6 Friday, December 3, 2021 brooklintowncrier.com June, 1982 - Whitby Town Council holds a moment of silence to honour Luther Ernest Vipond who has tragically died from injuries sustained in an accident while helping a friend. He was 67. His funeral service is held at the Brooklin United Church since the Carson Funeral Home cannot accommodate the large numbers wishing to mourn the loss of one of Brooklin's most respected residents. Luther Vipond distinguished himself as an athlete, coach, manager, executive, sponsor, mentor, and community builder. He served in World War 2 with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and was one of 14,000 Canadians who landed on the Normandy beaches on D-Day. Worked the farm He and his twin brother Lewis were the first sons for his parents Myron and Gertrude Vipond. Luther attended the Brooklin Continuation school on Winchester Road and helped his father work their 210-acre farm located where the Meadowcrest subdivision stands today. After the war, Luther moved to Sudbury for a while to work in the nickel mines. From his youth, Luther had a passion for sports. He began his lacrosse career in the 1930s and was a key player on Brooklin's Senior B team until the team folded in 1943. Though his lacrosse career was on hold during the war, he took up the sport again upon his return and helped Brooklin to its first Ontario Lacrosse Association championship at the intermediate C level. He retired from playing in 1953 to coach the Brooklin Broncos and later joined the club's executive. This was the beginning of a long involvement in off-floor direction of Brooklin's lacrosse clubs. The current Brooklin Lacrosse Club, previously known as the Redmen, continue to recognize his contribution by annually awarding the Luther Vipond trophy to the executive who demonstrates the standards Luther represented during his long association with the sport. Managed first arena Luther was among the volunteers who constructed the Brooklin Memorial arena on Winchester Road (see the BTC story from the Nov. 19 issue). When it opened in 1949, Luther's Uncle John Vipond managed the building maintenance with Luther as his assistant until John retired and Luther took over, serving as manager until his own retirement in 1979. However, during these years, he was active as a minor lacrosse and hockey coach and won the 1955 OMHA juvenile D hockey championship. To Luther, the job at the arena was his life and everyone who worked with him knew how much he gave to make sure every aspect of its operation ran smoothly. Finally, on Remembrance Day 1982, nine years after the new arena opened, it was renamed the Luther Vipond Memorial Arena, a fitting memorial to a man who gave of himself for the betterment of sports in his community. Luther was inducted into the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 following his son Peter who was inducted in 2003. Luther Vipond rests at Groveside Cemetary alongside his wife Esther.. Photo courtesy of Whitby Archives Luther Vipond By Jennifer Hudgins A common question I'm asked is, "Isn't it expensive to be vegan?" The answer is both yes and no. Yes, it can be expensive to buy pre-made packaged vegan food. But no, it's not expensive if you cook from scratch. Once you learn the basics, your food bill can be lower than omnivores. My partner eats meat and I am often shocked at its cost these days. On the flip side, I find Beyond Beef burgers expensive, too. The key to being vegan on the cheap is to buy unprocessed foods in bulk. Bulk food stores are great and most grocery stores have bulk food sections. I am a Costco member and buy many organic staples in larger quantities including canned black beans, tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, pasta, tofu and more. The selection of organic foods at Costco is continuously increasing. Healthy and cheap A quick dinner might be pasta, with a can of tomatoes, a can of chickpeas, and some spices. The total cost is less than $10 and would serve two to three meals, making it healthy for both my body and my wallet. A standard size block of tofu will feed me two meals and costs about $3 a block. Tofu is an excellent source of protein and very versatile; it's like the "chicken" of vegan meals. Produce can be expensive but is less costly when in-season and local. Off-season, you can get pretty good deals buying frozen vegetables. I purchase as much fresh produce as I can afford and then supplement with frozen. Recently I roasted frozen broccoli and was pleasantly surprised at the taste. Frozen is costly The one area where vegan foods consistently cost more is frozen dinners. That's mainly because vegan offerings tend to be made from high-quality organic ingredients. Plus, since there are fewer vegans, demand is lower, which means the cost is higher. The more people demand plant-based foods, the lower the costs will be. Both Farm Boy and The Super Centre offer competitively priced plant-based alternatives that are worth checking out. The following recipe is inexpensive, tasty and comes from www. mimimalistbaker.com: 8 ounces extra-firm tofu 1-2 Tbsp olive oil 1/4 red onion (thinly sliced) 1/2 green pepper (thinly sliced) 2 cups kale (loosely chopped) SAUCE 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp chili powder Water (to thin) 1/4 tsp turmeric (optional) Instructions Pat tofu dry and roll in a clean, absorbent towel with something heavy on top for 15 minutes. While tofu is draining, prepare sauce by adding dry spices to a small bowl and adding enough water to make a pourable sauce. Set aside. Prep veggies and warm a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil and the onion and red pepper. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper and stir. Cook until softened - about 5 minutes. Add kale, season with a bit more salt and pepper, and cover to steam for 2 minutes. Unwrap tofu and use a fork to crumble into bite-sized pieces. Use a spatula to move the veggies to one side of the pan and add tofu. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add sauce, pouring it mostly over the tofu and a little over the veggies. Stir immediately, evenly distributing the sauce. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until tofu is slightly browned. Serve immediately. I like to add more flavour with salsa, hot sauce, and/or fresh cilantro. Sheree's Hack: Use the leftovers the next day for a breakfast burrito. Vegan on the Cheap Plant-Based Eating by Sheree Nicholson