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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2008-12-03, Page 1616 Times -Advocate Wednesday, December 3, 2008 Exeter's Armstrong recounts white squirrel's beginnings By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER If you re like most people, you ve probably wondered how Exeter be- came the home of the white squirrel. Iry Armstrong says he has the answer and recently -unearthed photographs show he has the evidence. The Exeter resident told the Times -Ad- vocate last week he and his family were responsible for bringing the white squirrel to Exeter in 1961 after they bought a pair of baby white squirrels at Covent Garden Market in London. Armstrong says no in- formation accompanied the squirrels, so he doesn t know where they came from. The Armstrongs brought the squirrels home and kept them in a hamster cage, feeding them milk through an eyedropper. Armstrong says the squirrels were friendly and playful. A longtime employee of the Hopper Hockey funeral home, Armstrong bought into the William Street business in 196 and he and his family lived above the busi- ness. As the squirrels got older, Armstrong said they started to get unruly in the house, doing things like running up and down the drapes. Armstrong s sons, Paul and Peter (now a member of South Huron council) began taking the squirrels outside to play behind the funeral home. Youngest son Bill was still a baby at the time. One day the squirrels decided to climb up the trees behind the funeral home and wouldn t come back down. The Arm- strongs would still see the squirrels outside every once in a while, but they never lived in the house again. In 1963, the Armstrongs moved to Pryde Boulevard and lost track of the squirrels, although they eventually started to see white squirrels around town. Armstrong said he has told people through the years that he and his family brought the white squirrel to Exeter, but no one would believe him. And since he couldn t find his photographs of the squir- rels, he didn t have any proof. However, Armstrong and his wife Lois, packing up their home for an upcoming move, recently found the black and white photos of their sons Paul and Peter playing outside with the white squirrels. The photos are clearly stamped, "May 1961." The squirrels appear "fuller" and fluffier than those seen around town these days. Asked how it feels to be responsible for making Exeter the home of the white squir- rel, Armstrong says, "I think it s great. It s an honour to know that we had the white squirrels that instigated this." He says if anyone can show him pictures of white squirrels in Exeter before 1961 he 11 back down on his claim. Forty-seven years later, Armstrong still feels a connection to the white squirrel in the mornings he is able to get up close to a white squirrel in his backyard and feed it. As for the grey squirrels in Armstrong s backyard? He says they won t let him near them. Exeter s first white squirrels? squirrels first arrived in Exeter in 1961 when he and his family bought two baby squirrels at London s Covent Garden Market.Above is his son Paul playing with the squirrels outside.Armstrong recently discovered photographs taken in 1961 to back up his story. (photos/submitted) Exeter s Iry Armstrong says the white South Huron high school students start social justice group By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER Students involved in a new social justice group at South Huron District High School hope to make a positive difference at the local and world level. The group is called C.A.S.E. Revolution and the students in- volved have already had a posi- tive influence on the community by organizing a successful proj- ect, "Halloween for Hunger," which saw C.A.S.E. members and volunteers from the school collect 500 non-perishable food items for the Exeter Food Bank. C.A.S.E. stands for "Character," "Action," "Solution" and "Evolu- tion." The group s mission state- ment says its goal is "to identify social inequality and through ac- tion, create solutions." The group also intends to "promote positive change concerning social injustic- es, both locally and globally." The students receive no extra credit for their involvement with C.A.S.E. and are strictly volunteers. Committee member Justin An- stett said the group was inspired by the "Me to We" philosophy adopted by child advocates Marc and Craig Kielburger and their "Free the Children" organization. Anstett, who started talking last year about forming a social justice group for the school, said members of his generation have to make the world a better place. Raven Gagne, another commit- tee member, says others at the school thought the "Halloween for Hunger" project was a great idea. Anstett adds the group is thankful for the community sup- port, while fellow C.A.S.E. mem- ber Katie Hartai said over 200 cans were collected from Hensall, with some also coming from Zu- rich. Another project the group is working on is a fundraiser called "Change for Change," which com- mittee members hope will raise enough money to dig a well in a Third World country. The group also took part last Saturday in the town -wide food drive and will participate in Operation Christ- mas Child, a charitable organiza- tion that sees gift -filled shoeboxes sent to children in need around the world. Also, some members of C.A.S.E. Revolution travelled to a confer- ence in Toronto last week to help fight for a new school for native students in Attawapiskat, Ont., whose school is contaminated and situated on toxic land. Asked why she wanted to join C.A.S.E., Hartai said she wants to be part of positive change in the world. Lauren Jinks, another member, said she wants to see change happening locally and in- ternationally and wants to effect that change. Gagne said she has helped be- fore on a global scale and wanted to help locally in a practical way with others who have the same passion she does. Taryn Anstett, another C.A.S.E. member, said the group wants to promote the idea that change is possible. While there is a core group of C.A.S.E. committee members who meet regularly, there are about 20 who have now joined the group. The revolution is here Pictured above are members of C.A.S.E. Revolution, a newly -formed social justice group at South Huron District High School that hopes to make positive change. From left are Katie Hartai, Justin Anstett, Raven Gagne,Taryn Anstett and Lauren Jinks. (photo/Scott Nixon) Others who don t have the time to join full time, help when they can. Justin Anstett said he hopes stu- dents will keep C.A.S.E. going in future years and help raise a lot of money for those who need it. He said his fellow students are inter- ested in what C.A.S.E. Revolution is doing and want to help with their efforts. Jinks adds that support from school staff and the community also helps the committee. The group has about 10 staff members assisting. C.A.S.E. Revolution has several more projects in the works, for which it is still awaiting approv- al. A website for the group is be- ing developed that will be linked through the school s website.