HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-05-26, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2011.
Local honoured with Huron Culture Award
Airstream Club makes its annual trip to Blyth
A piece of history
A Bowlus trailer, the predecessor of the Airstream trailer, made a rare appearance in Blyth last
weekend as the Wally Byam Caravan Club International Airstream Ontario Canada Unit made
its annual pilgrimage to the Blyth Campground for the Victoria Day long weekend. One of the
event’s main attractions was this Bowlus, nearly 100 years old, that was open for patrons to
take a look around. The Bowlus is pictured here, with its owner John Long. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Presentations and rousing
performances by the Blyth Festival,
Bach Music Festival of Canada and
the Bayfield Festival of Song, along
with samples of the new play
development about St. Joseph’s
visionary Narcisse Cantin, were all
part of the celebration on Saturday,
May 14 of the second annual Huron
Arts and Heritage Network Cultural
Awards at the historic Bayfield Town
Hall.
With the five winners announced,
the Huron Arts and Heritage
Network recognized the importance
of culture and heritage activities
with the presentation of the annual
Culture Awards.
The Huron Cultural Awards are
presented in five categories: Cultural
Event or Organization, Individual
Artist and new this year, Youth Artist
Under 20, Community Contribution
by a volunteer, patron and supporter
and Heritage Individual or
Organization. There were 19
nominations received, representing
all regions of the county.
Nominees for the Cultural
Event/Organization award
recognizing the cultural event,
organization, festival or business that
contributed to the enhancement and
vitality of the County’s cultural
sector were Bayfield Concert Series
with Peter Meades co-ordinating;
Bach Music Festival of Canada;
Blyth Festival Gallery at the Blyth
Centre for the Arts; Bayfield Festival
of Song – The Aldeburgh
Connection and Goderich Co-op
Gallery.
Cindy Fisher presented the award
to the Bayfield Festival of Song –
The Aldeburgh Connection. Stephen
Ralls and Bruce Ubukata, directors
of the Festival accepted the award.
During 2010 the Festival of Song
expanded the number of
performances and created a program
of presentations for public schools
throughout the county.
Individual Artist nominees, who
through their work have contributed
to Huron County’s reputation as a
producer of artistic excellence, were
Greg Sherwood, a skilled artist as
well as passionate arts educator;
Elizabeth Van den Broeck, a gallery
owner for more than 20 years in
Goderich as well as a visual artist;
Janet Heerema, well-regarded choir
director and musical director from
Exeter.
Huron County Warden Neil
Vincent presented the Individual
Artist award to Elizabeth Van den
Broeck. Elizabeth is well-known
throughout Huron County through
her art gallery, Elizabeth’s in
Goderich and her paintings and
photographs of local landscapes.
Vincent also presented the first
Youth Artist award to South Huron
District High School student
Mathias Memmel. Memmel, a
talented musician, was recognized
for the many community and
school projects he is actively
involved in that promote music
programming and make a positive
contribution to the local comm-
unity.
The nominees for the Community
Contribution award recognizing a
volunteer, patron or supporter whose
effort and dedication has
significantly impacted the cultural
community of Huron County were
Dave and Kathy Armour, passionate
theatre directors, writers and
producers; Ron and Bev Walker,
founding members of the Bainton
Gallery at the Blyth Centre for the
Arts as well as visual artists and
Rhea Hamilton-Seeger, local
historian, writer and editor as well as
Blyth Festival Art Gallery member
and volunteer on a variety of other
activities.
Eric Coates, Artistic Director of
the Blyth Festival gave this award to
Rhea Hamilton-Seeger
acknowledging her enthusiastic
support and promotion of heritage
and culture in Huron County.
The nominees for the Heritage
Individual/Organization award
recognizing the individual or group
that actively promotes and/or
preserves Huron County’s unique
heritage were St. Joseph and Area
Historical society; Joanne Bowen
from South Huron; Barn Dance
Historical Society and
Entertainment Museum; Huron
Country Playhouse Guild; Glen
Gardiner, a Goderich-based
collector; Judy Keightly, historian
and playwright from Bayfield and
Reg Thompson, Librarian and
research service provider, based at
the Goderich Library.
David Armstrong, president of the
Huron County Historical society
welcomed Joanne Bowen to the
stage to accept her award
acknowledging her many years
working to build awareness for the
importance of preserving the history
and heritage of the communities in
her area.
Each winner received a framed
award and creations by award-
winning potter Robert Tetu,
Beechwood Pottery, last year’s
Individual Artist winner.
The evening was the culmination
of the Huron Arts and Heritage
Network’s desire to see culture and
heritage recognized in Huron
County. The work and excellence of
the cultural sector in the county
makes a vital contribution to
the quality of life for residents
and animates the visitors’
experiences. All of the nominees
work hard to promote and
present culture and preserve and
promote heritage in their
communities and the county. At the
end of the day, all are winners
because of their work, their passion
and commitment.
The Wally Byam Caravan Club
International (WBCCI) Airstream
Ontario Canada Unit has made its
annual trip back to Blyth and they’re
setting a precedent.
The group, which consists of
Airstream owners from across
Ontario, welcomed members and
guests from Michigan to the Blyth
Campground over the long weekend
to meet, induct new members and
run a Caravan Leadership course in
the Blyth Community Centre.
An entire culture has developed
around Airstream trailers because of
the vision of company founder
Wally Byam.
Byam wanted to create a trailer
that was unique, according to co-
host Ken Shand of Goderich, and he
succeeded in doing so. The trailers
are sturdy and offer a comfortable
towing experience.
“I’ve pulled other trailers, things
like Shamrocks that were built in
Windsor, and it feels like you’re
hauling a tank,” he said. “With the
aerodynamics of the Airstream, I
can get on [Highway] 402 and forget
it’s there.”
The Ontario group is the third-
largest chapter of the WBCCI with
171 members, of which more than70 were expected to show up for theweekend.
The group held one of its
executive meetings, reviewed a new
club constitution, inducted new
members and became the first group
to run a Caravan Leadership course
outside of an international meeting
of the WBCCI.
The spring rally is one of four
major events for the group, which
gets together for a fall rally and has
two rendezvous, one in the spring
and one in the summer.
As another special attraction, the
group welcomed a Bowlus trailer to
the campgrounds – a predecessor to
the Airstream.
Bowlus was bought by Wally
Byam and turned into the Airstream
company more than 70 years ago.
Caravans like the Ontario unit are
a means of advertising for the
Airstream company, and were
originally conceived by Byam,
according to co-host and
Wagonmaster Tom Cada.
“[Byam] thought that by having
these caravans going worldwide
they would sell more trailers,” he
said. “They have caravans that run in
Alaska, Newfoundland, Mexico and
throughout the United States and
used to have them in Africa.”
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