Happy Birthday Port Perry

I think most people are aware, 2021 marks the 150th birthday of Port Perry. I am amazed at the fantastic line-up of things which have been planned.

First off, I am honoured to be hosting a television show, which has the likes of: the Honourable Erin O’Toole; John Henry, Chair of the Region; Lindsey Park, our MPP; and our own Mayor Bobbie Drew, presenting their perspectives on our town. There will also be a presentation from the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, and an address from Chief Kelly La Rocca, as well as an overview of events by the organizer of the PP 150 committee, Regional Councillor Wilma Wotten.

As if that is not enough, we have a special guest transported through time, all the way back from 1871, to tell us how things were back in the day. The show will be aired all summer long, on RogersTV as well as on many YouTube channels. It will also be played on a large screen, displayed at Palmer Park.

The show, however, is only the launch of the festivities. There will be 150 ways to celebrate our birthday, all summer long. Events like car rallies, scavenger hunts, historic walks and much, much more. The committee has produced a booklet (delivered to your mailbox), listing every event happening this summer.

The amount of work, which has gone into this project, is unbelievable, and I personally would like to congratulate all the organizers, on behalf of the citizens of Scugog, for creating this fantastic celebration. Of course, assembling such a vast program is difficult under most circumstances, but you can appreciate how challenging it must have been with a pandemic looming over us.

You may be aware we had a contest, where people were asked to design an image representative of the birthday of Port Perry. The winner was Rebecca Raines, and her design has been made into a flag to be flown at Palmer Park, as of this week. Congratulations, Rebecca.

A few people wondered why the Gateway sign, heading into town, states ‘Port Perry 1852’. The reason for this is simple: the town, known as Scugog Village, was incorporated in 1851, but the name was changed to Port Perry in 1852.

Check out the Facebook page, facebook.com/portperry150. Happy Birthday Port Perry!

Jonathan van Bilsen is a television host, award-winning photographer, published author, columnist and keynote speaker. Watch his show, ‘Jonathan van Bilsen’s photosNtravel’, on Rogers TV, the Standard Website or YouTube.

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