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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-04-22, Page 5Wednesday, April 22, 2015 • Huron Expositor 5 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com letters to the editor Easter egg hunt proves memorable Dear editor, The Seaforth BIA and Agricultural Society made Easter an extra spe- cial, memorable day for many Seaforth and area families. Cameras were flashing as friends and family attempted to capture the moment, through a child's eyes, at the Seaforth Easter Egg Hunt. Laughter, excited voices, hee haws and lots of chatter filled the agri- plex hall and grounds. The event brought all ages from the surrounding communities together. A warm fuzzy feeling was felt and seen in every- one's faces as people reu- nited and shared hugs ,stories and a few laughs. The event was profi- ciently organized from the welcome print art sign at the door to the egg hunt grounds. The seasonal craft corner sparked the children's imagination and creativity. The smell of fresh grilled pancakes and maple syrup filled the air; drawing in a long line of hungry people for a reasonable price. Tod- dlers were drawn to the Bunny Bean Bag Carrot Toss. The hee haws of the donkey rang in young ears, drawing them to Papa George's Barnyard. The hands on experience of brushing and holding the animals; will be in school dairies in days to come. "George" -your variety of young goats, sheep and bunnies, your efforts building display pens with visible slats, and time in preparation does not go unnoticed . Thank you! The strider track was a hit as children lined up awaiting their turn. The boys ,in charge, main- tained a safe area, were eager to adjust seat heights according to leg length and made sure everyone got a fair turn. Good work boys. The egg hunt ran smoother and safer with the age divisions. Everyone went home with some treats in their basket. High Five to Bob the Bunny who was the Star Character of the day, attract- ing many photo ops and leg hugs. Thanks Bob. On behalf of the com- munity, thanks to both organizations for your genuine effort and ideas to make this a special event; available for all ages to enjoy over the Easter Weekend. Well done! Dublin event is great success Dear editor, What a great turn out in Dublin at the St. Patrick Good Friday meatless soup meal! It was great to see so many supporting such a wonder- ful cause. The Good Friday meat- less soup meal is our way as a Parish together to contribute to our communities. This year, the money raised is going to our local food banks. With our help, they are able to provide basic necessities to those who need it most. Thank you so much to those who Dianne Wood Seaforth contributed in any way to our Good Friday meatless soup meal -- whether it be by giving your time by helping set up and serv- ing our eager (and hun- gry!) parishioners, or through your kitchen skills by donating a pot of your favourite meatless soup, or by simply attend- ing and donating money to the food banks -- we could not do it without all of your support. Thank you! We look forward to having another great turn out next year! Frank Verberne Dublin Sir Gilbert Parker: 'Seated With the Mighty' Athe height ofhis opularity, Gilbert arker was voted the most famous Canadian after Prime Ministers Lau- rier and Tupper. His books were amongst the best sell- ers of the time; he enjoyed a success as a novelist and British Member of Parlia- ment Knighted by King Edward VII, Parker hob- nobbed with the rich and famous celebrities of the era. He also spent much of his childhood in Seaforth. Horatio Gilbert Parker was bom in Camden East, Ontario on November 23, 1862. He was the fifth child of Captain Joseph Parker, a retired Royal Artillery officer, and Samantha Jane Simmons, a descendant United Empire Loyalists. The Parker family grew to indude ten children three of whom died in infancy. In 1867, Captain Parker moved his growing family to Seaforth. He travelled the area selling medicines for a drug company. Gil- bert began his schooling in Seaforth and regularly attended St. Thomas' Anglican Church. While in Seaforth, the Parkers added another child, Lionel, to their growing ranks in 1868. Yet, selling drugs was not then a lucrative busi- ness in Huron County. By 1873, the Parkers moved back to eastern Ontario. Gilbert earned a teaching certificate in 1877 and taught in a series of one room schools. In January 1882, Gilbert taught at the Ontario Institute for the Blind in Belleville. In 1883, he went to divinity school at Trinity College in Toronto. While there, he gained a repu- tation as an excellent elo- cution teacher. His story telling ability made him think beyond the pulpit to the wider world. He abandoned the Huron History David Yates ministry and his fiance, Florence Bleasdale, in 1886 for a round the world jour- ney that lasted four years. Parker financed his trip by writing travel articles and giving 'dramatic' lec- tures describing the exotic lands that he visited. His adventure writings on his journey through the United States, Hawaii, Australia, Tonga, Ceylon and Egypt proved very popular with readers. When he arrived in London, England in 1890, his fame as a practised writer, skilled speaker and astute political observer preceded him. Parker found his greatest success as an author and states- man in the British Isles. Throughout the 1890's, Parker wrote a series of popular historical novels that introduced Canada to a wider audience in Britain and America. Although his understanding of the Canadianwest and French Canadians were limited to a single rail trip on the prai- ries and a fewvisits to Montreal and Quebec City, he earned literary, if not critical acclaim, for his character 'Pretty Pierre' His novel 'Seated With the Mighty' (1896) about the 1759 Conquest of Quebec became a stage production in London and New York. At one time, in the 1890's, Parker had three best-selling novels in print. 'Seated with the Mighty' sold over 100 000 copies alone. Parker's lecture tours made him a celebrity on both sides of the Atlantic and gave him access to the most exclusive social and literary circles. In 1895, he married NewYorkheiress, Amy Vantine. At the exclusive Manhattan wedding reception, guests included steel magnate Andrew Camegie and future 'Dracula' author Bram Stoker. Parker's marriage added social distinction to his literary fame. The couple made their home in London. As a well-known author and ardent Imperialist, Parker ran as Conserva- tive and won a seat in the British House of Commons in 1900. Parker befriended the young Winston Church- ill also elected that year. Parker, as President of the South African Associ- ation, was an articulate spokesman for the Brit- ish effort in the Boer War. His efforts in bolstering support for the war in the United States earned him the undying gratitude of the British government. According to John Adams, Parker's biogra- pher, in 'Seated with the Mighty' (1979), Parker as the most famous Cana- dian champion of Impe- rialism and a 'literary lion' was knighted by King Edward VII in 1902. Despite his Conserva- tive affiliation, Parker developed a fawning devotion to Liberal Prime Minister Sir Wil- frid Laurier. In a gushing tribute, he dedicated his book 'The Lane that had No Turning' (1899) to the Prime Minister. No doubt, Parker had a genuine affection for Laurier but Parker's adu- lation was, in part, due to his longing to become Canada's High Commis- sioner in Britain. A position held by Lord Strathcona who despised Parker's naked ambition and refused to yield the High Commissioner's post for some novelist. Sir Gilbert's `crowning achievement' was as the chief British propagandist in America during the Great War. American neu- tralitywas a major con- cern for the British gov- ernment. overnment. Parker was sent to the United States to do some 'publicity' work to prepare the public for war. Parker's subtle propa- ganda techniques were brilliant. He used his contacts with prominent Americans made through his wife's family to send personalized let- ters with propaganda material to high-ranking U.S. citizens, politicians, and newspapers. By the time America entered the war in April 1917, he had a mailing list of 260 000 house- holds. Parker's role in shaping public opinion was crucial to America's entry into the war. American author and socialist, Upton Sinclair, gave Parker a back handed compliment when he said that he was 'one of the 110 million suckers who swallowed the hook of British official propaganda, conducted by an eminent bourgeois novelist, Gilbert Parket' When the U.S. entered the war, Parker's mission was accomplished. He returned to England in 1917. In February 1918, in ill -health forced Parker to resign his seat in the House of Commons. Throughout Parker's 18 years in parliament, his literary work declined in popularity. Parker never won criti- cal acclaim but as long as his books sold well it did not matter.