Theme no. 10 of the exhibit "The Irish Presence in Rawdon, Yesterday and Today", held at the Centre d'interprétation multiethnique de Rawdon, Saturdays and Sundays between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. from March 2 to 30, 2025 (except on March 22).
Adapting traditions
Irish families adapted their traditional recipes to the ingredients available in Lower Canada, where cooking was done on wood-burning stoves rather than peat-burning fireplaces.
The Crusader wood stove was manufactured by the Guelph Stove Company and available from the T. Eaton and Company catalogue after 1908. It was in the kitchen of the Hamilton house on Metcalfe Street, across the street from Christ Church Anglican Church. The house was torn down to create supermarket parking in 2001. It was built around 1895 on land purchased from Mrs. Michael Skelly in 1892.
Food availability in the early years
Potatoes were the staple food, but with larger gardens, families had a wider choice of vegetables and herbs. Irish immigrants had their own stables and fields, integrating meat and grain into their daily diet. Loaves of bread were baked daily with grains harvested in their own fields.
Meals
Breakfast was a full meal of porridge, eggs, bacon and bread.
Lunch for men working in the fields or the bush was a slab of bread with cheese or meat they brought in their pockets.
At home, lunch was also bread and cheese.
The evening meal consisted of a stew followed by sweets.
Tea was the preferred beverage.
Social activities
Lively social gatherings were a large part of Irish culture. Ceilidhs, held in their homes and at the Anglican Hall, featured song, music and dance.
In 1836, the first presbytery was built, and various community events were held there. Shortly after, the Anglican Hall was established and became the centre for community events.
In the late 20th century, the annual July 1st picnic at Dorwin Falls, which dated back to 1895, was replaced by a family fair held in the field beside the Anglican Hall on Metcalfe Street.
