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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-03-24, Page 23ling hp )) old and the new of Goderich, Canada h's 150th birthday during 1977 was presented to the citizens of Bay wagon and the Dominion Road Machinery grader towing it were among ichigan, by a mixture of the old and new in this float which par- several Goderich entries in the parade which Won top honors, and a trophY, in their St. Patrick's Day Parade last Sunday. The pioneer covered as the best out of town floats. (staff photo) e Carter welcomed Unty Judge Frank Carter, center, shares a light during last weekend's civic reception in Bay City American niayor Dan Willerts, right, and one of the city commissioners Frank Jenkins. The Bay City mayor presented Judge Carter with the keys to his city at that reception. (staff photo) ne with Patrick's Day iissOciatiOn, presents Niro. Shttwfilit with a be WO bouquet of flowers during a reception at sthe Ray City A meriestst Legion. (start photo) City St. • Color party on parade In addition to the municipal delegation, and representatives of the Jubilee Three Com- mittee, a party representing the Goderich Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion took part in St. Patrick's Day celebrations in our sister community Bay City Michigan over the weekend. The local Legionnaires also participated in joint events with their comrades in the American Legitf. (staff photo) Tbr Ooberitiv SIGNAL -STAR 130 YEAR -12 THURSDAY, MARCH 24,1977' SECOND SECTION 147ternatiotlal sisters ite for big rade BY RON SHAW Over the ,past weekend I travelled with about 300 other Goderich residents to visit our sister. Our sister city that is, Bay City Michigan. Maybe it's this business, maybe I'm just a sickie, but I have become pretty cynical about such functions and institutions as sister cities and civic receptions. It has always seemed to me that, nine times out of ten, those taking part were merely Walking through the scenes of a badly written play and deep down wishing they were somewhere else. Not so in Bay City. Any reservations I had about how seriously the officials, and the people, of that Michigan community would take Goderich's request to be accepted as a sister city were soon dispelled. Mayor Dan Wilierts, his city commission, the civil servants we met, and the citizen on the street, all demonstrated that for them this was no mere empty gesture of international brotherhood or vain attempt at stirring up some local enthusiasm through a `hands across the border' pitch. They were truly pleased we had asked them to become our sister city and went to great lengths to prove it. Oh there were the usual civic receptions, a dinner, a dance at the American Legion, and several other public opportunities for our mayors to get up and slap each other on the back and mouth platitudes about our undefended border, how much we had in common and how much "we Americans like Canadians," or "we Canadians like Americans," as the case may be. The difference was that both men, and other officials travelling in their parties, geemed to mean it. I really believe they did. What was more impressive still was the reaction to the 'sister city' scheme from the average guy on the street: Huge Crowds turned out to watch the St. Patrick's Day, parade in which floats from Goderich were participating to promote our sesquicen- tenTIW. As those floats moved the -city the cheers andpiauge of those lining the,liateets was unbelievable. The30';46te glad we went to the effort of taking part in their biggest annual celebration, and they wanted us to know it. MINGLED WITH CROWDS As a news man and photographer covering the whole weekend, and especially the parade, I mingled with those crowds along the parade route. I pulled my van into an empty lot about three hours before parade time to be assured of a place near the street from which to shouj film. Two hours before the parade began that lot was full, as were all others within site of the streets along which the floats would travel. The people who gathered at my particular location had made the parade .an annual event for their social group in particular. For five years they had gathered at the same location with basically the same group of friends to watch the event. They parked their vans and pick up.,trucks, put some red- neck rock on the tape deck, tapped a keg of draft and invited me to join them. None was aware that Goderich had been named a 'sister com- munity to their city but when I explainthe idea and about our celebrations this sum- mer, they showed keen in- terest. The result was an especially loud cheer when the Goderich floats went by and about a half dozen more vehicles in Bay City sporting bumper stickers advertising 'Come Home Days' at Goderich this July. Bay City is a community of nearly 50,00Q people and is made up, for the most part, of descendants of Poles who came from Buffalo New York to work in the lumber trade. While Goderich was founded in182 Bay City did not of - (continued on page 6A) •,Local advertising Paul Ventrone, a machine assembler at the Resistance Welder Corporation in Ray City, had never heard of Goderich or that this community was a sister city to his home town but after learning of the. arrangement became a Goderich booster. Ile attack a Toile Rotate bays' bumper sticker on his vehicle and says he would testily like to come across to Canada and have a look at the kind of community Which has aligned itself with Ray City. staff photo)