Village Squire, 1980-11, Page 33UPDATE
Fall colour tour
at Bannockburn
Hikers on the annual fall colour tour of
the Bannockburn Conservation area .just
missed seeing a ruffled grouse drumming
on a hollow log.
The grouse disappeared just as hikers
wended their way through the 66 -acre
site near Varna, on the annual fall tour,
led by Ausable-Bayfield Conservation
Authority staff on Sunday, Oct. 5.
The hour-long hike introduced visitors
to some of the flora and fauna typical of
the area including wild cucumbers,
hanging from vines growing beside the
bridge over the Bannockburn River, the
touch -me plant, once used as an antidote
against poison ivy, and wild ginger
plants, with their sweet-smelling roots.
Steven Lane, community relations co-
ordinator with the authority, told hikers
early Huron County settlers once
sampled most of the plants to see if they
could be eaten, smoked or had medicinal
uses. He pointed out the small, white -
flowered daisy fleabane and told hikers
the pioneers discovered it would keep
fleas away when put in mattresses and
clothing.
John Small, another staff member, said
the old, rotting forest found in part of
Bannockburn Conservation Area is be-
coming increasingly rare in this part of
the province - the Hay Swamp near
Hensall is one of the few similar sites.
He told hikers two unusual birds found in
this part of the Bannockburn woods are
the barred owls and Pileated Wood-
peckers, both rare. The pileated wood-
pecker ,the size of a small crow, has a
black body, with red and white markings,
and the bird's bill is the size of a man's
finger.
Hikers were also introduced to some
other interesting facts about fauna in the
area. For example, the white baneberry,
known as doll's eyes to settlers, is deadly
poisonous to humans but not to all
animals.
The Solomon's Seal, another common
flower in the conservation area, was
named by settlers when they discovered a
mark resembling the ancient seal of King
Solomon was left on the stem when a leaf
was broken off the plant in the spring.
Each year the Ausable-Bayfield
Hikers braved the damp went ter to
discover the flora and luuna of the
Bannockburn Conservation Area.
[Photo by Gihbl
Conservation Authority holds two con-
ducted walks, spring and fall. through
Bannockburn. Visitors can follow the
trails themselves on the site, two miles
west and one mile north of Brucefteld.
Successful season
at Blyth Festival
This summer proved to be the most
successful season ever for the Blyth
Summer Festival. Attendance was ahead
of expectations, with over 20,000 people
visiting the Festival in its eight-week
season, compared to 21,000 theatregoers
who came to Blyth last year during the
10 -week season which included the
held -over run of The Death of the
Donnellys.
The play which proved most popular
with theatregoers was the thriller, I'll Be
Back For You Before Midnight, which
attracted an average attendance of 433
people. In two seasons at the theatre,
more than 11,000 people have seen Peter
Colley's suspense -filled play about a city
couple who move to the country.
The second most popular production of
the season was Gordon Pinsent's play
about a Newfoundland family, John and
The Missus.
Another successful part of the Festival
theatre was the new art gallery in the
Memorial Hall addition. Two shows were
featured in July and the art of Jack
McLaren in August. During the McLaren
show, on during the play The Life That
Jack Built, about Mr. McLaren's life, 13
paintings were sold. Proceeds from
commission on these sales will be used to
finance a children's art program in early
1981.
Heintzman's plant
has problems
Speculation in late October that
Heintzman and Co. Ltd. of Hanover,
Canada's oldest piano manufacturer, was
going out of business were premature.
"That has not been determined as of
yet," explained William Heintzman in a
phone interview." Our bankers did
approve a recommendation to review our
loan. That is known publicly and
the media gets ahold of it.
"There's no question the company is in
difficulty," he added. "We are in the
process of entering on-going meetings
with investors. But because there are so
many parties involved, it takes time. The
company is making a proposal to it's
creditors, and I'm optimistic the creditors
will accept it. It's like a dominoes game.
You have to see one creditor, and then
another, and it goes on."
The company, which was started in
1852 and has remained in the Heintzman
family since, is one of two Canadian -
owned firms producing pianos. The other
is the Quebec -based Lesage Company.
There are currently 10 employees at
Heintzman's Hanover operation, and
production there is limited to grand
pianos, according to the president.
"Hopefully things will turn around in
the weeks ahead." Mr. Heintzman added
a final decision would probably be made
in the first half of November.
VILLAGE SQUIRE/NOVEMBER 1980 PG. 31