Articles list - theHumm
Zoë Lianga — Doing What Comes Naturally! - theHumm September 2025
By Sally Hansen
Art… and Soul
Ten years ago, theHumm’s cover featured fibre artist, felter and designer Zoë Lianga. I wrote “A well-known adage claims that when you follow your heart you find your peace, you ignite your passion, and you discover your purpose…” and based on her love of felting and fashion design, I predicted “And it is the reason I predict this young woman is going to make a mark for herself in the fashion world.”
Nature’s Ally
Yes and no. Today Zoë Lian......
Our Voices in Song - theHumm September 2025
On Monday, September 29, the amazing team behind Reconciliation Through Art presents a very special concert at the Almonte Old Town Hall. Hand-clapping, body-grooving, lyrics to fill your heart and music to lift your spirit… what a way to celebrate Reconciliation Through Art!
Our Voices in Song opens with Aurora Jade and her band, hailing from Ottawa. With a remarkable old-soul voice that channels the power of Mother Earth, Aurora brings depth and grace to every note she sings. A c......
Curtains Up for Kids - theHumm September 2025
The Perth Youth Players (PYP) invite young people aged 10 to 17 to join their fall theatre workshops at the Studio Theatre. Running Saturday mornings from 9:30am to 12:30pm, the series offers a creative and supportive space for youth to learn new skills, build confidence, and make friends.
Founded three years ago by Studio Theatre’s Community Outreach Coordinator Marilyn Nicholas-Dahan, the program has become a cornerstone of community outreach. “The growth in self-confidence and joy i......
Reconciliation Through Art 2025 - theHumm September 2025
Building on the joyous success of the inaugural 2024 event, Reconciliation Through Art returns to Almonte for a second year with a three-day event that features workshops, a film screening and discussion, and a fabulous multi-performer concert. All events take place from Sunday, September 28 through Tuesday, September 30, and tickets and registration can be found at Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434).
Lead organizer and Métis Elder, rights leader and activist Tony Belcourt says: “No......
Back to theBig Screen Miss Mills Film Society’s Fall Season - theHumm September 2025
By Glenda Jones
We might be in the last throes of summer, but it’s not too early to pencil in September, October, and November dates for the fall season of films. The Mississippi Mills Film Society has obtained a stellar list of movies to tempt you away from the TV for a Sunday afternoon of entertainment.
The season begins on September 14 with the much talked-about film The Penguin Lessons, which is based on the true story of an English teacher who finds himself the custodian of a penguin. Who could resis......
Join the Fun this Fall at MERA! - theHumm September 2025
By Submitted MERA volunteers
This fall, MERA (McDonalds Corners/Elphin Recreation & Arts) has plenty of fun activities for all ages. Join us at 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A in McDonalds Corners to stay connected to your community.
The Music at MERA Fall Concert Series is has some new offerings for young music lovers! Thanks to the generous support of the Ontario Arts Council, we are able to offer a $20 discount to those 30 years and under, and if they wish, an additional $20 discount for their “guest” of any age. We have one more great deal for young families — free childcare is now available at concerts! Brin......
Downtown Music Festival in Smiths Falls Featuring Road Apples — Canada’s Ultimate Tragically Hip Tribute - theHumm September 2025
The countdown is on. The 2025 Downtown Music Festival is set to bring the heart of Smiths Falls alive on Saturday, September 13, with a dynamic day of live music and community celebration.
Headlining the inaugural year of the festival on the Main Street West stage is none other than Road Apples — Canada’s premier tribute to The Tragically Hip. Known for their authentic sound and high-energy performances, Road Apples promise a fitting and unforgettable finale to a full day of music......
Mudds Seeking Teens for Hadestown - theHumm September 2025
The Mississippi Mudds of Carleton Place will be presenting Hadestown — Teen Edition in February of 2026, and are holding auditions on Sunday, September 14. This production of the haunting, jazz-inflected folk opera will be led by Bobby Martin, Director, and Heather Kozuska, Musical Director.
Written by Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown intertwines two Greek mythology tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and Queen Persephone — as it invites you on an unforgettable journey to the underworld and back.
The Mudds are calling all talented teens aged 13 t......
Willow Creek Stables Benefit Concert - theHumm September 2025
On Saturday, September 20, a very special benefit concert will support a very special local sanctuary while the owner undergoes cancer treatment. Located just outside of Perth, Willow Creek Stables willowcreekstables.ca is a not-for-profit rescue sanctuary for 23 critically endangered Newfoundland ponies who have been abandoned, neglected and/or abused.
All of the stables, camps, and other public onsite activities that help......
Arnprior & District Humane Society Events - theHumm September 2025
By Lynda Duffy
Have you got two feet or four paws? If so, you are most cordially invited to the annual Arnprior & District Humane Society Walk-A-Thon! This year’s event will be held at the Robert Simpson Park in Arnprior on Sunday, September 21. Registration starts at 11am and the walk begins at noon. Participants can choose a 2K or 5K route, and you’ll find live entertainment, vendors and food, and prizes to be won! You can download the pledge sheet in advance from ...more
Kingston WritersFest Set to Make a Glittering Return - theHumm September 2025
By John Pigeau
Back in January, Kington WritersFest announced it was folding due to “mounting financial pressures.” That was the sad part.
And now for the happy bit: this September, rather remarkably, the beloved literary festival is set to make a rousing return.
Much of the credit for the festival’s astonishing turnaround goes to its original director, author Merilyn Simonds. She was the one who pulled it together, according to Margaret Atwood, who was happy to take the stage at a sold-out festival fundraiser a......
Almonte in Concert Celebrates 45th Season - theHumm September 2025
By — Maureen Nevins is Almonte in Concert’s Artistic Director
A new season of music is just around the corner! Almonte in Concert is thrilled to bring you an array of amazing performers and unforgettable performances in the superb acoustics of the intimate Ron Caron Auditorium in Almonte Old Town Hall.
Percussiano3, comprised of the Bergmann Duo and percussionist extraordinaire Rod Thomas Squance, will kick off the series on October 25. This performance is guaranteed to be full of intensity, with solo percussion selections, piano ensem......
40th Annual Merrickville Artists Studio (MAG) Tour - theHumm September 2025
Plans are well under way for the 40th annual MAG Studio Tour on September 27 and 28, with 27 tour artists participating this year. These talented artists are eager to welcome you to their studios and galleries where you will find paintings in various media, printmaking, pottery and ceramics, jewellery, sculpture (in glass, in cloth, in metal), hand blown glass, fibre art, woodworking and woodturning.
So mark your calendars and tell your friends and family not to m......
Call for Artistsand Artisans - theHumm September 2025
Hey creative people — here’s your chance to participate in a one-of-a-kind artisan and artist sale for the festive season! Arts Carleton Place is seeking 55 vendors for their annual Itty Bitty Artisan and Artist Sale who produce original paintings (in all media), fibre art, photographs, jewellery, pottery, blown glass, fused glass or works of wood or metal as well as books or other original creative pieces. Let’s encourage people to look at original Canadian art as affordable and within everyone’......
Perth Night Market Come for an Evening of Artisans, Magic and Music - theHumm September 2025
Perth is once again preparing to host its signature end-of-summer celebration as the Perth Night Market returns on Saturday, September 13 from 5–10pm. Set against the backdrop of Perth’s historic downtown, this free event invites visitors to experience an evening filled with art, entertainment, and the unique charm of a small town with big spirit.
More than 120 vendors will line the streets with handcrafted goods and artisanal creations, while the downtown shops stay open late to welc......
Introducing the Riversong Players Auditions, New Shows and School Theatre Program - theHumm September 2025
A new theatre company is taking root in Mississippi Mills! Riversong Players, led by Artistic Director Beth Anne Robertson, is launching its first season with auditions now open for a bold and exciting lineup of shows.
This year’s productions include: A Christmas Story: The Musical, The Strings of the Violin (an original play inspired by Jewish folklore and the resilience of children during WWII), the uplifting Godspell, and a reimagined acoustic version of The ......
You Can’t Take It with You It’s a Mad World, but All Ends Well for Alice & Tony - theHumm September 2025
By Ben Bennett
The upcoming comedy from Perth’s Studio Theatre has it all: fireworks, snakes, crazy people, stuffy people, and lots of laughs.
You Can’t Take It with You, which is Studio Theatre’s entry for this fall’s Eastern Ontario Drama League Festival, was written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. It features a large cast, and audiences will recognize some regulars as well as some new faces. It’s directed by Grace Main, Studio Theatre’s artistic director, with Emmet F Cameron. The producer......
Seniors for Climate: Thinking Globally, Act Locally, Drawing the Line on Sept. 19 - theHumm September 2025
Last year, Seniors for Climate, a coalition of Canadian seniors’ climate organizations, held 76 events across Canada on National Seniors Day, October 1. Events were also held this year during Earth Week, and are continuing through the fall.
This year Seniors for Climate is joining 350.org, Fridays for Future, and many other organizations in a global mobilization to Draw the Line for people, for peace, for the planet. From September 19–21 people around the world will participate in rallies, gath......
Musical Fundraiser with Local Young Performers - theHumm September 2025
You are cordially invited to an uplifting evening of music in support of area youth, taking place at Almonte’s Old Town Hall beginning at 6pm on Saturday, September 27. Entitled “Something for Everyone”, it will feature rising music stars Andrew Jahn, Landon Bedor, and special guests. 100% of ticket sales will benefit The Lanark County Food Bank — The Hunger Stop lanarkcountyfoodbank.ca .
2025 North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour - theHumm September 2025
By Wendy Clement
The Township of North Frontenac is known for many things. It’s one of the best spots in the province to stargaze away from the glare of the city lights. It offers a variety of activities for outdoor enthusiasts all year round. It boasts spectacular landscapes and beautiful lakes, rivers and streams.
It also has a thriving community of artists, artisans and fine craftspeople who call this hidden gem in Eastern Ontario home. Each September for the past several years these talented individuals have wel......
“Natives & Clay” Annual Fall Sale - theHumm September 2025
If you’re interested in gardening with native plants, you won’t want to miss Natives & Clay!
Pine Ridge Studio, just north of Carp, will be hosting a sale of nursery-propagated native plants, some native to the Ottawa Valley, and some from further afield in eastern North America. Many of the plants will be unusual and hard to otherwise source. Trish Murphy, formerly of Beaux Arbres Native Plants, will be bringing her plants, and Lis Allison of Pine Ridge Studio will have some......
After Rebound… Meeting the Community’s Needs - theHumm September 2025
By Robert Lowe Barnett, Jeff Mills, and Lloyd Strachan
We are concerned to hear that Rebound in Almonte is closing. Its function of recycling/reusing household items, rather than having them sent to the landfill, is a loss for the larger community and for the environment.
Like so many other Canadians, we are concerned for the health of planet Earth and the ravages of climate change. The haze of smoke from wildfires, and our persistent drought, have been a constant reminder this summer of the critical phase in the Climate Crisis we have reached. We re......
The Mill of Kintail Museum At the Confluence of Heritage and the Environment - theHumm September 2025
By Kris Riendeau
The Mill of Kintail, located just outside Almonte, is more than a scenic heritage site. It houses two significant collections: the works of R. Tait McKenzie, an internationally recognized sculptor, physician, and pioneer in physical fitness and rehabilitation; and the legacy of Dr. James Naismith, the Canadian-born inventor of basketball. Together, their contributions resonate locally, nationally, and internationally.
Yet despite their importance, the museum that safeguards their legacy ......
Turn Off That Tap! - theHumm September 2025
By Glenda Jones
It never rains, but it pours. Oh, don’t we wish it would do exactly that! We’re surviving a drought like the 2012 season when we were in fear of our well running dry. Being previous city people, we had taken our water for granted, ran the dishwasher, had a shower, watered the garden, and washed the car. You don’t do that if you’re on a well.
During the drought in 2012 we were getting sand in our water system. Long before the rain barrel ran dry we’d stopped watering the garden, and the poor lawn ne......
The MERA StageComes Alive this Fall - theHumm September 2025
By Tom Shoebridge
Music at MERA is presenting a wide range of music treats this fall, with an exciting piece of theatre added to our stellar lineup.
First off, on September 21, is the renowned Mark Ferguson Jazz Quartet, comprised of Mark Ferguson (piano and trombone), Mike Tremblay (saxophones and flute), John Geggie (double bass) and Jamie Holmes (drums). This stellar ensemble will perform original arrangements of classics from the songbooks of Canadian folk icons Gordon Lightfo......
Inaugural Carleton Place Porchfest Music, Community, and Local Spirit - theHumm September 2025
A whole town will become a stage on Saturday, September 13 from 1-4pm as Carleton Place hosts its first annual Porchfest — an afternoon of free live music performed on porches, driveways, lawns and front yards.
Residents and visitors are invited to stroll, cycle or dance their way through neighbourhood streets to enjoy everything from folk and country to blues, jazz, rock and more.
Part of a growing grassroots movement now seen in towns and ......
Art Hub Happenings - theHumm September 2025
Located right downtown at 127 Bridge Street, the Art Hub Gallery in Carleton Place features the work of 37 artists. There you’ll find paintings, photography, jewellery, pottery and greeting cards, as well as art supplies. Andrea Gerolin, who is new to the gallery, has created a series of beautiful small coloured pencil drawings of cats with little butterflies. They are presented in shadow boxes and are absolutely adorable. Andrea also draws highly detailed larger works in a variety of su......
Madawaska Valley Studio Tour 33rd Annual Tour Celebrates Canadian Artists and Artisans - theHumm September 2025
This October 4th and 5th marks the 33rd anniversary of the Madawaska Valley Studio Tour. Seventeen studios from Barry’s Bay to Eganville, and from Quadeville to Killaloe, are participating in this free self-directed tour. Visitors will have the chance to observe live demonstrations by renowned artists, meet emerging artists, and purchase one-of-a-kind art and fine craft. This is a unique chance to see artists and makers in their studios as they transform materials like leather, ......
Popcorn with Purpose Film Club Fridays Support Perth Library - theHumm September 2025
Studio Theatre Perth has donated nearly $18,000 to the Perth Union Library through its popular Film Club Fridays, which began in September 2023. Funds are raised through ticket sales and the efforts of dedicated volunteers who manage everything from concessions to projection.
The donations have had a significant impact. Contributions from 2023 and 2024 funded upgrades to the library’s Common Room, including improved lighting, new cabinetry, and hybrid meeting technology. Th......
Art in the Manor Volunteers Brighten the Walls of AGH-FVM - theHumm September 2025
By Renate Seiler
Where does the art on the walls of the Almonte General Hospital and the Fairview Manor come from, and who decides where and how it should be displayed? Did you know there must be art on the walls before a long-term care home can even open?
Admittedly, all this never really crossed my mind until I came upon a booth at last September’s Mississippi Mills at a Glance event showcasing the Art in the Manor (AIM) Committee hosted by two very friendly volunteers. I was......
The Music of What Happens Finn MacCool — Stories from Ancient Ireland - theHumm September 2025
Three is a magic number! This is the third year that summer’s end will bring listeners and tellers to Wildwood Farm for a splendid, extended storytelling adventure — an adventure in listening, imagining, and deep feeling. This year’s stories focus on Ireland’s Finn MacCool, the most renowned captain of the Fianna, that glorious band of heroes who, in days gone by, rode out to protect the green isle whenever danger threatened.
Finn’s story begins deep in the forest, where two good......
For the Love of Lists - theHumm September 2025
By Jessie Carson
Who doesn’t love a list? At first glance, a written list might seem incredibly mundane. A tool we only use for our most basic daily tasks. I make a list daily and always have more than one working list at any time. Right now, I am tracking what we need to buy at the local grocers and have another list to remind us what to buy at Costco. I have an annotated list of chapters I have yet to write for my work-in-progress novel and another reminding me which have been drafted but need more work. I......
Stage R!ot — All-Ages Rock Concerts - theHumm September 2025
By Rob Riendeau
Stage R!ot Productions is a passionate new initiative brought to life by Alycia and Tyler in Carleton Place. Combining Tyler’s decades-long experience as a musician with Alycia’s dedication to youth from years in outdoor education, Stage R!ot creates safe, inclusive, pay-what-you-can, all-ages rock shows. These events offer a crucial space for teens to experience live music without needing to sneak into bars or break the bank. It’s a community-driven effort complete with sober security, volunteer......
Alameda in the Public Realm An Opportunity for Creative Engagement - theHumm September 2025
By Submitted Alameda Volunteers
We need your input.
The Municipality of Mississippi Mills has begun a new project to develop a Public Realm Plan for Downtown Almonte and Ottawa Street. The objective is to develop long-term policies for the use of and the long-term maintenance of public spaces. A first draft of the plan is targeted for early fall this year.
The Alameda is one of the places to be included in Almonte’s Public Realm planning. The locally conceived and created Almonte Alameda is the treelined section on the ......
It’s Not Too Late! Local Actions to Save the Birds — and Humans — from the Climate Crisis - theHumm September 2025
By Sue Brandum
Two months ago, I wrote an article about how people weren’t paying much attention to the climate crisis, but perhaps did care about the birds.
Well, things have certainly changed, haven’t they?
Nothing like the whole country being on fire; like one extreme heat wave after another (21 days over 30 degrees instead of the average 12 per summer); like grass, vegetable and flower gardens going dry — or worst case, wells going dry! And horror stories of heat and fires out of Europe a......
Save the Date! - theHumm September 2025
The Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour returns for its 29th year on October 11 and 12, over Thanksgiving Weekend. It’s a great way to enjoy fall colours and cooler weather while exploring 14 tour stops in Almonte, Clayton and Pakenham.
This year’s tour showcases more than 40 area artists and guests, including six new participants. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet the artists in person and enjoy a wide variety of fine art, craft, and culinary delights across nine studios, two group......
Signals and Porosité at Sivarulrasa Gallery - theHumm September 2025
Two new exhibitions will run from September 20 to October 24 at Sivarulrasa Gallery in Almonte, and everyone is invited to a combined Vernissage/Artists Reception on Saturday, September 20 from 2–4pm.
Marina Raike: Signals will be featured in Gallery I. This solo exhibition of new sculpture and paintings by Almonte-based artist Marina Raike explores the transience and mystery of life. “Signals come to us through time,” she says. Inspired by ravens, skulls, minerals and......
Quilts in a Small Town - theHumm September 2025
The Almonte Quilters Guild is hosting a quilt show in September. This will be an opportunity to see a collection of creative work from members of the community. Guild members have been working hard on their projects and are thrilled to be able to share them with everyone. They gather each month at the Almonte Civitan Hall to share information, hear from experts in the field, and socialize with a community of quilters. They have a library of quilting books and tools that members ......
Happy Anniversary, Perth Civitan Club! - theHumm September 2025
By Kris Riendeau
In honour of the Civitan Club of Perth’s 60th anniversary, theHumm visited their lovely location and spoke with Civitans Judy, Karen, Wendy, and Bill about why they are so passionate about this longstanding organization. The answers below are a composite from those members.
theHumm: For readers who aren’t familiar with Civitan Clubs, what’s is your mandate?
Perth Civitan: Civitan exists to help our communities — especially people with disabilities and those less fortunate. That wa......
The Ottawa Bach Choir 24th Season of Magnificent Choral Music! - theHumm September 2025
By — Hannah Lim is the General Manager of the Ottawa Bach Choir
The JUNO award-winning Ottawa Bach Choir (OBC) is set to embark on its 24th season, showcasing an impressive lineup of choral performances that promise to dazzle and inspire. The professional ensemble has travelled the world, received national and international recognition, and also won a JUNO for Best Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral for their album Handel: Dixit Dominus, Bach & Schütz: Motets. Under the leadership of Founder and Artistic Director Lisette Canton, the choir con......
Falling for Fall Fairs - theHumm September 2025
By David Hinks
Are fall fairs still an important part of our local culture? Are they just midway rides, beer tents, demolition derbies and cotton candy, or is there something more important going on?
In my way of thinking, fall fairs are more important than ever. The gap between country folks and city folk is becoming ever larger. The number of farmers is shrinking, and city folks’ knowledge of how and where their food is produced is becoming miniscule.
Fall fairs can help bridge the gap, and help us to c......
Audition for the Puppets Up! Chautauqua - theHumm September 2025
Want to sing? Want to dance? Want to pour seltzer down a puppet’s pants? If you’ve got an act — or an idea for an act — Puppets Up! wants YOU to audition for their brand-new, old-timey, modern-day variety show: The Puppets Up! Chautauqua!
They’re flinging the stage doors wide open and welcoming musicians, poets, actors, jugglers, comedians, puppeteers, magicians, kazoo orchestras, interpretive dancers, and anyone else brave enough to step into the spotlight. Directors Kris Riendeau and H......
PDCF Launches Monthly Giving Campaign - theHumm September 2025
The Perth and District Community Foundation (PDCF) is gearing up for another season of Community Granting. Last year PDCF granted over $300,000 to local organizations in their catchment area of Perth, and the townships of Lanark Highlands, Tay Valley and Drummond North/Elmsley.
“We are expecting more requests this fall than we received last year,” says Executive Director Victoria Gibb-Carsley. “In the face of government cutbacks, community foundation......
Tom Savage & Dead Root Revival - theHumm September 2025
By Seamus Cowan
I’ve known Tom Savage since my early days in Westport, and he has always struck me as an artist who forges his own path. That sense of individuality has long inspired me. His music is rooted in the blues and great songwriters, while also embracing an experimental and soulful edge to rock ’n’ roll. In the early days, he even taught me my first bass licks. To this day, he still plays his trusty Gibson Nighthawk — a sign of his loyalty to his tools and his craft.
His latest project, Dead ......
Union Hall Receives Trillium Grant! - theHumm September 2025
By Linda Camponi
We are excited to announce that the Union Hall Community Centre has been successful in its application for a Capital Grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The funds will be used to complete an improvement project begun several years ago when we began modernizing the facility and moving toward year-round operation. The $28,300 grant will be used to insulate the hall and install an energy-efficient heating system, which will also provide air-conditioning in the summer months. Don’t worry — the ......
September 9 Webinar with John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather - theHumm September 2025
We are in a climate crisis! The extreme heat events, the droughts, and the wildfires this summer surpass what humanity has yet experienced. Please join Seniors for Climate for a powerful webinar ......
Book Offer Feeds the Soul and the Community - theHumm September 2025
The Lanark County Food Bank received a unique request from Rev. Gertrude (Trudy) Hardy as she set about to publish a book of catchy rap poems: “help me take this from spiritual feeding to physica......
Sep 6 - 7 Natives & Clay
Nov 1 - 2 Christmas in the Valley Artisan Show
- Zoë Lianga — Doing What Comes Naturally!
- Our Voices in Song
- Curtains Up for Kids
- Reconciliation Through Art 2025
- Back to theBig Screen Miss Mills Film Society’s Fall Season
- Join the Fun this Fall at MERA!
- Downtown Music Festival in Smiths Falls Featuring Road Apples — Canada’s Ultimate Tragically Hip Tribute
- Mudds Seeking Teens for Hadestown
- Willow Creek Stables Benefit Concert
- Arnprior & District Humane Society Events
