This week’s news you can use includes the scoop on Kingston WritersFest; a historical bus tour in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry; craft workshops in Cumberland and spooky fun in Crysler; upcoming shows at the National Gallery of Canada; and a new bus service linking Kemptville to the O-Train.
Tickets are available for historical Glengarry bus tour
Two museums and the local archives in Glengarry County are coordinating to offer the Glengarry Rambles South Lancaster to McCrimmon Bus Tour on September 20 and 21, and October 4 and 5. Led by county archivist Allan J. MacDonald, the 2.5-hour tour in Glengarry Country (east of Cornwall) will cover everything from a Rhodes scholar and an Order of Canada winner to a swamp and a “reformatory farm.” Tickets are $40 per person and if you want one, you might want to move quickly, as they usually sell out.
Kingston WritersFest is back
Good news for authors and readers: After folding earlier this year due to financial issues, Kingston WritersFest has been revived. Running from September 18 to 21, it will feature 12 onstage author events, 14 writing classes, three reader salons, literary trivia, spur-of-the-moment poetry and more. Showcased authors will include Maria Reva, Madeleine Thien, Carol Off and Merilyn Simonds. Tickets are available now.
New bus will connect Kemptville and Ottawa on weekdays
On September 15, NGtransit is launching a new bus linking North Grenville (Kemptville) to Ottawa’s Limebank O-Train station. From Monday through Friday, the bus will travel between the North Grenville Municipal Centre in Kemptville and the Limebank Station twice in each direction in the morning and twice in each direction in the evening. While the service is aimed primarily at people commuting from North Grenville to Ottawa, it will also be handy for day trippers heading from Ottawa to Kemptville who don’t want to drive. From the municipal centre, it’s about a 20-minute walk into downtown Kemptville. The fare is $5 each way for adults and $3 each way for youth aged 12 to 19. You can book your seat in advance or pay in cash (no change) when you board the bus.
Acres of Terror tickets are available
I know, it’s not even Labour Day yet! But tickets to Acres of Terror, a Halloween-themed attraction at Cannamore in Crysler, are already available. The haunted evening event runs on selected nights from September 26 to October 30, while the more child-friendly daytime version (recommended for kids aged six and up) takes place on October 18, 19, 25 and 26.
You can take a free craft workshop in Cumberland
The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum is offering three mini-workshops on September 13 and 14 for adults aged 50 and over. The beginner-level sessions will be offered separately in English and French. You can learn the basics of printmaking and bookbinding, and learn how to make a leather-bound journal. The sessions are free, but you need to register in advance.
Four new shows are coming to the National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa has announced four new exhibitions opening in fall 2025:
- The 2025 Sobey Art Award Exhibition (October 3, 2025, to February 8, 2026) features works by six Canadian contemporary visual artists who have been shortlisted for this year’s award.
- Winter Count: Embracing the Cold (November 21, 2025, to March 22, 2026) reflects on winter’s significant impact across diverse cultures and artistic expressions, via more than 150 works from the early 19th century to the present. Featured artists include Pitseolak Ashoona, Kent Monkman, Lawren Harris and Claude Monet.
- Camera and the City (December 12, 2025, to March 15, 2026) brings together the work of a wide range of photographers who have captured the spirit of city streets, including Diane Arbus, Charles Gagnon and Kwame Brathwaite.
- Sylvia Safdie: Terra (December 12, 2025, to August 23, 2026) presents the latest sculptural installation by the Moontreal-based artist and introduces previously unseen highlights from her video work.
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.
