by Connie Tabbert
Editor
BEACHBURG — A wedding dress usually brings out the oohs and aahs when seen. Imagine the oos and aahs heard during the Victorian Tea inside the Beachburg Community Hall Sunday afternoon.
Entering the hall, you couldn’t help but see the variety of wedding dresses with varying styles and eras hanging on the walls and coat racks as well as draped on mannequins. They ranged in age from as early as 1931 to as late as 2013. There was even one dress worn by a mother and daughter.
But, the dresses weren’t the only eye-catchers. There were 20 tables elaborately set for tea for eight. The decorations included flowers, tea lights, lamps, small gifts and beautiful table settings.
The Victorian Tea was a fundraiser for St. Andrew’s United Church Accessibility Fund. Marilyn Labow was the emcee for the event and kept the afternoon flowing smoothly.
Paula Troutman was a busy guest speaker. She first demonstrated how to create simple ideas for around the home. She used books, candles, grapevine wreaths, baskets and wine glasses, as well as small rocks, folded pages and tea lights. The ideas were simple but elegant.
Erma Johnson, dressed in a Victorian outfit, read aloud Great Expectations or A Victorian Tea Tale, which she originally wrote in November 2010. (See the online edition for the poem.)
Shelley Aadoson, Sheila Broome and Heather Campbell put on a skit that got the women laughing. The skit was about a proper, Victorian lady and a hip hop woman of today. While the Victorian woman used a fan to let a man know what she wanted, or didn’t want. the hip hop woman of today used a cell phone.
Ms. Troutman then took to the stage again, this time to talk about the upcoming 2015 World Championship Freestyle Kayaking, which is happening on the Ottawa River near Beachburg near summer’s end. She spoke about the opening ceremony and the parade of athletes, which will be held at the Beahburg Fairgrounds and the Athletes Village and closing ceremony, which will be hosted by Joe Kowalski at Wilderness Tours.
“It’s like a mini-version of the Olympics,” Ms. Troutman said.
She laughed when she recalled hearing the event was going to be held in Beachburg.
“Being the proud little Canadian girl in the Valley, it got the maple syrup running my blood runing,” she said.
Ms. Troutman said to put on an event which will be seen by people from around the world — those attending and those watching the live stream — takes a lot of volunteers. It will also take a lot of planning because of the challenges faced, such as getting electricity and roads in place, as well as fibreoptics.
It’s expected there will be about 54 million people tuning in from 44 different countries, Ms. Troutman said.
She said an army of volunteers are needed, not just in the planning stages, but during the event, which is Aug. 30 to Sept. 5.
The organizing committee is hoping to “shoot for the moon and land among the stars.” Not only do the members want to showcase Canada, but Whitewater Region Township as well. There’s hope the homes and business in the town, villages and rural areas will deck out their places to show their Canadian spirit and welcome the 300 athletes and their families and friends who travel with them.
There will also be a viewing area at the event so those who want to watch it live will be able to, Ms. Troutman noted.
To ensure the Canadian athletes stand out, there are fundraisers being held to purchase uniforms for them, she said.
The first event is a pancake breakfast on Saturday, April 25 from 7 to 11 a.m. at the Beachburg Lions Hall.
With a laugh and a cheer, Ms. Troutman ended her brief talk by holding onto a scarf with the word CANADA printed on it and shaking two red pompoms making noise with a cow bell.
Ms. Labow then presented Ms. Troutman with a gift, which was very appropriate — a pair of earrings in the shape of a kayaker.
“I’m going to wear these tomorrow,” she said.
It was later discovered, that the next day Ms. Troutman was heading to California to watch her son Nick, who is a world-class kayaker, compete in another kayaking event.
To end the afternoon, a few men from the church including student minister Kevin Moratz, who thanked the women for hosting the event, ensured the hostess for each table had tea, coffee, sandwiches and goodies to serve to their guests.
