Port Elgin Library to host Black History month event – Patty vs Patty

Celebrate Black History Month with a story highlighting cultural resilience and the fight for recognition. Bruce County Public Library’s Port Elgin Branch brings the award-winning short documentary ‘Patty vs. Patty’ to the community.

This documentary, which won the 2023 Canadian Screen Award for Best Short Documentary, explores the bizarre story of the 1985 Toronto ‘Patty Wars,’ when Canadian federal food inspectors deemed that Jamaican beef patties were illegally named and threatened vendors with fines up to $5,000 (now over $11,100). Vendors resisted, refusing to rename the beloved Jamaican snack, creating a unique and inspiring chapter in Canada’s history.

The event will take place on Sunday, February 2nd, at 2:00 p.m., at the Port Elgin Library Branch and will begin with opening remarks from Executive in Charge of Production for CBC Docs, Lesley Birchard. Following the screening, the film’s director, Chris Strikes, will join us virtually for a live Q&A session. To add even more flavour, attendees will enjoy a patty tasting session, courtesy of Coral’s Caribbean from Wiarton.

“This event is a wonderful way to bring history to life for our community, and a chance to reflect on a cultural story while savouring a piece of that history with delicious patties,” said Library Director, Brooke McLean.

This is a free event for residents and promises to be an enriching and flavourful celebration of Black History Month. Visit the Bruce County Public Library website to stay up to date on programs and special events.

Bruce County Public Library (BCPL) is committed to its role as a trusted community connector, digital community facilitator and community sharing place. Consisting of 17 Branches and a Bookmobile BCPL provides access to information, resources, and programs throughout Bruce County.

So what is there to discover?  To learn more, visit Digital LibraryBranchesBookmobileEvents