Fun Facts About Mississippi Mills - theHumm February 2017

First fact: we love to gather together and share food. Many years ago my good buddy Joy Stratford started a tradition of inviting the whole darn community over for dinner at the Almonte Old Town Hall. At the time Joy was heading up the former youth centre (TYPS), and lots of local young folk got loads of community service hours by helping to run community potluck suppers there. Everyone was invited, and somehow everyone got fed. What good times were had!

Lately, my other good buddy Jeff Mills has been helping to keep the tradition alive. This past summer featured the second annual Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month community potluck, right in the middle of Mill Street (fortunately it was closed to car traffic). Jeff dropped in just at deadline time for this month’s issue (he can get away with that — he volunteers an awful lot around here!) to tell us about another community potluck — this one being organized by the Neighbourhood Tomato group (see their volunteer listing on page 22 to find out more about them). It being a bit cold to hold it on Mill Street, it will be back in the Almonte Old Town on Thursday, February 2, with doors opening at 5:30pm and supper starting at 6. Needless to say, everyone is welcome, so come on out of hibernation and break bread (or gluten-free biscuits, if that’s your preference) with your friends and neighbours! Please bring a dish or two, as well as your own plate, cup and cutlery.

Second fact: we love our downtowns. One of the ways we show the love for downtown Almonte is to hold the awesome Mid-Winter Milling event every February, and this year is no exception. On Saturday, February 25 from 10am to 5pm, you can wander up and down Mill Street (and adjacent Bridge and Queen Streets), visiting all of the charming and funky shops and eateries, and partaking in some spiritual and self-awareness sessions with area practitioners. You can indulge in Reiki, reflexology, mindfulness meditation and massage, and visit with an astrologer, Tarot card reader and even an intuitive empath!

All sessions must be booked that day, so it’s a good idea to plan to arrive right around 10am for the best selection. And if you have some time in between sessions, shopping and dining, you can express your creative side too! Drop in and make a clay mandala plaque or friendship bowl at Almonte Potters Guild ($20, 95 Bridge St.), a chakra bracelet at Dragon’s Lair Beads ($7.50 +HST, 10 Mill St.), or a fused glass pendant at Current Works of Glass ($10, 112 Queen St.). For more information about participating shops and practitioners, please visit midwintermilling.com or find them on Facebook.

Third fact: we enjoy a good night — or day — out. If you take a look through the rest of this issue, you’ll find more about the Folkus concert with Coco Love Alcorn on the evening of February 25 (see more on page 22), and the terrific Seedy Saturday event taking place at the Civitan Hall on February 11 (see page 25). If you’ve always wanted to give curling a try, the Almonte Curling Club will be hosting another of their wildly popular Hopspiels on Friday, February 10. This event matches delicious beer-inspired food with a local microbrewery, and pairs novices with seasoned curlers who can show you the ropes (or rather the rocks). The cost is only $25 per person, and for more information you can email my good buddy rob@thehumm.com .

Fourth fact: we are proud of our history! So proud, in fact, that a group of locals has pulled together 365 Facts About Mississippi Mills — one for each day of Canada’s sesquicentennial year. These fascinating tidbits range from aspects of local history and culture to information about local organizations and well-known individuals. Anyone can sign up to receive weekly fact emails — just drop a note to Tiffany at tmaclaren@mississippimills.ca and she’ll add you to the list! Here is a small sampling…

White Whale (Beluga) found in Pakenham in 1906: A whale skeleton, an inhabitant of the Champlain Sea 30 to 40 thousand years ago, was found when digging a well on a Pakenham farm in 1906. The discovery consisted of a nearly perfect skull (with only a few of the teeth missing) and one of the tympanic bones, with most of the cervical vertebrae and three of the dorsals.

Our Forgotten Flying Ace: Kenneth Burns Conn is Almonte’s forgotten flying ace. This WWI veteran was credited with twenty victories and was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross On October 18, when raiding enemy troops in retreat, Kenneth descended to 300 feet and attacked three companies of infantry with machine-gun fire, inflicting casualties. So vigorous was his attack that the troops dispersed. Lt. Conn then attacked various other targets, displaying conspicuous skill and initiative.

Paddye Mann —Speaking theLanguage of Clothing - theHumm February 2017

By — Bruce Anderson (submitted Jeff Mills)

Hummble Thought

Fun Facts About Mississippi Mills - theHumm February 2017