Beth Brittain

Co-Owner + Sales Manager

What are your hobbies:

Anything Visually Creative, drawing, painting, paper cut out designs, reading, being outdoors.

What is your favourite band/artist/genre of music?

I love Canadian music and supporting Canadian Artists.  My husband and I host House Concerts in our home.  We’ve had Craig Cardiff, Birds of Bellwoods, Brock Zeman, Irish Mythen, Deni Gauthier, Harrow Fair and Jadea Kelly to name a few.

What are you favourite foods?

I love appetizers, choose salty over sweet any day!

What is your favourite thing about working at Portage?

The people, freedom to be creative.

What is your favourite season and why?

SUMMER!  I like sun and water.  SUP is a fav summer activity, also snorkeling with my son. My family spends a lot of time on the Madawaska River in the summertime.

Do you volunteer anywhere? If so, where?

I’m a leader at our local Food Bank.  I volunteer at my Church, in the nursery (I like playing with little people!), if I’m not in the nursery, you can usually find me in the kitchen preparing Sunday morning Coffee.

Jodie Marc Lalonde

Co-Owner + General Manager

What is your personality type?

Myers Briggs ESTJ

What is your super power/matrix?

My superpower is accountability and my Matrix is accounting.

Can you describe yourself is 5 words?

Husband, Dad, Paddler, Ski Patroller

Do you have a stress reliever?

I love to laugh

Do you have any hobbies?

Foodie

Megan Stevens

Sales + Graphic Designer

What are your favourite TV Shows?

One Tree Hill, could watch that show over and over again. Also Suits & Ted Lasso.

What are your hobbies?

I like staying active by occasionally hiking/running and playing soccer. I also enjoy playing board games and reading.

What is your favourite placed you’ve travelled?

Hard to choose, but probably Sao Miguel island in the Azores, Portugal. Such a beautiful place and so easy to see the whole island in 5 days to a week. Would definitely recommend travelling there.

What is your favourite band/artist/genre of music?

Blind Pilot. I started listening to them because of One Tree Hill, and fell even more in love with them when I saw them in concert. Very chill music, that I’m almost always in the mood to listen to.

What is your favourite season and why?

Definitely summer, because there’s always friends and family visiting at my house. And because it’s warm and we get to go boating & swimming & eat ice cream.

What are 3 things on your Bucket List?

Skydiving, riding in a hot air balloon, and scuba diving. There’s several others but those are the big ones.

Do you have any nicknames or camp names?

Meg, Lil Meg, Mushu, Megoo

Do you volunteer anywhere? If so, where?

I have been volunteering at my church as a youth leader for several years now, which is so fun and rewarding.

If you had 1 million dollars, what would you do with it?

I would probably go explore the world for a little while, then buy a house in Muskoka.

Niki

Embroidery Department Head

What are your hobbies?

Walking/hiking in the bush with my dogs,  sewing, crafting, reading, board/card games.

Do you have any pets?

2 large dogs – Brutis and Max.

Name your favourite movies?

Anything Disney. I like to watch any kind of animation with my son.

Jim Schiedel

Founder

What are your hobbies:

I love kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking, and tinkering in my man cave.

What is your favourite placed you’ve travelled?

New Zealand.  Climbing glaciers, ocean kayaking, and wine tours all on the same day.  Doing all this with my daughter was the icing on the cake.

What is your favourite childhood memory?

Soap box derby racing.  There was always a competition among my childhood friends.

What are you favourite foods?

10 year old cheddar, apple crisp.  Mmm – apples and cheese.

What is your favourite thing about working at Portage?

As the senior citizen I am inspired by the energy and great ideas of my youthful coworkers.

What is your favourite season and why?

Fall – I love the colours and smells and cooler temperatures of autumn.

What is your hometown?

Doon, Ontario – a village that got swallowed up by Kitchener. I just wrote a memoir about growing up in Doon.

Do you have any nicknames or camp names?

Herb – nicknamed after a relative with a questionable reputation.

Can you describe yourself is 5 words?

I am passionate, caring, energetic, sensitive, and I love routine.

If you had 1 million dollars, what would you do with it?

I have all I need so I would give it away.