by Sarah Chisholm, Project Coordinator
![Speaker Series 1 (1)] - A Walk with Mary](https://millstonenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Speaker-Series-1-1-A-Walk-with-Mary.jpg)
If you weren’t at the North Lanark Regional Museum in Appleton last night (Oct. 15) you missed an amazing presentation! The North Lanark Historical Society kicked off its 2014 Fall Speakers Series with Jennifer DeBruin giving her presentation “The Lost Villages.”
Jennifer began her presentation by explaining that it was her grandmother who inspired her to write the book A Walk with Mary. Her grandmother Mary grew up in Moulinette which was one of the nine communities that was relocated during the four year project to build the St. Lawrence Seaway. During a battle with Alzheimer’s Jennifer’s grandmother began telling stories of her childhood in Moulinette and the impact of the relocation.
The presentation covered the history the Seaway and Power Project which began construction in August 10, 1954 and introduced flooding on July 1, 1958. Jennifer explained that after four years of construction the flooding process took three lingering days during which many residents watched in agony as their former homes, farmlands and communities were slowly soaked and finally submerged.
Jennifer had signed copies of her books A Walk with Mary and Shadows in the Tree for sale and chatted with guests about the process of writing the book, discovering more stories as she goes and her family connections to the Lost Villages. For more information about Jennifer please check out her website at www.jenniferdebruin.com and if you’d like to purchase a copy of her books head over to Mill Street Books in Almonte!
The Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday 1pm to 4pm or by appointment. Please check out our website for more details www.northlanarkregionalmuseum.com or call 613-257-8503.
The North Lanark Regional Museum would like to acknowledge the support of: The Ontario Trillium Foundation which is an agency of the Government of Ontario.