Meet the People in our Neighbourhood
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Olwynn Hughes, August 11th, 2020 |
Tacha Reed: So, was Avondale the first place you lived when you were born or did you live somewhere else beforehand?
Olwynn Hughes: No, I lived in Windsor first. We moved to Windsor. We lived in a couple places there. And so Avondale was kind of the last place we settled that we still live in.
TR: And how old were you when you moved to Avondale?
OH: Just after Finn was born, so like almost four, I think, yeah.
TR: Growing up in Avondale, is there anything that you really remember as a kid that stood out?
OH: I remember the New Year's tradition of going to the church and ringing the bell. I remember a couple years. I was the youngest so I got to ring the bell, and then my grandpa would always come for Christmas and he was the oldest, and so we would ring the bell together. I always remember that, and yeah, I remember coming to the museum for Fun Fridays. Yeah, and I think Allie [Harvey] did it for a bit, Allie and the Bonang son would do it and that was fun. Yeah. Those are the types of things I remember.
TR: What do you find has changed about Avondale since you were a kid?
OH: I think there's definitely a lot more people. I wasn't, obviously, around for the Avon Spirit and all the big stuff happening. But when I was younger, there wasn't as much happening, but now I feel like there's a lot more. Or maybe I'm just noticing it more. But yeah, there's more festivals and stuff obviously, and the vineyard, so that wasn't like, you know, full-on when I was younger.
TR: Did you go to school in the area?
OH: Yeah, I went to Brooklyn Elementary School and West Hants Middle School and I go to Avon View High School.
TR: And you graduate next year?
OH: Yes.
TR: Do you have any relatives that made a significant contribution to the community?
OH: I guess my dad did, he did the boat building school in the shipyard and he sits on the board, and my mom ran the cafe for a few years too, that's how they met.
Yeah, and my mom was also the vineyard manager for the winery. So yeah, and the trail [Westbrook] is on our property as well. So I guess it's kind of a contribution. Yeah.
TR: What would you like to see happen in the future for Avondale? How would you like to see it evolve and grow?
OH: I would like to see more tourists doing stuff and especially, like, the movies being filmed, I'd like to see more of that kind of thing because you know, the area around here is so pretty and it can pass off as some parts of the States, so, it's easy. It can be used for all of that. And I think a lot of people around here definitely appreciate seeing new faces around here. So new faces would definitely be nice and new families and all of that. I think it's actually just the right amount for festivals and stuff for the summer and you know, we're usually opened up for weddings and everything. So I think we're kind of at maybe a maximum for events. But yeah, yeah.
TR: Do you think you will stay in the community and live here? Are you going to go off on other adventures?
OH: I think I’m gonna go off on other adventures for a while, but my plan is to come here every summer for Full Circle, at least stay for like two weeks. But other than that, no, I have plans to go elsewhere for University and work abroad for a bit. But eventually I think I'll come back here.
TR: Do you think your time spent working at the museum has influenced what you want to do later on in life?
OH: Yeah, it definitely has. Well I started working here because I wanted to be an archaeologist or anthropologist. Now, I'm kind of leaning towards agriculture and environmental stuff and working here has influenced that, with the rising tides and all, and working with you with the fish and stuff. So yeah, I started working here for one job prospect and it kind of led me to another, which is kind of cool.
TR: Yeah, just one last thing. This project wouldn’t have happened if it weren't for you, and you talking about a project you had done when you were much younger. Do you want to just briefly explain what that was?
OH: I think in grade one or two, just Elementary School, I interviewed Raymond Parker for a school project and I did like a big poster about everything I learned, and that was kind of my first introduction to learning stories about the community and it really made me want to learn more about the community, and now I love like talking to the older residents of the place and learning their stories and everything. And I like learning how things are connected, because when I talked to Raymond, he told me about this raven that this kid had as a pet that would steal chalk, and then I talked to someone else and he told me the same thing, and he was like best friends with that kid and all of that stuff and yeah, I like learning. There's so many connections in Avondale.
Olwynn Hughes: No, I lived in Windsor first. We moved to Windsor. We lived in a couple places there. And so Avondale was kind of the last place we settled that we still live in.
TR: And how old were you when you moved to Avondale?
OH: Just after Finn was born, so like almost four, I think, yeah.
TR: Growing up in Avondale, is there anything that you really remember as a kid that stood out?
OH: I remember the New Year's tradition of going to the church and ringing the bell. I remember a couple years. I was the youngest so I got to ring the bell, and then my grandpa would always come for Christmas and he was the oldest, and so we would ring the bell together. I always remember that, and yeah, I remember coming to the museum for Fun Fridays. Yeah, and I think Allie [Harvey] did it for a bit, Allie and the Bonang son would do it and that was fun. Yeah. Those are the types of things I remember.
TR: What do you find has changed about Avondale since you were a kid?
OH: I think there's definitely a lot more people. I wasn't, obviously, around for the Avon Spirit and all the big stuff happening. But when I was younger, there wasn't as much happening, but now I feel like there's a lot more. Or maybe I'm just noticing it more. But yeah, there's more festivals and stuff obviously, and the vineyard, so that wasn't like, you know, full-on when I was younger.
TR: Did you go to school in the area?
OH: Yeah, I went to Brooklyn Elementary School and West Hants Middle School and I go to Avon View High School.
TR: And you graduate next year?
OH: Yes.
TR: Do you have any relatives that made a significant contribution to the community?
OH: I guess my dad did, he did the boat building school in the shipyard and he sits on the board, and my mom ran the cafe for a few years too, that's how they met.
Yeah, and my mom was also the vineyard manager for the winery. So yeah, and the trail [Westbrook] is on our property as well. So I guess it's kind of a contribution. Yeah.
TR: What would you like to see happen in the future for Avondale? How would you like to see it evolve and grow?
OH: I would like to see more tourists doing stuff and especially, like, the movies being filmed, I'd like to see more of that kind of thing because you know, the area around here is so pretty and it can pass off as some parts of the States, so, it's easy. It can be used for all of that. And I think a lot of people around here definitely appreciate seeing new faces around here. So new faces would definitely be nice and new families and all of that. I think it's actually just the right amount for festivals and stuff for the summer and you know, we're usually opened up for weddings and everything. So I think we're kind of at maybe a maximum for events. But yeah, yeah.
TR: Do you think you will stay in the community and live here? Are you going to go off on other adventures?
OH: I think I’m gonna go off on other adventures for a while, but my plan is to come here every summer for Full Circle, at least stay for like two weeks. But other than that, no, I have plans to go elsewhere for University and work abroad for a bit. But eventually I think I'll come back here.
TR: Do you think your time spent working at the museum has influenced what you want to do later on in life?
OH: Yeah, it definitely has. Well I started working here because I wanted to be an archaeologist or anthropologist. Now, I'm kind of leaning towards agriculture and environmental stuff and working here has influenced that, with the rising tides and all, and working with you with the fish and stuff. So yeah, I started working here for one job prospect and it kind of led me to another, which is kind of cool.
TR: Yeah, just one last thing. This project wouldn’t have happened if it weren't for you, and you talking about a project you had done when you were much younger. Do you want to just briefly explain what that was?
OH: I think in grade one or two, just Elementary School, I interviewed Raymond Parker for a school project and I did like a big poster about everything I learned, and that was kind of my first introduction to learning stories about the community and it really made me want to learn more about the community, and now I love like talking to the older residents of the place and learning their stories and everything. And I like learning how things are connected, because when I talked to Raymond, he told me about this raven that this kid had as a pet that would steal chalk, and then I talked to someone else and he told me the same thing, and he was like best friends with that kid and all of that stuff and yeah, I like learning. There's so many connections in Avondale.