2006–2007 Speaker Series: Presentation Details

Listed by date of presentation.

Gabe Battaglia, David Frid & Kim Thomas (Canada Post): Clock Talk: The History of the Dundas Post Office Clock Tower

20 September 2006

Gabe Battaglia, a clock winder, has worked for Canada Post in many capacities for 30 years—the last seven as the Superintendant of Dundas. He has a keen interest in preserving the Post Office building and the clock. Kim Thomas, another winder, is a long-time resident of Dundas, and has worked for Canada Post for 20 years—just the last 8 months in town. She has always wanted to see the clock repaired (even if she had to get hired by the Post Office to do it). David Frid is the mechanical brains of the group. He keeps the clock oiled and maintained and the winders on their toes. David is fan of old clocks, sailboats and outboards. Join us as Gabe, David, and Kim take us on a tour of our clock tower—a truly marvelous showcase of art and engineering—from its construction in 1913 to its most recent restoration this past January.

Jane Mulkewich: Seven Generations: Aboriginal History and Colonization in Dundas

15 November 2006

Seven generations ago, in the 1780s and 1790s, the land that is now Dundas was home to Aboriginal people, who were living in the traditional ways as generations of their ancestors had lived before them. We know that Aboriginal people were deer-hunting in Dundas as late as 1800.

Seven generations later, at the present time, there is virtually no visible Aboriginal presence in Dundas.

What happened?

Although we like to believe the fantasy that our society was peaceably settled by white settlers, the true history of colonization involves seven generations of disease, land alienation, economic destruction, violence, alcohol and genocidal practices, culminating in the creation of new urban Aboriginal organizations which have been characterized as neo-colonial.

Jane’s talk begins with the "colonial moment" when white settlement began, seven generations ago, and details the ongoing processes of colonization that have continued since that time.

Jane Mulkewich

Jane is an executive member of the Dundas Valley Historical Society. She has researched her own family genealogy, for at least seven generations in this part of Ontario. Jane has done anti-racism, human rights and social justice work in several organizations and is currently a law student at the University of Western Ontario.

Bryan Kerman: Democrats and other Traitors: Troubles, Treason, and Trials in Ancaster during the War of 1812

17 January, 2007

In 1813, Abraham Markle, the then-equivalent of an MP for Ancaster and Dundas, joined the American Army in Niagara-on-the Lake, thereby committing treason. Why did he do it? Historians have been asking that question for almost 200 years. Why would a successful businessman and politician, whose family had fought with Butler's Rangers, a man who had more to lose than gain from flight to the enemy, join an army in retreat? Join us next Wednesday as Mr. Kerman will discuss Markle's flight into infamy, the famous Ancaster treason trials, and the role played in the whole affair by Major Richard Hatt of Dundas.

Shannon Kyles: Walk Through the Valley Town

21 February, 2007

Due to the beauty and accessibility of the Dundas Valley, it was one of the first places where European settlers decided to put down roots in the late 1700s. Over the next 200 years the valley town produced some of the best architecture found in Ontario. The styles of architecture represented in Dundas can be found in many other small towns in Ontario. Shannon Kyles will outline the trends and building practices that lead to the beautiful properties that we can still find around town.

Shannon Kyles

Shannon Kyles has a Hon. B.A. and a Masters from McMaster University in History and History of Art and Architecture. She has been teaching History of Architecture from a design perspective at Mohawk College for 20 years. Her website OntarioArchitecture is a much appreciated educational site illustrating architectural trends throughout Ontario and some of the building terms associated with them. Of particular note is the section on the architecture of Dundas buildings.

Bernie Evans: Keeping the Peace in Dundas

21 March, 2007

Bernie Evans has many years of personal experience of policing in Dundas, and since being asked to give this presentation about the history of policing in Dundas, he has spent the past ten months searching for archival information about the early history. He has been dismayed at the gaps in the archival records, but he has made some interesting finds—for example he has transcribed the hand-written notes of one of the early Chief of Police of Dundas. He found enough information to tell some colourful stories. Bernie will present some of the findings of his original research, and also some of the stories he has heard, which are not always found in the official records.

Bernie Evans

Berrnie Evans was born in Hamilton but raised and educated in Dundas, having moved here with his parents in 1949. He is a Retired Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Police Officer with 32 years of service, from 1964 to 1996. His original years on the department were with the former Town of Dundas Police Department. He is currently on the executive of the Hamilton Police Retirees Association and is Editor and Publisher of the Retirees Newsletter called the Newspeek. He has worked in Uniform Patrol, Forensic Identification, the Traffic Office, Court Security, the Community Reception Office, and the Safety Branch (where he was responsible for 18 Dundas and Flamborough schools and was known as the singing police officer as he incorporated music into his safety lessons particularly to the early elementary grades). Since retirement he worked for a local Internet Service Provider where he has taught thousands of local citizens how to use computers and internet related software in the Classroom, on the Radio and even had his own Cable Television show where he was known as The WebTutor. He continues to teach computers on his own as a community service. Most of his students are seniors who need that little extra input to learn new technology.

Reverend Paddy Doran: The Life and History of the Dundas Peak

18 April, 2007

Paddy Doran, a lifetime resident of Dundas, hiker and environmentalist, will present a talk and slideshow on the geology, context, history and meaning of this magnificent natural monument as seen from on top and below.

Archived Presentation Details

2005–2006

2004–2005

2003–2004