5 star farm is located on Scanlan Road, and is easy to reach from either Road 38 or the Village of Sydenham. Curtis and Tracy, who run the farm with help from their children, bought the property in 2014. It is an older farm property with plenty of character, big barns and drive sheds, perfect for them to establish a demonstration farm where they raise a number of animals and organize fun educational events for families nearby to attend and get a taste of rural farm life.

They ran a number of events last year, and hosted parties, birthdays and other private functions as well. The most popular events last year were the Easter weekend open house, and a fall harvest event near Halloween. This year the focus will be on those two events as open public gatherings, with the possibility of some specialised workshops on specific themes.

Last Saturday, the Easter event they hosted was a smashing success.

“We had 5 volunteers in the parking area, and within 20 minutes of opening there were 300 cars there,” said Tracey Parker The crowds were very thick in the morning and lessened a bit when the weather turned rainy in the afternoon. All in all, however, over 1,500 people came to the farm.

What they saw were goats, pot bellied pigs, rabbits, ducks, a baby goat in the large barn, as well as horses and other farm animals. Plans to show off two sets of lamb twins in a small barn did not pan out because the ewe’s were not ready so it was more of a sheep maternity ward.

Outside there was a straw bale maze with balls hidden everywhere. Children made their way through the maze, and filled basket of balls to win a prize. There was also an opportunity to plant seeds, a craft table for kids, and entertainment by Kingston’s Fiddle Earth. Conboy’s Maple Syrup from Sharbot Lake and Dustica Design wood crafts and toys from Verona were also on hand.

“All in all, we seem to have developed a flow over the past year since we started doing these events, and we seem to be able to handle this kind of crowd pretty well. It helped that we had about 20 volunteers here and all the free labour from our family,” she said. “People are definitely interested in having fun and learning about how animals behave in a farm and what all farms were like in this area not that long ago.”

As for the future, as far as events for the general public the focus is going to be on the Easter and October events, and the hope is to develop the location as a venue for different kinds of events as it continues to be available for private functions.
For information about 5 Star Farms, go to Facebook or fivestarfarm.ca

The annual Perth Festival of the Maples has been a welcome rite of spring since 1976. As the festival celebrates its 41st anniversary, maple syrup producers, business vendors, entertainers, visitors and local residents alike recognize the yearly Maple Festival as a giant ‘coming out’ party. Winter is over, and it’s time to head outdoors to meet long-shuttered neighbours and friends at last. What better way to celebrate, than with our region’s most famous agricultural commodity – sweet, savoury maple syrup. What better place to hold the festivities, but in Lanark County – the ‘Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario’.  

Mr. Vic Lemieux of Perth spearheaded the original Festival of the Maples back in the early 70’s in an attempt to get people out of their homes after a long winter and to celebrate spring with the fresh harvest of locally-made maple syrup. Since then, the festival has grown in popularity, but it has stayed true to its roots. The stars of the show remain the local maple producers who are finishing off a successful season of syrup-making this year and preparing to offer the newly-designated 4 grades of syrup, as well as taffy-on-ice, maple sugar, candies and whole array of maple-flavoured condiments and concoctions.

This year’s Festival of the Maples is being organized and presented once again by the Perth & District Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, April 29th in downtown Perth. Chamber Manager Amber Hall says, “This free yearly event is really the grand finale of the syrup season. Our local producers are proud of their syrup. Their work in the bush is done for now, and they can’t wait to show off their final product. They pull out all the stops at the festival with some great looking displays and booths to showcase the new syrup crop.”

Hall adds that producers will also enter their products in a number of syrup-making categories in this month’s annual competition run by the Lanark & District Maple Syrup Producers Association. Awards will be handed out for top producers at the festival’s main stage on Herriott Street during the opening ceremonies at 10:30am on festival day.

In addition to maple syrup producers, the festival features a wide array of retail and food vendors, farm products, artisans and community and charity exhibitors from 10am til 4pm. Festival Co-ordinator Jennifer Perkin says vendor registration has been busy. Perkin states, “We have confirmed more than 150 exhibitor spots for this year’s event. The display booths will run down Gore Street from Foster Street to Craig Street with something for everyone. We’ve also received great support from our very generous sponsors. It’s their donations that allow us to present this event free for the public.”
                      
Perkin adds, “The Classic and Antique Car Show will be on display on Herriott Street between Gore and Wilson Street. There’s also lots to see in the Tay Basin with our Safety Square exhibits, the big rigs in the Mighty Machines display and the Childrens’ Play Park that features bouncy rides, a rock-climbing wall, kids’ activities, pony rides and a petting zoo.  We’ve also added new live shows to entertain the kids in the Crystal Palace, including the Paddling Puppeteer.” The day also kicks off with a pancake breakfast at the Perth Legion from 7am til 11am.

On the festival’s main stage on Herriott at Gore Street, live entertainment includes performances by the Smiths Falls Gordon Pipe Band at 10am, Opening Ceremonies at 10:30am, the ‘Pie Plates’ bluegrass band at 11am,’ Maple Hill’ bluegrass at noon, ‘Doubleback’ with Wade Foster and Shawn McCullough at 2pm, and the Jesse Greene blues band at 3pm.  The Maplefest ‘Wood Cookie’ Challenge returns this year at the main stage at 1:15pm when 2-person teams will let the chips fly to clock the fastest log-sawing times. The ‘King of Swingers’ band will roam the site as well with a number of ‘pop-up’ concerts.

Debra Bellevue, President of the Perth & District Chamber of Commerce, says the festival brings close to 20,000 visitors to Perth each year, and she expects another record crowd. Bellevue states, “We are so lucky to invite everyone to Perth to celebrate the maple syrup season in one of the prettiest downtown cores in Ontario. Our local businesses are gearing up for a busy spring and summer, and it’s a great opportunity for them to shake some hands and showcase their products and services.”

Bellevue adds that the Chamber has organized a free parking and shuttle service for visitors with buses running from the Perth Campus of Algonquin College on Craig Street to Gore Street. The Algonquin College Police Foundations Program and OPP Auxiliary Unit will assist with traffic control and patrol.  Bellevue says, “Our organizing committee is working hard to make the festival a success again. We hope everyone joins us for another ‘sweet’ experience this year!”

The County of Frontenac is looking for input from residents and businesses as it’s trying to find ways to increase the number of overnight stays in the County in all four seasons of the year.

To better understand what’s needed to increase the number of overnight stays, Frontenac County and consulting firm MDB Insight are hosting workshops in each of the County’s member municipalities.

Anyone with a stake in tourism is encouraged to participate in these workshops and findings will be incorporated in a toolkit to help grow four season accommodations, including marketing strategies, new digital approaches and leveraging the network of existing businesses. Tourism operators, accommodation providers, cultural associations, business owners and other interested parties are all invited.

Workshop Dates and Locations:
North Frontenac: Wednesday April 19, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Clar-Mill Community Hall, 6598 Buckshot Lake Road, Plevna Registration: https://accommodationsinnorthfrontenac.eventbrite.ca
Frontenac Islands: Monday May 1, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Community Hall, 26 Division Street, Wolfe Island Registration: https://accommodationsonfrontenacislands.eventbrite.ca
South Frontenac: Monday May 1, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Storrington Centre - 3910 Battersea Road, Sunbury Registration: https://accommodationsinsouthfrontenac.eventbrite.ca
Central Frontenac: Tuesday May 2, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. St. Lawrence College Employment Services, 1099 Garrett St., Sharbot Lake Registration: https://accommodationsincentralfrontenac.eventbrite.ca

An open meeting will be hosted by the Sharbot Lake & District Lions Club on April 26th at the S. L. Legion on Cannon Rd. The public is invited to join the Lions for social hour between 5 and 6 PM and then sit down to a delicious dinner ($15 for entrée, dessert & tea or coffee) served up by the Legion kitchen staff.

Then stay for the regular Lion’s meeting 7 PM. Haven’t you ever wondered what exactly the Lion’s Club does? How their meetings are run or how they raise money and where that money goes? Well, now you can see for yourself! You will learn first-hand how the Lions Club has been serving the Sharbot Lake area for over 65 years.

The Lion’s Club supports Adopt-A-Highway, their pavilion at Oso Beach, the Central Frontenac summer swim program and the parades at Christmas and on Canada Day. Over the years they have purchased equipment for the medical centre, the playground at the beach and have provided financial support to the dog guides, the Salvation Army, Diabetes Canada, the food bank and many others, including people with specific needs within this community. They could do none of this without the support of local folks like you! When a Lion asks you to buy a chocolate Easter bunny, a Christmas fruit cake or a raffle ticket on any of their great prizes, your money goes to support all of the above – and more!

Members are proud of their ‘Vision Screening’ program in which they have been testing the eyesight and hearing of local kindergarten and grade one students for more than 10 years. In October they visit the schools in Plevna and Mountain Grove, along with Granite Ridge and St. James Major Schools in Sharbot Lake. They use equipment purchased with the monies they have collected through their various fundraising activities. This year in this district they have tested over 7000 kids. And they continue to support a project called ‘No Child Without’. In this program, they work hand-in-hand with the Medic Alert Association to provide every child in our local schools with the Medic Alert bracelets they may need to keep them safe at school, at home and everywhere in between.

They also support our senior citizens. In mid-June each year they go to a Seniors Home to barbeque hamburgers and hot dogs for the residents and their families. And each October for the past 40 years they have invited local seniors to spend a wonderful evening of entertainment, prizes and good things to eat. The club even provides the buses to bring folks in from far and near.

Anyone 18 and over can become a Lion. And we have recently sponsored a LEO Club for younger members of our area who want to serve their community. Membership provides people with the opportunity to meet and work with other individuals, striving toward the common goal of helping those in need. The satisfaction gained by being a part of these efforts is one of the big rewards of being a Lion or Leo.

Mark April 26 on your calendars and in the meantime, check out their Facebook page or visit the websites: www.sharbotlions.com or www.lionsclubs.org.

To reserve your seat for dinner, just contact any Lions Club member, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 613-539-8190 or 613-375-6318.

Time to declutter those toy rooms (or add to them)!  

Come celebrate Earth Day at the Grace Centre on Saturday 22 April when the 1st Frontenac Guide & Pathfinder Unit will be hosting a ‘gently-used’ toy sale along with Cookie Day!  The 1st Frontenac Guide & Pathfinder Gently-Used Toy Sale is a great way to donate and/or buy gently-used children’s toys while supporting your local Food Bank and Girl Guide unit.  This event will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday, 22 April at the South Frontenac Community Services Centre (the Grace Centre) at 4295 Stage Coach Road in Sydenham.

The sale is open to the public and will feature top quality / gently used children’s toys at discount prices.   As this is a first-ever used toy sale by your local Girl Guides, it is hoped that donations will be plentiful.  Please drop off your gently-used toys on Friday, April 21 between 3pm. and 7pm. at the Grace Centre. We ask that toys are clean, not broken and have no missing parts.
This is a great community initiative by the 1st Frontenac Guide & Pathfinder unit, who are asking family, friends and neighbours of our Sparks, Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders to please donate their gently-used toys locally, with proceeds helping out our South Frontenac community.   

“This winter, the closets and toy room needed major weeding out of toys that haven’t been used in a long time,” explained Guider Joanne McKinstry.   “My daughter Meghann, who is now a Pathfinder, suggested that her toys be donated to help others out, but instead of dropping off the toys at a thrift store in Kingston, just keep it local.  So, we approached the 1st Frontenac Guide & Pathfinder Leader, Kim Deline, and the idea to host the toy sale blossomed.”
Unsold items will be donated to a local thrift store.  Details are also posted on facebook as an event (1st Frontenac Guide & Pathfinder Gently-Used Toy Sale) on the Sydenham, Ontario page https://www.facebook.com/groups/1572382629715585/  For questions, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Please don’t forget to check out the Girl Guide Cookie table as well – the Spring cookies (chocolate/vanilla) are $5 per box, and they are expecting those to sell out very quickly.

No early birds please, and cash is preferred.  Come out and support your local food bank and Girl Guide/Pathfinder unit!  The success of this event is dependent on donations!

It was a sweet weekend last Saturday and Sunday as visitors from all over came to the Bell Line Road to visit the maple syrup operations of Oso Sweet Maple Farms (Mel & Joyce Conboy) and George and Darlene Conboy & Sons Maple Syrup.

“It’s been an average year,” said George Conboy. “It did start very early in February and we weren’t expecting that but then it got cold again.

“Still, it’s a very high quality syrup this year with very light colour (and) we haven’t made any of the lower grades.”

For the Conboys, maple syrup has been a family business for a long time.

“Our grandchildren will be the sixth generation,” George said. “The Conboys came from Ireland in 1876 and got a land grant.

“I remember going to Sharbot Lake with my father to send the syrup out on trains.”

It’s still a family operation. George and Darlene have sons Jason, Ryan and Devon around for much of the harvest (although Trevor does have to spend a lot of time in Ottawa in computers).

“We couldn’t do it without the kids,” George said.

But of course the nature of the business, being so dependent on weather and time of year, means that when you need help, that’s when you need it.

“It’s not something you can think about leaving until tomorrow,” he said. “When the sap gets running, you gotta do it right now!”

That never changes. Other things do, but then sometimes they change back again.

Originally, sap was boiled over wood fires. Then that changed to oil burners and also propane.

But George is back to wood.

“It just works the best,” he said. “And we only burn old dead wood.”

Despite some rather questionable weather Saturday, a steady stream of visitors kept showing up. Along with maple products, there was a bit of a festival atmosphere with the Frontenac Blades showing people how to throw tomahawks and knives and Cota’s Mobile Catering featured a maple theme with sausages and cornbread with syrup.

“I’m pleased with the turnout,” Darlene said. “I’m seeing a lot of old familiar faces and a lot of new ones too.

“Remember, you can use maple syrup for anything you would use sugar in.”

Cam and Michelle Mather came to the new Parham Fire Hall, which includes the Parham branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library, on Saturday April 1st.

Cam gave an informative and entertaining hour long workshop on organic gardening and then continued with informative answers to all the questions from the filled up meeting room.  

Michelle sold their books and CDs at a bargain rate and they graciously did the workshop for free. Unbeknownst to them, we did collect some donations to give them, but Cam has done workshops for $70 per person at the botanical gardens, so we are very grateful to them for this workshop for our community. Afterwards, people were invited to the library to look at the collection of gardening books brought in to the library to borrow; as well as a collection of donated books that are available to keep for free. Keep a watch out for future workshops and plan to use your local libraries on an ongoing basis.

Like the knowledge provided by presenters such as Nancy Benn on diabetes and Cam Mather on gardening, libraries are a valuable local resource well worth keeping in our area.

Sunday March 26 was the first Sunday of Spring 2017.  Friends of Brown's Camp and Sail Mazinaw gathered for the 2nd Annual Mazinaw Sock Burn.  The event was again hosted by Tina and Dana Richard at their Addington Rd 5 home.  The crews braved the rain to burn the socks they had been wearing all winter.  After the ceremony, they moved indoors to enjoy coffee, treats, and good company.  It was all very good fun.

The sock burning ritual was a sign of the approaching sailing season.  However, Mazinaw Lake was still completely covered with ice and was supporting traffic from snowmobiles, 4-wheelers, and bicycles.

The 2017 edition of Sail Mazinaw is scheduled for Saturday July 08.  All sailors are encouraged to bring their boats and their boards to Mazinaw Lake this summer to join the flotilla.  Check the Sail Mazinaw Facebook page for more details.

On April 1st, a soft coloured Saturday with low hanging clouds and a definite sense of spring in the air, Wintergreen Studios was busy preparing for an evening of music and dinner for 50 guests. The dining tables were set to facilitate a gourmet experience.  The straw bale eco friendly lodge was a beehive of activity in preparation for overnight guests.

Wintergreen Studios is a year-round education and wilderness retreat centre located at 9780 Canoe Lake Road on 204 acres of mixed forests and meadows, granite outcroppings, ponds, marshes and a glacier carved lake. The property is part of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve in Southeastern Ontario.

Ian Tamblyn was the first performer for this year’s events at the Studios.

Ian brings music like breath from the land. With stories of Ontario’s lush forests or the haunting sounds of flute over large open spaces, Ian loves the land and he takes his listeners with him.  He skips ahead, singing enticingly over his shoulder to call us deeper into the forest, across that lake, up that boulder, onto the island. “Did you hear that rustle ….?” When the hammered dulcimer sings, we hear water crashing down a rocky slope and see people dancing around a campfire. We can almost see the fireflies.

Ian Tamblyn is a musician, an adventurer and a playwright.  He puts the audience at ease with his kind and easygoing stories and vignettes. And one tends to like the people one meets through his tales. He is a apt artist for a performance at Wintergreen, a space that is as devoted to the beauty and complexity of the land as he is.

During his performance, Ian talked about the late great songwriter Jesse Winchester, an American draft dodger who became an icon of the folk music scene in Montreal in the 1970’s and beyond. ‘Defying Gravity’, at Irene’s Pub in Ottawa, April 15th, is an evening devoted to the songs of Jesse Winchester. Performers will include Marcus Winchester, Ian Tamblyn, Rebecca Campbell, Anders Drerup, Keith Glass, Pat Moore, Chris Breitner, Ross Murray and Vicki Brittle.

The Tay Valley Community Choir is pleased to once again stage a spring concert, this year with an all-Canadian twist.  “Something to Sing About,” the title of the show on Saturday, April 8th at 7:00pm at the Maberly Community Hall, is themed in the spirit of Canada’s 150th year since Confederation.

All songs chosen by the choir were written by Canadians including David Francey, Bruce Cockburn, and Stan Rogers, and range from folk to swing to light rock. Compositions by noted regional musicians Tom Lipps and Tony Turner will also be on offer.
“There are so many great Canadian composers,” says conductor Rebecca Worden, “from the famous to the largely unknown and from our own region to right across Canada.  Choosing a small selection of songs from them all is a real challenge but I’m really happy with our mix.  Our choir is so looking forward to a lovely evening of music and community to help celebrate Canada’s 150th.”  To fit in with the evening you are invited to bring along your Canada flags and wear your Canada t-shirt.

Accompanying the choir once again will be skilled pianist, Mary Lou Carroll. Several choir members will have solo singing opportunities and joining as special guests will be Ms. Worden’s own musical group, the Backyard Blenders.

Admission to “Something to Sing About” is $10 per person. Refreshments will be on hand following the concert and food or other donations to The Table can be made that evening and will be most welcome.

Something to Sing About is made possible thanks to Tay Valley Township and Blue Skies in the Community.