Exploring Our Heritage
A programme filled with hands on
artifacts and reproductions from the
past. A delightful introduction
for reminiscing and "do you remember
when".
As a historical interpreter, War of 1812
re-enactor, and professional
storyteller, Pauline's experience can
bring history and experiences of the
early settlers to life before your eyes.
Experience first hand the hardship,
adventures and joys of pioneers who
planted their roots firmly in Canadian
soil.
HerStory History
Pauline's performances are a collection
of self penned narratives of some of
Canada's heroines and pioneers;
Marguerite LaRoche |
France to Canada 1542 |
Elizabeth Davis Ghent |
Revolutionary War |
Anne Morden |
Dundas Valley, 1787 |
Laura Secord |
Heroine of The War of 1812 |
Elizabeth Rapleje |
St Thomas, The War of 1812 |
Marie Anne Gaboury |
Grandmother of Louis Riel |
Annie Connor |
Ireland to Canada, 1847 |
Abigail Becker |
Heroine of Long Point, 1854 |
Louisa Robinson Allan |
Toronto 1855 |
Adelaide Hunter Hoodless |
Educator and Author |
Emily Ferguson Murphy |
Suffragist and Reformer, 1917 |
Minerva Hall |
Toronto's Centennial, 1934 |
Ruth Ireland |
Burlington 1855 |
Agnes Macdonald |
Wife of Sir John A. Macdonald |
Queen Victoria |
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Lucy Patrick |
Lambeth
(London) 1809 |
Edith Cavall |
Heroine of World War 1 |
Elizabeth Fisher Stong |
York (Toronto) 1816 |
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And Many More...
30 to 45 minutes |
Piecing Together Canada's History
Through Quilts
A condensed version of this programme
that showcases handmade quilt designs
from the past appeared in the Fall 2014
edition of the Canadian Quilter Magazine
which is distributed across Canada and the world.
Stories, Traditions and Superstitions honour the quilt designs from long ago.
No thread running through Canada's
history is stronger or more consistent
than in their use as links between women
and their female descendants. Many women
felt that the female family, past,
present and in the future was important
and that these generations were united
by the quilts that were the works of
their hands and their hearts.
Pauline is the Social Historian for the
South Western Ontario Barn Quilt Trail.
Irish Legends and Tales
Meet the wee creatures of the Emerald
Isle
The Leprechaun, the Pooka, the Fir
Dirrig, the Banshee and the Irish
Cinderlad (Ireland's version of
Cinderella) come to life with Pauline's
spinning of the yarn. Unlock your
imagination as you travel across
Ireland.
Scottish Legends and Tales
Pauline will share legends and tales of the clans and mythical creatures of the highlands and lowlands of Scotland.
Stories of the Kelpie, the Brownie, the Selkie and Whippety Stourie, Scotland’s version of Rumpelstiltskin, and many more come to life with Pauline's spinning of the yarn.
Close your eyes and imagine the antics of Hamish MacDonald who vanished during an argument between Clan MacDonald and Clan MacLeod. Can you hear the pipes playing “The Flowers of Scotland”?
Welcome, sit a while and listen, you’ll not be disappointed.
The Traditions and Legends of
Hallowe'en
Dressed in Widow’s Weeds (period
clothing) Pauline Grondin will take you
back to the Samhain’s end of summer
festival where Hallowe’en draws its
roots deep from the traditions of the
British Isles and France. Many of these
traditions traveled to Canada with the
Scottish and Northern Irish in the early
1800's. The people of the Victorian era
added their own traditions based on the
"old ways". Our modern celebration is
not far from the traditions celebrated
across the sea and in Canada of long
ago.
Stories of mythical Irish beings and a
true eerie Canadian story complete the
presentation.
Funeral and Mourning Traditions
During times of health and happiness it is perhaps
trying to turn our thoughts into doleful channels but
sooner or later in our lives the sad time comes.
Through the ages, people looked upon the rituals of
mourning and laying a loved to rest differently.
Grave decorations became less morbid and more of a
spiritual awakening. Superstitions and traditions
continued to take on a more modern approach as did
“saved by the bell”, "the graveyard shift” and “holding a
wake”.
Mourning of the dead became a fashionable trend under
the reign of Queen Victoria after the death of Prince
Albert in 1861 and even common folk could earn their
place in the community by their very acts of respect for
the dearly departed.
These traditions and customs traveled over the seas to
Canada and the rituals were continued and expanded upon.
Even though we have our own traditions, their roots are
firmly planted in the customs of the past.
The Wedding Gift
The story of “The Wedding Gift” is set
in Port Marriott Nova Scotia in the
winter of the year 1794.
It is a delightful story laced with
comedy and insight and gives a clear
picture of early life in the Canadian
winter and the hardships of travel in
unknown territory.
The ending of the story has a delightful
twist that causes a chuckle of
acknowledgement to the antics of Miss
Kezia Barnes.
The Legends and Traditions of Christmas
Dressed in period clothing, Pauline
Grondin will take you back to the
Christmas celebrations of yesteryear.
Participants will learn of the boy
Nicholas who became St. Nicholas and our
present day Santa Claus, and the people
who wrote the first poems and stories in
his honour. The traditions of the
Pioneers who first came to Canada will
be presented with samples of some of
their crafts and decorations.
First Nation Legends
Following her Native roots Pauline will tell traditional stories from a variety of teachings handed down orally before they were written down.
Stories in this 30 minute presentation include: “The Raft Baby of the Peace River, “ The Dancing People, The Spirit of the Deer”, and “The Talking Stone”.
A longer presentation can be provided if requested.
Aboriginal Stories - Let the
Fur Fly
Following her Native roots Pauline will
tell traditional stories handed down
orally before they were printed on the
page. Thoughtful stories from a variety
of teachings to explain how and why it
came to be.
Stories in this presentation include “
How Chipmunk Got her Stripes”, “Coyote
and the Laughing Butterfly”, “ How
Coyote Stole Fire”, “Why Blackbird has
White Eyes”, Rabbit the Hunter” and
“The Dancing People, the Spirit of the
Deer”.
Stories of the Aboriginal Farm workers
Stories of the Aboriginal Farm workers
are seldom told and not generally
recorded in the pages of history, yet
their roles were vital to Canadian farms
including those in the Village of
Aldershot where Pauline lives. At the
request of the Métis Women’s Circle of
Hamilton Pauline spent two years
researching and interviewing Elders from
the community to piece together this
important part of our history.
This history is told in first person as
Pauline portrays a 1947 farm wife
reminiscing about the Native farm
workers, their families and their
contributions throughout the years in
the Aldershot farming community and
beyond.
Told with the permission of the Métis
Women’s Circle
http://www.metiswomenscircle.ca/
The Freeman Train Station
The Freeman Train
Station was a busy hub of comings and
goings from the hamlet of Freeman and
the centre of Burlington carrying people
and produce to Toronto, Chicago, New
York, up into Georgetown and beyond.
The first train station, constructed in
1850 was lost in a fire, re-constructed
and then burned down again in 1904. The
station was finally re-constructed in
1906. A group of local historians has
worked tirelessly to preserve the
Freeman Train Station and portray its
history.
Pauline speaks in first person as a lady
living in Freeman circa 1920. Her
stories reminisce about the activities
that have surrounded the station thus
far and the lives of local farmers and
businessmen who continue as regular
visitors to the Freeman Train Station,
an important piece of the history of
Burlington Ontario.
If
Teapots Could Talk Celebrating Canada’s history from the year of confederation into the future
Can you imagine how many cups of tea have been shared in the parlour, on special occasions, family gatherings, when someone needed to be consoled or to wipe away a tear? What stories would be told if teapots could talk?
Family teapots were packed for the journey to Canada and when families moved from one household to another within this great country of ours.
Pauline will take you on a brief journey through time with the supposed stories of teapots that might have belonged to famous and not so famous people while Canada’s history was unfolding.
Teapots must have absorbed more feeling from shared moments with their owners and their visitors than we can ever imagine.
Royal scandles told by their supposed pots
The English are famous for their “cuppa tey””.
If the pots of the Royal families throughout the ages could talk to us what would they tell? Stories of mistresses and their children, imprisonment and beheadings. An “accidental” fall, a poisoning, a birth recorded in a church registry with a page now missing.
The stories in this presentation start with our famous King Henry V111 and his jug of ale. Where else we ask would be a better place to start down the road of “Could this be true?!” Scandals of one more Royal to be shared before tea finally enters English history in 1662 with the wife of King Charles 11. The remaining scandals will then be witnessed by various teapots reporting stories of the Royal family.
Inspired by questions asked by those curious for such history Pauline will share some of the highlights recorded, and sometimes hidden, in the pages of time.
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