Staff at the Presqu’ile Pavilion gather for a break, summer of 1947
In 2015 Ralph, with three others, co-founded the Brighton Digital Archives, but many years before, at age four, he landed in Brighton as an immigrant from The Netherlands. Settling with his family in Hilton and then Orono, he ultimately made his professional way to Toronto and a 32-year career with TVOntario.
Much of what now benefits the BDA and hence the community of Brighton, was acquired in those years: he was the film librarian, technical crew scheduler, and wrote and recorded theme music for television and corporate videos. His keen interest in photography, along with production skills are all evidenced in the BDA’s Brighton I Remember series. Ralph’s production commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Brighton tornado (including video and a photo gallery) was a highlight of 2023 – the same year he was awarded Citizen of the Year. Ralph has driven the BDA’s standards of excellence in digitizing and editing vintage images, and improving deteriorated or fragile archival material to preserve what might otherwise be lost. While he brings his musicianship to BDA projects, Ralph is known for his performances – first with RandR and now TandR, known through their community concerts. Since returning to Brighton in 2009 Ralph has been searching for, and finally found through the BDA, a way to make his retirement years richly rewarding. He is doing the things he loves with people he truly enjoys and giving back to a town he considers his first home.
The mystery of history has always fascinated Catherine Stutt, and her career choices reflect that interest. A solid perspective in life came from several years spent as a police dispatcher in Muskoka where every shift was a new experience. Since she was a child, Catherine was drawn to journalism and to the idea of helping people tell their stories.
From covering murder trials to writing professional profiles, she spent more than 40 years in the trade, travelling from the North Pole to Trinidad. She still believes every single person, if given the chance, has an interesting personal tale to tell.
A co-founder of the BDA in 2015, Catherine believes history connects the dots, and she is thrilled to be able to help her adopted hometown reveal its tales. She is also grateful for the trust shown the BDA by members of the community and by local historians who share their work selflessly. “We are handed boxes of treasured memories, documents, family photos, and correspondence and we take that responsibility very seriously.” Serious, yes, but Catherine is also renowned for her infectious sense of fun and humour. Beyond the BDA, Catherine and her husband Darryl revel in the sunsets of Hilton, where they landed in 1999, and where they are firmly rooted.
Beth was born in Belleville and came to know Brighton when her parents retired here in 1972. Life led Beth to Toronto and a publishing career with both international and Canadian publishers. She played a key role in working with the Association of Canadian Publishers and BookNet Canada, and helped to establish the Commonwealth Book Publishers Association.
As Vice President of Dundurn Press, she became immersed in history publishing. Dundurn published memoirs from soldiers, stories of immigrant communities, and books on the histories of small Canadian towns. Indeed, it was at Dundurn that she met Dan Buchanan, Brighton’s History Guy. Beth published his first book in 2015. Once Beth had relocated to Brighton in 2012, her love of Canadian history – combined with experience on industry boards – drew her to the BDA. In her role as Chair she fostered relationships with local historians, historical and archival organizations in Northumberland County and the province, and our governing body, The Brighton Public Library. She sought funding opportunities and diverse ways to support and grow the BDA as well as make its work more accessible to Brighton residents and history buffs everywhere. Beth’s enthusiasm for all things BDA is fortunately still with us in her post-chair role as a working member. At home, Beth enjoys doing yoga overlooking Presqu’ile Bay; and while travelling away from home she is always, and only, a click away from the BDA.
Jo has been a Brighton resident for 25 years. Moving with her family from the Niagara region, she left her career in the provincial court system – where detail and accuracy were critical – and concentrated on family life in their new community. When her children became more independent, so too did Jo, and with that came a desire to volunteer.
When she (along with her sister Hyacinthe) responded to the call from the BDA, she was assigned the Barns of Brighton documentation project. Only a beginning! As she got to know the people who made up the BDA – and they got to know her – the Brighton I Remember video series emerged. Of listening to the stories of long-time residents, Jo says, “I find it to be such an education, especially when they talk about the war years.” Perhaps fuelled by her earlier career, Jo is also alert to tales of true crime in Brighton’s past. Her experience with the BDA is mirrored in Jo’s characterization of the BDA’s contribution: to learn of our past and to appreciate how far the town has come. The Brighton I Remember series continues to grow, due in large part to Jo’s skills in interviewing, researching, transcribing, editing, and ultimately co-producing videos. Jo’s additional enjoyments in life include movies, travel, and socializing with friends and neighbours – most of which overlap.
Hyacinthe loved her work as a Medical Laboratory Technologist, aware she was helping people every day. After 38 years in the profession, the BDA became the benefactor of her intense research skills. Hyacinthe moved to Brighton from the Niagara region in 2014 to be close to family, and before long she and her sister Jo teamed up to document the barns of Brighton: a herculean task including ownership and structural records to match over 125 photographs. They now co-produce the Brighton I Remember video series. They took a nascent idea and developed a protocol – and appreciation – for interviewing elders of the community, encouraging them to reminisce about the Brighton they know. In addition to the pleasure she takes in hearing people’s stories, it is extremely fulfilling to watch it all come together – the many hours of preparation and research, locating photos and illustrative materials, filming, transcribing, and editing. Hyacinthe relishes both the independence of her BDA work and the contribution it makes to our now substantial video library. She cares deeply that these stories have been preserved for future generations. As occupying as this is, Hyacinthe finds time to enjoy road trips, photography, music – especially jazz – and of course, family time.
Jill is the BDA’s sole Brighton native. Born on the family farm, Jill grew up listening to local stories and fell in love with the area’s fascinating narratives and history. After obtaining a degree in history, she worked at the University of Toronto managing student programs and creating marketing material.
The strong pull of her ancestral roots led Jill and her husband Murray Gibb to purchase the original 1883 Macklam family farmhouse and move back to Brighton. Then, with entrepreneurial flair, the two of them started a digital marketing business: the perfect incubator for honing marketing and tech skills. This business acumen, combined with her own personal and local history, makes Jill’s membership in the BDA a mutually rewarding association. Jill recognizes the importance of telling stories. How could she not, given her love and first-hand knowledge of the wonderful people who shaped Brighton and its farming community? For her, the BDA plays an important role in fostering pride by preserving photos and stories of the local people and events that shaped our community. Jill is the past Chair of Glanmore National Historic Site in Belleville, and when she is not tending to local history, she loves to travel – always with an eye to culture and heritage.
Pat is the newest member of the BDA – and the newest to Brighton. Exploring Brighton’s past while getting settled in the present quickly alerted her to opportunities to connect with her new community and to contribute to it. Pat was drawn in by the heart of the BDA working group: by their respect for local history and for the people who have made it.
She accepted the role of Secretary. In her first career Pat worked in publishing, print, and trade show exhibits. These helped in developing a creative eye for content, context, and promotion, which now has practical applications in the BDA work. Even in these early years, though, it was relationship that made meaning for Pat. Curiosity about people led Pat into her 30-year career as a psychotherapist and leadership coach. That curiosity is now fed by the tales and archival photographs that tell the story of Brighton’s history. There’s nothing to match the gratification of solving a mystery: who is the person second in from the left, or: what can we discern in this aerial shot? Sharing that thrill as residents make similar discoveries – or recoveries of memory – is both a delight and a goal of Pat’s. Another delight in Pat’s life is making music herself, and discovering local musicians in local venues.