2023 Gift Giving Guide - theHumm December 2023

The Highs and Lows of Mary Loos - theHumm December 2023

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

Let There Be Light

Loos gets high on light. It is her inspiration. Her canvases glow with sunlight and moonlight and starlight, illuminating landscapes, waterscapes, cloudscapes and most frequently, treescapes. Her email address is mary.paintstrees@gmail.com .

Her paintings are, literally, testaments to her love and need of light. She is a sky watcher, both day and night. Her art provi......

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Celebrate the Written Word — Readers and Writers Connect! - theHumm December 2023

By Heather Phaneuf

There is power in the written word. It can move you, move your community, move your world.

Jenn Snider Cruise and Jessie Carson know this to be true and are building a dynamic mix of activities to enliven the space that words occupy — an ongoing festival of words — through their non-profit organization Almonte Readers & Writers (ARW).

And they know of what they speak, er, write. Both are creatives, which means they move in many directions at once as multi-tas......

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Ava-lunch, a Snowfall Fable
Family Puppet Show at the Almonte Library - theHumm December 2023

It’s the most wonderful time of year in the sleepy mountain town of Saddle Creek… that’s right, it’s the Winter Pretzel Festival! But with only days to go before the grand opening, an avalanche comes crashing down on the town. A young girl named Quinn decides to do something about it and discover what strange noises from the top of the mountain are causing wave after wave of snow to come down.

Can Quinn save the town? Will Mayor Lederhosen come up with a brilliant plan to save the festival?......

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Winter Market at Brooke Valley School - theHumm December 2023

By Emily Kszan

On Saturday, December 16 from 10am to 4pm, join us for the much-anticipated annual Winter Celebration and Market at Brooke Valley School, located at 190 Seaborn Lane in Perth. We’re thrilled to invite everyone to a day filled with joy and community spirit, promising something special for everyone.

This festive event will feature an array of indoor and outdoor vendors offering collections of unique items. From locally crafted art, handmade garments and leather purses to locally sourced her......

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Union Hall Crafts atAFM Christmas Market - theHumm December 2023

Union Hall’s Community Builders’ Craft Fair, held at the hall on November 4, was a big success. We and our partners were pleased with the enthusiastic crowds who came to get a head start on their Christmas shopping and learn about organizations working hard to make life better for people in our community. Over $1,600 was raised for local charities and non-profit organizations.

Union Hall’s crafters are now hard at work getting ready for the Almonte Farmers’ Market Christmas Market taking place on December 9. John has been in his workshop creating more hardwood cutting boards, and Lind......

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“No Gift Is Too Small” - theHumm December 2023

By Cathie McOrmond

Lanark County Interval House and Community Support (LCIHCS) shelter’s statistics reveal that we have been at 100% capacity for 165 days and exceeding capacity for 95 days of the year —highlighting the pressing need for assistance to support women and children fleeing violence and abuse.

You play a crucial role in allowing LCIHCS to continue providing a lifeline to these vulnerable individuals. This holiday season, the shelter requests that you consider making a monetary donation to sustain the programs that support the women and children seeking refuge in the shelter. By participatin......

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A Musical Celebration of Christmas - theHumm December 2023

The music team at St. Paul’s United Church in Perth is presenting “A Musical Celebration of Christmas” on Sunday, December 17 at 2pm. The first half of the one-hour concert will feature the St. Paul’s Senior Choir singing Bethlehem’s Child with narrations by Brian and Jennifer Perkin. This work has been described by its writers as “a musical tapestry which blends the old with the new. Familiar carols are combined with original compositions, presenting the timeless message of Christmas”. The second half of the program will feature a variety of vocalists and instrumentalists.

Don McLean......

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A Delicious Holiday Open House - theHumm December 2023

On Saturday, December 9 from 10am to 4pm, Back Forty Artisan Cheese will host their annual Holiday Open House at their farm and dairy in Mississippi Station. This festive day will provide customers with a great opportunity to stock up on delicious raw sheep’s milk cheese for the holiday season, and the Back Forty gift basket is sure to please the cheese or food lover on your list.

As a part of their customer appreciation day they will be offering 15% off select cheeses as well as free s......

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Holiday Wishes from Climate Network Lanark - theHumm December 2023

By Chandler Swain

It’s been a heck of a year for the planet and its citizens. Just when everything is looking really bleak, the planet’s most admired activists and thinkers are speaking out about inspiring actions that are taking place on every continent. It’s so inspiring and hopeful! Locally the same is true.

Climate Network Lanark (CNL) is your local not-for-profit organization committed to helping the Lanark County community take concrete action on climate change through mitigation and adaptation measures.......

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Folkus — Give the Gift of Music! - theHumm December 2023

By Sandy Irvin

The Folkus Concert Series is looking forward to another great season. We’re pulling out all the stops to put on a great series for our audiences, and we’re happy to announce some very talented local artists who will be opening for our headliners. Music can be a priceless gift, whether for a loved one or for yourself, and catching such great talent close to home means shorter drives, no parking fees, and getting home to bed before midnight!

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Top 5 Holiday Rom-Com Tropes in It Had To Be You - theHumm December 2023

’Tis the time of year for small town holiday romantic comedies, and Almonte is the most beautiful setting for one such rom-com. Valley Players Almonte is bringing It Had To Be You to the Almonte Old Town Hall from December 7 to 10, just in time for a romantic date between the town’s 200th Anniversary parade and the holidays! The play is a lighthearted two-person rom-com, written by real-life married couple Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna, which has that warm and fuzzy feeling people are looki......

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Small Town Inking! - theHumm December 2023

By Leanne Baker

Tattooing is a popular form of expression through appearance, emphasizing creativity, design, customization or symbolization on one’s skin permanently. Society’s view of tattoos has shifted a lot over the decades. Outdated judgement once saw tattooing as taboo and deviant, but now more than ever it is respected, valued, and seen as a beautiful form of art and expression. Almonte is a town that thrives in the art and creative expression scene, and Waxwing Tattoo Company fits right in.

I first met ......

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The Snow Queen Arrives in Smiths Falls on Dec. 1 - theHumm December 2023

By Submitted the Smiths Falls Community Theatre

We are getting to the time of year when we bundle up in our heavy coats, mittens and hats. The reason is that the world is beginning to change to its cold, white days. But is it caused by winter, or the magic of the Snow Queen?

The Smiths Falls Community Theatre invites you to our winter production of The Snow Queen by Stuart Peterson, with music by Savourna Stevenson and by permission of the Dramatic Publishing Company.

This is the perfect family show, and we really would l......

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Almonte Potters Guild Christmas Sale - theHumm December 2023

On December 9 from 10am to 3pm, come and find beautiful handmade functional and decorative pottery at the Christmas Sale taking place at the Almonte Potters Guild, located at 95 Bridge Street.

One of participating artists is Larisa Wheeler, who was born and raised in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. She is an avid outdoors person who developed an interest in wildlife ecology early in life. She worked as a Conservation Technician for many years, studying the effects of pesticides on ponds and birds. Al......

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A Christmas Fantasy - theHumm December 2023

The Kanata Choral Society will open their season with a Christmas concert on December 9 featuring Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasie on Christmas Carols.

The composer wrote this work for baritone soloist, choir and orchestra, and used an original style based on old English folk music. His love for Christmas is expressed in the carols he used in this work. One of these is the Sussex Carol, which was first published in the 17th century by Luke Wading, an Irish bishop. The bass-baritone solo will be performed by Philip Lukic, who is a third-year student studying Music Performance at Ottawa......

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Season’s Greetings from MMLT’s President - theHumm December 2023

By Stephen Kotze

I have experienced the healing powers of nature first-hand. When I am stressed, overwhelmed or feeling at odds with the world, a walk in a forest or a quiet moment by a flowing stream, river or lake helps calm and centre me. I imagine that you share a similar appreciation for nature’s healing impact.

This year, your invaluable support helped the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) protect a new 106-acre gem of a property. Blue Heron Wetlands is a sanctuary for hundr......

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Mudmen Come to Perth! - theHumm December 2023

By Kris Riendeau

A captivating force in the Celtic rock scene, Mudmen are celebrating an illustrious 25-year career marked by their distinctive blend of high-octane performances and infectious stage presence. Originating as “The Campbell Brothers” before catching the ear of EMI Records in 1993, the band underwent a transformation into the dynamic entity known today as “Mudmen.” The band is now comprised of members Robby & Sandy Campbell, Colin Amey, Andy Gingerich, Alex Showdra and Emmett Glancie.

Their musical......

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“Norma, Time is Running Out” - theHumm December 2023

By David Hinks

The above email message from BMO was received shortly after my mother’s funeral in early November. Needless to say, it left us speechless. Mother died at age 96 after three years of exemplary care at Fairview Manor in Almonte, and was certainly not looking to avail herself of additional banking services!

The marketing message left me yearning for a time when our bank manager and staff knew us personally and knew that Norma Jean never went by Norma and was always known as Jean.......

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Buy Local, Read Local!  - theHumm December 2023

By John Pigeau

These days it is astonishingly, frustratingly difficult to make a living as a writer in Canada. Whether your book is published by a traditional publisher or you’ve decided to self-publish, it’s an extraordinarily tough go.

Even established writers in Canada are finding it a challenge to earn a living solely by writing books. Charlotte Gray wrote about this in an insightful article published this summer in The Globe and Mail titled “Canadian writers can’t afford to write non-fiction anymore — and ......

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Blues Travels with Steve Marriner - theHumm December 2023

By Seamus Cowan

It astounds me what Steve Marriner has accomplished and who he has performed with over the last decade! Since becoming a fixture of the Canadian blues scene with his JUNO and Maple Blues award-winning power trio MonkeyJunk, he set his sights on the stars and has reached them. A lively character with sharp wit and a hilarious personality, he sings from his feet, pulls out only the sweetest/dirtiest guitar licks, and blows harmonica like the best o......

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2023 Gift Giving Guide - theHumm December 2023

Gifts for $100 & Under

1-hour somatic massage, dOMe Retreat domeretreat.ca , $95

Cozy-Up tie neck pullover, Frangipani facebook.com/frangipaniboutiquealmonte , $99.99

Baby blue spruce tree, Home Hospice North Lanark hhnl.ca , $60

Gift certificate for a private indoor sauna & s......

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Farewell, Intrepid Leader - theHumm December 2023

By Glenda Jones

You know the “old soldiers never die” thing about fading away? Well, it’s not fair. Any retirement should be celebrated. Some people will work diligently and quietly for many years, and when their term is up, they simply close the door behind them and that’s the last anyone ever hears of them. This often happens around year-end when everyone is excited about the holidays, and then BAM! Come January, we look for familiar faces and the shop is shuttered, the people gone.

Two of my favourite shops ar......

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ADHS Art at the Almonte Library Corridor Gallery - theHumm December 2023

By — Kali Latham is a grade 12 student at ADHS

If there is one thing Almonte District High School is known for, it is their sports. Almonte is a school full of talented athletes who are no stranger to taking home trophies for their efforts. Unbeknownst to many, it is also a school full of people with a knack for something else — the arts. ADHS is home to many talented and creative individuals, and I am proud to call myself one of them.

This year, I was graced with the privilege of being in an art class with the wonderful Ms. Natasha Charpentie......

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A Holiday Gift - theHumm December 2023

By Submitted Studio Theatre Perth

Studio Theatre Perth wants to give the town of Perth a Christmas present, as a heartfelt thank you for all the support everyone has given this little theatre on the shores of the Tay Basin. They have stood by Studio Theatre through thick and thin, helped us survive the shutdown back in 2020, and continued to attend our films, musical events and live theatre productions ever since.

On Saturday, December 16, everyone is invited to Studio Theatre Perth to hear a magical staged......

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The Grand Author Takeover! - theHumm December 2023

Four independent authors from across North America (Elisabeth Garner, Kimberly M. Ringer, Sarren Scribner and Tara Tappin) have created an event to connect writers and readers of all genres. Not only do these women have a love of storytelling, but also a desire to help underserved communities. Together, they are organizing The Grand Author Takeover. On February 23 and 24, 2024, this band of bards will take over The Grand Hotel in Carleton Place.

What started as a wild idea developed into a two-day international signing event featuring over a dozen authors, cover models and other booki......

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Merrickville Arts Guild Christmas Show & Sale - theHumm December 2023

By Nick Previsich

The Merrickville Arts Guild (MAG) is holding its Christmas show and sale in the Merrickville Community Centre from 10am to 5pm on December 9 and 10. Over 25 artists will be displaying their wonderful creations just in time to purchase that unique Christmas gift. We are delighted to have two of our newest artists participating — Rachel Houlton and Shelly Leach. This year, MAG is holding a very interesting sale of art books as a fundraiser, featuring many rare books from the personal library of Pieter Doef — one of the original founders of MAG. We will also have a canteen on-site to offer p......

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Carleton Place Gallery is Growing Again! - theHumm December 2023

The new Carleton Place Gallery is growing again, thanks to a collaboration with Patrick John Mills, artist and owner of Renfrew’s Art Factory. The gallery now offers a wide variety of affordable art supplies at the new Carleton Place satellite Art Factory store located at 210/208 Bridge Street.

“Art supplies are the building blocks of creativity, and these days the post-Covid economy has changed what ‘affordable’ looks like to many artists,” says Colleen Gray, artist/gallerist at the CP Gal......

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Lanark County Routes - theHumm December 2023

The Lanark County Genealogical Society will soon launch two new books titled Lanark County Routes Vol 3 East and Vol 4 West, offering a compelling collection of our county farm histories that are a must-read for local history enthusiasts.

To celebrate this achievement, the society is hosting a book launch party on December 9 at the Almonte Library. The event will be held from 1:30–4pm, and attendees will have the chance to purchase copies. At 2pm, Rose Mary Sarsfield, who headed t......

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Why Study Food? - theHumm December 2023

By Jane Ellens

Learning Again In Almonte invites you to look at your dinner in a whole new light with the upcoming course: Why Study Food? Changing the Environment and Society with the Food that We Eat.

Last year, Dr. Kelly Bronson from the University of Ottawa came to Learning Again in Almonte as a guest lecturer, and she brought the potentially dry subject of agricultural technology to life. Participants were so excited by this dynamic speaker that they asked, dare I say insisted, that we bring her back for a full course. We were delighted when she agreed to grace us with her enthusiasm and depth ......

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Human Trafficking Presentation - theHumm December 2023

As part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, Stir It Up Collective, in partnership with The Table, Lanark County Community Action Network and YAK Youth Services, will be hosting a presentation on Human Trafficking.

Wendy Gee, Executive Director of A New Day Youth and Adult Services and Chair of the Ottawa Coalition to End Human Trafficking, will be sharing information to help us understand how this insidious industry is able to flourish in Eastern Ontario: what it is, how it happens, and what individuals and communities can do to stay safe.

Join us for this ......

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Multicultural Meet & Greetat Sivarulrasa Gallery - theHumm December 2023

Sivarulrasa Gallery is delighted to partner with the Mississippi Mills Inclusion Project, a group of local residents, artists and business people working towards inclusion in our community! The Inclusion Project will host a “Multicultural Meet & Greet” event at the Gallery on Sunday, December 10 from 4–6pm.

Did you know that there are approximately 1000 people living in Mississippi Mills who are Indigenous or visible minorities? This was reflected in the 2021 Census data (So......

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A Note of Thanks
- theHumm December 2023

By — Kentucky

I am thankful for Pat Guilbeault, owner and operator of Ottawa Valley Coffee in Almonte. In September 2022 I had taken my son for hot chocolate before school. An Almonte night market wa......

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