Find out what’s Happening

The exhibit is on display until May 23. The Agnes Jamieson Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

This body of work began with Read’s 2018 sojourn to the high Arctic and extends themes first initiated during residencies in Newfoundland and western Ireland. The North Atlantic has long fascinated Read—an oceanic region now under acute threat from the accelerating pace of climate change. The Arctic, reacting faster than any other area on the planet, is rapidly losing permafrost, sea ice, and glaciers, changes unfolding at a speed that outstrips our ability to fully comprehend or remediate them.

Mute Eloquence of Light: Arctic Works includes large abstract paintings on linen, drawing/paintings on Duralar, photographic close-ups of tundra, and small book works. The smaller abstract works respond directly to photographic studies of tundra microflora. Light Opens Over Water is a series of painted and drawn works on Duralar using graphite and oil. The luminous, translucent ground evokes the Arctic’s vast, nebulous distances. Through improvisation and spontaneous mark-making, Read visualizes the forces of wind and water as internally mediated, personal experiences of the high Arctic.

 Tim Robinson, an Irish Artist writes a description that resonates with Read’s practice:

‘While walking the land, I am the pen on the paper; while drawing this map, 

my pen is myself walking the land… [to try to] keep faith with reality.’

Issues of sustainable cultivation, sovereignty, and climate remediation inform Read’s ongoing desire to “keep faith,” artistically and across multiple media, with her experience of the Arctic. The region’s fragility and beauty—and the urgent need for meaningful climate response—compel her work. These works function as a mode of response that seeks to move the heart toward knowledge and action.

Read will begin her Artist Talk at 1:30 PM.  Refreshments will be served.  All are welcome.  Admission is by donation.  The exhibit is on display until May 23.  The Agnes Jamieson Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Artist Biography 

Janet Read is a painter, musician, poet, and music educator, who grew up near Lake Simcoe.  She has sought the water’s edge ever since. Read’s roots go back to the Ottawa Valley Irish, Belfast, and County Wexford in Ireland: explaining a fondness for fiddle music, poetry, and the sea.  Residencies in Newfoundland and Ireland; and travels in the high Arctic, Norway, Iceland, and Scotland sparked a lifetime’s investigation of water as metaphor for strength and fragility, with special reference to the North Atlantic rim.

On May 3rd, the Minden Whitewater Preserve (MWP) will be hosting an informal gathering and community paddle for those who knew or would like to honour International Whitewater Hall of Fame inductee, the late Roger Parsons.
to celebrate Roger’s incredible contributions to our community in true paddler style—on the water and around the grill.
The Plan:
🌊 River Run: A casual paddle down the Gull River to honor a man who made this water accessible to us all.
🍔 Community BBQ: Food, stories, and friends at the Preserve (BBQ Food = $15).
🎟️ RSVP: Please grab your (free) tickets via the link below so we can get a headcount!
Let’s share the stories and the lines that Roger made possible.

The wonder of changing seasons is upon us. Join avid naturalist Michele Swyer to wander trails at Barnum Creek Nature Reserve in search of beautiful spring wildflowers and wild leeks.  Learn about these delicate early spring ephemerals. Learn how to sustainably harvest wild leeks.  Please note that wild leeks may not be harvested at Barnum Creek Nature Reserve or any other Land Trust property. Pre-registration required. Please click here.

Partially funded by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.

Cost: Admission by donation

Leader: Michele Swyer

The Samurai in Our Closet

Who: Mandy Shintani and Susan Yatabe

Tickets: $15/person

What if the most powerful story you ever learned was the one your family never told you?

Mandy Shintani grew up with a secret hidden in her parents’ closet — her father, George Shintani had a 450-year-old samurai sword that was never discussed. After his death at 97, Mandy began uncovering untold stories of Japanese Canadians through the lens of his life. That journey now shapes her podcast series.

In this presentation, Mandy will share highlights from her podcast, The Samurai in Our Closet, including her travels to retrace George’s life, to pre-war Japantown in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a bus tour through remote internment sites in BC, and interviews with writers, historians and over 70 Japanese Canadians. Through this journey, she reveals a little-known chapter of Canadian history. Before WWII, Japanese Canadians played a vital role in building the economy in BC. But after Pearl Harbor, under the War Measures Act, 22,000 Japanese Canadians were uprooted with as little as 24 to 48 hours’ notice. Mandy’s father’s family was exiled to Sandon, a ghost town in BC’s mountains.

Susan Yatabe will relate her mother’s experience during internment in Kaslo as a teenaged grade 3 teacher. Some of the former students, now in their 90s, have shared their stories with Susan. Mothers and young women provided education and a sense of community in the prison camps.

Ironically, Mandy’s and Susan’s father and uncle — labeled “enemy aliens” — were recruited by the Canadian & British Intelligence Corps. As young men, they were trained initially as spies and later assigned to interrogate Japanese officers accused in one of WWII’s most infamous war crimes: the building of the Bridge on the River Kwai in Siam (Thailand). Mandy’s father received a samurai sword from a surrendered Japanese officer.

After the war, Japanese Canadians faced two cruel choices: move east of the Rockies or be deported to Japan. Despite losing everything, they rebuilt their lives with quiet resilience, focused on protecting the next generation through integration and silence — which led to the loss of their stories and culture.

Today, their children and grandchildren are reclaiming those hidden stories. The Samurai in Our Closet is not just about reclaiming the past — it’s a powerful reminder of what happens when fear and politics override civil rights. It’s a story of resilience, recovery, and why those lessons still matter today.

About the Speakers

Mandy Shintani lives in Vancouver, BC. She is the chairperson of the Japanese Canadian War Memorial Committee.

Susan Yatabe has been the researcher for the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre’s Warrior Spirit website and the podcast. She presented an exhibit at Kaslo’s Langham Museum based on her mother’s wartime experience as a teacher.

Both Mandy and Susan received Japanese Canadian Legacies Society (JCLS) grants: Mandy for her podcast, and Susan for documenting her mother’s story as a teacher.

H H Is for Hawk is a 2025 biographical drama film directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, who co-wrote the screenplay with Emma Donoghue, based on the 2014 memoir by naturalist Helen MacDonald. It stars Claire Foy, Brendan Gleeson, Denise Gough, Sam Spruell, and Lindsay Duncan. The film tells the true story of Helen MacDonald who tends to a goshawk after the death of their father Alisdair.

H Is for Hawk chronicles Helen Macdonald’s experience of grief and their decision to train a goshawk as a means of coping with that loss. The narrative interweaves two strands: Macdonald’s personal bereavement and the practical and psychological challenges of falconry.

Join bird experts Ed and Tamara Poropat to discover which birds are returning to Haliburton County and can be seen and/or heard along the rail trail. A wonderful way to start your day! Bring your binoculars or camera. Meet at the rail trail parking area 7286 Gelert Road, opposite high school playing field. Dress for the weather and possibly for bugs. Pre-registration required. Please click here. Contact 705-457-3700. Partially funded by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.

Leaders: Ed and Tamara Poropat

Cost:  Admission by donation

The Haliburton Home and Cottage Show is the largest Home Show in Central Ontario. The Haliburton Show started in 1977 and has grown to be one of the best Home and Cottage Shows in Central Ontario. It is located at the A.J. LaRue Arena and  & Haliburton Curling Club in Haliburton.

With over 20,000 sq ft of Indoor and Outdoor Exhibits this is an excellent opportunity to meet with vendors from both Haliburton County and from all areas of the province in one location.

• Over 130 Vendors in one location
• Large Indoor and Outdoor displays
• New businesses showcasing their products and expertise
• Free parking
• Food, Snacks and Beverages available in the Licenced Curling Club Lounge
• Special Home Show pricing for many products and services

Friday 3 – 8 pm – Saturday 9 – 5 pm – Sunday 9 – 3 pm

The Haliburton Home and Cottage Show is the largest Home Show in Central Ontario. The Haliburton Show started in 1977 and has grown to be one of the best Home and Cottage Shows in Central Ontario. It is located at the A.J. LaRue Arena and  & Haliburton Curling Club in Haliburton.

With over 20,000 sq ft of Indoor and Outdoor Exhibits this is an excellent opportunity to meet with vendors from both Haliburton County and from all areas of the province in one location.

• Over 130 Vendors in one location
• Large Indoor and Outdoor displays
• New businesses showcasing their products and expertise
• Free parking
• Food, Snacks and Beverages available in the Licenced Curling Club Lounge
• Special Home Show pricing for many products and services

Friday 3 – 8 pm – Saturday 9 – 5 pm – Sunday 9 – 3 pm

The Haliburton Home and Cottage Show is the largest Home Show in Central Ontario. The Haliburton Show started in 1977 and has grown to be one of the best Home and Cottage Shows in Central Ontario. It is located at the A.J. LaRue Arena and  & Haliburton Curling Club in Haliburton.

With over 20,000 sq ft of Indoor and Outdoor Exhibits this is an excellent opportunity to meet with vendors from both Haliburton County and from all areas of the province in one location.

• Over 130 Vendors in one location
• Large Indoor and Outdoor displays
• New businesses showcasing their products and expertise
• Free parking
• Food, Snacks and Beverages available in the Licenced Curling Club Lounge
• Special Home Show pricing for many products and services

Friday 3 – 8 pm – Saturday 9 – 5 pm – Sunday 9 – 3 pm