KAGAWONG—History Day in Kagawong has always raised the bar when it comes to presentations of interest making it a highly anticipated way to spend a summer evening (or afternoon in the case of the matinee), but this season will prove very hard to top.
Each year the Old Mill Heritage Centre creates a special, and timely, exhibit upon which to anchor their season. This year, being Canada’s 150th anniversary, the museum has created a Pearson Exhibit that focusses largely on the life and times of Canada’s 14th prime minister, the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson, as well as those Manitoulin sons who figured large in his life while he represented Algoma-East for 20 years, the incomparable Thomas Farquhar and the inimitable Billings Mayor Austin Hunt, Canada’s longest serving public official. That exhibit runs deep into the fall.
As is usually the case, History Day in Kagawong’s theme corresponds to that exhibit and Lester B. Pearson’s life and times with a keynote speaker intimately linked—Lester B. Pearson’s granddaughter, journalist and author Patricia Pearson.
“A number of members of Mr. Pearson’s family will be coming up for the event along with Patricia Pearson,” said Old Mill Heritage Centre Curator Rick Nelson. “The museum board will be hosting a private meet and greet where the family will be given a private tour of the exhibit after hours.”
The History Day presentations will begin with a welcome by Billings Museum Committee Chair Dianne Fraser, who will read a proclamation from current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before introducing Ms. Pearson.
Ms. Pearson will give a 30-minute talk on her recollections of her grandfather, followed by a question and answer period with the audience.
A short intermission will feature light refreshments after which Mr. Nelson will step up to the plate for a 30-minute presentation that will feature never before seen video of a 1966 trip by train to Ottawa to meet Mr. Pearson by Algoma East high school students. One of those excited young students was Gore Bay author Margo Little, who joined others from across the riding to meet Mr. Pearson in his office at the Parliament Building before lunching at 24 Sussex Drive and going on to spend the day with the prime minister at his Harrington Lake cottage. “They also got to meet the governor general and saw the RCMP musical ride,” said Mr. Nelson.
Mr. Nelson will also be screening a slideshow of historical photographs.
“As is usually the case we will also have a static display of artifacts available in the hall,” said Mr. Nelson. Those artifacts include both local items and some rare items being brought to Manitoulin by Mr. Pearson’s family.
“I am really excited to see a signed poster that we have on loan from another of Mr. Pearson’s granddaughters, Barbara Hannah, for one day only,” said Mr. Nelson. The ‘War is Over’ poster is signed by the late Beatle John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono. “This was back when they were having their sleep in,” said Mr. Nelson. “They happened to be travelling on the same plane as Mr. Pearson and they both signed the poster for him.” Mr. Pearson wound up giving the poster to his granddaughter who was a teenaged Beatle fan at the time.
Both the matinee and the evening History Day in Kagawong events take place on Thursday, August 10 and last about 90 minutes, with the matinee starting at 3:30 pm and the evening event starting at 7:30 pm. Admission is a free will offering donation to the museum.
