We Lend a Hand is coming to St. Marys on May 21

The St. Marys Museum and the Friends of the St. Marys Museum are excited to announce the screening of We Lend a Hand: The Forgotten Story of the Ontario Farmerettes. The event will take place on Thursday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Pyramid Recreation Centre.

This documentary reveals the forgotten story of the Ontario Farm Service Force, which put 40,000 volunteer teenage girls to work between the years of 1941 and 1952. Known as ‘The Farmerettes’, their job was to ensure critical food production continued during a period of great uncertainty.

Through reenactments and unique archival images, We Lend a Hand recounts the story of these remarkable young women, who are now in their late 90s. More details about the film are available at https://welendahand.ca/

“This documentary shows how women and girls contributed to the war effort on the Home Front,” says Emily Taylor, Curator and Archivist of the St. Marys Museum. “They persevered through immense hardships, yet their stories aren’t widely shared. We Lend a Hand helps put them in the spotlight.”

After the screening, there will be a Q&A with the filmmakers, generously sponsored by Hyggeligt Fabrics. There will also be a chance to acquire autographed copies of Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes, Shirleyan English and Bonnie Sitter’s book.

Tickets are $20 and are available for purchase in-person at the St. Marys Museum, Friendship Centre, and The Hitching Post. For more information, call 519-284-3556 or email museum@town.stmarys.on.ca.

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For media inquiries:
Lauren Thomson-Vernooy, Corporate Communications Coordinator
519-284-2340, ext. 432| lthomson@town.stmarys.on.ca