L U N E N B U R G C O U N T Y H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y
N E W S L E T T E R SEPT 2 0 0 7
FORT POINT MUSEUM, LAHAVE - Fort Sainte-Marie de Gràce Along the
Lighthouse Route in LaHave
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WELCOME - BIENVENUE
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The Fort Point Museum is situated on Route 331 in LaHave
Open Thur. to Sun.from 10.00 to 5.00pm No admission fee
A Society meeting every third Tuesday at the Fort Point Museum with an interesting program after a Potluck Supper.
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Hopefully with the help of volunteers we will be able to keep the museum open during September ************************************
OUR NEXT SOCIETY MEETING: Tues, Sept. 18 - AT THE MUSEUM 6:30pm
- Potluck Supper
Bring your silverware, plates and cups 7:30pm -excerpts from Capt Doug Bell's oral history, recorded two years ago.
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UPCOMING EVENTS: Oct. 16 - Joan Dawson will be discussing her new book
The Mapmakers' Legacy. She will even sign a copy for you.
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Nov.20 - Debbie Trask, author and retired from the Nova Scotia Museum,
she is now the curator of The Settler's Museum in Mahone Bay, She will speak about the Cemeteries of Lunenburg County.
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OUR PREVIOUS EVENTS:August 21 - Melba Lantz of Crouse's Settlement presented a very lively and interesting talk on the history of the land and people, past and present, living in the extended area of Grimm's Settlement, based on her recently finished book "An then a Settlement was born". ******************* Sept.1 -Darren Arsenault's LaHave River Folk Festival was again a big success, a real fun event.. So many people doing so much to make it a nice day for everyone. We hope that Darren will continue to put it on as the comments from all the guests seemed really positive, everybody was having such a great time. Thanks to the many volunteers: Phil, Carol, Jennifer and Erin Kenny, Alison Weagle,Connie Dea,Lesley Anderson,Marie Sundin, Janice Prince, Martha and John Bryson, Brian Meagher, Verne Lunan, Gloria Cox, Mary Fulleman, Janet de Saint-Sardos, Johanna Rafuse, Gary and Donna Malone.
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375TH ANNIVERSARY AND GRAND OPENING FESTIVITIES
Thanks to the glorious weather, the hard work by literally dozens of volunteers and lots of first-rate entertainment, our celebrations on September 8 were a resounding success! Starting with a beautiful Sweet Grass Ceremony from our Mi'kmaq Elders and ending with the Cajun Zydeco Band our guests and visitors had a great time.
The additions to the museum were met with impressed ooh's and aah's, especially the spectacular views from the new lighthouse. Even the temporary post office with its first-time Fort Point franking stamp was a great success, with over 100 mailings to around the world.
Probably the highlight of the afternoon
was the costumed re-enactment of Isaac de Razilly's landing on our beach from a ship offshore, meeting a Mi'kmaq canoe and entering our Indian Village. I'll have full details in the next issue of OUTLOOK in
October. Jim Sewell
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OUR MI'KMAQ VILLAGE
The teepees were purchased from Little Yurts, in the Valley by Lunenburg County Historical Society. Alex, the owner of Little Yurts erectd the teepees and taught Bev Nodding how to put them up and take them down. Bev Nodding is from the Mi'kmaq Burial Ground Research and
Restoration Association. The symbolic Sacred Fire, the Sweat Lodge,
the Medicine Wheel and the cooking fire were made by Mi'kmaq Burial Ground Research and Restoration Association. The poles for the teepees and the drying rack were cut and the rack made by Cliff Zwicker, Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, Lunenburg. The poles for the teepee had the bark removed by Garrett Gallant, California, one of Lahave Mi'kmaq descendents and Marven Nodding of the burial ground association. The village was designed
by me. I did the arrangements for the teepees. Ellen Hunt, Mi'kmaq
Representative and board member.
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THE NEW OUTSIDE COMMITTEE
A new committee was formed to be resposible for the Outside of the museum grounds. Marina Fregeau will be in charge of the committee as well as the French Garden. Marina is an experienced gardener and artist, having owned a flowershop, a little garden centre and art gallery in Chicago for many years. The other members of the committee are Jean de Saint-Sardos, Earl Smith and David Shirran
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Earl Smith also repaired our in the Acadian Bake oven and hut with clay and a bale of hay donated by Karen Wentzell. He also started to work on the new Palisade fence with the help of many volunteers. A new entrance gate is in the planning stages as well.
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The name CANADA is derived from the Iroquois word kanata, meaning "village" or "settlement
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OUR TRIVIA CHALLENGE: Sept. 29 - 7:30pm Tickets are $15.00 each which
includes a lunch. There will be a cash bar. Call Donna at 688-1970 or Audrey at 688-1397 for details or: dbm@eastlink.ca
Two teams have already signed up. Don Downe has agreed to be Quiz Master. If you can answer this, you are sure to rise to the Challenge: The remains of two significant persons associated with the Museum are, or are believed to be, present at the site of the fort or the adjacent chapel site. Who are they?
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Report from THE INSIDE COMMITTEE:
It has been a very busy time for us to have everything in place before Sept 8. We have finished the Razilly room and the Settlers room.We got a nice addition to the Settlers room with a Franklin type stove, originally from the Joseph Miller house. The stove is about 150 years old and was donated by Stan Shaw and his sister Barbara, who got it from MacGrigor Miller, grandson of Joseph Miller.
We also got several pieces of Marine artifacts. The Plexiglas for the shelves are up in the research room. Just in time before August the 31. We also got the most necessary UV-Shields installed for the windows. Now we can show some of our textiles that has been stored several years.All the work has been done before we close for the winter. It has been a very
interesting and busy three months.
Marie Sundin
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Remember shopping at the Museum Gift Shop is tax free shopping. The Gift
Shop is a major fundraiser
for the Museum and your support is appreciated.We still have many interesting items for sale to help you plan for an early Christmas shopping. Many thanks for your support.
Mary Meagher
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS:
Peter Dunlop - of Blyth, Ontario
Wilson and Claudia Lang - of Rose Bay
Andreé Hubley - of Pleasantville
Robert and Virginia Murray - of LaHave
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M E M B E R S H I P A P P L I C A T I O N
Name:.......................................................................
.. Address:....................................................................
Phone:home...............................work........................
email address:............................................................
Civic address: ............................................................
Annual Dues: $10.00/per person Mail to: Membership: P.O.Box 99,
LaHave, NS B0R 1C0
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LUNENBURG CO. HISTORICAL SOCIETY Fort Point Museum laHave -
St. Marie de Grace
P.O.Box 99, LaHave, NS B0R 1C0 - (902) 688-1632 www.fortpointmuseum.com.
email: Ichs-fortpoint@ns.sympatico.ca
Officers: President: Gary Malone (688-1970)
Past President: Phil Kenny (688-2399)
Vice Pres:Johanna Rafuse Bookkeeping:: Dick Joyce Treasurer:
Carol Kenny
Recording Secretary: Donna Malone
Directors: Mary Fulleman, Ellen Hunt, Phil and Carol Kenny, George Himmelman Verne Lunan,
Mary Meagher, Jim Sewell and Neil Theriault
Newsletter: Edith Wolter (543-7702)
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The REUNION AND MI'KMAQ/ACADIAN FESTIVAL was a huge success. In spite of the rain, people came to listen to the entertainment and support us in what we do.We had people from Maryland, California, BC, NL, Cape Breton, Germany and many others.We would like to thank the Lunenburg Co. Historical Society for all their help and providing the facility for us. It went very well. A big thank you to Gary and Donna who gave off their time to help us. Also to Phil Kenny who parked the cars in the rain, we learned that he didn't melt, and to Carol who worked with Winstonand Frank in the kitchen. We have received a good response from a lot of people to continue with this reunion and festival. The Metis and the Acadians from Digby and Yarmouth are veryinterested in our work and what we do, and has committed themselves to our next planning stage. They will be helping us out with funding as well. Danny Paul, has shown a bigger interest in our work and wants to be on the committee for next year. I will be interviewing people in Lahave and looking formore items to add to the artifact cabinet. We made the public aware of our ancient Mi'kmaq/Acadian burial ground in Petite and now have a campaign to raise enough funds to provide a cedar fence.It feels good to know, we now have a part in a museum that respectsand holds many cultures, especially the First Storyand the coming of the Acadians. We hope to add workshops and more tours of the Mi'kmaq Village in the future.Thank you all.
Ellen Hunt, Mi'kmaq
Representative
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In connection with the Mi'kmaq-Acadian festival on August 17-19, Ellen Hunt curated a temporary exhibit of artifacts lent to the Museum by the Mi'kmaq community for the rest of the season. The items included the traditional crafts of basketry and quill work, some beautiful furs, and many other items that our visitors found interesting. Ellen has told us thatsome of the items may be given to the museum for our permanent collection, and we hope that we can have a more appropriate display case made to house them.
Thank you, Ellen for your hard work.
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Sept. 21 - 2pm. at St. Joseph's Cemetery, St.Philips St, Bridgewater. The Mi'kmaq Burial Ground Research and Restoration Assoc. would like to invite you to attend :The "Unveiling of the Monument in Memory of All Our Mi'kmaq Ancestors Who Sleep Here " Refreshments served in the Parish Centre on Pleasant St.following Unveiling
and Blessing. Everyone welcome Information: Ellen Hunt
- 634-8017. Secretary
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OUR NEW PARK BENCHES enable our visitors to enjoy the beautiful surroundings the museum has to offer. Sixteen park benches have been purchased. We are pleased to give members an opportunity to sponsor a bench for $150.00. A brass plaque will be placed on each, stating who donated it or in whose memory it has been donated.So far we have sold seven.
To sponsor a bench contact: Johanna Rafuse 688-1674
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