Memoir of a Century participant Esther Hotchkiss at age 7

The Sault Youth Association is thrilled to announce the publication of Memoirs of a Century: Celebrating 100 Years, a non-fiction collection authored by Sault Ste. Marie youths and detailing the lives of five senior citizens.  The book will be launched on December 6, at 2:30 pm in the Country Kitchen at Collegiate Heights Retirement Residence.

Five seniors.  Five youths.  Five stories.  In January 2012, the Sault Youth Association paired five teens with five people from Collegiate Heights Retirement Residence.   Memoirs of a Century is the culmination of these efforts, combining seniors’ memories with youths’ words, uniting people across generations.   Heartwarming, heartfelt, and always intensely personal, the stories will draw you into the lives and memories of five of Sault Ste Marie’s senior citizens: Wilfrid Greaves, Ken Lajambe, Esther Hotchkiss, Edward Penner, and Andy Waluk.

With the 100^th anniversary of Sault Ste. Marie’s establishment, increasing attention has been turned to the city’s history.  This non-fiction collection provides a detailed and personal view of the history of the city, reaching from the St Mary’s Paper mill to the front lines in 1940s Europe.  Discover local history and celebrate 100 years of Sault Ste Marie through the Sault Youth Association’s Memoirs of a Century.

Join us for the book launch celebrating both the lives of our seniors and the talents of our young citizens. Memoirs of a Century will be available for purchase for $12.

Title: Memoirs of a Century: Celebrating 100 Years
Author: Cameron Aitken, Brittany Evans, Karly Janisse, Mandy-Jean Masse, Emily Tithecott
Publisher: Sault Youth Association
Publication date: December 6, 2012
Price: $12 CAN
Format: Paperback
Length: 56 pages

Where to purchase: Stone’s Office Supply; The Rad Zone (Wellington Square Mall)

About the Sault Youth Association:

The Sault Youth Association (SYA) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that empowers youth aged 6-25 to strengthen their community. Sault Youth Association is dedicated to connecting youth with government representatives and community partners. We also contribute our time and resources towards assisting with youth-led initiatives and events.

Contact: David Thompson, 705-575-3054 (h), 705-257-8169 (c), thompsonssm@gmail.com

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Sault Youth Association is happy to announce that Memoirs of a Century is coming to completion with a book to be launched in December 2012.

The project, Memoirs of a Century, was announced earlier this year in February with the City of Sault Ste. Marie Celebrate 100! and Collegiate Heights Retirement Residence who partnered on the project. The intergenerational project paired five seniors with a young person in the community. The youth interviewed the seniors, recording their histories to compile stories into the upcoming book.

This project aimed to bridge the generational gap and record our local histories through the senior’s personal narratives. In the stories, the seniors from the project shared their experiences of war, travel, love and life in City of Sault Ste. Marie over a Century.

These five inspirational stories of seniors in the community will be available for purchase in December. If you want to pre-order a copy of the book, you can sign up to our email list. You will also be notified about an upcoming book launch event  in coordination with the City’s Celebrate 100! festivities.

Thank you to all of the volunteers, youth, senior participants and partners to make this project happen. We couldn’t have done this without you!