Bringing the community together to celebrate our heritage

Robin Krafft, Post Contributor

The Station Arts Centre’s Canada Day Pancake Breakfast has become a beloved tradition in Tillsonburg.

Thanks to many generous partners and sponsors in the community, this year's event was an incredible success. 587 breakfasts were served, with dedicated volunteers - including the mayor and town councillors - cooking up 1,500 pancakes and 1,200 sausages. A bouncy castle, provided by the Tillsonburg BIA, contributed to the overall enthusiasm and worked up appetites.

"The event has become deeply ingrained into the town,” said Sarah Senior, chair of Station Arts Centre’s board of directors, "and it's a brilliant way to bring people together and celebrate Canada Day."

The pancake breakfast has been running for 24 years, and many residents remember attending with their families every summer. As parents themselves, they are now kicking off Canada Day by bringing their own children to the breakfast, often reuniting with people they haven't seen for a while.

"Arts, culture, heritage and community are the foundational pillars for The Station, and at events like this we bring our community together to celebrate all those things,” Senior said.

It's also an important fundraiser, with donations and events generating 80 per cent of their budget. As a non-profit, with two full-time and one part-time staff, the Station Arts Centre is governed by a board of volunteer directors.

"We foster and maintain relationships with donors and benefactors who continue to contribute," Senior said, adding, "They understand the importance of a creative and diverse community and they want us to succeed and bring that forward into the next generation."

Their biggest fundraising event of the year is the Gala and Charity Auction. This year, it’s a Bridgerton-inspired evening, taking place on Oct. 4. It will feature regency decor and a live and silent auction, including donated art from local artists. Dressing up isn't necessary, but many attendees enjoy the creative process of designing their costumes. All of the Station Art Centre’s events are made possible through community partnerships and donations of time and resources from local businesses and volunteers.

This high level of engagement and generosity enables the Station to offer free admission to their three galleries, which display a wide variety of art forms, changing throughout the year.

"Funds raised help us continue to provide accessible and affordable access to the arts in Tillsonburg and the surrounding communities", Senior said, including their numerous programs and popular summer camp. "Art enhances children's development and provides social opportunities and improved mental health for adults of all ages."

As a community, she added, "we need to support a space for self-expression; art is a storytelling medium, and an opportunity to explore our cultures and heritage."

In today's society, she noted that art may be less valued, and yet everything we see and use reflects art and design.

"It is an underestimated part of our lives, yet it's so important. It needs to be at the heart of the community because this is the starting ground."

The Station Arts Centre celebrates the diversity and rich cultural heritage of Canada year round, welcoming over 30,000 visitors a year.