The free February Wednesday morning C3 – Culture, Coffee & Cookies presentations at The Reach (32388 Veterans Way, Abbotsford) move from the Shady Side to the Underground Railroad.
Kris Foulds, the highly knowledgeable Curator of Historical Collections at The Reach, will cross over with you, to The Shady Side at the Wednesday, February 14th – 10:30am C3 event. People often think of the past as the “good old days” peopled by hard-working, pious pioneers. Similar to today, the past had its share of scoundrels and scallywags, which Foulds will introduce you to with stories of the shady side of early Abbotsford.
At the February 21st – 10:30am session, Carolyn Abramson, and The Pentones will take you to the Underground Railroad. Abramson is a descendant of Barbadian slaves and because of this heritage, she has a natural interest in the history of slavery and its cultural aspects. The underground railroad played an important part in providing hope and freedom for American slaves. Their needlecrafts, their spiritual music and their stories are compelling, and it’s her passion to share this information through music, quilts and storytelling. The Pentones are four seniors who share Abramson’s love for music and who enjoy giving back to their community; they include: Ron Schaufert (guitar and bass), Rose Schaufert (soprano), Ester Unrau (alto) and Earl Colpits (tenor).
On February 28th at 10:30am, Richard Toews will explore with you The Quiet in the Land, the internal struggles of the hero, Johann Toews. It’s 1917 Russia; the peasants are restless. Johann, the son of a Mennonite pastor, is witness to a profound contradiction between the Mennonite theology of non-violence and the social reality within their colonies. In keeping themselves separate from the world, the Mennonites treat their Russian peasant workers as no better than cattle. Johann must act, however, discovers that decisions have consequences.
For more information on the free C3 and other events at The Reach, go to www.thereach.ca or call 604-864-8087.
Image credit:The Reach P341, C. 1920. British Columbia’s period of prohibition from 1917 to 1921 actually preceded prohibition in the US. The 18th Amendment to the US Constitution prohibited liquor sales from 1919 to 1933. After BC’s prohibition was ended, US citizens who lived near the border would make their way to Canada to wet their whistles. “Free Auto Camp” was the proprietress’, Mrs. McRae’s invitation for Americans to stop and drink at her camp.