The Canadian Peace Museum in Bancroft held its first event at its new location this weekend, in the form of a book launch.
Twas a Sunny Day, written by local journalist Nathan Smelle, tells the story of local artist Arne Roosman, from his early childhood in Estonia to his school years in Germany during the Second World War, to his quiet life in rural Ontario.
Smelle said he had the idea to create the book when he was interviewing Roosman for local news stories, and a standard 30-minute interview would turn into four or five hours.
“No conversations with Arne are ever just ordinary,” Smelle said.
He said the book traces connections between Roosman’s personal story and the major headlines we see in the world today. The book explores themes like fascism and Roosman’s experience throughout his life of always feeling like a foreigner.
“Arne had told me before that he had grown up in Germany during World War II, but I never really thought that he immigrated there,” Smelle said.
“The family actually went into Germany at the start of the war to escape the Russians. As we talked about this, as a Canadian citizen born and raised, I learned the perspective of a foreigner.”
Smelle said this notion is prevalent in the world today during a time of mass migrations all over the world, of people seeking peace. He added that’s why he thought the venue of the peace museum was so fitting.
Roosman’s daughter, Rebecca Roosman-Mackay, currently lives in Scotland but was able to make the trip back to Bancroft and attend the launch. She read aloud one of the passages from the book about her childhood in rural Ontario.
“I’m so proud of him. I’ve heard a lot of these stories when I was growing up, and in some ways you just take them for granted. You never really think about, you know, they should go into a family chronicle at least,” Roosman-Mackay said.
She said she remembers her father was always writing things down, like his observations of nature.
“When he said he was doing this with Nate, I thought this is going to be something very, very special,” she said.
She said as more and more generations pass between the early 20th century and the present, the more risk there is that people start to forget and become less vigilant.
Smelle said we are in an age of immense and fast change, with the onset of AI and other developments.
“We’re digging into the current moment, by looking back at the past,” he said.
Smelle said the most rewarding part of making the book was just getting to know Roosman.
“Anyone who knows him knows how inspiring he is. Without even talking to him, looking at his art, it inspires you,” he said.
Smelle wrote the book’s narrative, but it also features poetry and artwork done by Roosman. The book’s title refers to how, even on the darkest days, Roosman was always finding the light.
Smelle added that a second project is also in the works, focused less on politics and more on the environment.
Twas a Sunny Day is available for pre-order by emailing studiodreamsharepress@gmail.com. The books are expected to be delivered to Bancroft the week of Dec. 15.
