Robert Nichol, c.1774 - 1824

Nichol was born in Scotland around 1774 and arrived in Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1792. In 1808, he relocated to Norfolk County, where he established milling, brewing and distilling businesses. He also held several public offices prior to the War of 1812. When the United States declared war, Nichol devoted himself to the defence of the province as quartermaster-general of the Upper Canadian militia. He was frequently engaged in action against American forces, including the capture of Detroit under the leadership of Major-General Isaac Brock and Chief Tecumseh. Nichol was elected to the Legislative Assembly for Norfolk County three times, from 1812 to 1820. He suffered enormous losses when American forces raided and burned his property in 1814, for which he was not compensated until a month after his death. As leader of the Opposition, he pushed for a reduction in public spending and for reforms to strengthen the economy, including a union with Lower Canada. Today, Robert Nichol is remembered for his contributions to the economic development of the province in the prewar years, for his skilful defence of the colony during desperate times and for his commitment to Upper Canada’s political maturation in the postwar period.

• When? Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 2 p.m.
• Where? Thomson/Ivey House, 156 Prospect Street, Port Dover
• Directions: From the QEW, take Highway 403 towards Hamilton. From Highway 403, take Highway 6 South to Regional Road 3 (St. John’s Road/Red Kelly Line). Turn right (west) onto Regional Road 3. Turn left onto Tisdale Road. Follow Tisdale Road to Prospect Street (Tisdale Road ends at Prospect Street). Thomson/Ivey House is near the corner, across a small bridge. Parking is available on site.

Rivers and Streams Act of 1884

The lumber industry along the Mississippi River in Lanark County fuelled years of legal disputes between rival loggers in the 19th century, notably Peter McLaren and Boyd Caldwell. Their conflict over exclusive rights to use portions of the river erupted as a contentious federal-provincial dispute. Premier Oliver Mowat’s provincial government first passed the Rivers and Streams Act in 1881, which guaranteed public usage of the waterways. Prime Minister John A. Macdonald’s federal government disallowed the act three times, to protect the rights of property holders. A later decision by the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the highest court, upheld the act. The fourth provincial Rivers and Streams Act was passed in 1884 and remained uncontested by the federal government. These events played a direct role in shaping provincial legislation pertaining to waterways in Ontario and in establishing fundamental principles in federal-provincial relations.

• When? Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 2 p.m.
• Where? McDonalds Corners Agricultural Hall, 194 Camerons Road, McDonalds Corners
• Directions: From Highway 401 take the Highway 37 exit towards Tweed. Go through Tweed and merge right onto Highway 7. Pass the Sharbot Lake exit and turn left from Highway 7 onto County Road 36/Elphin Maberly Road. Follow the road through Elphin and into McDonalds Corners. Turn right onto Camerons Road. The Agricultural Hall is located at 194 Camerons Road. Parking is available on site.

Sydenham Public School

Formerly the Kingston County Grammar School, the Sydenham Public School on Clergy Street East has operated as an educational facility since its construction in 1853. A reflection of educational reforms in the mid-19th century and the growing need to improve school buildings, the two-storey structure was considered to be architecturally impressive in its time. The original section of the school was reconstructed following a fire in 1876, and an additional wing was added to the rear of the original structure. After the Kingston Collegiate Institute opened in the 1890s, the Kingston County Grammar School became a primary school. It was renamed for Lord Sydenham, governor general of British North America from 1839 to 1841. The Sydenham Public School is owned and operated by the Limestone District School Board and houses students from kindergarten through Grade 8. Distinct among Ontario's educational institutions in architecture and age, it continues to act as a symbol of the province's changing educational landscape.

• When? Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 1:15 p.m.
• Where? Sydenham Public School, 5 Clergy Street East, Kingston
• Directions: Follow Highway 401 to Kingston and exit south on Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard (Exit 615). Follow this street south to Union Street West, which is at the eighth set of traffic lights. Turn left onto Union Street West and continue past Queen's University. Turn left at Barrie Street. Turn right onto Clergy Street East. Sydenham Public School is on the right.

French Community in Welland

Although the origins of Welland’s francophone community may be traced back to the opening of the Welland Canal in 1829, significant French-Canadian immigration to the Welland area mainly coincided with the First and Second World Wars. The neighbourhood that became commonly referred to as French Town was created in 1918 when 20 French-Canadian families arrived and settled on Welland’s east side. By 1919, that number doubled. The founding of the Sacré-Cœur Parish and school on Empire Street followed in 1920 – serving as the religious, social and cultural centre for French Town’s residents. The second wave of French-Canadian immigration occurred at the outset of the Second World War in response to job vacancies in local industry. In 1946, the parish counted 500 member families. Additional institutions began to flourish within the borders of French Town, including the Caisse populaire de Welland and the Lemelin et Belleau general store. The neighbourhood’s population reached its peak during the 1960s, giving renewed vitality to an already strong French-Canadian presence. By the late 1980s, the majority of Welland’s francophones still resided in French Town.  Despite Welland’s location in a predominantly anglophone region of the province, the city’s French-speaking community succeeded in preserving its language, traditions and culture for many generations. 

• When? Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.
• Where? Sacré-Cœur Roman Catholic Church, 72 Empire Street, Welland
• Directions: From the QEW, take Exit 49 for Highway 406 towards Thorold/Welland/Port Colborne. Follow Highway 406 for approximately 25 km. Turn right onto East Main Street in Welland. Turn left onto Empire Street. Sacré-Cœur Roman Catholic Church is on the left.

Joseph Montferrand 1802-1864

Born in the Saint Laurent district of Montreal, Montferrand (Jos) acquired a reputation as a strongman with extraordinary fighting and boxing abilities. He worked briefly in the fur trade but spent most of his life in the lumber industry along the St. Lawrence and Ottawa River valleys. Associated with Ottawa Valley labour disputes involving French Canadians and rival Irish workers, Montferrand fought in what became known as the Shiners’ Wars. Legend has it that, in 1829, he single-handedly fought 150 Irish workers (or Shiners) on the Chaudière Bridge that connected Bytown (now Ottawa) and Hull (now Gatineau). Tales of his feats were widely circulated in the oral tradition and have passed into literature and song. Joseph Montferrand is symbolically important to French-Canadians. The legends of Montferrand have persisted into this century and have become interwoven into French-Canadian cultural folklore.

• When? Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10 a.m. (doors open at 9:30 a.m.)
• Where: St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities, 314 St. Patrick Street, Ottawa (southwest corner of St. Patrick and Cumberland streets)
• Additional information: This site has partial accessibility. Pay parking available at 141 Clarence Street (between Dalhousie and Cumberland streets).