Hometown News is a leading community media provider covering Lanark and Northern Leeds Grenville Counties. Our team is growing and we have an opening for a Freelance Reporter-Photographer. This is an ideal position for a retired journalist or someone looking for flexibility in their job. This is a part-time freelance position based in Smiths Falls with […]
PDG Media is a leading community media provider based in the heart of beautiful downtown Smiths Falls. Our community is growing and so are we! We have an opening for a Multi-Media B2B Advertising Sales Representative. We will be expanding our team by 1-2 experienced and enthusiastic individuals. This is an ideal position for a […]
The Sergeant Major knew he was in a pickle when he went to dress for the Queen’s inspection of his troops, and the trousers were missing from his full-dress uniform. You see, he had been very forceful addressing the men beforehand, about making sure they brought all uniform and kit to the event. “You must […]
Opinion: I grew up in an ordinary middle-class blue-collar home. We had street smarts and work ethic. There were no hand-outs. We were ruled by the Law of GOYA: Get Off Your A……android. Yes, the good old days when parents still ran the household. We were self-motivated because of scarcity and boredom. I quit lower-paying jobs […]
A Canadian Army facility in one of Perth’s neighbouring townships from 1962 until 1994 was known to few local residents, and even fewer have ever set eyes on it. There was little to see anyway, as most of it was underground. The Richardson bunker, and installations at Dunrobin and Almonte, were satellites of the well-known […]
Political correctness is suffocating free speech. I wonder if Seinfeld or The Office, two hilarious shows that poked fun at ethnicity, gender and sex would even be produced in this today’s politically correct climate. Censorship is a slippery slope. There are alarm bells going off on higher education that the liberal arts progressives are […]
Column: Am I The Only One Life is a gift and it should not be taken for granted. We must accept the challenge to improve the quality of our life. We should not wait for a brick to fall out of the sky and land on our head before we make a change. I’m a […]
Carrie Wynne In April of 1994 on the front page of the New York Times there’s an infamous picture of 9 tobacco executives standing in court declaring under oath that Cigarettes Aren’t Addictive. In November of 2017, after successfully delaying for 11 years, the tobacco companies began a court-ordered advertisement campaign admitting the variety of […]
Brian Turner Taking your daily driver in for routine maintenance or something more serious is right up there with root canals and extended in-law visits on our lists of things to avoid. Even if you’ve struck gold with a great service provider who never lets you down and always provides reasonable prices and superior results, […]
Terry O’Hearn One of the most prominent exhibits at the Perth Legion Hall of Remembrance Museum commemorates Perth’s Flying Officer William Kyle and five other crewmen, who went missing during World War II over the jungle of what was then known as Burma, and is now Myanmar. They were delivering supplies to allied troops in […]
Submitted Now’s the time to start thinking about all the leaves that will be coming down shortly. They make valuable compost, leaf mould, or can be used as a mulch. Gone are the days when we used to make large bonfires, fill the street with smoke and stand and gossip while the leaves slowly dwindled […]
Carrie Wynne The drop-off was a moment of triumph and pride. It felt like an ending to a very long chapter that went by way too fast. I took advantage of the time that was offered to me and now that it’s over I’m so glad I did. As they settle in I can’t help […]
by Arlene Stafford Wilson It was 1914 when local man, Bert Soper, opened the Rideau Theatre on Chambers Street, at the corner of Beckwith, in Smiths Falls. Stanley McNeill was the first manager. He was a local lad, son of Harry McNeill and Alice Butler, and he ran the theatre like a well-oiled machine. Photo: Steven […]
Carrie Wynne I cherish the memories at the cottage on the Magnetawan River every summer for two or three weeks. The smell of the rain-soaked leaves and the soft blanket of pine underneath my shoes reminds me of the carefree nature I once had as a kid. I feel more like myself at the cottage. […]
Terry O’Hearn The printed newspaper has gone through some rough times during the last few years – for the most part due to advances in technology, and specifically the Internet and Social Media. It is increasingly difficult for publishers to predict the precise direction to go, or to gauge the correct timing for making changes, […]
Millers Bay Farm It’s getting to be that time of year! You know, the time when your social media feed becomes speckled with photos from friends showing off rows and rows of jars containing carefully and lovingly packed and pickled produce. Does the very thought of pickling or canning make your heart race? You are […]
Carrie Wynne The government is very good at sending cash to large numbers of people every single month. Perhaps they might get better at helping people integrate back into the workforce. People will try and figure out a way to increase their household income but if the government takes it back where’s the incentive for […]
Terry O’Hearn Perth’s George James Stokes was but one of many young Canadians whose lives ended on the Somme battlefields in France during World War I. Stokes was recorded as born on September 18, 1895, in the Town of Perth, to George and Minna (Jemima) Stokes. The greatest battle in Canadian history was yet to come […]
Millers Bay Farm Isn’t it interesting how we change our eating habits with the seasons? In this kitchen, it’s already been weeks since the crockpot has seen the light of day. Once the warmer weather arrives, the soups, stews and chilis of winter quickly give way to fresher, cooler tastes of summer. Salad becomes exciting […]
Carrie Wynne Being a teenager is hard. I would never want to go back. I was nothing special. Kind of struggling and definitely ignored. Am I The Only One? I was pleasantly surprised when we moved here that teenagers at the Smiths Falls High School are not only given the time of day, they are […]
Terry O’Hearn terry@pdgmedia.ca Perth’s first telephone system has an interesting story behind it that has sometimes been told incorrectly in the past, and some elements of the related events and connections can be confusing. In this column we will attempt to present the facts with as much clarity as possible. The location of the telephone […]
Carrie Wynne People who listen to understand are rare and valuable. They are life rafts we swim to when we’re drowning and for some of us we actually are. Do your opinions matter? To some people they might but as the famous Theodore Roosevelt quote says, “People don’t care how much you know until they […]
Millers Bay Farm It’s June! Strawberry lovers rejoice! This is the time of year when it is permissible to eat strawberries for three meals a day (PLUS snacks…AND drinks…). Go ahead and enjoy. There is no shame in it. Have you heard of ‘Eating the Seasons’? That’s the whole premise of the idea: Eating WHAT […]
Submitted by Millers Bay Farm Have you ever paused to think about it? How, by the time the snow melts and things begin to turn green, we are desperate for anything – anything at all – that is growing and edible. We search the cool, damp earth in the garden for a sign of them. […]
Carrie Wynne No One Has to Die Alone by Lani Leary is a book I read shortly after my aunt was diagnosed with a terminal illness. I really wanted to call and I picked up the phone and realized that I didn’t know what to say to her. What don’t I say? Should I be […]
Terry O’Hearn terry@pdgmedia.ca Much has already been said about Jessie, the elderly silver maple in Stewart Park which was taken down Thursday, March 15, by arborists. However, some updates on the removal, and insights into the remarkable life of the tree’s namesake, are in order here. Jessie was cut down because her health was deteriorating, […]
Submitted by Lanark County Master Gardeners I look out the window at Mississippi Lake and think that spring is officially here. It’s snowing out and the lake is frozen solid, but yes, spring is almost here. The silver maple buds are almost in bloom and back on February 28 there were two, count them, two […]
Submitted by Miller Bay Farm Meet the Millers, Shannon and Robert, who own and operate Miller’s Bay Farm at Lombardy, Ontario. Robert represents the fourth generation of Millers working the family farm. It’s located on the Rideau Ferry Road – just between Lombardy and the picturesque hamlet of Rideau Ferry. Growing crops on 400 acres […]
Janelle Labelle editorial@pdgmedia.ca Hometown News would like to thank April Scott-Clarke for serving as editor for the past two years. Hers was a voice from our community, to our community, about our community. Our team will miss her efficient and encouraging leadership. April, we all wish you the very best as you move on to […]
Cartoon by Patrick Labelle
Carrie Wynne Am I the only one that has sat through a meeting completely disengaged? The speaker was behind the lectern with his head down reading pages and you had a hard time hearing him? Did you try not to fall asleep or check your phone, but the content and delivery was so boring that […]
Submitted by Paula Stewart MD, FRCPC Medical Officer of Health Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit To clarify the concerns raised in the letter by Myrna Lee in the March edition, my role as Medical Officer of Health is to provide information to the municipalities about the possible human health risk of spraying the […]
Myrna Lee, Chair, Lanark Fights Lyme After assurances that she has no influence in this matter, Dr. Paula Stewart has once again weighed in on the contentious roadside spraying program in Lanark County. And after repeatedly denying that chemicals would enter our wells – or indeed, any of our watersheds, she gently dropped a bombshell […]
…And how about those Pee Wee Bears April Scott-Clarke april@pdgmedia.ca Within the last month, I’ve almost been the victim of two scams — one via telephone and one via email. The first one was when I got a call from “Bell” letting me know about a new promotion. It sounded good — not too good […]
Carrie Wynne I was raised in a household in 70’s where nurturing a child’s self-esteem would be considered laughable. I remember hearing, “good kids should be seen and not heard” and my father would get a few laughs saying that “the joys of raising kids are grossly exaggerated.” I know that my father loved me, […]
April Scott-Clarke april@pdgmedia.ca I don’t normally make New Year’s Resolutions but this year I am — to be more disciplined and stick to a schedule. I have personal and business goals I want to achieve and I think a lot of being successful in doing so is to have a more routined life. Over the […]
April Scott-Clarke The news of Postmedia and Torstar trading community papers and shutting most of them down was big news, but not entirely surprising. Money talks — or in this case, silences — and to be honest, there’s no real money in community news. In the deal, where no cash was exchanged because all the […]
PDG media is an independent newspaper and digital media publisher. We are looking for a reliable and results-oriented person to join our team. We need someone who knows how to sell print advertising packages that compliments editorial in edition to understanding the opportunities on the web. Responsibilities and Duties Th person we hire must be […]
April Scott-Clarke april@pdgmedia.ca Fall is here and with that comes brisk temperatures (although we haven’t seen much of that yet), hats, coats and camouflage. Granted, the last might not be part of everyone’s wardrobe but I’m going to guess that it is for a large part of our readership. Hunting is as much of a […]
Never before see photo of Carleton Place from the Guelph Public Library Archives (ON00126c6-0-0-0-0-766).
From the Lanark County Museum Network Whitney’s Office Supply at it’s Beckwith Street location circa 1960. The kids are lined up for their back to school shopping. – Also from the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum collection.
Hometown News is looking for reliable freelance writers and reporters who are interested in writing articles and attending events within the communities of Smiths Falls, Carleton Place and Perth. This is a flexible gig but we are looking for people who are interested in writing two to four articles per month. We want these people […]
April Scott-Clarke april@pdgmedia.ca There’s been a lot of commotion in the news lately over the treatment of farm animals — pigs in particular. Last month the Lombardy Fair (among many others across the country) was pressured by a farm animal advocacy group to cancel its pig scramble, which would have happened this past weekend. I […]
Terry O’Hearn editorial@pdgmedia.ca Four rows of modern-day combat boots seemed to stretch forever across the idyllic green expanse of Vimy Ridge in France this past April 9, lovingly placed there by the hands of French and Canadian students. Each row represented one of the four divisions of the Canadian Corps that fought at Vimy Ridge […]
By Carrie Wynne Sales is really quite simple and not nearly as frightening as some people think. If you’re a new business owner or just starting out in sales you may be feeling a little intimidated by the sales activities involved in promoting your product or service, but don’t sweat the sales stuff. You just […]
Terry O’Hearn editorial@pdgmedia.ca Pat Evans is quick to encourage anyone who has Parkinson’s Disease to go public about it. It helps raise awareness about the prevalence of the nasty affliction, and she points out that the Parkinson’s problem is only going to get worse as our population ages. Evans would also like you to come […]
I went to find something to watch the other night. Every type of violence you can imagine was on the menu; human trafficking, terrorists, torture, shootings, rape, revenge, kidnapping, serial killers, bombs and guns. There are forests that aren’t as shady as some of these shows. I might never recover and I just read the […]
I watched someone check Facebook during a business meeting the other day. I felt so insignificant and unimportant I wanted to throw my hands up in the air. We’re acting like a bunch of teenagers; drunk on cell phone drama and convinced it’s more important than the people right in front of us. If […]
Terry O’Hearn editorial@pdgmedia.ca Construction on Conlon Farm Recreation Complex commenced in 1988, and long-time softball enthusiast Neil Fennell watched closely to see if his dream of Perth hosting a tournament for competitive teams might finally come true through the availability of suitable facilities. Soon Fennell thought he had his answer, and he began to educate […]
It takes discipline and practice to create a mindset where inspiration thrives. Most of us have been hardwired for struggle. Life can be discouraging at times and we allow ourselves to get depleted by these bad mental states. We need good habits and routines that keep us on track. Here are five strategies to create […]
Terry O’Hearn editorial@pdgmedia.ca It seemed improbable back in the mid 1980s that the little town of Perth could raise more than $1,000,000 to fund a recreation facility. Especially given the fiscally conservative mindset of many town officials. Recently I caught up with John Willson and Lana March, who were both on the Conlon Farm Recreation Area fundraising […]
OPINION There’s a pharmaceutical solution for every problem. But not every problem needs a pharmaceutical solution. What’s wrong with being a little crazy? Pills are a quick fix. Our fast-paced society doesn’t value or support the kind of deep work that’s necessary to help people navigate through turbulent waters. It’s more convenient to give a […]
Terry O’Hearn editorial@pdgmedia.ca “Conlon fundraising starting now” blared the headline under the Perth Courier Oct. 8, 1986 masthead. The story went on to say that “Although a total figure to be raised through donations has not been determined yet, a fundraising drive for phase one of the Conlon Farm recreation project is quickly gearing up. […]
Terry O’Hearn editorial@pdgmedia.ca Read part one of the two-part series. Current and past Legion president, war veteran, and long-time member Eric Devlin recently mused about his early days growing up in Perth, revealing that he had been a proficient roller skater at the height of that sport’s popularity. He was one of the few local […]
Terry O’Hearn editorial@pdgmedia.ca “Conlon fundraising starting now” blared the headline under the Perth Courier Oct. 8, 1986 masthead. The story went on to say that “Although a total figure to be raised through donations has not been determined yet, a fundraising drive for phase one of the Conlon Farm recreation project is quickly gearing up. […]
Terry O’Hearn editorial@pdgmedia.ca This is part one of a two-part series. Read part two. Perth Legion President Eric Devlin gave more than 42 years of military service to his country at various times in the previous century. He served in the Canadian Army during World War Two, as well as in Japan, Korea, Germany, and […]
Hometown News is a leading community media provider covering Lanark and Northern Leeds Grenville Counties. Our team is growing and we have an opening for a Freelance Reporter-Photographer. This is an ideal position for a retired journalist or someone looking for flexibility in their job. This is a part-time freelance position based in Smiths Falls with […]
More Special Features >>
PDG Media is a leading community media provider based in the heart of beautiful downtown Smiths Falls. Our community is growing and so are we! We have an opening for a Multi-Media B2B Advertising Sales Representative. We will be expanding our team by 1-2 experienced and enthusiastic individuals. This is an ideal position for a […]
More Special Features >>
The Sergeant Major knew he was in a pickle when he went to dress for the Queen’s inspection of his troops, and the trousers were missing from his full-dress uniform. You see, he had been very forceful addressing the men beforehand, about making sure they brought all uniform and kit to the event. “You must […]
More Special Features >>
There’s a new ‘pot’ store in town — hmm…that’s ‘pot’tery store. Gene Amell’s store — Simply Ceramics+ — opened with a ribbon-cutting, and cake and coffee for customers. The front half of the small space was crowded with curious visitors and well-wishers, while the back was filled with shelves of bisque figures waiting to be […]
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