Friends of Murphys Point Park

And the Winning Name Is….

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Friends of Murphys Point

Well, folks, the results are in and the donations have been tallied. The winning name of this season’s Name-the-Ratsnake contest is MICA! A round of applause to all park visitors who donated! Thanks to you, our 6.5 foot-long captive male Gray Ratsnake now has a name, and nearly $270 will go towards ratsnake conservation, monitoring, and education efforts in the park!

Photo by Alida Lemieux

Be sure to visit Mica in the Visitor Centre when the park opens again next season. He has been educating and delighting park visitors for years.

The contest ran all summer with the name that accumulated the most money awarded to the snake. Other names on the shortlist included Sleepy John (apparently a common name for Black Ratsnakes in the South); Gabe (after ratsnake scientist Gabriel Blouin-Demers – who is also in the Friends’ ratsnake video) and Murph (since Murphys Point is one of the last protected areas for ratsnakes in Ontario).

Posted in flora and fauna, Gray Ratsnake, Murphys Point, Murphys Point Provincial Park, visitors centre | Tagged Friends of Murphys Point Park, gray ratsnake, Murphys Point, Murphys Point Provincial Park | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving Dinner is SOLD OUT!

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Friends of Murphys Point

The Thanksgiving dinner/theatre event of the Heritage Mica Festival is SOLD OUT. We appreciate all the interest in our festival and look forward to seeing you next year. If would like to receive advance notice of upcoming events, please contact us at eventsmurphys@ripnet.com and give us your name and e-mail address. We never share or trade e-mail contact lists and all correspondence is sent in confidence.

Posted in Heritage, Heritage Mica Festival, Lally, Lally Homestead, Mica Festival, mica mine, Murphys Point, Murphys Point events, Murphys Point Provincial Park, Seven Wonders of Lanark County, Silver Queen Mine, Uncategorized | Tagged Friends of Murphys Point Park, Heritage Mica Festival, heritage music, Lally Homestead, Mica Festival, mica mine, Murphys Point, Murphys Point Provincial Park, pioneer homesteads, silver queen, Silver Queen Mine, tay valley township | Leave a comment

Celebrate Thanksgiving at Murphys Point!

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Friends of Murphys Point

Good news! It’s not too late to get in on the Thanksgiving dinner action at Murphys Point! There are still some tickets available for the world premiere of “Dave Lally Cooks a Turkey”- A Heritage Walk Mine Tour and Thanksgiving Dinner in the Miners’ Bunkhouse on Saturday, Oct. 6.

Costumed characters from our heritage will greet you along the way with stories of the early days of the people involved in mica mining. The evening starts from the old barn foundation at the Lally Homestead and proceeds along the trail to the Silver Queen Mine and the miners’ bunkhouse. The light from mica lanterns will light up the bunkhouse as you enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner typical of the early 1900s. Itinerant musicians provide entertainment and the actors will join you at dinner.

Enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at the bunkhouse! (Jane Irwin photo)

The cost of this event is $55 per person, which includes the mini outdoor theatre pieces, a tour of the mine, dinner and music as well as all taxes and park permit fees. For more information or to order advance tickets contact us at eventsmurphys@ripnet.com or call 613-267-5340.

We hope to see you there! Gobble gobble gobble!