17 July 2008
Chocolate and Choo-Choos
Smiths Falls Ontario - At first glance, chocolate and
trains don't seem to be a natural match-up.
Okay, so you can eat chocolate on a train and chocolate is sometimes moulded into a train form. But combined as the twin pillars of a
major festival? In Smiths Falls, where the confection and the transportation mode have been economic mainstays for generations, the
pairing seems totally logical.
Which explains the 8th Chocolate and Railway Festival taking over the town this weekend, with mayor Dennis Staples officiating at the
opening tomorrow evening.
With this Rideau Canal community reeling from hundreds of announced job losses, everybody is looking forward to a great party this
weekend, Staples said.
"It's definitely our premier event," the mayor said, emphasizing council's desire to continue building itself as a tourism
draw to replace some of the jobs disappearing through closure of the Hershey factory, Stanley Tools, and the Rideau Regional Centre.
"The high price of gas might be good for us by keeping area residents closer to home and considering Smiths Falls for a
visit."
Organizers are hoping to draw 10,000-12,000 people to this year's Choc&Rail. What other community can claim to offer
the "Sweetest Festival Weekend in Eastern Ontario" without fear of contradiction?
The Smiths Falls rail industry is a mere shadow of its once glorious self, with one grand old station converted into a museum, and the
other welcoming only a few daily Ottawa-Toronto VIA trains.
And the Hershey factory is closing in 2009 after 45 years... but the combo still makes for a heck of a bash, says festival
co-ordinator Brenda Delaney.
Where else can you be crowned Chocolate Lover of the Year and not feel guilty about it? Three finalists will be selected based on
250-word essays, with the winner to be picked tomorrow at 9 p.m.
Earlier in the evening, entries in the Chocolate Creations contest will be judged and auctioned off. In the past, entries have included
chocolate candles, soap, and even chilli.
Not chocolated out yet? The Chocolate Shoppe at the Hershey plant is open all weekend and 20 restaurants have combined to offer
Adventure in Chocolate, which adds the world's favourite treat to regular menu items.
At least for now, Hershey remains an active participant, donating prizes and cash to the festival committee, Delaney noted.
As for the train part of the festival, they're on display at the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario. Outside, there's a dental car, and a
handcar to be ridden over a short distance. On Saturday there will be a special display of one-cylinder "hit &
miss" engines.
PLENTY OF ACTIVITIES
Across town, CP Rail's newest "Big Engines" will enthrall train buffs in the yards at the corner of Victoria and William
streets. Besides bringing in the engines at their expense, CP and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference contribute financially to the
festival.
While it might appear otherwise, the festival isn't exclusively about chocolate and trains: A Saturday parade begins at 12 noon,
there's a kids' play area, clowns, buskers, and an Algonquin First Nations cultural camp circle. There's a nightshirt parade, musket
shooting, voyageur canoeing, fireworks, ice cream eating contest, chocolate no doubt, and chocolate chip pancake breakfast.
On Sunday, it's time for the Smiths Falls Kinsmen Gravity Grand Prix, otherwise known as the festival's soap box derby. Registration
for the event is at 8:30 a.m., with the first custom cruiser heading downhill at 9:45 a.m.
And there's plenty of live music, including home-grown Freddy Dixon and the Straight Eight Showband.
Knowing Freddy, there'll be songs celebrating both of the festival themes. And there may be one or two lamenting the town's past glory
days.
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