Nila Yvonne Reynolds (March 13, 1928 – April 22, 1999) was a Canadian author, ''
Haliburton Echo'' columnist and historian of
Haliburton County
Haliburton is a county of Ontario, Canada, known as a tourist and cottage area in Central Ontario for its scenery and for its resident artists. Minden Hills is the county seat. Haliburton County and the village of Haliburton are named after Th ...
.
Reynolds was the author of ''In Quest of Yesterday'', a history book of the County, published three times.
Background
Nila Morrison was born in
West Guilford on March 13, 1928. Her father was a local politician
and she grew up on a farm.
Reynolds received writing training from
Sylvia Fraser
Sylvia Fraser (born Sylvia Lois Meyers; 8 March 1935 – 25 October 2022) was a Canadian novelist, journalist and travel writer. Fraser was educated at the University of Western Ontario. In Fraser's long year career as a journalist, Fraser wrote h ...
,
Scott Young and
Austin Chesterfield Clarke at the
Haliburton School of Fine Arts.
She married Leslie Bronte Reynolds (of the
Brontë family
The Brontës () were a 19th century literary family, born in the village of Thornton, West Yorkshire, Thornton and later associated with the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The sisters, Charlotte Brontë, Charlott ...
)
of
Minden Hills
Minden Hills is a township in and the county seat of Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgam of the townships of Snowdon, Lutterworth, Anson, Hindon and Minden. It is usually referred to as Minden, after its largest community.
The t ...
.
Nila Reynolds died in
Durham, Ontario
Durham is a community in the municipality of West Grey, Ontario, West Grey, Grey County, Ontario, Grey County, Ontario, Canada. Durham is located near the base of the Bruce Peninsula.
Location
Durham, Ontario is 44 kilometres South of Owen Sou ...
on April 22, 1999, at the age of 71.
The Leslie and Nila Reynolds Memorial Bursary is a $200 award given to post-secondary-education students of
Haliburton Highlands Secondary School
Haliburton Highlands Secondary School (HHSS) is a small secondary school situated in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada, and is located on Head Lake.
The school provides grades 9-12 education for all of Haliburton County and its surrounding area.
Ac ...
.
Career
Her book ''Dream of Excellence'' documents the 1967 events that led to the founding of the Haliburton School of Fine Arts. The school was formed by a non-profit organization established by Ronald McCaw, Elizabeth Hobden, Carole Finn, Harold O'Neill, Dixie and Jan Augusteijn, and Rea Stinson.
Her 1979 book ''Bancroft: A Bonanza of Memories'' (published by the Bancroft Centennial Committee) documentary the history of Bancroft, noting that the name of the town is a result of the influence of senator
Billa Flint. The book was recommended to history fans by journalist and publisher
Barry Penhale. Penhale also described Reynold's book ''In Quest of Yesterday'' as "critically acclaimed."
The book was originally published as series of columns in the ''
Haliburton Echo'' newspaper before being developed into a manuscript. Reynolds undertook 170 extensive interviews as research for the publication.
Kate Butler, director of the Haliburton Highlands Museum, described Reynold's approach to writing as unusual for her time due to the inclusion of human details in her historical archiving.
The book was partly funded by the Haliburton Chamber of Commerce and the County of Haliburton.
Leslie Frost
Leslie Miscampbell Frost (September 20, 1895 – May 4, 1973) was a politician in Ontario, Canada, who served as the province's 16th premier from May 4, 1949, to November 8, 1961. Due to his lengthy tenure, he gained the nickname "Old Man O ...
(the former
Premier of Ontario
The premier of Ontario () is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly; as such, the premier typically sits as a member of Provincia ...
) wrote the foreword to the book, which was reprinted three times.
The book's contents included details the West Guilford racehorse Guilford Boy, trained by Jimmy Powell, and the ruins of
Gull Lake and Newnham.
Publications
* Nila Reynolds, ''In Quest of Yesterday'',
County of Haliburton, 1968
* Nila Reynolds, ''Dream of Excellence'', Haliburton Highlands Guild of Fine Arts, 1976
* Nila Reynolds, ''Carlow Township: Before the Memories Fade'', Senior Citizens of
Carlow Township, 1977
* Nila Reynolds,
Bancroft, A Bonanza of Memories''
Bancroft Centennial Committee, 1979
* Ed H. Devitt and Nila Reynolds, "''Echoes of the Past" Resounding in the Present: A Brief Illustrated General History of a Central Region in Southern Ontario formed by Two Muskoka and Ten Haliburton Townships,'' Aljon Print-Craft Ltd, 1980
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Nila
1928 births
1999 deaths
History of Haliburton County
People from Haliburton County
20th-century Canadian writers
20th-century Canadian historians