Country Belles Clue #1

Description

Media Type

Image

Item Type

Photographs

Description

Our first challenge is indeed that, obviously the organizers were not aware of Bruce County winters. The plaque we are proud to share with everyone is at least 3-6 feet under snow. It is located at Gillies Hill, a pioneer village started back in the mid 1850's. At one time it boasted a school, a church, a large township hall, grocery store and a blacksmith shop. Alas most of their hopes and dreams are gone, leaving only a cairn erected and dedicated to the memory of those pioneers. Gillies Hill W.I. choose to place our plaque at the same spot in 1989 to mark our 30th Anniversary. The words on the plaque clearly illustrate our goals and lofty ambitions for ourselves and our community. The Institute took our name from this spot and proudly carry on.(old photo from dedication day)As you can see it was a proud and happy day finishing off with a family picnic. Times change this central spot in Elderslie Township lost everything except for a of the old church, which is being used for a storage shed and our plaque. In the last couple of years there has been a large number of Old Order Mennonites move into the township. This central spot is once again in demand and in 2019 they built a new rural school for their children's education, complete with ties for horses and a large back net for the baseball diamond. The more things change the more they stay the same. Hopefully our plaque will be the inspiration to future generations, The following is the wording of the inscription on the plaque, Gillies Hill Women's Institute ORGANIZED MARCH 1959, AS A BRANCHH OF THE FEDERATED WOMEN'S INSTITUTE OF ONTARIO TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF RURAL WOMEN AND THE COMMUNITY REGARDLESS OF CREED, RACE OR POLITICAL BELIEFS 'REMEMBERING THE PAST AND WORKING FOR THE FUTURE' 'FOR HOME AND COUNTRY' ERECTED 1989 IN HONOUR OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Notes

Submission part of the WISH challenge for WI's 125th anniversary.

Date of Publication

Feb 2022

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