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The Portland on the Rideau Historical Society is pleased to present acclaimed guitarist Vincea McClelland in Latin Dreams for Classical Guitar. The concert will take place at 3pm on Sunday, April 30 at the Emmanuel Heritage Centre in Portland. There will be an informal wine and cheese “meet the artist” following the concert.
In a career spanning more than three decades, recitals and concert tours have taken Canadian guitarist Vincea McClelland across five continents. She has played the Beijing Concert Hall, Stockholm’s Music Museum, the Teatro Juan de Vera in Argentina, the Théâtre Villette at the Paris International Music Fair, and the Rideau Chapel of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, among other venues. She has been a featured soloist at many international guitar and music festivals such as the CBC/McGill Concert Series in Montreal, the Classical Guitar Festival of Great Britain at West Dean, the International Festival of Castel Gandolfo in Rome, and the 10th International Strings Festival in Morocco.
In addition to being acclaimed as “A grande dame of the guitar” by Les Cahiers de la Guitare (France), Vincea’s playing has been consistently praised for its virtuosity and clarity, “dynamic style” (Rome Daily American) and remarkable tone described as “luminous” (Guitares, Belgium), “pristine” (Halifax Chronicle Herald, Canada) and “golden…heavenly” (Dorset Guitar Society, England). She has recorded for television in Canada and Germany and for Radio France, CBC Radio-Canada and Chinese State Radio.
The Emmanuel Heritage Centre is located at 2767 Highway 5 in Portland. Tickets are $20 — email <emmanuelheritage2@gmail.com> or call 272–9324.
What’s a sure sign of spring? The return of the Mississippi Mills Public Library Seed Library!
Now available at both the Almonte and Pakenham branches, the seed lending library is a free exchange designed to promote healthy local food and a stronger gardening community. It’s also a great way to save some money and try seed stock suited to local gardens.
The underlying idea is simple. “Borrow” some seeds with the idea that you may be able to share some seeds from your own garden when your harvest has matured. Or, if that doesn’t work for you, you can donate the remainders of your seed packages, which will be re-packaged to be picked up by another gardener in the community.
The focus has been on finding open-pollinated and heirloom seeds that can be saved and replanted from year to year, including both flower and veggie seeds.
Many gardeners save seeds and are excited to have a place to bring their surplus and see what other gardeners have to offer. The library has received generous donations of flower, vegetable, and herb seeds from local gardeners, and from both Almonte and Pakenham Horticultural Society members.
Find some amazing vegetable, flower and herb seeds, grown and shared by community members across the county! No need to register, just join the free membership when you get there. Seeds are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Find more information about this and other library initiatives at <missmillslibrary.com>.
The first show in the new Solstice Concert Series, featuring Jennifer Noxon and the Brindled Cats, was moved from March 19 to Sunday, April 16 at 2:30pm at the Almonte Library. Tickets are still available from Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca or 485–6434). This series is presented by the Friends of the Mississippi Mills Library.
Study Highlights Higher Prevalence
A study published in December 2022, in partnership with the Parkinson’s and Michael J. Fox Foundations in the United States (and including extensive data from Ontario), has found that the prevalence of Parkinson’s Disease is much higher than previously believed, especially in the 65-plus age category. Ontario rates were even higher than found in much of the American data.
Canada has one of the highest rates of Parkinson’s Disease in the world. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and is responsible for significant disability, increased risks of dementia and mortality. There are many reasons why accurate estimates of the numbers of people with Parkinson’s are important. In addition to being crucial for health care planning, research funding, insurance coverage and avoidance of drug shortages, early identification and diagnosis is key to good outcomes.
The County of Lanark Leeds and Grenville has one of the largest percentages of seniors in Ontario, creating even more stress on an already fragile health care system. “This research underscores the need for a multidisciplinary approach, which is both more efficient and effective,” explains Pat Evans, local Parkinson’s advocate. “We also need new ways of diagnosing, as it is difficult to access a neurologist, let alone a movement disorder specialist. The waitlists are long and there are not enough neurologists. I have witnessed many people struggling over the past few years,” adds Evans, “including many who were convinced they had Parkinson’s but were waiting for confirmation. A team approach and better training of primary care providers would make a big difference.”
April 1 marks the beginning of Parkinson’s Awareness Month, a time when people with Parkinson’s from around the world — and the organizations that provide support, advocacy and research funding — remind neighbours, friends and governments of the resilience and determination of the Parkinson’s community.
On that day, pots of tulips will be sold to help raise money for local services at Barnabe’s and Andress’ Your Independent Grocers in Perth and Smiths Falls between 10am and 2pm (or until supplies run out). For more information about Parkinson’s, visit <parkinson.ca>.
Zion-Memorial United Church in Carleton Place is hosting their second annual Indigenous Arts and Crafts Fair on Saturday, May 6 from 10-4pm. Since the library is right across the street, it seemed logical to add books to the fair this year.
Heidi Sinnett is the Children’s Librarian and Assistant Librarian at the Carleton Place Library. In the fall of 2022, she had her ?rst Indigenous story time and craft. She was eager to work with the fair, as she wants to make the library ever more accessible and friendly.
At a librarian’s conference in Toronto last year, Heidi was moved by a speech that outlined the hardships of the Indigenous Public Libraries in Ontario’s north. They serve as meeting places and information sharing resources. Only 46 of the 133 First Nations communities in Ontario have libraries. $15,000 annually for books and a decent wage for librarians means the libraries are falling far short of the needs of the communities. With little or no access to computers or the internet, reading is much more important.
Judii Merle, a local Indigenous author who wrote Wabanang (available at Mill Street Books in Almonte) will be reading and selling her books at the library. There will also be a display of Indigenous books, as well as craft sessions.
Last year was our ?rst Indigenous Arts and Crafts Fair, and it exceeded expectations. Local artist Colleen Gray sold $4,000 worth of prints of her art, and generous people put $500 in the donation jar. The fair will again support Colleen’s Art for Aid organization <artforaid.ca>, for which she received the Governor General’s Award. Art for Aid gives art supplies and, more recently, outdoor activity equipment to northern and nearby Indigenous communities across Canada. Spending time outdoors allows the teens to get in touch with the land and reconnect to their traditional language and ways of knowledge. This leads to ideas for art, a continuation of the story of their ancestors.
Colleen contacts teachers at the reserves and elsewhere to ?nd out what they need. Two years ago, Ivan Harper, a primary teacher at Kistiganwacheegn School in Manitoba, told Colleen that their library had few books on Canadian animals. He wanted to teach the students about the animals around them. Because the reading levels varied, he also wanted plastic or stu?ed toys to show the students what they looked like. Colleen contacted the Belleville Rotary Club’s Indigenous People’s Partnership Cluster, and they sent a lot of appropriate books to Mr. Harper.
A new event at this year’s fair is a workshop by Kelly Nahwegahbow. She will show how to make beautiful jewellery and leather items with moose tufts. Half her fee will go to Art for Aid. You can register at <kellynahwegahbow@gmail.com>.
We have also partnered with Arts Carleton Place this year. They have a juried art show taking place on May 6 and 7 at the Carleton Place Arena, several blocks from our church. You will enjoy both events.
There will be over a dozen artists and craftspeople displaying their authentic work for purchase. Bob and Stephanie are returning with their food truck. We all loved their tornado potatoes and shrimp. Come and join us at Zion-Memorial United Church, located at 37 Franklin Street in Carleton Place, from 10–4pm, right across from the public library. There is no admittance fee. All of Colleen’s sales goes to Art for Aid, as will the donation jar. Information is available at <zion-memorial.ca> or the church o?ce at 257–2133.
It’s time once again to celebrate our region’s most famous agricultural commodity — sweet, savoury maple syrup! Our local maple syrup producers are the stars of the show at the Perth Festival of the Maples being held on Saturday, April 29 in downtown Perth, on both Gore and Foster Streets.For the past 47 years, the Festival of the Maples has continued to grow but still maintains its grassroots focus on local producers. The annual festival has been a welcome rite of spring since 1976, and a mecca for producers and maple syrup lovers in Lanark County.
This year’s Festival is being organized and presented once again by the Perth & District Chamber of Commerce. New Chamber Executive Director Gail Logan says: “This free annual event attracts over 30,000 guests and is really the grand finale of the syrup season. Local producers are proud of their products and can’t wait to share them”. Producers will also enter their products for judging in the Festival’s annual syrup competition run by the Lanark & District Maple Syrup Producers Association. Awards will be handed out on the main stage on Herriot Street during the opening ceremonies on festival day.
In addition to maple syrup producers, the festival features a wide array of artisan and food vendors, farm products, retail, community and charity exhibitors from 9am until 4pm. Festival Vendor Co-ordinator Jennifer Perkin says vendor registration has been busy. Perkin states: “As of March 22, we have 113 vendors and we’re on track to exceed last year’s booth count. We will continue to have vendors on Foster Street, with different roaming entertainers, children’s activities and fun competitions,” Perkin adds.
The festival kicks off with a pancake breakfast at the Perth Legion from 8–11am, plus the annual Classic & Antique Car Show that will be on display on Herriot Street. On the Festival’s main stage, located at Herriot at Gore Streets, live entertainment will continue throughout the day. The Maplefest Sap Tapping and Wood Cookie Challenge returns at the main stage at 1pm when 2-person teams test their skills by drilling spile holes for sap buckets and wielding old-time bandsaws to clock the fastest log-sawing times. And new for 2023, organizers are hoping that Thousand Islands Helicopter Rides will be available at Conlon Park.
Families and kids will be able to join in a variety of fun activities at the Crystal Palace. The Play Park will also feature bouncy rides, a rock-climbing wall and zipline run by Ry-J’s Climbing Adventures, along with pony rides, a petting zoo and Korny’s Klowns.
The Chamber offers free parking and a shuttle service, running from the Perth Campus of Algonquin College on Craig Street to Gore Street. For more details, please visit <festivalofthemaples.com>.
Tanya Deacove is an artist who creates intricate and beautiful Ukrainian Easter eggs using traditional techniques. Pysanky, which is derived from the Ukrainian word “pysaty” meaning “to write,” involves the use of a stylus to apply wax and dyes in a series of layers to create designs on eggshells. Tanya’s work is inspired by the rich tradition of Ukrainian folk art, and she incorporates these motifs and symbols into her designs, which often feature bold colors and intricate patterns. Her work is available at General Fine Craft in Almonte <generalfinecraft.com>, and with Easter around the corner, theHumm contacted Tanya to find out more about her passion for pysanky.
theHumm: How did you first become interested in pysanky, and what drew you to this particular art form?
Tanya Deacove: My maternal grandmother was Ukrainian, and as a small child I was fascinated by her pysanky egg collection. During the pandemic lockdown, a friend gave me a first lesson and I was completely captivated. Although I’ve had a varied involvement with arts and crafts over much of my life, I’ve finally found my true calling! The things that attract me to the art of pysanky are: working with natural materials, the applied geometry used to divide the egg’s surface, vivid colors, meaningful and positive symbolism, and the meditative mindset one attains when writing. An unexpected gift is a sense of belonging in a wonderful pysanky community!
Describe your creative process when you are designing and creating a new pysanka.
It begins with choosing an eggshell. I used to think eggs were all the same and now I realize that there are no two alike! Different designs suit different sizes and shapes of eggs. It is important to cull out the lumpy or weaker shells. Then I empty the eggs, clean and rinse them. The next step is to create a grid in light pencil on the shell (canvas) and to pencil in the basic design. It is said that to write pysanky creates peace, love, hope and protection. For me, pysanky is practiced as a sacred art form to convey good wishes and joy. I begin with an intention and quiet contemplation, allowing my inner wisdom to guide me as I begin. Once the design is laid out in pencil, I begin to apply melted beeswax onto the egg using a kistka — a wooden handled tool with a small brass funnel that is heated over a candle flame. The parts of the design that are waxed will remain white. When the white lines are waxed, the egg is dyed yellow, and the same process is repeated. I continue to dye the egg in progressively darker colours and continue filling in the design with wax. When I am finished, I carefully heat the eggshell to melt off the wax, revealing the finished egg in all its glory!
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
For the past three years I have closely followed traditional designs from Ukraine which have been extensively documented. More recently I have begun to feel more confident in creating my own designs, incorporating images from my immediate environment in combination with traditional motifs. I am inspired by the beauty of nature and the geometry that exists all around me.
How do you balance the traditional techniques and motifs of pysanky with your own personal style and artistic vision?
The art of pysanky is a craft steeped in tradition with a rich vocabulary of symbols that convey good wishes, joy and peace. My own personal style is conveyed in a very subtle way; I may render a poppy, deer or wheat sheaf in a personal style. Or combine symbols and colours in new configuration. I will no doubt continue to develop my own voice over time.
I imagine you require a steady supply of eggs — where do you source them from?
My preference is to use local free-range eggs because the shells are stronger and untreated. I enjoy relating to the farmers in my community, as well as getting to meet and greet an assortment of chickens, ducks and geese! If you see a person in your grocery store opening egg cartons and inspecting the eggs, chances are it’s a pysanky artist!
Some of the proceeds from pysanky sales will be donated to the Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal/ Canada-Ukraine Foundation. Why is it so important to continue supporting organizations like this?
Help is still desperately needed to support the people of Ukraine with food security, medicine, clothing, emergency shelters, firefighting gear, ambulances, first aid supplies and other necessities. As missile strikes continue, people’s suffering continues, and any support or donations help. General Fine Craft generously donates a significant portion of pysanky sales to the Ukrainian Humanitarian Appeal.
There is a lovely display of pysanky eggs at General Fine Craft, located at 63 Mill Street in Almonte. Visit <generalfinecraft.com>, for hours and more information. Tanya Deacove’s home studio in Burridge (near Westport) is open by appointment. Call or text 484–9556.
Written by Brian Friel, Dancing at Lughnasa is a story about five sisters in 1936 Ireland, narrated from the perspective of Michael, the adult son of one of the sisters, through his memories. When his uncle Jack returns from Uganda after a 25-year missionary service, his father Gerry Evans visits again, and they purchase a new radio, the sisters’ lives are flipped. Michael describes two key moments in his childhood over a span of three weeks and explains how they impacted him.
The cast and crew at Almonte and District High School have been working tirelessly to put on this Tony Award-winning, timeless piece. With a small cast of just eight actors, it is important for there to be a level of comfort among all actors. Some members of this cast have worked together before, but for some actors, including grade 8 student Frasier Watt, this is a new experience. Frasier says, “[I] decided to go into theatre because [my] dad is involved in it and is a good actor” and that he also auditioned because he thought it would be fun and he wanted his loved ones to watch him. Joining so early in his school career is helping solidify his love for theatre and is pushing him to continue acting so that maybe one day he can be in a play with his dad in the future.
With the difficulties of work, school and other extra curriculars, some of the actors use these rehearsals to calm down after a long day, adding an extra level of comfort to this play. The difficulty of this play makes it a sometimes challenging one to put on. Junior Marjorie Mennie says that while rehearsals are, “a little rocky, [it’s] still very promising.” Her sentiments are shared by Frasier who thinks that it’s going well overall. Both actors are very excited for the play, hoping for a smooth and enjoyable performance, and maybe even a few Cappies nominations.
Since the Covid pandemic shut down the Cappies, actors and spectators alike have been anxiously anticipating the return of the high school awards. Akin to the Tony Awards, the Cappies celebrate theatre and the effort of high school students to put on a show that they enjoy, adding a competitive element to a well-loved aspect of many people’s lives. Many Cappies shows have gone on already, but Almonte has not yet had the opportunity to present their talent as their final show is on the last day of the Cappies season. That performance will take place on April 23 at 2pm in the Almonte Old Town Hall after three previous shows on April 20, 21 and 22 at the same place at 7:30pm. Tickets are on sale for $15 at <onstagedirect.com>, Baker Bob’s and the high school’s main office, and also at the door (if still available).
I have to be quick about this report today. I’m in the midst of planning dinner, and maybe I need to sweep the dog hair out of the living room. We are the hosts tonight for Sanity Sunday, an institution started three years ago that has sustained four of us through a few stressful times.
Way back in the “Before Times”, that being before Pandemic, Barbara Carroll and I worked on a couple of projects, always had a good time together, but our visits were casual and far between. I’d see her at the Hub or at Almonte in Concert, say hi and that was it.
Then in late 2020 when it looked like the world was shutting down, Barb and I were invited to be part of a group to generate ideas for the community to survive the winter. We met on her front porch, all swaddled in jackets, and sitting far apart. No coffee or contact. It was a veritable think tank of good plans. However, Barb and I had an idea we couldn’t resist, our birdhouse auction. Remembering our previous fun times on other projects, we figured we’d be able to combine our various skills to make this happen. It was worth a try when there was little else to do.
Every day I’d open the emails, hoping there’d be a Barb message. The work gave us joy to be creating and sharing something meaningful. One idea led to another, and before long we knew we had to get together in a more social fashion so husbands could be included too. That led to Christmas in the woods, with presents hanging on pine trees and hot chocolate and shortbread served in the shivering cold. From there we developed a Saturday night tradition whereby one of us delivered dinner to the other, and took home dessert, and then we’d each settle in our own cocoons to watch the same TV movie. We did that for a whole winter, feeding each other’s souls with far more than the marvellous meals.
Our emails burgeoned with daily missives. We shared dog stories, health scares, and gossipy bits too, and all the while our birdhouse auction gave us focus. Thousands of emails documented our innermost feelings through a scary time. We began to truly empathize and understand each other. In the spring of 2021, we had pizza supper on Barb’s front porch, not sitting close to each other, but feeling a bond that spread to our husbands as well. The four of us had developed a loving little pod that was sustaining us through the worst of the pandemic. We laughed together over silly little things, and came away every week feeling renewed and energized.
By the fall of 2021, the vaccines were giving us more confidence to try an indoor sit-down. Barb and I planned what we call “4’s”, that pleasant interlude between the end of the afternoon and suppertime. What a celebration we had! There was a bottle of bubbly, good food, and the knowledge that we needed this every week. We’d come a long way from the cold front porch tentative beginnings. Christmas spent in their cozy living room was one of our best memories ever. New Year’s suggested a bit of a relief was coming, and we welcomed it together.
By 2022, we were eager to venture forth, and went out for dinner a few times. Theatre began again, and we went to plays, we went to concerts, we went on shopping excursions. One of us would suggest, the other would get the tickets, and away we’d go. Life was beginning to feel normal again.
However, Sanity Sundays had now become our new normal, and we wouldn’t trade it for the world. It pushes us to rise to the occasion every week, and to make the most of our time together. Whether we’re the hosts or the guests, we have to bring our best selves to the table. The meals don’t have to be gourmet, because we’re there for the company, but we try to make it special for the people we love. We’re saving all our recipes, not only to remember what we served every other week, but also to remember the good times they’ve given us.
Over a life time, you can count your true friends on the fingers of one hand. You may have 100 Facebook friends, but they’re not soulmates, they’re not the people to whom you turn when you need a shoulder or a hand. When you find that one true friend, they become a part of you. A real friendship is to be cherished and nurtured, and never taken for granted. Further, you never know where that true friend is waiting — maybe in a chance meeting on a cold porch that will turn into the warmest thing you would ever hope to have happen. Barb and I have supported each other when we could have floundered; we have done our best to turn what could have been an isolated depressing era into something uplifting and positive. Every day I thank my lucky stars that I didn’t turn down the opportunity to be part of that initial group.
The above title references a Monty Python movie that (unbelievably) is over 50 years old and perhaps suggests how many decades I have been gardening. In December I really enjoy perusing the seed catalogues and pondering whether six varieties of tomatoes is enough — but hold on! What about those vegetables that I habitually ignore? There may be a new favourite to discover, but truth be told there are very few vegetables in the seed catalogue that I have not tried at least once. Might I suggest that you up your vegetable gardening game and consider plants you have not tried before?
This is not to say that there are any guarantees that the experiment will be totally successful. A couple of plants that I will not be trying again any time soon are burdock and cardoon. Burdock may well be the bane of owners of long-haired dogs in the fall, but unbelievably to me, some believe it is an essential ingredient in uber-heathy root-stews. I got seeds of a preferred variety from Japan — it grew like a weed with roots three feet deep but proved to be less than palatable. Cardoon is a beautiful ornamental plant closely related to globe artichoke. Apparently, the leaf-stalk can be boiled and used like spinach. Most references I have come across are British, and not to denigrate British cuisine, but I found that no matter how long it was boiled it remained bitter and stringy.
When trying something new it is critical to determine where it falls on the continuum of heat requirements. A very simple division is into those plants that are heat lovers (and frost sensitive) and those that prefer cooler temperatures (and are frost tolerant). Think the end of May for heat-loving plants such as peppers, eggplant, basil, pumpkins, melons and cucumbers. Frost-hardy vegetables such as lettuce, onions, peas and spinach can be planted outdoors as soon as the ground can be worked. Semi-frost-hardy vegetables such as beets, carrots, chard and potatoes are best planted in late April or early May.
A couple of heat-lovers that I enjoy growing are sweet potatoes and globe artichokes. DO NOT try to grow slips from a tuber purchased from a supermarket. These generally require 120 days to produce a crop compared to the 90 or so days of hot weather available to us. Georgia Jet is the best variety I have found — it has excellent taste and produces many medium- and large-sized tubers. Sweet potatoes are started by planting either shoots (called slips) or vine cuttings in the garden. I have ordered slips from the folks at the Five-Span Feed Store in Pakenham. Place your order in March for Georgia Jet slips. I have also grown my own slips by placing my carefully-stored tubers in water or moist peat moss 4- to 6-weeks before slips are planted in the garden in late May. Warning to rural gardeners — deer are very fond of the vines.
The globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) is a variety of a species of thistle. The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds. It is a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean region. In our area I grow it as an annual from seed, planting in February under lights and then transplanting to the garden in late May.
It is challenging to grow greens in the summer in our area. Our spring can be incredibly short, with 30-degree temperatures by late May. Lettuce and spinach will “bolt” (grow tall and produce flowers) when temperatures climb above 20°C, resulting in bitter unpalatable leaves. Some types of lettuce, such as Romaine, are more tolerant of heat. On my list to try this season is Callaloo (Amaranthus tricolour). We grow Amaranthus, a heat-loving plant, mainly as an ornamental, but it is very popular in the Caribbean where the baby leaves are eaten as cooked greens.
A couple of plants that are extremely cold hardy are claytonia and mizuna. Claytonia (Claytonia perfoliata) is probably the most cold-hardy vegetable grown. It is a rosette-forming plant, growing to a maximum of 40cm in height. It was harvested by California Gold Rush miners who ate it to get their vitamin C. Mizuna (Brassica japonica) is a Japanese green with broad, serrated leaves and white ribs. It is a vigorous plant with good cold tolerance. The light green leaves are very juicy and tender, and have a nice flavour.
Why not add some colour to your vegetable patch as well as your plate? Many flowers can be welcome additions to the salad bowl. Consider bergamot (monarda), borage, English daisy, dandelion, day lily, nasturtium, rose, violet and many more. And turnabout is fair game — there are many vegetables and herbs that are not out of place in the flower borders — some possibilities are Swiss chard, kale, sweet potatoes, peppers and sorrel. The pollinators will thank you for mixing things up!
But a big caution is in order, and this is where plant knowledge can be a matter of life and death! Lily of the valley contains a toxin that can lead to coma and death — even the water you put the flowers in can intensify contractions of the heart. Narcissus can cause paralysis of the heart — even the scent in a closed room can cause a headache. And so it goes with foxglove (digitalis), larkspur, poinsettia, mistletoe, rhododendron, and on and on. One has only to read British murder mysteries to learn how to create mayhem with common garden plants. Before you start wildcrafting or chowing down on all the flowers you see, take a course, read some books, talk to your neighbours (not the ones you are feuding with) and be absolutely sure of the plant’s identity!
MAG Spring Fling
The Merrickville Arts Guild (MAG) is very pleased to kick off 2023 with a MAG Spring Fling show and sale at the Merrickville Community Centre on April 15 and 16 from 10am to 5pm. This is the first Spring show that MAG has produced for many years, and is their contribution to World Art Day! What better way to celebrate Spring than to see the wonderful work of 30 talented MAG artists? The group will also be participating in the increasingly popular Merrickville Festival of the Arts at the end of July, and plans are underway to revive the very popular Fall Studio Tour. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, MAG has a brand new website: <mag-artists.ca>. They hope that their many friends and clients find it a cleaner and easier site to navigate.
Workshops at Stone Manor Studios
Rideau Lakes is blooming with creativity this spring with the launch of a new art experience called Daffodil Days at Stone Manor Studios. Located in the heart of Rideau Lakes, the Daffodil Capital of Ontario, the new Stone Manor Studios can be found in a renovated carriage house on an estate dating back to the 1830s. The Studios are celebrating the season of renewal and growth with six inspiring art and craft workshops.
The workshops are open to artists and enthusiasts of all levels and offer a unique opportunity to learn new skills, make beautiful objects that you will treasure forever, and connect with creative people. The workshops take place on the weekends from April 2 through to May 16.
The daffodil-inspired experiences kick off with a make-your-own-spring-bulb-garden workshop, where participants can learn how to plant, care for and decorate their very own miniature garden basket. The workshop includes a variety of spring bulbs, soil and decorative accessories to help participants create a beautiful display that will last for weeks.
Next up is the floral photography 101 workshop, where budding photographers can learn the art of capturing the beauty of spring blooms through the lens of their camera. Participants will learn how to compose, frame and edit their photos to create stunning works of art both inside the Studios and outside on the grounds of the estate where thousands of daffodils have been blooming for decades.
What says spring better than new jewellery? There are two jewellery-making workshops perfect for those looking to add some unique and personal touches to their spring accessories. The first workshop features working with metals, and participants will learn to make a silver ring, silver earrings and a copper cuff. For the second workshop, participants will be delighted to explore the art of Indigenous beading with a well-known Indigenous beading artist, working with threads, beads, sinew and hide.
To let the warm spring sun shine through, a stained-glass workshop offers a chance to create a beautiful stained-glass suncatcher inspired by the vibrant yellow daffodil. Participants will learn the basics of glass cutting, soldering and finishing, and will leave with a beautiful piece to display at home.
Finally, the writing workshop focuses on life-writing and offers a chance for participants to explore the power of the written word and discover their own unique voice. Guided by a professional writer, influencer and published author, the workshop will cover the basics of storytelling, character development and plot, and will provide participants with the tools and inspiration to begin crafting their own stories.
Stone Manor Studios is proud to offer these unique and inspiring workshops, all of which are designed to celebrate the beauty and creativity of spring. These introductory-level workshops are designed for all and provide a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills, make new friends, and create beautiful art.
To learn more about Daffodil Days at Stone Manor Studios and to register for one of the workshops, visit <stonemanorstudios.ca>. Don’t miss this chance to bloom with creativity this spring!
Meet the Artist at MERA
For the month of April, the beauty of the natural world will be on display through the work of celebrated local artist Catherine Orfald. Everyone is invited to the MERA Schoolhouse for the show’s opening event on April 2 from 2–4pm.
Catherine is an artist, eLearning designer and developer, and avid nature lover inspired by what she sees around her: people, animals, landscapes, life and death. She is a member of the Perth Autumn Studio Tour, and her work is displayed at the Riverguild cooperative in Perth.
“In painting, I try to convey the essence of what I see, influenced by my feelings,” she explains. “While painting, I seek a sense of unity with the subject… those moments when we’re drawn together, inter-connected. My usual medium is oil paint and I’ve been working in encaustic for the past few years as well.”
Everyone is invited to join Catherine at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonald’s Corners (974 Dalhousie Concession 9A) on Sunday, April 2 from 2–4pm to meet the artist, view her works and purchase that “must have” piece. To arrange to see the exhibition at times other than the Meet the Artist event, please contact Wayne Stryde at <gwstryde@outlook.com>.
Livingstones Open Studio
After a four-year hiatus, stone sculptor John Schweighardt will once again be opening his Lanark Highlands studio for a one-day spring event. John says visitors are always welcome (by appointment or by chance), but he is gearing up to host an open studio at his home at 1787 3rd Concession Dalhousie, Lanark, on May 6 from 10am to 4pm. Pay a visit if you can and see his most recent stone fountain and birdbath creations, among his other new work. For links to his social media and for other information, please visit <livingstonessculptures.ca>.
Fibre Fling Art Show and Sale
Presented by Out of the Box Fibre Artists, Fibre Fling 2023 showcases many dazzling original works of art created by local textile and mixed media artists. These one-of-a-kind handmade pieces use dyeing, embroidery, beading and felting.
This year’s show takes place on Friday, April 21 from 10am to 5pm and Saturday, April 22 from 10am to 4pm at Kitchissippi United Church, located at 630 Island Park Drive in Ottawa. The entrance fee is $5, and a portion of the show’s proceeds are donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation and the Ottawa Food Bank. Mask wearing is recommended. To learn more, please visit <out-of-the-box.org> or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
Thomas Merton said: “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” The perfect piece is enough to capture our imagination, cause us to fall in love, or immerse us in that forgotten memory. Art speaks to us, speaks for us, and connects us to others. Now that spring is here and mother nature has started to paint the world around us in all her bright greens, crimsons, violets and sunny yellows, Arts Carleton Place invites you to attend their annual spring fine arts show — the largest juried show in the Ottawa Valley — on May 6 and 7, where we guarantee you will find yourself and lose yourself in the beauty of the works of over 75 juried artists.
Internationally recognized and locally acclaimed artists will be filling three different rooms on two different floors at the Carleton Place Arena. Home-grown talent, and others from as far away as Témiscamingue and Trois-Rivières, will create a breathtaking experience featuring media that will tantalize every fancy. This is a perfect opportunity to interact with, appreciate and admire art. More than 75 awe-inspiring artists (including Danielle Barabé-Bussières, Canadian Photographer of the Year two years in a row) and internationally acclaimed artists (including Betty Connelly and Thérèse Boisclair) will be there.
Find yourself and lose yourself in the acrylic and glazing works of Kim Chase, landscapes and still life by Celeste Charland, and the breathtaking Aurora Light Sculptures. Each artist at the Fine Art Show will invite you in to learn about their inspiration, their process and their work.
Admission and parking are both free at this visual arts spectacle. Pieces will be available for purchase, and guests will be able to use major credit cards, debit and cash. Arts Carleton Place supports many art programs in the community, including bursaries awarded to a graduate from each of the local high schools to assist with continuing their studies in the field of arts. Every sale helps to continue and further the arts in our community.
This year, the experience features live demos. More than thirteen different demonstrations will take place at the Fine Arts Show — fascinating adventures with glass blowing, silver clay, traditional Indigenous drum making, Batik art, stained glass, charcoal, watercolour and so much more.
Please don’t forget that Saturday is also Indigenous Fair Day at Zion United Church on Franklin Street in Carleton Place. The Fair is being held in support of Art for Aid <artforaid.ca>, an initiative headed by incredible local artist Colleen Gray, who will be demonstrating her amazing watercolour on synthetic paper at our art show on Sunday.
Special thanks to the Town of Carleton Place for their continued support and helpful staff, and thanks to the Comfort Inn for special pricing for our out-of-town artists.
On-Site Demonstrations
Colleen Gray is a synthetic paper specialist, working primarily with watercolour. On Sunday, she will demonstrate the dynamic effects of using ground mineral watercolour on a non-porous surface to show the remarkable effects of this medium. On Saturday, you can catch Colleen at the Indigenous Fair (May 6 only) at Zion United Church in Carleton Place.
Danielle Beaulieu will be painting in pure watercolour to demonstrate how this transparent medium is magical and to provide inspiration to those considering picking up brushes on their own.
Christian Grivon will show how he creates his art from canvas preparation to modelling paste application before moving on to adding the gel medium, using paint pens for pattern creation and stencils for depth and texture. The demonstration will be on-going at his booth.
Linda Hamilton will be at her booth, demonstrating the art of cutting paper and assembling flowers and leaves.
Derrick Hewitt will show how a traditional indigenous drum is made, demonstrating the process of putting the drum together including weaving the pattern, stretching, and tightening the drum. This demonstration will take place throughout the show. Come see how the tree of life can enhance your wall design.
Leah Hicks will demonstrate her mixed-media approach to painting a flower on Sunday at 11am. She will start with charcoal and then add colour.
Kim Land, who is joining us from Témiscamingue and who creates magnificent light sculptures, will demonstrate how driftwood, reeds and tissue paper come together to create unique works of art. This work will be on-going at her booth (#47) throughout the show.
Kathryn Makinson will be working silver clay in a two-part demonstration. Part One on Saturday will see her working the clay. Part Two on Sunday will showcase the polishing of the silver post torching and hardening of the material. Unfortunately, the torching and hardening of the material will not occur on-site for safety reasons.
David McAuslan will be showcasing watercolour techniques and design concepts at his booth throughout the show.
Murkay Creations will demonstrate the art of making glass beads. The 10-minute presentation will run continuously from 10:30 to 3:30 on Saturday in the parking lot next to the arena. They will be joined by Roxanne Ward of Shiny Things, who will be showing how to manipulate stone.
Marlene Othmer, who has been working in stained glass for over twenty years, will show how to cut stained glass, apply copper foil, and use solder to attach the pieces together throughout the duration of the Fine Art Show.
Jennifer Raby will demonstrate how she creates her Batik art from watercolour paper, watercolours and beeswax, using the wax as a resist and as an archival media. The demos will take place at her booth (#62) from 11–12 and 2–3 each day.
Find more details at <facebook.com/artscp>.
If the Mudds were to start at the very beginning (a very good place to start), they would have to go back fifty years! Our treasured local theatre troupe is turning fifty, and to celebrate, the Mississippi Mudds of Carleton Place are proud to present an inspirational production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music at the Carleton Place Town Hall on April 28, 29, 30 and May 4, 5, 6 and 7. Tickets are available at Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca or 485–6434).
For decades The Sound of Music has delighted audiences all over the world. This endearing musical with a message of hope is needed more than ever these days, and we have confidence that the Mudds’ production is sure to fit the bill and lift your spirits.
Directors Patti and Jon Lockhart made their Mudds directorial début in 2017 with the sellout show Anne of Green Gables the Musical. For this show, they are honoured to be working alongside a fantastic cast and crew. This delightful cast of characters, from nuns to Baronesses, are creating beautiful music with the help of their stellar Musical Director Laurel Tye.
The role of the incomparable Maria Rainer is played by Mandy Kirk. This is Mandy’s first show with the Mudds, and she brings to it years of theatrical experience. Mandy’s portrayal of Maria brings with it all the vivaciousness and heart that the character requires. Her beautiful voice and energy are sure to have the audience wanting to sing along with her every step of the way. The role of Captain Von Trapp is played by Peter Meyer, who has delighted CP audiences for years. His command of the stage is undeniable. Peter, though playing the stern sea captain, also brings a warmth to the character that will win over the audience. These two fine actors complement one another as they take the audience through the Von Trapp family’s journey across the mountains.
This production is chock-a-block full of talented young people. The Mississippi Mudds are so very proud of each and every one of them. The famous Von Trapp children are played by Molly Cooney (Liesl), who is a veteran of the CP stage and whose talent shines throughout the show; Holden Anderson (Friedrich), who brings plenty of stage experience and really packs a punch with some extra high notes; Eva Rose Reid, a brand new Mudds member playing the role of Louisa with grace and elegance; MacPherson Lowry, another Mudds rookie playing the role of Kurt with the right amount of energy and humour; Dorothy Lockhart, who has years of experience with the Mudds and plays the role of Brigitta with sass and sparkle; and Sydney McParlan, who plays the role of Marta with plenty of effervescence and sweetness. Last but certainly not least is the youngest member of the cast. The Mudds are proud to introduce little Quinn Hutt. Quinn, having just turned six years old, is treading the boards like a pro as Gretl Von Trapp. She is sure to melt hearts every time she steps on stage.
The Von Trapp children in their curtain clothes made from Maria’s bedroom curtains is perhaps one of the most iconic images of the whole musical. Therefore, we have to mention Judith Scott and Judy Wemyss and their talented costume crew who have made the memorable curtain clothes. In fact, this hardy team of costumers have had the colossal task of amassing over 80 costumes, many of them handmade. Audiences will be amazed as these costumes truly bring 1930s Austria to life.
The Mississippi Mudds’ 50th anniversary production of The Sound of Music will be truly one of your favourite things. So climb every mountain to get your tickets at <ticketsplease.ca>. They are going fast! The show will run at the Carleton Place Town Hall, located at 175 Bridge Street.
Stephanie de Montigny, owner of Pure Natural Portraits, wants to help ensure that no area woman or child goes without a safe place to be when living in or escaping domestic violence.
“We never know what is going on behind closed doors. Leaving an abusive relationship is one of the most difficult decisions a woman or parent can make, and having a safe place to go while figuring out the next step is a make-or-break part of the often-drawn-out process. My goal is to be able to support programs that keep everyone in our community safe, and to give the added resources to those who need it,” explains de Montigny.
The Do Good Look Good project was designed by a group of boutique photographers who were looking to give back to their local communities while helping the small businesses who support them. Through the months of April and May, de Montigny is hosting Do Good Look Good creative business portrait events, focused on creating updated business portraits of business people in the Lanark and Ottawa area.
de Montigny will photograph people who donate $200 or more to Lanark County Interval House and Community Support. In exchange for their donation, they will get an updated business portrait to use on their website, business card and social media. Upgrade options are also available, and you can choose to involve the whole family.
“I look around, and so many business professionals have outdated portraits. In today’s world, people research businesses online before they become a client, and can unfairly judge your abilities based on your portrait. An outdated or unprofessional business portrait can disqualify you from getting business you deserve. I wholeheartedly believe people should update their business portrait annually — sooner if they drastically change their appearance. This is a way you can do it affordably, while also giving back to our community,” says de Montigny. Contact Stephanie for video and photo opportunities throughout April and May at 371–4594.
Stephanie de Montigny is a boutique portrait photographer in Almonte, Ontario. Her full-service experience is all about you — she helps you tell your story from pregnancy through baby’s first year and beyond, and creates custom printed artwork for your family. Enjoy immersive pre-session planning, access to the client closet, a joyful and fun portrait session, high quality fine art wall portraits and heirloom albums, and personalized everything. Stephanie also works with local small businesses to help their visual branding work smarter, so they don’t have to work harder. Find out more about her services and the Do Good Look Good initiative at <purenaturalportraits.com/DGLG>.
Has April 22 got a big green and blue circle around it on your calendar? No? That might change after you hear about all the “Healing Mother Earth Action” that is happening locally this month. More and more people are tuning into the learning and celebration around Earth Day, and the burgeoning list of events is so inspiring!
Engaging folks in correcting environmental damage seems more do-able and interesting all the time. Many of us want to know not just what we can do as individuals, but how we can change the systems.
Climate Network Lanark is busy speaking at various events and to organizations throughout the County. One that caught my eye is a talk that Sue Brandum is giving on Lanark County’s Environmental Plan to an organization called Probus in Perth on April 5. Check it out at <probus.ca>. You need to join in order to hear Sue’s talk.
CNL will also be going out to all the municipalities in Lanark County to explain what the organization is, what it is doing to mobilize the community on climate action, and its contributions to the County’s Climate Action Tables.
Electric Vehicle Evening
On April 17, the Perth Chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) will host a presentation about electric vehicles (EVs). Are you thinking of buying an EV, but are hesitant? Are there enough chargers in place? Is battery range sufficient for your travel needs? What about EVs in winter, and how do they perform in eastern Ontario’s climate? The evening presentation Taking Charge of Our Future: is it time to buy an electric vehicle? is an EV-101 session which will include a presentation and panel discussion on the pros and cons of EV ownership. Bring your curiosity and questions to the Perth Legion on April 17 for an evening of learning. Doors open at 6:30pm and the presentation commences promptly at 7. The public is welcome to attend. For more information, please see the CFUW Perth Facebook page or visit <cfuwperth.org/speaker-meetings>.
Earthfest in Carleton Place
This free event will be held on Earth Day itself — Saturday, April 22 — from 11am to 3pm at Market Square Pavilion in Carleton Place, located at 7 Beckwith Street.
This jam-packed 4-hour event is definitely something you won’t want to miss! Enjoy lunch and dessert on-site, visit the mini-market, and take in an expertly facilitated workshop or two — or three! Enjoy the musical stylings of the wonderful fiddle, banjo and guitar trio The Broken Bridges. Discover the amazing photography of CBC Foreign Correspondent Sasa Petricic. Learn about many wonderful initiatives happening in our area at the community organization tables! Several different types of EVs and their owners will be on hand to engage with. The Carleton Place Horticultural Society has coordinated several hands-on workshops for children & youth, which look very fun and will be ongoing throughout the day. There is free facepainting for the kiddos too.
Earthfest Workshops
Here’s the line-up of workshops, which also feature Q&A sessions:
EV: Myth Busting: 12:40–1:25pm, presented by The Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa <evco.ca>. EVs are a relatively new technology, and many people are looking for more information before deciding whether EVs would work for them. Many myths have been circulating, so this session will go over the most common myths about driving electric in Canada. Come learn from someone who has been driving electric for 10 years how EVs can meet a wide variety of needs.
Yes You Can! A Composting Primer: 11am –11:45am, presented by Scott Hortop and William Affleck <justgoodcompost.com>. Scott will use some “show and tell” samples to give a practical primer on home composting with some special notes on how to coordinate your composting with the seasons. Scott is applying what he has learned about fungal dominant compost to his work with William Affleck of Just Good Compost — a new organics pickup service for Almonte residents, with plans to expand to Carleton Place in the fall of 2023.
Scott is leading a project that uses bagged leaves donated by residents, diverted from landfill to produce “leaf mold”, also known as fungal dominant compost. The compost is offered to farmers to recover their degraded soil. Scott is engaged as a board member of Climate Network Lanark and as a facilitator of the Farm Working Group.
Foraging for Fungi —Safety & Sustainability: 11:50am–12:35pm, presented by Tauney Stinson. Join in on this intriguing workshop and learn about foraging for fungi, including identification and best practices. Tauney Stinson is an outdoor educator, forager and beekeeper who teaches foraging classes in the Ottawa Valley as Forager Bee. Tauney is also standing in as a professor for the Wild Edibles class at Algonquin College.
Navigating the Energy Audit: 1:30–2:15pm, presented by Envirocentre <envirocentre.ca>. Here’s one that none of us can afford to miss! There will be a review of the process and incentives, as well as a pro energy auditor on hand to answer your many questions. Established in 1999, EnviroCentre is an Ottawa-based non-profit organization that helps residents, businesses and organizations conserve energy and reduce their impact on the environment, while saving money.
Regenerative Gardening Workshop: 2:20pm–3:05pm, presented by Alberto Suarez of Nature’s Apprentice Farm <naturesapprenticefarm.ca>. If you haven’t been to one of Alberto’s talks or seen his gorgeous small market garden farm that produces an incredible amount of food for his adoring customers, don’t miss this workshop! Join Alberto to learn about four easy-to-implement regenerative practices you can use to take your garden to the next level. He will also provide practical examples on how to easily achieve each of them, and the many benefits they provide for your garden.
Please note that organizers are attempting to make this a zero-garbage event. Bring your own travel mug, water bottle, lunch plate, etc. For further information on Earthfest, follow the Carleton Place Environmental Advisory Committee (CPEAC) on Facebook, or email Barb Purdy at <cpeac@carletonplace.ca>.
It’s been a long cold lonely winter. It feels like years since it’s been clear. And it has been a long time since we booked A Leverage for Mountains to play the Folkus Concert series. They were originally scheduled for 2020.
And we know what happened.
In the intervening time, the lads from Leverage (Nick Loyer, Jay Trépanier and Jay Flynn) have been honing their chops at home in Val-des-Monts. Their rich acoustic sound made a splash at Mariposa and Blue Skies last summer, where they were rapturously received. A Leverage for Mountains recently released a new EP, Love Out of the Dark, which is hushed and intimate, with six gorgeous original songs that highlight their harmonies. They are stunning singers and powerful lyricists, and we expect their voices to soar here in the Almonte Old Town Hall on April 29.
Opening for them will be Mia Kelly, a Gatineau-based singer with strong Lanark County connections. Blessed with a knockout voice, Mia’s material ranges from sweet folk to blues-inflected pop. She has been racking up honours since we booked her; most recently, she was selected as a 2023 Canadian representative at “Les jeux de la Francophonie” in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Our shows are still held at the Almonte Old Town Hall, in the Ron Caron Auditorium. There’s an accessible elevator you can reach from the side entrance. Doors open at 7:30, showtime is at 8pm. There will be t-shirts and music at the merch table, and beverages and cookies at the bar. We do have a Square for payment, but cash is never a bad idea.
Tickets are still available through our ticketing partner, Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca or 485–6434). Please check our website <folkusalmonte.com> for any last-minute updates. We are looking forward to seeing you at our last show of the season!
Make beautiful memories and support Home Hospice North Lanark (HHNL), which has become an important and counted-on service in our community. We don’t get any government funding for our HHNL programs, so it is essential that we raise enough money to fund the free programs and services we offer.
Because we know first-hand the importance of good memories, we chose “Experiences! Making Beautiful Memories” as the theme of our 2023 Online Auction. We’ve got lots of packages on offer that will help you make special memories with those you love. Here are a few examples:
The Magic of Travel. This package includes the WestJet gift of flight — one round-trip flight for two guests to any regularly scheduled and marketed WestJet destination! (No cash value, fees, taxes, surcharges not included, blackout dates and restrictions apply.) Also included are two gift cards so you can stock up on travel-size necessities and brand-new luggage. Check a great location off your bucket list, or visit someone special.
A Perfect Date. This package will help you impress someone special! It includes a voucher to get your car detailed while your date gets a wash and blow-out at a local salon plus a gift card for a romantic dinner, where you’ll find a lovely floral centrepiece on the table that you can take home.
Sunday Funday. This package includes yummy sandwiches and drinks from a local deli and doughnuts from a doughnut shop, which you can pack into your beautiful new picnic basket. Then top up the gas and go for a Sunday afternoon drive and picnic. Don’t forget to take pics!
Other packages will include golf, comedy, hockey, shopping and so much more — something for all interests and budgets! You’ll be able to start previewing the amazing packages on April 10.
All the gift cards and vouchers have been donated, mostly by local businesses, and some have been sponsored by individuals. We are beyond grateful.
We hope you will discover businesses you may not have known about, and show them your appreciation by supporting them in the future.
Want to help make this fundraiser wildly successful? Spread the word! Tell your family, friends and co-workers. Heck, tell total strangers in the grocery store about this amazing fundraiser. Hop online and start bidding at <32auctions.com/HHNL-Spring-Auction-2023> between April 20 and May 14 (Mother’s Day).
And why is it so important to support Home Hospice North Lanark? Here’s what some of our clients had to say: “[HHNL Program Coordinator] Sydney’s anchoring strength came into our family when we journeyed into palliative care with our elderly mother… because of Sydney’s time with us, I became more knowledgeable, and even enlightened about the beauty of the end-of-life journey.” “I’m most grateful to these lovely people and volunteers that gave of their time, knowledge and support. The experience was most beneficial and appreciated.” “Thank you so much for coordinating the [Practical] Caregiver’s course which I felt very fortunate to have participated in. What a marvellous program you’ve put together.”
If you have any questions or would like to donate to the Auction, please contact Wendy O’Keefe Rampton, Auction Lead, at <publicrelations@hhnl.ca> or 724–1796. To learn more about Home Hospice North Lanark, visit <hhnl.ca>. Bid fast and bid often, and get ready to Make Beautiful Memories!
On May 4, at the Almonte Old Town Hall, Mississippi Mills All My Relations will present a multimedia evening entitled Renewing Our Friendships: Introducing the Seven Gifts. Elder Larry McDermott, along with artists Nish Nabie, Deborah Arnold and others, will share the process of creating the art installation and the Indigenous Wisdom of the Seven Gifts.
The first phase was completed in the fall of 2022. On the shore of Mississippi River at Riverfront Park in Almonte, seven large white marble rocks from Tatlock Quarry were installed in a 25-foot-wide circle. The next day it snowed, and the site was put to bed for the winter. This spring, they are moving forward with the second phase of the Seven Gifts art installation.
The municipality of Mississippi Mills recognizes the art installation of the Seven Gifts as a bicentennial project. The Seven Gifts celebrates the cultural, spiritual beliefs and practices of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Peoples. It is the result of the collaboration between Indigenous wood carver Nish Nabie and non-Indigenous stone carver Deborah Arnold.
The artists are supported by Mississippi Mills All My Relations, a local Truth and Reconciliation group, working with Elder Larry McDermott, an Algonquin of the Shabot Obaadijiwan First Nation.
The first phase was funded by Carebridge Community Support, through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, a Government of Canada program delivered in southern Ontario by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).
FedDev gave $87,047 for the development of the Wellness Trail, to collaborate with Indigenous and faith communities, to create the Seven Gifts installation and to build a labyrinth at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Almonte.
The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, said: “Reconciliation is a journey walked by all Canadians. Highlighting Indigenous Peoples through art installations roots communities and helps them grow as they learn their shared history together. Our government is happy to support the Seven Gifts art installation, as it showcases local artists and helps us learn more about one another.”
Now in its second phase, the project will be completed in September 2023. In this phase, bronze totem animals, copied from the original wooden carvings, will be attached to each marble stone. Each animal represents one of the Seven Gifts. In the East, Love is represented by Eagle; in the South-east, Wisdom is represented by Beaver; in the South, Truth is represented by Turtle; in the South-west, Respect is represented by Buffalo; in the West, Humility is represented by Wolf; in the North-west, Honesty is represented by Raven; and in the North, Bravery is represented by Bear.
Currently Nish Nabie is carving the series of totem animals in wood. Darlene McLeod is creating their wax moulds, which will be cast in bronze by Dale Dunning. They will work together on the final placement of each totem on its stone. Deborah Arnold will sculpt special niches where the totems will be attached.
The artists will hold an on-site demonstration during the summer. In September, there will be an Opening Ceremony.
For more information about the Seven Gifts and to meet the artists, come to this May 4 event, taking place from 7–9pm at the Almonte Old Town Hall. Tickets are $15 from Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca or 485–6434). For more information, contact Mississippi Mills All My Relations at <mmallmyrelations@gmail.com> or follow them on Facebook.
On April 17 at 11am, the bids will start rolling in on the Backyard Beauties 2023 Auction. This year’s theme of all things avian has garnered a unique collection of birdhouses, birdbaths, feeders and garden art to tempt buyers, all of which can be seen at <32auctions.com/backyardbeauties2023>.
The signature piece for the auction has been created by local clay artist Chandler Swain. When invited to be our featured artist, Chandler was all-in from the beginning. Living by the Mississippi River, she takes her inspiration from the wildlife and natural surroundings close to her studio. She is an advocate for nature and is involved with Climate Network Lanark, a close fit with the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust, which sponsors the auction.
Behold the Strawberry Queen! This spectacular terracotta strawberry planter is topped by a magnificent regal shiny black crow sporting a flowerpot crown fit for any garden. It will be a showstopper wherever it resides. Chandler sees the crow as a magical bird: clever, amusing, and occasionally a strawberry thief if no one’s looking.
Richard Skrobecki, owner of General Fine Craft in Almonte, is pleased to be featuring Chandler’s work in the window of the shop at 63 Mill Street until the online auction finishes up on April 28. Stop by, take a look, and imagine the Strawberry Queen in your own garden. Register to bid at <32auctions.com/backyardbeauties2023>.
All proceeds from the auction go to the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust <mmlt.ca> that oversees the preservation of natural sites for the benefit of nature lovers everywhere.
We sat in the big, bright room behind Café Bean in Perth on the long pew-like bench, and Amy Webster talked matter-of-factly about her Power Tools for Women workshop, offered some reflections on life, and explained why she decided to take the Heritage Carpentry and Joinery Course at Algonquin.
Where her business is now — a smaller brick building just down the street from the café — was once the Wampole Box Factory. Her workplace is bright; lots of big windows, lots of big tools… enough of each one for a class of six to use.
Amy is 36. So far, in her three-plus decades, she’s been curious about and tried her hand at many things. “I went to art school, cooking school, thought of becoming a photographer, baking school… a high-end chocolate manufacturer,” she recollects.
She tried advertising and worked as a food stylist, where she used both photography and her food studies, creating ads for food, cookbooks and TV commercials.
She says then, reflecting a bit, “I didn’t see myself staying in advertising. You always have to look good, schmooze with clients. It wasn’t my thing. I didn’t like that.”
But there were two jobs that intrigued her — firefighting and being a paramedic. “I really wanted to be a firefighter, but I needed relevant experience as a paramedic or in trades because that really helps.” (She’s a volunteer firefighter in her community now.) “I have a friend who’s a firefighter — he told me to go into trades.”
And so she did… but from then to now it’s been a journey.
Reflecting back, she remembers her first thoughts about trades and all the guys taking them in high school; they were “rough”, she grins. “I didn’t want to go there!” That’s when she started her hunt through different interests.
Amy grew up in Constance Bay near Dunrobin in West Carleton, lived in Toronto for most of her 20s, “trying to find myself,” and is in Perth now, a small town similar to the one she grew up in. She loves it.
She’s given workshops since 2018, but never power tools for women. If anything good came out of the pandemic, though, it allowed her to think about and then act on requests from many women to teach them to use tools, to become competent at doing things around the house.
“I’ll give it a try,” she thought. “I might find a few who want to do it.” There was a need, she quickly realized, and she decided to go for it.
The reaction, she admits “was completely wild. Over 150 women have done it, and they’re still signing up every day.” Her course is one-day and affordable: “get your feet wet, and in five hours, from zero experience, you’ve built something.”
Talk to Amy for as little as 30 minutes and you’ll find out neat things. For instance, she wonders, at the moment, about the next generation. “I’m excited to see where they go. Teenagers get a lot of flack; people say they’re lazy and self-interested — that’s certainly the media’s opinion, anyway — that they don’t take jobs, they get a rap for being self-interested.”
But, she adds, “I see young people who are interested and amazing. I couldn’t believe how mature they were (in her Algonquin Heritage Carpentry class)”. She adds: “A lot of younger women are becoming police officers, firefighters, driving trucks, heavy equipment operators. It’s more normal now.”
You’ll also find out that besides her expertise in heritage carpentry, she’s reflective, curious, and a feminist. “Until I did this power tool for women program, I didn’t realize how many barriers there actually are for women.”
She was lucky, she adds. “I didn’t have any strings, no children, no mortgage. I reflect a lot on that. Teaching [these courses] is teaching me a lot, giving me perspective. I realize how absolutely terrified a lot of women are. I was never scared to try things — that’s my personality, I guess.”
“A lot of people show up, they’re tense, they’re closed up,” she adds, “and then by the end of the class they’re smiling, relaxed, happy. It’s a whole transition. I realized after a couple of times that they were just really scared, or insecure, or worrying that they’d do a bad job. That’s provided a lot of reflection… just watching people’s experience with the class. It’s changed my perspective a lot.”
Amy has found that participants can be hard on themselves. “They do the first cut and say ‘Oh, I did a terrible job!’ And I say ‘well of course you did, it’s the first time you’ve done it!’ Sometimes I have to stop class and say ‘I don’t want anyone else to be this hard on yourselves. Enough is enough. Stop putting yourselves down, you’re doing this for the first time, it’s going to be a bad cut the first time — you’ve never used it [this tool] before. People kind of laugh and then get on with it and do a great job. It’s not rocket science, it’s not that hard. Ninety-five percent are able to cut by the end of the day, able to use the tools after a few hours practice.”
“I don’t put up with excuses — ‘Oh, my hands are too small to reach the trigger.’” Amy answers by holding up her own hands. “My hands are smaller than yours. Here, I’m going to show you how to do it — and then they get it. There are a lot of barriers that I have to break down. It’s an unofficial part of the class,” she grins.
“I really want women to realize they’re capable of anything… What we’re left with is battling our own internal biases. It’s up to us. The last piece of the puzzle is getting over our own insecurities.”
To get in touch with Amy or register for a workshop, check out her website at <wildwoodperth.com>.
Jack Stekelenberg is an abstract metal sculptor from up near Renfrew who was profiled in the January 2022 issue of theHumm. At a recent art show, he mentioned that he was creating a giant metal obelisk and intended to burn out the supporting wooden structure in public as a kind of performance art. Intrigued, we contacted him to find out more about this “big burn out”.
theHumm: Why are you building a 10-foot-tall obelisk?
Jack Stekelenberg: Oftentimes artists create art in series, and this obelisk is no different. Several years ago I built a sculpture entitled City Block, which depicts five buildings you might see in any major city in the world. That sculpture was built the same way as I’m building the obelisk. For City Block I built five plywood boxes and then proceeded to weld a multitude of metal objects around them. The boxes acted as a form for me to work around. Once the sculpture was complete, I had to get rid of the boxes, so I took it to a park in Renfrew and did the “burn”. It proved to be a popular event. City Block was on display for most of August and September last year in Pembroke on Main Street as part of a cultural event.
For me, one of the challenges for City Block was that very few people looked at it and said, “Oh… that looks like five buildings”, and it was only after the explanation that they would say, “Oh… yeah… I see that”. I wanted to create a similar sculpture that people would easily recognize without an explanation, so I decided to create an obelisk. It’s 24” square at the bottom, tapering up to 19” before the pyramidion. With the pyramidion, the sculpture will be over 10 feet tall. After I began building this sculpture I went down a rabbit hole, learning all there was to know about obelisks. It’s a fascinating story.
What is the sculpture made of?
All the pieces on the obelisk have been gleaned from the Ottawa Valley. There are vintage agricultural elements, tools, industrial items, hand-forged items, and just plain metal shapes. So this piece has historical significance. If you think of obelisks, you think of hieroglyphs on the sides. All these found metal objects are, in a sense, modern hieroglyphs. All these objects did not get dumped or recycled — I’ve reclaimed them and made something interesting with them.
Taking place on Saturday, April 15, the “Big Burn Out” is shaping up to be as much performance art as visual art. What are you cooking up, as it were, and why would it be fun for people to attend?
The burn out will take place on April 15, starting about 11am at Ma-te-Way Park in Renfrew, and wrapping up at 4pm. The park is located at 1 Ma-te-Way Park Drive — just follow the signs to the event.
I’m the kind of person who likes to share what I have, and although I could do this burn out at my studio all by myself, I’d rather share this event with others. I see this as “Performance Art”, a time-based art form that typically features a live presentation to an audience or to onlookers and draws on such arts as acting, poetry, music, dance and painting, or in my case, a sculpture. Because this is a once-only event it can only be viewed once live. There will be a sense of community and anticipation at this event. There will be uncertainty. There will be fire — and who doesn’t like a good bonfire? People will be able to add things to the fire such as affirmations, photos, or anything they may wish to give or release to the universe. I may provide marshmallows. It should be a blast.
After the burn out this sculpture is available for immediate sale. Check out my website for details.
As I said earlier, I like to work in series. I have plans to build a 33-foot-tall obelisk, which is about the height of a three-story building. I’ll begin by making an 11-foot prototype. I have plans to make obelisk fire pits. I’ll make concrete and metal obelisks and even tabletop obelisks!
Find more details about Jack, his obelisk, and his other art at <waldenthreestudio.com>.
Art… and Soul
For more than twenty years, Almonte artist Jill Halliday pursued her first love as a classically trained animator, working for international film agencies and contributing to celebrated shows such as The Ren & Stimpy Show and the Emmy-winning Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?.
Today Jill is a proud and grateful member of The Ten Collective, founded in 2017 by Almonte artist Eileen Hennemann. Halliday’s strikingly original creations are perfectly aligned with the André Malraux quote on the Collective’s website: “To love a painting is to feel that this presence is ... not an object but a voice.” Halliday tells me she does not rest until the character she is depicting — human or animal — “looks back at me.” The result is mesmerizing. Her subjects hold your gaze and draw you and your imagination into their world. Whether it’s a senior war veteran, a young girl, a blithely romping nude or a newly conceived dog breed, Jill’s unique portrayal elicits an emotional response. And that is a concise definition of art.
Malraux Strikes Again
These two Malraux quotations seem both prophetic and reassuring:
“The most important thing in life is to see to it that you are never beaten.”
“Art is a revolt against fate. All art is a revolt against man’s fate.”
Life as she knew it came to an abrupt end in 2002, just days after her fortieth birthday, when Jill’s disabling headaches finally resulted in the diagnosis of a massive brain tumor. The good news was it was benign. The bad news was it grew out of her brain stem, causing permanent damage to many areas. Over the next years she relearned how to walk, talk, eat and hold a pencil. The surgeon saved her life, but a severed nerve rendered the left side of her face completely paralyzed. Imagine not being able to close your eye. Ever. Or open half of your mouth.
Today Jill is able to make light of the horrendous years and subsequent surgeries that followed, quipping: “I quickly learned it’s not who you are; it’s who you know.” Her uncle, himself a surgeon, connected her with a specialist team in Toronto who, over three years, were able to reconstruct the nerves and muscles needed to restore some mobility and much comfort in her face. Three major surgeries later, her beautiful green eyes light up her attractive face, and nobody would ever guess she has a gold weight implanted in her eyelid to help her blink. There were other traumatic losses. Catastrophically, she witnessed the accidental death of her beloved older sister. Her marriage dissolved. From necessity, her art has become her “revolt against (wo)man’s fate.”
Halliday’s first forty years on this planet were blessed. Born in London, Ontario, the youngest of three girls, she had a wonderful, loving family. At the age of six she selected the piano as her “discipline”. Her mother played the piano, so it was a natural choice. Her mom was a nurse with VON, her dad an engineer and a gifted athlete, playing ball, hockey and more for Queen’s University. She cherishes his response when asked about living with his quartette of females: “If life was a poker game, I was dealt four queens!” It was assumed Jill would choose a career in either music or fine art, but after they moved to Toronto her mother happened across a TV show about the Classical Animation Program at Sheridan College. When Jill heard about it, that was it.
She absolutely loved it. “I found my people,” is how she puts it. After graduating from the program in 1983, Jill moved from her home in Toronto to Ottawa and then settled in Almonte in 1986. She incorporated in 1996 and went on to enjoy a long career in the animation industry, working for various international studios including Nickelodeon, Walt Disney, Universal and Warner Brothers. Her work took her to Hollywood, New York City and Berlin. In 1994, Jill was honoured with an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for her work on Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?.
Finding Her People Again
Halliday credits her ongoing recovery from the trauma of the past twenty years to her membership in the arts community in Almonte, and to a cadre of loyal friends. She gratefully recalls taking a phone call in the fall of 2017 from her friend and fellow Almonte artist Eileen Hennemann, insisting she join her with a group of fellow artists to discuss a new artistic venture. The group of ten local artists, featuring diverse backgrounds and widely differing styles of painting, christened themselves The Ten Collective. They presented their first show several months later in Almonte’s Mississippi Valley Textile Museum <mvtm.ca>, a beautiful National Historic Site of Canada.
As a former animator recovering from massive brain damage, Jill struggled with self-doubt. Her fellow artists, and especially Hennemann, would not take no for an answer. With their encouragement and insistence and high expectations, Jill discovered her new artistic voice. As she puts it, “The only reason, after being in recovery for so many years, that I started doing my own artwork is because of Eileen Hennemann, creator of The Ten Collective — hands down — then coupled with the support of carloads of girlfriends to raise me up, and remind me where I came from, making me the richest artist in the world.”
The Ten Collective Show
The Ten Collective is presenting their fourth group exhibition on April 23 and 24. As their website notes, “The Ten Collective is now well known as it has become part of the fabric of the charming town of Almonte.” So it is brilliantly appropriate that the works of eleven area artists (there will be a surprise guest) will be on display and for purchase at Almonte’s historic Mississippi Valley Textile Museum. I encourage you to drop in and meet Jill Halliday; her extraordinary depictions of ordinary subjects expose their quintessence in a uniquely engaging manner. And the artworks of another extremely talented ten artists will reveal why Jill considers it an honour and life-saving privilege to be among them. Please refer to the back of her Artist Trading Card for her coordinates.
Artist Trading Card
WHO Jill Halliday
WHAT Illustrative Gesture Paintings
WHERE Home Studio in Almonte, 402–9473<Jill Halliday4@gmail.com> <thetencollective.com>
WHEN April 22 & 23, 10am to 5pm, The Ten Collective Show, Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, Almonte; <mvtm.ca>
WHY “After recovering from devastating brain surgery, I owe my happiness to the encouragement and support of Eileen Hennemann and my community of artists in The Ten Collective and beyond — thank you, friends!”
What to do when you learn your husband is likely cheating on you and you have the option to leave him and be loved? Well, that’s the dilemma of Lady Windermere (played by Ming Leonard) when confronted with that possibility by the dashing Lord Darlington (played by Garett Pipher). And what about those who believe they aren’t guilty of betraying trust, while everyone professes they are? What are they to do if they can’t immediately explain what is really going on? That is the dilemma of Lord Windermere (played by Taylor Gilligan) and the mystery woman, Mrs. Erlynne (played by Donna Howard).
The phrase that comes to mind is: “oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive”. That’s a not a quote from Oscar Wilde (the author of Lady Windermere’s Fan), but rather from Sir Arthur Scott, who, like Mr. Wilde, was a playwright. However, it’s likely that Mr. Wilde knew this phrase well, as it is intricately woven into this play.
Lady Windermere believes that she has a perfectly happy life with her adoring husband and young child. However, once she is alerted to Lord Windermere’s seemingly brazen relationship with Mrs. Erylnne, she begins to question her own feelings, her marital position, and the loyalty of her husband. On top of it all, Lord Windermere insists that Mrs. Erlynne be invited to Lady Windermere’s birthday ball. What?! When Mrs. Erlynne in fact attends the party, Lady Windermere receives a proposal from Lord Darlington, who professes love for her, and of whom she is already fond. What’s a lady to do? To make it even more interesting, Lord Augustus Lorton (played by David Wright) has his sights on Mrs. Erlynne.
Taking a serious yet at times a comedic look at marriage, sex and gender, Wilde’s play contains one of his best-known lines: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” This play covers the multiple elements of moral dilemmas, scandal, intrigue, blackmail, responsibilities of motherhood and the effects of gossip, to the point that it forces the question of whether any of the characters can be considered “good” or “bad”. Often referred to as a play about a “Good Woman”, will you be able to decide if there is one? Only one way to find out — come and see what you think!
Catch Lady Windermere’s Fan at the Station Theatre in Smiths Falls on April 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22 at 7:30pm, and on Sunday, April 16 and Sunday, April 23 at 2pm. Tickets are now on sale at Special Greetings, located at 8 Russell Street East in Smiths Falls, and online or by phone 283–2244 with credit card. If tickets are still available, they can be purchased a half-hour before showtime at the door. For more information, please visit <smithsfallstheatre.com>.
Last summer, Intermediate Co-Ed camp directors Jennifer McLaren and Nikki Nel mixed up the designation of boys’ and girls’ cabins. Historically there has been a girls’ side and a boys’ side at Camp Lau-Ren, but last year at the July Co-Ed A Camp, two cabins were designated as female and one male on the East side. On the West side, two cabins were designated male and one cabin as female.
The washrooms on each side were designated gender-neutral. At the start, Jennifer says that campers defaulted to a girls’ or a boys’ side of each washroom building. After a while, campers were heard telling each other, “It’s okay, this bathroom is for everyone.”
Jennifer and Nikki reminded campers that they needed to be welcoming to everyone. It seemed to work. A couple of the counsellors approached them to say they appreciated the change. During bedtime routine, boys and girls were brushing their teeth together.
Why mix up the boys’ and girls’ cabins and designate washrooms as gender-neutral? Nikki and Jennifer felt this was an important shift towards making Camp Lau-Ren a more inclusive environment for non-binary (non-binary people have a gender identity that does not fit into the male/female binary) and transgender campers and staff.
“We are trying to establish a new comfort level,” says Jennifer. She thinks some parents with non-binary or transgender children would be more inclined to send their kids if they knew this was a possibility.
In fact, it was the hiring of two counsellors who identified as non-binary that pushed Jennifer and Nikki forward with this initiative. “Our Camp family is widely diverse with members of the LGBTQ2S+ community,” Jennifer says.
One former counsellor has since come out as transgender. They commented that if washrooms had been gender-neutral when they were at Camp, it would have brought them a lot of comfort when they were younger and not yet out. Bathrooms are one of the most difficult obstacles for trans youth.
“Given the percentage of trans and non-binary people who are out in the general public and the number of people we have pass through Camp each year, we can be sure there are many other campers and staff over the years who have needed a safe place to express their true gender,” says Jennifer. “I hope we can continue to make these important changes to make Camp Lau-Ren a safe place for all.”
The Imagine – Learn/Inspire/Act Conference is coming up on Saturday, May 6 at the Almonte Civitan Hall. What Now Lanark County is excited to offer a schedule full of opportunities to absorb new ideas and reach new levels of awareness and understanding of issues that many are grappling with today. A day listening to the insights of widely respected professionals and activists all gathered in one place is an invaluable experience. But the very best things about a conference are the people.
First are the friends who come along with you and are ready to chat about their expectations, concerns and hopes. Then you arrive at the venue, get checked in, and soon there are more people to meet and greet, old friends and acquaintances and many strangers — who are they, and where did they come from? You happen to stand beside one of those strangers and start a conversation. You learn that her name is Manjula, as well as where she lives and why she came. Maybe you even learn a bit about her family.
Soon it’s time for the conference to start. You invite Manjula to sit with you and your friends. There is a woman at the podium welcoming everyone. It might be the Mayor who makes a great speech and has you laughing. Then there is an Indigenous woman blessing the gathering with a special ceremony.
The moment arrives when the first presenters step onto the stage, people who have much expertise in a particular topic. You are amazed to hear information that you didn’t expect — some of it you agree with, some of it you find disturbing or even challenging to long-held assumptions. You wonder — where did those assumptions come from? At the end of the first presentation, people are invited to go to the microphone and ask a question. Again you are intrigued by the questions and the answers.
The first session is over — now for a ten-minute break. You get a coffee and a delicious muffin, and chat with your friends. You have a quick look at the bookstore table. Now back to your chair, ready for the next session. Another captivating presentation about an issue you’ve been curious to know more about. The lunch hour goes by quickly as you eat the delicious sandwiches prepared by the Civitan catering crew and have lively conversations about the morning’s presentations. Manjula becomes even less of a stranger as she participates in the discussions.
Maybe you are surprised to see so many men at the conference, but the issues facing women are also facing men — whether they are supporting a loved one or wanting to learn how they themselves can make a difference. At a previous gathering in December, a man told of generations of abuse in his family and his desire to make it stop. In fact, two of today’s presentations are of specific interest to men and youth: “White Ribbon” and “The New Masculinity”.
The day goes on and you meet many more people, all keenly interested in what they are learning, and also discussing what they want to do to with that information. You may find yourself comforting Manjula, who has found that some of the information has hit very close to home. When the conference wraps up, the feelings of kinship and gratitude for a shared experience with old friends and new will remain long after the final goodbyes are exchanged.
The title of the May 6 conference, Imagine – Learn/Inspire/Act, accurately describes the goals of the What Now Lanark County organizing committee. It is our hope that we will all learn and be inspired to do what we can — whether it is to work to stop violence, support someone having health or legal issues, or take action to decrease our climate footprint.
The committee is truly grateful for the sponsorship of The Hub, the Almonte Civitan Club, OSSTF District 26 (Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation), the Stir It Up Collective, Lanark County Interval House and Community Support, and the Lanark County Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Program.
Conference tickets are $40 (which includes lunch and snacks), and you can find them at Tickets Please <TicketsPlease.ca or 485–6434). Thanks to some generous individuals there are a few free tickets available. For more information about the event and the presenters, please visit <whatnowlc.ca> or contact <whatnowlanarkcounty@gmail.com>.
Ann Shea and her fabulous team of booksellers at Mill Street Books are excited about spring — and not just because of the delightful weather.
“We have a very busy April planned,” says Ann, “starting with a Books and Beverage Event on April 4 at Ottawa Valley Coffee where two new authors, Jim McEwen of Dunrobin, and Jessie Carson of Almonte, will read from their recent work and take questions.”
Jim McEwen will be reading from his novel Fearnoch, and Jessie Carson from Don’t Tell: Family Secrets, an anthology of essays and prose about the stories that are kept hidden within families.
Ann, who has owned the shop now for just over two years, says: “I see this as a great networking opportunity for local talent.” That includes local booklovers and writers, she points out. And it’s an ideal way to meet new friends, connect with the community, and enjoy a coffee or a beer at a fabulous local coffee shop. The readings begin at 7pm.
“[Then] we will have Emily Austin signing books in the shop on April 15,” Ann adds.
You can meet Emily in the shop from 10–11am, where she’ll be chatting with customers and signing copies of her celebrated novel Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, which was shortlisted for the Amazon First Novel Award.
Ann is a big fan of book signings, she says, and author readings too — because everyone benefits.
“I would like the bookstore to be a cultural hub here in our community,” she says, “connecting writers and book lovers, supporting local talent, and bringing in some more established writers to draw positive attention to the store and to Almonte. There is always a lot going on in town, and it’s a fun way to get to know more people.”
On Thursday, April 20, Mill Street Books will be co-hosting a top-drawer literary event at the Mississippi Mills Public Library, featuring authors Whit Fraser and Elizabeth Hay, as they discuss their latest books and reminisce about their time and experiences in Northern Canada.
Whit Fraser is an author, journalist, and vice-regal consort of Governor General Mary Simon. His two most recent books include the mystery Cold Edge of Heaven, and the memoir True North Rising. Elizabeth Hay’s highly anticipated new book Snow Road Station will hit bookstore shelves on April 11. Hay is the Giller Prize-winning author of six novels, including Late Nights on Air, His Whole Life, and A Student of Weather. Her memoir All Things Consoled won the 2018 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction. These readings run from 6:30–8:30pm, and registration will be required for this event. For more details, Ann says it’s best for now to follow Mill Street Books on social media.
The very busy month continues with an in-store celebration of Independent Bookstore Day on the 29th — with treats and customer appreciation surprises. “And stay tuned,” Ann says, “for a major event with former Governor General David Johnston at the Town Hall on May 28.” His latest book, Empathy, is one Ann highly recommends.
“I have been enjoying it,” she says. “It shares so many of his anecdotes about putting empathy into action, both personally and collectively as a society.”
At any given time, most booksellers have a handful of books in mind when customers ask for recommendations. As for Ann… “I would say I have way more than a small stack of books to recommend, it’s more of an entire bookcase!” Many of the books Ann has loved and recommends can be found on the shop’s website, alongside former owner Mary Lumsden’s picks, and the Mill Street Books’ Book Club history.
Ann also enjoys Elizabeth Hay’s books, so of course she recommends Snow Road Station. “I am a big fan of short stories,” she adds, “and I loved the two beautiful novellas from Irish writer Claire Keegan: Small Things Like These and Foster.”
Since Ann took over ownership of Mill Street Books at the beginning of the pandemic, there have been subtle changes and a whirlwind of activity and excitement at the shop. During that tumultuous time, Ann says she’s thankful to have had her daughter Julia holding things steady, as well as Julia’s friend Naomi Fraser. Later, she says, “we were so lucky to have Sarah O’Grady and Sandy Irvin join the team on a part-time basis, both bringing a wealth of knowledge and passion for books and customer service.”
In November 2021, Ann was able to start working full-time in the store, just in time for the frantic Christmas season, which she says was “both wonderful and crazy in a very good way.” Former owner Mary Lumsden had “warned” Ann that community shoppers would support the shop during the holiday season, and she was right.
“It was really wonderful to experience that,” Ann says, “both in the fall of 2021 and 2022.”
This past winter Ann added another member to Mill Street Books’ stellar team: Julia Smith, who works on Sundays, and “brings great retail skills and social media savvy.”
“It’s been a treasure to build a small team of staff that feels as passionately about the bookstore as I do. We all want it to be a warm and welcoming space for everyone in the community.” It’s also been an exhilarating time, Ann reflects. “We have been delighted by the community support and the people who come out to our events.”
She’s also been able to put her own personal stamp on the shop. “I think I have taken a gentle approach to change, because I had such strong admiration for the store as it was,” she says.
“And I really can’t say enough about our customers, and the joy I have experienced in getting to know so many great people who drop by for a chat. I still can’t get over how nice and welcoming everyone has been. Getting to know so many awesome new people has been a gift.”
Murdered to Death is a hilarious and engaging play that has captivated audiences in community theatres around the world. Written by Peter Gordon, the play is a parody of classic murder mystery novels and films, filled with quirky characters, witty humour, and plenty of twists and turns.
The play takes place in the 1930s at the home of Mildred. As the story unfolds, we are introduced to a cast of eccentric characters, including the bumbling Inspector Pratt, the mysterious French art dealer Pierre Marceau, and the glamorous Elizabeth Hartley-Trumpington. As the evening progresses, the guests become embroiled in a murder mystery.
Murdered to Death is a clever blend of Agatha Christie and Monty Python, combining the wit and charm of classic murder mystery novels with the absurdity and irreverence of British humor. The play’s comedic timing is impeccable, with well-placed one-liners and physical comedy that keeps the audience laughing throughout. What sets it apart from other murder mysteries is its self-awareness and willingness to poke fun at the genre.
The play’s success lies not only in its witty script but also in the talented actors who bring the characters to life. Under the direction of Ronald Gardner, each character has a distinct personality, and the actors do an excellent job of portraying their quirks and idiosyncrasies. The chemistry between them is palpable, making the audience feel like they are part of the action. Whether you are a fan of murder mystery novels or just looking for a good laugh, Murdered to Death is sure to deliver.
Rural Root Theatre Company presents Murdered to Death on April 30 and May 6 at 2pm, and on May 2–5 at 7:30pm at the Northwind Wireless Fibe Centre in Constance Bay. Tickets ($20) go on sale at Tickets Please on April 9 (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434).
If someone’s going to talk about perpendicularity, it’s Nick Di Gaetano.
With one hand straight up and the other jabbing into it, he says: “it’s when one established thing meets up with something that’s completely different.”
And it makes him laugh.
A lot of things make him laugh.
Di Gaetano, his wife and young son live in Smiths Falls; they’ve been here for about two years now. He’s busy, he’s happy, he takes gigs when they’re offered, he teaches sound and sound design at the University of Ottawa in the theatre department (in both English and French), but for the next little while he’s sticking close to home because another baby’s on the way. He describes this job (his poppa job) as: “chief bed raiser, DJ, water sprayer and encourager.”
Di Gaetano is a performer. You might have seen him at Bowie’s in Smiths Falls in mid-February, or at SPARC in Almonte near the end of the month. He works independently and takes gigs if offered.
At the moment he’s a sound designer and voice actor for an online radio show, and will be promoting his new record through social media. He’s also heading out on tour in September and October with his “troupe” — “a TV, a laptop, a drum machine and a little synthesizer.” This is all he can afford, he says, grinning, not being a “marquis name.”
Nick grew up in the Tanglewood area of Ottawa, left to do some exploring, “studied in Europe for two years, came home and then toured for 12 years as a puppeteer.”
The pandemic side-tracked him, and that was when he and his wife, Teodora Ivanov, felt it was time to start a family.
But where? Smiths Falls was a draw, especially as Matt Connell, co-owner of the Arts Hub on Main Street, was a childhood friend. Connell offered him a part-time job and — with a big grin — Di Gaetano quips “…now everything’s coming up Nick.” His parents are also close by.
He’s a musician at heart, having played the guitar since he was 12 and then brass — trombone (which he calls a “funny, comedy instrument”) and trumpet; then took up piano five years ago.
He plays the mandolin, and played the fiddle for a while, but it’s an instrument with a steep learning curve — one his family wasn’t willing to tolerate — so they forbade him from practicing, he grins. “My parents, sisters and brother suggested they would be happy if I found something else to play.”
“So I did,” he laughs.
Where does the music come from?
His grandfather on his father’s side “was very musical… not classically trained. He grew up in the mountains of Italy and could really riff. We were always excited when grandfather busted out the accordion.”
Di Gaetano is 42. He grew up in the grunge era “when everyone wanted to be in a band.” And although he chose drama as his high school elective, he followed his passion and built a band outside.
His first was the punk rock Snuffleupagus and the All Wooky Band, his second was Roads to Shiloh, and his third, and most successful, was called Van Johnson. He says the name came from a Seinfeld episode — so, when playing, band members “always wore sunglasses”— night and day.
But that was then and this is now.
The thing he likes best about teaching is “demystifying the process of making and doing music for non-musicians. I excel at bringing people who aren’t musicians into the world of music and giving them confidence. I’m an educator on multiple fronts. Music has always been my Number 1.”
Even so, is he content, has he reached the pinnacle? “Content? No, I want more! I want to be financially stable doing what I like. This is not fully my life yet.”
He used to fret a lot when living in Toronto about “not being qualified for ‘real’ jobs.”
But someone always came along and offered him “a great contract.” So now, “I just try to trust that things will be delivered — show up on my doorstep, or someone will randomly call me, saying ‘we have this much money for you.’”
“I had to learn to trust that things would happen… and save aggressively,” he says, a glint in his eye, a thump on the table. “That’s the secret.”
“I’m not spendy,” he adds, with a bit of verbal swagger. “We lead a minimalist life.”
So what feeds his humour, what makes him laugh?
“Things that are strange, absurd, classic stuff — like a man slipping on a banana peel, a man getting a pie in the face. Farts make me laugh… stuff like that. People getting their comeuppance makes me laugh… my kid makes me laugh.”
And often the things that make him laugh, also make him cry… which makes him laugh again.
He admits he doesn’t have time for hobbies, but has “jobbies” instead. One of his jobbies is a sci-fi comedy rock show — Unbridled Futurism — with Captain Nick Di Gaetano, “the only known human to travel at the Speed of Light.”
He was a founding member of Mi Casa theatre, an associate with the Old Trout Puppet Workshop, a resident artist at the Bad Dog Comedy Theatre, and in 2015 started a production company called MakesnDoes where he “makes and does” everything with his collaborators.
He’s a funny man — warm-hearted, genuine, takes time for people, makes friends easily, is willing to sit and talk.
Ask him who he is, what he wants, and he quips: “I often don’t know what I want… but I also insist on having what I do want.”
“I’m an artist. I lean into it.”
That’s Nick Di Gaetano. Learn more about him at <nickdigaetano.com>.
With the season changing before our eyes, what better way to orient ourselves to the burgeoning green world than through River Life — Botanical Reflections, an exhibit featuring the artistry of Linda Hamilton. The artist is inviting you to see the garden that’s in, and around, the river and the wet. This moving world is a green world — a home for plants.
Linda is a botanic artist who creates paper sculptures of flowers and foliage: “my aim is to create work that connects people with the natural world, and to inspire them to reflect on that connection.”
You’d be hard-pressed to say that her works were anything but real. Just consider that right there, in a pottery vase placed just so, stand my paper creations — a rose, a Rudbeckia and three oak leaves. Somewhere there’s an acorn, but its realism may have so sufficiently fooled a squirrel that it’s made off with it.
They’re all creations that unfurled during various workshops given by this multi-talented Almonte artist. But that was just a taste of her art, as there have also been recent exhibits at the Mill of Kintail; a diorama of native wildflowers for the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre in Midland last summer; over 300 hand-dyed violets for the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum in Boston in Spring of 2021; and a collection of over 30 custom shadow boxes for The Language of Flowers exhibit in Carlisle, Massachusetts in 2019. And don’t forget the multiple custom orders that continue to be filled as appreciation of her art grows.
“In creating this series of plants for River Life — Botanical Reflections, my intention was to reflect the diversity and beauty of life that grows along the banks of the river. There’s something special about living here, near the river,” says the artist. Linda is asking us to take the time to slow down and really see what can be found here in the Mississippi River watershed. “I’m fascinated by the shapes and colours of the plants and flowers growing near water. Just as these plants have found a place to grow and thrive near the water, so have I!”
“Each plant is made by hand using paper, wire, paint and glue. The work is meditative and absorbing,” Linda explains. “I love watching plants and flowers ‘grow’ in my hands, becoming more familiar as they take shape. My process involves careful observation, picking and tracing or pressing plants, taking photographs, and sketching. Sometimes I work from reference images and drawings as well. My goal is for realism, but I also aim to show all parts and various stages of a plant’s life.”
Over time Linda has been amazed at the biodiversity in a particular place, and collects plant material for a personal herbarium. For this exhibit, we worked together to frame her art with an array of different voices through time, inviting the viewer to reflect on the blue-green world. The collaboration of art and narrative asks us to think about our own moments in the outdoors and how nature informs our worldviews, poetry, literature and science.
And just as plants grow in concert with each other, so does this exhibit. Barbara Mullally — jeweller and metalsmith — will display some of her creations that tie to the theme; check out <barbaramullally.com>. Local writer Heather Phaneuf has contributed a narrative and a series of reflections, or quotes, in support of this creative event.
River Plants — Botanical Reflections runs until April 22 in the Corridor Gallery of the Almonte Branch of the Mississippi Mills Public Library. A welcoming space open to local and regional artists, the gallery offers the public a unique way to interpret, understand and learn about the world around us. Like now — where you’re asked to slow down when near the tumble of water, the swirl of a pool, or the hum of a stream. To take the time to see those green beings that live all around us: the foliage, the flowers, the fruit.
Learn more about Linda’s work by visiting her website at <daydreamflowers.ca>. Wanting more? Get hands-on by registering for a Morning Glory/Bindweed workshop on Monday, April 17. It runs from 1–4pm and a registration fee of $60 applies, which will cover all materials for the session, including extra supplies to make more flowers at home. Sign-up directly with Linda by email at <Lvohamilton@gmail.com>.
Consider this an artistic tease, an invitation, and a heads-up for an unveiling soon to take place on the Alameda in Almonte of Gloria Gopher, the very close friend and partner-in-puppetry of Noreen Young.
At the Puppets Up! opening reception last summer, it was announced that founder Noreen Young would be thanked in a very tangible way for all the creative magic she has shared over the years with our community and the world. It was gleefully — and tearfully — announced that Noreen’s much-loved avatar, Gloria Gopher of Under the Umbrella Tree fame, would be added to the growing compendium of quality, commemorative art on the Almonte Alameda. This sculpture will be a means of thanking Noreen for bringing her creative gifts to Almonte, sharing them with a broader community, and giving rise to our very own international puppet festival.
Now, and throughout the past winter, deep in the recesses of a studio below the heritage buildings on Mill Street, this soon-to-be newest addition to the Alameda is being created by artist Denisa Prochazka who believes: “…in creating meaningful and healing artwork that has the power to transform people’s lives.”
An award-winning artist who has a passion for sculpture and figurative clay reliefs, Denisa has been sculpting in preparation for a final bronze casting to be done by Dale Dunning, which will rise proudly over the recreational trail on a classic granite pedestal. An artistic collaboration offering an encounter at eye-level with a beloved personality in our community. Learn more about the creative talents of Denisa at <denisa-sculpture.com>.
Puppets and people are excited, and we hope you are too! Puppets Up! is welcoming partner contributors to this effort. Your contribution will be welcomed and noted on a donor plaque. Join us in honouring a girl and a gopher with an e-transfer sent to <payments@lanarkcounty.ca> or a cheque made out to Lanark County, which can be left at Baker Bob’s on Mill Street. Make sure you note in the memo line that your gift is in support of the Almonte Alameda Sculpture. Tax receipts will be issued.
An unveiling of the sculpture in late spring/early summer is planned! A panoply of puppet folk will host! Such fun! Such excitement! Stay tuned. For more information, please email <heatherfuti@gmail.com>.
Harrison Kennedy is a renowned blues musician with an impressive career spanning over five decades. He has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including two JUNO Awards, and multiple Maple Blues Awards presented by the Toronto Blues Society. These are a testament to Kennedy’s incredible talent and the impact that he has had on the blues. Fans can expect to see and hear why he has been honoured with such accolades at his upcoming Blues on the Rideau (BOTR) show at The Cove in Westport on April 14.
Blues on the Rideau <bluesontherideau.ca> is a monthly concert series that showcases some of the best blues musicians from across Canada and the United States. The series has been running since 2006 and has featured over 50 different artists, including some of the biggest names in blues. Harrison Kennedy has delighted BOTR fans several times in the past, and his upcoming show promises to be one of the highlights of the series.
Kennedy started his career with a bang in the early ’70s when he joined the famous Motown band Chairmen of the Board. He travelled the world with them, performing on shows like Soul Train, American Bandstand and England’s Top of the Pops. Kennedy’s music is deeply rooted in the traditions of the blues, but he has also infused his own unique style into his sound. His music is a blend of traditional blues, soul, gospel, and R&B, and his powerful vocals and expert guitar playing have won him fans around the world. He has released numerous albums throughout his career, and his latest release, Thanks for Tomorrow, has received critical acclaim from music critics and fans alike.
In addition to his music, Kennedy is also a highly skilled storyteller, and his live shows are known for their engaging and entertaining stories. He has an incredible ability to connect with his audience and make them feel like they are a part of the show.
The Cove is the perfect venue for this type of performance, with its cozy atmosphere, friendly staff and stunning views of the Upper Rideau Lake. The venue has been praised by both musicians and fans alike for its excellent sound system and intimate setting, which allows for a truly immersive experience for the audience. Whether you’re sitting right up front or in the back of the room, you’ll be able to feel the energy and passion of Kennedy’s performance.
If you’re a fan of the blues, or just love great music and a good time, then you won’t want to miss this show on April 14. This is a chance to see one of the most talented and influential blues musicians of our time, performing in an intimate and beautiful setting. Proceeds from this show go to support Kick in for Kids and the Rideau District High School. Tickets for the dinner and show are available now for $100 (plus tax) and are sure to sell out quickly, so be sure to get yours soon by contacting The Cove at 273–3636 or <info@coveinn.com>.
Join your friends and neighbours in attending a Spring Concert Café with the trxtrs — a fundraiser for the Perth & District Union Public Library. trxtrs is Jerrard and Diana Smith, who have been playing music together and solo “for about ever”! Living in the Perth area, the Smiths enjoy being part of a community full of musical talent. The audience will be treated to some rootsy country tunes mixed with some blues, a bit of reggae and maybe a take on a standard or two — always trying to mix it up and make it interesting, as trxtrs do!
“We are very appreciative of Jerrard and Diana’s generosity and support of the Library,” said Julie Hansen, Interim CEO. “The library is a unique venue for a concert. This spring afternoon of music, coffee and treats is sure to be a festive way to welcome a new season.”
Visit the library after hours! The concert will take place in the stacks of the library on the main floor on Sunday, April 23 at 2:30pm with doors opening at 2. Tickets are $20, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Library, and are available for purchase at the library or by visiting <perthunionlibrary.ca>. For more information, please call 267–1224.
Blues fans, get ready for an unforgettable night of music at the historic Althorpe Bolingbroke Community (ABC) Hall on April 27, when renowned Canadian blues artist JW-Jones takes the stage.
A Billboard Top 10 Blues Artist and JUNO nominee, this singer/guitarist is known for his thrilling shows. He has shared the stage with blues legends such as Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter and Jimmy Vaughan, and has been hailed as “the real deal” by Chuck Leavell, keyboard player for The Rolling Stones and Allman Brothers.
After winning “Best Guitarist” at the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Jones started working on his 12th release, Everything Now, an all-original project with special guest Jimmie Vaughan, and production by Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar). “Songs! It’s all about the songs!” says Jones of this latest project. “While there are plenty of burning lead guitar solos, I wanted to open up and get more personal than ever with the lyrics. From the true story Papa’s in the Pen to When You Left, which I sang with tears rolling down my cheeks about my mother’s passing, these are stories that I feel like I can finally share through my music.”
The house will be rocking out when JW-Jones and his band mates — Joel Oppong-Boatang on drums and vocals, and Jacob Clarke on electric and upright bass and vocals — bring their show to the intimate setting of the ABC Hall.
Visit <ticketsplease.ca> or call 485–6434 to secure your spot for this intimate, high-energy event. Whether you’re a die-hard blues fan or just looking for a night of great music, JW-Jones at the ABC Hall is sure to be a night to remember.
Annually, the Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists (MVFN) offer one or more awards of $1000 to students living in the immediate area. Each bursary is intended to assist students who, on completion of high school, have elected to go on to post-secondary studies in a field related to the natural environment.
In 2007, Cliff Bennett, an MVFN founding member and former educator, established the bursary program with contributions from family, friends and fellow MVFN members. Administered through an MVFN Bursary Committee, the program is a legacy, honouring his life-long contribution to nature education. To date over $25,000 has been awarded to 32 students locally to pursue studies at colleges and universities across Canada. Many of them have gone on to careers involving some aspect of environmental stewardship.
A complete bursary package application for 2023 must be received by the Bursary Committee by May 1. Successful candidates are generally notified by mid-May. To be eligible, students must currently live in Lanark County / West Carleton Ward, attend high school there, or have MVFN membership. Furthermore, they must demonstrate verifiable enrollment at a Canadian post-secondary institution in a natural environment-related program.
Application forms are available from student service offices at area high schools, at <mvfn.ca/cliff-bennett-nature-bursary> or directly using the QR code on the ad on page 20 of this issue.
For further information, students may contact the Bursary Committee Chair, Joachim Moenig, at <naturebursary@gmail.com>.
On the afternoon of Sunday, February 12, the Almonte Old Town Hall was filled with a special atmosphere — an atmosphere of joy! The Sunday afternoon tea dances organized by the Standing Room Only Big Band (SRO) had started up again after a three-year, Covid-induced recess. The turnout of dancers and non-dancers was the largest ever, and one could not tell who was experiencing the most joy at this return — the audience or the band members. Everyone was so happy to be back together again.
It was clear to everyone that the tea dance series should continue, and SRO immediately started planning to do so, hoping to be able to organize a March dance. Unfortunately, the first date when the availability of the Old Town Hall coincided with a quorum of band members turned out to be April 30. So that’s the date of the next dance.
The dance will be held from 1:30–4pm. Doors open at 1pm. Admission is $16 per person at the door or $30 per couple, cash only. Reservations are not required. Light refreshments will be available including delicious treats and a range of beverages (non-alcoholic, it’s a tea dance after all!), cash only.
For more information, visit <srobigband.ca>, where you can watch video excepts of SRO performing for dances and concerts, or visit their Facebook page at <facebook.com/srobigband>. To receive notifications of upcoming tea dances and other public performances, you can “like” SRO’s Facebook page in your News Feed and/or you can be added to SRO’s email distribution list by sending an email to <srobigband@bell.net>.
Perth’s Climate Change Action Panel (CCAP) invites you to celebrate Earth Day at the Trashure Hunt on Saturday, April 22. Back for a second year, this town-wide clean-up event will not only help beautify the Town, but will bring the community together in a fun, family-friendly way!
“Spring is a time of renewal, and what better way to honour that than by coming together as a community to tidy up the town we all love and live in,” states Sadie Brule, event organizer and member of CCAP. “The Trashure Hunt not only brings together proud Perthites, but also connects like-minded individuals with organizations and provides an opportunity to help teach people to be more conscious of the environment.”
Scheduled to take place from 9am to 1pm, the day will begin at the Crystal Palace where groups will get their clean-up kit before heading out to collect litter. Afterwards, the community will gather back at the Crystal Palace for food and the opportunity to learn more about some great eco-friendly organizations. Volunteers will also have a chance to win some terrific prizes.
The Climate Change Advisory Panel is a sub-committee of Council comprised of concerned residents and elected officials. Together they work to help fight climate change and encourage all residents to make the town a greener place to live, work and play, by providing information and education.
For more information about the Trashure Hunt and to register for the event, please visit <perth.ca/trashurehunt>.
Theatre Night in Merrickville (TNIM) has been entertaining audiences for almost 50 years with exceptional stage performances of all genres. The tradition continues this spring with a trio of one-act plays, by two local playwrights, that will deliver something for everyone.
This May, theatregoers can experience Making Friends by Guy Newsham, in which a divorced man alone on a Saturday evening has an insightful and therapeutic discussion with an old friend. Also on the roster are two plays by Peter Paylor: The Green Thumb Gang, which follows the hilarious fast talking of two enterprising larcenists from the local retirement home; and The Black Chair, which reveals the unique humanity that is the background to every photographed portrait.
Rehearsals have started for this unique showcase of three directorial styles in one evening. Seasoned director Margaret Shearman will once again direct this production of The Black Chair, which was also presented last fall at the Easter Ontario Drama League (EODL) One-Act Festival. The actors are looking forward to reprising their roles, including Andrea Lewandowski, who was nominated for best comedic performance at the Festival. TNIM is thrilled to welcome Barry Patrick (directing Making Friends) and Omar Simonyi (directing The Green Thumb Gang) in their directorial débuts. Barry and Omar are both long-time and integral members of TNIM, who previously focused their talents on acting and set-building respectively. The show is being produced by TNIM President Helen Steenburgh, who says: “I am pleased to be producing this trio of One Act Plays that run the gamut of emotions, from laugh aloud humour to poignant self-discovery.”
TNIM thanks Complete Real Estate Pros with local Realtor® partner Kristy Morrison for their sponsorship of this trio of performances. Shows will take place at the Merrickville Community Centre, 106 Read Street, on May 11, 12, 13 at 7:30pm, and on May 14 at 2pm. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at <merrickvilletheatre.org> or at the door. Inquiries can be directed to <hfrommerr@gmail.com>.
The TNIM crew is also busy fundraising to replace aging stage lighting with an LED alternative. Fundraising activities kicked off with a successful Maxsold auction in March. A trivia night (that includes a delicious Mexican meal!) will be held on April 23 at the Mainstreet Restaurant (112 Main Street in Merrickville). Contact the restaurant directly to purchase tickets at <mainstreetmerrickville.com> or by phone at 269–7976. For more information on fundraising events and how you can support TNIM, please check out the TNIM website, Facebook page (Theatre Night in Merrickville), or Instagram account (@merrickvilletheatre). TNIM is a Registered Charity, so tax receipts are available.