President's Annual Report for 2011 / Rapport annuel de la présidente (2011)

Post date: Oct 27, 2011 4:59:33 PM

Park Extension Historical Society

Société d’histoire de Parc-Extension

President’s Report to 2nd Annual Members Meeting

25 Oct 2011, 7:30 pm – 419 St.Roch

This, our second year, was marked by the wish to increase our membership while, at the same time, we looked for ways to explore and tell others about local history. Our basic funding – everything we undertake has photocopying and often postage, for example –was supplied by our 32 valuable members and a small grant passed on by our Québec MNA, Mr. Sklavounos. The expenses for major public events done in cooperation with the Borough, usually with the inolvement of Councllor Deros, are reimbursed within a budget that we draw up in advance.

Thanks to our big centennial exhibition of history in the summer of 2010, and to our popular website, www.parkextensionhistory.org, we were visited by university history and urban planning students, invited to spring conferences of the Quebec Anglophone History Network and the Fédération d’Histoire du Québec (of which we are a member) and given a History Workshop by the Centre d’Histoire de Montréal last December. This workshop was to encourage local input for the “l00 years of stories” exhibition now at the Borough Hall, until December 12. The 1910-2010 exhibit of history panels, meanwhile continued, and still hangs, in the William Hingston adult French language school, due to the interest of the school’s director, Mme Renaud.

On our own we gave a “Jane’s Walk” guided tour in May highlighting local experiences of a generation or two ago, and, on July 3rd, with other groups, members and friends manned a booth in Howard Park for the Centennial closing celebrations. Our busy and colourful kiosk earned several pictures in the press.

Members and volunteers were invited to see the Centre d’histoire’s panorama of city history last winter and in July the Board got together for tea, instead of having another meeting! A couple of board members worked hard to apply for two government funded projects, which is a challenge since we compete with groups that have offices and staff and we have a limited number of experienced volunteers.

We hope to see everyone at our next exciting project in the enjoyment and recognition of local history, the November 19th Awards Night and history presentation. Your presence will help give recognition to two, until now unknown, owners of Park Extension buildings whose renovation investments contribute to our architectural heritage.

Many thanks to the members who have renewed so far for the 2011-12 year, and to the volunteers who gave their efforts and hours to the running of the organization and its projects in 2010-11. By attending our meetings on the last Tuesday of the month, you can hear what we are planning and maybe join in.

Mary McCutcheon

President