Posts Tagged Guelph

I know many of you have sent comments and emails about the Historic Family Recipes series I started and how you have liked the recipes that have been posted so far. Don’t worry, I do plan to bring the series back and start posting some more recipes for your shortly. In the meantime, to get your fix of recipes and the history of food in Canada, please check out this lovely little site: The Culinary Historians of Canada.

 This group of Historians is based in Toronto and though the focus is mainly Ontario, they give a lot of great information about historic kitchens in Canadian museums, recipes, festivals and some resources for you to check out. If you have any links to culinary historians or groups in your province, do drop the CHC a line and I’m sure they will be happy post it on their website.

Anybody who points me in the direction of food gets a huge gold star beside their name in my book! So a special thanks to Deborah for sending me the information so I could pass it along to all of you.

Happy cooking!

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

Have you ever wondered what a Victorian Christmas looked like in Canada? Did Victorian Canadians celebrate Christmas much the same way Canadians do today? The answer is yes, many Victorian Christmas traditions have continued through the years and one place to see those traditions is at the Colonel John McCrae Birthplace and Memorial Gardens in Guelph.  (more…)

Photo Credit: Guelph Museums M968.346.1x

So, you know that Lt. Col John McCrae was a surgeon with the Canadian Army during the First World War who just happened to write the most famous war poem of all time which would create a global symbol of war remembrance still in use almost a century after his death. Yet, you may be asking yourself who was John McCrae the man? There are a lot of interesting little stories about the non-military side of John McCrae that a lot of people don’t know. For example, what was the one thing he did to ease the pain of a dying child, what special thing  did he do for his nieces and nephews back home in Guelph, and who was the young woman who captured his heart? Read on and I’ll fill you in on some stories not so well known outside of Guelph and I’ll show you some rarely seen pictures, courtesy of Guelph Museums, of John McCrae.  (more…)

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie, 2010

Remembrance Day is observed all across Canada through various services and memorials. Two that I had the pleasure in taking part in today were the services at the Colonel John McCrae Birthplace and Memorial Gardens and the Woodlawn Memorial Park Veteran’s section in Guelph, Ontario.  (more…)

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

Do you recognise this place? Well, if you are a World War One buff, or a regular reader to this site, then you know this is the Colonel John McCrae Birthplace and Memorial Gardens in Guelph, Ontario. Remembrance Day is probably the most perfect day to visit McCrae House as you will witness an array of festvities. And what better place to spend it than at the home of the man who wrote a poem that launched a global outpouring of remembrance for all those who have served their countries in war?

Photo Credit: Guelph Museums via McCord Museum M968.358.1x

The ceremonies kick off at 9am with the Flag Service at McCrae House, followed by the official Remembrance Day Service at 10:30am. Come on out and see the house, talk to the war veterans who will be there, and take part in the activities of the day.

Stay tuned to this site, and I will provide updates on how the day unfolded. It is sure to be a very moving day. These Remembrance Day services are brought to you by the Guelph Museums McCrae House, the City of Guelph, and the Royal Canadian Legion. We look forward to seeing you there!

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

Photo Credit: Laura Waldie

One of the things that impressed me the most about Guelph, Ontario was the abundance of mid to late nineteenth century limestone buildings. A person who is interested in Canadian architectural history and heritage planning would feel like they were walking through a candy shop as they explored these beautiful streets! Every corner you turn, you will see a beautiful home, or business, that has been lovingly maintained and cared for. Of the many limestone buildings in Guelph, the one that attracts the most visitors every year is the Church of Our Lady Immaculate, that is perched high on the hill on the corner of Macdonnell and Norfolk streets. Its history is amazing and architecturally, it is one of the finest examples of the French Gothic Revival style for places of worship in all of Canada.  (more…)