Up the Gatineau! Arthur Davison Prize Winners

Toby’s article provides insight into local social history and material culture of the Orange Order, particularly in the context of the Gatineau Valley. He carried out a synthesis of published works, scoured archival sources, conducted field research, and documented surviving architecture. The resulting article is finely crafted and expertly polished. Toby’s research and fluid writing style presented readers with a comprehensive overview of this once-important historical Gatineau Valley institution.

This article reflects Les White’s comprehensive knowledge of the geological foundations, formations and the mineralogy of the many rock-faces of the breathtaking Gatineau Valley landscape that one sees but doesn’t fully appreciate.
In an accessible style, Les highlights two hundred years of mining history, the importance of the resources for the local economy, worldwide for exports, the need for collective stewardship and protection of the land from corporate exploitation.

“This article integrates family recollections and local history surrounding Reverend Edward Geoffrey May of Chelsea. Well known and liked as a dedicated clergyman, May was also an acknowledged artist and craftsman of note. In an engaging anecdotal style, contributor Geoffrey Rider highlights the multimedia talent of E. G. May, his maternal grandfather, showcasing his watercolours, etchings and oil paintings depicting local Gatineau Valley landmarks.”

Mary Lou van Schaik’s article, “You Can’t Say ‘No’ to Norma," profiles the remarkable life of a beloved Wakefield community activist and local historian, nonagenarian Norma Geggie. Mary Lou carried out considerable research, primarily through wide-ranging conversations with her subject, and interviews with multiple sources in the community. Through Mary Lou’s eloquent voice and fluid writing style, she has presented readers of Volume 46 of Up the Gatineau! with thoughtful insights into a unique Gatineau Valley personage.

The judges wrote: The rituals surrounding death and dying are skillfully researched and concisely written, documenting the funereal customs of the pioneer communities of the Gatineau Valley, noting the evolution over time.

The judges wrote: Photographer Rosemary Gilliat Eaton’s winter life at Shilly Shally, a Gatineau Park ski cabin, is chronicled within the broader context of park life, history and development, in a skillfully researched, beautifully written and richly illustrated article.

The judges wrote on his certificate, “Jon Dellandrea’s exacting recovery of the life and art of Francis Fitz Roy Dixon is not just a fascinating detective story about one of the Gatineau Valley’s intriguing but previously unknown residents, but a careful and heartwarming recording of the region through painting. The stunning, full-colour reproductions of Dixon’s art provide an extraordinarily vivid picture of valley life at the turn of the century, elegantly told through Dellandrea’s affectionate words.”

Michael Lait’s important examination of the long controversy over the name of Harrington Lake - Lac Mousseau is a model of deep historical research that also introduces readers to the diverse cultural history of the region’s settlement, as well as the critical conflicts over land use that continue to affect—and afflict—Gatineau Park.