HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1978-03-15, Page 1rq't \qNs
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ROY WILSON KENNEDY
-107th 'Year — ISSUE No. 11
BRUSSELS
ONTARIO
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1978
It's maple syrup time
Sap's running!!
CHEOKING FOR LEAKS — Mrs. Ted Robinson checks for it leaks in the hose leading
from the maple tree to the sugai-ing house. All lines connect to a main pipe drawn
by a vacduurn pump. lh January and FebrUaryi ,the trees are drilled and connected
in preparation for the spring Weather, More photos inside • ' (Staff photo)
Longtime 'Post publisher dies
March 9, 1978 marked -30- to
the life of the long-time publisher
of the Brussels Post, Roy W.
Kennedy who died in Wingham.
and District Hospital on that date
in his 71st year, after a lengthy
illness.
Born in Brantford, Ontario, on
February 13, 1908, he was the son
of the late Grace and Arthur
Kennedy. He completed -his
education at Ryerson Technical
School, London, and served his
apprenticeship in printing at the
Stratford Beacon. Herald.
Mr. Kennedy became the
publisher of the Brussels Post in
No conclusion as
1932 when he purchased the
business from the estate of the
late J. L, Kerr. While in good
health, he was active in municipal
affairs having served on the
Village Council from 'January
1945 to December .1951 and
January 1969 to December 1974;
and as a member of the Brussels
School Board at the time the new
school was built. He was a
Charter Member of the Brussels
Lions. Club and a member of
"Western Star Lodge #149
1.0.0,F.
When it became impossible to
continue in business because of
ill-health, the Brussels. Post was
sold to McLean Bros. Publishers
of Seaforth in January of 1972.
Family members ,who will
always love and remember him
are his wife, the former Evelyn
Chapman; two sons, Robert 'of
Ottawa, David of Mississauga;
daughters-in-law, Barbara (Mrs.
Robert Kennedy) and Louise
(Mrs. David Kennedy); seven
grandchildren; two brothers,
Hugh of Toronto and Donald of
Elora.
He was predeceased by one
brother,, Captain Frank Kennedy
who was killed in action in Italy,
World War 2.
Funeral service was held at the
M. L. Watts Funeral Home,
BruSsels on Saturday, March 11,
at 2;00 p.m. The. Reverend D.
Sargent of St. John's Anglican
'Church officiated, A Western Star
1.0.0.F, Memorial Service was
conducted at the Funeral Home
on. Friday evening. Committal
service took place . at Brussels
Cemetery Chapel.
Pallbearers were: his
grandson, Robert Kennedy of
Ottawa, A. Y.- McLean of
Seaforth, James Jamieson of
Kitchener and. Ralph Pearson,
Kenneth Sholdice and John
McCutcheon all of Brussels.
Flower bearers were: six of Mr.
Kennedy's grandchildren:
Janice, Deanna, Andrew, Michel,
Mark and Adrian Kennedy.
Brussels, Morris
and Grey talk
fire protection
ESTABLISHED
1872
Brussels Post
With the • advent of spring
weather, the first sign of nature to
record the' change is the trees.
When the sap, starts to run down
the trees it is time to get ready for
maple syrup.
The sugar bushes in the- area
are tapped and ready for the
collecting and boiling down of the
pure liquid.
At Robinson's Sugar Bush at
(By Debbie Ranney)
The councils of BinsSels and
Morris and Grey Townships met
in the Brussels arena Wednesday
night to • discuss fire protection
arrangements.
Morris Township is, satisfied
with their presentarrangement of
having Blyth and Wingharn fire
departments cover their fires and
having Brussels covering for fires
in the township in • the close
vicinity of Brussels. Morris just
wanted their present fire
agreement updated.
Grey was also anxious to get its
agreement with Brussels
updated. Brussels is now going to
cover fires in Graham's Survey
and out to the sales barn in Grey.
They will also be covering build-
ings in approximately the firSt
mile and .a quarter north ' of
Brussels. All fire calls in Grey
Township will come into Grey
Township and then the Grey Fire
Department will contact Brussels
if they. need their assistance.
Reeve of Grey, Roy William-
son, said he left the rest of the
area which is to be covered by
Brussels -up. to the Grey Fire
Departnient.
The Grey fire department will
also be going to fight fires in
Brussels if needed. The two
councils are also going to come up
with some agreement regarding
the use of BrusselS water to fight
fires in summer when it -is dry or
in winter when the snowbanks are
too high.
The councils also discussed
what percentage of the deficit the
townships. and Brussels could pay
if the Brussels arena had an
operating deficit. Morris council
said they would like to see how
many people'from Morris use the
Brussels:arena first. Grey Town-
ship said they would agree to sit
down and negotiate .something
but nothing was settled at
Wednesday night's meeting.
R.R. 1, Belgrave, a half mile
south of St. Augustine the old
system of 'carrying the sap in pails
from the trees to the fire is long
past.
In January and February the
trees are tapped and connected
with a 'series of plastic hoses to
the sugar shed where the sap
collects and is boiled down to
make the sweet maple ,syrup.
To prevent bacteria From
closing the hole in the tree before
the sap runs, a formeldahyde
tablet is inserted. When the
temperature rises and the sap
starts to run the tablet will
dissolve and allow the sap access
to the 'hose.
To avoid using gravity to draw
the sap away to the shed, a
vaccuum pump with 27 pounds
pressure is used.
At Robinson's the sap is
collected from the three lines in
the bush to a 25 _gallon tank.
When the tank is filled, it is
pumped into a 10,000 gallon,
storage tank outside the sugar
shed.
The procedure for boiling down
the sap' is modified every year for
efficiency. 'The sap is first boiled
down in an evaporator tank. But
the Robinsons noted the vast
amounts of steam_ being let off
from the tank and decided to use
it.
Now, the sap first runs through
pipes above the steam and is
heated up to 190 deg. Thus less
heat is needed to bring the sap up
to boiling temperature when it's
emptied into the first evaporator.
The preliminary tank is fueled.
by oil and last year the Robinsons
used 1,000 gallons.
The sap is then finished in a
wood fired evaporator and when
finishesl, it has 66% sugar
Content.
A new addition to the sugaring
operation is a propane fired
evaporator tank that will be used
this year to finish. off the syrup.
Filtered
!Nee the, sap,,iSboiled down rto
the right consistency it is then
--filtered through two filters, one
paper and one orlon for a cleaner
syrup. •
Maple syrup is graded as to
colour. Grade oneconsists of three
colors from a light golden to two
shades darker. To get the 'golden
shade, the heat must be kept even
. and the equipment and area
spotlessly clean. Grade two syrup
is darker and is used primaOlv for
cooking.
Sap stored outside in the
storage tank will last only two
days in warm weather before it
starts to sour and has to be
dumped out. Therefore as soon as
the sap starts to run, it must be
boiled right away to prevent
spoilage.
Metric Has Hit ,
Even metric conversion has hit
the syrup industry, and next year
we will be able, to buy a litre of
syrup.
From maple syrup you can get
maple butter, a thick creamy
spread that's delicious on toast,
and maple candy which melts in
your mouth.
The maple syrup industry falls
under the•Ministry of Agriculture
and Food, which sets the sugar
content standards. They also
provide a scale for people in order
that -they might be able to grade
their syrup according to the
standards set.
The maple syrup Season may
last two weeks ,or it may last a
month. It all depends on Mother
Nature, or an enjoyable trip, slip
out to a local sugar bush and view
the' sugaring off of one of
Canada's greatest: delicacies.
_ - Short Sh ts'
by Evelyn Kennedy
will appear next wee