Shrove Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Did you know? 

Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day or Mardi Gras, is the final day before the Christian fasting season of Lent begins (Ash Wednesday), celebrated with feasting and revelry to use up rich foods like eggs, butter, and sugar before 40 days of abstinence leading up to Easter. The name "Shrove" comes from "shrive", meaning to confess sins, as it was historically a day for Christians to confess and seek absolution before the penitential Lenten period. People eat pancakes (Pancake Day) or party (Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday) to use up these ingredients and say goodbye to indulgences.

Well you won't have to confess your sins, but there may be a bit of revelry and last minute indulgence at the Centre's upcoming Pancake Day. See you there. (And don't forget to RSVP to darlingwhitelakecentre@gmail.com.)

Christmas Craft Fair

On Saturday, November 15, the Darling White Lake Centre was the venue for a locally organized and hosted craft fair. The following is a copy of the report that was published in the Lanark Era following the event.

As always, kudos to the organizers for another successful event at the Centre.

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What started as a small idea—a cozy community craft show tucked beside White Lake—quickly grew into something much bigger than we expected. Throughout the day, neighbours wandered in with smiles, local makers proudly shared their creations, and the room buzzed with that special kind of holiday-season kindness you can’t quite put into words.

But the real magic happened quietly, one can of food and one small donation at a time.

By the end of the show, our little community had gathered 218 lbs of food and $205 in donations for the Arnprior Food Bank. This morning, everything was delivered—boxes stacked high, bags full to the brim, and hearts just as full.

It was a beautiful reminder that when people come together, even in a small hall by the lake, they can create something truly meaningful.

Live 'n Learn - Epoxy Resin Presentation

We’ve all seen art pieces that augment natural wood with epoxy resins and have marvelled at their beauty. Well, on Thursday, 25 attendees at the Centre got to see just how pieces like these examples (crafted by Brian Cairns) are created.

As part of the Centre's ongoing education initiative, the Live ’n Learn team arranged a presentation offering an introduction to epoxy resins, their increasing use in woodworking, usage tips, and techniques. Beginning with, as usual, a delicious lunch (thanks to all the cooks, busboys, and dishwashers).

We are lucky to have at least four craftspeople around the lake who work with that medium. And today they generously shared their knowledge and experience, as well as some beautiful examples of their art, with an appreciative audience.

Brian Cairns led off with a detailed overview of the various epoxy resins, their history, and many of the tools and techniques he employs when working with the products.

Brian's talk was followed by Larry Paquette, Garry Cardiff, and Dave Blackburn who each spoke of how they use/have used the medium and also showcased some of their own work. (There was also a slide show presenting photos of many more projects than were on display.)

Larry's cutting boards

Garry's maple root table and bench

One of Dave's pieces, still on the lathe

After the presentations there were many questions from the audience about specific pieces that were on display, and, judging from the feedback, there may soon be more than four practitioners in the area.

Noreen O’Keefe was the lucky winner of the door prize, a gorgeous cutting board, also crafted and donated by Brian Cairns.

Thanks to the Live ’n Learn team who, once again, offered community residents an interesting learning experience. And thanks to the presenters for their contributions.

Keep an eye on your Friends of the Centre email blasts for announcements concerning future presentations.

Another successful Strawberry Social

Did you know that strawberries are the only fruit that has the seeds on the outside? Also, a serving of strawberries contains the daily recommended dose of vitamin C?  

Now that the educational part of this post has been accomplished...

Last Saturday was the DWLC's annual Strawberry Social, 2025 edition. A total of 62 of your friends and neighbours came out to enjoy a fantastic feed of strawberries slathered in maple syrup and whipped cream followed by an exhibition of line dancing put on by a local group. Donations were also collected for a very deserving local charity, the Connect Well Seniors.

This signature event was organized by our very own Jaqueline Cairns (who even arranged for the weather man to offer up a beautiful summer day) and a fantastic group of volunteers. A huge shout-out and thank you to all who helped out and to those who came out in support of this most anticipated annual event.

Kitchen staff 

Claire's dance troupe.

Strawberry Social - Mark your calendars

It's that time of the year again. White Lake's (over)population of does are now dropping their offspring, deer and horse flies are coming out of hibernation (or whatever it is the little buggers do all winter), and strawberries are coming into season.  

All of which means - IT'S STRAWBERRY SOCIAL TIME.

"The sense we are most afraid to lose"

Yesterday, the Darling White Lake Centre was pleased to host the latest in our ongoing Live 'n Learn sessions, Dr. Zoe Bonell discussing the importance of eye care. A graduate of Carleton University and Cardiff University in Wales, Dr. Bonell is an optometrist practicing in Ottawa.

After a great buffet lunch put together by the Live 'n Learn volunteers and sponsored by the Highlands North Network,  Dr. Bonell took centre stage. 

Over the course of 90 minutes or so, Dr. Bonell discussed many, many aspects of eye care, beginning with the structure of the eye itself. She described common issues and treatments, including many age-related vision concerns such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, stressing the importance of regular eye exams in detecting and correcting these issues. The presentation ended with a series of recommendations/reminders on how to protect our eyes during daily activities, such as safety glasses for DIYers, eye protection during sporting activities, UV protection in sun and snow, etc. As Dr. Bonell pointed out, vision is the sense we are most afraid to lose, yet we sometimes neglect to take the necessary steps to protect it.

It was a very informative session and the Centre thanks Dr. Bonell for taking the time out of her busy schedule to come and share her knowledge and expertise with us. And, of course, we extend our thanks to the many wonderful volunteers at the Centre who continue to make these special events available to our community.

Start light, star bright

Too bad, not tonight.

Saturday evening Steve Plummer, an amateur astrophotographer, joined us at the Centre to share his hobby. We had hoped for clear skies to allow for some actual stargazing but Mother Nature had other plans and blessed us with a snow storm instead. However all was not lost as the organizers had arranged a great chilli dinner, followed by Steve's presentation (indoors, of course). 

Over the next couple of hours Steve talked about his progression from being a simple telescope user to now being able to take spectacular images of deep space objects that are millions of light years away. He described the technology he used (complicated) and shared with us numerous photos he had taken of the sun, moon, planets, various nebulae, and distant galaxies. And he answered dozens of questions on everything from the technology he used to what can be seen with binoculars, the naked eye, or even a basic cell phone camera. (If you want a simple free app that maps the night sky in real time, check out Skyview Lite, available on Apple and Android app stores.)

I expect all who attended came away with a great appreciation of Steve's skill in creating the images he shared, but probably more so with a deeper respect of the vastness of the cosmos and the unimaginable number of deep sky objects that exist both within and beyond our own Milky Way galaxy. Perhaps some will even dust off that old telescope (moi) while others may look at the night-time sky with a greater appreciation of it's beauty and boundlessness. 

Thank you Steve. And thank you Jacqueline for arranging this Live 'n Learn session. 

And thank you to all the DWLC volunteers who prepared the meal and some fabulous desserts, acted as busboys, and did kitchen and cleanup duty.

Live 'n Learn - India

Twelve years ago Sue Munro (brave soul that she is) took a group of 14 high school students on a 3-week trip to a tiny, isolated village in the northernmost part of India, up tight to the Himalayas. Today she shared that experience with us.

But first we had to have breakfast. After all, learning on an empty stomach is known to be ill advised. And, once again, the DWLC crew came through delivering a great meal with a wide variety of goodies to satisfy anyone's appetite. So kudos to the kitchen and clean-up crews. Well done everyone!

And now back to the main event.

To say the village was off the beaten path does a disservice to beaten paths. The villagers eke out a subsistence living farming poor soil on the heavily terraced sides of a mountain. Daily life consists primarily of completing the many tasks needed to put food on the table for themselves and to feed their livestock. If they are fortunate enough to have a cow, or some goats, they'll have some milk and cheese, but also more mouths to feed. There is no running water and few homes have electricity. Those that do are lucky to get an hour or so of power every few days. Homes are multi-generational and cramped, often shared with any livestock that can generate some much-needed heat during the cold winter months. Interestingly it is the women who bear the burden of all this back-breaking work while the men spend their days just hanging out with other men. Many of the villagers had never ventured beyond the walls of the valley into which they were born.

It's been thus for many, many generations. 

Now imagine 14 teenagers from well-to-do Toronto families being dropped into this environment, billeted with local families where no one speaks English, and Big Macs are definitely not on the menu. The culture shock was as enormous as the learning opportunity for these young people.

That experience is what Sue shared in a fascinating talk that could have gone on for hours. Her photos accompanied by her cultural and social commentary gave those in attendance a vivid glimpse into life in a small community in a part of the world that none of us will likely ever see, or can even contemplate. 

Thank you Sue for an entertaining and insightful presentation.

2025!

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2025.

It seems like Y2K was just last week’s news, not that of a quarter century ago. But time marches on, unconcerned with our feelings or perceptions. 

There’s an ancient Chinese proverb/curse that says, “May you live in interesting times.” And 2025 is certainly shaping up to be all of that. Whether your personal interest is politics, or technology, or sociology there is sure to be something that will either please or infuriate you (or both) in the coming months. 

But in the midst of all that ‘sturm und drang’ there is a small sea of tranquility at the Darling White Lake Centre, where your friends and neighbours come together for fun and relaxation. Most days of the week see some sort of activity at the Centre, whether it’s Tuesday’s knitter-knatter, Wednesday yoga, Thursday coffee hub, or Friday’s darts. Toss in the odd special event such as a Live ’n Learn session (in March it’s Dr. Zoe Bunnell talking about eye care), crafting, or line dancing lessons and the Centre is a busy place indeed.

There’s something for everyone, so come on out.

And, as always, kudos go out to all the volunteers who so selflessly contribute their time and efforts to making the Centre a success. 

We look forward to seeing you in 2025.

WLPOA - 2024 Merry Mingle

On November 30, the White Lake Property Owners Association held their 2024 Merry Mingle at the Centre, bringing together 36 'Minglers' to enjoy a great meal and lots of laughs. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the WLPOA, the organizers, the decorators, the volunteers, and all those who contributed prizes and food. (The venison meatballs were my personal favourite.) 

As this is the last post of the year, we at the Darling White Lake Centre wish you and yours the very best of the holiday season. Merry Christmas!

We are not alone

While this blog is specifically related to the Darling White Lake Centre, it is not the only group that operates within our small community.

The earliest established local organization is the White Lake Property Owners Association. Dating back to the original Snye Road Owners in the late 1950’s the WLPOA has evolved and continues to advocate for the residents of the area. They were also instrumental in getting DWLC off the ground, assisting with early days fundraising and working with the Township to advance the project. No longer directly involved with the Centre the WLPOA continues to be one of our strongest supporters.

After the closure of the Snye Road fire hall, a local group saw the potential value in using the now-vacant building as a sports venue, specifically for a pickleball court.  After a lot of work by volunteers the White Lake Sports Centre came into being in 2023 and pickleball became the local sport of choice for residents who wished to maintain an active lifestyle without having to travel to Arnprior or Ottawa. Badminton is also available if desired.

Most recently, a 3rd group was established, the Highlands North Network. This organization acts as a resource hub supporting the Lanark Highlands community centres located north of Lanark Village. This support includes coordinated access to funding sources, including provincial and county grants, information sharing between centres, and the creation and promotion of events and activities that benefit the community as a whole.

We are certainly well-served by the volunteers who run these groups and who, collectively, make the Darling White Lake area a true community. Please give them your support.

I have been somewhat remiss in maintaining this blog since the last post in August. Rest assured, the doors have not been closed; in fact there’s been lots of activity at the Centre since then.

The Labor Day weekend saw a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Centre opening its doors for the first time in 2014. Hosted in conjunction with the White Lake Property Owners, approximately 40 people came out for a delicious feed of fresh corn and BBQ hamburgers and hot dogs.

September also saw the annual fall clean-up at the Centre. Outdoors, the property was cleared of dead trees, and inside, a dedicated crew brought the building back to its normal spic-and-span condition.

In October, the Centre hosted the Ottawa Heart Institute for a Valvular Heart Screening clinic. 37 individuals from the community took advantage of this free, potentially life-saving, clinic, part of the Ottawa Heart Institutes outreach program. (For a recent Ottawa Citizen story, click here. (https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawas-heart-institute-is-going-mobile-to-catch-heart-disease)

Yoga, Knitter-knatter, and Darts have all started up again for the winter. These are among the most popular activities (along with year-round Coffee Hub) that local residents host at the Centre for their friends and neighbours in the community.

You might also have noted that the banner for this blog (just below the photo) now includes a link to an aerial video shot of the Centre and surrounding environment. This video is part of a series undertaken by Highlands North Network to document all the centres within its purview.

So, in closing, a heartfelt thank you goes out to all those volunteers who keep the Centre operating as a valued social hub for the community; it’s a great place to spend a few winter-weary hours with your neighbours, participating in various recreational activities.

And if you have any suggestions for other activities that would be of interest, please reach out to us at darlingwhitelakecentre@gmail.com and we will be pleased to help you get up and running.

Good samaritans

With the closing of the Snye Road fire station, a local group, headed up by Dan White and Matt Moffitt, have been busy trying to become established as a resource available to assist in medical emergencies while awaiting paramedic/ambulance services from outside the immediate area.

An obvious requirement for anyone participating is they be well trained in basic first aid.

To that end, the Darling White Lake Centre has been made available as a training venue for the group, the first sessions of which were recently successfully held.

The following is a note received from the organizers, as well as some photos from the sessions. 

Thanks to all the participants for their commitment to the health and safety of area residents.

Good Afternoon,

I hope this message finds you well.

I wanted to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Darling White Lake Community Center’s volunteers and committee members for allowing us to use your facility for our CPR and AED training sessions. Your support was instrumental in making these sessions a great success.

We were thrilled to be able to certify 25 individuals during the two training sessions. The positive feedback we received was overwhelmingly favorable. Several participants who had never visited the community center before were particularly impressed by how clean, well-kept, and organized the facility is.

Thank you once again for your generosity and support. We truly appreciate it and look forward to future opportunities to work together.

Sincerely ,

Matt , Dan

 

Strawberry Social - message from the organizer

Thank you to everyone who came out to the DWLC to enjoy a delicious strawberry social Saturday! 

Although the weather didn’t cooperate, 65 of you braved the rain to come and have dessert and spend time with friends and neighbours.

A HUGE thank you to all of the volunteers on Friday/Saturday!

It takes a dedicated team to successfully run an event, and each of you excelled in your roles!  Thank you for your outstanding efforts and collaboration.

Jacqueline Cairns

Live 'n Learn - The Castleton Massacre

On May 30, The Castleton Massacre - Survivors’ Stories of the Killins Femicide was presented by authors Sharon Cook and Margaret Carson, the only female survivor of the massacre. 

What started as a trip to Newfoundland began a 2 year process of writing this book. The authors were encouraged by Sharon’s son and daughter-in-law (Tim and Sarah Cook) to write the book so that they could still capture the oral histories before people had passed away. The book was a top 100 non-fiction choice by the Globe and Mail 2022, Finalist for Crime Writers in Canada 2023, and the winner of the Alison Prentice Ontario Historical Society for the best book on women’s history 2023. 

More than 30 attendees were captivated for over 2 hours during the presentation and the question and answer session. We are also pleased to announce that the event generated proceeds of $450 which is being donated to the Lanark County Interval House. A number of smaller items were collected as well.

At DWLC we enjoy good community support for our events, which sometimes allows us to make donations to important, and necessary, local charities. For example, over the past few years (except during COVID) we have been able to contribute more than $2500 to charities that serve our community, including Interval House, local hospices, and other worthy endeavours. So, in a very direct way, your support of Centre activities and events can have far-reaching impacts in addition to being just plain fun to participate in and enjoy.

So, on behalf of all those charities, past, present, and future, thank you for your continuing support.

But back to this event, a huge Thank You to Karen Cairns and her team for organizing and hosting, and especially to Margaret and Sharon for taking the time to share their story with us.

 Sharon Cook (l) and  Margaret Carson (r)

The Castleton Massacre - May 30 Live 'n Learn

 “Robert Killins, 56 and a former and arguably failed United Church minister, went on a bloody, hours-long femicide rampage in the small village of Castleton, just west of Belleville, that night, systematically stalking, hunting and murdering his estranged pregnant wife, Florence; his 19-year-old daughter, Pearl Campbell, who herself was nine months pregnant; his older sister, artist Gladys Killins, 60, and her dog, Taffy; and six-year-old Patsy, Florence’s daughter with a different partner.”

The above quote is from a 2022 article in the Ottawa Citizen (here) reviewing a recently published book on the 1963 murders, The Castleton Massacre:  Survivors Stories of the Killins Femicide. The authors, one of whom, Margaret Carson, is a survivor of the tragedy, will be presenting at a Live 'n Learn session at the Darling White Lake Centre on May 30 at 12 PM.

The event will consist of a light lunch at 12:00 followed by the presentation/discussion. As we expect a larger than normal turnout, please RSVP to darlingwhitelakecentre@gmail.com no later than May 27 to reserve a seat.

The cost will be $10 and all proceeds from this event will be going to Lanark County Interval House. If you wish to make an additional donation you will be able to do so at the event or via this link. (Use the link if you want a tax receipt, available for any donation over $15.) In lieu of cash, there is also an urgent need for small items for use by shelter residents. A list of those is available here and a donation box for any such items will be available at the event.

We hope to see you at the Centre on May 30 for this very important and informative presentation.

Live 'n Learn - 911 presentation

Today, a group of 20 or so White Lakers convened at the DWLC for our latest Live 'n Learn session.

After a delicious lunch (shout out to all who prepared and served up the meal) Jacqueline Cairns took centre stage to tell us about her life as a 911 call taker/dispatcher with the Ottawa Police Service.

Her passion for the job, even after a 33-year career, was obvious to those who attended. She shared many personal stories, along with a very detailed description of the processes that come into play once a 911 call is initiated. She ably described the job, its stresses, and the characteristics of a good call taker/dispatcher (being a type "A" personality is a good start).

It's fair to say that the audience left the session with a much better understanding of what happens behind the scenes, as well as the important functions the 911 call takers and dispatchers provide in helping to keep the public, and the attending officers, safe and secure in what are usually very stressful situations. 

Thank you Jacqueline for a most informative and interesting session.

Live 'n Learn - Behind the scenes at 911

So you place a call to 911. Then what happens?

Well, our very own Jacqueline Cairns will tell us all about it on April 18.

Jacqueline will share her experience and insights gained over her 33 years working on the front lines as a civilian member with first the Nepean Police and later the Ottawa Police Service. Although the focus of her presentation will be based on the many years she worked in Dispatch/911, Jacqueline also spent several years in Drugs and Intelligence, and another few years in Sexual Assault and Child Abuse.

Lunch will be served at 12 noon, to be followed by what will be a most interesting presentation. See flyer for details.

Sure signs of spring

Living in the country there are a number of indicators that spring has sprung, as the old ditty goes. Of course there's the first robin, the ice pulling away from the shore,  and dismounting the snowblower from the tractor. Sadly, there's also the emergence of beer cans, Timmy's cups, and other detritus deposited in our ditches by the more inconsiderate who share our roads. 

But there's always a group of responsible volunteers willing to pick up after these clods. The White Lake Property Owners (WLPOA) is planning an Earth Day cleanup on April 20. All the details are not yet available, but it will likely be run out of the DWLC parking lot and be followed by an appreciation BBQ. 

It's actually a fun day as pickers vie for bragging rights for the best/worst/most/ugliest trash recovered, and get to socialize with neighbours after a long winter. And free food is never a bad thing. So mark your calendars and stay tuned.

Live 'n Learn March 28 - Paul Smith

Our next Live 'n Learn session will be held on March 28, from 12:00 - 3:00 PM. Our guest speaker will be Paul Smith, who some of you may recall made a presentation to us some years ago, pre-COVID.

Paul is Adjunct Research Scientist, Conservation, Biology and Arctic Ecology from Carleton University. His particular area of study includes Arctic Terrestrial Ecosystems with the department of Environment and Climate Change Canada. Although he travels the world lecturing and teaching, he also has an interest in local initiatives such as the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust.

Paul's presentation will include an update on his previous Arctic travels as well as a discussion on local conservation issues. That will be followed by an open Q&A session.

Lunch will be served and the cost to attend is $10, the proceeds of which will go to the Centre. Please RSVP if you are planning to attend.