GORE BAY—Visiting the annual Gore Bay International Lace Camp seemed to have been a calling and one that led Sylvia Martin, 92, of Timmins to being one of the many lacemakers who attended the event last week.
“Six months ago, I was thinking that I would send all my lace works to Ottawa and quit lacemaking. Then I found about this lace camp, and was very interested in attending,” stated Ms. Martin, a new participant in the annual lace camp which took place in Gore Bay July 10-14 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 514, Bay. “When I told my son about this camp, I thought to myself ‘if it is going to be, I will be there’.”
Ms. Martin, who no longer drives, had to rely on the help of her son, and a friend of hers, Mireille Menard, to get her to Gore Bay. “I have been tatting since 1946, and have bobbin laced since 1953.” Over the years she has learned many other forms of lacemaking.
“I will now be able to go back to Timmins and teach all those in our tatters group what I have learned here,” said Ms. Martin, who was a teacher of home economics for 15 years and taught at Northern College for another 25 years. She became a member of the Ontario Hand Weavers and Spinners group three years ago.
“I worked in the textile teaching department for 25 years at Northern College,” continued Ms. Martin. “Yes, I do a lot of different types of lacemaking along with spinning, dyeing, sewing, crocheting, tatting, bobbin lace and others. I love it.”
“I’m thankful, blessed and thrilled that I made it to this lace camp,” stated Ms. Martin. “And I think Gore Bay is a lovely little town. You have a great thing going here, the town is lovely.”
“And there are a lot of wonderful women here (at the lace camp), who are so kind, and are very sharing and open to helping out,” said Ms. Martin.
Kim Schembri of Ottawa organized this year’s lace camp, which marked the third time she has participated in the local event. “We have 29 lacers here this week, some from the US including Michigan, Guelph and other areas of Ontario, Sylvia (Martin) who is from Timmins, as well as ladies from Gananoque, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and other points in between.”
Four new lacers took part in this year’s annual camp, which had a theme of ‘Christmas,’ said Ms. Schembri.
“There is a lot of visiting and camaraderie being displayed here this week,” said Ms. Schembri. “The ladies work on their own, but we have several workshops, and also do a lot of visiting amongst the lacemakers and help each other out on different techniques to lacemaking.”
“We have a large group of lacemakers in Ottawa, where I am from, probably about 30 members. I had heard from them before I started coming to this camp about how those who attended had a really great time, and that Gore Bay is a wonderful place to visit. Everyone loves to come to Gore Bay.”
For Bea McBride of Huntsville, this was her first visit to the Gore Bay lace camp. “I got invited by a group of women from my area that take part in the camp every year,” she told The Expositor. “It’s very good and is a lot of fun. The people here are very nice, friendly and very helpful. They make you feel comfortable being here. And Gore Bay is a really nice area,” she said, noting she has visited Manitoulin previously, but never this far west.
Sharon Saarinen of Washington, Michigan spent two days getting to Gore Bay. “This is my first lace camp. I love it.”
“Gore Bay is gorgeous. I love it. It is a little more remote than I thought, but great. And I didn’t expect to see all the deer we have seen, especially on the main street!”
Ruth Gould of Toronto noted that while she enjoys Torchon lace, she has not been lacing for very long. “I decided to come to the lace camp because I’m not working this summer. This is my first-time having summer holidays in a long time. I’ve been to Manitoulin Island before and love it.”
