Once again NFLT has managed to put together a Christmas show that will delight audiences for this Christmas season. For many people “A Christmas Story” may evoke memories of the movie, by the same name, that they watched growing up in the 1980’s. It is a perfect family show to prepare everyone for the festivities surrounding the celebration of Christmas. Our young actors are hard at work getting into the character of their roles. Watching over them during rehearsal is Andrea Duggan who helps with prompting them and getting them on and off stage. Since the set was put in place on Nov. 13 the kids now are getting used to exits and entrances and blocking with many scene changes. Brian Robertson along with Jeff Siamon constructed the set at the Tichborne rehearsal Hall. Once it was completed Carol Pepper used her artistic talents to paint and decorate the set. She engaged 2 student helpers, Allison Chacon and Austin Squibb,  from GREC (who were working on their Community volunteer hours), to paint and eventually move the set to GREC. As well as painting Carol also created some of the props and was helped by Joanne Pickett and Mike Steeves. Linda Bush is a busy lady keeping track of the many props used during different scenes and making sure the kids don’t walk away with the intriguing ones. Karin Ferguson Reynolds, Stage Manager, is doing a terrific job with all the scene changes and making sure everything is done efficiently and quiet as possible backstage. And again Geoff Murray has been busily sewing up costumes for all the kids. It’s retro 80’s fashion folks and funky too. So good to have him as part of the team. Jeff Siamon is our lighting technician and Adam Parker is doing sound effects to further enhance the experience. Watch out for those Bumpus hounds they make quite a ruckus. Adam will also provide a musical interlude at intermission.

Be sure to come and see a lively show with engaging young actors and a humorous story to tell.

December 5,6,7th at 7 p.m. and Sunday Dec. 8th at 1:30 p.m. at GREC Auditorium.

Tickets available at Pharmacy, Amazing Dollar Store and Cardinal Café and also at the door.

Pamela Giroux (Producer)

The Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church has been hosting its Christmas in the Village Craft Fair for five years now and what was different last Saturday was the parking lot — as in there were no open spots.

The church has generally lots of parking on all four sides but around 11:30 this year, there was nary a spot to be had.

“I’m sure we’ve maxed out this year,” said B. J. Calver, head organizer. “We have 48 vendors this year whereas we normally have 42 and we had to move the kids corner out into the hall.

“We started sending out invitations to vendors in May and we still have a waiting list for next year.

“We’ve been toying with expanding into the main hall upstairs.”

They started the Craft Fair in the fall but it didn’t get the traffic they were hoping for, which they now get with the Christmas tie-in. They moved it to the third Saturday in November so as not to conflict with Remembrance Day.

Calver said the main function of the Fair is to replenish their Community Assistance Program, which had been drained what with the need of late.

“We partner with South Frontenac Community Services,” Calver said. “The CAP is under our mission.

“If a need comes up in our community, we give support in various ways and we do Christmas hampers.

“We also do a community fun day in May with a free barbecue and kids activities and we get donations at that.”

But there’s another reason they hold the Craft Fair.

“When we built the gym, one of our goals was to allow community people the opportunity to sell their goods at reasonable prices,” she said.

Calver and her crew start setting up for the Saturday Fair on Thursday afternoon and “work right through.”

She said Vera McDonald looks after the Bake Shop, Heather Harper runs the Chilli Cafe and Lynda Clow is her “right arm.” Ingrid Smith helps with decorating, she said.

“And we get terrific support from Pastor Bob (Boutilier) and Pastor Carl (Bull) has been our faithful greeter for years.”

The musical variety night held Saturday Nov 16 in BellRock was an evening of contrasts. Instruments ranged from the delicate sounds of handbells to the sweet sounds of flutes . From a the sounds of a strident bagpipe, to that of a gentle harp.

The hit of the night was almost certainly the Limestone Bellringers, conducted by Janet MacDonald. The delicate and magical sound of this group had the audience mesmerised. Honestly, the acoustics in this 150-year old former schoolhouse seemed to be made to best show off the resonance of these bells. Janet explained a few of the techniques and sounds that can be obtained from the instruments and the bellringers demonstrated.

Ian Mackay turned up in full Highland dress and delighted the audience with several medleys on his bagpipes. He educated us on some of the details of his outfit and also on the instrument. And no, we didn’t ask to see what he was wearing under that kilt!

Toute Ensemble, a flute group played a varied selection of music including a piece by Elvis, some swinging blues, a few classical pieces and finished with several Celtic melodies, accompanied in some of these by Merrilyn Barber on her harp.

Merrilyn Barber enchanted the audience with her selections on the harp. She played several traditional folk tunes and some less familiar Christmas carols. The audience was enthralled. The music was wonderful.

Ian finished up the concert, sending us back out to our cold cars at the end of the night with a rousing version of Amazing Grace.

A lovely evening for all who attended. We collected a good selection of items for the food bank and raised some much-needed funds for the maintenance of this special community building.

Thinking of Christmas? Think Nativity, which refers to scenes or creches displayed at Christmas, depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. "Kick off your Christmas Season" by visiting the ninth annual “101 Nativities Exhibition” at Cole Lake Free Methodist Church, 20 White Lake Rd., off Rd. #38, on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm and Sat. & Sun. Nov. 23 & 24 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm.

 The Nativity exhibition will include over 250 nativity displays from all over the world, made of metal, wood, glass, ceramic or plastic. Nativities that children can handle and play with will also be on display. Admission is free, and refreshments will be served. Each child will be given an opportunity to make a nativity craft to take home. .

 The Nativity Exhibition has become a tradition at Cole Lake Free Methodist Church and this is it's ninth year. The exhibition is one way we celebrate and spread the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ.. "101 Nativities" has grown in several ways since that first Nativity Exhibition in 2011.The number of nativities on display has grown from 101 to over 250, the number of church and community members participating in the organization of the event has grown, and the number of persons attending the exhibition has also grown significantly.

 Ladies from the church and community have contributed to the exhibition by bringing their nativities to the church for display, and have contributed their time and talents in the setup of the nativity exhibition, along with their time during the event.  Our church family is truly thankful for the support over the years.

 We encourage everyone to get together with your family and friends and come to the ninth annual nativity exhibition to begin your Christmas season by celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. This is not just a story from the past as Jesus is alive today and is there to give the gift of eternal life, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."John 3:16. Jesus is our hope for an eternal life and a life that is meaningful and abundant. This Christmas welcome Christ into your life and let Him give you peace! 

  “For unto us a child is born...” Isaiah 9:6

For me, a highlight of the Christmas season is taking part in a few of the Christmas Bird Counts held in our area. This year I participated in 3 “CBCs”, as they are known by many – Westport, Frontenac Provincial Park and Sharbot Lake. So how did it go this year? In three words – cold, cold and colder! More on this in a moment.

Christmas Bird Counts go back to 1900, when American ornithologist Frank Chapman proposed a new holiday tradition of having people count living birds in their home towns. Coined the "Christmas Bird Census”, people believed that it could be a fun activity that also contributed to conservation. It caught on, and CBCs are now conducted in over 2000 localities across the Americas.

Christmas Bird Counts are conducted on any one day between December 14 and January 5. They are carried out annually within a 24-km diameter circle that stays the same from year to year. CBCs are usually group events organized at the local level, often by a birding club, naturalists’ organization or simply an enthusiastic group of volunteers. People participate in one of two ways: field observers cover a portion of the count circle on their own or with a small group, counting all birds they find. Feeder watchers count birds at their feeders for a portion of the day.

On the chosen day, field observation teams have 24 hours to identify and count every bird they see or hear in their assigned sector of the circle. At the end of the day, the numbers are compiled, and this information is reviewed and coordinated by Bird Studies Canada, the sponsoring organization in Canada. This data has proven to be very valuable in helping scientists better understand important things like bird distribution and movements and population trends over time.

The big day for the Westport CBC was Friday December 14th. It was cold and windy but sunny, with the thermometer reading about minus 20 when I set out. The mercury rose a little during the day, but the wind became more biting as the day went on. My tally was below normal, with 113 birds representing 12 species, but with several interesting highlights, including a group of 5 Eastern Bluebirds and 2 small flocks of Cedar Waxwings. Overall some 23 intrepid birders and feeder watchers tallied 5,030 birds of 54 different species. Among the most unusual birds were a White-crowned Sparrow at a feeder and a trio of Yellow-rumped Warblers – both very rare sightings during the winter in this area. Blue Jays were back in large numbers this year (at 501), in contrast to last year when they were virtually absent.

Next up was the Frontenac CBC. Coordinated by The Friends of Frontenac Park, the count takes place in a circle that encompasses Frontenac Provincial Park and includes the towns of Sydenham and Verona. Now in its third season, this year’s December 16 count drew 50 participants, many of whom met at the Sydenham Branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library for coffee and a great “Winter Birds 101” workshop. The weather was not unpleasant, with temperatures in the minus 7 to minus 10 range all day under sunny skies and moderate winds – a nice winter day. Participants tallied 3,502 individual birds of 48 different species. Highlights included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a Common Redpoll, both spotted at Loughborough Lake feeders, and 3 Rough-legged Hawks – all new species for the Frontenac CBC. Birders finished the day with a hearty and well-deserved meal at The Point restaurant in Sydenham. The day’s events also included a CBC for Kids afternoon workshop at Frontenac Park attended by several families. Plus, the Frontenac CBC had its first youth survey team, with seven participants aged 11-16.

Several years ago the Sharbot Lake bird count was revived by the keen and itinerant birder (and expert “pisher”) Andrew Keaveney, making this year’s count, held on January 5, the third consecutive recent count for this circle. The weather was likely the most memorable feature of the Sharbot Lake count day. There’s no way around it, it was brutally cold. Our small but hardy birding party headed out at 9:00 am with the thermometer reading minus 25 with a wind chill of minus 36. Man it was cold! We tallied 13 species and 83 birds, a bit higher than last year but still quite low. The cold weather handicapped us a little – I rely a great deal on my hearing to help me find birds, but the layers of hats and hoods I was wearing (to stay alive) muffled most sounds. Another teammate found the cold weather left his glasses fogged up all morning, so he was operating at less than 100%. And for the first time in my birding career, the exceptional cold made the focus wheel on my binoculars stiff and uncooperative.

At sundown, survivors converged on the Maples Restaurant in Sharbot Lake to thaw out and compare notes. In total 9 field observers and several feeder watchers tallied 1,347 birds of 32 species, including a Northern Goshawk, 2 Black-backed Woodpeckers and a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Several Pine Grosbeaks and Red Crossbills were tallied as well, a pair of species that are not easily found in Frontenac most years. Perhaps the most interesting find was a Brown Thrasher being treated like royalty at a local feeder. Neither the thrasher nor the Red-bellied Woodpecker had ever been recorded on the count before. Bird numbers were down a bit over the long-term average, with the weather (did I say it was cold that day?) having an impact on bird numbers. For example, open water usually yields waterfowl like ducks and geese, but this year open water was very scare.

All of the above CBCs are looking for more volunteers. Anyone who is interested in birds and in spending a winter day looking for them either in the field or from the comfort of their own homes as feeder watchers are invited to join the fun. Those interested in participating in the Sharbot Lake CBC can contact Andrew Keaveney at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more info on the Westport CBC, please contact Wendy Briggs-Jude at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and to join the Frontenac CBC please contact Carolyn Bonta at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Participating in Christmas Bird Counts for me is a bit like a treasure hunt – it’s exciting to seek out new species to add to the daily tally or come across a group of interesting birds like this year’s bluebirds or the 110 Snow Buntings we spotted north of Westport during last year’s CBC. I also get a good deal of satisfaction knowing that our effort and the data we collect is helping to paint a continent-wide picture of the status of our winter birds. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without looking for birds.

Working with a core board of five: Sue Clinton, Bev McNeill, Jim Kelly, Katie Koopman, and Coleen Ure McCulla-Grant (long-time member Peter Stewart’s in England this year) this small group of very well-organized volunteers helps connect those in our community who have plenty with those who need a helping hand, by raising funds and donations to create generous Christmas baskets for seventy South Frontenac families and individuals. Throughout the rest of the year, as the Loughborough Christmas and Emergency Committee, they help provide relief to local families in times of distress.

The Christmas ‘baskets’ include boxes of food, age-appropriate books for children, toys and bright hand-knitted mitts, scarves and toques. “We live in an incredibly generous community,” says Clinton. The last week before packing, shoppers are dispatched and on packing-day a small well-organized auxilary army of volunteers and family members come to help. Grace Hall is crammed with rows of tables and numbered boxes, van-loads of food arrive, are carried in, and somehow the whole huge task of filling the boxes is accomplished in a few hours. Fresh produce is added on the morning of pick-up and delivery. To respect confidentiality, only the core group is present when the boxes are collected or delivered.

On Saturday afternoon, Mary Murphy and her crew were busy as bees setting up nativities in the St. Patrick’s Church hall in Railton for Sunday’s Nativities Display.

“This is our 10th year and it’s grown every year,” she said. “We have about 250 so far.

“Many of them are little ones so there’s a lot of rearranging to do.”

Murphy said they started out “very small” 10 years ago and it’s grown every year.

“We wanted to have some different from Santa, whom everyone loves,” she said.

It’s “so neat” to see all the different interpretations of the Nativity story that depicts the birth of Christ, she said.

“We have some very old ones like the one that came from my husband’s aunt that we became the caretakers of,” she said. “And Father Bill has this one from 1947.

“And we have this one from around 1830 but we can’t tell if it’s bone or ivory.”

But that’s not all.

“We have a Lego one, a puzzle one, one of all teddy bears,” she said. “We have scenes from Mexico, Chile, Austria, Kwanda and Quebec and the ladies from the Cole Lake Nativities display sent down several from their ‘permanent collection.’

“Also, the students at St. Patrick’s in Harrowsmith sent in some of their Nativity projects.

“We have some with lights, one with Charlie Brown characters and even two made from Popsicle sticks.”

Also, they always set up a kids activity table with books and “things that kids can touch and play with.”

Over the years, she’s picked up on some of the finer point of Nativity display.

“Well, the biggest crowd comes right after mass on Sunday,” she said. “But maybe the most important thing we’ve learned is to keep some of the more tempting ones at the back — out of the reach of little hands.”

And as usual for this event, singers are added from neighbouring communities, as well as a children’s choir, and the flute trio, ‘Toute Ensemble’.

The choir entered singing from the back of the church, led by Johnathan Davies’ clear, achingly beautiful solo at the beginning of “O Come, Oh Come Emmanuel”. Full credit to the choir members, who had left their coats in the church hall to trot around the building to the main door on such a chill, windy night.

The evening’s program was a lovely combination of familiar and lesser-known Christmas carols, with some sing-alongs for the audience.It was followed by a lively get-together in the hall, sharing snacks and treats provided by the choir members. 

Choir director is Stan Stinchcombe, who shared conducting and musical accompaniment with John and Ann McDougall, and Margaret Smith.

A service club in Frontenac County is asking for the gift of hope this Christmas.

“Storrington Lions Club has been working hard to revitalize its community hall in Sunbury,” says John Beskers, President of Storrington Lions Club. “Working with very little money, we have accomplished a great deal and have now started the second phase of repairs to the hall. We are asking residents to share the gift of hope this holiday season by making a donation to the Lions Club to save the Storrington Lions Hall.”

Operated by a small group of volunteers, the hall is a central meeting place for dozens of community groups. It is a polling station, blood donor clinic and gathering place for residents to celebrate engagements, marriages and birthdays.

“We’re here as a service,” Beskers explains softly about the club and the hall. “We help people by providing an affordable and convenient space to learn, connect and celebrate life.”

Located in the heart of Frontenac County, the hall is a major part of the community. Volunteers have been working to revitalize it for more than a year despite a major setback in August when a $5,000 air conditioning unit was vandalized for a couple hundred dollars’ worth of copper coil.

“The sides were left in place. The robbers basically just cut everything and took the coil,” confirms Beskers who discovered the broken equipment while hosting a youth dance. “It was a major setback for the club, but we persevered.”

According to Beskers, volunteers have spent the last year upgrading the bathrooms, infrastructure and exterior.

The club estimates it could use another $50,000 to complete all of the renovations and upgrades needed for its sustainability.

“We have also been busy with our paint brushes inside the hall and have now moved into phase two which is an urgent upgrade of our bar area and kitchen,” he explains. “Most people have enough socks and ties. Please give the gift of hope this holiday season by donating to Storrington Lions Hall. What better way to achieve peace, love and joy than investing in our community.”

To help Storrington Lions Club save its community hall, donations are gratefully accepted through the mail at 2992 Princess Road; Inverary ON K0H 1X0 or on the club’s electronic fundraising page Go Fund Me at https://www.gofundme.com/dzyxmr7y

You’re in for a real treat on Sunday Jan 7, 2018

“The Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra” directed by Cindy McCall is an all ages group of 40+ fiddlers, with guitar, percussion, piano & penny Whistle, viola, bass, cello, and flute accompaniment. They will perform some of their recently perfected delightful repertoire. This enthusiastic bunch hails from the rural areas close by and rehearses on Saturday and Wednesday at the Maberly Hall. Their fiddle music is sure to get your toes tapping and the fun they are having is contagious.

The Lanark Fiddlers Guild directed by Cindy McCall will perform a selection of Celtic and Christmas tunes. Their arrangements will make the old Wooden hall ring with splendor.

“The Unspoken Rests” a youth segment of the Blue Skies Orchestra will also perform a few Jigs and Reels that they have been polishing up for your enjoyment.

Please join us at the Maberly Hall from 2pm to 5pm for our annual “Little Christmas Concert”. Admission is $10 at the Door. Children under 12 are free. Refreshments available.