Aug 24, 2012 — A small library in the basement of a community center in Kingston, Ontario is home to hundreds of musical instruments from around the world. The library has over 500 instruments to lend: Strings, keyboards, amps, woodwinds, even a tuba. For the last 10 years, it's been a resource for young students and local bands needing anything from a guitar to a didgeridoo.

Made 4 You, a Kingston Artisan Collective, is holding a craft show this weekend in the historic City Hall as a fundraiser for the Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library, also known as Joe's MILL.

Curious about how a musical lending library works, Todd Moe visited Kingston's "instrumentarium" for a tour.  Go to full article

Iroquois, ON, Aug 08, 2012 — It's easy to miss the Doran Bay Model Ship Museum. Just off County Road 2 in Ontario's South Dundas Township, it fills the first floor of a solitary house overlooking an inlet on the St. Lawrence River.

The museum opened in September of 2011 to showcase a large private collection of model ships, from the very famous to little-known vessels. Founder Bert Cunningham told Lucy Martin this unexpected hobby grew to the point where sharing it just seemed like the right thing to do.  Go to full article

Prescott, AZ, Aug 03, 2012 — A Midsummer Night's Dream is running in rep with Othello at the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival in Prescott through August 18. Resident theatre critic Connie Meng attended a recent performance and has this review.  Go to full article

Gananoque, ON, Jul 31, 2012 — Little Shop of Horrors is running at the 1000 Islands Playhouse in Gananoque through September 1. Resident theatre critic Connie Meng was at the opening night and has this review.  Go to full article

Gananoque, ON, Jul 12, 2012 — Internationally renowned Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt gives a recital of music by Brahms, Beethoven and Couperin on Monday night along the St. Lawrence River. It's the first in a series of Monday evening recitals at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, Ontario. The Studio "S" Series is hosted by CBC Radio personality Eric Friesen and will include virtuoso performers from around the world this summer.

Todd Moe has more on Angela Hewitt's recital.  Go to full article

Prescott, ON, Jul 11, 2012 — The St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival is celebrating its tenth summer season in Prescott, Ontario. The Kinsman amphitheater, along the waterfront, is home to the Festival. A decade ago, a small group of actors brought a production of Romeo and Juliet to Prescott, and it proved to be a success. It's now the largest outdoor professional Shakespeare festival in Ontario, attracts some of the best talent and features two plays as well as an educational program for aspiring actors.

Todd Moe heads down to the waterfront for a conversation with artistic director Ian Farthing and some of the actors for their thoughts on this year's productions of Othello and A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Go to full article

Gananoque, ON, Jul 02, 2012 — Amelia: The Girl Who Wants to Fly is running in the Firehall at the 1000 Islands Playhouse through July 28. Resident theatre critic Connie Meng was at the opening night and has this review.  Go to full article

Gananoque, ON, Jun 28, 2012 — Somewhere Beyond the Sea is running at the 1000 Islands Playhouse in Gananoque through July 21. Resident theatre critic Connie Meng attended a recent performance and has this review.  Go to full article

Jun 27, 2012 — Unusual weather this spring took a heavy toll on fruit growers across the region. Industry observers estimated crop damage to Ontario's apple crop at well over 80%. Smyth's Apple Orchard in South Dundas, Ontario was planted in the mid-1800's, very near where the first McIntosh Red apple was discovered in 1811. About 90 acres of apples are still grown at the 5th generation family operation. Smyth Orchard's Dean Beckstead told Lucy Martin it's going to be a very difficult year.  Go to full article

Cornwall, ON, Jun 26, 2012 — In Cornwall, Ontario, Clark's Shoes has been meeting footwear needs for customers on both sides of the border since 1896. Ross McDonald has spent over half a century running the store his maternal grandfather founded. For shoppers of a certain age, this is what buying shoes has always been like: helpful, personable service in a family-owned business. McDonald is retiring near the end of this month and a lot of his customers are feeling the loss. Lucy Martin dropped by the store earlier this month, when most everything was on sale and business was brisk.  Go to full article