by Marcella Neely

Fair fa'your honest, sonsie face:

These words come from the poem, "To a Haggis" which is a central feature of the Burns Supper. Traditionally, the Haggis is brought out in a procession led by a piper and the poem is recited.

Some years after Burns' death in 1796, the Burns supper was developed as a means of celebrating his poetic genius on the anniversary of his birth. Recitation of his poem "To a Haggis" became a central feature of these suppers, which included the consumption of this traditional Scottish dish along with neeps (turnip) and tatties (mashed potato).

On January 24, the Cloyne and District Historical Society is putting on a Burns Supper at the Northbrook Lions Hall. Following supper there will be readings of Burns' poems and singing of Burns' songs. His writings are in Scots, the traditional language of lowland Scotland. It uses many words that are close to English but others that are quite distinct (e.g. burn = brook, bairn = children). Those attending will be provided with written translations of the poems being presented.

For their annual drama production this year, grade nine and ten students in the drama program at the North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne chose "Aw, Shucks!" as the play that they most wanted to see performed.

Judging by the reception the play received at its inaugural performance on January 13 they made the right choice. The play, written by Toniann Guadagnoli, tells the tale of one large and way over the top "countri-fied" family. The plot focuses in on son Roscoe (perfectly portrayed by Matt Emslie) and his choice of his wife-to-be, Brooke, (aptly played by Brianna Bolduc). The problem is that Brooke hails from Brooklyn, New York, and Roscoe's “Maw”, hilariously portrayed by Selena Pelicos, is not having any of it. Instead Maw sets her sights on her preferred choice, Georgian belle Savannah, played with aplomb by Terri-Lynn Rosenblath.

Spurred on by the family matriarch, the family decides to hold a country-style contest where the two dueling possible brides-to-be face off in an attempt to corn shuck and cotton pick their way to the altar.

Of course the bridal hopefuls, being the wisest of the bunch, become friendly in the process, forcing Maw to take the outcome into her own hands. Maw hatches a sneaky countrified Princess and the Pea plan to curtail Brooke's win, which fails. Still, in the end it takes Elmer the horse to make Maw see the backwardness of her ways and realize that it is Brooke whom her son should ultimately marry - and of course Roscoe gets his city girl.

The actors each nailed their characters, with the countrified family members not only sounding like typical back woods southern hillbillies (I was informed that many accomplished the task by watching numerous reruns of the Dukes of Hazard), but also delivering their lines with the precise comic timing required to meet the mark.

The music in the play was lively and the line dancing scene at the family hoedown was one of the play's most memorable scenes.

Valerie Allan, who teaches drama at the school and stage managed the play, said the choice of play really fit the students. “They just seemed to naturally get the whole country thing really very well right from the start.”

Allan said that the fact that NAEC is a country school was a big reason why the students chose the play and added that the fact that the play presents a problem that is ultimately resolved, while poking fun at a number of typical stereotypes is a great learning experience both for these young thespians and the audience alike.

The response by the full house audience at Tuesday's performance proved that not only can these young dramatists do exactly what they set minds to, but that in the process they can entertain a full house of delighted viewers. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew who put one a very memorable performance at the NAEC for 2015.

Long-time Verona resident, Doug Lovegrove, recalled that when he first moved to Verona in 1980 he became interested in the history of WW1 and in particular, the 146th "Overseas” Battalion, a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces based in Kingston, Ontario.

The unit was made up of soldiers and officers from the counties of Frontenac and Lennox and Addington and recruiting began in Kingston in late 1915. Recruiting offices were also set up in Tamworth, Enterprise, Flinton and Napanee and recruiting teams also visited many of the hamlets in both counties.

Lovegrove, who served as an electronics technician in the Canadian Army in both the RCEME and the RC SIGS from 1967 until he retired in 1992, said that he became intrigued with the 146th Battalion because “simply put, there was not very much information out there about it.”

Lovegrove began his research five years ago and the results of his efforts are now accessible online in a project he has titled "The 146th Research Project". It is comprised of two parts: the first, a history of WW1 and the 146th battalion and the second a more in-depth look at the estimated 600 to 800 soldiers and officers who were part of it.

While most of Doug's findings have come from information he has gleaned from the internet, a number of local residents have also helped shed light on its individual members after he put an advertisement in this newspaper asking readers for any information they might have.

When interviewed earlier this week Lovegrove said that information about the 146th Battalion in general is scarce due to the fact that the unit was not formed until November 28, 1915 and further, that as soon as the unit arrived in England, its members were absorbed into the many other existing units. “Of the 260 battalions that fought in WW1, only one third are well documented”, he said. “The 146th Battalion was absorbed almost immediately upon its arrival in England. When I started my research only two units, the 95th Battalion and the 12th Reserve were listed as the ones who absorbed members from the 146th, but so far I have found 27 other units where members of the 146th ended up.”

Much of the information about individual soldiers and officers Lovegrove gleaned by searching individual regimental numbers, which offer up information about a soldier's place of birth, the names of his parents, his marital status, sometimes medical information, as well as the unit they were assigned to when they arrived in England, the medals they received, if they were killed in action and where they were buried in Europe or at home. The website includes a listing of memorable dates that outline the battalion's formation in Kingston and its travels from Kingston to Valcartier, Quebec and on to Halifax, where its members boarded the HMT Southland. The ship was part of a large convoy that departed for Liverpool, England on September 27, 1916 and arrived on October, 6, 1916. To date Lovegrove has found 66 pictures of individuals who served in the 146th and has also located 93 gravestone markers, most of them in Europe and some in Canada.

One of Lovegrove's most cherished finds occurred just this past week when he came across the 146th Battalion's colours, which were presented by a Mrs. J. B. Pense on behalf of the citizens of Kingston and deposited immediately after the battalion's departure for England at St. Andrew's Church in Kingston. The colours can now be viewed online and "are a very important historical artifact and represent the insignia of the unit.”

Others important finds are a photo of the entire battalion that he came across online as well as a photo of local soldiers from the unit gathered at the train station in Sharbot Lake, circa 1915. The latter photo hangs in the office of Sharbot Lake resident Marcel Giroux.

For Lovegrove the project remains incomplete and he is still hoping to find out more information that any local residents might possess or know of. The project includes an information request sheet that can filled out for those who either would like information or have information to relate.

Lovegrove's work, it seems, is never ending. Eventually he hopes to create a data base with information about each individual member of the battalion. “There are so many stories that have yet to be told, ” he said.

In wrapping up our interview Lovegrove stressed the importance of the Canadian contribution to WW1. “From a total population of 8 million, 600,000 Canadians served in WW1, which is a huge number and it should be noted that Canada's contribution was recognized by the fact that they were asked to sign the Peace Treaty, which demonstrated the recognition of their incredible efforts and their huge sacrifices.”

To learn more about The 146th Research Project visit www.146battalion.ca and those with any information can email him at “This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..” It should also be noted that Doug is the military historian for the Portland District and Area Heritage Society and he also welcomes any information and artifacts in that context as well.

This year, Frontenac County marks the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1865.

To mark the year, we are embarking on a multi-media project. Our intention is to publish stories about people, places, groups and institutions from the past and present that are unique to this corner of the world. A number of these stories will be based on interviews with some of the county's elders, who can give us a picture of our local communities 50 and even 75 years ago. We hope to keep these articles varied, and that they will stand alone as historical pieces while at the same time building a rich picture of Frontenac County.

In the dedicated anniversary section of our website, Frontenacnews.ca, which will be up and running in a couple of weeks, all of the articles will be posted, as well as video and still imagery connected to them.

We are also planning to gather other historical material in digital format to enrich the section. To that end we are putting out a call for submissions from the public. Material in digital form can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please write Frontenac 150 in the subject line), and if there is material that needs to be digitized please let us know by calling us at 613-279-3150 or emailing us and we will endeavour to make it happen. The same email address can be used for story ideas for the project and the names and contact numbers of people who would make good interview subjects.

To set the whole project in motion, we have two articles in this week's paper. One is an interview with Lee-Anne White, which has two accompanying videos at Frontenacnews.ca.

I interviewed Lee last summer at her home in Fernleigh. At the time she was 99 years old. Her 100th birthday party took place last weekend, although she doesn't turn over the century mark until tomorrow, so it seems fitting that we kick off our year-long 150th anniversary bash for the county with the story of a lifelong resident from its north end who continues to contribute to the life of her community to this day.

As an added bonus, we also have an article about the 146th Overseas Battalion in World War 1, which was made up of recruits from Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Counties and is being researched by Verona resident (and veteran) Doug Lovegrove.

We are also seeking financial support through sponsorship opportunities in order to dedicate more of our resources to making this project as full and rich as possible. Our title sponsor is the 150th Anniversary Committee of Frontenac County Council, who will be putting on a major event of their own to mark the anniversary in late August at Centennial Park in Harrowsmith. We hope to build interest in that event through our newspaper and web content.

This year, Frontenac County marks the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1865.

To mark the year, we are embarking on a multi-media project. Our intention is to publish stories about people, places, groups and institutions from the past and present that are unique to this corner of the world. A number of these stories will be based on interviews with some of the county's elders, who can give us a picture of our local communities 50 and even 75 years ago. We hope to keep these articles varied, and that they will stand alone as historical pieces while at the same time building a rich picture of Frontenac County.

In the dedicated anniversary section of our website, Frontenacnews.ca, which will be up and running in a couple of weeks, all of the articles will be posted, as well as video and still imagery connected to them.

We are also planning to gather other historical material in digital format to enrich the section. To that end we are putting out a call for submissions from the public. Material in digital form can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please write Frontenac 150 in the subject line), and if there is material that needs to be digitized please let us know by calling us at 613-279-3150 or emailing us and we will endeavour to make it happen. The same email address can be used for story ideas for the project and the names and contact numbers of people who would make good interview subjects.

To set the whole project in motion, we have two articles in this week's paper. One is an interview with Lee-Anne White, which has two accompanying videos at Frontenacnews.ca.

I interviewed Lee last summer at her home in Fernleigh. At the time she was 99 years old. Her 100th birthday party took place last weekend, although she doesn't turn over the century mark until tomorrow, so it seems fitting that we kick off our year-long 150th anniversary bash for the county with the story of a lifelong resident from its north end who continues to contribute to the life of her community to this day.

As an added bonus, we also have an article about the 146th Overseas Battalion in World War 1, which was made up of recruits from Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Counties and is being researched by Verona resident (and veteran) Doug Lovegrove.

We are also seeking financial support through sponsorship opportunities in order to dedicate more of our resources to making this project as full and rich as possible. Our title sponsor is the 150th Anniversary Committee of Frontenac County Council, who will be putting on a major event of their own to mark the anniversary in late August at Centennial Park in Harrowsmith. We hope to build interest in that event through our newspaper and web content.

Long-time Verona resident, Doug Lovegrove, recalled that when he first moved to Verona in 1980 he became interested in the history of WW1 and in particular, the 146th "Overseas” Battalion, a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces based in Kingston, Ontario.

The unit was made up of soldiers and officers from the counties of Frontenac and Lennox and Addington and recruiting began in Kingston in late 1915. Recruiting offices were also set up in Tamworth, Enterprise, Flinton and Napanee and recruiting teams also visited many of the hamlets in both counties.

Lovegrove, who served as an electronics technician in the Canadian Army in both the RCEME and the RC SIGS from 1967 until he retired in 1992, said that he became intrigued with the 146th Battalion because “simply put, there was not very much information out there about it.”

Lovegrove began his research five years ago and the results of his efforts are now accessible online in a project he has titled "The 146th Research Project". It is comprised of two parts: the first, a history of WW1 and the 146th battalion and the second a more in-depth look at the estimated 600 to 800 soldiers and officers who were part of it.

While most of Doug's findings have come from information he has gleaned from the internet, a number of local residents have also helped shed light on its individual members after he put an advertisement in this newspaper asking readers for any information they might have.

When interviewed earlier this week Lovegrove said that information about the 146th Battalion in general is scarce due to the fact that the unit was not formed until November 28, 1915 and further, that as soon as the unit arrived in England, its members were absorbed into the many other existing units. “Of the 260 battalions that fought in WW1, only one third are well documented”, he said. “The 146th Battalion was absorbed almost immediately upon its arrival in England. When I started my research only two units, the 95th Battalion and the 12th Reserve were listed as the ones who absorbed members from the 146th, but so far I have found 27 other units where members of the 146th ended up.”

Much of the information about individual soldiers and officers Lovegrove gleaned by searching individual regimental numbers, which offer up information about a soldier's place of birth, the names of his parents, his marital status, sometimes medical information, as well as the unit they were assigned to when they arrived in England, the medals they received, if they were killed in action and where they were buried in Europe or at home. The website includes a listing of memorable dates that outline the battalion's formation in Kingston and its travels from Kingston to Valcartier, Quebec and on to Halifax, where its members boarded the HMT Southland. The ship was part of a large convoy that departed for Liverpool, England on September 27, 1916 and arrived on October, 6, 1916. To date Lovegrove has found 66 pictures of individuals who served in the 146th and has also located 93 gravestone markers, most of them in Europe and some in Canada.

One of Lovegrove's most cherished finds occurred just this past week when he came across the 146th Battalion's colours, which were presented by a Mrs. J. B. Pense on behalf of the citizens of Kingston and deposited immediately after the battalion's departure for England at St. Andrew's Church in Kingston. The colours can now be viewed online and "are a very important historical artifact and represent the insignia of the unit.”

Others important finds are a photo of the entire battalion that he came across online as well as a photo of local soldiers from the unit gathered at the train station in Sharbot Lake, circa 1915. The latter photo hangs in the office of Sharbot Lake resident Marcel Giroux.

For Lovegrove the project remains incomplete and he is still hoping to find out more information that any local residents might possess or know of. The project includes an information request sheet that can filled out for those who either would like information or have information to relate.

Lovegrove's work, it seems, is never ending. Eventually he hopes to create a data base with information about each individual member of the battalion. “There are so many stories that have yet to be told, ” he said.

In wrapping up our interview Lovegrove stressed the importance of the Canadian contribution to WW1. “From a total population of 8 million, 600,000 Canadians served in WW1, which is a huge number and it should be noted that Canada's contribution was recognized by the fact that they were asked to sign the Peace Treaty, which demonstrated the recognition of their incredible efforts and their huge sacrifices.”

To learn more about The 146th Research Project visit www.146battalion.ca and those with any information can email him at “This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..” It should also be noted that Doug is the military historian for the Portland District and Area Heritage Society and he also welcomes any information and artifacts in that context as well.

Against all odds the annual Blue Skies in the Community “Little Christmas” concert went on at the Maberly hall on January 4 thanks to a courageous bunch of community fiddlers, their two fearless leaders and an enthusiastic group of listeners, who once again made the concert a huge success.

It was touch and go in the hours leading up to the show after the year's first fierce snow/ice storm made a mess of roads and left a number of participants housebound, including scheduled emcee Linda Grenier, who was graciously replaced by Linda Tranter.

The concert featured performances by the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra led by conductor Cindy McCall and the Celtic Heritage Fiddle Orchestra led by Carolyn Stewart. The show opened with two numbers by the Blue Skies Community Prep orchestra made up of beginner players of all ages who demonstrated in "The First Noel" and "My Darling Asleep" what they have mastered in just three months time.

New to this year's show was a performance by the newly formed youth ensemble, The Unspoken Rests, comprised of six young players who are also part of the larger community orchestra. They played six impressive numbers under the direction of McCall for what was just their second performance since they formed in September. Highlights of their set included the P.E.I. tune "Fairies at Monticello" by Bill MacDonald and the Nova Scotia favorite "Val's Dream". Look out you fiddling oldsters; these young players might just have a thing of two to teach you. The Celtic Heritage Fiddle Orchestra was up next and played a number of inspiring tunes, each introduced by different members of the group, many of whom have been playing together under the direction of Carolyn Stewart for 14 years.

They opened with "Logging Camp", a soulful sing-along and their impressive and diverse repertoire also included "Cape Breton Lullabye", and "The Grand Etang", a march that was especially spirited and punchy.

Following an intermission it was the Blue Skies Community Orchestra's time to shine. They performed a number of their favorite jigs and reels, opening with "Pigeon on the Gate", which was followed by another PEI tune called "Joe Kearney's Reel". They performed a number of classics like "Wedding Gift" and "Debbie's Waltz" plus a new tune titled "Pig Alley Rip".

The audience was lively and their thunderous applause following one especially spirited number managed to shake loose the ice and snow from the hall's roof, which added to the infectious merriment.

Come this summer members of the BSCFO hope to travel to PEI where they will have a chance to experience first hand some of the stellar fiddling talent and teachers there. They also plan to attend the annual Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival. The orchestra is currently half way to meeting their fundraising mark of $25,000, which will pay for the traveling and other expenses for the trip. A number of special fundraising events have taken place already this past year with others planned for 2015. A newly printed cook book titled “Fiddlin' in the Kitchen”, which features favorite recipes from orchestra members, is now available for $15, with over half of the proceeds going towards the planned PEI trip. Anyone wishing to purchase a cook book can contact any member of the BSCFO or call Kate Turner at 613-335-2782.

Kim Ondaatje, long time resident and keeper of Blueroof Farm in Bellrock, likely hasn't put paint to canvas in decades, or a least not in the big way she did decades ago. However, a recent trip with her to the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queens University, where a retrospective of her paintings hangs until April 5, brought perspective and insight to the career of a formidable Canadian artist whose works hang in galleries and collections all over the world.

The show is a smaller, more compact version of a larger retrospective that was held last year at Museum London in London, Ontario. The Kingston show focuses on the artist’s paintings from three distinct periods.

The first period, her Hill series (1965-1966) focuses on the wilderness of northern Ontario, which Kim was inspired to explore by her industrialist father, who also loved the wild north. These smaller paintings depict locations in Bancroft, Muskoka and Haliburton, places she explored and came to know well as a young adult. Painted with a palette knife these works depict large, moody landforms, hills and shorelines that for Kim represent highly emotional times in her early adult life when she experienced both love and loss. “In these paintings I was letting out my feelings regarding the death of a friend who died in a white water canoeing accident in 1947.” The works represent the artist’s earlier expressionistic tendencies as a young painter but also foretell the compositional style typical of her later work.

The House on Piccadilly Street series (1967-1969) presents a more domestic time in Kim's life, when she was busy setting up her first family home in London, Ontario. The home is the subject for this series, which she painted after the house was renovated, and prior to moving in. In this series she gave up oil paints in favour of acrylics to meticulously render these hauntingly uninhabited interiors, simply titled “Door”, “Furnace”, “Chair”, which show single rooms or sections of rooms, but all devoid of any sign of human life. Still, the paintings offer a certain still tranquility, each beautifully bare and geometrically pleasing in their precise emptiness.

For the artist these works bring back memories of her mother, who set up her family’s numerous homes as perfect domestic settings, places so careful and regal that Kim recalls being afraid of breaking things when she would visit them with her dogs and children. “This series of the Piccadilly House pictures are about the way western society emulates perfection and symmetry and lifelessness. As you see there are no signs of life in these paintings, which is very different from Blueroof, where I live now and which is overflowing with life."

Both of these earlier series foreshadow the compositional qualities of Ondaatje’s Factory series (1970-1974), works that question the environmental impacts of big industry. These expansive works depicting some of Ontario’s largest factories, like Carlings on the 401 and the Lake Ontario Cement Factory in Prince Edward County are austerely beautiful in their masterful draftsmanship and subtle colouring, while simultaneously addressing their negative impacts on the environment. They depict the formal architectural landscapes of big industry typical in those decades, structures and related objects that are placed in what appear to be inaccessible landscapes, places that seem cut off from the living world yet which possess an austere beauty of their own.

These canvases definitely hold surprises for those who have never seen them in person. In “Carlings on 401” for example, a barely noticeable lumpy section of the canvas higher up depicts a small jet plane, soaring straight up perpendicular to the painting’s horizon line, a daring and inventive add on by the artist that is so subtle it fails to appear on the postcard-sized reproduction advertising the show; yet somehow it seems to foreshadow a dubious future. The show includes other noteworthy stand-alone works, including a painting of the artist as a young girl and also a short film made by the artist in conjunction with the Factory series that puts her huge behemoth factory spaces into the world of real time.

To view a collection of work by a mature artist, one who at age 86 has had decades to reflect on her past work, is a real treat and it was made more special in the company of Kim who never fails to impress with her generous reflections on the people, places and events that inspired her work, and that still fully engage her youthful heart and mind.

The Agnes Etherington Art Centre is located at 36 University Avenue in Kingston. Admission is free on Thursdays. For more information and hours call 613-533-2190.

By Bill Bowick

Frontenac Masonic Lodge will be hosting a Robbie Burns dinner in Sharbot Lake again in 2015. This year it will be co-hosted by the Central Frontenac Fire Department and held in the Soldiers' Memorial (Oso) Hall. There will be kilts and pipes and good food. There will be toasts and music and ladies and gentlemen in their best dress.The menu will feature a roast pork dinner accompanied by cock-a-leekie soup, Scotch eggs, sticky pud'n for dessert and, of course, the haggis. There will be a cash bar with some premium Scotches and a DD which we hope no-one will need.

There will be the traditional toast to the haggis plus other Burns favorites and an open mike for anyone who wishes to contribute. The music will include a fiddle orchestra with a program of Scottish tunes as well as the pipes and some opportunities to sing. It should be a full evening of fun and fellowship for all.

The dinner will be held on Saturday, January 24 starting at 6pm. Tickets are $20 per person and must be purchased or reserved in advance. Contact Bill Bowick 613-279-3341; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or

Bill Young at 613-539-9956, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

by Rev. Patsy Henry, Harrowsmith-Verona Pastoral Charge

Last night as my family began turning off the lights and saying good night to each other, I glanced quickly out my window in the direction of the small shelter that houses our ducks and chickens. There it stood, in the midst of the blowing snow with the light of a single lamp glowing brightly from its window.

At that moment I found myself being taken back in time to the story of Bethlehem of long ago of a soon to be mother and father and their son yet to be born.

What a wonderful time of year this is! Yet in the midst of all our busy lives, we are reminded that the most important message of the Christmas season is that God is not a distant God. God is the One who comes in this Jesus born in a stable, determined to bind humanity together in love and concern for all people. Through the example of his life we are challenged to grow in spirit and in truth. In the midst of all life brings our way, the good, the bad and all that happens in between, the joy of this season is still present, shining bright through the opening of a stable door.

This world in which we live may not be as just, not as loving, not as whole as we wish it to be, but the coming of Jesus and his presence among us, as one of us, to teach and love us gives us reason to live in hope; hope that light will shatter the darkness of our fears and prejudices, promising us that we are never alone or abandoned by God. And so we sing of tidings of great joy which is to be for all people.

The heart of Christmas is the message of a gracious God who became one of us just to tell us how very much we are loved.

Such is the true joy is of Christmas, not the expensive gifts that demand our money and time. It is something we can offer simply and profoundly to others: with a smile a kind gesture, a little help, forgiveness. The more we spend in blessing those in need, the more of our heart’s wealth returns to make us glad.

My prayer for us all and for this world we live in is simply this:

May the forgiving Spirit of Jesus whose birth we celebrate rest upon the earth.

May hunger disappear and senseless acts of violence and hate and terrorism be forever halted.

May all people live in freedom, worshiping as they see fit, always extending a hand of love to others. May the everlasting peace of which the angels sang every reign supreme.

May the message of Spirit of Christmas, with its message of hope, peace, love and joy be with us all.

Merry Christmas, everyone.