HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1979-02-22, Page 3Scott Shea of Vanastra is a very popular man in Huron
County during the winter as a craftsman of snowshoes.
(photo by Elaine Town.shend)
Here Scott poses in front of his work bench with several
different types of snowshoes.
People in Profile:
72.
THE CLINTON Ngws-REcoRp, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1979—PAGE 3
Mr. Shea's snowshoes snapped -up
by Elaine Townshend under the condition that the buyer The design of snowshoes has not
. Lumbermen in Newfoundland can supply the materials. Since then, Mr. changed since he started making them
always use a good pair of snowshoes, so Shea has made several pair to oblige years ago. Two styles are popular - the
30 years ago Mr. Scott Shea, now of local people. The over-all cost of a pair Explorer, which is all one piece, and
.Vanastra, was kept busy making of snowshoes is difficult for him to the Ojibway, which consists of several
snowshoes for himself and his fellow estimate, the customer buys the pieces bolted together.
workers. Since his retirernent in 1969, materials and Mr. Shea charges a Mr. Shea prefers the Ojibway. "It
the sideline has become an interesting minimal fee for his time. He explains it holds its shape better," he explains.
hobby for the 69 -year-old ian. is not a business ; he does it because he .Many people favour narrow shoe,
likes it. but the width depends on the weight of
the person. Sizes can range from a pair
of Ojibways 14" wide by 60" long to a
pair 10" by 54" or Explorers 14" by 50'is.
Besides making snowshoes, Mr. Shea
repairs backpack baskets for Elmer
Trick of Clinton. One of the benefits of
his hobby, says Mr. Shea, is the op-
portunity to meet a lot of peoplenot just
from the immediate area but also from
places like London, Stratford,
Strathroy, Kincardine and Goderich.
The popularity of snowshoeing has
increased greatly in the past few years,
along with cross-country skiing,
snowmobiling and other winter sports
and the quality of Mr. Shea's work has
spread by word of mouth.
He couldn't possibly fill all the
requests, but he makes a few
snowshoes to oblige people and to keep
active with the hobby that has been of
interest to him for many years.
He worked for Bowater's
Newfoundland Pulp and Paper Com-
pany Ltd. at Glenwood, near Gander,
for 20 years - 18 of thos,e years as a
foreman over 80 other men. In 1963 and
1964, he and the company received two
citations from the Newfoundland
Industrial Safety Association and the
Workmen's Com-pensation Board in
recognition of more than 3,000 man -
days without a lost -time accident.
Ten years ago he and his wife moved
to the mainland and settled in the
Clinton area. They have 12 children,
one girl and 11 boys, who are spread
across the country from P.E.I. to B.C.
After his retirement, Mr. Shea found
time to create miniature decorative
snowshoes for the children. Friends,
who saw them hanging on living room
and rec room walls, wanted some, and
before long, his miniature snowshoes
were hanging in homes across Canada
and as far away as Scotland.
One fellow asked if he could make a
large pair, and Mr. Shea agreed to do it
Snowmobilers warned to stay off tracks
Every winter.
newspapers carry tragic
tales of train -snowmobile
accidents. Just last year
a 14 -year-old boy died in
a train -snowmobile ac-
cident on a bright win-
ter's day in the Ottawa
area. He was crossing CP
Rail tracks when his
vehicle stalled and he
was unable to get out.of
the way of an on -coming
train in time.
This death and many
others needn't. have
happened and that is one
of the reasons why CP
Police have started an
aggressive safety
campaign this year
directed at snowmobilers
and cross-country skiers
throughout Canada.
Eight other trairi-
snowmobile accidents
were repoked in Quebec,
New Brunswick and
Ontario last year, though
fortunately none were
fasta 1.
John J. Koren, in-
vestigator with the CP
Police in Cambridge,
paid a visit to Signal -Star
Publishing Limited last
week to discuss . the
dangers of using the
railway's right-of-way for
winter sports. He asked
that the ' Signal -Star's
readers be reminded that
snowmobilers caught
using railway tracks this
winter can expect
prosecution for
trespassing and fines up
to $100 under the Railway
Act.
Each winter, says
Koren, railway police
experience problems
with snowmobiles being
unlawfully operated on
tracks and railway right-
of-ways. A number of
accidents have resulted
from this unsafe practice
and this situation has
grown more serious each
year, he continues.
Frequently it is people
travelling in the same
direction as fast moving
trains who are killed or
injured because they are
unable to hear the train
over the noise of their
own machines, he says.
In order • to control the
situation, special patrols
are being made by
railway police and all
offenders are being
charged.
"Few people seem to
realize that a train cannot
stop like the family car,"
says H. McGowan,
superintendent,
Investigation CP Rail
Eastern Region. "A
freight train travelling at
50 miles per hour takes up
to one mile to stop and by
then it -may be too late."
In their safety cam -
J..[ ullet council buy chairs
Hullett council has purchased new
furniture for its council chambers.
Purchased were a conference table 48"
x 144" from Ball and Mutch Furniture
with walnut top and chrome legs and 20
chairs from Shop -rite.
Council had a special meeting
January 24 with Henry Uderstadt,
O.L.S., and several drainage owners in
the Londsboro Community Hall on the
above date, to consider the Report on
the Murray Lamb Drain.
Approximately 25 oirners attended
representing Grey, Hullett, McKillop
and Morris Townships and C.P.
Railway.
The Council discussed the engineer's
report on the Murray Lamb Drainage
Works.
Mr. Uderstadt explained at length .the
development of the report and an-
swered questions. There was con-
siderable discussion on the report.
Council decided to hold the
engineer's report until the next council
meeting on February 13th for futher
discussion and possible extension.
Council decided to instruct the Road
Superintendent to advertise for gravel °
tenders for approximately 18,000 cu.
yd. of 5/8 gravel to be supplied, crushed
and delivered. Tenders to be in the
hands of the Road Superintendent by
March 5th at 12 noon and will be opened
at 2 p.m. March 5th.
They were also going to instruct him
to apply for the remainder of the 1978
subsidy.
Council had a special meeting on
January 23 and met -with Ken Dunn of
Burns Ross and Associates and MTC
Inspector Ross Jackson and D.
LeSuter, to inspect the bridge and
discuss what was needed. Mr. Dunn is
to prepare plans for a new bridge.
The group went to the new Township
Building to inspect the work, and
recdmmend corrections. K. Dunn is to
investigate the possibility of changing
The stairway in the garage.
Possible dates for the official opening
werediscussed, such as'May or July.
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paign this season,
railway police like Doren
(who are visiting schools
and snowrnobile clubs' as
well as nevopapers) are
issuing three posters
designed for
snowmobilers and cross-
country skiers.
' One. graphically
itiustrates one of the most
common factors in ac-
cidents. Bundled up in
winter headgear and
deafened by the roar of
the snowmobile engine,
the snowmobiler is often
unable to hear the ap-
proach of a train from
behind, as Koren has
stuck in
the middle
explained.
."The snowmobile
might be capable of
getting out of the way in
time, but in many cases
the rider can't hear the
locomotive until, it's just a
few feet away," says
McGowan.
Ho hum, I'm feeling a little bored
today, I think I'll go climb.„Mount
Everest.
Don't laugh, there are actually
some people, well at -least one, who
really thinks that way. •
Naomi Uemura is a national hero
in Japan, because of the extremely
bdd things he dobsrto keep him from
getting bored.
The 37 -year-old adventurer has
climbed. Mt. Everest and scaled
some other high peaks, made'a solo
voyage down the Amazon River, and
crossed the North Pole and
Greenland by dog sled. Lots of fun.
Either I'm really chicken-hearted,
or this guy is a little looney. Being in
the same waters as paranas or
travelling in minus 40 degree
weather is not my idea of fun.
As far as being adventurous to
overcome boredom, my conquests
aren't quite as overwhelming.
On an adventurous Sunday af-
ternoon I might attempt to put
blonde streaks in my hair and then
do it up in rollers for a new styling
effect. Defeat!
Or I might sit down with a book I'd
so long ago promised myself to read
• and attempt to get through 300 pages
of print. Sleep!
Making an exotic culinary dish
like a souffle might be fun to create.
Ugh, terrible!
I could call my old girlfriend out
West. I haven't heard from her in a
long time. No answer!
Okay then, I'll write letters in-
stead. No stamps!
An ambitious crocheting project is
quite an undertaking, I could make a
bedspread. Now if only I could figure
out what a chain stitch is. Oh forget
it!
Trying to find something I could
do and be successful at is really
quite a bore.
Wait, maybe I could ring up
Naomi and see what he's got on for
this Sunday. Perhaps we could take
a stroll across the Sahara or have
supper with our favorite tribe of
cannibals. Um, sorry, I think I'd just
rather be bored this Sunday.
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His basement has become a
workshop filled with workbenches, a
plane, a sander, drills, chisels and
other tools. Snowshoes of varying sizes
hang on the walls, including a small
pair made of Newfoundland birch that
,he brought to the mainland with him.
Approximtely two weeks is needed to
finish a pair of snowshoes. Oak and
white ash are used for the frames and
the support bars; the wood is softened
by steam to make it bendable. Mr. Shea
uses cured cowhide stripping for the
weaving and makes leather "filling"
for the "body" or "toe and heel" of the
snowshoe. Recently he completed a
pair in which he replacq..d,the leather
with rubber tubing - a suggestion of a
Kincardine man who found the rubber
less slippery.
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