Local author takes a rare look back

It is a rare gift to get to look back hundreds of years into something that may seem like it hasn't changed at all. 

Local author Bob Burtt does just that in his new book, “Rare Moments in Time”, but he shows that the Rare nature reserve in Cambridge has definitely had its ups and downs over time. 

“It's a blend of the history and the feel you have for the property when you are there,” Bob Burtt tells KitchenerToday.com.  “You can imagine natives wandering the property or setting up camps there and the first settlers arriving when they arrived in 1800.”

Burtt, a former reporter with The Record, is no stranger to the land nestled along the Grand River between Galt and Blair. He would often cover environmental stories and has spent a great deal of his retirement volunteering with Rare. That is when he decided it was time to dig a little deeper.

“I began volunteering and then the more I was there the more I became intrigued by the history of the property and the area and really inspired by the beauty of the property as well.”

Burtt has divided his new book into two different sections. The first focuses on the rich history of the area, going back approximately 12,000 years to the last ice age. That is when the Upper Paleolithic people, the first known inhabitants, settled in the region.  It is believed they arrived to hunt mammoth, mastodons and caribou. 

“It's interesting because an archeologist that spent a lot of time on the property found a spear point on a trail near the river about 6 years ago and he can trace that back to about 10,500 years. So that's sort of an indication or proof that there really were people in the area going back that far.”

Burtt, a Preston resident, spent about four years altogether working on his book. Much of that time was devoted to research, relying on geologists, archeologists and archives throughout the region. He writes about the first Indigenous people who settled in the area and how the Wilks family, a group of wealthy people, eventually took over much of the land. The family, who Burtt found particularly fascinating during his research, built what is now known as Langdon Hall, a luxury hotel. 

One of Burtt's biggest struggles was researching Nathaniel Dodge, a character whom not much was previously known. Burtt claims that he is the first European settler in the region. Dodge arrived in the 1700's, building his cabin on the west side of the Grand River. This was around the same time that the Haldimand Proclamation was passed, giving the land to the Indigenous people in 1784. Much of Burtt's time researching was spent investigating Dodge, a part of the story that he felt was important to tell. 

The second half of the book focuses on the origins of Rare and the work that they do today. Rare Charitable Research Reserve is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the land through conservation, continued research and educational programs. Burtt says in the last few years the reserve has taken steps toward strengthening their relationship with the Indigenous people. 

While the book covers a substantial period of time, Burtt says he didn't want to be restricted by what he put in the book. That's how he came up with the name. 

“It's not a comprehensive history or not just focusing on dates and names but really the stories of the land and the land has a lot of stories to tell.”   

Much of Burtt's time spent at the reserve these days, which he equates to an enchanted forest, is spent in their community gardens. Altogether the reserve has over 100 garden plots, with some being used to grow food for the Cambridge Self Help Food Bank. Last year they raised approximately 8000 pounds of food. 

Burtt's book is entirely his own. While the reserve was supportive in providing him access and information, the book is self-published. He hopes the land is able to be preserved and maintained for many years to come as it has become very important to him. 

“For me its almost like a therapy when I go up there. If my head is muddled and if things get a little bit too hectic I go up there and everything makes sense again.”

The book is currently available at Wordsworth Books in Waterloo, Queen St. Commons Cafe in Kitchener, Book Express at Cambridge Centre Mall, Preston Home Hardware and Millpond Records and Books in Hespeler.