Societies in Ontario
Madawaska Valley Gardening Club
District 2
Now known as the Madawaska Valley Gardening Club, the first general meeting for the Madawaska Valley Horticultural Society was held in Combermere, Ontario on February 15, 1990.
· On August 22, 1990 the Honourable Davis Ramsey, Minister of Agriculture and Food, approved the incorporation of the Madawaska Valley Horticultural Society under the Agricultural and Horticultural Act.
· On September 15, 1990, Barbara Commandant, Charter President, received our Charter certificate.
· Our society's flower is lily-of-the-valley.
· We are a member of the Ontario Horticultural Association, created in 1906. The objective of the OHA is the advancement of all horticulture through the use of 19 individual districts throughout Ontario. We, as a society, are in District 2 and receive from OHA their quarterly newsletter, awards structure, and an opportunity to attend their annual convention. The OHA newsletters are printed in co-operation with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture.
On January 17, 2019, our membership voted to adopt a second name, the Madawaska Valley Gardening Club, while retaining our original charter name for legal purposes.
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Opeongo Seniors Centre
19 Stafford Street
Barry's Bay. Ontario K0J 1B0
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Our annual membership fee is only $15.
| Title | First/Last Name | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Maryjka Mychajlowycz | ||
| Past President | Colina Taylor | ||
| 1st Vice President | Colina Taylor | ||
| 2nd Vice President | Ritsuko Honda | ||
| Treasurer | Liz Woosey | ||
| Secretary | Cheryl Lalonde | ||
| Web Administrator | Shirley Hill |
Check our Upcoming Events calendar below for 2026. If we need to change the schedule due to provincial requirements we will email all members.
Our meetings will be held at 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month with a coffee and tea time social starting at 7:00pm (except for our July BBQ and December). Bring your monthly competition exhibits. Bring your enthusiasm. And please bring your indoor footwear when the weather is wet!
Becoming a member of the Madawaska Valley Gardening Club costs just $15 a year, and lets you participate not just in the meetings but also in all of our competitions, auctions, plant sales, barbeques and pot-lucks. You'll never find a better deal than this for having fun while learning tons.
To join, just bring your $15 to our next monthly meeting. Hope to see you there!
| Event Name | Date/Time | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual General Meeting | 15 Jan 2026, 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Information will be sent to members. |
| Gardening Trivia | 15 Jan 2026, 8:00 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Jacques Bourbeau will be our gardening trivia host. |
| House Plant Exchange | 19 February 2026, 7 - 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Bring a houseplant, take a houseplant! Please make sure all plants are healthy, and transport them in a covered container or bag to protect from the cold. Be prepared to take home unclaimed plants. |
| Bee Informed! | 19 February 2026, 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | A panel of local beekeepers shares their experience. |
| Garden Bugs Good and Bad | 19 March 2026, 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Presented by Basil Conlin of Haliburton Micromeadows. |
| Planning a Healing Garden | 16 April 2026, 7.30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Lisa Murray, local Naturopathic Doctor will offer hands on practical information. |
| Combermere Plant Sale | 16 May 2026, 9.00 am to noon | Combermere Craft Cabin Frontyard | Compost for sale $5.00 a bag. Donated by BEI. |
| Monarch Butterflies | 21 May 2026, 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Presented by Karen Hanlon. This event would be a great opportunity for students and young gardeners to attend. |
| Strawberry Social | 18 June 2026, 6:30 to 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Tickets are $5.00 each. |
| Strawberry Social Panel | 18 June 2026, 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Supporting our local producers at Farmers' Markets. |
| Garden Tour | 12 July 2026, 10 am - 4 pm. | Outdoors, various locations | Tour guides and maps are $5.00 per person. |
| Garden BBQ and Auction | 16 July 2026, 5:00pm | TBA | Location to be announced at the Strawberry Social. |
| TBA | 20 August 2026, 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | TBA |
| Flower and Vegetable Show | 22 August 2026 | Royal Canadian Legion, Barry's Bay | Placement 8 -10 am. Judging 10 am - noon. Public viewing 1 - 3 pm. |
| Inez Boehme Dessert Tea | 22 August 2026, 1-3 pm. | Royal Canadian Legion, Barry's Bay | Open 1 - 3 pm. Proceeds from the tea used for bursaries awarded to students pursuing post graduate studies that support ecological care of the environment. |
| Barry's Bay Plant Sale | 12 Sept 2026, 9 am - noon | Zurakowski Park, Barry's Bay | Plants can be brought in the morning of the sale. Please label and price everything. |
| Creating Beautiful Floral Arrangements from What You Have Available | 17 September 2026, 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Presented by Zoyla Grace - a hands on presentation to inspire creativity and practical adaptation. |
| Seed Exchange | 16 October 2026, 7 - 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Please bring your seeds to share, in small labeled packets. |
| Tree Pruning | 16 October 2026, 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Robbie Anderman, Ethan Anderman and Rhett Gustafson will offer a wide range of insight into trees and how to support their health through pruning. |
| Potluck Dinner | 19 November 2026, 6:00 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Please bring a food dish to share. |
| Elections | 19 November 2026, 7:00 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Please bring non-perishable donations for the Food Bank. |
| All About Tulips | 19 November 2026, 7:30 pm | Opeongo Seniors Centre | Alanna Groen-Brunsting from Green Corners Farm. |
