Published online November 19, 2025, at www.pontiacjournal.com.
ARTISTS SHOWCASE DUMOINE-INSPIRED WORKS – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society–Ottawa Valley chapter (CPAWS-OV) recently wrapped up its six-week Dumoine River Art for Wilderness (DRAW) juried exhibition at La Fab sur Mill in Chelsea. DRAW, the group’s annual artists’ retreat, brings creators into the Dumoine River watershed to highlight and celebrate the region’s ecological importance.
CPAWS Executive Director John McDonnell says the program is also about connecting communities to nature by sharing the artwork beyond the river valley. Reaching new audiences, he explains, helps inspire communities to protect natural areas in their own regions while also promoting the Pontiac to artists, paddlers and hikers from Ottawa and Gatineau. More people, he adds, should discover the Pontiac’s beauty.
The DRAW artists have now opened a new exhibition at the Deep River Library in Ontario, where their work will be displayed until November 29. Additional showings are planned for 2026. – Katharine Fletcher
Photo – Friends of the Dumoine River founder and author Wally Schaber closes the Chelsea exhibition with an engaging audio-visual presentation on the human history of the Dumoine River watershed, drawing about 70 visitors. (KF)
