Photo: Reverend Nancy MacLeod, The Right Reverend John Chapman, Bishop of Ottawa and The Venerable James Roberts, Archdeacon of Lanark & Arnprior

Members of the congregation of St. Alban's Anglican church in Maberly filled the parish hall on the evening of September 25 for a special Evensong service celebrating the 125-year history of a very unique church.

One of the few A-frame churches in the Ottawa Diocese, the church was named after St. Alban, who was venerated as the first British martyr. During the persecution by the Emperor Diocletian in 300AD, Alban was scourged and beheaded after protecting a priest.

Formal worship in Maberly began with the Mission of Maberly, which first met at the Maberly school house in May 1883 with 80 worshipers in attendance. Shortly after that, members of the congregations decided they need a proper building of worship. In a memorabilia of the church compiled by Helen Strong in 1986 to celebrate its 100-year birthday, it is written: “The pioneers of Maberly and the surrounding district were in no way lacking in the initiative, determination, perseverance and prayer to produce a building which they believed was only fitting for their place of worship. Many were eking out a living on the hilly and rocky land, hence the Dominion Churchman mentions many contributions of one dollar or less when the appeal for a building fund was begun.”

John Acheson, one of the members of that first congregation, who was born in 1843 on the Acheson homestead on the Scotch Line near Perth, was delegated the task of designing and building a church. Timbers used in the frame were cut from his farm, now the Munro Farm on the Fall River Road and swamp ash was squared up at the local sawmill and used for the interior paneling. The building cost $1500 to construct and was built in the Gothic style and includes stain glass windows made by McCosland and Sons of Toronto.

In September 1886, the cornerstone was laid and the church was dedicated on December 6, 1886. Over the years the building has undergone numerous renovations. The foundation was repaired in 1938 and in 1941 hydro was installed. A new roof was put on it in 1952 and the building was totally rewired in 1969. At first heated with two wood burning boxes tended for years by Mr. John Gordon, it was switched to oil in the early 1960s. Structural work was done to the masonry work in 1978 and in 1979 the wood floor and furnishings were completely refinished. Records show that a Sunday school existed from early times and a number of other organizations have continued to meet there over the years, including the Ladies Guild, the Mothers Union, and the Junior Auxiliary.

The church has warmth and charm because of its impeccable design, its small scale and wooden interior and it holds countless memories for members of its congregation.

The Right Reverend John Chapman of Ottawa, who spoke at the celebration on Saturday, highlighted the special history and memories the church holds for so many. ”There have been prayers in this place through wars, through the depressions; there have been countless marriages, baptisms, parties, and when you think about the course of human history in the last 125 years and that there have been people praying in this place throughout all of those experiences, it’s almost overwhelming to think about.”

Reverend Nancy MacLeod has been at the church for the last four years and said, “We're celebrating a very historic and vibrant place, where the focus of the people here is very outward. The people are making use of the building for vibrant worship and are also reaching out into the world.” The church regularly puts on community lunches and euchres along with supporting the food bank, the Meals on Wheels program, and the Salvation Army. The congregation has been instrumental in rebuilding St. Jude’s Cathedral in Iqaluit, which burned down years ago. Following the celebration, guests enjoyed a plethora of desserts and had a chance to reminisce about a much beloved place of worship.

The “Everything Maple” theme sparked a number of well-executed woodsy floats in the parade at the start of the 129th Maberly Fair, and the Patterson family float took top honours this year.

The opening ceremonies, on a brilliantly sunny warm August morning, featured more than the usual number of speakers. In addition to the local councilors, the Tay Valley Township reeve and Lanark County warden, the presidents of the Lanark County Federation of Agriculture and Cattlemen’s Association also brought greetings. Then came three candidates in the upcoming provincial election, Nancy Matte from the Green Party, sitting MPP Randy Hiller from the Conservative Party, and Liberal Party candidate Bill MacDonald.

“Any one else?” asked the MC when all the speakers were done, as a modest crowd looked on from the grandstand.

With the dignitaries out of the way, the horse show, which had started earlier in the morning, returned to the main ring for the finals.

Organisers were delighted with the number of horses in the show this year, a marked increase from recent years, even if it made the show run longer and caused a bit of scrambling to get all the scheduled activities of the busy one-day fair completed by the time the fair supper was served at 4:30.

Crowds milled about the fair market, nicknamed Diagon alley, watched the Carleton Place Pipe band, an excellent poultry show, and the two signature Maberly Fair events of recent years, the zucchini races and the cow flop contest.

The fair’s convenor, Sylvia Bumstead, along with a dedicated group of volunteers from the Maberly Agricultural Society, brought the entire day off without a hitch.

Everything is Maple in Maberly this year

The 129th version of the Maberly Fair, which takes place on Saturday, August 27, is devoted to something that was as common in the local region back when the first Maberly Fair took place in 1882: maple syrup and maple sugar.

The fair is all about celebrating agricultural skills and skills and traditions, and about having a good time.

Although the fair gets underway at 9 a.m. when the light horse show starts up, it will really swing into gear when the parade starts at the new fire hall at 10:30. Matt Ellerbeck (the snake guy) will have a show at 11:30 while the Carleton Community band plays and a host of other events get underway.

Diagon Alley opens at noon, with maple displays and information, a farmers’ market and readings by Marilyn of Kingstonpsychic.com.

Once the judging of livestock and produce is complete and the ribbons are awarded, it will be time for the zucchini races (1:30) followed by a Tai Chi demonstration (2:00) and a performance by the Tebworth Brothers (3:00).

Cow Pie madness returns this year in the field behind the poultry palace at 4:00, and after al the awards are handed out, the fair supper will be served (4:30 until 7pm)

Admission to the fair is $5 for adults, $3 for 7 to 17-year-olds and under 7s are free.

Come out to the best little fair in Eastern Ontario.

Photo: John Schweighardt of Livingstones with a few of his stone sculptures and a view of the old grist mill ruins at the Sundance Studio Tour in Maberly

Artists and organizers alike welcomed the change in venue location for this year's 5th Annual Sundance Studio Tour. The one-stop tour, which was taken over this year by Paul and Michelle Zammit, owners of the Fall River Restaurant, moved its location to the banks of the Fall River in Maberly at the corner of Highway 7 and the Bolingbroke Road, and the increased visibility made an impact.

Paul Zammit said when he was approached to take over the tour that he jumped at the chance, wanting to “preserve what we thought was a good thing for the community. We didn't want to see the event just die off. One of the big resources in this community is its artists and giving them more exposure helps create a more sustainable community,” Zammit said on Sunday at the show.

The tour, which attracts 30 artists in a wide variety of mediums and includes the availability of high quality food and beverages and live music, appears to be gaining momentum as a result of its increased visibility at the new location. Excavation work began at the site in the spring and Harry Van Alstine of Herns Sand and Gravel donated a lot of the necessary work and also part of his property for parking. The result is a beautiful, expansive site that includes a scenic walk along the Fall River behind the restaurant where the ruins of an old grist mill are still visible and where half of artist booths were located.

Products from local farmers as well food produced by Seed to Sausage in Sharbot Lake were included, and show that Zammitt is aiming to highlight more of what the community has to offer.

“We realize that our guests are coming from far and wide and we want to shine a light on everything that we have to offer here,” he said. Zammitt also said that he is considering holding the tour twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. “I plan to speak to the artists about that but what we really hope is to one day be the premier event for artists and producers in this area.”

For five years, Sundance Studio Tour has welcomed thousands of patrons throughout the Labour Day weekend. To facilitate growth, allowing more artists to participate, a move to The Fall River Restaurant’s “river view” location was a natural progression and to reflect the expansion, the name has been changed to Sundance Artisan Festival. The festival, which takes place Sept 1st to 3rdthis year, is an evolution of creative, innovative and traditional artisans, local farm-to-plate cuisine and eclectic toe-tapping music. As always, the theme of Sundance is individual creativity with an element of reclaimed, recycled or natural materials, with impressions in wood, stone, cloth, metal, clay and other media. The original expressions of the returning artists will be complimented by new artists, 30 in all.

Along with visual art, patrons will enjoy the natural flavours of handcrafted food and organic drinks, to suit every taste. Culinary delights include organic salads, fiery pulled pork from Seed to Sausage, Arctic Char sandwiches, organic beer and Ontario wines. Flat bread pizza, served from a wood-fired stone oven, is a mouth-watering addition to the sight, sound and now taste of Sundance. For pancake lovers, the Maberly Fire Department will serve up a traditional breakfast, smothered in local maple syrup, on Saturday morning starting at 9 a.m.

The new hosts of Sundance, restaurant owners, Paul and Michele Zammit, welcome former patrons to return to the peaceful setting they offer in Maberly at the corner of Highway #7 and Country Rd. 36. Listen to the wind, watch the river, enjoy the moment of tranquility in the country.

Once you have visited the festival, walk next door and delight your senses yet again with the finest organic lunch or dinner you have ever enjoyed. The Fall River restaurant was recognized by the Ottawa Citizen as “Canada’s Greenest Restaurant,” and Sundance Festival is a natural addition to the restaurant’s mandate… natural, organic, complimentary and memorable.

by Jeff Green and the Parham Agricultural Society

1883 and 1893.

Those are the years when the Maberly and Parham fairs were held for the first time.

It would be an understatement to say the world has changed over that time. In the early years electricity was still a novelty, and aside from the railroad the only mode of transportation was horsepower.

With all the changes that have taken place over the years, the horse shows at both fairs and the horse pull at the Parham Fair remain as events that harken back to the way of life in both communities in the 19th Century.

Other reminders of the past include the baking, growing, and textile displays and contests that are still hotly contested to this day at the fairs.

While the Parham Fair has modernized to include such popular events as lawn mower races, a demolition derby, and other events, the feel of the small town fair – the food, the smells, the sight of young students reuniting after a summer apart in anticipation of the first day of school, hasn’t changed that much in all that time.

The Parham Fair has its roots in Agriculture and its focus is still on highlighting agriculture. Friday night Aug 24 features the ever popular Horse Pull, with local favorite, Bill Lee, an annual participant. Come see the teams as they pull the stoneboat to become the Champion Team of the Night. Saturday, in the morning, there is a Cattle Show, with local 4-H clubs, and Poultry and Horse Shows all day. Have you seen the Dolly Pardon run yet? Watch for it Saturday afternoon in the games in the horse ring. In the Palace, there are agricultural exhibits along with crafts, children’s exhibits, vegetables and baking. You could spend hours in there. New this year, the best dressed cowboy and cowgirl. Youth between 7-9 and 10-12 may sign up for the contest on Friday at 6:45pm. There is still time to sign up for the Parham Idol Contest on Saturday August 25, open to ages 16 and under. To register, contact Debra Smith at 613-279-2116 ext 212. Come for the entertainment, food and midway. A good time is sure to be had by all for just $5\day; weekend passes $12.

The Maberly Fair is a tiny perfect one-day fair that starts with a parade and ends with a community supper. This year the fair has a scarecrow theme, featuring a great pumpkin garden of scarecrows. The scarecrows will feature in the parade before landing in the garden, where they will be judged and prizes will be awarded. In addition to the horse show and agricultural exhibits (there are 29 competitive categories this year with prizes in each one) the popular zucchini races and cow-pie madness events are back as is the Carleton Place community band and other entertainers as well.

In honour of the 130th Maberly Fair and the 120th Parham Fair let’s all leave our i-pads at home and our cell phones in the glove box of our cars and let the present and past merge as we indulge in the glory that is a community fair in late August.

Aloha Tweed – 2nd annual Elvis Festival by Jeff Green

The Tweed Elvis Festival, which was started as a way for the village of Tweed to turn a corner after the conviction of Russell Williams, has done that and much more, giving the town of Tweed a destination event that captures the imagination of locals and visitors alike.

And all that has happened in about 15 months.

The second annual festival, which celebrates the image of Elvis from the Blue Hawaii era, will feature strong amateur, professional and youth Elvis Tribute contests, as will a string of other events from Friday afternoon, (August 24) through to Sunday afternoon (August 26)

Dallas Arney, the pride of Addington Highlands, will kick things off at the Tweed Fairgrounds at 5 pm on Friday, performing the American and Canadian anthems and more (not in Elvis costume – as far as we know) Round 1 of the Elvis Tribute contest will follow at 6pm.

Other events on Friday night include a meet and greet at the Tweedsmuir tavern and Midnight with Elvis, featuring a performance by last year’s champion Matt Dowsett, fresh from competing in Memphis, for a $10 cover charge.

On Saturday there will be a street sale, Art in the Park, and a pancake breakfast in addition to the events at festival central in the Fairgrounds.

Round 2 of the main competition will take place in the late morning, followed by the youth competition and other events. Later in the afternoon (4:45) the semi-finals will get underway, followed by a showcase at 8 pm, as well as a rock’n roll dance at the Tweed Curling Club.

On Sunday, in addition to another pancake breakfast and a classic car parade with Elvis through the streets of Tweed, there will be a gospel show at 11 am at the fairgrounds. The Grand Finals in the tribute competition will start at 1pm and the award winners will be announced at 3pm, followed by the closing ceremonies.

Tickets are $55 for a weekend pass and $25 per day (HST included). They are available at the gate, in advance at locations in Tweed, at the fruit and vegetable stand in Northbrook and at the Junction restaurant in Sharbot Lake. For information, go to Tweedelvisfestival.ca 

 In 1880, shortly after the railroad was built, the first church was constructed in the village of Sharbot Lake by the Presbyterians on the site of the present day Mason Lodge.  Apparently there was never an ordained resident Presbyterian minister at Sharbot Lake, but students from the Presbyterian Theological College of Queen's University were sent out. Often the summer studentswould board at the home (the present day post office) of Mrs. Melzer Avery, who was a staunch supporter of the local Presbyterian Congregation. In this building the Anglicans and the Methodists also held their services for a number of years.In 1887 the Methodists decided to build their own church at Sharbot Lake. For this purpose the Kingston and Pembroke Railway granted free of charge a splendid site on the hill west of the Sharbot Lake Inn.  From this spot a lovely view was afforded of both the upper and lower reaches of the lake.In 1895, during the pastorate of Rev. Eber Crummy, the present parsonage was constructed along with a well-equipped stable. This manse now houses theSeniors Centre. In 1925, there occurred the union of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches in Canada. The congregations worshipped in the old church on the hill as a United Church. The new church as it stands now was opened January 22, 1926. It was built at a cost of$5,000.  The present bell was originally donated by the Kingston and Pembroke Railway. In 1967, Parham, Maberly, and Sharbot Lake became the Centenary Pastoral Church.

On June 17, 2012 we will gather to honour our heritage with music and friendship. Rev. Ron Smeaton will be our guest minister.  Rev. Smeaton was a popular minister here in the '60s and was instrumental in starting a youth group. As well, Rev. Smeaton was here when the churches, Maberly, Sharbot Lake and Parham United, amalgamated.

Our service will begin at 11 a.m. and will conclude with lunch and fellowship in the C.E. Centre. If you would like to be our guest for this special service and lunch please call Carol Raymo at the church office so we can prepare for all our guests, 613-279-2245.

Photo: Mary Cook at the Maberly hall

Many readers are familiar with “Memories” columnist, author and speaker Mary Cook. For many years Mary has been writing and speaking about her life as a youngster growing up on a farm in Northcote in days long gone by.

Cook, who now resides in Carleton Place, wetted the eyes of numerous listeners at the Maberly hall on May 19, at a special engagement courtesy of the Maberly Agricultural Society. For those who have only read her column or her books, seeing this polished professional speak in person is a special delight. Cook is a classic and top notch story teller, one who has that special gift you don't often see these days - that special combination of matter-of-fact truth, mixed in with a quick wit and an honest emotional depth that brings forth from her audience feelings from opposite ends of the emotional spectrum.

Cook warmed up to her Maberly audience with some good advice she got when she first started out in the business. 1) When addressing a crowd close all doors to avoid audience distraction; 2) never speak on a subject you know nothing about; and 3) keep all family members out (her husband was in the car in the parking lot and only appeared after her talk). Mary covered a wide variety of subjects, sometimes delivering her material à la stand up comedienne, sometimes as author, and sometimes as her own biographer. Her material included witty, sometimes racy, and always funny jokes on aging and other real life matters. At other times, especially when looking back on the hardships her family faced in their move from their farm, she had listeners welling up with sorrow.

Cook is also a master reader, delivering well-known stories about herself and her family - sister Audrey, friend Joyce, her mom and dad, and others who enriched her life as a young girl. She reads her work with a truth and earnestness that had the crowd hanging on her every breath. Cook has written countless books - titles include "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire"; "Another Place at the Table", based on her mother's diaries and which she admitted was the “hardest book” she ever wrote; "A Bubble Off Plumb" and many more. She spoke very openly about the book she is currently writing, titled "For Every Leaf That Falls", which she believes will be her last.

“This book will be even harder to write because it's the story of our moving into Carleton Place. I thought my last book, 'This Then Was Home' would be where my story ended but my publisher insisted that readers would want to know what happened after we moved to the city. And that will be a very difficult story to tell because the day that we moved into town was the day that my father began to die, “ Cook said.

On a lighter note and after taking questions from her audience, Cook dispensed one last bit of advice to her listeners “Don't worry when writing your wills about who will get what. What you need to leave behind is your story. And don't worry that you are not a great writer or think that your story lacks interest. If you can put two words together I urge you to write your story. That is the best thing that you can leave to your family. It will be treasured. Your story is the most important legacy you can leave behind. Your families want to know your story and they will cherish it, always.”

Good advice from one who knows that subject well.

The Coffee Shop in Maberly was the place to be for lovers of British sports cars, specifically lovers of the MG. On October 6, the coffee shop's parking lot was bumper to bumper with an assortment of no fewer than 18 classic MG models spanning decades - the oldest was a 1951 MGTC. They represented just half the total of 36 cars driven by members of the Ottawa MG Car Club (OMGC), a club that boasts 140 members who were out for their annual Fall Colour Run. The tour is the last run of the year for the club and it began in Kemptville where the group split in two and drove a loop from Kemptville through Lanark and Maberly, then on through Westport, with a stop in Merrickville for lunch at the legion.

I spoke with Ivan Wood, past president of the club, and asked what happens in the event of a breakdown while enroute. “We have what we call a roadside technical session. Usually someone will have a spare part and can fix the problem,” Wood said. Asked what kind of person tends to drive an MG, he replied, “You definitely have to be a little bit crazy to own one of these cars. They all leak oil, the roofs leak, and the electrics don't work very well. You have to be dedicated." Wood said some of the members own not just one but sometimes two or even three cars. In the fair weather months, the club makes about two trips per month; one this past year included a trip to Stowe, Vermont.

The Grand Parade of the Silver Lake Pow Wow is not an entirely solemn event, but it carries the weight of ceremony. The dancers enter the ring in a prescribed order, the flag bearers hop from one foot to the other to the beat of the drum, which performs a slow song that befits the occasion.

Although the Silver Lake Pow Wow is 19 years old, the gathering of communities at summer's end goes back a lot longer than that. Old friends greet each other with words and hugs, and after the elder has said a few words and the drum sends the assembled dancers through another turn around the ring, the parade breaks up and the greetings continue. Then the ring is opened up to everyone in attendance and it is completely filled. The Pow Wow is under way.

Photo: Kiley Stanley, 2nd from right, was declared Miss Garlic, the princess of the Maberly Fair parade.

At the Maberly Fair, the parade enters the fairgrounds led by two girls dressed as heads of garlic, followed by a marching pipe band, floats carrying entire extended families pulled by newer and older tractors (including one that is over 90 years old) followed by fire trucks. Politicians and heads of agricultural groups, as well as the fair convenor, bring greetings as the parade participants watch from the infield, but the fair is already underway. The Light Horse show is well into its second hour; the poultry are squawking away in the poultry display shed; Marilyn the Psychic is already making predictions in her booth; the zucchini vehicles are set out on a table even though the race is hours away, and old friends are greeting each other throughout the compact fairgrounds. It’s a one-day fair so no one wants to wait for the ceremony to be completed before starting to have fun.

Photo: Light Horse pull at Parham Fair.

The Parham Fair starts on Friday evening. The grandstand is almost full when the fair committee and township politicians proclaim the fair open, but the people aren’t paying much attention. They are waiting for the Light Horse pull to begin. They want to see if Bill Lee will win again (he will – at 7,200 pounds, see photo on page 9). Meanwhile kids and teenagers are gathering at the bandshell for the Cowboy/Cowgirl and Parham Idol contests to start. Ambush is ready to play when the contests end, and the midway is open for business.

These three events and others are all about people gathering in community to mark the end of another summer, before preparations begin for another harsh rural winter’s onset.