HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-07-21, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016.
McNeil relocates landmark to north end shop
Bookends of an era
Above is a picture on the snowy day in the late 1970s when Don McNeil first raised his
landmark 1926 Ford Model T at his west end shop, and below was the car coming down just
a few years ago. The car has since been moved to McNeil's current location in the north end
of the village. (Photos submitted)
Continued from page 2
about eight years. Then it moved to
Clifford and Scone and still remains
in Clifford, but under a different club
function."
One day, McNeil said, a farmer
named Harry Gillis pulled a 1926
Ford Model T out of the bush and
brought it to the event. McNeil said
the car was in very rough condition
at the time and he anticipated that it
would be left at the show for scrap.
McNeil wanted to buy the car,
however, so he and friend Max Watt
split the cost of the car, paying $40
to Gillis for the privilege of owning
the car. One year later, McNeil saved
up and bought out Watt, owning the
car himself in the late 1970s.
After extensive repairs to the
vehicle— new fenders, a hood,
wheels and steering, to name a few
areas of need — McNeil said he
wanted to pull it in the Brussels
Santa Claus parade to advertise his
body shop.
After making its way through
several parades, the car became the
official landmark of McNeil's shop,
but it was an impractical one.
McNeil said he would have to push
the car out of the shop every
morning and then back into the shop
every night, even on days with heavy
snow. The task was becoming tough
on a day-to-day basis and he sought
to make a change.
It was in 1976 that McNeil and
several of his friends began digging
a large hole for a pole outside of the
shop, fitting the car's frame onto the
pole with a sign, support and lights.
With all the initial work complete,
McNeil and his crew needed cement
to set the pole. He called a company
in Listowel with whom he'd worked
looking for a favour, but little did he
know that his new across -the -street
neighbour, Louis Cardiff of Maitside
Orchard, was also in the market for
cement that day.
When the driver arrived, McNeil
directed him to his property and the
hole was filled. The driver then
headed for Maitside looking for
apples, where Cardiff asked him
where his cement was.
The driver headed back to
Teeswater for another load of
cement and McNeil paid for his own
cement. And both projects, at
McNeil Auto Body and Maitside
Orchard, went ahead that day.
Once the car was up, McNeil said
that tourists would often stop and
take pictures. The car even served as
the setting for the business's
Christmas card one year, he said,
with five employees climbing into
the car to take the picture.
The car also served another
purpose, McNeil said, which was to
be Brussels' biggest birdhouse for
decades. Over the years, robins,
sparrows and blackbirds all nested in
the car.
When it was time for the car to
come down from its Orchard Line
location, it was Cardiff who came
over and helped McNeil and his
crew bring it down off the pole.
The car then sat at McNeil's shop
north of town for over two years,
where he completed body work and
painting on the car before it was
again ready to see the light of day.
When the car was again ready for
the outdoors, McNeil called on
Jason Gulutzen and Kraemer
Concrete for help to erect the car at
its new home in the north end of
Brussels.
OFA looks to grow
Northern Ontario
By Mark Kunkel, Director
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Northern Ontario is one of
agriculture's biggest untapped
opportunities. Climate change,
improved land drainage, new crop
varieties and the use of innovative
technologies like precision
agriculture and row covers
are all leading to the rise of
productive farmland in northern
Ontario.
Generally considered the area
north of Lake Huron, northern
Ontario holds tremendous growth
potential for the agri-food sector.
The Ontario government recognized
the promise in this region with its
2011 Growth Plan for Northern
Ontario — a plan to guide decision
making until 2036.
Agri -food is one of 11 existing and
emerging priority economic sectors
identified in the growth plan and is
the focus of a new strategy to
develop an agriculture, aquaculture
and food processing sector strategy
for northern Ontario. Development
of this new sector would build the
capacity for greater agricultural
services and bring more
opportunities for value added
commodities. The northern strategy
also aligns with Premier Kathleen
Wynne's 2013 agri-food growth
challenge and her 2014 mandate
letter to the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
(OMAFRA) to explore opportunities
to develop agriculture in northern
Ontario.
Expanding agriculture,
aquaculture and food processing in
northern Ontario brings unique
opportunities for farmers to look for
Obituaries
EVELYN ROSETTA
McLENNAN
Evelyn McLennan, formerly of
Teeswater passed away at Huronlea
Home for the Aged, Brussels on
Tuesday, June 14, 2016. She was 95.
Evelyn was the beloved wife of
the late Stewart McLennan, who
predeceased her in 1995, and the
loving mother of Bruce and Janet
McLennan, Beamsville; Ruth and
Ronald Schefter, RR 4, Wingham
and Calvin and Dianne McLennan,
Waterdown. She was the mother-in-
law of Janie McLennan, Wingham
and the dear grandmother of Larry,
Rob, Heather, Shelley, Laura,
Jeremy, Melissa, Mary Rose,
Lauren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Evelyn was predeceased by her
parents Morrison and Rosia
(Merkley) Sharpin, her son Murray
in 2009, her sisters Jean Hopper,
Vera Nicholson and Marie Chittick.
Visitation was held at McBurney
Funeral Home, Wingham on Friday.
The funeral service was held at the
funeral chapel on Saturday, June 18.
Rev. Richard Hall officiated.
Interment was in Molesworth
Cemetery, Howick Township.
Memorial donations to Bluevale
United Church or the Wingham and
District Hospital Foundation would
be appreciated as expressions of
sympathy.
Online condolences may be left at
www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com
new, innovative approaches to food,
fibre and biofuel production. The
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
(OFA) recently submitted an
Environmental Bill of Rights
discussion paper on northern
expansion opportunities. The OFA
has long been a supporter of
expanding Ontario's agri-food sector
in northern Ontario.
The OFA will provide feedback on
the detailed strategy for northern
Ontario that the government is
expected to release later this year. A
strategy for northern Ontario has the
potential to benefit all OFA
members by strengthening our entire
industry and promoting economic
development in agriculture.
Ontario's biggest growth
opportunity is agriculture and our
sights are set on northern Ontario.
et! ed
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