The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

durhamregion.com 6 The Citizen January 22, 2015 We often associate the New Year with fresh starts; a chance to begin anew, whether it's with your nutrition, exercise routine, or some other habit. Here at the Whitby Archives, we are adopting this attitude of rebirth with regards to one of our smaller collections that received some special treatment last year. In 2013, I located a box in the basement containing the uncatalogued records of the Brooklin Council of the Royal Templars of Temperance, a social organization advocating for moderation and abstinence from alcohol. This society was active in Brooklin starting in 1883. Upon examining the box, it was immediately clear that these records had seen better days. These records are more than 130 years old but I've seen even older paper-based documents in what could be called pristine condition when compared to these; it is likely that this collection was stored in a barn or outbuilding prior to delivery to the Whitby Archives (unfortunately, without a Deed of Gift form, we have no record of who donated the records to us). The ledgers were mouldy and covered in a thick layer of filth; the papers had been subject to temperature and humidity fluctuations, leaving them brittle, warped and illegible. In short, the collection was useless for research and display purposes since I couldn't risk further deterioration of the already fragile documents through extended handling. Thankfully, our local, professional conservator came to the rescue. She recommended dry surface cleaning treatments to remove mould and dirt and, using archivally sound methods, she would repair the weakened and torn paper. Well, I am happy to say that just before the holidays, we received our little bundle of records after some special attention from our conservator and, while they're still fragile, they look great. Now that these records are back in my possession, I'm going to spend the first few months of 2015 cataloging, arranging, and describing the documents so they are available for the public to research and view. Once the work is completed, the story of the Brooklin Council of the Royal Templars of Temperance will be revived. I'll document my progress in this monthly article and I hope you'll learn about Brooklin's social welfare history and the process by which an archivist makes records available for use. There's always room for a new start at the beginning of January and I look forward to finding out what these records will teach me. Sarah Ferencz is the Archivist at the Whitby Public Library. Contact her at archives@whitbylibrary.on.ca Whitby Archives breathes new life into old collection Sarah Ferencz Whitby Public Library archivist history WHITBY -- These are the uncatalogued records of the Brooklin Council of the Royal Templars of Temperance found in the basement of the Whitby Archives. They were sent out for conservation and will soon be available for research and viewing. The council was a social organization advocating for moderation and abstinence from alcohol. This particular society was active in Brooklin starting in 1883. Whitby Archives photo Blues and yellows and reds and greens in Brooklin Each year at this time I am always amazed at the newness of the year. It seems almost magical that a whole year has seemingly come and gone in the blink of an eye. And with that comes the sudden realization that we are about to embark on yet another winter season. Skiing, skating and sledding are all popular during a good old Canadian winter. For many (myself included), January is also the perfect time to avail oneself of a good post-holiday season sale. Whether looking to update your wardrobe or your home, you don't have to go further than a few blocks for expertise and good fashion sense. On our main street we can shop for ladies' fashion, home ideas, socially responsible gifts -- we have it all. We can make plans to head south and avoid the frigid weather. We can cap off a day of shopping, browsing, planning with lunch or dinner at one of our many local establishments. From Jan. 28 through Feb. 8, make some time to enjoy Whitbylicious, showcasing the menus from 10 of Whitby's restaurants. Brooklin's own Bistro 1847 and Corrado's Restaurant are participating in this great event. Visit http://whitbylicious.ca for more information. Brooklin has much to offer from a retail and restaurant perspective. In January and early February, the Whitby Chamber of Commerce will be holding two independent roundtables -- one for retailers and one for restaurants. The facilitated discussion will focus on how to better support our retail and restaurant community. Together, we plan to build a collaborative and unique shop local program. All retailer and restaurant owners/operators are invited to participate; membership is not required. For more details on the roundtable and to inquire about participation, please contact Kevin Rowland at Kevin@whitbychamber.org or by calling 905-668-4506. Winter offers plenty of things to do outside. Brooklin offers alternatives when the thermostat drops and the outdoor temps reach "minus -- I think my nose is frozen" degrees. Check out the shops and sales; and make a date to experience Whitbylicious and the participating Brooklin restaurants. Beat the winter blues and enjoy all the colours the winter season has to offer Brooklin; and here's hoping it's short and sweet. Tracy Hanson is CEO of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce, a Brooklin resident and former North Ward Councillor. TracY hanSon Business Feeding time WHITBY -- Ten-year-old Manpreet, along with her parents Bobbi and Bambi Kaur, drove in from Markham to spend the day in the great outdoors in Whitby, and fed some bread crumbs to the gulls. WALter pAssAreLLA / MetroLAND