A Halloween story that can be listened to the whole year through or for as many scary, romantic nights as you can handle. Angels of Arbor Vitae is no ordinary story. Part fictional horror, part local history, and certainly part unrequited romance, it's something you'll not soon forget.De către Scholar-Gypsy

In celebration of the 130th Anniversary of the coming of the OA & PS Railway to Barry's Bay in 1894, Theresa Prince, a Stationkeeper, re-enacts a farm girl's stroll down the main street of Barry's Bay as she visits local merchants from well over one hundred years ago.De către Scholar-Gypsy

Mark Woermke celebrates the 130th Anniversary of the Barry's Bay Train Station, built in 1894, by giving a talk, detailing the history of its station agents who once worked there. His presentation was followed by a general discussion with the audience, with many sharing their own intriguing stories.De către Scholar-Gypsy

In the autumn of 1967, Madawaska Valley District High School first opened its doors in Barry's Bay, and so too did the history of one of that school's most famous sports teams, the MVDHS Wolves. It was a Junior "B" hockey team that within four years won everything there was to win in eastern Ontario. This past February nearly three dozen of its mem…

In the autumn of 1967 Madawaska Valley District High School first opened its doors in Barry's Bay, and so too did the history of one of that school's most famous sports teams, the MVDHS Wolves. It was a Junior "B" hockey team that within four years won everything there was to win in eastern Ontario. This past February nearly three dozen of its orig…

William Percy French was born in County Roscommon in 1854 and grew up to become one of Ireland's most successful songwriters. At times wildly comedic and genuinely funny; at other times surprisingly warm and inspirational. The Opeongo Readers' Theatre were so taken by him, some of them break out into song in this novel celebration for St. Patrick's…

In honour of St. Valentine's Day, The Opeongo Readers' Theatre presents nineteen of the world's greatest love letters, famously written by men and women in the heat of passion. From the sublime to the ridiculous, it's a show destined to be better than anything you will ever see printed on a pink greeting card sold at the corner store.…

Martha Linton and Stella Yeretch, two local musicians born and raised in the Upper Madawaska Valley, were recorded in the mid-20th Century, singing old folksongs in both English and their native Polish-Kashub. Martha passed away in 2009 and Stella in 1996, but those recordings demonstrate their stellar contributions to local culture.…

Sean Conway, host of "The Local" chats again this year with Madawaska Valley Township Mayor Mark Willmer about the challenges and opportunities that engaged him throughout 2023. As well, the Mayor discusses new challenges and opportunities heading his way in 2024 - everything from new development charges, housing, forest fires, flooding, rebuilds o…

The Wilno Heritage Society Community Choir celebrate Koledy a choral selection of Christmas Carols brought over to Canada beginning in 1858 when their ancestors left their homeland in Kashubia, a region of Poland, and settled in the Upper Madawaska River Valley, centred on Wilno, Ontario. With a wonderful mix of Latin, Polish, Kashub and English, i…

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre offers up its annual Christmas show, this year a collection of five short stories with an equal number of short lyric poems, all often forgotten classics but all intended to keep at bay that blue, blue, blue Christmas that Elvis often used to sing about at this time of year.…

Yakabuski Hardware happily served Barry's Bay and its surrounding area from 1918 until 2001. Karen Yakabuski, Roseanne Visutski and John Yakabuski chat with Sean Conway about the life and times of one of the Upper Madawaska Valley's most unique family businesses.De către Scholar-Gypsy

Yakabuski Hardware happily served Barry's Bay and its surrounding area from 1918 until 2001. Karen Yakabuski, Roseanne Visutski and John Yakabuski chat with Sean Conway about the life and times of one of the Upper Madawaska Valley's most unique family businesses.De către Scholar-Gypsy

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre presents the story of Archie Belaney, a 17-year-old Englishman who first came to Canada in 1906 and where he reinvented himself as 'Grey Owl, an Indigenous environmentalist and friend of all forest animals. His story of cultural identify theft reads like Robin Hood.De către Scholar-Gypsy

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre presents the story of Archie Belaney, a 17-year-old Englishman who first came to Canada in 1906 and where he reinvented himself as 'Grey Owl, an Indigenous environmentalist and friend of all forest animals. His story of cultural identify theft reads like Robin Hood.De către Scholar-Gypsy

Cathy Chapeskie reads a new, original short story for Halloween. It's based on a February 21st 1873 news story found in the Chicago Tribune that spoke of a horrific incident it claimed happened near Barry's Bay. A story best understood as partly true and party fiction.De către Scholar-Gypsy

The Wilno Heritage Society Community Choir ‘Celebrating Polish Hymns’ has nearly 40-members but it's like no other choir anywhere in Canada, and perhaps the world. Made up of senior citizens, some well into their eighties, it gave its first remarkable public performance recently atop Shrine Hill overlooking the little village of Wilno.…

A new chapter of the Opeongo Readers' Theatre's gives a rousing history of Eganville and the Bonnechere River Valley in the 19th Century. From the fur trading post established among the Algonquins of Golden Lake in 1825 to some wild and crazy happenings in 1899, the history of the Bonnechere is like no other.…

A new chapter of the Opeongo Readers' Theatre's gives a rousing history of Eganville and the Bonnechere River Valley in the 19th Century. From the fur trading post established among the Algonquins of Golden Lake in 1825 to some wild and crazy happenings in 1899, the history of the Bonnechere is like no other.…

In an annual salute to our largest founding local culture, the Opeongo Line offers up two authentic voices -- one male; one female, one sadly no longer with us, and one still working hard to preserve our local heritage and cultural identity. In their own unique ways, Annie Shulist (nee Yantha) and Peter Glofcheskie both show us in more ways than on…

The Opeongo Line proudly presents Mary Blank and Marie Villeneuve as the provide for the first time ever, the play-by-play and colour commentary for the 2023 Opeongo Heritage Cup Women's Championship game between the Kashubian Griffins and the German Black Eagles. Not to be missed!De către Scholar-Gypsy

The Upper Madawaska Valley's premium hockey tournament returns this Spring for the first time in three years and "The Local's" host, Sean Conway, sits down with Dave Shulist, Marie Villeneuve and Dan Conway to talk about how it all came about in 2006 and why it's about more than just hockey.De către Scholar-Gypsy

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre are back again to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the dry wit and easy humour of Father O'Flynn, the fictional creation of Alfred Perceval Graves, the comical son of a Protestant Bishop of Limerick who knew a thing or two about Irish humour.De către Scholar-Gypsy

A rousing Sunday afternoon celebration as the Stationkeepers MV reopen its Barry's Bay Railway Museum with the joyous sounds of the Yo-Yo Mammas and the Stationkeeper Singers as they entertain an enthusiastic audience with local and Canadian fiddle classics.De către Scholar-Gypsy

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre proudly presents the world premiere of Sir Gilbert Parker's long-lost 'Pike-pole Sketches on the Madawaska,' four short-stories written in the 1880s about some imaginary folks who once worked upon one of the great rivers of the Ottawa Valley.De către Scholar-Gypsy

Jeff Bowman, Cathy Chapeskie, Karen Filipkowski and Lynn Stewart, all members of the Opeongo Readers' Theatre present a 200-year-old story, somewhat true and sometimes fiction, of Archibald McNab, Renfrew County's very own feudal countryman of Robbie Burns.De către Scholar-Gypsy

In honour of a very old Canadian tradition established in 1646, the new Mayor of the Township of Madawaska Valley, Mark Willmer, sat down with Opeongo Line host, Sean Conway, on this New Years Day and discussed matters of municipal interest.De către Scholar-Gypsy

The Opeongo Line's annual Christmas show with Jeff Bowman, Cathy Chapeskie, Karen and Rob Filipkowski, Carol and Brian Peterson, Lynn Stewart and Mark Woermke, all members of the Opeongo Readers' Theatre. This year they present eight short stories, all about Christmas in Canada, by Lucy Maud Montgomery.…

The Opeongo Line's annual Christmas show with Jeff Bowman, Cathy Chapeskie, Karen and Rob Filipkowski, Carol and Brian Peterson, Lynn Stewart and Mark Woermke, all members of the Opeongo Readers' Theatre. This year they present eight short stories, all about Christmas in Canada, by Lucy Maud Montgomery.…

Three personal essays written and read by Barry Conway including "On McAuley Lake Road," "The Back Forty." and "The Big Eddy," all memoirs of growing up in the Upper Madawaska and Opeongo River Valleys in the 1960s.De către Scholar-Gypsy

The Bromley Historical Society hosted Sean Conway, a former Ontario cabinet minister, who spoke in Cobden recently about the federal election of 1917 and the atypical results in Renfrew County due to the Conscription issue.De către Scholar-Gypsy

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre present its annual Halloween show including an ancient tract about Irish Banshees, a wild story about a town drunk who dies and comes back to run for office, a curious tale of Siberian magic and, finally, a disturbing story about our local area's most haunted places, Reds and Buck Hill.…

Anne K. Wilde brings us a special Thanksgiving gift, a unique hour of Algonquin songs, folktales and legends provided by several Indigenous women who live along the York River in the Hastings Highlands near Algonquin Park.De către Scholar-Gypsy

The first part of the second Township of Madawaska Valley's All Candidates meeting held at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 406, in Barry's Bay, Ontario on Sunday, September 25th to sort out who will be the next mayor of the township and who will be elected to the four council seats. This event was sponsored by the Valley Gazette and moderated by …

The second part of the second Township of Madawaska Valley's All Candidates meeting held at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 406, in Barry's Bay on Sunday, September 25th to sort out who will be the next mayor of the township and who will be elected to the four council seats. This event was sponsored by the Valley Gazette and moderated by its publ…

The first part of the Township of Madawaska Valley's All Candidate’s debate was held at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 406, in Barry’s Bay on Tuesday evening, September 13th, to sort out who will be the next mayor of the township and who will be elected to the four council seats. The debate was moderated by Sean Conway.…

The second part of the Township of Madawaska Valley's All Candidate’s debate was held at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 406, in Barry’s Bay on Tuesday evening, September 13th, to sort out who will be the next mayor of the township and who will be elected to the four council seats. The debate was moderated by Sean Conway.…

To honour the Madonna House's 75th Anniversary this year, Mary Davis, Mary-Lynn Murray and Christina Milan discuss their history and deep commitment to the continued existence of this very unique lay apostolate established by Catherine and Eddie Doherty along the Madawaska River in Combermere, ON in 1947.…

In celebration of the return of the 'Irish Gathering' festival in Killaloe ON after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, the Opeongo Readers' Theatre kick off the shenanigans and malarkey that go on all weekend long. Here's Nicole Zummach, Jane Corbett, Kristin Marchand and Rob Filipkowski with an unforgettable evening of stories and verse.…

In celebration of the return of the 'Irish Gathering' festival in Killaloe ON after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, the Opeongo Readers' Theatre kick off the shenanigans and malarkey that go on all weekend long. Here's Nicole Zummach, Jane Corbett, Kristin Marchand and Rob Filipkowski with an unforgettable evening of stories and verse.…

Back in the Day host, Martina Coulas, interviews Robbie Hanna Anderman about his more than fifty years living on Morninglory Farm in the Wilno Hills. A story of grit and determination, music and art, it's a remarkable memoir like no other.De către Scholar-Gypsy

Back in the Day host, Martina Coulas, interviews Robbie Hanna Anderman about his more than fifty years living on Morninglory Farm in the Wilno Hills. A story of grit and determination, music and art, it's a remarkable memoir like no other.De către Scholar-Gypsy

Back in the Day host, Martina Coulas, interviews Robbie Hanna Anderman about his more than fifty years living on Morninglory Farm in the Wilno Hills. A story of grit and determination I, music and art, it's a remarkable memoir like no other.De către Scholar-Gypsy

Taken from a recording of a live Opeongo Readers' Theatre show performed on August 27th, 2018 in Whitney, ON, this show includes rare readings drawn from early local history including an 1819 trip down the York, an 1829 exploration of the Opeongo, and David Thompson's 1837 journal of charting the Madawaska.…

Taken from an audio vault of 2018 live performances by the Opeongo Readers' Theatre, this show presents Thomas G. Devine's "On the Opeongo Line," "The Shanty Teamsters Marseillaise," "A Wesleyan Methodist's Ride Through Rockingham," and "The 1874 Inspection of the Bark Lake School."De către Scholar-Gypsy

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre presents the curious story behind the founding of Algonquin Provincial Park. Lesley Betts, Lynn Stewart and Jeff Bowman perform the original writings of two very different men who shared the same wilderness dream.De către Scholar-Gypsy

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre honour three local women -- Helen Dombroski, Teresa Beanish, and Mary Cybulski -- who all made significant contributions to the economic growth of the Upper Madawaska Valley, but whose lives should also remind us of the significant cultural contribution made by local people of Polish-Kashub heritage.…

Born in the Wilno hills on November 12th, 1927, Agnes Coulas was in grade school when her mother died and yet she also unexpectedly met the love of her life, Stanley Chippior, at a church bazaar shortly after he returned from the Second World War. But if there's one thing she knows for certain after nearly 95 years of living, it's to take life as i…

Born in 1880, Thomas Patrick Murray not only witnessed the coming of the OA & PS Railroad to Barry's Bay in 1894, he helped build it. Tom's great grandson, Graham Conway, performs a one-man show of Tom reliving those early years in his own words.De către Scholar-Gypsy

Thomas Patrick French was no ordinary man who came to Renfrew County in 1855. He was the Crown Land Agent charged with bringing hundreds, if not thousands, of immigrants to settle on free farm land along the newly opened Opeongo Colonization Road. It's was no ordinary job and he was no ordinary man from County Mayo.…