Congratulations to Jesse and Stacie!

In the lobby of the hotel
in Chemainus

Yes, my son, actor Jesse Martyn, is visiting us from Vancouver. He announced his engagement last month. We are thrilled. We gave him a card. Stacie will have to wait until he gets home to see the card! Here is a sneak peak! My crafty blog buddies inspire me, and I decorated the card accordingly.

I wrote them a poem

Caitlin and I visited Jesse, where he was performing at the Chemainus Festival all summer, with his 
fiancé, Stacie.
We had a fine visit.

Jesse, me, Stacie in Bala, 2009

Jesse visited in 2011

Caitlin, me, Jesse in Chemainus

His nieces adore him!

 

Jesse at Shaw Festival

Post #5b The Chemainus Theatre - Jesse emerges!

Jesse Chemainus Theatre from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
After Jesse & Stacie's show, Singin' in the Rain, at the Chemainus Theatre in British Columbia, we all waited for the kids to come out the stage door.

It was a family affair: Caitlin and I; my brother, his GF; Keegan, his GF; Rob's step-daughter, her husband; Stacie's mom and 2 friends.

The other actors were surprised with the 13 of us standing there after the Sunday afternoon matinee, in the rain! Their faces were quite fun as they scanned the crowd.
It was quite a thing to travel 3500km for a weekend visit, but well-worth it. I just wish I could see Jess tap dancing again, pretending to be new at it! He is quite the comic! He plays a funny copper, too.
I am so proud of him!
You can find out more about Jesse Martyn, the actor, here!

Heritage and Cultural Attractions in Tay Valley, Lanark County

My actor/son, Jesse Martyn,
visited us from his home in Vancouver.
He last visited in Dec., 2011!

This post is about using the web to market your tourism activities!

This is idea well worth its time. An interactive map that takes you to the various place in the Lanark County region (see below). Our area was settled back in 1816, when soldiers were demobilized after the 1812 war. There is little mention of the Aboriginal Peoples who lived and used the water systems for transportation, but that is another post. Much has been written about the early white settlers. The published works about the people and heritage buildings are ubiquitous.

All the tourists must shop somewhere!

As a concerned taxpayer, I think it good value for our tax dollars. Many in this country depend upon tourism in order to earn a living. Not as much as in Muskoka, but a great idea for any area with tourists looking to plan a trip. We have quite a few snowbirds who only summer here. We balance our summer and full-time residents. The economy has surely hit southeast Ontario. Smiths Falls, nearby, has lost three plants, including the Hershey factory. This is a good way to encourage people to visit. Festivals abound in Ontario.

The ice is moving off, cottagers will return soon!

Chemainus Theatre Festival
My son, Jesse Martyn, has a gig in Chemainus, B.C., a small Vancouver Island town that similarly lost its industry and created a great tourist trade around the theatre where he and his actor girlfriend will work this summer on Singin' in the Rain. Be sure to have a look at these production photos from Gifts of the Magi at the  Chemainus Theatre Festival last year.

Shaws - wonderful old building

Heritage and Cultural Attractions in Tay Valley

Old Shoe Factory in Perth
converted to a coffee shop and gym

Tay Valley Township contains a wealth of historical farms, buildings and landscapes as well as numerous cultural activities and attractions including artist studio tours and music festivals, a sculpture garden, Buddhist monasteries and a fiddle orchestra. A grant from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport in 2012 enabled the Township to prepare a Community Cultural Heritage map.  This section of the website will help you explore the heritage and cultural assets of the Township in detail by clicking on the interactive map link.