Kings Hants Heritage Connection

Kings Hants Heritage Connection

September 6, 2007

Grand-Pré National Historic Site, Grand-Pré

Present: Bethany Jost-Acadia Archives, Susan Surette-Draper-Les Amis de Grand-Pré, Pat Gould-Thorpe-Hants RDA, Wilma Gibson & Roleen Ogilvie-Fieldwood HS, Gordon Haliburton (chair)-Wolfville Historic Society, Bria Stokesbury-KHS, John D. Wilson-WHHS and David Baldwin-Berwick.

Regrets: Beth Keech, John Whidden, Pat Townsend and Wendy Robichaud.

Gordon called the meeting to order at 10:10

Minutes of our last meeting on June 7, 2007 were reviewed. Matters arising from minutes:

Bria has given her copy of the minutes of our group’s meetings from 1997-2002 to Bethany so that she can include them in the Acadia archives.

Gordon will check his papers for pertinent info and do the same.

• Lucille was not in attendance and therefore we could not follow-up on her success in contacting Elinor Maher about her attendance at our October meeting or the projects that Colchester County is planning for the Planter 2010 celebrations.

• Pat Townsend was not in attendance and therefore we do not know the results of the meeting with the Planter Committee meeting in June. Gordon has not received any info on the subject.

• Beth was not in attendance and therefore we did not have information on the UNESCO steering committee meeting held in June.

• JohnWhidden was not in attendance and therefore we will defer action on sending our MLA’s package to the minister of T, C & H with a request for a meeting.

• Gordon read the replies he had received from the Minister of Heritage, Bev Oda referring his concerns to John Baird and the Environment Department. He also read a letter from Len Goucher, NS’s tourism minister. The most encouraging news was from Kings County Warden, Fred Whalen who sympathized with the cause of preserving ‘built heritage”. He offered aid and requested that we suggest solutions for the problem. Tax relief was suggested as an obvious solution.

• The matter of how to reach people who are interested in built heritage was discussed. Some suggestions were: Contact our own societies and make a plea for interested persons to get involved and host an information event with a guest speaker, food and a sign-up sheet!! It was noted that the Wolfville Historic Society already has a committee on this topic. Could it be the framework and guiding force in this initiative?

• Pat Townsend and Don were not in attendance and therefore could not provide info on what records exist in archives on the Morse, Parent and Porter families.

We will return to these items at our next meeting. Roleen moved that we accept the minutes and Bria seconded.

New Business:

Planter 2010

Bria informed us that the KHS has a new president, Maynard Stevens. He is very interested in participating in the 2010 events and preparations for the upcoming celebrations and has volunteered to be a community voice in the Acadia University Planter Committee. Bria informed us that the Kings County Museum will have a “day” during the festivities but has not yet determined exactly what it will entail.

Pat Gould-Thorpe has been contacted by the Municipal Councilor for Falmouth with regards to preparations. John is in contact with the Avon River Heritage Society.

Pat will “get the ball rolling” by contacting Elinor, Lucille, Pat’s contact in Digby and possibly Maynard Stevens. Some discussion took place on the role of the Acadia University’s Planter Committee.

Gordon will draft a letter to the Wardens of Kings and Hants counties and Acadia University’s president, to inform them of the upcoming Planter 2010 event.

All members of the KHHC are asked to recruit members, who are interested in participating in the Planter 2010 celebrations, from their organizations and report back at the next meeting.

Round Table:

Bria: “Wonderful Summer” summer students’ projects covered in Advertiser, cemetery messages story covered by CTV and Canada AM (first time Kings County Museum is mentioned in National News!!), Whispers from the Past Cemetery Tour will be held Sunday, Sept 16 at 7 pm at the Lower Horton Cemetery-fundraiser-for more info contact museum or Maynard Stevens at 681-2040, Camp Aldershot Open House: Sept 15 from 12:30-4:30, Oct 25, “The Last Hanging in Kings County-The William Robinson Case” with Barry Cahill. Fact or fiction?

John Wilson: Excellent summer students, “Passage Project” digital archiving of old photographs and postcards, “dreams” and meetings with Parks Canada re: Fort Edward.

Bethany: New Hours: 1-4:30 MTTF and 1-6 W, new library website, newest records, guidelines for research, chat live with an archivist, on-line library catalogue. New acquisitions: Corn Hill United Baptist Church (NB?), Sandy Point (Shelburne) and Grand-Pré Marsh Body Records.

David: ‘Wendy” strawberry, book on history of Berwick on sale at Gala Days $15, “Randy Rockwell” interested and mature student, interested in history of Waterville, Ron Ilsley’s book on community with a genealogical component should be available by Christmas.

Susan: Les Amis: hosted Les Journées Acadiennes’s mass featuring Sister Dorothy Moore’s singing of Ave Marie in Mi’qmaq, participated in the service of commemoration of the deportation on July 28 with the community of the Covenanter United Church followed by a social gathering, organized and hosted a mass on August 15 under the willows with Fr Albeni D’Entremont and Johanne McInnis on the harp, presented the legend of Jerome evening with researcher Lise Robichaud. All events were a success. Preparing for more 5 à 7’s and Le Tapis at Christmas.

Pat Gould-Thorpe: Shubenacadie Tinsmith Shop on Saturdays all summer, planning a mini-play of a 1900’s Fanciful Afternoon, a question of marketing. Getting groups to work closely together eg. Ft Edward and Parks Canada and Ste Famille Cemetery Committee and WHHS. Meetings are needed to make decisions.

Wilma: Excellent student worked on Jack Sherrif/Wilf Carter collection, open house a success, paintings of Bertha North on loan to society and have received permission to reproduce, have 3 signs up, Sir Frederick Borden’s papers found in Wolfville attic and given to Acadia Archives, Glenn Ells will speak at Canning Firehall on Oct 17 at 7:30 on his new book “Starting Over. Acadians and New England Planters in Nova Scotia in the 1760’s”

Gordon: Fundraiser at Old O. Saturday, Sept 8, $50 with $15 tax receipt, post-expulsion menu, Bonnie Elliot has produced great results at Randall House, a “refreshed” feeling to the house, creative ways to give information.

Next meeting on October 04 at 10 am at Grand-Pré National Historic Site Interpretive Centre.

Your volunteer secretary, Susan Surette-Draper

Sept 7, 2007