The Kettle Valley Pioneers presented their 34th annual Elgin Historical Show August 10th to 12th. Dan Patterson Conservation Area was filled with antiques related to farming (tractors, machinery and implements) plus food vendors, displays and music.
 Families were invited to drop by Saturday (August 4) and discover St. Thomas’s oldest church. Constructed between 1822 and 1824, the Old St. Thomas Church was the centre of the pioneer community. During the Fun Day, activities inside and out enabled visitors to delve into pioneer activities as well as the history of the church and the surrounding graveyard.
 It’s 1812 at the Backus-Page House this weekend. The grounds of the museum will come alive with sutlers, reenactors, reenactors, First Nations history interpreters and live entertainment. This annual event always makes for a perfect country excursion, with the adventure of a trip back in time thrown in.
The event opens with Education Day programming on Friday May 25th. Visitors experience the life of an early 1800s settler in Upper Canada along the Erie shoreline.  The demon rum? Or the cup that cheers? Canadians have been arguing about alcohol for at least two hundred years! One of two exhibits currently running at the Elgin County Musuem, The Noble Experiment: Temperance & Prohibition in Canada, explores the debate that affected Canadians on every level: from in their own homes to the national and international stages.
Temperance & Prohibition in Canada Quick Timeline & Facts 1827. The first Canadian Temperance Society was founded in Montreal 1842. One person in ten was a member of a temperance organization. 1901. PEI goes dry and all of Canada has joined by the end of WWI. 1920s. Prohibition is widespread in Canada but alcohol can still be sold through the government for industrial, scientific, mechanical, artistic and medical uses, and often outside of province. Illegal drinking establishments, known as speakeasies, spring up everywhere. Prescription alcohol use for illness skyrockets. 1930. All of the provinces have gradually re-legalized alcohol, except PEI which remains dry until 1948.  Looking for a railway themed outing, holiday gift idea, or fun family day over the school break? The Elgin County Railway Museum is the place to find all of these.
A December 14, 2011 news release from the Museum includes the details and a reminder that they are now open year-round. From the Railway Museum, December 14, 2011 It may be cold outside, but things are warming up at the Elgin County Railway Museum. The Museum’s doors now remain open year-round, to promote and preserve the rich railway heritage of St. Thomas and Elgin County. |
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