The following Articles and Images have been added to the database
Friends of Augusta Street Park community volunteers have come together to organize a great lineup for this year’s 5 Wednesdays in July concert series. Dates to mark in your calendar include July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30.
These are free, family-friendly music in the park events meant to bring community together and break up the work week with friends and neighbours, while enjoying live music. We pride ourselves on offering a free, welcoming and a safe inclusive space. We also pass the hat to fundraise in support of the festival and to complete the citizen-led park plan that includes a memorial water feature to recognise the Cole family who lost children in a horrible neighbourhood fire in 1965. The Friends are working with the town on this important element.
Opening the first evening on July 2 will be The Almonte Legion Pipe Band, followed by Dr. Brown’s Uptown Travelling Medicine Show, which will consist of four acts! Jess Winskell, Calathea, Tyler Craig and Heather Adeney will be followed by the main act of Ball & Chain. The second Wednesday, July 9, will be held at an alternate location — in Almonte’s Gemmill Park on the big stage. “Ha Ono” Art That Comes from Within, all the way from Brazil, is back for the second year in a row. This performance is proudly sponsored by Mississippi Mills.
Concerts then return to Augusta Street Park, with Jillian Allinson and George Turcotte on July 16, and Matt Dickson and Judge A Book on July 23. The last evening of the series will feature Steve Lund & his mumbo jumbo extravaganza, along with Chris & Kat. This July 30 event is sponsored by the Folkus Concert Series. We are proud to offer a stellar line up of music with something for everyone from folk, country, rock to Brazilian beats.
The Civitan Club will be on site providing food for purchase each Wednesday, including burgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs and drinks.
For more information or to offer your help, please contact <friendsofaugustastreetpark@gmail.com>.
Want to promote your arts, environmental group, or social enterprise? Are you building community in some way with others and want to share what you are doing? We can offer you a table and an audience — contact <augustafest@gmail.com> to find out more. We run on a shoestring with community volunteers and a handful of community sponsors including Mississippi Mills, the Almonte Civitan Club, Almonte Pipe Band, Folkus Concert Series, Carleton Clean Air, and Carebridge Community Support. Thank you all for your contributions!
See you in Augusta… in July!
Come on out to Blockhouse Park in beautiful heritage Merrickville from July 25–27 and immerse yourself in a marvelous mix of arts! The 5th annual Festival of the Arts is organized by the Merrickville Organization for Culture & the Arts, in collaboration with the Merrickville Arts Guild (MAG) and Theatre Night in Merrickville (TNIM). This annual celebration has been popular with residents, visitors from nearby communities, and tourists visiting the Rideau Canal — a UNESCO Heritage Site.
This year, we are excited to host over 30 talented artists and have invited the participation of artists from nearby communities such as North Grenville. We are collaborating with four home/business owners who have generously donated the use of their porches to host musical performances. Theatre Night in Merrickville will be performing the delightful play Save Me a Place at Forest Lawn by Lorees Yerby in the Lions Pavilion. The Merrickville Arts Guild is hosting a “Mini MAGs” tent dedicated to engaging young children in wonderful stories and art.
We are especially pleased to o?er a free evening concert at The Pews on July 25 at 7pm. The dynamic indie folk duo Arbour Season, a talented and musical wife and husband team, will provide a very entertaining evening — you won’t want to miss it!
We would also like to acknowledge the ?nancial support provided by the Village of Merrickville-Wolford Community Grant Program and by our Corporate Sponsors who have made this Festival possible — many thanks!
For additional information or questions related to the Merrickville Festival of the Arts, please contact Nick Previsich at <nprevisich@bell.net> or visit <mag-artists.ca>
Local artist and Art for Aid project coordinator Colleen Gray is holding a fundraiser called a “Community Yart Sale” on July 13, which will raise funds for that wonderful organization. Anyone can apply as a vendor and/or attend this event, which will take place from 10am to 4pm in the parking lot in front of the Art for Aid office and Sarah Moffat Art Studio at 50 Bennett Street in Carleton Place.
Bring your art or art supplies to swap or sell — help keep good quality art supplies out of landfill! Vendors can keep their proceeds, as Art for Aid will benefit from the $10 registration fee. They will also have their wonderful art for sale, to support their mission of bringing art supplies to remote Indigenous schools in Canada.
Vendors are asked to bring their own tent and chairs. There is a washroom and kitchen on site. Please email Colleen at <artforaid2013@gmail.com> if you have any questions or wish to register and pay. Everyone else is welcome to attend this free event and purchase fabulous art and art supplies!
Maxine Brown and Pam Knowles have been friends for years and business owners for decades, but recently both have transitioned into a new phase by starting up two innovative ventures. After retiring from a very successful pet services business, Pam opened Pam’s Kindness Store last December and has since raised over $7,000 for local charities. This month, Maxine is shifting gears by opening her own tattoo studio — Maxine Brown Ink — building on her years of work as a professional face painter and make-up artist. theHumm caught up with these two dynamic entrepreneurs to find out more.
theHumm: Pam’s Kindness Store certainly has an uncommon business model — you seem to want to give away profits! Why did you decide to open a store and café as a way of supporting charities and good causes in the community?
Pam Knowles: I’ve always been mindful of supporting many charities and organizations that I believe in, like buying a t-shirt and other items they offer, because why not combine any needs with helping a good cause! This got me thinking, why don’t I create a gift store and more with the purpose of donating from each sale? Pam’s Kindness Store gives people the opportunity to find unique items as well as everyday necessities, and they choose the charity that benefits from those purchases. In this uncertain world it can be challenging to find additional resources to aid charitable causes, which are undoubtedly suffering. This offers a chance for individuals to “Purchase With Purpose”!
Describe some of your merchandise, including the delicious treats and beverages on offer at your store.
I dedicate a lot of my time to finding reasonably priced, Canadian-made, distinctive quality gift items for all ages. My store is the perfect place to treat yourself! We can even embroider your personalized Cubbie stuffed animal. I also offer many food items and snacks such as a local line (Snell House Foods) featuring products with no sugar (or substitutes) that taste amazing, including dressings, marinades, salsa, BBQ sauces sweetened with pears, and more. I recently began offering gluten free vegan baking from Wholefood Delights — amazingly delicious. Another popular item is Carla’s Cookie Box award-winning butter tarts, and I add more items weekly! Currently, I am providing “Baked Goods for Good” and “Snacks that Give Back” options with all proceeds benefiting your chosen charity.
I also have a Kindness Café, where with a donation of any amount to your favourite charity you can enjoy a mocktail and treat while browsing, or simply relax and chat with a friend or peruse our used books section. This area can also be rented to host a small gathering of friends for a meeting, get together, book club or more.
How do you decide which organizations will receive donations?
Customers choose the charity/non-profit they care about, and 75% from every purchase at Pam’s Kindness Store will support them. While I offer a list of local charities, feel free to pick any charity. Buying a gift for someone? A note card included will list the charity chosen. I do choose a monthly spotlight charity and select products where 100% of proceeds benefit them. July’s spotlight will be in support of the Northern Wildfire Relief Efforts.
My philosophy is that this is your store. I am just the facilitator to help you Purchase with Purpose! Our online store, following the same principles, will be coming soon at <inclinedtobekind.org>.
Pam’s Kindness Store is located at 11661 Hwy 7, just outside of Carleton Place on the way to Perth. Text 613–612–9244 or find more information on Facebook at Inclin’d to be Kin’d.
After years of creating different types of body art, what drew you to study the art of tattoo and open Maxine Brown Ink?
Maxine Brown: Many years ago I looked into tattooing, but as a single mum of four, it was not good timing. However, it had always been in the back of my mind to one day do it.
I have been painting and drawing my whole life. I absolutely love body art and art in general. In the 10 years I have been facepainting, so many people have asked me why I don’t tattoo.
A few years ago, I decided it was time to take a leap of faith, and I found an incredible mentor to learn from. I studied day and night. I watched videos every free moment, and I tatted over 150 fake skins before touching a person. My first tattoo on someone was exhilarating! I loved every second of it, and I have not looked back.
Opening Maxine Brown Ink allows me a comfortable space to welcome my tattoo clients. I think that at this stage of life, when so many are getting ready to retire, I am just getting started! You can still change your path and fulfill a dream!
Besides tattoos, what other services and products will you be offering?
I am also offering Tarot readings, beautiful crystals, handmade jewellery, handpainted purses, and the incredible photo art of Norbert van Der Poll.
Norbert creates photo magic. His eye for capturing a look, a face, an image is incredible, and he turns it into something unique and exciting. I stumbled on Norbert’s work through a friend. After hearing about his long journey of photography I was so intrigued, so I requested a meeting with him to see if we could collaborate. My vision was for him to create greeting cards for my studio with his photos, but with a twist. I wanted something different. Norbert did not disappoint! I am known for painting Zombie dolls, among other things. I wanted to have the photo images turned into zombies faces on greeting cards. I was pleasantly surprised to find Norbert had a huge selection of photos he had already turned into zombies! I was so excited looking through his work. I also have some of his 11x14 framed zombie photos for sale in my studio. You truly have to come in and see them.
Maxine Brown Ink is located at 5 Bates Drive in Carleton Place, and is open by appointment by calling 613-612-3366.
When a new storage shed and bulletin board were recently installed at the Almonte Tennis Club, it drew little notice. And why should it? After all, the new shed is just a place to store the tennis club’s tools, spare racquets and balls. And the bulletin board just displays the court schedule, tournament and class information and the occasional notice. Really not much to see there.
However, there’s more to the story. Here’s the part most people won’t see. The new installations are noteworthy examples of community participation and donation. The tennis club board is made up of volunteers. No one gets paid, and everything from finances to instruction to tournament organization to court maintenance is done on a volunteer basis. So when a new storage shed and bulletin board were needed, one of the club volunteers jumped in and got the tennis ball rolling!
Where to start? Store-bought sheds were prohibitively expensive, so a different solution was needed. Why not see if the local community would want to be part of the project? First stop was Almonte District High School and the approval of the principal. Would the shop class want to be a part of the project? An enthusiastic “yes” got it started! Five of the shop students and a teacher were happy to contribute their time and energy to design and build the shed and bulletin board. After the tennis club had paid for the materials, transportation from the hardware store to the high school was needed, so the students were asked if any of them had a truck. Their response: “We all do!”
A few short weeks later, and the new storage shed and bulletin board were completed and installed. This is what community is all about — the Almonte Tennis Club volunteers, the High School students and staff, and the local hardware store all working together to better a community resource. Thank you to all who were involved. Also, a shout out to our corporate sponsors who help make the club and its related activities possible: Amanda Halley Exp Realty, Crush Marketplace, Joe’s Italian Kitchen, Levi Home Hardware, Ottawa Valley Coffee, Subway Restaurant, and Vamos Outdoors. We couldn’t have done it without you.
P.S. Tennis is a terrific way for singles, couples and families to meet new people while enjoying a friendly and healthy recreational activity. Join us today at the Almonte Tennis Club! Membership information can be found at the club website at <almontetennisclub.com>.
Come on out to the scenic town of Almonte on September 6 and 7 to celebrate the wonderful world of fibre arts at the 30th annual Fibrefest. Taking place at two locations, the John Levi Community Centre and the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, admission to Fibrefest is only $5 per day and grants access to both sites. With more than 80 vendors from across the province and beyond, there’s no better place to stock up on amazing supplies for your textile hobby and shop for finished clothing, accessories and art.
Over the weekend, skilled local artisans will demonstrate spinning, knitting and more. Be sure to check out the Museum’s first ever Sheep to Shawl competition. Watch on Saturday as teams go from a sheep’s fleece to a completed shawl in a single day, and come back on Sunday to see their creations judged and auctioned off!
There is also a wide variety of workshops to experience this year. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn felting, spinning, basketry, weaving and more with the guidance of talented teachers. Workshops will be running from September 3 to 12 at both the Community Centre and Museum. Advance registration is required, and some workshops may require that you bring your own supplies, so be sure to check out <mvtm.ca/whats-on/fibrefest> and sign up early.
Alongside Fibrefest, the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum will be displaying two temporary exhibits. Paper / Practice, created by Toronto-based artist Susan Warner Keene, manipulates handmade paper, a traditional vessel for communication, to express how we physically embody our experiences. The multimedia and textile exhibit here are some flowers to remember me by, by Canadian-Cypriot artist Alexia-Leana Kokozaki, draws on imagery from the ongoing political conflict in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. Kokozaki seeks to create a connection to the grandfather she never met.
This year’s Fibrefest will be full of high-quality artistry and exciting learning opportunities! Beat the lines and get your tickets online at Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434).
“We’re incredibly excited to be celebrating our 30th Fibrefest,” says MVTM Executive Director/Curator Michael Rikley-Lancaster. “It’s a unique celebration of Almonte’s textile history and continued commitment to the fibre arts. We’re grateful to the local community, volunteers, and supporters that have empowered us to reach 30 years and grow in ways we never could have imagined.”
On Friday, July 25 at 7pm, the magnificent Church of St. John Chrysostom in Arnprior will host an evening of solo piano music by J. S. Bach and W. A. Mozart, performed by Ottawa-based pianist and conductor Roland Graham. The concert will last about 75 minutes, and admittance is by freewill offering; $20 is recommended. For information and directions, visit <Eventbrite.ca> and search “Bach and Mozart in Arnprior July 25.”
What do two long-dead European composers have to offer a 2025 audience in the Ottawa Valley? Quite a bit, actually. Bach and Mozart may have lived centuries ago, but their music speaks to experiences that still define us — work and rest, joy and loss, aspiration and reflection. They wrote for real people in real spaces: gatherings in homes, chapels, town halls, and churches like St. John Chrysostom. Their music was shaped by community life, and it’s in places where tradition, faith, and craftsmanship continue to matter that this music feels most at home.
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in a small town and spent his life serving churches and regional courts, rarely travelling more than 200 kilometers from home. A self-educated craftsman, he prized diligence, family, faith and service — values that resonate in any close-knit community. He wasn’t famous in his lifetime, and he answered to bureaucrats who often didn’t understand his gifts. Yet he quietly built a body of work that many consider the pinnacle of musical achievement, all while raising a family and advancing the “family business” of music. His legacy reminds us that greatness often grows in humble places, through daily effort and devotion.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, while more famously tied to celebrity, also struggled against limitations. A child prodigy trained by an ambitious father, he toured Europe performing for royalty before he was ten. His sister Nannerl, considered equally gifted, was sidelined by the gender norms of the time. Mozart’s life was a whirlwind of commissions, concerts, and disappointments — he died at just 35, impoverished and buried in a common grave. Yet his music remains deeply human: full of humour, heartbreak, grace and vitality. Like Shakespeare, Mozart captured the full range of human emotion. His legacy isn’t just brilliance — it’s empathy.
My July 25 program features two works each by Bach and Mozart. First up are Bach’s Italian Concerto and Overture in the French Manner (BWV 831), published in 1735 as part of a collection exploring the two dominant national styles of the time. These pieces were Bach’s way of evoking orchestral textures on a solo keyboard (think Brandenburg Concertos arranged for piano), an idea that has fascinated many composers since.
Mozart’s Twelve Variations on “Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman” follows — a playful, dazzling set of transformations on a melody everyone in attendance will recognize. The program concludes with his final piano sonata, No. 18 in D Major (K. 576), composed in 1789. Nicknamed “The Hunt” for its bright, horn-like themes, the piece is elegant, fiery, and symphonic in scope.
St. John Chrysostom Church offers the perfect setting for this music. Towering above the trees in Romanesque Revival splendour, the building was erected in 1906 after an earlier church on the site was lost to fire. I first encountered it while touring with a choir and was immediately struck by its beauty and acoustics.
Though I now live in Ottawa, I grew up in small-town southwestern Ontario, where I sang in church choirs and began playing piano as a boy. Today I divide my time between performing, teaching, conducting, and producing concerts. I’m honoured to bring this recital to Arnprior and grateful to the priest and people of St. John Chrysostom for the warm welcome.
Come as you are, and let the music speak.
Two new exhibitions will run from July 26 to August 29 at Sivarulrasa Gallery in Almonte, and everyone is invited to a combined Vernissage/Artists Reception on Saturday, July 26 from 2–4pm.
Bloom is a trio exhibition in Gallery I inspired by floral themes, featuring works by artists Barbara Gamble, Sarah Anderson and Peter Wood, all based in the Ottawa area. “Flowers bloom and share their fleeting beauty with us,” notes Barbara Gamble. Her works are inspired by her own gardens as well as wildflowers appreciated along local roadsides. Sarah Anderson, by contrast, delves more into abstraction. “I want to portray the wild, untamed nature of flowers as a metaphor for raising teenagers,” she says. In her works, the flower seemingly explodes onto the surface, unrestrained by its original or natural form. Rounding out the trio is Peter Wood, who has long been captivated by the power of blossoms. “I have observed an inner radiance within these natural forms that endlessly fascinates me,” he says. Taken together, Bloom provides a compelling summer show at the Gallery.
Mary Pfaff: A Little More will run in Gallery II. This installation brings together several new works on paper by Almonte-based artist Mary Pfaff. “As humans, we constantly seek a little more — whether physically, emotionally, intellectually or spiritually,” she says. In this new body of work the artist uses textured paper, cloth and collage to explore the interconnectedness of life and nature, fragility and resilience. Two of the central works in the installation are a 40-part artwork constructed as a book, and a 7-foot-long painting that hangs from a dowel.
Meet Barbara Gamble, Sarah Anderson, Peter Wood and Mary Pfaff at the combined Vernissage/Artists Reception on Saturday July 26 from 2–4pm. Sivarulrasa Gallery is located at 34 Mill Street in Almonte. For more information, visit <sivarulrasa.com>.
Explore some of the area’s best brews and spirits as the second annual Almonte Craft Beer Fest returns to the grounds of Almonte Old Town Hall (14 Bridge Street) on Friday, July 25.
After the popularity of last year’s inaugural event, the Municipality of Mississippi Mills is coordinating another entertaining evening from 6:30 to 10:30pm featuring seven breweries, a distillery and a vineyard, as well as awesome entertainment from Silver Creek. Tasty treats will be on offer from food vendors including the Almonte Butcher Shop, Hummingbird Chocolate Maker, wood-fired pizza by Andre, and Rump Roasters Rotisserie & BBQ.
Come and sit along the water and watch the sun set over the picturesque Mississippi River. It’s the perfect way to spend a Friday evening in the summer!
Participating Beverage Makers
Located in the heart of Almonte, Base Camp Brewing Co. is a small craft brewery committed to engaging the community through great beer (red ales, pilsners, lagers and more) and relationships.
Amid the rural beauty of Pakenham is Cartwright Springs Brewery. Innovators in environmentally friendly initiatives, the brewery takes advantage of the natural artesian spring on site to craft their brews.
Farmgate Cider in nearby Arnprior is a family owned and operated cidery known for using local and sustainable agricultural practices to craft their ciders. This means no pesticides or sulphites are used in production.
An Almonte destination, Dairy Distillery are the makers of the renowned Vodkow vodka as well as a tantalizing array of cream liquors using technology that converts a dairy byproduct into their vodka.
Stalwart Brewing Co. calls Carleton Place home and offers an eclectic mix of beer and seltzers. They pride themselves on using only the finest ingredients (including one beer made with Hummingbird Chocolate Maker’s Hispaniola cocoa nibs!)
Just down the street in Carleton Place is Braumeister Brewing Co. This Bavarian-inspired craft brewery has a passion for creating some of the finest European beer styles locally.
Perth Brewery has been making quality fresh small batch beer since 1993, making them one of Canada’s original craft breweries. Their passion is seen through their extensive and colourful lineup of brews.
A love of the outdoors and adventure is brewed into everything Ottawa Valley’s Whitewater Brewing Co. does. Committed to protecting the environment, they are also Climate Neutral certified.
Carp’s Kin Vineyards is family-owned winery located on 47 acres of land in the heart of the Ottawa Valley. A strong belief in viticulture goes into every wine they make.
Providing the evening’s entertainment, Silver Creek hails from Ottawa and offers heartland-soul and rock, drawing inspiration from Neil Young and The Band. They’re sure to keep the crowd on their feet!
Tickets to the Almonte Craft Beer Fest are on sale now for $20 (plus HST and fees). Get them through Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434). This is a 19+ event and takes place rain or shine. Doors open at 6pm, and valid government-issued ID is required.
For more information on the Almonte Craft Beer Fest, visit <mississippimills.ca/craftbeerfest>.
For a decade, from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, Perth’s BarnDoor Productions community theatre brought William Shakespeare to the area with beloved productions in the historic gardens of Perth Manor, the imposing mansion on Drummond Street in Perth.
Beginning with an enchanting A Midsummer Night’s Dream and ending with a memorable Hamlet, thousands of playgoers experienced classic theatre in the beauty of the Manor’s Italianate gardens. In that time, with ten productions and sixty performances, there were a total of zero rained-out nights! Although bug spray was definitely recommended…
Changes in ownership of the Manor ended the series, but this July, BarnDoor Productions revives summer Shakespeare with a new production of the Bard’s beloved comedy Love’s Labors Lost. And here’s the special thing: the entire production is being sponsored by Foolhardy, the same company currently renovating the Perth Manor in such dramatic fashion.
Foolhardy’s Toby Shannan fondly remembered those original Shakespeare-in-the-garden shows, and when he came to own those gardens, determined to bring summer Shakespeare back to Perth. The production has been in planning since last fall, and in rehearsal since last February!
Typical of BarnDoor Productions’ fast, high-energy style of theatre, this is a much-reworked version, with a script that is bristling with surprises and an all-original ragtime/Dixieland score performed by a seven-piece ragtime band. With new, original songs and toe-tapping jazz interludes, it’s a Bard unlike any you may have seen lately. To go with the jazz, the production is set in the 1920s.
The cast of sixteen, along with the seven-piece band, have been rehearsing all spring upstairs at the newly renovated Sheriff’s House on Gore Street — itself an early Victorian building now owned by Foolhardy — and will be moving the show over to Perth’s Crystal Palace on the Tay Basin for performances July 24, 25 and 26, all at 8pm. The show should run about two hours and will have one intermission.
Both Foolhardy (Toby Shannan) and BarnDoor Productions (David and Janice Jacklin) hope that success of this initial show will be the foundation for an annual series, perhaps even, at some point, a return to the gardens of Perth Manor.
Love’s Labors Lost will run July 24, 25, 26 at 8pm Tickets are $25. To reserve, simply call 267–1884. Cash at the door is requested. And don’t forget some bug spray!
Get ready for an unforgettable evening in the barn as Betty and the Bobs, a beloved genre-blending band, bring their wildly entertaining live show to Farmgate Cider on July 18.
Known for their fun performances, witty banter, and a repertoire that spans folk, jazz, country, pop and beyond, Betty and the Bobs are a musical supergroup featuring some of the province’s finest roots musicians. The band is made up of Soozie Schlanger (award-winning vocalist and fiddler of Swamperella fame), Suzie Vinnick (award-winning singer and songwriter), David Woodhead (multi-disciplinary musician), Wendell Ferguson (award-winning guitarist), Rich Greenspoon (esteemed drummer and teacher), and David Matheson (stellar pianist and vocalist).
Their spontaneous, joy-filled concerts have made them a favourite on the small-halls circuit and a must-see live act. They last played in Almonte at the Folkus Concert Series in 2019.
Set against the scenic backdrop of Farmgate Cider’s orchard, this summer concert promises a magical summer night of incredible music, craft cider, and community spirit.
The show starts at 7pm at Farmgate Cider, located at 4547 Mohr’s Road near Arnprior. Tickets are available at Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434) or from <farmgatecider.ca/products/music-in-the-cidery-betty-and-the-bobs>.
Farmgate Cider is proud to host this event as part of its summer concert series, showcasing live music in an intimate, natural setting paired with farm-crafted cider and local fare.
“This is the kind of night we live for — great music, great cider, and the kind of atmosphere you can only get from a live show in the barn,” says Meaghan Davies, Manager of Communications, Marketing and Events at Farmgate Cider. “Betty and the Bobs are so fun. You don’t want to miss this!”
It was a beautiful, cool evening on Thursday, June 12 for the ribbon cutting at the grand opening of the new bocce ball courts in Almonte. It is with great pleasure that the Almonte Lawn Bowling Club (ALBC) is now able to offer the popular game of bocce ball to the community. Many attending were delighted to give the game a try to see how fun and easy it would be to master. “Wow, good shot!”, “I can actually do this!”, and “Nice courts!” were heard among the positive comments.
Kevin Jones, President of ALBC, welcomed special guests Calvin Murphy representing the Municipality of Mississippi Mills, Tom Levi of Levi’s Hardware and Bob Lesser representing the Civitan Club. Each of these guests offered their congratulations and warm wishes on this new endeavour. ALBC had successfully applied for a special grant from the Province of Ontario to help fund this project. The Civitan Club of Almonte also donated to it and the Junior Civitans have already given the game a try, complete with competitive spirits and lots of laughs! Special thanks were extended to the Municipality and to Tom Levi for their generous contributions of labour and materials, as well as to Cavanagh Construction and Countryside Contracting for their generous contributions as well. Kevin Jones remarked that it was an example of a great collaborative effort on the part of all.
If you are interested in trying out bocce ball, the ALBC invites you to come any evening from Monday to Friday around 6:45pm to get set up and check it out. On those same evenings you could try lawn bowling. You are offered three free evenings before deciding about joining the Club. Bocce ball is a steal at $50 for the season (ending mid-October), and new lawn bowling members would pay $150 for the season, but this includes bocce ball as well — a real deal!
For more information, please visit <almonte-lawn-bowling-club.com>.
Why wait? Give it a try today!
It’s not that often that we get a chance to hear traditional Mexican music in our little Ontario town, but after an incredible week spent in Mexico I was inspired to bring some to The Cove. The music, the food, the people, the land, the culture — it’s all so vibrant and colourful. And the vibe… it’s all about the vibe.
Members of the Los Paisanos Mariachi band have been based in Ottawa for 30 years now. They have become an essential part of several venues there and are incredibly busy playing the music that is most true to them. We are so excited to have them cruise through the tables on The Cove’s patio for a musical fiesta on Tuesday, July 15 from 6–9pm. We’ll add to the vibe with Mexican food and drink specials and more — ¡Olé! In advance of this special event, I chatted with band member Miguel Moreno.
Seamus Cowan: What is your favourite thing about playing Mariachi music for people?
Miguel Moreno: Seeing people having a good time, being happy and forgetting their problems for a while is our greatest enjoyment when performing. We are very interactive with the public and always strive to leave a good impression.
You have all contributed to the band in different ways and come from different backgrounds. What brought you all together as a band?
Our mutual enjoyment of the genre, the desire to expose people to Latin American culture through music, plus seeing a vacancy for our music in Ottawa were definitely some factors that formed Los Paisanos. We actually started as a trio, which evolved over time as we later began to incorporate more traditional Mariachi and Ranchero-themed songs owing to demand. We also added brass instruments to enrich the sound and become a truer Mariachi band.
I’m sure you have many influences, but who are some of your favourites?
Like most traditional Mariachi bands, we are heavily influenced by such great singers as Vicente Fernandez and the Mariachi Vargas, who kept traditional music alive even during times when younger generations had turned to rock and roll or other music fads. The music that Los Paisanos plays is very diverse and incorporates several Latin genres from all over Latin America, like salsa, merengue, cumbia and such, owing to the rich multicultural nature of our region and in order to fulfill special requests from our clients.
In addition to the traditional, do you embrace some new sounds and influences? Do you feel like there is a strong future for the next generation playing this traditional music?
There doesn’t seem to be a current trend in this region for new bands with younger musicians playing traditional music. Perhaps musicians arriving in Canada from other origins will form new traditional bands, be they Mariachi bands or not, but the tendency doesn’t seem to be there at the moment. It will probably depend on the demand and sustainability in the future.
In the meantime, don’t miss your opportunity to catch Los Paisanos at The Cove Inn in Westport on July 15. Call 273–3636 for reservations or visit <coveinn.com>.
If you aren’t already a lover of trees, a free family-friendly event taking place on Saturday, July 12 from 9:30am to 12:30pm at Stewart Park may change your mind. Besides gaining knowledge about trees, kids and adults alike will leave with a greater appreciation of their many benefits.
All trees are valuable, but mature or “elder” trees are truly special. The large old trees in our community can range in age from 75 to 200 years. They can astound us with their grandeur in height and spread of canopy. Their beauty begs us to stop and take notice of their stately bearing and presence.
Besides their aesthetic qualities, elder trees sequester large amounts of carbon and release oxygen and moisture to cool the air around us and provide shade for our homes, school yards and parks. This shade can also reduce the energy costs associated with the cooling of homes and buildings.
And it can be heartbreaking to lose one.
But actions can be taken to increase their longevity. This is the focus of Tree Trust, an organization in Southern Ontario. Tree Trust, with funding from by Tree Canada, is sponsoring the Elder Tree Event at Stewart Park on July 12. Local volunteer group Our Perth Trees, along with the Town of Perth, are involved in the planning.
So what’s taking place?
It starts off with a Welcome Table situated behind the Perth Town Hall, past the bandstand in Stewart Park. Arborist Tobias Effinger of Arboreal Tree Care will speak briefly about the work he will be doing on an elder Silver Maple. The maple is located next to the footbridge in Stewart Park.
Next, Professor Elwood Picklethorn’s Tree-mendously entertaining show will take place. This 45–minute interactive presentation on the importance of trees is for people of all ages.
Following that is a Guided Tree Inventory Tour, and a tree planting demonstration. Plus there will be refreshments and door prizes. And it’s all free. Hope to see you there!
Families seeking an immersive and educational outdoor experience should mark their calendars for Saturday, August 23, when the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) hosts its annual Festival of the Wild Child at High Lonesome Nature Reserve.
This popular family event offers a full day of nature exploration, hands-on discovery and outdoor fun, with activities designed to engage both children and adults. This year’s theme, “See Nature Differently,” invites participants to experience the natural world through the eyes of botanists, geologists, researchers, artists and naturalists, who will lead interactive stations and educational experiences throughout the day.
Visitors will have the chance to observe butterflies in the meadow, frogs in the stream, birds in the canopy and beavers in the pond. And if you look closely enough, you might just spot a fairy or two hiding in the woods.
With over 8km of trails winding through forests, meadows and wetlands, the reserve provides endless opportunities for exploration. Festival highlights include a pollinator path, pond exploration, craft stations and more!
Designed for all ages, the event also features a screened-in sitting area for grandparents or those who prefer a slower pace. MMLT has received positive feedback from all ages, including 7-year-old Lee, who enthused: “I never saw a salamander up close before. I love its little spots!” Ross, age 10, opined: “Flat stones make great hiding places for all kinds of creatures!” And Michel wrote: “My kids and grandkids loved getting a close look at trees and insects.”
Register today at <mmlt.ca/events>, or sign up on-site the day of the event. Admission is just $10 per adult, and kids under 16 get in free. Donations are welcome and help make events like this possible!
The event runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, August 23, at High Lonesome Nature Reserve, located at 867 Carbine Road near Pakenham. In case of rain, the event will be held the following day, Sunday, August 24. Free parking is available on-site, and food and cold drinks will be available for purchase. Prices will be listed on the event page prior to the event.
Visitors are kindly asked to leave pets at home to help protect local wildlife. For the full schedule of activities, maps, and Wild Child t-shirt information, visit <mmlt.ca/events>.
Whether you’re a curious child, a seasoned nature lover, or someone simply looking to enjoy a day outdoors, the Festival of the Wild Child promises a unique opportunity to learn, play, and see nature from a whole new perspective.
A group of eight dysfunctional characters meet once a week at a dance class in a church. Sounds like the first line in a joke, doesn’t it? And in the case of Stepping Out by Richard Harris, Studio Theatre Perth’s upcoming play, you wouldn’t be wrong in anticipating humour. Jokes and one-liners and asides abound when the curtains open on one of Mavis Turner’s tap dancing classes. For the participants, the class is all about having fun, and the very different women (with one token man) come with dancing abilities ranging from competent to hopelessly out of their depth. Each dancer, expertly played by Patti Greer, Lisa Swett, Karen Smith, Paige Hurley, Trace Noonan, Jeff Wilson, Cyntha Struthers and Lauren Edibia, is a complex and fully formed character — each one a persona that someone in the audience will certainly relate to.
For Mavis and her taciturn pianist, played brilliantly by Jo Treffers, the classes are what pay the bills while both secretly aspire to getting up onto a bigger stage. In the middle of one of her classes Mavis gets a phone call requesting she provide a routine for a big charity gala, and the pressure is on.
A little bit of background on the “dancers” in this production. I find it fascinating that four of the nine had never tapped before coming out to the audition. This mix of experience levels was a great teaching opportunity and challenge for Chrystine Williams, the production choreographer who also took on the role of Mavis in the play. She had to teach all the dance moves and numbers and then make it all appear like they knew very little in the first scene and progressed to polished semi-professional dancers by the last scene. And did I mention that the play itself is set in England between the months of February and July? The scene changes are lightning fast, with actors simply slipping into the wings at the end of each scene when a few weeks or a month pass, and coming back on in dance and street wear appropriate to the passage of time into warmer days. The final scene is a showstopper — two back-to-back dance performances with a year in-between — closing out the show with dancers and Mavis in matching outfits, flourishing hats, and canes that sparkle and dazzle. This is a production that will make you laugh to tears, tap your toes in unison, and leave you rising to your feet to cheer at the final notes from the piano.
You do not want to miss this high-stepping hilarity. Get your tickets at Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485-6434) or through the Studio Theatre box office. Evening performances are at 7:30pm on July 3, 4, 10 and 11; matinées are at 2pm on July 5, 6, 12 and 13. Opening night tickets on July 3 are $19 ($5 off the regular ticket price of $24), and patrons 30 and under pay only $12 for any performance.
On Sunday, July 27, the Township of McNab/Braeside is thrilled to welcome visitors back to HerbFest, a beloved summer tradition celebrating healthy living, local talent, and the natural beauty of the Ottawa Valley. This year’s event promises to be bigger, brighter, and better than ever.
Set on the picturesque grounds of the Waba Cottage Museum & Gardens in White Lake, HerbFest 2025 offers a full day of activities from 10am to 3pm. They include live music by talented local performers, artisan vendors and local farms showcasing handmade and homegrown goods, interactive workshops and museum tours, food trucks and a beer tent featuring festival favourites, guided kayak tours on beautiful White Lake, and more!
“This event brings together everything we love about summer in the Valley: food, music, community and the outdoors,” says the Township. “Whether you’re a long-time attendee or discovering HerbFest for the first time, there’s something here for everyone. Rain or shine, we’re ready to celebrate, and we can’t wait to see you there!”
HerbFest is a free family-friendly event, with free on-site parking, accessible parking, and accessible washrooms to ensure a comfortable experience for all guests. Additional portable washrooms will also be available. The Waba Cottage Museum & Gardens are located at 24 Museum Road in White Lake. For more information, find HerbFest 2025 on Facebook.
Like Glenda Jones (“What’s With Shallots?” theHumm, June 2025), I, too, was once fearful of shallots — allophobic?!? I had seen them nestled in their little boxes in the grocers. But no-one I knew cooked with them, so I never bought them.
Happily, I moved to the Ottawa Valley and met a lover of shallots — my stepson Tom. Not as strongly flavoured as an onion, with a little hint of garlic flavour, and small — these little gems are perfect for so many purposes! Need that flavour, but don’t want to cut into a whole onion for your chickpea salad/omelette/homemade pizza? Grab a shallot.
They don’t need to be stored in the fridge, and on the kitchen counter in plain sight you won’t forget to use them. They’ll keep for weeks (unlike green onions).
So grab your sharpest knife, and proceed as follows:
1. Shallot on cutting board, slice in half lengthwise.
2. Peel. See how easy that is? Cut off & discard the pointy tip.
3. If you desire small dice, slice as for onion — knife all the way through, small slices, almost to the root.
4. Turn the shallot (or the cutting board) 90 degrees, hold onto the root end with your fingertips, and slice across, working towards the root.
5. Or for pretty half-moon slices, skip steps 3 & 4. Hold onto the root end with your fingertips. Beginning at the other (pointier) end, make thin slices ’til you get close to the root.
So next time you’re at the grocery, or the farmers’ market, or your friend wants to gift you a shallot, you’ll know what to do!
Now, can anyone out there help me to remedy a too-dry compost pile? I’m hopeless with that!
Editor’s Note:
Glenda Jones and I were so delighted that Cindy took the time to send in this wonderful response to last month’s Reever Report! As a small token of thanks, I asked our gardening columnist, David Hinks, if he could help answer Cindy’s compost question — see his answer on page 26 of this issue.
Aren’t we all a little nosy? On Saturday, August 16, you’ll have the opportunity to indulge that curiosity by touring fantastic homes and historic locations around Almonte! What better way to spend a summer day than walking around a quaint little town, getting inspiration for your home décor and taking a peek at how other folks live? Even better — this tour directly supports two local charities: the Almonte General Hospital – Fairview Manor Foundation, and the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum.
Tickets include complimentary light refreshments donated by Orchard View by the Mississippi; a tour of Hummingbird Chocolate Maker, the Mill of Kintail Museum, Orchard View by the Mississippi, and Vodkow; as well as free admittance to the Textile Museum, located at 3 Rosamond St. E. in Almonte.
Save the date for Saturday, August 16! Tickets go on sale Wednesday, July 2 at $40 each. This tour has sold out in previous years, so don’t delay! With over five fantastic homes and new locations on the tour, you won’t want to miss out. Get your tickets at Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434).
“We’re so excited to be part of this wonderful community tradition once again,” says Vaia Dimas, Executive Director of Almonte General Hospital – Fairview Manor Foundation. “The Town & Home Tour is such a unique way to celebrate Almonte’s charm, creativity and generosity. Not only does it showcase the incredible character of our town — it also helps raise funds that directly support exceptional healthcare close to home as well as preserving the history and stories of the local mill workers and labourers. Can’t wait to see you in the Friendly Town!”
Michael Rikley-Lancaster, Executive Director/Curator of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, adds: “We’re thrilled to be partnering again to bring this event to the community. It’s such an engaging and fun event to put together, and we’re grateful for the support from local homeowners and businesses. Local history, modern and historic architecture, and stunning interior design all come together on this tour, and I know it will be a real treat for visitors.”
About the Charities
The Almonte General Hospital – Fairview Manor Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that exceptional health care remains accessible close to home. By raising and responsibly managing community donations, the Foundation funds essential medical equipment and priority projects at Almonte General Hospital and Fairview Manor. In collaboration with the Mississippi River Health Alliance, the Foundation plays a pivotal role in enhancing patient care and outcomes for residents of Mississippi Mills and surrounding communities. For more information or to make a donation, please visit <almontehospitalfoundation.com>.
The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum is committed to collecting, preserving, and telling the stories of the local mill workers and labour history, while offering an open, inclusive space for the community and visitors from across the globe. If you wish to enquire about Museum and its operations, please visit <mvtm.ca>.
Art… and Soul
Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, and Jim Fisher’s gotta paint until he dies.* He found his calling six years ago, and he shows absolutely no sign of slowing down — to the extent that his wife Diana contacted theHumm and suggested we profile her prolific artistic husband to let our readers know of this new source of wonderfully affordable art.
Jim is energetic, and he loves to paint. His works are bold and appealing, and they merit an audience wider than the couple’s artistically festooned home in Oxford Mills. He is so busy creating new paintings that their home is literally overflowing as the result of his new passion. His works are striking and visually powerful. He paints in oils in a style that is bold and spontaneous and impressionistic — so much so that I’m quoting Wikipedia’s description of the 19th century art movement: “… characterized by visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities, ordinary subject matter, unusual visual angles, and inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience.” Jim’s paintings catch your eye and nourish your soul.
It all happened quite innocently. About six years ago, Diana noticed how engrossed Jim became when he stumbled across the online treasure trove of YouTube oil painting tutorials by Bob Ross. Diana bought him a Bob Ross starter painting kit.
Starter kit indeed. Jim subsequently barreled through art tutorials, experimenting with three-inch brushes and knives and innovative methods of applying oil paint to canvas. Kevin Hill tutorials and DVDs enabled him to experiment with acrylics and taught him about perspective and techniques for highlighting. He quickly upgraded to quality oil paints, and he painted and he painted and he painted. He is now a member of the North Grenville Art Guild.
Eventually Fisher gravitated toward the challenges of painting en plain air by watching Australian artist Richard Musgrave-Evans cope with the rapidly changing lighting dynamics caused by wind and clouds and the moving sun trajectory.
Rapid Processor
Trying to capture an “accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities” is right up his alley. Based on only one interview with him, I came away convinced that Jim Fisher is a “rapid processor” — an individual who can quickly absorb, understand, and respond to information. That trait is frequently accompanied by impatience, multitasking, and high energy levels. It wasn’t enough that Jim was heavily immersed in running a 240-acre property in Oxford Mills, building a cottage on Lake Charleston an hour away from his home, and partnering with his daughter Amy as a real estate broker for Details Realty; he was frequently bored and looking for something to do.
He’s always been like that. Born in Ottawa, he studied at Ottawa U and earned his degree as an agricultural economist at the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) at the University of Guelph. In typical Fisher style, he elected to do his thesis studying the economics of raising sheep because everybody else was focused on dairy policy. He went on to teach for seventeen years at the OAC Kemptville College campus. After purchasing his farmland in 1997, he raised a new house on the property in a month, and then raised sheep (up to 130 ewes), cattle, horses and donkeys. Now one of their five daughters (he has two and Diana has three) raises flowers there and sells gorgeous bouquets. I almost forgot — Jim loves to cook, and has hosted Easter dinner for 47 family members and friends.
Accessible Art
Fisher more than loves to paint; he is driven to paint. When he goes on fishing jaunts with his buddies up north, he carries his paints and other art supplies with him. “I’ve got to have something to do,” he explains. “I can’t just sit in a boat and fish all day!” He doesn’t even bring the paintings back with him. They are just another example of the consequences of being a rapid processor. He describes his drive to paint as his method of relaxing. He truly enjoys the process of creating, and it is his way of planning for the future. He intends to do it “as long as I can lift my arms.”
Therein lies the problem for Jim (and Diana!) — finding homes for his art. Besides creating an overflow of paintings that deserve to be enjoyed, there are serious cost issues associated with his compulsive creativity. Oil paints are expensive, as are canvases, brushes, and all the other ingredients that enable him to indulge his passion. Serendipitously, Jim’s workshop is well equipped with wood and tools that allowed him to explore ways to control the costs associated with framing — one of the reasons that owning quality original art can be so expensive. He has developed ways to create very attractive live-edge frames. But he didn’t stop there! He now applies a thick layer of gesso directly on his wooden “frames” and converts them into live-edged canvasses. He wasn’t an economics instructor for nothing.
Merrickville Festival of the Arts
Eureka! Jim Fisher can now afford to pass on the lovely fruits of his creative outpouring to you at a genuinely affordable price. He is offering a selection of his vibrant oil paintings at the Merrickville Festival of the Arts on July 26 and 27. In addition to feasting on the delicious artworks of 35 members of the Merrickville Arts Guild, you will be delighted at the modestly priced paintings Jim is offering, enabling you to enhance your home environment and preserve domestic tranquility for the Fishers of Oxford Mills. Diana Fisher’s current transition from her successful career as a local newspaper journalist to aspiring novelist leaves her well positioned to complain about wall overload. You can also take advantage of Jim’s generous offer to create a painting from a photograph you provide, with the guarantee that you don’t have to buy it if you don’t like it. His coordinates are on the back of his Artist Trading Card at the top of this page.
*My apologies to Oscar Hammerstein II and his lyrics to Show Boat.
Artist Trading Card
On Saturday, July 19, the Library After Dark fundraising concert series returns to the Perth & District Library with a concert featuring School House!
This summer event, offered in partnership with Stewart Park Festival, offers a chance for people who love music to see top notch artists in a unique, alternative space and support the Perth & District Library.
School House is a folk band from Ottawa. After moving in together in 2021, the three best friends discovered that their new home was a century-old schoolhouse — inspiring the name and giving them a dedicated space to create. They were awarded Group of the Year at the 2024 Ottawa Music Awards and their début release was named Album of the Year by Ottawa Faces Magazine.
Their sound was born around a campfire, taking turns sharing songs and joining in three-part harmony. They combine upbeat singalongs with emotive folk ballads to bring a wise yet youthful perspective to the Canadian folk music scene. Releasing their début album in 2023 and an Acoustic EP in 2024, the band has amassed over 500k online streams.
Doors open at 8:30pm and music starts at 9pm. You can also enjoy a beverage from the cash bar during the show, and spend intermission under the lights of the library garden!
Tickets are $30 and available for purchase online in advance at <perthunionlibrary.ca/library-after-dark> or at the door. A charitable receipt for $15 will be issued for each ticket.
The Madawaska Valley Studio Tour is a free, self-directed tour where visitors can observe live demonstrations by renowned artists, meet emerging artists, and purchase one-of-a-kind art and fine craft. This is a unique opportunity to see artists and makers in their studios as they transform materials like wood, clay, fabric, glass, wool and metal into their artistic visions.
The Summer Tour takes place on July 19 and 20, and the Fall Tour is on October 4 and 5. Studios will be open 10am to 5pm on both weekends.
With the beautiful Madawaska Valley as a backdrop, it is easy to see why so many artists and artisans find inspiration there. This popular seasonal tour winds its way through lush forests, along pristine lakes, and over rolling hills and stretches from Barry’s Bay to Eganville, and from Quadeville to Combermere. Come explore the art and the places that inspire it!
Plan your route with friends and family and make a day or two of it. Brochures with information about each artist and a map to the studios can be found at tourist information centres and businesses throughout the Valley. Many studios are also open year-round by appointment.
For additional information on participants and the partners who generously support the arts community, visit <madawaskavalleystudiotour.com> or follow the tour on Facebook and Instagram.
I recently finished a poetry collection gifted to me by the author herself, Margaret Martin. From Inside to Outside is its name — a quiet, soulful read filled with the same sensitivity to space and mood that animates her paintings. Whether in words or images, Margaret brings a deep intentionality to interior spaces. Her work invites us to observe the rooms she renders and enter them, to sit with the emotions, memories, and meaning they hold.
At first glance, her paintings are bright, inviting and full of colour, but don’t be deceived. There’s a quiet tension in these interiors, a feeling that something has just happened, or is about to. I’m drawn to that mystery and determined to understand it.
I sat down with Margaret after she led a weekend workshop on painting interior spaces at Stone Manor Studios. As we talked, she reflected on how interiors can be both familiar and fantastical, comforting and unsettling. They may hold us, challenge us, or mirror who we are at our most unguarded. What unfolded was a deeper conversation about how we inhabit space and why the interior endures as such a rich, revealing subject in art.
Margaret is an accomplished painter, a graduate of the University of Guelph’s Fine Art program, specializing in visual art, and holds a degree in Education from Queen’s University. Now retired from a career teaching children, youth and adults, she continues to create and share her work in the Rideau Lakes region. A longtime member and current co-president of the thriving Rideau Lakes Artists’ Association (RLAA), Margaret is part of a vibrant local arts community that supports over 100 members. Through exhibitions, local venue displays, and volunteer-led education and networking initiatives, the RLAA remains an essential creative hub.
While many of Margaret’s acrylic paintings reflect her love of landscape, others turn inward toward interior scenes that reveal a quiet intelligence. She uses perspective, light and atmosphere to evoke something deeply human.
“I’ve been making art since I was a child,” she shares. “Drawing was just part of my life. I’d fill my school notebooks with sketches. It wasn’t something I was told to do, it was just how I saw the world.”
Margaret credits her early artistic influence to her mother, an amateur watercolourist, and to her paternal grandmother, an accomplished oil painter she never met. Encouraged by her father to study art seriously, she pursued her formal training with curiosity and commitment.
When asked what first drew her to interiors, Margaret reflects: “Interiors reflect that very human need for shelter, for belonging. There’s a kind of universal recognition when we see a space rendered on canvas, something that says: I know what that feels like. I think there's so much untapped richness in those settings. They’re personal, imaginative, and cultural at the same time.”
Unlike still life or figure painting, interior scenes create a frame that suggests presence without necessarily showing it. For Margaret, this is part of the power.
“I rarely paint people into my interiors. Maybe once or twice, a small child at a piano, but mostly I suggest the human story through objects or space. It lets viewers enter the scene with their own experience.”
Throughout history, artists have turned inward, using rooms and furnishings to explore emotion, memory, and social structure. A paper I once wrote on Mary Cassatt has stayed with me as a way of considering interior paintings or domestic scenes in fine art as cultural reflections. Cassatt’s quiet domestic worlds — feminine, unguarded and intimate — show how the spaces we occupy can hold layered stories, shaped by the forces of race, class and gender. These aren’t just scenes; they reflect how power, identity and belonging play out in everyday life. This idea led us into a deeper conversation about the politics of space, who gets to feel at home, who is seen, and what is left unsaid.
“It’s something I think about,” Margaret admits. “I know I have the privilege to be in these spaces, to paint them. I don’t see my work as political in a direct sense, but I am aware that creating beauty is, in itself, a kind of act. A kind of noticing. And a way of saying ‘this matters’.”
She acknowledges that other artists may use interiors to make overt social commentary (and deeply respects that), but her motivation lies elsewhere.
“For me, it’s about presence. I want to express something that feels alive, even if the room is empty. I paint what I’m drawn to. That keeps me returning to the canvas, not what I think I should paint, but what I need to see. I think there's so much untapped richness in those settings. They’re personal, imaginative, and cultural at the same time.”
Her advice to emerging artists? Embrace the challenge. “Interiors stretch you. They make you think about light, space, and perspective differently. And they offer a way to engage with something deeply personal. Even if you don’t stick with them forever, painting interiors will make you a stronger artist.”
Interior paintings have always offered more than mere decoration; they hold memory, identity, and intersections of meaning. They echo how and where we live and with what level of safety, identity and visibility. As Margaret and I close our conversation, I ask her what the future of interior painting might hold.
“We’re in such a fast-paced, distracted world,” she says. “I think the stillness of an interior is needed more than ever. It invites us to pause. To ask: Who was here? What was left behind? What light is still coming in?”
In Margaret Martin’s work, light is always present. Whether it falls through a window, glows across a tabletop, or lingers in an empty room, it reminds us that beauty still lives in quiet places and that looking in can be just as profound as looking out.
Everybody knows the old saying “one person’s junk is another person’s treasure.” Happily, in this time of “recycle, repurpose and reuse”, we are drifting away from the reference to junk and focusing more on treasure.
People want to sell their possessions for many reasons, but change seems to be the one common denominator. Older adults whose children are grown want to downsize into a more manageable living space. Families want to purge their collection of toys and children’s furniture to make room for more age-appropriate items. Some need to downsize before making that big move to a new job in a new town. Sometimes people’s tastes or circumstances change, and they want to upgrade or redesign their living spaces. Collectors need to curate their collections. Makers and artists want to tidy their studios and sell some of their inventory and supplies.
Even though people may not want certain items anymore, they still feel that there is value in their pieces. Sometimes they want to get back some of the money that they invested, but often emotional attachment still exists. Seeing where their treasures are going makes the parting more positive.
The Merrickville United Church has gone through its own huge changes in the past several years. Now, as a community hub and gathering place, it seems fitting that “The Pews” is opening its doors on the first Sunday of every month from 10am to 4pm for people to sell their treasures, enjoy the fellowship of vendors and visitors alike, and be a part of the great energy that is our village of Merrickville. Please come! The Pews is located at 100 St. Lawrence Street in Merrickville — find them at <thepews.ca> or email them at <hello@thepews.ca>.
Here’s something weird and wonderful to add to your summer memories: Studio Theatre Perth is bringing classic science fiction back to the big screen! Laugh, cheer and scream at three of the greats, and sample new films by one of Perth’s own film makers, Sam Moore.
All three feature movies offer the important elements of the genre: aliens, robots, humour (both intentional and otherwise), memorable dialogue, and some very special special effects. Come see Forbidden Planet (1956), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), and the unspeakable horrors of Ed Wood’s Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959).
In addition to those historical (and in some cases hysterical) gems, you’ll also enjoy Sam Moore’s fine 21st century works: Scuttlers, Loop, and Morning Jog… for a different sort of horror.
Tickets and reserved seating are available through Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434), or at the Studio Theatre box office. Prices are $12 per film, $22 per day, or $32 for a weekend pass. Showtimes are at 7pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday. Doors open at 6:30 and 1:30 respectively. Feel free to dress creatively — even the theatre snack bar will go retro!
An exhibit of photos by Roz Phillips is on display at Hourglass Café in Perth until July 15. Everyone is invited to an Open House where you can meet the artist and listen to the music of Jack Surch on July 4 from 2–4pm.
According to the artist: “Travelling, learning, experimenting, and creating images have always been exciting for me. Watching my ideas grow has been a wonderful journey. Exploring beautiful possibilities and expanding my creative spirit, I graduated from St. Lawrence College as a certified Photographer with Honours. I am a freelance photographer, specializing in landscape and people photography. In 1998, the Canadian Association for Photographic Art chose my image Lost at Sea to hang in their Canada-wide exhibit.
“My photography is continually evolving, and what I might have said and thought about it last year is not quite the same as I might say and think now. If I am lucky, the images will show what it was that made me want to take the picture. Photography gives me a way to connect to this world — a world with quiet places of beauty, places of wonder, places that make me want to drink them in deeply and share them with others. Some days it feels like magic.”
Hourglass Café is located at 1 Sherbrooke St. E. in Perth.
James Thorne Pottery is excited to announce the opening of registration for their highly anticipated 2025 Summer Pottery Classes. Known for their hands-on approach to ceramic arts and a welcoming studio environment, James Thorne Pottery invites artists of all levels — from curious beginners to seasoned clay enthusiasts — to explore the art of pottery this summer.
Summer classes will begin on July 14 and run through the end of August. Students will learn foundational and advanced techniques including wheel throwing, hand-building, glazing, and kiln firing — all guided by James Thorne.
“This summer is all about reconnecting with creativity and community,” says James. “Whether you’re trying pottery for the first time or returning to build your skills, my classes are designed to be both enriching and fun.”
Highlights of the summer program include 6-week and week-long opportunities for learning to throw on the wheel, as well as week-long and 2-day handbuilding workshops featuring projects like fairy houses, canoes, and memory boxes. All materials and tools will be provided.
Spots are limited and early registration is encouraged. To view the full schedule and sign up, visit <jamesthornepottery.ca> or contact <thorne.j@hotmail.com>.
About James Thorne Pottery
James Thorne Pottery is a locally-owned ceramic studio dedicated to fostering creativity, craftsmanship, and community through the ceramic arts. With over ten years of experience, James Thorne brings a passion for teaching and a love of clay to every student and every piece. He has experience working at the North Bay Potters’ Guild, the Almonte Potters’ Guild, the Gloucester Pottery School, Hintonburg Pottery, and the Glebe Community Centre. He is excited to welcome everyone into his home studio in Pakenham.
The wait is over! The full 2025 Stewart Park Festival lineup and weekend schedule have officially been announced. From July 18–20, downtown Perth will once again come alive with three days of music and community as the beloved festival returns for its 34th year.
Festival-goers can now plan their weekend with performances happening across two beautiful venues: the open-air Stewart Park stage and the intimate Crystal Palace. With over 35 performances scheduled over three days, audiences can look forward to a dynamic mix of folk, roots, blues, pop, and global sounds from across Canada and beyond.
The full roster features previously announced favourites like Great Lake Swimmers, Joel Plaskett, Quique Escamilla, Ray Bonneville, and Rube and Rake, alongside new additions such as Night Sun, Washboard Hank & Reverend Ken, Jing Xia, and Landon Bedor. It also includes Perth’s own Academy for Musical Theatre, King of the Swingers, Perth Citizens’ Band, and Bright Strings Community Fiddle Orchestra, as well as workshops and collaborations featuring local and emerging talents.
Friday evening kicks off with both the Main Stage and Crystal Palace starting at 4pm with high-energy performances. The music continues with the always popular After Hours shows in the Crystal Palace and Perth Brewery (licensed), beginning at 8pm. Tickets for these special shows are just $15. Saturday and Sunday are packed with daytime activities in the park (starting on the main stage at noon) and Crystal Palace (check the schedule), including Wendy Laut workshops, concerts, and family activities, culminating in unforgettable headline sets each evening.
The Stewart Park Festival is more than music. It’s an immersive experience that includes a bustling artisan market, local food vendors, interactive kids’ activities, the YAK Duck Race, and community connections around every corner. The full schedule is now online at <stewartparkfestival.com> and offers something for everyone, along with plenty of opportunities to discover new favourites.
Stewart Park Festival remains a by-donation event thanks to the incredible support of sponsors, donors and volunteers. Suggested donations of $25 or more help fund artist fees, staging, and festival operations. Donate online anytime or at one of the many stations throughout the park during the festival.
Mark your calendars, gather your friends, and come be part of this unforgettable weekend. With music in the air and community at its heart, the 2025 Stewart Park Festival promises something truly special for everyone.
Find the complete list of performers and the schedule at <stewartparkfestival.com>.
There is something magical about reading a good book in the summer. That might seem like a romantic notion to some, but it sure isn’t to me. No, on the warmest summer days, I’m entirely content with a comfortable lawn chair, shade from a big old leafy tree, an ice-cold drink, and a book I’ve been itching to read spread open in my lap. “Books are a uniquely portable magic,” Stephen King once wrote. He may have meant they are in every season, but to me, that sentiment seems perfectly true for summer.
I know my fellow bookworms will agree. I see them more often in summer — at the beach, on a park bench, at a café patio, or passing the time at a bus stop. It is exceedingly rare, too, to visit friends at a cottage and not find at least one person completely engrossed in a dog-eared paperback. And it’s no coincidence, I don’t think, that almost every small town is home to at least one delightful indie bookshop; likewise, it’s not just for kicks that they sell books in gas stations, grocery stores and pharmacies. No, it’s no secret that book lovers are everywhere. And sometimes, we like to roam — and, as a rule, not without a few good books in our tote bags.
Need some help filling your summertime tote? Here are a few titles I’m recommending. Not accidentally, they’re all by talented Canadian authors.
I’ll kick things off with Jeanette Lynes’ latest novel, The Paper Birds. Lynes’ fourth as a novelist (she has also written seven books of poetry), The Paper Birds is set in Toronto in the sweltering summer of 1943. It’s wartime and Gemma Sullivan, barely out of high school, lands a coveted office job. Soon after, she discovers she’s been hired to work in a top-secret codebreaking office in an unsuspecting house — called “The Cottage” — along the lake in Mimico, Ontario.
Sworn to a lifelong oath of secrecy, Gemma becomes an integral part of a crack all-female code-breaking team. Their wartime intelligence work is important, the codebreaking intense. And life for Gemma gets even more complicated when she begins fraternizing with a handsome prisoner at a POW camp nearby.
The Paper Birds is historical fiction at its best and most intriguing, a wartime love story that also reveals the struggles and sacrifices every day working women, like Gemma, made in helping Allied forces win the war. Maia Caron, the bestselling author of The Last Secret, calls the novel “a vivid and compelling story about a sisterhood of Canadian women codebreakers … [that] explores the power of female friendship and the joy of first love during World War II.”
Jeanette Lynes is the award-winning author of The Factory Voice, The Small Things That End the World, and The Apothecary’s Garden, which was a national bestseller. Smart, suspenseful, historically intriguing, Lyne’s latest looks to fit the bill ideally as a marvellous summer read. It’s a sure-fire winner.
As kids, adults often tell us: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, they didn’t really mean books, did they? Nope. (Silly adults.) That said, a book’s cover can absolutely bowl me over sometimes, and, yep, I will occasionally just up and buy that book. At the absolute minimum, I’ll put it on my “to buy soon” list.
This happened to me recently with a book called The Northern, a début novel by Jacob McArthur Mooney. The cover art is colourful, nostalgic and just plain cool, like a mint baseball card from the ’50s. Sitting on my walker at my local indie, I opened the book and read about five pages. The prose was clean, compelling, and sharply detailed, like you’d expect from an acclaimed poet (which Mooney is), and the short snippet of the storyline I inhaled, with a glimpse of its three main characters, had me, as they say, hook, line and sinker. I find that’s often all I need to discern a darn good read. I’m confident The Northern is just that.
It was good to read that others agree. Zoe Whittall, author of Wild Failure and The Best Kind of People, calls it “a stunning début.” And Ben Lindbergh, co-author of The MVP Machine and The Only Rule Is It Has to Work, writes, “W.P. Kinsella has company: Jacob Mooney has written another classic Canadian novel about baseball… It makes human failure fascinating.”
In Saad Omar Khan’s evocative novel Drinking the Ocean, Murad spots a familiar face at a crowded intersection in downtown Toronto. The woman is Sofi, whom Murad had fallen in love with almost a decade ago. She walks by holding the hand of a small child. That chance encounter takes Murad back to the first time he and Sofi met. The narrative begins with Murad’s memories, then shifts to Sofi’s point of view — gradually, Omar Khan weaves their two stories together into what Ann Y.K. Choi (author of Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety) describes as “an intimate, nuanced and provocative journey,” one that “delves deeply into what it means to connect, to love, to hurt and ultimately, to heal.” Set against the rich backdrops of Lahore, Toronto and London, Drinking the Ocean is, by all accounts, a profound, emotionally insightful novel — an enthralling début.
Another first novel turning heads is Miranda Schreiber’s Iris and the Dead. It’s a refreshingly original, moving, and slightly unsettling queer coming-of-age story. In lyrical prose vignettes, Schreiber’s narrator examines love and desire, disability and madness, trauma and recovery. “Miranda Schreiber’s début is as fierce as it is mesmerizing,” writes award-winning novelist Kathryn Mockler. “A gorgeous book that will appeal to readers of Carmen Maria Machado and Daisy Johnson.”
Lastly, an August release from the singularly talented novelist Mikhail Iossel, Sentence is a groundbreaking collection of one-sentence stories that’s been described as “a celebration of linguistic freedom and virtuosity.” Iossel’s genius needs to be read — to be experienced — to be understood, so here I’ll leave the last words to David Evanier, author of Red Love: “Mikhail Iossel is one of our greatest contemporary writers. He carries the torch of Russian literary genius, writing with brilliance of the snake pit of Soviet Communism. His gift for characterization, vivid imagery and absurdity makes his work mesmerizing. His writing is unforgettable.”
You can buy these books from your small-town bookseller, who will always happily put in a special order for you, if need be. In our area those booksellers include Perth’s Spark Books & Curios and The Book Nook; Mill Street Books in Almonte; Arlie’s Books in Smiths Falls; and Arnprior’s White Pine Books.
Happy summertime reading, friends!
In May 2023, after working together on an art project for the Bonnechere Museum, several artists and artisans decided to form Bonnechere Valley Inspired. The mandate of the group is to foster a healthy, creative and culturally rich community. To that end, we created a tour in Bonnechere Valley Township to showcase local artists, artisans, food producers and heritage.
But after the first tour in 2023, we realised that we had to do more. We took the Sustainable Tourism Pledge 2030 and wrote a Sustainability Action Plan. We began promoting all things healthy, creative and culturally rich in Bonnechere Valley on our Facebook page. Recognising that the numerous empty and poorly maintained buildings in downtown Eganville were negatively impacting visitors and foot traffic for businesses, we began the Doors of Eganville project. In 2024, through a small grant, donations, and lots of volunteer effort, we artistically painted ten doors and also added some art panels on boarded-up windows. This year we are planning to add 10 more.
In addition, through workshops and commissions, we began creating the BV Barn Quilt Trail throughout the rural area. Barn quilts pay homage to rural heritage, and while some have meanings in their design, for many they are simply beautiful rural public art. Many of the stops on the tour have barn quilts, and others serve as “bread crumbs” to enjoy along the route.
There are thirteen stops with over 40 participants on the Bonnechere Valley Inspired Tour taking place on August 2 and 3, including painters, jewelers, potters, textile artists, soap makers, glass artists, furniture upcyclers, cider makers, food producers, museums, and much more. Several of the stops are farms, including one where you can pet a friendly longhorn steer while munching on some freshly made cotton candy and viewing vibrant art, handmade wooden toys and handmade axes.
A drum and smudge opening ceremony will be held at the Bonnechere Museum on August 2 at 10am. On Saturday evening there will be a farm-to-fork dinner and paint night at Ottawa Valley Farm To Fork. There’s lots to enjoy, so give yourself plenty of time!
We know we are making a positive impact. This is not just a regular “studio” tour. It is a celebration of our story. It’s about the creativity, talent and passion that we bring to our community! Find us on Facebook at Bonnechere Valley Inspired or at <bonnecherevalleyinspired.ca>.
Once upon a time — not so long ago, really — our ancestors lived close to the land. Their hands were soil-stained, their stories sung around fires, their wisdom woven into everything from bread baking to moon watching. They followed the seasons like a sacred map. They knew how to listen to the earth and each other. They belonged.
And though time has tucked much of that wisdom away, buried it beneath concrete and calendar alerts, it is not lost.
Something in you already knows this. Maybe it’s the sudden pull toward the scent of rose, the quiet thrill of moss underfoot, or a longing you can’t quite name. A dream you half-remember. A story you’ve never heard, but that still somehow feels like yours.
We are Ninth Wave Arts, a nonprofit organization devoted to the remembrance and reclamation of Folk Wisdom and Folk Arts. Through workshops, seasonal celebrations, song circles, crafting, storytelling, divination, and the rhythms of nature herself — we invite you to step across a threshold and into your own unfolding story.
There are many ways in.
For Rebecca, it started with a late-night search about the old ways. A tug in her heart. A pendant worn for courage. A friend’s quiet suggestion: “You’d love this place.”
She clicked, unsure of what she was seeking. But something about the language grounded her — it wasn’t wellness marketed with glitter or pressure. It was warmth. It was soil and firelight. It was real.
Still, she hesitated. Would she belong?
She signed up for a two-hour workshop called The Stone Circle — just to see. She packed her journal, some water and that carved pendant, and drove out of the city. When her tires crunched onto gravel, something shifted. A threshold crossed.
The land welcomed her: squirrels scampering, birdsong like a symphony, cairns and circle stones peeking through the trees. She stepped out of her car into the presence of a redwood dragon, a white tiger, and the soft hush of something sacred.
Inside: sheepskins, drums, tea waiting. No name tags. No need to explain. Just a kind smile, a warm welcome, and space to arrive.
The stones in the circle shimmered with old stories. The laughter was real. No performance, no perfection — just people remembering things their bones already knew.
By the time she left, her shoulders had dropped. Her breath had deepened. She felt more here. Her journal that night read: “I think I found a place where the old threads are still woven. Where I don’t have to know everything to begin. Where joy and reverence live side by side.”
She already knew she’d be back. Maybe your story begins here, too.
We offer gentle ways to return, including:
Free weekly gatherings like Nature Talks, Song Circles, Tea Times, and Craft & Chats
Workshops in jewellery-making, storytelling, tarot, herbal medicine, and more
Seasonal celebrations and artisan markets
Sound healing, Yoga Nidra, and self-care retreats through our WellBody Arts
Nature-based practice through The Wild Wood Arts
Our Druidic wisdom program, MiddleWorld Mysteries, begins at Samhain
Our free online magazine In Cycle, published eight times a year with creative inspiration and reflections from the turning wheel of the seasons
All of it is held in a space between hearth and temple — a place to come as you are, with no need to prove or perform. Just a willingness to listen. To remember. To begin.
Welcome home. <ninthwavearts.ca>
From an initial spark around a quarantine campfire, The Moth Project has grown into a multisensory voyage where music, macro-photography, and myth meet the fragile brilliance of nocturnal wings. Keyboardist-composer Peter Kiesewalter and violinist Whitney La Grange guide audiences through an hour-plus musical odyssey that riffs from Bach to KISS while enlarging moths—nature’s often-ignored pollinators—to cinematic scale. Woven into the projections and live performance are threads of migration, metamorphosis, and a family journey from post-war Europe to North America, reminding us that ecological and human stories are inseparable. The Moth Project returns to Studio Theatre Perth on July 25, so theHumm caught up with Peter and his park naturalist brother Tobi Kiesewalter to find out more.
theHumm: Your website hints that The Moth Project began around a campfire during a family quarantine weekend. Can you walk us through the moment the idea clicked, and how it evolved from a spark between brothers to today’s stage production?
Peter Kiesewalter: It evolved slowly, but I can point to a moment during that crazy summer of COVID when all of my and Whitney’s work had been cancelled. We were sitting around thinking, “How are we going to pay the rent?” One night by the campfire, I noticed moths flying around the flame and asked Tobi why they did that. He explained how moths navigate by the moon and stars, but that artificial light hijacks their process. That really struck me — I thought, “That’s like me. I’m drawn to things that might not be good for me.” I realized I wanted to create something post-pandemic with a smaller footprint — just Whitney and me, incorporating Tobi’s amazing photos. Once I started paying attention to these creatures, everything started to click.
This event will start with a fascinating “moth talk” by Tobi, setting the stage for the performance that follows. What key insights about moth ecology or behavior do you most hope audiences carry with them?
Tobi Kiesewalter: Moths are critical members of our community. Many are pollinators; most of the hundreds of moth species in any given area have dependent relationships with specific plants. The caterpillars in a patch of forest outweigh all the mammals and birds in that same patch, and they are the primary food source for baby birds. But more than that, I hope people are inspired to find their own intentional, personal acts of curiosity — like Peter has with his art, and I have with photographing moths and contributing to iNaturalist. Paying closer attention can foster deep, meaningful connections with the more-than-human community of life around us.
The setlist leaps from Bach to Joni Mitchell, and also includes original songs. How do you choose the pieces and pair them with moth behaviors such as migration or transformation?
Peter: That’s impossible to answer… but I’ll try. When I started, I realized how hard it is to write about scientific processes — it sounds clunky. So I leaned into metaphor. Metamorphosis is such a poetic concept. I mean, who wouldn’t want to annihilate themselves on a cellular level and emerge transformed? The original songs reflect that kind of transformation. The covers I chose — whether it’s Bach or KISS — are songs that played essential roles in my life. The story of The Moth Project is also the story of my life, in a way. It’s deliberately eclectic because it mirrors the incredible diversity of moth species.
The spoken-word component weaves together science, Western and Indigenous mythology, and your family’s journey from post-war Europe to North America. How did you decide which personal and ecological stories to intertwine?
Peter: I started by looking at the big themes we all share: birth, life, death, migration, transformation. My family’s migration story resonated with those of other species — like a moth emerging from its cocoon and setting off on a perilous journey to find a better ecosystem. I wanted to show that we are part of nature, not separate from it. I find Indigenous worldviews that emphasize harmony with nature to be powerful and inspiring. I didn’t set out with the goal of converting people to this idea, but if they leave the show with a renewed sense of wonder for the natural world, that’s amazing. The fact that two brothers — a scientist and a musician — are approaching moths from completely different perspectives really drives that point home.
The Moth Project has toured museums, botanical gardens, and immersive art spaces, earning praise from both scientists and arts audiences. Which reactions have been most meaningful to you, and where do you see this project heading next?
Peter: One of the most meaningful reactions came after a performance at a biologists’ conference — 1,000 interpretive naturalists like Tobi. I was terrified they’d think we got it all wrong, but many came up to us in tears, saying it was exactly what they needed. There’s a growing realization in the science world that facts alone aren’t enough to change hearts and minds. Storytelling, beauty, personal connection — those are the tools we need now. That reaction made me feel like we were on the right track.
This project is evolving. We’re working on an expanded version we’re loosely calling “the after-party” — adding another half-hour where we break the fourth wall and invite people onto the stage, surrounded by 270 degrees of imagery. Next year we’re taking it to Germany, which is special because part of the show tells the story of our German family. It all circles back to wanting to connect people and, yes, to make a living as artists in an increasingly difficult environment. But ultimately, it’s about creating community and shared experiences. We are starved for connection — this show is our way of offering it.
The Moth Project performance on July 25 is hosted and sponsored by the Friends of Murphys Point Park in celebration of their 30th anniversary, and tickets are available from Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434). The Friends’ mandate is to further public awareness, education, and understanding of the geological, historical, cultural, and biological resources of the park. Each year they hire summer students who join the larger park team to deliver interpretive programs and monitor species at risk and invasive species. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of park staff and Friends students, over 1,000 species of moths have now been documented in Murphys Point Park alone.
In 2012 I received this gentle prayer from my sister who is involved in about as many things as I am way out there on the West Coast. I think it is appropriate for all of us to take a moment and just ease into the season for which we’ve been waiting. Even if the imbibements are not necessarily your choice, it’s summer, for goodness sake. Let’s enjoy it.
There I was yesterday, staying in the house because — and read this with a whine! — it was too hot to be in the garden. And — again whine! — the supermarket was so cold I needed a sweater! Today it’s pouring rain — too wet for our picnic. I think I should adopt the frog’s mantra and just relax.
I thought that the summer would be a time of no obligations, and now I find I have as many as ever. I hold out the hope that I can have some time to paint, but unless I actually make that time, I can’t see it happening. As the Peanuts cartoon opined, “the days aren’t getting shorter, they’re getting narrower”. Maybe in July I should play hooky for a couple of weeks and indulge my creative self.
I’m learning that change can create opportunities. My dogs and I are taking a well-earned agility break, no trials in summer heat, no travels in hot cars. We’re going to try some new sports, like scenting, that we can do in the shade.
And speaking of shade, I have dropped the guilt about indulging in an afternoon read. Further, I garden on the shady sides instead at high noon when I used to torture myself over the weeds. Ah yes, the weeds; if they flower, they can stay. I’ve got a beautiful patch of daisies and hawkweed that satisfies my desire for yellow and white flowers. It’s easy to mow around them, making my time on the mower shorter too.
There are so many good things happening right now: festivals to attend, garden tours, farmers’ markets, and excursions aplenty. We can holiday at home easily. So I think what we’ll do is take mini-holidays and do day-trips or even hour-trips to enjoy the summer. And then we’ll assume the froggy pose at least once a day and stop walking so funny.
Have a good summer with no worries greater than which lounge chair is the most comfortable!
We humans spend a great deal of time taking in stories, and telling them. For our brains — whether through conversations, social media, or good old-fashioned books, newspapers and magazines — “language and communication are as vital as food and water” (medicalnewstoday.com, How language shapes our brains... and our lives). We make sense of our world and ourselves through language and stories. So it stands to reason that the type and tone of the stories we tell might be key to our happiness, productivity, and perhaps even survival.
If you’ve stuck your head up above the sand lately, you may have noticed a preponderance of “doom and gloom” stories — be they political, ecological, or societal in nature. You don’t need me to explain why that is, so I won’t. Instead, I would like to try and persuade you that the stories we hear and tell can affect more than our moods — they can influence our behaviour, the behaviour of others, and our collective future. If we feed ourselves (and our youth) a continuous narrative of negativity, we diminish our potential to imagine — and create — positive outcomes.
Envision a Positive Future
In an article by Daniel Hunter at <wagingnonviolence.org>, the author describes the importance of envisioning a positive future. “… we’ve all now imagined storylines about how bad it might get,” he says. “We would do ourselves a service to spend an equal measure of time envisioning how we might advance our cause in these conditions. As writer Walidah Imarisha says, ‘The goal of visionary fiction is to change the world.’”
One source of visionary fiction is the relatively new subgenre of speculative fiction called “hopepunk”. Wikipedia notes that it was “conceived of as the opposite of grimdark (a subgenre that is particularly dystopian, amoral, or violent). Works in the hopepunk subgenre are about characters fighting for positive change, radical kindness, and communal responses to challenges.” My favourite example is Becky Chambers’ 2014 novel The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet.
In the non-fiction category, I highly recommend How to Be a Climate Optimist: Blueprints for a Better World by Calgary-based author and climate activist Chris Turner. He was awarded the 2023 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing at the Politics and the Pen gala, a fundraiser to support the Writers’ Trust of Canada’s literary programs. In their statement, the jury noted that: “The climate debate is inherently pessimistic, and while Chris Turner doesn’t pretend that crafting policy to slow global warming is easy, he presents a compelling argument: gloom and doom is not an effective strategy. How to Be a Climate Optimist is a self-help guide for the planet and a masterclass in brisk, vivid storytelling.”
Another way to shift the balance of your incoming stories is to subscribe to Reasons to be Cheerful <reasonstobecheerful.world>, “a nonprofit online magazine that is tonic for tumultuous times”. It was founded by artist and musician David Byrne, who “believes in the power of approaching the world with curiosity — in art, in music, in collaboration and in life. Through stories of hope, rooted in evidence, Reasons to be Cheerful aims to inspire us all to be curious about how the world can be better, and to ask ourselves how we can be part of that change.”
The Role of Artists
In an article entitled A Lighthouse for Dark Times, Maria Popova <themarginalian.org> writes: “Cultures and civilizations tend to overestimate the stability of their states, only to find themselves regularly discomposed by internal pressures and tensions too great for the system to hold. And yet always in them there are those who harness from the chaos the creative force to imagine, and in the act of imagining to effect, a phase transition to a different state. We call those people artists — they who never forget it is only what we can imagine that limits or liberates what is possible.”
In the article about The Moth Project on page 22 of this issue of theHumm, musician Peter Kiesewalter echoes some of the same sentiments. “There’s a growing realization in the science world that facts alone aren’t enough to change hearts and minds,” he says. “Storytelling, beauty, personal connection — those are the tools we need now.”
I challenge you (in a fun, non-competitive way) to incorporate more positive stories into your life and share more hopeful narratives with your family and friends (both in-person and virtual), and to see if you detect the first glimmerings of a “phase transition to a different state.” Got a positive, optimistic or visionary story to tell? Drop me a line at <editor@thehumm.com>.
When designing a garden, we carefully consider the size, shape, texture, and colour of both plants and hardscape elements. The same thoughtful approach applies when incorporating art into your outdoor space. Art can elevate a garden, offering both beauty and functionality.
For example, bird-friendly art pieces bring life and colour. Consider handcrafted birdhouses from My Recycled Dreams or Portshell Crafts. A birdhouse from Dave Card will make you smile while providing shelter for feathered friends. A hand-carved stone birdbath from David Lydford offers water for birds, bees, and butterflies. Sculptural trellises from Rusty Girl or Twist of Metal can hide utilities or unsightly views while supporting climbing plants or creating a sense of enclosure.
Seating, too, can be artistic. A handcrafted bench from Tuscany Concrete, a carved stone stool, or even a mosaic-topped table from Cindy Laneville can serve as both a focal point and a practical resting spot. Imagine relaxing in the shade, enjoying your handiwork after a satisfying afternoon of gardening.
Art can also guide the journey through your garden. A bold sculpture placed at the end of a path invites exploration. Even in small spaces, a bright glass piece tucked among plantings or a hanging ornament catching the light can create the illusion of depth and discovery. Trees offer opportunities as well — why not suspend a glass bird feeder, a wind chime, or a whimsical mobile from a sturdy branch? Five artists who work with glass offer many different possibilities.
Scale is key. In a compact garden, choose smaller pieces that feel in proportion — perhaps a small birdbath, a ceramic totem, or a low stone figure peeking through foliage. In a larger garden, go bold: an oversized dragon from Bent Out of Shape, a tall abstract sculpture, or a dramatic fountain can anchor a space and hold its own among shrubs and trees. If a smaller piece needs a little lift, consider setting it on a stone plinth, a log, or even a weathered tree stump.
Select art that complements the character and spirit of your garden. The style of your outdoor space should guide your choices, helping art feel like a natural extension of the landscape rather than an afterthought. In a relaxed, cottage-style garden, pieces with a handmade or weathered look work beautifully. Think of rustic wood carvings nestled among perennials, or whimsical flowers fashioned from upcycled metal that echo the garden’s informal charm.
In informal borders, art can add pops of personality and colour — perhaps a cheeky animal sculpture peeking through the foliage, or bright glass stakes that catch the light and draw the eye. These little surprises bring a sense of fun and discovery as you wander the garden.
For formal gardens, art can reinforce structure and create focal points that anchor the design. Sleek steel spheres, tall columns or geometric sculptures offer a sense of balance and refinement, echoing the clean lines and intentional layout of the space. These pieces not only enhance the garden’s architecture but also provide year-round interest, standing out even when plants are dormant.
And remember — sometimes less is more. A garden scattered with too many small art pieces can feel busy rather than intentional. Instead, think about creating moments: a single piece commanding attention, another revealed only as you round a corner. If your collection is growing faster than your space, try rotating pieces seasonally to keep things fresh.
Looking for inspiration and ideas? Don’t miss the Bloomfest Garden Art Show and Sale, happening daily from July 18–28 at Whitehouse Perennials near Almonte. Come stroll through our gardens and daylily fields, explore unique creations from 23 talented artists, and discover that perfect piece. Your garden is your canvas — fill it with art that brings you joy!
Admission is free; however, a voluntary donation to the Lanark Animal Welfare Society (LAWS) would be greatly appreciated by all the animal lovers on our staff.
I was chatting recently with a small group about how we could get people to care about the climate crisis. Because it sure seems most don’t these days. It’s lost its front-page status, we’ve bought into the PR of the oil and gas industry, the first heat wave of the summer is welcomed, the list goes on…
But then someone in our little group went off on a tangent and told a story about a wild bird she had seen (she’s a birder). The story captured everyone’s attention — and in a way that our discussion about the climate crisis hadn’t.
Tell me, is that what it takes? Are our concerns about wildlife a stronger motivator for us? Frankly, it’s a huge motivator for me. I can’t stand that we are responsible for the unnecessary and untimely death of so much innocent life on this planet, and for the extinction of so many species.
It happens that my frustration with the lack of attention to the climate crisis has coincided with the release of some interesting information.
It turns out, as reported in The Guardian, that an increase in climate misinformation is the cause.
According to a new report from the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) that reviewed 300 studies, “climate action was being obstructed and delayed by false and misleading information stemming from fossil fuel companies, right-wing politicians and some nation states,” <ipie.info/research/sr2025-1>.
Further, “Online bots and trolls hugely amplify false narratives… playing a key role in promoting climate lies. The experts also report that political leaders, civil servants and regulatory agencies are increasingly being targeted in order to delay climate action.”
I’ll continue to quote The Guardian: “(Misinformation) is a major problem,” says Dr. Klaus Jensen of the University of Copenhagen, who co-led the IPIE review. “If we don’t have the right information available, how are we going to vote for the right causes and politicians, and how are politicians going to translate the clear evidence into the necessary action? Unfortunately, I think the [bad actors] are still very, very active, and probably have the upper hand now.”
Jensen adds: “We have about five years to cut emissions in half and until 2050 to go carbon neutral. Without the right information, we’re not going to get there. So, the climate crisis being translated into a climate catastrophe is possible, unless we handle the climate information integrity problem.”
The Guardian also quoted the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights and climate change, Elisa Morgera, who has called for misinformation and greenwashing by the fossil fuel industry to be criminalized. She said that countries must “defossilise” information systems, after decades of misinformation from the powerful fossil fuel industry.
We have our own massive disinformation system here in Canada, often well documented by DeSmog Blog <desmog.com>. One particular example of this, which is driving me nuts, is that we seem to have completely bought into the PR campaign from the oil and gas industry to name oil and gas as the “energy” industry. What bunk! Look up the word energy in whatever dictionary you use. It is not just oil and gas; it encompasses all forms that result in work being done — by solar, by wind, by hydro (water) power, by wood, by human labour, by nukes, by horses (what else is “horsepower”?).
The oil and gas industry has successfully usurped the word so that when we speak of an “energy corridor” it appears to mean only oil and gas pipelines! Gee, I interpret “energy corridor” to mean interconnected electricity grids across western and eastern Canada, not pipelines. That’s my wish for us as we move forward into the global energy transition and away from the climate crisis.
And despite all the misinformation and lack of good information, most Canadians still want serious action on climate. According to their 5th annual report on What Canadians Really Think About Climate Change, Re.Climate found that “over two-thirds of Canadians still report being concerned or very concerned, and seven-in-ten view climate change as a serious or very serious threat,” <reclimate.ca/what-do-canadians-really-think-about-climate-change-in-2025>.
Re.Climate is a superb Canadian research team focused on climate communications. Among their key people are climate communications guru Louise Comeau and the must-read climate columnist Chris Hatch — subscribe to his newsletter at <national-observer.com/newsletters/zero-carbon>.
Here are a few more teasers from their research:
76% are concerned about the impact of climate change on future generations of Canadians
61% expect wildfires to happen more often in future
77% want more solar power, 72 % want more wind
77% want the government to prioritize the development of renewable energy
All those stats give me hope in our ability to counter the PR of the oil and gas industry.
There’s a massive energy transition underway across the world. And while many don’t want to hear this, China is often leading it, electrifying not just its own society and its auto sector but many countries around the world.
One must dig a little deeper, but there is discussion here in Canada too about an energy transition. Throughout this article I’ve referenced some excellent sources for information. Here’s one more — EnergiMedia <energi.media>. Led by Canadian journalist Markham Hislop, it has an innovative take on transitioning Canada away from burning fossil fuels and into a carbon free economy, while using, for example, the oil sands to produce interesting new carbon fibre products.
Thankfully, misinformation is identified by younger people as a key problem in the climate challenge, which I found out about from one of the younger participants in a formal multigenerational dialogue organized by the Ottawa-based Climate Legacy.
And Brazil, the host of the upcoming COP30 climate summit, plans to rally nations behind a separate UN initiative to crack down on climate misinformation.
Further, says Re.Climate, not damaging what we love — our kids’ future, nature — is the most compelling motivation.
So I urge you to not listen to PR from the oil and gas industry, and instead to listen to stories about birds… and blue whales, and tigers and sea turtles. And to tell stories about the amazing capacity of humans to unite and work to protect our beautiful planet and its fragile ecosystems.
Most folks who have grown or considered growing vegetables (and particularly those with shady yards) are only too aware of their sunlight requirements. The key to growing healthy vegetables is lots of sunlight. In order to facilitate photosynthesis effectively, it’s important to provide gardens with optimal sun exposure. Different vegetables have varying sunlight preferences based on their natural habitat and adaptation. For example, leafy greens like lettuce and spinach can tolerate more shade and still produce a bountiful harvest with around 4–6 hours of direct sunlight per day. On the other hand, sun-loving vegetables like tomatoes, squash and peppers require a minimum of 8 hours or more of direct sunlight to reach their full potential.
But on the other hand, how often do we think about plants’ requirement for darkness? Nighttime is a natural period of darkness. Plants require a period of uninterrupted darkness to carry out certain physiological processes. It is essential for them to rest, recover, and perform cellular maintenance. It allows them to regulate their internal clock and synchronize their growth and development with environmental cues. Disrupting the dark period by exposing plants to continuous light can interfere with their natural rhythms and have negative effects on their overall health and productivity.
Plants (along with all other living things) have evolved to thrive in specific light-dark cycles. These play a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development and can influence various processes, including flowering, leaf expansion, and hormone production. Continuous light exposure can cause excessive transpiration, leading to water loss and dehydration. For vegetables and seedlings, it is important to provide a period of darkness to allow for proper rest and recovery, promoting healthy growth and development. Plants that flower in the spring are triggered to begin their flowering cycles when the days get longer. Other flowers prefer to bloom in the fall, and they know it’s time to start that when the days get shorter. These are also known as long-day or short-day plants, respectively.
Studies have found a yield drop of 20–40% in areas that did not have darkness overnight. Plants that don’t have a dark night don’t shed their leaves and are behind in maturity relative to their neighbours. There are also studies documenting the effects on trees in urban landscapes — they bud earlier and drop leaves later when subjected to 24/7 light, making them susceptible to off-season weather events like spring and fall snow and ice.
Interestingly, gardeners have common cause with astronomers, whose work has been directly impacted by our artificially bright night skies. They coined the term “light pollution” and began to promote abatement strategies such as shielded light fixtures, light timers, and choosing warmer (yellower) outdoor lighting. This has led to many studies which show that artificial light is a health problem for living things, including humans. More information on this issue can be found at the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada website <rasc.ca> and the Calgary Centre website <calgary.rasc.ca/lp>. In our region, the Ottawa RASC group operates an observatory just outside Almonte at the Mill of Kintail because of the relatively dark skies there.
In the meantime, do not despair if you still don’t have all your vegetables planted. Seeds of short-season species such as beans and zucchini can be planted in July with a reasonable expectation of success. Vegetable seedlings such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers may still be planted as well — seasonal garden centres may have these plants on deep discount soon as they wrap up operations for the season.
At the first of July there are still about two and a half months (about 75 days) of reasonable growing conditions for plants that need heat. Plants such as beans may reach maturity in as few as 50 days from seed, beets and zucchini a few days longer. If they are planted now in warm moist soil they should germinate and grow very quickly to maturity, leaving a period of about three weeks to enjoy a harvest. However, it is important to realize that heat-lovers such as beans will definitely slow down into September as the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler. Carrots may also be started now for a last crop for winter storage. Frequent watering may be necessary to encourage them to germinate.
And as we get into the hottest part of the summer, it is important not to ignore your compost pile. I am not a big fan of the ubiquitous black composters with a tight lid. I have opened them up and found them extremely dry with absolutely no composting going on. The moisture content should be about the same as a squeezed wash rag. I like to keep the lid off the compost bin. Kitchen scraps should add enough moisture, unless a lot of very dry material such as leaves or straw is added. Add some water if necessary. I have found varmints not to be a big issue as long as meat or dairy is not added to the compost.