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ULLETIN OHST H E NEW S LETTER O F BT H E O NTARI O H I S T O RICAL so CIETY I SSUE 161 S EPTEMBER 2007 Forging Freedom Conference a Success! On June 22nd and 23rd, 2007, The treated to a very special keynote Ontario Historical Society hosted address by Dr. Kate Clifford its first annual conference in more Larson, author of Bound for the than a decade at Brock University Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, in St. Catharines, Ontario. Forging Portrait of an American Hero, and Freedom: A Conference in Honour The Road to Freedom. A power- of the Bicentennial of the Abolition ful historical drama by Shannon of the Atlantic Slave Trade was and Bryan Prince came next with well attended by 110 participants, musical accompaniment by including scholars, performers, vocalist Denise Pelley and pianist and many members of the OHS. Stephen Holowitz. The conference was opened on This was followed by this year’s Friday night with welcoming words Honours and Awards Ceremony. from Mr. Brian McMullen, Mayor See page 6 for the complete list of Forging Freedom Keynote Speaker Dr. Kate Clifford Larson captivates of St. Catharines; Dr. Rosemary 2007 OHS Honours and Awards her audience with her talk, entitled Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Hale, Dean of Humanities at Brock recipients. Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. University; and John Burtniak, The conference closed with an Photo courtesy of Carlos Ferguson President of The Historical Society engaging and very informative bus of St. Catharines. Their comments tour of African Canadian heritage were followed by a truly inspira- sites, stopping at the St. Catha- tional performance entitled The rines Museum, Salem Chapel, Spirit of Harriet Tubman by Leslie and the B.M.E. Church N.H.S. McCurdy, a one-woman show that Many thanks to the City of St. brought to life the incredible story Catharines for sponsoring the bus of Harriet Tubman’s heroic role in and to Donna Ford and the Central the Underground Railroad. Ontario Network for Black History Saturday morning began with a for hosting the tour. successful and productive OHS The Ontario Historical Society Annual General Meeting. Opening is grateful to all of those who at- remarks for the conference were tended Forging Freedom for help- then provided by the Honourable ing to make it such a resounding Jim Bradley, Minister of Tour- success. It would also like to ism and Recreation. Fascinating extend a special thanks to the vol- presentations were delivered by unteers and vendors who worked Rosemary Sadlier, President of behind the scenes to plan, set the Ontario Black History Society; up and facilitate the event. The The Honourable Jim Bradley, Minister of Tourism and Recreation for the Dr. Afua Cooper, Advisor to the Four Points Sheraton and Brock Province of Ontario, shares some opening remarks at the Forging Freedom Ontario Bicentenary Commemora- University’s Conference Services conference on Saturday, June 22nd, 2007. tive Committee on the Abolition of also deserve special mention. We Photo courtesy of Carlos Ferguson the Slave Trade, and author of The look foward to, and are extremely Hanging of Angelique: Canada, excited about, our next conference Slavery, and the Burning of Mon- in 2008! Andrea Izzo treal; Dr. Bryan Walls, author and founder of the John Freeman Walls Underground Railroad Historic Site; Dr. Fred Armstrong, Profes- sor Emeritus at the University of Western Ontario; and Dr. Karolyn Smardz Frost, Executive Director of the OHS and author of I’ve Got a Home in Gloryland: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad. Conference participants share While enjoying a lovely lunch, a moment to discuss the OHS’s special Black History in Ontario the conference participants were edition of Ontario History. Photo courtesy of Carlos Ferguson In This Issue PRESIDENT’S REPORT ................................2 EXHIBITS & EVENTS .................................4 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT ................2 DONORS AND DOERS .............................2-3 CEMETERY NEWS ......................................5 The Ontario Historical Society 34 Parkview Avenue MUSEUM NEWS.....................................6 Willowdale, Ontario M2N 3Y2 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS ........................3 FROM THE BooKshELF.............................7 THE 34 PARKVIEW AVE. ONTARIO WILLOWDALE HISTORICAL ONTARIO SOCIETY M2N 3Y2 www.ontariohistoricalsociety.ca Many of the comments received urged the Society to consider more D ONORS AND D OERS President’s Report regional conferences and educa- tional events. We have already D ONORS but how do we engage others to taken steps to address this by Chris Oslund moving the Annual General Meet- [email protected] share our vision and passion for the Lydia Alexander preservation of Ontario’s history? ing around the province. The Dear Members: The Board decided that, as an 2006 Annual Meeting was held in Linda Ambrose initial step, we would circulate a Orillia and in June of 2007 we host- Many historical societies across survey to our membership. The ed a very successful conference and Fred Armstrong Annual Meeting in St. Catharines the province struggle with declin- intent of the survey was to gauge Louis Badone ing membership, aging volunteers what services were being used entitled Forging Freedom. We hope to continue hosting the and limited financial resources to and how we could improve and Anne Baillie accomplish all of the things they enhance those services. Although Annual Meeting in various regions throughout the province and we are want to achieve. The Ontario His- we did not receive as many Gyuszi Berki torical Society is no different. responses as we would have liked, constantly looking for funding op- In late 2005, the Board held we did receive a good cross portunities to broaden our outreach J. J. G. Blumenson & M. L. Evans a strategic planning exercise to section of replies from the programs to rural communities. assist us in addressing some Society’s membership. The input received from the Gerald Boyce of these challenges. Discussion A strong majority of the respon- survey will assist us in the next centred around the services we dents listed the “Promotion and steps of our strategic planning Heather Broadbent exercise. The plan will no doubt provide our members, both in- Awareness of Ontario History” Daniel Brock dividual and affiliated societies, and the “Promotion of Ontario’s focus on how the Society can increase its capacity and achieve and what strategies were needed History in the Educational Sys- Elaine Campbell to foster membership growth. We tem” as extremely important. Add- sustainability for years to come. also struggled with the concept of itionally, the OHS Bulletin was Jean Cole maintaining relevancy in an ever- listed as a preferred communi- Yours truly, changing society. I believe the cation tool, and strong support Rowena Cooper work of each and every historical was echoed for the Society’s Christopher W. Oslund society across the province is just role as an advocate in the President James and Regina Cornwall as relevant today as ever before, preservation of Ontario’s history. W. C. Dowsett wonderful permanent and summer Dennis Carter-Edwards Executive Director’s Report staff of the OHS, and to a host of volunteers from the Niagara region, Jane Errington an informative and enjoyable time Karolyn Smardz Frost nealogical Society is our part- was had by more than 110 partici- Brian Gallaugher [email protected] ner in this important endeavour. pants. We are already laying plans Dear Members: With the help of our affiliated and for next year’s conference. Watch Robert Halfyard member societies as well as a host this page for news in the coming I am writing this on the train en of concerned individuals who months! Katharine Hooke route to Halifax. We have just donate time to the cause, as well A third area in which the OHS Jeanne Hughes passed Kingston and are traveling as money to the Cemetery De- is very active is in publishing across the Rideau Canal, Canada’s fence Fund, we continue to work the results of new research about A. Rolph Husband newest UNESCO World Heritage towards the goal of preserving this Ontario’s heritage. To this end, The Site! quintessential part of the past for Ontario Historical Society has just Helen Juhola As always when I travel in this the future. been awarded a $12,000 Roots of province, I am struck by its incred- Freedom grant from the Ministry Lawrence Keay ible natural beauty. But I also take of Citizenship and Immigration. note of the stands of sumach so It will provide approximately half Patricia Kennedy often indicative of the presence of of the funds needed for our 2007 prehistoric Native encampments, legacy project. Gerald Killan the old fencerows and crumbling We plan to do two things to Mary Lemyre barns of pioneer farms, the traces commemorate in a tangible and of roads and of once well-worn lasting way the Bicentennial of the M.B. Levitt pathways, now overgrown. And I Abolition of the Atlantic Slave remember and pay homage to those Trade: the first is to develop a Catherine MacFarlane who contributed to making Ontario website entitled Forging Freedom. the great province it is today, start- This will provide access to the pa- Marcel Martel ing with the First Nations peoples. pers delivered at the Forging Free- They fished the streams, hunted in dom conference in June. It will be Thomas McIlwraith the forests, and harvested crops of supplemented with a bibliography corn and squash and beans from this and educational materials designed Kenneth McLaughlin rich earth. It was they who taught so teachers can access this informa- Brian Osborne newcomers from the Old World Dr. Karolyn Smardz Frost address- tion for use in classrooms across how to live in the New, in what es the Forging Freedom audience the province.

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