Maxville, located in North Glengarry, Ontario has emotional significance for people of Scottish descent. It is a surviving concentration of the old “Scottishness” of its roots which is the Inverness-shire area of Scotland. North Glengarry was originally settled in 1792 as part of the historic Glengarry County in which many Scottish emigrants settled from all over the Scottish Highlands due to the Highland Clearances. Canadian Gaelic / Scottish Gaelic has been a spoken language in the area since its settlement. Maxville itself got its name from the many “Macs” of its Highland Scottish neighbourhood. The Glengarry Highland Games, held annually in Maxville since 1948, are among the more successful of their kind.

Patricia Archambault, a resident of Parisien Manor, is originally from Maxville, Ontario. One day, as she sang some Scottish songs at the home in Cornwall, Ontario, she mentioned very casually how much she would like to see her hometown again. Upon hearing this the staff acted quickly to bring her dream to life.

A limousine was arranged to escort Patricia and her daughter Pam on a scenic drive from Cornwall to Maxville. Patricia enjoyed taking in the gorgeous fall colours during the drive. Once in Maxville, she was able to see familiar sites on the Main Street as well as stop by a popular lunch spot called Muir’s Bakery.

The Director of Care of Parisien Manor, Johanne Wensink (a resident of Maxville) and a Ward Councillor for the town arranged for Patricia to receive a gift from a local merchant which displayed the symbolic flower of Glengarry as well as a dainty embroidered angel ornament.

Overall, Patricia and her daughter Pam were very happy to have the opportunity of sight seeing in the town of Maxville together. The trip allowed Patricia to go back in time to a place she once called home…a place that has fond memories for her and a place that will always have a special place in her heart.