Tag Archives: West Niagara

CLUBWEST, FROM THE PUBLISHER (PREVIOUS EDITIONS)

From the Publisher July/August 2014

ClubWest(To view our July/August 2014 issue of ClubWEST online, click here.)

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
– Benjamin Franklin

Cover page of ClubWest first edition, July/August 2014.
Cover page of ClubWest first edition, July/August 2014.

These little comments stick in my brain.

There is a reason they hang around for centuries. Not only do they ring true, but they inspire.

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Niagara West’s first glossy lifestyle magazine, just for us, local residents who are members of the very exclusive ClubWEST.

ClubWEST is not a notion or a dream. It is a very real feeling a great many of us who live here feel every day. We know how lucky we are to reside in this area. In our other incarnation, NewsNow, we work a great deal with all the businesses, organizations and groups which make the area hum.

ClubWEST will present us with an opportunity to tell one and all the real stories behind some of the interesting facades of the our community – indeed, their passions, pastimes, pursuits. You think you know someone? Well, we will tell you things not only that you didn’t know, but that you would never have surmised about people who may live right next door.

Many, many area residents know Mary Rashleigh, the long-time curator of Grimsby Public Art Gallery. However, did you know one of her greatest adventures was riding an elephant in Thailand?

Did you know Canada’s greatest golfer – and newest ClubWEST member via the grand opening of his new winery – Mike Weir showcased uniquely Canadian dishes and VQA wines when he hosted the legendary Champions Dinner at Augusta National the spring after he won his green jacket in 2003? You can read about that right here!

We’re not worried about being big and bad. That is not our style. We are ALL about taking care of our readers, first and foremost. If we put out a great publication, whether that be a magazine or a real community newspaper, the rest will take care of itself.

And this has proven true as we look at the second anniversary of our community newspaper in the rearview mirror and we look ahead to doing new and innovative things for our “club members” in Niagara West both in print and online.

We are actually putting out just over 15,000 magazines with ClubWEST, but we rounded down a bit. If you don’t happen to get one, we will have some overrun at the office and in select locations around the area. Readers can call the office to find a spot close to where they live to pick one up. We will also be online at: clubwest.ca

One can read the full e-edition at that site as well as other website-only offerings. So grab a coffee, or a cold beverage, sit back and enjoy!

Publisher, ClubWEST Magazine
Mike Williscraft

CLUBWEST, FEATURED ARTICLES (PREVIOUS EDITIONS)

Weir winery’s winding road finally leads it to EastDell

(To view our July/August 2014 issue of ClubWEST online, click here.)

An underlying but consistent characteristic in the life of Mike Weir has been passion.

“When he started out he told me when he was 14 years old he would play on the PGA (Professional Golf Association) Tour one day,” recalled Steve Bennett, affectionately known as The Guv by Weir and his family. It was Bennett who helped craft Weir’s game at an early age as the club pro at Huron Oaks in Weir’s hometown of Bright’s Grove, just outside Sarnia.

“As a junior golfer, Mike was always a step ahead of the others but he really wanted it more. He had a passion for it. He wanted to learn how to play the game.”

Fast forward about 35 years to Mike Weir, standing officially in what started out as Walters Estate Winery in the 1990s, then became EastDell Estate Winery, and now Mike Weir Winery, on a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon during a grand opening hosted in typical Mike Weir fashion, classy and personal. The June 21st opening was for family and friends only.

Weir, who cemented his fame capturing the 2003 Masters in Augusta, Ga., had the Order of Canada bestowed upon him in 2009.

Mike Weir addresses the gathering at the official opening of Mike Weir Winery in Beamsville, June 21, with winery president Barry Katzman, left and Lincoln Mayor Bill Hodgson.
Mike Weir addresses the gathering at the official opening of Mike Weir Winery in Beamsville, June 21, with winery president Barry Katzman, left and Lincoln Mayor Bill Hodgson.

The winery opening was the culmination of four years of development for a “winery” which had no home until now.

Weir Winery president, Barry Katzman, notes the organization took a very different tack to get to where they are.

“We started out in 2005 and developed a national wine sales program which has grown to sell 20,000 cases of wine per year before we even had a retail spot,” said Katzman, who noted the brand launched with help of Laura and Peter McCain at Creekside Winery.

“Most wineries follow a more typical route. They go retail first and then try to get into bars and restaurants as well as Vintages and such. The missing tooth in our smile has always been retail. We’re very fortunate. We think we have the best spot in Niagara.”

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See the full article in our online edition.

CLUBWEST, FEATURED ARTICLES (PREVIOUS EDITIONS)

Sometimes it is just about stepping up – ready or not

Story and Photo by Katherine Grant

(To view our July/August 2014 issue of ClubWEST online, click here.)

Shirley MartinWhen Shirley Martin stepped into Canada’s House of Commons as a newly elected Member of Parliament, the first thought which crossed her mind was “What have I done?” Martin had made the foray into politics as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party at the urging of friends who, having seen her work on multiple campaigns for others over the years, thought she had the right stuff.

Turns out they were right.

However, when approached to run in the 1984 federal election, her first response wasn’t at all a positive one.

“I said ‘you’ve got to be crazy’,” Martin recalls. “I was more of a back room person.” At the time she had worked on 17 campaigns at different levels of government.

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See the full article in our online edition.