PHS Meetings & Events

2024

• Tuesday, April 16^th Annual Meeting. The PHS annual meeting was held in the Brad Whitcombe Room of the Puslinch Library on April 16, 2024 with the presentation, “The Geography of Puslinch” compiled by Betty Andersen.
• Sunday, September 22^nd Annual Meeting. As part of our 40th Anniversary year PHS, along with the Wellington County Historical Society, hosted a walking tour of Morriston on September 22, 2024. Presenters were Mary Main (Badenoch St.), Marilynn Crow (upper Queen St.), Lily Kramer (lower Queen St.) and Cheryl McLean (Victoria St.)

2020

• *CANCELLED* Tuesday, April 7^th at 7 p.m Annual Meeting. Brad Whitcombe Room, Puslinch Library Guided tour of archives to follow business meeting.
• *CANCELLED* Sunday, May 3rd at 2 p.m. Jane's Walk. Arkell, with raindate Saturday, May 9th at 2 p.m. P lease meet in front of the former Arkell schoolhouse.
• Tuesday, November 17 at 7 p.m. Remembrance Meeting. Brad Whitcombe Room, Puslinch Library
  Speaker: Robert McFarlane
  Topic: World War II Letters to Puslinch written by Robert's uncle Lindsay McFarlane.

2019

• April 16, 2019 The PHS Annual General Meeting will be in the Puslinch Library at 7 p.m. with a presentation on Victoria Street in Morriston. Memberships are due that night. All are welcome.
• May 5, 2019 (Rain Date: Saturday, May 11) The Puslinch Historical Society invites the public to their first Jane's Walk at 2 p.m. in Crieff. Please gather in the parking lot opposite Crieff Church.
  *"Jane's Walks" are being held elsewhere in Canada this weekend, in honour of urban planner/professor Jane Jacobs and her Toronto neighbourhood walks.
• Tuesday, October 15, 2019 Join PHS for an evening at the Fischer's Ontario Steam Heritage Museum, 7192 Gore Rd., Puslinch ON. Time: 7 p.m. Weather permitting, we will enjoy a ride on a people mover drawn by a steam tractor followed by a tour of the museum. In case of inclement weather, the tour will begin at 7 instead. PHS member Wayne Fischer will be our guide.
• Tuesday, November 19, 2019 7 p.m. in the Brad Whitcombe room of the Puslinch Library. The Remembrance Day theme this year will feature the National Film Board's Documentary, "Lost Over Burma". Come and discover the Puslinch connection to this story.

2018

• November 20, 2018: A presentation on Early Mills in Puslinch at the Puslinch Library
• September 18th, 2018 at 7pm: PHS member Lois McLean, a long-time employee of the former Biltmore Hat Company in Guelph, will be speaking at the September 18th PHS meeting at 7 p.m. at the library. Lois will present: The process that goes into the making of hats.
• June 23rd, 2018 at 2pm: MEET THE AUTHOR The Puslinch Historical Society is pleased to announce the release of a new book entitled "Puslinch At Work" by author Robert Moore, a Puslinch native. It is being released Saturday, June 23, 2018 at the Aberfoyle Library, Brad Whitcombe Room.
  
  The work presents the livelihoods and businesses of the individuals and families from Puslinch’s earliest days through to 1965. It is about the farmers, shopkeepers, millers, hoteliers, blacksmiths, coopers and the many others who lived and worked to build the prosperity of Puslinch.
  
  The PHS is sponsoring the June 23rd library event with a meet and greet with the author starting with an introduction of the book at 2 p.m. Everyone is invited.
• April 17th, 2018 at 7pm: PHS Annual Meeting at the Puslinch Library. Program: The Neutral Indians - The first people of Puslinch. Annual memberships are due April 17th.
• P.H.S. is pleased to announce the link to the diaries of Puslinch pioneer Duncan MacFarlane, 1818-1892, in the Rural Diaries Project of the University of Guelph. Click here to visit.

2017

• June 11th, 2017 at 2pm: Spirit Walk at Killean Cemetery
• July 1st, 2017: P.H.S. will have a special Canada 150 display at the Optimist Pancake Breakfast on July 1st at the Community Centre.
• Oct 10th, 2017 at 7pm: P.H.S. fall meeting in Aberfoyle with Dr. Catharine Wilson, Professor of Rural History at the University of Guelph. The topic of Dr. Wilson's talk will be: "True Stories of Love and Loss: The Rural Diary Archive celebrates Canada's 150th"
• Tuesday, November 21, 2017: HERITAGE HANDWORK: 150 years of Puslinch artistry.

2016

• Tuesday October 18th at 7:00pm: It's possible to bring back many family heirlooms that you thought were gone forever. Join us for a presentation by Lloy Osburn of Artful Restorations in the Archives at the Puslinch Library. Lloy Osburn restores pottery, textiles, leather, fire or flood damaged artwork and original finisheson wood. She specializes in works on paper such as antique prints, maps, photographs and original drawings. Hear Lloy discuss her craft and how best to care for and store your treasured items.
• March 19, 2016 from 2-4pm: The Puslinch Historical Society invites you to a book launch in the Brad Whitcombe room of the Puslinch Library. To the Seventh Generation: The Evolution of the Family Farm in Canada, 1823-2015" is the work of PHS member Marilynn Crow recording the changes in farming practices, rural architecture and the lives of farm women and men through two centuries. The afternoon will include book signing, an introduction to the book by the author at 3 p.m. and refreshments.
• April 19, 2016 at 7pm: The Puslinch Historical Society will be holding its annual meeting. A power point presentation on the history of Morriston Village will be shown.

2015

• September 20th - the "Spirit Walk" will be at Farnham Cemetery at 2pm.

• How well do you know the history of Puslinch including Farnham, Elgin, Frazerville, Schaw Station and Strachan's Corners?

  The Puslinch Historical Society is presenting a series of three evenings dedicated to the communities within Puslinch this year. Following the boundaries of the twelve original School Sections, a synopsis of each area will be preseneted. Join us on the following evenings at 7pm:

  • Tuesday, May 5th at Arkell United Church Hall for Arkell, Brock Road, downey and Aberfoyle areas (S.S. 1 to 4).
  • Tuesday, Oct 6th at Knox Crieff Sunday School Room for "The Third", Killean, Crieff and Morriston areas (S.S. 5 to 8).
  • Tuesday, Nov 3rd at the Badenoch Community Centre for the history of Badenoch, Corwhin, "The Lake" and Glenchristie areas (S.S. 9 to 12).
• April 7th - at the Puslinch Library, 7pm: Guest speaker Jerry Prager will share his research and publications regarding local connections to the Underground Railroad.

2014

• Click here to view the 2014 newsletter.
• November 18th - at the archives: Paul O'Hara, botanist and owner of Blue Oak Nurseries on "Indian trail marker trees".
• September 16th - at the archives: Prof. Don Smith on relations between Aboriginals and early European settlers in this area.
• July 12th - Visit us at Aberfoyle Market.
• June 23rd - Spirit Walk at Crown cemetery profiling five tradesmen interred here.
• May 13th, 7pm - at the archives: Edith George on "Securing the Future of Heritage Trees"
• February 25th, 7pm - Dr. Elizabeth Ritchie from University of the Highlands, Scotland discussed the experiences of a Scottish pioneer woman in Upper Canada.

2013

• November 12th - Meeting with guest speaker Larry Cotton, author of "Whiskey and Wickedness - Wellington and Grey"
• October 1st - At the library - Joan Hug-Valeriote's documentary about selective logging on a small woodlot in Puslinch. Because of the steepness of the terrain in this woodlot, Greg Parker and his team of Belgians were used to harvest the logs, (and thus minimized damage to the land). This documentary evokes earlier times in Puslinch.
• June 11th - Spirit Walk in Crown cemetery. What follows is narratives from the 4 life stories for the evening:
  • Alexander Amos
  • Gert Worthington
  • Richard B. Morison
  • Roderick Cameron
• April 9th - The ANNUAL MEETING was held at the Archives in the library (Aberfoyle). Read the President's report HERE