Living the Blues: an Interview with Steve Marriner - theHumm September 2022

Living the Blues: an Interview with Steve Marriner - theHumm September 2022

On Thursday, September 8, The Cove Inn stage will host one of Canada’s premier musical talents: multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter Steve Marriner. Steve is famously one third of the Juno and Maple Blues award-winning MonkeyJunk, as well as a musical collaborator with Colin James (on the album Miles to Go) and Harry Manx (on the album Hellbound for Heaven). For his gig at The Cove, Steve will be bringing his band and performing songs from his new release Hope Dies Last. We caught up with him to find out a bit more about the new album, the upcoming show, and what keeps this energetic performer going.

theHumm: Your latest solo project, Hope Dies Last, is a bit of a departure from the swamp blues of MonkeyJunk. Can you talk a bit about the writing and recording process?

Steve Marriner: Hope Dies Last is a culmination of several years’ worth of work. It includes songs from sessions spanning back to 2017. At the time, I didn’t have a goal in mind beyond capturing songs I had just written. So, when the pandemic struck and I found myself with an abundance of downtime, I dug through these sessions and picked the best songs. I believe there were four that made it to the album. Then, in between lockdowns, some musicians and I got together at Jimmy Bowskill’s studio — The Ganarasca Recording Company in Cobourg, ON — and got to work recording more songs to round out the album. I also recorded the closing track, Long Way Down, at my home studio in Toronto. So, it’s a bit of a mish-mash of material, but I’m pleased with the common thread we’ve found to weave through it.

What originally inspired you to start playing and writing music? Where did you get your start?

The Blues Brothers and Back to the Future were my first introduction to blues and rock & roll. Both of those films had a huge impact on my musical taste and desire to learn. I saw them both around the same time and so began my love affair with 50’s rock & roll and blues. I quickly started listening to everything on Chess Records — Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, Bo Diddley. For my 11th birthday, my parents got me a harmonica and lessons at The Ottawa Folklore Centre. For the next year and a bit, I studied with Larry “The Bird” Mootham. He taught me the foundations of everything I know about the instrument and introduced me to music that would shape me into the player I am today. He also introduced me to many Ottawa musicians and helped get my name around town. Sadly, we lost Larry in 2000, but I remember him always, especially on stage.

If you could have one musician, living or dead, join you on stage at The Cove who would it be?

That’s a nearly-impossible question, but my answer is always the same — Muddy Waters. He is my true hero and biggest inspiration musically. 

You are known as one of the hardest working musicians in Canada. Is there a secret formula to your creative energy?

Survival! It’s always been difficult to make a living being a musician, but especially so since the pandemic. So my hustle comes from necessity. I’ve always been a hard worker and motivated to succeed, but there’s an added weight now. I think being so in love with music and performing it is really what drives me. There’s no place I’d rather be than on stage in front of people eager to listen. I just try to bring it to as many people as I can.

Steve Marriner and his band return to The Cove’s waterside stage on Thursday, September 8 as part of “The Pond Music Series.” A delicious dinner and the show will cost $90 (plus HST & gratuity). Come early to catch special guest opener Jake Chisholm. Reservations are required.

 

Don Bruner —The Pleasures of Rerouting - theHumm September 2022

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

Or should it be re-rooting? Painter Don Bruner is still rejoicing over the quirk of fate that found him the perfect place to put down new roots in this next phase of his life. Almonte suits him perfectly. His exuberant paintings of his new locale and the surrounding countryside are convincing evidence of what a perfect fit it is.

Further affirmation of that statement came his way recently when his painting of a scene in Almonte titled “The Night Market” w......

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Almonte Fibrefest
A Two-Day Festival of the Fibre Arts
- theHumm September 2022

Once known as “North America’s Manchester” because of its numerous textile mills, Almonte now celebrates its heritage with an annual celebration of the fibre arts. Come out to the friendly town on September 10 and 11 for the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum’s 27th annual Fibrefest. This year’s festival is taking place at two locations — the Almonte Community Centre and the Textile Museum. Admission is $7 per day, which gets you access to both sites. Local guilds will demonst......

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Perth Autumn Studio Tour
New Dates! Tour Takes Place in September This Year
- theHumm September 2022

By Susie Osler

As the glorious golden summer days grow shorter and cooler, many members of the Perth Autumn Studio Tour (PAST) are feeling a related seasonal shift as they get ready for this year’s Tour. Pottery wheels are in full spin, palettes of colour are being skillfully dabbed onto canvasses. Stone is being carved, looms are humming, wool is being spun, leather is being stitched, gems are being set. Creators of all stripes are busy creating the stuff of their imaginations in preparation for this year’s P......

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Ice Breaker has World Premiere in Perth - theHumm September 2022

By Rob Riendeau

September 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1972 “Summit Series”, considered one of the most important events in Canadian history alongside Confederation, Vimy Ridge, and the adoption of the Maple Leaf Flag. Ice Breaker – the ’72 Summit Series is a new film that explores the subject with passion, diversity and an impressive cast of participants who offer their unique analyses and untold stories. theHumm contacted director Robbie Hart to find out more about his new film and its connecti......

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Living the Blues: an Interview with Steve Marriner - theHumm September 2022

On Thursday, September 8, The Cove Inn stage will host one of Canada’s premier musical talents: multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter Steve Marriner. Steve is famously one third of the Juno and Maple Blues award-winning MonkeyJunk, as well as a musical collaborator with Colin James (on the album Miles to Go) and Harry Manx (on the album Hellbound for Heaven). For his gig at The Cove, Steve will be bringing his band and performing songs from his new release Hope Dies Last. We caught up with h......

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These Blues Won’tGet You Down! - theHumm September 2022

In fact, the 2022/23 line-up presented by Blues on the Rideau at The Cove Inn promises to have you up on the dance floor, enjoying a fabulous season of blues, rock, soul, funk and R&B performed by some of Canada’s best artists. And in addition to the terrific music, you also get a fabulous meal and the opportunity to contribute to local charities!

The season opens on Friday, October 28 with the phenomenal Samantha Martin, backed by her band Delta Sugar. Samantha has multiple Juno ......

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How Much Would YouPay for a White Painting? - theHumm September 2022

By — Submitted Jane Stott

ART begins as a play about a painting. On the surface it is about wanting approval on your artistic judgment. We all have heard that art is in the eye of the beholder. You either love it or you hate it. But what happens if you love it and your two closest friends don’t? What if one friend openly laughs at your purchase, and a second tries to placate you by pretending to like it.

Marc considers himself to be the alpha wolf in this trio of men. Both Serge and Ivan value his opinion on jus......

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Ottawa Valley Country Music Lives On! - theHumm September 2022

The Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame was founded in 1980, incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1987, and became a registered charity in 1988. Finally, after a two-year absence due to the pandemic, their annual Induction Ceremony is back! Taking place on September 25, it will be a lively show featuring the induction of Gil Charron, Judi Moffatt-Hill, South Mountain (Steve Piticco, Don Reed, Laurie LaPorte-Piticco, Bill Carruthers and Todd Nolan) and Wayne Young. theHumm reached ou......

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What Makes an Alpaca Farm Sustainable? - theHumm September 2022

By — Breanna Graham is one of the owners of Forest Cove Alpacas & Country Market

From their manure to their fleece, alpaca farming is exceptionally eco-friendly because these four-legged fluffy animals have very little impact on the environment. Alpacas are low methane-producing and relatively clean animals who utilize communal manure piles. Their pH-neutral manure is often used as fertilizer and a soil amendment. Due to their unique soft-padded hoof, the direct impact to the soil matrix is very minimal as their hoof does not penetrate or disturb the ground, unlike most other ani......

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Looking Back in Almonte - theHumm September 2022

Sivarulrasa Gallery is delighted to announce representation of Almonte-based artist Marina Raike! From September 7 to October 14, her installation Marina Raike: Looking Back will be featured in Gallery II. Marina’s studio practice ranges from skulls to abstract works inspired by geology and the natural world. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Ontario College of Art and Design University in 2006.

Her current body of work experiments with organic materials and cultural artifa......

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James Boyd Retrospective at Concave Gallery - theHumm September 2022

James Boyd (1928-2002) had an illustrious background as an artist both nationally and internationally. You may have seen one of his many doors gracing some of the finest homes in Canada, or you may recall the massive West Coast stylized sculpture commissioned by the government of Canada which welcomed visitors from around the world to the Canadian pavilion at the World Exposition in Japan.

From banknote engraver in the forties to instructor or resident artist at many of the finest art ......

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Ottawa Valley Theatre Kids - theHumm September 2022

Young people in Arnprior and the surrounding area have an exciting new option for recreational programming. Ottawa Valley Theatre Kids is a new business aiming to provide performing arts instruction in a fun, inclusive environment.

Founder Meaghan Shannon-Kolar grew up in Arnprior and participated in many area theatre groups. Now a teacher, along with her partner Lucas Kolar, she hopes to provide young people with the types of opportunities for artistic expression that she was l......

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Art by the Baileys
Meet the Artists at MERA on September 4
- theHumm September 2022

On September 4, come out to MERA (McDonalds Corners and Elphin Recreation and Arts) for an Art Show and Meet the Artist event featuring the work of Brian and Leane Bailey.

Brian and Leane retired from their careers in 2016 and moved to Ompah, Ontario, where Brian resumed his interest in art by drawing using pastel pencils. In early 2017, Brian encouraged Leane to do some drawing and she started drawing some simple landscapes and animals using coloured pencils. During that time the......

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The Kingston WritersFest Strikes Back…
With a Terrific Roster of Events and Writers from September 28 to October 2
- theHumm September 2022

By John Pigeau

The 2022 Kingston WritersFest returns as an in-person event this fall and features a diverse lineup of magnificently talented authors.

The lineup was unveiled in mid-July, and it’s impressive. Kicking off the festival on September 28 is acclaimed Canadian novelist Heather O’Neil, who will be reading from her latest bestseller, When We Lost Our Heads.

Arguably, that’s an apt title given what the Kingston WritersFest is celebrating this year: “where we are,” as Artistic Director A......

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Merilyn Simondsto Visit Mississippi Mills Public Library - theHumm September 2022

On Thursday, September 15 at 6:30pm, the Almonte branch of the Mississippi Mills Public Library welcomes popular Canadian author Merilyn Simonds. Simonds will read from her new novel Woman, Watching and sign copies of her book. Almonte’s Mill Street Books will be in attendance to sell copies of a few of Simonds’ titles as well as her most recent book.

Merilyn Simonds is the award-winning author of ?? books, including the novel The Holding, a New York Times Book Review Editors......

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Arnprior Humane Society Fundraisers - theHumm September 2022

The Arnprior & District Humane Society (ADHS) is proud to celebrate 25 years of service to the community.

This no-kill humane shelter for dogs and cats provides a safe haven for lost, abandoned and neglected animals. They ensure that critters in their care are provided with shelter, food, veterinary attention and lots of tender loving care. Staff and volunteers provide backbreaking labour each and every day in order to keep the animals safe until they find their forever homes.

The shelter......

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Psst — WannaBuy an Orchard? - theHumm September 2022

By Mary Lynne Geddes

Harvest Moon Orchard on Carp Road is for sale! After nearly 40 years in the apple business, Randy and I have decided to retire and sell our property with the house, store and orchard.We have a great crop this year and we will be open as usual at 4625 Carp Road from Thursday through Sunday until November. Most of the non-food items in our store are 50% off! On Saturdays, Randy will be at the Carp Farmers’ Market.

It has been a labour of love. The best part has been meeting so many people. We’ve ha......

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Art Trail at AOG Gallery - theHumm September 2022

The AOG Art Gallery in Frankville now has a 2km art trail that is open all year to walk, snowshoe or ski. The trail goes through open fields, maple forest and pine plantation. Artwork from both local and international artists is located along the path. Entrance is at 42 Leacock Road in Frankville. Walking this trail is free and no appointment is necessary. The AOG Art Gallery continues to be open by appointment. For more information, please visit AOGga......

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Learning Again in Almonte this Autumn - theHumm September 2022

Learning Again in Almonte is delighted to be offering three fascinating non-credit courses this fall. Tony Belcourt, Métis leader and the founding president of the Native Council of Canada, presents Indigenous Realities on Wednesdays from 1:30-3:30pm, from September 14 through to October 5. Tom Shoebridge, who has been a professor of communications, film and television, a film reviewer and a screenwriting lecturer, presents The Magic of Cinema on Thursdays from 12:30-3:30pm, from September 29 to......

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Meditation Course - theHumm September 2022

Meditation practice is common to many spiritual traditions. In a six-week course led by Anna Karuna Egan, participants will explore the philosophical foundations of Buddhist meditation. You will learn techniques that invite more perspective and a greater sense of calm, while understanding how to diffuse stress and acknowledge the habitual patterns we hold in the body and mind. 

The path of meditation goes right to the heart of being and asks us to familiarize ourselves......

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Perth Night Market Returns this Fall - theHumm September 2022

Perth Tourism is pleased to announce the return of Perth Night Market, taking place on Saturday, October 1. The evening will feature a variety of entertainment, including musicians and street performers. 80+ artisans and vendors hailing from Lanark County, the Ottawa Valley and beyond can be found on the streets, highlighting the talent that can be found in our own backyard.

Most shops and restaurants throughout Perth will be open late for the event, giving attendees the op......

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Jazz Night withThe Somerset Combo - theHumm September 2022

Some things are simply better together, and this is certainly the case with The Somerset Combo. Ric Denis on guitar and Tony Stuart on clarinet (and occasionally saxophone) create a magical sound every time they perform. Chances are you may have seen them at a local festival or one of the jazz clubs in and around Ottawa.

Their sound is distinctive, and you’ll feel yourself being transported to a café in Paris or driving a strip of road in Brazil as their instruments blend into one unique voice.

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Fall Music Series at MERA - theHumm September 2022

Music at MERA is excited to announce the fall lineup for their Sunday afternoon series at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners. They are also announcing a Friday night fundraiser on the evening of October 14 featuring the legendary troubadour Valdy.

The Sunday series begins on September 11 with a classical concert featuring Karen Donnelly on trumpet and Frédéric Lacroix on piano. This unique pairing will offer the audience a surprising range of wonderful musical pieces.

On September 18......

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Book Launch of Recollections - theHumm September 2022

Plan to join author Noreen Tyers at her book launch on Saturday, September 24 at St. James Anglican Church, 12 Harvey Street in Perth from 1:30–3:30pm, with a program at 2pm.

Noreen grew up in the 1940s in the Eastview section of Ottawa. She has authored many stories related to that time from her truly clear memories of situations and how she experienced life at that time. In her early adulthood, when her children were small, the family moved to a century farm in Lanark Township near ......

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Westporch Festival - theHumm September 2022

Come to Westport on Saturday, September 17 for the return of this popular event, where local residents meet businesses on front porches around the village for fun, food, and fabulous entertainment! Running from noon to 9pm, Westporch is a FREE outdoor walking tour of Westport, as front porches become a showcase for regional artists, musicians, activities and treats.

Organizers John Pringle (Rideau Lakes Radio) and Trevor Connell (What’s On Westport) were inspired to bring Westporch b......

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North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour - theHumm September 2022

Twenty-one artists living and working in North Frontenac Township are creatively planning for another wonderful Studio Tour this year. It will be held on the weekend of September 24 and 25, between 10am and 4pm each day.

The North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour has happened now for nine years. It was not cancelled during the Covid years of 2020 and 2021. In fact, it had two of the most successful years ever. Many of the artists on it have participated from the beginning. This year......

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“Market Masala” Child Haven Fundraiser - theHumm September 2022

Market Masala is back! This year’s event in support of Child Haven International childhaven.ca will take place on Sunday, October 2 from 3–5pm at the Carleton Place Market Square. As usual, all proceeds will go to support women and children in Child Haven homes in India, Nepal, Tibet and Bangladesh.

This Market Masala is the 7th annual fundraising event in Carleton Place. You can enjoy a delicious take-home India......

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Eat, Play, Love at Ecotay - theHumm September 2022

The collaborative minds of Creative-IDEAS, Ghostlight Productions and Ecotay are bringing you a fun new way to combine the things they love most: delicious food, live entertainment, and support for those in need in our community.

On Friday, September 9, people are invited to “crash” the wedding reception of Bruno and Tilly Oliviera located in a beautifully restored heritage setting at Ecotay. This one-night-only event is in fact the premiere of Guy Newsham’s latest comedy, Reception.

The evenin......

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An Amazing Community Garden in CP! - theHumm September 2022

By David Hinks

Good things are going on at the Community Garden on Townline Road in Carleton Place. This quarter-acre space boasts over 70 garden plots, has enthusiastic gardeners and volunteers, and is strongly supported by the Lanark County Food Bank, St. Gregory School and the Town of Carleton Place.

The garden is a tremendous resource for community groups. Teachers at the nearby St. Gregory School bring their students to the gardens to study insects, vegetables and other plants. The school also grows vegetables an......

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How to Be a Local Hero - theHumm September 2022

By Glenda Jones

Okay, I knew I was going to do that. Alan had gone to wait in the car and I was on my own, a dangerous time. I’d just pop in and say hello, look at the sale items. What could possibly happen? I don’t need new clothes, but I do love Mill Street. One quick in and out, “Hi, good to see you” and I’d be gone. NOT!

The new fall colours were exploding out of the boxes, and a quick try-on would give Janet a chance to see the fit of the garment, “just as a trial”, she promised me. Perfect sales pitch......

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Local Success Stories - theHumm September 2022

By Chandler Swain

It’s almost hard to imagine there is a deadly critical climate crisis out in the world. Here in Lanark County we have been blessed with a really good old-fashioned summer. Even our heat wave was just, well, “summer”. Yay for the cool lakes and rivers and forests of Lanark County!

It sure is tempting to just stop listening to the bad news about the rest of the world.

Telling our political and business leaders how bad things are and how much worse they will get doesn’t seem to have worked. The......

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Working Together to End Violence - theHumm September 2022

Lanark County Interval House and Community Support (LCIHCS) offers emergency and ongoing programs to women and children living in or escaping from domestic violence. Founded in 1979 by a number of brave and determined feminists who saw the need for a safe place for women experiencing violence at home and in their relationships, the organization continues to provide care and support for women in our communities. They have two important events coming up in September:

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MMPL Book Sale - theHumm September 2022

The Friends of the Mississippi Mills Library are holding their annual book sale in Almonte from October 21–23, during Library Week. The proceeds of this sale will go to the Mississippi Mills Public Library to help expand the collection of large print books. The demand for these books is escalating and they are much more expensive to purchase than other books. Let’s see if we can make the sale a huge success! The dates and times for the book sale are October 21 from 12–8pm, October 22 from 10am to 5pm, and October 23 from 12–5pm.

Please Donate Books!

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AGH Run/Walk for Women’s Health
A Celebration of Almonte’s Birthing Unit
- theHumm September 2022

Presented by Canadian Tire (Carleton Place), the ninth annual AGH Run/Walk for Women’s Health will be held virtually from September 3–9, and in person on September 10. Individuals, teams and families are all coming out to support quality health care close to home.

“Each year we strive to increase participation and fundraising,” says Julie Munro, volunteer chair of the event committee. “Our goal is helping our Obstetrics Unit and supporting Women’s Health by putting the best medical tools in the hands of our incredible doctors and staff. The financial success of this event means repla......

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Union Hall’s Blueberry Tea - theHumm September 2022

Summer is here, and after 3 years under Covid it’s time for the folks at Union Hall to open the doors to continue tradition with the annual Blueberry Tea, now taking place on Sunday, September 11.

Everyone is invited to join neighbours and friends for blueberries with fine pastry and tea or Equator coffee in this old-fashioned celebration of summer. Doors are open from 1–4pm. Admission is free, and donations are greatly appreciated.

Union Hall has been a focal point for social gatherings for over 150 years, from church services to the temperance movement, and for institutions as d......

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Join in the Fun at MERA! - theHumm September 2022

This autumn, MERA (McDonalds Corners and Elphin Recreation and Arts) will have the Schoolhouse bustling with activities for people of all ages. Join us at 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A in McDonalds Corners to bring more arts into your life!

First off, you are invited to the Fall Open House at the Schoolhouse on Sunday, September 25 from 12–3pm. Come and learn about all the activities MERA has to offer and how to join in! The Open House will be a great opportunity to discover what programs happen regularly, and to meet members of the MERA community. Through displays, demonstrations,......

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Zoom and Learn!
Almonte Lectures Returns with Fall Offerings
- theHumm September 2022

By — Glenda Jones

The monthly Friday night lectures series, Almonte Lectures, is launching its new season with an eclectic mix of lectures for the next three months. Following a successful reception to Zoom — yup, glass of wine, jammies, and no driving — the Lectures will continue on Zoom for September, October and November, in the traditional 7:30pm time slot on the last Friday of the month.

On September 30, Jan Johns, the President of the Orchid Society of Ottawa, will dispel the myth that orchids are hard to grow. Jan is the proud owner of over 100 orchids in her home and garden. A scientist, teache......

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Chris St Clair’s Art at Studio Theatre
- theHumm September 2022

A well known Canadian broadcaster on The Weather Network and the author of two books on Canada’s weather, Chris St Clair began painting in 2019. “I paint from memories of places I have been, wher......

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