Time Warp

This week, Kate has the story of horse racing in Haliburton County in the early 20th century, the local racetrack from 1909-1925, and a local race horse of some renown - Guilford Boy. Plus, Paul has the seafaring tale of the 'I'm Alone', a rum-running schooner out of Lunenberg, Nova Scotia during prohibition. The I'm Alone was chased over several days by the US Coast Guard who, out of frustration,...

This week, Kate has an update on last week's episode on time capsules then talks about art and art-artifacts that the museum has seen lately. Plus, Paul has the story of Abigail Becker, a pioneer who came to be known as the 'Angel of Long Point'. Abigail rescued the crews of at least 3 shipwrecks on Lake Erie in the mid-1850's and as a result received international recognition - including from Que...

This week, Kate muses about time capsules in general and including one found in Haliburton County in 1931 - it had been left in a stone wall on September 4, 1985. Plus, Paul has the story of the rise and fall of the Canadian sailing clipper the Marco Polo. She was launched at Saint John, New Brunswick in 1851, was phenomenally fast - setting voyage records, was known as the fastest ship in the wor...

This week, Kate tells the tale of the practices of early General Stores in Haliburton County along with their often credit and barter practices. They were an example of what helps a close knit small community work. Plus, Paul has the history of the evolution of Governor Generals in Canada, and specifically about the 6th Governor General - Gilbert Elliot Murray, the 4th Earl of Minto. The story inc...

This week, Kate talks about a time when municipalities set up their own local phone utilities. In the 1920's as the world of communication was evolving, Dysart (part of Haliburton County) set up their own phone system. And it was partly because of the budgeoning tourist summer lodges. Plus, Paul has the story of POW camps in Canada during WW2 and the only POW to ever have escaped Luftwaffe pilot F...

This week, Kate has the origin story of John Henry Billings who learned his trade as a builder in England, then eventually ending up in Haliburton Countyaround the turn of the 1800's. Plus, Paul has the tale of Toronto's Casa Loma castle built in the 1860's. During WW2 the basement and a secret 800 foot tunnel were turned into a wartime facility called Station "M" (for magic) for the production of...

This week, Kate has the story of a time in the late 1800's when newcomers to Haliburton County needed a cow for all it provided to help their family survive, but couldn't afford one. The answer? Cow rentals. Plus, Paul talks about how early baseball was so popular in Canada that it easily could have become our national sport. Canada's adoption of baseball was, in many ways, ahead of the US. Kate B...

This week, Kate talks about the roots of the almost 160 year old Haliburton County Fair. It all started in Minden in 1864.m It's a remarkable record given that Haliburton County and cottage country isn't especially known for things agriculture. Plus, paul has the story of the iconic Canadian Tire company, one of Canada's most recognizable retail chains, and their 'money' - customer rebate coupons...

This week Kate tells us about an example of early arts in Haliburton County. Duncan Bain was an in-demand talented musician with a great voice and was an accomplished fiddle player. Plus, Paul has the story of the Corps of Guides, an early mounted militia unit and how it evolved to become the forerunner for the modern Canadian Forces Intelligence Branch. Kate Butler is the Director of the Haliburt...

This week - it's the first holiday weekend of the summer and it's called the May 24 weekend but it falls on May 19. Kate tries to clear up the confusion. Plus, the 1860's were a troubled time in Canada due to the Fenian crisis. And then Irish-Canadian politician D'Arcy McGee was assassinated. A person with Fenian leanings, Patrick James Whelan, was convicted and executed for the crime. But was he...

This week, Kate takes a look at the many instances of picnics in the early years of European settlement in Haliburton County. Plus, Paul has the story of the student's strike at Montreal's Aberdeen primary school 122 years ago in February 1913. The students were the children of poor Jewish immigarants attending a school staffed and administered by the Protestant school board. Religious, cultural,...

This week, Kate recognizes First Reponder Day with some musings about what it meant to be a first responder in early Haliburton County. Plus, Paul has the cold war political spy and sex scandal involving Gerda Munsinger - a German/Russian immigrant to Canada who came to move in high society and became involved with some high ranking politicians including Prime Minister Diefenbaker's Associate Defe...

This week, Kate points out that large construction projects don't have to take years. Here's one - the building of a church in Haliburton village - that with a little community help only took a month. Plus Paul has the story of the what were dubbed the 4 Indigenous Kings of Canada. They were part of a 1710 displomatic mission to Queen Anne of England lobbying for an invasion of French Quebec. In E...

This week, Kate was inspired to go back a couple of weeks to St Patrick's Day and brings a St Paddy's Day theme about Irish immigration to Haliburton County in the early 1900's. Plus Paul has the story of Maurice 'Rocket' Richard, possibly one of the best Canadian professional hockey players who's career with the Montreal Canadiens spanned 1942 to 1960. Maurice was a mercurial, passionate, player...

This week, Kate tells the tale of a March 1888 Haliburton village wedding in a prominent family. Plus, Paul brings the story of the Canadian Pacific prestigious line of luxury ocean cruise and container ships and that plied the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans from the 1880's until the mid-1900's. The CP ships were also pressed into service in the merchant marine, contributing to the war effort in WW1...

This week, Kate celebrates International Women's Day with some stories from Haliburton County history. Plus, Paul talks about the over 300 year old proud history of shipbuilding from world class sailing schooners to steam driven paddle wheelers and naval minesweepers. It's a story of innovation and techological change that continues today. Kate Butler is the Director of the Haliburton Highlands Mu...

This week, Kate brings more reminisces from Marjorie Clarke. Marjorie brings her 1890's child's eye view to give insights to a local character, Fred Freeman. Fred had been the proprietor of one of the oldest original buildings in Haliburton village that still remains. Plus, Paul talks about the fears and rumours that led to anti-German and Austro-Hungarian sentiments that swept the world during WW...

This week, Kate brings more reminisces from Marjorie Clarke who grew up in Haliburton village in the 1890's and early 1900's. Today it's all about Marjorie's memories of what do you do with cows wandering the streets, especially when every household tended to have a cow on their small property? Plus Paul has the story of Lorne Green, a Canadian radio personality, actor, musician and singer. Lorne...

This week, Kate talks about Valentine's Day and love stories from the early Haliburton Highlands plus Paul has a brief history of the origins and impacts of the early days of the Communist Party in Canada up to WW2. Kate Butler is the Director of the Haliburton Highlands Museum. Paul Vorvis is the host of the Your Haliburton Morning Show 7 - 9 a.m. Fridays on Canoe FM 100.9 and streaming on your d...

This week, Kate brings the tale of what would have been a huge event in the life of a small community miles from any city. It was the 1930 visit by the Governor General of the time The Viscount Willingdon of Ratton. Paul has the story of Lucille Teasdale who fought the mysogeny of the 1940's to become a successful doctor and surgeon. Lucille treated and saved the lives of thousands in strife-torn...

This week, Kate talks about a new display being created for the Haliburton Highlands Museum. It's all about winter sports, particularly curling that started in the early 1940's. Plus, Paul has the story of Frank Pickersgill and Ken Macalister - 2 young regular Canadians who found themselves teamed up and trained as SOE (Britain's Special Operations Executive) agents. The pair were parachuted into...

This week, Kate brings some reminisces from a child's view of a Minden landmark - the Dominion Hotel in Minden. This time it's comes from Mildred Mortimer memories from around 1915 when her parents owned the hotel. It shows some insights into life at the turn of the 20th century. Her memories are recorded in Susan Wilson's book 'Explore Haliburton'. Plus, Paul has a very brief history of the origi...

This week, Kate talks about winter activities for kids 120 years ago in the Haliburton Highlands - especialy that iconic winter activity of ice skating. Plus, Paul has the story of Sable Island - a lonely, desolate sandbar of an island in the Atlantic Ocean over 300 km from land. It has a fascinating history going back to the 1500's including a failed colony of convict settlers, an estimated 350 s...

This week, Kate has the story of some of the ways that the Canadian Land and Immigration Company tried to entice early pioneering settlers to Haliburton County in the late 1860's and early 1870's. Plus Paul has the tale of how escaped slaves in Jamaica fled to the interior and mountains, set up farms and communities, and collectively came to be called Maroons (from a Spanish word that roughly tran...

This week, Kate muses about some miscellaneous matters that impacted on Christmas traditions in early Haliburton. Plus, we lost Donald Sutherland in 2024 - an actor who's been called the best in his craft never to have won an Oscar. So, Paul brings a brief story of Donald's background and carrer, including the time that he and his wife's residence in LA was raided because of suspected activist act...