News

 

There’s a new film maker in town. 

He’s still a little young, but judging by his enthusiasm for making movies, this grade four student already has a bright future ahead of him.

Derrik Jansen, nine, a student at Iroquois Public School, taught by Madame LaCroix and Mrs. Mac, has been awarded first prize in the Upper Canada District School Board’s Summer Fun Holiday Video Contest.  

The contest encouraged area families to submit short videos showing their favourite moments from summer vacation. Contestants posted their videos on the Board’s Facebook site.

Derrik’s award winning short film was created around his family’s camping vacation in Stowe, Vermont. 

“We wanted to create a fun way in which families in the UCDSB area could share their summer memories while drawing them to our Facebook site to learn about registering for our quality programs,” said David K. Thomas, director of education with the board. “We are excited to announce that Iroquois Public School student Derrik Jansen has won the grand prize of a two night stay at the Ambassador Conference Centre Resort in Kingston.”

The Leader had the opportunity to talk to the young film maker on Friday, September 7, at his school.

“I am really interested in making films,” Derrik said. “I’ve been making my own videos, lots of them, ever since I had the chance to attend the Real to Reel Film Festival in April. (The UCDSB has held this film festival for the last six years, and IPS teacher Mrs. Moorhouse took her students, including Derrik, to the event in the spring.) Mrs. Moorhouse taught me all I know about making movies.”

Derrik’s mother read about the Board’s video contest, and encouraged him to enter. 

“We’ve been going to Stowe, Vermont, camping, for about 13 years,” Derrik explained. “It’s a place really special to my mom and dad. Originally, when I was thinking about my film, I thought I might call it Stores in Stowe, but then I thought, who wants to see a lot of stores?”

With his camera constantly in his hands, Derrik followed his parents and sister Ruby as they vacationed. 

“I’m one of those kids who follows his family around with a camera,” Derrik laughed. “Basically, they’re used to me being there filming. We went to familiar places and some new ones.”

He filmed the Jansen family’s visits to Cider Donuts, to Spruce Peak and to Ben & Jerry’s factory (“we were eating ice cream cones at 9:30 a.m.”). Derrik himself appears in the film at a bungee trampoline site.

“My parents said this was the  most hilarious part of my video since there I am, hanging from a bungee line, and I’m whining because the harness is too tight.”

Back home, Derrik had to edit a lot of footage on his mother’s e-machine, using Windows 7, in order to get his video down to slightly over one minute in length (contest rules). His opening titles were shot over a Stowe, Vermont, license plate. “My dad thought of that,” he said.

While he could check voting on line after he submitted his entry, Derrik had no idea he had actually been awarded first place until August 30.

“I was out in a tiny fishing boat with my grandfather, when my dad called on the cell phone and said, ‘I’ve got good news. You won.’ I immediately started doing my excited dance, which is not easy,” he laughed, “on a small fishing boat. Lots of stares.”

Derrik’s interest in film making is already pointing him in a career direction.

“I really love this. I hope that it does become more than a hobby one day. I am very interested in making short films, maybe even commercials. Not educational films at this point. I don’t want to make Sesame Street.”

In the last months he’s made movies like Nerf Gunshots, Horror Film, featuring his sister, Ruby, and just this week, he made Crazy Dancing.

“After this, I would really like to experiment with special effects, but I would need a new program, and that will be expensive. Maybe down the road. 

In the meantime,” Derrik Jansen, South Dundas’ newest film maker, said, “my camera and I will be out there working hard.”

[…]

 

 The Lundeens are a dysfunctional family. No doubt about it.

Brother Michael, the ‘successful’ doctor, is repressed and desperate.

Brother Carl, the truck-driving ‘journalist,’ is resentful and sarcastic.

Sister Stacey flutters waif-like around the edges of the family, mostly overlooked.

Michael’s wife Jill teeters on the brink of hormonal hysteria.

Mom Helen appears to be losing all sense of reality.

And Dad? Well, he’s actually dead. Sort of. 

The appeal of Phil Olson’s A Nice Family Gathering, the last show of the Upper Canada Playhouse 2012 summer season, is this. In even the most dysfunctional of families, there remains a deep running thread of loyalty and love which simply can’t be broken. 

In the course of a Thanksgiving dinner, audiences will get to know the Lundeens, laugh with the Lundeens (often and very loudly) and yes, even shed a tear with them. 

A Nice Family Gathering is a great show.

Lovingly directed by Donnie Bowes, it features the “blue chip” cast Bowes said (in an earlier press conference) he needed to bring Olson’s play to the stage. 

Don Ciaschini is Jerry, the neighbour. It’s a smaller role, but Ciaschini brings real personality to it. He was Carl Sr.’s oldest friend: he remains Helen’s friend. And he is a kind of catalyst in the play, setting off unexpected events. As he observes,  ultimately fleeing from the ‘friendly’ dinner he thought he was attending, “Any family with more than three people is dysfunctional.” 

Richard Bauer creates a truly sympathetic character in his Carl Lundeen. Scruffy, resentful of what he believes is the family preference for brother Michael, the doctor, he clings to the hope of becoming a journalist. Unfortunately, his sole output, a weekly column, Observations, runs only in a tiny local paper. Stories focussed, for example, on the time he swerved to miss a gopher and spilled coffee in his crotch, have never gained him much respect at home.

But Bauer’s Carl is also very witty, very funny. He alone is able to see the ‘spirit’ of his late father, who has returned to the family on a mission. And he is the one, to his horror, Dad wants to use to “channel” those efforts. 

Jamie Williams, Dr. Michael, is one half of “the perfect couple.” He’s got a beautiful wife, a beautiful house, a beautiful car and he’s absolutely miserable. His wife, Jill, (Kate Gordon in a role that could have become a caricature, but is instead sympathetic and loving) is “just a little emotional.” She and Michael have been unsuccessfully trying to have children, and the effort has become a burden. And Michael’s finances have taken a bad turn.

Stacey, played with a certain wonderful ditziness by Liz Gilroy, is the too often overlooked child. 

“I don’t think Stacey will ever get married,” Helen proclaims. “She’s just not popular with boys.”

“Mom, I’m right here,” Stacey wails.

“Well, I didn’t think you’d mind my saying it. You like being alone, don’t you?”

However, it is Stacey, delivering two bombshells after dinner, who flings the Lundeen family into comic chaos.

The heart and soul (literally, in Dad’s case) of the Lundeen family are the parents.

Doug Tangney, even as a ghost, is charming, unexpected and incredibly funny. His running commentaries on events, his head to head duels with Carl, the absolute certainty with which he finally admits his family is “a Marx Brothers movie,” endear him to the audience. Yes, he made mistakes as a father, but he utterly adores the wife and the children he had to leave behind. 

That wife is played by Linda Goranson with both pathos and great humour. Her family fears that she is slipping away from reality: turkey dogs for Thanksgiving dinner, boiling water that she never remembers to add coffee to, and confusing comments like ‘Spam makes me laugh’ and ‘I love jumbo shrimp’ suggest there may some truth to their fears. 

They all adore her. So does the audience.

When she and Carl Sr, using son Carl as the intermediary, finally reveal the true, forever depth of their love, we cared. 

It was a wonderful moment.

And this is a wonderful piece of theatre. The play is hilarious, unexpected, touching and, above all, really entertaining. 

Plan to spend some time with the Lundeens at A Nice Family Gathering. You won’t regret it.

Call Upper Canada Playhouse at 1-613-543-3713 for tickets and information or contact www.uppercanadaplayhouse.com 

[…]

A dramatic last minute change of heart saved the former Morrisburg Collegiate Institute restoration project from being scrapped and the historic building from being slated for demolition.

After deferring the decision from the August council meeting, the final decision took place at the September 4 South Dundas council meeting. 

By the slimmest of margins South Dundas council voted to pursue the renovation of the old high school in Morrisburg.

At the meeting when the mayor first returned discussions to the table after the deferral, the majority opted to start over with a new plan.

When the mayor asked each council member to state their position for discussion before the final vote, deputy mayor Jim Locke and councillors Evonne Delegarde and Archie Mellan were in favour of scrapping the renovation project, tearing down the historic building, and starting the process from scratch with a view to constructing a new, smaller building.

Locke said, “I’ve done a lot of thinking on it, and I’ve come to the firm conclusion that it would be in the best interest of our taxpayers to invest in replacing the three storey portion of that building.” 

He suggested tearing down the old high school and building a much smaller new building to accommodate the municipality’s needs, excluding the library.

The relocation of the Morrisburg library branch to part of the vacated Morrisburg clinic space was one of the planned spin-off projects of the renovation.

Councillor Graham, who was firmly in favour of the restoration of the former Morrisburg Collegiate Institute at the August meeting, did not change his position.

He explained that, although it is a big project with a lot of money involved, in the worst cased scenario, the municipality will be looking to finance about $2 million, once the income from the agreement with the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic doctors and other internal funding allocations are taken into account.

“If we are lucky enough to be successful in our grant application, then we will only be looking for $1 million in our budget,” said Graham. “I don’t think we can afford to build new.” 

In his estimation, with a new build they would be looking for much more from the municipality’s budget. “Our budget couldn’t sustain $7 million. Restoring that building is the best thing, and the right thing to do for this community.”

The August 14 report to council showed that a new build of a 25,000 square foot building would likely cost between $6 and $7.5 million.

Councillor Delegarde continued to support a new build.

“The gap between rehabilitating the old building and building a new building is down to about half a million dollars to me,” she said explaining that she would like to see a 15,000 square foot one storey building like that of South Stormont.

“She’s a grand old, well built building, but I think it’s time we say goodbye to the old girl and build new,” said councillor Archie Mellan, who was struggling with this difficult  decision.

With three council members sharing the same opinion, South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds said that although it appeared he was not going to get the opportunity to break a tie vote, he still wanted to make his opinion known.

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“I have faith in the work that has been done, in the skills of the firm, in the engineering that has been done and in the building,” said Mayor Byvelds. 

He added that resetting the project for a different one and delaying it for at least another year was a major challenge for him, and one that he took seriously into account through his decision making process. 

“I am disappointed to see council going in the direction they are going,” said councillor Graham. “If you do this, we’ve lost all the money we’ve put into the studies and plans, and are adding demolition costs. And, now what do we do for the doctors? If we do this, we could be looking at delaying having something for them two to three more years down the road. With this decision, we would be throwing a lot of money out the window.”

Councillor Archie Mellan then spoke up. 

“I’ve changed my mind on this six times today and I’m going to change my mind again,” he said. “I’d hate to see us lose that old building. I want to see the old high school kept. I’m not going to let her go. I say rehabilitate it. Let’s keep the old high school. I’m not going to change my mind again.”

After a recorded vote, requested by Delegarde, Mayor Byvelds said, “I know this was a challenging decision, but now we have voted as a council to move forward with this project.”

“I will support council’s decision 100 percent through this project,” added deputy mayor Locke. “We all ride the horse in the same direction, that’s the only way this works.” 

Council passed a motion to allow staff to negotiate with Robert J. Bourgeon & Associates Ltd., the contractor that submitted the lowest bid of $3,857,000 to get the renovation project started.

[…]

From 50-cent treats, old-fashioned kids’ games and family entertainment, to heritage horse and cattle shows, there will be something for everyone to enjoy at Upper Canada Village at the much anticipated 1860s fall fair coming up at Upper Canada Village September 15-16. 

Visitors are invited to admire the top-prized heritage products, crops and vegetable classes.

“From one end of the Village to the other there’ll be no shortage of things to see and do,” says Gabriele Thomas, UCV Site Supervisor. “The Fall Fair provides a perfect opportunity for enjoying a beautiful natural setting while getting immersed in living history. What’s more, it includes the Discovery Centre, boisterous period entertainment, children’s games, and tasty treats.”

All the best things made and grown at Upper Canada Village will be exhibited under the big tent in the fairgrounds.  

Beautiful Victorian needlework and embroidery, delicious preserves, pickles and baked goods, heritage vegetables, watercolours and oil paintings, honey, cheese as well as articles showcasing early industry will be on display. 

The public is invited to enter their vegetables, flowers, food items and other products to see how they measure up against Village staff.  All entries must comply with 1860s guidelines which can be found and downloaded at www.uppercanadavillage.com under Activities, Special Events, Fall Fair and all must be registered by noon on Friday, September 14.

What fair would be complete without fun and laughter?  

Village performers are tuning up their instruments and voices to entertain the crowd with a lively program of singing and instrumental music.  The Upper Canada Village Brass Band is slated to perform at Cook’s Tavern from 1:30-3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, September 16.

The wonder-filled world of the Mental Floss Sideshow, a new act at this year’s fair, will present two shows daily – noon to 12:30 p.m. and 3-3:30 p.m. Meet Professor Archibald Floss, carnival impresario and human oddity and his partner Dr. Charlotte Tann, snake oil peddler of some renown. 

Visitors are invited to witness feats of derring-do and exhibits garnered from the five corners of the globe. 

Other performances and displays running both Saturday and Sunday are: Village musicians and entertainment 11:15-11:45 a.m.; Opening Ceremonies in the fairgrounds including poetry reading, music and dancing by the Young Interpreters 1-1:30 p.m.; Horse & Cattle Show 2-3 p.m.; Children’s Games & Races 2:30-3:15 p.m.

On Saturday only, from 4-4:30 p.m. there will be music at Cook’s Tavern.

One of the highlights of the event is the more-than-“fair” prices for treats.  Apples, UCV-baked bread, UCV cheese, cider, lemonade and fudge will all be available at only 50 cents per serving.

Children can burn off steam by participating in several 19th century games taking place throughout the weekend.  

Ring toss, three-legged races, sack races, wheelbarrow races, and tug-of-war are being organized to provide young visitors with a taste of some good old-fashioned fun and tasty prizes.

Admission includes the Discovery Centre:  Adult (13-64 yrs) $17; Senior (65 yrs+) $14; Youth (6-12 yrs) $14; children 5 yrs and under are free.  

Upper Canada Village is open from 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Coming up next a Upper Canada Village is A World of Glass  beinging featured the weekend of September 22 and 23

From the pop bottle to the chandelier, glass is imminently practical as well as exquisitely extravagant. 

Discover the magic of glass blowing, painted and stained glass, mirrors, kaleidoscopes as well as industrial applications.  

Special feature of the weekend will be the remarkable stained glass windows painted in the 1880s by Harry Horwood for the Prescott home of distillery owner J.P. Wiser.

[…]

Although Prime Minister Stephen Harper was unable to attend the official launch of the Flowers of Courage project at Winchester Public School this past May, he made up for his absence when he placed 11 sunflower seeds in their specially designed packet under the watchful eyes of five Winchester Public School students at his Ottawa office on Wednesday, August 15.

The Flowers of Courage project was created by Jeff Arsenault of Morrisburg, “in honour of the children of 9/11 to remind the families that caring never stops,” Arsenault told The Leader in May. And as Arsenault so often does in his projects, children all over North America were included.

The artwork that adorns the sunflower seed packets was provided by six children in Canada and six children in the United States, all of whom are members of families who lost loved ones in the 9/11 tragedy. The message the packets bear was written by the children says Arsenault, an Education Assistant at Winchester Public School.

Some 10,000 packets were originally sent out to schools across North America for packaging, and invitations were extended to Prime Minister Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama to fill a packet.

The McKenzie Seed Co. of Brandon, Manitoba donated the California-grown seeds and provided the services of the printer/graphic designer who fitted the children’s pictures to the small packets.

When Prime Minister Harper was unable to attend the May launch at Winchester Public School, Arsenault figured he had heard the last of it, but not so.

In August, he received an invitation from the Prime Minister’s office, and on August 15, Arsenault, Winchester Public School Principal Jill Pensa and five students found themselves in the Prime Minister’s office.

“The Prime Minister loved the idea of the program,” says Arsenault. “He was very good with the kids. He introduced himself and asked them to explain why they were placing 11 seeds in the packets. We got to spend 20 minutes with him. It was great.”

“The kids were gluing the seed packets right there on the prime minister’s desk and Gavin (Copeland) was getting glue on his desk. But he just shrugged it off, and said ‘that’s fine’.”

“He was amazing. It was such an honour. He treated the kids with such respect and the program with such respect. He is busy and to take the time to sit down with kids, that is a genuine asset Canadians need to see.”

Students representing Winchester Public School were Shannon and Erin Arbuckle, Ryan and Liam Antille and Gavin Copeland. In addition to Principal Pensa, UCDSB director David Thomas had planned to attend but was disappointedly unable to make it.

Arsenault says Flowers of Courage has been a most touching and inspirational project. The 12 children provided not just the name, but all of the artwork on the seed packets, the dedication and the growing directions.

“All of the 12 kids are represented on the packets and schools across Canada and the United States participated in placing 11 seeds in each of them.”

The Flowers of Courage seed packets were made available through various agencies associated with 9/11 to be distributed at this year’s memorials:  4,000 in New York, 3,000 at the U.S. Pentagon and 3,000 to the Flight 93 Memorial.

“Of all of the programs I’ve done, this is the most sentimental. I met with some of the 12 kids during March break and they shared with me some of their stories.”

[…]

Monday morning a number of Main Street Morrisburg Plaza business owners were greeted with broken glass when they arrived at work.

Overnight, windows were broken and small amounts of change were taken from each of the three businesses located in close proximity to one and other.

The incidents at Krista’s Hair Salon, Dutch Touch Hairstyling and the New Centennial Restaurant were all reported to police first thing Monday morning.

“We believe that all three incidences are linked,” OPP media relations officer Peter Robertson told The Leader.

Few details were release as the investigations are ongoing.

Luckily, these businesses did not keep any large amounts of cash on site after hours. 

“That’s precisely why we (the police) recommend that businesses don’t leave funds in their stores overnight,” said Robertson.

[…]

This Sunday, September 16th, 225 communities across the province will be participating in The Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research. Among those communities is Morrisburg, and among those participants could be you.

For 32 years running, this event has taken place making it a fund raising tradition.

To date, the Terry Fox Foundation raised over $600 million for cancer research worldwide.In those 32 years, the Morrisburg site has contributed $88,000 to the cancer fight.

Every Terry Fox Run is volunteer led and organized, including the one in Morrisburg.  

Last week, the core group of volunteers for the Morrisburg event met with The Leader to discuss the event and to invite the community to get involved this Sunday by joining the 5 or 10 kilometer walk, run, bike or rollerblade.

The single mission of the Terry Fox Foundation, to whom the funds raised in Sunday’s event are directed, is to fund innovative cancer research, so there is no entry fee, no minimum pledge and no sponsorship requirement for this non-competitive event.

Just drop by the Morrisburg Legion between 8 a.m. and noon to register. Participants are welcome to make a personal donation in any amount that they see fit. 

Eighty-four cents of every dollar raised goes to fund cancer research. 

“I really like how the funds raised for this cause are used,” said Scott Robinson, who has been involved with the organization of the Morrisburg event for the last 12 years.

Twenty-year volunteer with the organizing committee, Audrey Henophy explains how easy it is to participate. 

Simply register anytime between 8 a.m. and noon, and then head out on the course when you are ready. 

For those interested, a photo opportunity will take place promptly at 8:15 a.m. in front of the Morrisburg Legion.

“This is such a good cause,” said Julie Lortie of the committee. “Everyone is impacted by cancer in one way or another.”

[…]

It seems only fitting that with the Iroquois Festival Committee celebrating “A Call to Arms…Dundas Militia…War of 1812”, all day in Iroquois on Saturday, September 15, that one of those key area battles be recalled.

The Battle of Matilda was fought on September 16, 1812.

When it was over, Canadian forces has suffered one killed and several wounded. The Americans, who had begun the fight by attacking military bateaux, just past the Iroquois Point, experienced considerable losses. How many American troops, of the original 500, fell that day, has never been fully determined. 

The Dundas region often bore the brunt of fighting once war was declared by United States president, James Madison, on June 18, 1812. 

The narrowness of the St. Lawrence River in several places from Upper Canada to Quebec City, as well as a series of small islands scattered along the waterway in this region, made it an ideal setting for either side for staging surprize attacks. The river was also the main source of transportation for armies, supplies and commerce for both nations. 

Strategically, any military planner understood that the army which ultimately controlled the St. Lawrence, essentially controlled the war. 

On September 16, under the protection of Captain Ault and his Dundas Regiment’s No. 1 Flank Company, accompanied also by a detachment of The Royal Newfoundland Regiment, led by Major Heathcote, a convoy of military boats was moving military stores from Montreal to Kingston when American invaders opened up on them.

As the American militia continued to fire on the Canadian convoy, two ships full of US troops made their way toward Presqu’isle Island. They planned a toe hold landing. Captain Ault, figuring out the plan, ordered Ensign Clark and part of the Dundas regiment to stop them.

In the race to the island, the Canadians won. 

Ensign Clark’s men hastily dug in, using bushes and trees on the Island as camouflage. They opened murderous fire just as the American troops began their landing.

The unexpected fire from the forest threw off the American invasion plan, and US troops finally withdrew to Toussaint’s Island, taking shelter in the woods. To the Americans’ dismay, one of their small boats went adrift and was picked up by the Canadian militia.

As the word of the attack spread, large numbers of area men, some well past fighting age, rushed to join the Dundas Regiment. Captain Shaver, Captain Ault, Colonel Allen McDonnell (names well known in this region), took over command. 

From Prescott, Lieutenant Fraser brought in a nine pounder gun whose fire was directed at Americans in King Peter’s Bay. Two companies of the Grenville Militia, commanded by Captains Monroe and Dulmage, rushed to the battle.

In the following hours the American attack was stopped dead.

For the first time, the 1st Dundas Regiment had been called upon to defend this area in the war. Men and officers proved their mettle in what came to be called the Battle of Matilda.

But the war was far from over. The Americans would be back.

To commemorate the Battle of Matilda, a group of SD&G Highlanders will be visiting its location (County Road 2 and Galop Lane) at 11 a.m. on Sunday, September 16, enroute to ceremonies in Mountain for the Hill 70 Memorial.

The 15-20 uniformed young troops (during this professional development training exercise), accompanied by their piper, will make a stop at the local battle site. Their visit, September 16, coincides with the 200th anniversary of the fight. 

Area residents are welcome to join them at 11 a.m. 

[…]

Great combinations are hard to beat:  peanut butter and jam,  hamburger and fries, and classic cars and good-time rock and roll.  

That last combination will be the highlight on Sunday, September 16, when the Golden Gears Car Club hosts its first annual concert and car show.  

Eddy & the Stingrays will perform on stage at  the Iroquois Locks as part of a giant classic car show hosted by the Golden Gears. 

The car show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Eddy and the Stingrays play from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Tickets are $10 per person for both the car show and concert. 

And because no concert and car show is complete without some great food,  there will be plenty to choose from in that department.  

Beef or pork on a bun, sausages, fries, poutine and more will be available from Terry Palmer who is looking after the food concession for the Golden Gears.  

In the event of rain, there will be a number of large tents to provide shelter and the band will be playing on the covered stage.   Remember to bring your lawn chair.

   The Car Club was established in Iroquois in 1963 by  a group of dedicated “gear-heads” who were interested in speed, horsepower and in improving the image of car enthusiasts by performing community service. The club went dormant in the late sixties,  only to be revived early in 2012 by a group more interested in the preservation and restoration of classic cars, but still with a desire to help their community.

With membership now at 75 people,  the club is taking on its first annual car show and concert.  

It’s not their first attempt at staging such a show though.  

The club operated the car show held on Iroquois Point on Canada Day,  at the invitation of the Lions Club.  With over 200 cars on display at the event,  it exceeded expectations and set the bar for the September 16th car show.

The Golden Gears are also participating in the events in Iroquois on September 15th to commemorate the war of 1812.  

They will provide several vehicles in the parade and will hold a mini car show at the north end of the shopping plaza in the afternoon. 

The main event will be a food drive in Iroquois all day on the Saturday, September 15, to support the local food banks.  One club member has a vintage Fargo pickup truck and the goal for the day is to fill the Fargo.   

In addition, proceeds from a 50-50 draw at the show and concert on the 16th will be given to food banks.

[…]

 

From 50-cent treats, old-fashioned kids’ games and family entertainment, to heritage horse and cattle shows, there will be something for everyone to enjoy at Upper Canada Village at the much anticipated 1860s fall fair coming up at Upper Canada Village September 15-16. 

Visitors are invited to admire the top-prized heritage products, crops and vegetable classes.

“From one end of the Village to the other there’ll be no shortage of things to see and do,” says Gabriele Thomas, UCV Site Supervisor. “The Fall Fair provides a perfect opportunity for enjoying a beautiful natural setting while getting immersed in living history. What’s more, it includes the Discovery Centre, boisterous period entertainment, children’s games, and tasty treats.”

All the best things made and grown at Upper Canada Village will be exhibited under the big tent in the fairgrounds.  

Beautiful Victorian needlework and embroidery, delicious preserves, pickles and baked goods, heritage vegetables, watercolours and oil paintings, honey, cheese as well as articles showcasing early industry will be on display. 

The public is invited to enter their vegetables, flowers, food items and other products to see how they measure up against Village staff.  All entries must comply with 1860s guidelines which can be found and downloaded at www.uppercanadavillage.com under Activities, Special Events, Fall Fair and all must be registered by noon on Friday, September 14.

What fair would be complete without fun and laughter?  

Village performers are tuning up their instruments and voices to entertain the crowd with a lively program of singing and instrumental music.  The Upper Canada Village Brass Band is slated to perform at Cook’s Tavern from 1:30-3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, September 16.

The wonder-filled world of the Mental Floss Sideshow, a new act at this year’s fair, will present two shows daily – noon to 12:30 p.m. and 3-3:30 p.m. Meet Professor Archibald Floss, carnival impresario and human oddity and his partner Dr. Charlotte Tann, snake oil peddler of some renown. 

Visitors are invited to witness feats of derring-do and exhibits garnered from the five corners of the globe. 

Other performances and displays running both Saturday and Sunday are: Village musicians and entertainment 11:15-11:45 a.m.; Opening Ceremonies in the fairgrounds including poetry reading, music and dancing by the Young Interpreters 1-1:30 p.m.; Horse & Cattle Show 2-3 p.m.; Children’s Games & Races 2:30-3:15 p.m.

On Saturday only, from 4-4:30 p.m. there will be music at Cook’s Tavern.

One of the highlights of the event is the more-than-“fair” prices for treats.  Apples, UCV-baked bread, UCV cheese, cider, lemonade and fudge will all be available at only 50 cents per serving.

Children can burn off steam by participating in several 19th century games taking place throughout the weekend.  

Ring toss, three-legged races, sack races, wheelbarrow races, and tug-of-war are being organized to provide young visitors with a taste of some good old-fashioned fun and tasty prizes.

Admission includes the Discovery Centre:  Adult (13-64 yrs) $17; Senior (65 yrs+) $14; Youth (6-12 yrs) $14; children 5 yrs and under are free.  

Upper Canada Village is open from 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Coming up next a Upper Canada Village is A World of Glass  beinging featured the weekend of September 22 and 23

From the pop bottle to the chandelier, glass is imminently practical as well as exquisitely extravagant. 

Discover the magic of glass blowing, painted and stained glass, mirrors, kaleidoscopes as well as industrial applications.  

Special feature of the weekend will be the remarkable stained glass windows painted in the 1880s by Harry Horwood for the Prescott home of distillery owner J.P. Wiser.

[…]