Christine Whelan, FEO, August 29, 2024, VOL. 5 ISSUE 26
Five Years’ Reflection: The Small Town Experience
On September 5, 2019, the first edition of the Fort Erie Observer, under Jen Wilkinson, Publisher, was distributed throughout the Greater Fort Erie area.
Colour splashed across the front cover with a nostalgic photo of the beloved Crystal Beach Amusement Park, lit up at sunset. The park’s last day was September 4, thirty years prior.
A Little More Than We Bargained For
Fast forward eight months, just after we got the feet of our small, independent team wet, the pandemic hit and like everywhere else, the people of the Greater Fort Erie area began to live their days in lockdown.
Businesses and schools closed down. Families were isolated in their homes. We found ourselves together, in this land of never-been-done-before.
The Observer didn’t miss a beat. We already worked from home. All we needed was a phone service to interview, the internet and the ability to pull it all together with a computer program to design the finishing product, an edition of the Observer.
We began focusing on what was going on in our community and how the members of our community could cope with what was going on.
There were stories of community groups stepping up, and providing meals to those who never thought this would be their experience. We wrote stories about messages displayed outside windows so the seniors in long-term care isolation could read them. There were articles about self-care during isolation, the importance of music and write-ups reflecting the shift in priorities for us all, focusing on the little things that suddenly appeared meaningful.
There were stories of adjustment, of when the beaches were discovered, of Canada Day and Christmas celebrated with restrictions and fireworks that were watched from cars.
Fort Erie found fantastically creative solutions to bring smiles to faces even while dealing with pandemic restrictions.
The Fort Erie Observer covered this historic event from beginning to end, eventually including articles about getting back to normal.
Fort Erie Weather
The area’s weather has a reputation all its own. There have been several stories written about Fort Erie’s windstorms, including that unforgettable Halloween night. “On October 31, 2019, Fort Erie experienced unprecedented and extraordinary weather events including high winds, rain and flooding. Town Staff estimated over $1 million worth of damages. It was this storm that caused the shocking damage to the shore of Waverly Woods, destroying a section of the sidewalk.”
And then, there was this story that went on for days. “On Saturday, December 24, 2022, at 8:30 am, the Town of Fort Erie declared a State of Emergency on Facebook.
“A ‘bomb cyclone’ with hurricane-level winds, with a powerful flash freeze creating ice and heavy snowfalls paralyzed Fort Erie just in time for Christmas.”
The Observer published five stories as a series about the Blizzard of ’22.
There have been several weather stories over the years, right up to the tornado this past month ripping the Rona roof off.
A weather-related story that is rather unique to Fort Erie has been the ice boom story. The release of the boom has been informally signifying the beginning of spring for its residents since its installation in 1964, letting the ice flow down the river and out of the lake, creating a slight temperature rise, several long-timers claim.
History, Fort Erie Style
The War of 1812 played a significant part in Canadian history and Fort Erie was a significant setting in this war. For this reason, historical and even paranormal topics have remained significant in local schools and overall conversations. The latter is encouraged by storytelling about the Old Fort and Bertie Hall.
In Fort Erie, history and the paranormal just seem to naturally blend when it comes to storytelling, whether you believe or not.
Fort Erie Urgent Care
The Observer has covered, and continues to cover, the journey of Fort Erie Healthcare SOS and the Niagara Health Coalition as they both have grown substantially over the last months since their campaign began to work hard in the fight to keep Fort Erie’s healthcare services acceptable to its residents.
Markets
A tradition with the Observer has been to announce the openings of each market each year with stories of updates and changes.
Ridgeway has been running a Farmers’ Market for several years, every Saturday morning, from Mother’s Day to Thanksgiving, in the parking lot of Trailside Bar and Grill. Stevensville’s Farmers’ Market is on Wednesday afternoons, from June to September, in front of the Stevensville Library.
The Crystal Beach Market is in The Grove along Erie Road on Sundays. The Crystal Beach Waterfront Supper Market and the Crystal Beach Pop-Up Market are on Thursdays.
Our Vets
Each year, in November, the Observer finds a way to remember and honour those who fought for our freedom.
One way of making sure we don’t forget the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers is to watch pieces of this bravery play out in real-time. The Greater Fort Erie area is known for its reenactments.
We have highlighted local veterans. Articles about the different generations of veterans, ways to support our local veterans and the Commonwealth Graves Project have been printed. This past June, D-Day at the Crystal Beach Cemetery was covered.
Tributes
Some of the most meaningful stories published in the Observer that I’ve written are stories immortalizing members of the community. Some have passed on. Some are still with us. But all have stories of inspiration, stories that others in the community might relate to and benefit from, learn from, and find comfort from.
Community Celebrations
What has brought so much colour to the paper and fun to my writing experiences are the stories about the festivals, the holidays, the parades, the events, the gatherings. We tried to capture them all, in one way or another. However, and I am happy to report this, sometimes Fort Erie celebrates just a little too much for this writer, writing for this bi-weekly paper, to keep up with.
Artists Love Fort Erie
The artistic community is growing in the Greater Fort Erie area. It is no surprise, that this small-town living attracts writers, painters, musicians, and artists of all genres. Observer stories have reflected this growth. Authors with new releases, Lakeside Books and Arts hosting Ridgeway Reads, young musicians winning awards, and Fort Erie Arts Council running art classes have been among the focuses over the years.
Nature and Environment
Like the artists, there is also a significant population of birders and environmentalists in this community. Some are active advocates. Some are those who appreciate what nature has to offer in our town. In the last few years, these two groups have come together to fight against development, to fight for the treasured green space.
Community Groups
One wonderful thing about the Greater Fort Erie area is that it has a list of active community groups. The Observer has tried to capture the work and achievements of each one.
The groups of the Greater Fort Erie area include Firemen, Kinsmen, Legions, Lions, Rotary, Advancing Crystal Beach, the BIAs and Friends of Crystal Beach, Fort Erie Pride, COPE, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, Crystal Ridge Dream Centre and the list of churches in the community who have volunteer groups.
Supporting Local Business
Over the five years, the Observer has included countless businesses, as their ribbons were cut and their doors were opened, in the segment, Beacon on New Business.
Upon Reflection
I had the experience of going over every story I have written for the Fort Erie Observer while deciding what to include in this article — and there were over 400 of them. It made me realize just how much I’ve gotten to know this community, and how amazing it is.
Way to go, Fort Erie! You truly are one incredible bunch of human beings. I am honoured to write your stories. Here’s to another five years.
