My roots run deep here. My family has worked the soil in what is now Mississippi Mills for over 200 years. They were some of the first European settlers in this area, establishing their first farm in Bennie’s Corners. As the Mayor of Mississippi Mills, my pride in our municipality and her people run even deeper than my roots. We have cultivated a winning recipe of heritage and history, new ideas and old sensibilities and a balance of rural and urban values in a community steeped in natural beauty, historic architecture, and a love to tell our story. I grew up on my parents’ dairy farm just outside of Almonte, then spent a dozen years in some of Canada’s largest cities. While the shine never dulled on my hometown for me, coming back from years away did give me a lens perhaps like the one visitors, tourists and new residents see through. Humbly, I have realized our winning recipe is as unique as it charming. What a delight it is to share our town, villages and rural areas as well as the stories of yesteryear and today through John McQuarrie’s magnificent book.