D ELI GHT S| DESTINATIONS
Theatre, murals and summer fun: 9 things to do By Patrick Langston
The Oeno Gallery Sculpture Garden, pictured here, is located on the Huff Estates Winery’s property in Bloomfield. It’s a changing display of 60 steel, granite and bronze sculptures, all of which are for sale.
Sexy Laundry and the Queen: COVID-19 means live theatre is still mostly a no-go in the Ottawa area. Thousand Islands Playhouse, in leafy Gananoque about an hour and a half south of Ottawa, is an exception. It has scheduled four indoor, socially distanced shows by Canadian playwrights. They include, in August, Michele Riml’s Sexy Laundry, a light but funny show about a long-married couple trying 86
to reignite their marriage. More substantial is Serving Elizabeth by Marcia Johnson (a different production of the same play is part of the Stratford Festival this summer). Opening in early October, the show shifts between 1952 Kenya and 2015 London as it delves into colonialism, monarchy and inclusion. 1000islandsplayhouse.com Where sculptures grow: The Oeno Gallery Sculpture Garden at Huff Estates Winery in Bloomfield, Prince Edward County, is the outdoor home for a changing display of 60 steel, granite and bronze sculptures in a 1.6-hectare setting of walking paths, maple and poplar groves, gardens and more. Some of the sculptures are monumental and they are all for sale. About 90 minutes west of Oeno and near Peterborough is ZimArt, where dozens of stone sculptures by Zimbabwean artists sit in a park-like setting overlooking Rice Lake and the Northumberland Hills. Like Oeno, admission is free and the sculptures
are for sale. Visitors to ZimArt can picnic on the grounds, and evening outdoor concerts are planned for this summer. zimart. ca. Bonus: Prince Edward County is home to wineries, art studios and beaches. oenogallery.com. Easy hiking in the west end: Salamanders, wildflowers, a red-tailed hawk (if you’re lucky) and gorgeous views of the Ottawa River and the Quebec shoreline beyond — Sheila McKee Park is an underappreciated gem in Dunrobin, just north of Kanata. The two kilometres of trails are an easy hike, even for youngsters, and the woods are a balm for the addled mind. And here’s an insider’s tip: The park is close to Pinhey’s Point Historic Site, a green space that rolls down to the Ottawa River and features a nearly 200-year-old manor house (now a museum) and surrounding ruins. The site is a fine spot to picnic and relax for free. The manor house has admission by donation. ottawa.ca SUMMER 2021 | JUL-AUG-SEPT
ZACHARY SHUNOCK, COURTESY OF OENO GALLERY
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o question: It’s high time to rediscover the pleasures of local travel. Many public safety restrictions remain in place, but at the time of writing, opportunities for day and overnight trips were opening up in Ontario and Quebec. Our nine suggestions emphasize the outdoors (it is summer, after all) and even include a bit of time travel. Before setting out, remember to check on interprovincial travel regulations, masking requirements and whether the destination is open for business.
