Driving Ontario’s rural back roads, you may have noticed “Century Farm” signs and wondered about the stories of the people who worked and played in these homes and fields through several generations. “One Hundred Years. One Hundred Families” was launched on Thursday at the Arts and Cookery Bank in West Lorne and tells the stories in words and photos, of 100 families from their surrounding community, over the past century. |
Introducing the book at the celebratory launch, Steve Peters commended the Bank and the publication for helping to keep the history alive for generations to come.
He said, “You still drive down a lot of the country roads today and you’ll see those Century Farm signs that Junior Farmers were involved in, for a Centennial project in 1967. Those signs are rusting away, but it’s just this living reminder of a family that’s been on that farm for 100 years and when I heard about the concept of this, that was one of the first things that came to my mind.”
The Arts and Cookery Bank is composed of two re-purposed heritage buildings – a 1914 Bank of Montreal and an 1883 timber frame barn. On the bank’s 100th anniversary, the folks at the Arts & Cookery Bank wanted to “honour, celebrate and preserve the rich heritage of the hundreds of families with ties to the community for more than a century and underscore the Bank’s long-term commitment to the community.”
The seed of the idea of celebrating 100 families was planted back in the winter of 2013 with the concept of talking with the long-term families in the community, suggested by Steve Peters. It evolved into the idea of celebrating 100 years of 100 families to mark the building’s centennial.
He said, “You still drive down a lot of the country roads today and you’ll see those Century Farm signs that Junior Farmers were involved in, for a Centennial project in 1967. Those signs are rusting away, but it’s just this living reminder of a family that’s been on that farm for 100 years and when I heard about the concept of this, that was one of the first things that came to my mind.”
The Arts and Cookery Bank is composed of two re-purposed heritage buildings – a 1914 Bank of Montreal and an 1883 timber frame barn. On the bank’s 100th anniversary, the folks at the Arts & Cookery Bank wanted to “honour, celebrate and preserve the rich heritage of the hundreds of families with ties to the community for more than a century and underscore the Bank’s long-term commitment to the community.”
The seed of the idea of celebrating 100 families was planted back in the winter of 2013 with the concept of talking with the long-term families in the community, suggested by Steve Peters. It evolved into the idea of celebrating 100 years of 100 families to mark the building’s centennial.
Three students who worked at the bank during the past summer eagerly took on the monumental challenge of making that celebration take a tangible form. Speaking at the book launch, one of those students, Twan Dieker remembers that they immediately had lots of ideas but had to narrow down the project. He said, “We came up with the idea of a book of stories. We could talk about names … but what story do these people have … everyone has a story.”
Both Twan and Sarah de Wit, another of the authors, agreed that the project was hard work, but Sarah adds, “It was well worth it … just what I learned about this community … I have a really deep connection with this community now. Driving through town, I don’t see it the same way anymore. Even though I grew up here, when I look around at all the buildings and the people I see the stories that all of you told me.” She smiles, “I also learned a lot of life skills that I’ll take away, including how to address an envelope, how to call people on a landline …”
In the process, they and the many contributors to the project will have become part of a few (or a hundred or so) more stories. Those contributors include the families, writers (Sarah de Wit, Twan Dieker, Madison Somerville), designer Sheri Somerville, editors, sponsors, Grace McGartland and Tammy Oliveira of the Arts & Cookery Bank and many others credited in the acknowledgements of the book.
West Elgin Mutual was one of the book’s sponsors. President, Brian Downie remembered, “When Grace arrived at the office and wanted to talk about this book of 100 years, 100 families, I guess immediately I thought of the connection with West Elgin Mutual because we were formed in 1880 and have continued in business since that time down in Dutton. I think that says a lot about the community which this book is written about. And then Grace shared with me the list of names that were going to be in this book I was taken by how many of those names I recognized as people that West Elgin Mutual is still doing business with today, and was doing business with those families for several generations. Not just doing business with them but some of them were leaders in our organization – like Dunc McPhail … Dunc’s father was on the board of directors of West Elgin Mutual.
Both Twan and Sarah de Wit, another of the authors, agreed that the project was hard work, but Sarah adds, “It was well worth it … just what I learned about this community … I have a really deep connection with this community now. Driving through town, I don’t see it the same way anymore. Even though I grew up here, when I look around at all the buildings and the people I see the stories that all of you told me.” She smiles, “I also learned a lot of life skills that I’ll take away, including how to address an envelope, how to call people on a landline …”
In the process, they and the many contributors to the project will have become part of a few (or a hundred or so) more stories. Those contributors include the families, writers (Sarah de Wit, Twan Dieker, Madison Somerville), designer Sheri Somerville, editors, sponsors, Grace McGartland and Tammy Oliveira of the Arts & Cookery Bank and many others credited in the acknowledgements of the book.
West Elgin Mutual was one of the book’s sponsors. President, Brian Downie remembered, “When Grace arrived at the office and wanted to talk about this book of 100 years, 100 families, I guess immediately I thought of the connection with West Elgin Mutual because we were formed in 1880 and have continued in business since that time down in Dutton. I think that says a lot about the community which this book is written about. And then Grace shared with me the list of names that were going to be in this book I was taken by how many of those names I recognized as people that West Elgin Mutual is still doing business with today, and was doing business with those families for several generations. Not just doing business with them but some of them were leaders in our organization – like Dunc McPhail … Dunc’s father was on the board of directors of West Elgin Mutual.
Friends and family of many of "One Hundred Years. One Hundred Families" were on hand Thursday evening for the celebratory launch, including Jamie Littlejohn, Jerry Galbraith, Marion Page (Patterson) and Duncan McPhail.
Bill Denning, Sarah de Wit, Twan Dieker, Tammy Oliveira, Jerry Galbraith, Grace McGartland, Steve Peters
Twan summed up the students appreciation for the family contributors, “We don’t know your stories so it is the community that brought this together; this is a community project. We are saying thank-you to all of you for contributing your stories, your pictures, and ” he adds with a smile, “your two, three … one thousand visits.”
In his remarks, Steve Peters commended The Bank on their role in encouraging young people.
It is that all-important attention to preserving and picking up threads from the past, weaving and connecting them into the fabric of the future that will help ensure vitality in our rural communities.
“One Hundred Years. One Hundred Families” is beautifully done. The treasure-trove of black & white photos invites questions and you will find some of the answers in the accompanying stories. The accounts are full of the accomplishments and hardships, joys and sorrows of the families who put down roots and grew their communities. They are unique to the area but also full of the common threads of life that will be of interest to those from afar.
Find out more about “One Hundred Years. One Hundred Families” and the programs of the Arts & Cookery Bank at www.theartsandcookerybank.com.
In his remarks, Steve Peters commended The Bank on their role in encouraging young people.
It is that all-important attention to preserving and picking up threads from the past, weaving and connecting them into the fabric of the future that will help ensure vitality in our rural communities.
“One Hundred Years. One Hundred Families” is beautifully done. The treasure-trove of black & white photos invites questions and you will find some of the answers in the accompanying stories. The accounts are full of the accomplishments and hardships, joys and sorrows of the families who put down roots and grew their communities. They are unique to the area but also full of the common threads of life that will be of interest to those from afar.
Find out more about “One Hundred Years. One Hundred Families” and the programs of the Arts & Cookery Bank at www.theartsandcookerybank.com.