Organizers of the Silver Lake Pow Wow are gearing up for another end of summer gathering of friends and neighbours at Silver lake Provincial Park.

The Drum this year, the Soaring Eagle Singers, are a group that has been at the Pow Wow in the past, but has some new members, most of whom are local.

The Head male dancer will be Tyson Commanda and the Head female is Kaylee Brooks Both of whom come from the Golden Lake area.

The Pow Wow emcee is Danka Brewer, the Elder Larry McDermott and the Fire Keeper is Alex Brewer.

Many of the regular vendors are expected back and some new ones will be attending as well, but as Trudy Knapp, the long time Pow Wow organizer said, most of the vendors don’t contact them in advance, preferring to just show up on the day.

The Big Smoke Food Truck from Harrowsmith will be providing food this year, and the local committee is providing native tacos and fried bread.

The Pow Wow starts at 12:00 each day and runs until 6:00 pm or so. Admission is $4 per person (the under 16 and over 60 set get in for free) and there is a parking fee of $15.00 at the Provincial Park. For every parking fee paid, the Pow Wow offers one free admission however.

The Conservationists of Frontenac and Addington have an annual program to introduce local children to angling in our beautiful surroundings. Participants who have not had a chance to experience fishing are selected. Each is given a rod reel and some tackle by COFA and taken to a local lake to learn with experienced anglers. This year a COFA member and staff from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry provided boats and instruction.

The kids’ return to shore was one of excitement as they had caught several fish, learned a lot and enjoyed the company of their adult companions while they fished. One fish had to be kept to show the parents how big it was. The smaller fish were filleted, fried and served in a delicious shore lunch. There was enough to serve lunch to everyone in attendance, it was wonderful. Thanks to all who helped, to Ed Yanch who transported the fishers, and most of all to Brody, Zech, Jaydin and Scott, who caught the lunch.

This Saturday, the 134th annual fair will take place in Maberly. To coincide with the Tay Valley 200th Anniversary, the theme is “Heritage”. The light horse show beginning at 9:00 am sharp. The opening parade of the ‘biggest little fair to stop traffic on Hwy 7,’ will commence at 10:30, entering the fairgrounds around 11:00 am.

New this year, following the opening ceremonies, will be a cake decorating contest including: Keith Kerr - Reeve Tay Valley Twp., Paddy O'Connor - Town Crier Central Frontenac, Gail Code - Warden Lanark County, Frances Smith - Mayor & Warden of Central Frontenac, and of course our very own Agricultural member Gordon Patterson - Vice President. They will hopefully all be dressed in period costume. Dave White from Lake 88 will act as MC. Once completed, the cakes will be auctioned off. The highest bid will determine the winner.

Tony Leduc, Hermann Amberger, Barb and John Fife, Fiddlers and Friends, and Norm Herns, Harry Van Alstine and friends will entertain on stage starting at noon. The horse draw starts at noon and the famous zucchini races begin at 1:30 p.m. Also on the grounds will be the West Wind Petting Farm, Psychic Marilyn of Kingston, Tai Chi Demonstration and others, plus all our hall displays. There will be Agricultural displays in the steel building this year, Milk Marketing board and Cattlemens Assoc. will have a display there. The dinner will be hosted by the Fall River Restaurant starting at 4 pm and will include pulled pork on a bun, salad, drink and dessert for $15.00. Entry to the fair is $5.00 for adults, 7 - 17 years $3.00 and 6 and under free.

The Maberly Agricultural Society website crashed in July and has yet to be fixed. Anyone looking for information can contact Rosetta McInnes at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on facebook or at 613-268-2548 or cell 613-390-2548 or any member of the Ag. Society. Fair books available at Maberly Post Office, McDonalds Corners Store, and Dodds and Erwin. Come on out to the fair. Entries can also be dropped off at the drop box at the entrance to the fairgrounds prior to the fair.

If you want to have some fun, meet new friends and make beautiful music with others, then the Tay Valley Community Choir may be the place for you. The choir meets on Monday nights from 6:00 to 7:30 pm alternating between the Maberly Hall and Lanark Lodge.

An eclectic repertoire, lovely four part harmonies and warm, old-fashioned country-style concerts are the hallmark of this choir. Christmas and spring concerts and visits to local senior homes are already planned.

The choir is delighted to have the leadership team of Rebecca Worden, director and Mary Lou Carroll, accompanist, return again this year. Music for the term has been chosen so all is ready to begin on September 12th at the Maberly Hall.

To join the Tay Valley Community Choir, register at the Tay Valley Township office or at www.tayvalleytwp.ca. Registration is $50 per session however Early Bird registration (by September 6) is $40 for the fall term or $75 for the fall and spring term. For further information, contact Rebecca Worden at 613-264-1458.

No audition is required. It is not essential to be able to read music though it is helpful. What is essential is to love to sing.

South Frontenac Museum summer co-ordinator Nicole Hochguertel, and volunteers Lynne Hutchison and Deb Lovegrove didn't want to just wait for people to come in to the museum last Saturday, as it was holding its first anniversary bash.

They left the building and spent time on the front lawn, waving to cars passing by on Road 38, enticing some to come and visit. This made for quite a sight, as they were wearing period costume and it was raining for much of the time.

“The anniversary is going very well considering the rain, I believe we’ve had over 20 people and it’s only half way through the event. Everyone seems to like the outdoor buggy; it really attracts people along with the spinning and butter churning. I think people really like the costumes, the different clothing. They’re really attractive to people because they are different fashions from the old times. It’s been going pretty well,” said Nicole Hochguertel, who has been working at the museum as part of her job promoting recreation in the township this summer.

Inside the museum there were visitors from all over the township, which pleased organizers. Although the museum was developed by the Portland Historical Society, its mandate is to serve as a repository for artifacts from the entire township. Verona-based spinner and fabric artist, Beth Abbott, was demonstrating on the museum's spinning wheel, and children were playing with the old math counting boards and drawing on the chalkboards.

“It's more fun to use the tools from the past than just looking at them, especially for kids,” said Hochguertel.

One of the visitors was Connie Cartmell. She was enjoying a display of linens from her own family farm.

“My favourite parts about it is the way the things I brought from my own farm life are displayed. My grandmother was born in the 1800s, so there’s some pillowcases with lace, crochet bedspreads, and a quilt that my great-great grandmother made on one of the beds in there. The beautiful hooked rugs that someone is making are wonderful and of course all the old farm stuff that we all grew up with.” Cartmell said.

The South Frontenac Museum will be open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm until Thanksgiving weekend, when it will close for the winter.

When asked how he started creating chainmail jewellery, Bill Anderson said, “It wasn't my choice - my wife bought me a lesson package to try. After I started, I took to it like ducks to the water and wanted to learn more. So I started watching videos and taking advanced classes."

When blood clots in the lungs left Bill Anderson with chronic pain that traditional medicine could not erase, his wife Nancy encouraged him to use alternative medicine through art therapy. She was concerned about the effects of persistent, chronic pain and the resulting inactivity.

Bill found that he prefers to work with the 16 to 18 gauge of wire when weaving, as the finer 10 gauge was harder on his eyes and more difficult for a man with large hands. He says that working with the wire has, "increased my dexterity and reduced my arthritic pain."

Most surprisingly though, Bill Anderson found that while weaving these creations, “The hours flew by and I never noticed the chronic pain”.

The process of personal growth through creativity also involved Bill in lessons and mentoring with other chainmail artisans. It gave him a creative will and dream to pursue and as Bill says, he was able to keep his three lovely daughters and wife in jewellery.

The impact of pain on a chronic level can be considerable, affecting self-image, decreasing physical and mental ability, creating feelings of lifestyle loss and leading to memory deficiency, depression and anxiety.

There are many theories about pain and chronic pain. One, put forward by the research team of Butler and Moseby in 2008, speculates that as far as the brain is concerned pain is initiated by fight or flight, and fear and avoidance. Perhaps while Bill is concentrating on the calm, focused fabrication of these beautiful, intricate designs, his mind does not detect danger or radiate pain.

Whatever the reason is, Bill says, "I never notice the pain while working."

The chain of events following Bill's pursuit of his art has had some other very positive side effects. He says, "It caused me to vastly expand my list of friends. "

Once Bill's entire family had all the jewellery they could use, he began his business - Chainmail Jewellery by Bill. He started a website in the same name and has now sold and shipped his chainmail jewellery worldwide.

He exhibits at art shows such as Art in the Sawmill on August 6 & 7 in Verona. He also keeps a facebook page and can be reached by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

His work is also available at Passionate Artisans on 28 Bath Road in Kingston, Ontario.

From the initial suggestion by his loving wife Nancy that he try a course in chainmail, Bill Anderson has fought back chronic pain link by link and moved on to an exciting new chapter in his life.

After a lively show at The Mansion in Kingston, HD Supply’s next entertainment stop is the Parham Fair on Sat. August 20. The band will be performing from 7 to 9pm following Texas Tuxedo and Open Mic. HD Supply is a local band from Parham that started out in the walls of the former Hinchinbrooke Public School in 2010. HD Supply has been busy as of late, releasing their seven-track debut album “Hellbent”. The band consists of Jordan Lowery (lead guitar and vocals), Jake Thompson (bass), Jay Mills (drums and backup vocals), and Collin Hamilton (rhythm guitar and backup vocals). “We are hoping to throw in a new original or two this Saturday, and Jay and I have started some new material. Hopefully within the next year we will hit the studio again to record our second album,” says HD Supply’s frontman, Jordan Lowery. “It’s been an amazing run over the years and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.” Look out for more upcoming shows this winter!  

The Parham Fair Board and volunteers are all set and raring to go for the 124th edition of the fair this weekend, August 19 & 20.

The fair, which starts up on Friday evening with the ever-popular horse pull, a midway, and a performance by the Old Habits on the main stage, is as much a celebration of family ties as it is a festival of rural life.

This year the fair will feature some new events that will appeal to children and youth, while maintaining the traditions of past years.

New events on Saturday include a children’s pedal tractor pull. At any time during the day children can step into a specially made pedal-powered tractor and pull weight on a sled, increasing the weight until they can no longer pull it. The pull will culminate with the finals, starting at 4:30pm.

Before that, at 4pm the first ever Power Wheels Derby will take place in the main ring. Carts fitted with balloons will be driven around, and into, one another. The last balloon that remains inflated is the winner.

This year's fair also brings back the greased pig contest, but this time the kids will be greased instead of the pig, and a few other rules have been changed as well.

The fair will welcome back Sasha Bergeron's Critter Corral, Lynn Cronk's oxens, sheep shearing by Joel Osler, spinning by Tracy Asselstine, Ferrier Jeff Atkinson and wagon rides, and that is all in the morning.

The afternoon features country fair games and a performance by Texas Tuxedo from 1 to 3 pm. In the early evening Parham's own rock stars, HD Supply will be playing the main stage from 7 until 9pm.

Fair goers will notice that the Sunday Demolition Derby is not happening this year. Fair Past President Wendy Parliament explained that the board decided to cancel the derby because there were not enough volunteers available to run it this year. Not only does the derby require an extra number of volunteers, it also meant that the fair went an extra day, pushing cleanup over to Monday.

“We have some new, younger volunteers working with us,” said Parliament, “which is a very good thing, but they are not available on Mondays because they are working.”

Parliament added that the board is considering holding a demolition derby in late July next year as a stand-alone event, in addition to the fair in late August. This would be a way of providing the event for the community without overtaxing its volunteers.

Tickets to the fair are $7 for 13 years & older; children under 12 are free. For further information, see the poster on page 12 or go to Parhamfair.ca

Last year, to mark the 150th anniversary of Frontenac County, the Township of South Frontenac took on the project of turning the former schoolhouse in Hartington, which had been used as a charitable second-hand store for many years, into a gleaming new museum.

With a fully accessible entrance, energy-efficient windows constructed to heritage standards, and a lot of cleaning and polishing, the museum was ready for its grand opening last August 15.

This summer the museum has been helped out by Nicole Hochguertel, who has been promoting the museum and other recreational activities in the township. The museum has regular open hours on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., and is also available for groups by appointment.

“We've done pretty well this summer for attendance, even though our hours are limited,” she said on a hot summer day last week, as she enjoyed the newly installed air conditioning.

The museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the entire township, but has its roots in the collection of the Portland District & Area Historical Society, which formed in 2002 and has gathered artifacts and memorabilia from the 200-year history of the area. These include materials from local schools, tools from the farms and homesteads that dotted the landscape not that long ago, furniture, clothing, books and photographs.

“Many museums restrict themselves to a specific era, but here, it is the location and the lifestyles from different eras that are featured in the displays,” said Hochguertel.

Many of the people who have come to the museum this summer have roots in the region and want to look at the historical records and photos to see family connections. For children, Hochguertel has developed scavenger hunts to help them engage with the material.

She also hears from people throughout the township who have items that might be of historical interest or significance. However, because there is little or no storage space at the museum, which has only one room, it is not currently engaged in adding to the collection, except in rare cases and only for small items. For now, the focus is on attracting visitors.

To mark the 1st anniversary of the opening, the museum is holding a birthday party this Saturday, August 13 from 12 noon to 4 pm. There will be special guests at the party, dressed in period costume. Beth Abbott will be demonstrating spinning wool into fabric on the museum's spinning wheel; Earl Brown will be on hand to talk about the family home in bygone days; and Floyd Reynolds will have some farm equipment on display outside in the parking lot.

There will also be cake and coffee.

Admission to the South Frontenac Museum is free or by donation.

“We hope that some people who drive by the museum and wonder what's in there and when it is open will take the opportunity to stop by on Saturday and take a look at what we have,” she said.

The museum will remain open for three days a week until Thanksgiving. The museum is located at 5595 Road 38 in Hartington.

“Interconnection” (Photo left) was the title of one of the works by artist Havery Shultz at the Sawmill Art Exhibit in Verona on August 6 & 7. It is a vibrantly painted depiction on the tree of life theme showing a strongly rooted tree on a background of fire-like swirls. The trunk of the tree has many off shoots, symbolic of health and growth, while the crown of the tree shows a pair of hands clasping in a shelter shape, depicting the strength of interconnection. This intensely personal painting just came to Shultz as she was painting.

Coincidentally the painting could not have done a better job of depicting the devoted energies of all the exhibitors in this century-old, awe-inspiring historic building in Verona, which once was a sawmill. Their joint involvement for four years now has conspired to create this impressive show of talent, which is so worthy of a visit by residents and visitors alike.

While raising a young family in Verona, Shultz is valiantly putting her art talents to work. Thankfully she has a good team of supporters in her husband, Piotr Rauchfleisch, and her mother, Deborah Shultz. Piotr is uniquely positioned to aid his wife, as he is an entrepreneur himself, with an Ottawa marketing business named Media Mall, and her mother Deborah is a helpful, fun and entertaining show assistant.

As a previous student of the Ontario College of Art, Havery Shultz shows a willingness to work in various mediums. Her current artistic leanings are toward larger custom designs and installations incorporating delicate wood burning and acrylic paint, which are finished with clear lacquer for durability. She can be reached for consultation at her website: haveryshultz.com or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Further examples of the power of interconnection were evidenced by the offering up by Judy Skeggs of the perfect venue: her historic sawmill property at 6037A Verona St. Her beautifully crafted quilts were hung on display at the far end of the long, airy sawmill space. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tracy and Sharon of Water’s Edge Pottery also assisted in the organization of the art show and fielded calls regarding the event. They can be thanked for the addition of easily spotted balloons attached to the show signage, which helped those of us less familiar with the locale. These women do not mind sharing their talents either, as they offer afternoon or evening workshops, weekend and long retreats. Contact them for details at watersedgepottery.ca or (613) 375-8343.

Other equally impressive artists at the show included landscape and portrait artist Elaine Farragher (www.farragher.ca); Jayne Negus, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; David Gilmore; and Jill Harris, plus artists from the Kingston artists’ center The Mess. There was also chainmail jewelry by Bill Anderson of Verona; copper jewelry by Carolyn Bloye; knitting and spinning by Gina Ritchie; and quilts by Victoria’s Quilts, the organization that makes quilts for cancer patients.