It would appear that the poor Glengarry Pioneer Museum can’t catch a break, at least when it comes to their annual Harvest Fall Festival. For the third straight year in a row, weather played a role in dampening attendance at this little gem of an event. True, it wasn’t raining cats and dogs as it did the previous two Festivals. However, the strong winds, cool temperatures and cloudy conditions — at least during potential visitors’ critical “what’re we going to do today” decision time frame — had a negative impact. As did the fact County Road 30 was still closed for repairs. Why the powers that be would opt to choke off this key artery two weeks before a major event is beyond me. Yes, I know the road was to have been reopened last Thursday. However, anecdotal experience suggests that public works projects like this are rarely completed on time, so why risk it?
Despite these challenges, Lindsey Howes and her committee put together a superlative event. From one of the biggest horse-power parades the FallFest has ever seen to a Harvest Sale tent brilliantly decorated by Nancy White and packed with plants, produce, pies and preserves donated from generous souls all across the region, every corner of the museum grounds was humming with activity.
As I wandered the grounds disguised in my pioneer regalia (the term “costume” is so down-market) taking happy snaps of the days activities, I saw nothing but smiles of enjoyment on the visitors’ faces. For me, the biggest hit of the day were the old-fashioned stilts and bow & arrow kits that Museum Chair, Matt Williams, introduced to this year’s festivities. These simple playthings captivated children of all ages, even though they required no batteries and were connected to nothing but good fun. Well done, Matt.
I was also especially drawn to one of the exhibits in the agricultural demonstration area. The float was packed with scale models of antique farm equipment built by “Gary’s Toys.” As the exhibit was unmanned, I was unable to get any background on the models, which is a shame. They were so well done that I had to rope Sean Burgess and Erica-Rose Bugera into posing with the display to provide some sense of scale.
The tireless Lindsey Howes has already started planning next year’s Festival by sending an e-mail to her fellow committee members thanking them for their hard work and asking for suggestions on how the event can be improved even more. Some of the ideas Lindsey mentioned in her communication included a far more effective Public Address system for announcing the parade, licensing the entire museum site so people could enjoy a beer as they wandered about and looking for a lively demonstration that would help attract people to the Harvest Tent/Campbell Barn area.
If I might be so bold, I’d also suggest having more garbage and recycling containers throughout the site. When Walt Disney was designing his Magic Kingdom, he visited other theme parks and counted the number of steps people would go holding trash in their hands. He discovered that the average was 30. Now, I’m not saying there should be a trashcan every 30 paces; the museum couldn’t afford it. But a few more could help reduce litter and improve the overall appearance.
Another enhancement I’d like to see is live, acoustic music throughout the museum grounds. My intent is not to replace the Entertainment Tent… but to supplement it. This point was driven home to me when I was speaking with local minstrel, Steve “Spider” Merritt. We were at the south end of the Star Inn and Steve took out his mandola. The moment he did, another musician (whose name I’m ashamed to admit I never caught) asked to borrow Steve’s banjo and the two struck up an impromptu jam session that soon attracted an appreciative audience. I think asking Steve to invite a few of his busker friends to stroll the grounds on Festival day would add a whole new dimension to the event.
To conclude my report, I’d like to echo Lindsay’s congratulatory message to her team thanking them for the countless hours they put into this wonderful event. To quote Lindsay, “My job, as chair, is so easy because each of you take ownership of your duties and preform them with dedication, diligence, and competence!” She’s right, but the same comment applies to Lindsay herself.
March back in time
Two weekends from now, on September 24th and 25th, the museum will come alive as living history buffs return for the 7th edition of the Battle of Glengarry, War of 1812 reenactment. I’ll have all the details in next week’s column, but here’s a small sampler of what is new at this year’s get-together.
First off, there will be a new group of participants known as McCaw’s Privateers. They will entertain crowds with their theatrical recounting of privateering on the St. Lawrence River. Privateering was a form of government-sanctioned piracy during wartime against an enemy’s merchant shipping. In addition to their camp, the group will be bringing “The Raven,” their newly christened boat.
As well, the 2016 event will see the introduction of a presentation on the history of swordsmanship and the weapons used in this ancient skill. Plus, kids and their parents will have the opportunity to try their swordplay skills in a fun and safe way under the supervision of experts.
In addition, the reenactment weekend will see the return of such crowd pleasers as the Life of a Regimental Surgeon, the 19th Light Dragoons and the Baroness and her husband hosting a Truce Tea.
So make a point of wending your way to Dunvegan on either Saturday, September 24th or Sunday, September 25th. The gates will open at 10 AM on both days. Admission is $10/day for adults ($5 for members) and $25 for families. Children under 12 are free. If you can’t wait until next week’s column for more details, visit the Museum’s completely revamped web site: www.GlengarryPioneerMuseum.ca.
Euchre Friday is upon us!
Where on earth does the time go? I checked the calendar and was surprised to learn that coming Friday, September 16th, is Euchre day at the DRA Hall, 19053 County Road 24. I hope you’ll be able to join us.
Admission is only $5 and includes trays of scrumptious sandwiches, pickles and beets and homemade sweets by Sandra Daigle. As an added bonus, the luncheon will be served by the dynamic duo of Linda Burgess and yours truly. A 50/50 draw is also part of the fun. The event starts at 12:00 noon and wraps up around 3:30 PM. Everyone is welcome.
The answer is blowing ‘cross the road (Part II)
Last week, we had a close-up look at the technology behind SD&G Traffic Surveys… the two parallel rubber tubes stretched tightly across the highway that seem to appear overnight and disappear just as quickly. This week, I wanted to examine the sort of information the surveys have provided about the County roads in and around Dunvegan.
But first, why does the County need this data? First and foremost, it can help guard against lawsuits. Provincial standards specify the amount of time municipalities have to address road deficiencies such as potholes —based on how busy the road is.
The survey data is also used for a host of other things, for example, the level of truck traffic. Did you know that one fully loaded 18-wheeler causes the same amount of road damage as 3,000 individual passenger cars? It’s good information to have if you notice a road is deteriorating faster than anticipated. The County also depends on the surveys to identify problem speeding areas and shares this information with the OPP. Mr. de Haan explained that the surveys (which are done every two years) must be repeated three times throughout the year to get an accurate count. The three counts are then adjusted for the ‘time of year.’
What has the County gleaned from recent surveys of the Dunvegan area? (Note: these counts are from the 2014 data set and are approximate.)
- County Road 30 south of Dunvegan has 260 vehicles per day
• County Road 30 north of Dunvegan has 350 vehicles per day
• County Road 24 east of Dunvegan has 650 vehicles per day
• County Road 24 west of Dunvegan has 670 vehicles per day
For comparison, County Road 34 (measured at the corner of County Road 24) has a daily count of approximately 3,000 vehicles.
As for the composition of this traffic, cars and pickups make up 75.4%. Large pickups and vans account for 16.8%. Heavy trucks and tractor-trailers contribute 2.9% to the total. Single-axle commercial trucks and RV’s add another 1.5%. Motorcycles are at 2.8%. And buses bring up the rear at 0.6%.
But what about speed? Before Mr. de Haan sent me the actual data, my ballpark guess was an average of 100 km/hr. But the numbers proved me wrong. 17.2% of the vehicles on Dunvegan Road travel at 56-64 km/hr; 27.2% at 64-72 km/hr; 26.0% at 72-80km/hr; and 12.8% at 80-89km/hr.
Before I let Mr. de Haan off the hook, I asked him if he had an amusing Traffic Survey story to share with you. Apparently, just after he started with the Roads Department, he was reviewing speed count information with the OPP and noted that one vehicle had passed by in the middle of the night going about 160 km/hr. The officer he was with paused, reflected on the date and time of the data capture and said, “That was one of us… I guess I’d better remind the crew to slow down when responding to calls.”
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