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The Goulbourn Jubilee Singers are proud to present their spring program — Big Screen, Little Screen — at two concerts at Glen Cairn United Church (140 Abbeyhill Road in Kanata): Saturday, May 2 at 7:30pm and Sunday, May 3 at 2pm.
Have you heard the first few notes of a song and been transported to a different place or time? Perhaps you’re sitting cross-legged on the floor being invited to curl up in the big old rocking chair; on the edge of your seat on any one of hundreds of Saturday nights, ready to cheer on the home team; riding with Ben, Little Joe and Hoss across the range; sitting on the steps of St. Paul’s feeding the birds; laughing at the antics of Desi’s wife, or staring at a man’s silhouette through a fish eye lens. If you recognize these tunes, join the Goulbourn Jubilee Singers and Junior Jubilees as they sing the songs and themes from some of your favourite movies and TV shows from the past fifty years. This will be a fun and interactive program sure to keep your feet tapping! As an added bonus, their first CD, entitled Why We Sing, will be available at the concerts, so you can continue to enjoy the choir at home.
Advance tickets for the May 2 and 3 concerts are $15 for adults and $10 for children or seniors (in advance), or get them at the door for $20 (all ages). Contact any member, phone 832–4423 or email <bonnyhoughton@hotmail.com> for tickets.
About Goulbourn Jubilee Singers
The Goulbourn Jubilee Singers is the longest established choir in the west end of Ottawa, with members ranging in age from 8 to 80. The adult choir was established in 1977, and the children’s choir — Junior Jubilees — was established in 2000. Both non-auditioned choirs accept singers of all musical abilities. They are a fun-loving group of folks who come together to sing and enjoy social activities. If you share a love of music and good times, consider joining the Junior Jubilees or Goulbourn Jubilee Singers. Practices are every Wednesday night at Stittsville United Church. To learn more about Goulbourn Jubilee Singers, membership fees and community activities, visit <gjsingers.com> or call 832–4423.
Set aside some time on April 12, between 2pm and 5pm, to attend the vernissage for Gwen Frankton’s art show, Every Green Tree. It is a collection of tree portraits — acrylic paintings and pen-and-ink drawings — and it will be hosted at MERA in McDonalds Corners from April 2 to 28.
During the vernissage you can meet Gwen and talk to her about her artwork. She will also be treating vernissage visitors to her fabulous gingersnaps and her son’s amazing sticky buns, which alone would be worth coming for.
Gwen will also be at MERA on Tuesday and Saturday afternoons from 1–5pm to work on her pen-and-ink mural. When completed, it will be about four feet tall and twelve feet wide and portray a scene from a trail-walk she takes near McDonalds Corners.
Gwen lives with one foot on sea and one on shore, dividing her time between Maitland (NS) and Ottawa. You can follow her blog at <gwenfrankton.com> and on Twitter at <@gwenfrankton>.
Quentin Navarre is an aspiring visual artist, musician and heritage carpenter. His latest exploit involves 250 linear feet of paper painted with acrylic dissolved in various solvents. Lately Quentin has been experimenting with sweeping strokes, layers and texture, resulting in interesting visual aesthetics. The project also involves the movement of light, geometric shapes, and utilizing the expansive room to create a dynamic space in which the installation evolves throughout the day.
This show will run until April 7 at the Old Shoe Factory, 1 Sherbrooke Street W. in Perth. Doors are open each day until 8pm, but Quentin advises coming between 4:30 and 6:30 for the best light. For more details, visit <theHumm.com/apr2015>.
The Lanark County Therapeutic Riding Program (TRP) is a veteran recreation therapy program with thirty years of performance excellence behind it. The mission statement of the Program is to provide individuals who are developmentally and/or physically disabled a holistic approach to therapy, rehabilitation, and recreation, and the opportunity to experience freedom and movement astride a horse. They started out in 1985 as a pilot project during the summer, to help motivate children. Over the past thirty years, they have grown to include over 148 yearly riders across Lanark County (and another 27 at their new farm in Renfrew County).
For many young riders, Therapeutic Riding is the first introduction to “sport” that they encounter. Exercise is addictive. Horses are very motivating. For many of their older, long-term riders, lessons are often the primary or only source of exercise. Over 90% of the clients (riders) and volunteers return year after year to continue in the program. This tremendous success rate attests to Lanark County Therapeutic Riding’s ability to develop and maintain partnerships, and to stay relevant as times and needs change.
Since 1985, they have maintained this huge program without the assistance of ongoing government support. Few similar organizations, if indeed any, can boast statistics like that. They maintain the support of a whopping number of volunteers, which allows them to keep trotting on — year after year. The TRP boasted an active volunteer commitment from 174 people in 2014, totalling over ten thousand volunteer hours! They depend on the generosity and contributions of these wonderful volunteers, as well as the amazing support they have received from the community over the past three decades. They say that their volunteers are truly the heart and soul of the riding program, and are grateful for their support. Some volunteers sell tickets at fundraisers, others dish out whip cream at the annual Strawberry Social (June 28, 2–4pm at the Herb Garden). Some hold buckets during the annual boot drive, and others sell raffle tickets, donate silent auction items, give bequests, donate horses and tack, and/or nominate the program for financial contributions. And then there are the many volunteers who come out and walk with the program week after week — rain or shine.
Volunteering with Therapeutic Riding contributes to the physical and social wellbeing of many people — often retirees who are encouraged to get active and socialize while sharing in the success of the riders. TThe herapeutic Riding Program offers several volunteer training days and encourages people of all ages to come out and get some exercise and fresh air for a few hours while contributing to a very worthwhile cause. A new volunteer clinic will be held on April 29 at 6:30pm at Cedar Rock Farm in Perth — directions are available on the website or at the number below.
Currently they have volunteers who have been with the program for over twenty years. In fact (cue the applause) in 2014 the Therapeutic Riding program humbly nominated six recipients for the Ontario Volunteer Service Awards that honour a contribution of twenty years or more. Talk about bragging rights! The recipients were Tim Dack, Heather Cooper, Joan Robertson, Anne Johns, and Phyllis and Glen Dack. That same year, Lanark Renfrew Health & Community Services recognised twenty-five years of dedicated service of the incomparable Sue Cressy and Maria Hofbauer. The TRP is eternally grateful for their decades of support and leadership.
Speaking of support, the following local heroes have all, at one point in the past decade, won the very prestigious Therapeutic Riding Volunteer of the Year award: Heather Cooper, Chris Baburek, Jurgen Schiffer (Yogi), Joan Robertson, Hannah Hofbauer, Ray Elliston, Donna Naprstek, Jane Irwin, Joanna Scissons, Pam Clements, Anne Johns and Maureen Running. These incredible people, who live quietly among us, have exceeded all expectations and have truly made a difference in the lives of the riders. Next time you see one of these amazing people, give them a nod! They, and others who follow in their footsteps (quite literally), raise the bar, making our county a better place to live.
The folks at TRP invite you to come on out and support this amazing local charity as they blaze trails forward into their 4th decade of service. All proceeds from fundraising events go directly to the Riding Program.
For a Taste of the County
Monday, May 4, from 6–9:30pm, marks the return of Therapeutic Riding’s much loved fundraiser. Attend their 10th annual food, beer and wine gala — “For a Taste of the County” — at Almonte’s Civitan Hall on Wolf Grove Road.
Last year was a great success, with over 200 people sampling the culinary delights of the Ottawa Valley’s best chefs. The food is complemented by wine and beer, served to you by experts who can help you choose and explain the different selections. In addition to the $10 entry fee, gala goers purchase $1 coupons. Each vendor has tasters priced at $1 to $6, so that you have the opportunity to sample many different appetizers, main courses and desserts.
Between the courses, you can also bid in the silent auction. All auction items are donated by local artists, artisans, businesses and individuals, with the proceeds going to the Riding Program. There will be original paintings and photographs, gift certificates, pottery, horse paraphernalia, collectables, stained glass, and many other items.
$10 tickets are on sale now in Carleton Place at Reads Book Shop and Lanark Community Programs, in Perth at Shadowfax, and in Almonte at Mill Street Books. Grab your tickets before they’re gone and help support this great program.
If you would like to donate an item to the silent auction, they would be happy to arrange pick up.
Details about this and other events can be found at <therapeuticriding.ca>, or you can call Amy at 257–7121x238.
It is unusual, these days, to find an original homestead that has been kept in the same family for almost two hundred years. It is even more unusual that the surrounding land would become a famous conservation area. The Purdon family can, with great pride, stake this claim.
The Purdon ancestors arrived from Scotland in 1821 and settled on 300 acres near McDonalds Corners, in the township of Dalhousie. They had their work cut out for them — to survive in the harsh, rocky landscape and dense forest was not for the weak of heart. This family not only survived, but they thrived. They cleared the fields by hand, cutting timber to use for building and for fuel. They produced maple syrup in abundance and fished, hunted and trapped for sustenance. And they raised their families with devotion.
Six generations later, Rhodena Purdon Bell carries on her family’s traditions. She is the keeper of the 1840s farmhouse and surrounding homestead. She provides vacationers a pristine place to holiday at the rustic cabins that her father built at Purdon Lake. And she has ensured that the love of their heritage has been passed on to her two children — the seventh generation.
Rhodena’s father, Joe Purdon, left his mark on this land in many ways. He was a skilled carpenter and came to be famous for his handmade boats (locally called Purdon boats) and for his hand-fashioned oars. But the most innovative and dedicated work of his lifetime was the collection and protection of the exquisite Lady’s Slipper Orchid — a flower he found, in his childhood, growing near his one-room schoolhouse in the 1930s.
Joe discovered that orchids aren’t particularly attractive to pollinating insects, and also that their lifecycle takes fifteen years from pollination to flowering, so he painstakingly hand-pollinated plants for decades. He also thinned the brush to let in more sunlight, and dismantled beaver dams to control the water level. Under his care, the colony grew from a few dozen plants to over 10,000 blooms. Today the Purdon Conservation Area attracts thousands of visitors from far and wide who make the trek to see these rare orchids, one of the Seven Wonders of Lanark County.
To find out more about both the flower and the man, come out on April 16 to the Perth & District Historical Society meeting, starting at 7:30pm at the Perth Legion (26 Beckwith Street East). Rhodena will tell the story of her father Joe Purdon, the stewardship pioneer of Lanark County, and will have copies of the recently published book The Slippers’ Keeper by the talented illustrator Ian Wallace, who took great care and attention to detail in the telling of the story of this rare man and his rare flower.
A “Toonie Fee” applies for each meeting. For information, contact Ellen Dean at 264–8362 or visit <perthhs.org>.
So you’re jazzed that spring is here, but the yard is still a bit mushy and there’s too much rain and the street cleaner just seems to be making a whole big other mess and more sunshine would be nice.
Okay, time out. Time out for some happy. Are you sitting down? Good. Because April in Perth promises to be one of the most splendid, awe-inspiring, entertaining, delightful, groovy, sweet-toothed, and magnificent months of all time.
First, on April 1, prank your friends. Prank your boss. Prank your folks and your mail carrier. Heck, prank your dog.
Second, on April 4, bring your kids on down to Stewart Park for the 4th annual Easter Egg Hunt. They need to be eight years old or younger, accompanied by an adult, and they should bring a basket with them so they’ll have a place to put all the coloured eggs they find hidden away in secret spots all over the park. The hunt begins at 11am sharp (a starting horn will sound), and rain or shine, there will also be children’s music, special balloon creations, the Perth Fire Truck, Sparky the Fire Dog, and of course, the Easter Bunny.
Need your musical mind blown? Not a problem. The Perth Performing Arts Committee is bringing to town a truly one-of-kind, world-class, supremely talented musical act: Yiannis Kapoulas. Kapoulas, who plays an impressive array of exotic stringed instruments with precision, passion, agility and speed, is known for his “ethno-fusion world instrumentals.” In his unique sound, you can hear a lot of influences — everything from Latin, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, jazz, classical and funk. Kapoulas tours extensively with a stellar ensemble of top musicians from Montreal and Toronto, and they’ve awed music fans at numerous festivals throughout Canada.
This PPAC show takes place on Friday, April 17, at 7:30pm in the Mason Theatre (at Perth & District Collegiate Institute, 13 Victoria Street). Tickets are available from Tickets Please. You can get yours by visiting their website <ticketsplease.ca>, calling 485–6434, or dropping in at Jo’s Clothes, 39 Foster Street in Perth.
The same night, not too far away at the Full Circle Theatre, BarnDoor Productions will be celebrating their 20th anniversary season with their 100th production — on this special night, Death of a Salesman. I like the way the folks at BDP think. Here’s a charming guarantee about this show culled from their website: “We’ve been here twenty years, for heaven’s sake. Trust us for once — Death of a Salesman will be one of our best.”
I trust them.
If you do too, you should get your tickets early. For a BarnDoor show it’s cash only, which is actually convenient and saves everybody a bit of money. Just give them a call, place your ticket order, and pay them when you get there. Your tickets are guaranteed. Their number is 267–1884, and the show runs on April 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25 at 8pm, and on April 19 and 26 at 2pm. Tickets are $20 in advance, $22 at the door, and students are $10.
Festival of the Maples, Empty Bowls
April is arguably the sweetest month of the year to live in Perth. It has been for 39 years. At least we’ve officially celebrated it for that many years, or will have as of April 25, when the whole darn town — and people from all around — will get together to rejoice all things maple syrup at Perth’s beloved Festival of the Maples.
If you’ve been, you know this is truly a grand, fun, and tasty celebration. Townsfolk and people from all around emerge from hibernation with smiles on their faces and sweets on their minds, and Gore Street comes alive and turns into a giant street party, with over 160 vendors (most of them selling award-winning maple products), live music, a slew of activities for children, and interesting displays. The merriment is infectious. Even dentists enjoy themselves.
Empty Bowls will be at the 39th Festival of the Maples too. They’ll be set up out front of Riverguild. Make a $20 donation for a locally hand-crafted stoneware bowl filled with gourmet soup by local chefs and — this is the second best part — eat the soup and keep the bowl!
The best thing is that all donated money goes to local food programs. (For more information, please visit emptybowls.ca.)
The Festival runs from 9am to 4pm. Don’t forget to visit the Fudge Hut. And maybe you can browse some of the wonderful local stores throughout the day, too — there are so many charming shops in downtown Perth, it’s genuinely difficult not to.
Also, I’ve heard that congratulations are in order to all of you reading this: you have officially survived the coldest Canadian winter on record in 115 years. That’s quite something.
Happy Spring, everyone!
As a special addition to this year’s series, the Perth Performing Arts Committee (PPAC) is presenting the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony on Friday, May 1. Since it was formed back in 1945 to accompany a concert of the Grand Philharmonic Choir, the KWS has been the cultural centerpiece of Waterloo Region.
Conductor Raffi Armenian, the Symphony’s longest serving Music Director, had a profound and lasting impact on the organization: his position as Music Director for the Stratford Festival brought about the creation of the Canadian Chamber Ensemble, which attracted professional musicians to the orchestra. Maestro Armenian’s tenure saw the KWS evolve into a fully paid professional orchestra, touring Canada, Europe, South America and Asia, and making numerous recordings, including several which were JUNO Award-nominated. Today, the KWS is one of Canada’s outstanding orchestras, garnering national and international attention for its artistry and musicianship, as well as for its innovative programming.
We often hear only the best-known works of mature composers, but the Perth concert will explore the beginnings of their genius through their early works. This program, featuring KWS Principal Viola Natasha Sharko, explores youthful works of Torelli, Hummel, Mozart and Mendelssohn.
All PPAC shows start at 7:30pm in the Mason Theatre at Perth & District Collegiate Institute, at 13 Victoria Street. Tickets are available from Tickets Please — visit <ticketsplease.ca>, call 485–6434, or drop in at Jo’s Clothes, 39 Foster Street.
An elderly woman with incurable end-stage heart disease is rushed to hospital and quickly goes into cardiac arrest. Despite her poor condition and minimal chance of survival, her panicked husband requests that the health team do everything they can to save her. Medical staff work tirelessly to resuscitate her, breaking several of her frail ribs in the process before the doctor finally ends the ordeal. He pronounces the woman dead and the obviously distressed attending nurse quietly whispers, “thank you”.
It’s an undignified death, one that goes against the wishes of most people — and yet, it’s a scenario that plays out each and every day in Canadian hospitals. The reason? Most of us can’t — or won’t — talk about death and dying. Our unwillingness to do so is having serious side effects — not just for us, but for those who survive us.
Despite impressive medical advances, humans have yet to unlock the ultimate holy grail of science: how to avoid death. Each year, more than 248,000 Canadians die, and by 2020, that number will increase to over 330,000. And while many of us have completed wills and planned our funerals, most of us haven’t talked about the dying part of death — how we want to be cared for when the end is near, and who will speak for us if we can’t speak for ourselves.
We’d all like to think that we’ll be coherent and lucid right until the end. But what if you’re not? What if you can’t talk and are told you will soon be unable to swallow? To breathe? Who would speak for you?
Advance care planning is a process that involves letting others know about your future health and personal care preferences in the event that you become incapable of consenting to or refusing treatment or other care. It can be changed at any time, and would only be used if you could were not capable of speaking or making decisions for yourself. Your plan should include the name of a Substitute Decision Maker — someone who will speak on your behalf if you cannot speak for yourself.
The most important part of your plan? Talking to the people who matter in your life — now. Don’t leave others with the incredible burden of having to deal with their own grief and pain while trying to guess what you’d want.
Imagine a different future for our elderly woman with heart disease — she still dies, but this time, it’s as she hoped: at home, in the arms of her husband and perhaps tended by a palliative care professional who ensures she is without pain at the end. A death that still brings grief and sorrow, but with dignity and respect for a life well lived.
It’s a future within our grasp. Now, it’s up to us to begin the conversation.
Love From a Stranger by Agatha Christie is the next exciting production from The Station Theatre in Smiths Falls. Adapted for the stage by Frank Vosper, it features Katharine Coleman as Cecily Harrington, a woman looking for excitement and romance. Engaged to the very proper Nigel (Jerry Logan), Cecily has recently won the sweepstakes and now sees the opportunity to change things up. Her five-year engagement to Nigel has not convinced her that she really wants to marry him; it’s something she needs to consider carefully, as Nigel is about to return from five years in the Sudan.
Before the fiancé arrives, Bruce Lovell (Richard Croteau) comes along under the guise of wanting to rent Cecily’s apartment. Bruce is a real charmer and quite enamoured of Cecily’s money. He says and does all the right things, telling stories of adventure and romance, and soon sweeps Cecily off her feet. His charm is enough to convince Cecily that there is more to life than just warming Nigel’s slippers by the fire. They marry, and Bruce takes Cecily off to an out-of-the way cottage in the woods, where he begins to reveal his other side.
The cast is rounded out by Joni Thornley as Cecily’s fussy Aunt Louise, and Nicki Hayes as Mavis Wilson, Cecily’s roomie and best friend who also shares the sweeps money and wants to travel. Tim Bisaillon is Hodgson the gardener, who has things to tell Cecily about the mysterious Bruce. Lise Pajot-Nelson is Ethel the maid, and Dave Thornley plays the typically friendly country doctor. These characters begin to shed more light on the mysterious Bruce and the type of game he may be playing with Cecily’s heart.
Katharine Coleman, who also directs this production, is enjoying working with such a talented cast of veteran actors. The story leads us to question who Bruce really is. What secrets is he hiding, and who will win this game of cat and mouse he is playing with Cecily? Love From a Stranger gives us a touch of the grand tradition of drawing room mysteries — the perfect show for a night out with friends and family.
Performances take place at 7:30pm on April 16, 17, 18, 24 and 25 and at 2pm on April 19 and 26. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students (with ID), with special group rates also available. Call the Station Theatre at 283–0300 for details and to order by credit card. Tickets may be purchased for cash at Special Greetings, 8 Russell Street East, online (smithsfallstheatre.com, via Paypal/Visa/Mastercard), and at the door for cash only (subject to availability, a half-hour before the performance). The Station Theatre is located at 53 Victoria Street in Smiths Falls.
This year’s Arbour Week, taking place April 18–26 in Mississippi Mills, will have a special focus on heritage trees — trees that, if endorsed by Town Council, will be protected from the chainsaw or the bulldozer. Trees that will be allowed to live their full life because of their history, rarity, or location. Trees such as the beautiful black walnut on Perth Street, or the row of black locusts in Appleton. You will be introduced to some of these very special trees when you join one of several Tree Walks and Talks throughout the municipality, or hop on your bicycle for a Tree Bike Ride.
This community is very fortunate to have the opportunity to hear guest speaker Dihari Fernando, Director of the Invasive Species Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. She will share her expertise on Wednesday, April 22, at 7pm in the Almonte Old Town Hall. Invasive species include plants, insects, aquatic organisms and animals that have been introduced into the ecosystem either from other countries or through movement due to climate change. There will also be Tree Art on display at that event.
Other events include a screening of the Dr. Seuss film The Lorax at the Old Town Hall on Friday, April 24 at 7pm. A donation of $2.50 per person or $10 for a family will also get you a little tree to plant (while supplies last).
Unfortunately there will be no tree sale by the Chamber of Commerce this year, but the local nurseries look forward to your order for a special tree to be planted. And just think, in a hundred years it might have a Heritage designation too!
There will also be some free trees available. The Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists need help planting three hundred Rock Elms — you can have several for your property or to plant on public lands. To reserve yours, please contact Cliff Bennett at 256–5013.
As part of the Arbour Week celebrations, a Tree Champion will be chosen to join the likes of Al Potvin, Neil Carleton, Bill Tuffin and Alison Ball.
Find a full listing of Arbour Week events at <exploremississippimills.com>. For more information about Arbour Week in Mississippi Mills, please call Fern Martin at 624–5104.
Back by popular demand: Almonte in Praise! Mark your calendars for 7:30pm on Saturday, May 2, and get ready for a delightful evening of music. This year’s event will be held at Almonte United Church, at 106 Elgin Street. There is no admission cost, but any donations to cover the cost of music would be gratefully accepted.
This unique and uplifting ecumenical celebration of music and Christian fellowship was initiated by Doretha L. Murphy last year as the final celebration of the 150th anniversary of St. Paul’s Anglican Church. This year’s organizers, Ian Douglas (director of the Folk Choir at Almonte United), Cathy Giles (organist and choir director of Holy Name of Mary Parish), and Ms. Murphy, envision this celebration continuing as an annual event.
Almonte churches will join in a mass choir conducted by Ms. Murphy, organist and choir director at St. Paul’s. In addition, each area choir and praise team is also invited to present up to three musical works. Make sure to arrive early, as the crowd was so great at last year’s event that people had to be turned away.
If you have any questions or are interested in participating, contact your choir director or call Ms. Murphy at 565–3993.
This month, I decided to check out some of the art shows popping up like tulips in Almonte — starting with the new Stairwell Gallery in the Old Post Office building, right in the centre of Mill Street.
Off I go — through the main door of the Old Post Office, past the entrance to Café Postino’s fine restaurant, and into a beautiful stairwell filled with light and artwork — photographs, sculpture and jewellery. On the second floor landing I meet artists Diana Jackson and Leah Hicks, who are happy to tell me about their work and the space they have prepared for their exhibit, which runs from April 1 to May 31. I was so impressed with their beautiful artwork that I’ve marked my calendar for their vernissage on April 18 from 3pm to 6pm!
Diana Jackson <dianajackson.ca> came to Almonte when she was twelve, and attended Almonte and District High School. She has lived in Clayton for the last ten years, where she has her studio. “I feel blessed to live and work from a serene setting on the Indian River in Clayton,” she explains. After this show closes, she will continue to have a presence in the Old Post Office building with the Stairwell Gallery and a small workspace on the third floor. She laughs when she says: “for someone who could have been voted ‘Most Likely to Move Away’, I ended up living here. I really love the direction that Almonte and Mississippi Mills are taking.”
Diana’s work comes from a background in electro-mechanical design and landscape design, which has given her a variety of skills and a solid design sense. However, “it’s the natural world around me that not only feeds my soul but offers up endless inspiration,” she says, and her beautiful sculptural ceramics, jewellery and photographs reflect this. “Lately I have chosen to focus on contrasts between our organic and technological worlds. It has allowed me to achieve some balance in my own life… a peaceful acceptance that the two can live side by side.”
Leah Hicks <leahhicks.com> has a strong connection to the area, and lives in Carleton Place. “As a little girl I took every art class available. Art has always been my passion,” she says. When she was a student at Carleton Place High School, her teacher introduced her to painting and creating clay sculptures. “I fell in love with it and decided to study graphic design.” At Algonquin College she learned about the elements and design of art. Leah admits that she is always challenging herself. “I attempt to create a multi-dimensional world through a two-dimensional stage. As a result, I produce depth and emotion in each piece.”
In 2005, Leah had a life-altering car accident and suffered serious head trauma. “But I did not give up on my passion, even though I had to re-learn the principles that I once knew. Since then, I’ve been applying them to my work,” she explains. Because of her efforts and perseverance, she was asked to display her art at the Biennale Internazionale Del’Arte Contemporanea in Florence, Italy, in 2011. “I have had many shows and exhibits over the past seven years and now consider myself a successful artist.”
Don’t miss this very special show!
Down the street at General Fine Craft, Art & Design <generalfinecraft.com>, I find owners Richard Skrobecki and Chandler Swain getting ready for the opening of their new art show — from down under — a ceramic installation by Ottawa artist Cynthia O’Brien. It will run from April 2 to 25. This exhibit invites us into a “garden” that O’Brien has re-created from memory. You can step into the General’s backspace gallery and draw your own inspiration!
Based on an installation O’Brien created while on residency in Australia, from down under recounts her experience studying local flora. Through “the physical memory in my hands,” she has recreated “a new garden, a space for reflection.” Cynthia spent a month in Cairns, Australia, being taught by nature to see a plant from all angles, lights and moods. “My hands learned to move the clay to bring out the strength and delicacy of each plant,” she says. The vernissage and “meet the artist” opening for of this exhibit is on April 11 from 2–4pm
Richard Skrobecki explains that this opening is being jointly coordinated with Sivarulrasa Studio & Gallery <sivarulrasa.com>, just around the corner on Little Bridge Street. That gallery is presenting Spring Voices — a curated exhibition of paintings and sculpture by five prominent local and regional artists: Barbara Gamble, Joseph Pearce, Deborah Arnold, Eliane Saheurs and Jean Morrow. “We’re creating a sort of an art crawl that will bring more people out to experience the visual arts,” Richard says. What a great idea!
Make sure you’re part of all this, and don’t forget to enjoy the spring!
Brock Zeman is truly a modern day troubadour. As my better half put it after we attended his performance at O’Reilly’s in Perth on a Tuesday night: “not every one of his songs is about heartbreak, but every song breaks your heart.” Partly it is the rich and compelling tone of his voice, but another major factor is the immediate emotional connection he establishes with his lyrics, even in the context of a Tuesday night pub gig.
If you have not been to see Brock in an intimate environment, like O’Reilly’s on a Tuesday night, you are in for a treat. Brock and Blair Hogan’s two-man everything band is definitely something to behold. Brock sings, plays his guitar, taps a Taurus bass pedal and a synth, and also has various bits and bobs that he triggers with dextrous footwork. Blair easily rivals him with footpedals and guitar switches all over the place — at one point sounding exactly like a pedal steel and later digging deep to produce the soundtrack to the end of the world (“That was unexpected,” I thought to myself). Ultimately, though, the music drives the sound and everything, amazingly, finds its place. Each song comes out heartfelt and beautiful. It is a wonder to behold.
I was also very pleased to see Brock and Blair play so many songs from the fantastic new album, Pulling Your Sword Out of the Devil’s Back, which is Brock’s (this can’t be right!) eleventh CD. The new recording is more mainstream, and less country or even alt-country than his previous album, Rotten Tooth. There are orchestral moments that soar above the arrangements and are reminiscent of bands like Arcade Fire or Coldplay, and then there are lyrical and emotional wrestling matches that seem to be channelling Tom Waits. The opening track is a supremely confident, almost spoken word ode to the craft of songwriting. It clearly demonstrates that Brock is a seasoned songwriter who has in no way run out of things to say or ways to say them. Later tracks like Sweat, Drop Your Bucket, Little Details or Some Things Always Stay are beautifully crafted songs that beg to be played loudly from car windows all summer long.
Starting in April, Brock will be on the road promoting his new recording. Check his brand new website, <brockzeman.com> for dates, etc. But definitely, do yourself the kindness of seeing and hearing Mr. Zeman live and in person soon. You absolutely will not be disappointed.
Clay Young Jazz Brunch
For the past fifteen years, jazz pianist extraordinaire Clay Young has been acting as the host for the jazz brunch at Fiddleheads Restaurant in Perth. Fifteen years! Clearly, he is doing something right. I needed to check out this scene, so I convinced my boss/wife that an all-expenses paid trip to Sunday brunch in Perth was in order.
When we arrived at Fiddleheads, the atrium in Code’s Mill was already full of jazz fans enjoying the swinging standards being played by Clay, accompanied by Tom Denison on bass, and singer Janice Reid. The venue is one of the nicest indoor spots in Perth and a great setting for the music. We settled ourselves into the restaurant and enjoyed the music through the large windows that open onto the atrium.
Clay started his musical career 65 years ago, playing for country square dances when he was sixteen. Since then he has played at summer lodges in the Muskokas, and at the University of California in Berkeley, but mostly for the past forty years he has played five or six nights a week, 52 weeks of the year in Ottawa in big bands, small groups, and as a solo performer. Lately, almost all of his performing has been in Perth at Fiddleheads. Over the years he met a host of fine jazz players and they have been happy to accept his invitations to join him at the brunches.
And it is easy to understand why. Clay is a beautifully tasteful player with a depth of experience that comes through in every note. Add to that the appreciative audience and the great setting, and you have a winning combination that most musicians would love to be a part of.
There is one other element that has led to the success and longevity of this endeavour, which Clay is quick to point out: “Fiddleheads has been remarkable in keeping the flickering flame of live jazz alive here. J.J. Stewart and Pat Moore have kept on with Sunday Jazz for fifteen years and deserve a great vote of thanks.”
Late last fall, Wintergreen Studios held a Camino Evening, and the organizers were absolutely delighted by its success — it sold out and the feedback was fabulous. Inspired, they are now holding an expanded version of that event, this time beginning before lunch on Saturday, April 11, and going until after lunch on Sunday, April 12. If you are thinking of doing the Camino de Santiago, have done it and want to re-live and share your experiences, or are just intrigued by it, this weekend is for you.
The Camino de Santiago is a famous 1200-year-old, 800km-long pilgrimage in Spain. Many people first learned about it through the 2010 movie The Way, with Martin Sheen, but well over a hundred thousand people now do this walk every year, as a challenge, for spiritual reasons, or because it is a truly beautiful and unique place to just, well, walk — to be in the present.
This Camino Weekend is being held at Wintergreen Studios, a year-round education and retreat centre in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, between Westport and Kingston. Wintergreen’s work centres on education, culture, and the environment, with a focus on inspiring people. They offer a variety of short courses and workshops in the arts, as well as retreat and meeting facilities for individuals and groups.
The weekend will infuse participants with the sights, stories, sounds and tastes of the Camino. It will include a series of short talks, backed by wonderful photographs and music, given by Peter Coffman. Peter teaches architectural history and theory, and is a professional photographer. He did the Camino just over a decade ago with the fiddle player Oliver Schroer, which led to the highly acclaimed album Camino.
The recent documentary, Walking the Camino — Six Ways to Santiago, will be shown, followed by a discussion. Various other folks, including Alfred Von Mirbach, Anita Jansman and Roberto Stefano, will also take turns recounting stories, giving a historical context, and reciting poetry inspired by the Camino. There will also be an informative discussion on “Doing the Camino”, with plenty of time for questions and answers, for anyone thinking of doing this often life-changing pilgrimage.
A former chef with the Spanish Embassy, Christopher Hudson, is working with Louise Cooper to come up with and prepare Spanish-inspired meals, always a highlight at Wintergreen. Accommodation for Saturday night is included, in a variety of rooms and cabins on the 200+ acre property. There will also be plenty of time for walks on the trails that network the property, and opportunities to talk one-on-one with the various speakers, organizers and other guests.
This promises to be a truly wonderful, relaxed and inspirational weekend, in delightful surroundings. And if you can’t make the whole weekend, you can come just for the Saturday afternoon and evening, including dinner, for a reduced rate. For more information, or to register, go to <wintergreenstudios.com/camino-weekend>.
For more information, contact Alfred Von Mirbach at <vonmirbach.alfred@gmail.com> or 200–2005, or Karen Smerka at 273–8745 or <karen.smerka@gmail.com>.
After a successful launch last spring, the libraries in Lanark County, in partnership with United Way Lanark County, are excited for the return of the Human Library! On Saturday, April 18, all five libraries — the Perth Union Library, Smiths Falls Library, Carleton Place Library, Lanark Highlands Library and both the Almonte and Pakenham branches of the Mississippi Mills Library — are offering the opportunity to “check out” a human book and learn about that person’s life. During regular Saturday hours, anyone can reserve a half-hour session and have an open chat with one of the many “books”.
“The Human Library Project has been a great way for the Lanark libraries to come together and work collaboratively,” says Tammy Langstaff, librarian at the Pakenham Public Library. “Last year was so much fun that we’re excited to participate again this year. We have a great variety of books — there’s definitively something for everyone!”
As of April 6, interested “readers” can reserve a half-hour time slot with a book of their choice by visiting <humanlibrary.webs.com>. The website already has overviews of the books (bios) offered to date — be sure to check back often, as other “titles” are added!
Last year’s human books included a master gardener, a film maker, a retired spy, a glass blower, a dairy farmer, a nurse, a WWII codebreaker, an entrepreneur, an adoption researcher, a forensic detective and more. This year’s Project will feature a mix of returning “best sellers” from last spring and “new releases”. The newcomers include a former federal Deputy Minister and Order of Canada recipient, a Kundalini yoga instructor, a microbrewer, a non-profit housing guru, a therapy dog owner, a children’s book illustrator, an equality advocate, an award-winning puppeteer, an adventure racer, an Ojibwe lawyer and others.
Originating in Denmark, The Human Library has grown into an internationally recognized event, being held in communities across the globe. The concept is simple: encourage dialogue between people who may not otherwise come into contact, breaking down social barriers and promoting diversity. Anyone with a story is encouraged to participate as a human book. The libraries will host the conversations, as open and respectful spaces within the community where people can listen to stories that help to challenge prejudices and discrimination and promote empathy and understanding.
“There is such a wealth of knowledge right here in our community and we are so thankful for those who shared their time and talent last year,” says Fraser Scantlebury, executive director of United Way Lanark County. “We are happy to be involved once again as we thank the community for their support in our 2014 Campaign. Come out on April 18 and meet your neighbours!”
For more information, please go to <humanlibrary.webs.com>, contact the United Way Lanark County at 253–9074, or contact your local library in Mississippi Mills, Lanark Highlands, Carleton Place, Perth or Smiths Falls. We hope to see you on April 18, when you check out a book and discover a life!
Dear Miss Write,
My teenagers are about to start looking for summer jobs in this area, and I’m a little bit concerned that their social media activities might not be exactly what a potential employer wants to see. Naturally, since I am their parent and was born in the time of the dinosaurs, I know nothing, but I’m hoping that a young(er), hip(per) business owner such as yourself might shed some words of wisdom (that I can subtly cut out and affix to their computer screens). Thanks for any guidance you can give us!
Dear PWNTTBGES
OMG THANK you for asking this question! I hope every young person who reads this, reads THIS. There is absolutely NOTHING more important (except maybe a lack of facial tattoos) than a “clean” social media presence when it comes to getting hired.
I own a pretty liberal little shop in equally liberal downtown Almonte. I would hire a rainbow-haired, tattoo-armed, nose-pierced anybody so long as they had the right attitude. BUT… not before I type their name into my good pal Google. It’s the first thing I do. And 99% of the time, I’m disappointed by what I find. Employers don’t want to hire duck-faced narcissists who don’t have a firm grasp of the language. Yuck.
I know you think your Facebook page, or Twitter profile, or Instagram feed is your private forum for personal expression. But here it is. Listen up. They’re not. They’re as public as public gets, and we employers? We’re watching you. We’re making assumptions about your attitude and your work ethic, and we’re shaking our heads as we tut tut over the digital (photographic!) footprint you’re leaving on the universe.
It may not feel like a big deal right now, but once you’ve put something out there on the World Wide Web it never EVER goes away. Did you know that!? Even if you take it down, all it takes is an employer typing in the right name and all your old skeletons are going to tumble right out of that closet, baby. Frankly, I’m not sure how I navigated my 20s without screwing up royally on social media, but I’ve (almost) always erred (and aired) on the side of caution, and paid attention to who was watching.
I know we’re all learning this stuff as we go, and tomorrow there’ll be an entirely new platform to ruin our lives with. But, if nothing else, remember this. No amount of jacked-up selfies is worth being a dependent for the rest of your life. You’re too pretty to stay in your parents’ basement, honey. Way too pretty.
Dear Miss Write,
I know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but let’s just say that someone inadvertently sent an email to someone else who really, really wasn’t meant to see said email. Is there any way for someone to craft an apology that’s more meaningful than “oops — really didn’t mean to copy you on that one!”?
Dear you know who you are,
Am I right to assume this is everyone’s worst nightmare? I know it’s mine. Ok. Let’s think on this one. I’m not sure I know the right answer, but I do know what I’d do. I would write the person right away, and be perfectly honest. Honesty is meaningful. I would apologize profusely, confess to being embarrassed, and awful (and human), and then, despite the discomfort of that tail between my legs, I’d just move on. I’d let it be a lesson, and move on.
Here are a few things to keep an eye out for in the coming months in Mississippi Mills.
Bike aficionados are no doubt already anticipating the onset of Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month in June — check them out on Facebook, and give them a shout if you want to organize a bike-related event. In the meantime, you can let friends and visitors know that they will soon be able to rent the distinctive purple bikes that are a staple of the Ottawa-based Right Bike community bike share service.
Right Bike is a social enterprise managed by Causeway Work Centre — a not-for-profit agency that empowers and supports people in overcoming disabilities and other challenges to help them find rewarding work and live more independently. Initially developed in the bike-friendly climate of Hintonburg, there are now sixteen Right Bike Hubs in Ottawa where people can rent bikes for a very modest price ($5 for a day or $20 for a three-day pass). The new hub, to be located outside the Info Centre at the Almonte Old Town Hall, is Right Bike’s first rural location! Jeff Mills, one of the organizers and chief pedal-pushers of Bicycle Month, has been working with Right Bike to bring their socially-conscious model to Mississippi Mills. He hopes that they can benefit from the burgeoning bike scene out here, and the Town can benefit from their well-established brand and network of renters. Look for more details about the Right Bike hub in the May issue of theHumm.
Old Friends and New Beginnings in Almonte
If you’re exploring downtown Almonte in April, keep an eye out for a familiar shop that has been on hiatus for the past while. Vicki Racey is re-opening her popular Vintage Wear/Ware shop full of clothing, housewares and costumes that run the gamut from gently used to “blasts from the past”. This time around, she will be located at the back of 65 Mill Street (the former TYPS Youth Centre space), which can be accessed by strolling down the quirky tunnel that leads to the Barley Mow. She will be having a “soft opening” some time in April, and plans to hold a grand opening later in the spring, so stay tuned!
Also in the “opening soon” department, Lori and Rene Reynen are pleased and excited to announce the opening of their second New Beginnings store in May at 8–10 Mill Street in Almonte (in the Heritage Mall). The Reynens explain: “having opened a store in Westport six years ago, Almonte seemed like the perfect match for a second gallery/gift store, due to the positive attitude of Almonte merchants and the encouragement of local customers. While we will have many products for your home, cottage and personal needs, we try to focus on Canadian and local artists who specialize in pottery, wood, art, clay, glass and jewellery. Many of our artists will be in the store from time to time, and we will let you know their dates.” Stay tuned for more details!
In 2014, the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) held its very first Creativity Blitz. The event received such popular acclaim that they are doing it again!
On Saturday, May 2, from 9am to 3pm, young and old alike are invited to participate in the second Creativity Blitz. It will be held in the natural beauty of the 200-acre High Lonesome Nature Reserve in Pakenham, a property conserved in perpetuity by the MMLT.
Let your imagination soar! No artistic experience is necessary. The goal is simply to fuel your creativity by being in nature. There will be many opportunities to participate in collaborative creative projects, and mentors around to prompt and encourage you.
There will be special “WOW” spots selected as focal points, but with eight kilometres of trails winding through woodlands, by beaver ponds and through meadows, you may find your own special spot — somewhere that speaks to you and cries out for creative expression. There may be no Maypole, but you can dance around your favourite tree!
Some examples of what you might choose to do include:
Arrange natural materials and objects found on the ground into a creative piece;
Start your own nature journal using one of our free mini-journals;
Write a poem, or add a few lines to a collaborative one;
Bring your own art supplies, musical instrument, poetry book or journal to record your moment in nature; or
Come with nothing but a willingness to open your eyes, ears and senses and see where that takes you.
Everyone is encouraged to share their finished creations by displaying them in the barn, or by submitting a photo, short video or CD that captures their nature-inspired piece.
Trail maps will be provided so you can wander at leisure. The Creativity Blitz takes place rain or shine, so dress appropriately for the weather and be sure to choose sturdy, comfortable footwear. Stay for the day. You can bring your own lunch and enjoy it outdoors. Admission is by a donation of $10 for adults; children 16 and under are free. Registration opens at 9am.
A map with directions can be found at <mmlt.ca>. For more information, please visit the website, phone 624–5530, or send an email to <Jacquie.christiani@bell.net>.
It is the 25th year for the Empty Bowls project in North America, the 14th year for Empty Bowls Perth, and the 11th for Foodsmiths Empty Bowls fundraiser. The Empty Bowls Project began when Bloomfield (Montana) teachers asked their high school ceramic students to make bowls for a school staff luncheon. For $5 each, the guests received a meal of soup and bread, served in one of the handmade bowls. Guests were asked to accept their now empty bowls as a gift and to keep them as a reminder of all the empty bowls that still need filling. The money raised was donated to the local food bank.
The energy of those young potters, their teachers, and their guests breathed life into what has become the Empty Bowls Project. The premise of Empty Bowls is profoundly simple and has been repeated thousands of times, reminding people of the continuing hunger within their own community.
This year the founders of Empty Bowls, including John Hartom, the Montana teacher who started it all, will be remembering local Perth potter Jackie Seaton, and his particular contributions to Empty Bowls and social justice, at a special exhibition in Rhode Island.
There are two opportunities in April to support Empty Bowls in Perth.
Bring your appetite to Foodsmiths on Saturday, April 18, when the store will be hosting its 11th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser from 11am to 2pm. Foodsmiths has partnered with Empty Bowls since 2004, holding the fundraiser on site and coming up with a recipe that highlights healthy, nutritious food. This year, with the generous support of suppliers, as well as the help of store staff, a vegetarian minestrone soup will be filling locally handcrafted and unique ceramic bowls created jointly by Perth area and MERA (McDonalds Corners/Elphin Recreation & Arts) potters. This year will also include the popular “Many Hands Meet and Greet”, giving attendees a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the enormous volunteer effort and the “many hands” that work together to make Empty Bowls an ongoing success.
“The bowls this year are quite varied,” notes Molly Forsythe, the main organizer of the Foodsmiths Empty Bowls event and a MERA member. “We used a wide selection of glazes, we’ve included some traditional spatterware, and a really special addition to this year’s line-up is a select number of hand-painted bowls that are very delicate. We think we have something for everyone’s taste this year.” The bowls are set up in the store throughout the month of March prior to the event and can be purchased for $20.
Bowls will also be featured at Perth’s Festival of the Maples on Saturday, April 25, from 10am to 4pm. You will find the Empty Bowls booth in front of Riverguild Fine Crafts (51 Gore Street East). In return for a suggested donation of $20, you will receive a hand-crafted bowl of your choice and be able to fill the bowl with hearty soup or chili donated by local restaurants. To top it off (or soak it up), you will enjoy artisanal bread donated by Barnabe’s and complimentary coffee from Coutts & Company. Perth TD Canada Trust has generously offered to match the first $2,500 raised at the Festival of the Maples.
All proceeds from both events go to sustainable food programs: The Table Community Food Centre, YAK Youth Centre, Food for Thought Breakfast and Snack programs in Lanark County Schools, Lanark Highlands Food Pantry, Frontier College’s Summer Aboriginal Literacy Program, and the Guatemala Stove Project. As well, Empty Bowls is the recipient of Foodsmiths April BYOB — Bring Your Own Bag — a charity bag donation program developed by the store to encourage the re-use of grocery bags and to provide a source of funds for charitable organizations in the community. For every bag a customer re-uses, ten cents is donated by Foodsmiths to Empty Bowls.
Empty Bowls Perth has raised over $175,000. Last year’s fundraiser at Foodsmiths marked a $50,000 milestone of funds raised at the store by the event since its inception in 2004. Claire Smith, co-owner of Foodsmiths, hopes to meet, and maybe even surpass the $6100 raised by the 2014 Empty Bowls event. “We never forget that our success comes from the continued dedication and support of local potters, volunteers, our suppliers, staff, and especially our customers,” Claire points out. “Without them, we would not be able to make this fundraiser happen.”
For more information about these Empty Bowls events, please visit <theHumm.com/apr2015>.
Whether your heart sways to the rhythm of Scottish, Irish, French Canadian, Polish, or other European fiddle music, you can hear some of your roots in the traditional music of the Ottawa Valley. On Sunday, May 3, from 1 to 4pm, the Almonte Old Town Hall auditorium will be filled with the music you love. Get there as soon as doors open (12:30pm) to enjoy popular session group The Barley Shakers.
Not surprisingly, much of the talent presented in this benefit concert is offered by lively young fiddlers under 25 years of age who are recipients of the Danny O’Connell Memorial Award. Initiated by the O’Connell family and administered by The Community Foundation of Ottawa, the fund honours a young Valley or Celtic fiddler annually. The aim of the memorial is to foster traditional music and recognize local youth. Prospective candidates for the cash award are put forth by three organizations with deep roots in the tradition: The Renfrew County Fiddlers, The Irish Society of the National Capital Region, and The Ottawa Traditional Fiddling and Folk Art Society. These organizations select candidates from their wide entertainment association of the current year. In this way the award focuses attention on many youthful performers beyond the award recipients.
The 2015 concert features several award winners: Beatrice Herwig, Kyle Burghout, Tessa Bangs, Michaela Mullen, and Elly Wedge. Of course, some fiddlers are also step dancers, and that combination of skills presents a special treat for audiences!
The fiddle contest world emphasizes many aspects of traditional play, but universally emphasizes danceability in its evaluations, as the fiddle has been closely associated with dance throughout its history — from “the old country” to the lumber camps of the Ottawa system to the weekend entertainment of today. The 2015 event features traditional step dancers of renown — including instructors and former international competitors — and other lively participants including special guest guitarist Ernie Fraser.
Look for popular groups The Barley Shakers and Monday Night Fiddlers, as well as exceptional performers Kyle Felhaver, John Mitchell, Matt Pepin, Terri-Lynn Mahusky, John Dahms and former Riverdance soloist Alexis MacIsaac. Expert accompanists on piano, mandolin and guitar contribute to a sensational afternoon of musical entertainment. Expect exuberant performances by true lovers of trad music, an appreciative audience, a family atmosphere, and great food and drink by Foodies Fine Foods.
Tickets, $15, are available from Mill Street Books (256–9090), Couples Corner, Mississippi Mills Musicworks, and at the door. Questions? Call 256–3786.
Renowned Canadian fiddle champion Scott Woods and his band will be in the area to present an incredible new show called “Fiddling in the key of… Eh?”
This fast-paced, uplifting show explores great Canadian fiddling styles and influences, from Cape Breton and Scottish, to Acadian and Irish, to French Canadian and Métis. The show features plenty of old-time fiddling, championship step dancing, trick fiddling, family humour and other aspects of our culture that have become symbols of what truly makes us Canadian.
Scott Woods is a two-time winner of the Canadian Open Fiddle Contest, two-time winner of the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship, as well as Fiddle Entertainer of the Year. He tours extensively across the country every year raising funds for churches, charities and community service organizations. To date, over two million dollars have been raised for these groups.
The show takes place on Thursday, April 16, at 7pm in Clayton Community Hall, 147 Linn Bower Lane in Clayton, and proceeds support St. George’s Anglican Church in Clayton.
Tickets are $25; $10 for ages 6–12. Kids 5 and under get in free!
You can buy tickets at Clayton General Store, Nicholson’s (Pakenham), SRC Music (Carleton Place), Baker Bob’s (Almonte), or Mark’s Cobbler Shop (Perth), or you can simply call Kathy and Ray at 256–9010 or toll free at 1–855–SCOTTWOODS (1–855–726–8896) to charge by phone. For a complete tour schedule, please visit <scottwoods.ca>.
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) Film Circuit. The Film Circuit encompasses over 180 groups, bringing the best of Canadian and international films to over 160 communities across Canada.
Film Night International (FiNI) has been a member of the Film Circuit since 2003, and was established to operate as a fundraiser for the public libraries in Perth and Smiths Falls. Over the years, the series has supported initiatives outside the libraries’ normal operating budgets, such as programming and the purchase of furniture, electronics, community information display boards, movie licenses and DVDs. These donations help the libraries offer new and improved services to their communities.
“The films we show are ones that audiences may not otherwise enjoy access to,” says FiNI founder Faye Cunningham. “At the same time, the purchase of a ticket supports the public libraries in Perth and Smiths Falls and helps make our already good libraries even better.”
FiNI’s spring line-up of films began in March with The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared. (Hopefully you saw our notice on theHumm’s Facebook page, and caught it!)
On April 8 in Perth and April 9 in Smiths Falls, FiNI screens The Imitation Game, one of the year’s best films, starring Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch. Based on the real life of mathematician Alan Turing, who cracked the German enigma code during World War II, it is an adventure filled with drama and excitement.
Phoenix, an exciting new film from Germany, is being shown on April 22/23. It tells the story of a disfigured concentration camp survivor, unrecognizable after facial reconstruction surgery, who searches postwar Berlin for the husband who may have betrayed her to the Nazis.
The series continues on May 6 and 7 with Serial (Bad) Weddings, a family comedy from France. In this film, a Catholic couple sees their life turned upside down when each of their four daughters marries a man of a different religion and cultural background.
The final film of the spring season, May 20/21, is the highly anticipated Still Alice, starring the always brilliant Julianne Moore in her Oscar-winning role. This film follows a renowned linguistics professor, happily married with three grown children, who starts to forget words. When she receives a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, she and her family find their bonds thoroughly tested. Her struggle to stay connected to who she once was is frightening, heartbreaking, and inspiring.
Films are shown at 2pm and 7pm at the Full Circle Theatre in Perth and at 7pm at the Station Theatre in Smiths Falls. Individual tickets for all these films are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the theatres fifteen minutes before screening time.
To be added to the FiNI mailing list, contact <filmnightperth@gmail.com>. For full details and to watch trailers, check out the FiNI blog at <filmnightinternational.blogspot.com>.
Sylvester (Sylvie) Tansey, owner of the Salvage Shop in the seaside town of Garris, Ireland, is in his twilight years — an aging maestro left with unfulfilled dreams. His disappointment focuses on the bitter memory of his band failing to win a state-wide competition. Sylvie blames the loss on his son Eddy, who left home after a quarrel, but now has returned to look after his ailing father. Although Eddy is an accomplished euphonium player, he spends his days working in the Salvage Shop.
But the time has come for the maestro to pass on his baton. As with generations before, it should rightfully go to Eddy, but the sting of his son’s betrayal still smarts after all these years. Nevertheless, Eddy wants to set things right, so he hatches a plan to entice Sylvie’s idol, Luciano Pavarotti, to perform a concert in Garris.
Director Patricia Parry chose this upcoming Studio Theatre play because of the blend of emotions — humour, anger, and pathos — demanded from her cast. And it is a top-notch cast, with veteran David Parry playing the part of the crusty, churlish Sylvie. His son Eddy is played by Grey Masson, who has appeared in numerous recent productions. Award-winning actress Joanna McAuley plays Eddy’s girlfriend Rita.
Rounding out the cast are Mark Bailey, Phillipa McDonald, and newcomer Martin Treffers.
The Salvage Shop opens at the Studio Theatre in Perth on Thursday, April 9, and continues April 10, 11, 17, 18 at 8pm, with matinées April 12 and 19 at 2pm. Tickets are available in advance at The Book Nook ($22, cash only) and at Shadowfax. Tickets can also be ordered by phone at Shadowfax (267–6817 / 1–800–518–2729), or online <shadowfax.on.ca>; and at Tickets Please (485–6434, ticketsplease.ca). A convenience fee applies to these latter two outlets. Tickets are $24 at the door, and students with ID pay just $10 on show night. For further information, call the Studio Theatre box office at 267–7469 (please note this number does not take ticket orders), or visit the website <studiotheatreperth.com>. And a reminder: Studio Theatre is now fully accessible for those with mobility issues.
Every shop has its story.
The story behind Perth’s new Gallery on Gore is a charming one; the sort that makes you smile and reminds you that it is entirely possible to pursue your dreams and passions.
The art gallery is owned by a couple, Kevin Gray and his wife Johanne Lacroix. Both Kevin and Johanne have always loved art. For years Kevin worked as a police officer, while Johanne was a professional graphic designer who had operated her own business in Toronto for over twenty years.
Restless, and as Kevin puts it, “tired and depleted by the rat race,” they abandoned their careers in midlife and “pushed on for greener pastures.” They moved from Toronto to Perth, and Kevin tried his hand at masonry, while Johanna took a sales job.
“But there was always that dream of operating our own little gallery someday,” Kevin says.
When they chanced to find an attractive space in downtown Perth — a small space, as Kevin describes it, but with “some lovely exposed masonry and great main street positioning… just enough assets to make it a plausible gallery location” — they snatched up the opportunity and opened Gallery on Gore.
They are happy they did.
“The feedback from community members and visitors has been tremendous,” Kevin says. “People have been very supportive and encouraging. As a result, the experience so far has been very positive and rewarding. We feel as though we have added an asset to the community.”
The gallery, located at 92 Gore Street East, features the work of over thirty artists — “mostly local,” Kevin says, “but with some international representation as well.” Some of the artists are emerging; others established and esteemed. The gallery also features drawings, paintings, glass, stone and wood sculptures. “The collection is ever-changing,” Kevin says, “and we hope to soon include textiles, ceramics and jewellery.”
The gallery’s tagline is “art for life.”
“We believe that original art has a place in every life,” Kevin adds, “and we strive to maintain as diverse a collection as our limited space will allow. Equally important is atmosphere. We want our visitors to feel as comfortable browsing our collection as they would be at home among friends.”
Johanna and Kevin may have walked away from the rat race to pursue their dreams, yes, but Kevin prefers to put it this way: “we rebuilt with a view to creating space for our passions.”
The shop next door has a story too.
Conveniently, that store — Perth Picture Framing Shop — complements its neighbour quite neatly.
“It’s absolutely great!” says new owner Geoff Stimpson. “We’re complementary businesses that go extremely well together. In fact, most framing stores have a small gallery within their shop. We do too — my intentions are to focus on themes, local artists and photographers. The owners of Gallery on Gore have been very supportive of me.”
The Perth Picture Framing Shop, formerly part of Gallery Perth, is now located at 88 Gore Street East. It offers customers professional framing of their creative works and treasured keepsakes. The shop had a very successful grand opening in its new home in March.
“The opening went very well,” says its new owner. “I received lots of support from friends, family, local artists and residents… and lots of energy and positive comments about the shop.”
Geoff Stimpson’s story is not unlike his neighbours’. For thirty years, Geoff owned a logistics business in Ottawa that served the healthcare community. He sold the business in 2012 and took some time off, but then, as he says, “I decided that owning a business was good for me.”
He searched the country for businesses for sale. Then he “literally stumbled upon Perth Picture Framing on the City of Perth website.”
Geoff explains, “The more I thought about it and talked it over with my friends and family, the more it made sense. I’m an amateur photographer, Perth appealed to me, the business connected me to the community, and picture framing was something I did when I was younger. All that with a business background,” he adds, “the opportunity was the right fit.”
So far, he doesn’t regret his decision one bit. “I’m really enjoying myself. I’m learning new skills, meeting new people, and it gives me an energy that I’ve missed having since the sale of my previous business.”
The framing shop provides a number of services, including custom framing, frame repair, mounting and laminating and professional guidance on choosing the right frame solution that both enhances and complements people’s creative artwork and cherished keepsakes, such as photographs.
“Custom framing is really about preserving items for display so they’ll last for a very long time without showing any signs of age,” Geoff says.
The best part of owning the shop, he says, are the “shared stories that accompany each framing project. They connect you to the client, and that is a very special feeling.”
Hike for Hub Hospice Palliative Care
Please join us for the third annual Mississippi Mills Hike for Hospice on Sunday, May 3 at the Mill of Kintail. Across the country, people will be celebrating the kick off of National Hospice Palliative Care Week. Here in Mississippi Mills, registration for the hike takes place from 1–3pm, the official kickoff is shortly after 1, and the walk itself will finish by 4pm. All funds raised at this event will go to Hub Hospice Palliative Care.
“We’ve had hot weather and we’ve had wet weather for previous Hikes, and whatever the weather, it’s always a fun day,” says Gary Pollock, former co-organizer of the hike. “It’s a two or five kilometre circuit, but no one is counting. The idea is to gather pledges and then come out, have a fun hike, and at the same time do something for a good cause.”
Hub Hospice Palliative Care is a local organization that assists people with life-threatening illnesses who are being cared for at home — wherever the client considers home — in the Mississippi Mills and North Lanark area. Under the supervision of a registered nurse, a specially trained volunteer will come to a client to listen, read, talk, or simply provide companionship, giving caregivers a few hours to rest, take care of errands, or take time for themselves so they can maintain their ability to give care.
“The more I talk to people, the more I find people who have been in situations where they could have benefitted from a hospice,” said Pollock. “Some people are hiking or volunteering in memory of a family member so that, in the future, more people can access this type of service.”
Pledge forms are available at the Hub in Almonte or online at <thehumm.com/apr2015>. Registration will take place at the Mill of Kintail gatehouse and the kickoff will be at the inner parking lot.
Pollock thinks the Mill is a great place for the hike. “It’s a wonderful place for people to get out and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Maybe you will even see some wildlife,” he said of the site. “The hike will go through open fields, maple groves and around the Indian River.” Pollock is also very thankful to the Mill which waived all charges for the use of the buildings.
For more details about the hike contact <gary.pollock@sympatico.ca> or 256–4279, and for more information about Hub Hospice Palliative Care, please visit <hubhospice.com>.
Lanark County Hike for Hospice
A group of dedicated volunteers, friends, families and supporters, as well as some local notables, are going for a short walk through Perth on Sunday, May 3 — and they are inviting young and old from all over Lanark County to join them! The walk marks the beginning of National Hospice Palliative Care Week, and will raise funds for local hospice palliative care services.
The Lanark County Hike for Hospice is a 2km walk, beginning at the Crystal Palace. The fundraiser is a team effort of Community Home Support – Lanark County’s Hospice Palliative Services and national sponsor Bayshore Home Health, both of which provide hospice palliative care for Lanark County residents.
Please donate and/or sign-up and walk to raise funds for something we all care about: treating the dying and their families with dignity and respect when they are at their most vulnerable.
There will be a BBQ, live music and a silent auction. Registration starts at noon and the walk starts at 1pm. All funds raised here stay here. To register and start fundraising, go to <thehumm.com/apr2015>.
If you choose not to register online, pledge packages can be picked up at Bayshore Home Health (52 Albert St., Unit 3 in Smiths Falls) and at the Community Home Support offices in Perth, Smiths Falls and Carleton Place. For further information, contact Community Home Support – Lanark County at 267–6400.
Iconic and consummate musician, author and songwriter Ian Thomas will grace the stage at the Gallipeau Centre on Saturday, April 18. One of Canada’s most experienced entertainers, he just keeps getting better, funnier and more compelling with every show — and he’s been performing since he was a teenager growing up in Hamilton.
“I wrote my first song when I was 15, and went out and played it at coffee houses. It was called Ian’s Song!” chuckles Thomas.
In recent years, Thomas has been touring with Marc Jordan, Cindy Church and Murray MacLauchlan under the band name Lunch at Allan’s, but not this time. This is going to be the Ian Thomas show, which is not to say that he’ll be playing alone. “I will have a band with me — I’d be bored with myself!” says Thomas.
That band includes Genie and Gemini award-winning musician/composer Paul Intson on bass, and Jorn Andersen, best known for his drumming on Black Velvet with Alannah Miles and later with Fludd. On keyboards, Thomas has Mark Lalama — the music director and pianist for Canadian Idol — who has worked with Jon Bon Jovi and Mariah Carey, among many others. “With Mark, there’s bound to be an accordion in one or two songs,” says Thomas, of the man who is a founding member of the world music group Accordion Crimes.
Thomas is one of those enigmatic Canadian puzzles: a world-class songwriter-performer who never reached the acclaim he both earned and deserved. The songs he has written are sensitive, thoughtful, moody, humorous, infinitely melodic and utterly enticing. “It’s as much an affliction as a talent; I’d be writing songs whatever I was doing. I think it’s the way I process things, so when I’m chewing on an idea it comes out in song,” explains Thomas.
His songs carry such resonance for so many that they’ve taken on lives of their own, getting covered by artists like Santana (Hold On), Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (The Runner), and Ann Murray (Good Again), as well as by Bette Midler and Chicago.
He promises that the Gallipeau Centre Theatre concert will be a journey through his many years of writing: “a visit to all those flags stuck in the road behind and stretching almost out of view into the past,” as he describes it. “I’ll be doing a cross section of 45 years of song writing, so it’s going to be fun,” he concludes.
Tickets for Ian Thomas are $35.50 and can be purchased at the Gallipeau Centre box office at 361 Queen Street in Smiths Falls, by phone at 205–1943, or online at <ticketpro.ca>. Parking is free, and the cash bar will be open from 7pm, when doors open.
This year Food Banks Canada has announced an exciting new national campaign to raise awareness about food security issues and to help fill the plates of every hungry Canadian this summer. Every Plate Full will run from May 2 to 8, and the Lanark County Food Bank is planning a number of events to help rally the residents of Beckwith, Carleton Place and Mississippi Mills to fill our warehouse and help feed our communities. With your help, we will distribute 25,524 meals this summer; 9,597 of these will be for children.
Our week will kick off with a Hike for Hunger on Saturday, May 2, at the Goodwood Marsh Nature Trail in Beckwith Township, behind the soccer arena and sports field at 1319 9th Line, just south of Carleton Place. Participants will be able to register and solicit sponsorships via an online fundraising platform. Come out as a family, with a group of friends, or as a team, to enjoy the sunshine, and take in the sounds and colours of spring; the Goodwood Trail is a new offering in Beckwith — what a perfect opportunity to check it out! Join us for registration between 1 and 2pm before embarking on your jaunt, and then stay for a BBQ afterwards!
And while we’re on the topic of lunch, many of your favourite restaurants will be partnering with us for the week — as they fill your plates, they will help fill ours. Look for feature items or specials that indicate a portion of the price will be donated directly to the food bank; donation jars will also be placed in many restaurant locations during this time.
A number of the schools will be holding spring food drives in response to our Every Plate Full call, and these donations will be collected during the week of May 4–8 in an effort to replenish our warehouse stocks. As well, we see this week as an opportunity for schools to encourage conversations around food security issues. They might also challenge students to respond to the caption “Every Plate Full” in a creative way. These personal responses could take many forms of expression, such as posters, collages, sculptures, pieces of music, poems, essays, or shared personal experiences. This is an opportunity for all of us to engage in the conversation, raise awareness, and help eliminate the stigma that coming to a food bank represents.
The week will wrap up with a Community Dinner at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 39 Bridge St. in Carleton Place, on Friday, May 8, 5–7pm. Board members and volunteers will prepare and serve a delicious, satisfying, affordable meal — one that could be made using the ingredients in our food hampers, challenging the idea that eating on a budget has to be boring or limited. Tickets will be available in advance and at the door. The cost is $15 per person, $10 for seniors, $7.50 for children ages 6–12, with kids up to age 5 eating for free; a vegetarian option will be available. Come join us as “the food bank feeds the community”.
Look for further details of our Every Plate Full events on our website <lanarkcountyfoodbank.ca> and Facebook page. Join us in whatever way you can, from May 2–8. Together we can fill plates and change the stats!
The Lanark County Food Bank provides emergency food assistance to more than 250 families every month. This represents approximately 700 people, 38% of whom are children. Our territory reaches from Franktown to White Lake, and from Ashton to Innisville. LCFB receives no government funding; we rely solely on the donations of individuals, businesses, and organizations.
A first-hand look at the lives of small-town, rural teenagers will be performed at the Royal Canadian Legion (Perth-Upon-Tay branch, 26 Beckwith Street East) on Saturday, April 18 at 2pm. This performance follows on its enthusiastic début at a recent national conference in Ottawa, where hundreds of delegates representing youth centres from across the country gathered for their annual meeting.
Listen Up, Perth! is an eye-opening exploration of what happens in the lives of typical teenagers — often outside the view of adults — as they deal with stress, anxiety, depression, abuse, and other problems, alongside the hope that sustains them through the most difficult times. Conceived by a group of four young people working in tandem with professional theatre director Laurel Smith of Burning Passions Theatre (the parent company of the summertime Classic Theatre Festival), the hour-long show (including a post-show talkback) addresses a variety of topics in a way that puts a human face on what are often dry social science terms.
“We have been truly privileged to work with this group of teenagers who have put so much effort and care into crafting scenes that depict the challenges, struggles, and joys of their lives and those of their friends,” says Smith, whose project has been supported by a range of organizations that recognize the importance of projecting young voices into the community, including the Ontario Arts Council, The Basilian Human Development Fund, Kiwanis Club of Perth-on-Tay, the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. Listen Up, Perth! has also received generous in-kind support from the Royal Canadian Legion, First Baptist Church, St. James the Apostle Anglican Church, and The Hub, all located in Perth.
“For a lot of us in the so-called adult world, teenagers are invisible. Often youth can hide what’s going on underneath, whether they are dealing with abusive parents, homelessness, drugs, or the lack of opportunities in their lives,” says Smith. “This play is intended to open up a dialogue with community elders, to challenge us to respond to what they are saying and doing.”
Admission to the April 18 performance at 2pm at the Perth Legion is by donation, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. For more information, call 264–8088 or email <info@classictheatre.ca>.
Three of the world’s finest songwriters and most respected singers — Jez Lowe, Archie Fisher and James Keelaghan — have decided to take their friendship on the road. These three don’t just write songs, they write folk music; the kind of songs that people will be singing 200 years from now.
In the fall of 2013, James Keelaghan and Jez Lowe were on tour in the northeastern United States. Their hectic schedule included a couple of days off near Cambridge, MA, where they had arranged to stay at the home of a friend, Frankie Lieberman. Frankie’s place is well known to travelling musicians, and hundreds have inhabited its spare rooms over the past twenty-five years. On their first morning there, James and Jez stumbled into the kitchen for coffee, and instead, found Archie Fisher.
What started as a fortuitous kitchen encounter has become the Men@Words North American tour.
Master guitarist, singer and songwriter Archie Fisher is Scotland’s foremost troubadour and is known throughout the country as the host of BBC Radio Scotland’s award-winning “Travelling Folk” show. Jez Lowe has built an enviable reputation as a songwriter and performer in the world of acoustic music, and as a recognized musical ambassador for his native North East England. James Keelaghan is an artist who has proven to be a man for all seasons; this poet laureate of the folk and roots music world goes about his work with a combination of passion, curiosity and intensity.
Men@Words is a once-in-a-lifetime show. Archie, Jez and Jim are known road warriors. The fact that they were able to find time in their schedules for a joint tour tells you how special this is. They will be playing at the Full Circle Theatre in Perth at 7:30pm on April 15. Tickets are $33 and available at <ticketsplease.ca>.
Last fall, downtown Almonte’s TYPS Youth Centre closed, leaving a big void in local youth services. In January, an Interim Youth Task Force, composed of organizations and community members who are committed to the youth of Mississippi Mills, announced new programming. These programs and services, created and supported by caring partners in the community, are aimed at trying to fill the gap in youth services, while a more permanent solution is developed.
Through the generosity of two local churches, a youth worker has been present at St. Paul’s Anglican Church (Mondays) and Hillside Reformed Presbyterian Church (Wednesdays), with food and programming made available. In addition, the RAY Group has started their monthly meetings again, while a free youth skate has been taking place at the arena, and the Youth Nights have continued at Almonte & District High School. For a list of available resources see <lanarkunitedway.com>.
These programs and services came about as the result of an initial meeting held by the Task Force in November of 2014. Now, with the leadership of the United Way Lanark County and the Town of Mississippi Mills, the Task Force will be holding a two-day Mississippi Mills Community Forum on Youth. The forum will begin on Wednesday, April 15 (6–9pm) and continue on Thursday the 16th (9am–12pm) at the Almonte Old Town Hall. On these dates, interested community members will gather for an interactive and participatory session to answer the question, “How might we better serve the needs of Mississippi Mills youth together?” All are welcome to attend the Forum as we look to capture a comprehensive view of the needs in the community and at the same time harness the energy to move forward. “The Community Forum on Youth is an invaluable opportunity for all of us to come together and explore what we are all currently doing to serve youth, what overlaps and gaps currently exist in that service, and ultimately how we can increase positive impact by working together,” explains United Way Lanark’s Board Chair Johann Ramsaran.
According to the Town’s Mayor, Shaun McLaughlin, “Mississippi Mills Council is solidly behind the Task Force and its commitment to our youth. Many of us will attend the forum in April, and Mississippi Mills and Lanark County have both retained their commitment of funds to a local youth services organization in their 2015 budgets.”
Initial e-mail invitations went out to local social service agencies, organizations, businesses, associations and individual community members. If you would like to ensure you receive a formal invitation, please reach out to Kate Hallas, United Way Lanark County at 253–9074 or email <khallas@lanarkunitedway.com> with your name and email address. Organizers ask that you let them know if you are planning on attending.
In preparation for the Forum, the Task Force created a short survey as an introduction to this important conversation. They encourage everyone to give their input and provide as much information as possible, as this feedback will be important to the design and focus of the Forum. To take part in the survey, please visit <lanarkunitedway.com> and follow the link.
For further information, or to RSVP, please contact the United Way Lanark County office at 253–9074 or via e-mail at <khallas@lanarkunitedway.com>.
Many moons ago, Kate Osborne was immersed in a production of West Side Story in Deep River. She had no idea that she would share the stage years later in another town, by a different river, with her teenage daughter Sydney.
It was during Kate’s high school days that she met her husband, Adrian, and fell in love not only with him, but with musical theatre. Her family is now all involved with the Mississippi Mudds theatre group here in Carleton Place, which they have called home for nearly fifteen years.
Adrian Osborne has been on the Mudds’ board in the role of treasurer for many years, and likes to help out backstage as well. Son Jesse can also be seen at rehearsals and backstage, and will likely join the Mudds youth next year, which is where Sydney first helped out with the show Bugsy Malone.
The Mississippi Mudds’ spring production of Once Upon a Mattress features Kate as Lady Lucille and Sydney as Lady Julianne. Ironically, they are both Ladies-in-Waiting, waiting to get married! This is a step forward for Sydney, whose first adult production was a chorus role in Alice in Wonderland, while mom Kate helped backstage with makeup.
In the current show, Queen Aggravain (Michele Eno) is aggravated by any attempt to remove her drab son Dauntless from her side. The mischievous king Sextimus (Robert Horne) has been reduced by a spell to communicating only with his hands. He is of little help to the knights and ladies, all of whom are desperate to find a wife for the prince.
A dutiful knight presents a swamp-dwelling princess to the court, and soon all are charmed, despite her claims to be “shy!” With the help of the Jester (Jennifer Pitzer) and the visiting Minstrel (Trish Smith), the Wizard (Adam Pelletier) shares some “sensitive” news and the plot thickens!
When asked why they love this local theatre group, both Kate and Sydney enthusiastically say, “the people!” Kate loves music and the camaraderie of her Mudds friends, both past and present. Sydney also loves the singing, acting and especially the comedy of the shows. “It’s always fun,” she says, and she is thrilled to bring her friends to performances.
The Mudds will be bouncing on mattresses at the Carleton Place Town Hall, their local castle at 175 Bridge St. (no moat-swimming required; it is fully accessible). Evening performances are at 7:30pm on April 24, 25, and 30, and May 1 and 2. The popular matinée is on Sunday, April 26 at 2pm. Tickets are already selling at Reads Book Shop at 135 Bridge St. Or visit <mississippimudds.ca> for details.
The Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists are looking for young people with a passion for nature who believe they can make a difference in meeting the environmental challenges of the future. The Cliff Bennett Nature Bursary is offered annually to assist a qualified graduating secondary school student pursuing post-secondary studies in a field related to the natural environment, which may lead to a career in this field. This year, one bursary for $1000 is available to be awarded to a deserving student from this area.
The bursary fund was established by Cliff’s many friends in 2007 in order to honour his contributions to the community and to nature with a lasting legacy. To date, over $7000 has been paid out to help students pursue their studies.
The 2015 bursary will be awarded to a student who lives in the MVFN catchment area, and attends a high school in Almonte, Carleton Place, Perth, or West Carleton. To be eligible, the student must be graduating from secondary school and undertaking post-secondary studies in an aspect of nature or an environmental field. As well as academic achievement, the bursary selection committee will consider an applicant’s involvement in issues relating to the natural environment. Previous recipients have actively promoted environmental awareness through school projects and community volunteerism. Interest in protecting our environment has led award winners to pursue degrees in marine biology and zoology. Some award winners follow their passion in environmental stewardship by studying fish and wildlife technology or biotechnology.
“I am pleased that this award may encourage a young person today to become an environmental leader tomorrow,” says Cliff Bennett. “I consider it an investment in our environmental future.”
Application forms are available from student services departments in area schools, or can be downloaded from the MVFN website at <mvfn.ca>. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 1. For further details, students can contact Mike Macpherson of the Nature Bursary Fund at 256–3043 or send an email to <naturebursary@gmail.com>.
The Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) will hold its Annual General Meeting in Carp this year, on April 28, at the Carp Memorial Hall, 3739 Carp Road. The Land Trust wishes to draw public attention to its partnership with the Friends of Huntley Highlands (FHH), formed recently to help support efforts to preserve significant wilderness areas in the beautiful Carp Hills.
This year, the guest speaker will be Dr. Nick Stow, Senior Planner at the City of Ottawa. His talk, titled “Natural, Liveable, Ottawa,” will trace how steps have been taken in recent years to identify and protect natural features in the large area occupied by the City of Ottawa. The initiatives put forward by the FHH and the Land Trust to take action in the Carp Hills area provide an excellent occasion for residents and landowners to learn more about plans and strategies of the City, and to see where there are opportunities to ensure natural and wilderness areas may be preserved for traditional uses.
Across Ontario, efforts are being undertaken by local and regional governments to ensure that important natural areas will be recognized and preserved. These build upon a growing public appreciation of the health and recreational benefits that natural areas give to the population, of the significance that connected wilderness areas hold for the protection of wildlife and biodiversity, and of the key role they play in maintaining the esthetic beauty and liveability of urban and rural areas. Dr. Stow’s presentation will help explain some of the issues and initiatives that have been considered, tried, and that might be envisaged to help ensure that nature and wilderness areas remain an important part of the landscape in the Carp Hills and in the City in the future.
Doors will open at 6pm, providing an opportunity for people to mix and mingle and enjoy refreshments. MMLT members are invited to participate in the AGM starting at 6:30pm. The general public is invited to join any time after 7pm. Dr. Nick’s Stow’s presentation will begin at 7:30pm.
For more information, please visit <mmlt.ca> or contact them at 253–2722 or <admin@mmlt.ca>.
I have two dogs. One is young and full of, well, piss and vinegar. One is a little older, and let me tell you, the young dog makes me appreciate the finer points of growing up. You may be a little less adorable, but you know your way around the block, you’re easy to be around, and you know how to stay out of trouble most of the time.
On April 25, folkus brings you bands that are not old dogs, but who have been around the block a couple of times. Their playing has the ease of experience behind it, and you know there’s not a lick or a riff that you can throw at them that they haven’t seen before. Their chemistry as musicians has a wonderful serenity that comes from knowing that the groove is solid and the music is going to flow. Both bands are lively — they both suggest bringing your dancing shoes.
Ottawa’s Jody Benjamin and Michael Ball are Ball and Chain. Warm, witty and beguiling, these musical troublemakers will set your toes tapping. They have been stalwarts of the folk, Cajun and country scenes for decades. But their new trick is a whole album of originals — Surrender — featuring songs of “murder, greed, and philosophy”. They will be joined by their regular backing band the Wreckers, featuring Don Evans (bass), Alistair Dennett (drums) and special guest Al Bragg (pedal steel).
Hailing from further down the road, the Chateauguay Valley’s Durham County Poets bring lively instrumentation and seasoned playing to the stage. These players are proficient in a variety of genres, from blues and western swing to Cajun and gospel. The Poets built their sound out of regular jams until they were ready to take it to the road. The band includes Kevin Harvey (lead vocals and harmonica), David Whyte (electric and acoustic guitars), Neil Elsmore (acoustic and slide guitars), Carl Rufh (upright bass), and James Preimel (drums and percussion). Their latest album, Chikkaboodah Stew, is a tasty blend of their varied influences.
Folkus is looking forward to offering you great entertainment, and great local beverages, all in the warm setting of the Almonte Old Town Hall. As always, doors open at 7:30pm and seating is first-come, first-served. Folkus offers a cash bar with local beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly. Details are at <folkusalmonte.com>, and tickets are on Eventbrite <folkusalmonte.eventbrite.ca> and at Mill Street Books in Almonte. Questions? Ask <hello@folkusalmonte.com>.
I’m hooked on MasterChef Canada, and I know I’d be able to qualify and get one of those coveted white aprons.
Here’s how it goes. My first thoughts on waking each morning are: What day is it? And what are we going to have for supper? If I can get the first one right, I can usually wing the second one. I’ve been through fifty years of making meals — don’t do the math, it’s downright scary — so I likely can come up with gourmet pretty easily.
First the audition: “My dream in life is to wear the white apron. If I win, I’ll give all the money to our local food bank, and not buy the Mazda Miata that is actually my dream in life.” Good enough. You’re in, Glenda.
Second, introduction to the kitchen: “What a gem! A stove, a cutting board, many pots and pans, lots of spoons, an oven. What? No stuff on the counters? No dog beneath my feet? No flour dusting the floor? Not too realistic!”
And now the supreme test: Can she cook in this situation? I’m in awe as the three chefs present the challenge. We’re given a mystery box, and instantly I’m transported back to reality and my own kitchen.
Here’s how it goes in real life.
“MasterChefs, you have before you a mystery box consisting of whatever you didn’t cook yesterday. Lift the lids.” There’s a pound of frozen hamburger, and some leftover mashed potatoes. That’s it.
“You have exactly one hour to create a gourmet meal… starting now.” That’s the hour between arriving home from The Hub, and racing off to Agility class. Run, girl, run! I whap the frozen meat in the microwave, and yank open the fridge. Nothing inspiring there. The pantry yields ketchup, breadcrumbs, an onion, another potato and a can of corn. Excellent choices, all. The clock is ticking.
“So Glenda, what are you creating here?” “It’s called desperation dinner, Chef. A meal my mother taught me.” Chop, chop onions; mix, mix breadcrumbs, maybe an egg and a dollop of that ketchup. Ding! Meat is… not-thawed! Chop, chop hamburger too. “Carry on, Glenda. It looks…” Who cares how it looks as long as it’s ready inside that hour?
Pack the whole meat business in a loaf pan and shove it in the oven turned a tad higher than it probably should be. Peel that potato and get that sucker boiled enough to mash along with the leftovers. “A lovely creamy consistency with just a hint of texture, and raw flavour.”
If by the grace of God there is a Jalapeno pepper in the fridge, I’ll chop it up really fine, and add it to the can of corn, and call it Mexicali Corn. Blessings on the microwave to heat that for me. “Yes Chef, I want to utilize all the kitchen accoutrements to turn out this dinner. No Chef, I’m not frazzled at all with you breathing down my neck as I’m trying to cook.”
Yikes, the clock is ticking so fast! I really need a little sit-down before I get to the plating ordeal. But there’s no time to think of that. Is the meatloaf ready? Put more ketchup on top as an icing to disguise the lumps. The potatoes seem a little too blah, but a shake of paprika will fix that. The corn, however, is perfect.
To the plating and the moment of truth. I wait as others are called up to present their dishes looking like models for Bon Appetit magazine: little sprigs of “this ‘n’ that” atop rice in little fancy mounds, vegetables laid out in colour coordinated lines, meat placed delicately in a sauce made with pomegranate seeds. The judges simper over each one, critiquing until tears flow. My turn approaches. I look at my plate: the meatloaf sort of fell apart on delivery, the potatoes are an artful lump, and the corn sort of swims between the two. But look at the colour there!
“Glenda, your dinner looks… um… homey and um… definitely done in limited time. But, oh, the colour and the flavour! Exactly what my mother used to make. You are indeed Canada’s next MasterChef!”
“Yes Chef, let’s just get this on the table so I can get out of here. We all know the same challenge is going to appear tomorrow night, and if there’s any justice in the world there’ll be enough left over meatloaf to turn into spaghetti sauce.” So bring on your mystery box, there’s got to be something we can cook up with that stuff.
I think I already earned that stupid white apron. Now what I really dream of is that Mazda!
Mark your calendar now for a fun-filled event on May 23: Arts & Heritage on Edmund Street! Arts Carleton Place, the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum and the Carleton Place Horticultural Society are all joining together to host a plant sale, art show and sale, and grand unveiling of the “Window Art at the Museum” murals. Created by Arts Carleton Place artists Mary Jane Lancaster, Adrian Baker and Angelique Willard, these twelve panels will depict scenes from the building’s rich history as a Town Hall, lockup and school.
The artists discussed the progress of the project, sharing brief comments about the panels they are working on:
Mary Jane Lancaster has been drawing and painting since childhood, working in various media. Two of the panels she’s working on include a display of typical museum artifacts, and an inmate gazing out from the bars on the window of the jail.
Adrian Baker will portray a museum window and a 1900s’ schoolroom window, reflecting two of the building’s former incarnations. The museum window focuses on the kitchen as women’s domain, and the schoolroom window will also relate to the “women’s story” aspect.
Angelique Willard plans to include among her panels paintings of a mayor and a female schoolteacher, as well as a schoolgirl. She mentions incorporating the fire escape into her piece, which sounds like a wonderful and fun idea.
When you come down to Edmund Street on the 23rd, drop in to St. James Hall where the Arts Carleton Place Art Show & Sale will take place from 10am to 4pm. Free admission; lunch and refreshments will be available. Support your local artists! For more information on Arts Carleton Place, visit <artscarletonplaceweb.wordpress.com>.
The combined adult and children’s choirs of St. Pauls’ United Church and St. James the Apostle Anglican Church and Friends will be performing a program of music by the British composer John Rutter on Sunday, April 19, at 7pm at St. Paul’s United Church in Perth.
The program will begin with John Rutter’s Requiem, performed by the forty-voice adult choir and accompanied by a six-piece orchestra of flute, oboe, cello, harp, organ and percussion, directed by St. Paul’s director of music, Brad Mills. The Requiem was completed in 1985 and first performed in California with Rutter conducting. It is reminiscent of Faure’s Requiem and is considered one of the most popular choral compositions of the last thirty years.
The composition is an adaptation of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, performed in remembrance of someone who has died. With this in mind, audience members will have an opportunity to remember a loved one in the program. Information for this may be obtained by contacting the church office at <stpauls@ripnet.com> or 267–2973.
The second half of the program will open with a children’s choir of over thirty voices, joining the adults in the performance of four of Rutter’s delightful springtime pieces, including I Believe in Springtime and All Things Bright and Beautiful. Valerie Leavitt leads the St. James children’s choir, the St. Paul’s children’s choir is led by Brad Mills, and the “Friends” children’s choir is led by local music therapist Rebecca Worden, who will be conducting the children’s pieces. Other pieces featuring the adult choirs, conducted by St. James organist Peter Woodwark, include a beautiful setting of Amazing Grace, and the energetic O Be Joyful in the Lord.
The combined St. Paul’s United Church and St. James Anglican Church and Friends have been performing spring concerts annually for many years. Previous works have included Paul Halley’s Missa Gaia, the Brahms Requiem and the Mass in B Minor by J.S. Bach.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children, and are available through Tickets Please (485–6434/ ticketsplease.ca) and at the Church office, weekdays between 9am and 3pm. St. Paul’s is at 25 Gore Street West in Perth, and online at <stpauls-uc-perth.org>.
For music teachers, spring means busy season. As other teachers and departments are winding things down, we are putting it into high gear. This month, I thought I would offer our readers a glimpse into this hectic, harried, but ultimately rewarding time of year.
Spring is the time when a whole bunch of different events converge, and things start to get frantic. Festivals, band tours, spring concerts and final playing exams are on everyone’s minds. If nothing else, it is an exciting time of year.
Festivals are first up. There are many arguments for and against competing in festivals, but I think the benefits outweigh the negatives. The biggest negative is that preparing for competition eats up an enormous amount of rehearsal time on only a few pieces of music. However, students learn to play those pieces at a very high level. Rehearsals become much more disciplined, and the biggest concept learned, at least in my opinion, is attention to detail. Student musicians have to pay attention to every marking in their music, and are forced to make aesthetic judgements about their playing within the context of the larger group. Are they playing with good tone and in tune with everyone else? Are they playing with balance and blend? These types of questions really help propel a band to a heightened awareness of the quality of their performance. With any luck, this newfound awareness transfers to the rest of the music that we are learning.
After festivals comes the annual band tour. This is without question my favourite time of year, because it is a chance for students to relax, experience some world-class culture, and get away from rehearsals, at least for a week. When students have the opportunity to see a top notch orchestra or an incredible jazz performance, it really expands their horizons and acts as a motivator. The other important part of the touring experience is that the band members get to know one another outside of a rehearsal context. This bonding becomes very important as we head into the next phase of the annual springtime journey.
Upon our triumphant return from the band tour, which in our case is to Cleveland this year, we have a few weeks to prepare for our annual spring concert, which is the showcase of everything that we have worked on since September. I always plan the concert after the tour, because I find that the excitement of being away on tour really carries over into that final show. This energy makes for better performances, and our audiences always leave happy. When the last note has been played, the smiles on students’ faces and the sense of accomplishment and pride that they have makes every hour spent in rehearsal worthwhile.
In many ways, being in a band is like being in a family. It is a long journey every year because rehearsals start in September, and there are many ups and downs along the way. If I have done my job properly, everything peaks at that final spring concert, and everyone is excited about getting back at it once the summer holidays are over.
The final steps of the journey are the playing exams and projects that students complete at the end of the year. It is always very rewarding to hear great performances from individual students. The amount of improvement that occurs from September to June always astonishes me.
This annual springtime ritual reminds me that, in musician-speak, this is a great gig. As hectic as it is every year, I don’t think I would ever want it to change.
Are you organizing a festival or event in your community? Are you interested in learning from experts and networking with your peers to share stories and successes? Mark your calendars and plan to attend the inaugural Festival and Event Summit, to be held in Mississippi Mills on May 2. This all-day event will be hosted by the Mississippi Mills Festival Consortium and the Town of Mississippi Mills, and is a fantastic networking and learning opportunity.
A dynamic lineup of leaders in the field will present on topics such as hosting a successful event, volunteer management, social media for festivals and events, risk management, and increasing capacity through collaboration. The challenges and opportunities for festivals in rural and smaller communities will be an underlying theme of all presentations and workshops. You will leave the day with new ideas, fresh perspectives and an expanded toolset to plan and host a successful and memorable event.
The Summit will be held at the historic Old Town Hall in Almonte — the “festival town”, home to dozens of festivals and events and filled with history, charming stone architecture, friendly people, and rich culture. Local inns, B&Bs, and other accommodations are available for those travelling from other locations.
Attendance at the Summit is open to interested festival and event organizers in all communities — not just Mississippi Mills. More details on registration and costs will be announced shortly.
The Mississippi Mills Festival Consortium is a joint undertaking of festivals and event organizations within Mississippi Mills, and is funded by the Ontario Cultural Development Fund. The MMFC aims to strengthen the festival and events community through the application of collaborative approaches, new and social media, improved planning and governance practices, and learning opportunities. This Summit is one of a number of projects undertaken by the MMFC this year.
For more information on the Summit, please contact Kathryn Stevens at 256–1077x21 or <kstevens@mississippimills.ca>.
Art… and Soul
My mother claimed credit for delivering me five weeks early to be an April Fool, but I’m convinced it was my destiny. It’s a great birthday. People remember it. It forces you to develop a sense of humour. It precludes you from taking yourself too seriously. By the time you’re five years old you have learned the joke is on you.
On April 1st of this year I sally forth into the fourth quarter-century of my life, marvelling at my good luck. As a birthday tribute, my editor and daughter, Kris Riendeau, has assigned me the task of featuring myself as theHumm’s Intrepid Arts Reporter, and as a nature photographer. Over the past fifteen years almost 200 local artists have patiently submitted to my chatty interviews and my arbitrary rules about photographs and Artist Trading Card declarations. I’ve admired and really enjoyed meeting all but three, although their art merited positive attention too.
The request to write for theHumm was another of the fortuitous strokes of good luck and timing that have made my life much more adventurous and exciting than I ever dreamed. After earning a degree from the Samuel Newhouse School of Journalism at Syracuse University, I learned many painful lessons about the rampant sexism in the workplace in the ’60s. When I became the single parent and sole support of two wonderful babies, I became and remain an ardent supporter of workforce equality.
Luck and brownies were integral to opening the door to my 37-year career in IT. Luck, hard work, awful bosses and wonderful colleagues and friends eventually propelled me from keypunch operator to Chief Information Officer at B. C. Hydro, Carleton University and Newbridge Networks. It was an amazing journey for a former housewife and mom in Pennsylvania long ago.
Luck walked into my office at the Computing Center at SUNY Buffalo in 1970 when Robert Bender was looking for my boss. Bender noticed a kooky bird swinging on a spring over my terminal (no, we didn’t have PCs then), and he ruffled my feathers with a perceived insult. When I realized I had finally met my match, the kids and I moved to Ottawa with him in 1974. He is my second, third and last husband and I adore him.
Bad luck abruptly ended my computing career just as I led an incredible IT team at Newbridge Networks through a successful Y2K conversion and simultaneous global SAP implementation. The company was sold to Lucent Technologies, and a former peer and frequent rebel against corporate IT standards was named CEO. He was delighted to inform me that my services were no longer required.
During my many years of submersion in technical details, staffing issues, political in-fighting and 14-hour workdays, I had dreamed of a retirement immersed in the arts and nature. When IT unexpectedly retired me, fortunately I had already achieved my new status as “Kris’s Mom.”
Wiled By Nature
Photographing nature has always been a source of keen enjoyment for me. Kris and her brother Kirk remember laughing at me and taking my picture when I got stuck in the muck at the edge of a lake in Kenya in 1986, absorbed in photographing flamingos. Fast-forward 31 years and I experienced equipment envy for the first time. A photographer next to me was aiming his enormous gear at the same Great Horned Owlets I was trying to find with a little point-and-shoot camera. He let me look through his paparazzi lens, and it was a revelation to me — bigger can be better! He could do things with it that I resolved to experience, and thus began a serious effort to master a complex technology and a never-ending progression of equipment upgrades. I am happy to note that age is no barrier to continuing enjoyment. Last week I bought myself the only thing I wanted for my milestone birthday — a(nother) state-of-the-art DSLR Nikon camera. I write this as my patient and extraordinarily skilled Sherpa and I are on location in Tucson, AZ, where we continue our photographic adventures.
The Thrills of the Chase
Two years ago in Tucson I was pursuing a flight shot of a hawk when I felt something weird under my left hiking boot. In probably the luckiest misstep of my life, I had firmly positioned my boot on the back of the neck of a coiled Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. The sight of its darting black tongue and fierce eyes is indelibly recorded in my otherwise forgetful brain. The Arizona admonition to “watch where you step” is useless. After rescuing myself and my gear with my Sherpa’s expert assistance, I photographed the sneaky snake in the grass and added the shot to my camouflage collection.
Four years ago on Katmai Peninsula off Kodiak Island in Alaska I was sitting on the edge of a stream trying to remove a water-logged hip-boot when a large, disgruntled Kodiak bear ran right between me and an Estonian photographer who was trying to get a photo of the bear catching a salmon. The bear got a salmon. Neither of us got that shot.
The Biophilia Hypothesis (please Google it)
As my mother succumbed to the ravages of a dementia in her nineties, the last two things that gave her pleasure were familiar music and my nature photographs. I am selfishly and altruistically amassing a collection of images that I can enjoy and share for the rest of my life. I have found no better voice for my love, respect and concern for the natural world than to learn about it and record and share what I am privileged to see.
On Tuesday, May 5, the Almonte Branch of the Mississippi Mills Public Library is giving me the opportunity to present a photographic overview of a three-week trip to Namibia that my husband/Sherpa and I took two years ago. Namibia was eye-opening in many respects, and I have tried to capture both the beauty and the struggle for survival that pervades in this extreme environment. The “Travelogue” starts at 7pm and the Library is located at 155 High Street in Almonte. I plan to continue as theHumm’s Intrepid Arts Reporter until I am retired. Thank you for reading my column!
The Ottawa Valley Music Festival has a wonderfully full season of music planned.
Tickets are now on sale for the 2015 season, which includes a “Festival of Choirs” concert on June 7, “Young Stars Return” on August 9 and Mozart’s Requiem (with full orchestra) on September 27.
There is new ticket pricing for this year, and organizers hope that the professional quality music they bring to the Valley will be more accessible to a larger number of people. Ticket prices range from $5 to $25 (and kids 12 and under are always free). Please visit <ottawavalleymusicfestival.ca> for more concert and ticket information, or visit them on Facebook.
The organization’s goal is to promote and share all styles of classical music with communities in the Ottawa Valley by nurturing and inspiring young talent — presenting concerts, scholarships and awards. They are a non-profit organization with a forward-thinking board of directors and a very talented chorus comprised of community members from across the Ottawa Valley. Orchestra musicians for the concerts are paid professionals.
The OVMF is always looking for those interested in supporting the arts through donations and sponsorships, and to that end they organize various fundraising activities throughout the year. Currently, you can be a piece of the “Musical Puzzle” solution by purchasing a piece of the jigsaw puzzle of Renoir’s Girls at the Piano for only $1. The puzzle will then be assembled, sealed, framed and auctioned off later in the season. Look for puzzle boxes throughout the Valley! They encourage you to help them solve the puzzle and support the arts. Stay tuned for more fundraisers and ways to help!
New this year, the Ottawa Valley Music Festival will be sponsoring Camp Glissando, a summer music program for children aged 7 to 12. The camp will be held at Trinity St. Andrew’s United Church in Renfrew the week of August 17–21. The camp will run from 9am to 4pm daily and will include singing, playing instruments, crafts and other awesome musical activities. The fun (and learning!) will conclude on Friday with a concert for family and friends. The cost for the week is $220 (this includes all music, snacks, supplies and camp T-shirt). No musical experience is necessary! For more information or to register your child, please contact Vicki Luhta at 623–1180 or through <dovesnestmusic.com>.
The OVMF is also currently accepting applications for their Choral Scholar Program. Applicants should be at least 14 years old and be serious vocal students at approximately a Grade 6 RCT level or equivalent. Interested vocalists should contact Judy Borer at 432–3432. Please visit the website for more information on this wonderful opportunity!
Do you love to sing? Come give the Ottawa Valley Music Festival Chorus a try! They rehearse on Thursday evenings in Renfrew at Trinity St. Andrew’s United Church. Music reading is an asset but not a necessity. Good voices from ages 13 and up are welcome. Rehearsals for the first concert begin on April 16, 7–9pm. Stop by and check it out, or email <chorus@ottawavalleymusicfestival.ca> for more information.
As April’s Volunteer Month approaches, it’s a time to reflect on how important volunteers are to our communities, not least to our libraries.
Volunteers work in many roles in libraries, often taking care of vitally important tasks that are unseen to the public and sometimes becoming part of the public face of the institution. As with other community organizations, libraries have limited budgets, and volunteers allow us to stretch our resources while also bringing people together and strengthening community.
I was raised in a household that considered volunteerism an essential civic duty, and I have been volunteering since childhood, but I can’t say I really appreciated the power of volunteers until my first library position, when I was charged with digitizing a collection of 15,000 obituaries. The resources I had at hand included about 5 hours a week of my own time and a small budget of $5000, which went entirely to purchasing the necessary technology. The goal was to accomplish the project within a year.
Eight months later, those 15,000 obituaries were a searchable online collection. What made it work out so much better even than our expectations? Volunteers. A team of almost four dozen people gave their time to that small library in Michigan. People learned more of their own local history, formed lasting friendships while working together, and contributed to a great atmosphere of accomplishment in the library and the community.
Since that experience, I have looked for ways to welcome volunteers into the libraries where I have worked. Here in Perth, a small handful of volunteers have blossomed over the past few years into a dedicated team of forty — almost four times the library staff itself. Volunteers help with traditional library volunteer work such as watering plants, making sure books are in order, straightening shelves and repairing books. But they also tutor in our afterschool homework club, assist with children’s programs, keep the computers running and offer technology training. Because of volunteers, we are able to deliver library materials to homebound individuals, to retirement homes and to daycares throughout our vast area of service.
Volunteers come to the library for a variety of reasons, including as teenagers needing community hours for high school and as new residents looking for a place to get to know their community. Some stay for a limited time to work on a specific project, while others become lasting presences at the library. More than one of our staff members started as a volunteer, and a volunteer helped convince library funders of the value of having dedicated technology support, now a paid position.
There is sometimes an unfortunate perception that volunteers cannot be relied on, but with a proper volunteer intake and management program and an attitude of teamwork, they are much more likely to prove their value over and over.
Besides contributing their time and talents, volunteers also act as an important connector between the library and the larger community. As libraries work to redefine their role in a digital society, they must also work harder than ever to explain their relevance and demonstrate how they are contributing. This means a much broader group than the library staff needs to understand what the library is doing and then tell others about it. Volunteers are some of our most important advocates.
It’s a relationship that benefits everyone: volunteers gain real-life work skills or share their expertise with us, they find a tangible way to give back, and they become a true part of the workplace family. We all have the same goals of bettering the community, and our libraries are no doubt stronger for the presence of our volunteers.
Calling all moms, golfers and SchoolBox supporters! Don’t settle for par for the course. Give Mom what she really wants for Mother’s Day this year: her family, all wrapped up in a game of golf. Share some family time at the 4th annual SchoolBox Golf 4 Kids Charity Tournament, on Saturday, May 9 (the day before Mother’s Day) at the Canadian Golf and Country Club in Carleton Place.
Thanks to the support of local sponsors, this annual event has continued to raise the bar in collecting funds to make education possible for children in Nicaragua, the poorest country in the Americas. SchoolBox <SchoolBox.ca> is a registered Canadian charity that partners with communities to build schools and provide school supplies for students and teachers. It also enlists the help of local and federal governments to ensure that the newly completed schools will be staffed by trained teachers.
SchoolBox Golf 4 Kids is quick off the mark again this year, aiming to be the first charity tournament of the golfing season. The Canadian Golf and Country Club, with its beautiful 18-hole course and capable staff, will once again be setting the standard for a fun-filled golf experience. Equator Coffee is on board for another year as this benefit’s main sponsor. The Fire Place Shop is a key gift sponsor, and WestJet is back offering two tickets to anywhere they fly. Chances are 1 in 250 of winning this fabulous prize! The entry fee of $125 includes 18 holes and golf cart, prizes, and dinner. Golfing 9 holes, with golf cart, prizes and dinner is only $75. Dinner guests are welcome to join in the fun for $50 per person.
You don’t have to be a mom or bring a mom to take part in this event. Everyone is welcome! For more information, contact Mike or Millie Maloney at 256–5059. Register at <canadiangolfclub.com/ communityinvolvement>.
On Friday, April 10, the Almonte United Church is proud to present the Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir (TWMVC) in concert with guest soloist Kelly Sloan. The concert takes place at 7:30pm, and tickets are $20 in advance from the church office or Baker Bob’s, or $25 at the door.
The TWMVC proudly draws on the great Welsh tradition of singing hymns and songs born of the mountains and valleys of Wales. At the same time, it emphasizes a multicultural context in its broad repertoire including African American spirituals, operatic arias, and Canadian folk songs, as well as Broadway tunes and contemporary music. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Choir has come from humble origins to develop into a recognizable and high-demand concert experience. They will be conducted by Artistic Director William Woloschuk, with Matthew Coons as principal accompanist.
This concert’s program includes traditional Welsh and Scottish offerings interspersed with more modern pieces like Stan Rogers’ Fogarty’s Cove, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, and Ain’t Nothing Like A Dame from South Pacific.
Guest soloist Kelly Sloan’s beautiful voice, rich storytelling and heart-stirring melodies penetrate deep into your bones the way that good music should. Kelly is a classically trained singer and a native of the musically lush Ottawa Valley, but has spent a third of her life in the eclectic Halifax music scene. Her music has been described as “soul- infused folk”, “Canadiana flare”, and “country-roots rock”. For this concert, Kelly will be performing three original songs, one traditional Irish tune, and a song by a well-known Canadian songwriter. She will be accompanied by fiddler Danny Albert, who is also from Almonte.
For more information about this very special evening, please call Eleanor at 257–3692.
The Westport Rideau Lakes Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring an event that will bring great things to our area and to the surrounding areas as well.
The One That Didn’t Get Away, or The Big Fish Story, is an event now in the beginning stages of planning. Both artists and community members will be invited to create fish of all sorts, and to participate in numerous contests and events with fish and fishing as the theme. With the goal of having the first event take place this season, and then growing it to a year-long (and maybe even longer) event in 2016, organizers are also thinking ahead to 2017 — a huge anniversary year for all Canadians.
Imaginations were soaring at a meeting held on March 24 to begin planning. If you are interested in more information or want to help out, please call 273–2929 or email <wrlcc@rideau.net>.
In the meantime, The Cove continues to brighten our evenings with great music and dining. Please come and join in the fun and chase away the winter doldrums with great blues tunes. A highlight this month is a Blues on the Rideau (BOTR) performance on April 17 by the Toronto-based Paul James Band <pauljamesband.com>. A singer/songwriter, guitarist and highly entertaining performer, Paul and his veteran band play blues, R&B and rockabilly that is as good as it gets. With a career spanning over forty years, Paul has won the Maple Blues Lifetime Achievement Award as well as a Juno. Even Bob Dylan is a fan! Paul doesn’t venture outside of the GTA much, and this is his first visit to Westport, so don’t miss him when he’s here. Reserve ahead — tickets are going fast for this dinner and show, and proceeds go to Easter Seals Camp Merrywood.
Then, to close out the BOTR’s tenth season, one of the most popular artists to have ever played the series returns for two nights in May. On May 8 and 9, catch the David Rotundo Band <davidrotundo.com> — but only if you get your tickets soon. Saturday night is already almost sold out, and Friday is going fast too. Proceeds from these shows go to the Rideau District Museum and Westport In Bloom. Call The Cove at 273–3636 or 1–888–COVE–INN or visit <coveinn.com> for more details or to book accommodations and make a weekend of it in beautiful Westport!
In these parts, folks are pretty proud of their fiddling… so things should get exciting at The Cove on April 25, from 1–4pm, when the Westport Arts Council presents a friendly competition of good ol’ showmanship between fiddle-fronted, local-based bands, competing for a $500 cash prize judged by audience applause. Enjoy the East Coast/Celtic sounds of Turpin’s Trail (formerly Crooked Wood), the country/bluegrass sounds of the Foley Mountain Playboys, and the western swing sounds of Al Duquette & the Wild, all performing at the Fiddle Off! There is a wild west saloon theme, with prizes for best costume, and a portion of the $10 entry will go to the Arts Council and the MUSICWestport Festival (August 15).
I’m still seeing white flakes coming down today as I sit and type, but the long slow melt has been a boon to our basements. I hope it continues to melt slowly, but I sure would like to see spring and green grass and daffodils and tulips…
More next month folks, when much more will be going on to talk about. See you then!
The 2015 Young Awards Foundation Gala takes place at the Almonte Agricultural Hall on Saturday, May 9. This annual gala not only raises funds for dynamic arts initiatives in the schools of Mississippi Mills — it also recognizes two individuals or organizations with the prestigious Cultural Achievement and Cultural Volunteerism awards. Read on to learn more about this year’s winners, but be sure to reserve your tickets by April 15 to get the early-bird price of $75 for a fabulous evening of food, entertainment, and appreciation. Entertainment will be provided by the Notre Dame RetroActives band as well as the Almonte & District High School Stage Band, and caterers include Café Postino, Foodies Fine Foods and Leatherworks (gluten-free options will be provided). More information can be found at <youngawards.ca> or on Facebook, and tickets can be reserved by emailing <pmansfield@bellnet.ca>.
Don Wiles — Renaissance Man Extraordinaire
If there were a commercial for the Joy of Learning, it would star Don Wiles — retired Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, and this year’s recipient of the Young Awards Cultural Achievement award. He is the epitome of someone who lives life to the fullest and wants to pull everyone along with him. His wife Billy would attest to their many adventures world-wide.
Don has done it all: gentleman farmer, chemist, teacher, sportsman, traveller, linguist, classical musician, and woodworker. He’s parlayed his experiences into educational opportunities too numerous to mention.
Don has been teaching for over fifty years, and his delight in imparting knowledge doesn’t end at the University. In 2008, he and a friend conceived the Almonte Lecture Series, for which Don gave the first lecture. So many people came that they had to move to a larger venue! They have never looked back, with Don finding fascinating speakers who have kept the community coming back for the approximately forty lectures that have since been presented.
In 2011, Don assembled a group that hoped Carleton University would start an adult learning series in Almonte. Although that plan fell through, there was a strong indication that adult learners would fully support such a series, and the Almonte Development Society was formed to present mini-courses for enthusiastic learners on such diverse subjects as Food & Culture, Psychology, the Music of Mahler, the History of English, and on it goes! Nearly 700 people have lined up to take over thirty courses since then. Don is the organizer, again cajoling Carleton professors to present their passions over six-week courses. Don himself researched and presented the recent course on the History of English.
Is he content to retire now? Not likely. Don was the first president of the Carleton University Retirees Association, a group he thoroughly enjoys attending, and in January he began a new project with that association that has seen him organize five lecture series programs throughout Ottawa. He admits he has several helpers for this, but he will be instrumental in finding the speakers.
“It’s all so interesting, and so much fun!” says Don, and no doubt he’ll be in the front row learning all he can about every subject.
Don’s infectious thirst for knowledge is an inspiration to everyone he knows. He has shared his resources and his wealth of acquaintances to make the Learning in Almonte program and the Almonte Lectures the envy of the Ottawa Valley.
Nancy Giardino — The Go-To Lady
When Nancy Giardino required shoulder surgery, there was a collective gasp. Nancy has been a mainstay of so many volunteer activities that, without her, the gap would be insurmountable. She is the very deserving recipient of this year’s Cultural Volunteerism Award.
Since 1968 when Nancy and Wayne moved their family to Almonte, Nancy has taken major roles in many groups. She was a teacher at ADHS and Naismith, teaching Home Economics and English, when she took on responsibility for the Girl Guide Company, a passion she has pursued for nearly fifty years. It was a natural fit with her teaching skills, and she was instrumental in keeping the movement alive.
Nancy’s love of crafts led her to the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, where to this day you can find her embroidered handmade bags in the gift shop. She has been an active member of the Friends of the Museum for sixteen years, as well as Secretary of the Board of Directors. No event happens without Nancy behind her camera gathering information for the newsletter, for which she is largely responsible. Nancy has volunteered countless hours to the museum, from welcoming guests, to office work, kitchen duties and even cleaning the galleries. Her family declares the MVTM is Nancy’s second home!
Seniors hold a special significance for Nancy. For eleven years, she has helped with the Mills Community Support’s Fit as a Fiddle exercise programme, leading the exercises and serving lunch, making everyone feel special. Then in the evenings she can be found serving lunch for the seniors on Euchre Night at Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church.
Nancy’s phone number is on everyone’s speed dial list. It has to be, because she does all her good works without the benefit of computer or email! The Retired Teachers Association, Puppets Up!, Highland Games and Celtfest all know that Nancy is willing to share her time. She’s done quilting demonstrations at the Almonte Fair, she’s taken tickets and organized bake tables, all with her constant goodwill and enthusiasm.
When the Victoria Quilts formed a chapter in Almonte, Nancy was one of their first members. Her beautiful quilts have been distributed to cancer patients throughout our area, a cozy reminder that someone cares.
One of Nancy’s major projects was the Almonte 125 event, organizing the many events that occurred that year. Further, she attended nearly every one of those events!
Nancy’s family often gets to see her in action, which has led them all to be volunteers in their own way. Nancy has declared that volunteer work is good for her soul, and at the end of the day, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her selfless contributions to her community have enriched everyone she meets. We’re all winners with Nancy around.