2009–2010 Speaker Series: Presentation Details

Details of this season's presentations will by published as they become available. Listed by date of presentation.

Videos of many of our previous Speaker Series presentations (most of them in DVD format) are available from the Dundas Museum & Archives. Click here for a list of available titles. (pdf, 2 pages)

Tom Fournier: With Musket, Fife and Drum: The War of 1812 Through the Eyes of the British Soldier

09 September 2009

Tom Fournier is a War of 1812 enthusiast who developed an interest in the history of the war beyond the commonly accessible literature associated with the War of 1812 that has led researchers to original source documents examining the service of British soldiers, particularly the 41st Regiment in Canada from 1799 to 1815. He currently serves as the Commanding Officer and Chairman for the 41st Regiment of Foot MLHG. A current project involves a compilation of details on the events surrounding the Battle of the Thames (Moraviantown) of October 1813.

John Bryden: The Warpath: The Ancaster Escarpment Edge as the Road to War

14 October 2009

A lifelong resident of the Dundas area, John Bryden was born and raised in Dundas, eventually graduating from McMaster University in 1966 with a BA(hons). His journalistic career spanned from 1961 to 1986, with stints as a part-time student reporter for the Dundas Star, as a copyboy at the Hamilton Spectator and—after a break for university studies and a brief job at University of Toronto Press—for seven years as a reporter and then city editor at the Spectator. From there, two years at the Globe and Mail and eight years at the Toronto Star serving, in order, as Insight Editor, Senior News Editor, Business Editor and Magazine Editor. In 1986, he left the Star to write military history books and the results were 'Deadly Allies: Canada’s Secret War 1937 to 1947' and 'Best Kept Secret: Canadian Secret Intelligence in the Second World War'. John also kicked off the Giant's Rib Discovery Centre's inaugural Bruce Duncan Memorial Lecture Series in February 2007 with this presentation. From 1993 to 2004, John served as our federal Member of Parliament. He lives in Lynden, is married to Cathy, and has three grownup children: Andrew, Katie and Deirdre.

Magaret Houghton: Hamilton at War: On the Home Front

11 November 2009

Ms. Houghton is the Special Collections archivist at the Hamilton Public Library and author and editor of several books including The Hamiltonians, the Vanished Hamilton trilogy, First Here and the latest More of First Here. She also serves as the current President of both the Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society and the Players' Guild of Hamilton, the oldest continuous amateur theatre organization in North America.

Come hear Margaret discuss the lives and times of Hamiltonians during the war years of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945.

James Hill: Skulkers, Rogues and Heroes: The Role of the Upper Canada Militia in the War of 1812

13 January, 2010

James Hill is currently Superintendent of Heritage with the Niagara Parks Commission. His responsibilities include the supervision of important historic sites, such as the Laura Secord House, the MacKenzie Printery at Queenston, the site of the Battle of Queenston Heights and the Brock Monument (in cooperation with Parks Canada), Old Fort Erie and the McFarland House.

He attended Merriton High School—named after William Hamilton Merrit, militia cavalry officer of the War of 1812, and Brock University—named after General Isaac Brock, the well-known hero of the War. He is also a member of the Canadian Reserves and is Battery Captain of the 10th Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery.

Ruth Nicholson: Canada's First Refugees—The Loyalists

10 February, 2010

Ruth Nicholson, President of the Hamilton Branch of the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada, will discuss the American Revolution and early settlement life for the Loyalists in this area after the War.

Ms. Nicholson, a recently-retired elementary school teacher, will highlight the research her students conducted about the Loyalists, involving such local historical personalities like Joseph Brant, Robert Land, Ann Morden, David Springer, the Eatons of Carlisle, the Gages of Battlefield House, Billy Green, the Shavers of Ancaster and Enerals Griffin, first Black pioneer in this area, living in Ancaster.

Both Ruth and her husband, David Nicholson, will dress in period clothing from the Revolutionary War era and display many artifacts from that historical period, from native stone scrapers to a butter churn to a corn husk mat.

Brian Baetz & Margaret Rees: Dundas: A History of Transitions

10 March, 2010

As Dundas has evolved and grown over the years, it has gone through a number of transitions. One of the most significant of these was the Depression era of the 1930s. This decade was investigated through a review of the Dundas Star archives, in an attempt to discover how Dundas came together to address the challenges of that period. The findings will be shared through a series of story vignettes accompanied by vintage photographs, and conclusions will be discussed on what we can learn from this earlier time as we face the challenges of today.

Margaret Rees has lived in Dundas, with brief breaks, since 1960. She has worked as clinical social worker in Hamilton for about 30 years and is now practicing and teaching Reiki. She has master's degrees in Anthropology from McMaster; and in Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Brian Baetz is an environmental engineer with degrees from the University of Toronto and Duke University. A former Chair of McMaster’s Civil Engineering Department, Brian is currently the Director of McMaster’s Engineering and Society Program and is the head of the Sustainable Communities Research Group. Brian and his wife Rashne have lived in Dundas for 22 years, along with their children Jasmine and Cyrus and their Sheltie dog, Rocky.

Mohawk historian Wolf Thomas: The Role of the Native Warrior in the War of 1812

14 April, 2010

This presentation will discuss the role of the Native people in the War of 1812, particularly those who supported the British and Canadian side of the conflict.

Okwaho (Wolf) Thomas of the Mohawk Nation from the Six Nations Grand Territory presently holds the rank of Captain within the Crown Forces of Upper Canada for the British Native Allies, a group that helps to re-enact the War of 1812 and in so doing creates public awareness for the contributions, sacrifices and cultural aspects of Native peoples during this time period. Wolf Thomas is also an Honorary War Chief of the Turtle Clan; has lectured at Laurier University and Mohawk College and has appeared in and consulted on several films.

Archived Presentation Details

Videos of many of our previous Speaker Series presentations (most of them in DVD format) are available from the Dundas Museum & Archives. Click here for a list of available titles. (pdf, 2 pages)

2008–2009

2007–2008

2006–2007

2005–2006

2004–2005

2003–2004