The first event to celebrate the upcoming Perth 200th Anniversary is being launched this week with the announcement of the contest to design the official anniversary logo.  A $200 prize will be presented to the winner, and the logo will become the symbol of the year-long anniversary celebrations in 2016.

In announcing the contest, the 200th Anniversary Steering Committee noted that the prize will go to the design that best epitomizes the history and character of the Perth, and its many related themes, such as heritage, recreation, and community life.  The contest is open to all past and present residents of Lanark County, having a direct connection to Perth.  Your entry must include a maximum 150 word description of your connection to Perth Ontario.

The logo should be equally presentable in small format uses, such as for the official anniversary letterhead and publications, and large format, such as for promotion banners and pennants.  It should be printable in black and white.  Further information on the contest may be obtained by calling (613) 267 3311 x2240.  Deadline for the contest is June 1st, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. Entries can be dropped off at Town Hall, Community Services Department:  Attention Perth 200 Committee, or emailed to kfox@perth.ca.

Organization has already commenced for our 200th Anniversary in the year 2016.  A Steering Committee has been formed comprising the Town of Perth, Perth and District Chamber of Commerce, BIA, and local residents, and chaired by Brent McLaren,  Perth Town Crier.

Anyone who has visited this site probably noticed it was pretty static. There was a reason for that … Perth200.ca was a place holder on the internet being held for the upcoming plans to hold a celebration of the founding of Perth Ontario in 2016.

On Friday, August 14th, Perth200.ca became the Official site for the celebrations. Planning has already commenced and so, this site can begin to grow.

Stay tuned as announcment are made.

Wow! … Peggy Paul, you have done it again!

This Saturday was the Open House at Tay Crossing, one of the many beautiful stores that make downtown Perth a wonderful shopping experience.You really would not believe how beautiful the decorations in the store were unless you came and visited yourself. Whether it was the striking primary colors of the tree that greets you as you enter, the formal burgundies of the dining room tree around the corner, the shimmer of the silver tree, with a mirror, mosaic statue of a dog sitting patiently beside it, the little tree sparking in golds … or among the many others, my personal favorite, the snowman tree … the holiday season is here for certain.

There were many visitors in town from Toronto, Pittsburg, Montreal, Cornwall, Kingston and Utica (just to mention a few of the places). Each of them seemed to be heading down to the store, as well as flooding the other businesses and local restaurants. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the start of holiday shopping … who really knows … but Perth was at its best for those who ventured out to this heritage community.

Mrs. Town Crier was wearing the coat she purchased at Tay Crossing earlier in the week. We had made a quick drop in on one of our rounds two weeks earlier and spotted this car coat in the clothing store upstairs. It was perfect for the days we spend around the town each fall and spring, but not in her size … “Let me see if it is available” … a few days later we were back and trying on a perfect fit. It was a toss up between the red, royal blue, or black … you can see which one won out in the end. There it was, greeting customers on both the mannequin and the bellman’s wife.

Over the next few weekends many stores will open their Christmas displays as we get ready for the Festival of Good Cheer at the end of November. You can avoid the hustle of the big city, travel out to heritage Perth and shop in stores that not only have unique holidays items, are decorated with a beauty and charm that you thought had disappeared from the season, and receive the absolute best in customer services. Trust us … we are proud to both live and to shop here.

Next weekend Kelly’s Flowers has its Christmas Open House and Elysium reopens its doors in their new location … see you there!

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.

Four years ago the merchants of downtown Perth decided to kick off the Christmas season, with a festival on the last weekend of November. The Perth Museum, always ready to support a good time, got involved, and so the Festival of Good Cheer was born.

Every year the event has gained momentum, as locals and visitors from as far away as Ottawa, Kingston and beyond came and shopped, mingled, and enjoyed an ever-expanding program of activities. Last year the Festival of Lights, with its Christmas tree display in the Crystal Palace and fireworks show joined in to make a full day and evening of events, and the momentum continued to build.

Saturday the 24th of November is the date of this years festival, and planned events include a Victorian Christmas Open House with cider, cookies in the cozy 1840s kitchen of the Matheson House Museum, roving bands of carollers and live seasonal music around town, a craft market in the Crystal Palace, merchants and restauranteurs in period costume, many offering specials such as GST-free prices (who had ever heard of the GST in Victorian times?), readings by local authors and others in the four downtown book shops, horse-drawn trolley rides, an evening bonfire in the Basin and the lighting of the Christmas trees!

Brent McLaren, the Town Crier will be on hand to greet visitors, and you can expect to meet townsfolk of all ages on the streets and in the shops also in period costume. If you stop in for lunch at one of the many restaurants around town you can expect to be serenaded by roving carollers. The Craft Market is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. until at least 3:00 p.m., the musical events from 11:00 until 4:00 and the evening events in the Basin get under way at 6:00 with a concert by Canada’s oldest continuing town band, the Perth Citizens Band.

The music continues with the annual Museum Fund Raising Concert on Sunday at 2:00 PM at St. John The Baptist Church. This year the concert features the sounds of the Men Of The Tay, under the direction of Shelley McLaren, and Shout Sister!, under the direction of Georgette Fry, combining into an afternoon of seasonal music and traditional favourites.

Its a day to formally welcome the Christmas Season, with its good will, bonhomie and shopping – small-town style; the way it used to be in our memories, and as we often wish it still was. So mark it on your calendar, and be sure to join us at our Festival of Good Cheer, on the 24th of November.

… article by Ian Doig

With all the flurry surrounding the 175th anniversary of the Rideau Canal it is easy to overlook Perth’s connection to the system through the Tay Canal.

One of the guarantees made to the disbanded soldiers and others who first settled at Perth and on lands adjacent to that place was that, with the building of the Rideau Canal, there would come corresponding improvement of the Tay which would render it, too, capable of navigation by steamboat. As time passed and the settlement grew, it became a matter of vital import that this guarantee should be fulfilled.

In 1834, the Beveridges locks allowed access from the Rideau Canal to the Town of Perth.

The present day locks were built between 1883 and 1887, replacing the earlier set of wooden locks constructed in 1834. Locally the Tay Canal is known as “Haggart’s Ditch” after John G. Haggart, local MP, who held the portfolio of Railways and Canals and who poured much government money into upgrading the Tay Canal and constructing the Beveridges locks.

So, if the Rideau Canal was opened in 1832 and this year we celebrate its 175th anniversary then 2009 will be the 175th anniversary of the Tay Canal.

An excellent article on the First Tay Canal can be found at: http://globalgenealogy.com/LCGS/articles/A-TAY.HTM

Five years ago a singing group for men formed here in Perth. The Men Of The Tay has grown, changed, seen members come and go, but one thing has remained: it is a place to go simply to sing. The Men have held true to their primary goal: to enjoy each other’s fellowship through music.

Sunday, June 10th at 2:00 will mark their fifth annual Father’s Day Concert takes place one week earlier then usual this year. “When we started the first concert no one had any conflicts on that weekend and our program became a true family event” said Shelley McLaren, the Men’s musical director. “Over the past few years more and more churches are using the Sunday for barbeques, or other community groups planning special activities for their members, so we are going one week earlier. A “Pops” Concert will take place at St. John The Baptist Roman Catholic Church

Another Men of the Tay tradition is to offer this concert free-of-charge so that everyone can attend. The year the Men have undertaken to purchase a memorial bench for revitalized children’s playground on Mill Street. This year marked the passing of the first member of the group with the death of Herb Buehler. Several other prominent members have moved away from the community. A plaque on the bench will read: “In memory of the members of the Men of the Tay whose harmony is deeply missed.”

Donations to assist this project may be made at the door. A tax receipt can be provided for all donations greater than $10.00. The Men of the Tay hope to raise over $1400.00 as part of this project.

The Perth Town Crier, Brent McLaren, opened and close the Perth Regional Historica Fair held at the Royal Canadian Legion on Monday, April 16, 2007.

An article on his participation and a copy of his proclamation has been posted on his website: http://perthtowncrier.com.

Mr. McLaren also filled in with a research workshop at the last moment when one of the participating groups could not make it due to the snow storm that blew through Eastern Ontario. He is pictured with Nicholas Strong whose project on the Rideau Canal was chosen to represent the area at the National Fair in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 

Fair Locations

 Central Location & Registration

Perth & District Community Centre

Secondary Sites Workshop Locations

Perth Museum, Old Shoe Factory,  P&DCI,

Perth Library, Inge-va, Pioneer Cemetery,

Perth Soap

 

 The first school fair for 2007 was held at Calvary Christian Academy, Franktown, on Friday, Feb, 16th. Rob More organized an exceptional day of activities, with an opening ceremony that included the school choir singing O Canada and words of greeting from three area politicians. Local storyteller Brian Costello followed up with an overview of significant area events and personalities related to the Trans-Canada Trail. In the audience was the entire junior division from St. Mary’s school in Carleton Place who left, following their tour of the CCA’s exhibits, with inspiration for their school’s participation in Historica next year. 47 exhibits were on display in the gym, foyer and several classrooms; throughout the day, primary students from CCA, the public, the media and judges chatted with the student exhibitors. There were also two special exhibits from the Heritage House Museum in Smiths Falls and art work from Craig Campbell. Take a sneak peak at the days activities!

The Perth Citizens Band, Canada’s oldest continually performing concert band, will perform in an evening of swing era music at the Perth Legion on Tuesday, March 6, 2007.

The Citizens Band can trace their history back to the 1850′s with Perth’s early Temperance Bands. Recently an article in the Bathurst Courier from January 10, 1851 was found while the Perth Town Crier was researching information on the Town’s crest. The article, which referred to a “band” which was part of the local “Cadets of Temperance” compared their performance to the Brockville Brass Band, which had played in Perth as early as 1847.

One factor is often forgotten: the “valve” on brass instruments had only been patented in the 1820′s. The tuba appeared in 1835. While Beethoven and Mozart had use of trombones, the french horn was limited until valves were added to it in the mid-1800′s and the euphonium would appear in 1843. These instruments were a far cry from the modern members of the brass family. It would be 1890 before a trumpet, similar to the quality we see today, would be manufactured. Having a band performing before 1850 is truly a rare thing.

Come out and listen to the tunes of the Big Band Era! The concert starts at 7:30 pm at the Perth Legion Hall, 26 Beckwith St E. Admission is $5 for individuals and $10 for the entire family.