Fun Fact Friday #22 - Hockey Night In Canada 🏒

Port Stanley, ON Today

      Did you know that Port Stanley and the Stanley Cup are named after a father and son?

      Colonel Thomas Talbot was a major part in the distribution of land along the shores of lake Erie in early 19th century. In 1824 Talbot decided to rename a settlement after his dear friend, Lord Edward Smith Stanley. This is now known as the small beach town, Port Stanley. Lord Stanley enjoyed the area so much and would visit when he could. He eventually became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and had three children with his wife, Emma. 

2018 Stanley Cup champion, Alexander Ovechkin

      One of those three children was Fredrick Stanley. Fredrick was a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom who served as Colonial Secretary and then the sixth Governor General of Canada. He was also very interested in sports. His sons became avid ice hockey players in Canada, playing in amateur leagues in Ottawa. Finally, in 1892, he donated a treasured national icon, the Stanley Cup. This now-famous cup bears Stanley's name as tribute to his encouragement and love for sport in Canada.

Come visit the Backus-Page House Museum for more information at:
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
519-762-3072

Fun Fact Friday #21 - Hard Work Pays Off! 🔨

       Did you know that most settlers that prospered in the early 1800's were not the most proper or wealthy?

What a settlement might have
looked like in 19th century Upper Canada

      During the early 19th century, members of the British gentry believed that they would easily rise to the top of the colonial society in Canada. They thought that with their brains, manners, and education they would be at the top of the list for owning land compared to their "poor and ignorant" fellow immigrants. 

      Upon arriving in Upper Canada they found that they were completely incorrect. They lacked the essential skills and abilities required of pioneers is a hostile frontier landscape. Unlike the "poor and ignorant" settlers, the "proper" settlers did not know how to hunt, farm, build, or even handle the extreme weather conditions found in this part of the world. Most found themselves suffering with the threat of forest fires, wild animals, frostbite, and starvation.

      Canada during the 19th century was a place for hard working people to start a fresh life and prosper with the skills they had. The four founding families in the Talbot Settlement were a few of those hard working people. 

Come find out more about them at the Backus-Page House Museum:

29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON

519-762-3072

Fun Fact Friday #20 - The Little Pier That Could 🌊

      Did you know that Canadians living on the coast of Lake Erie built a pier to sell goods to the Americans across the lake during the Civil War?

What is left of the pier at Tyrconnell.

      In April of 1861 the Dunwich Pier Company was established in order complete the building of a 500 foot pier at Tyrconnell. The pier was 30 feet wide so that horses were able to turn around at the end and people would still be able to pile products, usually grain. The selling of grain bushels to the United States while the war was on created a very profitable economy for the farmers in the Tyrconnell area. The pier was considered so important that it became a possible landing spot for invaders from the U.S. 

      Unfortunately, after the war was over the pier was not used nearly as much and eventually, in 1890, became unsafe to use entirely. These days there is not much left of the old pier that used to be there, but is still an interesting story to tell locally.

Come visit the Backus-Page House Museum in Wallacetown to find out more interesting stories about the history of Elgin!
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
519-762-3072

Thank You Heritage Farm Show Contributors

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s Heritage Farm Show.

4-H Poultry Club
Ace Hardware
Pete Agar
Diana Arthur
Cathy Attridge
The Back Pages Band
Edwina Blakely
Don & Betty Ann Bobier
John & Angela Bobier
Campbell Seeds 
Joe Casey
Century Chocolates
Mark Clarke
Brad Conway
Conway Automotive
DJW Mini Backhoe Service
Dixon’s Feed Service
Amarilis Drouillard
Municipality of Dutton Dunwich and the Municipal Heritage Committee
Dunwich United Church
Dutton Foodland
Dutton Meadows Golf Course
Dutton Variety & Gas
Earl McDonald & Sons Transport
East Elgin Spinners and Weavers
Elgin County Archives
Elgin Poultry Club
Brian & Liz Elliott
Rob & Janice Ellis
Chris Ford
Ken Ford
Glenn Ford
Jessica & Olivia Foreman
Sam Foreman
Fulline Farm & Garden Equipment
Tony Gosnell
Ken Gowan
Larry & Paula Grafstein
Hair Razors
Rob & Laura Hathaway
Jim & Lois Hathaway
Mike & Ingrid Hentz
Stephanie Hounsell
Marg Hulls
Hugh & Nancy Hunter
Havanah Jackson
Martin Joldersmaa
Knight’s Home Hardware
Hailey Lunn
Mancari’s
Bruce & Lin McCann
Hugh & Joyce McFadden
Rick McFadden
Dan McKillop
Cal McMilllan
Cameron McWilliam
Melbourne Farm Automation Ltd.
Melbourne Farm Equipment
John Miller
Dennis Nash
NAPA West Lorne
New Roots Farm
Lorraine Vallee-Moczulski
Memories in Wool
Elizabeth Patterson
Todd Phibbs
Mike Price
Bob Purcell
Red Barn Accessories
Ken Reinke
Katlyn Reinstma
Brad & Joanne Reive
Edith Richardson
Sean Robinson & family
Karen Rose
Beth Russell
John Saunders
Melissa Schneider
Shannon’s Country Diner
W. D. Shaw
Don Skipper
Angie Smith
Stan’s Total Tire
Barb Summers
Talbot Trails Restaurant
Tasty Sweets Café
Thompson’s
Timber-Mart
Van Lahti’s Café & Eatery
Wallacetown Agricultural Society
Catie Welch
Dave Welch
Jim & Leta West
Dave & Joy Westelaken
West Lorne Foodland
Blanche Whiteman
volunteers, visitors, exhibitors and many more. 

Municipal Heritage Register Open House

Heritage Register and Open House

The Dutton Dunwich Heritage Committee invites you to attend a Public Open House, to be held on Wednesday, November 21st, 2018, from 4 pm to 7 pm at the Dutton Dunwich Municipal Building, in the Council Chambers to learn more about the Municipality’s Heritage Register.

Amber Mandich, Archivist Assistant from Elgin County Archives, will also be attending the Open House. She will be available to discuss the resources and services offered by Elgin County Archives for individuals interested in researching the history of their property.

Council for the Municipality of Dutton Dunwich has received the Heritage Register at their regular meeting of September 12, 2018.

The Municipality’s Heritage Register is a list of properties in the Town of Dutton Dunwich that have been identified as having cultural heritage value.

This list also includes properties which have been proposed to be designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Register is available for viewing at the following link: www.duttondunwich.on.ca

The Ontario Heritage Act, listing allows for the protection of a culturally significant building or structure from demolition.

Owners of a listed property are required to provide at least 60 days’ notice of their intention to demolish or remove any building or structure on the listed property.

No other restrictions are placed on the property as a result of being “listed” on the Heritage Register.

No legal restrictions are registered on the title of the property as a result of being included on the Town’s Heritage Register.

Property owners are still permitted to undertake site alterations such as repairs, renovations and restorations without having to apply to Council, unless it results in demolition. 

Seeking Board Members for Tyrconnell Heritage Society

Seeking Board Members for Tyrconnell Heritage Society

Tyrconnell Heritage Society is seeking volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors for 3 year terms commencing February 28, 2019. 

Interested individuals are required to be minimum of 18 years of age; pay your annual Tyrconnell Heritage Society membership; complete and submit a Recruitment Form to the nominating committee; and encouraged to attend the Annual General Meeting on February 28, 2019, 7pm at Backus-Page House Museum.

Documents are available by emailing info@backuspagehouse.ca , or by calling 519-762-3072.  

The Board of Directors will post the approved candidacy list online, 40 days prior to the Annual General Meeting.  

Submission deadline to be considered for nomination and election is December 31, 2018.

Attn: Nominating Committee

Tyrconnell Heritage Society

Box 26, 29424 Lakeview Line

Wallacetown, ON, N0L 2M0

The Nomination Committee consists of Elizabeth Patterson and Austin Pitcher (current board members), Angela Bobier (current staff person), and Betty McLandress (current society member).

We are currently seeking individuals with fundraising, demonstrable heritage skills, carpentry skills, exhibit building, document digitization, history, museum work, and environment or nature.

Fun Fact Friday #19 - Movie Buffs 🎥

Movie Poster for
"That Old Feeling"

       Did you know that a Hollywood movie was filmed in little old Wallacetown at the St. Peter's Church?

      St. Peter's Church in Wallacetown received it's 15 minutes of fame in 1997 when "That Old Feeling", starring Bette Middler and Dennis Farina, filmed a scene there. Although the church can only be seen for a few seconds, it did not stop the locals from a feeling of pride. 

St. Peter's Church

      Keith Large was the movie location manager for the film and was looking for "an Upper-New York State or Connecticut-style clapboard church" somewhere in Southwestern Ontario. The beautiful St. Peter's was the perfect fit for everything on their check list including a bell tower and a big window for one of the characters to look out of. 

Come see the church for yourself right next to the Backus-Page House Museum at 29526 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, Ontario. Call the museum for more details 519-762-3072 or visit www.stpeterschurchtyrconnell.org. 


      

Fun Fact Friday #18 - A Proper Education 📚

       Did you know that in the 19th century female education was altered to that of male?

A classroom of young boys and girls (approx. 1850)

      Although today women are well represented in schools as teachers and students, it was not the same during the 19th century. There was public schooling available to both boys and girls, but it was very general. If a person wanted a more advanced education they would have to enter private schools. Except these schools focused more on domestic personal, and social properties rather than mathematical, scientific, or even reading and writing. The curriculum was made to have women practice "the arts and graces of life".  Thank goodness we have come a long way since then.

Visit the home of a woman who immigrated to Canada with only her two children and no husband in the early 19th century. A very difficult task at the time indefinitely.

The Backus-Page House Museum
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
519-762-3072