A handful of Ukrainians who are being hosted in Newmarket received a brief lesson in the town's history on Saturday during a short heritage walk with The History Hound.
Richard MacLeod met with seven folks who have arrived from Ukraine and some of their hosts on May 7 at Riverwalk Commons. While walking through the area he spoke about how it all used to be a river but it was filled in to build the town.
He spoke about the old mill, the trading post, a bit about the Indigenous history of the area, the ghost canal and more. He also said that a lot of the early settlers who came to Newmarket had been escaping war or economic crisis, similar to the newcomers on the tour today.
MacLeod said he has been following the conflict in Ukraine and has a personal connection to the country. He said he used to work for an airline which took him to Ukraine for business and he lived in Lithuania where he met his wife. At that time he said the Russians were still there.
"I have an attachment. I remember what it was like at that point," he told the tour group.
MacLeod said he still tries to go visit the Baltic area three times a year to see his wife's family.
The heritage walk was small and a language barrier made for a bit of a challenge, however, with one of the Ukrainians who spoke English helping to translate the group, was able to get an introduction to Newmarket's early days.
The morning also presented an opportunity for the Ukrainian visitors to connect with each other and create a community of those who have arrived here. Following the walk the group checked out the farmer's market, which kicked off its season today.
