NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA MUSEUM OF ART AND HISTORY
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The Penetanguishene Road, now known as Highway 93, is Simcoe County’s oldest surveyed road.
Built between 1814-1815, it provided a route by land from the north side of Kempenfelt Bay (east of Barrie) to the town site and naval establishment at Penetanguishene. Previously, the only access was along the rivers and via Georgian Bay.
The historic Penetanguishene Road runs through many of our nearby communities. How many of us know the history of the Penetanguishene Road, how communities took root along the road and about the people who settled there?
Join us at the Orillia Museum of Art and History (OMAH) on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. to hear well-known local historian, author and artist Joanna McEwen give a colourful account of the history of the Penetanguishene Road.
Joining her will be special guest Sheila Craig, who was part of the original team for this research and a direct descendent of the Craigs of Craighurst.
Joanna McEwen has written several books chronicling our local history. Her book, Kith ‘n Kin, documents the lives of the pioneering families of Oro Township through their biographies and numerous photographs.
With her book, Churches of Oro-Medonte, McEwen documented the small churches slowly disappearing from Oro-Medonte with 52 egg tempera paintings. Through her research, McEwen has achieved a mastery of detail and local colour of the era, giving us an appreciation of the settlers and their lives.
In addition, McEwen is a successful artist using the historic technique of egg tempera painting and is an expert in traditional bobbin lace making. She is retired and resides with her husband in Oro-Medonte Township.
At the conclusion of McEwen’s talk, tickets for the annual Sir John A. Macdonald Dinner - A Celebration of Canada (Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019) at the Hawk Ridge Golf and Country Club will be available for purchase. The ticket price is $60 and cheques should be made payable to OMAH. Thereafter, tickets are available at OMAH where payment can also be made by credit card.
The guest speaker for the Sir John A. Macdonald Dinner is Dr. Donald B. Smith, noted historian, author and Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary. Join us for a captivating evening.
The OMAH History Speakers Evenings resume on Wednesday, Jan.16 with guest speaker Evelyn Ross and her talk entitled Escape from Nazi Europe.
Follow the harrowing tale of narrow escapes and threatening submarines as Evelyn Meth’s parents flee the Nazi SS in Austria and Holland on their way to freedom in Canada in 1947.
The OMAH History Committee thanks you for supporting the History Speakers Evenings and looks forward to seeing you in the new year.
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