South Dumfries Historical Society

The Land Between – a new series airing on TVO (and available on DVD)

Premiere of the first of three episodes airs:
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 – 7:00pm and
Saturday, March 30, 2013 – 4:00pm

This visually spectacular 3-part series explores the newly recognized area in Ontario, Canada, that many people are calling The Land Between.

Watch The Land Between series on TVOntario. Airing March 26th, April 2nd and April 9th at 7:00pm. Each episode repeats on Saturday at 4:00 P.M.

It has been produced by the same peope who created the County of Brant history for the Ontario VIsual Heritage Project series.

They have a page on their website devoted to this new series at www.visualheritage.ca.

You can also find bonus content there:

There are so many amazing stories in The Land Between, that we couldn’t possibly fit them all into a three part series. Visit the “additional stories” playlist on our YouTube channel to learn even more about The Land Between, including: the story of the Whetung Store, the mysterious French Clochette artifact found near Sparrow Lake, the Pheylonian Candle Makers, the Otonabee Conservation Authority, and more.

More details from the website:

This visually spectacular, three-part, high-definition documentary series explores the newly recognized area in Ontario, Canada, that many people are calling The Land Between. Directed by Zach Melnick and Narrated by R.H. Thomson, the series uses aerial and time-lapse videography, cinematic historical re-enactments, animation, an original musical score, and hundreds of rare historical photographs and films to introduce you to The Land Between, and the ever-changing story of how humans have interacted with this special region throughout time.

Known as an “ecotone”, The Land Between is a liminal space between the Canadian Shield and the St. Lawrence Lowlands. It is home to a host of overlapping species from the north and the south, which has encouraged sharing between First Nations cultures for thousands of years. But European settlers couldn’t figure out what to do with its incredibly diverse patchwork of rock barrens, rivers, lakes and marshlands. It was not until the Victorian fascination with “wilderness” that The Land Between found a place in the collective psyche of Canadians – when people gave parts of it names like “Muskoka” and “The Kawarthas.” And it’s only recently that recreational use and urban resource needs have placed this biologically diverse region under threat.

Thank you for stopping by will be adding more news soon.

Join the Great War Centenary Association for the 3rd event in their lecture series on March 20th.

Matt Symes author and editor of canadianmilitaryhistory.ca will be presenting a talk on the subject “Sport, The First World War and Canada”

The lecture will be at the SC Johnson Building, Room 127, starting at 7 pm.

You will find the building at 38 Market Street in downtown Brantford.

Admission is free (donations welcome!)

Some good news from our friends at the

ERLAND LEE (MUSEUM) HOME:
552 Ridge Road, Stoney Creek, Ontario
The Provincial Board of the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario and the Erland Lee Community Committee are pleased to announce the Erland Lee (Museum) Home is once again open to the Public.

OFFICIAL OPENING CELEBRATION WILL BE ON

SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 2013 – 2 TO 4 PM
The Home will also be participating in
Hamilton Doors Open Activities May 4 & 5, 2013

CONTACT 905-662-2691 OR VISIT www.fwio.on.ca
Hours of operation after April 21st are:
Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 4 pm.
Tours or visits at other times can be arranged by appointment.


HISTORY OF ERLAND LEE (MUSEUM) HOME
The Erland Lee (Museum) Home is important to the FWIO as it is the historical home of Erland Lee and his wife Janet, who pioneered the first Women’s Institute in Stoney Creek on 19th of February, 1897.

Inspired by the ideas of Adelaide Hoodless, the Lees encouraged women to form an organization to improve their skills in homemaking and childcare. Janet Lee Penned the first constitution at the dining room table of the home.

The Women’s Institute has since become a worldwide movement dedicated to promoting education and the personal growth of women. The betterment of their local communities is also of keen interest.

This home is also important to the Stoney Creek area as it celebrates one of their prominent farm families. The house of Gothic Architecture demonstrating a board and batten construction was built by and lived in by five generations of the Lee Family.

As this is a prime example of this type of construction, the Erland Lee (Museum) Home is a NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE OF CANADA and also has designation under the ONTARIO HERITAGE ACT.

The closing of the museum in 2010 caused renewed interest by the community and Women’s Institute Members. The Erland Lee Community Committee has been established to ensure any repairs and updates necessary maintain the historical integrity and to develop a financially sustainable plan for the future.

Much credit goes to “The Friends of the Lee”. They have lead the way in major fundraising through sales of calendars, cookbooks, quilt tickets and pancake breakfasts. They have also contributed countless hours of work in organizing workshops, yard work, and housecleaning not to mention supervising repair work. Without their enthusiastic leadership, we could not have done it. The City of Hamilton and the citizens of Stoney Creek have also been major contributors.

While the Museum Home is now reopened, fundraising is ongoing to repaint the exterior of the home and make further improvements.
 

Details in an Expositor aritcle at:  http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2013/02/27/barns-latest-to-be-featured-in-poster-series

Posted on behalf of our friends at the Adelaide Hunter Hoodless Homestead:

From our friends at the Burford Township Museum in Harley:

Our next big event will be in conjunction with Museum Month in February.

Come join us at the museum on Saturday, February 23, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

We have class pictures of the one room schools which were around the township (Salem, Harley, South, Tansley, Block, Mt. Zion, Muir, Cathcart, Fairfield, Northfield, Burford, Valley, Sunnyside, Gobles, Ranelagh, Kelvin, Scotland, New Durham, Woodbury, Cooley Pond, Hatchley) and need some help filling in the names.

Come on out and help us. And if you have a class picture from a few years ago, bring it along. We’ll make a copy and give it back to you right away.

Our museum is located at 141 Harley Road, HARLEY, Ontario, N0E 1E0

We are located in the former town hall for Burford Township. After the township offices moved to Burford, the hall was used for many years for showers, square dances, card parties, stags, and the United Church women held their bazaars and teas in the hall.

In recent years the historical society started to meet in the building, and display agricultural artefacts.

With renovations still happening, we are not open for fixed hours yet. If you would like to see the museum sometime other than our Open House, please contact us.

For more information email: info@BurfordTownshipMuseum.ca

Maple Syrup Festival 2013 –
Sundays, March 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31,
Wednesday, March 13, Thursday, March 14 and
Good Friday March 29
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
at Westfield Heritage Village

Discover one of Canada’s most time-honoured and delicious traditions.

Explore the making of maple syrup from the tree to the table in three different time periods: the methods of Canada’s First Nations, 19th century pioneers and modern times.

Families can take an old-fashioned horse and wagon ride and purchase a wonderful pancake breakfast served by the St. George Lion’s Club.

Admission Prices

Regular Sunday
$8.50 per Adult
$7.50 per Senior (65+)
$7.50 per Student (13-17 yrs)
$5.50 per Child (6-12 yrs)
Children 5 and under are free

Special Event Days
$11.00 per Adult
$10.00 per Senior
$10.00 per Student
$6.50 per Child
Children 5 and under are free