The residents of Echo Bay are amazed as a quilt, crafted by women from the Echo Bay United Church almost a century ago, has miraculously made its way back to the town.
During September 2021, Leslie Buck, a California-based landscape pruner and lecturer, was out for a walk with her friend in Oakland when she noticed something unusual. Buck observed a quilt protruding out of a dumpster, prompting her to wonder why someone would discard such an item.
Recently, SooToday reporter Alex Flood sat down with Scott Sexsmith to go Behind the Scenes.
Video Summary
On this episode of "Behind the Scenes," Scott Sexsmith interviews Alex Flood, a reporter for SooToday who covered the story of a 93-year-old quilt that miraculously made its way from Echo Bay, Ontario, to Oakland, California. The quilt was made by women from the Echo Bay United Church and contained the names of 240 individuals, including dignitaries, ministers, doctors, and church members. The quilt was found in a dumpster by Leslie Buck, who traced it back to Echo Bay and returned it to the town.
Flood noted that the odds of such a quilt being found and returned after so many years are astronomical. Buck, who lives in Berkeley, California, had an eye for quilts and happened to spot the quilt while walking by a dumpster. She had never heard of Echo Bay before, but after researching the town, she was able to trace the quilt back to the church. Flood also described how the names on the quilt were embroidered in pie shapes, with about 19 or 20 different pieces of people on the sheet. The names were obtained through fundraising efforts in which individuals paid 5 to 10 cents to have their name embroidered on the quilt.
The quilt is now back in Echo Bay and is expected to be displayed at the Echo Bay Museum in the near future. Flood also noted that the museum had an open house recently, allowing people to come by and provide any information they might have on the names. The church is hoping to publish all 240 names online so that people can reach out if they recognize anyone. Flood and Sexsmith marveled at the heartwarming nature of the story and the fact that a small act of kindness by one person could reunite a precious artifact with its rightful home after so many years.
