Uxbridge wishes Maud a Happy Birthday

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It was an occasion where Lucy Maud Montgomery likely would have felt quite at home.

On Saturday, Nov. 30, fans gathered at the Uxbridge arena and then at the Historic Leaskdale Church to celebrate the author's birth exactly 150 years ago.

The afternoon began at the community centre, where attendees snacked on 150 cupcakes donated by Zehrs, examined some LMM artifacts displayed by the Uxbridge Historical Centre - including Maud's boots, writing case and some of her personal books - and read dozens of postcards and birthday cards sent by schoolchildren from local schools and from children in Prince Edward Island.

Some of the students who read letters to Maud and received a copy of the book Anne of Green Gables. With them is actor Jennifer Carroll, who plays Maud in the one-woman show “Maud of Leaskdale.” Photo by John Cavers

Some of the letters were read aloud by children from St. Joseph's Catholic School and Scott Central Public School, who were then presented with copies of Anne of Green Gables, arguably Lucy Maud Montgomery’s most famous book. Melanie Whitfield, president of the Lucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario (LMMSO), called the work "one of the most famous books in the world."

Watching the proceedings were Maud's granddaughter, Kate Macdonald Butler, Anne Shirley, portrayed by Katy Bellamy, who also works at the Leaskdale manse, and Maud herself, portrayed by Jennifer Carroll. Butler, remarking that she is "totally grateful for what goes on in Uxbridge," read a short piece that LMM had written on the occasion of her 40th birthday.

Then ‘Maud’ and ‘Anne’ joined others for a free public skate before heading to Leaskdale.

At the church, the LMMSO continued the birthday celebration with an East Coast Kitchen Party. Toe-tapping, hand-clapping fiddle music was provided by three local musicians - Allison Coldwell, Lucy Iacono and Olivia Werden - while the Faria sisters from Brampton put on an energetic round of step dancing. Also on the program were dancers from Sophieanne Roberts' SKR Studio.

At the interval, everyone went downstairs for birthday cake and a round of Happy Birthday before heading back upstairs to listen to Megan Follows, who played the role of Anne Shirley in the 1985 TV mini-series Anne of Green Gables. Talking of her experience in the role and her subsequent research on LMM, Follows said: “Lucy Maud gave us so much more than Anne."

Former LMMSO president Barb Pratt said over 125 people attended the birthday party, which was the final event in a year-long celebration of LMM, which Uxbridge council declared as "Lucy Maud 150."