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Newsmaker Events
 Pontiac
artist's work exhibited in Ottawa.
Carol Bretzloff-Holmes, Pontiac artist and art
teacher at Pontiac High School in Shawville, has
recently had work included in the exhibition Vanities
at the Arts Court in Ottawa. The theme of the
exhibition, bringing together the work of eleven
artists, was the fragility of life. The two prints by
Carol Bretzloff-Holmes, originally made for an art
project called Portfolio '83, are made of yellow
gladiola and pink carnation petals, and are entitled,
respectively, Between Earth and Heaven, Light and
Under Heaven, Wind.
April 13.
In celebration of Calumet Island's 150th Anniversary,
competitors for the title of Calumet Island Idol
gathered at the municipal hall. The winner was Magalie
Rondeau, aged 8, whose performance included two songs,
one of which was "Pieces of Me", by Ashlee Simpson. Next
event: May 20, a murder mystery dinner.
Project under way: a tapestry is being sown with the
names of the first families to settle on Calumet
Island. For a donation, family names can be included.
 In
celebration of Earth Day (April 23)
Pontiac High School Teachers have challenged all students to
write a one-page essay, or produce a drawing, showing what
Earth Day means. All the work will be placed in a book
which Valerie Bridgeman, a teacher at the school, is
preparing from her hand-made paper.
The Fairbairn heritage house.
On May 2 La Peche Council voted funds to permit the
removal of the Fairbairn House from its present site to
Hendrick's Park. The Gatineau Valley Historical Society
has plans to convert this house into a municipal
museum. The Council's decision also provides funding
for a feasibility study of the renovations that will be
needed for the conversion.
Background:
The house, dating from the 1860s or 1870s, was the home
of Scottish settler William Fairbairn, who built
Wakefield's first grist mill on the LaPeche River in
1838, and also worked on the construction of the Rideau
Canal. The original site of the house is now part of
the Wakefield bypass. It was moved from there in the
1990s to its present location which is now being
developed as the Wakefield Harbour condominium project.
The move to Hendrick's Park, on the east side of the
Gatineau, would make it possible to link the house with
another of Wakefield's historic structures, the covered
bridge.
Tribute
to Dr. Wilbert Keon.
Gail
Gavan joined
in
the tribute
and performed
a song he composed
for the Irish Ambassador
on
March 17, St. Patrick's Day.
The
Irish Society of Ottawa held
the
special luncheon for Dr. Keon.
Later that evening
Gail
attended a cocktail party at the home of the Irish
Ambassador, performed there and joined in an Irish
sing-along.
Conductor of the Castenchel Choir retires.
On March 23, Germain Bertrand, who has directed the
Castenchel Choir for more than twenty years, conducted his
last performance (see the Winter issue of this Bulletin,
March and Chelsea pages). Under Mr. Bertrand's direction the
membership of this men's choir has doubled to nearly 60 and
the pieces performed have become increasingly complex. The
choir has made two international tours, to France and
Romania, and it recently issued its first CD. Mr. Bertrand
is not going to give up his association with the Choir - he
will now rejoin the ranks of the singers. He is succeeded
by Gary Dahl, a baritone soloist who has given both national
and international performances.
Gatineau Valley Historical Society gives award to the Mayor
of Low.
At its annual general meeting, held on National Heritage Day
(February 21 of this year), the Gatineau Valley Historical
Society gave
the
2005
Award
of
Honour
to
Low
Mayor Mike Francis
in recognition of his support for the creation of a
permanent Society exhibit in the tourist reception centre of
the MRC de la Vallée de la Gatineau.
It was also noted that the Mayor, together with the
Municipalities of Danford Lake, Kazabazua, Denholm and Lac
Ste. Marie, had backed a proposal from the Society for a
Central Gatineau local history project. The Society is now
seeking a grant of $25,000 for this project from the federal
New Horizons program.
In his speech to the meeting, President Marc Cockburn
remarked that, whether the request is granted or not, the
proposal has generated interest which should help the
Society extend its reach northwards up the Valley. He also
noted the other activities planned for the current year:
expansion of the catalogue of publications (with some
translations), helping the Municipality of Chelsea establish
the heritage aspect of its new cultural policy, and
continuing to promote the preservation of Wakefield's
heritage elements.
 Galitcha
performs at the Festival au Désert in Mali.
The group Galitcha recently returned from a visit to West
Africa, where they travelled to the Republic of Mali and
performed at the Festival au Désert, near the city of
Timbouktou. Chris MacLean of Chelsea, a member of the
group, spoke enthusiastically to the local press about the
warm welcome they received and the vigorous participation of
the local people in the performance. At the Black Sheep
Inn, on March 13 (see entry in this Bulletin, Winter
issue), the group included in their show a 40 minute
documentary on their African experience.
 July
23 to 31.
Pontiac
School of the Arts first session.
Arrangements for courses are
being finalized and
copies
of the brochure will
soon
be available. Some courses will be taught in one language and
some in both.
The following people will be among
those teaching courses at the School: Val Bridgeman
(papermaking and working in clay), Robin Stone
(nature writing), Eric and Katherine Fletcher
(self-publishing), Dale Shutt (silk painting),
Betty Russell (decorative painting), Heidi Arden
(photography), Nancy Gaudreault (portraiture),
Raymond Sander-Regier (printmaking and fly tying),
Ruby Ewen (introduction to painting), Gretchen
Schwarz (musical keyboard technique), and Robert
Wills (the computer as a musical tool).
For more
information call Raymond Sander-Regier at (819) 647-5549,
Dale Shutt at
(819) 648-2441
or
Tina Michaud
at
(819) 647-2007.
Visit the website at
www.pontiacschoolofthearts.com
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