The Opeongo Line

In the autumn of 1967 Madawaska Valley District High School first opened its doors in Barry's Bay, and so too did the history of one of that school's most famous sports teams, the MVDHS Wolves. It was a Junior "B" hockey team that within four years won everything there was to win in eastern Ontario. This past February nearly three dozen of its original members met again in Barry's Bay to rekindle those glory days.

William Percy French was born in County Roscommon in 1854 and grew up to become one of Ireland's most successful songwriters.  At times wildly comedic and genuinely funny; at other times surprisingly warm and inspirational. The Opeongo Readers' Theatre were so taken by him, some of them break out into song in this novel celebration for St. Patrick's Day. 

In honour of St. Valentine's Day, The Opeongo Readers' Theatre presents nineteen of the world's greatest love letters, famously written by men and women in the heat of passion. From the sublime to the ridiculous, it's a show destined to be better than anything you will ever see printed on a pink greeting card sold at the corner store.

Martha Linton and Stella Yeretch, two local musicians born and raised in the Upper Madawaska Valley, were recorded in the mid-20th Century, singing old folksongs in both English and their native Polish-Kashub. Martha passed away in 2009 and Stella in 1996, but those recordings demonstrate their stellar contributions to local culture.

Sean Conway, host of "The Local" chats again this year with Madawaska Valley Township Mayor Mark Willmer about the challenges and opportunities that engaged him throughout 2023. As well, the Mayor discusses new challenges and opportunities heading his way in 2024 - everything from new development charges, housing, forest fires, flooding, rebuilds of local infrastructure, and many more things that keeps him up at night.

The Wilno Heritage Society Community Choir celebrate Koledy a choral selection of Christmas Carols brought over to Canada beginning in 1858 when their ancestors left their homeland in Kashubia, a region of Poland, and settled in the Upper Madawaska River Valley, centred on Wilno, Ontario. With a wonderful mix of Latin, Polish, Kashub and English, it's a night to remember.

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre offers up its annual Christmas show, this year a collection of five short stories with an equal number of short lyric poems, all often forgotten classics but all intended to keep at bay that blue, blue, blue Christmas that Elvis often used to sing about at this time of year. 

Yakabuski Hardware happily served Barry's Bay and its surrounding area from 1918 until 2001. Karen Yakabuski, Roseanne Visutski and John Yakabuski chat with Sean Conway about the life and times of one of the Upper Madawaska Valley's most unique family businesses. 

Yakabuski Hardware happily served Barry's Bay and its surrounding area from 1918 until 2001. Karen Yakabuski, Roseanne Visutski and John Yakabuski chat with Sean Conway about the life and times of one of the Upper Madawaska Valley's most unique family businesses. 

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre presents the story of Archie Belaney, a 17-year-old Englishman who first came to Canada in 1906 and where he reinvented himself as 'Grey Owl, an Indigenous environmentalist and friend of all forest animals. His story of cultural identify theft reads like Robin Hood.

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre presents the story of Archie Belaney, a 17-year-old Englishman who first came to Canada in 1906 and where he reinvented himself as 'Grey Owl, an Indigenous environmentalist and friend of all forest animals. His story of cultural identify theft reads like Robin Hood.

Cathy Chapeskie reads a new, original short story for Halloween. It's based on a February 21st 1873 news story found in the Chicago Tribune that spoke of a horrific incident it claimed happened near Barry's Bay. A story best understood as partly true and party fiction.

The Wilno Heritage Society Community Choir ‘Celebrating Polish Hymns’ has nearly 40-members but it's like no other choir anywhere in Canada, and perhaps the world. Made up of senior citizens, some well into their eighties, it gave its first remarkable public performance recently atop Shrine Hill overlooking the little village of Wilno. 

A new chapter of the Opeongo Readers' Theatre's gives a rousing history of Eganville and the Bonnechere River Valley in the 19th Century. From the fur trading post established among the Algonquins of Golden Lake in 1825 to some wild and crazy happenings in 1899, the history of the Bonnechere is like no other.

A new chapter of the Opeongo Readers' Theatre's gives a rousing history of Eganville and the Bonnechere River Valley in the 19th Century. From the fur trading post established among the Algonquins of Golden Lake in 1825 to some wild and crazy happenings in 1899, the history of the Bonnechere is like no other.

In an annual salute to our largest founding local culture, the Opeongo Line offers up two authentic voices -- one male; one female, one sadly no longer with us, and one still working hard to preserve our local heritage and cultural identity. In their own unique ways, Annie Shulist (nee Yantha) and Peter Glofcheskie both show us in more ways than one what it truly means to be a Polish-Kashub Canadian. 

The Opeongo Line proudly presents Mary Blank and Marie Villeneuve as the provide for the first time ever, the play-by-play and colour commentary for the 2023 Opeongo Heritage Cup Women's Championship game between the Kashubian Griffins and the German Black Eagles. Not to be missed!

The Upper Madawaska Valley's premium hockey tournament returns this Spring for the first time in three years and "The Local's" host, Sean Conway, sits down with Dave Shulist, Marie Villeneuve and Dan Conway to talk about how it all came about in 2006 and why it's about more than just hockey.

The Opeongo Readers' Theatre are back again to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the dry wit and easy humour of Father O'Flynn, the fictional creation of Alfred Perceval Graves, the comical son of a Protestant Bishop of Limerick who knew a thing or two about Irish humour.