North Shore Sherlocks clue # 1

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The STORY of the Quiet WI Ladies That Could

Once upon a time in the year 2015, a group of quiet women, known as the North Shore Women’s Institute, embarked upon a great adventure.

You see, it was in that year that the Lang-Hastings Trail (the newest section of the TransCanada Trail) was born. This new trail transected the Otonabee Township, where the ladies lived, and came close to the tiny village of Keene, that they often frequented. Is it any wonder then, that this trail was the topic of discussion during their monthly branch meetings? How fortunate they felt themselves to be, to have access to such a wonderful trail! The questions of how this trail could become accessible to all the members of their community - especially the elderly and the very young - soon arose. Well!… While throwing ideas back and forth, it soon became apparent that these ladies felt that they not only COULD! , but that they WOULD! be part of the solution to that query!

The women quickly set up a meeting with the President of the Lang-Hastings Trail. While sitting around a kitchen table sipping tea, they decided, with the Trail Committee and their blessing, to set upon the venture to purchase a bench for each concession (10 in total), as well as, build a gazebo so that walkers and bikers could rest in times of need. This project, the ladies christened the Otonabee Trail Accessibility Group (OTAG) project.

With the decision made to take this project on, fundraising became a very large focus at this branch. A banner was designed and purchased to identify themselves at their fundraising booths and make themselves more visible during community events including the yearly Santa Clause parade and Keene Pumpkin Festival. They booked a regular stall at the Keene Farmers Market and began selling plants in the spring and baked goods and yard sale items during the summer and fall markets. The women put up posters and approached businesses asking for donations of time, money or assistance. They also spoke at a council meeting, a Lions Club meeting, and at the local church in Keene. They set out donations jars at the local restaurant, bank, and food stores. They researched producers of benches and reached out to community builders. Originally the ladies expected that such a large and costly project would take five to ten years to complete. Little did they realize how helpful their tiny community would become!

Within ten months, not only were these ladies successful in finding sponsors for nine steel benches but they also managed to raise the funds necessary for the tenth bench — the Community Bench. To top this off, a Local business owner offered to graciously transport and store the benches for the winter.

In 2016, in preparation for the instilation of the benches, the ladies were able to acquire donations of gravel screenings and concrete and pads. Community members offered their time and also came with heavy equipment to prepare the bases, transport the screenings and set the benches in place. The ladies were very happy to complete the first phase of their project in under two years.

Next, the ladies worked with the township and the conservation authority to plan and implement the placement and the construction of the structure they began calling their gazebo. They wrote letters to local businesses inquiring about the costs and availability of the timbers needed and partnered with a local timber frame business who not only offered one of their pre-made kit for the structure at the cost of the materials alone but also offered to provide the architect’s drawings free of charge.

In the summer, fall and winter of 2016, The North Shore Women continued to secure any local opportunity to raise funds at the Keene Farmer’s Market, the local festivals as well as at the Church’s Christmas bazaar. In the next year, the ladies doubled their efforts and secured substantial donations from the Peterborough Junior Farmer, the local snowmobile club, the Keene Lions Club and a local truck repair company. In 2018 the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 300 of Norwood also made their own contribution. The gazebo kit was ordered in September of 2018 and was delivered to a local farming family for storage in January of the next year.

2019 proved to be a very wet year and the local farmers that had offered their services were struggling to try to plant their very late crop and bring in any dry hay possible. The project was therefore postponed to the next year but the ladies did not despair. Their fundraising efforts continued.

In February 2020, the Peterborough Junior Farmers offered to assemble and install the gazebo. They were also able to procure the construction resources for the footings at cost.
Now with their ducks in a row, the ladies were very excited to complete their project in the spring of that year. But little did they know….

In March of 2020, the whole world was set on its edge! No gatherings were permitted and due to this, the brakes were put on the progress of this precious project. It was very disheartening! The ladies did not stand idle, however. Throughout that summer and the next winter, along with many other community members, they regularly travelled the trail that they had invested so much of their time and effort to make accessible to the community. The ladies were not only staying fit but they were enjoying the peaceful nature around them and building even stronger ties amongst themselves with every step they took along that trail.

In October of 2020, when conditions improved somewhat, the ladies, along with the Peterborough Junior farmers, began installing the footings for their gazebo. Local farmers stepped up to the plate once again. The use and operation of large equipment were donated for the clearing and levelling of the building site as well as to excavate for the foundation. The Screenings and their delivery were donated by a local aggregate business and trucking company. On October 14th, a small contingent of Junior Farmers and WI members completed setting the footings for the structure. The project’s end was finally in sight!

On December 1st of that year, the timbers were moved to the building site where again the same small group worked to put the puzzle together! A chilli lunch was served and greatly appreciated by the workers. On the second day, the building was finally completed.

So today, four of the ladies of this story are sitting on one of the benches, under their gazebo and their banner, celebrating WI’s 150 anniversary. There are only four of them present in the (WISH) Scavenger Hunt Photo but they are celebrating not only WI’s great accomplishment but also the huge accomplishment of all the members of their branch. Not only have they managed to complete such a large project in such a short period of time, with many obstacles, but they feel much richer than they ever did due to the ways this fulfilling experience has brought them and their community closer together.

Audrey Keitel (president of North Shore WI)

P.S. Please feel free to refer to the North Shore Women’s Institute Facebook page to see pictures of every stage of this project.

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