Did you know that Huntsville\u2019s first doctor, Dr. F.L. Howland, also created the first known Medicaid-type program in Ontario? Or that the precursor to the Huntsville Public Library, the Mechanics Institute, opened way back in 1891. Or that the Huntsville Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce\u2019s roots go back as far as 1899 to the then Board of Trade?<\/p>\n
You can learn about these parts of Huntsville\u2019s history and many more in the Decades Parade happening on Canada Day for Canada\u2019s sesquicentennial. And if you want to get even closer to history, organizers are still looking for about 20 more volunteers to carry signs signifying events from Huntsville\u2019s early days right up to the present, along with jugglers, clowns, stilt walkers and the like who want to join the fun. (Contact Rose Evans, Volunteer Coordinator, at Volunteer Muskoka if you can help at rose.evans@huntsville.ca<\/a>.)<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in making history while Huntsville\u2019s history strolls down Main Street,\u201d said Teri Souter, the Town\u2019s Manager of Art, Culture and Heritage and one of the parade\u2019s organizers, along with Kelly Haywood, Amanda Hill, Rachel Hunt, Cortney LeGros, Darla Stipanovich, Lisa Spolnik, Margaret Stead and Torin Suddaby.<\/p>\n There are 72 entries in the walking parade \u2013 which has just one motorized vehicle from the World War II era \u2013 beginning with the Canadian Shield 3.5 billion years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t include everything that happened from then until now, but we give it a good shot,\u201d laughed Souter. \u201cWe don\u2019t just go through history, but right up to the present and what makes Huntsville great now. And we take a little peek at the hope we have for the future, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t