The Opeongo Line

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre  celebrates this Victoria Day with a curious collection of classic Victorian literature, everything from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's famous love poem to a young Winston Churchill's thrilling report of his 1899 escape from a  POW camp in South Africa. 

'Back in the Day' host, Martina Coulas, chats with Don Palubeskie, born just before Christmas, 1945 in Barry's Bay, Ontario.  A first-rate fiddler and story teller, Don worked in his parent's store -- Jason's'-- on main street Barry's Bay, all while pursuing his musical and sporting interests, as well as becoming one of the most successful pranksters in his home town in the 1950s and '60s. His sto...

'Back in the Day' host, Martina Coulas, chats with Don Palubeskie, born just before Christmas, 1945 in Barry's Bay, Ontario.  A first-rate fiddler and story teller, Don worked in his parent's store -- Jason's'-- on main street Barry's Bay, all while pursuing his musical and sporting interests, as well as becoming one of the most successful pranksters in his home town in the 1950s and '60s. His sto...

The Opeongo Readers’ Theatre offers this special edition show with Cathy Chapeskie, Joshua Blank, Peter Glofcheskie, Angela Lorbetskie, Shirley Mask-Connolly and Theresa Prince – all reading from their latest local history research and telling the story of how our local Kashubians came to Renfrew County. 

The Opeongo Readers’ Theatre offers up this special edition show with Cathy Chapeskie, Joshua Blank, Peter Glofcheskie, Angela Lorbetskie, Shirley Mask-Connolly and Theresa Prince – all reading from their latest local history research and telling the story of how our local Kashubians came to Renfrew County. 

Born during the Second World War, Joan Archambault grew up on the shores of Victoria Lake before moving to Madawaska. She was a frequent guest on the 10,000 acre estate of one of Canada's richest tycoons; she helped fight a forest fire that nearly destroyed her home,  she worked with her grandmother, a part-time undertaker, and when Joan wasn't down at the river swimming or fishing,  she was often...

Five short stories about love and marriage in Springtime by that master of short fiction, O. Henry, read by Lesley Betts, Jeff Bowman, Cathy Chapeskie, Lynn Stewart and Mark Woermke, all members of the Opeongo Readers' Theatre.

Isadore Yantha was born on March 25th, 1933 in Wilno, Ontario, famous as Canada's first Polish-Kashub settlement. Now 88-years old, he talks with 'Back in the Day' host, Martina Coulas, about his life and times growing up on a rugged hard-scrabble farm, making a name for himself in the local timber industry as a skidder man, and living for the pure joy of dancing the night away with his young wife...

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a rousing selection from Lady Gregory's curious research concerning the Patron Saint of Ireland. Drawn for ancient Irish manuscripts and the 1,500-year-old story-telling tradition of the Emerald Isle, this episode contains everything from an old Irish monk praising his cat, Pangur Ban, to a wild, insult-filled debate between Patrick and...

Ruth Coulas was born in 1927 on a farm near Cross Lake, six miles from Madawaska, Ontario. At 94 years of age, Ruth tells a story of her life and times second to none. Funny, fiesty and full of remarkable eye-witness observations of the social history of the Upper Madawaska Valley in the early and mid-20th Century Ruth talks with Back in the Day host, Martina Coulas. 

Ruth Coulas was born in 1927 on a farm near Cross Lake, six miles from Madawaska, Ontario. At 94 years of age, Ruth tells a story of her life and times second to none. Funny, fiesty and full of remarkable eye-witness observations of the social history of the Upper Madawaska Valley in the early and mid-20th Century Ruth talks with Back in the Day host, Martina Coulas. 

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre celebrates winter with twenty traditional poems drawn from famous Canadian, British and American poets, everything from light verse to weighty words worthy of a BBC mini-series.  We also have a bone-chilling reading of Jack London's classic short story, "To Build a Fire." 

Martina Coulas, host of 'Back in the Day,' chats with 95-year-old Maxie Mintha, that much beloved former businessman of Barry's Bay who recalls all manner of things about his home town, and none more pleasing than his main street bakery where locals enjoyed his wife, Susan's, oven-warm homemade bread and cinnamon rolls.

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre presents the second part of Dr. Francis Codd's 1847-1852 Letters, about his practice of medicine and his many adventures throughout Renfrew County in it's earliest days.  An entertaining and informative look at life in the Upper Ottawa Valley nearly 175 years ago. Performed by Jeff Bowman, Cathy Chapeskie, Kristian Marchand and Lynn Stewart.

Host Martina Coulas presents another episode of 'Back in the Day,' this time with Freeda Higginson who grew up in the little village of Madawaska between the Great War and the Second World War. She saw everything from her hometown picked up and moved inland to make way for a hydro-electric dam in 1942 to seeing the King of England up close and personal.

Host Martina Coulas presents another episode of 'Back in the Day,' this time with Freeda Higginson who grew up in the little village of Madawaska between the Great War and the Second World War. She saw everything from her hometown picked up and moved inland to make way for a hydro-electric dam in 1942 to seeing the King of England up close and personal.

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre rings in the New Year with five inspiring tales from Canada's famous author of Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery.  Lesley Betts, Cathy Chapeskie and Carol Peterson perform five short stories that all involve incidents that occur on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.  A perfect way to close the door on 2020 and open it on 2021.

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre presents three short stories, all with local interest and all about Christmas: James Elverson's 'Lost on the Limit,'  Lucy Maud Montogomery's 'Aunt Cyrilla's Christmas Basket,' and Barry Conway's 'A Christmas Wish.' 

'Back in the Day' host Martina Coulas chats with Carman Palubeski about his life growing up in Barry's Bay in the mid-20th century when his parents ran a diner and later a variety store.  He also talks about his exotic travel, and his love of reading, music and dancing. He also reveals more than a few interesting stories about some of the great characters he once knew, along with the odd salty loc...

'Back in the Day' host Martina Coulas chats with Carman Palubeski about his life growing up in Barry's Bay in mid-20th century when his parents ran a diner and later a variety store.  He also talks about his exotic travel, and his love of reading, music and dancing. And he reveals more than a few interesting stories about some of the great characters he once knew, along with the odd salty local ex...

Back in the Day host Martina Coulas continues her wide-ranging discussion with Merita Recoskie who talks about growing up in Barry's Bay during the Second World War and pursuing a career in nursing. With an amazing power of recall, Merita vividly describes life along the main streets of her home town. 

Back in the Day host Martina Coulas has a wide-ranging discussion with Merita Recoskie who talks about growing up in Barry's Bay during the Second World War and pursuing a career in nursing. With an amazing power of recall, Merita vividly describes life along the main streets of her home town. 

The Opeongo Reader’s Theatre presents a unique collection of eye-witness accounts by young men and women who went off to the Second World War. It includes everything from two letters written by a young woman from Barry's Bay to her older brother serving overseas, to a daring escape from a POW train under cover of darkness as it hurtled through the Ottawa Valley.

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre presents its annual Halloween show, five classic ghost stories including: Anatole France's 'The Mass of Shadows', Guy de Maupassant's 'The Flayed Hand,' Algernon Blackwood's 'A Woman's Ghost Story,' Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Masque of Red Death,' and Myla Jo Closser's 'At the Gate.' Performed by Lesley Betts, Jeff Bowman, Cathy Chapeskie, Lynn Stewart and Mark Woermke.

Local historian Mark Woermke presents a fascinating look at 31 German-speaking families who emigrated to Renfrew County, Ontario between 1858 and 1900, looking closely at six particular families who settled near Rockingham and noting what happened to them after they arrived.