Canada 150 milestones reached

Jeff Green | Aug 16, 2017

Virgil Garrett, of Sharbot Lake, has opened up his home this year as his bit for the Central Frontenac Canada 150 celebrations. He has been showing and talking about his 9 grandfather clocks (which he built) as well as the 101-year-old Model T he has in his garage. His goal was to have 150 visitors by the end of the summer. Last week, he hit 150, and had now reached 154. He is still accepting visitors, but call first in case he is out and about. His phone number is 613-279-2286.

The other milestone is a collective one. Three years ago, Jim Macpherson started up a weekday evening outdoor jam in the summers. They met at the caboose in the railroad park at first, eventually switching to the beach. Last fall, Jim was with Craig Bakay, one of the regular jammers, when the two came up with the idea that this summer the jam would be restricted to Canadian songs until 150 were sung. Participants in the jam, starting in late May, took on the challenge, and prepared songs by well known and obscure Canadian artists alike to bring to the Wednesday night jams. By mid-July 129 Canadian songs had been sung, and then came a snag. It rained two Wednesdays in a row. However, last Wednesday, August 9, it looked like a go until a torrential downpour hit at 6:50, ten minutes before the jam was to start. The rain ended however, and the jammers gathered on the covered stage and began, a little over two hours later, they played song # 150, “Ahead by a Century” by the Tragically Hip. The entire list of songs is posted on the Facebook page Flash Jam 150. Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell had a few songs each, and there were selections by Hank Snow and Wilf Carter, and a larger number by Neil Young. The most popular songwriter had at least 15 selections by my count, and that was Gordon Lightfoot.
“It really is amazing how many great songs Gordon Lightfoot has written,” said Macpherson.

The largest crew of musicians and audience ever gathered at the jam came out last week to hear the countdown to 150, over 30 people in all. The jam continues on Wednesday nights until Labour Day, and songs from anywhere will be the order of the day.