Blog

July 2025. 

A Brush with History: Painting at Long Lake, Combermere

I set up my easel on the shore of Long Lake near Combermere, Ontario, and immediately fell in love with the scene. Golden light poured through the pines, the air smelled like sweet fern, and soft hills reflected in the water - pure plein air bliss. Somewhere nearby, kids from the Polish scout camp were rowing boats and singing, their voices floating across the lake. Painting to that soundtrack? Absolute magic.

Combermere is a small place with a big history. Back in 1854 it was “Dennison’s Bridge,” a river hub for settlers and loggers on the Madawaska. The Madawaska Chutes - ”those fierce rapids just south of town”- once carried endless log drives to market and powered the timber barons’ fortunes. 

The surrounding hills hold another story: Wilno, Canada’s oldest Polish settlement. The Kashubian Poles arrived in the 1850s, clearing land, building log homes, and keeping their culture alive. Their legacy lives on in St. Mary’s Church, the Wilno Heritage Museum, and in the joyful camp songs I heard while painting.

By the time I packed up at sunset, I felt like I’d caught more than just a landscape on canvas - I’d painted a little piece of Ontario’s history into the frame.

Below are some photos I took at Wilno's Kashubi Heritage Museum and a few painting from Long lake shores.