C O M M U N I T Y
VCI GRADUATES OF 2020 ENJOY MEMORABLE CELEBRATION GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
as they drove up to the presentation area. There they were presented with their certifi- cate of graduation along with a swag bag of special commemorative items. Confirmation of bursaries, scholarships, and/or special awards were also part of the package for some students. All those who
This year 66 students from Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute donned cap and gown for their June 23 graduation event. But, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of assembling for one last time inside of the VCI auditorium to receive their diplomas and honours, students and their families took part in a drive-in graduation event organized by the school staff. Students remained inside their vehicles
wished also got to use a special “graduation picture frame” for special commemorative photos. Each grad also received an individu- alized lawn sign to post in their front yard to help commemorate the occasion. The Ministry of Education will mail out all official high school diplomas at a later date.
It was not quite the graduation cer- emony they might have imagined when they began their final year of school in September 2019, but the Class of 2020 for Vankleek Hill Collegiate still enjoyed a memorable celebration of their achievements.
MEMORIAL ART ETCHED IN STONE
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
Dmitri and Zhanna Martchenko create beautiful art with simple scratches on stone. “It is actually scratching at the grain of the stone,” Dmitri said, “and then the polishing.” The proprietors of D & M Etching Monu- ments in Hawkesbury are artists in their own right, working in black granite most of the time, creating final tributes for those who have passed away. “I feel a deep responsibility for what I am doing,” Dmitri said. “The monument is sometimes one of the last gifts that the family can give someone. To me, that’s very important.” The photo-realistic etchings that the Martchenkos create require careful, patient work with their specialized tools. A single scratch in the wrong place can mar the image. “But in our hands, the tool is like a pencil,” Zhanna explained. The stone etching work they do is a traditional art form in their homelands of Russia and the Ukraine Republic. Dmitri learned the art after he emigrated to Canada and then he taught Zhanna not long after they met. “He was gifted,” Zhanna said, smiling. “When he was a boy, he told me, he used to draw pictures on fences with pencil or chalk.”
Ashley Morris chose to “frame” at least one of her special memories of her graduation from Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute, as she and her mother drove up to the school for the June 23 event. A “drive-in” graduation ceremony was organized by VCI staff to ensure that all 66 students in the Class of 2020 could celebrate their achievement with their families despite the COVID-19 pandemic. —supplied photo OKTOBERFEST 2020 EDITION CANCELLED two annual country fairs.
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
Working from a photograph provided for reference, Zhanna outlines the basic image or images needed, then does some preliminary etchings. Dmitri takes over then to finish the detailed etchings and together they polish the final stone image, brining out its highlights. Memorial stones are not the only thing that Dmitri and Zhanna create in their workshop. Some of their commissions include special anniversary etchings, as well as ornamental scenic views. “To see the results, to see people’s eyes when they see (the etchings) and know they are happy with it,” said Zhanna, “that is wonderful.” Dmitri and Zhanna Martchenko create beautiful photo-realistic stone etchings at their D & S Monuments workshop in Hawkesbury. —photo Gregg Chamberlain
The 10 th annual Festival de la Bine de Plantagenet Bean Festival was an early casualty of the pandemic, with organizers announcing in early April that this year’s event would not take place. The focus now is on planning for next year and ensuring a “triumphant return” of the increasingly popular summer festival. Mayors disappointed Cancellation of traditional summer fairs is a disappointing to local mayors even though they know the current pandemic situation is to blame. “Yes, I’m concerned,” said Mayor Normand Riopel of Champlain Township, regarding the cancellation this year of the Vankleek Hill Agricultural Society’s annual country fair and also of the Oktoberfest, that local brewery, Beau’s All Natural Beer sponsors. “But everybody is in the same boat,” Riopel said, noting cancellation of many major festival events in Toronto, Ot- tawa, and other urban centres. Mayor François St-Amour of The Nation Municipality made the same observation when asked for his thoughts about cancel- lation of this year’s Riceville Fair and the annual Saint-Albert Curd Festival. “They are cancelled,” he said, “and it’s for the same reason everywhere. It’s disappointing, nobody likes it, but there’s nothing you can do about it.” One concern St-Amour noted is how can- cellation of this year’s festival events could affect planning for next year’s schedule. “A lot of volunteers get involved in this,” St-Amour said. “If for one year it stops, is everyone (volunteers) going to come back afterwards?” Riopel expressed optimism that next year could see a bigger surge of public interest in local festivals, if nothing interferes with their comeback scheduling. “There may be more participation next year,” he said. “Maybe we’ll be looking at bigger crowds and more (festival) outings.” With notes from Maude L é vesque-Ryan
Summer in Vankleek Hill will be a little quieter this year without an Oktoberfest because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beau’s Natural Brewery, sponsor of the annual summer Oktoberfest, announced on its website that the event will not take place because of the pandemic. “Beau’s has made the difficult, but neces- sary, decision not to host a 2020 edition of our Oktoberfest,” the announcement stated. “While we are currently seeing lots of posi- tive signs that community transmission of COVID-19 is subsiding, there are still too many unknowns to risk going ahead with an event of this scale in such a short time from now.” The company is working on plans for an Oktoberfest event for September 2021 “in a scale that fits into the current landscape of social distancing” and will provide future updates when available. The United Way Bike Ride, which was part of the annual Oktoberfest, will continue in a virtual form this year. Funds raised from the annual bike ride help support vulnerable youth.Registration and details on how the virtual bike ride will take place are available at www.beausoktoberfest.ca/ride. Vankleek and Riceville fairs Both the organizers for the annual Vankleek Hill Fair and the Riceville Fair posted notices on their websites announc- ing that this year’s country fairs in their communities are cancelled. “This decision was certainly not an easy decision to make,” stated Amanda McDon- ald, current president for the Vankleek Hill Agricultural Society, “However, in this time of uncertainty, we need to consider the utmost safety and well-being of all fairgoers, com- munity members and volunteers.” Both the Vankleek Hill Agricultural So- ciety and the Riceville Agricultural Society indicated planning is already underway to prepare for next year and the return of the
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