something totally mediocre and predictable.
Engage your right brain, dare to imagine, use the tools that make up your physical body and get out there riding your free-reined and un-encumbered imagination. It's a gift, use it.

Step forward and be counted.
You matter, you make a difference every single day that you are 'out there' or 'within yourself'. No moment is wasted as long as you are either opening yourself to the universe or out there 'doing' and receiving.

Believe and commit.
Entrench. I like that word. Don't you?
When we 'entrench' something within our mind, we take it fully in and lodge it in a firm place.
Then we move forward.
Entrench within your mind the simple and profound fact that you are powerful. You matter. You make a difference, no matter what you are doing.
What kind of difference will you make today? In your own life, in the life of another?

Stand in the centre of the light.
When you stand within the centre of the light, there is peace. Nothing can harm you or throw you off balance.
You are protected and safe.
Always stand within the centre of the light and know that you belong there. If you step outside of the beam, guide yourself gently back in until you feel that balance and wholeness once more.

Connect.
Draw yourself closer to the people around you. Don't be afraid of rejection or of not receiving the reaction you're hoping for.
Remember, their reactions are 99% about them, not about you.
Not everyone is going to respond to you the way you might be wishing. Don't let this ever stop you from drawing close to those who you are attracted to and feel have a message for you.
Sometimes the reaction that you didn't want, is exactly the message you are meant to receive and there is a deep kernel of new wisdom to be found in that reaction, if you only stop and peel back the layers.

Handle yourself gently and with great reverence.
Be kind to your mind, your soul, your heart and your physical being.
Filter and censor all that you come across and be very careful what you are putting into your body.
Your body and brain are fine tuned machines that can be greatly enhanced by only supplying them with the finest of inputs.
Steer clear of excessive fats, salt, sugar, meat, artificial ingredients and processed foods. Steer clear of negativity, news that you do not need to hear, people who don't uphold you with respect and gentleness, places that make you feel uncomfortable.
Listen to your intuition and instinct. Your body does not lie to you. It's signals are based on tens of thousands of years of trial and error.
Listen to them.

Love from the deepest core of your being.
Find the good in each person and love that part of them. From there you will grow to love and see the entire person.
Each person brings something to you, a gift that you may not at first recognize, however the gift is there never the less.

When you have an idea , act upon it.
Ideas are messages from the universe. It's up to you whether or not you grasp on and put the idea into action. Make it a point every day to act upon at least one or two of the ideas that come to you.
You'll be amazed at the results.

Recognize that fear is often unfounded.
When it appears in your being, stop and examine it. Don't let it freeze you.
This is a realm where actual 'doing' is rewarded. When you allow yourself to be frozen or withdraw in fear, you stop yourself from 'doing' and miss the whole point of your life here.
This is a 'realm of action' and only action will move you further in the direction you desire to go.

Live in the moment you are in.
When the past appears in your thought process, recognize that it is surfacing in order to be processed and let go of. It's part of your healing process.
Allow it to surface quietly, observe it carefully, then let it go and return to what you truly have. The moment you are in now.

Recognize that the future is not here yet and hence there is no need to fear it.
Imagining what you would like the future to look like may be a fine exercise to do in certain moments; however always recognize that there are numerous variables that you have no control over and the future you are planning for, may not appear in the format you are aiming for.
It is much better to immerse yourself in a positive field at this very moment and realize that you do have control over your actions and reactions in each moment as it presents itself to you.
Give your wishes to your subconscious mind and then let them go.

Never hoard your ideas, your love, your knowledge, your material assets or your kindnesses.
Every gift you have is meant to be passed on and only by passing it on when-ever the opportunity presents itself, will you be able to open yourself up for more to flow in.

The universe is in a constant state of becoming and so are you. By remaining open and allowing yourself to be a conduit for the gifts of the universe, you will enrich your own life and all of those whose lives you come into contact with.

Jo-Anne Smith, the author of this article, is a REALTOR® with Royal Lepage Proalliance Realty, Brokerage, in Belleville, Ontario and welcomes your real estate inquiries. To contact her, visit www.QuinteRegionRealEstate.com

2007-08-16T18:19:00.000-04:00

The Quinte area real estate market has risen by approximately 11.5 % to the end of July of this year compared to the same time period in 2006.
There is a shortage of listings and many properties are receiving multiple offers on the day they are listed or the day they are open to offers.

I am seeing more and more properties coming on the market with 'no showings or offers allowed until such and such a date' on them.
This is very frustrating to my buyers and I feel it does a disservice to the seller of the property. There may be numerous buyers who will go elsewhere and buy something else rather than wait on a property only to be in competition with numerous other buyers the day the showings finally start. I never recommend this for any of my sellers.

A two or three day 'no showing' period may be somewhat
beneficial, however I would say that allowing showings immediately and stating that there will be no offers viewed until perhaps two to three days into the listing, would serve the purposes of the seller (to get the most amount of money in the shortest time possible ) to a much greater degree.

To the end of July of this year, 2,469 property units have sold in the Quinte board. I also noticed that we did not experience our usual lull in market activity this July like we normally do, so I was not surprised when I read the stats released by the Quinte and District Real Estate Board stating that 339 units sold in July 2007 compared to 285 units in July '06.

We are having one of the most active markets in all of Ontario and are only slightly behind Parry Sound, Clarington, Newcastle area and Bowmanville.

The main reasons we are seeing such a booming market in our area are

1. numerous retirees from other regions, particularly cities, choosing our area to retire in.

2. The expansion of CFB Trenton bringing with it a great amount of new postings to the Quinte area.

3. Excellent employment prospects with new industry such as Kelloggs choosing to locate here.

4. An influx of people moving here from other countries due to the culture, natural beauty, community facilities, tourism exposure, etc.

5. Many young families whose bread-winne rs work within driving range cities are choosing to relocate here and commute to work daily via carpools, etc.

6. We are still one of the most reasonably priced markets in southern Ontario. The average purchase price for a home here has risen to $195,115 as compared to the average being $180,816 in 2006. This is particularly attractive for young families, first-time buyers, retirees and single people .

I am currently searching for numerous properties for my buyers and having a difficult time finding suitable listings. If you have a property you are considering selling, please don't hesitate to contact me via email or by phone. You just may have a property one of my buyers is looking for !

Jo-Anne Smith, Sales Representative
Royal Lepage Proalliance Realty, Brokerage
613-922-5978 Direct
613-966-6060 Office

Late Afternoon Tea In The Courtyard of Your Soul

2007-07-09T12:22:00.000-04:00

Monday. The traffic on the distant road is not as brisk as usual. Somewhere children lounge in bed or sit on carpeted floors, heads resting against an old lab's lazy, overextended ribs while they screech with delight at every hurdle they conquer in their morning videogame. Blackie shifts positions and moans, his grey muzzle crinkles a bit and he falls back to the deep dreams of dog.

Everything, everyone moves on the surface. The echoing of tires on grey asphalt slides through the air and gets lost in the sharpness of a small bird’s announcement. A windchime shifts delicately in the breeze and somewhere across the city an elderly man shuffles to the washroom, wracking coughs filling his small apartment as he walks.

He thinks to his recent loss. A partner he loved for 41 odd years. The place is empty now without her. He knows one day he must begin again. Begin to remake his life. Design a new one and move into it. Move into it carefully as one would when entering a skin that shifts and stretches as it is pulled over the bulges and bones of the being within. He will do this. He will remake his life. Just not today.
Today is for sitting in his old plum coloured, easy chair and pretending to be engrossed in the morning news. His mind is a million thoughts away. If time could be accessed by the trajectory it’s imprint had traced and left in the ‘now’, he would surely take it.
Back to that first ‘hello’, back to that first smile, back to that first light feeling he felt as love settled into the places of himself that no one knew were there, not even himself. His soul draws him from his silent revery as it gives him a song to help him understand. The sharpness of his pain eases as one small tear finds it’s way along an invisible path and tumbles down the slope of his weathered face.

Your soul is a child. It is the first to wander off and trust. The first to fall in love with an idea, a view or a person. The last to forget. It is the part of you that tags behind and pulls with a steadiness as it cries to you ‘no, wait, wait, I am not ready to say goodbye . Can’t we just stay a bit longer?’

Your soul is innocent. It lives in a different world than you. A different dimension. It will never understand the harsh events of your life nor the negative character traits of the people you come across. This is not a part of your soul’s vocabulary. Your soul is blind. Your soul is only love. It is the dancing child within you. The one who calls to you to look up and see that last mauve cloud move briskly across the clearing sky after a downpour. It is the one that understands what an old dog is saying as his eyes gently and humbly meet yours and something within you softly moves.

Your soul will feed itself. It only asks that you prepare a small corner table in a quiet courtyard where flower petals fall softly to the stones below and your face can be caressed by the shifting whimsy of a gentle breeze. Then it asks that you take a seat in the remaining old wrought iron chair and listen to what it has to say.

Moving to Belleville, Ontario -The Old East Hill

2007-06-10T08:49:00.000-04:00

Have you considered a move to the Old East Hill in Belleville, Ontario? Do wide streets lined with giant Oaks, Maples, Spruce, Beech, Pine, Crabapple and Ash appeal to you ? Do you love the charm and feeling of a century, historic or heritage home that has stood the test of time ? Do you love antiques and peaceful neighbourhoods where residents still sit on verandahs and read the evening paper, cherish their beautiful gardens and greet eachother with a friendly greeting ?

There are currently numerous homes for sale in the Old East Hill ranging in price from

$131,900 to $359,000. To receive a list of all properties currently available in the Old East Hill area of Belleville, Ontario, with full details and pictures attached,

please feel free to contact me.

I can be reached either via email at jsmith@royallepage.ca or via phone at 613-922-5978 (direct line) or 613-966-6060 (office/pager).
Jo-Anne Smith, B.Sc., Realtor®, Royal Lepage Proalliance Realty Ltd., Brokerage, Belleville

Take A Step Back In Time - Make Your Move To The Old East Hill today !!

Cultivating Our Own Gardens

2007-06-05T20:16:00.000-04:00

We are all in a steady process of cultivating the gardens of our lives, becoming our best selves , the selves we were destined to be.

The ending of Candide, by Voltaire, illustrates this quite well :

" "There is a concatenation of all events in the best of possible
worlds; for, in short, had you not been kicked out of a fine castle
for the love of Miss Cunegund; had you not been put into the
Inquisition; had you not traveled over America on foot; had you not
run the Baron through the body; and had you not lost all your sheep,
which you brought from the good country of El Dorado, you would not
have been here to eat preserved citrons and pistachio nuts."

"Excellently observed," answered Candide; "but let us cultivate our garden." "

We are here to cultivate our own garden....to learn how to best do
that, how to live without doing harm as much as possible .

To share with others who we feel are on our path and share our same values. A kindred soul, is one who is happily tending their own garden and we notice one day that their garden runs along side of ours and that we are growing the same stately snapdragons, only in different shades.

Their shades compliment ours and we find rest in admiring , at the end of the day, the beautiful moss covered paths and old trees that they ask us to walk amongst with them.

We feel at peace with this fellow gardener. We continue
to tend our own gardens , but we notice, that since we have begun to take respite now and then in their garden, ours is growing lovelier and more serene.

A kindred soul is our compliment. One who enhances our life.
I am leaning towards the belief that kindred souls can be in our lives for
moments, days, years or a lifetime. Kindred souls who enter your life do
not bring disharmony to it. If they do, they apologize for their
transgressions and leave the relationship in a good place , even if
you are not meant to be 'forever' kindred souls.

In cultivating our own gardens, I feel the trick is in learning how to
recognize kindred souls that are on our paths for a short time or
forever.
This comes from within. This comes from not fooling ourselves in any
sense. This comes from using all of our gifts of intuition and
instinct.

I guess this is the beauty of cultivating and designing our own
gardens...we can choose whatever we want to have in our garden and
place it wherever we like.
We create places of beauty where fellow travellers can stop for a rest
and a drink from the sparkling stream that runs through the little
field of heather.
By placing a moss covered bench in your garden, or an old twig chair
by a birdbath, you might find now and then, that an unsavoury type has
stopped by.

But, if one day when you are walking around looking for poppies to
deadhead and admiring all the little warblers singing in the silvery
branches, you find an old traveller sitting on the bench with a smile
of love and wisdom as you chance upon him/her, have a seat yourself
and visit awhile.
This just might be a fellow traveller with a great message for you
from far beyond....or , it just might be someone who is there to share
in your garden and has brought a sack of scion wood and seeds that
produce the most beautiful plants of mystery and ever changing beauty
in your own garden...

©JoSmith

The Nuance of a 'Neighbourhood'

2007-06-05T06:59:00.000-04:00

It’s 5:04 am . The morning greeting of a Baltimore Oriole in the tall Blue Spruce
outside my window is a continuous song of thankfulness and 'hello!'.
Crow calls from a distant Oak as he begins his early morning rounds. Phoebe adds
a soft ‘pee wee’ pee wee’ from a Japanese Maple branch, not to be outdone. The day has begun
and how blessed I feel to be brought into the new day in such a fine and beautiful way.

The birds of the Old East Hill are as much a part of the fabric that comprises the feeling one has here of permanence and time immemorial, as the trees and the wide
streets and majestic homes are. All things tie in together to form a symphony
that plays to the souls of visitors and residents as they go about their daily lives.
How wonderful it is to be serenaded by such subliminal background beauty !

This is what makes a neighbourhood loved. The things your conscious mind is not aware of
unless you slow down and actually take note. However, now this is where the beauty of this comes in,
your subconscious mind is busy gathering information at all times and as it gathers,
it condenses everything it gleans into a general feeling it gives back to you, unaware
that something is working in the background at all times.

The flavour of a community or of a neighbourhood is this background noise.
The birdsong, the colours and design of the gardens, the smiles on the faces of the people as
they work in their yard or walk down the shaded streets, the shadows cast by the giant old trees as you drive along, the hustle and bustle of the morning hours and the hush that casts itself over the fabric of the Old East Hill in the after dinner hours. This is ‘home’.

©JoSmith

Corby Rose Garden

2007-06-02T11:57:00.000-04:00

It was very still and humid yesterday afternoon when I visited Corby Park in Belleville .

The park was quiet and for a long time I was the only one there. As I walked around taking my pictures and noting the buds which had already begun to open, a man and his dog took a shortcut down the winding brick path that traverses the park.
Not long after a young Mother and her little girl began a stroll around the park. The little girl was exuberant the way only a child can be as she climbed on the masonry wall of the water fountain.

‘Look, Mom ! There’s no water in here yet !’ she loudly proclaimed. Her Mother replied to her ‘No, I wonder when they will turn the fountain on? I would love to find a white rose . Let’s go and look down there.’. They continued on their way and eventually found the white roses they were looking for.

I noticed the yellow roses are starting to open up. Numerous shades of pinks and red were also in bloom.

I re-read the history of the park on the historical plaque at the centre.

The park is a testament to the love of one man for the community of Belleville , Henry Corby, and if he was hoping to leave a lasting legacy of pride and a feeling of peace and goodwill long after he was gone, he has surely done so with this park.

The other side of the plaque reads :

“CORBY PARK

Donated to the City of Belleville by the Corby family, July 24, 1905. Renovated by the City of Belleville and H. Corby Distillery Limited and re-opened as part of Canadian Centennial Year on the 28th of June, 1967.

HISTORY

Henry Corby, the founder of H. Corby Distillery Limited, came to Belleville from England in 1832. Throughout his life he actively promoted this growing municipality, and was, in the Confederation year 1867, the Mayor of Belleville. The following year, he was a member of the first Ontario Legislature to sit following Confederation. His son, Henry (Harry) Corby, expanded the family business, and participated in numerous activities benefiting Belleville and the community at large. These included:
· donation of Corby Public Library,
· donation of public baths and pavilion at Victoria Park,
· development of pleasure park at Massassaga Point,
· establishment of Corby Charitable Fund for the Poor and Needy – still administered by the Women’s Christian Association,
· promotion of the original bridge across the Bay of Quinte,
· donation of Corby Park.
Henry Corby, Jr. was appointed a senator in 1888 in recognition of his role in Canadian life, typified by this Centenniel park.”

I don’t know if it is the ancient trees, the hundreds of rose
bushes , the mixture of other perennials sprinkled here and there , the winding paths , the old benches, or the sense of quietness and peace, but one can’t help but feel wonderful when they spend time here.

Many couples start their married life in the park where hundreds of ‘just-married’s’ have come to have their wedding photos taken.

There are no dogs, worm-picking or bicycles allowed here and if you have your wedding photos taken here, please remind your guests not to throw confetti or rice.

There are numerous comfy benches sitting under the old and giant trees; a perfect place to bring a book and your lunch on a hot summer day or catch up on an intimate conversation with a friend. Your eye will follow Gray Squirrels and be greeted by friendly Grackles and other birds as they happily wile away the hours visiting one another and searching for their lunch in the park.

If you are in Belleville it is a must see. You can find Corby Park by traveling east from downtown on either Victoria or Bridge Streets. Watch for the blue Corby Rose Garden signs at the corners of William and Victoria or Bridge and Ann .

I’ll meet you on the weathered garden bench that sits under the old tulip tree near the water fountain. Make sure and bring your camera !

©JoSmith

A Story In The Making.

2007-06-01T09:25:00.001-04:00

The morning sun peeks mischievously around the corner of your breakfast cove window and falls upon your hand as you reach for your bone china coffee mug. Friends sit across from you and gaze out the window at the gently waving maple branches that grace your side yard. Your friends have never been to Belleville before and you are anxious to show them all the beauty that can be found here. Where should you take them?

As you gaze in deep reflection at the tiny pink roses on your Tranquility coffee mug, an idea
enters your mind . Why, you’ll take them to The Corby Rose Garden !

This time of year is almost prime for viewing the hundreds of varieties of roses in the garden as their flower buds swell and begin to open. And the scents ! Did I mention the scents ? They’re glorious ! Yes. This is a perfect place to plan to spend a few hours today. You exuberantly tell your friends about The Corby Rose Garden and they agree they would love to see it ! You decide to pack a small lunch to bring along. There are so many comfy old wooden benches resting serenely beneath the cool shade of giant old tulip trees, and the three of you have so much to catch up on . What better place than an old garden surrounded by beautiful roses
and graceful trees ?

©JoSmith

The Oldest Residents

2007-05-29T23:26:00.000-04:00

It's nearing midnight and the streets lay silently beneath the oldest residents of the Old East Hill. Residents whose personal names are unknown to the people who they shelter from the wind, sun, rain and smog on a daily basis.
They are simply known as 'Maple' , 'Beech', 'Old Pine on the Corner', 'Crooked Crabapple on Victoria', 'Oak' and a myriad of other names which people have long forgotten.

It's late spring now. The towering nameless residents are wearing their finest greenery and tiny nestlings cry to be fed in the crotched branches high above the sidewalks.I walk along pretending not to notice . I look at them sometimes, I sense them looking back. Smiling back. Their presence leaves me with a glowing faith that everything is ok here. More than ok.
The Old East Hill is loved. Loved by it's oldest and grandest residents. We flourish under their care. The night rests on and the crooks and twists of the grizzled branches lay silent in the cool misty air. Peace falls softly on The Old East Hill as midnight closes in. Tomorrow the stories begin again.
Just as they always do .

©JoSmith