Articles: 2004

Submitted by George Halliday
The Kingston Whig - Standard. Kingston, Ont.
Jun 21, 2004. pg. 4
Letter to Editor (Simcoe I.)
I read with interest Bea Corbett's column offering two choices for where the St. Lawrence River begins ("Mighty St. lawrence named after early Christian martyr," June 11). Back in the 1980s I asked myself where the river began and visited the Ontario Board of Geographical Names (now defunct) to answer the question.
In the archives of this board, there was an "official" topographical map annotated with the boundary line between Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. This line ran from Nine Mile Point on Simcoe Island to Everett Point at the end of Lakeshore Boulevard, off Front Road. The board manager advised me that this boundary between the two water bodies had been agreed to between the two federal governments - Canada and the United States.
At the time that I obtained this map, the western Kingston city limits along the water ran from Little Cataraqui Creek southward nearly to Simcoe Island. I was amused to note that none of the original City of Kingston waterfront touched Lake Ontario. Now, in the wake of amalgamation, we can enjoy city waterfront along both Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
The commonly understood notion that the boundary between lake and river commences at Cedar Island is incorrect, according to the Ontario Board of Geographical Names. I don't know what provincial body retains the archives of this board, but I'm confident that the files were not discarded. These archives show place names throughout Ontario and information concerning the origin of each place name, where this information was available.
I enjoy Bea Corbett's columns.
Chris Cannon Kingston

Kingston Whig Standard
FROM HOLLAND TO CANADA: AN IMMIGRATION SUCCESS STORY
By Barbara Wamboldt (Kingston Freelance Writer)
Transcribed by Peter Rogers
Whoever said "In the face of adversity, we find our true selves" could have been talking about the Overvelde family. They emigrated to Canada from Holland in 1951. Thanks to grandma, Dutch blood also flows - albeit from generations long past - through my veins, and after reading the Overvelde's book The Overvelde Family, 1951 - 2001, 50 Years in Canada, I'm even more proud of that.
Here's a bit of their story: In post-war Holland, Antonius and Antonia Overvelde, then in their mid-40s, looked at their 11 children, ages five to 18, and pondered what was best for their future. The choice was New Zealand, Australia or Canada. Wanting to own a farm, they chose Canada, planning to go west. Today we're lucky they didn't.
They sold off everything and purchased what they thought they would need in Canada, (such as axes to clear land - it seemed even immigration officials knew little about Canada). Knowing they'd have little money to buy what they needed when they arrived in Canada, they crated the necessities for shipment and paid what they could toward their passage (government covered the balance). The family would find themselves in Canada with $125 left in their pockets.
How did I learn about their story? It was luck. Hubby had been to Overvelde's Auto Service and John Overvelde, the owner, and the most honest mechanic we know, loaned him his copy of the family's book. I read the entire 95 pages in one sitting.
I've read many family histories. Few compare to this one. It's well written, brimming with factual accounts, pictures and the recollections of all 11 children. How could I do justice to this captivating work in just 800 words? Concluding it was impossible, I decided to focus on John's recollections. If I screwed things up then I'd blame him. The Overvelde family came to Canada and made good not with handouts, but with hard work and an abiding faith. It's a remarkable story, and each child - with the exception of Annie who was killed by a drunk driver only seven months after the family arrived - has contributed a chapter; some more.
The parents chronicle is exemplified by the inscription on their tombstone: "They came with their eleven children from Deventer, Holland on Apr. 24, 1951, settling in Quebec, then moving to a farm on Wolfe Island in 1959. Their faith in God inspired their lives and courage." I learned from John's chapter that he was nine when the family left Holland. For him it was a big adventure. He writes not about homesickness, seasickness or fear of the future but about fun, his first train ride and having the free run of the ship they sailed to Canada on. I bet his mom got grey hairs on that trip. Imagine, 11 kids - granted some older than John - but still, all loose on a trooper ship, sleeping in segregated quarters on hammocks and eating in ship dining rooms. But there were no complaints. The food surpassed their wartime fare and they got all the butter they wanted to eat. That was a biggie in wee John's eyes.
They arrived in Canada on their dad's birthday, April 24th, not in - as expected - Montreal, but Quebec City, thanks to ice in the St. Lawrence River. They'd planned to go west but after finally getting to Montreal and spending two days in the immigration hall for processing - a dirty place where they got their first taste of Canadian food, cold cereal - they decided to return to Quebec City. Lack of money may have played a part.
In Quebec City, a doctor who farmed hired the whole family, supplying them with a tiny upstairs apartment, groceries and a cow that another worker soon claimed. They worked growing produce for the Montreal market. Mindful of their circumstances, their employer took advantage of them. He didn't pay them their full wages and wanted them to pay half the cost of upkeep and gas for his farm equipment. He realized the parents had too many kids to leave his employ. But John remembers it only as a happy summer.
Then, just before Christmas, 17-year old Annie was killed and, but for their commitment to find a better life for their children in Canada, I suspect the heartbroken family would have returned to Holland.
The dishonest doctor continued to take advantage of the family until some Dutch bachelors, immigrants who worked on nearby farms who saw the Overvelde's as their "home away from home", combined their savings and loaned the family money to buy their first farm. They worked hard, repaid the loan, prospered and were finally able to sell that farm and purchase a larger farm on the rich soil of Wolfe Island, Ontario.
Wim, the oldest child - and the spoiled one, say his siblings - writes about the principles that guided the lives of Antonius and Antonia Overvelde. They were "The one who does not give what he has is not worthy to be alive," and "It is easier to keep the peace than to make peace."
The Overvelde story is one of perseverance, hope, sorrow, joy, unity and sharing, but most of all it's a story of love. The book is dedicated to the entire family. I thank them for permission to share it with you.

Submitted by Wilf Garrah
Fire Probe Targets Four Suspects(in relation to recent burning of Nokomis Lodge on Howe Island)

The Islands: Articles: 2004