Monday, September 24, 2012

Sainte-Marie's Thanksgiving Harvest Festival


September 24, 2012

Media Release - for immediate release

Sainte-Marie’s Thanksgiving Harvest Festival Celebrates the Fall Season

A perfect family outing for Thanksgiving weekend is the Thanksgiving Harvest Festival and Arts and Crafts Show at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons October 6th and 7th.

This year’s event features over 35 exceptional artisans, including a dozen “first-time in show” craftspeople.  One exceptional new artisan is Ron Leach, who hails from Muskoka.  Leach is a talented artist who has been carving soapstone for over 35 years, and his detailed work reflects stunning wildlife themes.  “I was drawn to soapstone carving like a moth to a flame”, notes Leach.  “This material offers strength and a certain amount of permanence in a fast-changing world”, he added.  Other new participants will bring a wide array of eclectic items including tole painting and unique decorative art, handcrafted jemstone jewelry, stained glass suncatchers with First Nations themes, and lino-block prints. 

Returning crafters will also offer many items sure to delight visitors. Award-winning pyrographic art from wood, bone, and stone, unique wreaths and centerpieces, hand-made knitted rugs, one of a kind diachronic glass bracelets and pendants, and silver-infused jewelry will be sure to catch one’s eye.  Hand-made wood items will include toys, bowls, jewelry boxes, bat-boys, bird houses, and bird feeders.  Oil based landscapes on canvas, wood and stone, and scented candles from natural waxes plus many more quality items will be part of the show.

Food lovers will enjoy a wide range of offerings including home-made jams, savory jellies, chutneys, mustards, pickles, and relishes.  For those with a sweet tooth, homemade fudge and fudge sauce, truffles, candies, chocolates made from European chocolate, and biscotti will all be on hand.   Self-serve pumpkin and gourd sales will be set up at the main public entrance.

On the historic site, families can decorate pumpkins, try teas and cornbread in the cookhouse, decorate pumpkins, sample historic foods, and enjoy a corn roast.  Little folks will have lots of fun planting Three Sisters seeds, trying their hand at making corn-husk dolls and clay okies, and planting Three Sisters seeds.   Restaurant Sainte-Marie will be open on both days featuring a special Thanksgiving menu.
  
The Thanksgiving Harvest Festival and Arts and Crafts Show and Sale runs Saturday and Sunday, October 6 and 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, near Midland.  Admission is just $7.00 per person and includes both the historic site and the Craft Show.  Children ages 5 and under are free.  For further information call (705) 526-7838.

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Sainte-Marie among the Hurons is operated by Huronia Historical Parks,
and is an Attraction of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport.

Media contact:
Gary Molnar
Manager, Marketing and Visitor Services
Huronia Historical Parks
(705) 528-7696
Gary.Molnar@ontario.ca





Monday, September 17, 2012

You're invited to the Huronia Communty Foundation AGM


The Board of Directors of
Huronia Community Foundation
invites you to join us as we welcome
a special guest to our AGM

Chair of the Community Foundations of Canada, Terry Jackson, will talk about Smart & Caring Communities, our latest and most exciting Community Foundation initiative, in partnership with the Governor General of Canada.
Our Annual General Meeting will also feature recognition of our volunteers, the appointment of five new directors and our fall grant recipients, as well as the business aspects of our Community Foundation. Afterwards, please join us for lunch and a Martyrs’ Shrine tour.
Theme: Smart & Caring Communities
Date: Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012
Time: 11:45 am to 1:30 pm
Place: Martyrs’ Shrine, Filion Centre
Gate fee is waived

Please RSVP before Sept18th by replying to this email or phone. Thanks!
705.527.5554
PS: Lunch is compliments of Lisa McFadyen, Wealth Advisor, Meridian™ and Gisele Robitaille, CLU, Financial Security Advisor, Robitaille & Associates.

Garry Morehouse,
Executive Director
Huronia Community Foundation








Toastmasters Humourous Speech Contest


Echoes of the Bay Toastmasters holds club speech contest.
Riveting speakers with humorous stories plus extemporaneous speech contest.

MIDLAND, ON, September 14, 2012 — Local Toastmasters members will compete against each other in a club speech contest on Thursday, September 27 at 7:00 p.m. at the Real Canadian Super Store Community Room in Midland. The winners will go on to compete in the area contest, which includes winners from 5 clubs in the area, next month.

This event is open to the public. If you’ve never been to Toastmasters, this is a fun way to get started.

“Every year Toastmaster clubs all over the world hold club contests recognize the best and inspire personal growth in speaking abilities.” says Echoes of the Bay Toastmasters Club President, Lorne Groulx.

In the Humourous Speech Contest, speakers will deliver five- to seven-minute humorous presentations on wide-ranging topics, and are judged on content, organization and delivery.

In the Table Topics contest, contestants are given a general topic as they enter the room and have until they reach the podium to compose a complete two- to three- minute speech that they deliver off-the-cuff.

Each contest has four participants, the first place Winners of each contest will go on to compete at Toastmasters International Area Speech Contest in October.

The Echoes of the Bay Toastmasters club meets the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Real Canadian Super Store Community Room in Midland For more information about the club, please visit http://echoesofthebay.ca/

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Founded in October 1924, the organization currently has more than 270,000 members in 13,000 clubs in 116 countries. Each week, Toastmasters helps more than a quarter million people of every ethnicity, education and profession build their competence in communication so they can gain the confidence to lead others. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Quest Art in Your Classroom


Quest Art Introduces New Outreach Program Quest Art in Your Classroom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 13, 2012 (Midland, ON)

Imagine having a local artist in your classroom moulding students into the next Picasso, Cezanne or even Tom Thomson.
Look no further than Quest Art’s new outreach program Quest Art in your Classroom.
Quest Art’s programs are geared for Kindergarten to Grade 8. All programs follow The Ontario Curriculum guidelines and will provide classroom teachers the opportunity to observe, inspire and reflect on their students’ creative journey.
There are many NEW primary, junior, intermediate and full day programs such as Watercolour Magic, Composition Collage, Clay Sculpture: Abstraction and Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.
Quest Art offers two hour primary, junior and intermediate programs at a cost of $5 per student. Programs include a two hour program designed and delivered by a professional artist instructor with all the supplies and resource materials.
For junior and intermediate full day programs, the cost is $10 per student.
Full day programs will take place at the Midland Cultural Centre, designed and delivered by a professional artist instructor with all supplies and resource materials provided as well as a gallery tour.
The anticipation of having a guest artist teach in your classroom or in an art gallery can be an exciting and memorable experience for students, so book today!
For more information, contact Ninette at 705-526-ARTS (2787), visit our website www.questart.ca, or connect with us on Facebook and even Twitter.
About Quest Art
Quest Art is a charitable, not-for-profit volunteer driven visual arts organization and is generously funded by its members, community supporters and organizations as well as the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Established in 1995, Quest Art has offered quality visual arts programs that provide learning through continuing education, exposure through exhibition programs and interaction through community outreach.  We are strong leaders in the local art community and engage the community through art activities.
Quest Art is located in downtown Midland, ON at 333 King Street. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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CONTACT:
Ninette Gyorody, Director/Curator
Quest Art
333 King Street, Midland, ON L4R 3M7
705-526-ARTS (2787)


Christina Bernardo
Communications and Special Events Support Associate

Quest Art
333 King Street
Midland, ON L4R 3M7
705-526-ARTS(2787)

Quest Artproviding a vital environment for the education, promotion, and appreciation of the visual arts

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Awenda Inspired


       The Friends of Awenda Park and the Ontario College of Art and Design present Awenda Inspired!, a celebration of local art heritage.

September 14th-16th, 2012



Awenda Provincial Park has a deeply rooted artistic tradition. Tom Thomson painted the park’s Giant’s Tomb Island; a number of the Group of 7 also fostered connections with the southern Georgian Bay area.

Awenda Inspired! is an event designed to celebrate the park’s rich and vibrant art heritage. The focus of this event is to provide an opportunity for the general public to interact with artists and see the artistic process as it unfolds in the park’s outdoor setting.

The event takes place on the weekend of September 14th- 16th, 2012. The event involves a major partnership with the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) and will see over 50 art students painting in plein air throughout Awenda Provincial Park. The finished art work will be exhibited later in the fall at a major gallery in Toronto as well as locally at the Centennial Museum.

The event is expected to draw as many as 1500 visitors and campers throughout the weekend. Guest speakers will present on Friday and Saturday nights. OCAD students will be painting in designated areas throughout Saturday.  In addition there will be an Eco-Art Station for children and the young-at-heart at the Activity Center. 

Please contact us directly at (705) 549-2231 ext. 225 or e-mail us at awenda@csolve.net for further information.



Awenda Inspired! Event Itinerary:

Friday September 14th, 2012

Guest Speaker: 7:15pm, Amphitheatre- Trail Centre Parking lot
Jim and Sue Waddington: Mapping the Footsteps of the Group of Seven:
Since 1995 Jim and Sue have been tirelessly ventured through the back country of Northern Ontario and Georgian Bay in search of historic Group of Seven painting sites. Armed only with small replicas of G7 paintings, Jim and Sue have portaged, hiked and climbed in order to photograph the painting locations of this much loved Group.  The presentation will showcase their stories and present their photos as they compare to copies of the original art work.

Saturday September 15nd, 2012

Arrival at Awenda Provincial Park- Ontario College of Art Students to arrive at 9:30am

Official Public Start Time- 11am

Family Eco-Art Activities: 11am- 3:00pm. Hands-on art projects to commence at 11am at the Activity Centre based on the links of art and the natural environment.

End of day viewing:  3:30pm to 4:30pm at the Activity Centre which will be equipped with a temporary display space for a couple of finished pieces from each artist as well as work they have been working on the day of the event.

Guest Speaker: Saturday Evening 7:15pm- Amphitheatre (Trail Centre Parking lot)
Phil Chadwick, Tom Thomson was a Weatherman:
Phil, a professional meteorologist and amateur artist, has been delivering a series of talks that investigate the passion Canadian artists such as the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson unknowingly have for weather. He uses his background in meteorology to interpret specific details about the artists’ location, directional orientation as well as the weather before during and after recording the scene. Appreciate Thomson and the Group’s art by first putting it into the context of the natural world and weather that inspired them!

Sunday September 16th – Georgian Queen- Art History Tour of southern Georgian Bay- 2pm Town Dock, Penetanguishene

Art Gallery Exhibition(s):

Creature’s Creating- Thursday October 11th, Bathurst St. and Dundas St., Opening details to be announced.

Penetanguishene Centennial Museum- Friday November 2nd; Details to be announced.
        









Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Bay Studio Tour 2012

Grisé Fine Art Studio Gallery 33 Robert Street West in Penetanguishene, is pleased to part of The Bay Studio Tour 2012 Thanksgiving Weekend – October 6 & 7, 10am – 4pm The Bay Studio Tour, featuring 17 local artists with original paintings, photography, pottery and much more, will be held on October 6 & 7, 10am – 4pm. This self-guided tour has 5 locations within a limited area, including Penetanguishene, and part of Tiny Township, and is easily covered in one day. Brochures are available in many retail and tourist locations in the area. 
For a list of artists with images, information and a map, visit The Bay Studio Tour web site. www.thebaystudiotour.com contact Deb Grisé at 705-549-4252 or email: dgrise@rogers.com

Join the Royals at Saint-Marie among the Hurons


September 6, 2012

Media Release – for Immediate Release

Join the Royals for a Royal experience
at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons

Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, a nationally significant historic site near Midland, Ontario, will be pulling out all the stops to make the upcoming visit by Their Royal Highnesses the Earl and Countess of Wessex a spectacular experience that will be steeped in Canada’s founding heritage and culture.  The Earl and Countess, better known as Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones, are the youngest son and daughter-in-law of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.  The Ontario visit is being hosted by Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor The Honourable David Onley, and this is the first time British Royalty has visited Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. 

Jan Gray, General Manager of Sainte-Marie, is inviting the public to attend the memorable event on Sunday, September 16.  Sainte-Marie plans an extensive, fun, and highly animated experience for the Royal couple as they tour the site from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The historic site will be resplendent with seasonal décor celebrating the onset of the Fall Harvest season. Upon arrival the Royals will be greeted by an impressive Encampment display at Sainte-Marie’s front entrance, with numerous examples of “survival-in-the-bush” historic skills.  They’ll see traditional foods such as corn meal and maple syrup in the Cookhouse, view historic blacksmithing, learn about traditional birch-bark canoe building, and enjoy a locked waterway demonstration.  Re-enactment group La Compagnie Franche will showcase the heritage of this early military unit in New France.  The Earl and Countess will also see the Church of Sainte-Joseph beautifully lit with candlelight, reminiscent of Sainte-Marie’s annual First Light celebrations.  

Highly significant for the Royals will be their experience in Sainte-Marie’s Native Area.  The couple will learn about moose-hair tufting, a traditional First Nations craft, and lacrosse, Canada’s original sport. The pageantry and colour of First Nations singing, drumming, and dancing will fill the air as the Red Spirit Circle Drum Group, the Christian Island Drum Group, and the Kwiikikwe Métis Women’s Drum Group will perform in their spectacular costumes.  Greetings will also be extended by The Beausoleil First Nation Chief and the President of the Georgian Bay Métis Council.

The Royal Visit of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones to Sainte-Marie among the Hurons will be on Sunday, September 16, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend, and are encouraged to arrive early.  Sainte-Marie opens at 10:00 a.m., regular site admission rates will apply.


Sainte-Marie among the Hurons is operated by Huronia Historical Parks,
a division of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport.


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Media Contact:
Bill Brodeur
Coordinator
Marketing and Media Relations
Huronia Historical Parks
705 528-7692