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The following acknowledgement was recorded in the Almonte Gazette around 1880:
“Its manufacturers have given it a worldwide fame. With all its advantages, unlimited water power and an energetic population, it must yet become a large and important centre.”
The caption describes the town of Almonte. It is quite fitting that the author describes the population as “energetic.” From its very early beginnings, the citizens of Almonte have always been physically active, whether it was the demanding labour the early settlers undertook to carve out the homesteads or the more organized recreational activities they sought to relieve stress and enjoy one another’s company. Almonte’s rich sporting heritage is something to be proud of, something worth sharing. This exhibit was conceived with that idea. Two of its most famous citizens, Dr. Robert Tait McKenzie and Dr. James Naismith, were born and raised in this community and went on to inspire the lives of thousands if not millions. Both were pioneers in the field of physical education. How could two individuals from the same little town in Ontario go on to do such inspiring things? We believe it stems from their upbringing in that little community with “an energetic population.
