Neighbors ~ Country Flowers in Full Bloom By Suzanne Veh For Edward's Schoenherr fami- ly, business is blooming. Gord and Diane have just ex- panded into Embrun with their Country Flowers and Gifts, at 375 Notre-Dame, allowing them to provide better service to the area. The Schoenherrs started eight years ago with one small greenhouse; there are now four greenhouses on the 14-acre Ed- 'wards site. Gord's father was in the marketing business and Gord started full time at age 16 to work with him. His mother was a floral designer and still helps out at the Schoenherrs today. Gord then spent: thirteen years working for well-known florists in the Ottawa area learning and perfecting his flower arranging talents. The Schoenherrs built their first greenhouse to grow flowers for market purposes but were soon getting so many requests to make flower arrangements for wed- dings, funerals and other occas- sions that the business quickly ex- panded. Running your own business is a 24-hour job full of rewards and but not without pitfalls. The nursery, business, perhaps even more than farming, depends to a great extent on the weather. The working year really starts in December, at which time the Schoenherrs start all their mums in anticipation of Easter and Mother's Day. These tender cuttings are nur- -- tured through winter's coldest months under two strings of 100-watt light bulbs (along with oil heat) to speed the growing pro- cess. Gord and Diane well remember the near disaster one December when the wind blew the outer layer of plastic off the greenhouse, destroying the insula- tion pocket and allowing heat to escape. They were able to save their mums but the heating costs were heavy that year. " In March, asters, zinnias, bachelor buttons, and more seeds are planted and kept in a well- heated greenhouse. The seedlings are then transplanted to the fields where they are completely vulnerable to a wet or dry sum- mer, heat waves and late frosts. Diane recalled how once, three years ago, the greenhouse froze three times due to heating pro- blems, each time forcing them to start their seeds all over again. As is the case for everyone mak- ing their living off the land, the work is plentiful, tedious, back- breaking, yet richly rewarding. Gord and Diane have three children, all of whom participate in the family business. Greg, 18, works full-time with his father; Wendy, 17, and Susan, 16 both at- tend Garneau High School but put in their share of work after school and summers. - During summer months, naturally the busiest time, the days start at 6:00 a.m. and end at 10:00 p.m. The Schoenherrs plant about one half of their fourteen acres with flowers and the weeding is mostly done by hand, as is the cutting and bunching. Just cutting flowers in the field is a job that takes all day. Another job that takes the greater part of a day is watering the greenhouses. (The Schoenherrs have two wells and are installing a third this year). Diane, Wendy and Susan do most of the cutting, bunching and weeding while Gord and Greg handle the deliveries and the market end of things. Most of the fresh flower arrangements are done by Gord; Diane does some and Mrs. Schoenherr senior of Ot- tawa helps out in a pinch. Diane Schoenherr arranges Blooms (Suzanne Veh Photo) Country Flowers and Gifts "18 yrs. experience" Two locations to serve you better! _ 375 Notre Dame - Embrun - 443-2424 Regional Rd. 8 - Edwards - 821-2573 Our S ecialt -- Funeral tributes & Wedding Flowers. We have books available to assist you for funerals & weddings. Flowers For All Occasions -- silk, dried, fresh flowers, pottery & ceramic dish gardens and tropical plants. | Coes o> bat aig, ) (se _ Page 11 Russell Airport To Stretch No Fear of Flying - Fortresses --owner Fears over the prospect of big passenger planes roaring in and out of Russell 'Airport. are. unfounded and inaccurate, says owner Gordon Thomas. Although he plans to extend the airport's longest runway to a point where.it could accommodate a plane as large as a 737 in an emergency, he said the largest planes which might routinely use the strip would be DC-6 or DC-4. But traffic would consist mostly of lighter freight and commuter craft, he said. News.that the airport runway was to be expanded caught some local residents and politicians off guard at a recent Russell Township plann- ing meeting. John Athey, who has lived three-quarters of a mile north of the air- port for nine years. wondered at the safety factor of larger aircraft lan- ding and taking off over farm houses and well-travelled roads. The air- port is located one-and-a-half miles north of Embrun between St. Pierre and St. Guillaume (Embrun to 417) Roads. Mr. Athey recalled an incident when a light aircraft with engine trou- ble barely cleared his barn before flopping in a neighboring farm field. That doesn't happen too often, he said, but if it had been a larger plane needing more clearance, it could have "cleaned out" his barn. He said he lived far enough away not to be bothered by the current air traffic but felt that more and heavier planes could change that. "It's not what's happening now, I'm concerned about the future." Mr. Thomas who has owned the airport since 1967, said he was stret- ching the main runway from one-half mile in length to almost the full distance between 'concessions in the hope of luring largely light aircraft traffic that is being squeezed out of Ottawa Airport by the growing number of big planes. He also plans to extend a secondary runway and possibly add a third. : : He is also looking at setting up a small aircraft-oriented industrial park on the 165-acre airport site. It could attract executive jets, training and twin-engine machines. 'I don't see any problems. There is plenty of room and very few ap- proaches over any houses," he said. Mr. Thomas' firm, Golden Triangle Air Services, owns three planes and offers flying courses. The airport has hanger room for 11 craft. : Russell Township Councillor Baird McNeill chairman of the planning board, approved of the airport's expansion plans but stressed that Mr. Thomas could not proceed without council approval. He said residents neighboring the airport would have a chance to officially express their concerns before any expansion was endorsed. He said any changes to the township plan and zoning bylaw could take six months or more. HONEY'S GARAGE General repairs, 24-hour towing and road service, snow ploughing We have regular and unleaded gas Garage Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. 64 Castor St., Russell Bus. 445-3020 Home: 445-2890 E. A. Campbell Electrical -- Heating Plumbing Contractor - (DON'T GAMBOL SEE CAMPBELL) Russell | 445-2167 PLUMBING SUPPLY industrial Park Embrun EMBRUN EVERYTHING YOU NEED ~ FOR YOUR PLUMBING Repair -- Renovations -- or New Construction 'Visit our Showroom or Phone DISCOUNT STORE 2 443-5258 LR. Weldam Soon CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT BOX 216, VICTORIA ST. 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