Registrants will gather for a light snack and welcoming at the Old Congregational Church, St. Elmo, just north of Maxville, at 9.45am. To get there, travel 417 east, exit for Maxville; past the cty rd 8 turnoff (to Dunvegan), take cty rd 7 (in 0.4km) to the RIGHT and park. The journey time from Ottawa is just over an hour. This old building, built in 1836, served as a church until 1920 when it was purchased by the Presbyterian Church and became a church hall. Although of log construction, there is a washroom. There is registration, a snack, and a chance to meet people; a detailed itinerary will be given to all drivers. We walk (2 minutes) to the Gordon Church which was built in 1860 for a Free Church of Scotland congregation. A short tour and presentation follows - the minister for many years was Charles Gordon; his son wrote many novels under the pen name Ralph Connor; his grandson Charles, a writer for the Ottawa Citizen, has accepted our invitation to be with us.
We leave, in convoy, about 10.15 am for Dunvegan. After the 15 minute journey, we park opposite Dunvegan Presbyterian Church and walk to the modern adjacent church hall . After a welcoming, a representative for the Glengarry Pioneer Museum will highlight the various buildings and artifacts to be seen. It is a three minute walk to the Museum. The various buildings and sheds house not only household and rural-life artifacts used in Glengarry County, books, but also specialist books about people in the area. There is a large display of farm implements. Of interest is a doorway stone with a good display of fossils. At 11.50 am we walk back to the church hall for a light lunch, provided by the church Ladies' Guild. After this we go next door to tour the church itself and listen to a brief historical presentation. We drive to Kirkhill Presbyterian Church, a larger building with a strong Scots tradition; for many years, a Kirkin o' the Tartan service has been held there, on the Sunday after the Glengarry Highland Games. There is an optional prior short visit to the United Church across the road. Just a short distance east is a wayside cairn, commemorating the Macleod Settlement in the 1790s - we'll stop and hear about the local pioneers.
We continue east, with a few turns, to Dalhousie Mills. Very soon, after crossing the border into Quebec, is Dalhousie Station, the first Division Point west on the main Candian Pacific rail line from Montreal. The large stone water tower is being refurbished, with a grant, by the local township council - we stop for a look. In another 10 minutes we reach the small schoolhouse at Côte St.George. There has been a school here for Scots settlers since 1820. Wayne Morrison, who was educated there, and is now its principal teacher, will greet us. We then visit the recently-refurbished Côte St George Prebyterian Church, just up the hill; the local Scots Presbyterians are very proud of this building. We travel to Dalhousie Mills, and back into Ontario for a Scottish tea at St Andrew's United Church, which is octagonal and is known as "The Round Church"; it has full facilities. The tour finishes with a tour of the Bishop's House, built 1808, which became Iona Academy - in use until the 1960s. Most can walk across (and down) the road to St. Raphael's Church ruins - after first visiting the Roman Catholic church next door - with interesting old items and wall scrolls. The formal tour ends here.
It is a short drive to Alexandria, where St Finnan's Cathedral is worth visiting. Tables will be reserved in the Priests Mill Restaurant, Alexandria, for an optional 7 pm dinner; the water mill raceway flows under parts of the mill. Leaving about 8.30 pm, we'll be in the Ottawa area by 10 pm. - an easy drive along good roads.
Fees: $40 for society
members, $50 for non-members. Registration is by using a mailed form
and sending in a cheque, which must arrive by 24 May, or a surcharge
of $10 applies. Brochure now available (mailed on request).
This is not a bus tour;
you use your own vehicle. Use the
Registration
Form
Schedule: Leave
Ottawa 8.30 am
Arr St Elmo 9.30am - registration, snack, tour - leave St Elmo
10.15am
arr Dunvegan 10.30am welcome in church hall; tour museum
10.45-11.45am
Dunvegan church lunch noon. Church tour/presentation 12.30pm; leave
12.45pm.
Kirkhill United arr 1 pm; St Columba arr 1.15pm, leave 1.45pm.
Macleod Settlement 2 pm
Dalhousie Station Water Tower (with presentation and a local railroad
"old-timer" - perhaps) approx 2.30 pm
Côte St Georges School - arr 3 pm leave 3.30, nearby Church
3.40 - 4 pm.
"The Round Church" Dalhousie Mills 4.15 - 5pm, tea and
presentation
5.15pm Iona School, 5.40pm nearby RC church, 6pm St Raphael's Ruins,
leave 6.15pm. Tour ends.
Alexandria arrive 6.30pm for 7 pm dinner
leave for home 8.30pm arr Ottawa before 10pm
Reserve and ask for the flier by calling
613-728-5343 -
h.reekie@ieee.org
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