The Ontario Historical Society met at the University of Guelph June 13 and 14 for the annual convention.
The group last met in the area about 20 years ago. The theme was Nature to Ecology, Landscape to Ecosystems, and explored Ontario landscapes in the historical context.
The program included tours and visits to area attractions, and a reception at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre.
Friday night’s program opened with a talk by environmentalist Peter Kelly on the ancient cedars that grow on the cliff face of the Niagara Escarpment.
Some of those trees, though still small in size, are more than 1,200 years old. The program included historical portraits by Guelph’s Spirit Walk artists, and a concert by musician and activist James Gordon.
The program on Saturday began with a series of talks. Guelph councillor Leanne Piper described the quarrying industry in Guelph, and the use of limestone as a building material in the Royal City.
Suzanne Zeller, of the University of Waterloo, took a fresh look at the work of Ernest Thompson Seton, a popular Canadian writer in the first half of the 20th century, and his place as an ecological activist and advocate.
Brian Osborne, of Queen’s University, followed, with a discussion on the preservation of the Rideau Canal system, and the problems of accommodating a popular attraction with preservation on one side and the needs of local residents on the other.
Tom McIlwraith, of the University of Toronto, looked at railways in a new context: as producers of large quantities of scrap iron in the 1870s, when steel became the preferred metal.
Gil Stelter, of the University of Guelph, gave the keynote address, exploring the relationship between the city and the natural environment with examples ranged from old Arabia to 19th century Wellington and Waterloo Counties.
A proud moment for Wellington County residents came during the awards presentations.
Warden John Green, on behalf of the county, accepted the President’s Award given each year to a corporation or government body for outstanding contributions to history and historical preservation.
Green outlined some of the county’s projects in recent years: the rebuilding of Elora’s David Street bridge, the adaptive re-use of the old Guelph post office for county offices, the saving and physical removal of a bowstring bridge to the museum property, the preservation of the county’s Carnegie libraries, continuing improvements to the museum, and a planned $3,500,000 new facility for the county archives.
