Dunvegan East artist, Ronna Mogelon, made the big time this past weekend with the 5 Worth the Drive article by her friend Katherine Fletcher in Saturday’s Ottawa Citizen. The column, a weekly feature of the Citizen, spotlights interesting local destinations in and around the Capital region. For those of you who missed it, the focus of this past weekend’s column was the artificial construct of “Glengarry Township.” Ronna and Katherine visited The Quirky Carrot, The Chocolate Factory, the Glengarry Trails, Glengarry Fine Cheese and St, Raphael’s Ruins.
No sooner had the paper hit the streets, when the blogosphere lit up asking why Ronna had “forgotten her roots” by giving the cold shoulder to the Glengarry Pioneer Museum… a destination in her very own backyard, so to speak. To these loyal individuals, I would like to point out that the museum’s 2016 season ended a couple of weeks ago when the 1812 Reenactment Weekend concluded. And the same is true of Maxville’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Nor’Westers & Loyalist Museum in Williamstown. Ronna knew this. So rather than taking her friend to spots with a “closed” sign on the door, she selected places she knew would be open for business. That way, if Katherine’s readers decided to hop in the car for an autumnal jaunt, they wouldn’t be disappointed.
For me, the far more telling conclusion one can draw from this forced “Glengarry” itinerary is the dearth of tourist attractions in this region. Just to reach the target of five, Ronna had to pad the list with three, albeit top-notch, retailers and two destinations which are not even within North Glengarry’s borders.
Don’t get me wrong. For the most part, I love living here. (Although, my lasting regret is that the Big Guy neglected to sprinkle a few fresh-water lakes across the landscape.) But, by no stretch of the imagination, is “Glengarry” a tourist mecca… and North Glengarry even less so. So, if you’re waiting for the politicians’ promises that “tourism will be our salvation” to come to pass, you’re way more patient than I. If we really want it (and that is a real question), growth will only come from attracting new residents and more local businesses. And for that we need reliable, affordable supplies of water and services (like schools and health care) in both official languages. But these are stories for another day.
Even “micro-volunteers” welcome
Not being all that tech savvy, it wasn’t until I stumbled across an article in the National Post — print edition; I told you I’m not hip — that I became aware that there was such a thing as “micro-volunteering.” I kid you not. As Wikipedia defines it, micro-volunteering “describes a task done by a volunteer, or a team of volunteers, without payment (duh!), either online … or offline in small increments of time, usually to benefit a nonprofit organization, charitable organization, or non-governmental organization.” As I understand it, the key to this form of volunteerism is that “takes only minutes or a few hours to complete, and does not require an ongoing commitment by the volunteer.” Wow.
What sort of micro-volunteer tasks did the article envision? Top of the list was “signing an on-line petition.” When I read this, I knew the whole concept was little more than a feel good scheme. To define taking thirty seconds to click a checkbox on an Internet-based petition as a volunteer contribution is morally bankrupt. Even if these “petitions” had any discernible impact on real life, which I seriously question.
Imagine a world where the coaching of a kid’s soccer team is divided into bite-size time nuggets shared by sixty concerned parents with only a minute or two to spare in their oh-so-busy schedules. And that is the reductio ad absurdum vision of where the proud tradition of volunteerism is headed.
Like to strike a blow against the absurdity of micro-volunteering? Then give Renée Homiak, interim curator of the Glengarry Pioneer Museum, a call. She’s looking for volunteers of all stripes to help with shuttering the museum for another season. The Closing Bee will take place on Saturday, October 15th beginning at 9:30 AM. If past years are any indication, the task should be finished by lunchtime. To thank you for your support, Renée tells me the museum will even provide you with lunch. If you and/or your family can spare a few hours, please give her a call at 613-527-5230.
Christmas comes early
To be precise, “Christmas” isn’t coming early to Dunvegan. But Christmas shopping is. Tomorrow, Thursday October 6th, the Glengarry Pioneer Museum’s gift shop will reopen from 1:00 to 6:30 PM. It’s a great opportunity to get some Yuletide shopping done early… and support the GPM at the same time. Before they get packed away, you’re invited to peruse the impressive array of local products available for sale. From handcrafted jewelry, tin ware and greeting cards to maple syrup, honey, woven goods and lots more… the museum’s gift shop has truly unique presents for those special names on your list. Terry tells me they even have a unique collection of patterns and hand-dyed wool for all you rug hookers out there. And to make purchasing even more convenient, the museum now accepts Visa and Mastercard.
Winter far behind?
Kate Tilker, daughter of Marlie and Jim Tilker from Really-East Dunvegan has a friend who works for a well-know paving firm in Markham, Ontario. Disturbingly, on a recent visit to the Markham area, Kate was told that the company was getting their fleet of trucks ready for winter duty… complete with snowplow blades and loads of salt. Traditionally, this firm only makes these preparations as November approaches. However, the buzz in the highway sector — at least in the Markham region — is that winter 2016-2017 could come early and be seriously snowy. I keep forgetting to check with the squirrels to see how high they’re storing their nuts.
Get well Ann
I learned over the weekend that former Dunveganite (and DRA Euchre kingpin), Ann Stewart, was back in hospital from complications arising from her recent surgery. The hope is that she will return home today; she now lives with her daughter and son-in-law in Maxville. On behalf of Linda Burgess, Robert Campbell and the entire DRA euchre bunch, I’d like to wish you a speedy re-recovery. We miss you!
Happy turkey time
Coming home from my standard Saturday excursion to Alexandria, I crested the small hill near the former Geddes and Grier properties and almost harvested enough wild turkey to feed the entire hamlet. It was only because of the efficacy of my vehicle’s recently-tuned brakes that the flock of ten or twelve gobblers was spared from the roasting pan. Astute readers will note that I avoided the use of the word “rafter” when describing this group of wild birds. I’ve learned that the term is reserved for domestic turkeys. When it comes to their cousins in the wild, “flock” is the correct descriptor.
All the above is simply my way of wishing you and yours the best of Thanksgiving celebrations… regardless of whether your menu plans feature turkey, tofurkey, roast beef, poached salmon or what-have-you.
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