“Good A-Morning!” were the first words out of my mouth as Ottawa’s A-Morning Show rolled into Perth. For the Crier and his wife it was one of a whole series of early morning rises, the strains of “Johnny Cope” ringing in my head as we headed out to the car well before the sun came up every morning.

The arrival of the three-hour long A-Morning was just one more opportunity to show off our community as best we know it and Perth, as usual, rose to the occasion. It was the morning to unveil the new display in tribute of the “Mammoth Cheese” and to speak about our history as well as our plans for the future. Whether it was Susan Code explaining the story of the Last Fatal Duel to Kurt Stoodley, the Voyageur Canoe group taking Angie Poirier around the Basin, or Karen Soloman learning about the wonderful cuisine the Fall River Pub & Grill, the three hours flew by.

It was great to have the opportunity to play some Fife & Drum to bring the commercials in and out for the first hour. The Perth Citizens Band handled the duties for the second hour, playing “The Maple Leaf Forever” at 7:00 AM as the new cheese was unveiled. John V.W. provided the music in the final hour of the morning. Nathan McLaren played drums with all three groups and was kept busy handling the multiple drum setups he carried with him for the morning.

This Crier cannot begin to thank everyone who made this thing happen, but several names must be mentioned: Karen Fox from the Town of Perth, Karen Rennie the Town’s Heritage Manager, Shellee Evans who is the Director of Community Services, Gord Walton and Rick Wood who coordinated the crews in the background are just a few of the names. Our mayor, John Fenik and many of the members of Council, Reeves and Warden were there and working side-by-side to move things or just see that the morning went a little easier. Marie White and Erin Butterworth from Lanark County Tourism played a significant role in the morning as did so many others on and off camera.

By the way, Angie passed her introduction to gentle Art of Town Crying with flying colours. Now, if A-Ottawa would declare her their official crier we could see about getting her in the Ontario Guild. This was one very strong voice.

We have just one more reason to be proud of heritage Perth!

Photo Credits: Ian Gray, Perth Courier

It seems like the Town Crier has not been to busy lately if you follow this blog … but that is simply not true. The truth is, there is simply little or no time to get near a computer and handle an update.

There has literally been an activity each day, sometimes two, sometimes like yesterday … three! Whether it be the exhibit Perth has at SuperEx, the Garlic Festival, Fergus Scottish Festival, Golf Tournaments, receptions, concerts or even the arrival of “A-Morning Ottawa” for a live broadcast on August 22nd, the clothes barely have time to dry before they are back on and we are out the door.

Add to all of this the “Mammoth Cheese” exhibit is taking shape on the Basin. We were there on Wednesday for its arrival and initial placement on the cart. Truly, this is a massive undertaking and just looking at the display (which will continue to develop over the next year) it is impressive.

A concert tonight, TV tomorrow and then the weekend brings on the North Lanark Highland Games. Well it always is that way heading into Fall Fair season. Still, since retiring I must admit I do get to snicker at the “Back-to-School” flyers.

Hopefully we will be able to wrestle our camera away from our son and daughter and get some pictures for you. Until then …

See you out-and-about!

BTW … the photo was sent to us by S/Sgt Gilles Deziel. It was taken at the Glengarry Highland Games. S/Sgt Deziel is currently serving in Haiti and he comes home each year to attend the Games as one of the many RCMP who provide colour and pagentry. We thank him for the photo and the few minutes we had to spend with him and assure him and his family of our prayers and support for the work he and his colleagues are doing.

It must be summer because the annual pilgrimage to the multitude of events that take place in Perth and area is well underway.

It started in early July attending several Canada Day festivals, continued with the Stewart Park Festival, the Chocolate and Railway Festival and this past weekend, the biggest of them all, the Glengarry Highland Games.

It is far from over … This upcoming weekend after a Thursday evening concert Mr. & Mrs Town Crier will make appearances at the Fergus Scottish Festival, then home for an extended group of daily appearances at Ottawa’s SuperEx. Along the way we will open several golf tournaments, sing at few more church services, work with A-Channel (coming to Perth on August 22nd) and appear at the North Lanark Highland Games on August 23rd.

Oh, did we mention that last week we opened the Ontario Provincial Minor Little League Championships and then Brent worked as the game announcer for 11 games. There were also appearances at an historical reenactment day held at the Perth Museum (almost forgot there are two more coming up in the next two weeks as well.)

The festival season soon draws into the days of fall fairs and agricultural shows. I am looking forward to the Perth Fair Parade on the September long weekend once again and hoping to be able to attend the International Plowing Match in Teeswater later in September.

All this and not one speeding ticket for the law abiding Crier and his wife. Hope to see each of you somewhere along the journey.

Perhaps you heard or saw the list of the “101 People, Places and Things that Define Canada” … the Maple Leaf, Hockey, the Canadian Flag, the beaver … all the way down to space exploration and elections.

“Eh” only made the list in 225th place, only slightly edging out Gordie Howe.

It is, however, not a mere jumble of words that defines us: it is our stories that we keep alive that truly mark a nation whose history goes far beyond this 141st year.

It is a legacy with roots 400 years ago in the founding of Quebec City, that continues through the Plains of Abraham, along the St. Lawrence River stretching like the railway’s bands of steel across Canada.

As a young man, like many of you who will read this, we celebrated Dominion Day.  We recalled our nation’s motto “A Mari usque ad Mare” from the words of Psalm 72  “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea.”

We are a people connected from the Atlantic to the Pacific by the traditions, the stories and the respect we preserve and pass on to our future generations.

We need only look to our hearts to know that each of us is what truly defines Canada.

May this Canada Day renew our determination to protect what together we truly cherish and harbour them securely in our common future.

Happy Canada Day!

May God save the Queen and may God bless Canada!

Once again the Annual Strawberry Social, hosted by the Perth Rotary Club and the Perth Citizens Band, was a great success … and once again this year a major storm threatened to bring it all to a resounding end. Had the concert happened one hour earlier it would have taken place under one of the largest thunderstorms to pass through the area this summer.

The bandstand behind the Town Hall was spared the brunt of the huge storms that took out power and trees in neighboring communities.  As the music progressed, you could hear the storms raging in the distance. Instead, after the showers, it was a wonderful evening of clear skies, perfect weather and great music that greeted the berrie-eaters.

If you remember last year, it was at this concert that the Town Crier’s bell handle snapped in half. It had not escaped notice of the band members who reminded him at Tuesday’s rehearsal with the words “Bells, Bands, Berries and Bang!” Well to add to the evening, the Crier’s proclamation included only words beginning with the letter “B” … as follows:

B’ware! … B’ware! … B’ware!
Bells, Bands, Berries and Boomers? … B’ware!
… B-words! …

Betty’s … Bob’s … (loud thunder clap!) … Bang!

Brass bugles bellow bebop beckoning benevolence.
Behind, boreal bounty blossoms, bedazzling beautifully.
Bless bassist’s: bitter boredom by-product by boundless bottom business.
Baritones bluff Brahms, bogart Beethoven, back-beat Bernstein!
Bling-bling ‘bones by-the-by bubble blats bothered bytimes by Barb’s blowing beguines.
Bluestocking brass belatedly buzz brilliant Bach’s Bourees.
Better by-far bagpipes!

BUT

Bi-partisan’s boast … behold … byword … belle-of-the-ball … best Band!
BRAVO! BRAVO!

Betty’s … Bob’s … Brian!

It received a thunderous ovation … (both from the crowd and from the heavens) … and with a “ba-ba-boom” the concert went off without at hitch.

The Perth Citizen’s Band continues this tradition of summer concerts on the bandstand behind the Town Hall as it has done each year since 1901. The next concert is July 10th. On July 24th a special concert takes place on the lawn of Inge-Va and then the concerts return for August 7th and 21st. Each concert starts at 7:30 PM it is adviseable to bring your own lawn chair.

For more information on the long history of the band visit http://perthband.ca

This past Saturday Inge-Va held its annual Garden Tour. Shelley and I took time to visit many of the sites and to talk with the large number of visitors who were touring the grounds. I must admit that we spent more time at Inge-Va then we planned since the house was open and three local historians were inside to greet you.

Susan Code, Peter Code and John Fowler have more interesting stories about the growth of Perth then just about any people I know. Put them into the environs of Inge-Va and, well, you can listen, listen and listen. What was truly unique was to meet the people on the streets of Perth who had exactly the same reaction … this was much more then a garden tour.

I must relate one story from the morning that is too good to be true. A woman from Ottawa stopped us on right at the corner of Herriot and Gore Streets, in front of O’Reilly’s Pub. She had just walked down from the museum as noticed that there were many people in costume. “What’s going on?” she asked. We talked about the garden tour, the fact that the staff of the museum is often in period costume, and that as Town Crier we regularly greet people on weekends. “Well that guy across the street looks like he is the town’s funeral director!” We looked up to see Scott Blair, one of the town’s funeral directors, standing on the opposite corner. A funeral procession went by … all traffic stopped moving … people on the sidewalks removed their hats and stood for a few moments. “If that is not a reason to live in a small town.”

As things got moving again we wished her an enjoyable day and sent her off to another store in town. We could not have agreed with her more. It is just one more reason to live in a small town, particularly one filled with as many stories as Perth.

Friday the 13th day of June … could the day have been any better? One hundred and seventy five years ago to the day, minus a few hours, the Town of Perth paused to commemorate a love story that ended in the Last Fatal Duel in Upper Canada. In 1833 two young students-at-law fought it out on the banks of the Tay River just below what we know as Craig Street. It was an affair of honour over comments made concerning a local young lady; it was a settling of hard feelings concerning rank, priviledge and status in the early community; it was, well, just a great story.

The Perth Town Crier hosted two reenactments that attracted in excess of 900 people to Inge-Va or to the street in front of the Museum. In addition, over 75 people took part in a walking tour led by Susan Code and even more in the Historical Society meeting that occured afterwards.

Thanks have to go out to everyone who was involved: the Town of Perth, the Perth Museum, Inge-Va, Carolee Mason and students from the PDCI Grade 10 Drama Class, narrators Angela Hamilton and Shelley McLaren, and stage-manager Natasha Dillabough. The Perth Courier, the EMC and Lake 88.1 were instrumental in the advertising and publicity. St. John Catholic High School provided the sound equipment and David Jacklin from Barndoor Productions helped with the sound effects.

A special thank you mention has to be given to Shellee Evans who had the idea to mount this recreation only six weeks before it happened, and to Karen Rennie who ran with the idea to make a lot of the groundwork possible. Also, thank you to the Heritage Management Committee of the Town of Perth for their quick support and encouragement. This was a great for our whole town.

The Last Dead Man

Twenty-five years after its debut here in Perth and one hundred and seventy-five years after the events which inspired it, Barndoor Productions will will bring back a unique piece of theatre: The Last Dead Man, a gripping and exciting play that uses music, drama, video, sound and a host of theatrical devices to create a kaleidoscopic multi-media show that explores not only the events of the duel itself but how it affected its victor and the ideas that it may have formed in his mind.

The Last Fatal Duel in Canada is an important part of Canada’s history, one which helped to shape the nation, and The Last Dead Man is both a fitting commemoration of that event and an exciting theatrical entertainment.

Performances are July 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12 at 8:00 p.m. and July 6 at 2 p.m. Watch the Perth Courier and listen to Lake 88.1 for ticket information.

Sometimes the busiest weekends are the best weekends.

It began very early with a quick drive to Carleton Place where Mr. & Mrs. Town Crier were able to open another Giant Tiger store. GT is not only a distinctly Canadian store but it has its roots here in the Ottawa Valley, growing from one small store with one employee in 1961 in Ottawa’s Byward Market to 187 stores employing over 6500 across Canada today. A large crowd gathered to hear the Crier’s proclamation for this event on a picture perfect morning.

Turning towards home, we stopped for breakfast at the Thruway Restaurant and became an instant hit with the many young families who had also stopped. You become a parade, even doing normal things. Shelley’s floral hoop skirt became the topic of conversation, and a magnet for the children who thought that Cinderella had stopped to eat as well.

This would continue as we took a morning tour of the Perth Market when back in Town. This year the Vendors and Farmers market have combined and the number of vendors in the market will have doubled by the time local produce makes its appearance. Familiar faces smiled and sounds wafted from the various stands. We met people from Toronto, Ottawa and several other of the rural communities who had stopped in Perth to visit the market.

Our time downtown was shorter then usual since we had to change uniforms and head over to the re-opening of the Lanark County Administration Buildings. A chance meeting with Peter Wagland, the new CAO for Lanark County (seen planting the tree in the picture below), at Lanark Lodge’s Victorian Tea led to an invitation to attend this event. Shelley and I must admit that the new buildings are a significant improvement. The design is completely barrier-free from end to end. Improvements have been made in the buildings energy efficiency and steps taken to reduce water consumption. The offices are bright, taking advantage of natural light and the new County Council Chambers retain a touch of heritage and tradition while being state-of-the-art for meetings.

Cathie Ritchie, the County Clerk, had a lot of tasks for the Crier, but her staff was so efficient that often the large crowd was already moving to the next activity. There are 383 employees working for the County of Lanark and they can be proud of this completely revisioned building. It was my privilege to open the formal ceremonies with a proclamation, to watch the tree planting, ribbon cutting and other ceremonies. This was truly a day for celebration!

The weekend would not have been complete without something different to bring it all to an resounding conclusion. Paddy O’Connor, the Town Crier for Central Frontenac, brought Mr. & Mrs. Crier, himself and David Boyd, the Town Crier for Rideau Lakes, together for the first time this year. The Three Criers would be doing our bell-ringing trio to open a concert by Garnet Rogers in Sharbot Lake. Actually, in total surprise to Paddy and David, I would take the opportunity to present them with their Ontario Guild of Town Crier membership certificates in front of the large, appreciative audience. It was the perfect way to bring a weekend of perfect weather to an end in perfect harmony

… and may God bless Canada!

It was a wonderful way to spend the Sunday afternoon of the Victoria Day Weekend … but you don’t have to take our word for it, ask the nearly 2000 people who attend the presentations by the Perth Dance Studio, OPP Canine Unit, and the famed RCMP Musical Ride at the Perth Fair Grounds on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Coming together to view displays of great skill and precision is not something new in our community. Reading early editions of the Courier one finds numerous stories of local military units performing to large crowds on various fields around our Town. These displays often ended with loud rapports from the cannons that currently adorn the entrance to our Courthouse.

Today we gathered to witness an ongoing tradition, distinctively associated with Canada. Representing a colorful history and ceremony through the horse and the scarlet uniform, the RCMP created a spectacle recognized around the world. The Musical Ride provides for us the opportunity to experience part of Canada’s heritage and national identity.

On behalf of the members of this proud heritage community, it was my duty and privilege to officially welcome the members of the OPP Canine Unit and the RCMP Musical Ride here to Perth. It is also my privilege on behalf all in attendance to thank the Perth Rotary Club for their efforts in organizing the day and on their behalf to thank each and everyone who took the time to attend.

On the day of the coronation of Queen Victoria (June 28, 1838) all of Perth came together in one large celebration. It seemed more then fitting that on this Victoria Day Weekend, 170 years later, we did so once again.

… may God save the Queen, and may God bless Canada!

Whew … what a day! Starting early this morning Mr. & Mrs. Town Crier were at the Perth Community Center greeting students, parents and a whole raft of volunteers at the third annual Perth Regional Historica Heritage Fair. Only three years ago the bell rang on 40 participants, last year nearly 100 and this morning … 180 exhibits filled the floor.

It was a resounding success. The Perth Town Crier would like to thank the Honourable James K. Bartleman, his Worship John Fenik, Paula Moffat, Tim Zander, John Fowler, Larry Cotton and Karen Rennie who spoke at the opening and closing ceremonies. In addition, MP Scott Reid sent congratulations to the participants.  There were workshops and the group of 20 students who attended the one at the Perth Town Hall also worked with Councilor Judy Brown, former mayor Lana March, Shellee Evans and the Crier in a morning of debating (and repealing!)  the Town’s skateboarding bylaw. MP Scott Reid was unable to attend but the Crier had the privilege of reading his letter to the large crowd that gathered.

So what did the Crier say?

Your Honour … your Worship … M’ Lords … M’ Ladies …

One hundred and seventy five years ago, here in Perth, a rare, historic event occurred:  two lawyers finally agreed on something … the result? … the Last Fatal Duel in Upper Canada.

The spot where we stand today was the original center of Perth and the location where the Town Hall was to be built. Instead, our Town Hall, with its towering clock, was built on the outskirts of the growing community at the end of De’Watteville Street on the site of a thriving market.

The stories and traditions of our heritage town are, in no small part, that which brings us here today. We gather to celebrate, to learn and to share knowledge about our community, or province, our country.

May the events that brought us here today continue to enrich our lives as together we celebrate the countless threads that will weave our future.

May God save the Queen and may God bless Canada!

Congratulations, not only to the winners but to each participant. A special tip-of-the-tricorn to Clark Theobald and the organizing committee on a job very well done. Thank you Mrs. Crier … without you the day would not have gone nearly as well.