Summer Contributors

Meet three of the hardworking folks – Cindy Caines, Gail Grant and Cecily Ross – behind this issue.

June 22, 2021 | Contributors

Cindy Caines

In The Hills’ indefatigable operations manager, Cindy Caines, has been with the magazine since January 2013, lending her talents to every department. If you’ve ordered a subscription, placed an ad — and of course, paid for an ad – she’s the one who’s kept track of the details and made it happen. Freelancer payments? Finance? Scheduling? Check, check and check. Beyond keeping everyone on track, Cindy is a team player who weighs in on everything from business development to strategy.

And she won’t hesitate to jump in and prevent a lead or file from falling through the cracks. “It’s not a job, it’s a passion.” Cindy, who grew up in Newfoundland, lives in Grey Highlands with her “partner and best friend, Ken.” They have three grown kids and one still in school. When she’s not at work, Cindy enjoys reading, theatre, glamping and walking her dog, Bella. “Post-pandemic I look forward to attending live theatre again and hugging people.”

Gail Grant

Gail Grant came to writing later in life, and by accident. When she was in her late 60s, she and her daughter travelled to Africa, and on a dare the two of them summited Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro. She wrote about the experience and so enjoyed the process that she approached editor Signe Ball with an idea for a column highlighting life as a senior.

Her column, “Over The (Next) Hill,” plus “Snapshot,” a profile of a local community elder, has been part of this magazine since 2015. “The aging process is both unique to the individual and of significance to the community,” says Gail. “This platform provides me with the opportunity to meet our seniors and give a voice to what they’re doing, and what’s on their minds.” Gail says writing keeps her own mind tracking forward. In this issue, Gail meets a nonagenarian stone sculptor, two women who started a swimwear line aimed at seniors, and a 65-year-old mail carrier.

Cecily Ross

“Village life is in my soul,” says Cecily Ross. Cecily grew up near Belfountain, went to high school in Erin and then, after decades of city life, retired to Creemore, the little town with a big heart, 12 years ago. She has worked as a writer and editor for the Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, Harrowsmith and Chatelaine. Cecily has been writing for In The Hills for longer than she can remember. An award-winning journalist, she has published a memoir (Love in the Time of Cholesterol, 2005), a novel (The Lost Diaries of Susanna Moodie, 2017), and is hard at work on another.

She and her husband, Basil, with their Covid puppy, Lulu, enjoy hiking, cooking, snowshoeing and reaping the generosity (especially during a pandemic) of small-town life. In this issue, Cecily talks to three area farmers who have embraced a revolutionary agricultural practice that holds out hope for the sustainable future of food production and the health of the planet.

Related Stories

Joe Burchell uses a dowsing rod to commune with the energy of the Earth. Photo by Kerry Knudsen.

Rock of Ages

Jun 22, 2021 | Gail Grant | Arts

Stones are the inspiration for Joe Burchell’s monumental works of art.

On her last day as a rural mail carrier, Connie Tersigni bade farewell to Beau, who would miss his treats. Photo by Bernie Rochon.

Connie Tersigni

Jun 22, 2021 | Gail Grant | Over the Next Hill

When Connie started her route, there were no street numbers in Caledon.

Velvet Haney (left) and Rachel Manley show off the swimwear they designed for women “who aren’t at Woodstock anymore.” Photo by Garland Haney.

Meet the Bathing Boomers

Jun 22, 2021 | Gail Grant | Over the Next Hill

Fashion or comfort? Caledon friends and swimwear designers Velvet Haney and Rachel Manley believe you can have both.

Regenerative Agriculture Puts the Soil First

Jun 22, 2021 | Cecily Ross | Farming

How cover crops, crop rotation and using livestock to fertilize fields puts local farmers on the front lines in reducing climate change.

Spring Contributors

Mar 31, 2021 | In The Hills | Contributors

Meet three of the creative folks – Johanna Bernhardt, Anthony Jenkins and Kim van Oosterom – who make this issue shine.

Winter Contributors

Nov 24, 2020 | In The Hills | Contributors

Meet three longtime contributors who make this winter 2020 issue of In The Hills a keeper – Dan Needles, Rosemary Hasner and Valerie Jones.

Autumn Contributors

Sep 18, 2020 | In The Hills | Contributors

Meet a few of the contributors who make this autumn 2020 issue of In The Hills a treasure – Don Scallen, Roberta Fracassi and Erin Woodley.

Summer Contributors

Jun 25, 2020 | In The Hills | Contributors

Meet a few of the contributors who make this summer 2020 issue of In The Hills a great read – Bethany Lee, Ken Weber and Janice Quirt.

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