A look into the past
New book details Upper Granville families, homes, stories and history
In Upper Granville there are 69 houses - and a thousand stories for each one.
Like the time Charlie Hudson was milking the cows and a chimney fire spread not only to the house but to the attached barn and the whole place went up in flames.
That was where the Troop house is now at civic number
8003 on Highway 1 in that stretch heading west out of Bridgetown.
The Hudsons lived in a shed for
12 years while they rebuilt and ended up selling the property to
Mackie Troop.
That’s one of the stories Peggy
Gillis, Jean Ward, Janice LawLord John Cartaret, the Earl of rence, Joan Hudson, Carl and Granville, England. It was settled Linda Phinney, Carolyn Scott, by the English after the Acadian and Beryl Hannam chronicle in a expulsion and in 1764 the Grannew book called ‘ An Upper Granville Township was granted to 168 ville Diary’ that was launched this proprietors and included Granmonth at the home of Jean and ville Centre and Granville Beach. Russell Ward. Belleisle was also part of Upper
The book, like a lot of ideas, Granville and the lots ran from came from talk over a cup of cofthe Annapolis River to the Bay of fee. Jean Ward was hosting her Fundy. annual July 1 coffee party where The book details as much indiscussion turned to local history formation as possible about and someone said they should numerous homes, including write a book before that hisarchitectural style, history, and tory was lost or forgotten. It was context or location within the Canada 150 and Janice Lawrence community. Names of current brought some Canada trivia quesowners and past owners are also tions with her but threw in some detailed and professions are reUpper Granville questions as well. counted.
Peggy Gillis stood up and said, For instance, the ‘ White’ house ‘we should write a book.” The rest Lord Cartaret on Hebb’s Landing Road was arts& is history, sort of. They went out The community was named for built in 1834 by Thomas Walker. prisoned for two years for gross indecency after his affair with Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas (Colin Morgan, Testament of Youth). Upon his release, he is greeted by companions Robbie Ross (Edwin Thomas) and Reggie Turner (Colin Firth, The King’s Speech; A Single Man) and quickly moves to France to spend his final years in exile.
All shows at the Al Whittle Theatre, 450 Main St., Wolfville. Tickets are $10 and available 30 minutes before screening. Go Online: fundycinema.ca Go Online: facebook.com/FundyCinema-1692183731024542
Phone: 902-542-1050
A look at upcoming arts and entertainment events in the Annapapolis Valley:
‘Bird of Prey’ at Kentville’s
Hardware Gallery Kentville’s Hardware Gallery’s next exhibit “Bird of Prey” runs until Jan. 2, featuring the work of multimedia artist Ella Tetrault.
‘Bird of Prey’ is a multimedia video installation that tells a story of three people coming together on the North Mountain to explore how we interact, identify, and relate to other species through Falconry. It is, in a way, a failed attempt to understand the complicated and often violent relationship the western world has with animals and to look at how we might understand and focus on healing trauma through our relations to other species.
Tetrault is a Canadian artist recently returned from Berlin. She is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Visual Art at York University, and a guest lecturer at the University of Cologne at the Institute for Art and Art Theory alongside Stefanie Busch.
Go Online: Find Hardware Gallery at www.hardwaregallery.ca
The Grinch at King’s Theatre
Dec. 27-28
‘The Grinch’ will be shown at King’s Theatre in Annapolis Royal Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 28 at 2 p.m.
The Grinch and his loyal dog, Max, live a solitary existence inside a cave on Mount Crumpet. His main source of aggravation comes during Christmastime when his neighbors in Whoville celebrate the holidays with a bang. When the Whos decide to make Christmas bigger and brighter, the disgrun- into the community and conducted interviews, gathered information, and took pictures.
Lawrence wrote the book’s introduction and based on tons of information collected by the group, wrote the manuscript that was edited by numerous others involved in the effort.
She describes the book as one of collective memories compiled by friends, family, and neighbours.
“So here we are, 90+ years of ‘An Upper Granville Diary,’ from the Wards on the hill on the outskirts of the former Bridgetown limits to the Phinney Mountain Road,” she said in the introduction. “The area that we know as Upper Granville.”
tled Grinch realizes there is one way to g gain i peace and quiet. With help from Max, the green grump hatches a scheme to pose as Santa Claus, steal Christmas and silence the Whos’ holiday cheer once and for all.
‘A Star is Born’ will also be screened at King’s Theatre over the Christmas holidays. It’s set for two days – Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 30 at 2 p.m.
Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer until Jackson coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jackson fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.
Directed by Bradley Cooper and starring Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, and Sam Elliott.
Tickets are: $11 for an adult; $10 with Film Buff Card; or $8 for a youth.
Doors open 45 minutes before show time.
Phone: 902-532-7704
Go Online: www.kingstheatre.ca
On the screen at Fundy Cinema
Fundy Cinema screens ‘The Happy Prince’ on Jan. 6 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The directorial debut from celebrated actor Rupert Everett (Shakespeare in Love, My Best Friend’s Wedding), The Happy Prince is at once a spirited tribute to legendary author and playwright Oscar Wilde and an exacting commentary on 19thcentury British mores.
It is 1895, and Wilde (Everett, A Royal Night Out) has been im-
Trent McClellan in Wolfville,
Annapolis Royal
The newest cast member of the award-winning show This Hour Has 22 Minutes is launching his Maritime ‘Laugh Every Day Tour’ in 2019 and he’ll be making stops in Wolfville and Annapolis Royal.
McClellan, originally from Corner Brook, is a stand-up comedian, writer, podcaster, and actor known for his approachable, candid, and effortless observational comedy.
McClellan joined the cast of This Hour has 22 Minutes in 2017 after contributing as a writer for several years. He has had numerous filmed television performances from the Just for Laughs Montreal, Winnipeg and Halifax comedy festivals for CBC Television, and has recorded comedy specials for CTV and the Comedy Network.
He is also a favourite on the Canadian airwaves. He can be heard on the CBC radio program ‘The Debaters’ and he was a panelist on CBC’s ‘Canada Reads’ where he defended ‘February’ by Lisa Moore.
The ‘Laugh Every Day Tour’ is produced by Premiere Entertainment Group and travels to Festival Theatre, Wolfville on Feb. 22 and King’s Theatre in Annapolis Royal on Feb. 23.
For full tour dates, locations, and tickets visit www.trentscomedy.com. Jump ahead more than 100 years to 1952 and the property is home to Harold Walker, a farmer and maintenance worker in Annapolis County schools. His wife Marion is remembered for riding her motorized bike and later her motorized scooter. The property has changed hands several times since Marion died and Harold moved to Hampton with his new wife.
There is even one house that was moved from Digby to 75 Phinney Mountain Road in 2013 and is completely solar.
The book speaks about family, friends, dreams, and, of course, the beautiful setting in one of the most fertile valleys in the country.
“I was a little concerned that the river would be too small to satisfy my yearnings,” said Lynn Main in an article reprinted from ‘Our Canada’ where she speaks about her dream house at 7712 Highway 1, “but it is more than enough. Jon and I never tire of the wonderful view from our windows and back deck. The scenery changes from season to season, day to day, and even hour to hour.”
They bought the property from Arthur Deveau in 2003. The house was built in 1840 by Phineas Phinney. The Mains built a new home after a controlled burn of the original house.
Cemeteries
The book is filled with old and new photos, talks about roads, railroads, contains a section on cemeteries with some interesting stories attached.
Russell and Jean Ward visited the Phinney Pasture Cemetery and found a stone with the name Josiah Dodge from Massachusetts Bay who died in 1837.
“Josiah Dodge had come to help the English overthrow the French at Louisburg and then was asked to come to Granville to help with land grants,” the book notes.
There is also a section on special events like Christmas concerts, card parties, skating, parades, quilting bees, and haying time. The section on the Upper Granville School chronicles a long history dating back to 1850 until 1959 when the kids were sent to school in Bridgetown.
And there is a page about ghosts, including the story of a headless horseman riding up and down over the bridge at the neighbourhood known as ‘The Newcombe Brook Bridge.’
The book also includes a page recounting all of the childhood entertainment back in the days before television. There are 28 items and every one of them was outdoors, including games like Red Light/ Green Light, Mother May I, Marbles, Tag, and Hide n’ Seek, plus activities such as skipping, building forts, Hop Scotch, coasting, and even skinny dipping.
The book is dedicated to the late Edwin Gillis, 82, who was a force behind getting the book project started.
‘An Upper Granville Diary’ is available at Treasures and Collectables in Upper Granville and at Endless Shores Books in Bridgetown.