A journal belonging to a church in Cambridge, Ontario, which was missing for 50 years, was recently discovered at a Value Village store in London, 100 kilometers away. The journal, authored by Rev. James Dickson, the founding minister of Central Church from 1880 to 1914, recounts his journey from Scotland to Canada through Montreal and his experiences in early Canada. The circumstances surrounding the journal’s disappearance and its unexpected reappearance at Value Village remain a mystery, prompting volunteers to investigate its history.
The journal was returned to the church on Oct. 7 after a woman, who found it at Value Village, contacted the church while on Highway 401. Inside the journal, a letter dated Oct. 11, 1979, indicated that it was loaned for microfilming in Woodslee, Ontario, possibly in preparation for the church’s 100th anniversary the following year. The journal contains detailed accounts of everyday life in Galt, including mentions of prominent families like the Barries, still active in the community today.
Plans are underway to digitize and preserve the journal, with a public display scheduled during a fundraising event on Oct. 24. Efforts are being made to ensure the journal remains in Cambridge for further study. Dan Schmalz, an information and archive analyst, emphasized the historical significance of the journal as a primary source shedding light on Rev. Dickson’s life and the Galt community of that era. The journal’s preservation is deemed crucial for understanding the local history and early settlers’ lives, akin to other valuable historical accounts.