Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1997-12-03, Page 44 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, Downylo +w 3, 1997 1511011 _�t I t 527-0210 Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 TERRI-LYNN DALE - General Manager & Advertising Manager LARRY DALRYMPLE - Sales PAT ARMES • Office Manager DIANNE McGRATH - Subscriptions & Classifieds JACKIE FITTON - Editor GREGOR CAMPBELL - Reporter BARB STOREY • distribution A Bowes Publishers Community Newspaper SUBSCRIPTION RATE. LOCAL 32 50 a year, in advance, plus 2.28 G S T SENIORS. - 30 00 o year, in advance, plus 2 10 G S T USA d. Foreign. 28 44 o year in advance, plus $78.00 postage, G S t exempt SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Published weekly by Signal -Star Publishing at 100 Main St., Seaforth Publication mail registration No 0696 held at Seofarth, Ontario Advertising is accepted on condition that ,n the event of o typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rote In the event of o typographical error, advertising goods or services at o wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos Of other materials used for reproduction purposes. Changes of address, orders for subscriptions and undeliv- erable copies ore to be sent to The Huron Expositor Wednesday, December 3, 1997 Editorial and Business Offices • 100 Main Street.,Seaforth Telephone )519) 527-0240 Fax )519) 527-2858 Mailing Address • P.O. Box 69, Seaforth, Ontario, NOK TWO Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association, Ontario Community Newspapers Association and the Ontario Press Council Publication Mail Registration No. 07605 Letters to the Editor Logan pens are running dry Dear Editor: It's November and all pens in Logan arc running dry! At least we hope so! Everyone is assembling their history for our Logan Township history hook. Again. as time is approach- ing (31st January 1998) we hope you. who have .had ownership past or present in this special township will be sure to write your piece" about your lot. Present lot owners arc important but also former owners arc important to appear with present owner How else would it be com- pleted'? Let us also expose as many names as possible of former residents. The lot without its residents would be lifeless! Think of a special event and write some immortal words that will hold your place in the history of Logan forever. Write something about those dear ones whose family names no longer occur on our rolls. They deserve a place of honor. If you are or were a new Canadian at one time, tell us about your life now 'and before you came to he ,a part of Logan Twp. Small details are as interest- ing as large ones, so please inform us of your beginning years. Pictures are welcomed and these of course, will he returned. Or is it you would' rather tell us in person. just give us a call and we'll get in touch with you. If you are having problems or questions about your infor- mation kit. please call the co- ordinator that delivered the kit to you. He/she will he more than willing to help you out. Or if your kit is com- plete, call your co-ordinator to have it picked up. Remember you are our source. With the co-operation of everyone. this Logan History Book is sure to be a success. Thanks again! Barbara Scherbath History Book Chairperson R.R. 1. Bornholm, On. NOK IAO 519-345-2298 Things come together in remarkable ways For this one you will have to pay attention - it shows the remarkable way some things come together...and you may not believe it. First, let me tell you about Mrs. Roberts. She was our babysitter all through the '50s and '60s. She and her husband came from England after the war. They lived in Scarborough in a town house on a side street off Warden Avenue near Lawrence. She came every Thursday night and Virginia and 1 went to the movies. The two story town house complex was L-shaped and went around the corner where the other section was on Warden Avenue. Her daughter lived in a similar house around the corner - her front door was just a few feet from the street. Her daughter was married to a truck driver who drank a lot and at times was quite abusive. Over the years this resulted in a lot of arguing and fighting. They had two beautiful young daughters and sometimes Mrs. Roberts would bring them to play with our kids when she came to habysit. 1 sometimes felt she wanted to get them away from the constant arguments and fighting of their parents. One day everything changed. Mrs. Roberts ron- in -law stopped drinking and became a model husband and father. In fact he joined the church about a half mile fur- ther north that was on Warden Avenue. It was little short of a miracle. Charlie Evans became a model hus- hand and father. One of the Toronto papers did a story on "The truck driver who carries a bible in his cab." Somehow peace came to the townhouse on Warden Avenue. Now. put Mrs. Roberts and her family in the hack of your mind while I add another dimension to the story...and it's all true. In the early 1960s I was involved in setting up the Ontario government offices in Dusseldorf and Milan. While there I met a Dr. Gastone D'Arin who was cabinet secretary in the regional government for the area around Genoa. We became good friends and in the mid-1960s Virginia and I visited with him. He was very active in scouting. in fact he held a position in the International Boy Scout Association and was part of a Guest Column by Clare Westcott group around the world whose unique hobby was col- lecting stamps...but only stamps that featured scouting. In 1976 he sent a telegram asking if I could arrange to have a display put together of all the Canadian stamps issued that featured boy scouts. He wanted it sent to Genoa for an international meeting of the "Scouts on Stamps" organization who were meeting for a week later that year in Genoa. He con- tacted me because the post office in Ottawa refused to help. I called C.O. Bick, chair- man of the Metro Toronto Board of Commissioners of Police. Bob Bick was a friend from thc 1950s. In the early days of the formation of Metro Toronto when he was picked to head up the police by Premier Frost. I sought his advice for he was as well president of the Boy Scouts of Canada. Bob referred me to the owner of an insurance agency in Don Mills who was a "Scouts on Stamps" collector. His name was Paul Varley and he not only had a com- plete sct of all the Canadian scouting stamps...he said I would borrow them to send to Genoa - as long as they were shipped with.care and were insured. He delivered them to my office where gov- ernment services people care- fully packed them and arranged to air express them to Genoa. Paul Varley was a pleasant and affable young man who had taken over his father's general insurance business. He was married with a couple of children. When he 75 years ago Coulter's carrot was a dilly in Egmondville DECEMBER 10, 1897 •McKILLOP - Farm Sold - Mr. John M. Govenlock has sold his farm on thc 13th concession of McKillop to Mr. Thomas Ryan. son of Mr. P. Ryan. The farm contains 75 acres; has on it a good, new brick house and good out -buildings and was sold for $4,200. Mr. Govenlock intends moving back to his father's farm near Seaforth and work it in future. KIPPEN - Bull Sold - Mr. John McNevin. of this place has sold to William McAllister. of the Parr Line. Stanley, his well known thor- oughbred Shorthorn bull. "Sailor Lad." This bull was from Mr. D.D. Wilson's imported stock. is three years old and is one of thc best stock hulls in the county. Mr. McAllister is going into the breeding of Shorthorn cattle and if he is as successful in that line as he has been with Berkshire pigs he will have no fault to find with his suc- cess. DECEMBER 1, 1922 The Biggest of Them All - Several times this fall we have made mention of record sirs carrots grown by sub- scribers. but Mr. Thomas Coulter. of Egmondville, has thc measure of them all. Last week he brought into The Expositor Office one of his own growing that measure 14 and a half inches long. was 4 inches thick. and weighed 4 and a half pounds. That one will keep the local growers busy for a while. Jack Miner Coming - Jack Miner. the eminent hunter In the Years Agone and naturalist, whose bird sanctuary at Kingsville is known throughout the North American Continent, and whose lectures and motion pictures of wild bird life are unequalled, will be at the Strand Theatre on Wednesday evening, December 13th. This is an opportunity to be envied by any town, and the people of Seaforth and vicinity should not fail to take full advantage of it. as the evening will not only be one of the most prof- itable but the most pleasant of a life time. The lecture will be under the auspices of the Seaforth Boy Scouts. DECEMBER 12, 1947 Seaforth firemen, under Chief Allan Reid. held a dress rehearsal Wednesday afternoon. using thc new 57.500 truck and pumper. which had been delivered that morning. Instructed by factory representatives. thc firemen held demonstrations near thc former recreation grounds. South Main STreet, at the Hesky Flax Products plant. Market and Jarvis Streets, and at thc Seaforth Lions Park. where water was pumped from Silver Creek. Thc equipment, which weights over seven tons empty, carries a 400 -gallon water tank, 54 feet of ladders, 350 feet of hose, and neces- sary nozzles. It is mounted on a three -ton chassis. eee Seaforth in one day's racing wagered 5130. while during the 329 days' horse racing in Canada at 36 meetings in 1947, a total of $48,519, 909 was wagered. a decrease of $147,835 from the amount wagered at 305 days' racing at 33 meetings in 1946 Prize money paid in 1947 totalled , $2,323,675, an increase of 5508.585 over 1946. figures released by the Supervisor of Betting for the Dominion Department of Agriculture reveal. For the sake of comparison 518,841.284 was wagered at Toronto, while Mitchell. with a one -day meet. wagered 568. Seaforth was free from epi- demics in 1947. Medical Officer of Health Dr. P.L. Brady told council Monday evening. as he presented his annual report. While there were believed to have been 52 cases of mumps. this was not considered as being of major significance, he said. One case of poliomyelitis was reported from Seaforth, but this was a non-resident. Suggesting that both the gen- eral public and medical pro- fession were lax in reporting communicable diseases as required by the Act. Dr. Brady told council the Board of Health proposed next year to institute a return card sys- tem. During the year under review. 177 infants were born in Seaforth, 55 of which were to Seaforth residents; 24 deaths occurred, 24 of which were residents. No deaths were reported arising from infectious disease; 18 were attributed to heart, 13 to stroke, three to cancer, and two were the result of acci- dent. DECEMBER 14, 1972 Seaforth council at their regular December meeting Monday night, learned that building permits totalling 5441,000 had been issued during the past year. John F. Scott, building inspector for Seaforth stated a total of 43 permits had been issued. Four were for signs. seven for new houses and two for additions .to the Seaforth Creamery and Gay Lea. "thirteen women graduated as Certified Visiting Homemakers Thursday at a ceremony held at Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology. Huron Centre, Vanastra. Three graduates were from Seaforth -- Mrs. Peter Malcolm, Mrs. Michael Williams and Mrs. Donald Hoffman. ' The instructor for the course, Mrs. Gordon McKenzie of Seaforth. pre- sented each graduate with a pin and Mr. Ross Milton Administrator, Clinton Centre. Conestoga College, presented the diplomas. Mrs. Betty Cardno. of Seaforth. Supervisor -director of the Home Care Program for Huron, was the guest speaker. responded to my letter of thanks for letting us borrow his stamps he signed the let- ter, "Yours in Christ" and enclosed a couple of religious pamphlets. The stamp collection was eventually returned to him in good order and it was a while before I saw him again. He called some months later and said he would be corning in to see me - and he did. He was leaving the insurance business and moving to Africa with his wife and chil- dren...to become a mission- ary. For the next couple of years we kept in touch by letter. I was able to be a bit helpful in sending him Ontario pins and a Canadian flag and a few cassette tapes of songs he Wanted to teach the children in the native village where his mission was located. He came home for a few months when his wife became ill and dropped in to my office. But soon he was back in Africa. It was quite a while before we met again...but one day he walked into my Queen's Park office with a friend whom he introduced as Pastor John Willson, a fellow evangelical minister. Paul had become a pastor and decided to stay in Canada...in fact he had already been preaching in the Toronto area for some months. Pastor Wilson's church was on Warden Avenue in Scarborough, on the east side just south of El Iesmere. When he mentioned the church I told him I knew it well for I had lived in that area since 1954. In fact I told him that our babysitter's daughter and her husband and their two children attend- ed that church. I went on to tell them what Mrs. Roberts had told Virginia and I about the miracle that saved the marriage of her daughter, Mrs. Evans. How all of a sudden he stopped drinking and fighting and became a loving and considerate hus- band and father. Paul look at Pastor Evans and smiled and said... "You mean Charlie Evans, the truck driver who carries a bible at his side in the cab." I'm sure I look surprised that we both knew of the same man. Paul looked at his friend again and said some- thing like, "Shall we tell Clare what happened." Pastor Willson nodded. and Paul continued. "I'm sure you will be moved by what I am going to tell you...It's something that happened a few years ago." He continued, "For the only explanation I can give is that the Lord does amazing and wonderful things." As he went on his voice changed, as if he was telling a story to his children...I'm sure I could see a feeling of joy reflected in his face...as if he really wanted to tell me about something he had been part of, that gave him great satisfaction. "A few years ago Jim Willson and I conducted ser- vices at a hall in the Cabbagetown area down- town, and we were returning to our church, driving up Warden Avenue." He went on to say that it was dark, with wet snow and rain and the evening rush hour traffic was very heavy...probably because Christmas was not far off. "We were driving slowly because of the weather and the traffic and I can remem- ber hearing the slap, slap, slap of the wipers on the windshield." Then Paul looked right at me and said, "Clare, as we crossed Lawrence Avenue I said to Jim, stop...stop right here, someone is in trouble." The car had stopped in front of the door to the Evans town house...and created somewhat of a traffic problem. Jim then continued, "Even though horns were blowing, and I'm sure some of the motorists were angry, we left the car on the street and approached the house. The door was less than 50 feet away, immediately opposite where we parked." "Through the door we could hear shouting and cry- ing in the house - and even though we rapped loudly it was some time before anyone came." Then Paul continued. "A girl about 9 or 10 opened the door and called her moth- er...and by this time we were a few feet inside and could see a man standing in the kitchen." As Paul spoke his voice lowered and the words came out slowiy and clearly. "What • happened in the next 45 min- utes was truly the work of the Lord...for all of a sudden there seemed to be a feeling ofcalm. It was as if an out- side hand touched everyone with the spirit of God. We talked and prayed and read the bible...and even cried." Then Jim spoke, "Indeed Clare...the redemptive poten- tial of human beings is immense when the spirit of the Lord moves between peo- ple. as it did that night in' Charlie Evan's kitchen." Jim went on. "We left. feel- ing that we had taken part in something that even Paul and I could not fully understand - but we were proud that some- how we were the instruments of good over evil. The Evans family have continued to be in touch with God and at peace with themselves and worship as a family in our church." Had I not been asked to send the scout stamps to Italy I might never have found out how it was that the truck dri- ver son-in-law of our babysit- ter came to carry a bible in his cab. The events of that winter night with our babysitter's daughter and her family put some missing things together. But not without some round- about twists and turns that involved the Chairman of Metro Police, Dr. D'Arin in Italy. along with the Boy Scouts and postage stamps - and a couple of preachers on a snowy December night... and it seems the hand of another was also there. 'Although the Lord may move in mysterious ways, according to Paul, his good works that night did not include deterring the police from putting a $20 ticket on their car for parking illegally in front of Charlie Evan's house. 'Open dialogue' Huron County MPP Helen Johns says she welcomes information for Ontario Speaks. an "open dialogue" designed to get the views of the people of this province on how to strengthen Canada. It is a "non-partisan consul- tation process," according to a press release from her office, that states the govern- ment will be joined by the opposition parties and people can visit the Ontario speaks website at www.ontarios- pcaks.com. The process includes: • a mail -in questionnaire being sent to all households in Ontario; • a toll-free number. 1-800- 695-4045 (TTY 1-800-263- 7776) to which Ontarians can give their responses; "Consultation will begin immediately and households will be receiving their ques- tionnaire over the next two weeks." the press release continues. "Thc Premier is expected to give a progress report to his provirtt:ial counterparts prior to the next Team Canada trade mission in January 1998. Thc all -party commit- tee is coordinating a release of the findings to thc legisla- ture next spring." e e e Ontario's transportation ministry advises that due to the postal strike, people who are using temporary drivers' licences will have them auto- matically extended for anoth- er 90 days.