City combines two anniversaries is it the 150th or 180th?
By STEPHEN UHLER, Staff Writer
There is so much to celebrate this year; the city of Pembroke is doing it twice.
When the opening ceremonies for the city’s anniversary commence on Sunday afternoon at the waterfront, two anniversaries will be marked — the 180th year of the first settlement at this location, and the 150th of the formation of the village of Pembroke.
Susan Ellis, manager of economic development, recreation, and tourism, said everyone has wanted to use 2008 to celebrate all sorts of anniversaries. She explained it was important to recognize the 150th of the founding of what would become the city, but the other date couldn’t be overlooked either.
“So we decided to celebrate both of them,” Ms. Ellis said.
Another factor was provincial grants to help pay for the activities. She said that was also a consideration, as these are issued only to mark anniversaries in 25-year increments, but stated this only played a small role.
“We received two grants to help us out,” Ms. Ellis said. One is $9,400 from the Renfrew County Community Futures Development Corporation, which is being used for an Ottawa Valley Musician Development Program to fund local musicians per forming during the week-long event.
The second is $14,000 from the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program, run by the federal Canadian Heritage department.
“We really appreciated them both,” she said, which combined with money from the city helped to cover the costs of the celebration.
There has been some confusion in the community over the anniversary being celebrated. In 1978, the city marked its sesquicentennial, which has made those who remember that as the 150th anniversary wonder if the community isn’t repeating itself.
It isn’t, according to Ms. Ellis.
In 1828, 180 years ago, the first settlement was started close to the junction of the Muskrat and Ottawa Rivers as Peter White felled the first trees to begin his lumbering empire that grew, in time, to become Campbelltown.
Over the years, other settlements appeared along the Ottawa River, including one first known as Miramichi, then as Moffat and finally Sydenham.
In 1858, Campbelltown and Sydenham merged to become the village of Pembroke. That was 150 years ago.
“So, they’re both right,” Ms. Ellis said. “We are celebrating both the 150th and 180th anniversaries.”
The event is a massive undertaking, involving everything from a heritage village to more than 30 entertainers and musicians booked for the week.
From Roots to Rock: 180 Years of Settlement kicks off on Sunday, Aug. 3 at 2 p.m., with official opening ceremonies being held at the waterfront amphitheatre, including the arrival of the massive timber crib and a reproduction of the famous Cochrane Pointer Boat.
An old fashioned Blueberry picnic will follow this from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and at 7 p.m. the Interdenominational Celebration Service and hymn sing will commence.
Throughout the next three days from Monday Aug. 4 to Wednesday, Aug 6, there will be daily exhibits at the Pioneer Village which will be set up at the water front, presenting to the public aspects of what life was like in the 1850s.
The week then blends smoothly into the Waterfront Festival, which runs Thursday, Aug. 7 to Sunday, Aug. 10.
suhler@thedailyobserver.ca
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