T'was The Day Before Christmas Break

By Karis Regamey


T'was the day before Christmas break and all through the Village,
The staff were a-bustling closing down houses

The school kids gone, the final event over
Are signs of the imminent winter break closure

The fires extinguished, the artifacts covered,
waiting until next season to be rediscovered

The Village will soon lie as still as a photo
Nostalgic and beautiful with sparkling snow

With preparations for next year well underway
The countdown begins until opening day

So as we close up for Christmas and drive down the driveway
We say Merry Christmas and have a wonderful holiday!

Pen and ink drawing by Lang's Museum Specialist, Audrey Caryi

Karis Regamey is the Marketing Consultant for Lang Pioneer Village Museum, She has been with the Museum since February of 2009. When she is not busy overseeing the advertising of the Village, she can be found chasing after her two little ones.

An Interview with Kathy Hope, Ritzy Rust

By Jill Chapman

Just as Lang brings rural history to life, Kathy Hope creates works of art for sale that re-purpose items in new and exciting ways to give them an invigorated spirit and fresh look.

Read below as Kathy shares a bit about herself in this segment of ‘meet the maker’, focusing on artisans with pieces in our Museum Shop.

How long have you lived in Keene? Are you from this area?

Kathy:  My family moved from Lakefield to Keene in 1962 and I have been in the local area ever since as my husband is also from the Keene area.

Where is your favourite place (or places of inspiration) in Peterborough County?

Kathy: As long as I can remember, my father collected antiques of one kind or another and haunted auctions, fence lines, barns ~ just about where ever there was a rusty piece of equipment to be found. I feel like I have just carried on from there as my favorite haunts are farm auctions in the local area, driving the backroads looking for rustic pictures to take or that odd fabulous find in a fence bottom and just generally loving the country life. 

You can always find my husband and I at the Father’s Day Smoke and Steam Show at Lang Pioneer Village with a display of a gas engine, John Deere Bicycle and numerous other vintage pieces.

In fact, in my younger days you could quite often find me swimming at Hope Mill (which used to be run by my husband’s Great Uncle) or at the pier and beach at the Lang Grist Mill.

What got you started independently creating articles?

Kathy: I was trying to come up with a somewhat different idea for a birthday gift and remembered seeing a sign made with rusty tools on barn board at a shop somewhere (can’t remember where) & thought “well, I have all kinds of board and rusty wrenches ~ why not attempt a name sign”  and things just progressed from there.

What is your inspiration? or… What are you inspired by?

Kathy: I just love rusty goodness! If I see something that I love, whether I know what I will do with it or not, I just have to have it.  I may collect things that sit for a couple years, before I find just the perfect creations that it can be used for. That usually comes with my house decorating as well.  Whenever I hear someone say "oh my, I just love that but I’m just not sure where I would put it", my first reaction is, "well, if you love it, buy it….it will find the space it was meant for!"

What is your favourite material to work with?

Kathy: I use mostly barn board, but also pallet wood or pieces of wood from different farm machinery ss the base and any type of article from rusty wrenches, insulators, gadgets, vintage jewellery combine to make the word or creation. Also vintage window frames, doors, chicken wire are often utilized as well.

How long have you been creating pieces for sale?

Kathy: I have been creating items since June of 2013 for sale.  

Where do you generally sell your pieces? 

Kathy: I have a Facebook page - www.facebook.com/ritzyrust and a small booth at Cedar Lane Home and Garden in Lakefield. Taylor’s Country Store in Bailieboro buys creations from me and of course the Gift Shop at Lang Pioneer Village. I host an Open House out of our garage a couple times a year with pieces for sale as well. One of these Open Houses last winter featured a photographer who you could book with and have your family photos taken in our “One Horse Open Sleigh”.

Do you have a home studio? Where do you create?

Kathy: I started off using our Garden Shed that we built in the spring of 2013 as my supply storage and work studio, but I soon out-grew the space for the storage of items I have on hand so recently have been utilizing the unfinished space in our basement.

Kathy's Shed Studio

  

Some examples of Kathy’s Pieces:

Drop by 10-4pm Monday to Friday until December 17th to see Kathy’s work and other great giftware. We thank Kathy for taking part in our spotlight interview, and for bringing her inspired work to the Lang Pioneer Village Museum Shop!

Jill Chapman is the Visitor Experience Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. She has been a member of the Lang team since May of 2012. Jill is a passionate advocate for education, the arts and fitness. When not at work, Jill might be found running through the North Cavan foothills or on one of the County’s rotary trails.

The Ballad of the Cobourg-Peterborough Railway

By Janelle Kelcey

The following is a song I wrote about the Cobourg and Peterborough Railway which was inspired from attending one of Dr. Al Kirby's Traditional Music Workshops at the Village. I am hoping to set it to a tune in the near future. Enjoy!

Oh, the year was 1854 - was built a railway, new
From Cobourg on to Peterborough, the train made its trip debut
O'er the largest trestle in the world, two miles ‘cross Rice Lake
Harwood o’er to Hiawatha, a short trip it did make

But eventually the winter came
The snow and ice surely to blame
Shifted the bridge’s wooden frame
The C+PR - what a shame

Mr. Fowler he fixed up the bridge, and opened up next spring
But the southern portions of the line , they did the strangest thing
The pilings weren’t held down with rock, the bridge started to sway
And on the shores of Tic Island, it washed up there one day

And eventually the winter came
The snow and ice surely to blame
Shifted the bridge’s wooden frame
The C+PR- what a shame

Then along came John Dumble, the most successful keeper,
He anchored the entire bridge, and drove the piles deeper
That winter it moved naught an inch, nor the winter after that,
But in 1859 Dumble fell prey to a rat

For Fowler had been busy o’er at the PHL & B
He hatched a plan to get rid of his competitor’s lucky spree
Dumble thought he was leasing his line to the ol’ Grand Trunk
But now instead the C+PR was very surely sunk

It was in 1861 or maybe ‘62
They took the pins, ripped out the rails, took nearly every screw
So when winter came around, and froze the lake once more
The bridge’s middle wound up moving to Rice Lake’s south shore

So eventually the winter came
The snow and ice surely to blame
Shifted the bridge’s wooden frame
The C+PR - what a shame

Cobourg & Peterborough Railway Bridge on Rice Lake (Source: Wikipedia)

Cobourg and Peterborough Railway Locomotive (Source: Wikipedia)

Rice Lake Bridge (Source: Wikipedia)

Janelle has been a seasonal interpreter at Lang Pioneer Village for three years. She is a recent graduate of Queen's University and her areas of historical interest include local histories, ethno and historical musicology and history education. 

A Man in the Field

I wrote this to let you know a little about me and why I decided to work in the museum field. It is about my most memorable museum experience.  Please think of “museum” in the broadest sense of its definition:

My most memorable museum experienced occurred at Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian war cemetery in France. This cemetery is like most Canadian World War II cemeteries. It appears abruptly just off a country road and is surrounded by fields and hills. It’s beautiful, but seems out of place in its environment, a cemetery in the middle of the countryside. Many of the Canadian war cemeteries have pillared entranceways which invite visitors into the pristinely kept burial grounds; white marble gravestones are surrounded by gardens of roses. I walked into the cemetery and through the rows, reading the name engraved on each and then moving onto the next one. I had been thinking about this place and these names long before I had arrived.

Months earlier I was chosen to be part of the Canadian Battlefield Study Tour. This tour involved visiting various WWI and WWII battlefields, cemeteries and sights of significance. As a part of this group of twelve students, I was supposed to do a presentation on a Canadian soldier who had died at war. I spent weeks at Bowmanville’s Museum and Archives, researching soldiers and their families. I chose a local man named Wilfred Edward Flaxman, a soldier who died during WWII. He grew up in Bowmanville, on Lover’s Lane, which is very close to the street that I grew up on. Wilfred and his twin brother worked alongside their father constructing many of the street’s English style homes. I learned about his family’s involvement in the war effort and about his death and who he had left behind. The archives contained letters to his family, his medals and some photographs of him and his family. Through all this research and time at the Museum, I became connected with someone I had never met or previously known even existed. I was disappointed to hear that there were no living relatives of Wilfred, there was no one for me to interview, no children or grandchildren, no family historian or old grandmother. None of his siblings had had any kids. I decided that I was going to remember him and share his story, even though I had never really met him. I think that museums can present an opportunity for visitors to connect with someone from history. This potential is what I consider to be one of the values of the museum experience.

In the cemetery, as I walked by the names, dates, and verses, I counted them until I reached row G number 12. There, engraved on the stone was Lieutenant W.E Flaxman, 22nd August 1944, age 31. Teary eyed, I gained my composure and read the group my story about W.E Flaxman. I finished the presentation on a side note about remembrance. I noted that many of the young men who died in WWII were dead uncles; a perspective passed on to my dad and then onto me by my veteran grandfather. Many of these soldiers had died young, unmarried and without children. Their siblings went on to have families; they were remembered by nieces and nephews, many of whom had never met them. In Wilfred’s case, this was not possible, so I requested that as a group, we could act as his nieces and nephews remembering him and his life. This task I continue to do today, sharing his story with others and visiting his family`s tombstone annually. I think I will always have a connection with him.

Sometimes when we are learning about history it is hard to remember that it was people like you and I who lived through it. We often look at the big event and the overall conditions. In WWII history we learn about Dieppe, D-Day landings and the closing of the Falaise pocket. We are given death tolls and POW (prisoner of war) figures. In all of this it is easy to forget the individuals. It is easy to forget that when one person dies, it is a tragedy for an entire family and community. At Bretteville-sur-Laize I was given the opportunity to recognize this. As a visitor I saw thousands of almost identical tombstones, many with the same date, age, rank and regiment, however, each had a different name and family message. Each of these people had stories like Wilfred, they had people who loved them, cared for them and missed them.

At most museums visitors are shown objects and told stories about people. They are invited to connect with individuals, learning about how they lived and what they did. I believe this is one of the greatest impacts museums can have on a visitor. Museums tend to bring history alive, as they show the objects, possessions and pictures of actual people. They make history less of a story and more of an experience. The history of the Falaise pocket is no longer just a tactical operation that resulted in the separation of Nazi forces and the death of thousands. It was an operation that Lieutenant W.E Flaxman was a part of and one which he died in.  

Ruth began volunteering at Lang Pioneer Village in 2012 at the event craft tables. She is currently the Acting Administrative/Volunteer Coordinator and has played several roles at the Museum this year including the role of the Keene Hotel Hostess. She likes to consider herself a perpetual student as she always enjoys learning new things, taking courses and joining clubs.

In Flanders Fields

The following entry was originally posted May 5, 2015 on Village Vignettes. In honour of Remembrance Day, we have decided to re-post this entry entitled "In Flanders Fields". May we never forget the many men and women who fought for freedom in our Country.

Centennial Anniversary Event – May 3, 1915 – In the immortal Words of …

By Joe Corrigan

The 2^nd Battle of Ypres, the first time Canadian troops had been engaged in a major battle of the First World War, was in its twelfth day and the casualties had been very heavy. The field hospitals were all but overwhelmed with the flood of wounded and gassed soldiers they were faced with. In the midst of all this chaos, a senior medical officer took the time to preside over the funeral of his close friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. The doctor had been treating casualties in an 8’ by 8’ bunker just behind the Yser canal about two miles north of Ypres. After the service, the physician, who was also a poet and author, wrote a 15 verse poem to express his feelings on the loss of his comrade and the need to carry on the fight so that his sacrifice and those of the fallen would not have been in vain.

Major John McCrae

It only took twenty minutes to complete and the poet was not pleased with his work and tossed it aside. Fortunately, someone was able to convince him of the worth of the piece. In December of 1915, the poem was published in the British magazine “Punch” and its verses have been a part of almost every Canadian commemoration of Remembrance Day ever since. The physician poet was Major John McCrae originally of Guelph, Ontario and his poem was “In Flanders Fields”.

I recently read an article that compared McCrae’s poem with Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Both pieces are brief and powerful, pay homage to the fallen and urge the audience to carry on the struggle. It is ironic that, given the continued popularity of both works, neither of these two men felt their words could adequately express the sentiments they wished to convey. As noted, McCrae discarded the poem at first and, in his own words, Lincoln concluded that “the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here.” Yet today, both these literary works live on and, in the commemoration of their subject events, bring generation after generation a newfound appreciation of the “brave men, living and dead, who struggled here.” As a Canadian and a hockey fan I should like to note that both the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs, teams that were founded in the early 20^th century, take inspiration from the sacrifice of Canadians in the Great War. The Toronto Maple Leafs crest is based on the “CANADA” maple Leaf badge pictured with this article and worn by the vast majority of our soldiers in World War I. Les Canadiens make use of the torch as a symbol to urge their players to carry on the great tradition of the team; one that has 24 Stanley Cup Championships. Far and away the most of any team in the NHL.

John McCrae, by then a Lieutenant Colonel and Commanding Officer of No. 3 Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne, died on January 28, 1918 of pneumonia and meningitis. He was buried with full military honours in Wimereux Cemetery in a service that was attended by Sir Arthur Currie, Commanding General of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. A collection of his poetry entitled “In Flanders Fields and Other Poems” was published shortly after his death in 1918.   

In the immortal words of John McCrae:

 “In Flanders Fields”

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row.
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow.
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
in Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.  

John McCrae with his dog Bonneau

To learn more about the writing of the poem “In Flanders Fields” check out the April-May edition of Canada’s History magazine which has an article by J. Andrew Ross entitled “Born of Fire & Blood.” Ross contends that “When John McCrae wrote ‘In Flanders Fields’ a hundred years ago he unleashed a force more powerful than any weapon of war.” As mentioned in my previous blog; Steve Guthrie of CHEX Television News produced a two part segment on the 57th Regiment of Militia, Peterborough’s militia regiment prior to World War I, and the participation of local troops in the 2nd Battle of Ypres. The two YouTube videos are posted on Lang Pioneer Village Museum’s Facebook page. Other interesting documentaries on the First World War include historian Norm Christie’s series entitled “For King and Empire” and the BBC documentary entitled “The Great War’ which dates from the 1960’s and includes interviews with people who experienced the events first hand. Canada’s History magazine has published “Canada’s Great War Album” which includes historical perspectives from a number of noted authors along with a collection of personal stories passed down from descendants of the soldiers and others who lived in those times. During the next three years, we will continue to mark notable anniversaries of Canada’s involvement in the Great War.

Joe Corrigan has been Museum Manager at Lang Pioneer Village since February of 2003. He has been a lifelong student of history. His specific areas of interest are Canadian and world political, military and sports history with a particular focus on biographical works. Joe has been interpreting Sir John A. Macdonald at the Museum's Historic Dominion Day event since 2007. 

Facial Hair & Victorian Male Elegance

By Jill Chapman

Victorian Moustachery

Victorian era gentlemen’s style saw facial hair as fashionable, much alike today. Males took great measures to look presentable & well-manicured, applying wax & stiffening their ‘staches.

Gentlemen today may benefit from the use of an object derived from the 1800s for use with a face clad in hair. British potter Harvey Adams (1835) is credited for developing the drinking vessel known simply and affectionately as the “Moustache Cup” in 1860.  Originally, these cups had a semi-circular opening against the side of the cup with a guard to protect a pampered moustache. Men who wore stiffening waxes would essentially have a small rest upon which to place their moustache while taking a sip of a hot drink. This would avoid the inevitable wax melting mishap & hairs out of place, & all would be okay in the world of men’s etiquette. 

Moustache Cup Expansion

The creation of these helpfully masculine porcelain pieces flourished, seeing international manufacturers like Royal Crown Derby, Imari and Royal Bayreuth catch on to the production trend. In the United States, many early Moustache Cups were marked with names that led buyers to believe they were purchasing England-made products (that were very much in fashion).

The International Copyright Act of 1891 made it so that manufacturers and authors could not falsify information about the origin of their products and intellectual property (books, music, etc.). This created honesty in sales. 

Our collection contains four moustache cups; one that can be viewed in the General Store building during full operations. You can purchase antique moustache cups and replicas alike online at varying price points. With the holidays around the corner, a Moustache Cup would make a lovely gift for the barber in your life, or simply for loved ones who have a genteel respect for a well-manicured above-lip strip.

Today we respectfully tip our real and hypothetical Victorian era moustaches; in honour and support of those taking part in the Movember fundraising campaign for men’s cancers throughout the month of November.

The Canadian Movember Campaign

If you would like to donate or register to participate in your own Movember 2015 campaign, please visit: https://ca.movember.com/. You can choose to donate by simply clicking a link to ‘Donate” to the cause or to an individual’s page at this time.

Sources:

 http://mymoustachecup.com/process/4578532362, http://www.torontoantiquesonking.com/2010/08/11/moustache-cups-a-brief-history/

Jill Chapman is the Visitor Experience Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum. She has been a member of the Lang team since May of 2012. Jill is a passionate advocate for education, the arts and fitness. When not at work, Jill might be found running through the North Cavan foothills or on one of the County’s rotary trails.

“Their Finest Hour!” Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the end of the Battle of Britain

By Joe Corrigan

In my previous blog entries for “Village Vignettes” I’ve focused on the centennial anniversaries of the major battles involving Canadians in the Great War of 1914 to 1918. On this occasion, I’d like to focus on another major battle in which Canadians played a part; this one occurred in World War II and it was the first major battle in history fought entirely in the air.

Shortly after the evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk in May of 1940, newly appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a speech that was broadcast to his nation and the world. He announced that the Battle of France was over and that the Battle of Britain was about to begin. Churchill stated that “Hitler knows that he must break us in this island or lose the war.” Given the military situation at the time, that was a bit of a stretch. He ended the speech by urging his people to brace themselves for the bitter struggle ahead and to so conduct themselves that “if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, this was their finest hour”.

Noting Empire and Commonwealth separately was an important distinction. In 1914, when Britain declared war on Germany, Canada was also committed to the conflict as part of “the Empire”. In 1939, Britain declared war on Germany on September 3^rd. Canada did not follow suit until a week later following a debate in parliament. The Statute of Westminster of 1931 had given Canada a greater degree of self-governance and formal recognition as an independent member of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

In those dark days of the summer of 1940, Canada stood at Britain’s side getting ready for the invasion which was seen as immanent. The 1^st Division of the Canadian Army was already in Britain. Indeed, elements of the Division had landed in north-west France around the time of Dunkirk but had subsequently also been evacuated as the true gravity of the situation became clear. Had the German army invaded England in the summer of 1940, the Canadian 1^st Division may well have been the only fully equipped army division they would have faced in the entire country. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) also had elements involved in the defense of Britain at that time. The Canadians that this article will focus on are the ones who volunteered to serve with the Royal Air Force (RAF), who enlisted prior to, or just shortly after, the start of World War II and who took part in the early stages of the war as members of the RAF’s all-Canadian 242 Squadron.

The squadron, which had originally been formed during the First World War, was reformed for service in World War II at RAF station Church Fenton on 30 October 1939 with Canadian RAF personnel. They initially flew the Bristol Blenheim and Fairey Battle but converted to the Hawker Hurricane in February of 1940.

   

A Hawker Hurricane IIC wearing the "LE" code of 242 Squadron

Painting of a 242 Hurricane

Douglas Bader

In May 1940, the squadron moved to RAF station Biggin Hill prior to being sent to France to counter the German offensive. The squadron’s Canadian pilots had suffered high losses in the Battle of France and their morale was quite low on being recalled to England. To address the need for leadership and improved morale, RAF Fighter Command assigned Squadron Leader Douglas Bader to command the Squadron at the end of June 1940. Bader was a unique individual to say the least. As a pilot in the pre-war RAF he had lost both legs in a crash. In an epic example of determination, he not only taught himself to walk on tin legs, but even passed the RAF’s Central Flying School course. Despite his exceptional performance, the peace time air force had no place for him among its ranks. With the coming of war in 1939, he was able to win back his wings and prove himself an able flight commander prior to being posted to 242 squadron. The Canadians of 242 weren’t keen on getting a “passenger” as their new CO but Bader soon won them over by the strength of his flying skills, strong character and perseverance. He proved a strong leader, especially in cutting through bureaucratic red tape to make the squadron operational again. The squadron became part of No. 12 Group of the RAF’s Fighter Command and was assigned to RAF Station Duxford. Bader’s tactics and leadership were instrumental in the development of the “Duxford Wing”, a unique formation of five squadrons, led by Bader, during the climatic stages of the Battle of Britain through August and September of 1940. By October of 1940 the battle was over, the Germans had postponed their invasion plans indefinitely and, although night bombing raids continued, Britain was no longer in the crosshairs of the Nazi juggernaut.    

RCAF personnel on their way to England in 1940

Paul Brickhill, a British airman, POW and author of the book “The Great Escape” wrote a biography of Douglas Bader entitled “Reach for the Sky”. The book was made into a movie, by the same title, in 1956 with Kenneth More in the lead role. It was by watching that movie in my youth that I learned of the important role Canadians played in the Battle of Britain. The movie is currently available on the Internet as a YouTube video for those who might be interested in learning more about Douglas Bader and 242 Squadron.

Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 90 Canadian pilots took part in the Battle of Britain between 242 Squadron and the RCAF’s 401 Squadron (Canadian Squadrons that served overseas during World War II were numbered in the 400’s to avoid confusion with the RAF’s numbered squadrons. These numbers were retained for general Canadian service after the war to maintain their wartime battle honours and tradition). The Canadians suffered a high rate of loss with some twenty-five pilots being killed in action. Theirs was an important contribution to a historic victory and should not be forgotten. 

This blog is written in memory of my uncle, Leading Aircraftsman Hubert Michael Corrigan of the RCAF, himself a Canadian in the service of the RAF, primarily No. 58 Squadron from 1943 to 1945.

H. M. Corrigan, RCAF

 Joe Corrigan has been Museum Manager at Lang Pioneer Village since February of 2003. He has been a lifelong student of history. His specific areas of interest are Canadian and world political, military and sports history with a particular focus on biographical works. Joe has been interpreting Sir John A. Macdonald at the Museum's Historic Dominion Day event since 2007.       

Back To The Future

By Karis Regamey

For all those die-hard movie fans out there, or for those of us who frequent the Internet and have friends that like to post "fun facts" to Facebook, today is a day of interest. Today is October 21, 2015- the date mentioned in the 1985 comic science fiction film Back to the Future. The movie, starring Michael J. Fox, features a character named Marty McFly who is sent back in time to 1955. He realizes how his presence in the past affects the future and throughout the movie, he has to repair the damage he has made so life could play out as intended. He later has the opportunity to travel into the future, the date of which is today's date- October 21, 2015.

According to the movie, on October 21, 2015, the human race will be travelling around on hoverboards or in flying cars. The movie Jaws 19 would be released and fax machines would rule. As outlandish as some of these "predictions" were, others were spot on or at the very least, possible. In Back to the Future's version of 2015, cars use alternative fuel, people have the ability to video chat and you can use thumbprints as keys, all of which have been developed in the 30 years since the film was released. Although many of us are rooting for the Blue Jays, it was the Cubs who were predicted to win the world series this year.

Source: Vox

This date is becoming a phenomenon. There is even a Facebook page dedicated to today as the "Back to the Future Day" (https://www.facebook.com/October212015BTTF if anyone is interested in checking it out).

While October 21, 2015 doesn't resonate with me (I will admit I have not seen this movie), I look at all this hype and think about just how far we have come. At Lang Pioneer Village, it is our mission to preserve, promote and authentically recreate the rural history of Peterborough County. The Village is arranged in a way that represents a 19th-century hamlet. The original and reconstructed buildings from 1825 to 1900 are furnished with artifacts that were once owned and used by the individuals who first settled in the region. The staff members and volunteers who interpret these artifacts are dressed as they would have been in that time period and demonstrate the various chores and trades that were necessary to survive and make a living. It is our goal to make our visitors feels as if they are stepping back 200 years in time when they walk out into the historic village.

With all of today's modern conveniences, it's hard to imagine just how far we have come. No, we do not have flying cars or hoverboards as Back to the Future predicted we would (although the new Rollerboards are getting close), but the majority of us do not ride around in horse and buggy. Growing up with the Internet, I often wonder how I would have found out the answer to a seemingly simple question before I could "Google" the answer and I certainly wouldn't know that today was the so-called "Back to the Future Day" without the Internet. We have come a long way from the 1800s and even from 1985, when the things predicted to occur in 2015 seemed unreal or outlandish. I don't have any idea what will be created next but often wonder what my kids will have when they are adults!

On this "Back to the Future Day", try thinking about life 30 years ago, let alone 200 years ago. What do you have today that you couldn't live without? Your smart phone? The remote start on your vehicle on a day that is 30 below? What are your predictions for 30 years from now? If you need that gentle reminder on how far we have come, plan to visit us next summer (or for one of our fantastic holiday events this fall)...you might just be surprised!


Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Future
http://www.vox.com/2015/10/21/9581539/back-to-the-future-day-2015-predictions-hoax

Karis Regamey is the Marketing Consultant for Lang Pioneer Village Museum, She has been with the Museum since February of 2009. When she is not busy overseeing the advertising of the Village, she can be found chasing after her two little ones.

Grandma's Apron

By Karis Regamey

Fall is my absolute favourite time of the year! It's the enticing combination of the colourful leaves, the return of football, hot coffee, the crisp air that requires comfy sweaters and jeans to stay warm and Thanksgiving. It also means being able to use the oven again! I don't know about you, but I rarely use the oven during the summer because my house is warm enough without it.

I love to cook and bake so when fall rolls around, it is experiment season. I'm finally able to try all the recipes that I have been adding to my Pinterest boards all summer which require an oven.

The other day I came across the following poem on Facebook:

Courtesy of Pinterest

I don't often wear an apron when I cook/bake. Reading this poem got me thinking though. We are very fortunate to be able to go the grocery store and pick up eggs, vegetables, fruit etc. If my clothes get dirty when the speed of my KitchenAid mixer is too fast and batter sprays out, or my child misses the bowl when pouring in the milk, I don't have to think twice about changing and throwing my soiled clothes in the washing machine. With a simple push of a button, my oven heats to the perfect temperature to bake a batch of cookies.

It is this experience of "Grandma" that is portrayed on a daily basis in the Village. From hand-washing to hand-mixing to hand-picking, the interpreters provide that gentle reminder that life has not always been so convenient- complete with apron. 

 

I am thankful for the modern conveniences of life nowadays. And I think I will be adding an apron to my Christmas list.

Karis Regamey is the Marketing Consultant for Lang Pioneer Village Museum, She has been with the Museum since February of 2009. When she is not busy overseeing the advertising of the Village, she can be found chasing after her two little ones.

David Fife Day 2015

By Harrison Perkins

Please click on the image below to view today's video blog entry profiling Lang's David Fife Day event which took place Sunday, August 30, 2015. Enjoy!

Harrison first started volunteering at Lang Pioneer Village Museum was he was nine years old. He continued volunteering for 10 years and worked as a seasonal staff member for a few seasons. He is currently a freelance news videographer in Peterborough & the Kawarthas.