And then the supper it being over, we talk of the days gone
by,
And Jack will say to Jim, “Old boy, did you get enough of
pie?”[11]
Emil Engstrom, a logger working in British Columbia in 1914, recalls “the small fly-by-night logging camps were paying up to five dollars a day, but that was too much for me, I’d rather work for a dollar less in a real camp where the food was good.”[12]
Very few written records appear to have survived of the recipes used by the cooks and cookees in the lumber camps. A Cookee Book is a rare example, and the first recipe is for Teakettle Soup, which contains a bowl of boiling water, a dash each of Worcestershire Sauce, butter, salt and pepper, and a piece of hard bread![13] How long would Emil have stayed at that camp?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Ladies Please Provide Versus Men Serve Oysters!
FOOD WAS A FUNDAMENTAL FOUNDATION USED FOR fundraising by our ancestors, and remains so in many Canadian communities today. In the nineteenth century, the project that many organizations attempted was — as it continues to be — the assembling of recipes and publication of a cookbook offered for sale at a modest price. The Home Cook Book, “compiled by Ladies of Toronto and Chief Cities and Towns in Canada” and published in Toronto in 1877, is believed to be the first such fundraising cookbook, with the proceeds to benefit the Hospital for Sick Children. It was obviously a resounding success, for although by 1885 Canada’s population was only about four and a half million, over a hundred thousand copies were sold![1]
With this project as a model, many other organizations such as the Women’s Institutes followed suit, as we have seen. They were soon joined by, or in competition with, a multitude of others wanting to raise funds, including the Women’s Temperance Auxiliary of Sparta, Ontario, with the Spartan Cook Book in 1908, and St. Luke’s Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with St. Luke’s Cook Book in 1910. The former organization had worked to remove the liquor licence from the Sparta Hotel and was now raising funds for the “purpose of furnishing in the house of entertainment, a drawing room, equipped with daily papers and good periodic literature, and of making the general surroundings of the place such, that it would not only be a hospitable home for the traveller, but also a centre of social and educational interest to the community at large.”[2] The latter organization tells us that “This book is published for the purpose of applying the proceeds of its sale to The Organ Fund of St. Luke’s Church Winnipeg. The recipes in the book are either original or else they have been tried and found successful by those whose names are appended.”[3]
Although many organizations did publish cookbooks, others chose to organize, publicize, and present events that involved the fellowship of actually eating or drinking whatever food or beverages were being featured. One of the first of these appears to have been the Tea, or the Afternoon Tea, which would be held in someone’s home or in the local hall, church, or other public building. Anna, the seventh duchess of Bedford, is credited with introducing this light meal to her friends in the Royal Court in the early nineteenth century. She would invite a few friends to her room for tea and biscuits when she experienced a “sinking feeling” around five in the afternoon. The United Empire Loyalists and the settlers from Great Britain also brought with them their love of tea, and the custom of “taking tea” was often described by Elizabeth Simcoe in her diary. The Home Cook Book gives detailed instructions for Afternoon Tea served in the home:
Guests arrived in the five minutes before the hour, or the five minutes after. The tea is brought in punctually and placed on the hostess’ table in the corner, where are the urns of black, green and Russian tea for those who like each, a basket of wafers, delicate sandwiches of chicken or thin sliced meats, and a basket of fancy cake. If the English style is followed, the cups of tea are carried to the guests on a tray, and a tiny table to rest the cups on placed in the reach of the group.[4]
Why not take this comfortable tradition that every woman in the community knew and understood and transform it into a fundraiser? By the end of the nineteenth century, Teas of all sorts were being held in the villages and towns to raise funds for churches, lodges, societies, associations, Women’s Institutes, and the Ladies’ Aid, to support worthy causes of all kinds.
The tradition of “taking tea” in the afternoon began as a pleasant and informal way to entertain but soon became a popular fundraiser, either on the lawn or in the parlour, at home or at church, in towns and cities across Canada.
Archives of Ontario
Marion Leithead grew up in Winnipeg in the early twentieth century and recalls that, as a small child, she helped her mother, Ida Leithead, polish her grandmother’s silver tea service in preparation for the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Tea. Like many other churches at the time, St. Andrew’s was using the Parable of the Talents, as told by Jesus in the New Testament. Each member of an organization was given a small amount of money and, by using her talents, was to make it grow into a larger sum. Ida would make quantities of Seville Orange Marmalade with her “talent” money and take orders for it. When the Tea was over, Marion’s task was to fill her little wagon with the jars of marmalade that had been ordered and pull it along the streets of Winnipeg, delivering them to the correct addresses and collecting the money.[5]
Communities across Canada developed their own regional fundraisers based on local food or on the foods they loved and knew would be available in large quantities. These included Baked Bean Suppers, with a menu that consisted of beans baked with salt pork, salad, rolls and butter, assorted pies, and coffee. In eastern Canada, Lobster Suppers and Seafood Suppers were — and still are — great favourites. Ham Suppers were popular at any time of year, particularly in the fall when the hogs were slaughtered, or in the spring when canned ham was served along with potato salad, cabbage salad, jellied salads, and strawberry shortcake. In many communities, Turkey Dinners, complete with mashed potatoes, butternut squash, jellied cranberry rings, celery sticks, and assorted pies brought out the local residents, while in the west, Fowl Suppers, with roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, cabbage salad, pies, cakes, and tarts helped to raise funds for current projects.
Perhaps the most curious of all the fundraising meals were the Oyster Suppers that first appeared in Ontario in the nineteenth century and continue in some communities today. There has been speculation for over a century about this phenomenon. Were oysters plentiful and cheap? Were they packed and shipped only in fifty-pound barrels and therefore required a crowd to host a meal? Was it the influence of the United Empire Loyalists and/or the new arrivals coming from Great Britain, all bringing their love of oysters with them?
By the last quarter of the nineteenth century, we find the wives of the United Farmers’ Organization in Stouffville, Ontario, “providing an Oyster Supper once a year. Oysters must have been plentiful and cheap as this seems to have been common entertainment.”[6] On March 2, 1899, in Tweed, Ontario, an Oyster Supper and lecture was announced in the Tweed News:
On Monday evening Mar. 6th an oyster supper and lecture will be given in the Presbyterian Church when Rev. Mr. Potter, who is so favourably known in Tweed, will deliver his popular lecture “Sawdust without butter.” Immediately after the lecture, which will begin at eight o’clock sharp, oysters will be served in the basement of the church. Admission 25 cents, children under twelve 15 cents. Everybody come.[7]
The following week, on March 9, the Tweed News tells us how successful the evening was:
The lecture and oyster supper held in the Presbyterian Church on Monday evening passed off very successfully, both parts of the programme being much enjoyed by those present. Mr. Howard Stutchbury, baritone soloist in St. James’ Cathedral, Toronto, and late of Old Trinity, New York, who was secured at a late hour by the lecturer, Rev. Mr. Potter, sang two solos and two encores, which were very much appreciated. The lecture “Sawdust without butter,” delivered by Rev. J.G. Potter, who is well and favourably known here, was probably not o
f the nature expected by the audience, but was, nevertheless, abounding with good strong points and was listened to with much interest by the audience. After the lecture, oysters were served in the basement, which was scarcely large enough to accommodate all present.[8]
Reports of Oyster Suppers continued into the twentieth century:
One remarkable occasion took place at Wenona Lodge on Sparrow Lake, Muskoka, Ontario, after the return of the soldiers from the first World War. The Women’s Institute provided an oyster supper, popular fare in those days and the famed Plunketts of the “Dumbells” provided the entertainment.[9]
In the tiny Ontario village of Greenwood, the genesis for the annual Oyster Supper was a meeting in the Greenwood General Store in 1948 held by the board of Greenwood United Church to discuss fundraising. The group of men was unanimous in the decision that an Oyster Supper in the basement of the church was the perfect solution. A nearby community, Mount Zion, had been successfully hosting Oyster Suppers for over a decade. Why not here?[10] The following year the first Oyster Supper was held, and it became an annual event. The difference in Greenwood was that the men of the community took the lead, as we read in the story by correspondent Betty Pegg in the Stouffville Tribune in 1969:
Men Serve Oysters … The Oyster Supper sponsored by the men of our congregation last week was a real success. It is a pleasure to watch these men work with such congenial effort; someone was heard to say it was a real pleasure to wash those nice church dishes so many times in one evening. Several one-time residents of our village made a special effort to come back for that supper date.[11]
Two years earlier the same newspaper gives us some history and tells us of the success of the 1967 Dinner:
Recently a crowd of 300 people turned up at Greenwood United Church and enjoyed a full oyster supper with all the trimmings. This is the most popular function of the year.
Every 19th century kitchen was adorned with a barrel of oysters in one corner. The oysters, brought in fresh from the eastern seaboard, were packed in wet sawdust and apparently remained fresh enough to be enjoyed for several weeks. Served as fritters for breakfast, soup for lunch and stew for dinner, every pre-confederation menu had a complete complement of shellfish.
Suddenly they went out of style for everyday use and appeared on first-class hotel menus. Probably price had a great deal to do with their demise and their unfamiliarity to modern day shoppers has inspired the notion that we no longer enjoy them.[12]
The roles and responsibilities of men and women throughout all of the nineteenth century and a good portion of the twentieth century were clearly defined in rural Ontario and many other parts of Canada. Food selection, preparation, and presentation were considered “women’s work.” For men to buy groceries, prepare recipes, set the table, serve meals, or wash dishes was virtually unheard of, except in bachelor communities, until the advent of the Oyster Supper. Here, roles were completely reversed in many communities, as the men chose the date, booked the location, prepared the advertising (broadsides and notices in local weekly newspapers), ordered the ingredients (often driving many miles to pick up the oysters), and set the tables. They then took the tickets, welcomed the guests and served them, cleared the tables, and washed and put away the dishes. The one contribution expected of the womenfolk was the baking and donating of pies for dessert.
For close to sixty years the gentlemen of Greenwood, Ontario, have lured a capacity crowd to their annual Oyster Supper.
One man would often emerge, either by volunteering or being selected by his peers, to be the chief cook for this event, and he would continue to hold the position for many years. In Greenwood, for example, the chief cook for over forty years was Bill Brown, a local farmer. About three o’clock on the day of the Oyster Supper he would begin to combine and slowly heat the gallons of oysters brought from market in Toronto and the donated milk from nearby farms. Home-churned butter, salt, pepper, and large quantities of crackers rolled into crumbs would be slowly added to the cauldrons of soup that were gently simmering over a portable Coleman gas stove in the makeshift kitchen in the church basement. When the edges of the oysters began to curl, the chief cook knew the soup was ready. The challenge was to keep it hot, but not allow it to scorch, until all three hundred guests were served![13]
The popularity of Oyster Suppers in rural Ontario does not appear to be waning as we begin the twenty-first century. Not only have they been a continuing tradition for over a century, but they are still organized for fundraising or special events. In 1993, in honour of the launching of Origins: The History of Dummer Township by historian and author Jean Murray Cole, the Dummer Township Historical Society Committee sponsored an Oyster Supper in the Dummer Township Hall in Warsaw, Peterborough County. The committee decided to revive the popular tradition of Oyster Suppers in Peterborough County after reading descriptions of past suppers in the book they were about to launch.[14]
Meanwhile, in Greenwood, the annual Oyster Supper continues, a true combination of good food and good fellowship for that rural community, as former residents return year after year to enjoy oyster soup, ham, hot vegetables, an array of pickles and relishes, rolls and butter, and a wide selection of homemade pies, while they watch those men work!
“Ladies please provide” was a theme that accompanied the advertising for many fundraisers, since the expectation was that the womenfolk would provide the food while the men would provide the cash to purchase it. Several events capitalized on the concept of an auction as a fundraiser. In many Canadian communities, beginning in the early twentieth century, Box Socials became a popular time of fellowship and an opportunity to raise funds for the organization sponsoring them. They were often held in the local school or community hall in conjunction with a euchre party, a crokinole party, or a dance.
The women of all ages in the community would decorate a box (shoeboxes were a great favourite) to look like a ship, a house, a garden, or whatever, and then fill it with enough refreshment for two people. Food could consist of sandwiches, crackers and cheese, relishes, pickles, cookies, tarts, squares, and/or pies. The boxes were then smuggled with great secrecy into the event. At the appropriate time an auctioneer took over and the bidding began by the gentlemen in attendance. There was, of course, fierce competition if a young man saw someone else bidding on the box he suspected belonged to a girl he cared about. Finally, when all the boxes were sold, the couples paired up to eat supper together. The successful bidder also had the privilege of walking his partner home that evening, so this was an important investment.
The Pie Social was a popular entertainment in rural areas of Nova Scotia, as well as in other provinces. Each lady would bake her favourite pie and carefully pack it in a basket to share with the gentleman who “won” her with the highest bid. Sometimes envelopes with the lady’s name sealed inside were decorated in unique ways to entice the men to bid high as they were auctioned off. It was a matter of pride among the womenfolk to be able to claim the highest bid of the evening. However, never let it be said that secrets were always kept, for the unmarried girls made sure the “right” boy would recognize her envelope. And why not? It also became the privilege of the “winner” at a Pie Social to escort the lady home.
Four kinds of pies were most sought after at the Pie Socials: coconut cream, chocolate, lemon meringue, and butterscotch. However, fruit and berry pies were made in season, while pumpkin and squash pies were popular in the fall after the crops had been harvested.[15]
In addition to the many single events planned and presented in communities both large and small, Canadians have developed a number of fundraising events that span several days or weeks. Their common theme is a local food or beverage, and they are often called festivals, although they are usually not based on a specific historic or religious event. The whole community takes part, either as presenters or participants, all striving to publicize and showcase the community and its resources — and to make money (it is hoped) right there in the community.
/> In Aurora, Ontario, a Peach Festival was described in the Aurora Banner in 1872. It is interesting to note that the Peach Festival also featured ample supplies of oysters and ice cream. The latter would have been handmade in wooden ice-cream makers and eaten as it came out of the container.
THE PEACH FESTIVAL
The Peach Festival held last Thursday and Friday was continued on Saturday, owing to the great encouragement given on the first two days, and the large amount of provisions on hand at the close of the second day. Too much credit cannot be given to the ladies of the Presbyterian Church, and their friends, for the abundant and substantial, and even elegant display of cakes, fruits and flowers, which tempted and gratified the eyes, the olfactories, and the palate of the visitors who especially on Friday, in the best of good nature, crowded the hall to its utmost, and reluctantly left it, even at midnight. The peaches were luscious and abundant; the oysters, on the second and third days, were largely patronized, as they deserved to be; and the ice cream could hardly be surpassed. Grapes, pears, apples, melons & etc., added to the variety, whilst nuts, taffy and other sweetmeats attracted the hungry-eyed little folks and cakes, pies, tarts of every description, with sandwiches, tea and coffee, lured the more simple appetites of the elderly.[16]
In British Columbia, the Penticton Peach Festival is celebrated in late July or early August and lasts for a week, while in Tupperville, Nova Scotia, an Ice Cream Festival is celebrated. Fish and Seafood Festivals are featured on both coasts — lobster, oysters, scallops, and salmon are all festival themes, while the Northern Pike Festival runs all summer in Nipawin, Saskatchewan.[17] Festivals that celebrate potatoes (Prince Edward Island), bread and honey (Ontario), pumpkins (Nova Scotia), corn and apples (Manitoba), or sourdough (Yukon) draw large and enthusiastic participants.
Canadians at Table: Food, Fellowship, and Folklore Page 15