Laughter and song echoed through the historic halls of Montgomery’s Inn as children leaned forward, listening to what Anansi the trickster would do next. The Etobicoke museum marked Family Day on Feb. 16 with a reminder of the power of families gathering to share stories.
The event at the Dundas Street and Islington Avenue historical building was hosted by motivational cultural storyteller, TEDx speaker and keynote presenter Kesha Christie. She brought to life the tales of Anansi, the cunning trickster figure from African and Caribbean folklore. Through the use of songs and expressive gestures, she narrated stories that spanned continents and generations.
Although Family Day is often treated as just another long weekend, many families choose to spend it sitting side by side, listening to the stories. The turnout was a testament to the enduring appeal of oral storytelling, one of humanity’s oldest art forms, and its place within families.
Doug and Maureen Smith love to share the story of how they migrated from Scotland 50 years ago. They were visiting the event with their son and grandson, and although they live in Calgary, visit their family all over the globe.
For families like the Smiths, stories are more than just entertainment – they are anchors. They preserve the memory of sacrifice, migration and even generosity. They remind younger generations where they came from and what shaped them.
“We came with a small packing case, and they (our family) helped us get settled in our new home,” Maureen said. “They all brought food, they brought dishes, kitchen items and everyone went into the cupboards and found out what they could help us with. They all came and helped us move into our new home here.”
Doug said he believes that quality family time means sharing stories over the dinner table, without the use of cellphones.
“It’s a vital source of family communication and something that we see with cell phones is probably not as effective as it used to be in our day,” he said.
To this, Maureen added It is "very easy" to spend significant amounts of personal time in isolation on cell phones.
“But sitting down at the table with family and being in the company of family is also very important as well,” she said.
Christie echoed the Smiths’ sentiments.
“It's the story that stops the scroll,” she said, referencing people scrolling on their cellphones. “Storytelling gives you a moment to pause.”
Christie emphasized the importance of spending time with family.
“Family is everything,” she said. “You learn how to communicate. There are so many things that you learn within your household that you can carry outside. And so you learn from each other, and you learn by listening.”
Christie said that folktales are important for children as they can provide them with a way to grapple with difficult things. She said that children can deal with issues like bullying or even racial topics through listening to folktales.
“What I found in them is that the lessons that they hold are relevant whenever they’re told, or whatever generation is sharing them. And that’s the beauty of them,” she said.
Rignam Wangkhang, as the AI strategy and transformation leader at CBC/Radio-Canada, thinks that storytelling has transformed in the digital age to reflect the evolving technology.
“I think that you get a lot of great digital stories and there's different ways of telling stories,” he said. “Now that they are easily transferred to people through podcasts or audiobooks or even telling a story in an Instagram video.”
Wangkhang believes that stories continue to have an impact in the digital age. He thinks that podcasts and audiobooks are more modern ways of performing an ancient human art.
“I mean, stories are the best way to communicate and to share knowledge, especially with our kids,” he said. “That’s the way that we communicate our family history, our cultural history, how they kind of understand the world is through stories and storytelling.”
In a world of incessant scrolling and rapid updates, the enduring appeal of oral storytelling at Montgomery’s Inn was a refreshing reminder. It was a reminder that although technology may change the medium, the pleasure of gathering, sharing and listening to stories remains the same.
