Winter survival tip No. 35: get married!

“The cold is at this time so intense, that the ink freezes while I write, and my fingers stiffen round the pen; a glass of water by my bed-side, within a few feet of the hearth… is a solid mass of ice in the morning.”
-Mrs. Anna Jameson, describing her first winter in Upper Canada in 1836.

On Family Day, Westfield Heritage Village will present Cold Comfort: Surviving the Canadian Winter. Visitors to the village will get a glimpse of how early Canadians not only survived, but thrived, in this wintry climate.

Westfield’s authentically costumed interpreters will welcome guests into their homes and businesses, allowing them to step back into earlier times and places, and see winter from a whole new perspective.

Visitors to the log schoolhouse can sit down and take part in a lesson. There will be an opportunity to say hello to fuzzy and feathered friends in the barn, see what kept a Victorian gentleman warm, and get cozy next to a roaring fire at the D’Aubigny Inn.

Visitors can also warm up with a delicious light meal in the Ironwood Hall, purchase a sweet treat from the General Store or explore the Gift Shop.

For early settlers, winter was a popular time for marriage. Visitors to the historic Mountsberg Church will be able to take a seat in a pew and witness an early Canadian wedding.

The dashing young Mr. Ensign Harrison Burrill, resplendent in his military uniform, will pledge his allegiance to the lovely Miss Stirling, who will wear her best gown for the occasion. The Reverend William Wheeler will officiate.

Cold Comfort: Surviving the Canadian Winter takes place on Monday, February 20 from 12:30-4 p.m. Admission is $8.50 for adults, $7.50 for seniors/ disabled/students 13-17, $5.50 for children 6-12 years and free for children 5 and under.
Westfield Heritage Village is located on Regional Road 552 (Kirkwall Road) in Rockton, just off Hwy. 8 between Hamilton and Cambridge.

For more information, call 1-800-883-0104 or visit www.westfieldheritage.ca.