Grand Theatre announces 2024 High School Project Boating on the Thames at Springbank Park
Warm Hearts on the Coldest Night of the Year
The Grand Theatre’s renowned youth mentorship program, the High School Project (HSP) will celebrate its 26th anniversary with the Tony and Olivier award-winning Roald Dahl’s MATILDA the Musical (book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin). It will feature students on-stage and behind-the-scenes to take on roles such as stage management, props, wardrobe, scenic art, orchestra, sound, and entertainment marketing. The High School Project is open to any high school student from London and area who will be enrolled in high school in the fall of 2023, or participating in homeschooling. Ages generally range from 14 to 18. Visit www.grandtheatre.com/participate-high-school-project to learn more.www.grandtheatre.com/high-school-project The Thames River has been a focal point for people gathering in the London, Ontario area for thousands of years. It was a source of transportation, sustenance, power, and recreation from the early Indigenous peoples’ first fishing and hunting camps to the picturesque vistas one sees along the trail systems coursing through London today.
TD Wortley Branch Manager Frances Distefano, and Manager Customer Experience Andressa Barros braved the cold Feb- ruary 24 and participated in Mission Service of London’s Coldest Night of the Year walk in support of local charities serving people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness. “As leaders of the TD Wortley Branch, it is a mission of ours to lead by example when it involves supporting our community. We have a lot to be thankful for, therefore, being visible and taking action to support fundraising initiatives that help those less fortunate is priority more than ever,” said Andressa.
The Storybook Queen
While the Forks of the Thames River was the birthplace of London, Ontario, over seven kilometres downstream, on the south side of the river, another settlement named Hall’s Mills, a.k.a. Byron, began developing in the early 1800s.
Boats and the Thames River played a colourful role in the early years of Byron’s development, beginning with the legend that, in 1812, 10,000 French gold coins were lost with a ship that sunk near Hall’s Mills.
Banks of the Thames River near Byron
South Collegiate’s Emma Bishop, 2023 High School Project Over the years, this crucial waterway was known by many names: Deshkan Ziibi (Antler River) by the Anishinaabek People, Askunessippi (Antlered River) by the Neutrals, and La Tranchée , or La Tranche , (the Trench) by French explorers, settlers, and fur traders. In 1793, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe officially named it the Thames River. *
Frances Distefano and Andressa Barros In 1816, a canoe ferry began transporting people from near the Forks across the Thames. By the 1870s, river steamboats had become the primary mode of transportation for people living in London who wanted to enjoy the natural surroundings of Springbank Park or visit the Ward Hotel. The more notable ships included the Forest City, Princess Louise, Enterprise, and the ill-fated Victoria, which sank on May 24, 1881. The Paddle Wheel Double Decker Steamer, c1880 ^LJŶĞƌŐŝĐdƌŝĂ WƌŝŶĐŝƉĂů/ŶǀĞƐƚŝŐĂƚŽƌ͗ ƌ͘ 'ĞƌŝĂƚƌŝĐDĞ Streetcars eventually eliminated the need for steamboat ferries. However, Byron and Springbank Park remained the go-to place for recreation, including sailing, rowing, paddle boating,
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Page 12 Byron Villager Page 10 Wortley Villager • April 2024
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