By Emily Stonehouse

Stories.

That’s what Mary Trepanier gets from knitting.

Stories of grief, stories of pain, stories of warmth.

When she started the Knitting for Warmth program 23 years ago, she thought it would be a small side-program through her church, maybe with a few meetings a year to assemble blankets for the community.

But it quickly became a patchwork of personalities; a deep dive into the importance of warmth, in both a physical and metaphorical sense.

The idea stemmed from Trepanier’s niece, who, at the age of ten years old, came for a visit, and excitedly showed Trepanier the knitted square she had made at school. Her teacher had started a knitting club, and during recesses, she showed the children how to simply make a pastel-coloured square, which in the end was knitted together to form a blanket for a baby.

Many small pieces, all fitting together to create a big picture.

“I thought, ‘hey, that’s a pretty good idea,’” recalled Trepanier, who introduced the concept to her church in Minden, the Highlands Hills United Church. “I thought we could meet a couple times of year, but it very quickly grew.”

The premise is the same as the one Trepanier’s niece was putting into practice: many small pieces, all fitting together to create a big picture. 

Trepanier put a call out to the community; a need for squares. Nothing fancy, just simple eight inch by eight inch shapes in any colour, that can be patched together as a blanket for someone in need. “I thought the blankets would be the important part of the project,” said Trepanier. “And don’t get me wrong, they are so important, but it turns out that knitting together is the important part.”

Word spread around town for the need for squares. It was quickly noted that this was a perfect activity for individuals in long term care homes. “There’s a rhythm to knitting that calms you down,” said Trepanier, noting that she’s had stories from people whose parents are navigating dementia and Alzheimer’s, but the routine of knitting squares has offered a stability to their quality of life. “There’s so many people out there doing something for someone else, and that pushes them,” she said.

Trepanier continued to garner interest from folks donating squares for the blanket project, suddenly expanding beyond the boundaries of the Haliburton Highlands. “We had cottagers who became interested. They would knit all summer, then at the end of the summer, drop off a bag of squares on my porch.” They would then take the concept back to their own communities, and they jumped on the square train as well. There is one long term care home, St.Timothy’s, who sends in 800 squares every year, with 26 residents knitting regularly for the project.

In 23 years, Trepanier and her group of dedicated volunteers have completed 3000 blankets, which signifies the usage of 99,000 squares put together. The volunteers meet every Tuesday at the United Church, and sew the squares together. “I’m so grateful for the knitters and crocheters who send us the squares,” she said. “They’re the real heroes.”

And they truly are heroes, in many peoples stories. The finished blankets are donated to the Minden Community Food Centre, Children’s Aid, SIRCH, Point in Time, Ronald McDonald House, Haliburton Highlands Health Services, local fire departments, Hyland Crest, Extendicare, YWCA Women’s Shelter, A Place Called Home, and Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre to name a few.

And from the blankets, come the stories. “There was one girl who flew from Australia to Canada for an eye surgery at Sick Kids,” recalled Trepanier. “While the surgery wasn’t successful, when she left, she asked if she could bring her blanket with it. The bright colours allowed her to see it, and that was important to her.”

In a time where the cost of heating presents very real challenges, Trepanier noted the need has changed for community members. Blankets are becoming a sought-after prize, and the volunteers have begun to change the shapes and sizes of blankets to accommodate the need.

A blanket offers physical comfort, but it also represents the feeling of warmth, a hug, a sense of belonging. It’s so much more than just a blanket. It can be a home.

And that’s what it’s all about for Trepanier. The stories that go into the blankets, and the stories that come out of them. Many small pieces, all fitting together to create a big picture. “You just hear one story, and it’s all worthwhile,” said Trepanier.

The Knitting for Warmth volunteers gathered on March 25 to celebrate their 3000th blanket. They meet every Tuesday at the Highland Hills United Church on Newcastle Street in Minden from 1:30 to 3:30. All are welcome to join the sewing of the squares together, but if you are interested in making your own squares, Trepanier would be happy to accept any as well, or donations of yarn that is not being used. Trepanier can be reached at 705-286-5173.