Prince Edward County - WASSAIL
- Prince Edward County wineries, cidery and brewery holiday open house
- Visit over 20 locations for mulled wines, cider, ale, tasty treats and Christmas Gifts
- Self -guided or register for a bus tour
- Carol Cavalcade each weekend (download songbooks here)
Great Prizes
- Overnight getaway at the Merrill Inn, including breakfast
- Overnight getaway at the Devonshire Inn, including breakfast
- One basket of winery and county products
- Dinner for two at East and Main in Wellington
- Currahs $50 gift certificate
- and many more!
November 19th & 20th / 26th & 27th
December 3rd & 4th
11am - 5pm
All details HERE
Friday, November 11, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
St. Lawrence War of 1812
Festivals and Re-Enactments
Battle of Ogdensburg • Third weekend in February, 2012-2014 •
Prescott & Ogdensburg
Fort Wellington 1812 Garrison Weekend & Unveiling of New
Visitor’s Centre • May 19-21, 2012 • Prescott
Bicentennial Heritage Fair • June 1-3, 2012 • Spencerville Mill
1000 Islands Wine & Food Festival • June 22-23, 2012 • Brockville
Bicentennial Homecoming • June 29 - July 1, 2012 • Williamstown
World Town Crier Competition - 1812 • July 27 - August 6, 2012
Kingston & Ottawa
Raid on Gananoque • August 25-26, 2012 • Gananoque
Battle of Hoople’s Creek: Saving Our Stores Wagon Train •
November 10, 2013 • Cornwall to Martintown
Battle of Ogdensburg • Third weekend in February, 2012-2014 •
Prescott & Ogdensburg
Fort Wellington 1812 Garrison Weekend & Unveiling of NewVisitor’s Centre • May 19-21, 2012 • Prescott
Bicentennial Heritage Fair • June 1-3, 2012 • Spencerville Mill
1000 Islands Wine & Food Festival • June 22-23, 2012 • Brockville
Bicentennial Homecoming • June 29 - July 1, 2012 • Williamstown
World Town Crier Competition - 1812 • July 27 - August 6, 2012
Kingston & Ottawa
Raid on Gananoque • August 25-26, 2012 • Gananoque
Battle of Hoople’s Creek: Saving Our Stores Wagon Train •
November 10, 2013 • Cornwall to Martintown
From a Bank to An Inn in 165 Years
By Katherine McIntyre
KINGSTON, ON—If it hadn’t been for a snowstorm on Highway 401, the building might now be derelict or torn down.
Weatherup Beare and Susan Shaw, a husband and wife team, were driving the 401 on a stormy night back in 2001. Alarmed by drifting snow, they took refuge in Kingston. And then says Shaw, “We bought a money pit.”
The couple had never been to Kingston, Ontario, knew nobody and nothing about its history. But when a for sale sign on the lonely building beckoned, something inside them clicked.
Back in 1846, this handsome limestone building at King and William Streets housed Kingston’s branch of the Bank of Montreal. Offices, tellers cages and the bank vault were located on its main floor, the manager’s family on its second floor and tellers on the third.
Since then the building has morphed from a bank to a men’s club with its own bowling alley and billiard room, to a private home, to an apartment.
Now the prestigious Frontenac Club Inn with fourteen bedrooms, a club-like great room, meeting rooms and a breakfast area, has replaced bowling alleys, tellers’ cages, a bank vault and tired apartments.
Their building was in its worn out apartment phase when Beare, with past experience as a full time school trustee, and Shaw in communications for a health care centre, took over. Their rationale, “It was time for a change, with their house paid off and two offspring in university.”
And a change it was! Three years in renovation, with everything needing upgrading or repair except their building’s solid limestone basement. They searched and found original architectural drawings in Ottawa’s archives and the name of its original architect, George Brown, who had also designed Kingston’s magnificent city hall. They tried to keep historical features such as a handsome walnut staircase and black and white tile floors in the entrance hall, golden hardwood floors and some interior limestone walls.
Capturing the essence of a men’s club, in their main lounge area, they included comfortable leather couches and in deep-set windows, chintz window seats. A bookcase with an eclectic choice of hard cover books has replaced a teller’s cage, and a coffee bar is in a former bank vault.
Shaw, with a deft hand at decorating, combines her sense of colour with historical features, travellers’ comfort and all the myriad details of running an inn. “It can be fun but a lot of work,” she comments.
Beare, in a navy apron, serves up a gourmet breakfast seven days a week and he adds, “Late arrivals, late for breakfast, staffing 365 days a year can be a drain on energy.
“Building a reputation is one way of attracting guests,” he adds. “We are lucky in Kingston being in the historic downtown on a quiet street, near Queen’s University, Royal Military College and one block from our waterfront. We get plenty of repeat customers. Word of mouth is a good but slow way to develop our type of business. Being included in a travel guide is an asset. Small weddings and meetings are an additional source of business and add to our reputation.”
And how do most new guests discover Frontenac Club Inn? “They find us through the Internet.”
But both agree that doing something different with their lives has been a big adventure and most of the time they are grateful for that snowstorm.
KINGSTON, ON—If it hadn’t been for a snowstorm on Highway 401, the building might now be derelict or torn down.
Weatherup Beare and Susan Shaw, a husband and wife team, were driving the 401 on a stormy night back in 2001. Alarmed by drifting snow, they took refuge in Kingston. And then says Shaw, “We bought a money pit.”
The couple had never been to Kingston, Ontario, knew nobody and nothing about its history. But when a for sale sign on the lonely building beckoned, something inside them clicked.
Back in 1846, this handsome limestone building at King and William Streets housed Kingston’s branch of the Bank of Montreal. Offices, tellers cages and the bank vault were located on its main floor, the manager’s family on its second floor and tellers on the third.
Since then the building has morphed from a bank to a men’s club with its own bowling alley and billiard room, to a private home, to an apartment.
Now the prestigious Frontenac Club Inn with fourteen bedrooms, a club-like great room, meeting rooms and a breakfast area, has replaced bowling alleys, tellers’ cages, a bank vault and tired apartments.
Their building was in its worn out apartment phase when Beare, with past experience as a full time school trustee, and Shaw in communications for a health care centre, took over. Their rationale, “It was time for a change, with their house paid off and two offspring in university.”And a change it was! Three years in renovation, with everything needing upgrading or repair except their building’s solid limestone basement. They searched and found original architectural drawings in Ottawa’s archives and the name of its original architect, George Brown, who had also designed Kingston’s magnificent city hall. They tried to keep historical features such as a handsome walnut staircase and black and white tile floors in the entrance hall, golden hardwood floors and some interior limestone walls.
Capturing the essence of a men’s club, in their main lounge area, they included comfortable leather couches and in deep-set windows, chintz window seats. A bookcase with an eclectic choice of hard cover books has replaced a teller’s cage, and a coffee bar is in a former bank vault.
Shaw, with a deft hand at decorating, combines her sense of colour with historical features, travellers’ comfort and all the myriad details of running an inn. “It can be fun but a lot of work,” she comments.
Beare, in a navy apron, serves up a gourmet breakfast seven days a week and he adds, “Late arrivals, late for breakfast, staffing 365 days a year can be a drain on energy.
“Building a reputation is one way of attracting guests,” he adds. “We are lucky in Kingston being in the historic downtown on a quiet street, near Queen’s University, Royal Military College and one block from our waterfront. We get plenty of repeat customers. Word of mouth is a good but slow way to develop our type of business. Being included in a travel guide is an asset. Small weddings and meetings are an additional source of business and add to our reputation.”
And how do most new guests discover Frontenac Club Inn? “They find us through the Internet.”
But both agree that doing something different with their lives has been a big adventure and most of the time they are grateful for that snowstorm.
Free Museum of Health Care Events
You’re invited to a free public lecture this autumn which will explore current research into the history of prosthetics.
November 9th, this year’s Margaret Angus Research Fellow Jeff Sobil will explore the history of prosthetic limbs and the unique role they have played within rehabilitation medicine, national identity and discourse on economics, morality, gender, art and science. “Spare Parts: How Crippled Masculinity Got Hamstringed & Got a Leg-Up” takes place at 7pm at the Louise D. Acton Building (31 George Street), and refreshments will follow.
To help Canadians better understand the history of health and health care, the Museum preserves and promotes the rich material legacy of Canada’s medical and health care past. The Museum serves the general public, practitioners, students, and historians through exhibitions, interpretive programs, and special events throughout the year. This year the Museum of Health Care celebrates its 20th anniversary.
The Museum of Health Care is open year-round from Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 4pm (open weekends during the summer), and admission is by donation. Drop in to see our seven onsite exhibitions, or visit us online at www.museumofhealthcare.ca for online activities and exhibits.
November 9th, this year’s Margaret Angus Research Fellow Jeff Sobil will explore the history of prosthetic limbs and the unique role they have played within rehabilitation medicine, national identity and discourse on economics, morality, gender, art and science. “Spare Parts: How Crippled Masculinity Got Hamstringed & Got a Leg-Up” takes place at 7pm at the Louise D. Acton Building (31 George Street), and refreshments will follow.To help Canadians better understand the history of health and health care, the Museum preserves and promotes the rich material legacy of Canada’s medical and health care past. The Museum serves the general public, practitioners, students, and historians through exhibitions, interpretive programs, and special events throughout the year. This year the Museum of Health Care celebrates its 20th anniversary.
The Museum of Health Care is open year-round from Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 4pm (open weekends during the summer), and admission is by donation. Drop in to see our seven onsite exhibitions, or visit us online at www.museumofhealthcare.ca for online activities and exhibits.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Be Part of the History
Fort Henry National Historic Site of Canada
By Patricia Henderson
Imagine spending a whole night inside the walls of an ancient fort while your imagination turns every echo into the whisper of soldiers long gone. Fort Henry, the largest fortification west of Quebec City, was built in the 1830s to replace an existing fort from the War of 1812. Restored in 1936, the fort embraces 19th century military life and has become a living museum populated by schoolteachers, soldier’s wives and the Fort Henry Guard – students trained as 1867 British soldiers.
Will Baird, the Special Events, Promotions and Sponsorship Officer for the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, says, “There are not too many UNESCO World Heritage Sites where you can spend the night just like a Victorian officer on an 1860s foldout soldiers cot. Imagine waking up in a castle with a view of the water and the entire city of Kingston!” But that is only one of a myriad of special events unique to Fort Henry.
Baird says, “In our Sunset Ceremony, the Fort Henry Guard performs a mock battle, and you get a glimpse into a British soldier’s life - a complete recreation of what history would have been like in the 1800s. This Wednesday night ceremony has been one of the top 100 events in Ontario for nearly a decade.”
On July 16 the Last Night at the Prom recreates an old British tradition and features BrassWerks and a 100-person choir. Baird says, “Once a year, in the mid-1800s in the British Empire, everyone was invited to see great bands and choirs perform in various locations – especially the Promenade.” The best part of the tradition is that everyone can sing along with the performers!
Just a week later, the famous Tattoo hosts different military bands and at the end of the evening, there is a 100-person finale in the parade square. Baird explains. “Tattoo is a Dutch word meaning ‘turn off the tap.’ Years ago, the band would march through the town playing so the bar keepers would know when it was time to shut off the taps and encourage the soldiers to return to their barracks.”
In August the US Marine Corps visits Fort Henry. “This is a co-performance that has been happening since 1954, and one of the only places that the full Battle Colour Detachment of the US Marine Corps (including the Silent Drill Platoon that executes a routine with no verbal commands) performs outside of the states.” It is fitting that a fort once built during the War of 1812 to defend Canada from the States, now delights in hosting this extraordinary event with our military neighbours to the south.
The tone of this historic fort, apparently one of the most haunted places in Canada, takes a turn for the ghostly when it is transformed from Fort Henry to Fort Fright in the fall. “This massive scare attraction showcases animatronics and ‘scare’ actors who jump out of spooky corners. One of the largest special events in the province, it won Best New Special Event in Ontario a few years ago. And last year it was nominated as one of the top 100 “must-see” festivals in the province.” It is followed by the new Victorian Holiday Festival in the winter.
Paul Fortier, a trained historian and owner of Jessup Foods and Heritage, has been at Fort Henry since 1994 and loves both history and food. He says, “There is no equivalent program of heritage dining linked to a National Historic Site anywhere in Canada. We take people back in time as though they were dining in the Officer’s Mess in the middle of the 19th century. Guests are served by soldier servants in an historic setting and because guests know they are in a unique dining setting, they can really let their hair down.”
Fortier says, “We don’t even need all the ghost stories at the fort, because the real stories are hugely entertaining. Once a Scotsman in the 89th Regiment was dining in his residence during the War of 1812 when a knock came at the door. When he opened it, a Yankee was standing there. (Keep in mind this was in the middle of the war!) Turns out he had heard that the British army paid top dollar for beef so he had herded 200 head of cattle all the way from Vermont, across the St Lawrence River, to Kingston. He had heard right though, and the two sealed the deal with a glass of wine and some gold coins.”
Today the fort and food and history and music are still deliciously intertwined. Fortier says, “Groups from across Canada say their evening at Fort Henry was the most enjoyable and entertaining they have ever had, not just because of the fun, but because they learn about Canada’s past.”
By Patricia Henderson
Imagine spending a whole night inside the walls of an ancient fort while your imagination turns every echo into the whisper of soldiers long gone. Fort Henry, the largest fortification west of Quebec City, was built in the 1830s to replace an existing fort from the War of 1812. Restored in 1936, the fort embraces 19th century military life and has become a living museum populated by schoolteachers, soldier’s wives and the Fort Henry Guard – students trained as 1867 British soldiers.
Will Baird, the Special Events, Promotions and Sponsorship Officer for the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, says, “There are not too many UNESCO World Heritage Sites where you can spend the night just like a Victorian officer on an 1860s foldout soldiers cot. Imagine waking up in a castle with a view of the water and the entire city of Kingston!” But that is only one of a myriad of special events unique to Fort Henry.
Baird says, “In our Sunset Ceremony, the Fort Henry Guard performs a mock battle, and you get a glimpse into a British soldier’s life - a complete recreation of what history would have been like in the 1800s. This Wednesday night ceremony has been one of the top 100 events in Ontario for nearly a decade.”
On July 16 the Last Night at the Prom recreates an old British tradition and features BrassWerks and a 100-person choir. Baird says, “Once a year, in the mid-1800s in the British Empire, everyone was invited to see great bands and choirs perform in various locations – especially the Promenade.” The best part of the tradition is that everyone can sing along with the performers!
Just a week later, the famous Tattoo hosts different military bands and at the end of the evening, there is a 100-person finale in the parade square. Baird explains. “Tattoo is a Dutch word meaning ‘turn off the tap.’ Years ago, the band would march through the town playing so the bar keepers would know when it was time to shut off the taps and encourage the soldiers to return to their barracks.”
In August the US Marine Corps visits Fort Henry. “This is a co-performance that has been happening since 1954, and one of the only places that the full Battle Colour Detachment of the US Marine Corps (including the Silent Drill Platoon that executes a routine with no verbal commands) performs outside of the states.” It is fitting that a fort once built during the War of 1812 to defend Canada from the States, now delights in hosting this extraordinary event with our military neighbours to the south.
The tone of this historic fort, apparently one of the most haunted places in Canada, takes a turn for the ghostly when it is transformed from Fort Henry to Fort Fright in the fall. “This massive scare attraction showcases animatronics and ‘scare’ actors who jump out of spooky corners. One of the largest special events in the province, it won Best New Special Event in Ontario a few years ago. And last year it was nominated as one of the top 100 “must-see” festivals in the province.” It is followed by the new Victorian Holiday Festival in the winter.
Paul Fortier, a trained historian and owner of Jessup Foods and Heritage, has been at Fort Henry since 1994 and loves both history and food. He says, “There is no equivalent program of heritage dining linked to a National Historic Site anywhere in Canada. We take people back in time as though they were dining in the Officer’s Mess in the middle of the 19th century. Guests are served by soldier servants in an historic setting and because guests know they are in a unique dining setting, they can really let their hair down.”
Fortier says, “We don’t even need all the ghost stories at the fort, because the real stories are hugely entertaining. Once a Scotsman in the 89th Regiment was dining in his residence during the War of 1812 when a knock came at the door. When he opened it, a Yankee was standing there. (Keep in mind this was in the middle of the war!) Turns out he had heard that the British army paid top dollar for beef so he had herded 200 head of cattle all the way from Vermont, across the St Lawrence River, to Kingston. He had heard right though, and the two sealed the deal with a glass of wine and some gold coins.”
Today the fort and food and history and music are still deliciously intertwined. Fortier says, “Groups from across Canada say their evening at Fort Henry was the most enjoyable and entertaining they have ever had, not just because of the fun, but because they learn about Canada’s past.”
Monday, October 17, 2011
Haunted Halloween Walk
Get into the Halloween spirit while in Kingston this month with the Original Haunted Walk of Kingston - Halloween Edition. The Haunted Walk is an evening walking tour through the quiet streets of the limestone city by lantern-light. This tour features the hangings at the old Courthouse, the Organist's ghost and the haunted student ghetto house. This tour shows Kingston as it was meant to be seen, up close and on foot.
Not for the faint of heart!
This fall, dare visit Eastern Ontario's largest haunted fortress - Fort Fright! This award-winning event will have you looking over your shoulder as screams emanate from dark casemates, dead things come to life, and ghouls stalk your every move...
Join us for what has been described as Ontario's Best Haunted Experience as historic and haunted Fort Henry is once again transformed into the terrifying Fort Fright. The Fort comes to life each Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night with ghostly apparitions and spooky creatures who will scare you right out of our Citadel!
New this year, let haunted hypnotist Buzz Collins pick your brain in his nightly hypnotism show! Step into a realm where anything can happen! Come face to face with your greatest fears! Where is this place you wonder? In your own mind! Witness the bizarre, the freakish and the absurd - after all, they are your friends! See the show or be the show! Show starts at 8:15 p.m. every night of Fort Fright!
Join us for what has been described as Ontario's Best Haunted Experience as historic and haunted Fort Henry is once again transformed into the terrifying Fort Fright. The Fort comes to life each Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night with ghostly apparitions and spooky creatures who will scare you right out of our Citadel!
New this year, let haunted hypnotist Buzz Collins pick your brain in his nightly hypnotism show! Step into a realm where anything can happen! Come face to face with your greatest fears! Where is this place you wonder? In your own mind! Witness the bizarre, the freakish and the absurd - after all, they are your friends! See the show or be the show! Show starts at 8:15 p.m. every night of Fort Fright!
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