Lanark County

Celebrating Artistic Diversity and Emerging Talents Across Four Captivating Stops. Mark your calendars for a captivating weekend of artistic immersion as we proudly announce the 31st Annual Perth Studio Tour. Taking place on October 7th and 8th,...

This fall, MERA (McDonald’s Corners and Elphin Recreation and Arts) will have the Schoolhouse bustling with all sorts of activities for people of all ages. Join us at 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A in McDonald’s Corners to discover how we can bring...

Barbers Lake nestles prettily in the hills of the Lanark Highlands, serene, today, under a blue and cloudless sky. I’ve visited this lake for more than thirty years but I’ve never seen it from this vantage point, high on a bluff above the water,...

You are invited to MERA’s Fall Open House at the Schoolhouse on Saturday October 1st from 12 to 3pm. Come and learn about all the activities MERA has to offer and how to join in! The Open House will be a great opportunity to discover what...

What makes a good country fair? Is it the excitement of the horse pull and the livestock competitions, the sound of country music on the outdoor stage, the aroma of fried onions from the food stand grill, or is it the chance to renew old friendships...

Celebrating its 17th year, the Sundance Artisan Show is an outdoor art show featuring 40 artists in a beautiful riverbank setting in Maberly, Ontario. The show takes place during all three days of Labour Day weekend. Peppered across two acres of...

Group classes start up on Saturdays in Sept 2023 at the Maberly Hall, under direction of Cindy McCall. There will be a new beginner group, requires no experience, starting Sept 9th. This group is for anyone age 8 and up. Classes focus on the basic...

Visitors are welcome back to a season of workshops and exhibitions. The museum is open by appointment at anytime of the week, by phone. 613-278-1875. In the loft of the museum, the present exhibition is of colourful waste paper baskets made with...

A native son of Lanark County (musically speaking) is preparing for a special appearance at MERA Schoolhouse this spring. Singer-songwriter and fiddler extraordinaire, Japhy Sullivan is a familiar figure to many local music fans, who will have the...

On Friday, May 12, the Althorpe Bolingbroke Community Association (ABCA) welcomed invited guests to a luncheon at the ABC Hall to mark the completion of recent upgrades to the 75-year-old hall. Tay Valley Township Reeve, Rob Rainer, along with...

Spring is the season of hope for growers everywhere, and for planning projects to help make rural properties comfortable and sustainable. Marcie and Jason Tompkins moved to a 4-acre lot, that they call Learning Curve Acres, near McDonalds Corners 8...

Perth Road Public School is throwing a party on Saturday, May 13 to mark the 50th anniversary of the school. “We are inviting everyone who is, or has been, connected to the school to come out and reminisce, look at old yearbooks, and celebrate...

For the entire month of May, the work of Claude Lemay will be on display at the MERA Schoolhouse. Please join us for a special “meet the artist” event on May 7th. Claudel (Claude Lemay), a self-taught painter, favors mixed techniques,...

Take out available starting this week Pradeep Vablachandran began facing obstacles as soon as he re-opened the Fall River Café in Maberly during the May long weekend last spring. After two busy days, the Derecho hit and the restaurant lost power...

As Ella Fitzgerald once said, "The only things better than singing is more singing".  Unfortunately singing was not recommended for the last 2 1/2 years but when the opportunity arose again to sing with the Tay Valley Community Choir, over 30 eager...

For the entire month of April, the beauty of the natural world will be on display through the work of celebrated local artist Catherine Orfald. You are invited to join us at the MERA Schoolhouse for the show’s opening event on April 2nd. Catherine...

Last week, Noelle Reeve, the planner with Tay Valley Township, travelled to Toronto to appear on TVO's Agenda, with Steve Paikin. She was appearing as part of a two-person panel with the General Manager of Health and Emergency Services from Simcoe...

Steve Kotze is an accountant based in Elphin, an avid soccer player and organiser and a former Green Party candidate. He was born and raised South African, and his own family history is tied to the anti-apartheid movement. He prepared and last week...

If you do a little research, you can find out many interesting facts about bees and how they produce honey. I must admit, I thought I knew a thing or two about them, but there are so many more interesting little tidbits that were foreign to me. Take...

A special day for parents and kids ages 2 to 6. Join us at the MERA Schoolhouse (974 Dalhousie Concession 9A in McDonald’s Corners) on October 22nd from 9:30am to 11:30am and spend the morning making beautiful art together in our pottery studio....

The MERA Arts Circle is proud to announce that Ed Lawrence, the former CBC radio gardening guru, will be offering his insight into trees at the Trees 4 Life Festival at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 15th in McDonald’s Corners. Mr. Lawrence has...

The Perth Studio Tour took place again last weekend, after a two year hiatus, due to Covid. The tour, which had been held for all three days of the Thanksgiving weekend since 1993, switched to a two day event. Many of the familiar mix of artists and...

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is seeking a dedicated new Chairperson to lead the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Committee. Under the Clean Water Act of 2006, 19 local watershed-based source protection committees have...

On Sunday, September 18th at 2:00 pm, Music at MERA is proud to present Close to Home, a country and folk music tribute to the sounds and history of the Ottawa Valley and Lanark County. CLOSE to HOME is the creation of Neville Wells based on his 7...

After a prolonged and unanticipated two-year Covid hiatus, the members of the Perth Autumn Studio Tour are excited to announce that this beloved Studio Tour is returning this fall! The dates have changed to September 24th and September 25th. We will...

We invite you once again to spend time at Maberly's Sundance Artisan Show during Labour Day weekend. Celebrating its 16th year, Sundance will be open all three days of the September long weekend. Hours: Sat., Sept. 3, 10am-5pm; Sun., Sept. 4,...

Former Arden resident Gary Smith, who lives in Perth now, released the book “Ice War Diplomat” earlier this year. The book chronicled Smith’s integral role in the 1972 Canada Russia Hockey Series while serving as a Canadian diplomat who was...

This fall, MERA (McDonald’s Corners and Elphin Recreation and Arts) will have the Schoolhouse bustling with all sorts of activities for people of all ages. Join us at 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A in McDonald’s Corners to discover how we can bring...

On August 9, 2022, Tay Valley Township Council appointed Amanda Mabo as the new Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk (CAO/Clerk). Ms. Mabo has worked with Tay Valley Township as Clerk for 11 years and prior to that was the Clerk/Deputy CAO at the...

As you approach Wintergreen Studios, on the right, down a small hill is the duck pond lined with cat tails that are bright green against the contrasting water. This is the first spot guests can enjoy while exploring insects and water creatures with...

The challenges that come with re-opening an established restaurant, that had been closed for a couple of years, are not lost on Pradeep Vablachandran, the new owner of the Fall River Café in Maberly. “This is a big chance for me. After many years...

A ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 2nd, 2022 marked the official opening of the Maberly Fall River Park in Tay Valley Township. Council, staff, special guests and members of the public were on hand to celebrate the grand opening of this passive park...

As part of our election coverage, the Frontenac News asked candidates a set of questions last week about their experience on the campaign. We had already interviewed each of the candidates, and those interviews are available at frontenacnews.ca...

Enjoy an intimate Sunday afternoon concert of classical music at Lammermoor in rural Lanark Highlands. Bring a folding chair and a picnic lunch to enjoy before the concert and listen to the music of Beethoven, Brahms and more, in a beautiful outdoor...

The current short-term weather forecast indicates warm daytime temperatures this week, with Thursday’s temperature above 10 degrees Celsius, and night-time low temperatures near zero. The short-term forecast also indicates that a substantial rain...

Music at MERA is excited to announce the first 2022 musical concert at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonald’s Corners with a concert by the legendary songwriter/singer, Garnet Rogers on Sunday, April 24 at 2:00 pm. Starting at the age of 18, Garnet...

Michael Neelin – Sharing the Natural Beauty and Rich Architectural Heritage of the Ottawa Valley   The largest room at MERA (McDonald’s Corners and Elphin Recreation and Arts) is the original one room school, now named Dean Hall in honour of...

Brighten up your winter on Thursday evenings by listening and watching an exciting series of talks presented by MERA. Cozy up at home, the Speakers Series will be held over Zoom. The series of talks starts on January 20th and runs until February...

Drew Cumpson hopes to be the next MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston (LFK). He took a step in that direction by winning the NDP nomination over John MaCrae after an online vote among members of the LFK riding association. His win was announced during...

Among the hardwoods and softwoods in the temperate forest in Southeastern Canada and the Northeastern United States, butternut trees are commonly found outside of the forest canopy, on fence rows and in open fields. They are a short lived (75-100...

MERA’s annual Christmas Fair returns this year! Please join us at the MERA Schoolhouse 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A in McDonald’s Corners on Saturday November 20th from 9 - 3 pm. MERA (McDonald’s Corners & Elphin Recreation & Arts) is a space...

Thanks to heavy rains over the last few weeks, water levels have recovered in regional watersheds. In the Rideau Valley Watershed, the water levels have recovered to the “Normal” level. “With above average rainfall amounts across the watershed...

Drew Cumpson is seeking the NDP nomination for MPP in the next Ontario provincial election, which is scheduled to take place next June. Cumpson is the first candidate to have been vetted and approved by the Ontario New Democrats in the riding. He...

Music at Mera is proud to announce the return of the very popular duo of pianist Frédéric Lacroix and cellist Paul Marleyn on Sunday, October 3, 2:00 PM to the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonald’s Corners. Cellist Paul Marleyn tours regularly in North...

It might be a bit tense these days at the offices that are shared by MP Scott Reid and MPP Randy Hillier in Perth and Carleton Place. The two men have been political allies for many years, and were both part of the origin of the Lanark Landowners,...

Due to the Covid Pandemic the Maberly Fair Board made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 fair. However, the board also made the decision that under the opening conditions set down by the health department, a couple of events could be held....

Third time lucky! This outdoor art exhibition has been rescheduled three times, from May to June and now to September 18. The many contributing artists have had more time to make amazing creations, and now we are ready to see all our friends again...

Celebrating its 14th year, the Sundance Artisan Show invites you to spend time in a beautiful riverfront setting with local artists in Maberly, Ontario during Labour Day weekend.   Peppered across two acres of forest, field, and riverfront will be...

On Saturday, August 28, the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) is hosting a day of woodland fun, a fantastic opportunity for families to participate in nature-inspired Scavenger Hunts. This event will provide thematic scavenger hunts along...

When Tom Christenson and Eileen Emery Christenson moved to Arden from Sault Ste. Marie to retire in 1993, they did not know what they would do, but they did know they would get involved in the local community, because that is what they had done...