King Street: The Heart of Dundas, Wednesday, July 30, 2003

King Street banners herald its pending arrival. Cactus Festival is almost here. It is King Street that will once again host this great event, bringing the community together as it has done throughout the years. King Street is where Dundas has always gathered to celebrate and have fun.

Flipping through photo after photo in the archives of the Dundas Museum brings back the sights and sounds of past occasions. The opening of the new fire hall in 1898 was a great celebration. The building is resplendent in bunting and floral garlands. Firefighters with their horses stand proudly, the scene completed by a small boy on a child size fire-wagon, drawn by two dalmatians.

Moving on through the years you can almost hear the music and the crowds as parades wind their way past store fronts well known today. A band marches past the Melbourne Hotel as the town celebrates the Boer War's Relief of Mafeking in 1900. In the summer of 1907, King Street is still dirt for the Civic Holiday parade. The Civic Holiday was set as a Canadian version of the British Bank Holiday, and in 1875 declared a mid-summer 'day of recreation'. Photographs in the Museum's collection show how much it was enjoyed by all ages. Crowds line the parade route. The women and girls are in long skirts, most wearing hats. Some carry parasols. The boys are in knickers and men sport boaters. A steady stream of horse-drawn floats can be seen the length of King Street. A 1919 photo shows the first truck in Dundas is all decked out to for the Civic Holiday parade, an entry by the 'Kerr Milling Co. Dundas Ont., High Grade Flours'.

Another photograph records the parade celebrating the close of World War I. In 1922 a cavalcade of cars (all the rage) honouring the Dundas Rugby Team carries team players down King Street. People crowd not only the street in front of the Central Hotel, but also overflow its porch and balcony and fill its windows during the 1947 Dundas Centennial Parade. The night sky is lit by a giant Ferris wheel in 1959. A parade rich in history honours Canada's Centennial year. A 1984 shot shows the street crowded with all ages as Dundas turns out to enjoy Cactus Festival.

King Street is where Dundas celebrates the life and times of our community and country; it's where we meet old friends and make new acquaintances. An acquaintance made last year at the Museum's Cactus Festival booth will long linger in my mind.

The friendly, outgoing woman said she had come downtown to shop not realizing Cactus Festival was on. While talking about one of the historic photographs on display, she suddenly stopped. The woman said that she studied linguistics and was quite intrigued by our accents. This was interesting, for to my ear it was she who had the accent. We soon learned that the woman was from Maryland. She had arrived for the weekend with her husband who was attending a conference at McMaster. The conversation continued with the woman wanting to know more about Dundas history.

She was fascinated by the story of Ann Morden coming to the Dundas Valley from Pennsylvania in 1787. Apparently what she had picked up in our speech patterns is unique to Pennsylvannia. As we explained Ann Morden's arrival, our visitor initially was puzzled by the phrase United Empire Loyalist. After a moment she exclaimed, "Oh, you mean the Tories!" It took us back for a second to be reminded that American history views as traitors a group that we would often define as refugees. Perspective is powerful. It was a memorable meeting.

King Street is the heart of Dundas, filled with the celebrations and stories of the years. They are part of what makes us the unique community we are today. Cactus Festival is coming. See you there!

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