The Opeongo Line

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.

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 its publisher, Michel Lavigne.

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 publisher, Michel Lavigne.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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 it comes. She chats with 'Back in the Day' host, Ma...

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.

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.

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.

The 'Local' host, Sean Conway, chats with Joanne Olsen, Mark Woermke and Karen Yakabuski about the history of celebrating St. Patrick's Day among the Irish as well as the non-Irish of Barry's Bay throughout the 20th Century.

The 'Local' host, Sean Conway, chats with Joanne Olsen, Mark Woermke and Karen Yakabuski about the history of celebrating St. Patrick's Day among the Irish as well as the non-Irish of Barry's Bay throughout the 20th Century.

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre gives a rousing performance of William Henry Drummond, a writer sometimes consider controversial but still considered an extraordinary Canadian poet in places like the Upper Madawaska and Opeongo River Valleys where people say we talk funny!

Lesley Betts, Jeff Bowman and Lynn Stewart of The Opeongo Readers' Theatre perform selections from Joshua Fraser, George Thompson and Gilbert Parker's books about shanty and river life as it was carried on among lumberjacks in the Upper Ottawa Valley during much of the 19th Century.

In honour of Dougald Finley McIsaac (1917-2008), a Cape Breton fiddler who once lived in Barry's Bay and was beloved for his Scottish airs, The Opeongo Readers' Theatre celebrates with a rousing show of the Ploughman's Poet, Rabbie Burns.