Guelph Mercury - Wednesday, July 7, 2004 http://www.guelphmercury.com/index.html Island's descendants gathering in Guelph GUELPH (Jul 7, 2004) Two years from now descendants of a tiny island off the west coast of Scotland will return to their roots --but not before they meet for the first time in Guelph. In just two weeks hundreds of people from around the world who can trace their roots to the Isle of Tiree will descend upon the Royal City to celebrate their heritage. "This is one of the very few descendent gatherings in the world," said Scott Cameron, who began organizing Guelph's Tiree Gathering about 18 months ago. It is believed to be the first time anyone has attempted to unite descendants of the island's original inhabitants, who were forced to emigrate more than 150 years ago because of famine. The Guelph gathering is expected to draw 200 to 300 people, including eight of the island's approximately 750 residents. The island is also planning its own gathering for 2006, and will be looking to Guelph for ideas. "Guelph was one of the jumping off points for a lot of immigrants in the 1800s," Cameron said, explaining the connection. While they originally came into Canada through Quebec, they made their way to Guelph and eventually settled in the counties of Bruce and Grey, in areas like Kincardine and Southampton. Archie MacKinnon is one of a handful of Tiree descendants living in Guelph. He and his wife Gene made their first trip to the island in 1955. Pride in his heritage is evidenced by the personalized licence plate on MacKinnon's van. It reads Tyree, reflecting the island's original spelling. MacKinnon said he is excited by the prospect of connecting with people who share a similar past. Once he started researching his roots he was hooked. The internet has allowed Tiree descendants from around the world to connect."It isn't just a heritage, it's something of a disease," he said with a laugh. The Guelph gathering takes place July 23 to 25 with a number of events at various locations. There are evening ceilidhs, workshops, presentations and a chance to meet other descendants. For more information visit www.tireegathering.com