While the festive mood of Christmas has been a constant for the people of Collingwood, the shape of their celebrations has seen some interesting changes through the years. Like when the town’s Christmas tree wasn’t a tree at all! Join us as we travel back to the lean years between the two world wars to see what shape the holiday season took when times were difficult. We hope you will find the stories as heartwarming as we do!

After the story we talk about family Christmas traditions and invite the listeners to join the Museum in some of our newest holiday traditions. And we ask for your help in locating pictures of a shipyard hull decorated for Christmas in years past. Do you or your family have one you would be willing to share? Contact us at our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/collingwoodmuseum) or send us an email to [email protected]. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Episode Picture:

Boy, Dog, and Sled [Collingwood Museum Collection X2007.188.1]

Research:

Cowley, Christine E. “Butchers, Bakers and Building the Lakers: Voices of Collingwood”, 2008. Pgs. 64, 260, 328.

Miles, Anita. “The Chicago of the North”, 2004. Town of Collingwood. pg. 51, 52

Bryan, Ruth Carmichael. “Tales of Collingwood”, 1967. pg. 10-11

Links:

“The Bells of St. Harry” Season 1, Episode 15 https://anchor.fm/cwoodstories/episodes/The-Bells-of-St--Harry-e1bhac7