November 10, 2011
Hello,
My name is Jacquie Aitken and I am the project manager for the Museum Without Walls project, based in Helmsdale, in the County of Sutherland, in Scotland. Timespan Museum is located near the month of the River Helmsdale, which leads up into the Strath of Kildonan where many people left for the Red River in 1813 and 1815.
Timespan is developing a digital Clearances trail that can be downloaded onto smart phones anywhere around the world – this will be launched in May 2012 – we are keen to tell the story of the places where these events took place. In 2013, we commemorate the 200th anniversary of the large scale Clearances in Kildonan and the beginning of the emigrations to Red River – we would very much like to link up with organsiations in Manitoba to help us celebrate our joint history and culture – both past and present. For more information on the project please go to http://www.timespan.org.uk/category/kildonan-clearances-2013/
We have just launched a poetry competition to further promote the project and we would be delighted if we could encourage entries from Canada. The competition aims to explore the theme of the Highland Clearances as we approach the 200th anniversary of these events in the Strath of Kildonan, in 2013. These events shaped the lives of people, over many generations, all over the world and we hope that budding writers will put pen to paper to write a poem that reflects on the turbulent history of the Clearances, but with a 21st century voice. For more information and details on how to enter please go to http://www.timespan.org.uk/timespan-international-poetry-competition/
As part of our work to develop content for the trail we are keen to include stories about people who were involved in the Clearances and the emigrations to the Red River Settlement and their descendants. We would be keen to hear from anyone with a story to tell. Only recently I met up with a group of people from near Winnipeg with Matheson ancestors from Scotland. We arranged a trip to take them back to their ancestral home in the Strath of Kildonan. Read their story at www.timespan.org.uk/the-mathesons-from-caen-come-home/
I'm coming over in September and hope to get involved in the events then - looking forward to hearing more about it soon.
Best wishes Jacquie Aitken, Project Manager Timespan, Helmsdale, Sutherland, Scotland
January 1, 2012
Hello Jacquie and All,
Jacquie, we were so glad to meet you and we were so taken with your project! Thank you! Since our visit in Helmsdale, Sept. 2011, we are working on bringing our family's information forward. We descend from passengers on the second ship - The Prince of Wales. James Sutherland, as mentioned in the Domestica Moderna by Donald Sage, is the common ancestor with his children married into the Poulsons, McLeods, et al. His oldest daughter stayed in Scotland as she was already married. She is often forgotten in settlement stories as she did not emigrate. Her name was Esther. This is how we connect to the current Esther, as it is a family name that re-occurs. At the same time there is a larger story to be told about how human displacements leave generational broken attachments that are still felt today. If you wish, i can prepare something for you.
From way out west - here in Vancouver - we would like to find out about any anniversary events and if we could attend?
Marion and Alan with sister Marilyn and mom, Jill.
January 10, 2012
Hello Marion and Alan with sister Marilyn and mom, Jill,
Great to hear from you all and thanks for responding to my post. It was so good to meet you all and I really enjoyed our chats - although I wish we had more time! I'm still working away trying to get the new Clearances Trail ready launching in May this year - very exciting. I've learnt so much about the different Canadian connections over the last few years - every story I hear is so incredible - I wish it was all documented. I am also interested in how this displacement has affected the different generations, both here in Sutherland and in Canada. Although we don't speak the day to day Gaelic language, we still retain a few words and the Gaelic culture is still strong. Will you be attending any of the events in Winnipeg later this year? We will be soon putting together a programme of events for throughout the summer of 2013 - I will contact you with all the details soon. I'm excited about coming over to Winnipeg in September - I also hope to go to Churchill and York Factory. Keep looking at the project blog for more information. I would be delighted if you could write something - maybe for inclusion in the app? My email is archive@timespan.org.uk - hope to hear from you soon.
Best wishes to you all.
Jacquie
August 27, 2012
Dear all,
I thought I would take a moment to tell you about the new soundtrack on the Clearances, KILDONAN
Here's a short quote from a recent promo item.
'Kildonan is inspired by events that took place in the Highlands of Scotland in the 19th Century where the local people were cleared of their land to make way for Sheep. These events became locally know as the ‘Highland Clearances’. Kikdonan is a dramatic soundtrack of composed new music including the haunting 'Last Foosteps of Home' and epic 'Eviction'. Selected Kildonan tracks can also be heard on the new Scotland's Clearances Trail App.'
I worked with the team from Timespan (Helmsdale in Scotland) on music for the forthcoming Clearances Trail smartphone App. where a few tracks can be heard, featuring the Red River Rant. There's a dedicated web page for the soundtrack where various other media can be viewed/heard including:
- KIldonan info & media page
- Watch the Kildonan trailer
- Free download of 'Red River Rant' track
- Watch the Clearances Trail App. trailer
- Pre-order your copy / get advance notice of availability
All at: www.musicwithoutbars.co.uk
Best wishes for a wonderful series of events
Robert Aitken
(Jacquie's brother in case you're wondering)
KILDONAN - Music from Scotland's Clearances Trail
Farmers have been conduction European style cropping in Manitoba since 1812. In those two centuries the acreage of crop has grown substantially, from the one-half bushel of winter wheat seed planted in 1812 by Scottish settlers in Point Douglas, to over 13 million acres planted throughout southern Manitoba by both multi-generation and recent Canadians. It is amazing achievement, particularly considering short time frame and the battles farmers have faced along the way.
The last 200 years of cropping in Manitoba have largely paralleled the same cropping advances that have occurred in most of the developed world. Growing a Manitoba crop has gone from dependence on the hand, to horses, to machines, to chemicals, and recently to technology — who knows what the future will bring? One sure thing is that future farmers will still be battling yield robbers. The yield robbers of drought, floods, pests, all were problems 200 years ago and continue to be problems today. However frost and grasshoppers appear to be less of a problem then they were in the past.
For educators and others interested in having a quick and dirty summary of how crop farming has changed in Manitoba over the last 200 hundred years the 2008 Yield Manitoba article “Two Centuries of Battling Yield Robbers” is available to the public on line at this link: http://www.mmpp.com/mmpp.nsf/ym_2008_04_yieldrobbers.pdf . The final page of this article has a one page tabular listing that could be a useful reference for those wanting to review or discuss the changes in agriculture in Manitoba over the last 200 years.
