NCPR News Staff: Lucy Martin, Reporter

Fifty years ago, whole towns along parts of the St. Lawrence River disappeared under the rising waters of the Seaway. Over 500 structures were rescued from these "Lost Villages". Some were moved to Morrisburg, Ontario, where they formed the core of a new heritage park that opened in 1961. Today, Upper Canada Village is a major destination, known for its interactive presentation of regional life in 1866.
Ottawa Correspondent Lucy Martin spent an eventful day there, on June 21st, exploring and enjoying the big dedication of the village's first new display in 14 years. The just-opened Ancient Brethren Lodge will demonstrate how fraternal societies helped their communities grow and prosper.

Upper Canada Village will officially open Its first additional building in 14 years tomorrow: a "new" lodge to expand living displays of life along the St Lawrence in the 1860s. The building was rescued from the Rideau River village of Kars, home turf for our correspondent, Lucy Martin. Townspeople there got a free show back in January as the shuttered structure was jacked up, loaded onto a flatbed, and trucked down the road to the living history museum in Morrisburg. Just two guys handled most of the move: Greg Sullivan, the quiet one, from Chesterville, and Dave Drummond of Almonte, who didn't mind doing a little play-by-play as he began to jack the building onto a stack of wooden blocks.

Last week, the government of Canada formally apologized for forcing 150,000 native children into boarding schools run by churches. Beginning in the 1870s, the children were forced to learn English and adopt Christianity. Physical and sexual abuse were widespread at the schools. Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered the apology from the floor of the House of Commons Wednesday in Ottawa. The apology is a part of a $1.9 billion settlement reached with some of the schools’ survivors in 2006. Reaction among native communities was mixed. Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Grand Chief Tim Thompson called it “long overdue.” Hilda Nicholas, a Kanesatake Mohawk, told the CBC that Harper sounded sincere in his apology. But Mohawk Kathleen Gambler, who attended one of the schools for 11 years, told the CBC no apology can erase the kind of trauma she experienced. Ottawa Correspondent Lucy Martin asked a cross-section of Canadians for their reactions to the apology, and the legacy that prompted it.

Among other things, William Ekoomiak is an old-time fiddler, a storyteller and a carver. His older sister Sarah is a long-time resident of Wakefield, Quebec and an expert beader. Both are often called upon to share their deep knowledge of Inuit culture and language. Sarah was born near Hudson Bay in 1933. She was the oldest child in a large family. Her life mirrors many of the challenges faced by inhabitants of the far North as cultural change and migration transformed the region. Lucy Martin chatted with William between sets at the most recent Arts Alive event in Ottawa.

Hard-core gardeners who can't get enough of a good thing, might want to check out their local Rock Garden Society. It's a good way to network and take advantage of low-cost seed swaps. The Ottawa Valley Chapter is hosting the North American annual meeting in Ottawa this weekend. Ottawa Correspondent Lucy Martin learned more about the specialty when she spoke with Merle Burston, chair of the Ontario Rock Garden Society.

The eat local movement can get hung up between the farmer's field and the cook's kitchen—some foods just need “processing.” Watson's Mill in Manotick, Ontario is still making flour the old way—wheat from a local farmer, grindstones powered by water. Sounds simple, and it is, until the stones actually get dull. Our Ottawa correspondent, Lucy Martin, shadowed a local man who learned to use hand tools to "dress," or re-groove, massive millstones. Bill Schaubs has worked on high-tech systems for military and space applications. But the volunteer miller says old-fashioned skills are still a useful part of the bigger picture.

Getting the right material is just one of many challenges in making art. Sometimes that takes more effort than usual! For two years now, Ottawa Correspondent Lucy Martin has found the Inuit Artists' Shop "Arts Alive" event a great way to meet artists from across the Canadian Arctic. The day of courtyard demonstrations lets the public see how the art is made and satisfy curiosity about life and art in the far north. Here's stone carver Mattiusi Iyaituk in a conversation with a visitor from British Columbia, at last April's event.

Last weekend was Victoria Day, a holiday across Canada. Like Memorial Day weekend in the US, it kicks off the summer state of mind, as flowering trees festoon the breeze with pink and white petals and growing things compete to create the most vivid shade of green. Ottawa correspondent Lucy Martin was on side roads, snapping photos of Watson's Mill in Manotick, Ontario on a bright Saturday morning, when her eye was caught by a shiny green tractor neatly parked in a short residential driveway. Homeowner Jim Bauer happened to be nearby. It was one of those out-of-the-blue conversations as Bauer shared the work of a lifetime.

Gardening has a well-deserved reputation for providing pleasure and healthful exercise. But sometimes all that outdoor activity leads to problems, as Ottawa reporter Lucy Martin learned the hard way. She spoke with a physical therapist about ways to stay out of trouble while getting the garden work done.

During the Revolutionary War, thousands of Americans fought their own friends and neighbors in support of British rule. They lost and were driven away, largely vanishing from the pages of history books. Most headed north across Eastern Canada. The village of Burritts Rapids, on Ontario's Rideau River, was named for its first white settler, Vermont Loyalist Stephen Burritt. Canadian writer Mark Jodoin will detail Burritt's adventurous life next Tuesday evening at the Merrickville and District Historical Society's Annual Dinner. Jodoin discussed Burritt, his turbulent times, and the region's many cross-border ties with Ottawa correspondent, Lucy Martin, along the banks of the Long Island Locks near Manotick, Ontario.