Welcome back everyone, I knew I could count on you to show up! This past week, I resorted to having  my GPS disconnected, just so I could use my car without being forced to tame, bribe  or fight it over which destination it would take …and also because I wasn’t planning to walk all the way ‘downhill’ to the park, knowing I would have to walk ‘uphill’ on the way back home. And so to allow my car a small personal victory, I parked it in familiar surroundings, at Beau’s parking lot and walked the rest of the way, as all professional tour guides do.

2^nd stop: MARTEL & SONS.  The company prides itself with 110 years designing and manufacturing commemorative monuments and at being the only company in Canada that  possesses both a manufacturing and finishing plant; it employs top talents and works in cooperation with the best designers, artists, stonecutters and installers in the industry. Through the years, it has been chosen to execute major governmental projects now displayed in Ottawa and actually, closer to home, on the Chenail island in Hawkesbury where Le monument de la francophonie welcomes visitors to Ontario and in all our cemeteries. Martel & Sons  is seen as a leader in its field, its business and its industry. (Info from website)

3^rd  stop: EMBLEMTEK. The company is a leading North American manufacturer, distributor and service provider of garment and textile embellishment, branding and identification products: workwear, sportswear, occupational wear, promotional and marketing items. It has been manufacturing in Canada since 1980.

4^th  stop: LA CIDRERIE SARAH COLE: Owners Bissonnette and Laurin are really horses fans: Sarah being the name of their Percheron and Cole being the name of her offspring: thus their company ID. According to its website description, ‘it owes the authenticity of its products to the passions of its founders, but also its history: it started in Argenteuil County (…), an area where the Champlain sea, retreating after the last glacial age, left us with amazing mineral rich soil; heirloom apple  trees grown on those lands allowed the creation of unique varieties of fruit, well suited to make great classic European-style hard ciders. And it’s gluten-free!’

5^th stop: THE STICKY COW:  The owners, the Whittall family, lived outside Ottawa and decided to move away from the stresses and expectations of city life: Vankleek Hill coincidentally became their choice and they bought a house in the village. Although both employed outside their family business, The Sticky Cow is their baby, born from the food truck of the same name; it specializes in Southern BBQ style food, as in authentic slow-smoked ribs in the Texas tradition.  Yummy!

6^th stop: FOAM GEOMETRIX: After starting as a hobby-type business in 2001 and moving around a few times to accommodate a welcome growth, in 2010, the owners purchased a lot in this business park and built a new 6000 square feet manufacturing facility and 4000 square feet storage building. Their innovative approach in designing moulds for precast refractories and specialized concrete formwork using custom made foam cutting equipment made them leaders in their field and guarantees projects of high standards.(from website)

7^th stop: HELITRADES: As stated on their company website, ‘For more than 40 years, both civilian, government and military helicopter operators worldwide have depended on the service, dedication and efficiency of Helitrades Inc.’ The Vankleek Hill facility is a Bell Helicopter Textron, Woodward HRT and Robinson approved service facility for structural repair, maintenance and overhaul. With three locations across Canada, it offers 24/7 service and parts sales.

8^th stop: METEC: It was in 1995 that the Walz established their family-owned business in this park, a location chosen for its easy and direct accessibility to Montreal, Ottawa and the USA’s markets.  Four expansions later, they continue to offer precision machining and millwright services to local industrial and agricultural customers, fabrication, manufacturing and assembly services. They also host an apprentice training school.

9^th stop: INOVATECH ENGINEERING: This company specializes in integrated robotic solutions  for manufacturing; its engineers are well known for their eagerness to develop fabrication solution to fit its customers’ production needs.

10^th stop : AQUASAN is a company from St-Lazare, QC which produces mineral and spring water; it uses the far north building in the park as warehousing facilities.

Before I forget and as a closure to this visit to the park, I would like to suggest that next time your car is up for a check-up, ask the technician to test your GPS: it seems the problem I experienced is spreading as a friend of mine told me that her car had this kind of stubborn and oppositional reaction when she drove by Legault’s greenhouses on highway 34. Better be safe than sorry!