Clyde River Lectures 2016
January is upon us, and so far, so good. We are having a lovely winter, but we thought that this time last year and all that changed come the end of January. Within three weeks, it looked like those legendary winter heritage photos. Well, we in Clyde River do our best to make the winter more sociable by hosting the Clyde River Lectures, and this year, we decided to go a little beyond the boundaries of Clyde River and move up Hampshire and Emyvale way and down to North River. It only makes sense considering how closely knit our communities have been over the years. Just check any of your ancestors’ diaries and inevitably you will find that they were visiting some sort of relations in those communities. Their visits could very well have been documented in The Guardian under “Clyde River Notes.” Here are the presentations we have lined up.
Saturday, January 23rd – 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. – Leonard Cusack – A Magnificent Gift Declined: The Dalton Sanatorium of Prince Edward Island 1913-1923 – Leonard’s presentation will be based on his book by the same name that he wrote in 2009. His writing garnered “Publication of the Year” which was presented by the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation. He will describe Island society in the early 1900’s and show how the health standards at that time encouraged the spread of tuberculosis. Leonard will explain why Charles Dalton built a sanatorium in Emyvale and how it operated as a TB hospital between 1916 and 1920. Over the course of his talk, he will explain the many bizarre twists and turns that led to the closure and the demise of this health complex.
Leonard is a resident of Emyvale, a retired teacher and public servant. He was also a Sessional Lecturer for the History Department at UPEI for forty years and he specialized in Canadian and Island history. Leonard’s second book is entitled The P.E.I. Progressive Conservative Party 1770-2000 (2013).
During our “Capturing Collective Memories” project last year in Clyde River, we came upon stories and photos that reflected the challenge and sorrow that many families went through that were touched by TB. Leonard’s important work gives us a greater understanding of that time.
Saturday, February 6th – 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. – Verna Clow – History of Clow’s Store – Country stores were an important part of the fabric within Island communities over the years. Many did not survive, but Clow’s Store in Hampshire is still thriving. Verna will talk about the history of their store from the early days when Albert Clow first founded it. Her presentation will include photos of the store over the years and how they changed with the times while maintaining strong customer loyalty. She will share some of her favourite stories.
Saturday, February 20th – 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. – Ron MacKinley – Hockey Talk – Memories of Playing at North River Rink – Ronnie will recount his memories of the early days when teams from local communities went head to head in the game of hockey. He will share stories of the rivalry and the fun. We welcome all those who played on the local community teams to attend and chime in with their stories, as Ronnie will likely be talking about you.
All our lectures take place at the Riverview Community Centre, 718 Clyde River Road, in Clyde River. We feature warm hospitality with coffee/tea and homemade treats along with tours of our large collection of artifacts and photos highlighting the history of the community. If you would like more information on our lectures, please contact vivian@eastlink.ca or call 902-367-1818. All are welcome to attend.