April 22-25, 2010

  OTHA Honoured With Ontario Trillium Foundation 25th Anniversary Great Grants Award

Waterford, November 2, 2007 – The Old Town Hall Association was honoured for the impact it has made in its community at the Ontario Trillium Foundation's (OTF) 25th Anniversary Great Grants Awards on November 1, 2007. Held at the MaRS Centre in Toronto, the evening highlighted the achievements of 25 not-for-profit organizations from the more than ten thousand groups that received OTF funding over the past 25 years. These organizations have exemplified excellence, innovation and leadership in their community and volunteer work.

“2007 marks the 25th anniversary of grantmaking for OTF and we are delighted to acknowledge the Old Town Hall Association’s contribution to improving the quality of life in its community,” said Helen Burstyn, Chair, OTF Board of Directors. (article continues below photo)

Facility Manager Barbara Tanner-Billings, OTHA President Brian Holden and Vice President Richard Lefler accept the 25th Anniversary Award from (far left) OTF Vice-Chair Hugh O’Neil and Ontario Minister of Culture Aileen Carroll and (far right) OTF Chair Helen Burstyn and OTF CEO L. Robin Cardozo.

In 1999, the Old Town Hall Association was created with a mission to restore the building. In 2000, OTF provided a grant of $20,000 to help with preliminary architectural studies and again in 2003 with an additional $75,000 to assist with restoration. Together with fundraising revenue secured by the local community and the Old Town Hall Association, the grant improved safety and accessibility to the building, specifically the upper auditorium and stage.

Significant work was accomplished with community help. Hundreds of volunteers assisted by raising funds and assisting with the renovations. Volunteers in the community continue to maintain the building and surrounding area.

“We are extremely honoured that the Ontario Trillium Foundation selected the Old Town Hall to receive this special award on its silver anniversary,” said Facility Manager Barbara Tanner-Billings. “OTF funding helped support the restoration and renovation of our Hall, and allowed us to make the building completely accessible for all our patrons. We salute the Foundation on 25 years of strengthening Ontario's communities and wish them continued success.”

Over 25 years, there are few not-for-profit organizations in the province that OTF has not touched and few communities where its support has not made a difference.

The Government of Ontario had the vision to create OTF 25 years ago; to support the Foundation’s growth over time; and to recognize its importance recently with an additional $20 million in annual funding that will enable the Foundation to do even more when it comes to building healthy and vibrant communities.
(The above article and photo were provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.) 

2003 Summer Concert Series

After an extremely successful season, the last of the summer concert series was held on Thursday, September 4. This year, we saw several enhancements to the weekly events including an actual stage and lights. As always, the talent was top notch. OTHA's thanks goes out to all of the musicians and volunteers who helped entertain Waterford everyThursday evening and raised over $4500 for the OTHA cause. Special thanks goes to organizer Kim Berry and Doug Moverly. These two dedicated supporters made it all happen!

July 3rd Concert a Fun Family Affair

The opening concert of the summer series saw two talented families strut their stuff for a delighted crowd.

First up was Port Dover crooner and songwriter, George Murphy. George's classic country style and smooth baritone voice were well-received by the approximately fifty person audience.

George's son, Jesse, then performed a solo rendition of an Ozzy Osbourne tune. The young guitarist displayed remarkable skill and got a rousing applause.

George and Jesse went on to perform together, closing their set with Elvis' "That's Alright, Mama".

Next up was Waterford's own Emma Lee Rose Hogg. Emma wowed the crowd with her sweet voice and her own compositions on love, life, travel and friendship. Her unique folky style defies categorization and makes her a rising star to watch for on Canada's music scene. 

Closing out the evening was Emma's dad, the inimitable Steve Hogg. A perennial favourite at these Thursday evening events, Mr. Hogg entertained us all with some of his own witty creations as well as Bob Dylan's "Baby Blue".

To the pleasure of the seniors in attendance, Steve's encore closed out the night with a slick rendition of the classic, "Blue Moon".

The featured artist for the evening was Doug Moverly. Doug displayed some of his exceptional watercolours. One was donated and raffled off as a fundraiser. The lucky winner was Mary Brunning.

July 17th Concert Draws Good Crowd

Thursday nights at the Old Town hall are starting to get more and more popular. Despite the threat of rain, last Thursday's audience was the biggest, so far.

Starting out the evening's entertainment was Waterford's own Donny Dunham. Donny's vintage rock'n'roll and country tunes were well-received. He ended his set with some help from his suitcase-dwelling friend, "Derwood".

Next on the agenda was talented Waterford singer-songwriter, Tom Swiech. Fresh from the Canadian Open Country Singing Contest, Tom entertained with a selection of his own tunes as well as a Bob Dylan standard.

Ron Mullin of Simcoe closed out the evening's three sets with a fine selection of John Denver songs. Ron even had the audience singing along to a few of his renditions. His between-song-patter was quite entertaining, too. We hope that this newcomer to the Thursday night events will return and perform again next year. 

Featured artists for the evening were Debbie Simon with her exquisite pottery and Taras Lachowsky with his fine art prints. Each artist donated a work to be raffled off with proceeds going to the Town Hall Restoration Fund.

July 24th Concert

Thursday's concertgoers enjoyed some unusual local talent. About 100 people showed up to see and hear Ed Proctor, Allen Givens and Chris Dredge.

Starting out the evening's entertainment was Ed Proctor. The Jarvis resident wowed the crowd with his vintage yodelling style. Ed's repertoire included Hank Snow and Jimmie Rodgers standards as well as some lesser known, but equally enjoyable, country tunes from the early 1900's.

Next was Waterford's own Allen Givens. Mr. Givens delighted  both young and old with his mastery on the musical saw. Last year, at age 80, Mr. Givens released his first CD. He played several of the more than 40 tunes on the album.

Chris Dredge finished off the evening's line-up with a more traditional set. The Waterford native and polished performer sang several country favourites from the 60's to the present. Chris was joined by concert MC Kim Berry for a crowd-pleasing rendition of George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today". 

Featured artist for the evening was Sylvia Terry. One of Sylvia's beautiful oil paintings was raffled off with proceeds going to the Town Hall Restoration Fund.

July 31st Concert

Following a great article in the Simcoe Reformer, a record crowd showed up for the July 31st concert. Although construction of two new concrete staircases was underway, space was created for the stage and the concert went off as planned. As usual, the weather cooperated after some threats of thunderstorms earlier in the day.

Starting out the evening's entertainment was perenniel favourite Rodger Brunning. The Burford resident entertained the audience of more than 100 with his own compositions as well as some folk standards.

Next was the lovely and talented Rachelle Macaulay, accompanied by husband Willie. Rachelle's dulcet tones and Willie's masterful guitarwork combined to create a truly professional sound.

Shelley Therrien not only played guitar and sang a nice selection of her own songs, she surprised the audience with a rendition of Don MacLean's 'Vincent' in ASL - American Sign Language. The unusual performance was the hit of the evening. 
 

Featured artists for the evening were Lucille Stewart and Betty Hiltz. One of their superb tole paintings was raffled off with proceeds going to the Town Hall Restoration Fund.

August 7th Concert

A few stray raindrops falling from a seemingly clear blue sky did not dampen the atmosphere at OTHA's August 7th concert.

First up on the agenda was Rich Sztramko, left in this photo. Mike performed a few of his own songs and displayed his polished instrumental technique on the guitar.

Later, other artists from Scott Pipe's local recording studio, Crosscurrent Productions, joined Mike onstage with various percussion instruments. Claire Senko sang and performed some spoken-word works.

Between Rich Sztramko's performance and the Crosscurrent group's, the approximately 125 members of the audience gat a surprise set from Rockin' Bobby Harris. Bobby wowed the crowd with his lively classic 50's rock'n'roll style. Joining in were Steve Hogg on guitar, Doug Moverly on bass and Kim Berry with vocals.

Featured artist for the evening was J.P. Gural with a fine selection of art photographs, one of which was donated and raffled off with proceeds going to the Town Hall Restoration Fund.

August 14th Concert

As usual, Thursday's concert was a great success. Lucky Waterford residents enjoyed the benefits of electricity while music lovers in Toronto and most of Eastern North America  had to make do with accoustic instruments.

Waterford's Elizabeth Corewin (on fiddle) brought along fellow players Terry Smith, Mike McMahon, Roger Dumoulin and Bill Peer to perform a super selection of old-time favourites. The fivesome played jigs, reels and traditional country & western songs.

Next up was another talented Waterford performer, Mike Brant. Starting out with Fats Wallers' "Ain't Misbehavin'," Mike played  standards from the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's. Mike should get busy and record a CD. I heard several people asking at the concession table whether there was one available.

Mike was followed by Get Your Head Red, a local trio of red-headed women including Judy Shaw, Jen Ryckman and Cindy Dell. The multi-talented trio had the audience singing along to Bob Dylan's "Easy Chair".

Featured artists for the evening were Kim Berry and Shelley Therrien. Two of their remarkable creations were donated and raffled off with proceeds going to the Town Hall Restoration Fund.

August 21st Concert

Concert-goers enjoyed an eclectic mix on Thursday.

Waterford's Danny Guspie got the evening off to a rousing start with some vintage rock from the 60's and 70's. The talented former Toronto resident was a new and welcome addition to OTHA's lineup. In addition to tunes by the Beatles and Rolling Stones, Danny performed some of his own compostions. For a couple of numbers, he was assisted by his wife Heidi and concert series organizer Kim Berry as back-up babes.

Following Danny, John Frame, accompanied by Bill and Richard Koop, changed the pace with a set of traditional folk and country selections. The energetic trio was very well received by the approximately 125 member audience.

The final act for the evening was Holly Dunkley. Holly's vocal virtuosity was apparent right from the first song. Displaying an amazing range and a polished, professional stage presence, Miss Dunkley performed a number of Broadway showtunes and popular favourites. Many in the appreciative crowd expressed hope that the first-timer at OTHA's Thursday events will be back next season.  

Featured artist for the evening was Barb Boyko. One of her wonderful creations was donated and raffled off with proceeds going to the Town Hall Restoration Fund.
 

August 28th Concert

The penultimate summer concert was held on Thursday, August 28.

John Kossup started the evening off with a mix of old and new favourites. John's guitar virtousity and smooth voice combined to please young and old alike.

Following John, Waterford's Steve Hogg entertained his friends and neighbours. Neighbours Jim Elve and Teresa Sinkowski were singled out for particular honours. Steve performed his song about Jim, The List and led the audience in a round of Happy Birthday for Teresa.

Last up was Paul Riemens singing a mix of his own compositions and folk-rock favourites. Paul, you may remember, was instrumental in the production of the OTHA benefit CD, Hobo Stew.

Featured artist for the evening was Kathy Hogg. One of Kathy's superb sculptures was donated and raffled off with proceeds going to the Town Hall Restoration Fund.

September 4th Concert

A talented group of Waterford teens from the Baptist Church received a warm response as they started out the evening with an inspiring selection of spiritual songs.

Before the second act got underway, OTHA president Melissa Collver took to the microphone to express the organization's thanks to summer concert series organizer, Kim Berry. Kim and her partner, Doug Moverly, have worked tirelessly this season to make this the best concert series yet. Over $4500 was raised through their efforts. OTHA is very grateful to Kim, Doug and the rest of the volunteers who made this season such a resounding success.

The second act for the evening was musical trio, Ezeduzit. Hailing from Brantford, Waterdown & Oakville, Ezeduzit is comprised of Stewart McPhail, on banjo, Jeremiah McCaw Budnark, on bass, and Jim Hodges on guitar. The solid professionalism of the group was well-appreciated by the approximately 140 in the audience. (More Ezeduzit pictures)

The grand finale of the summer series was a high energy performance by local country songstress, Kathy Tyrell. Kathy's strong alto vocal was supplemented by Kim Berry on the final song of the evening, Will the Circle be Unbroken with most of the audience joining in. 

 Featured artist for the evening was Kathy Hogg. One of Katy's superb sculptures was donated and raffled off with proceeds going to the Town Hall Restoration Fund.

Shake Rattle & Roll Rally a Classic Hit!

OTHA and Spruce Row Museum's combined fundraiser, the Shake, Rattle and Roll Car Rally was held on June 7. Over 80 enthusiatic rallyists participated in the first ever event.

The Grand Prize 27" TV was won by the Mark Collver Team.

OTHA President Melissa Collver officiates with the assistance of CD 106.7's Jerry Hamill.

More than 80 participants joined the fun on June 7 for the first ever Shake, Rattle & Roll Car Rally. The event was a joint fundraiser for OTHA and the Spruce Row Museum. While final figures have not yet been tallied, the event successfully raised funds for both groups.

Photos

Jan Rainey was attired in 1950's regalia for the rally.

Volunteer co-ordinator Evelyn & husband Brian Babineau were on hand.

Making sense of it all are Joan Maloney and George Coggins.


Some lucky winners with their loot.


Rallyists relax with a few cold ones after the grueling endurance test.


Robert & Cathy Judd show off their 2nd Place Prize.


More unbridled revelry at the Johansson table.

AGM & Volunteer Appreciation Night

OTHA's Annual General Meeting was held on Monday, March 24. This year, the association combined its AGM with a special Volunteer Appreciation Night. The event was held at the United Church with approximately 100 people in attendance.

During the first part of the meeting, dozens of prizes were awarded to lucky volunteers. The Grand Prize, a DVD player, was won by Viola O'Reilly. Viola has been a staunch supporter and dedicated Lantern Tour volunteer for several years.

Congrats, Viola! Thanks to you and all of our volunteers, we continue to make progress on our goal of reopening the Town Hall to the public.

The second part of the meeting was devoted to the presentation of the 2002 Annual Reports from officers and committee chairpersons.

As well, two new directors were elected to fill vacancies left by retiring directors. Joining the Board of Directors for the coming term are Evelyn Babineau and Jim Elve. See a full list of OTHA's Board of Directors along with their contact information.

The OTHA Literary Guild held a 'meet the author' and book signing with Richard Tanos, author of The Home Child.A good crowd of about 50 or 60 turned out for the event.

The Home Child tells the story of Henry Dewberry, a twelve-year-old orphan from London, England. Henry was one of a hundred thousand children who made that incredible ocean voyage to a so-called better place, called Canada. Blessed by a stroke of fate, Henry clumsily meets Lizzie (Duesling), a local middle-class girl who lives in the town of Waterford, Ontario.
Author Richard Tanos is the grandson of Henry Dewberry and Elizabeth Duesling.

OTHA's Summer Concert Series

Once again, OTHA's Summer Concert Series has provided Waterford with top notch entertainment each Thursday night starting June 24. OTHA is extremely fortunate to have the indefatigable Kim Berry organizing the concerts. Kim with the ever-present help of Doug Moverly lined up a stellar cast of musicians and visual artists for this year's series.

June 24

Haldimand Norfolk County Band

Photo by Dennis D'Hondt

Rockin' Bobby Harris

Photo by Dennis D'Hondt

July 1

Karel Chapman and Winston Sardine


Carol Steedman

John Frame

July 8

Tom Swiech

Critical Bliss

Paul Riemens

July 15 - Rained out, rescheduled to September 2

July 22

Shelley Therrien

Allen Givens

Rodger Brunning

July 29

Claire Senko and Friends

Emma Hogg

Steve Hogg 

August 5

Danny Guspie

Ed Procter

Greg Moverly (accompanied by Doug Moverly)

Kim Berry and Friends

August 12

Tom Jordan

All Day Breakfast

Billy and Sarah Cable

August 19

Elizabeth Corewin and Friends

Rob Thorpe

The Redheads

OTHA Literary Guild

Local Poets Wow Audience!

More than 20 poetry enthusiasts from Brantford and Waterford gathered at the Breezeway Art Gallery on October 25 to listen to Brantford Poet Laureate John B. Lee, Brantford artist/poet Arlene Laskey, Mt. Pleasnat poet Kemeny Babineau and Waterford poet Brian Babineau. The reading, the 3rd sponsored by the book club of Waterford's Old Town Hall Association, moved off premise this year while renovations of the Town Hall are underway.

"That was great" enthused Joan Mahoney of Waterford. "Each poet had something different to offer yet they seemed in synch with one another".

"It's the best yet" affirmed Ray Antoniolli, a teacher with the Grand Erie School Board, "and I've been to all of them."

That seemed to be the consensus of the gathering, most of whom stayed well after the reading, talking to the poets and to each other while they enjoyed cookies and warm cider offered by the evening's host, Evelyn Babineau of Wilsonville.

Simcoe Rotary Friendship Festival Fetes Stars of the Old Town Hall

By Melissa Howard

The Old Town Hall hit the Simcoe Rotary Friendship Festival with a bang this weekend! As part of the three day festival, Kim Berry was asked to present an entire day of programming consisting wholly of OTH artists. Referred to as 'Waterford Old Town Hall Salutes Friendship Festival', Sunday's entertainment read like a who's who of local talent. 
 
Artists such as Sue Sweetman and Johnny Frame, Rachel Heart and Will Macauley, When We Are Three, Kim Berry and the Lost Hobos, Cindy Dell and the Blue Rubies, Claire Senko and Chris Rait, and Ezeduzit all took the Wellington Park stage on Bonnie Drive. The incredible sounds of these artists stopped passersby in their tracks and drew in an ever-shifting crowd on the lawn. 
 
The Old Town Hall was equally represented on Saturday and Monday as well, pulling in such performers as Duane Rutter, Shelley Therrien, Sarah and Abigail Lawrence, Adam Dugas and Autumn Road, all of which have or will play at the Thursday night concerts.
 
As you can see the Waterford Old Town Hall is well on it's way to establishing itself as a premiere entertainment centre in Norfolk County!

Recording Bug Strikes Local Musicians - Mass CD Release at Town Hall

By Alison Bell 

Carrie Ashworth --- Stephen Hogg --- Wil Macaulay

There must be something in the water.

Several local musicians seem to have been infected with the recording bug lately and Steve Hogg, proprietor of the Stinkin' Records label, was able to round them up for a mass CD-release concert at the Town Hall on April 29th. None of the artists were strangers to the Hall — they have been performing at the summer lawn concerts for years and it was high time they got to perform inside on the stage.

The evening opened with Emma Lee Rose Hogg whose new CD Undressed is also unplugged.  Emma's style is folksy with an edge - she is a songwriter who hits a chord of recognition in her audience with her keen observations and striking honesty.

Emma was followed by Steve Hogg, releasing his new CD Nudderwon.  Steve played many songs from his repertoire old and new — from "Pickerel in a Pan", which was on a cassette he put out close to 20 years ago, to "Martha and Graham" a interplanetary fantasy recently written by his wife, Kathy.  Carrie Ashworth accompanied Steve on the upright bass and Willie Macaulay provided tasty guitar throughout the set, with occasional harmonica from Michael Hogg.

Rachel Heart appeared next, accompanied by Bob Lanois on harmonica (yes, that Bob Lanois, of the legendary Canadian recording Lanois duo).

J.P. Riemens and the Barflies closed the evening with a great set of songs evocative of how we spent (and misspent) our youth in this area, recollecting Port Dover's Summer Gardens and the role the tobacco harvest played in all of our lives. Paul's new CD,  Plain and Simple also features the Barflies — Carrie Ashworth on bass, Dan Walsh on dobro and Shauna Drayson on backup vocals and kidding around.

The music sounded wonderful in the Old Town Hall — not a note was mushy or obscured by the building. And there was an overwhelming feeling of great good fortune and optimism in all of these songwriters. A feeling that it's more than ok to be from here .... that here is a great place to be. The last song of Steve's set, "Lucky Guy" really communicated that feeling. And it was quite clear that the audience also felt pretty lucky — lucky to have Steve and this great collection of local talent and lucky for the venue for them to play in.

Minstrels Wander to Waterford

By Alison Bell

On the afternoon of Sunday, April 9, an enthusiastic local theatrical troupe, The Wandering Minstrels of St. James, presented Gilbert and Sullivan's light opera, The Sorcerer at the Old Town Hall under the direction of Andy Blackwood, with piano accompaniment provided by Angus Macleod. 

The Sorcerer was Gilbert and Sullivan's first full-length light opera and is one of their lesser known works, but that didn't stop the Wandering Minstrels from tackling it with gusto. There was some gorgeous singing, especially from Shawn Oakes as the dashing grenadier, and from Linda Newbery as his betrothed. 

Special mention must be made of Hugh Sutherland, a Waterford resident.  Hugh played the title character, a slightly shady sorcerer for hire. His vigorous performance and his ability to absolutely nail one of those Gilbert and Sullivan "patter" songs was truly a marvel.

The play challenges certain Victorian social assumptions and involves a love-potion scheme which goes awry when everyone falls in love with the wrong person. The troupe carried on the tradition of inserting topical references into the play, with mentions of the Liberal leadership, General Motors woes, and sending a character to a Bishopric at Rattlesnake Harbour. Of course, everything comes out fine in the end (except for the poor Sorcerer). It was great fun to see and hear a real theatrical production on the stage.

Proceeds from the performance were donated to the Old Town Hall Association. Not only does the Association appreciate the Wandering Minstrels for the proceeds,  it also appreciates them for the show! 

Pop Goes The Music Series Kicks Off with Speakeasy

By Alison Bell

Waterford's newly renovated Old Town Hall hosted the first in its Pop Goes The Music concert series in cooperation with the Brantford Symphony on April 8, 2006. The evening's entertainment was provided by Speakeasy, a 14-piece professional ensemble from the Brantford area.

Under the direction of Derek Bond, the audience was treated to a wide variety of both vocal and instrumental showtunes and jazz classics, ranging from Makin' Whoopee to Mack the Knife. MC and vocalist Dan Anderson came equipped with a humorous patter. He sang and introduced the accomplished musicians featuring horns, piano, guitar, bass, and drums, as well as two female singers who appeared from the wings—Cassie Racine and Jamie Macdonald gave vocal performances that were beautiful, and just a tad sultry.

The sax and guitar player also have a duet called Corner Pocket and they provided a nice smooth interlude of a couple of tunes. The biggest surprise of the evening might have come from Chris Nemeth, the drummer. Not only did he come up with a pair of sunglasses for Anderson to wear while singing Soul Man, he also gave what was probably the first drum solo that has been performed in the Town Hall since it hosted rock bands 30 years ago.

The Waterford Old Town Hall and the Brantford Symphony have made a great opening to this concert series.  In keeping with the tone of the evening, we can say, like Bogey in Casablanca,  "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

The Pop Goes the Music series continues with performances by the Rondeau Brass Quintet in June, the Madawaska String Quartet in September, and Madona Tassi in December. For tickets or information, phone 443-8085 or email otha@oldtownhall.org.

Gala Grand Opening - November 26, 2005

Waterford's Old Town Hall celebrated its Gala Grand Opening on the night of November 26, 2005, with bagpipes, ribbon cutting, champagne, refreshments, speeches and music. Six years of effort culminated in that evening, making it a very emotional event for many, especially for Melissa Collver, president of the Association. Melissa's speech included a poem celebrating the work of the volunteers and fund-raisers who made the dream of restoring the Town Hall into a reality.

Toby Barrett, MPP, spoke of seeing the people approaching the Hall from all directions as he arrived and imagined people arriving in the same way 100 years earlier. Dianne Finley, M.P., confessed to having a particular soft spot for the building as she had done an extensive high school project on Norfolk architecture. Others that appeared onstage included Brian Holden, who was instrumental in rescuing the building at the beginning, builders John Stam and  Bohdan Lachowsky and electrician Paul Hrvoyevich.

The St. Bernard's Catholic Women's League presented the Hall with a beautiful, prize-winning quilt which pictured buildings of Waterford including the Town Hall.

And then the music and munching began, as has not been seen in the Hall for a good many years. Entertainment was provided by many local musicians including, among others, the Old Town Hall Choir, the Haldimand Norfolk Concert Band, Kim Berry (another driving force behind the project) and her band the Lost Hobos, and singer/storyteller Tom Jordan.

When Tom Jordan sang The Wild Rover he invited the crowd to stomp their feet but added, tongue firmly in cheek,  "maybe you'd better take it easy—John Stam built this place." He needn't have worried—the Hall stood up well to the crowds and their feet. She's solid as a rock and a fine asset for Waterford to celebrate.

Dramatic Reading of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol

On December 3, 2005, just a week after the Grand Opening, the Town Hall hosted an event tailor-made for the venue as Waterford became one of the communities to participate in readings of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Since 1990, these readings have been held across Canada under the auspices of the CBC. The work was perfectly suited to our Old Town Hall and we discovered to our delight that there was not a bad seat in the house.

The event was a great success, performed to a capacity audience. It was organized by the newly formed Norfolk Dramatic Reading Society which was created for the purpose of the reading and will hopefully continue in the same vein. Proceeds were generously contributed to the Town Hall's elevator fund.

The Hall was beautifully decorated for the event with festive boughs and ribbons throughout. An especially charming touch was a cosy chair on the staircase, with a lamp and a copy of A Christmas Carol left open, as if waiting to be picked up again by its reader.

Ian Bell hosted the event and led the 5-member Little Band of Hope choir. Readings were performed with great gusto by Mike Fiddler, Debrah Leedham, Kristina Puddy, Peter Guch, Nancy Gibbs and Geoff Ellwand of CBC Radio. Beautiful music was provided by Makin' Waves, a 3-woman group, whose songs wove together traditional Christmas carols with newer songs. One song performed by The Little Band of Hope was John Collver's Christmas Song, which was written and published in 1828 by John Collver who lived near here at the time. Ian Bell found the song and has been performing it for about 20 years. It was delightful to have it ring out in Waterford almost 200 years after its composition nearby.

The enthusiastic crowd indulged in refreshments and glowing reviews after the show and could be heard exclaiming as they drifted home "God bless us, every one!"

Christmas 2006 at the Old Town Hall

By Alison Bell

Christmas is a time when people seem to naturally reach back to their visions of the past. As the old Christmas symbols come around again each year, new ones slowly join them and become part of our collective idea of "Christmas".  Imagine, even candy canes were new once.  In fact, candy canes apparently made their first appearance around the time that the Old Town Hall was built.

So, our Old Town Hall is a perfect place to celebrate old traditions and to establish some new ones. And that is exactly what has been happening for Christmas 2006, our second Christmas season since renovations were completed and the Hall reopened to the public.

The season began, appropriately, with a cooperative venture staged by several Waterford churches. A wonderful evening of Carols and Readings was presided over by Rev. Jeff Smith of the Waterford United Church. Readers from the United Church, St. Bernard's Catholic Church, Tyrrell Baptist Church, Villa Nova Baptist Church and Waterford's Trinity Anglican Church were joined by a choir of over 40 members who, amazingly, all managed to fit on the stage. A very full house sang all the familiar carols enthusiastically and sounded truly marvelous. One audience member, Karen Lindsay, snuck down the stairs and out the door just to hear how it sounded from outside. She was thrilled by how all those voices in the Hall carried through the night air. The donations collected went to support the Waterford and District Food Cupboard and the Old Town Hall Elevator Fund. It was a moving evening on many levels and we hope it will continue in years to come.

Madonna Tassi was the next performer to grace the stage. With another good crowd, Tassi's "Christmas on Casey Street" concert was the fourth in our Pop Goes the Music concert series in cooperation with the Brantford Symphony. Tassi is a singer originally from Newfoundland with the ease and good humour of any good Newfoundlander. Her repertoire ranged from country to traditional to pop, with, of course, a good helping of Christmas material thrown in. Just as we had settled down for an evening of chestnuts roasting in a winter wonderland, Tassi wowed the audience with a rendition of Etta James's "At Last" with all the heart, soul and nerve that an Etta James tune demands. Along with her accompanist, Antonio Pulsone who made a keyboard into an entire orchestra, Tassi put on a great show.  

The next Christmas event happened in front of the building when Paul Hrvoyevich managed to book Santa for an appearance. Donny Dunham, a favourite with the kids in town, sang and played the guitar with his usual flare and very cold fingers, while waiting for Santa to arrive. It was so cold that even the hot apple cider was shivering, but many families braved the weather for the event. Next year, the inside of the Hall has already been booked for Santa's visit.

And finally, one of the great Christmas traditions was the presentation by the Norfolk Dramatic Reading Society and CBC Radio of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. This year, the local readers were Hugh Sutherland, Cara Blackwood, Stacey Milford and Mike Fidler.  Jill Dempsey, a familiar voice to those who listen to CBC Radio's Metro Morning, read the final stave. Beautiful choral interludes were provided by the 11-member I Voci,  along with some audience participation in carols. The great Christmas story of regeneration seemed fitting in our renovated Hall and was told with vigour to an appreciative and large crowd.  Proceeds went to support the Haldimand-Norfolk Adult Mental Health Resource Centre in Simcoe and the Old Town Hall Elevator Fund, worthy causes of which Dickens would surely approve.

Traditions like Christmas trees and fireplaces just can't be replaced by fibre optics and Log TV. But the best old Christmas traditions can certainly be enlarged to include the new ones that are being established and that feel so at home at our Old Town Hall.

Pumpkinfest at the Old Town Hall

What a difference a year makes.

Pumpkinfest 2005: The Old Town Hall was abuzz with activity but it wasn’t Pumpkinfest related. The major renovation project that began in the Spring was on the home stretch. The activities taking place were things like drywalling, painting, floor-finishing, door and hardware installation and other construction tasks.

Pumpkinfest 2006: The Old Town Hall was again abuzz with activity. This year, it was Pumpkinfest related and generated considerable interest in and revenue for the Old Town Hall Association.

Thanks to the generosity of Waterford entrepreneurs Joyce Suckel and Vera Hayes, owners of the Brantford-based giftware wholesaler, The Board’n’Batten, OTHA was able to offer a large selection of brand new giftware and merchandise. The Board’n’Batten donated literally thousands of dollars worth of stock for resale by OTHA back in September 2005. Pumpkinfest 2006 was our best opportunity, so far, to capitalize on the much-appreciated donation. Thanks Joyce and Vera!!

The Old Town Hall’s reputation as the place to see and hear local musicians was bolstered through the efforts of tireless OTHA volunteers, Kim and Doug Moverley (Kim is the former Kim Berry. Congrats, Kim and Doug!!). The OTH stage was the scene of performances on Friday evening and on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. More than 20 different performers took to the 104 year-old stage to strut their stuff to the delight of an appreciative audience. Thanks Kim & Doug and thanks to all the volunteer performers!!

Pumpkinfest-goers looking for a warm, dry place to sit down and enjoy a hot coffee and a slice of homemade pumpkin pie found respite along with entertainment in the OTH upper hall. More than a dozen pies were sold by the slice and gallons of freshly brewed coffee were served. Thanks to the volunteer servers, bakers and coffee makers!!

Craftspersons and artisans booths filled the OTH first floor foyer. Pottery, chocolates, soaps and candles, books of poetry and more were offered for sale. OTH benefited with a percentage of the sales of these unique and top-quality goods. Thanks to all the talented folks for creating an attraction and drawing in the crowds!!

The Old Town Hall Book Store was open for business in the North Basement and hundreds of volumes were bought at bargain basement prices. Many thanks to the volunteers who manned the store throughout the busy weekend!!

Hardly glamourous but a major attraction, nonetheless, were our deluxe washrooms. Hundreds made use of the convenient and newly created indoor facilities.

Perhaps the most rewarding, were the many, many favourable comments OTH volunteers received regarding the restored building. Numerous individuals commented on the beauty and utility of our wonderful facility. Quite few people related nostalgic memories of various events held in the Hall during its decades of past glory. OTHA is happy to, once again, provide this valuable community space to our vibrant cultural community.

OTHA CD Sales 

Hobo too

Hobo too, produced by Steve Hogg's Stinkin' Records, is the second OTHA benefit CD by area musicians. 100% of the work that went into the CD was donated. That means the OTHA gets 100% of the proceeds.

You can purchase Hobo too by credit card online from the Stinkin' Records website. To purchase a CD by cash or cheque, contact Jim Elve at jelve@jelve.com or 519-443-8085.

Hobo Stew

There are still some Hobo Stew CD's available. The compilation disc features two previously unrecorded songs by popular singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith.

Don't be disappointed. Buy now.

Shop securely online using your credit card.

Click here to purchase Hobo Stew online. Call or email Jim Elve to purchase by mail or in person.

Another Successful St. Patrick's Day Show (2007)

On Saturday, March 17th, the Town Hall theatre was nearly filled to capacity for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Concert featuring Irish tenor Tom Jordan and his Celtic Friends.

Tom and his band entertained the appreciative audience with old standards and Irish favourites. Tom’s inimitable style and easy-going interaction with the audience set the tone for the evening. His numerous jokes were well-received, often at the expense of  the fictitious Paddy Murphy.

A special treat this year was Brantford’s Dave Jenson playing Newfoundland style button accordion.

The event was licensed by the LLBO and concert-goers enjoyed the goodness of Guinness during intermission. 

With consecutive successes in 2006 and 2007, the St. Patrick’s Day Concert is destined to become an annual Waterford event. The show is staged as a fundraiser for OTHA and has delivers much-needed operating funds for the building.

July 4th Concert

By Melissa Howard

Another Thursday, another great summer concert at the Old Town Hall. This week the flock of Waterford citizens were treated to three amazing acts, beginning with The Overplayers. Travelling in from Hamilton, the group, comprised of Danny Buzanko on lead vocals and guitar, Matty Buzanko on bass and James Richards on drums and vocals, certainly gave the crowd a real show. Easily transitioning from rollicking rock songs to alcohol soaked ballads and back again, The Overplayers mixed singable original tunes with covers like 'Yoko Ono' by the Barenaked Ladies and 'Bad Bad Leroy Brown' by Jim Croce. Their visit was well worth the drive to Watertown, oops, Waterford. Sorry, Danny.

Next on the bill were the ever entertaining Ezeduzit. With Jeremiah Macaw Budnark on bass, Stewart McPhail and Jim Hodges sharing duties on mandolin and guitar, and all three offering some beautiful vocals, Ezeduzit played their tried and true version of good old-fashioned folk music. Stand out songs in the set were 'Wild Rose of the Mountain', Red Haired Boy (Or Lad)' and the sweet harmonies of 'Crazy Love'. Thank goodness these gentlemen find it in their hearts to come out each year, we'd miss them!

Closing the show with a bang was perennial favourite Tom Jordan. Along with friends Dave Jensen on accordion and Jeremiah of Ezeduzit on bass, Tom entertained the masses with his traditional mixture of pretty Irish ditties and only slightly indecent Irish wit. As always his tunes were at times enthusiastic ('No, Nay, Never') and at other times heart-wrenching ('Danny Boy') but always of the greatest calibre. Frankly if you can find someone who doesn't enjoy watching Tom Jordan they're sure to be named the eighth wonder.

The visual artist this week was Sally Gable, showing her whimsical paintings and donating a product of her talent to the raffle. In addition to Gable's contribution, a painting by Kim Moverly, some Gail Mottashed chocolates, a package of beautiful notecards and a package of CD's were raffled as well with proceeds going to the Old Town Hall.

Click here to see larger photos.

June 28th Concert

By Melissa Howard

In the summer the place to be on a Thursday evening is the Old Town Hall, and didn't everyone know it! The lawn chair brigade came out in force to watch the kick off of the OTH Folk Club's Summer Concert Series. Getting the evening off to a rollicking start was Kim Moverley and the Lost Hobos. With Kim's new hubby Doug Moverley on bass, Ronnie Marr on electric guitar, Jim Elve on accordion, and new addition Kelly Therrien on tambourine/egg/background vocals, the band played the down home country music their known for. Crowd favorite's included Moverly originals 'Sometimes' and the workingman/woman's anthem 'I Just Wanna Play'. If life had a soundtrackit would include at least a dozen Kim Moverly songs.    

Next up was folk duo Alison and Darren Schott. With Alison on guitar and vocals and Darren on mandolin and fiddle, this husband and wife team made some beautiful bluegrass music. Songs 'Fly' and 'Little Birdie' showcased Alison sweet, delicate voice perfectly while the instrumental 'Waking Up In Frank's Field' gave Darren a chance to share his musical prowess. An inspired performance.    

And finally, if you've been to the closing show of the concert series then you've heard these performers before and know why their invited back year after year, they are the Paris-Port Dover Pipe Band. Spread out over three counties the band brings together young and old bagpipers and drummers to play some traditional bagpiping music. As always the band put on a brilliant show with classic songs such as 'Amazing Grace' and a few talented highland dancers. In addition to several parades and shows locally the band will be travelling to Scotland in early August to compete in the world bagpiping competition. I'm sure you'll join me in wishing them all safe travels and the best of luck!    

The visual artists this week were painter Sue Goble, who displayed her jaw-dropping oils and watercolours, and poet Judy Tricket, who showed off her lyrical self-published works of art. Each was kind enough to donate a piece of their work to the raffle, as were Kim Moverly and the Lost Hobos who donated a CD. 

 Click here to see larger photos.  

Summer Concert Series Concludes 2007 Season

For the sixth year, the Old Town Hall Folk Club has concluded another successful series of summer concerts featuring (mostly) local artists and entertainers. Kim and Doug Moverley organized and staged the Thursday night outdoor events which ran from the June 24 to August 30. Despite one of the driest summers on record, three of the concerts needed to be moved indoors due to rain. Thankfully, the Town Hall auditorium was ready for action.

The Thursday night concerts have become a mainstay of Waterford’s summer entertainment schedule and provide the perfect ambience for live music and community socializing. Over 100 audience members arrive each Thursday, lawn chairs in tow, to enjoy an evening of music and mingling.

All of the musicians and artists donate their time and efforts. The concerts are free to attend and free-will donations are accepted. Business sponsors contribute, too. This year’s sponsors were LA Music, Tradewinds Emporium and Crosscurrent Productions. The concert series raised more than $4000.

Thanks to Kim and Doug, all the volunteers, musicians, artists, sponsors and donors!

2007 Schedule of Performers  

An Enemy of the People
For Friends in the Town

By Alison Bell
Many people in Waterford and region have been waiting anxiously for a local group to do theatre on the Town Hall stage. Visiting groups have put on great shows here, but it was time for a truly Waterford-based troupe to take on a play. And take on a play they did! The newly formed Old Town Hall Players chose Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People as their debut production. The play is hardly the kind of fare that one expects from a small-town theatrical troupe but it was heartily welcomed by the audience. Many were heard to say how much they appreciated seeing something that was decidedly not "fluff".(Article continues below photo.)

An Enemy of the People, first performed in 1882 and adapted by Arthur Miller in 1950, concerns a Doctor in a town which has just developed its tourist industry based on public medicinal baths. The Doctor discovers that the waters are contaminated by the operation of a tannery upstream. Naively, he believes that he will be hailed as a hero for his discovery but he encounters the fate of many whistleblowers, meeting with resistance and final rejection even by those he had counted as friends. As the play's program tells us: "Today, the tale resonates with comparisons to the tobacco industry, coal-fired electricity generation, the Walkerton affair, factory farms, nuclear contamination, greenhouse gases, and a host of other environmental issues."  It also explores the nature of local politics and the devastating tragedy of a good man brought down by irrational forces.

Directed by Rodger Brunning and produced by Jim Elve, the play's remarkable cast consisted of Stephen Hogg in the huge leading role. Greg Canivet’s portrayal of the villainous Mayor was equally impressive.  Supporting roles were skilfully performed by Rodger Brunning, Irene Ramey, Larry Brunning, Steve Kilbridge, Karen Baetz,  Millie Baetz,  Kevin Miller, Jeff Hudson, Hugh Sutherland, Keith Koopman and Jim Elve. Kathryn Hogg was the Lighting and Sound Technician and Doug Moverley provided the set decoration.

There is a lot of theatre in this area and each group plays to its own strengths. In Port Dover, the Lighthouse provides perfect entertainment for vacationers. In Simcoe, the Little Theatre does many musicals.  Waterford's Lantern Tours and Cemetery plays concentrate on local history. It would be great to see the Old Town Hall Players establish The Old Town Hall as a centre for more substantial theatre in the area.   Kudos to the Old Town Hall Players - and encore, please!

Fundraising/Recognition Dinner Dance

A Fundraising/Recognition Dinner in honour of some of our major community contributors including the Waterford Lions Club, Waterford Community Foundation, Ontario Trillium Foundation and Hazel Race was held at the Old Town Hall on Saturday, May 12th. Starting at 6pm, 72 diners were treated to hors d’oeuvres by the Belworth House and wine by Colio Estate Winery. Hors d’oeuvres and wine were served in the main foyer giving guests an opportunity to socialize and view the art gallery. The main courses were catered by Gram’s Café and served in the upper hall.

Facility Manager Barbara Tanner-Billings gave a presentation about the Hall and its recent past. OTHA President Brian Holden spoke giving recognition to some significant donors. Guests of Honour were John and Hazel Race. A major donation from the Hazel Race Foundation, received earlier this year, has made it possible for OTHA to commence on the elevator construction. Donors were presented with framed certificates of gratitude.

John Race spoke to the group about the history of the Town Hall and the Hellyer family. Mrs. Race is the former Hazel Hellyer. The Hellyer family has a long history of support for the Waterford community. Mr. Race invited the guests to open their pocketbooks for the OTH elevator cause. Over $30,000 was donated as a result.

The dinner was followed by an evening of dancing with music provided by Dave Jensen and the Jammers.

The Cheque's in the Mail

Thanks to the efforts of former OTHA Director Kim Moverley, OTHA was recently awarded a $500 grant from Canada Post. Canada Post employees, like Kim, are given the opportunity to apply for grants to assist their communities. OTHA thanks Canada Post for the grant and Kim Moverley for setting the wheels in motion.

A Streetcar Named Desire

The Old Town Hall Players present "A Streetcar Named Desire" starring Laura Robinson as Blanche DuBois, Stephen Hogg as Stanley Kowalski.  Karen Baetz takes on the role of Stella and Larry Brunning plays Mitch, the troubled suitor. 

This local cast stages a powerful performance that will not be soon forgotten.  Don't miss this one time opportunity to see this dramatic, Pulitzer prize winning play by Tennessee Williams!

Click here to see a larger poster.

Performances are scheduled for Friday May 29th & Saturday May 30 (2009)  at 8pm, Sunday May 31 at 2pm.  Doors open 30 minutes prior to the show.

Limited tickets are still available at the Old Town Hall for $15/person, call Barb at 443-0113 today to reserve your tickets.