After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, our branch will once again be holding our annual charter night dinner, just in time for our 45th anniversary!

On September 17th, join us to mark the occasion at St. Matthew’s Presbyterian Church (15 Memorial Square) in Ingleside. Social hour will commence at 5:00 pm, with a turkey dinner being served at 6:00 pm.

Our special guest will be Eric Duncan, MP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, who will speak on the topic of “The Value of Protecting our Local and Canadian Heritage.”

Tickets cost $30 and will only be sold in advance to the dinner. To buy your ticket, please contact secretary Darlene Fawcett at dmfawcett@ripnet.com by September 7th. Non-members are welcome!

There will be two harvest baskets raffled after the meal. Each will include a copy of our cookbook, Loyalists at Table, as well as a copy of Loyally Yours – 100 Years of The UELAC signed by author Frederick Hayward UE. Guests are welcome to bring their own items to add to the baskets. There will also be a 50/50 draw.

On August 28th, our branch will be dedicating a plaque to recognize the Iroquois Point Cemetery in Iroquois, Ontario as a Loyalist Burial Ground. The ceremony will go on, rain or shine. We hope to see you there!

The St. Lawrence Branch is happy to announce that the Loyalist Resource Centre is re-opening on May 2nd after being closed due to COVID-19.

Our new hours will be Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9am to 3pm. Until further notice, the centre will be open by appointment only, so please contact our president/genealogist Lorraine Reoch at fancylass@hotmail.ca before you visit.

The Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Historical Society, in connection with the Cornwall Community Museum, is hosting an event to commemorate Ontario’s rich history from May 20th to 22nd in Cornwall. Cornwall 1784 “A Celebration of Friendship” will feature reenactors, artifacts, and activities representing Indigenous peoples, French-Canadians, and United Empire Loyalists, the three major actors in S, D, and G’s early history.

The St. Lawrence Branch UELAC, along with the Dominion Office, will be operating a booth at the event on both Saturday May 21st and Sunday May 22nd. We hope to see you there!

We have added a book to our marketplace!

The book is titled Our Roxborough Connection: The Descendants of John and Susannah Montgomery and John Shea and Elizabeth McIntosh by Dr. David Montgomery. These are original copies from when the book was first published in 1989.

The books are priced at $20.00, plus shipping and handling. To get your copy, email Darlene Fawcett at dmfawcett@ripnet.com

The St. Lawrence Branch will be holding their fall meeting on October 3rd at 1:30 pm via Zoom. A link has been sent out to all current members. If you did not receive the link, or you are not a member but are interested in joining the meeting, email Ashley at adrharper@gmail.com

We hope to see you there!

The St. Lawrence Branch will be holding our Annual General Meeting  via Zoom on June 27th at 1:30 pm (Eastern Time).

A meeting link will be sent out to all current members. Anyone who is not currently a member can email the branch’s vice president Ashley Harper to register for the meeting. We hope to see you there

Ever heard of Vinegar Pie, Spruce Beer or Moose Meat Salisbury? What about Hasty Puddings or Pocket Soup?

On Wednesday, March 10 at 7:30 pm our friends at the Toronto Branch of the UELAC are hosting a presentation by our secretary, Darlene Montgomery-Fawcett. Darlene and fellow St. Lawrence Branch member, Laurie McDonald, developed a cookbook, Loyalists at Table, a compilation of recipes from our ancestors’ time. She will discuss the history of food preparation around that time and talk about adapting and testing a variety of loyalist recipes including some Indigenous ones.

All are welcome. The meeting room opens at 7:15 p.m. For the meeting coordinates, please email Sally Gustin UE at gustin.deboer@gmail.com

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? Give the gift of history with the St. Lawrence Branch’s cookbook, Loyalists at Table. Filled with delicious recipes that have been adapted for the modern kitchen, your loved one can immerse themselves in Loyalist cuisine and learn some of the history that goes along with it.

Print books are $20 plus shipping, and digital files are $15. Get your copy in time for Christmas by contacting our branch secretary, Darlene Fawcett, at (613) 989-5489 or dmfawcett@ripnet.com, or by messaging our Facebook page, St. Lawrence Branch UELAC.

Have you ever wanted to cook like a Loyalists? Our new cookbook, Loyalists at Table, allows you to do just that! It is filled with old-timey recipes that have been adapted for the modern kitchen. Want to know how to cook mac and cheese from 1786? What about a hearty Cheshire pork pie from 1747? You can find both recipes and many more within this 150 page volume.

Those who have purchased the book have loved it! Christine Manzer, UE, of the Vancouver Branch wrote this lovely review for the Loyalist Trails newsletter (2020-39 edition, October 4, 2020):

“With more time on my hands than in the fall of 2019 and with a renewed interest in cooking and baking at home I was delighted to receive my copy of Loyalists at Table in the mail earlier this week. St. Lawrence Branch members Laurie McDonald and Darlene Montgomery-Fawcett have contributed value time and expertise to the success of this publication.
Huzzah for the mention that photos and recipes were used with permission where that was applicable. The introductory paragraphs for almost all recipes are enlightening and worth reading. Photos from older cookbooks give a wonderful authenticity to the book. I would love to raise a 2-handled posset cup with a hot drink of King William’s Posset with the editors of this book. (see page 14)
I hope many of you will order a copy from the St. Lawrence Branch. Check their Facebook page for details. Expect a reasonable amount to be added for postage and handling. The spiral bound book is 214 pages and a comfortable size to hold. I am pleased to offer my congratulation to the Branch on this fund raising project. Eat well and heartily.”

Copies are still available for purchase – $20 for a paper copy and $15 for a digital file (PDF). Shipping is extra. Get yours today by contacting our branch secretary (and co-author of the book), Darlene Fawcett, at (613) 989-5489 or dmfawcett@ripnet.com. Or, you can message us through our Facebook page: St. Lawrence Branch UELAC