Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2004 Archive

In this issue:
- Little Hyatt One-Room Schoolhouse event July 18
- Canada Day, UEL Coverage in Toronto Star
- Loyalist Hudson Valley Bus trip Oct 1-4
- "Tory Trail" Loyalist celebration in Boston
- 1911 Census Access Battle Continues
- "Lost Villages, Found Comunities" by Anne-Marie Shields
- Molly Brant

Little Hyatt One-Room Schoolhouse event July 18

The Little Forks Branch is running a fund-raiser for the Little Hyatt One-Room Schoolhouse this Sunday July 18 and are getting some great media play, both newspaper and radio. If you are in the area, consider dropping by. Here is a sample of the press coverage from Matthew Farfan's website.

"Hockey legend Bobby Hull is coming to Milby. More specifically, he is coming to lend his support and his name to the fundraising efforts underway at the Little Hyatt One-Room Schoolhouse, off Route 147 in Milby. Hull, it turns out, is a personal friend of Milt and Bev Loomis, who are prominent members of the Little Forks Branch of the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada and Patrimoine-Ascott-Heritage, the non-profit association they helped form a few years ago to restore the old school.

Built in 1822, the schoolhouse is opened each summer as a heritage attraction, and serves as a reminder of how life in a one-room schoolhouse used to be nearly two centuries ago. Unfortunately, the schoolhouse operates on a very tight budget and is in serious need of funds. This is where Bobby Hull comes in. Hull, who grew up on a farm in rural Ontario, has offered to lend his name (and presence) to a fundraiser scheduled for Sunday, July 18 at the school.

The event, which will start around 3 p.m., will include a silent auction of hockey memorabilia and a méchoui / BBQ at 5:45 p.m. Proceeds from the dinner, which will include roast beef, pork and chicken, will go towards maintenance and operational costs at the school. Tickets are $25.00.

Good luck with your event Bev, Milt and everyone in the Little Forks Branch.

Canada Day, UEL Coverage in Toronto Star

UEL Coverage in Toronto Star. Canada Day is a big event, and well it should be (although my preference is still Dominion Day). The Toronto Star ran a three page review, and in that Past President Myrna Fox got good coverage for the UELAC and our Loyalist heritage, and a good picture of Myrna. Congratulations Myrna.

Gov. Simcoe Branch continued a good relationship with Fort York and Daryl Currie, Colin Heath and others from the Branch participated with a display. The relationship will continue with a repeat visit on Simcoe Day, August 2.

Loyalist Hudson Valley Bus trip Oct 1-4

Fort Mongtomery National Historic Park Site has been added to the trip. There will be a guided tour. The Loyalist King's American Regiment and the New York Volunteers both fought at this site in Oct 1777 when the British forces under General Clinton won this battle.

Space is still available on the bus.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Ramada in Cornwall for those wanting to stay there on the Thursday and Monday Nights under UELAC. The Ramada's telephone number is (613) 933-8000. People must make there own reservations. For more information, contact George Anderson.

"Tory Trail" Loyalist celebration in Boston

On the 17th June 2004 representing the UELAC, Myrna Fox, Frances Morrisey, and Andrew Gunter traveled to the Boston MA area U.S.A. to participate in a number of events planned by the Colonial Loyalist Alliance of Massachusetts. Tamsen E. George and her husband met us at Logan Airport and drove us to our hotel in Quincy.

For several days we were taken on tours to visit a tavern, and several houses belonging to notable Loyalist families. We participated in a Loyalist Day Ceremony on the 18th June (although they had chosen the 19th to coincide with the Ontario date) at Castle Island, known as Fort Independence receiving a very warm welcome. It was a full day event with many re-enactors marching and booths displaying books, maps and genealogy etc. There were a few Consulate dignitaries as well who brought greetings.

The organizations belonging to the Colonial Loyalist Alliance group have decided to hold similar events next year and hope the more of our members will be able to attend.

...Myrna Fox UE

1911 Census Access Battle Continues

Gordon Watts is working with a large group of volunteers to achieve access to the historical Census records of Canada after 1901. Gordon posted a column to The Global Gazette, online magazine that is sponsored by Global Genealogy & History Shoppe. A number of writers contribute columns to The Global Gazette which we post for use by subscribers to our newsletter. All articles concern genealogy and history. Gordon Watt's columns deal primarily with delivering news about progress on the Census project.

Read Gordon Watt's column here.

As a member or friend of UELAC, a history and genealogy organization, please consider helping out with this quest in any way you can.

"Lost Villages, Found Comunities" by Anne-Marie Shields

"Anne-Marie Shields has left no stones unturned in her determination to publish Lost Villages, Found Communities. The Hydro and Seaway engineers left their marks on the landscape of the Lost Villages, a half-century ago, and Anne-Marie Shields has left her mark on our community, a half-century later. With pen and brush, Anne-Marie Shields has captured the mystique of the "lost" communities of the St. Lawrence communities, and she has given us, through her words, OUR story." Jim Brownell, M.P.P. Stormont, Dundas, and Charlottenburgh.

"Lost Village, Found Communities" is a treasure. It is a historical record of a period, crucial to the founding of Canada and a fascinating chronology of the families and the homes that once occupied the lost villages. I was captivated and learned a lot from Anne-Marie Shields's writing. As an architect, I admired the attention to details in the book's beautiful watercoulour drawings. The drawings simply brought history to life. The book is a must-read for those who are interested in both Canada's human and architectural pasts." Dr. Avi Friedman, School of Architecture, McGill University, Montreal.

Copies of Lost Villages, Found Comunities: A Pictorial History of the Lost Villages of the St. Lawrence Seaway are available through the Lost Villages Historical Society in Long Sault ON, through its website, the Upper Canada Villages Museum Store, in Morrisburg, in local stores, and through the author by email. Price is $45.

Anne-Marie welcomes invitations to speak to various groups about our unique history, the contribution of the early Loyalists to our Canadian architecture and the impact of the Seaway project on the riverside communities.

Molly Brant

Molly BRant, a one woman opera based on the life of the 18th century loyalist Mohawk, will be performed on Wolfe Island August 20, 2004 (Friday) AT 8:00 pm at St. Margaret's Hall, sponsored by the Anglican parish of Wolfe Island. Admittance $5 for adults, $2 for children. For more details, visit the web site.