durhamregion.com The Citizen March 21, 2014 3 Brooklin garden club continues to flourish Perhaps we can will spring into being, by learning about the Brooklin Horticultural Society, one of Whitby's oldest volunteer organizations. The idea for the group was formed at the December 1920 meeting of the Brooklin Women's Institute, when a member suggested that a horticultural society would be the ideal enterprise for the Institute's interest and support. It only took a couple weeks to organize the first meeting which was held on Jan. 10, 1921 with a whopping 47 potential members in attendance. In the most recent version of the society's history, Then and Now, written by Margaret Beath in 1986, very little information is available concerning the activities of the group following its founding. As was customary for many community service groups during most of the Second World War, the BHS went dormant before being reorganized in 1944 with a very active membership. Throughout the 1950s and into the 1970s, the BHS established itself as a very successful organization in Brooklin; one might also say that it flourished. In 1970, monthly board meetings were established and an annual budget was prepared, which allowed the group to be eligible for Town of Whitby grant funding. It was also during this period of growth that the BHS partnered with the Town in order to beautify and landscape the Brooklin Memorial Arena. Under the leadership of publicity director Gordon Wick, in 1972 the BHS produced a pamphlet called "Your Local Horticultural Society and You" in which he identified the organization's purpose and projects. My favourite part is the section for "Apartment Dwellers." Yes, "there is hope even for high rise residents, and several of our monthly meeting topics are intended to show that a garden is where and what you make it." Over the BHS's 93 years of activity, the members have been responsible for a variety of beautification projects, educational workshops and community services in Brooklin and surrounding areas. The group's namesake park is located at the corner of Carnwith Road West and Montgomery Avenue and has served as the location for many workshops and demonstrations for members and the community. You can visit its website to learn about upcoming events at www.brooklinhorticulturalsociety.com. So, when the weather warms up, take a walk around downtown Brooklin. Make sure to stop and smell the roses because it's very likely that the BHS had a hand in the planting, care-taking, development, and history of each and every individual flower in Brooklin. Sarah Ferencz is the archivist at the Whitby Public Library. Contact her at archives@whitbylibrary.on.ca SARAH FERENCZ Whitby Public Library Archivist Celebrating families in Brooklin Family Day started in Ontario in 2008 and has slowly gained popularity as many communities and local organizations prepare a slew of events focused on family interaction. Many of the activities are sponsored by municipal governments, community organizations and corporate sponsors. In Brooklin this year, the day was mostly celebrated on the ice at the Luther Vipond Memorial Arena with Scotiabank's free Backyard Rink and the second annual Ashburn Community Centre board's free Family Day Skating event. Ashburn is a hamlet just north of Brooklin and it's well known for its strong sense of community. The board, run by local residents, organizes many free events throughout the year and Family Day has proven to be one of the most popular. Many young families have moved to Ashburn because of its reputation and Family Day is a great opportunity to meet with neighbors and friends. This year the Ashburn Family Day skating event was a total success with the venue almost filled to capacity. Mayor Pat Perkins was impressed by the attendance and the feeling of community and friendship that all showed. The board members were present to greet all the families and to offer warm drinks and snacks to everyone after the activities. Regional councillors Don Mitchell and Lorne Coe also made time to visit this event. As Family Day grows in popularity, we all hope to see many more local organizations and business engaged in organizing or sponsoring more events in Brooklin. Cecilia Waldron is the creator of C and C Connections, a networking group that connects all business owners in Brooklin.