On Saturday March 23rd we celebrated Jack Gordon’s 9oth birthday with an open house at the Historical Room. Lots of people to dropped in to wish Jack a happy birthday and enjoy refreshments and of course, a birthday cake. We also honoured new Life Members Jean Rickard and Hazel Crago. Congratulations to Jack, Jean and Hazel! And on March 30, we honoured new Life Member Farncomb Le Gresley, who had been unable to attend the previous week. Congratulations, Farny!

A Gift of Art at 187 King Ave. E. in Newcastle is offering a free speaker series on Thursdays from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Upcoming speakers include:

• February 28 – Christine Murphy: Humane Society of Durham
• March 7 – Marilyn Glassford: Lakeshore Tours
• March 21 – Kiley Percy: Clarington Public Library
• March 28 – Sheila Burns: Primrose Donkey Sanctuary
• April 4 – Mayor Adrian Foster: Your Clarington – an update

Refreshments are free – but the conversation that follows will be “priceless.” For more information, call 905-987-2264.

Dear Members and Friends,

Thank you very much for your continuing support of NVDHS. I always appreciate the opportunity to communicate with our members and friends of the Society during our regular hours (Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. until noon) and via our quarterly newsletter. 

We have been successful in raising funds from the community to finance our digitization project. Bob Malone, Director and our Past President, has been instrumental in leading this funding effort. We are grateful for Bob’s efforts. This project will computerize the records and assets of the NVDHS for easy access by the Community and all interested parties. We look forward to completing this task.

Upcoming Spring events include our Annual General Meeting, a General Meeting with speaker, and participation in Doors Open. During the summer we anticipate participating in the Wooden Boat Show and hope to hold a member’s potluck as we did last year. The Fall will bring our participation in the Orono Fair, the Newcastle Fall Harvest Festival, Newcastle’s Santa Parade, and the Historical Room will host a Remembrance display and our Christmas party. Please check this website and newsletters for dates and particulars.

I would like to personally thank all of our executive and directors and volunteers for their work throughout the year. They are special people. 

During the final quarter we exhibited a memoriam honouring the men and women from Newcastle and District who served to preserve our freedoms and way of life. It was truly a memorable and educational display. Our Christmas Party gave us the special opportunity to meet many people from the area who really have been major contributors in making Newcastle and District the great community that it is today.

On behalf of the NVDHS, I extend our best wishes to all of our members, friends, and supporters.

Tom Wallace

Join us Tuesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. for our Annual General Meeting and Show & Tell in the Historical Room at the Newcastle Community Hall, 20 King Ave. W. Members of our Society and Community bring and discuss items of historical significance to our community. Got an interesting photo, tool, letter, or anything else of historical interest to Newcastle residents? Bring it along!

Celebrate Christmas with the Newcastle Village and District Historical Society
Saturday, December 22, 2018, 9:30 am – noon

Enjoy some hot cider and Christmas cookies.
There’s always good chat in ‘The Room’ on Saturdays.

Bring the kids or the Grandkids and learn to make an old fashioned Christmas pinecone decoration.

Everyone Welcome!

Merry Christmas!

Dear Members and Friends,

Thank you very much for your continuing support of NVDHS. Our mission is to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of the Village of Newcastle and its immediate environs. We are proud that we participated in the design of a Heritage Park that will be part of the new housing development by Wilmot Creek, at the west end of Newcastle. That Heritage Park will honour Samuel Wilmot and his achievement in developing Ontario’s first full-scale fish hatchery in 1868. 

During the month of November, we have been honouring our Veterans with a display in the Historical Room. This is a “must see” display as we pay tribute to many local Veterans who sacrificed so much for our freedoms. Everyone is welcome. 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
~ Laurence Binyon, “For the Fallen” 

We have purchased new computer equipment to better serve our stakeholders. We continue to focus on the considerable task of digitizing our records and artifacts so that information is readily accessible and available. 

I hope everyone was able to visit us at the Orono Fair. The NVDHS participates in this event annually. The theme of our presentation was Great Lakes ships. 

Our website is a huge success. We now have over 300 unique visitors to our site per month and the numbers are growing steadily. Please visit the website. It is updated regularly and is very informative. We also have an active Facebook page, where we also post news, photos and event information.

The Newcastle Santa Claus Parade was on Sunday November 18 and our float was themed “Once Upon a Time.” Visit our website and/or our Facebook page to see a slideshow of all the participants. 

I would like to welcome two new Directors to the NVDHS; Marillia Hjorngaard and Ken Crichton. I would also like to thank Tammy Rogers for her contributions as Director to the NVDHS.

On behalf of the NVDHS, I extend our best wishes to all of our members, friends, and supporters for a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.    

Yours sincerely,

Tom Wallace

The Newcastle Santa Parade has become a much-anticipated annual tradition in the Village of Newcastle. Local businesses, organizations, schools and community members pitch in for a night of fun to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season. The Newcastle Village and District Historical Society participates with a float each year. See if you can find yourself or your friends and neighbours in the slide show!  [continue reading…]

No one alive today has seen our faces.
No grandchild has heard our voices or felt our touch.
We did not intend to die.
We were ordinary men and boys for whom circumstances
Caused us to do an extraordinary thing.

We gave our lives so that you might live free from tyranny.
We are now only names on cenotaphs
And fading pictures in family albums.
Remember us please.
We would like to have known you.

~Leslie Wilson

Newcastle Village and District Historical Society will be mounting a Remembrance Display in the History Room at the Newcastle Village Community Hall for the month of November. Please come and remember with us.

The History Room is opened 9:30 to noon every Tuesday and Saturday, but as a special community outreach, we will be open on Armistice Day/Remembrance Day from 9:30 to noon as well. We will be open before, during and after the service at the cenotaph on November 11th at 11 a.m.

On display will be artifacts from both wars, as well as photos and bios for the Newcastle area people who served during these conflicts with recognition of our nurses and other women who served here at home.

Curatorial Assistant, Leslie Wilson, a volunteer at the History Room, will be heading up the team who are putting this display together.

See you there!

“Lest We Forget” by Lisa Sabater-Mozo, CC BY-ND