May Events at MERA - theHumm May 2024
May Events at MERA - theHumm May 2024
By Alexis Scott
This May, MERA (McDonalds Corners/Elphin Recreation & Arts) has plenty of fun activities for all ages. Join us at 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A in McDonalds Corners to stay connected to your community.
Murals are a big part of MERA’s history. To celebrate our 25th anniversary, we have invited Wakefield artist Marie-France Nitski to help create a new mural. It was thoughtfully designed with community input to present messages and symbols of hope. We would like to invite everyone to come and assist Marie-France in painting this beautiful community masterpiece. No painting experience is required! Bring your friends and family to help paint the new mural from April 29 to May 3.
The Music at MERA spring concert series continues with a double bill with Alanna J. Brown and Campbell Woods on May 26, and a show by The Wanted on June 9. Concerts are on Sundays from 2–4pm, and tickets are available from Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434).
MERA’s Fibre Arts group will be meeting monthly for the spring and summer. The next meeting is on May 7 at 2pm. Each meeting will include a workshop, and this month we invite everyone to come and try your hand at learning to Spin Fibre with Susan Berlin. Have a project you are working on? Bring it and share what you are doing. Want to learn how to knit, crochet, rug hook, embroider, spin fibre? We can help you out! Please email Michele Derry at lanarklady1@yahoo.ca for more details.
Learn all about local and indigenous plants and animals at MERA’s annual Garden Day on May 11 from 10am to 3pm, featuring talks by locals including The Friends of Lanark Highlands and Mike Nickerson. Sponsor an indigenous plant for MERA’s gardens in honour of our 25th anniversary! For a full list of plants to choose from, email meraschoolhouse@gmail.com .
Almonte-based artist Meed Barnett showcases her work in Dean Hall for the month of May. Come to the show’s opening on May 12 from 2–4pm to meet the artist, view her work and purchase that “must have” piece.
Lovers of unique treasures will enjoy the Vintage Market Trunk Sale on May 18 from 10am to 2pm. Refreshments will be available throughout the day from the MERA Café. Vendors can register for a table for $10 by emailing meraschoolhouse@gmail.com .
MERA’s regular programming includes an art circle, fibre arts, heritage weaving, pottery and quilting. We always have a lot going on! Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in touch and learn about our regular programs as well as upcoming events and workshops. Please email our friendly administrator to be added to the newsletter at meraschoolhouse@gmail.com .
MERA is committed to facilitating and promoting activities and programs for all ages that help bring this rural community together, and to promoting awareness and understanding of the arts and wellbeing.
David Desormeaux — A Journey ofJoy and Discovery - theHumm May 2024
By Sally Hansen
Art… and Soul
Many books are written about the therapeutic value of creating art, and art therapy has become a respected and growing field of professional practice that nurtures emotional healing. Carleton Place artist David Desormeaux is a compelling testament to its claims. His recent immersion in the delights and challenges of watercolour painting has renewed his joie de vivre.
His eye-catching paintings bring joy to observers too. David renders familiar and frequently overlooked ob......
Art in the Attic A Tradition Continues on Mothers’ Day Weekend - theHumm May 2024
On Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12, the Almonte Old Town Hall will come alive with the Art in the Attic show, a free event hosted by the Almonte and Area Artists’ Association. A vibrant and colourful show of art and fine craft, Art in the Attic is the perfect destination on this special Mother’s Day weekend. The show is open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday. The Old Town Hall is located at 14 Bridge Street in Almonte.
For over three decades, artists and artis......
A Planet is a Poem - theHumm May 2024
In Amanda West Lewis’s latest picture book, A Planet is a Poem, science and poetry combine in an out-of-this-world exploration of the wonders of our solar system. From a ballad of Earth and an ode to the sun to a villanelle for Venus and a sestina for Saturn, it contains 14 original poems about planets and other bodies in our solar system. Each poem is written in a different poetic form that’s been chosen to reflect the object’s unique characteristics, and each is bursting with......
Electrify Lanark Forum Explore Local Electrification and Decarbonization on May 18 - theHumm May 2024
By Sue Brandum and Sadie Brule
If we’re supposed to switch to Electric Vehicles, use electric heat pumps to heat and cool our homes, and use electric hot water tanks, lawn mowers and appliances, where is all the electricity supposed to come from?
That’s the big question behind the day-long Electrify Lanark Forum hosted by Climate Network Lanark (CNL) on May 18 in Perth.
CNL got its start four years ago when 120 citizens from across Lanark County came together to launch the organization and set up a range of working......
The Harmonies of Haydn & Bruckner - theHumm May 2024
The Kanata Choral Society will close their 37th season with a performance of Haydn’s Missa Brevis in F and Bruckner’s Locus Iste and Ave Maria, showing the contrast between the lively music of Haydn and the grandeur and spiritual depth of Bruckner’s music. The programme will also include music by Mendelssohn as well as some madrigals.
The conductor will be Scott Auchinleck, the choir’s music director. Soloists will be Bryanna Vanderlek, soprano, and Cameron Hunter, soprano. Instrumental accompaniment will be provided by pianist Eliana Kurilov de Castro, violinists Carolyn Ho and Will ......
A Litany of Literary Events from ARW - theHumm May 2024
By Jessie Carson & Jenn Snider Cruise
Almonte Readers & Writers (ARW) are delighted to present another exciting month of community events and educational opportunities throughout May.
On Wednesday, May 8 from 7–8:30pm at the Library, ARW is proud to be partnering with our sister-group, the Almonte Writers Guild, on the presentation of the first Writing Craft Book Club! The conversation will focus on Anne Lamott’s Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (1994, Pantheon). Since its publication, Lamott’s book has b......
Volunteer with Almonte Celtfest! - theHumm May 2024
Celtfest — the amazing small-town Celtic music festival — prides itself on being totally operated by volunteers. If you are a music festival enthusiast who enjoys working with the public and is comfortable speaking with and helping people of all stripes, young and old, Celtfest needs you! Some volunteer roles may be more physical than others, while some may involve making sales and being responsible for money. Please visit almonteceltf......
The Start Rocks the Chaffey’s Lock Hall - theHumm May 2024
By Gay Henniger
The Chaffey’s Lock and Area Heritage Society (CLAHS) is thrilled to announce that they are welcoming one of their favourite bands to open the 2024 Music Events Headliner Season in the historic Chaffey’s Lock Community Hall on May 18. Hailing from Ottawa, The Start is returning with their amazing show and fantastic dance music. “This band played here for a sold-out crowd two years ago, and ever since then we have been asked ‘when are you bringing back The Start?’” notes Gay Henniger,......
The Playing Hooky Day - theHumm May 2024
By Glenda Jones
We’re adults. We have responsibilities, we have plans and schedules and places to be and people to see. If we want to attend an affair, it had better be a few months from now, because we’re busy people. We go to meetings, we take classes, we have medical appointments. What we don’t have is spare time. At least, that’s what we think.
When our kids were in school, I allowed them one mental health day per year to simply stay home and do nothing. I even sent a note to school declaring they were kept h......
May Events at MERA - theHumm May 2024
By Alexis Scott
This May, MERA (McDonalds Corners/Elphin Recreation & Arts) has plenty of fun activities for all ages. Join us at 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A in McDonalds Corners to stay connected to your community.
Murals are a big part of MERA’s history. To celebrate our 25th anniversary, we have invited Wakefield artist Marie-France Nitski to help create a new mural. It was thoughtfully designed with community input to present messages and symbols of hope. We would like to invi......
Relay for Life at ADHS - theHumm May 2024
By Jack Lockhart
On June 4, students will be back at it again for Almonte and District High School’s 5th annual Relay for Life event. After having great success at the event last year, with the students raising over $40,000 for cancer research, they are ecstatic about this year’s event and hope to surpass this year’s goal of $30,000.
Relay for Life is an event in which a community, organization, or school comes together to raise money for cancer research through the Canadian Cancer Society. Throughout this......
Laugh, Cry, Be Inspired Studio Theatre Presents The Diary of Anne Frank - theHumm May 2024
By Ben Bennett
A classic story of an innocent and imaginative girl forced to face the realities of hiding from persecution in war-time Amsterdam opens on May 16 at the Studio Theatre in Perth.
The Diary of Anne Frank is a stage adaptation of The Diary of a Young Girl, the young Jewish teenager’s actual journal, which was recovered after the war. It was first published in 1947, two years after Anne’s death in a concentration camp. This dramatization was written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Ha......
Red Trillium Studio Tour - theHumm May 2024
How often do you do that? It’s a wonderful concept. The journey and the stops you make are simply for pleasure! There is just such an experience awaiting you on the Red Trillium Studio Tour, taking place on June 1 and 2 from 10am to 4pm each day.
Studio tours are the relaxed, slow paced, pleasant way to enjoy art and fine craft — and our beautiful spring — all in one package. Red Trillium artists are looking forward to opening their studios this spring, and have once again created an enj......
Summer Concerts at the Kemptville Street Piano - theHumm May 2024
By Lisa Poushinsky
To music fans throughout the region and beyond, I am thrilled to announce the return of the Kemptville Street Piano Summer Concert Series! Taking place rain or shine on Saturdays from 1–3pm at the North Grenville Public Library, the concerts are for all ages, free to attend, dog-friendly, and start on June 1, continuing weekly until August 31.
The lineup this year has something for everyone, including R&B piano great Jeff Rogers, blues guitar queen Jesse Greene, internationally renowned cello monster Raphael Weinroth-Browne and his ensemble Musk Ox, art-folk bilingue trio Moonfrui......
Garden Showing for Ukraine - theHumm May 2024
By Norma Moore
Can anyone have too much beauty or magic in their lives? I don’t think so. Come and experience both at the opening to the public of the private Moore Garden on June 8.
Tour the extensive gardens, planted over many years; watch butterflies on the wildflowers or birds bathe in one of three beautiful bird baths; enjoy the scents and the sounds of spring. You will hear classical musicians playing in the gazebo, the sounds of a piano on the breeze.
Listen to the sound of gently falling wate......
AGH Run/Walk Fundraiser for Women’s & Newborn Health - theHumm May 2024
Walkers, runners, and even crawlers of all ages and abilities are invited to participate in the 11th annual AGH Run/Walk for Women’s & Newborn Health, sponsored by Canadian Tire (Carleton Place), on Saturday, June 8. The morning will feature fun warm-up activities, children’s entertainment and games, pre- and post-run/walk food and refreshments. Everything gets underway at 8am behind the Hospital and Manor on Spring Street.
Incredible prizes will be awarded to everyone who fundraises in suppo......
Borrow Toys fromthe Perth Library! - theHumm May 2024
The Perth Library is now offering a Toy Lending Library! Created with the support of Lanark County Best Start, the collection is made up of high-quality toys and puzzles aimed at ages 0–6.
“Families can borrow these materials just like borrowing a book from the Library,” says Heidi Taber, Children’s Librarian. “By creating a free accessible collection, it allows all children and all families to have access to high quality materials that promote learning through play and foster a lo......
JB Arts – at theHeart of Almonte Art - theHumm May 2024
By Cecilia Kelly
When my neighbour retired recently, she said she was thinking of finally taking some art lessons in her free time but had no idea where to start. My answer was: “ask Jeff Banks… I bet he’ll know.” When Jeff Banks opened a little art studio in Almonte almost 14 years ago, he only dreamed that JB Arts would become such an established staple of the local landscape. Operating on the belief that anyone willing to do visually creative things should be encouraged to pursue art, his motto is “Dress for a......
Taste of the County 2024! Fundraiser for Therapeutic Riding Program at Stonefields - theHumm May 2024
By Amy Booth
The ConnectWell Therapeutic Riding Program would like to invite you to our Taste of the County Food, Beer and Wine Tasting Gala on Monday, June 3 from 6–9pm at the beautiful Stonefields Estate in Beckwith. Come out with your friends to celebrate spring and treat yourself to a delicious evening for a really great cause.
Some of the exceptional local cuisine, beer, cider and wine on offer this year will come from Black Tartan Kitchen, The Grand Hotel, Final Score Sports B......
Hike for The Hospice Hub Fundraising Event Takes Place on June 2 in Perth - theHumm May 2024
By Margo Bell
“Like the North Star guiding a weary traveller through the night, hospice care supports caregivers and their loved one facing illness, so you can navigate this challenging journey together.” — Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
Established in March of 2023, The Hospice Hub is a community-led initiative serving Perth, Smiths Falls, Portland, Westport and surrounding areas. We are a grass roots, not-for-profit organization with a volunteer working Board, volunteer Executive Director, and a myriad of volunteers with a wealth of expertise. We have recently added a paid part-time......
Tay Walk 2024 - theHumm May 2024
Whether you are a visitor, are new to Perth, or have lived here all your life, Friends of the Tay Watershed invite you to join them on Saturday, May 25 between 2–4pm for a free, fascinating guided tour along the Tay River and Canal between Last Duel Park and the park next to the Rainbow Bridge at the top of Mill Street.
Bring your family, bring a friend, park and start your walk at either Last Duel Park (ample parking) or at the top of Mill Street (limited parking). Pick up the Tay Walk Map a......
Support Your LocalLocal Farmers’ Markets! - theHumm May 2024
As you walk away from the farmers’ market with your canvas bags filled with fresh local produce, plants, organic meats and assorted other delicious goodies, you just can’t help feeling good. Supporting small-scale market farms means voting with your dollars for the option that is easier on the planet than large, mono-crop industrial farms. Having to plan the trip to the market means planning meals, which is a great way to reduce both wasted food and extra trips to the grocery store. Growers at the marke......
Hope for the Best,Plan for the Rest - theHumm May 2024
By John Pigeau
“Life changes fast,” Joan Didion wrote. “Life changes in the instant.”
For many of us, that “instant” can come in a doctor’s office, when we’re told we have a life-changing illness. That instant can be overwhelming. Our minds can quickly be flooded by powerful emotions: fear, anger, sadness, confusion, helplessness. To make sense of things, to figure out what it all means, and to know what to do next, we sometimes need help.
Dr. Sammy Winemaker and Dr. Hsien Seow have written an invalua......
CR5 Live! @ the Library - theHumm May 2024
From out of the stacks and into the sunshine, Live! @ the Library is pleased to present an award-winning 5-piece bluegrass band on Sunday, June 2 in the garden of the Almonte Branch of the Mississippi Mills Public Library. Performing classics from the likes of Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin, and the Osborne Brothers, CR5 can often be heard rehearsing in the library on Sunday afternoons in the winter months. The pleasant strains of their strumming persuaded The Friends of the Library to ......
A Bittersweet Decision... Burnstown Gallery to Close in June - theHumm May 2024
Bittersweet Gallery — a well-known and much-loved destination for fine craft and art —will close its doors on June 30. The gallery reopens on May 1 after a winter break and will offer patrons discounts on much of the inventory until its closing date.
Owner Cheryl Babineau has proudly represented over 50 Canadian artists and craftspeople for almost 25 years. Bittersweet Gallery has also housed the ceramic works of her husband Richard Gill, who settled here over 50 years ago and has been......
Zombie-ApprovedCoffee to “Die” For! - theHumm May 2024
By Leanne Baker
Are you looking for somewhere to enjoy high-quality coffee, a distinctive vibe, and a very welcoming atmosphere? Deadly Grounds Café in Carleton Place offers an inclusive, friendly space for anyone and everyone to enjoy good coffee or other drinks, sweet treats, and unique merchandise from local vendors and artists. Step into this café and experience more than just the coffee — in a spooky, creative, cozy, horror-themed space filled with the friendliest people.
At Deadly Grounds Café you will fin......
Cycling Without Age Spring Plans - theHumm May 2024
Now that the weather is turning nicer, Cycling Without Age Lanark County (CWALC) is offering training sessions for people interested in becoming volunteer pilots. Not fond of heights? Don’t worry — in this case pilots are the volunteers who pedal the Trishaws — special three-seat electrically-assisted bikes that allow cyclists to provide free rides to the elderly while building friendships. CWALC members Mark Manzon and Treff Peters will be offering half-day training sessions at Stoneridge Manor on ......
Cycle MORE! - theHumm May 2024
A group of cycling enthusiasts is envisioning a remarkable new cycle route that will loop from Parliament Hill along the Ottawa River Parkway onto the TransCanada Trail, to Carleton Place, through the picturesque communities of Almonte and Pakenham, then back through Ottawa’s western rural neighbourhoods and the village of Carp. “Mississippi & Ottawa Rivers Experience” (MORE) will be Ottawa’s and northern Lanark’s cycle adventure — its Waterfront Trail, P’tit train du Nord, Greater Niagara Circ......
The Puppets are Coming! Almonte’s Beloved Puppet Festival Launches Early Bird Pricing - theHumm May 2024
The Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival is returning to Almonte from August 9–11, promising all of the fun, folly and felt that you could ask for! Festival passes are on sale now, with special discounts available until the end of June.
While organizers aren’t quite ready to announce this year’s lineup, Artistic Director Noreen Young and Program lead Jenny Sheffield promise that the festival will be a mix of long-time favourites and some exciting new acts. Never fear — the fa......
Exciting Addition to Art in the Garden: Introducing the Sunday Market - theHumm May 2024
Kiwi Gardens is abuzz with anticipation as it prepares to unveil its newest offering: the Sunday Market. Set against the backdrop of the beloved Art in the Garden event that takes place over Father’s Day weekend, this addition promises a fusion of artisanal crafts, natural beauty, and community spirit.
“The Sunday market is more than just an extension of Art in the Garden,” explains Paul Loiselle, owner of Kiwi Gardens and the driving force behind this initiative. “It’s a platform to showcase the......
Miracle of Spring - theHumm May 2024
By Danette Hanneman
Spring is here, and that means the Carleton Place Town Singers are diligently preparing for our annual spring concert. Our “Miracle of Spring” performance is shaping up to be an uplifting event for all. Thanks to our brilliant Musical Director Laurel Tye and her thought-provoking song choices, we have enjoyed the challenge and look forward to performing music full of reflective lyrics and inspiring harmonies, with a few surprises sprinkled in.
We have been rehearsing our spring repertoire since February, and it promises to be a very fun experience for our audience. Our 2023 Christma......
Carleton Place Will Be Swingin’ This Summer! - theHumm May 2024
By R. Gary Payne
The Carleton Place and District Community Band (CPDCB) will kick off its 2024 Concert Season with a spring concert entitled Swingin’ Into Spring. It will take place at the Carambeck Community Centre, 351 Bridge Street, on Sunday, June 2 at 2pm. Swing is the theme of this year’s concert, and it’s sure to bring back many memories of the big band era with the sounds of the Benny Goodman and the Glenn Miller bands. Admission is $15 and children under 12 are free.
The Carleton Place and District Community Band had a busy 2023 season that included a community concert held in early June, Can......
Beatlemania New Exhibit at Heritage House Museum - theHumm May 2024
The Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum is excited to be hosting an exhibit entitled Beatlemania: Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of RCA Pressing Beatles Records in Smiths Falls, opening on Saturday, June 1.
The exhibit will include Beatles memorabilia from local private collectors as well as artifacts from RCA Victor Smiths Falls and CJET. RCA Victor began pressing records in December of 1953. Over 400 people were employed during its peak, with 75% of the employees being women. RCA began pressing the first Beatles records for the North American market in 1963.
“We are delighted t......
This Is My Story - theHumm May 2024
Having recently moved to Carleton Place, musician Mel Hucul has jumped right into the local scene, organizing the popular monthly Art House Music Series at the Carleton Place Gallery with her partner Don Bray. Mel is also one-half of a musical duo, and she and her musical partner Mark Evenchick are set to unveil their latest artistic endeavour. Their upcoming album release concert for This Is My Story — which is doubling as a fundraiser for the Ottawa Food Bank — promises to be not j......
Brooks and Bowskill in Westport - theHumm May 2024
By Seamus Cowan
Well-known in the Canadian music scene from his time with The Sheepdogs, Jimmy Bowskill is currently touring with his band Brooks and Bowskill, and is also the lead guitar player in Blue Rodeo and the Steve Marriner Band. Busy and in-demand, he continues to record endlessly and tour constantly! In advance of the Brooks and Bowskill concert at The Cove on Saturday, May 11, I caught up with Jimmy to find out more about his musical history and this terrific show.
Seamus Cowa......
Joanna Scissons — An Almonte Tennis Icon - theHumm May 2024
By — Heather Pinsky is the Membership and Social Coordinator for the Almonte Tennis Club
The year was 1955. Louis St. Laurent was Prime Minister of Canada. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the President of the United States. A new optimism was brewing as the second world war had been over for a decade. In southwest London, England, in a stadium called Wimbledon, current Almonte resident Joanna Scissons was playing in the Junior Championships at the age of 17. She was playing against Christine Truman, who later became the youngest women’s singles champion at the French Championships&#......
Emotional Baggage Art Exhibition - theHumm May 2024
The Art Factory in Renfrew and the Carleton Place Collective for Mental Health, Wellness and Arts have partnered to host an art exhibition in honour of Mental Health Awareness month in May.
Entitled Emotional Baggage, this five-week rotating show seeks to demonstrate the diverse perspectives and expressions that shed light on the spectrum of emotions, experiences and challenges associated with mental health through art.
Art has the unique power to articulate the often compl......
Nutritious, Delicious, and Attractive! - theHumm May 2024
By David Hinks
Don’t think you have room in your garden for a vegetable patch, but have a hankering for fresh-picked greens? Do you think that the vegetable patch should be hidden behind the garage? Only got room for a few containers of flowers on your patio?
You might want to reconsider. There are many edible plants that are healthy additions to your plate as well as being a visual feast. They make great additions to flower beds, ornamental borders or containers. An important proviso is that ......
History in Your Backyard - theHumm May 2024
Did you know that the oldest rural library in Ontario is only a short drive away? The historic Dalhousie Library is presently located in the Watson’s Corners Community Hall at 1132 Conc 3 Dalhous......
Oct 19 - Nov 30 The Second Wife's Story -- Matheson Housewarming Party
Nov 5 - 8 Sex Please, We're Sixty
Nov 9 Perth WriterFest plus workshop on Short-Story Writing
Nov 9 - 10 MAG Art is Magic Show
Nov 9 - 10 Sex Please, We're Sixty
Nov 9 Snowflake Bazaar & Cookie Table
Nov 13 Christmas Urn Workshop
Nov 15 "The Sky's the Limit" MMLT Gala
Nov 16 - 17 Itty Bitty Art & Artisan Show
- Shane Belanger — Having a Whale of a Time
- Cabaret Extravaganza! Celebrating 5o Years of The Hub | Rebound
- The Beatles Come to St. Andrew’s United
- The Wizard is… Odd!? A Hilarious and Odd-ly Relatable Original Musical
- The Sky’s the Limit at MMLT’s Fundraising Gala
- Come to the Merrickville Makers Market!
- 10th Anniversary Show at Sivarulrasa Gallery!
- Library After Dark A Night of Music with Jeremy Lyall
- Showing the Local Love for the Holidays!
- I’m Not Imelda Marcos
