The Cobden Legion is the place to be Saturday night for those who used to hang out at The VP Roadhouse Restaurant.
The Roadhouse was owned by Dorothy Edwards and Dennis Blaedow was the first bartender, a position he held for 10 years.
Mr. Blaedow said last year a former group of patrons began talking about organizing a reunion for those who spent many hours at the Roadhouse. Why?
“All of those folks had a good time when they were at the Roadhouse,” he said.
The Roadhouse was located at the corner of Cowley and Pembroke streets. The building is still there and has gone through a few name changes. When it was the VP Roadhouse and Restaurant, there was a restaurant downstairs and a bar upstairs.
“It was a like a coffee shop, a café, downstairs,” he said. “We served special dinners, like a gourmet meal.”
For this area, there was a unique menu, with cabbage rolls and perogies, a great white north sandwich, which was bacon fried in beer and butter and panzerotties.
“You have to remember, it was the era of Bob and Dog McKenzie,” Mr. Blaedow said with a laugh.
The Roadhouse was also known for serving up the first panzerotties, which is like a small pizza folded over and the edges pinched together and deep fried, he explained.
“I believe we were the first ones in North America to serve panzerotti,” he said. “We served it in 1981.”
But food wasn’t the only first at this Cobden business.
“We were one of the first places to have a satellite and big screen tv in the Ottawa Valley,” Mr. Blaedow said. “It was 58 inches and unique at the time.”
Many area musicians played in the bar, he said, including Terry McLeish and Grant Tomkinson.
“I hope if Terry isn’t playing anywhere Saturday night he shows up,” Mr. Blaedow said.
Mr. Tomkinson and his band the Rockefellers are providing the music Saturday night starting at nine in the Legion.
Mr. Blaedow encourages all those who remember spending time at the VP Roadhouse to make plans to attend Saturday night. There will be opportunity to reminisce from 7 to 9 p.m., which is before the music begins. Once the music begins, the chance to reminisce will only happen between sets, because, people in this area, listen to the musicians performing, he said.
“We had a reputation for being a good place to play,” he said. “People listened to the musicians. We had a huge array of musicians from up and down the Ottawa Valley.”
Mr. Blaedow said the reunion is growing by leaps and bounds.
“It’s going to be bigger than I thought it was going to be,” he said.” I’ve heard of people who are coming from as far away as Pennsylvania.”
Mr. Blaedow said the VP was the place to be in the 1980s.
“It used to be the place for several different crews to hang out,” he said. “There were the hockey and ball teams, the guys who hung out who weren’t working and on weekends, it was always packed because we had live music.”
While there isn’t much planned for the Saturday night event, other than reminiscing and the music, Mr. Blaedow is hopeful of providing a video of the past and possibly a scrapbook of photos.
If anyone is interested in looking at old photos, he suggested they check out the facebook page, The VP Roadhouse Reunion.
The event is Saturday, Jan. 24, downstairs at the Cobden Legion, starting at 7 p.m. The music is expected to start about 9 p.m.
Death Cafe
A Death Café is this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Whitewater Bromley Community Health Centre in Cobden.
The Death Café is a place where people can talk about all aspects of death, whether it be how a person wants to die or how it’s a celebration of life, hostess Julie Keon said. There is no direction given at the café, she said.
Ms. Keon is hopeful this café will help those who have issues dealing with death, whether it be anxious, worried, or nervous just talking about it.
A Life Celebrant, Ms. Keon said she has always been comfortable about and being around death.
“I’m surprised people are not comfortable with the fact they are going to die,” she said.
Ms. Keon knows there are people who aren’t living as well as they could be because they are afraid of dying or they think they have forever to do the things they want to do.
She realizes a Death Café is new and different to Renfrew County, but she wants people to realize it’s okay to talk about death.
Ms. Keon noted at most Death Cafe’s there is tea, coffee and cake, which she will provide.
The Death Café is at the Whitewater Bromley Community Health Centre in Cobden from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Jan. 24.
The event is free, but donations will be accepted to cover the rental of the space. There is no pre-registration.
“If you are intrigued by the concept of a death cafe, then come,” Ms. Keon said.
Saturday, Jan. 24
Whitewater Historical Society annual general meeting, 1:30 p.m, Foresters Falls Fire Hall.
Cobden Firefighters 4th Annual Trivia Night. Registration at 7:30 p.m., fun begins at 8. Cobden Legion. $60 per table, maximum of six players. Call John Cull, 613-646-7876 or email Graham Smith, [email protected] Collecting for the Cobden FoodBank.
Sunday, Jan. 25
Gospel Meeting at Whitewater Gospel Hall (former Perretton Church building), 7:30 p.m. Everyone welcome. For more info www.heaven4sure.com or call Murray 613-582-7127 or James 613-582-3564
Wednesday, Jan. 28
Cobden Agricultural Society annual general meeting, 8 p.m. at the agricultural hall. Everyone welcome.
