One of the Guiding activities I’ve really been enjoying the last few months is Kris McGee’s 5 World Center Fundraising Auction that's taking place on the Facebook group ‘Guides Canada Buy, Sell and Trade’. Kris and her team are working incredibly hard to support the World Centers that will have to be closed until after Covid is over. I’ve gotten a couple of items and added even more to my wishlist. If you are on Facebook it's worth keeping an eye on. A few months ago an item popped up on the auction that I knew I needed to try for. It was a little heritage handbook made by Parks Canada for the 75th anniversary. I have a soft spot for the 75th, but one of my best friends, Slappy, from the camping and Woolsey world, also works for Parks so I thought this could be a fun little project for us to work on together.
The little handbook is beyond cute and has a little beaver on the cover and throughout the booklet dressed in the 1980’s Girl Guide uniform. A beaver has been a symbol for Parks Canada for decades and, in 2011, she was revamped as a mascot and given the (very Canadian) name Parka. 1985 was not only the 75th anniversary of the Girl Guide movement but also the 100th anniversary of Parks Canada and this Handbook was a collaboration between the organizations to celebrate the two events. According to the January 1985 issue of the Ontario Girl Guide Newsletter, a booklet was sent to each unit across Canada and would contain activities to help Guides earn the Heritage, Native Lore, Stalker, Geology, Wild Flower, Tracker, Naturalist, Ecologist, and Conservationist badges.
Guides could also participate in a banner design contest that commemorates both anniversaries. The banner had to be at least 100 cm wide and 200 cm long and had to be made out of fabric. Once the banner was finished and displayed in an indoor or outdoor community space, units could take photos and mail them in. Every unit that participated would be mailed a prize from Parks. I haven't seen any photos of the banners in my research but will now keep my eyes open and will update this post if I find one!
I owe a big thank you to the research of this blog to Michelle Jermy, an Ontario Guider who is always willing to answer Guiding history questions, and to Dr. Forestell, a historian with Parks Canada. Dr. Forestell was amazed and was able to check the Parks Canada archives to see that this booklet was a stand-alone release and if there was a Scouts Canada version. He wasn't able to track one down in the catalog but one may still exist.
Special Thanks to Michelle and Dr. Forestell!
Thanks for Reading!
Em