In celebration of what would have been Farley Mowat’s 100th birthday on May 12, 2021, Council has proclaimed the week of May 10 to 16 Farley Mowat Week in the Municipality of Port Hope and renamed a local Park, Farley Mowat Park, to honour and pay tribute to the iconic Canadian author, amid other celebrations planned by the Rotary Club of Port Hope.

“We are proud to celebrate the great Farley Mowat and his incredible collection of work, as well as to recognize the diversity, culture, and heritage that is integral to our community,” notes Bob Sanderson, Mayor of the Municipality of Port Hope. “We are privileged to have many authors and artisans in our community, who work tirelessly in the pursuit of arts and cultural awareness in Port Hope. Additionally, we are grateful to the Rotary club for their efforts in the organization and planning of activities during Farley Mowat Week this year.”

In honour of the author’s birthday, Council authorized the re-naming of the east side of Rotary Park to Farley Mowat Park. This area of the park is located east of the Ganaraska River, where the Boat Roofed House is situated.

The Farley Mowat Boat Roofed house was relocated to this Municipal property from private property in 2016.

The park re-naming will take place during Farley Mowat Week, and a special dedication ceremony will be scheduled at a future date when gathering restrictions are no longer in place.

In addition, the Rotary Club of Port Hope has planned various commemorative activities and initiatives to celebrate Farley Mowat Week, including:

  • A Farley Mowat Writing Contest
    • Open to residents of Port Hope and also to those living in Arviat, Nunavut. Three divisions will be considered: students in grades K to 8, students in grades 9 to 12 and an adult category. $100 prizes for the winning entry in each division in each community. Deadline for entries is May 1 – send entries to info@furbyhousebooks.com
  • Watch two films about Farley on the National Film Board website (www.nfb.ca): Finding Farley and Ten Million Books: An Introduction to Farley Mowat – available to watch anytime
  • St. Marks Anglican Church: readings from Farley’s books – Wednesday, May 12, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. For details, contact priest@stmarksporthope.ca
  • Writing contest results - Zoom awards ceremony on Friday, May 14 at 4:00 p.m. For details, contact Ben Currelly Bcurrelly@gmail.com
  • Furby House Books window display – celebrate Farley by peeking in at a display of his books. (store is currently closed to in-person shopping per the current Provincial Stay-at-Home order but is open for curbside pick-up)
  • Port Hope Public Library window display – check out the display of Farley Mowat artifacts and books at the Library (31 Queen Street) or listen to Wifi in the Wilderness, a one-time podcast hosted by Library staff that reviews Farley’s last CBC interview, to debate the benefits and downsides of Wifi in the wilderness. For details, contact Lisa O’Leary loleary@phpl.ca
  • Watch for our activity sheets, designed in honour of Farley Mowat, which will be available for download soon at porthope.ca/seasonal-activities

“The Rotary Club of Port Hope is pleased to honour author Farley Mowat by organizing activities during Farley Mowat Week, May 10 to 16," notes Ron Tuttle, Director of Service Projects for the Rotary Club of Port Hope. “We appreciate the support that we have received from Claire Mowat, the Municipality of Port Hope, the Port Hope Public Library, St. Mark’s Anglican Church and Furby house Books.”

Details about Farley Mowat Week can be found at porthope.ca/events.

Background

Farley Mowat was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent the latter years of his life with his wife in Port Hope, before is death in 2014. His works were translated into 26 languages, and he sold more than 17 million books in his lifetime. He achieved fame with the publication of his books on the Canadian north, such as People of the Deer and Never Cry Wolf.

2021-04-29