The fire that gutted the Douglas Trading Post last week has had reverberations throughout the Ottawa Valley, including among members of the musical community who have fond memories of playing within its venerable walls many years ago.
Local musical legend Gillan Rutz is one such person. A staple in the Valley roots music scene since the 1970s, he has seen decades of change that continue to shape the region today. It’s not just “The Diddly,” he says — it’s the very fabric of Valley communities that have supported roots music for as long as anyone can remember. Socio-economic changes, he notes, harken back to an earlier time in the area:
Two significant music venues in Pembroke closed their doors for good this past year. The Lasso shuttered on April 30, 2025, and New Year’s Day this year signalled the end of Fitzy’s Sports Bar after only three years in operation. The trend, says Rutz, points to several possible factors, including the stigma associated with drinking and driving and the sheer cost of a drink at a bar or restaurant compared with enjoying a beverage at a fraction of the cost in the safety of one’s own home. Regardless of the reasons, the bar as a social refuge is quickly becoming a thing of the past:
Rutz remembers when local hotels were gathering spots where people shared stories about goings-on in the community. These were places residents turned to for the lion’s share of local gossip and information. Much of that has now given way to online social media, where, with a few clicks of a mouse, one can get their fill of what’s happening locally. Even kids of the time would accompany their parents to these hotels, and that’s where they learned the local legends many still recall today:
In an effort to bring back the “good old days” of Valley roots music, Gillan has partnered with Dorian Pearce of Kitchissippi Productions to present an afternoon of local songs and stories on March 1 at Festival Hall.
Folks can look forward to a musical trip back into the Valley’s past that afternoon, and perhaps hear a story or two that brings back memories of better times.
Tickets are $37 each (tax included) and are available through the Festival Hall box office. The music begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 1. See you there!
(Written By: Richard Evans)
