Weekends in Perth - theHumm August 2021

Weekends in Perth - theHumm August 2021

As pretty well everyone knows, small independent businesses have not had the easiest year-and-a-half of it. At the same time, tourism associations have had to balance public safety concerns with business interests. With the advent of Step 3 of the Roadmap to Reopen Ontario comes a loosening of restrictions and the opportunity to encourage folks to come on back — safely — and enjoy all that our charming small towns and rural areas have to offer. Perth Tourism is doing just that through their “Weekends in Perth” and “Picnic in Perth” initiatives, so we contacted Kathryn Jamieson, Heritage Tourism Manager of the Town of Perth, to find the fun details!

theHumm: What kinds of weekend activities do you have planned to welcome people back to Perth?

Kathryn Jamieson: Lucky for us, the businesses in Perth have really worked hard to not only promote themselves and the Town, but to be welcoming to their local clients and to visitors. To build on that, Perth Tourism is promoting the town across the province with a focus on day and weekend visitors from Toronto through to Ottawa. There are so many activities to do in Perth this summer! Perth Tourism coordinates #WeekendsInPerthON in partnership with the Perth BIA. This is a pop-up event series that started last year and took a hiatus during the lockdown but is up and running again now. These events bring entertainment to the streets and parks and can feature all sorts of entertainers, from musicians to stilt-walkers, and from caricature artists to costumed characters — even a nine-foot realistic-looking dinosaur! We want to make sure people have a great excuse to return to Perth each weekend, and we hope people will enjoy the entertainment and help promote the town by sharing their trip on social media.

We’ve recently updated the tourism website perth.ca/en/visit/tourism.aspx to make it easy for people to plan their trip. Details about events, activities, attractions, accommodations… it can all be found there.

Perth has many amazing restaurants, but not all of them are right in the main business area. How is the Picnic in Perth initiative addressing that?

The Picnic in Perth initiative is organized by the Perth BIA, so that is primarily focused on the downtown; however, Perth Tourism has recently added a page about picnic spots to the website detailing where to go across town. We recommend ordering takeout from your favourite Perth restaurant (or, trying something new!) and packing a blanket to head to a park. Stewart Park and Last Duel Park are popular spots, but there are other options too, such as Conlon Farm, the Darou Farm Trail, the lookout at the end of Tay River Pathway, and Perth Museum’s gardens.

This summer Perth Tourism reached out to local restaurants and food businesses to offer Terrace on the Tay (on Mill Street beside Stewart Park) as a low-cost option for an additional venue. Picnic Café + Catering has partnered with Weatherhead Brew Co. and been serving at Terrace on the Tay since early June. Later this month, Michelle’s Filipino Food will be there, and in mid-August Michael’s Table will be at Terrace on the Tay. It has been a great way to involve businesses that are not usually right downtown.

Another great way to explore Perth from end to end is the Great Taste of Ontario foodie passport. Order takeout from the restaurants on the passport and enjoy them picnic-style this summer. You simply download the free Perth passport to your phone like an app, check in to all 15 stops by the end of the year, and win prizes! you can find the information and link on our website.

As we start to take our first tentative steps back into activities like sightseeing and shopping, how are you balancing safety precautions with fun?

A staff member accompanies all entertainers to monitor visitor numbers and to assist with sanitizer, etc. when appropriate. When visiting restaurants and stores we ask that you take the time to read the signage on the door and look for capacity numbers or contact tracing requirements. And before your visit to Perth, please review the page on the website called Visit Perth Safely which includes information from the Province and the Leeds Grenville and Lanark Health Unit.

Have you found that residents have been supportive of their local restaurants and small businesses over the course of the pandemic? What are some other ways in which Perth Tourism has helped to connect customers with area businesses?

It has been a difficult year for many with lockdowns and changes, but I’m thankful to Perth residents who have supported the businesses here though lockdowns and changes. Perth Tourism has been running a campaign called Shop Here Dine Here and people have been quite receptive to it. It has been a combination of print and radio ads, as well as a series on social media promoting local businesses twice a week by theme. We’ve also been including more businesses in the Perth Proud blog, and we’ve been sharing their social posts to our Stories to help increase their reach.

What other initiatives (either ones that used to occur or new ones) are you looking forward to being able to resume in the near future?

We’re really looking forward to bringing back some of our previous events, and to try new events and activities too. The fall and winter holidays are coming quickly, we hope to have fireworks later this year, and we’re planning a new night market (as long as the case numbers and regulations permit it!).

Find details about all these initiatives — and many more — at perth.ca/en/visit/tourism.aspx !

 

Chris Lemaire — Powerful Art - theHumm August 2021

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

It’s both refreshing and disconcerting when you encounter evidence that causes you to question your preconceptions (i.e., biases). So I was a bit surprised that a guy who describes himself as a redneck, worked as a heavy equipment operator, builds muscle cars and worked as a logger, creates artworks with the emotional clout and beauty that Chris Lemaire does.

Skies rule in his paintings. Lemaire credits the five years he spent in Newfoundland with his emergence as an accomplish......

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A Dramatic Turn of Events for Live Theatre! - theHumm August 2021

To keep their dramatic brains busy during Covid, both Studio Theatre Perth and Kanata Theatre were recently offered opportunities to participate in 10-Minute Playwriting workshops facilitated by award-winning playwright Guy Newsham. The playwrights who took part learned how to quickly develop character, conflict and settings by getting creative and experimenting while cutting out extraneous details. Not an easy feat!

Under Guy’s tutelage, eight original plays came into being: four with Stud......

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Festival of the Wild Child
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Returns on August 28
- theHumm August 2021

On Saturday, August 28, the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) invites you and your school-aged children to The Festival of the Wild Child — Scavenger Hunts at High Lonesome Nature Reserve near Pakenham, Ontario.

This year’s themed scavenger hunts offer you the chance to share creative outdoor learning and play. It will be a day of woodland fun — a fantastic opportunity for families and “social bubbles” to enjoy the outdoors together while respecting O......

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Go Play Outdoors!
An Interview with Summer Theatre Smiths Falls
- theHumm August 2021

It’s been about a year-and-a-half since we’ve been able to take in any live theatre, and although several local troupes have really stepped up their Zoom games, everyone seems pretty keen to get back to in-person productions. Fortunately for area acting aficionados, Summer Theatre Smiths Falls (STSF) is jumping back onto the boards — outdoors at the Heritage House Museum — with an intriguing and varied line-up. theHumm contacted STSF’s General Manager Roger Sands and Artistic Direc......

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Get Your Art Fix in the Valley! - theHumm August 2021

By Miss Cellaneous

Cornwall Comes to Burnstown

Bittersweet Gallery is gearing up to present the 49th Annual Show of Burnstown clay-relief sculptor Richard Gill.

The Coast of Cornwall in sculpted clay relief will open on August 21, outdoors on the grounds of the gallery. Richard and his wife Cheryl were captivated by Cornwall’s picturesque coast when they traveled there pre-Covid. A ceremonial county in the southwest peninsula of England, it is considered a Celtic nation and......

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Magic Returns to Smiths Falls!
OUTERBRIDGE – Clockwork Mysteries Shows Start on August 6
- theHumm August 2021

World-class magic show OUTERBRIDGE – Clockwork Mysteries is returning to The Station Theatre in Smiths Falls from August 6 through September 5, with shows on Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Provincial guidelines will allow up to 70 people at each performance.

Critics across the globe have hailed Ted and Marion Outerbridge as “Champions of magic” (Bergedorfer Zeitung, Hamburg, Germany), described their performance as “A visual feast” (Jinhua Daily, Chin......

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A.D. Redux — Almonte Art Crawl & Show - theHumm August 2021

By Stephen Brathwaite

Back in 1974, Ian Paige and I met at Richard Gill’s summer pottery course in Burnstown. For me it was a graduation present to myself. I think for Ian it was an escape from working for Playtex in Arnprior and a desire for a career change. He became a potter! I had bought land near Pakenham the previous year and wanted to get to know the community. Ian’s response was: “If you want to know the people of Pakenham, cultivate ME!” I did and I did, and it worked. I felt welcomed and fell ......

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Merrickville Festivalof the Arts - theHumm August 2021

The first Merrickville Festival of the Arts will take place on Saturday, August 28 and Sunday August 29, when residents and visitors are invited to celebrate summer by enjoying diverse art activities in various village locations. With its heritage stone and red-brick buildings, not to mention the Rideau Canal — a UNESCO World Heritage site — Merrickville provides a relaxed ambiance for visitors of all ages to discover.

More than 25 Merrickville Artists Guild (MAG) artists will display their pai......

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Artist and Studio Tour in Perth - theHumm August 2021

Art Works! Perth is delighted to announce that their 3rd annual Artist and Studio Tour will take place in and around the beautiful town of Perth from August 27–29. Come out and meet many local talented artists and see their newest works, in the places in which they create! Make a day — or two — of it by treating yourself to delicious meals and snacks in excellent local cafés and restaurants. Look in on the many delightful small businesses inside the downtown core.

For a map of the tour, a directe......

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A Midsummer Night in Perth
Landscapes Interpreted through Art and Fashion
- theHumm August 2021

Two creative business owners, who opened their doors in Perth just as the pandemic gripped the province, are collaborating in an exclusive one-night-only gallery event to mark the midsummer and to finally have their grand opening!

On Saturday, August 14, artist Katherine Muir Miller, in collaboration with Ranelle Larocque from Queen Bee Millinery, will roll out the red carpet for an exclusive event at the Katherine Muir Miller Gallery (22 Gore Street E.). Tick......

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The Pond Music Series
Live Outdoor Shows on The Cove’s Westport Pond
- theHumm August 2021

Always one of the most active live music venues in theHumm’s coverage area, The Cove in Westport is emerging from pandemic restrictions with a newly renovated patio and a full roster of outdoor music scheduled for August (and beyond!). We contacted manager Seamus Cowan to find out more about their plans.

theHumm: What kinds of renovations have you done to your patio in order to use it as a live music venue?

Semus Cowan: Due to Covid, we were able t......

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Artists Against Racism, Honour Project - theHumm August 2021

By Colleen Gray

The billboard photo above is from the Artists Against Racism, Honour Project campaign. Six artists have work being featured on Pattison billboards across Canada for the next month. The artwork is designed to highlight the recovery of the bodies of children who have died in residential and day schools throughout the country.

This piece is titled “The Homecoming”. The story for it is as follows: A boy meets his Grandfather for the first time as the great homecoming begins. He lifts ......

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Participate in theVirtual Run for AGH - theHumm August 2021

Walkers and runners of all ages and abilities are invited to participate in this year’s virtual Run for AGH, sponsored by Canadian Tire Corp., Carleton Place, and taking place from Saturday, September 11 at 6am to Sunday, September 12 at 6pm. In order to ensure everyone’s safety, participants can complete their run or walk anytime during the weekend, choosing either one of the mapped out routes or to walk or run their own route.

This......

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New Gallery in Town! - theHumm August 2021

Some of the best art, the best music and greatest societal movements come during times of great struggle and strife. Is the middle of the pandemic the best time to open a new art gallery? The answer is most likely no, but Keith Busher seldom thinks “safe”. Keith saw the spike in the housing market, sudden lifestyle changes and a need amongst artists (with markets, comic cons and art shows on hold) as an opportunity to move to an art-rich community and open up a studio/gallery. His n......

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Summer of 2021:Regrowth and Regeneration - theHumm August 2021

By Chandler Swain

Seeing our beautiful oaks and apple trees regrowing a second set of leaves after the devastation of the LDD moth invasion earlier this summer, it seems like regrowth and regeneration are possible just when we need it. This theme is truly alive in many local farms providing us with wonderful local organic food. This month, Climate Network Lanark will focus on the Food Security aspect of addressing the Climate Crisis.

To get more insight on this topic I talked to Alberto Suarez-Esteban about Nature......

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Linda Hamilton —Wild About Flowers - theHumm August 2021

One of the best things about summer in Lanark County is the profusion of flowers that bloom — in gardens and in the wonderful wilderness. Almonte artist Linda Hamilton currently has a special celebration of local flora on display at the Mill of Kintail Museum, and the best part about her flowers is that they last forever! theHumm caught up with Linda to find out more.

theHumm: Your creations are so beautifully lifelike that it’s hard to be......

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26th Annual Fibrefest - theHumm August 2021

It’s that time of the year again — when Almonte is normally crowded with fibre artists and fibre art enthusiasts. This year, however, due to the limits on social gatherings and with an eye towards public health recommendations, organizers have made the decision to cancel the in-person aspect of Fibrefest 2021, taking place from September 8–12. The market and shopping portion is postponed until September 2022, but there are new ways to participate in Fibrefest and support your favourite fibre......

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Those Far Greener Pastures - theHumm August 2021

By Glenda Jones

My garden is no stranger to weeds. You might recall that a few years ago I suggested we hold Weedfest here. Alas, no one showed up, and our celebration fell flat. Weeding my own garden is a complete drag, but someone else’s always looks like it would be more fun to do.

Imagine, then, my delight in being able to work at a friend’s market garden, digging out weeds and planting stuff to my heart’s content. The earthy scent in the greenhouse is intoxicating as we watch seedlings maturing into prolific......

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Weekends in Perth - theHumm August 2021

As pretty well everyone knows, small independent businesses have not had the easiest year-and-a-half of it. At the same time, tourism associations have had to balance public safety concerns with business interests. With the advent of Step 3 of the Roadmap to Reopen Ontario comes a loosening of restrictions and the opportunity to encourage folks to come on back — safely — and enjoy all that our charming small towns and rural areas have to offer. Perth Tourism is doing just that through their “W......

...more

Food Sovereignty - theHumm August 2021

By David Hinks

Over 800 million people in our world regularly go to bed with an empty stomach. One in five children under five years of age in our world is stunted due to chronic malnutrition. Every day over 25,000 people in our world die from starvation. We pride ourselves in Canada as one of the most advanced nations on earth, yet according to Food Banks Canada over 1 million Canadians rely on Food Banks — over one-third of these Canadians are children.

What is the focus of our media? Lately, I have......

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Almonte Potters are Back in Action! - theHumm August 2021

The Almonte Potters Guild (APG), now a not-for-profit co-operative, is an innovative member-run facility that has been an active part of the Mississippi Mills community for close to twenty years. It provides a friendly and creative environment for potters, both new and experienced, to develop their technical and artistic skills.

Classes have always been the lifeblood of this facility, allowing the APG to grow and thrive throughout the years. Unfortunately, like so many small businesses in Ontario......

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Artist Showcase: Colleen Gray - theHumm August 2021

Heritage House Museum in Smiths Falls is excited to present a showcase of artist Colleen Gray’s work. Painting with ground mineral watercolours, Gray creates vivid and iridescent artworks that share Indigenous stories and experiences with the viewer. Rooted in Indigenous spirituality, learned and practiced over her lifetime and informed by her Cree Elders, Gray uses her art to teach about how to think Indigenously and how to understand the deep connection to the land that we all have,......

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Open Houseat Camp Lau-Ren - theHumm August 2021

Big news! Camp Lau-Ren is planning an in-person Open House for September 4! No, this is not a dry, online virtual event with mute button or Wi-Fi connection issues. The only connection that matters is the connection between people and nature at the beautiful Camp Lau-Ren site.

Executive Directors Ron and Joanne Hartnett recently announced plans for the Open House to take place on Saturday, September 4 from 11am until 2pm. “Although we couldn’t open this summer, we are anxious to welcome back camp......

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Middleville Museum has Re-opened! - theHumm August 2021

The fine folks at the Middleville and District Museum are so excited (and relieved) to announce that they are once again able to welcome you and all your friends and relatives. They are now open on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays from 12–4pm through to the Thanksgiving weekend, and also by appointment. All health regulations will be in place to keep visitors and museum volunteers safe, so please remember your mask and be prepared to provide contact information.

And, to welcome people back to the Museum, admission through August will be by donation! Everyone is invited to come a......

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Breakfast with Soul — Write On! - theHumm August 2021

Are you a writer? A would-be writer? Not sure where to begin? Come to the next Breakfast with Soul Zoom meeting on August 15 at 9am and hear from this month’s special guest, Peter Occhiogrosso peterocchiogrosso.com . A member of the Authors Guild, Peter is the author of five nonfiction books, and is a coauthor, collaborator, or ghostwriter of twenty more, all for major publishers like Simon & Schuster, Penguin, Doubleday and Hay House. In recent years his books have focused primarily on spirituality, the nature of consciousn......

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