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National Post
National Post
16 Aug 2024


NextImg:Story of the last 'witch' put on trial in Canada revealed in new play

The Salem witch trials ended in the 17th century after 19 executions, spawning legends and literature and hit movies. Less known is that Canada had largely forgotten witch trials of its own, and far more recently.

Gil Garratt, artistic director of the Blyth Festival in Blyth, Ont., has set out to change that.

Garratt was fascinated when he first found out about the last Canadian “witch” trials through a column written by a local historian. Maggie Pollock, who was born and raised in Blyth, became entangled in legal trouble in 1919 when she was accused of “telling fortunes.” Her conviction followed Pollock for the remainder of her life.

This year, one of the festival’s premieres, “The Trials of Maggie Pollock” centres on the story of the last woman in Canada to be convicted of “witchcraft.”

“I admit, I didn’t know that Canada had ever had a history of legal persecution of ‘witches’. To discover that it had gone on so late and that it had been right in this community that I call home (Huron County), was quite shocking.”

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The combination of Pollock’s local roots and her tragic fate made her story particularly compelling for Garratt, inspiring him to bring it to the stage at the Blyth Festival, which is celebrating its golden anniversary this year with stories created by women and focusing on women’s experiences.

“(It’s) incredible to me because 50 years into the festival, trying to explore local stories and Canadian stories, we had never come upon this one,” he said.

The Blyth Festival remains dedicated to spotlighting the talents of Canadian playwrights and encouraging homegrown creativity. This milestone year, the festival presents a lineup of five world premieres, continuing its purpose of bringing fresh and original works to the stage.

“The mission of the festival, is to enrich the lives of our audience by giving voice to the region and the country,” Garratt said. 

This season runs through September 7.

“The shows really focus on women in all kinds of places in life. We have women (featured) in positions of estrangement in society. We have women who are in positions trying to redefine their lives late in life,” said Garratt.

Garratt said that for the 50th anniversary, the festival aimed to highlight its core mission by showcasing what it does best: premiering plays developed in-house, with this season featuring five such productions. 

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Photo of Gil Garratt.
Photo of Gil Garratt. (Blyth Festival)

The plays premiering this season are chosen to provide a diverse range of experiences, with their shows including elements of comedy, murder mystery, Canadian history, and more.

“To be able to call people together and say, ‘Let’s sit in this room together,’ (and) ‘let’s share this space together’… To me, that idea has actually only become more radical,” Garratt said.

“Theatre has a property that is in shorter and shorter supply in the world we live in today, which is that it is entirely handmade. It happens bespoke in the moment in which it happens live in front of your eyes,” he said. “I think the live, immediate art is so powerful today.”

The Harvest Stage is a recent addition to the festival, offering a new venue for people to come together and engage with art and theatre. Built in 2021, this permanent, open-air amphitheatre features a thrust stage with seating on three sides, creating an intimate atmosphere beneath the open sky and ensuring full accessibility for all visitors.

In its 50-year history, the festival has hosted over a million attendees, initially drawing from Huron County and expanding to include visitors from every Canadian province and territory, across the United States, and from various countries around the world.

The accomplishments made by a number of the festivals’ premieres have gone on to be produced in 29 countries worldwide, win Governor General’s awards, and translated into different languages. 

“To me, that is a celebration not of what the festival has done, but what the festival is capable of, because of 50 years of dedicated artists, supportive donors, and an incredible audience that has just grown and grown.”

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