The Peterborough Historical Society (PHS) has been operating since 1897 to educate and promote Peterborough’s architectural, social, and cultural past. Working to create a familial and scholarly environment, the PHS aims to host a monthly speaker series occurring on the third Tuesday of the months of January, February, March, and May. Open to both members and the public this is a great way for individuals to become privy to historical issues pertaining to contemporary Peterborough society. 

On the evening of Tuesday, January 16, the first of the Peterborough Historical Society’s 2024 speaker series took place at the Lion’s Club Centre, where filmmaker Peter Blow was welcomed to the floor. Blow shared a few moments of a film preview for a project which he is currently working on. Throughout his talk and the showing of the preview, there is continual reference to Grey Owl. Grey Owl is a historical individual from the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century who is known to have possessed a complex life. Passing as half Indigenous, Grey Owl became a well-known individual through his efforts for nature conservation, public speaking and social involvement. 

Blow’s presentation, which spanned just over two hours, included his film preview and a talk filled with investigations of cultural appropriation, nature conservation, and the lasting impression of the work conducted by Grey Owl. 

Being the first of the winter programs for the PHS, this event opened with casual remarks and a prestigious introduction to Peter Blow himself, and his works. These introductions were followed by Blow taking to the podium. His initial commentary, fueled by witty remarks, presented an astute reflection of Peterborough, the practice of filmmaking, and identified Grey Owl’s actions as both controversial and intriguing. 

A resident of Peterborough, Peter Blow implied throughout his presentation his interest in Grey Owl and conservation has been ignited by a personal interest in nature conservation practices as well as in historical thinking. Evidently a charismatic individual, Blow’s initial statements were expressed in amusing tonality. Describing the practice of filmmaking, his struggles with the creation of this film, and a joke that Peterborough is not exactly the place to go for filmmaking purposes.

“Peterborough is not exactly Hollywood North,” he said.

Speaking from an informative point of view, Blow presented Grey Owl as an individual who took to the stage by creating a specific personality and identity. Advancing his persona by creating a character, the individual once known as the Englishman Archibald Stansfeld Belaney, Grey Owl was adopted into Indigenous culture through marriage. While Grey Owl’s claims of being the son of a Scotsman and Apache woman were inherently untrue, his devout commitment to the practice of conservation was evidenced by his life’s work. 

During Blow’s presentation, he insinuated that Grey Owl held a unique recognition for issues of ecosystem depletion and the importance of the preservation of the natural world. With the evolution of Grey Owl’s ‘character,’ so too was his worldview expanded in a way Blow identified as comparable to that of Indigenous traditions. 

After Blow’s initial commentary the film preview became center focus. Lasting approximately 15 minutes, the preview incorporated scenes from “Bever People,” a silent film about Grey Owl from the early Twentieth-Century, and personalized interviews. Further, it incorporated poetic commentary to expand on themes of beauty in the natural world and the importance of Indigenous practices.   

As the evening came to a close, Blow took to the podium again. During this period, questions of Grey Owl’s influence on contemporary practices of conservation were discussed. A member of the audience mentioned that Grey Owl’s dedication to preservation and his recognition of the importance Bever’s hold on the creation of wetlands likely impacted systems of protection which have been implemented throughout the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries. 

Further, the book entitled “The Collected Works of Grey Owl” was also established as a relevant piece of literature to those looking to gain a deeper understanding of the efforts made by Grey Owl throughout his life. Noted as a collection of personal stories and written to express a growing concern for lacking conservation, this book was referenced as a tool for expanding personal knowledge. 

An evening filled with anecdotes and amusing commentary from Peter Blow, this Peterborough Historical Society event appeared highly successful. An engaging and informative presentation, the turnout saw the Lions Club Center auditorium filled with a captivated audience.