Wednesday, September 6, 2006 · Page 15 Julie's Tea Room aims to bring afternoon tea to Cottam BY FREE PRESS STAFF COTTAM In a time when crowds line the parking lots of Tim Horton's across the country, one Cottam business owner is putting her faith in an old fashioned custom. Julia Brown moved to Essex seven years ago from the Toronto area. Before that she and her husband Jeff and three daughters, Yolanda, Amy and Angie, lived as missionaries in Zaire, now called the Congo. They moved to the area because of their involvement in Cottam Baptist Church and then moved to Cottam. The small community sparked Brown's interest in a dream to open a tea house. "It was very ugly and haunted looking," Brown said. "We took away some of the ugliness and brought it back to its natural state. That was a process of three years and, when we felt ready, we opened." Tea Room Julie's opened July 6 and currently has 42 different kinds of tea. The business has a formal atmosphere where customers are served their loose-leaf tea in a traditional teapot with a threetiered tray of crust-less sandwiches, scones and and desserts. jam Everything except the desserts is made in-house. Brown's plan is to have 100 different teas available to customers within the next few months. The tea room is open from noon to 4:30 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday. Tuesdays are reserved for group bookings only. "I love it. It's different. It's quaint and pretty," said Karen Crone who stopped at Julie's Tea Room from Tecumseh with a group Sept. 1. "I also like the idea of slowing down and taking your time and selecting your tea. It's St. Mary's Hall fun." The tea room is a feminine space and offers an opportunity to relax. She said despite the popularity of fast food coffee options, tea rooms are the new trend. She sees her business as a start to what she would like to be a trend in Cottam. The family also lives in the house and there are plans to turn the second floor into a bed and breakfast and shopping space. "I'm dedicated to seeing Cottam turn into a quaint town like Bayfield or Niagara-on-the-Lake," Brown said. "It has great potential." Maidstone, Ontario Catering Available For... Showers · Weddings · Anniversaries Birthdays · Business Meetings · Retirements Bereavement Luncheons, Etc. Accommodating 50 to 300 People Full Menu of Country Style Dinners & Buffets Julia Brown pours a cup of tea at Julie's Tea Room in Cottam. The tea room offers 42 different kind of tea and a formal afternoon tea service. Kinsmen, Kinette donations reach $1 billion milestone CAMBRIDGE/CNW/ Kin Canada recently presented a ceremonial cheque in the amount of $1 billion to the People of Canada and The World during its annual convention held in Saint John, New Brunswick. The cheque, representing the cumulative amount given by Kin to Canadian and international communities since 1920, was presented to Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Michael Chong on Aug. 18 during the Association's Service Gala, which recognizes the service work performed throughout the year by Kinsmen, Kinette, and Kin clubs. "This staggering amount of money clearly demonstrates the phenomenal impact that volunteer efforts have had on Canadian communities," says Kin Canada Executive Director Ric McDonald. "Reaching the $1 billion mark is a tremendous achievement for a Canadian service organization." Every year, Kin clubs contribute millions of dollars to Canadian communities. Last year more than $16 million was raised nationally. "In light of the ever increasing demands on community resources, the The Cure for After School Boredom is Here! 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