By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Farley Mowat would have been 100 years old on May 12, and his home town – Port Hope – is celebrating by declaring Farley Mowat Week May 10-16.
The municipality is also renaming a local park in his honour to pay tribute to the iconic Canadian author (among other celebrations planned by the Rotary Club of Cobourg).
“We are proud to celebrate the great Farley Mowat and his incredible collection of work, as well as to recognize the diversity, culture and heritage that is integral to our community,” Mayor Bob Sanderson said in the press release.
“We are privileged to have many authors and artisans in our community who work tirelessly in the pursuit of arts and cultural awareness in Port Hope. Additionally, we are grateful to the Rotary Club for their efforts in the organization and planning of activities during Farley Mowat Week this year.”
The Belleville-born author’s works were translated into 26 languages, and those on the Canadian north – such as People of the Deer and Never Cry Wolf – especially captured the public’s imagination. In his lifetime – the latter years of which he lived with his wife Claire in Port Hope – he sold more than 17-million books.
Port Hope council has authorized the renaming of the east side of Rotary Park as Farley Mowat Park. This area of the park is located east of the Ganaraska River, the land where the Farley Mowat Roofed House was moved in 2016 from private property. Though the renaming takes place during Farley Mowat Week, a special dedication ceremony will be scheduled at a later date when restrictions against gathering are no longer in place.
As well, the Rotary Club has planned a variety of commemorative activities and initiatives to celebrate Farley Mowat Week.
The Farley Mowat Writing Contest is open to Port Hope residents, as well as residents of Arviat, Nunavut. Its three divisions will be students in kindergarten through Grade 8, students in Grades 9 to 12, and adults. There are $100 prizes for the winning entry in each division in both communities. The deadline is May 1, and entries an be e-mailed to info@furbyhousebooks.com. Winners will be announced in a May 14 Zoom ceremony at 4 p.m. (for details, contact Ben Currelly at Bcurrelly@gmail.com).
Two Farley Mowat films can be enjoyed at any time on the National Film Board website (www.nfb.ca) – Finding Farley and Ten Million Books: An Introduction to Farley Mowat.
Readings from Mowat books will be staged May 12 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. At St. Mark’s Anglican Church (contact priest@stmarksporthope.ca for more information).
Special window displays will be set up. One is at Furby House Books downtown – the store is currently closed due to the provincial Stay-At-Home Order, but is open for curbside pick-up) – and a display of Mowat artifacts and books can be seen at the Port Hope Public Library at their 31 Queen St. location.
A podcast hosted by library staff called Wifi in the Wilderness reviews the author’s last CBC interview to debate the benefits and downsides of Wifi in the wilderness. For details, contact Lisa O’Leary at loleary@phpl.ca
As well, watch for activity sheets, designed in Mowat’s honour, which will be available for download soon at //porthope.ca/seasonal-activities.
“The Rotary Club of Port Hope is pleased to honour Farley Mowat by organizing activities during Farley Mowat Week, May 10 to 16,” the club’s Director of Service Projects Ron Tuttle said in the press release.
“We appreciate the support from Claire Mowat, the Municipality of Port Hope, the Port Hope Public Library, St. Mark’s Anglican Church and Furby House Books.”
For more details, visit //porthope.ca/events.
