2024 marks the 150^th anniversary of the birth and legacy of author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Canadians coast to coast will gather in various ways to celebrate and honour the beloved Canadian author.

Kawartha Lakes Economic Development, with support from the Kirkfield and District Historical Society and Museum, invites you to join them on Sunday, August 18 at 1:30pm for – ‘Call Me Maud – a Kirkfield Connection to Lucy Maud Montgomery’ virtual talk and in-person tea event.

The fun and interactive event will feature refreshments served from Maud’s personal recipe book and welcome virtual keynote speaker, Dr. Emily Woster as she discusses the Lucy ‘Maud’ Montgomery connection to Kawartha Lakes and Maud’s years in Ontario.

Dr. Emily Woster, a former Visiting Scholar at the University of Prince Edward Island’s L.M. Montgomery Institute,now serves as an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She received her Ph.D. in English Studies from Illinois State University. Emily’s research mainly focuses on the books and life of L.M. Montgomery, and she has contributed to books like L.M. Montgomery’s Rainbow Valleys: The Ontario Years, 1911-1942. Her interests also include women’s autobiographical writing, children’s literature, and English Studies. Emily is the Managing Editor of a/b: Auto/Biography Studies.

The Virtual Tea event will take place at the Kirkfield and District Historical Society Museum located at 992 Portage Road, Kirkfield. Tickets must be purchased in advance for this event and will be available for purchase until August 11 for the cost of $25 per person. To purchase tickets please contact Denise at events@theoldekirk.ca or call 705-438-5454

Discover the connection between Canadian literary icon, Lucy Maud Montgomery and Kawartha Lakes this summer. In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the birth and lasting legacy of Lucy Maud Montgomery, Kawartha Lakes Economic Development – Curatorial Services proudly presents the ‘Call Me Maud’ exhibit.

The exhibit is housed on the second floor of City Hall located at 26 Francis Street in Lindsay starting July 23 and running through until November 29, 2024. Hours of operation are 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Admission to the exhibit is free of charge.

You are invited to trace Montgomery’s remarkable journey from her early years in Atlantic Canada to her surprising connection to Kawartha Lakes. Discover the spirit of Montgomery’s life and literary contributions in this unique showcase, set to captivate audiences of all ages.

Famous for her writings and the impact they’ve had, particularly through her beloved character Anne of Green Gables and other published works, Montgomery’s influence goes beyond time, age, culture, and gender. The exhibition explores how Montgomery infused Anne with her love for nature and Prince Edward Island, her adventurous spirit, vivid imagination, and her remarkable ability to find beauty amidst life’s challenges.  Like Anne, Maud found happiness in the things that were dear to her: her cats, her writing, in nature, the dear people in her life that became her kindred spirits and in the places that she would visit.

The ‘Call Me Maud’ exhibit takes inspiration from Dr. Christy Woster’s article in the Shining Scroll newsletter of the L.M. Montgomery Literary Society from 2005, titled ‘L.M. Montgomery and the Railway King of Canada’. In her article, Woster expressed the excitement of experiencing places and rooms that Lucy Maud Montgomery once knew well. One such place was Kirkfield, Ontario, a lesser-known but visited destination by Maud.