Wellington County Museum and Archives

Ted Arnott took part in the June 25, 2010 official opening of the new addition of the
Wellington County Museum and Archives. Mr. Arnott delivered the following remarks:

Good morning everyone.

It’s a real pleasure to be here once again at, arguably, the most splendid public property
in the County of Wellington.

And today we celebrate the addition to our Museum which preserves our history and
heritage for the generations to come.

Harold Wilson was twice the Prime Minister of Great Britain in the 1960s and 1970s,
and he is credited with saying that:

“A week is a long time in politics.”

On Fridays, I sometimes think of him, and how he couldn’t have been more wrong.

My weeks “in politics” are anything but long. On the contrary, they fly by in a flash.
When Friday arrives, I wonder where the week has gone-even on weeks when I’ve
experienced an earthquake at Queen’s Park, as I did on Wednesday!

The weeks fly by in a flash, the years go by almost as fast, and the decades too.
The inevitable truth is we are here for a time, then we pass the torch to the next
generation.

But our time here is significant, and it is worth remembering – just as the efforts of the
generations that preceded us are worth remembering.

Indeed, it is our obligation to remember them.

There is another old saying that the only thing new in the world is the history that you
don’t know. And it’s largely true.

This is why history is so important – the past provides us a road map for the future. The
road map is by definition a bit dated, but it’s more reliable than any ideology or fad that
currently may be in vogue.

These new Archives allow us to preserve our history and understand it better. They will
bring the interesting history of our County to life.

One only has to read Steve Thorning’s weekly column in the Wellington Advertiser to
realize how rich and compelling the story of Wellington County’s history really is. The
Wellington County Historical Society should be proud of their work in this regard as well.
And the Archives ensure that these kinds of stories will be preserved forever.