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I don’t know how all of you parents are holding up, but my anxiety has gotten to the level of needing to quit coffee. I LOVE coffee, and have never had to experience JOMO (as Craig and Amber at Equator Coffee Roasters call it) — the Joy of Missing Out — aka decaf. But I’ve let myself get so worked up about the implications of this pandemic on families that I’ve had to temporarily give up my caffeine fix and find my JOMO.
I’ve also always been pretty a spontaneous gal. But after 20 weeks of homeschooling (well, it’s now more like no-schooling) I’m craving a plan — any plan — as we wait, and wait, for information on what “back to school” is going to look like for our kids. And let’s be honest — there is no easy answer. I mean, one easy answer is: let’s talk about school before bars, yes?!
But really, the conversations parents are having are heavy. Moms in our community have lost their jobs as their employers re-open yet they have no childcare, taking us back to 1990 in terms of equality in the work force (according to RBC). Others have had to close their home businesses to protect their senior parents or vulnerable kids who they care for. Parents are being informed that they are losing supports for their special needs kids this fall, making it impossible to send them back to school at all. Parents who are teachers are trying to predict how to line up multiple school schedules of alternating days or weeks for them and their kids. One mom is considering setting up an impromptu outdoor school for the kids in her neighbourhood. All of which, everyone has said, “is fine”.
And yes, it’s all fine, and some families are even finding cool and creative alternatives and making it work. I’m astounded by the resiliency of the families in our community, holding it all together with a smile and a rainbow walkway. But I worry about what happens when relationships can’t hold up under all the stress. When single moms end up without access to income and credit. I worry that family courts might close again, and strained relationships leave kids unable to see a parent, as many experienced this spring. This doesn’t seem “fine”. We do need policymakers to acknowledge that parents, particularly moms, are starting to crack under the COVID weight. I mean we’ve had the “stay at home parent” and “working parent” roles, but now we have “working parent who has the same work responsibilities but also has to look after kids all day” and expect that to just continue? No, no, no…
If reading this is tweaking your own anxiety or making you scream into your pillow (because you can’t wake the napping toddler), then I want you to know that there are so many of us who appreciate what you’re going through. Your mental and physical health matter too. And there are so many amazing people in our community who want to help. Below are a few simple sanity suggestions which we’re calling the COVID Parents’ Guide to Wellness (or How to Keep Your Sanity) while we await the verdict of back to school.
And as much as we have been stressing the importance of calling our elders and senior neighbours, which we should continue to do, please also consider offering to watch any kids that you’re bubbled with for an hour, a morning, or a whole day if you can find the time. We’ve all heard it takes a village. And right now the village is shut down.
Need to talk to a professional?Mental health resources:
Lanark County — Mental Health Pandemic Help-line 1–833–283–9979 < www.lanarkmentalhealth.com>
Renfrew Country — Mental Health Crisis Line (ages 16+) 1–866–996–0991 <www.rcdhu.com/healthy-living/mental-health>
Reach out to your local church — most offer free or subsidized counselling
Book a Grief Counselling session by phone — grief is so much more than death. Losing a job or expectations of how life was going to play out is grief. Barbara Carroll <barbaracarroll493@gmail.com> is my recommendation for easy chats by phone
Need a Wellness Check?Healing and Wellness Centres:
Carp Ridge EcoWellness Centre, Carp – offers health retreats, naturopath and more <ecowellness.com>
Aruma: A Place for Health & Happiness, Lanark – offers health treatments, counselling and stand up paddleboard yoga on the lake <aruma.ca>
Hands on Healing, Almonte – offers chiropractic, massage and acupuncture <handsonhealing.ca>
Need to move your body?Try distanced yoga or hit the gym & pool:
Surya Daya, Almonte — “Yoga under the oak” (5–6pm on August 5, 12, 26, and September 2) <suryadayayoga.ca>
Hamsa Yoga, Carleton Place — re-opens August 4 and is hosting yoga in the park <hamsayogastudio.ca>
Yoga & Tea Studio, Carp — online classes Mon-Fri at 9am <yogaandtea.com>
Perth & District Indoor Pool — reduced capacity, but you can book a lane swim or class online
Heritage Community Fitness & Rehabilitation Center, Carleton Place — now open again, and offering FREE Fresh Air Fitness classes on Saturdays throughout August <heritagefitness.ca>
Ultimate Fitness Gyms, Arnprior & Renfrew — now open <ufgyms.com>
Need some silence?Meditation and spa treatments:
Check out “Sitting on Sundays: A Virtual Practice of Mindfulness” at Big Stone House, Almonte <bigstonehouse.ca>
Book at treatment at Mahogany Salon and Spa, Carleton Place <mahoganysalonandspa.com>
Take a road-trip to Chelsea Quebec for a day of rest at Nordik Nature Spa <chelsea.lenordik.com>
Need kid-free time with a partner or friend?Book a neighbour or bubbled friend to watch the kids so you can:
Go for a coffee date at your favourite local spot
Visit Kin Vineyards for a tour — I recommend Friday from 3–8pm when they have a food truck on-site for distanced dates in the winery <kinvineyards.com>
Check out Cartwright Springs Brewery, Pakenham — open every day except Monday. Book a time for group tastings and check out Smiley’s Smokehouse on-site. <csbeer.ca>
Walkers and runners of all ages and abilities are invited to participate in this year’s virtual Run for AGH, sponsored by Almonte’s Shoppers Drug Mart and taking place from Saturday, September 12 at 6am to Sunday the 13th at 6pm. In order to ensure everyone’s safety, participants can complete their run or walk anytime during the weekend, choosing either one of the mapped-out routes or using their own planned route.
Known for six years as the Mississippi Mills River Walk and Run, this late-summer annual fundraiser has raised over $170,000 for new and replacement equipment at the Hospital. Funds raised from this year’s event will again support the birthing unit and women’s health programs at the Almonte General Hospital.
“There are so many reasons to support our local hospital and manor this year,” explains Julie Munro, Chair of this year’s organizing committee. “Families that have had their children at the Hospital are asked to come out and support the event as a show of gratitude that we have this great facility. Everyone who counts on quality health care close to home should also come out and show their appreciation too.”
Participants will choose from one of three distances: 3km Family Fun (walk or run, untimed); 3km Walk or Run (timed); 5km Walk or Run (timed); 10km Walk or Run (timed)
As well as registration, which only costs $40 in advance, individuals and teams are encouraged to collect pledges from family and friends in support of the Hospital. With every $25 collected, participants will receive a ballot to go in a draw for one of the three exciting prizes. Both individuals and teams are also eligible to win prizes for the most pledges collected.
Participants, family and friends can also lend support by visiting the event’s official online auction, which opens August 29 at 8am and closes September 13 at 6pm.
Have fun while supporting the hospital! Reach out to your COVID bubble, family friends and colleagues and join in the 7th AGH Run for Women’s Health. Closing ceremonies will be broadcast live on Facebook @AGHFVM on September 13 beginning at 7pm.
For more information and to register, please visit <almontehospitalfoundation.com/our-events/runforwomenshealth>.
On Saturday, July 18, approximately 700 people attended a walk in Almonte to support a resident who was experiencing racism and share messages of love and anti-racism. There was a huge turnout and so much love! It was really inspiring to see, but this is just the beginning. Here are some suggestions and resources for white folks to explore how to be an ally:
Being an ally is a practice, one action after another that becomes a pattern of allyship. Because the system was built for white people by our ancestors, we are often blind to the domino effect that it has in the lives of Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPoC). Good news though! As Seattle activist (and all-round amazing human) Ijeoma Oluo tweeted, “The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including yourself.”
Being kind and loving is a wonderful start, and I think so many of us have that going for us. But it’s time we step up for our BIPoC community members.
How? you ask. Oh, I’m so glad you did. Below you will find a collection of resources I’ve compiled with information and advice on how to ally. It starts from within and radiates out.
Educate Yourself
As an example, did you know that before the War on Drugs, the rate of drug use in the US was actually much lower than it is today? Do you know why it began and how that’s linked to race? Here are some incredibly useful resources that explore this and other race-related issues. Many of them are available at the public library, either in print or as an ebook/audiobook through OverDrive.
Non-Fiction Books
So You Want to Talk About Race? by Ijeoma Oluo
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
How to Be Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
Me and White Supremacy: How to Recognise Your Privilege by Layla Saad
The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole (Canadian)
I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You by David Chariandy (Canadian)
Shame on Me by Tessa McWatt (Canadian)
Fiction Books
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Children’s Books
Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thomkins-Bigelow
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
Saturday by Oge Mora
A Girl Like Me by Angela Johnson
Movies/Documentaries
13th (Netflix)
Dear White People (Netflix)
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man (Facebook, YouTube)
The Hate U Give (Crave)
When They See Us (Netflix)
Just Mercy (Hoopla)
Speak Up & Act
Don’t forget that it’s exhausting for our BIPoC friends to call out racism over and over and over again. And, honestly, it’s our job as white people to have those hard conversations with people. Some other things you can do are below!
Buy from Black-owned Businesses
Donate to organizations that work for racial equality
Share content posted by Black creators
Vote for leaders that you think can make a change
You can also find some great resources online from the following Instagram creators: @wastefreemarie, @gisellebuchanan, @ohhappydani, @thefannypacktherapist.
Here’s why more people should bring us food: when it happened recently it was absolutely phenomenal! Anna Lianga, co-founder of the brand new venture Bouffage <bouffage.ca> contacted us to introduce her business and to inquire if we might like to be on the receiving end of the delivery of a gourmet meal. Not being completely daft, we said “um, yes, absolutely!”
And so in the middle of July we were the lucky recipients of The Love Box: Taco Edition. Inside the box were several eco-friendly individually wrapped packets and boxes and a sheet of instructions for reheating and assembling. For those familiar with meal delivery services like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh, this is not that. Everything in the box was cooked and prepared, and spoke to the personal care and attention that went into putting it together. And, unlike delivery from your favourite restaurant, it was all separate so that the meat (or tofu if you went that way) and tortillas could be reheated and the slaw could be quickly tossed in its box before it was all assembled into tacos.
Did I mention that everything was absolutely delicious? The portions were truly generous — there was enough to fill ten small tacos, with a bit of pulled pork carnitas, slaw with avocado dressing, and roasted corn, bean and cilantro salsa left over (for about ten minutes, and then that was gone too!). The carnitas were very flavourful but not overwhelming. I tend to worry about dishes being under- or over-salted, and/or under- or over-spiced — but these were perfectly balanced. The red bean pesto was so good! The individual portions of Mexican double chocolate mousse — delivered in two small mason jars — were, unsurprisingly, excellent as well.
Bouffage delivers every Thursday to Almonte, Carleton Place, Perth and Ottawa. Check their website for catering options as well. And you don’t just have to order for yourself — consider gifting a Love Box to someone special!
In June of 2019, Colleen Gray received the Governor General’s Sovereign Medal for Volunteers “for her role in supporting art exploration through access to art supplies and creative art programs in Canadian remote Indigenous schools through the Art for Aid Project”. Gray is the founder and indefatigable driving force of the project that: “…works to support Canadian First Nations, Inuit and Métis art education programs through access to quality art supplies, awareness and fundraising efforts. We work to connect Indigenous youth to art and knowledge of their culture. We seek to accomplish this by ensuring art supplies are in remote schools and communities.”
Gray funds her project through the sales of her own striking contemporary Indigenous art augmented by greatly appreciated donations. She pours every cent of her sales into the operating costs of collecting and distributing donated art supplies to Indigenous communities across Canada. Her story is fascinating; so is her art.
Born in Petawawa, she had an unconventional upbringing, and describes herself as being very good at bridging needs. Her experience includes trapping, grave digging, working for a yard maintenance company, many years of administrative work, and finally being an office manager for a Jewish Family Services non-profit organization in Ottawa. Only after she met her husband, Fred Goodchild, however, did her “ring of insecurity” evaporate. Her lovely tribute to this number-one fan who gave her confidence to become a charity entrepreneur is not original, but it is poetic: “I could not do this without his wind beneath my wings.”
Colleen’s ancestry on her mother’s side comes from the Acadian people in New Brunswick, and from Irish folks across the big pond. She remembers vividly that it used to be shameful to be Native in Canada, but she had heard a rumour that her mother spoke Acadian. The rest of the family denied it, but one day she discovered her ancestry through an uncle talking about filling his freezer with moose meat outside of hunting season. When she questioned him, he pulled out his Indian Status Card and informed her he could hunt whenever he liked. She is fiercely, gratefully, and generously proud of her heritage.
Gray’s artworks are testaments to her passion for sharing Native values and wisdom. Her Indigenously-themed art on display for sale at <artforaidshop.ca> is beautiful, inspirational and profoundly moving. On her website she notes that she strives to be the “visual voice of an ancient time.” To further achieve that goal, she includes stories gleaned from First Nation wisdom keepers, ceremonial people, Elders, and other resources. For her 40th birthday her husband arranged for her to meet with Algonquin spiritual leader Grandfather William Commanda; he couldn’t have found a better gift. Gray has wholeheartedly embraced the causes for which Commanda’s achievements earned him an appointment to the Order of Canada — promoting intercultural understanding and raising awareness of the traditions and legacies of Canada’s Aboriginal people. Colleen also shares his dedication to the protection of the environment.
It was during the Attawapiskat housing crisis in 2011, as she watched Chief Theresa Spence fasting to bring attention to her band’s deplorable situation. that Colleen’s urge to help coalesced. She noticed that in every news broadcast there were kids watching TV in the background. This is a synopsis of what she told me: “I wondered what they had access to. I had never done any research into how these kids lived in these communities. As an artist what I wondered was, do they have any access to art? What can I do to bring more positive energy to these kids? The arts always get cut first — minimal supplies. Art is so healing and so powerful; it can break boredom and isolation. When you are an artist you always have something to fall back on, but it takes access to tools. I used my social media network to reach out to friends and other artists in Lanark County and Ottawa and told them I would really like to send art supplies to Attawapiskat. In just two weeks I had a basement full of supplies. I believe people really want to help; they just don’t know how.”
Her life is now brimming with purpose — and work. Her Art for Aid Project continues to thrive and creates countless opportunities for Colleen to extend her reach into remote Indigenous communities. She had always enjoyed creating art, but her successes with providing “new and gently used art supplies” to kids who could not otherwise explore their artistic talents have given her a whole new sense of purpose. She discovered ground mineral watercolour paints at an art fair and then bought some Yupo synthetic paper for her pen-and-ink and marker drawings. When she accidentally discovered that the petroleum-based Yupo paper was ideally suited to her new watercolour paints, she conjectures that “The Creator must surely love irony.”
The originals of her works are now available for sale in addition to all her archival prints, art cards, inspired posters, and unique “Influenced Birthday Cards.” Based on traditional Indigenous Medicine Wheel myths (comparable to other cultures’ zodiac signs), the influenced cards offer recipients a new take on their equivalent “spirit animals” or astrological signs.
No Rest for the Dedicated
Despite COVID-19, Colleen is right in the middle of a back-to-school Art Supply Collection Drive running until August 19. With the help of some fabulous volunteers, her home is festooned with tarps to facilitate spreading donations out in the sun and spraying and wiping all materials to guard against transmission. If you are able to contribute “new and/or gently used art supplies”, please email <artforaid2013@gmail.com> for a drop-off location address. Donations to fund costs of operations are gratefully received at host charity I Love First Peoples <ilfp.ca> and official tax receipts are issued for monetary donations of $20 or more.
Visit <www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/21-languages-covid-art-1.5645150> to read about Colleen Gray’s remarkable experience in providing “wash your hands” posters in 23 different Indigenous languages as her submission to a United Nations COVID undertaking. I highly recommend you check out <artforaid.ca> to fully appreciate the magnitude of her endeavors on behalf of Indigenous peoples, mother earth and all her inhabitants. I hope she writes a memoir.
Art… and Soul
Looking for a way to support local food security programs, and get something beautiful and useful as well? Come to the Riverguild Fine Crafts at 51 Gore Street East in Perth and get an Empty Bowl or two.
Empty Bowls Perth is part of an international grassroots effort to fight hunger in our communities. For those new to Empty Bowls, the basic premise is simple: potters create handcrafted bowls. Usually the community is invited to enjoy a meal of soup and bread at the Festival of the Maples in Perth in exchange for a cash donation of $25. Donors keep their bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world, and that food is not just a commodity but a basic right. This year, our 19th, is so very different. Bowls are only available at the Riverguild Fine Crafts while supplies last.
We would like to thank Foodsmiths for their ongoing support. In April, the bowls are usually available at Foodsmiths, and Empty Bowls Perth is the recipient of their Bring Your Own Bag program. Because of the COVID pandemic, we were unable to have the bowls at Foodsmiths this year. Even though customers were not permitted to use their own bags in April, Foodsmiths still supported Empty Bowls Perth with a generous donation.
And thank you to Fiddleheads Bar & Grill who always donate a pot of soup to Empty Bowls for the Festival of Maples. This spring they donated $2 from the sale of every bowl of their takeout soup instead.
Donations support The Table Community Food Centre, YAK Youth Services, Food for Thought: Lanark County school nutrition program, and the Lanark Highlands Food Pantry, as well as the Guatemala Stove Project.
For more information about Empty Bowls Perth, please visit <emptybowls.ca> or <facebook.com/emptybowls.ca>. We hope to see you next April at the Festival of the Maples in Perth!
It’s curtain time again! The wonderful volunteers at Perth Studio Theatre have been working hard to safely re-open for Friday night movie screenings. The first took place on July 31, and others are planned for August. Only 50 tickets will be sold for each night, to allow for safe distancing in the audience. Visit <studiotheatreperth.com> for up-to-date details and to reserve your spot!
If you want to be sure to get a ticket, you can also reserve over the phone. Just call 267–7469, leave a message on the answering machine with your name, phone number and the number of seats you want. If they’ve sold out, they’ll let you know. If you don’t hear from them, there’ll be tickets waiting for you. Your tickets will be held at the box office until ten minutes before the show starts.
Tickets are $12, or $10 for students with ID and children. You can still buy them in advance at Tickets Please <ticketsplease.ca> with a $2 surcharge, or at the box office before the show. They now accept payment by credit or debit card, using the “tap” function if you have it. If you would prefer to pay by cash, please have the exact change if possible. Seats are now numbered, so you’ll be assigned one at the box office.
As for that popcorn, you can purchase snack bar vouchers for $2 each when you buy your ticket. You can get water, soft drinks or chocolate bars for 1 voucher, a large popcorn for 2 vouchers.
Your protection is critical, so they’ve done all the right things. There will be Plexiglass panels on the box office and snack bar, hand sanitizing stations at the door and in several locations throughout the theatre, and social distancing will apply in public areas and in the auditorium, where groups will be spaced out with three seats and one row between them.
Studio Theatre volunteers will be wearing masks, and you’ll need to wear one too. If you didn’t bring your own favourite mask, you can purchase a stylish black one for $3 when you enter the theatre. Once you’re safely seated, you can take it off to eat your popcorn and enjoy the movie. They are looking forward to having you back in their seats again!
Lanark Country residents: how have you been doing since the pandemic arrived?
That’s the main question behind a survey that’s been launched on behalf of nearly two dozen community service agencies from across Lanark County in an effort to gain insight and identify gaps when it comes to community services and programming.The Table Community Food Centre, North Lanark Community Health Centre, and the Lanark County Situation Table are conducting the survey on behalf of an informal group of community service agencies that are working to ensure the community is well supported going forward with the pandemic.
“We’d like to know how you are doing, how to improve ongoing services, identify anything that might be missing, and hear about helpful community initiatives that may have flown under our radar,” explains Ramsey Hart, Executive Director with the Table Community Food Centre.
The survey touches on topics such as employment, mental health, financial well-being and food accessibility.
Hart adds that the groups hope to collect 400 survey responses in order to gain a solid understanding of the community needs and possibly build future programs and services to address what’s in those responses.
“Once we collect the survey data, we’ll look to identify gaps and needs within the community,” he explains, adding that they want all residents to respond to the survey.
“This survey isn’t only for community members who have used community service agencies in the past,” says Hart. “It’s open to the public and we want responses from across the community landscape.”
Hart adds that they’re also seeking to hear about good news stories coming from the past five months. “We want to feature how our community members have demonstrated resiliency and ensure we hear those stories as well.”
Lanark County Warden Brian Campbell says public engagement is necessary to gain a solid understanding to the community’s needs.
“Whenever we ask our residents to help out, they always step up,” says Campbell. “This request for more insight is no exception. We need our community members to take the 15 minutes to complete the survey so we can best support each person moving forward.”
As a further incentive to complete the survey, residents who wish to include their name and contact details when completing the survey will automatically be entered into a draw for one of four $100 grocery cards.
This survey is confidential and no personal information will be included with the report. All survey data and contacts will be deleted once the organizing groups complete the survey report. They will not use the survey information to add responders to a distribution list.
To complete the survey, visit <surveymonkey.com/r/X226GYM> or visit <thetablecfc.org> and find the survey link on the homepage.
theHumm has been reaching out to members of our Ottawa Valley community to ask how they are finding ways to use their gifts and skills in these challenging times. Sarah Reside is a young woman who grew up in Almonte and is now the administrator of the Facebook group “Lanark County Letters”. We contacted her to find out about this new initiative in active democracy.
theHumm: Can you describe how the group works for readers who may not be familiar with it?
Sarah Reside: “Lanark County Letters” is a group on Facebook for people who are looking to find and share resources to write letters to local government officials. You can search for the group on Facebook and ask to join. Once I’ve added you to the group, you’ll find posts with different tags (resources, templates, and contacts) that you can filter to find what you’re looking for.
So far, a few people have shared letters they’ve written to officials about police brutality in Canada and municipal funding. Everyone is encouraged to take those letters, make them their own, and share any kind of response they get with the group.
What led you to create the group? Have you encountered similar initiatives elsewhere?
A friend of mine shared a letter they wrote on Facebook, encouraging people to use it to write their own and fight for change. My friend and I had a conversation about how to crowdsource such letters to make it easier for people to act on their impulses and not get overwhelmed. Thus, Lanark County Letters was born. It was really their idea; I just took on the practical task of setting the group up.
There are many similar efforts around the internet. Often the campaigns you see are focused on a particular instance of a larger problem. For example, there’s a website called International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group that creates pre-written letters you can send straight from their website that ask different leaders to take action on civil liberty violations abroad.
What factors contributed to your personal interest in grassroots democratic action?
I’ve always wanted to be a part of change that fights against oppression, but so much of the time it feels really overwhelming. It’s hard to know where to start, and, when everything is terrible and you’re just one person, it’s too much. I’ve been really fortunate to have role models in my life who’ve shown me that working together and facilitating steps for change are how we can have lasting effects.
Are there any specific issues that you would like to see the group address?
The group was created originally to write to officials about the systemic racism we see here in Canada. However, I’m hoping that we can also address the mental health issues our most vulnerable populations face here in Mississippi Mills.
How can people join the group?
You can search for the group on Facebook and ask to join. Once I’ve added you to the group, you’ll find posts with different tags (resources, templates, and contacts) that you can filter to find what you’re looking for.
What are you personally concerned about at this time?
I’m personally concerned with sustaining the motivation to act. There are so many factors that have coincided to force people to see what’s been happening in the world, and it’s great that something good has come out of the pandemic, but I’m worried that this kind of momentum won’t be sustainable as things get back to “normal.” I’m worried about it in myself, as well as others, which is why I hope the people in this group can help keep each other motivated.
What are your hopes or goals for the group?
I hope more people share templates and stories about the responses they get! Maybe we’ll be able to coordinate a meetup sometime in the future. I’d love to be able to share the same space with everyone and learn about everyone’s concerns and efforts.
At long last, public libraries are reopening their doors to the public! Here at the Lanark Highlands Public Library we are offering computer usage, book browsing/checkout, TD Summer Reading Club and our Interlibrary Loan service. Over the next several months we will slowly reintroduce additional services and extend our hours of operation. Please always check online at <lanarklibrary.ca> for our current hours of operation.
The health and safety of our patrons and staff continues to be our priority and measures including physical distancing, enhanced cleaning protocols, hand sanitizer and Plexiglas barriers will be in place. As mandated by the Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit, facial coverings/masks must be worn inside enclosed public spaces that are openly accessible to the public. All library materials continue to be quarantined for 72 hours upon return.
While we were closed to the public we took the opportunity to reorganize the library. We moved our fiction to the main area, relabeled several of our collections to make it easier for you to find your favourite books, and also took the opportunity to do a deep cleaning.
While programming is limited at the moment, we are still offering our TD Summer Reading Program. We have weekly draws at the Lanark Pizzeria, Fitz Chip Truck and Pretty Goods. The more books the kids read, the more chances they have to win one of the weekly prizes. We also have great prizes lined up for the end of the summer. It isn’t mandatory to participate in the online portion of the program, but kids can join the online TD Summer Reading club as well. They can read whatever they’d like throughout the summer and earn virtual badges, vote in the Battle of the Books, post reviews, write stories, read and write jokes, participate in weekly trivia, watch author/illustrator readings and workshops, and more. Please visit our website or contact us to register.
To help mitigate revenue loss during COVID we have an ongoing fundraising initiative that might be of interest. We are selling hand-sewn masks for $10 in adult, youth and children’s sizes. The masks are double layered and made of 100% cotton with latex-free elastic. All proceeds go to the Library.
Despite being closed we have continued to add new titles to our collection geared towards all ages. Interested in the Canada Reads competition currently underway? The library has a copy of each of the books being defended. The five chosen books include memoirs, realistic fiction, sci-fi and fantasy, and tell a diverse range of Canadian stories.
We look forward to seeing everyone in this next stage of service. Take care and keep healthy.
Follow our Facebook page at Lanark Highlands Public Library for up-to-date news or visit us at 75 George Street, 2nd floor in Lanark. You can also contact us at 259–3068 or <general@lanarklibrary.ca>.
Other Area Libraries:
The Arnprior Public Library will re-open for browsing, computer usage and printing by appointment beginning Tuesday, August 4. All visitors will be asked to schedule an appointment online <arnpriorlibrary.ca> or by calling 623–2279. Curbside service will be continuing and families who have registered for the TD Summer Reading Club Book / Activity Bundles will continue to follow the same schedule as set up in July. Further details are available on our website.
The Carleton Place Library is open Monday and Tuesday from 10:30am to 8pm, and Wednesday and Thursday from 10:30am to 5:30pm. Patrons can browse materials and use public computers and Wifi. Curbside pickup will continue, and patrons of all ages are encouraged to take part in our Summer Reading programs. Find out more at <carletonplacelibrary.ca>.
The Mississippi Mills Public Libraries’ open hours have been adjusted to accommodate new service levels. To start, they will be hosting Seniors Time in Almonte and Pakenham — a time when only seniors and vulnerable residents will have access to the library. Contact-free pick-up service will also continue. For Almonte hours and information call 256–1037 or visit <almontelib@missmillslibrary.com>; for Pakenham call 624–5306 or visit <pakenhamlib@missmillslibrary.com>.
The Perth & District Library will be bringing back limited services for patrons including accessing computers, borrowing materials, and picking up reserves; programming and room booking remain unavailable at this time. Bring your library card and a bag for your new materials and return any items in the outdoor book drop prior to entering the building. Contact 267–1224 or <perthunionlibrary.ca>.
The Smiths Falls Public Library will reopen for public access using regular scheduled hours of Monday to Thursday from 1–8pm, Friday from 10am to 5pm, and Saturday from 10am to 4:30pm. In-library programming will not resume at this time, however virtual programming will continue to be made available to library users. Call 283–2911 or visit <smithsfallslibrary.ca>.
From Sunday, July 26 to August 9, join right from the comfort of home to take part in the 25th annual MidSummer Herbfest — a virtual celebration of healthy living and initiatives. You’ll find demonstrations, music, kids’ crafts and activities, as well as all your favourite vendors — with links to see and shop their swag! This year’s Herb of the Year is Brambles (also called Rubus) — a variety of your favourite yummy berries.
Because the event is virtual, from July 26 to August 9 everyone is encouraged to email your own personal or family video and/or photos to <midsummerherbfest@gmail.com> with the theme of “Growth from a Distance” to enter a draw for great prizes. Tell (and show) what you’re doing to stay safe as you enjoy summer weather, growing, and creating healthy initiatives at a distance. It will be a virtual festival to remember!
Visit <midsummerherbfest.ca> for events and details. See you next year back at Waba Cottage & Gardens in beautiful White Lake, Ontario!
This year, the Festival of the Wild Child will see a change in activities that will focus on your safety while encouraging you and your children to fall in love with creative outdoor learning and play. Come out on Saturday, August 29 for a day of woodland fun — a fantastic opportunity for families and “social bubbles” to participate in nature-inspired scavenger hunts.
This event is offered by the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) and will provide thematic scavenger hunts along wooded trails and by ponds to learn, explore and engage with the natural world. Six unique hunts have been developed on different trails — you can do one or all six!
The Wild Child Scavenger Hunt event will take place at High Lonesome Nature Reserve in the Pakenham Hills on August 29 from 10am to 4pm (rain date is August 30). Pre-registration (required) begins on August 1 at <mmlt.ca/events>. Check the website for the most up-to-date information including the call on the rain date.
This festival is free for children under 18 years. Wild Child adults are requested to pay $10 for admission and donations will be welcome. Please leave your pets at home for this event.
MMLT is a local charity dedicated to preserving wild lands and is committed to providing events like this that engage the community with the wonders of nature in a wilderness-like setting
High Lonesome is located at 867 Carbine Road in Pakenham. Take County Road 29 to Pakenham Village, turn on Waba Road and continue west for 2.9km. Turn left on Barr Side Road. After 1.6 km, take the first left at Carbine Road and drive 3km to 867 Carbine Road.
Be a Wild Child. It’s in your Nature!
After several months staying close to home (ok, mainly at home), Facebook Memories had me dreaming of summers past. But I was still fine with quarantining, until I saw one photo that brought it all rushing back…
That frisson of anticipation… that “where have you been all my life?!”… that glorious melding of calm coolness and warm coziness all in one. I am referring, of course, to the most heavenly of the summer hot chocolates (or possibly the only summer hot chocolate): the Frozen Hot Chocolate offered at Vanilla Beans in Westport.
With the times being what they are, I was stuck with the immortal words of The Clash: “Should I stay or should I go now…” After one of my way-too-long internal discussions — “Well I really shouldn’t; it’s not like it’s essential… But it’s good to support local businesses… Local?! Westport is an hour’s drive away... Ok, it’s good to support small businesses… and remember how good it was?!” — I grabbed my mask and was off to Westport!
It is such a beautiful drive from Almonte to Westport, or from anywhere to Westport really, because that last descent down the green hills, past peaceful waters into the town, is something else. It feels like you’ve left all your cares behind, on the other side of the hill, and Westport will take good care of you ’til you’re ready to return.
First stop was Vanilla Beans, of course! As with everywhere I stopped in Westport, there were health-related guidelines to follow, but all is pretty straightforward. For those unfamiliar with a frozen hot chocolate, it is a variation on an ice cream float: your choice of ice cream floating in a not-too-hot hot chocolate, with or without whipped cream (yes please). Their friendly masked staff scooped up some chocolate peanut butter ice cream (so good) and it wasn’t long before I was relaxing at a table outside, savouring the soft melty coolness and warm velvety comfort and feeling all is well with the world. How long is it since you felt that, eh?!
Yes, globs of peanutbutteriness in hot chocolate is weird. But it’s good weird. And ya needs yer protein!
If you visit on a good weather day, you could enjoy some music by the harbour. See our calendar or their Facebook page for the Westport Brewing Company’s schedule of musicians, on weekends from 2–4pm in their Harbour Beer Garden. They will have their two best-selling beers on tap, plus a selection of three apps to tempt you with: a pretzel, nachos, or sausage on a bun. What are you waiting for?!
My one regret, on this recent visit, is that I was too full from my decadent dessert to partake of my favourite savoury decadence in Westport: nachos at The Cove. Are they big enough for sharing? Yes. Do I do my best to eat them all myself? Yes. I was happy to note that their patio is open and the nachos are on their summer menu. Indoors is available on rainy days. See our calendar for their busy live music schedule.
You might think, from this article, that Westport is only about eating and music. No. But I am. Thanks, Westport, for returning a little spring to my step!
Since 1972, Burnstown sculptor Richard Gill has conceived and created a thematic body of work for his annual show every fall. When the pandemic hit, he and his wife Cheryl Babineau(the owner of Bittersweet Gallery) decided that the show must go on.
Since it is much safer to gather outdoors and since Richard’s work is weather-worthy, they are making good use of the gallery grounds to enable a safe environment for patrons to view the works in person while maintaining social distance.
The inspiration for Gill’s Scottish theme comes from many sources. Richard holds a fascination and curiosity with human settlements, history, immigration, the roots of our country and the connections we all have inherent in our DNA. The Burnstown artist resides in a former tavern built by Scots in the 1800s and frequented by the Laird of MacNab — it was here that the settlers eventually conspired to oust the notorious laird from the township, thus ending feudalism in North America.
So Scotland has been on his radar for some time, and an opportunity emerged to travel there last fall. He visited the Highlands of Perthshire where Robert Burns penned The Birks of Aberfeldy, Killin (home of the Clan MacNab), Dunkeld, Crieff, the glorious gardens of Drummond Castle, Eilean Donan, Blair, Stirling, and Menzies.
The sojourn continued to distilleries of fine whiskeys and on to Glasgow. Additional works are inspired from earlier travels with his son to the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. Pipes and drums, highland dancers, and iconic cattle all emerge from the sculptor’s hand, given form and dimension in sculpted clay wall plaques.
Invited special guest metal artist Jack Stekelenburg joins Richard in the yard with his forged expressions and abstract metal sculptures. Although he creates pieces that are representational, he often creates art as an unconscious, unscripted, wordless act of emotional expression. The gallery hosted a successful solo show for Jack two years ago and is delighted to have him back.
The interior of the gallery will also be open to patrons in limited numbers. While masks are mandatory indoors, kilts are not.Scotland in the Yard and Steel by Stekelenburg opens on the grounds at Burnstown’s Bittersweet Gallery on August 22 and continues to September 6, from 11am to 5pm daily. The gallery is currently open Wednesday through Sunday from 11am to 5pm and also by appointment. Find directions and more details at <burnstown.ca/bittersweet>.
Seamus Cowan is the second generation of Cowans to run The Cove Inn in beautiful Westport, Ontario <coveinn.com>. We contacted him to find out how he has been able to almost single-handedly repopulate theHumm’s music calendar listings.
theHumm: First of all, how have you and the Cove been faring since COVID hit?
Seamus Cowan: It has been an engaging, all-consuming time. Home with family was wonderful, although admittedly challenging at times as anyone in my shoes can attest to! Our hotel rooms were available for rent under essential business status but nothing else except takeout was doable. Takeout happened one day per week for a month with huge success, allowing us to pay some bills. Thanks to some selfless help from several staff, we were able to increase takeout. It worked, but it wasn’t until June that things really started to happen for us again by being completely open on the patio (although with limited capacity). Honestly, places like ours have been very lucky because of our size. I wouldn’t always say that! Now that summer is here, it’s all relatively busy again with us being open daily from 11:30am to 8pm and with solo/small act music five to six days per week.
When you first contacted us with your open-air music events for July we thought you were jumping the gun, but you had in fact worked closely with your local Health Unit to create conditions under which live music could safely resume. Can you tell us a bit about that process and the results?
Yes, and this was and frankly continues to be somewhat confusing to all of us including the health unit. It’s uncharted waters for us all. Legislation is constantly being introduced and amended. Some of it can be interpreted in different ways. I felt so passionately about the statement about not allowing dancing and singing on patios that I made an appeal to our Leeds Grenville Lanark Health Unit inspector. As a result we have singing musicians back on our patio stage, distanced twelve feet from the diners with a cordoned-off area around them. Everyone is staying away from the stage and performer with this setup, and the projection of the performer’s voice doesn’t threaten anyone.
Why was it so important for you to advocate for live music?
My family has been in this business for over thirty years now. We have built our business with live entertainment being one of the main parts of what we do — along with food, drink and accommodation in the restaurant and hotel. It’s become a symbiotic relationship. I’m a musician as well. Without music in the equation, my role wouldn’t be the same here. I wouldn’t even be here. And I don’t know if The Cove would be here. Over the last twelve years, since I have been back from Montreal, our music scene has grown to attract some of Canada’s great acts as well as some incredible international talent. We need venues to support live music, and listeners are a huge part of that. It’s quite simple. Facebook Live was great with our Thursday open mic and Sunday Wings ‘n Quarantunes, but we all know that playing live music in front of an audience is the only way.
As Ontario progresses into Stage 3, what kinds of support would be helpful to The Cove — either from institutions like arts funders and health units or from your patrons and the community?
We mainly operate because we provide person-to-person service in hospitality. We need to continue that way and cannot take any shortcuts. Having the government help our industry with a wage subsidy will be a temporary relief. But our biggest support will come from our loyal and new customers visiting us for what we offer. Until we are allowed to have more people gather in groups outdoors and until we are allowed to have indoor dine-in service, we will have to plow through summer and continue to think creatively. We definitely have some ideas on what we might be able to do into the cooler months. Perhaps our business model will change. Biggest thing right now? Support your local businesses, no matter what. We need you!
What are you personally most concerned about at this time?
It’s not so much a business issue, but it has ripple effects. We need to hope that our children will be able to get back to school. Many families are feeling the same. We love our kids, but we need to work to provide! There have been some announcements about options but it’s all going to be tricky.
What are you optimistic about in terms of what happens to live music and tourism during and after the pandemic?
I’m optimistic about a lot of things with respect to live music to be honest! For example:
Creativity. New ideas in the industry like drive-in shows. Maybe it’s not the only way, but amalgamating with the classic concert-goer experience will might change the way it’s done. Paid online concerts can reach a huge new audience and be intimate in a different way.
Connectivity. Broadcasting live shows from our patio has been a great way for artists to showcase themselves and the venue, and to make some extra income.
Exposure. I have heard so many artists talking about reaching new fans through social media. I’ve also heard so many fans taking about hearing new artists through friends online. It’s incredibly powerful, this sense of cross-pollination.
Technology. We are starting to look at our video and audio capabilities through online platforms now. It will be exciting to see what comes of new high-definition picture resolution and improved audio and split screens! There really is so much opportunity. At the end of it all though, it’s all about people coming out to see live music in a venue, no matter what size or location. That’s the simple formula that people have clearly been starved for, as they are back out in droves to hear it.
In general tourism terms, we are going to see changes in volume for the next while. We are OK now and getting through with the help of some good summer tourism, but it’s all relative. Thankfully people are starting to call and look even further ahead to Christmas. This is all encouraging. Stay tuned, however. We hope to see you all at The Cove soon. Come visit!
Something powerful happened on the Summer Solstice this year at the Perth Healing Forest Memorial. Elder Francine Desjardins led a gathering and pipe ceremony that both celebrated the Solstice and witnessed the systemic violence experienced in Canada by Indigenous and Black peoples. The event honoured Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls & Two Spirit People, and the Black Lives Matter movement. With demonstrations circling the globe in this moment against racial violence and police brutality, it was an important time to stand together in ceremonial space here in unceded Algonquin/Omàmiwininì territory to express our solidarity, commitment, and compassion.
The gathering was a full and moving experience. After her Thanksgiving address, Francine shared the Strawberry teaching, including that the Strawberry is shaped like a heart and teaches forgiveness and peace. We enjoyed the delicious Strawberries passed around the circle. Teachings were also shared by the Lanark Drum Circle, each song they played touching the heart in a different way. The pipe ceremony was modified due to the pandemic, with the two pipe carriers — Francine Desjardins and Christina Bendevis — honouring the Four Directions with pipe-smoke from where they sat.
Following the pipe ceremony, Francine invited a round of sharing, asking us to introduce ourselves by way of our ancestry and then to speak about what we can each do to address the continuing injustices in the world. The sharing by both Indigenous people and settlers in the circle was rich and nourishing, as each spoke from their heart from their own unique position. In the middle of this ceremony, a police vehicle arrived, responding — so we were to discover — to a report that an event was being held with more than ten people. Rather than disperse us, however, the police officer accepted an invitation to be smudged into the circle, and joined in the sharing when it came to their turn.
It was wonderful to see the work of Lanark County Neighbours for Truth and Reconciliation continuing despite the pandemic. It was a day for celebration, remembrance, truth-telling, making commitments, and affirming the ongoing presence and rights of Indigenous peoples in these lands.
Ben Seaman is the Co-founder and CEO of Riverwood Acoustics in Renfrew <riverwoodacoustics.com>. We contacted him to find out how the pandemic has affected his relatively new business, and why he is so passionate about the #BuyLocal movement.
theHumm: Your business is built on a fascinating premise: dredging up century-old wood that ended up on the bottom of the Ottawa River during logging drives, and turning it into high-end speakers. How on earth did you ever come up with that idea, and why does old wood make for good audio?
Ben Seaman: Our family moved to the Ottawa River ten years ago and every spring these amazing centuries-old logs would wash up on the shore. This area was built on the timber industry in the 1800s, and millions of logs floated down the river from around the 1820s to the 1990s. This premium historic timber is sought after by woodworkers, furniture makers and even musical instrument creators worldwide. The grain pattern and density of this wood is what sets it apart from today’s modern growth wood. This timber grew in climates more conducive to a slow growth cycle, causing a 25% more dense annular ring without knots or imperfections.
My background for the last 20+ years is electronics design engineering in the audio, aerospace and telecom space. I previously worked at a contract engineering firm that designed speakers for major US loudspeaker companies and have always had a passion for audio design. One day, I was discussing this idea of starting a speaker company with a good friend of mine (Scott Rathwell) who happens to be a mechanical design engineer whose passion is woodworking.
The next thing we knew we were hitting the ground running, designing our first product: the Hudson. We were absolutely delighted by the listening results of the Riverwood cabinet prototypes. This increased our passion to continuously push the company forward to now selling all across North America, with our sights set on European expansion.
How has the pandemic affected your business, and what steps are you taking to “stay afloat”? (pardon the pun…)
Luckily our business model has always been direct to the consumer, so our Shopify ecommerce platform was already established. The biggest issue the pandemic has created for us is the cancellations of shows (home, cottage and audio) where we can showcase our speakers and drive future sales and build relationships. Our product is demo-based — once people see, touch and hear it they are blown away by the sound quality of such a small speaker. In order to try and stay ahead of the competition we are increasing our online presence via target advertising, and as always we have our free shipping and 30-day return policy. This helps people have a risk-free purchase to ensure they are happy with the style/sound.
In your blog you mention that you grew up in Calabogie but then spent several years in Toronto and Ottawa. How did your time in the bigger cities affect your perspective on rural life in the Ottawa Valley?
Growing up in Calabogie was the best childhood anyone could ask for. I would spend all summer fishing and swimming, and go skiing in the winter. Being connected to nature and the outdoors is what really has always made me happy in life. When you go away for school from a small town to a big city like Toronto, you feel a bit overwhelmed and excited. The funny thing is I found myself coming home almost every couple of weeks, as rural life is a part of my DNA. Who doesn’t like a swim on a hot summer day followed by a campfire? After living in bigger cities, I knew I wanted to return back to the Ottawa Valley and find a forever home. We lucked out and found a great spot on the Ottawa River where now we can give our children the same happy rural childhood that I had. Talk about a full circle of happiness.
One of your recent posts was entitled “Is COVID-19 going to destroy our small business ecosystem?”. Please tell me why it’s not going to do that, and why it’s more important than ever for people to develop informed local buying practices.
This blog post was to stimulate people’s mindset on the importance of buying local. Far too often our consumer mindset is pushed into buying the cheapest product available, but this isn’t always the best practice. Often these products are not as high quality and will ultimately become a disposable purchase. Buying local will typically provide local jobs, reduce your environmental footprint, create community support such as charities, and ensure legacy for future generations of companies. I remember when I was a kid there was way more manufacturing in the Ottawa Valley that would create high-paying jobs plus spin-off supporting jobs. The COVID shutdown impacted small businesses more than anyone as Walmart and Amazon flourished. Many of these companies will unfortunately not make it, while others, with the support of the government, will hopefully make it back to a full sales cycle. The best thing we can do as consumers is to buy local from a small business to help them during this difficult time.
A big reason for starting Riverwood Acoustics was to regenerate engineering and manufacturing back into the local area.
What are you personally most concerned about at this time?
For me, I am concerned about all my small business owner friends during this difficult time. Many of these companies have had all their safety savings eroded and are just starting to slowly bring back revenues. There is no guidance for the timeline to return to normal sales again so it can be challenging to balance the books and keep the lights on. With every business that shuts its doors there will be a delay cycle before new ones open again and we get more stability in the marketplace.
What are you optimistic about in terms of what happens to rural small-medium businesses and communities during and after the pandemic?
The Ottawa Valley is poised for growth after this pandemic. We are always improving our fibre broadband internet infrastructure and offer much more affordable housing than major cities. A standard house here is probably 25% of the price of a house in downtown Toronto. The pandemic for rural folks wasn’t that bad as we had plenty of greenspace in our backyard. The shift of office environment to remote working style will continue to cause a migration to rural Canada. It starts with rural leaders stepping up and providing an ecosystem for growing these rural communities for today’s modern business. Renfrew County has done a great job in providing new initiatives for small businesses through the Futures Development program. We actually won the RC100K in 2018, a multi-stage Dragons’ Den style start-up competition that helped us start Riverwood Acoustics into full production.
Back in March when my winter jacket was grey and grotty, I gave in to spring fever and luxuriated in the rainbow that is Judy Joannou’s shop on Mill Street in Almonte. Racks of alluring summer wear in greens, pinks, and swirls of oceanic and floral designs, sang of a season in the sun. I pictured drinks on the patio, swanning through flower gardens, summer hats, and anything but slushy sidewalks and grey skies. Every piece conjured the coming months of summer.
It was a true “dreaming in technicolour moment” when I found the perfect jacket. (Okay, we’ve been down this road before, and you know that finding this perfect jacket is something I’ve done many times. Judy knows when she sees me coming that a sale is likely!) It was every shade of blue and yellow, just the style I love, but alas, a size that didn’t fit. I felt a pang of regret as I walked away without it, blithely declaring it wasn’t meant to be. I thought about that jacket several times through the spring, thinking that even though there was nowhere to go, I loved it, maybe even needed it.
Imagine my delight when a few weeks ago, Judy called to say she had my jacket. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Sure, the weather is too warm for my beautiful jacket now, but that’ll change. Sure, I have nowhere to wear it, but that’ll change too. In fact, I may make an occasion simply as an excuse to don it.
In the meantime, Blue Happiness is hanging at the front of the closet where I see it every morning, and I choose to make the day a Blue Happiness Day. That one piece of clothing makes me smile, and that’s a good start. If I go out to the garden and find the deer have once again denuded my hostas, I don’t rail and whine, but instead remember the beauty of the doe standing stock-still beside the pond this morning. When the dogs dig holes half way to China right where I walk, I don’t take them to task, but instead think of the fun they had seeing how far into the dirt they could shove their noses.
The garden has succumbed to draught, curled up its leaves and declined my attempts to lure flowers out of the mayhem. What Diva hasn’t destroyed in her quest to catch snakes, the weeds have overtaken, so now I’m looking to the hollyhocks (gorgeous draught-resistant babies!) and the trumpet vine to satisfy my flower fix.
The Blue Happiness jacket gives me incentive to make plans. We don’t need to sit here doing same old, same old when Jabulani Winery is offering a taste of Tuscany right at our doorstep <jabulani.ca>, Smiths Falls has picnics in the park <smithsfalls.ca/experience>, and various locks along the Rideau offer entertainment galore watching “the other half” drift through the canal in boats worth more than our house. We mentally pack up Blue Happiness and take a day trip.
You can all be happy that I found this jacket, because otherwise I’d have been sporting a pair of tights in a gaudy peacock print fit only for exercise class. They fit the bill for something exotic, but mostly for the laugh factor. Sometimes an item leaps off the rack for no other reason than to get a giggle.
However, my Blue Happiness jacket is definitely a keeper for many reasons. It came along when I needed a lift, and it has delivered in spades.