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Salamanders Annual New Year’s Eve Celebration
For the past eight wonderful years, Salamanders has held its traditional New Year’s Eve Celebration, ushering out the old and bringing in the new. And every year, we seem to do a little bit extra. This year is no exception. Liane and her team have put together a tasty and entertaining package for you. First, there are a couple of seasonal drinks you may wish to try: our Peppermint Mocha White Russian and savour our special Christmas Cookie. These are designed to set up your taste buds for some classic appetizers, such as our very own Cajun Shrimp Dip, or our Sun-Dried Tomato Parmesan Spring rolls or some Coconut Shrimp.…
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Not one, but TWO birthdays on July 1st
As Canada approaches it’s 150th birthday, did you know that Kemptville will be celebrating it’s 161st? Queen Victoria signed “The Act to Incorporate the Village of Kemptville” on July 1, 1856, to take effect on January 1, 1857. I could go on, but the good people of North Grenville have constructed a fantastic history of our town and can be found here. What also can’t be missed, are the historic walking tours of our communities. Take a look and see how many buildings you recognize today. We, at Salamanders of Kemptville, wish you a wonderful Canada Day. Drop by and say hello if you do your own walking tour…
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Getting Ready…
We are all privileged, in a very real sense. First, we are Canadians; second, we have a chance of a life-time to celebrate a very special birthday, Canada’s 150th. When you consider what other people are going through across the world, we in Canada have a great deal to be thankful for. One of the first things we hear from refugees who find a new home in Canada is how secure they feel compared to how they felt back in their own countries, often in turmoil. So, let’s take the time to celebrate! But not only celebrate – we need to also appreciate. When we sit down as families and…
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Portrait of an Artist – Gertrude Cecilia Thibert, 1904-2005
“The Thibert family was pleased to present the art of Gertrude Thibert at Salamanders of Kemptville on 27 and 28 May, 2017. “Gertrude was born the oldest of then children, on the River Road farm to Timothy and Mary McGahey of South Gower Township, Ontario in 1904. As a young woman she obtained her teaching diploma in North Bay as she was too young to attend University. Gertrude was a founding teacher and the first principal of Holy Cross Separate School in Kemptville, Ontario. The school started out as a four room school house in September 1961. Alongside her were the sister-in-law Theresa McGahey and her friend Mary Beach. She…
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Weddings, we’ve got weddings…
When the cold winds of winter and the icy rain of April finally leave our area, a young man’s – and a young woman’s – fancy turns to love. And so, they make it official and they wed… Weddings are time for a great deal of preparation, a few short days of hectic activity and celebration and a couple of weeks of a honeymoon trip, very often in some exotic place. Some weddings are more sedate and concentrate on the spiritual side of the event; others are more raucous and involve much drinking, music, dancing and laughter. One thing is certain, every wedding is a one-off day of happiness and…
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Multi-Culturalism and Great Food in Louisiana
Being of Acadian descent, our family is very interested in all things related to our ancestry and our people. I’m sure you remember reading that the Acadians were folks who came over from France and settled in what is now known as Nova Scotia, in the general vicinity of the Gaspereau Valley. They were kicked out in 1755 by the British who demanded that the population swear allegiance to the English King. The Acadians refused; but, then again, they also had refused to swear allegiance to the French King. So, as made famous in Evangeline, a Tale of Acadie by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the Acadians were deported from their homes.…
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We love kids…
One of the great joys of the Salamanders team is the kids…We think that it’s the quiet atmosphere of our home away from home that has kids enjoying our surroundings. We have no televisions and our music is soft, so folks are able to enjoy quiet conversation that includes the young ‘uns. Ok, so once and a while a wee one will act out but most of the time, we are blessed with children who sit and enjoy our food along with their parents and grandparents. It’s not that we believe that “well-behaved” kids should act like smaller adults: frankly, folks, we have had more adults acting out than their…
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Lights Out at Salamanders
The idea of a large scale switch off was coined and developed in 2006 as an initiative in Australia to engage the public on the issue of climate change. Originally called “The Big Flick,” the very first Earth Hour was March 31, 2007 at 7:30 pm, local time. In October of that year, San Francisco, California followed suit. 2008 was the first year that Earth Hour was held internationally. Earth Hour 2008 was celebrated on all seven continents. Landmarks all around the world turned off their non-essential lighting for Earth Hour, including: – Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia); – Empire State Building (New York City); – Sears Tower (now Willis…
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St. Patrick’s Day, Part Two
Seeing as tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, we thought you might like some fun facts about the day. We could be wearing blue instead of green. His colour was “Saint Patrick’s blue,” which was a pale shade. Green began being associated with St. Patrick because he used the shamrock to explain the Trinity to pagans. Its popularity was bolstered by the Irish independence movement in the late 18th century. St. Patrick’s Day parades did not originate in Ireland. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was in Boston, Mass on March 18, 1737, followed by the New York parade, which first took place in 1762. The first parade in Ireland was…
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The Feast of St. Patrick
St. Patrick’s Day or “the day of the Festival of Patrick” is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional date of Saint Patrick. St. Paddy is, of course, the patron saint of Ireland since about the 5th Century (a real old guy). Now it has come to pass that St. Patrick’s Day has developed a number of symbols over the years: * There is the traditional Wearing of the Green on that day (you know, as per The Emerald Isle); * There is the Celtic Cross (check the movie Gangs of New York for a rather violent explanation); * Leprechauns, rainbows and pots of gold at…
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Salamanders of Kemptville | Cajun Restaurant