Articles about History, Museums and Events in Durham Region

 

by: Kathie Vanular, Museum Studies (OMA)

Kathie Vanular affectionately known as 'Mrs. K' is a museum educator at Pickering Museum Village.

Kathie is an history and childrens writer and regular contributor to Astoria Magazine.

 

 

 
'It wasn’t a Rebellion this day...'

When a grade 7 and 8 school group rolled in to Pickering Museum Village from Toronto for their 1837 Farmer’s Rebellion day experience, little did I know I was the one going to be taught about patience.

That spring day I was working along side a semi-retired teacher volunteer,  in one of the activities the museum has arranged to show children and young teens about 'the olden days'.

The students had travelled to the Pickering Museum Village to learn about a period in Upper Canada history when change was in the air for Canada and it's government.

The students were to experience fresh air, back woods trees, a river and period buildings ...like a blacksmith shop and get a feeling of what life was like then.

Times may be different, but some things never change, only the setting!

Here are some of the olden day presentations we led the students through:

• A town hall meeting, where students petition their government representatives to listen to their injustices. The session before that had reviewed early 1800’s government a few years before young Queen Victoria took the throne, a time when our British colony was falling into unrest.
• Students saw many of the implements used back then, from a large log to sit on,  a heavy black cast iron kettle to set above a fire for boiling water, for making stews, or even boiling down maple sap to make maple syrup. There was much to do to labour on the farm, and if one could use a spy glass to pear at the past, along with the labour an appreciation for the land, willing hands and making even those hard times fun.

People today often forget the raw satisfaction in doing hard physical work.

The real lessons for me came as a result of observing the interaction of teachers and students that day. The tussle within a person exiting childhood into maturity through the teen years can be expressed in different forms of rebellion. There are different ways of interpreting this transition, subtleties noticed by a trained teacher.

The outing was a Canadian history lesson ripe for young teen understanding. By learning about the struggles of people in the past …references to human character, courage and initiative could be drawn.
 

One such account:

• William Lyon Mackenzie moves hundreds of farmers from surrounding Toronto area to march on Toronto government for justice but all falls apart when they arrive at Montgomery Tavern.
• A Pickering man is sent to burn down the Don River Bridge to stop the King’s army return, and will later hang outside the Toronto jail, where hundreds are imprisoned. The crammed jail gives birth to unique artifacts of the rebellion such as wooden boxes carved by prisoners to while away the time, boxes with poetry, love and dedications. The jail was relieved when hundreds of Toronto men were sent to Kingston Penitentiary and even many to Australia’s penal colony across the world. Students pretended to be 'Rebels with a Cause' in this history lesson.

Not all students of today have wars to fight and many take for granted the sacrifice of previous generations. But the inner struggles of forming their characters, the apprehension of the unknown, the wondering of how they will shape their world will be questions that will help them rise from within their own rebellions, their own struggles. Perhaps it is even more difficult today to stay the course of character and say no to temptations such as trying drugs these days.

You could tell by the faces and actions of students that some saw the parallels in inner and outward struggles an opportunity to grow and carve out a life as represented between the past history and what students see in the present.

Some however, seemed detached, while others eagerly involved themselves in the lessons. It was awesome to see how the teacher, (whom I was trying to show the ropes) skillfully got them to engage, be involved and enlisted their enthusiasm. You could tell she felt passionate about her role with a certain glow about her when she speaks with students. And an experience grown out of years that made it look easy and seemless.

It made me glad to see this spirit, especially since growing up in a city these days is not easy and takes a lot of courage and character and parenting to maneuver unscathed into adulthood.

It took me to that feeling portrayed in the classic Sidney Poitier movie, ‘To Sir with Love’. The students were in good hands, lucky to have each other.

One of the programs is a session where students pretend to put together a settler’s family's wagon of goods with ropes, tools, supplies and people. Together students, museum staff and/or volunteers travel in our pretend wagon down to the river and into the back woods to find an allotted piece of farm land.

The history lesson usually becomes a lot of fun with jostling students, finally engaged, full of laughter and wild wonder in their young eyes.

Most days this imagined step back in time is quick to organize and get going. Some students will pretend to be the wagon and contents and others the farmer and family.

As we went through the student group assigning roles, that day in how to organize the students. My 'trainee'  a semi-retired teacher of over 20 years would train me!

We were down to getting the last students into our wagon, and one bigger boy was gradually moving away from us, retreating to a wooden farm fence defintitely not wanting to participate.

He did not want to get into the wagon.  He apparently had not imagined the fun or his involvement.  The teacher’s experience and keen eye had observed this behaviour before. Instead of chiding,  she asked just deftly asked him where he wanted to be? She found out he wanted to be a wheel outside the wagon rather than being inside. So she maneuvered the change with another student and he become a wheel outside the wagon.

The whole scene went by in a blink, handled cleverly and without incidence by that experienced teacher, she even motivated other students to help rather than taunt this almost non-participant.

Everyone had a good time, and I know many of the students took away lessons and parallels they can use in their everyday life ….even in today’s automated, computerized, hurry up world.

Time does not lessen the need for patience, understanding, a helping hand from your peers and a little experience.

...So it wasn’t a rebellion this day, it was a learning step along the road of life.

 

 

 

Ajax Beavers will put their N’Glasses on when they
'Discover the Original Function of Things'

How museums classify objects is called a nomenclature. It finds the original function of an object.
How Canadians classify the best of Canada, as determined by CBC listeners in 2009, is called ‘The 7 Wonders of Canada.’

Together, it might sound like a heavy subject but I believe even 5 and 6 year olds can find the fun in wearing museum 3-D glasses, imaginary ones. That’s why I’ll ask the Ajax Beavers in a March meeting for storytelling month to imagine themselves as voyageurs, the original coureur de Bois- Runners of the Woods. We will put imaginary 3-D glasses on; N glasses for the original function of Ajax Beavers to see the world in museum think- nomenclatures; and out- reach to a place and time in Canada’s histories.

In the 7 Wonders of Canada, I wondered if the Beavers might be able to imagine themselves as David Thompson in early 1800’s and imagine life as Charlotte Small, David’s wife a Métis woman of Cree and Scottish descent. Perhaps they could see themselves as one of their 13 children to travel thousands of miles by canoe in Canada. Our beaver plays an important part in Canada, and the lives of the coureur de Bois, David Thompson and his family, the Hudson’s Bay and the collective activities that open up Canada. After all, they are Beavers. If these Ajax Beavers could voyage in time and see how we descend, generation by generation, and hear the ancient ones, perhaps they can look today to the original function of things and why they matter.

Our story begins after paddling 40 strokes a minute for 3 days up the St. Lawrence river in our large canoe, a 36 ft called a canot du maitre, with our load of trade goods weighing 3 tons. 3000 lbs in a canoe, plus men on board and the canoe itself weighs 4 tons all together. Our canoe, as seen in our N’ glasses, is a nomenclature called a DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSPORTATION ARTIFACT. Our WATER TRANSPORTATION – EQUIPMENT- was originally created to transport and distribute things. We carried out to the First Nations in the unexplored areas of Western Canada, leaving Montreal 6 months ago with rifles, pots, kettles, blankets and beads. We are back with many made-Beaver, the pelt of Beaver now so wanted by Europe for hats.
We need to unload in Quebec City, our port to make the ship leaving for Europe crossing this month before the river freezes up for winter. On our approach to the steep banks and stone walls top of the hill protecting our French village, we can hear the sounds of rifles firing from our people and cannons exploding into the river pointed at a British ship – another WATER TRANSPORTATION – EQUIPMENT artifact. Within our only remaining walled city of Canada, Old Quebec City, there are small openings in the stone walls with rifles extending out. Along the hill behind the walls in an open area overlooking the river are the cannons firing by the New France village toward the British ship. We put on our N’ glasses and see the rifles and cannons are TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT (T&E) FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY – ARMAMENT T&E. The original function for armament is use for hunting, target-shooting, warfare and self-protection. The cannon are Artillery T&E and the soldier’s rifles are firearms T&E.

We take cover downstream, as we are tired from paddling our canoe all day, rest until the battle ends. We tell stories about the Wonders we saw on our 2000 mile journey over 6 months.
Luckily, we are imaginary voyageurs because now we can pass through time, back and forward to today. The stories to be told through our relationship with First Nations, French, English and new Canadians, through our N’ museum glasses include:
 

Wonder # 1  The Canoe
Wonder # 2 The Igloo
Wonder # 3 The Prairie Sky
Wonder # 4 The Rockies
Wonder # 5 Niagara Falls
Wonder # 6 Old Quebec City
Wonder # 7 Pier 21, Halifax

We start with the canoe that made Canada different in its creation as a country, and character from the United States. It made Old Quebec City, the travels of the voyageur through unexplored land in a special relationship with the First People of North America, David Thompson and his family over thousands of miles from the Arctic to the Prairie Skies and eventually over the Rockies to the Pacific and back to Eastern Canada.
Canadians voted The Canoe our number one Wonder of Canada, in the CBC search. -Kathie Vanular
February 2010

 

 

 

 Pickering Museum Spirit Walk - September 2009

Spirit Walk
By: Kathie Vanular

Proceeding into the evening twinkle of candle lights on the path down into the Pickering Museum Village, our group of 15 descended into the woods. Forgotten cedar and earthy scents from a light rain immediately fill within you. You are within nature. Tonight I am taking the ‘Spirit Walk.’ Sorry folks. You snooze, you lose and you will have to wait until next September when the volunteer drama group of the museum, Backwoods Players, presents it’s sold out Farmer’s Rebellion of 1837 story again.

Our guide in 1800’s costume enters in the darkness to introduce the story and what we can expect. Down the path we go and are interrupted by an absentee ‘aristocrat’ landlord of Pickering Township in the 1800’s. No city, no roads, few bridges for the men and women living in the area. The muddy streets into York receive favour from the Tory leaders of the day. He doesn’t need his land, all extra grants given him for his privilege of serving in the King’s army.

At the bottom of the hill by the river we meet a young immigrant family, mother, father and their daughters who have been travelling with others by foot, ox and cart from New Brunswick colony through the Kingston roads. What a laugh in their adventures of meeting up with those not accustomed to patience and perseverance in a story about a women stuck in the mud with her cart and ox. We are introduced to young people who grow to be central later in this historic event.

Dark into the path out jumps a hardened backwoods wife long use to the hardships of fending for oneself and defending against the elements and animals. You feel in the moment and time of her pursuit of (I won’t say what). Did I forget to mention that the story is told as though you are listening to the spirits past? It is as if all are alive and real in dramatizing the moments up to a significant moment in time in Canada’s history. It was a life changing and government changing time, but not alas for these young citizens of the Toronto (York) and Upper Canada (Ontario) area.

A newly restored Brougham Central Hotel is our next stage as we enter into the men who meet to talk, drink, break bread and discuss the matters of their lives. No schools for their children, only home schooling as the Tories have a different system for some than for others. No say in any local matter than the height of their fences. Frustrations are mounting. Farm failures from a bad few years and repossession of land. Within the night glowed tin chandelier with candles, woods in floors, tables, chairs, simple cabinet, with lack of nice things and dark woods outside. It was a time of discussing politics around the table. Loyalty was within a man’s heart when they had to leave the United States during the revolution and give up their world there to remain loyal to the King of England. Start again to make a living from the land.

I won’t go further as it tells too much. Only to say that I was moved to tears and caught up in these people, now real to me in this Backwoods Players’ portrayal of Peter Matthews and his world at this time. It could be at the Royal Alex but they would have a hard time moving the blacksmith shop, hotel, church, one room school house and original log home of 1820.

We enjoyed hot apple cider, cheese and buns and the reproductions collection by Darryl Withrow of the boxes crafted by 1837 Rebellion prisoners, all carved ‘in jail.’
 

...On a sunny June day, the grade 3 students of A G Bell travelled down the wooded path
at Pickering Museum Village on a pioneer field trip with me.

As a museum educator I get to do the job I love. I came to a realization that on almost each trip, there is something for me to learn also.
I observe how much the students enjoy using their five senses and see our day as one of discovery and exploration. I hoped for reflection as that is what a museum means; a place to reflect. So off we went down the path, and I asked them to stop to look at the root growth at the base of the cedar trees, observe the plants they might consider if they themselves had travelled back in time and were the children in a settler family. For the day, they would be all brothers and sisters with chuckles of amusement.

We pat the horse-tail fern bending from behind the wood fence toward our feet. It is one of the oldest plants and was used as a pot-scrubber by the pioneers. It feels hard and rubbery yet soft and grows near water, handy and available to anyone washing dishes near water. Close to the bridge over Duffins Creek, we turn left as we come up to the lean-to camp, a place to show where settlers would stop on their way to finding your lots and building their first home.

Our class heads into the deep woods of cedar and walnut trees. The walnut shell is used by settlers to dye their wool fabric brown, an easy colour to manage in their environment. My own apron, I show them, is the same brown of the walnut’s dye.

We stop to build a small model of a shanty, demonstrating how to build with notched logs. We work in teams of two, lifting the logs, so that the idea of a building bee is learned where everyone helps to build a structure and where many hands make less work.
Before reaching the shanty building spot, I had involved the children in reflection, by thinking as artists, sculptures and look at their surroundings like Emily Carr may have. Look to see how nature inspires creativity in them. I remembered my art fundamental study days at Sheridan College, when we went on a bus trip to the badlands near Belfountain and the Terra Cotta Inn in Caledon. As college art students we were doing life drawing of the eroded red soil formations, and later a mill ruin. It stood out for me in my art experience and I see Pickering Museum Village in the same eyes of the artist. The opportunity to do sketches for many types of art is here.

In the beginning of our tour, I try to involve students of all ages to think if they enjoy music. Almost all answer “yes.” Then I ask them to think about the spelling of music and museum and what is the same in the first three letters:  M U S. Take it a step further and add the fourth letter of museum: M U S E. To muse is to be guided by an inner voice. “Have they ever made something, and found themselves listening to an inner voice. It is the same that we strive for in reflecting on the lives of people over time in the history museum. A history museum connects man with the environment by the objects he/she created to mediate with their environment, over time.

When I was facing the similarities between muse, music and museums on this June day I was stopped in my tracks. I will never forget the moment of spontaneous music created by these children from Alexander Graham Bell Public School from Ajax. The class was almost finished building the shanty, just a few children disassembling the logs and putting them on the ground when I heard clapping. There were three groups, children in pairs clapping out a rhyme and saying the matching words in a song. It had begun as one group and spread to three by the time my attention was caught.

I asked the children to continue but this time not saying a word. What could we hear in the woods? After a minute their teacher, Ms. Daley, said she could hear the sound of fire. She was right. I could hear the sound of rain, clapping rain.
Music- museums-muse. A moment of spontaneous creativity was born and wonderful to see and hear with children standing in the cedar woods by the shanty.    

You can write an email to Kathie Vanular   

Whitby History Museum

To dream the impossible dream still marches on for volunteers at the Whitby History Museum & Children's Centre, in a journey that spans four decades and is found in a downtown Whitby.

Built in a small town streetscape of architecture in 1878, the London House is home to The Whitby Museum and Children’s Centre at 123 Brock St S. Once the general dry goods and grocer built for Andrew Ross, the first store sign is a one of a kind stained glass art piece and is in the museum. Things once seeming a knight’s imaginary world to others are becoming reality and no longer impossible in Whitby.

The life of a community museum in most small towns in Ontario and their volunteers may be typical, but I know in my heart the feelings we share in leaving our family on our quest to reach the unreachable star. Dedication and visions are shared and I’ve been there with Margaret Boyce’s team to do the impossible and see it through to reality. I am but a part-time apprentice in this museum building project for the Whitby History Museum and Children’s Centre.

The museum created a sesquicentennial calendar and picture book, and we drove to schools in Whitby to give school children a part of Whitby’s heritage for free. It has put on the Chocolate evening in April as a fundraiser to entice any lover of chocolate to share their passion with ours by tables and volumes of chocolate desserts. The museum welcomes scouting and guide groups for crafts, and seniors for tea in English teacups on scheduled afternoons. There is a revival underway to show and tell about arts and craft skills from the past in a Heritage Arts and Craft Guild, and make them part of the pleasures of today. Exhibits include sewing crafts, photography, art and writing. 

The end will justify the means in a museum volunteers life in what may seem to their families a Don Quixote effort. Leaving home to volunteer in a community museum does put one sometimes in the path of critics similar to the Man of La Mancha. I know, I’ve been there too.

It's all worthwhile when a museum has the examples of Margaret Boyce, (who was awarded the 2008 Certificate of Merit Award by the Ontario Historical Society on June 13th, 2009) and her husband Bernie who helps her ‘engineer’ museum plans, and an enormously generous team of volunteers in the Whitby Historical Society. I don't know if they have felt the scorn and scars but it definitely is a glorious Quest. Caring for the objects and preserving the stories to Whitby’s culture and heritage, and dream for a permanent location, has been an undaunting purpose and task for Margaret and the Whitby Historical Society.

Unshaken in purpose and resolutely courageous each knight, that is us volunteers, and every Sunday midnight for Margaret and Bernie for years along with a volunteer they went to the bingo hall to raise funds for museum rent and projects (until this spring when the bingo hall closed and the revenue well ran dry). They bring a level of excellence in local heritage and culture to Whitby extraordinary in a volunteer group.

Walk into the past in Whitby streetscape representing architecture for early town life in Ontario. You can imagine the barbershop pole inside still standing up the street. Original oak floor from the late 1800’s are beneath your feet to feel, smell and hear. Once upon a time buying shoes from a shoe seller involved x-rays of feet. The equipment to x-ray your shoe size is on display along with a giant boot from the merchant’s store. Find a yellow Whitby Dunlops hockey sweater from founding years. A Rainer piano built in Whitby sits in a parlor setting, and a pioneer and Victorian kitchen table is set. The sewing crafts to document a young ladies skill in embroidery and needlework are shown in a sampler. 

In 2006 the museum celebrated Queen Elizabeth’s eightieth birthday with tea, along with many commonwealth countries in the world, and the Whitby Museum and Children’s Centre wrote the Queen and the Queen wrote the Whitby History Museum with photos and a letter at the museum. They also donated 9,000 books commemorating Whitby's Sesquicentennial ( in honour of Queen Elizabeth's birthday) to Whitby school children from kindergarten to grade six.

You see the whole thing (the dream for a permanent home for a Whitby History Museum collection) rests on volunteers and fundraising to pay the rent and utilities on this temporary location since 1994. Our towns’ archival history on paper is located in the Whitby Public Library at Dundas and Henry St in downtown Whitby. The library is a place of destination for any out of town visitor. A world-class modern library architecture design has a public space entrance with fountains, windows that reach to the sky, a reading area to sit in front of a fireplace and dedicated archival area with staff to protect our documents and books of the past. It is a showpiece I am proud of. A donation to digitize the paper collection is almost complete.

Whitby's object history can be found at the Ross former general store when you come to 123 Brock St. S, at Dundas and Brock where I first met Margaret four years ago. I fade in and out of Margaret's life, but it is like nothing ever stops each time we reconnect in her plans and work with museum members to save a collection.

The Impossible Dream words below is dedicated to the hundreds of community museum volunteers in Ontario and Canada, who may feel their purpose in life is not always understood by in a world that measures everything by economics. It is our struggle to keep our local heritage alive; an individual and undaunted journey needs a humorous symbol in this Man of La Mancha as it can be our own knight-errant to showcase culture and heritage in our collective Canadian journey and experience.

       

Don Quixote,
"It is the mission of each true knight...
His duty... nay, his privilege!
To dream the impossible dream,"  visit the beautiful new library in Whitby and read the rest of the poem.