commemorative program june 19-22nd 2015

elements

W O O L W I C H A R R O W

25 years of The Wooly

Celebrating

The Wooly’s Fountain Santos (Service Manager), Neil Dubois (Kitchen Manager), Marc Bosboom (Keyholder), Bob Desautels, Paul Randall (Bar Manager), Court Desautels & Jason Waterfall (Manager) chillin’ in The Speed River

‘Each man delights in the work that suits him best.’

- Homer, The Odyssey

2-3. photospread: ‘The Wooly’ Crew Relaxes in The Mighty Speed

6-7. Looking Back – Reminiscing A Quarter Century of The Wooly

8-9. Save Water? Drink Beer. Now That’s Sexy.

10. ‘Kindred Spirits’: George Eagleson & The Wooly Were Made for Each Other

12-13. 25th Anniversary Weekend Program

14. The Wooly & The Kramdens: Celebrating Silver Anniversaries – Together

16-17. The Wooly & YU Ranch: A Partnership Rooted in Sustainability

18-19. photospread: Beer Delivery Guys/Gals Cycling Club

20-21. The Wooly: Guelph’s Favourite Biker Bar

22. Morton Wholesale Ltd: Like A Member of the Family

Chris Tiessen

Editor. Writer.

Photographer.

IPA or Cider

Cai Sepulis

Art Director.

Illustrator. Designer.

Stout or Dark

‘elements’ is the most recent edition of ‘chamber roots: special reserve publications,’ a series of one-off magazines published by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce for its members.

If your organization is a member of the Guelph Chamber and is interested in having a ‘chamber roots: special reserve publication’ created specifically for you, contact chris tiessen at chris@guelphchamber.com

elements

CONTENTS

IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT TWENTY FIVE

YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE WE OFFICIALLY

OPENED THE WOOLWICH ARROW – A

NEIGHBOURHOOD PUB. It all began with the

support of my great friend, Jean-Pierre Schoch,

who helped fund the creation of what would

simply become known as The Wooly. It’s been

an interesting journey, to say the least. One that

continues to be punctuated, first and foremost,

with the highlight of hanging out with our guests

– indeed, whether it’s the 4:30pm daily bar crowd

or our Friday evening regulars it’s always a treat

to revel in the company of so many folks who

really like our pub. Sharing a pint, some wine,

and of course great food with our guests makes

all the trials and tribulations of owning this

business worth it.

Among my many personal highlights as

proprietor of The Wooly has been meeting

the incredible musicians who perform for our

patrons on Saturday nights. Individuals and

collectives who continue to blow me away with

their passion and talent. We’ve seen a number

of musicians come through The Wooly who’ve

made it onto the national and international

stages – folks who continue to come back to see

us time and again. And while The Wooly has

afforded us the opportunity to have talented

artists entertain our ‘grown up’ patrons in-

house, it’s also provided the opportunity for us

to introduce great music to the youngest in our

community through the Wooly Kinderconcerts

we sponsor at River Run Centre. This music

series for children up to 6 years old introduces

them to classical music, including the various

instruments found in a symphony orchestra. I’ve

made a point of taking my granddaughter, Ava,

to many of the performances and she’s loved

every one of them!

In my office above the pub I keep a collage of

pictures of current and former guests and staff.

Every time I look at the staff pictures, in particular,

I get a flood of amazing memories. There have

been so many incredible people who’ve worked

at The Wooly over the past quarter century. In

large part it’s because of them that I never tire of

coming into the business each morning. Indeed,

I would argue that the secret to The Wooly’s

longevity and success has been its ability to

attract some of the best service and kitchen staff

in the whole region. And it’s the many staff who

have stuck around for several years who give me

the greatest sense of pride as an employer – not

to mention a few who have passed the ten-year

mark.

Our incredible suppliers are also responsible

for our success. From superb craft beers to VQA

wines to top quality meats, fresh local produce

and sustainable fish, we continue to serve our

guests the finest local products available in

Ontario. This approach to business – local quality

first – is at the core of our being. Indeed, it’s in

- Reminiscing A Quarter Century of The WoolyLOOKING BACKELEMENTS OF SUCCESS

Wooly Partners: Jean-Pierre Schoch & Bob Desautels have something to celebrate

our DNA. And to our great delight those same suppliers have

become our strongest advocates. And many are also among

our best customers – how’s that for a true ‘win-win’!?

Another advantage of overseeing this thriving business has

been the ability to give back to community. It was over 20

years ago that we started raising funds for river restoration

projects in the Grand River watershed – a fundraising effort

that culminates each Spring with a superb brewer’s feast

at The Wooly (see centrepage program for this year’s date!).

We’ve also ensured that The Wooly continues to enable local

music initiatives – no doubt in part a ‘selfish’ endeavour as

it’s no secret that Jean-Pierre and I love attending live music

performances as much as we share a passion for supporting

them. Beyond music, we continue to donate money and gift

certificates to a number of charities and sports teams.

This overall focus on the environment, music and cultivating

community in general is, in my opinion, what defines a good

neighbourhood business.

The management company that oversees The Wooly is The

Neighbourhood Group of Companies (NGC). It’s MO –

‘By neighbours, For neighbours’ – sums up the vision and mission

statement for our business. I’d like to take some space now to

thank some of my own closest ‘neighbours.’

Firstly, I’d love to recognize Louise McMullen (21 years with

NGC and counting) and my son Court, whose constant support

over these past decades has made my life at The Wooly and

beyond much easier. Their commitment to our ideals and key

stakeholders has continually kept the ship on course. I’d also

like to recognize and thank The Wooly management team,

who continue to excel in delivering our promise to be what a

neighbourhood business should be for guests, staff, suppliers

and the community – a place to meet and enjoy life. I also want

to acknowledge the undying support of my wife Sue and both

kids, Emily and Court, who’ve helped keep me on an even keel

on the personal side of things for all these years.

It’s been a great ride. Cheers.

Bob ‘Bobby D’ Desautels

Did You Know?

The Wooly’s Bob Desautels has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from the U of Guelph

Wooly Partners: Jean-Pierre Schoch & Bob Desautels have something to celebrate

& Brewer’s Feast, which this year will see two

hundred folks enjoy a magnificent meal paired

with great beer here at The Wooly as well as at

our two Borealis locations.’

‘We’ve pledged to raise $50,000 by 2017

to help fund the creation of a new nature

centre at Guelph Lake,’ adds Bob Desautels,

whose affinity for the Grand River watershed

extends to the creation of a scaled down stone

map of our local rivers on his property. ‘Our

River Fundraiser & Brewer’s Feast, whose

continued sponsorship by Creemore and

other phenomenal partners and suppliers

allows us to give 100% of the dinner’s

proceeds to the GRCF, will help us get closer

to this wildly-ambitious goal.’

And other fundraising initiatives through

the year that see breweries – including Mill

Street, Wellington, Sleeman, StoneHammer

and more – donate $0.50 a pint to the GRCF

While it may lack the sexy brand appeal of the

Brewshed Initiative and while the concept’s

a little different, The Wooly has been pairing

local beer (and food) with water conservation

awareness and fundraising for a quarter

century now – resulting in an eye-watering

$100,000 raised for Grand River watershed

projects.

Yep. 100k.

As The Wooly’s Court Desautels notes: ‘Our

earliest forays into caring for our local rivers

began way back in 1990 when we used to

participate in OPIRG-Guelph’s annual Speed

River Clean Up. As the years passed, our focus

on water conservation initiatives shifted to

fundraising efforts that supported broader

Grand River watershed projects through the

Grand River Conservation Foundation.’

Continues Court: ‘In more recent years we’ve

fine-tuned our fundraising recipe through

the creation of our annual River Fundraiser

IN 2012, THE NON-PROFIT WASHINGTON

WILD – AN ORGANIZATION THAT PROTECTS

AND RESTORES WILD LANDS AND WATERS

IN WASHINGTON STATE – FOUNDED THE

BREWSHED INITIATIVE, AN APTLY-BRANDED

PROJECT DESIGNED TO PROMOTE WATER

ADVOCACY BY REMINDING FOLKS THAT

‘PROTECTED WATER MAKES SUPERIOR BEER.’

The Brewshed Initiative now includes 25+

breweries and beer community partners who

(together) have managed to raise more than

$25,000 for water conservation.

Solid stuff. A sexy brand. And such a cool

idea to link folks’ passion for great beer with

broader water advocacy issues. Indeed, it

could almost make a person jealous to think

that something this awesome – something

this ‘Guelph-y’ – wasn’t first conceived right

here in the Royal City. Or was it?

Drink beer. Now That’s Sexy.SAVE WATER?

by Chris Tiessen

EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER

8.

10185_CSB_Wooly25thAnnv_3.5x4.75Ad_v1Bol.indd 1 19/05/15 11:58 PM

over a designated period of time are also helping The

Wooly get closer to the reality of a new nature centre.

Concludes Court: ‘For the past quarter century we’ve

been privileged to operate The Wooly here in Guelph.

And so much of this privilege stems from – and relies on

– a fresh local water supply. From the craft beer we sell to

the local food we offer, water is at the core of everything

we do. It just makes sense, then, that we play our part

by ensuring that the Grand River watershed remains

healthy and sustainable. The fact that our customers

can play (at least a bit of ) their part by coming in for a

pint and great local food is a bonus for all of us.’

Now that’s sexy.

This year’s River Fundraiser & Brewer’s Feast –

including the annual canoe prize giveaway – is to be

held on the Monday of these twenty-fifth anniversary

festivities. (See centrepage spread for info.)

Did You Know?

The Wooly has reduced its waste by almost 50% via sorting and menu engineering W�ly

All-St�s

5 yrsPosition: Kitchen ManagerFave Beer: Wooly Harvest AleFave Menu Item: Veggie Blue ‘Shroom Burger

Neil Dub�s Neil Dubois

5 yrs

Position: Kitchen Manager

Fave Beer: Wooly Harvest Ale

Fave Menu Item: Veggie Blue ‘Shroom Burger

The Wooly’s Neil, Marc, Bob & Paul navigate

The Speed bolstered with brew

10.

GEORGE EAGLESON HAS BEEN BREWING

BEER FOR AS LONG AS THE WOOLY HAS

BEEN SERVING IT. Twenty Five Years. A quarter

century. Two and a half decades. An impressive

number any way you dish it out.

And if you’ve happened into The Wooly for

a pint any time over this time period (which

I’m guessing you have, as very few come for

the coffee), there’s a very good chance you’ve

probably relished one of George’s brews – or

at least one he’s influenced in some way or

another. Indeed, George’s CV reads like a who’s

who of Ontario craft (and some not-so-craft)

breweries.

Upper Canada Brewing Co (’91-’98). Sleeman

Brewery (’98). Amsterdam Brewing Co (’98).

Black Oak Brewing Co (’00-’01). Church-

Key Brewing Co (’00-’01). Glenora Springs

Brewing Ltd (’00-’01). Hart Brewery Co (‘02).

Muskoka Brewery (’02-’03). Great Lakes

Brewery (’03). Cool Beer Brewing Co (’03-’06).

And finally F&M Brewery (now StoneHammer

Brewing) (’06-present).

Indeed, George and his fellow brewers at

StoneHammer are even the ones responsible

for The Wooly’s very own house Harvest Ale

and Harvest Lager – two staples at the pub

that have undoubtedly helped contribute to

The Wooly’s ranking as one of the 125 places

in the world to grab a pint before you die.

And while you’re enjoying your pint there’s

also a pretty good chance George is at The

Wooly too – usually holding court in the bar

with a brewer or two talking shop. Especially

if it’s a Friday afternoon nearing the end of the

work day. ‘The Wooly’s a great meeting place

for brewers,’ notes George over (what else) a

pint at The Wooly on a Friday afternoon in

late May. ‘This place has continued to be a

great support for craft brewers – oftentimes

being the first establishment to take chances

on new brews and breweries.’

Adds George: ‘As such, the pub serves as a sort

of classroom for folks in the brewing industry

– where we learn from each other by swapping

stories, generating ideas for new collaboration

brews [including the recent dandelion-infused

brew – with dandelions picked right off The

Wooly’s front lawn – concocted by George,

Wellington Brewery’s Marvin Dyck and Royal

City’s Cam Fryer], and celebrate the successes

in our industry.’

Celebrations that not only include this

weekend’s silver anniversary festivities at The

Wooly but also George’s own birthday party

every year – Georgeapalooza – at which beer

folk from across the country get together to

celebrate this eccentric and loved giant of the

industry.

As George’s longtime brew partner Andrew

Henry (also of StoneHammer) notes of his

great friend: ‘Much like The Wooly, George

has become an icon of the craft beer world.

Indeed, George shares much with my other

‘living room’ – they’re both comfortably worn

in, good for a laugh, and the perfect partner

for a pint on any given Friday afternoon.’

So during these 25th anniversary celebrations,

be sure to raise a glass both to The Wooly and

to George Eagleson – after all, it’s probably

because of them that you’re drinking what

you’re drinking.

by Chris Tiessen

George Eagleson & The Wooly Were Made for Each Other

KINDRED ‘SPIRITS’:

EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER

George; George with Wellington’s Marvin & Royal City’s Cam

collaborating on something new & tasty

1 - 8 0 0 - 2 6 5 - 5 6 6 3 w w w . m o r t o n w h o l e s a l e . c o m

OUR PEOPLE, SERVICE & PRODUCTS Proudly Canadian Owned, Morton Wholesale is a distributor for Foodservice Operators in Southern Ontario.

The Ontario Grassroots Program was established by Morton Wholesale with the main objective of promoting and distributing quality food products from Ontario’s finest producers. We achieve this by supporting Ontario farmers and businesses - both large and small. Our partners share our passion for food and understand the importance of supporting local business and enhancing the economic, environmental, and social practices of food purchasing and consumption. Most importantly, this program seeks to increase the overall awareness and consumption of Ontario food products.

WHAT MAKES MORTON WHOLESALE DIFFERENT?

W�lyAll-St�s

9 yrsPosition: Server – and so much more!Fave Beer: Flying Monkeys Smash BombFave Menu Item: Fish Taco Board

Pamela Dick

Annual River Fundraiser & Brewer’s Feast – 7pmSpecial 4-Course Dinner with Beer Pairingsand Canoe Giveaway $60 a personsponsored by Creemore Springs Brewery

25th Anniversary FestivitiesThe W�ly’s

Friday, June 19

Saturday, June 20

Sunday, June 21

Monday, June 22

Woolystock 2 – 6pm til 11pmMusic: Abby & Harry | The Doletinkerssponsored by StoneHammer Brewing & Wellington Brewery

Kids Extravaganza & BBQ – 10am til 2pmBike Parade to Exhibition Park (sponsored by Steamwhistle)Interactive event with Wild Ontario Birds of Prey

Woolystock 2 – 2pm til 11pmMusic: SPANK | Je� Bird & Mo Kau�ey | The Speakeasies | The Kramdens

Father's Day 'Solstice' Cask Festival – noon til 7pm Music: Kent & Scotty | The Dogs

Featuring 25 BreweriesTwo Sessions: Noon til 2:30pm & 3pm til 5:30pm$25 a person

CASK

FESTIVAL

S�stice

Royal City Brewing CoWellington BreweryStoneHammer BrewingSleeman BreweryBlock Three Brewing CoInnocente Brewing CoMuskoka BreweryMill St BreweryBlack Oak/Cheshire Valley Brewing Co

Great Lakes BreweryAmsterdam Brewing CoIndie Ale HouseRevel CiderWest Ave CiderJunction Craft BreweryNorthwinds BrewhouseCollingwood BreweryBeau’s All Natural Brewing CoFlying Monkeys Craft Brewery

Sunday, June 21

Cask Festival LineupMacLean’s AlesSawdust City Brewing CoNickel Brook BreweryLake of Bays Brewing CoNiagara College Teaching BreweryPommies Cider

Fath�’s Day!

Did You Know?

The Wooly has been ranked #49 of 125 places in the world to have a beer before you die

Annual River Fundraiser & Brewer’s Feast – 7pmSpecial 4-Course Dinner with Beer Pairingsand Canoe Giveaway $60 a personsponsored by Creemore Springs Brewery

25th Anniversary FestivitiesThe W�ly’s

Friday, June 19

Saturday, June 20

Sunday, June 21

Monday, June 22

Woolystock 2 – 6pm til 11pmMusic: Abby & Harry | The Doletinkerssponsored by StoneHammer Brewing & Wellington Brewery

Kids Extravaganza & BBQ – 10am til 2pmBike Parade to Exhibition Park (sponsored by Steamwhistle)Interactive event with Wild Ontario Birds of Prey

Woolystock 2 – 2pm til 11pmMusic: SPANK | Je� Bird & Mo Kau�ey | The Speakeasies | The Kramdens

Father's Day 'Solstice' Cask Festival – noon til 7pm Music: Kent & Scotty | The Dogs

Featuring 25 BreweriesTwo Sessions: Noon til 2:30pm & 3pm til 5:30pm$25 a person

CASK

FESTIVAL

S�stice

Royal City Brewing CoWellington BreweryStoneHammer BrewingSleeman BreweryBlock Three Brewing CoInnocente Brewing CoMuskoka BreweryMill St BreweryBlack Oak/Cheshire Valley Brewing Co

Great Lakes BreweryAmsterdam Brewing CoIndie Ale HouseRevel CiderWest Ave CiderJunction Craft BreweryNorthwinds BrewhouseCollingwood BreweryBeau’s All Natural Brewing CoFlying Monkeys Craft Brewery

Sunday, June 21

Cask Festival LineupMacLean’s AlesSawdust City Brewing CoNickel Brook BreweryLake of Bays Brewing CoNiagara College Teaching BreweryPommies Cider

Fath�’s Day!

THE SIMPLEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THE

WOOLY WOULD BE TO LABEL IT A ‘PUB.’

And the most straightforward way to describe

The Wooly’s Bob Desautels would be to call

him a ‘publican.’ And yet neither one of these

descriptions captures the essence of these two

great local institutions.

Let’s begin with The Wooly. As I get older,

I don’t go out as much as I used to. Like

most people who’ve journeyed outside

their twenties, newfound responsibilities –

including family, early bedtimes, and even

earlier mornings – have come to occupy my

time. And that’s okay.

When I am able to ‘go out’, however, I’m

careful to make sure it’s worth it. And so I

almost always choose The Wooly. (True – I

conveniently live around the corner, but The

Wooly’s my ‘local’ for reasons far beyond mere

convenience.)

For a quarter century now, The Wooly has

remained a friendly place with amazing

staff and fantastic food – a place that puts

small brewers, adventurous beers and

locally-sourced ingredients front and centre.

And a place whose eco-consciousness and

local-centric mandate convinces me that by

simply stepping out at the place for a pint I’m

somehow doing my part as a steward of the

world. Almost by osmosis.

Because here’s the thing: ‘locally-sourced’ has

been The Wooly’s mantra for decades. Indeed,

long before most people started caring about

where their food came from, or whether

their beer was ‘craft’, The Wooly was there –

keeping it local – from the beginning.

Could it be, then, that the broader recent

drive toward ‘fresh’ and ‘craft’ and ‘local-centric’

means that the world may finally be catching

up with The Wooly? That’d surely be a good

thing.

The Wooly is a trailblazer, no doubt. And what,

then, of its proprietor – Bob Desautels?

For The Kramdens, Bob has been nothing

short of a champion whose love for

homegrown definitely translates to support

for us. (And while Bob is undoubtedly the band’s

champion, The Wooly is more like a sibling.

A fraternal twin, in fact, as The Kramdens

and The Wooly are both celebrating silver

anniversaries this year.)

Over this past quarter century, there is no

shortage of good memories that our band has

of Bob. When The Kramdens marked our 15th

anniversary with a show at River Run Centre,

for instance, Bob was kind enough to host our

after-party at The Wooly. He graciously – so

graciously! – supplied food for all the guests. A

lot of guests. I can still picture Bob that night

– smiling and making sure it all went smoothly.

Five years later, we were beyond honoured

when Bob asked us to play The Wooly’s

twentieth anniversary party – just as we are

humbled and thrilled to be back for this year’s

twenty-fifth anniversary festivities. And it’s

not just The Kramdens that have such close

ties to Bob. His support of local music across

genres helps keep our community’s local

music and arts scene alive.

To be sure, Bob Desautels and The Wooly are

inextricably linked to each other. And they’re

also inextricably linked to the broader Guelph

‘neighbourhood’ – and an integral part of what

makes Guelph great. The man, the bricks, and

the mortar have together helped build and

shape this community. And they continue to

do so.

Congratulations, Bob. Here’s to many, many

more.

The Kramdens’ Craig Norris

w/ Steve Knox, Robert Leader, Michael Plater-Findlay & Michael Ostler

Celebrating Silver Anniversaries – TogetherTHE WOOLY & THE KRAMDENS:

EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER

14.

The Kramdens rehearse somewhere cozy in Guelph

visitguelphwellington.ca

@visitguelph /visitgw

YOUR GUIDE TO GUELPH

WINGS • FRIENDS •

LO

CAL

MUSIC • BEER

A CITY TO REMEMBER

Congratulations to the Wooly for 25 amazing years serving Guelph’s locals and visitors.

W�lyAll-St�s

16 yrsPosition: Key HolderFave Beer: StoneHammer DarkFave Menu Item: YU Ranch Beef Blue ‘Shroom Burger

M�c Bosb�m

THE WOOLY’S COURT DESAUTELS HAS

REMARKED THAT TO LEARN ABOUT

THE PUB ONE MUST FIRST LEARN ABOUT ITS

SUPPLIERS. As Court notes: ‘There’s really no

better way to understand The Wooly’s core

values of sustainability, eco-consciousness and

pride in local than by seeing how deeply these

values are embedded in the businesses with

which we partner every day.’

He continues: ‘And Bryan Gilvesy’s YU Ranch

– which supplies The Wooly with award-

winning 100% grass-fed Texas Longhorn

beef – is a perfect example of this. On the

surface, Bryan manages a beef farm. But dig

a little deeper and you’ll see that YU is much

more than this. A sanctuary for rare birds

and endangered pollinators. A sacred space

for threatened species of trees. A happy

ecosystem that balances healthy wetland,

forest and grassland habitats. A classroom.’

Indeed, Bryan’s sustainability efforts (including

a solar-powered irrigation system for his cattle

and a one-of-a-kind delivery van whose freezer

is also powered by the sun) have not gone

unnoticed. The 2014 Environmental Award

from the Tillsonburg Chamber of Commerce.

The 2013 Premier’s Leadership Award for

Agricultural Innovation. The 2013 Canadian

Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Award. The

2012 Environment Minister’s Award

for Environmental Excellence. The 2008

Canadian Agri-Food Award of Excellence

for Stewardship. The 2007 Premier’s Award

for Agricultural Innovation. And the list goes

on. And on. And on!

‘And of course there’s the beef, too,’ Court

reminds me. Ah yes, the beef. 2009

International Texas Longhorn Breeder of the

Year beef. Beef that (almost) seems to come as

an afterthought for rancher Bryan who insists

that the success of his business has much

more to do with his passion for cultivating

a harmonious ecosystem than with any

deliberate attempt to grow a profitable herd.

‘I consider myself a grass farmer more than I

do a cattle rancher,’ observes Bryan during a

recent trip to the ranch with Court. ‘In my mind,

if I’m able to care for the land effectively and

sustainably, the cattle will work themselves

out.’

In other words, Bryan’s successful cattle

business is as much the serendipidous

outcome of his passion for environmental

stewardship as anything else. And, truth be

told, the same could be said of The Wooly. For

while most patrons of this pub frequent The

Wooly for obvious reasons – great food, great

drink, great staff, great atmosphere – the

business is rooted solidly in weightier stuff.

The locally-sourced food and drink. The tens of

thousands of dollars raised for the Grand River

Conservation Foundation over the years.

A Partnership Rooted in SustainabilityTHE WOOLY & YU RANCH:

EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER

The Bullfrog Power and solar-powered hot water system.

The Steamwhistle bike servicing station located right

outside the front door. The staff competitions to reduce

waste and save energy. The decision to make mashed

potatoes with the skins in because they account for 30%

of a potato’s weight – that’s a lot of potential waste! The

incredibly deliberate and painstaking waste reduction

initiative that saw each customer’s food waste reduced

from 1.3 to .7 pounds. The deliberate decision to avoid

including straws with drinks because they’re wasteful

– and the even more deliberate decision to invest in

biodegradable straws (at three times the cost of regular

ones) in the rare event that a customer asks for one. And

this is just a taste.

As Bryan concludes: ‘Our lasting partnership with The

Wooly continues to be so fulfilling because its rooted in

our shared commitments to the environment and to the

futures of our children’s children. Bob, Court and The

Wooly gang have never let these commitments waver.

Indeed, it can reasonably be noted that The Wooly

exists as a vehicle to save the planet.’

Indeed. And the rest is but a fortuitous consequence.

Versions of this article have appeared in the Winter 2015

issue of col.lab.o.rate and Spring 2015 issue of Moving

Business Forward – both quarterly publications of the

Guelph Chamber of Commerce.

Grass Fed Texas Longhorn Beef.From Our Ranch To Your Table. Here’s To Another 25 Years.

Cheers.yuranch.com

W�lyAll-St�s

22 yrsPosition: Group CommunicationsFave Beer: Wooly Harvest AleFave Menu Item: Sea Salt & Pepper Wings

L�ise McMullen

A day at the ranch – or Heaven

‘Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia.’- HG WELLS

FOR MOST FOLKS, THE WOOLY IS A

PLACE WHERE DREAMS (AND REALITIES)

OF FITNESS COME TO DIE. Where exercise is

confined to whatever game happens to be

showing on the pub’s two screens. And where

breaking a sweat is limited to full-house Friday

nights when The Wooly invariably packs so full

with friends, strangers, laughter and good cheer

that no one seems to mind either the rising

temperature in the dining room or the fact that

the wait for a table is usually longer than the

time finally spent relaxing in a seat.

For most folks. But not all.

For some of us, Thursday evenings at The

Wooly has become a sort of sacrosanct ritual

where we readily trade our button-ups and

button-downs for skin-tight shorts, comfy

chamois, and the official yellow jersey of –

you guessed it – The Beer Delivery Guys/

Gals Cycling Club (or BDGCC).

The BDGCC was formed in 2009 by three guys

who had two things in common – cycling

and beer delivery. Matt Arnold was working

for F&M Brewery (now StoneHammer

Brewing) at the time, delivering beer to their

customers. I was working at The Wooly as a

server, delivering beer to its patrons. And

Nathan Poulton was working in the kitchen

at The Wooly, delivering beer to the sewage

system via his liver. We all had road bikes and

a penchant to enjoy good, local craft beer so

we created the BDGCC as an excuse to ride

together every Thursday and return to The

Wooly for after-ride pints.

While the BDGCC has gone through several

iterations over the years, it’s continued to

grow in numbers. This year’s club boasts 38

members and several key local sponsors –

including Royal City Brewing Co, Wellington

Brewery, StoneHammer Brewery, Speed

River Cycles, AET, Planet Bean and of

course The Wooly. We continue to meet

every Thursday at the pub for a ride and a

pint, with between 12-15 riders consistently

participating each week on rides that are

generally 40-50km and mercifully divided

into two groups: those comfortably pedaling

at a 25-28km/hr average pace and those

ferociously mashing the pedals at a 28-31km/

hr average pace.

The club is always welcoming new riders.

Indeed, if you own a road bike and helmet and

enjoy good company, great beer and getting

out for a brisk ride, feel free to come out and

join in. The pack rolls out from The Wooly

parking lot at 6:30pm every Thursday from

April until November.

As the jersey says: Meet You At The Wooly!

Cheers, Taylor Moran, BDGCC

EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER

20.

Did You Know?

Bob from The Wooly was a pro golfer and played on the Canadian & Australian PGA Tour

The Wooly:Guelph’s Favourite Biker Bar

localfoodfest

localguelph wellington

www.tastereal.ca

June 2111:00am - 5:00pm

ADMISSION:

$2.50 per person $5 per family

foodfest

6

Ignatius Jesuit Centre and Farm, Guelph/Eramosa

Thank you to the Wooly for 25 years of championing LOCAL in our community!

BIKE TO THE FESTIVAL!

W�lyAll-St�s

17 yrsPosition: Line CookFave Beer: Mill St OrganicFave Menu Item: Steak and Mushroom Pie

Stu Nash

June 2015

Distance

45.04kilometers

Start Elevation

332meters

Max Elevation

372meters

Gain

242meters

RewardGood FriendsCold Pints

GUELPH

Eliza

beth

St. Yo

rk R

D.

Watson Rd. S.

First Line Nassagaweye

Nassagaweye-Puslinch Townline

ARKELL

Elevation (m)396

363

330

297 0 9.01 18.02 27.03 36.03 45.04

*cited from Map My Ride

THE WOOLY IS RENOWNED FOR A NUMBER

OF THINGS. Obvious and not-so-obvious

craft beer selections (cheese beer, anyone?).

Consistently great live music. An incredible

front porch and energizing rear patio. Friendly

strangers and stranger friends. And a go-to menu

that includes the fattest tastiest wings, mouth-

watering fish & chips, and satisfying charcuterie

boards.

And while it’s never that difficult for Wooly

patrons to identify where their beer comes

from, or who’s singing on a Saturday night,

or the folks seated around them, fewer know

where most of The Wooly’s food is sourced

and how it gets to the pub.

Jean Beauchemin, Director of Sales at Morton

Wholesale Ltd, is more than happy to share:

‘We’re The Wooly’s wholesaler of choice,’ notes

Jean matter-of-factly over lunch at (where

else) The Wooly. ‘From the wings raised

right down the road in Milton to most of The

Wooly’s Ontario-sourced meats to its produce

to the fresh perch and pickerel that our trucks

pick up at the shore of Lake Erie and deliver to

the pub that same day to the serviettes to the

chemicals and cleaning supplies sourced from

a local family-owned business based in Fergus

– we ensure that The Wooly remains stocked

with local and sustainable goods and produce.’

How? Because Morton’s is stocked with

local and sustainable goods and produce.

As Jean continues: ‘Our Ontario Grass

Roots Program ensures that we promote

and distribute quality food products from

Ontario’s finest producers thus supporting

not only phenomenal establishments like The

Wooly but also all players in the farm-to-fork

process – from feed/ingredient suppliers to

farmers to processing facilities to packaging

to distribution.’

The Wooly’s Court Desautels can’t say enough

good things about the wholesaler, noting: ‘We

consider Jean and his Morton crew to be part

of The Wooly family. They continually go the

distance for us – from the (literally) thousands

of local products they’ve got listed to the most

obscure meats and cheeses they’ll eagerly

source for us to their incredible sustained

commitment to environment and community.’

A commitment that has for a few years now

translated into Morton’s donating all of the

key ingredients for The Wooly’s annual River

Fundraiser & Brewer’s Feast so that 100% of

the dinner’s proceeds can go towards GRCF

projects.

Muses Jean as our lunch nears its end: ‘For me,

The Wooly is an extremely special account

– and one that I’ll never take for granted.’ He

continues: ‘I began coming here years ago

as a patron while attending the University

of Guelph, and decided to move to Guelph

permanently after university in large part

because of local spots like The Wooly. Indeed,

it’s places like The Wooly that define this

community. And I’m proud to be part of it.’

Adds Court: ‘And we’re proud to have you,

buddy.’

EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER

Morton Wholesale Ltd: Like A Member of the Family

by Chris Tiessenby Chris TiessenMorton’s Jean Beauchemin eating out at home

The Neighbourhood Group

Still not convinced?

It’s all in �e details

BY NEIGHBOURS, for NEIGHBOURS

Solar panels

great restaurants. 3 locations

Borealis Kitchener is in an old schoolhouse!

Staff shirts are organic cotton and Toronto made at me to we where a tree is planted for every shirt bought.

refreshing flavour and available locally year-round we reduce the amount of lemons and limes (and miles travelled!)

OUR NAPKINs are 100% recycled and biodegradeable!(unlike some that are actually dyed brown to appear recycLed!)

over 2000 trees planted to date!

Cleaner planet

ALL OUR FRYER OIL IS collected and converted to bio-diesel!

we’ve done numerous studies to reduce energy & kitchen waste. Our vegetable peels even go to a local pig farmer now!

Since 1990 we've been raising money to protect our local waterways. To date we've raised over $100,000 for various conservation organizations.

CARs RUNning ON FRYER OIL?

WASTE REDUCTION PROTECTINGOUR WATERWAYS

ton

2

Did you know, TABLES in BOREALis Guelph are made from an old Walnut tree that fell infront of the wooly!

CUCUMBERS IN WATER?

100% recycled

Where it all comes �om...LOCAL TASTESWAY BETTER!

FIELD TRIPSIt's important for us to know where our food comes from

OUR SUPPLIERS

Over 80% Locally Sourced Foods & Beverages

Green Leadership Award for Canada We are members of Ocean Wise and

the first restaurant in the World to have our fish DNA-Certified!

Sustainable Fish

from Foodservice and Hospitality Magazine

borealisgrille.ca woolwicharrow.ca

Obsessively Local

We call it the “curse of knowing better”. You’ll discover it when you hoist a glass of locally made Wellington Special Pale Ale where gut-bloating carbonation doesn’t need to be added to make it last longer like big brewery beers. You’ll taste it when you tuck into a burger made with local, grass fed long-horn cattle, the only cattle indigenous to North America. Taste local and everything else pales by comparison.

So, be warned. Come to Borealis but be prepared to change your view of everything.

Guelph & Kitchener | BorealisGrille.ca

Yeah we haveimported beer.

it comes all the waY from

the other side of town.