It’s not often all the churches in the area get together for an event but that’s what happened Sunday in Verona. And to top it off, the day also featured a stunning concert featuring two local teenagers with extremely bright futures.

The Ecumenical Service was a Canada 150 event featuring seven area churches, said Rev. Patsy Henry of Trinity United Church, one of the organizers.

“It was wonderful, and the first time anything like this has occurred in my time here (six years)” Henry said. “We had five area pastors, and a mixed choir from a number of congregations.

“Everybody seemed very happy and I think this should be a yearly event.”

Henry said there were about 200 people in attendance “based on the number of chairs.”

Never one to miss out on an opportunity, the Verona Community Association’s Joyce Casement said the VCA figured this was a good day to have a Music in the Park event.

“They (the churches) planned the Ecumenical Service, so we tagged on to it,” she said.

Not only did the VCA bring in some top-notch music, they also sprung for a free lunch of hot dogs and cake, and paid for the grounds.

Now, about this edition of Music in the Park.

The VCA has been putting on some excellent Sunday concerts for a few years now usually three or four a summer. The event stared out at McMullen Park by the water but moved to the Lions Pavilion after experiencing a couple of rainouts.

And you could make a case for being the best Music in the Park installment yet, thanks to the remarkable talents of two teenage girls.

Mountain Grove’s Jessica Wedden led things off fiddling up a storm and backed by Inverary’s Jon McLurg (Turpin’s Trail, Crooked Wood). Wedden delighted the audience with classic fiddle tunes, step-dancing and trick fiddling. This kid never seems to miss a note and smiles from the time she hits the stage until she gets off (even then the smile seems to remain).

Wedden proved to be a very capable opening act for another area rising star — Abby Stewart (OK, she’s from Kingston but after her concert earlier this year at GREC and this outing, we’ll claim her too).

Backed by guitarist Shaun Weima, Stewart certainly didn’t disappoint, running through a mix of country and alternative in a polished style that’s all her own.

Just imagine if you got to see Natalie MacMaster opening for Shania Twain before they were ‘stars’ and you’ll kind of get the picture.

Ladies, it was a treat.

Making a useful basket from a tree trunk could be a mystery for any one other than an indigenous person. For many years our First Nations people have traditionally used the trunk of a black ash tree to provide the fine splints for basketmaking. This is done by pounding the trunk with a wooden mallet until the growth rings separate.

This summer the Lanark Highlands Basketry Museum, in the village of McDonald's Corners,is celebrating black ash basketry. During the month of July there  will be a demonstration of pounding the black ash to release these fine splints. On August 26, Richard Nolan, a basket teacher from Kahnawaake, QC,  will be coming to the MERA School house in McDonald's Corners. He will teach a workshop on making a small black ash basket and also discussing the traditional preparation of black ash splints.

The Lanark Highlands Basketry Museum, 5596 McDonaldsCorners Rd., McDonalds Corners, is open every Saturday from 11 AM to 3 PM, or by appointment 613 278-1203. During July visitors are invited to try out pounding the black ash which is set up in the garden. Admission is by donation.

The workshop with Richard Nolan on Aug 26 will be at the MERA Schoolhouse and the details can be found on the Mera website, meraschoolhouse.org.

It is important to pre-register as spaces are limited.

For more info about the museum see www.lanarkhighlandsbasketrymuseum.ca

It was standing room only at the former schoolhouse, now know as the Snow Road Community Centre on Saturday afternoon (June 17)

Gerry Lichty, President of the Community Centre, was the Master of Ceremonies.

The building was originally constructed in 1896. The local township, South Palmerston, provided the local school trustees with a debenture for $400 to cover the cost of the new building with the terms of repayment of $100 per annum with 6% interest. The school proved to be a wise investment wit attendance of up to 50 students a year. At times it was so busy that desks frequently did dual or triple duty. All this under the supervision of only one teacher. The building served serves as the local school until 1966, when it was decided to bus both the elementary and high school students to Sharbot Lake.

In 1976 a group of local citizens decided that the old schoolhouse should be preserved for posterity. On Oct. 20Th 1977 the “Happy Gang Senior’s Club” was established. Over the next three years an addition was dded to the back of the building to house the kitchen and washroom facilities and the meeting hall portion of the building was insulated, panelled, and carpeted. After many months of hard work and sacrifices it opened on august 9th, 1980 and almost 300 people attended the opening ceremony. The building became the focal point for local activities, meetings and entertainment. The school bell, which had been purchased by the Gemmill family at auction in 1966 when the school was closed, was donated back as part of the refurbishment.

Over the next 30 years or so, through good times and bad, even when the hall was much less active, a core group of volunteers maintained the facility. A few years ago $8,000 was raised through fund raising and with an additional 1,000 hours of volunteer labour the Township of North Frontenac, the hall was upgraded again. Corey Klatt, with the township of North Frontenac guided the volunteers through the process and helped see the dream through to reality. Thanks to everyone, including the Frontenac County Schools museum who created various displays and artifacts go that we have an enhanced appreiation of the history of the Snow Road settlement.

By 2015 use of the building had increased so significantly that major changes were needed again. With the help of the Federal government through their Canada150 program and generous assistance and wisdom of the Township of North Frontenac, the community came together once again to undertake the following activities: replacement of all he seating with new comfortable padded chairs; the addition of a heat pump to improve heating and provide air-conditioning; the construction of a new entrance to improve access and increase usable interior space;  the complete renovation of the kitchen facilities; and the refurbishment of the existing interior overhead sign. The facility has also been re-named the Snow Road Community Centre (it has been officially known as the South Palmerston Community Centre until now).

Walter Gemmil brought everyone together for the ceremony on Saturday by ringing the bell that he donated back to the centre so many years ago. Sharon Dowdall did a fantastic job and presentation about the history of the one room schoolhouse. Mayor Ron Higgins gave a speech. Wonderful music as provided by Walter Cameron and his partner Marilyn, who is a fantastic singer, as well as Eric Labelle, Eddie Ashton, Mark Hannah and Kevin Topping.

Olive Allen, Harriet Riddell, Ron Higgins and Eva Webster cut the ribbon. And there was cake of course, and cold drinks and coffee and tea.

It was a wonderful and interesting afternoon.

When Doug Angle looks closely at a steam engine train, the mechanical parts look like a work of art.

Doug,  appreciates, like his family before him, the design, construction and operation of a train.

“My grandfather was a telegrapher for the Toronto, Hamilton, Buffalo Railway,” confirms the 59-year-old process improvement consultant from Sydenham, who is also the President of the Frontenac Society of Model Engineers (FSME)

“My father fired on steam engines in the 1950s.. He shovelled four tons of coal every day.”

Familiar with that hot and heavy work, Doug talks about his father’s accomplishments with pride.

“On a full-sized locomotive, it takes two people to keep it running,” he explains about the fireman (person who shovels coal) and engineer (person who operates the train). “To drive a locomotive, you need to know everything about how it works or you will find yourself sitting on a train wondering why it won’t go.”

Armed with this family history and his own interest in trains, Doug joined the FSME ten years ago.

“I wanted to take on something new,” says the friendly father of three.

“I think what you’ll find with model engineers, particularly with steam engines, you can see all of the mechanical parts working. What’s really neat is that our steam engines have all of the same parts as full-sized locomotives.”

18 members strong, the club owns a 1,200 ft track, locomotives and riding cars in a field next to the Battersea Baseball Diamond. The club started construction on the township property in 2011. It completed the elevated track in 2012 and the ground line in 2015.

Tucked away in a corner of the village that is not visible from the main road, the club is bringing itself front and centre this Saturday by hosting an Open House from 11 am to 3 pm.

“This is a great time to see our operation and have a ride on a train,” says Doug. “People can view, and enjoy, a variety of miniature live steam locomotives on display and in operation. We expect to be running on both tracks during the day. We’ll be giving rides on the larger gauge track.”

The president hopes the club exceeds the number of guests at their open house in 2016.

“Last year, we had about 500 people come. That may sound like a lot, but it pales in comparison to the 1,300 passengers we hauled at the Battersea Pumpkin Festival last year,” he said.

“The Pumpkin Festival was a lot of work and we were happy people came-out and shared their love of trains. A lot of people are surprised there are still steam engines burning coal; that they do what steam engines are supposed to do.”

The club is eager to share its love of trains.

“At this event, we have time to show people how the equipment works,” says the president. “In a sense, it’s a way of preserving our steam heritage. There aren’t a lot of full-sized steam locomotives operating anymore. We’re happy to show people that.”

To ride a miniature live steam locomotive for FREE this Saturday, travel into the Village of Battersea and turn off Battersea Road onto Doris Lane. The club is located in the field at the bottom of the hill on the right. To learn more about the club or this event, please contact Doug Angle at 613-376-3908 or visit www.fsme.ca

When words fail Chris Murphy, music speaks.

Resting between shows in early June, the popular musician responds with self-deprecation when asked about himself.

A resident of Frontenac County and rising star in Canada, his lack of ego is a refreshing change to the notoriously bad behaviour of other artists. Small talk doesn’t come as easily to him as the words of 1,000 songs he has memorized.

“I consider myself an introvert,” admits the friendly singer/song writer from Sydenham. “Being on stage allows me to be a bit more gregarious and charismatic than in real life.”

Tall and strong, Chris’ musical talent was recognized early.

At 20 years old, he won the Country Singing Showdown in Kingston.

Almost two decades later, his summer is booked solid by early spring and he’s touring across Canada with some of the biggest names in Canadian music in front of celebrities, dignitaries and world leaders. He has performed for the Governor General of Canada at the National Arts Centre and plays with Sean McCann, formerly of the Great Big Sea, and Abby Stewart, an up-and-coming country music singer from Kingston.

At 39 years old, Chris seems happy with the numbers of his life. He plays in five bands, plays one-dozen instruments and expects to perform 150 shows this year.

“Music is something that has come naturally to me,” he says. “I love listening to music. I love playing it. It’s a form of expression. I’ve written songs that are an intimate form of expression. Even playing other people’s songs gives me a good feeling, trying to make them sound as good as I can.”

Armed with a love of music from his family and a degree in musical education from Queen’s University, Chris took a leap of faith and followed his dream to sing. It was a risk that paid off.

An experienced performer of Celtic and East Coast music, he has bookings from British Columbia to Newfoundland this year.

“I went to Newfoundland in 2000 and I just fell in love with the people, music, area, culture and food,” he says about his repeated performances there.

This summer, he estimates he will only be home for five days in August due to bookings around the country.

“I’ve always loved music. It’s sort of my passion,” he notes, when asked about his dreams. “Being able to do what you love is kind of the goal. One of the things I wanted to do was to travel the country and get paid to do so.”

Married for 13 years with two young daughters, Chris smiles when he talks about the good, the bad and the ugly side of show business.

“I often joke - I play for free, but I get paid for setting-up the sound equipment and lugging it around,” he said.

“I think a lot of people don’t understand what is involved in what we do,” he said about performing late into the night at bars where a performer is part of the atmosphere, or in the comfort of a concert hall where a performer is the main attraction.

Smiling as he recalls recent bar gigs, he notes, “There’s times you feel like a wall hanging or a fern. But often you know that going into a show.”

“Concert halls are the best performances for the soul,” he adds.

Often found playing sports when he’s not performing, Chris doesn’t stray far from his guitar in his spare time.

“When I’m not playing or being a dad, I enjoy sports,” he says about his pastime. “I would also consider playing music my fun. I do a lot of playing at home. It’s something I don’t get sick of.”

In recognition of Canada’s 150th birthday this year, Chris Murphy will be performing Canadian songs at Inverary United Church at 7 pm on June 25. This evening performance includes free parking, refreshments and freewill offering. Everyone welcome!

“Hoza” is an African word that can mean stop, start or change, Kevin Fell told the audience at GREC last week.

“Our mission is to help put a stop to negative thinking and behaviours and facilitate change that is needed to start living in a more socially just world,” he said.

To do that, Fell and Derek Thorne brought an energetic message told through drums and stories, with plenty of audience interaction and participation.

In particular, they tell they story of Nelson Mandela, who was sent to jail in South Africa for defending opponents and victims of Apartheid, only to re-emerge as a leader of those victims and eventually become president of the country.

They illustrated their point with several audience participation exercises designed to help students think differently about themselves and the world around them. (The ‘arrest’ of teacher Wade Leonard was a highlight for many in the audience.)

“We give them (students) a template to think differently about themselves,” Fell said. “We do that through the leadership of Nelson Mandela and it also gives them permission to think differently about themselves, permission to not put themselves down.”

Fell, who is originally from South Africa, has degrees in both performance and education. He believes strongly in the power of education through the arts.

Thorne is a well-established Canadian drummer originally from Trinidad.

“We’re performers who teach,” Fell said. “We teach through the arts

“And we also give schools a chance to come together as a community.”

One way they did that was to organize a drum lesson on the djembe, an east African drum known for its distinctive sound, with groups of students followed by a round for the teachers.

The Wolfe Island Garden Party is a three day event that will feature music on Thursday and Friday Nights (June 15 and 16) and a day of open houses at farms and arts studios on the island and  much more music, food and local beer on Saturday (June 17).

The event has more or less developed into this form after Janette Hasse approach local musician and producer Chris Brown about a fund raising benefit. Hasse has been working with the students at Marysville Public School on  a community garden project at the Wolfe Island Medical Centre, which she is planning to expand to the grounds of the new senior’s building that is being constructed nearby and build a greenhouse.

Chris Brown has been producing music with musicians from far and wide at his Post Office Studio for ten years, and recently decided to form a label, Wolfe Island Records. At the same time, Casey Fisher from the Wolfe Island Grill and Rene Zieglemaier are launching Wolfe Island Spring Craft Brewery this month (see article on page 4 of the FCFDC supplement in this issue).

The idea of celebrating the link between art and agriculture on the island took off and the 1st annual Wolfe Island Garden party came to life. The event has turned into a coming out party of sorts for the music label, the beer company and local farmers and artists.

In the end 13 locations have signed on to participate, including 6 farms, 2 artists and 3 restaurants.

“We wanted to raise some awareness about food sourcing and the interdependence between food and art and music, and to celebrate some of the connections that have been growing in our island community,” said Chris Brown. “And when people came forward offering to hold open houses across the island, we knew we had something.”

Among the farms operations that are participating are DeRuiters Black Angus Cattle, the Posthumus Dairy Farm, Windkeeper Farm vegetables and seed, to name a few. Frontenac County is hosting an agricucltural panel on Saturday afternoon at the General Wolfe Inn. Later in the afternoon, the restaurants will be hosting musical events and serving food, and Chris Brown has invited some of the musicians who have recorded at his studio, including Jenny Whiteley and Joey Wright from Elphin, Luther Wright and the Wrongs, the Openhearts Society, Suzanne Jarvie, David Corley, Chris Brown himself and a host of others will be performing at the venues throughout the three days. For a full schedule, go to the Wolfe Island Garden Party Facebook event page.

Particularly on the Saturday, visitors from the mainland are invited to leave their cars in Kingston and walk onto the ferry or bring a bike. Many of the events are in Marysville or close by, and bike rentals are available and there will be a wagon providing free transportation. The idea of visiting the island without bringing a car is a focus this summer, to ease pressure on the ferry, make it easier to cross and for a more pleasant experience because walkers and cyclist can waltz onto the ferry while cars and trucks need to wait, sometimes for an extra hour.

Events start at 8:30 pm on Friday and Saturday and run from 11am until the evening on Saturday.

The ferry leaves Kingston  on the 1/2 hour from 8:30 in the morning until 12:30, and then on the hour from 2pm until 10pm. It takes 20 minutes to cross over.

Perhaps the busiest place in Frontenac County was Wintergreen Studios on Canoe Lake Road as the wilderness retreat played host to Land Art BioBlitz 2017, a five-day series of workshops and species count featuring a variety of activities and visiting instructors.

Workshops featured Matt Ellerbeck, the Salamander Man, professional naturalist Richard Aaron, composer and Carleton University music professor Jesse Stewart, naturalist Bronwyn Harkness and organic vegetable farmer/environmental activist Marie Bencze.

This was Wintergreen’s third BioBlitz, however it was the first to be held over five days. The first two were one-day events.

“This year is very different,” said program director Monica Capovilla. “Instead of being a race to identifying as many organisms as possible in a 24-hour period, the idea is to mirror and honour the Slow Food movement, giving everyone a chance to form a deeper connection with the natural world.

“This is more than just species identification, it’s all about learning what’s out there and creating a better understanding of why biodiversity is so important.”

To that end, there was a steady stream of buses coming in bringing a range of classrooms from public schools in Verona and Kingston.

“For many of these kids, this is a very different space from what they’re used to,” said Capovilla, a teacher herself. “It’s about teaching them a greater respect for insects, animals, trees — and to give them a better understanding for where they fit in with it all.”

She said they hope there will be a “ripple effect” from this event resulting in more people getting interested

‘Travelling BioBlitzer’ Jason Crockwell from Pittsfield, Mass. said he made a special effort to come this year.

“Even though I’ve been living in my Jeep, and I’ve never been out of the U.S. before, I wanted something different and this certainly is it,” he said.

BioBlitz 2017 was free to the public because the support of TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Capovilla said.

They’re already planning next year’s BioBlitz on a similar theme and it’s tentatively scheduled for the last weekend in May/first weekend in June.

Wintergreen Studios is a year-round, off-grid, art/wilderness/education retreat on a 204-acre property with mixed habitats.

They have a number of events scheduled for the summer with the next one being a medicine walk/salve-making forum with Mary Ann Spencer. See their website for details.

A three-person jury has chosen a winner for this year’s Award Of Excellence in Fine Arts and Fine Crafts supporting the work of Fibre Artist and Quilt Maker, Bridget O’Flaherty. Jurors Sunny Kerr, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Agnes Etherington Art Gallery at Queens University in Kingston, Victoria Henry, curator and art critic, and the former Director of the Canada Council Art Bank, and Ankaret Dean, Artistic Director MERA (McDonalds Corners/Elphin Recreation and Arts), unanimously selected Bridget O’Flaherty for the 2017 award. Victoria Henry said of O’Flaherty’s entry, “Her unique and technically brilliant quilts recognized both the old tradition of quilt making in Canada and the merits of a sensitive aesthetic.”  Bridget O’Flaherty describes her process, “I learned traditional quilting from my mother over 25 years ago, but I had always been drawn to natural landscapes and exploring the blend of contemporary fibre art techniques with the traditions of quilting. I utilize layers of thread for shading effects, much like pencil crayon or pen and ink, stitching techniques, traditional piecing of fabric and quilting techniques to convey my landscape art.”

According to Ankaret Dean, “This year, the entries to the MERA Award Excellence again demonstrated the amazing talent, skill, and variety that exists in our community.  We chose the work of Bridget O 'Flaherty as the winner. She combines the traditional art of quilting with machine embroidery to create the effect of painting.  Her images reflect the beauty and colour of the natural environment.”

Honorable mention was awarded to Sarah Wright for her “exquisite and very personal pen and ink drawings” according to Victoria Henry.  Dean stated that ”The drawings of Sarah Wright were quite unique and personal, and a delight in their simplicity. We chose Sarah that her work be recognized with an honourable mention.” The artist commented “"If an image makes someone feel uncomfortable, I think it’s important to not turn away but to take a closer look.  Why does this make me feel this way, what does that discomfort say about me, our society, our expectations of women, our views on sexuality, gender, and mental health?”

The MERA Award, consisting of a $1000 prize, will be presented to Bridget O’Flaherty at a reception on Friday, June 16th. 2015 from 4:30 pm until 6 pm at the Schoolhouse in McDonald’s Corners. Sarah Wright will also be present. Both of these artists will show examples of their work at the reception.

The MERA Award, which is given every two years, was conceived and made possible by a generous donation by Lanark Highlands residents Chris and David Dodge to the Perth and District Community Foundation, which manages the funds. Recognizing MERA’s important contribution to the arts community, the Dodges chose MERA to select the Award winners.

Anyone interested in learning more about the MERA Award is invited to send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., visit MERA’s website: www.meraschoolhouse.org,  or leave a telephone message at 613-278-0388. The next award will be given in 2019.

As part of our Canada 150 programme, the North Frontenac Little Theatre is hosting a theatre camp for youth culminating in a presentation to celebrate our heritage entitled “Skits and Songs for a Summer Evening”. The presentation will be in conjunction with the North Frontenac Community Services annual barbecue at the Sharbot Lake Beach, Thursday, August 17, that runs from roughly 4 pm to 7 pm.

The preparatory youth theatre camp will run from Tuesday, August 8 to Wednesday, August 16 from 1 pm to 4 pm daily (excluding the weekend) at the NFLT Tichborne Hall. Online registrationopens  June 1st through NFLT’s website. We can accommodate between ten and fifteen children, ages eight or nine up to twelve or thirteen years old.

Youth camp activities, under the direction of Brian Robertson and Andrea Dickinson, will include aspects of dramatic and visual arts along with singing and some basic choreography, all in preparation for our culminating presentation of "Skits and Songs for a Summer Evening".

We will also require several camp counsellors between the ages of 14 and 18 years old. Counsellors would help with the organization of materials, set-up and the coaching of participants with their roles. They may even be invited to join in on the acting or singing! Secondary school community service hours will be readily acknowledged.

Registration fee will be $5 per person. Participants will be asked to bring a snack and drink, and to be ready and willing to avail themselves of an outhouse when nature calls as there is no plumbing in the hall!

Looking forward to seeing you this summer to celebrate our heritage and to have some fun!

Happy Canada 150!