Culture Days, a celebration of arts, culture and creativity, has a new champion in Huntsville and she’s determined to make everyone aware of the rich culture to be found in our town and across Muskoka.
Pam MacKenzie, Huntsville’s Culture Days co-ordinator
Pam MacKenzie moved to Huntsville a year and a half ago to be closer to her grandchildren. She’s been involved with Culture Days as an organizer for the District of Timiskaming since 2012 where she quickly grew the event and landed New Liskeard at the top of the Culture Days Top 10 List of Rural Communities. She earned herself the 2014 Antoni Cimolino Leadership Award for her efforts. After moving to Huntsville, she turned her attention to creating an equally successful event here.
“Before I went north last year, I looked to see what was happening for Culture Days in Huntsville and it blew me away that this rich cultural area only had seven activities planned.” So MacKenzie made some calls and during an information session in April 2015, she was appointed as the coordinator for Muskoka. But she had begun gathering names long before then.
“Last fall I went to every Christmas show, art show, craft show, and bazaar – everything going on in the region. I just collected cards and talked to people. Some were interested and some weren’t – they didn’t see how Culture Days could benefit them or how they could benefit Culture Days.” Starting in April, she gathered more information from the local chambers of commerce and then started making calls and paying visits to local retailers.
“I called practically every artist on every tour in the region. Then I physically walked the streets of our communities and went into stores.” That’s how she came up with the idea of having live demonstrations in store windows: “I explained to an owner what it’s all about, and he said, ‘Look what we sell, what could we do?’ And I said, ‘Well, you have the most fabulous windows. What if we put live mannequins in there?’
“I put a lot of miles on my car and I talked myself blue. But that’s what it took to make it happen,” she said. Her goal was to have 100 activities planned for Huntsville. She didn’t get there but she’s happy to have exceeded that number for the whole region – there are 123 activities planned across Muskoka, 69 of them in Huntsville. “For me, this is fun. It gives me an opportunity to meet people and see all the wonderful things they create. It’s a challenge and I like a challenge.”
MacKenzie has been doubly busy this year, continuing to coordinate the Timiskaming Culture Days activities while simultaneously planning the ones here.
“Culture isn’t just dance, music, art – it’s what we are, who we are and what made us who we are now. Culture Days is an opportunity for people to expand their horizons, both in their community and beyond. There might be something you’re interested in but have been afraid to try or didn’t have the money to do it. Culture Days lets everyone participate and they might just find something they love and realize that they don’t need all that much to get started.”
Unity Painting by Dave Pawis hangs in the Canada Summit Centre. Elements of its significance to our Huntsville’s culture will be discussed during the “Good Sports” walk during Culture Days.
Some of this year’s activities in the Huntsville area include:
- A journal reading by the ghost of Tom Thomson at the statue in front of the Algonquin Theatre
- A “behind-the-curtain” tour of the Algonquin Theatre
- Free public swimming and skating at the Canada Summit Centre
- A cooking class at Soul Sistas
- A wood-canvas canoe demonstration with Jack Hurley
- Live window displays in downtown Huntsville
- Paddling on Oxtongue Lake with Algonquin Outfitters
- Painting and art demonstrations
“There are lots of artists and artisans this year,” said MacKenzie. “Next year I will be seeking out more people who do unusual things to add to it.” In Timiskaming, the complement of events includes Macedonian folk dancing, a tour of a robot milking operation, and banding of songbirds and sawwhet owls. “I already have a list started for next year.” Anyone wanting to create an activity for Culture Days 2016 can contact Pam MacKenzie at [email protected].
“I’m really excited about Culture Days this year,” said Teri Souter, Manager of Arts, Culture & Heritage for the Town of Huntsville. “This is our fifth year participating and we jumped from seven local activities to 69 due to the work of Pam MacKenzie.”
It’s an excellent way to get culturally engaged in the community, said Souter, and provides economic benefit at no cost to the town or residents.
Find details about all of the activities near you on the Culture Days website by entering your postal code. You can even create your own printable schedule of the specific events you want to attend.
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