HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1985-12-23, Page 3•
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Editor's Note:
Each year the News -Record attempts to
bring its readers a Christmas edition that
will enhance their holiday. We try to localize
Christmas with pictures of school concerts,
thoughts from readers and stories on in-
teresting people, places or things.
This year we decided to take our readers
back in time. Back to when gifts were not so
plentiful. Back to when Christmas trees
were not common place. And back to when
sleigh rides were the only mode of
transportation available.
We hope the following pages will bring
back fond memories, add a little knowledge,
or just put a smile on your face.
By Anne Narejko
HURONVIEW - Childhood memories.
Everyone has them. Remember the first
time you rode your two -wheeler without
anyone hanging on or your first day of
school?
Do you remember your favorite teacher
or that special childhood storybook that
you'd still enjoy reading today?
The News -Record asked Huronview
residents to think back to a childhood
Christmas. Some had clear recollections
while ' others remembered only the
highlights.
"It Was'Wonderful" •
Leah Curie's memory of Christmas as a
child is vdry clear and seems delighted to
tell her story.
The 86 -year-old lived two miles outside of
Wingham on a farm with her parents and
two older brothers. There were no cars at
that time so everyone used horses to pull
their cutter and sleigh.
"I can remember going into town in the
cutter with, my mother. The cutter would
have bells on it and we'd go through Lots of
snow," she said. "We'd see all kinds of peo-
ple and there would be lots of things going on
in town."
As a young girl, Miss Currie was
fascinated with the stores she saw town.
"One store, the George Mason Store, was
just wonderful. It was filled with toys and
dolls and little china dish sets," she said. "It
An was beautiful."
Another shop ,'Miss Currie remembers
IMF clearly is Field's Butcher Shop. She recalls
the shop being very big with plenty of in-
teresting animals under the high ceilings.
"There was a shelf that had stuffed birds
from the community on it. And below that,
full-sized animals and a half cut of another
animal would be hanging," she said. "There
were all kinds of meat in the shop as well as
barrels of lard. The lard would be in a dif-
ferent sized cohtainers."
CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1985—Page 3
IN YE RS GO
LEAH CURRIE
LES MACKENZIE
MARGARET MCLAUGHLIN
109.
The Currie family didn't have a
Christmas tree when .the children were lit-
tle, but the children hung their stockings by
the stove.
Miss Currie explained that the stockings
were not like those children use at
Christmas today, but stockings that were
tint by her mother.
"We hung up our stockings by the stove
the night before, and when we came down in
the morning, they were filled with oranges,
candy, nuts and toys.",
Miss Currie was out of her childhood
years when her brother brought home the
family's first Christmas tree.
' There was 90 acres of sv arnp land by our
farm, and my brother went out and brought
home the most beautiful tree. It went right
from the floor to the ceiling," she said, not •
remembering whether they later decorated
the tree.
Another highlight for the Currie family
was the Christmas meal.
"Oh, we had lots of good food," com-
mented Miss Currie. "My mother was a
, good cook."
The Christmas meal consisted of roast
chicken, roast pork, Christmas cake, short-
bread, homemade bread and pies.
"It was done very well. I'll alw iys
remember the taste of that," said Miss ( ur-
rie.
Even when she was away at business col-
lege in Toronto, Miss Currie made sure she
made it home to spend Christmas with her
family.
"When I was 20 -years -old I went to Toron-
to to go to business college...I came home at
Christmas on the CNR (Canadian National
Railroad) with my arms filled with boxes
for Christmas and my brother would meet
me at the station," she explained.
Miss Currie feels there is on difference
between. Christmas when .she was a child
and Christmas today.
"We were taught the meaning of
Staff, volunteersmake Christrnas special
HURONVIEW, - Cliff Mitchell is one of ap-
proximately 65 residents who stay at Huron -
view op Christmas Day. He doesn't recall
Christmas as a child, but he does 'enjoy
.Christmas at Huronview.
According to Mary. Gibbings, Supervisor
of Social Services, nobody is forgotten at
Christmas time.
"There are between 285 arrd 295 residents
with about 50-75 here for Christmas... he
staff goes all out to make it ( Christmas )
special for them," she said. •
Activities at Huronview kicked -off on
December 1 and will run until January 1
with music, presents, food and visiting topp-
ing the entertainment list.
One of the things that makes Christmas
time so special for the residents at Huron -
view is the many visitors that pass through
the doers. According to Mrs. Gibbings,
various ladies' groups, legions and clubs
make a point of visiting with the residents,
even if they don't know them. They even go
as far as to bring gifts. .
. 'The ladies' groups look after the people
who don't get anything or have anyone,'.' ex-
plained Mrs. Gibbings. The legions and
Lion's Clubs in the area are also very good.
The legions look after their. - veterans,
visiting and bringing gifts."
Various church groups also drop ,by and
the Central Huron ,.Secondary School
students helped decorate the halls this year
while school choirs bring the old familiar
carols to the residents.
The Salvation Army also pitches in, bring-
ing each resident a fruit basket.
This year, the staff at Huronview has tried
a few new approaches to the festive season.
They have tried to., make the season more
enjoyable for the residents by becoming a
little more involved with them; as • well as
letting the residents get.a little more involv-
ed in the programs.
"This year we are giving each floor a
Christmas meal before Christrnas," said
OUR ANNUAL
STOCK REDUCTION
Mrs. Gibbings. "`The residents and staff
plan the menu and then go to the auditorium
and eat together. This gives the staff a
chance to be with the residents, plus, those
that go out to have Christrhas get to have a
Christmas meal at here."
The meal is meant as a social gathering
and lasts anywhere from one to two hours..
Another way of getting the residents in-
volved in the festivities is to luring back
memories.
"This year, for the first year, the
residents are making their own Christmas
cookies and squares in the kitchen. When
they're done, all the residents from the floor
come and eat them...It helps bring .back
fond memories of making cookies," said
"Mrs. Gibbings.
'!'hanks to caring people like Mrs. Gibb-
ings and her staff, the many volunteers and
groups, residents of Huronview have the op-
portunity to participate in the festive ac-
tivities.
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BY
Christmas. I'm not sure whether it's being
taught today'"
Tree In The Mail
Les MacKenzie was born in Saskatchewan
in 1916 and remembers Christmas as a child
fairly well.
"There was lots of snow and good crops
some years, but in the 1930s there was hard-
ly any snow," he recalled.
Mr. MacKenzie, the third of six children,
said his family always had a Christmas tree
for December 25.
"An uncle in B.C. (British Columbia) sent
us a tree...He sent it express," he said.
To decorate the tree, Mr. MacKenzie's
mother and sisters would cut ribbons and
tissue ,paper and string popcorn. To finish
off the tree decorations, candles would be
placed on'the branches.
When asked about the Christmas • meal,
Mr. MacKenzie said "pretty well
everything" was prepared for the feast.
'We had plum pudding, turkey - lots of
turkey because we use to raise them,
vegetables and potatoes."
Under the tree on Christmas morning, the
MacKenzie children would find "a . fair
amount" of presents. The girls get gift such
as dolls and the boys would receive skates
and gloves.
The MacKenzies didn't make all of their
presents, instead they ordered them from
local catalogue stores or take a shopping
trip to the nearest town.
During his school years, Mr. MacKenzie
took part in Christmas concerts similar to
those held by the schools today. He also
remembers going for sleiglfr rides.
"We hooked up the teaiin of horses and
would go for sleigh rides out to the skating
ponds that were nine miles from town," he
said, explaining that they would use just
about anything they could find for a puck
when they played hockey.
Mr. MacKenzie, who moved to Ontario in
'1937, also spent Christmas on a steamboat
twice.
"We'd pull into a harbor and spend
Christmas and New Years there. Some of
the men would go home, others would stay.
"We had a tree and a good meal but no
presents," he said.
Mr. MacKenzie also spent one Christmas
at Canadian National Institute's Hall in Lon-
don where he lived for six months.
"Christmas was pretty well the same
there," he said. "There were about 30 peo-
ple there. Some of them stayed for
Christmas while others went home."
Those who stayed at the Hall exchanged
gifts.
Mr. MacKenzie lived in Seaforth for a
period of time and has been at Huronview
since August. He plans on spending the holi-
day with sister and brother who live in the
Seaforth area.
"Those Sleigh Rides..."
When winter transportation is mentioned
to Margaret McLaughlin, her mind races to
an incident that happened one Christmas
day when her family was travelling to her
grandparent's home.
"We went to our grandmother and grand-
father's home in the sleigh and father turn-
ed into the lane so fast that mother fell right
out of the sleigh," she laughed.
Miss McLaughlin remebers getting up
early, about 5 a.m., on Christmas morning,
going to church and, then coming home to a
scrumptious meal.
"We had goose, pudding, pies and all the
trimmings," she said.
Although the McLaughlin's didn't have a
Christmas tree, they did receive presents.
"We'd get a pair of rubbers or something
to wear. We couldn't afford anything else," .
said Miss McLaughlin.
Originally from McKillop Township, Miss
McLaughlin has been in Huronview for
three years. This Christmas she will spend
the day at her sister-in-law's.
In this time of happy
thoughts and warm hearts,
we wish you and yours a
holiday season filled with Love.
We're grateful for your
support over the past year!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
FROM ALL OF US AT CLINTON GLASS!
LEFT TO RIGHT: Hans Van Dyke, Lloyd Poelman, Rita Van Dyke, Don
Hoytema.
o1inton
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