Interview with The Rev. Canon Cyril Betts, September 10, 2010

Photograph of The Rev. Canon Cyril Betts
Photograph of key presented to Cyril Betts on his appointment as Chaplain to Her Majesty's Loyal Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte
Detail of key presented to Cyril Betts on his appointment as Chaplain to Her Majesty's Loyal Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte in 1970.

Title

Interview with The Rev. Canon Cyril Betts, September 10, 2010

Description

Oral history interview with the Reverend Canon Cyril Betts, Rector of the Parish of Tyendinaga and Chaplain to Her Majesty's Loyal Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte between 1972 and 1979.

Contributor

Cyril Betts
Edgar Tumak
Amanda Hill

Identifier

2010.20

Duration

1 hour, 24 minutes, 25 seconds

Bit Rate/Frequency

128 kbits/s

Interviewer

Edgar Tumak
Amanda Hill

Interviewee

Cyril Betts

Location

Thomas Street, Deseronto, Ontario

Time Summary

Part 1: 0.0 Arrival in September 1972 as Rector of Parish of Tyendinaga and Chaplain to Her Majesty's Loyal Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte: the first clergyman to have two separate appointments to the position. Presented with a key to commemorate the occasion by the Mohawks.
2.00 Process of being appointed to the post of Chaplain by the Mohawks.
3.45 Presented with a red cassock by the Orange Lodge. Discussion about being a Canon of St. George's Cathedral in Kingston.
5.45 Interaction between parish and Deseronto: some parishioners lived and/or in the town, including at the Canada Zyl factory: story about Dick Ellis, MP.
7.45 Move away from the parish: no funding for his children to attend the Mohawk school
8.50 'Regularizing' unions of unmarried couples: three weddings a week on average in one year
9.35 Stories about Bishop Jack Burnett Creeggan
12.00 Funding for schooling on the Reserve and of Rev Betts' children
13.18 Rector who had been in India, expecting parishioners to do the housework
13.50 Discussion of location of former, brick, rectory, barn and the church at Kingsford, and building work undertaken on the current rectory.
18.10 History of the Anglican church on the Reserve
20.00 Mention of Rev. Pringle, artist his paintings and his dogs
21.00 Move to Kemville and then Tamworth and St. Luke's, Kingston, retirement
24.00 Discussion of urban poulty-keeping, bindweed removal by sheep, and local school bus driver, Tom (who was the last person in Deseronto to keep chickens).
28.45 Interaction between Native and non-Native peoples in the church. There were non-Native people in the congregation at Christ Church, including Farley Mowat's father [Angus]
31.15 Shopping in Belleville and Deseronto: Gerald Lott's jewellery store, George Lyons' grocery store; Lions Club, chicken barbecue; Mr Lush the bank manager; [Luck's] hardware store; Malley's drugstore; Dr [Daniel Clarence] McVicker

Part 2 0.0 Dr McVicker: owned a duck pond; story about being appointed executor of a man on the Reserve, 1977-1978 and dealing with McCracken, Indian Agent in Deseronto; writing wills for members of the Band
6.05 Buildings and activities of the Lions Club in Deseronto; 36 members; meals prepared by Rev Betts and Bill Hendry, the United Church minister
11.30 Scouts, clubs, guides in Deseronto
12.25 Masonic Lodge; admission of first Mohawk member to the Masons in late 1970s
15.07 Orange Lodge on the Reserve
17.00 Sporting activities: children skating at the arena in Deseronto
18.27 Mrs Betts bowled in the Mohawk League on the site of the current library
19.50 Interdenominational activities in Deseronto; Dutch priests at the Roman Catholic church; story about Cummings brothers at Kempville; Presbyterian Church members less keen on cross-church activities
25.45 Teaching at Quinte Mohawk School when police cars pulled up, during a stand-off at the Band Council offices on the Mohawk Territory

Part 3: 0.25 Memories of Public Library in its former location
1.30 Dealing with winter weather; trying to revive game of snowsnake; Melville Hill's collection of memorabilia and the Queen Anne silver
4.58 Awkwardness of the Queen Anne silver as communion ware
6.55 Problems with water along Bayshore Road before municipal water was installed; using the fire truck's water if they were going to dump it
7.43 Founding member (c.1976) of the Mohawk Fire Department with Garnet, Bud and Geoffrey Maracle; practiced at the Airport once a week with an old FWD Air Force fire truck
10.20 Stories of responses to fire calls; problems with poorly-built houses; development of the Fire Department; pulling skidooers out of the Bay of Quine
16.20 Story of body in a well