ORLÉANS OUTDOOR MARKET from 12 noon to 6 p.m. in the Ray Frield Centre parking lot on Tenth Line Road. Come meet local vendors and artians from across the east end.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK – A Company of Fools presents a Torchlight Shakespeare production of Romeo and Juliet in Longleaf Park at 7 p.m. Pay what you can.

CUMBERLAND FARMERS MARKET from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the R. J. Kennedy Community Centre 1115 Dunning Road in Cumberlans Village. The Cumberland Farmers’ Market features a variety of localy produced vegetables, seasonal fruits and specialty foods.

THE NAVAN FAIR will take place from Thursday, Aug. 10 to Sunday, Aug. 13. Highlights the Demolition Derby. livestock shows, and Canadian rockers Honeymoon Suite who will be performing on Aug. 11. Visit www.navanfair.com.

A group of Rotarians from Russia have been on an exchange visit to Canada for the past week that included stops in Ottawa, Cornwall, Montreal and Kingston.

While in the National Capital, the Russian Rotarians were hosted by members of the Rotary Club of Orléans who took them on a tour of a number of local attractions including the Museum of History, the National Gallery and Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm.

Rotarians from Russia and Orléans gather for a group picture during the National Capital portion of the Russia Rotarians exchange visit to Canada this week. Fred Sherwin/Photo

Both groups gathered for a potluck supper at Julia Ginley's house on Saturday, April 20. The trip was co-organized by Friendship Exchange Chair, Fay Campbell, who is among four local Rotarians who will be traveling to Russia in June.

While in Canada the Russian contingent will be billetted by their fellow Rotarians in Ottawa, Montreal, Cornwall and Kingston who are all part of Rotary District 2220.

Campbell hosted Marina Baisheva and her daughter Anna, who doubled as the group's interpreter

"It's been wonderful. We hit it off right away. They are already like my sister and my niece," says Campbell.

The feelings go both ways as Anna and her mother seem to have met a kindred spirit in Campbell.

"Before we left Russia we were expecting to meet a lot of nice fellow Rotarians here in Canada and we've been very fortunate to meet Fay and to stay in her home. She and my mother have a lot in common," says Anna whose favourite part about her visit so far was tasting pure maple syrup for the first time at Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm.

For her part, Campbell is already looking forward to visiting Russia in June. Tops on her list of things to do is visiting the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow and going to the ballet. "After that they can take me any place they want," laughs Campbell.

After their stay in Ottawa, the Russian Rotarians traveled to Cornwall on Monday where they visited the Mohawk Cultural Centre on Tuesday before moving on to Montreal where they have spent the last two days visiting Notre Dame Basilica, the Old Port, Mount Royal, Saint Joseph's Oratory, and the Botanical Garden.

The last leg of the trip will take them to Kingston and Niagara Falls before returning to Toronto for their flight home on Monday.

(This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.)