Saturday afternoon, one couple’s life together came full circle when Amelia Ayre was laid to rest beside her late husband Burton and daughter Stacia in the Dunvegan graveyard. Amelia — formerly of Vankleek Hill, Dunvegan and Montreal — died peacefully at her residence in B.C. on December 12, 2016.
After a touching service in the Kenyon Presbyterian Church led by Fred Cappuccino, family and friends made their way down the soft green hill behind the kirk and over the little brook to say their goodbyes at her graveside. Allan Walker of Dunvegan then piped us through the back fields to the Dunvegan Recreation Hall, where many of those whose lives had been touched by Amelia shared stories of this brilliant, but oft contrary, individual.
Amelia Ayre, aged 97, was born Milka Chaban in Cardiff, Alberta. And she once told me that the reason they chose to build where they did on the hill just east of the Trottier’s was that the sky there reminded her and Burt of the Prairies. Amelia was a warm and generous friend to many. She was especially kind to our son when he was going through a tough time in his life. For this and the memories of all the good times we spent with her, Burt, Robb, Joyce, Cyrus, Louise and Phillip, we will be eternally grateful. May she rest in peace. Thank you Bonnie Laing for organizing this celebration of Amelia’s life.
… is unbroken
As one couple’s life was coming to an end last Saturday, another’s was just beginning. Across the road at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum, preparations were being made for a Doe & Stag party. Lee Anne and Jim Vallance from Maxville had rented the museum for a private family party to celebrate the upcoming marriage of their niece, Jennifer Runciman, and her fiancé, Jonathan Bonito. The couple lives near Boston and, as the memorial was winding down at the Hall, they arrived in Dunvegan to discover that her aunt and uncle had planned a pioneer-themed party to celebrate Jennifer’s Canadian heritage.
Everyone, and I mean everyone, attending the event was dressed in period costumes. No mean feat when you consider that the 47 family members in attendance came from all over Canada and the northern United States. The theme was a complete surprise to the young couple, but appropriate period clothing was soon found in the museum’s wardrobe for them.
The Vallances obviously put a huge amount of planning into the event. One of the highlights of the get together was a scavenger hunt they dubbed Amazing Race: Pioneer Style, where teams scampered from building to building trying locate historical items before their opponents. After building up an appetite, the group broke bread together… with everything from hors d’oeuvres to the main meal and dessert self-catered by the family.
After dinner, the merrymakers moved to the Big Beaver schoolhouse where, in lieu of engagement presents, an auction was held and the proceeds were given to the future bride and groom. (The starting bid on a homemade pie was $50.) Then an accordion player and a fiddler came to the front of the class to make music for the couple’s first pioneer dance.
I’m told Lee Anne and Jim Vallance’s engagement party for their niece was the first of a number of marriage-related rentals booked for the museum this year. In all, at least five happy couples will incorporate time at the GPM as their “something olde” good luck requirement.
Smash opening
As I mentioned last week, this past Sunday was the official opening of the Dunvegan museum’s 2017 season. And I’m delighted to report that a record crowd of 80 attended. Not too shabby for a cloudy day that threatened rain from start to finish. While ten folks chose to just look around the museum, the bulk of the visitors attended both the “Confederation in Glengarry” lecture and the Victorian tea that followed it.
The old clapboard schoolhouse was packed for Dane Lanken’s presentation about Glengarry at the time of Confederation. With words and images, Dane drew a vivid picture of how life in Glengarry evolved from subsistence farming to formal agriculture, roadways, the lumber industry and the Canada-Atlantic Railway… and how the Timothy Eaton Company’s mail order catalogue hastened the shift of the local economy from barter to cash.
He also spoke of Confederation itself and the role the MacDonald brothers from Glengarry played in Canada’s early government. It’s interesting to note that, in the beginning, the two siblings didn’t agree with the idea of Confederation. They worried about formalizing the border between Ontario and Quebec. However, in the end, they came around. As always, Dane’s presentation was just the right blend of wit and wisdom.
Their curiosity about Confederation satiated, the crowd moved on the wooden tea tent and — like a horde of locusts on a field of grain — devoured the goodies Linda Burgess and her Victorian Tea committee had prepared. Terry tells me that without the leftover sandwiches and sweets Sandra Daigle kindly donated from Amelia’s memorial, they would have run out of food. All of the volunteers were run off their feet, including our granddaughter, Abby Sundquist, who came down from Toronto to help out. She was the young girl wearing the lovely blue dress that Linda Fraser made, and wore, fifty years ago for the local 1967 festivities. What a great start to the season.
Were you at Expo 67?
If so, Jennifer Black from the Dunvegan museum is asking you to search through your Tickle Trunk for mementos from the game-changing 1967 world’s fair held in Montreal to coincide with Canada’s 100th birthday. She’s looking to borrow photos, programs, souvenirs and the like for the museum’s Expo 67 exhibit. All items will be returned at the end of the summer. Please give Jennifer a call at 613-527-5230 if you can help.
Record euchre score?
I’m not sure if the score of 106 racked up by Isobel MacLennan at last Friday’s DRA euchre luncheon is a record, but the ladies in attendance seemed suitably impressed. And it was a great way to celebrate the return of Ann Stewart to the tournament.
Isobel’s score secured her a 1st place win, followed by Jenny Laforest in 2nd place and Phyllis Terry and Arlene Munro who tied for 3rd place. Arlene Munro also won the 50/50 draw, as did Marion MacGillivray. Margo MacRae took home the door prize. And Marion MacGillivray earned the “Most 4s” prize. Dunvegan’s next euchre luncheon will be held on Friday, June 16th. We hope to see you there.
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