Online Articles - theHumm

Linda Hynes — Doing What Comes Naturally - theHumm October 2024

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

Sometimes fate steps in and moulds the rest of your life. As she was graduating from Ontario College of Art (now OCADU), and contemplating a future in the arts, Linda Hynes accepted an invitation that has resulted in her spending a vast portion of her life turning clay into beautiful functional pottery. Linda was selected to be an apprentice to Jack Herman, a renowned potter and Canadian icon. (One of his studio visitors was Margaret......

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Laugh Out Loud — Twice! - theHumm October 2024

By Ben Bennett

Two one-act comedies at Perth’s Studio Theatre in October are set in an apartment’s smallest room. But it’s definitely not all bathroom humour.

Laugh Out Loud comprises two short plays by Canadian playwright Richard Turtle.

The Lunatic from Number 7 begins during an argument, with Deb storming out of the apartment and her partner Simon going into the bathroom, slamming the door, and promptly getting stuck there.

Search and Rescue, which takes place in the same bathroom, albeit......

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Fall Red Trillium Studio Tour - theHumm October 2024

The stroke of a brush, the click of a camera, the sound of the wheel as a form is shaped in clay — all evoke the effort and passion that go into the creative process. It’s about commitment to an art form or fine craft, to learning and growing and to finding one’s voice — what one wants to share with the world around them. It’s about the process as much as the final piece.

This is the benefit of studio tours, which have become so popular because they offer a window into what is behin......

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Amazing Art & Fabulous Food at the 2024 Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour - theHumm October 2024

The 28th annual Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour takes place on Thanksgiving Weekend, October 12 and 13, from 10am to 4pm daily. It’s become a fall tradition in Mississippi Mills — a chance to see work by the many talented artists and artisans of Almonte, Clayton and Pakenham area and their guests. This year’s tour features over 45 artists working in all aspects of fine art and craft, and fine food and drink.

Check out crownandp......

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News from The Pews in Merrickville - theHumm October 2024

By Heddy Sorour

Once a church, The Pews is now an inclusive, multi-generational “third space” that’s roaring onto the scene in the village of Merrickville.

“If your first space is home, and your second space is work, what is your third space? Netflix keeps us at home and on our couches. We’re losing that third space, so we want to be a place where you can come and hang out, be entertained or learn something new,” says Anne Barr, chair of the Pews Co-operative ...more

For the Love of Music
A Concert in Memory of Ann McMahon
- theHumm October 2024

At 2pm on Sunday, October 20, St. Paul’s United Church in Perth will be the site of a concert in memory of Ann McMahon. She was respected and cherished by many in Perth because of her contributions to the music scene. Ann passed away last June, and while she was no longer young, her death seemed too soon, too early and too sudden.

The concert will be a fundraiser for The Hospice Hub, a community-led initiative serving Perth, Smiths Falls, Portland, Westport and surrounding areas, providing com......

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Choral Evensong in Perth - theHumm October 2024

Choral Evensong is sung in cathedrals and college chapels throughout the English-speaking world. In Canada, this afternoon service is currently sung in major urban churches but, alas, no longer in the countryside.

Except in Perth. Choral Evensong will be sung at St. James the Apostle Church in Perth on Sunday, October 20 at 4pm. The St. James Liturgical Choir will be joined by the Cranmer Singers of Ottawa, directed by Frances Macdonnell, organist emerita of Christ Church Cathedral, forming a substantial sound of about 25 voices.

Evensong is truly a “song”; the Responses, the psal......

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Almonte in Concert
Another Exciting Season of Music
- theHumm October 2024

By — Maureen Nevins is the Artistic Director of Almonte in Concert

Get ready for an array of vibrant performances by some of Canada’s finest artists. Rediscover familiar works in a fresh and exhilarating light, explore new repertoire, and marvel at the unexpected.

The 2024-25 Almonte in Concert series opens on October 19 with the trailblazing duo Stick&Bow. Marimbist Krystina Marcoux and cellist Juan Sebastián Delgado present a program of pieces by artists who have tried to make the world a better place through the power of musical ex......

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Drag and Art atthe Textile Museum - theHumm October 2024

Come on out to the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) on Saturday, October 5 and celebrate with a night of fabulous fundraising featuring dynamic drag queens and amazing art! Drag queen hosts and performers Karamilk, Saltina Shaker and Sunshine Glitterchild will keep you movin’, groovin’ and laughin’ throughout the night at the “Queer Up the Neighbourhood Drag and Art Auction”. Bring your wallets, because fantastic art from the impressive collection of Bill Staubi will be au......

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Back-to-School Portraits
Raising Funds for the Miss Mills Library
- theHumm October 2024

Stephanie de Montigny, owner of Pure Natural Portraits, has put together an exciting event for a great cause. This year’s annual Back to School photography event is in honour of the Mississippi Mills Public Library (MMPL), and children will have the opportunity to be photographed with the antique desk at the Almonte studio, outdoors, or in the stacks of the library, in order to capture their unique personalities and little faces exactly as they are.

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Arsenic and Old Lace
You’ll Die Laughing at the Station Theatre!
- theHumm October 2024

By Jesse Gibson

Hey, you up there! Yes, you, reading this article! I’m glad you’re here, ’cause I have some exciting news.

Come in, please, join me in the paragraphs, south of the byline. I have something you’re going to want to know about. What? Oh, yes. Mind the bodies; would you care for some wine?

Oh, don’t worry about those gentlemen, they’ll soon be off to Panama. Now listen, I simply must tell you about this exciting play at the St......

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Books Galore!
Friends of the Miss Mills Library Giant Book Sale
- theHumm October 2024

By Glenda Jones

Load up the boxes — the Friends of the Mississippi Mills Public Library gigantic book sale is only a few weeks away, and eager volunteers are awaiting your donations. The rule is “if you wouldn’t buy it, don’t bring it” — no text books, encyclopedias, damaged, dusty or outdated material, and please, no magazines (especially National Geographic). The volunteers handle thousands of books, and want them all to be sold before the two sale weekends end.

Book drop-offs are welcome inside the Rexall Mall on Ottawa Street in Almonte. Please follow the signs, and only leave books in the design......

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Community Builders’ Craft Fair at Union Hall - theHumm October 2024

By Linda Camponi

Union Hall is pleased to be hosting its fourth annual Community Builders’ Craft Fair, on Saturday, November 2. The hall will be joining forces with other charities and non-profits to raise awareness of their important work and to bring in much-needed cash for their operations. Get a head start on your Christmas shopping while contributing to these community builders!

The Union Hall Community Centre, a registered charity, was erected in 1857 and continues to be the hub of the community that bears ......

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Eat, Play, Love — One Night Only! - theHumm October 2024

Eat, Play, Love is excited to announce their next immersive theatrical performance — for one night only — on October 19 in support of the Falls Food Hub in Smiths Falls.

Food security is a growing concern for many people in the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark municipalities. Prior to COVID, it was estimated that at least 9.4% of the population was food insecure. Now, that number has risen to almost 15%, or 1 in 7 households.

While community food programs do not “solve” food insecurity, as it can ......

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It Takes a Village to Nurture the Arts
Artisan Village at the Falls is Home to a Diverse Array of Creatives
- theHumm October 2024

The Artisan Village at the Falls in Smiths Falls is quickly becoming a key cultural hub, offering a space where local artisans and small businesses can thrive. This beautifully restored historical building at the corner of Maple and William Streets provides a welcoming environment where creativity meets community. The Artisan Village is home to a diverse group of Creative Residents who bring their unique talents and offerings to the local arts scene, creating a destination for art lovers, shoppers, a......

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The Cusp of Winter - theHumm October 2024

By Glenda Jones

Call me crazy, but I like this time of year. The mosquitoes are supposed to be gone — NOT! — and we should be settling into a new set of activities. There’s still garden work to do, but it’s the routine cutting back, heaping the compost pile, throwing in some fertilizer, and maybe watering the shrubs for the last time. There’s anticipation in the air as fall explodes in masses of colour that we all know will soon fade.

Before the last hurrah of summer dies out, it’s good to take a brea......

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John Prine Birthday Party in Almonte - theHumm October 2024

Kris Kristoffersen said, “If God’s got a favourite songwriter, I think it’s John Prine.” After five sold-out shows since they decided to strike up the band last year, The Maywoods are throwing a John Prine Birthday Party on Thursday, October 10 at the Almonte Civitan Hall.

A birthday show honouring Prine’s songwriting genius is now an annual Nashville tradition, so the Lanark County quartet of Vicki Brittle, Tyler Craig, Nathan Sloniowski and Jessica Winskell have decided to brin......

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“Saving the Pastfor the Future”
Smiths Falls’ 2024 Heritage Symposium
- theHumm October 2024

The Smiths Falls Municipal Heritage Committee is proud to announce the return of its annual Heritage Symposium on Monday, October 28 at The Station Theatre (53 Victoria Avenue) from 9am to 3pm.

The Heritage Symposium focuses on expanding the community’s knowledge of heritage preservation and the importance of heritage protection within the community. Each year’s event explores heritage preservation and conservation themes through presentations, discussion, and tours.

“The Symposium is a great way for the Municipal Heritage Committee to share heritage with the community. At this ......

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Making Your Home Climate-Resilient - theHumm October 2024

By Sue Brandum

What a gorgeous autumn! September could not have been more beautiful, warm and balmy, making summer last longer. It makes it hard to focus on preparing for winter, nevermind preparing for the ravages of extreme weather resulting from the climate crisis.

But that’s what we were doing at CNL, preparing for our upcoming Electrify Lanark Workshop on Residential Resilience and Adaptation.

Thankfully, Resilience and Adaptation is now something that Lanark County is working on. They have a Climate Ada......

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Our Green Heart
The Soul and Science of Forests
- theHumm October 2024

By John Pigeau

If politicians listened to people like Diana Beresford-Kroeger, we would have a healthy planet in maybe 15 years.

It’s possible. But nature needs our help.

In Our Green Heart: The Soul and Science of Forests, Beresford-Kroeger — a world-renowned scientist in the fields of medical biochemistry, botany and medicine — shares and interprets the science of how this can be done in simple terms, so that someone like me, who has only the most rudimentary knowledge of trees and forests, can und......

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Perth Autumn Studio Tour - theHumm October 2024

By Zoë Lianga

In 1968, a group of free-spirited visionaries moved onto what had once been the Brennan farm, west of Perth, and created the vibrant alternative community of Brooke Valley. Their dream of a sustainable and cooperative lifestyle, together with the natural beauty of the area, soon drew others, many of whom, not surprisingly, were craftspeople.

In 1993, twenty-five years after the farm was first settled, a collection of local artisans established the first Perth Autumn Studio Tour and ......

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35 Years of Exceptional Gift Choices - theHumm October 2024

This year’s Christmas in the Valley Artisan Show takes place on November 2 and 3 from 10am to 4pm at the John Levi Community Centre Arena Upper Hall, located at 182 Bridge Street in Almonte.

You are sure to find gifts with originality, quality and attention to detail. Forgo the gift cards, impersonal box stores and stressful malls and make this your first holiday shopping destination. Over 25 carefully curated artists and crafters will present their original creations in a relaxed,......

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The Wizard is…Odd!?
More Fun than a Barrel Full of Flying Monkeys!
- theHumm October 2024

By Susan Macaulay

“When I took drama in high school, it was life-changing for me,” says Adam Pelletier, Stage Manager for Humm Team Productions’ upcoming show The Wizard is… Odd!? “To become involved in something so collaborative was… well… I can’t really describe it. There’s nothing quite like theatre,” Adam is at a loss for words at one point during our conversation.

At the ripe old age of thirty-two, Adam has been active in community theatre for nearly fourteen years. He has worked on and off stage in n......

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Connecting with Kids Through Stories - theHumm October 2024

By Jessie Carson

Stories connect us. This is true especially with children. Every day, my two-year-old walks up with a picture book and angles his way into my lap saying, “read me a story?” Every night after the light goes out, my four-year-old asks me to tell him a scary story (“but not too scary” — I have learned that dinosaurs getting attacked by other dinosaurs is too scary, while monsters under the bed or in the closet are just scary enough). Not long ago, my fourteen-year-old start......

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Almonte Celtfest AGM - theHumm October 2024

By Chrissy Steinbock

Want to get involved with a great organisation, meet new people and be part of a fantastic local festival? Come learn more about the Almonte Celtfest team. Join us on Thursday October 3 at 7pm for Almonte Celtfest’s Annual General Meeting. We will be gathering at Tea & Cake, located at 19 Bridge Street. Refreshments will be provided. We’re looking for new board members to fill the roles of Co-chair, Volunteer coordinator, Fundraising coordinator and Lil Celtz lead.

We’re also looking ......

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Who Has Seen the Rain? - theHumm October 2024

By David Hinks

I don’t have to tell my readers that we got a boatload of rain this summer. A quick review of Environment Canada weather records as well as my own calendar notations reveal that rainfall for the months of June and July was in the range of 12 to 14 inches (most vegetable crops require about an inch of rain a week). Locally, many fields were flooded for several weeks — there can be a huge amount of variability in locations that are only a few kilometres apart.

A relatively normal ......

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School Days and Sentiments - theHumm October 2024

By Glenda Jones

Local Author Arlene Stafford-Wilson has done it again: given us a nostalgic glimpse of our own past with her latest book, Lanark County Classrooms. Like her other explorations of Lanark County history, this is a treasury of memories that harken back to one-room schools that still stand today, many as houses that surely resonate with the voices of children. Stafford-Wilson has interviewed nearly 50 students and teachers who attended these schools, and nearly all remember them with......

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Common Threads, Contrasting Cloths - theHumm October 2024

As the weather changes, so does the exhibit at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum! Common Threads, Contrasting Cloths: Sue Clark & Judi Miller will be on display from October 12 to December 14. The vernissage will take place on Saturday, October 12 from 2–4pm. Guest curated by Miranda Bouchard, this is an exhibition of works by Judi Miller (Kanata) and the late Sue Clark (Vancouver Island). A virtual curatorial and artist talk with Bouchard and Miller will take place via Zoom o......

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Sex Please, We’re Sixty
A Delightful Comedy You Won’t Want to Miss
- theHumm October 2024

This fall, Rural Root Theatre is back with Sex Please, We’re Sixty, a lighthearted comedy by Michael and Susan Parker that promises to leave audiences in stitches. Directed by Charlene Gardner and Carolyn Walsh, the show runs from November 5–10 at the Constance and Buckham’s Bay Community Centre.

Sex Please, We’re Sixty is a cheerful romp set in a quaint bed-and-breakfast run by the charming Mrs. Stancliffe, where things are normally quiet — until the inn’s flirtatio......

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Composting in Almonte
My Journey with Just Good Compost
- theHumm October 2024

By Melissa Boufounos

When I moved to Almonte in 2019, one of the things I missed from “back home” was municipal composting. Having moved from a small town that had a robust composting program, it was disappointing to learn that there were no such options here. As someone who doesn’t garden, backyard composting seemed unnecessary. So, for four years, our food scraps went straight to the garbage, which didn’t sit right with me.

As a certified holistic nutritionist, I try to be mindful of how nutrition impacts not only personal health but also the environment. The idea that we could be doing better with our ......

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Almonte Civitan Club Hosts Fundraising Dinner and Dance - theHumm October 2024

On Saturday, October 19, the Almonte Civitan Club will host a dinner and dance featuring Eddie and the Stingrays, a popular local rock and roll band that has been entertaining crowds for more than 40 years with their great music from the ’50s and ’60s. All proceeds from the event will go towards the Accessible Family Playground, the Civitan Club’s latest large-scale community project.

This inclusive playground is designed to minimize physical and social barriers to allow fun-filled ......

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Celebrate the Best of Fall at Heritage House! - theHumm October 2024

Come out to the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum on October 6 from 11am to 2pm for their annual Fall Fest! Spend some time outdoors in the changing colours, and celebrate the season with family-friendly activities, games and horse-drawn wagon rides. While you’re there, pick up your pumpkin to enter in the community carving contest. Pumpkins have been generously sponsored by Miller’s Farm. Admission to Fall Fest is by donation.

A few weeks later, come back for some thrilli......

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Songs for Sustainability
Second Show Added on October 5
- theHumm October 2024

Studio Theatre will resonate with melodies both heartfelt and inspiring on October 5 as the Linden Housing Co-operative presents its major fundraiser, “Songs for Stability”. This two-concert event offers an auditory feast aimed at bolstering Linden’s mission to provide affordable, community-focused housing.

The 1pm show features local legends Joey Wright and Jenny Whiteley. Both Joey and Jenny are renowned for their musical prowess and have a rich history of captivating audiences with their soul-......

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Expressions of ArtLocal Show Returns for Thanksgiving Weekend - theHumm October 2024

The West Carleton Arts Society (WCAS) is excited to present its signature event, Expressions of Art, taking place on Thanksgiving weekend at the Carp Fairgrounds’ Agricultural Hall. This long-standing tradition, now in its 25th year, will be held on Saturday, October 12 from 8am to 4pm and Sunday, October ?? from ??am to 4pm.

The juried show features 31 booths showcasing a wide array of artwork by talented artists from Ottawa ......

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The Beadwork of Maggie Stewart
A Journey of Reconnection Through Art
- theHumm October 2024

By Kimberly Lulashnyk

Maggie Stewart’s life and art have been shaped by her deep connection to her Indigenous roots. Growing up in Kashechewan First Nations, she was immersed in a community rich with tradition, culture and the arts. From a young age, Stewart was introduced to beadwork by her aunties, mother, and kookum (grandmother). This early exposure to Indigenous crafts instilled in her artistic skills and the importance of preserving her heritage. “Every bead, every stitch carried a story,” Stewart recalls, reflectin......

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Derek Seguin in Perth - theHumm October 2024

Renowned comedian Derek Seguin is set to take the stage for two unforgettable shows in Killaloe and Perth this November. Known for his quick wit and relatable humour, Seguin will be performing at the Lion’s Hall in Killaloe on Friday, November 8 at 7:30pm, followed by a show at Studio Theatre Perth on Saturday, November 9 at 8pm. Tickets for the Perth show are available now at Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434) for $50, including all fees.

Derek Seguin is one of Canada’s most sought-......

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