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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1985-09-25, Page 221Ji INCORPORATING -THE BLYTH STANDARD -THE BAYFIELD BUGLE • SECOND SECTION WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25,1985 Bayfield author inspired by memories BAYFIELD - Childhood memories come flooding back whenever Mary Alice Downie returns each summer to Bayfield. She remembers being snared of falling off the bluffs near the lake where her and her friends would play as youngsters. She also recalls her mother taking her to see the Lions Club parade during the summer and watching the colorful floats make their way down main street. Mary Alice Downie still comes to Bayfield each summer to relax and possibly garner more ideas for yet another children's novel. Since she was five months old, she stayed in the cottage which is now the home of her mother Doris Hunter, the Bayfield correspondent for the Clinton News -Record. For the past 20 years, the Kingston native has written 17 published children's novels found in libraries and elementary schools Tthroughout Canada. In many of her works, her experiences in Bayfield have found their way on to the pages. One of her favorites .is ,Scared Sarah, which she wrote in 1974. It's about a little girl who is scared of things and is based on being frightened of her friends playing near the ledges overlooking the lake. "°I was always scared myself. I had fun writing about a little girl who was scared too," said the soft-spoken author in an interview. 'Another book written in 1974, Dragon on Parade, .uses Bayfield's Lions•C1ub parade as. a backdrop to the escapadesof three young girls. "Three sisters are deciding on what they should .be in the parade," she says in describing the book. "They eventually decide to be a dragon. They're just about to enter the parade, but, the costume is so real that. the littlest one is terrified of the costume. What happens after that I won't tell you." She's currently at her mother's home relaxing for a week and writing the preface for a new book on Canadian children's poetry she's compiled over the past two years. The anthology called The Window of Dreams is due for publication in the spring and • will include works from dreviously unpublished poets. It will also include a chapter of work from well-known Canadian. poet James Reaney. The idea for the project began with a phone call from a publisher asking if she could compile a book of new Canadian material. In turn, Mrs.. Downie sent out a call for manuscripts , across Canada and received over 600 rnanuscipts from budding Canadian poets. • "We were looking for quality, that was our main concern. We received stories from the Yukon and one on Halifax in the 1940's. I would go to the mail box and there would be bags and bags of manuscipts." she says, • adding that a lot of the writing she received was "dreadful Her writing career can best be described as varied., While attending the University of Toronto, she become involved in the Varsity, the universities daily newspaper, writing feature material. After graduation, she worked as a reporter for Marketing Magazine, a MacLean -Hunter publication,. and eventually assumed the role of assistant editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. After working as a free-lance writer in Pittsburg, Mrs. Downie, along with •her husband and` three children, moved, to Niteem Mary Alice Downie leafs through one of her children's novels entitl- ed Dragon on Parade. It's based around her childhood memories of the Bayfield Lions Club parade. She's written 17 children's stories which have been published in Canada. Although she lives in Kingston. There, she worked as the book editor of the Kingston WhigStandard, the daily newspaper and also wrote a monthly column for the paper on children's books. In 1978, she decided to leave the•newspaper in Kingston, she stayed in her family's Bayfield cottage during the Summer months. It is now the Mime of her mother, Doris Hunter who's the News -Record's Bayfield • correspondent. (Alan Rivett photo) ' combing the Queens University library for suitable material. Although the publisher expressed doubts that they would find enough good material, " we just sat down for three years and we reference .to Bayfield. Here is a portion of the "Great lakes Suite: " Yoohoo Yoohoo I'rn blue, blue "I think my beliefs come through, but I don't sit down and teach moral messages in my work. I'm trying to write stories about history. emesee order to devote more time to pursue her real writing interest writing children's books. Her first entry into the realm of children's books was a collaboration with another children's author Barbara Robertson entitled The Wind .has Wings. The book, a collection of 90 Canadian ' poems, was published int 1968 after three years of did it," she said. At this time, she said, there were no Canadian poetry books aimed at Gr. 4-6 in Canadian schools. Most of the poems included in the anthology were not written with the child in mind but they just turned out to be suitable for children. One of the poems included in the work was written by James Reanev and gives a Lake Huron By my shores In fratricidal wars Indians killed each other. At Bayfield • The people stop ' To see me slop Against the pier. At Grand Reed The people tend Instead to Look at each other. A new edition of the poetry book called The New Wind has Wings was released last. year in hardback and paperback, she says. Most of her children's books are, of a historical nature, stemming from her enjoyment of reading history books as a child. "I've always wanted to write historical novels but I never thought I could. I kind of dreaded the thoughts of starting a book. But, once you've done one book it doesn't seem so impossible," she says. Her first major. novel Honor Bound, Which took three years to write centres around a Loyalist family coming to Canada. The idea for the book, published in 1965, carne from reading an 18th century diary while .doing • research for the poetry books, she say Jenny Greenteeth. a book which s'he`saj+s always gets raves from children when ' giving readings, was the result of research into 18th century folklore where she discovered a story about a Lanchashire water witch. "I just thought what it would be like if the witch etnmigrated to Canada. So I decided to make, up a story about her," she said about the story set in the beaches area of Toronto. Research into French Canadian folklore has also uncovered some literary gems for Mrs. Downie. The Magical Adventulres of 'Pierre and The Wicked Fairy Wife were all tales handed down from generation to generation which she translated and re -told in English. While some books in the children's category are' written to instill morals, Mrs. - Downie says she doesn't set PTA to put " messages in her work. "I. think my beliefs• come through,; but I don't sitdown and teach moral messages in. my work. I'm trying to write stories about -the history of our own country that are both significant and interesting," - With all the children's book she's written, ' Mrs. Downie doesn't wish to dwell exclusively in that genre. One book, Alison's Ghost's, she describes as a fantasy novel. Another novel entitled 'And Some Hrought Flowers focusses on the wild flowers of Canada using beautiful illustrations and historical quotations from the early travellers who described the flowers in.their • . journals. One of 'the unwritten requirements of being a children's authoris. making numerous trips across the country giving readings in libraries to children. She finds it as a good way to see Canada and a useful testing ground for her work. 99 "1 found children to be a very satisfying audience. They're very honest. If they don't like it they'll tell you,"she says. Mrs. Downie has been writing for 20 years, but she says she still. plans to continue writing children's books for the foreseeable future. Her friend, Christie Harris, also a children's author, echoed her sentiments on how long she will continue writing. "She said, 'I'm going to keep writing until somebody finds me slumped ove' my typewriter,"' she says with a laugh. • This is Forgiveness Week at Ontario Public Library Branches An exciting first: The Ministry of Citizen- ship and Culture has proclaimed September 23 - 29, to be • the official Ontario Public Library Week. All around the province, public libraries will be taking this oppor- tunity to enthusiastically promote our many valuable services. If you haven't visited your local branch library lately, why not drop in during On- tario Public Library Week? You may be sur- prised. Libraries aren't just for books any more. Records, talking books, films and more can be borrowed through your local branch library. Bring the whole family. Libraries have something for all ages, tastes and backgrounds. Just ask your friendly library staff and they'll be happy to help find something that's just right for you. Information is essential to the community for entertainment, personal growth and education. Your public library provides the This week has been proclaimed as Library Week across the pro- gives a reading to a group of children during Clinton Public vince. It's a good time to visit your local library and sign out a few School's pre-school story tinge on September 23. ( Alan Rivett good books you've been putting off reading. tiere, Mrs. Anderson photo) resources to access all types of information. A librarycard makes all of these library resources available to you - and it's free of charge. To celebrate Ontario Public Library Week, all branches of the Huron County Public Library will be holding a "Forgiveness Week". No overdue fined will • be charged on books returned to the library from September 23 - 28. Go on a book hunt ' and locate any overlooked library books to take advantage of this temporary amnesty. Your local library branch extends d warm welcome to you during Ontario Public Library Week. Come and help us celebrate over one hundred years of service. It could be the start of a beautiful friendship. ONTARIO PUBLIC LIBRARIES Facts and figures • In 1983, more than 8.6 -million Ontario residents were served by 1,710 public library service points, including libraries, bookmobile stations and deposit stations. • The Ontario Public Library network cir- culated nearly 65 -million books and materials in 1983, approximately 7.5 items for each man, woman and child in the pro- vince. • More than one million new volumes were added to the Ontario Public Library net- work in 1983, bringing the total number of volumes to 23.8 -million, ,or approximately three books for each Ontarian. • There were nearly nine million reference transactions in Ontario Public Libraries in 1983. • In 1983, there were nearly 50 -million 4brary uses in Ontario Public Libraries. • There are more than 1.1 -million French language volumes in Ontario Public Libraries, comprising 4.7 percent of the total number of volumes. • There are more than 500,000 multilingual volumes in Ontario Public Libraries, ap- proximately two percent of the total number of books on hand. • In 1983, there were 1,066 professional librarians working in Ontario Public Libraries. Including other professional staff like library technicians, Ontario Public Libraries employed nearly 6,000 persons. • • There are nearly 2,500 volunteers work- ing in Ontario Public Libraries. • The oldest library in Ontario is the Niagara -on -the -Lake Public Library. • The first free library in Ontario was the Toronto Public Library, established in 1882. • The most remote public library in On- tario is the Fort Severn Indian Band Public Library. • The southern most public library in On- tario is in Pelee Township. • The largest individual library in Ontario is the Metro Toronto Public Library.