Submitted by:
John Shaw-Rimmington
TVO's Robert Prowse produced a short documentary which aired on Studio 2 November 4th about the Dry Stone Walling Across Canada. The footage was mostly of the Dry Stone Walling Festival in Port Hope, Ontario, which was held Thanksgiving weekend 2004. People came from as far away as Scotland and the United States to take part in the event. 
There was footage of Norman Haddow, a Master craftsman from Scotland describing the building of Springdale Bridge, a small dry stone bridge that members of the DSWAC built at Hill and Dale Manor, two minute's walk from downtown Port Hope.
There were live action shots of the all-day walling seminar held the subsequent weekend, where 15 people people rallied together under the instruction of John Shaw-Rimmington (president of the DSWAC) to complete another significant section of beautiful dry stone wall parallel to Yeovil Street. (The first half of the Yeovil Street wall was built during the Thanksgiving Weekend.)
Thanks to the TVO show, there has been a tremendous amount of feedback about the wall which has gone on to be admired by many people from near and far. News that the Municipality of Port Hope wanted to have this wall taken down had a profound impact, not only those involved in the building of it, and those who now enjoy passing by it everyday, but also those who have admired it on the internet and have made visits to see it. Many letters were written to the town requesting that this wall be saved.
TVO did one other show a few years back about Port Hope and its' award-winning heritage main street. Port Hope is proud of its' many interesting architectural elements. It would be nice to think that the Springdale Bridge, the new stretch of dry stone wall along Yeovil St.,and any dry stone installations to be built during future Thanksgiving Walling Festivals will all become important elements of Port Hope's rich and beautiful heritage.
There was footage of Norman Haddow, a Master craftsman from Scotland describing the building of Springdale Bridge, a small dry stone bridge that members of the DSWAC built at Hill and Dale Manor, two minute's walk from downtown Port Hope.
There were live action shots of the all-day walling seminar held the subsequent weekend, where 15 people people rallied together under the instruction of John Shaw-Rimmington (president of the DSWAC) to complete another significant section of beautiful dry stone wall parallel to Yeovil Street. (The first half of the Yeovil Street wall was built during the Thanksgiving Weekend.)
Thanks to the TVO show, there has been a tremendous amount of feedback about the wall which has gone on to be admired by many people from near and far. News that the Municipality of Port Hope wanted to have this wall taken down had a profound impact, not only those involved in the building of it, and those who now enjoy passing by it everyday, but also those who have admired it on the internet and have made visits to see it. Many letters were written to the town requesting that this wall be saved.
TVO did one other show a few years back about Port Hope and its' award-winning heritage main street. Port Hope is proud of its' many interesting architectural elements. It would be nice to think that the Springdale Bridge, the new stretch of dry stone wall along Yeovil St.,and any dry stone installations to be built during future Thanksgiving Walling Festivals will all become important elements of Port Hope's rich and beautiful heritage.