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Geographical challenges are only one of the issues of concern as the Ontario health care system works on finding ways to deliver better care, at a better price, to Ontario residents. In a process that started with the development of 14 Local Health...
The McDonalds Corners Farmers’ Market invites you to bring seeds and friends on Saturday, February 27, 10 am to 2 pm, to the MERA Schoolhouse – and take home different seeds and new friendships! Here’s what we’ll be doing: 10 am to 2 pm –...
Tay Valley Township is joining with its neighbours in the Perth and the townships of Drummond/North Elmsley and Beckwith in the 200th anniversary celebration of the Perth Military Settlement of 1816. In that year, the first wave of settlers came...
Fiber artist, felt maker and designer Zoë Emily Lianga's show at the MERA school house opened with a well-attended vernissage on February 5, and those who have an interest in felt will be fascinated by the diverse work of this talented artist. The...
Zoe Emily Lianga’s work will be on display for the month of February in Dean Hall at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners. There will also be an exhibit opening and vernissage on Friday, February 5 from 7 - 10pm, with refreshments. This...
Those not able to travel to far-flung, sunnier climes this winter might want to take a quick trip to the MERA (McDonald's Corners/Elphin Recreation and Arts ) school house in McDonalds Corners to take in a show of photographs by Abigail Gossage...
Those with a love for fiddle music and looking to extend their holiday cheer for a few more days following the New Year did just that at the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra's 16th annual “Little Christmas concert”, which took place at the...
On December 6, the voices of the 45 members of the Tay Valley Community Choir filled the Maberly Hall with the sounds of joy in the group's 23rd concert to date. The choir, which was formed in the fall of 2004, has been performing a wide and diverse...
On Sat. November 28 MERA is the place to be for shoppers looking for unique holiday gifts created by a host of local artisans. The annual juried show will take place at MERA from 10am - 4pm. The fair is the ideal place to shop locally and...
Lovers of, as well as those just curious about classical music, were treated to a spectacular classical concert that opened MERA's Blue Jeans Classical Music series at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners on November 8. Cellist Emily Kennedy...
Lovers of, as well as those just curious about classical music, were treated to a spectacular classical concert that opened MERA's Blue Jeans Classical Music series at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners on November 8. Cellist Emily Kennedy...
Visitors to the Red Door Studio Tour this past Thanksgiving weekend not only had a chance to get up close to a number of particularly friendly farm animals but also enjoyed perusing a wide variety of art and craft items made by the over 18...
In 1816, the Perth Military Settlement was founded. The first settlements were established in the Town of Perth and vicinity, and in Bathurst and Burgess townships, two of the three townships that would eventually become Tay Valley Township. A few...
The Red Door Studio on Long Bay is holding its first show over the Thanksgiving weekend. The studio is located off the Westport to Maberly road (#36), a location that straddles two successful, long standing studio tours. The Perth Autumn Studio Tour...
Marg Stephenson and Jean Dunning, neither of whom have ever shown their art work officially in an art show setting, are holding their premiere joint art show at the MERA schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners. The show opened there on October 4. Their...
On Sunday, September 27, Maberly United Church, founded in 1885, hosted their final worship to mark the official closing, and de-commissioning of the church in an open service with special music provided by Fiddlers and Friends. The congregation...
A brief history of the Maberly United Church As told at the church's final service on Sunday, September 27, 2015 Built on a rock on top of a hill in Maberly, the Maberly United Church is one of the many United churches across Canada that have been...
Bring a picnic lunch, bring your family and enjoy the sense of renewal that comes from the Annual Fall Colours Nature Walk to the top of Blueberry Mountain, hosted by the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT). Nature seems to respond to our deep...
There was a definite Charlotte's Web-ian feel at this year's fall fair in McDonalds Corners, which took place on a picture-perfect day on September 26. The old traditional-style fair, now in its 162nd year, continues to draw those looking for an...
Due to concerns over the potential risks for volunteers encountering the noxious wild parsnip weed, Lanark County Public Works has decided to cancel the Adopt-a-Road pick-up this autumn. “This was a difficult decision,” said Terry McCann, public...
The Ontario Festival of small Halls made a big splash in McDonalds Corners and Maberly last weekend, and all the rest of the concerts scheduled for Lanark and Renfrew Counties this soming weekend are sold out, including one at the ABC Hall in...
Every small community has one: a treasured building that brings people together for town meetings, yoga classes, bingo games, local theatre, white elephant sales - and the list goes on. The Ontario Festival of Small Halls is about sharing a love of...
Tay Valley Township will be celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the establishment of the original Perth Military Settlement in 2016. The first lot allocated to a settler under the Bathurst Proclamation in Edinburgh was on the Scotch Line in Tay...
This year’s Sundance Artisan show in Maberly offered up an impressive lineup of the creations of local and not so local artists and artisans. Organized for the first time this year by the new owners of the Fall River Restaurant, Therese...
Furry, four footed, four wheeled, and 4H are just some of the family-friendly words that brought plenty of smiles and loads of laughter to the participants and guests at one of the oldest old-fashioned fairs in these parts. With this year's theme of...
One of the reasons that the annual Silver Lake Pow Wow continues to attract participants and visitors from near and far year after year is the fact that guests are invited to take part in many of the events. The traditional non-competitive Pow Wow...
On Saturdays in September during the Farmers Market, the MERA School House in McDonalds Corners will present “Falling for Colour: A Celebration in Fibre!”, an exhibit and sale of Parsimonious Mats and Primitive Hand-hooked Rugs created by fibre...
Federal party leaders vying for Canada's top job in the upcoming October 2015 federal election are rarely known to make campaign stops in the hinterlands of eastern Ontario's federal ridings, but that was not the case for NDP leader, Thomas Mulcair,...
Fieldwork is excited to be partnering with the Ottawa International Writers Festival/Perth Chapter this summer to present a new event called Framework: Words on the Land - coming up on Sunday, August 23 at 3pm. This event will include readings and...
The lively cast of the Company of Fools’ production of William Shakespeare's “The Comedy of Errors” pose for a photo shoot after their stellar performance on July 22 at the MERA school house in McDonalds Corners. The cast delighted an all ages...
Access to the K&P Trail in Lavant Station just got more convenient, thanks to a partnership between the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) and Hydro One. On July 20 partners from MVCA, Hydro One, Township of Lanark Highlands, Lanark...
Lovers of world music were treated to two special concerts that brought the sounds of far-off places to this neck of the woods. The first concert took place on June 28 at the MERA schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners, where flamenco guitarist Jorge...
McDonalds Corners/Elphin Recreation and Arts (MERA) will host its first multi-disciplinary arts festival on Sat. June 13, 10am-dusk at the MERA Schoolhouse. Except for a build-your-own-ukulele workshop that requires a fee & registration, the...
As the second of this summer's Blue Jeans Classical music series, MERA is presented the master pianist, Michel Szezesniak on Sunday, June 7th at 2:00 PM at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonald's Corners. Many music lovers will recall his memorable...
FallThanks to the efforts of Sun Country Highway, a Canadian-owned company that is a leader in the electric vehicle movement; a generous donor from Ottawa; and the owners of the Fall River Restaurant in Maberly, electric car owners traveling between...
Friends, family of students and staff at the Brooke Valley School attended the school’s annual fundraiser/community thank-you event at the community hall in Maberly on May 16. The event included loads of top notch live entertainment, a book sale,...
There is no better sign of the arrival of fair weather than the opening of Fieldwork, Maberly's outdoor art & sculpture gallery, with its new installations for the 2015 season. On May 9 over 100 guests attended the opening for the four (soon to be...
Over 100 lively pancake lovers filled the Maberly hall for the Maberly Agricultural Society's annual Maple Festival/Pancake Brunch fundraiser on April 18. Diners enjoyed home-made maple baked beans, sausages, and pancakes made from a secret family...
by Marily Seitz The Tay Valley Community Choir presents "Here's to Singing!", a celebration of music and friendship. This year's spring concert will take place in the Maberly hall on Saturday, April 25 at 7pm. As is their custom, the choir welcomes...
by Cindy McCall Maberly Hall will be filled with fiddlers and their friends on Sunday, May 3. The Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra is holding a fundraising Jam-a-thon with an open invitation to any local musician to come and play. And it’s...
Painting trees is one way that artist Gwen Frankton believes she can actively take on stand on the environment and conservation, and judging by the turnout at her new show at the MERA school house, she is definitely succeeding in bringing that...
Irish Ulster baskets were the focus at a special basket making workshop that took place at the MERA schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners on March 7. Veteran basket maker, Maike Polano, who lives in Brooke Valley headed up the workshop where six...
Over 30 local growers attended the 4th annual McDonalds Corners Seed Swap, which took place at the MERA schoolhouse on March 7. The event invites local growers to share the bounty of their cumulative efforts to grow and save their own seeds, many of...
by Kristine Swaren The best remedy for winter blues is to think spring! And that's best done in a convivial group, so come join us to swap seeds and garden stories. It's the fourth annual Seed Swap hosted by the McDonalds Corners Farmers' Market on...
Amazingly talented people live among us in Eastern Ontario. One of them is Steve Boyd, a stained glass artist – and fortunately for those who are interested in acquiring the skills involved, he will be teaching classes at the MERA Schoolhouse in...
For those looking for a fun way to celebrate this upcoming Valentine's Day, the Larocque, Noonan and Hill families are putting on a fundraiser for a much loved family member in need of a liver transplant. The family member, who has been ill and...
Multi-media artist Elizabeth Veninga studied art at the Canberwell Art School in London, England in the 1970s and has been drawing, painting and sculpting ever since. Veninga, who also teaches art, was showcasing her multi-media works at the MERA...
Against all odds the annual Blue Skies in the Community “Little Christmas” concert went on at the Maberly hall on January 4 thanks to a courageous bunch of community fiddlers, their two fearless leaders and an enthusiastic group of listeners,...
The annual Christmas concert by the Tay Valley Community has long been a musical highlight of the holiday season. This year’s concert was no exception and the Maberly hall as always was full for the concert, which took place on December 7. Under...
On November 29, holiday shoppers at the annual Christmas Fair at the MERA Schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners, which draws buyers from near and far, enjoyed a fine array of crafts, fine art and comestibles courtesy of a number of local vendors. Felted,...
At a special gathering held at the offices of Tay Valley Township near Perth on November 22, staff members outlined the upcoming events they are planning to usher in the township's 200-year anniversary in 2016. The anniversary will mark not only the...
