GORE BAY—This year’s Gore Bay International Lace Camp celebrated its 30th anniversary of bringing lacemakers from around Ontario, Canada and beyond to Gore Bay. And while the lacemakers love coming back every year, the town also looks forward to their annual visit.
“This year marks our 30th year of the lace camp,” said Josie Poupart. “I think everyone here looks forward to it every year. Most of us don’t see lace makers where we live, so when we get here, we learn from each other and the different type of lace everyone is doing.”
“Gore Bay is a great community,” stated Ms. Poupart. “It is relaxed, and everyone is so friendly. Tini Pel, who previously lived in Gore Bay, had started the lace camp and I understand in those days lace camp was made up of mostly of local lacers. Now we have one lace maker, Kathy Hosszu who has a camp in Gordon/Barrie Island and the rest of the ladies are from off the Island.”
“We hope the lace campers will come to Gore Bay for another 30 years,” said Mayor Ron Lane. At the opening held on Monday of last week Mayor Lane welcomed two new lace makers campers to this year’s event, Heidi Mersich and Gillian Clarke.
Ms. Clarke lives in Toronto, although she is originally from Scotland. “Yes, this is my first time at the International Lace Camp here in Gore Bay,” she told The Expositor. “We don’t have any lace making clubs, or events like this in Toronto.”
Explaining that she has been lacemaking for four years, and is still experimenting with different kinds of lace, including Torchon, said Ms. Clarke. “I guess you could say I was a COVID lacer because that is when I decided to take it up as a hobby.”
“I love it here; it has been fun and I like Gore Bay. It should be a great week,” said Ms. Clarke.
“With COVID our group members would connect by Zoom, but connecting in person like we are this week is the best,” said Ms. Poupart.
Cindy Rusak, acting chair of the lace camp said, “big lace camp conferences usually cost a lot of money. It was Tini’s idea to get together like this without it having to be so expensive.”
Ms. Poupart is from Nova Scotia and was the lace maker the furthest from home this year. “Everyone is helping each other out, we collaborate and work together. And of course, a big part of the lace camp is the socialization.”
Ms. Poupart said that when the lace camp is held annually, “we try to give back to the community.” The lacemakers had a luncheon put on by the local Anglican church on Tuesday and a turkey dinner on Thursday at the United Church. And we try to make donations every year to the Angel Bus used by residents of the nursing home, the museum and the Legion.”
“The people from the (Royal Canadian) Legion are so great to provide this space and accommodate us every year for the lace camp,” said Ms. Poupart.
A total of 28 lacemakers were on hand for this year’s lace camp, held July 15-19.
