LAURIE WEIR In a quiet corner of Perth, Jon Andrews transforms childhood nostalgia into intricate works of art. By day, he runs JA Carpentry, crafting kitchens, restoring interiors, and breathing […]
LAURIE WEIR It was a balmy 12 degrees for the Nov. 11 ceremony in Perth under gunmetal grey skies, as residents honoured those who have gave their lives for freedom […]
SALLY SMITH It was a cool morning at Old Slys Lock on Thursday. The water rippled, not a blow but lots of movement, the Voyageur canoe was settled at the […]
SUBMITTED Lanark Federation of Agriculture (LFA) is proud to announce the induction of 5 agricultural leaders into the Lanark Agricultural Hall of Fame. This prestigious event will take place on […]
LAURIE WEIR Having a perennial book signing in the fall is something local historian and genealogist Arlene Stafford-Wilson has come to enjoy, and Saturday, Sept. 21, was no exception. As […]
Nostalgic reflections of rural Ontario’s one-room schoolhouses by local historian LAURIE WEIR For many Baby Boomers who grew up in rural Ontario, the memory of one-room schoolhouses evokes a unique […]
LAURIE WEIR Under the clear blue skies and the heat of the late summer sun on Saturday, Sept. 21 the Perth Pathway of Heroes motorcycle parade rumbled through town. More […]
LAURIE WEIR Where some may sit idly scrolling on their cell phones, a Perth self-taught artist pulls out her tools of the trade and sketches what she sees around her. […]
HEDDY SOROUR Organized by Lanark County Interval House and Community Support, the annual Take Back the Night 2024 march saw a great turn out with more than 100 people participating. […]
SUBMITTED The Mississippi Mills Youth Centre (MMYC) invites all members of the community to participate in a Truth and Reconciliation Candlelight Vigil on Monday, September 30 in Almonte’s Riverfront Park (320 […]
SUBMITTED Saturday, September 21st marks the fourth annual Westporch Festival! Westporch is a FREE outdoor walking tour of Westport, as front porches become a showcase for regional artists and musicians. […]
SUBMITTED Perth Tourism’s much-loved Perth Night Market returns next Saturday, September 14, 2024. This year’s event, beginning at 5 p.m., will feature a dynamic lineup of entertainment that will captivate audiences […]
LAURIE WEIR The Perth Agriculture Fair is set to bring excitement, tradition, and community spirit to the Perth Fairgrounds this Labour Day weekend, from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. As […]
Tribute piece pays homage to equestrian’s legacy LAURIE WEIR A new Smiths Falls art installment in an alley off Beckwith Street will take pedestrians underwater on route to the parking […]
The picturesque streets of Almonte will once again be overrun by puppets as the Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival returns August 10-11 SUBMITTED Puppet performers from across North America will […]
Town commits up to $65,000 to Spirit of the Drum Pow Wow for 2025 LAURIE WEIR After the cancellation of this year’s Spirit of the Drum Pow Wow in Smiths […]
LAURIE WEIR What started as a few friends selling garlic out of the backs of their trucks has turned into a quarter-century of festival fun. For two days in August, […]
BRIAN PRESTON Jill Heinerth, International Scuba Diving Hall of Famer, cave diver, author, scientist, broadcaster, and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s first Explorer-in-Residence. I first wrote in this paper about […]
Financial component to be nailed down at future meeting LAURIE WEIR Arts and culture took centre stage during a recent committee of the whole meeting of Smiths Falls council. Julia […]
SUBMITTED Perth Tourism is thrilled to announce the return of the beloved Perth Night Market on Saturday, September 14, 2024. This free event kicks off at 5 p.m., showcasing over 90 artisans, […]
LAURIE WEIR Who doesn’t love music in the park? The Stewart Park Festival kicks off its 33rd year of vibrant Canadian and international music and community this month with an […]
SUBMITTED The Merrickville Organization for Culture & the Arts (MOCA) is organizing the 4th Merrickville Festival of the Arts on July 27th and 28th. We are pleased to collaborate with the […]
LAURIE WEIR The Fork in the Road art installation has returned to Elizabethtown-Kitley Township. Artist Chris Banflavi, and Bill Gibbons, who has commissioned three forks for the juncture near his […]
SUBMITTED Perth Museum is excited to announce the launch of its highly anticipated public portal, which provides a glimpse into to its collections database. This new initiative allows the public […]
SUBMITTED The Township of Rideau Lakes is excited to announce that Daniel Dishaw of The Ontario Historical Society will be welcomed to Rideau Lakes on Friday, June 7 from 10:00 a.m. to […]
SUBMITTED There are big improvements coming to the theatre at Perth and District Collegiate Institute. The Upper Canada District School Board recently announced that they have allocated more than $100,000 […]
LAURIE WEIR It takes about $50,000 to host the Smiths Falls Spirit of the Drum Powwow and this year, funding came up $15,000 short. Julia Crowder, the town’s economic development […]
LAURIE WEIR Ted and Marion Outerbridge, masters of illusion, have disappeared from Smiths Falls – when it comes to their show, that is. Prepare to witness the spectacular escapades of […]
SUBMITTED The third annual Indigenous Cultural Fair will take place in Carleton Place on May 11 from 10am to 3pm. Admission to the event is free. The organizers extend a […]
CHRIS UHLIG The Easter Eggspress stopped at the Railroad Museum of Eastern Ontario (RMEO) here in Smiths Falls last Saturday to launch the 2024 museum season. Visitors from all over […]
SUBMITTED The Town of Perth is proud to announce the grand reopening of the newly renovated Visitor Information Centre (VIC), located within the Perth Museum. This significant occasion was marked by […]
SUBMITTED The Downtown Carleton Place BIA is proud to announce the launch of an innovative placemaking project designed to engage visitors with light, colour and artwork in the heritage shopping […]
JANELLE LABELLE During the Smiths Falls council meeting on Monday night, Mayor Shawn Pankow proclaimed March 8 as International Women’s Day. This is a day to “rally for women’s equality […]
SUBMITTED In December, with support from Feed Ontario’s Feeding Possibilities grant, The Table Community Food Centre launched the Cultural Celebrations Project. The main element of the project are cultural celebrations […]
Honouring former dance studio director Maureen Dowie Marando LAURIE WEIR It’s been 20 years since Jesus Christ Superstar was last on stage in Perth, and it will be resurrected Feb. […]
BY LAURIE WEIR Andre Hissink, a 104-year-old veteran of the Second World War, died on Jan. 1. He lived in Perth at Perth’s Aspira Carolina Retirement Living complex. According to […]
SUBMITTED BY THE TOWN OF PERTH Perth Tourism is pleased to present Frost & Fire Winter Festival, taking place on Saturday, February 17, 2024 as part of Family Day Weekend. […]
One warm September evening, about two dozen people gathered in the upstairs room at The Hub: Art and Music in Smiths Falls. They had heard about the new group from […]
Embrace the magic of the holiday season in Mississippi Mills December 1-3 with three days of festive fun as we welcome Santa Claus for the entire weekend. The ever-popular Light […]
The first North Pole Express of the season rumbled into the station at the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario this past Saturday. Santa Claus was there, Mrs. Claus was there, […]
During the Committee of the Whole meeting in Smiths Falls on Monday night, Manager of Tourism and Economic Development Julia Crowder shared some festive updates. December 1 will see the […]
Perth Tourism invites you to explore all that the town has to offer this holiday season. Enjoy a weekend in Perth and take some time for yourself to unwind and […]
The Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario is thrilled to announce the return of its beloved annual event, the 9th Annual North Pole Express. This enchanting holiday tradition promises to transport […]
“Every Holocaust survivor’s story is a love story…the love of life, family and freedom,”— this is the powerful message that students from North Grenville District High School heard from Andy […]
Perth, Ontario, is home to a number of beautiful old limestone buildings, dating back over 200 years. It’s not surprising that during this long history there have been many reports […]
Smiths Falls, Ontario – A remarkable journey of passion and dedication has led one individual to celebrate the history of the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory and the enduring legacy it left […]
People don’t write. I asked. Many stopped, shook their heads, walked on. I made it enticing — easel with large newsprint writing pad, two white boards (one larger than the […]
The Hershey chocolate factory in Smiths Falls was an eight-building complex on 39.6 acres of land with a total building area of 472,430 square feet. It was opened by the […]
The 28th Annual Fibrefest was a phenomenal success! Well over 1500 people visited the festival throughout the early September weekend, and Almonte’s summer tourism season closed with a bang. As […]
Outdoor artisan show on Labour Day weekend, Maberly Celebrating its 17th year, the Sundance Artisan Show is an outdoor art show featuring 40 artists in a beautiful riverbank setting in […]
The fifth annual Spirit of the Drum Traditional Powwow will take place on Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11, 2023 on Duck Island in Smiths Falls. This event is being organized by Smiths Falls District […]
Let’s start with a little who’s who in Nunsense and the Little Sisters of Hoboken. Sister Mary Hubert is played by Tracey Noonan, who while playing a wiseman an annual […]
The upper room at Almonte’s old town hall was packed to standing room only on Sunday, March 26 for a presentation about a new development being proposed for the municipality. […]
The Pakenham Maple Run Tour returns April 1-2 with eight fascinating tour stops and over 30 artists and artisans. A tour like no other, Maple Run is a unique blend […]
On Sunday afternoon, February 12, the Almonte Old Town Hall was filled with a special atmosphere – an atmosphere of joy! The Sunday afternoon tea dances organized by the Standing Room […]
You’ve seen parodies, you’ve seen spy thrillers, you’ve seen it all, am I right? Well, no, I’m not, because while Studio Theatre Perth’s latest production, The 39 Steps has these […]
Several years ago, I unearthed a strange object in our backyard. It was a disc of pale green glass with the markings “F & G.” My efforts to research this […]
During Monday evening’s council meeting in Smiths Falls, Mayor Shawn Pankow recognized Wednesday March 8 as International Women’s Day. “The theme this year is ‘embrace equity,’” Pankow said, “True belonging […]
Perth Tourism is pleased to present the Frost & Fire Winter Festival, taking place over Family Day weekend on Saturday, February 18 and Sunday, February 19, 2023. Back once again, […]
It all started with a seed of an idea. The SCROOGE! seed was planted a long time ago here at Studio Theatre in Perth. Carolee Mason put this musical proposal forward […]
Yes… it’s that time of year again… Fall… My favourite… and the Hand Bells of St. Paul’s in Perth will be ringing out joyfully in the Crystal Palace at The […]
During the month of June, the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) will be celebrating National Indigenous History Month. This is a time to learn, grow, and celebrate Indigenous peoples and culture. The UCDSB is specifically […]
The Perth & District Library, in partnership with the Local Immigration Partnership, Town of Perth, and Tay Valley Township, has launched a Culture & Diversity Word Walk as part of […]
In 1829, Jason Gould (1802-1864) made the journey from Roxbury, New York to the raw, undeveloped wilderness of Smiths Falls, Ontario. He had been hired to work on the Rideau […]
It’s an age old struggle, children needing independence vs parental instincts to protect. In Studio Theatre Perth’s upcoming production of This Year, Next Year by Norah Harding, this thorny issue […]
The popular Carleton Place Spring Home show, originally scheduled for April 8th to the 10th has been cancelled. This consumer event had grown over the years since its inception to providing dozens […]
Erin Lee and Andy Trull from Lanark County Interval House proposed a collaborative public art project (the Countdown Public Art Project) to Smiths Falls town council during the Committee of […]
The Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee of the Township of Rideau Lakes (MHAC) has partnered with historian and filmmaker Allison Margot Smith in the creation of a new documentary telling the […]
Architect extraordinaire When we moved into the Keyhole House in Smiths Falls, we decided that the 1960s chandelier with space-age globes hanging in the front hall had run its course. […]
A suitably large crowd of over 1500 people gathered at Carleton Place’s Cenotaph under sunny skies on November 11th to pay their respects and to honour veterans and members of Canada’s […]
The first-ever poppy dates back 100 years ago to 1921, marking 2021 the 100th anniversary of the poppy, with the annual poppy campaign running until November 11th on Remembrance Day. […]
Councillor Peter McKenna, chair of the Committee of the Whole meeting in Smiths Falls on Monday night, brought up the possibility of Smiths Falls acknowledging Louis Riel Day on November […]
Live performances seem like a distant memory, but as the province re-opens Studio Theatre, Perth is delighted to get back on the boards with Educating Rita by Willy Russell. A […]
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 95’s president Stan Lasenba learned it’s hard to plan public events in the pandemic era when rules seem to change almost every day. Three weeks ago […]
On September 30, flags will be at half-mast throughout the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) and staff and students will be dressed in orange, to recognize and share in learning for […]
During Monday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting in Smiths Falls, Knowledge Keeper Chuck Commanda opened the meeting with an inaugural reading of the Land Acknowledgement. This acknowledgement was recommended […]
Smiths Falls’ Mayor Shawn Pankow shared several updates from the Racism and Discrimination Task Force during the Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday night. There have been numerous discussions […]
As part of their commitment to reconciliation, the federal government passed legislation earlier this year to make September 30 a federal statutory holiday. Called the National Day for Truth and […]
On October 4, 2021 the Sisters in Spirit Vigil will be held in many places across Canada. In Perth the Vigil will take place at the Perth Healing Forest Memorial […]
Peter Au, chair of the Rideau Paddlefest committee, has announced that the event scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 18 has been cancelled. Au said all members of the committee were surveyed, […]
The Smiths Falls Canadian Pacific Railway Station was constructed in 1887. The structure was built on what was once swampland belonging to John McGill Chambers. The town was experiencing a […]
The award-winning Burning Passions Theatre – which produced the Classic Theatre Festival in Perth for over a decade – has announced a new series of free online courses for those interested […]
If a couple of hours in the sunshine in scenic Centennial Park, listening to live music and enjoying some refreshments sounds like fun, you’re in for a treat. The second […]
The Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum is excited to present a showcase of artist Colleen Gray’s work. Painting with ground mineral watercolours, Gray creates vivid and iridescent artworks that share […]
Thousands of years before European settlers arrived in what is now called Lanark County, Algonquin/Omàmìwininì People thrived in these lands. When Samuel de Champlain first encountered Algonquins in the 1600s, […]
During Tuesday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Director of Community Services Shannon Baillon shared the unwelcome news with Perth town council that it was time to cancel the planned […]
During Monday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Jennifer Miller, Manager of Economic Development and Tourism, presented town council with a new microeconomic initiative: Smiths Falls Swag. This involves the […]
This year’s pandemic has put a big damper on live performance but Studio Theatre Perth has come up with an innovative way to continue entertaining the community. The community theatre […]
The sound of two hands clapping is lonely on a dreary, grey November 11. A single woman, dressed in red, stood on the embankment across from the Cenotaph in Smiths […]
During Tuesday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Perth town council discussed correspondence received from concerned citizen Lynda Haddon. Haddon pointed out the dilapidated state of Inge-Va, a heritage building […]
The current COVID-19 pandemic has directly affected the execution of this year’s annual November 11th Remembrance Day Parade and Ceremony in Carleton Place and other communities across Canada. However, the […]
Naming the legacy of slavery As statues of those tainted by slavery tumble down across England and the United States, and the Municipality of the Township of Russell, Ontario, casts […]
The Tragically Hip: The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, were a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist […]
LAURIE WEIR The ongoing drama surrounding the blue flyer, the integrity commissioner’s reports, and the public disagreements between councillors in Rideau Lakes have been significant distractions for the township. While […]
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LAURIE WEIR When news breaks about animal hoarding cases, the public’s reaction is a mix of anger, sadness and frustration. Hundreds of cats or dogs are often found crammed into […]
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STAFF We are thrilled to announce that Alicia Whyte has joined Hometown News in the role of Advertising and Communications. With over a decade of experience in the advertising industry, […]
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LAURIE WEIR Rideau Lakes Township finds itself embroiled in yet another round of Integrity Commissioner (IC) investigations, raising important questions: Are these probes now par for the course in township […]
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BRIAN PRESTON In keeping with my title, The Travelling Sommelier, this month I will tell the saga of sailing for 3 weeks from Boston up the New England coast and […]
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LAURIE WEIR The Sept. 3 decision by the Rideau Lakes council to seek a third-party investigation into an Integrity Commissioner’s (IC) report, while keeping the report confidential, represents a crucial […]
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SUBMITTED The Small Business Advisory Centre (Smiths Falls/Lanark County/North Leeds Grenville) is excited to announce that applications are now open for the next cohort of the Starter Company Plus program. […]
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