Saturday Cafe
2026-01-10 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-17 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Toronto)
Come in from the cold and enjoy a warm Saturday at MERA
Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate and fun conversations (free)
Homemade soup $5
Baked goods $2
Donations and volunteers are more than welcome!
Let you kids create at the Children’s Art Table!

Art Installation
2026-01-11 11:00 - 13:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners

Open Artists Studio
2026-01-12 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-19 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-26 10:00 - 14:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
MERA members are welcome to come to the MERA schoolhouse on Mondays for the Open Artists Studio. Bring your own work, and enjoy the light and the warmth during the fall, winter and spring seasons. The MERA room beside the kitchen can hold up to 7 people comfortably. We’ll begin with a drop in, so come for all or a part of the time slot.
Mondays, 10-2, excluding statutory holidays.
Starting Oct 20, 2025
contacts:
Sandy McNulty sandymcnulty8@gmail.com
Deb Shea debjshea@gmail.com

Intro to Pottery
2026-01-12 18:30 - 21:00, 2026-01-19 18:30 - 21:00, 2026-01-26 18:30 - 21:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
MERA’s pottery studio is always keen to welcome new potters.
The best way to join us is to enroll in our introduction to pottery class – a 6 week series of 2 ½ hour classes offering a taste of wheel work, hand building, sgraffito and glazing. The objective of the six week session is to introduce potential potters to working with clay, and to participating in a shared studio. The fee is $200 (with MERA membership). We’re ready to run two sessions this winter.
BEGINNING students on Monday evenings 6:30 to 9:00pm The 6 week session will run from January 12th through February 16th. Six spaces available. All supplies provided.
Once you fall in love with potting you can become a studio member by
1 – becoming a member of MERA, (individual or new family membership $60.00)
2 – paying the annual studio fee of $60.00,
3 – signing up for our WhatsApp chat (ask Alexis to add your address), and
4 – buying your first block of clay. We sell the clay for $35.00/bag.Clay used in the studio must be bought through the studio (the easiest way to ensure that we are all using the same clay. It makes creating glazes and firing our work less complicated). The studio fee and clay purchases give you access to the studio’s tools and equipment and cover the cost of glazes and firing.
Please reach out for more information about classes or the studio through me lyndal.neelin@gmail.com or Alexis meraschoolhouse@gmail.com.

Closed for Cleaning
2026-01-13 05:00 - 07:00, 2026-01-20 05:00 - 07:00, 2026-01-27 05:00 - 07:00

Pottery Studio
2026-01-13 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-01-20 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-01-27 13:00 - 15:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Meeting Space: Pottery Studio (basement)
Contact Person: Lyndal Neelin
We are a joyful group of potters who share space, tools and experience in the basement of the MERA schoolhouse. We are organized as a co-operative, sharing responsibility for making our studio a fun, open, supportive and safe place to enjoy creating works in clay both on and away from the wheel.
Each studio member is encouraged to participate in both individual and collective projects, to contribute to studio maintenance tasks, and to teach and learn from the other potters. MERA potters also organize learning and teaching opportunities in the form of in-house workshops and sessions led by professional potters and contribute to the Annual MERA Christmas Fair.

Pottery Studio
2026-01-14 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-01-21 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-01-28 13:00 - 15:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Meetings Space: Pottery Studio (basement)
Contact Person: Heather Vriends

MERA's Needle Pushers
2026-01-14 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-01-21 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-01-28 13:00 - 16:00
Meeting Space: MERA Room
Contact Person: Bonnie McQuatt
We welcome anyone who might have new techniques or designs to share or perhaps just has a desire to try something new.
Most of the fun of quilting is being with the people we quilt with. Newcomers learn by doing. If you would like to try quilting with us we will share our supplies with you until you figure out if quilting is your thing or not. The requirements for quilting are minimal. Those who have a portable sewing machine, rotary cutter and mat will bring that equipment when we are starting a quilt and we work together cutting out the pattern and assembling the quilt. Once the hand quilting begins each person needs their own thimble, scissors and quilting needles.

Heritage Weavers
2026-01-15 09:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-22 09:00 - 14:00
Meeting Place: Dean Hall
Contact Person: Lise Loader
This collective has expanded significantly from a core group over the last few years.
The weavers gather to plan and work on projects and are available to share ideas, advice and enthusiasm with each other and newer weavers. It’s an apprentice-like learn-as-you-go environment suited to those who have taken an introduction to weaving weekend workshop at a guild.
We have 7 looms of various sizes and styles at MERA. Some of these looms are set up with extra-long warps which become cooperative projects that various members work on when they can.
As with all groups at the Schoolhouse, you must have a MERA membership to become a regular member of the MERA Heritage Weavers.

Art Circle
2026-01-16 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-01-23 10:00 - 12:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Join us and learn from and be inspired by what others in the group are working on. There is plenty of time to work on your own piece and also trade ideas and techniques with others in a casual way.

Recorder Consort
2026-01-16 13:00 - 14:15, 2026-01-23 13:00 - 14:15 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
The MERA Recorder Consort is an ongoing, flexible group of players. We meet regularly, playing intermediate level music in 2-5 parts, soprano, alto, tenor and bass. We play for our own enjoyment, and we sometimes play for a MERA event such as the Wassail.
If you already read music and play the recorder, we would love you to join this group of enthusiastic amateur players, with teacher Helen Mogford providing guidance and music. We have a 75 minute class most Fridays.

Meet the Artists at MERA: Woodworking
2026-01-17 12:00 - 14:00
Meet the Artists at MERA January 17th:
Timothy Booth, Barry Russell, Keith Johnson and Gloria Shoebridge
MERA welcomes lovers of wood design and craftsmanship to “Wood Creations” a unique exhibit by MERA members. We invite you to the show opening at our Meet the Artist Event in Dean Hall, Sunday January 17th from 12 pm to 2 pm. This exhibit features the functional, handcrafted pieces by Timothy Booth, Barry Russell, Keith Johnson and Gloria Shoebridge.
Tim Booth is deeply dedicated to the arts and the environment, and his love of nature is expressed in his woodworking process. He believes the wood should speak for itself. He is passionate about using local natural and reclaimed materials in his works. Tim’s adept designs and choice of wood selections create aesthetically pleasing and durable furniture and crafts.
Barry Russell is a retired teacher who took up woodworking over 10 years ago. He started with refinishing and repurposing antique furniture. Then he became interested in using slabwood and mill rejected wood that often has character because of the defects. He likes to work with material that is locally sourced and tries to create unique pieces.
Keith Johnson became interested in woodworking in his late 20’s. He spent 35 years building kitchens, custom cabinets and fireplace mantels in his shop in McDonalds Corners. In retirement he has taken up woodturning. He is particularly interested in figured woods such as burls and spalted wood. All of his bowls are from the forests of Lanark County.
Gloria Lee-Shoebridge began her life in the beautiful river valley in Saskatchewan. Her art practice is like a meditation and her work focuses on the energy that nature provides for her artistic inspiration, using acrylic, water colour and mixed media. Her work in this exhibit showcases found pieces of wood she has used to create sculptures. She calls her collection ‘About Hope’.
You can view the exhibit for the entire month January. In fact, why not swing by during MERA’s Saturday Café from 10 am to 2 pm? To arrange to see the exhibition at times other than this, please contact Tim Booth at timothybooth9@gmail.com.

Book Club
2026-01-20 19:00 - 21:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Meetings are usually held the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 7pm to 9pm. We are a friendly, respectful, no rules book club.
Each month one person will facilitate a discussion about the book chosen for that month. Discussions are always informative and lively. New members are welcome. If you see a book that peaks your interest and would like to join us for an evening’s discussion we also welcome drop-ins.
You can join us by contacting Jean Dunning at 613-259-2636 or email here.
MERA Bookclub Reads 2025 – 2026
September There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
October James by Percival Evertt
November Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery
December Project Hail by Mary Andy Weir
January Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
February The Troublesome Young Men by Lynne Olson
March Women Watching by Marilyn Simonds
April The Women by Kirsten Hannah
May The 100 Foot Journey by Richard Morris
June Choose next year’s reads

Saturday Cafe
2026-01-24 10:00 - 14:00
Come in from the cold and enjoy a warm Saturday at MERA
Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate and fun conversations (free)
Homemade soup
Baked goods
Donations and volunteers are more than welcome!
Art Show in Dean Hall by the MERA Art Circle
Let you kids create at the Children’s Art Table!
