SIMON FULLER Enlarge Image

Cart builder and author, Orille Haugan, at St. Norbert Arts Centre on Canada Day.

It was a crystal clear case of the past, present and future fusing together at the St. Norbert Arts Centre on Canada Day.

The centre was the location for the St. Norbert Métis Homecoming Celebration — a daylong event designed to launch the St. Norbert History Project, a long-term initiative co-sponsored by SNAC and Heritage St. Norbert.

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Nine-year-old Ethan Haynes (pictured right) shares an explorer joke with the crowd. (SIMON FULLER)

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Dozens of visitors braved the humidity and mosquitoes at SNAC on Canada Day. (SIMON FULLER)

The family-oriented festivities began in the morning with a pancake breakfast, followed by a Red River cart parade through the streets of St. Norbert.

The afternoon events included a storytelling session around a campfire at the centre, hosted by cart builder, writer and historian Orille Haugan.

"The Métis people will talk a lot about their history. Everybody has a different story. It is interesting to get people together to come out and talk about their history," said Haugan, who has lived in St. Norbert for the past 35 years.

"We will sit in a big circle and we will speak from the heart about when we kids, the history of St. Norbert or whatever we feel like. I will also read some poetry I used to write."

And, despite the searing afternoon humidity and the swarms of uninvited mosquitoes, dozens of visitors held Haugan to his word. Sat on lawn chairs, guests shared their stories and even shed the occasional tear behind the majestic white SNAC building with a log cabin-style porch.

The session, which was filmed and recorded, was part of the kickoff to the St. Norbert History Project, which will archive material for future generations and eventually form part of a bilingual website database.

"For the project, we will compile people’s stories about the history of the area, which will be used to create a virtual museum," said Clayton Thomas, SNAC’s community history project co-ordinator.

"Eventually, people will be able to access stories, pictures and artifacts online. I can forsee features like A Day in the Life of a Trappist Monk," added the Fort Richmond resident.

Despite aiming to encapsulate thousands of years of history, both foresight and future generations will be crucial to the success of the project.

Among the gathered group were several children. Haugan said they are integral to the process of passing along the torch of history.

"Of course, young people don’t listen to everything, but they will still hold the memory of being here today," Haugan said. "And no matter how old you are, you are always learning.  I have learned a lot here today."

Nine-year-old Ethan Haynes, for one, wasn’t shy about sharing a joke about an old explorer, much to the delight of the crowd.

SNAC’s executive director said the timing for the project couldn’t be better.

"The time has come for us to look at the whole community’s history. It’s time to preserve it," said Louise May, urging community members to send their stories and pictures to SNAC to be "part of this history."

Student Aynsleigh Kershak, 19, is among four website content researchers whose summer job it is to collect information for the project.

"So far, it has been very interesting researching and learning about everything," Kershak said.

For more information, visit www.snac.mb.ca.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com