Vision & History
Aboriginal Land - An Estate - A Farm - A Camp
Five Oaks stands on the land which the Cayuga nation probably occupied. The small settlement at the conjunction of the Grand River and Whiteman's Creek was likely an important place for trade and ceremonial gatherings until a cholera epidemic depleted the community. This land became part of the Six Nations Reserve and was one of the first pieces of property to be sold.
In 1836, Major Arnold Burrows was given one thousand acres (including this property) for an estate he called Strathmore. He served in the rebellion of 1837 (for responsible government) in support of the Family Compact and this land was his "reward".
The estate was later broken up into farms and building lots. A brewery, a gristmill, a brick oven, plaster mill, and cottages were built on the far side of the creek. The property may have been part of the Underground Railroad for escaping slaves.
Eventually the property on which Five Oaks stands became the Pottruff farm. In the 1920's and 30's, church groups began to use the flat land (where the Pottruff's pastured their cows) for church picnics and camps until the Brant County Council of Christian Education founded Camp Thayendanegea (named after Joseph Brant) in the mid-thirties. Many second hand buildings were moved onto the property to develop the site. In early days campers were given burlap bags and sent to the fields or the barn on the hill to fill them with straw for their mattresses.
Bev Oaten is inspired to start a lay centre.
In the 1940's, a man named Bev Oaten became very involved in the work camp movement in Europe and North America. He helped clean up war damage near Paris, France. After world war two, he visited the Iona Centre in Scotland and Kirkridge in Pennsylvania.
While he was minister of Colborne Street United Church in Brantford Ontario, Bev heard about the development of Naramata Centre for lay education in British Columbia. Bev and others became convinced of the need for such a centre to serve the Church in central Canada. There are three other education centres. PCTC in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan Stewart House in Pakenham, Ontario and Tatamagouche Centre in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia. Camp Thayendanegea was selected in 1950 to become this new centre because its run down facilities were available for $1.00 and the place was wired for electricity.
FIVE for the Five Conferences of the United Church.
OAKS for the ancient oaks on the property.
The place was renamed Five Oaks. "Five" for the five conferences of the United Church that the Centre served. "Oaks" for the ancient oak trees located on the property that in the Celtic tradition represented deep-rooted spirituality. The photograph on the right shows original representatives of the five conferences with Bev Oaten on the left. The first classes were held here in the summer of 1952 and the first winter classes were held in a nearby airbase in January 1953. Five Oaks has always had strong ecumenical connections and is part of a worldwide network of centres under the umbrella of the World Council of Churches. More land was purchased from the Pottruff's and construction began. The main building, the House of the Interpreter, (named from John Bunyan's, Pilgrim's Progress), was completed in 1953. New Hall and Wing C were added in 1956. The Chalet went up in 1959. These buildings are open year round while the camp, now called the Summer Centre, is used only in the summer. We are hoping to make it a year round facility in the near future.
All buildings were designed to provide a simple lifestyle that reminded participants that many in the world lived with much less.
Bev Oaten wanted the centre to follow the work camp model. The buildings were constructed by volunteers, paying a dollar a day for the privilege, with mostly second hand materials. Five times a day a bell was rung and all workers stopped to reflect on who they were and whose work they were doing. Worship and bible study were also part of each day.
When construction was completed, participants in Five Oaks courses were still asked to contribute labour. They helped prepare and serve meals, clean, dig vegetables, paint, and perform general maintenance. Although there were weekend events from its beginning, Five Oaks originally put most emphasis on longer courses from one week to six weeks in duration. Courses focused on helping lay people put their faith in practice in their occupation, home and community life in hopes that God's peace and justice would be lived out in the world.
The centre has always kept a connection to Aboriginal Peoples.
A Native Spirituality retreat has been held here every year since 1954. The Francis Sandy Centre a theological school to equip aboriginal persons for ministry in congregation and community is located in the Green House on the property.
The Grand River Bookstore and Video Library operates on site. The Video Library is in the United Church's AVEL network (Audio Visual Educational Library). The bookstore is a joint project of Erie Presbytery, AVEL, the General Council Division of Communication and Five Oaks.
The centre occupies 116 acres of Carolinian forest. On the walking trails, the hiker will find trees, shrubs, weeds and flowers usually found in the Carolinas in The USA.
Five Oaks presently provides programs for individuals of all ages, families, youth groups and congregations to deepen their spirituality, broaden their knowledge of the Judeo-Christian story in terms relevant to today's world and develop ways of living faithfully in God's world. The centre also hosts a great variety of church and community groups.
Five Oaks Provides a beautiful natural setting in which groups can live in community and strengthen their relationships with each other, God, the Christian community and Creation.
