#small-towns

Winds of Change Can be Achieved in Small Town Canada

  Two weeks ago something reinforced my idea that things could change in small towns with some conviction and years, yes, years of hard work.

Cowansville South Street Before

Cowansville South Street After–Now there’s a fountain is where that gas station was across the bridge.

Cowansvilleis a town in south-central Quebec, Canada, located on Lac Davignon 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the…

Another Disappearance in Lanark County

  A few days ago I read this from our beloved Lanark County writer Arlene Stafford.

“Gibson was a name known for their excellent syrup. James ‘Carman’ Gibson and his wife Edna (Rodger) had a maple business in Dalhousie Twp at R.R. # 4, Lanark. The nearby areas of Hoods and Poland were also known for their fine quality maple syrup. The Gibson family began tapping trees in 1821 with the arrival of…

Do we Really Have to Live in Generica?

Photo of Carleton Place’s Bridge Street by Patrick M. Doyle— the picture everyone wants to hate.

A spell ago, as they say in fables, Highway 7 was rerouted from travelling through the centre of Carleton Place–then the railway finally stopped coming to town. After that our little downtown shops, which used to house bustling retail, slowly turned into varying empty store-fronts that gape into the…

DILL we meet again! A Tip of the Glass to Ballygiblin’s

Last night I saved a piece of dill from my last dinner at Ballygiblin’s. Why would I do such a thing? Because, since I started writing pieces about the local farmers from the Carleton Place Farmer’s Market I knew where that piece of dill came from in my salad. I knew that White Oak Farm’s Ray Elgersma & Dave McGahey had supplied the magic purple beans and other items—and that Merle Bowes from…

What Should We Now Be Concerned About Now in Carleton Place?

The house had been left abandoned for a number of years and someone told me the interior looked exactly like a horror film. Dump’s personal thoughts were that a few councilmen did not get along with the Findlays. So when an application for planning was put in, which would utterly destroy the founding Findlay house, they were only to happy to pass it. The Findlay House

One of the most risky jobs…

The Politics of Small Town Change in Carleton Place

Thursday August 13, 2015

Town of Carleton Place rejects St. James Council’s Request to Allow Manitoulin Chocolate Works to bring their business to town and restore Elliot Hall.

How many small towns are truly successful without change? Some prosper, while many others suffer disinvestment, loss of identity and even abandonment. Towns like Perth keep their historic character and quality of life in…

Carleton Place Does Not Have to Live in a Walmart Econom

                                                          It’s Always Springtime at the Ginger Cafe!

The big box stores come to our small towns and they give much needed jobs to our communities. I was once corrected on my negative stance on the local big box stores and I now fully understand. I appreciate the employment they give Carleton Place and the surrounding area. However, if your small…