People's Archive of Rural Ontario

Abstract Submission Link: https://uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9T74jmn7eIjpTDM

Celebrating International Women's Day!

At PARO, we believe in the power of stories. Stories have the ability to inspire, educate, and empower. As we commemorate International Women's Day, we are reminded of the precious stories that women have shared with us from rural Ontario.

For years, we have been dedicated to collecting and archiving these invaluable narratives, preserving the rural voices from all walks of life. Today, we want to shine a spotlight on the incredible women who have contributed to our archive.

The story of Gayle McPherson, the first women president of the Royal Agriculture Winter Fair: https://www.ruralontario.org/individual-stories/gayle-mcpherson%3A-first-woman-president-of-the-royal-agricultural-winter-fair

The story of Alexa Avelar, a farmer and an advocate of women’s right in agriculture: https://www.ruralontario.org/individual-stories/a-crossroads-in-agri-culture The story of Linda Smith, a public speaker and women’s rights activist: https://www.ruralontario.org/individual-stories/supporting-women-against-violence-begins-with-us%3A-it-takes-ordinary-people-to-make-extraordinary-change

As we read these stories, let us not forget the challenges that women continue to face in our communities. From access to education and healthcare to combating gender-based violence, there is still much work to be done. But through solidarity, advocacy, and collective action, we can create a more just and equitable society for all.

On this International Women's Day, we celebrate women, and recommit ourselves to the stand for gender equality.

Happy International Women's Day!

Your PARO Team.

Celebrating Black History Month: Showcasing the Diversity of Life in Rural Ontario

As February ushers in Black History Month, it's a time for reflection, education, and celebration of the rich and diverse narratives that form the tapestry of Ontarian Black history. At PARO, we are proud to play a part in this important month by inviting you to delve into the inspiring stories from our rural repository.

Rural Community Connections in the Life of Dorothy Wright-Wallace: Explore the journey of Dorothy Wright-Wallace and her deep connection to farming and community life in Chatham-Kent.
https://www.ruralontario.org/individual-stories/rural-community-connections-in-the-life-of-dorothy-wright-wallace-

Cultivating Skills, Survival and Simplicity in a Complex World: Discover Maryam’s unique childhood in rural Ontario, where a life without modern conveniences taught her invaluable life lessons.
https://www.ruralontario.org/individual-stories/cultivating-skills%2C-survival-and-simplicity-in-a-complex-world-

The Queen’s Bush Settlement and the Guelph Black Heritage Society: Maintaining Rural Black History: Uncover the story of the Queen’s Bush settlement and the historic Guelph British Methodist Church, a beacon of Black heritage in Wellington County.
https://www.ruralontario.org/individual-stories/the-queen%E2%80%99s-bush-settlement-and-the-guelph-black-heritage-society%3A-maintaining-rural-black-history

Each story we've shared is a thread in the broader narrative of Black history in Ontario's rural communities. They invite us to think about our own stories and the rich fabric of experiences around us. Do any of these tales resonate with you or bring a new perspective on what community and heritage mean? We'd love to hear your thoughts. Please drop a comment below, and let's turn this Black History Month into a vibrant conversation full of learning and meaningful connections.

"Dentist Finds Her Calling In Remote Northern Canada"

Check out one of our featured stories this month! Meet Swathi Umesh, a mother, and wife trying to balance her career and her home life.

Told by her friends told her that she cannot have both a career and a family, Swathi was motivated to pursue both and show that it is possible.

Working in Dental Hygiene, Swathi wanted to make more of a difference so she brought her talents to Indigenous Services Canada to work under the Rural Areas Program.

This fascinating article recounts Swathi's experiences providing these services to Indigenous Reserves in remote and rural areas and is well worth the read.

You can find the story here: https://www.ruralontario.org/individual-stories/dentist-finds-her-calling-in-remote-northern-canada-

The People's Archive of Rural Ontario would like to help celebrate International Women's Day by sharing stories about Farmerettes in Ontario. Farmerettes played a vital role during and after the Second World War to run and maintain farms in Canada, especially during the labor shortage the country was experiencing

Here is one such story here: https://www.ruralontario.org/individual-stories/summer-love-turned-into-wedding-vows-for-this-farmerette-

It is an amazing read about Isobel Gibson and her experience as a Farmerette in Ontario, and how she met the love of her life just after the Second World War.

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Hi everyone! Check out this amazing event hosted by Kim Blackwell and Alison Lawrence talking about the history of Farmerettes in Ontario! The event takes place on April 15, 2023, between 10AM and 1PM. Attend in person or virtually! Hope to see you there!

Celebrate with a story featured on the PARO website!

This story features Mary Ann Shadd, an incredible woman to found the first Canadian newspaper run by a woman, and the second black woman to earn a law degree in the United States.

Mary Ann's story is an inspirational one, with impacts still being felt today with one of Mary Ann's ancestors, .

The article is a fantastic read and can be read below through the link!

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This article is a tremendous read! You can find the article here: tinyurl.com/99nd3hvu

Hey everyone! Recruitment for the Research Assistant positions has been extended until January 30th! Get your applications in as soon as possible!

You can click here for more: https://www.ruralontario.org/post/we-are-hiring-2-ra-positions-l-deadline-january-30

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Neighbourhood is at the heart of rural life, yet we have little understanding of how it worked. Cathy’s book enters the heart of neighbourhood through the study of farm diaries. Many of these diaries are now available to read on the companion website, the Rural Diary Archive: https://ruraldiaries.lib.uoguelph.ca/home. Diarists recorded barn raisings, threshing and quilting “bees,” and other types of reciprocal work or “neighbouring.” Households participated in these complex labour exchanges according to an unwritten code of behaviour. They understood that a cohesive, functioning neighbourhood involved negotiation, flexibility, surveillance, and on occasion, confrontation, and reconciliation. As a result, neighbourhood emerged as a powerful force in their lives. Join Cathy as she presents a video documentary on the subject and engages in discussion.

Please feel free to join us in person for the presentation, refreshments, and book signing. You do not need to register, if you are planning to attend in person. Books will be available at the event for $40 cash. If you wish to purchase a copy of the book online, you may do so at https://www.mqup.ca/being-neighbours-products-9780228014737.php. You can use this promotion code – MQFA – for a 30% discount until 31 March 2023. To join us virtually for the book launch, please register at:



https://www.uoguelph.ca/arts/rural/roundtable.

Happy New Year Everyone! We at PARO wanted to help you start the new year off right by offering you a paid Research Assistant position with the team!

To apply, email the requirements outlined in the image below to: [email protected]

Email us by January 23, 2023, for your consideration!

We look forward to hearing from you all!

Hey everyone! Check out this amazing opportunity!

Do you have a story to tell? Submit your story at https://www.ruralontario.org/.

Help us celebrate our one-year anniversary on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, by sharing your story with us! Rural stories have a place here!

Visit the website or our Facebook events page for more details about our one-year celebration! Hope to see you there!

Join us on November 29, 2022, for the People's Archive of Canada's First Anniversary Celebration! Festivities kick off at 5pm EST. With guest speakers and a storytelling workshop, you are sure to have a great time! Please visit our website for more details!

https://www.ruralontario.org/

The Rural History Roundtable is a speaker series that has been in operation since 2002. It hosts scholars of international repute and provides a venue for graduate students to present their latest research. It is vertically integrated drawing into its fold undergraduates, graduates, post-docs, faculty, archivists, alumni, and other members of the public.

The Fall 2022 Speaker Series will begin on 4 October. To register for Andrew Watson's talk, "Poor Soils and Rich Folks: Tourism as Rural History," please click on the link below. Once registered, you will receive a ticket via email. You do not need to click 'sign into the event' or create an Eventbrite account. Instead, closer to the talk date you will receive an email containing the details of the Zoom meeting and a Zoom link. We encourage you to register no later than 30 minutes before the presentation.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/poor-soils-and-rich-folks-tourism-as-rural-history-tickets-418376945707

Please join us for a lively conversation with IDS alumnus, Dr. David Borish and colleagues, whose new film - Herd: Inuit Voices on Caribou - documents the implications of a 99% decline in caribou populations for Inuit communities in Labrador. GIDS will be hosting a screening and Q&A Session on September 23, 2022, 1:30 -3:00 PM with David Borish, Inez Shiwak, and Nicholas Flowers. You can register through our link tree in our bio! The Zoom link will be provided closer to the event.

For whatever reason, I never quite felt that I fit the description of ‘proud farmer’s daughter.’ While I had my favourite calves, I didn't really have a favourite type of tractor, didn’t listen to country music, and all in all, didn’t spend much time reflecting on being a farmer’s daughter. However, I was so wrong I am proud to be a farmer’s daughter. Actually, I’m proud to be the daughter of two farmers. I’m proud to be the granddaughter, cousin, niece, and sister of farmers.

Part of this pride may be nostalgia for childhood or a romanticism of farming. Part of it may be that it gives me a sense of uniqueness among my city friends and family. However, it is also pride in having known a place well, in having appreciated the way work must always be done, in having felt responsibility for other creatures, in having been embedded in living patterns and cycles. It is pride in understanding the attention, knowledge, creativity, and experimentation that go into farming.

To read more click the link in our bio!
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

For whatever reason, I never quite felt that I fit the description of ‘proud farmer’s daughter.’ While I had my favourite calves, I didn't really have a favourite type of tractor, didn’t listen to country music, and all in all, didn’t spend much time reflecting on being a farmer’s daughter. However, I was so wrong I am proud to be a farmer’s daughter. Actually, I’m proud to be the daughter of two farmers. I’m proud to be the granddaughter, cousin, niece, and sister of farmers.

Part of this pride may be nostalgia for childhood or a romanticism of farming. Part of it may be that it gives me a sense of uniqueness among my city friends and family. However, it is also pride in having known a place well, in having appreciated the way work must always be done, in having felt responsibility for other creatures, in having been embedded in living patterns and cycles. It is pride in understanding the attention, knowledge, creativity, and experimentation that go into farming.

To read the full story click here: https://bit.ly/3cDDlJh
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

Minister Thompson gets it. “People are looking for greener pastures,” she says. She believes rural living reflects people’s increased desire for more space, after having been cooped up during the pandemic. It’s the same desire that’s sent urbanites racing for post-pandemic recreational opportunities, a phenomenon Thompson understands: Lake Huron, near Teeswater (pop. 1,100) where Lisa and Dennis farm, is renowned for having the world’s best sunsets. It rates as one of the minister’s top rural Ontario destinations, although she finds it hard to choose just one.

“You can find beauty by turning onto any of the secondary highways in the province and exploring the small towns, finding the likes of shops, restaurants, wineries and craft breweries,” she says. “My favourite destination in Ontario is anywhere off the beaten path.”
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

Don’t ask Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Lisa Thompson for one of her favourite homegrown recipes. Ask for three. Recipes give avowed foodie Thompson, Ontario’s 40th agriculture minister, the chance to promote the province’s amazingly diverse cornucopia of 200-plus commodities. That’s more than any province in Canada.

The minister understands where those commodities and others come from, how they’re produced and who produces them. Being raised in rural Ontario and having been a part of many agriculture and rural groups such as the Ontario 4-H Foundation (which she chaired) and vice-chair of Agriculture in The Classroom (now AgScape), she had all kinds of street cred when she was named minister on June 18, 2021.

To read the full story click here: https://bit.ly/3pIStIg
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

Since that first concert, The Barn has held over 500 artists, thousands of audience members, and the musical spirit of the Campbellford and Trent Hills community. “I love walking around the outside when it’s dusk, and it’s full inside of people and there’s a musician going around, but it seems like the whole barn is an instrument when you’re on the outside,” says Donna.

Now into its 21st year, Westben has shown that it will always strive to bring people together and dream of meaningful ways to do so. It truly is a rural Ontario treasure that will awaken your senses. If you haven’t visited, either the physical or digital space, then be sure to stop by and experience the magic yourself.

To read the full story click here: https://bit.ly/3CkvWch
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

So how did Westben become the magical destination it is today? Well, it’s been an “unexpected journey”, as Donna puts it; one that started with a cornfield on a family farm and an intention to pursue a professional music career abroad. Donna, a soprano opera singer, and Brian, a classical pianist, were professional musicians who performed with orchestras across Canada, toured around Europe, and taught at the University of Toronto and Queens University.

They decided to return back home and start Westben. The Barn is an iconic part of Westben. Designed and built in 2000 by Didier Schvartz, it’s a 5,400 sq. ft original Timber Frame, made from coastal hemlock and locally milled pine trees. It seats 400 people inside, and up to 500 outside, creating an intimate setting with doors that slide open to the grassy meadow and a stage that allows performers to connect with the audience.

To read the full story click the link in our bio!
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

So how did Westben become the magical destination it is today? Well, it’s been an “unexpected journey”, as Donna puts it; one that started with a cornfield on a family farm and an intention to pursue a professional music career abroad. Donna, a soprano opera singer, and Brian, a classical pianist, were professional musicians who performed with orchestras across Canada, toured around Europe, and taught at the University of Toronto and Queens University.

They decided to return back home and start Westben. The Barn is an iconic part of Westben. Designed and built in 2000 by Didier Schvartz, it’s a 5,400 sq. ft original Timber Frame, made from coastal hemlock and locally milled pine trees. It seats 400 people inside, and up to 500 outside, creating an intimate setting with doors that slide open to the grassy meadow and a stage that allows performers to connect with the audience.

To read the full story click here: https://bit.ly/3AtQmOC
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

“When you’re here, sitting on the meadow, you can see right into the stage of The Barn, and the doors all open up so the music spills out into the meadow and the meadow comes into The Barn,” describes Donna Bennett, Co-Founder of Westben.

Donna and her husband, Brian Finley, co-founded Westben as a live music venue in 1999 with the goal of bringing people together through music. Since its opening, Westben has welcomed musicians of diverse genres, such as classical, jazz, folk, marimba, and even pop. This commitment to connecting through music is still alive and strong, but in 2017, Westben underwent one of its biggest changes and re-imagined itself as Westben Centre for Connection and Creativity. Transforming from a live music venue into an arts centre allowed Donna and Brian to attend to other parts of their vision: to create a year-round establishment that moves beyond presentational music to an immersive experience where “nature is a part of the music, and the audience is a part of the performance,” explains Donna.

To read the full story click here: https://bit.ly/3JTAwQk
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

Admirably, the Winters aren’t afraid to tackle social and environmental challenges. Phil argues that their brewery is one of the most energy-efficient in Ontario. Their regenerative farming practices contribute to a healthier environment. He also emphasized the importance of community organizing to confront agricultural challenges.

They have since expanded the bottle shop into a patio on the farm, where they host live music and other events. It’s an excellent spot to sit for a drink and see how the hops grow, knowing that it’s possible to create a popular product and do it sustainably – perhaps bringing a new meaning to ‘drinking responsibly.

To read the story click here: https://bit.ly/3PlmIPI
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

Winters says that they spent the first year “researching specialty crops” – wondering what crop to grow – and timing played a vital role in cultivating hops. That year, hop yields were significantly diminished in Oregon and Europe, and there was significant demand for hops around the world.

As part of their research, the Winters reached out to different Ontario breweries to gauge what they were looking for in their hops. In 2011, the Winters tested a small hop yard of 250 rhizomes, embracing regenerative farming techniques and taking care of the soil to avoid using chemicals and pesticides. They now organically farm 2.5 acres with approximately 2000 rhizomes of chinook, cascade, and centennial hops.

To read the full story click here: https://bit.ly/3PlmIPI
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

Run by Phil and Gail Winters, GoodLot is both an organic hop farm and a brewery – making it a distinct operation at the intersection of sustainability, agriculture, and heritage. GoodLot began as an undecided agricultural project – the product of a change in lifestyle the couple sought in October 2009. “We had both dreamed of farming as a career and decided to dive in”

Farming runs in both of their families. Gail was raised on a farm in Caledon and Phil’s family operated a fish farm on St. Joseph's Island. In 2009, they purchased 27 acres worth of heritage farmland in Caledon – cleared and cultivated by the Pinkney family between 1820 and 1960.

To read the full story click here: https://bit.ly/3PlmIPI
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

“I guess that's partly why I wanted to write the book, to see how this came to be." Writing the book deepened Kae’s own connection to the land and her rural roots. “I interviewed my family so much and learned so much more about farming. I'm so proud of my brothers for the soil and environmental conservation work they have done on the farm, and I'm so happy my nephews Colin and Grant are interested in carrying this on."

The book launch, on August 17, 2019, at the former Dawn Mills United Church, was a great opportunity to reunite the many current and former neighbours, first, second and third cousins, siblings, nieces and nephews Kae had interviewed for the book. A bus tour to the site of Captain Taylor's grist mill, the maple sugar bush, and other locations helped bring the story of This Land alive for the attendees.

To read the full story click here: https://bit.ly/3SHqxSv
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!

"Not everyone has the chance to find the story of where they grew up, especially to be able to trace your roots back to the Ice Age," said Kae. "We Fairview Farm Elgies are so lucky."

Kae's great-great-grandfather George Elgie was primarily a farmer, but he also dabbled in using land as an investment to be resold at a higher price. Although George's oldest son William was a nominal farmer, his primary interest in owning land was to use it as collateral to buy new threshing machines for his growing grain harvesting business. “For my dad, the land was seen as a productive resource," Kae said. "I know that for my brothers, it is land to pass on to other generations, and land for the birds and the animals to survive and grow upon."

To read the full story click the link in our bio!
Share your story with the People’s Archive of Rural Ontario - everyday stories about everyday lives in Rural Ontario!