Wainfleet Historical Society

10/26/2026

The Township is holding it’s 13th annual Remembrance Day Ceremony on Wednesday November 11, 2026

10/25/2026

In 1843, Charles Dickens was 31, famous, and in debt. He had recently visited a ragged school in London's slums.

The child poverty he saw haunted him. On November 3, he wrote a letter outlining his aim.

He wanted to write a story that would strike a "sledge-hammer blow" for the poor. He wrote feverishly for six weeks.

On December 17, *A Christmas Carol in Prose* was published. It was a ghost story about a miser, Ebenezer Scrooge.

Three spirits visit Scrooge. They show him his past joy, present suffering, and a future of lonely death.

He awakes transformed. He becomes generous and joyful.

The book sold 6,000 copies by Christmas Eve. Reviews were rapturous.

The *Spectator* said it "revived the Christmas spirit." *The Athenaeum* called it the season's most popular read.

Unauthorized stage plays appeared within months. Dickens sued some producers in 1844.

He did not invent Christmas. Carols were centuries old.

Washington Irving had romanticized English traditions. But Dickens did something new.

He took scattered holiday pieces. charity, family, feasting. and bound them to a personal transformation.

He made them feel morally essential. The book's production was lavish.

Dickens insisted on gold-stamped covers and hand-colored illustrations. This slashed his profits.

He earned about £230 from the first edition, far less than he hoped. He wrote for impact, not wealth.

The story has never been out of print. His 1843 letter is preserved at the Morgan Library.

In it, he measured a ghost story to redeem a holiday. With one book, Dickens gave the modern Christmas its emotional template.

10/25/2026

🍁 It's Almost November 🍁

Which means we have some new exciting programs happening in the museum and across Niagara this month!

November 14th, the third annual Welland Canal Bicentennial Lecture Series is back! With expert presenters and fascinating narratives, the lecture series celebrates the Welland Canal bicentennial and invites the public to learn more about the national engineering marvel in our backyard. The series includes public lectures at the region's canal-side museums. November 14th at The Welland Museum, November 21st at The St Catharines Museum and Canal Centre, and November 28th at The Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum.

Next join us on Saturday, November 21 for a festive afternoon at the Welland Museum! Enjoy family friendly activities including a hot chocolate station, scavenger hunt, LEGO building station, and a holiday craft to take home. The open runs from 2:00 – 4:00 pm with a special neurodiverse friendly hour runs from 1:00–2:00 pm, offering a quieter, more sensory-friendly environment. As a special guest, the Glendale Public School Choir will be joining us at 2:30 pm to serenade us with winter classics. Stop by before the Welland Santa Claus Parade for some cozy fun and festive cheer!

Lastly, on November 27th join us at the Welland Museum for our free PA Day Drop-In Program! Children can explore, create, and discover through hands-on activities and crafts, with a focus on exciting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) themes. No registration is required, just drop in and enjoy a day of learning through play!

10/25/2026

10/25/2026

On this day in history, October 24, 1901, Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel, turning a daring stunt into instant fame.

Taylor was 63 years old and had the barrel towed toward the brink of Horseshoe Falls before being sent over the edge. The plunge covered the 51-meter drop that made the feat so astonishing.

In the days before her attempt, a cat was reportedly sent over the falls in the barrel to test its strength, and Taylor also used a heart-shaped pillow inside for padding. She emerged alive after the ride, though badly shaken.

Her survival made her a celebrity, but the fame did not bring the fortune she hoped for. Even so, her 1901 plunge secured her place in daredevil history.

10/25/2026

Well, this is a little embarrassing… 🇨🇦😂

A Canadian school supply brand has managed to do something that Canadians are having a hard time believing.

Hilroy printed a map of Canada on its notebooks… and left out parts of the country.

The mistake was spotted on notebook covers in 2026, with Newfoundland, Cape Breton, and Haida Gwaii among the places missing from the design.

And as you can imagine, Canadians weren’t exactly quiet about it.

Especially Newfoundlanders, who are probably getting pretty tired of being forgotten on Canadian maps!

Hilroy has since apologized for the error.

It’s one of those mistakes that makes you wonder how many people approved the design before the notebooks made it onto store shelves.

Canada is a pretty big country, but surely we can fit all of it on a notebook. 😂

Canadians, what’s the funniest or most ridiculous mistake you’ve ever seen on a map of Canada?

And Newfoundland and Labrador… how often does this happen to you? 🇨🇦

10/25/2026

10/23/2026