The hallways and gymnasium of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School were full of people and vendors during the 2024 Living Locally Fair on January 20. Thompson Goddard Photo
RUSSELL – It was another fantastic turnout for the Living Locally Fair held on Jan. 20 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School in Russell. The event, which was initiated in 2009 by the Russell Horticultural Society and is now organized by St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School staff, provides visitors with the opportunity to socialize, enjoy a bite to eat and take a look at the creations from local artisans.
Vendors came from Prescott-Russell, Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry as well as Ottawa-Carleton, providing visitors with a wide selection of goods to peruse. People were able to speak with members of several local organizations, learn about growing native plants in their gardens, choose a tasty treat to enjoy, and purchase personal care products and clothes as well as items from several different crafters.
“It’s exciting to see the interest!” commented Matt Spence, one of the organizers and Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) teacher at the school. He noted how there were close to 120 vendors at the event, mentioning this was up from last year and more than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carolyn Thompson Goddard, grew up in Chesterville and attended North Dundas District High School. After completing her BA in Political Science at Carleton University she has worked as a medical secretary and library technician. In 2020 she graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Journalism and has been a reporter and column writer for The Chesterville Record for over 10 years.
