THUNDER BAY – Millions of children have had the pleasure of reading about young Lucy’s journey into Narnia in C.S. Lewis’s children’s classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Dozens of Thunder Bay children joined in a less common experience over the weekend, as they had the chance to follow the beloved character’s footsteps first-hand.
That bit of holiday magic came thanks to Through the Wardrobe, a free family event held at the Urban Abbey on Saturday. Over 200 people attended throughout the afternoon. Children could spar with toy swords and shields, in the style of High King Peter, or try their hand at archery like Queen Susan. Crafts, pictures with Santa, and a Narnia-themed fashion show were also on offer.
The event’s centerpiece was a short, immersive play by local playwright Marianne Jones. Audience members followed Lucy on her first journey through the wardrobe into Narnia, meeting favourites Mr. Tumnus and Mrs. Beaver, and concluding with a holiday feast with Father Christmas.
Urban Abbey pastor Ian Roulston, who organized the event, is no stranger to the Narnia books, or their author. A native of Ireland, he grew up around the corner from Lewis’s childhood home. He’s a big fan, and even got a job leading tours of C.S. Lewis landmarks as a university student in Belfast.
Upwards of 25 volunteers contributed to make the event a reality. Roulston says it was one way the organization is seeking to reach out to those in the area.
“Part of our hope [with the event] is to engage our neighbourhood,” he explains. “We want to provide a safe space for people of all stripes and stations in life. The fact that we can put on great family events like this, I think, is a testament to the community that can be built in the Port Arthur area.”
More than 70 years after the first Narnia book was published, Roulston chalks up the series’ enduring popularity to its message of hope against the odds.
“You have Lucy, this young girl, who by all accounts you’d say, ‘what’s a child going to do?’ But she embarks on this epic journey and changes the whole country for the better. There are all these times where she brings hope to people.”
Roulston says he hopes to run the event again next year, though he may choose another Christmas story as inspiration.
