Loading...
The Brussels Post, 1979-12-26, Page 2SOUSSE LS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1971 ONTARIO Serving Brussels and the surrounding community. Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario By McLean Bros. Publishers Limited Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Pat Langlois - Advertising Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $10.00 a Year. Others $20.00 a Year. Single Copies 25 cents each. 4, 11.111111110111111111, BLUE RIBBON AWARD 19 79 nest column: Our first Christmas in Canada ACRES OF MEMORY BY DON CAMPBELL Our first Christmas in Canada will always remain in my memory as the one which truly represented the spirit of the season. My family and I were as poor as church mice and yet we had so much to be thankful for we had each other. It was a green Christmas and I well remember the face of my youngest child pressed against the window pane, expect- ing at any moment to see white flakes drifting down from the sky. She was a little short tongued and made up the words to the tune of the national anthem which the other kids had learned at school. "Oh Canada, I can't thee any thnow." The children questioned Angus about the lack of snow and just how he though Santa would make it to Redtrees. "Don't see many Christmases in Canada without snow." He smiled whimsically. "But i phoned so I did - I told 'im we ain't got no snow. 'e says tell them Campbell kids I'm comin', so 'i am." After this brief discussion and the children reassured about the appearance of Santa Claus, I mentioned to Angus that I hoped they didn't get too excited. This Christmas there would not be much under the tree - and we didn't even have a tree vet ! My eldest daughter, more experienced and realistic than the rest, was quick to size up the situation. She led my brood to the cedar swamp. They returned happily home singing carols all the way and dragging a young cedar tree behind them. There is something about a large family which is unique. They might argue amongst them- selves but when the chips are down they stand together. Scissors, a pot of glue and some coloured paper, transformed an old frame house into a fairy grotto. With a few nicknacks, a tree, even a cedar, becomes the most beautiful Christmas tree on earth. If a star must shine from the top, it is amazing what can be done with a bit of aluminum foil. I watched my little group of new Canadians building for themselves the first Christmas in their new land. There was some sadness, of course, that it would be a lean Christmas but there was pride - such deep pride. The little face at the window still looked for the snow and the coming of Santa Claus. She kept turning her head to view the exciting activity which surrounded her, and asked over and over again. "There'th no thnow - how will Thanta'th thled come up the road if there'th no thnow?" "I'm sure he'll find a way," my oldest daughter reassured her. "He always has done -every Christmas. He'll come - you'll see." From the old radio came the happy music of Christmas. My wife was baking mince pies and the room was filled with the wholesome aroma. The wood stove bathed us in a warm happy glow. There was intense anticipation of all the joy we would share together. Darkness came to the rolling land but the little face remained faithfully pressed to the window. She had been silent for some time • she just waited and believed what she had been told. When she spoke it was in a tone which seemed to say, "1 told you so." "Thanta ith coming - Thee - he'th brought hith hortheth. We all crowded at the window and sure enough there was the jolly old fellow himself, a little thinner than I had prevously seen him, but nevertheless, the one and only Santa Claus. There was a team of horses and 1 suppose even Santa had to be content with a hay wagon instead of a sleigh. Nobody bothered to question how that decrepit old vehicle had managed to make it from the north pole! He burst through the door with some rather high pitched Ho-Ho-HO's! carrying three dirty looking sacks labelled "United Co-Operatives of Ontario." "I've come, so I'ave, I've got toys from my workshop and some more I picked up fer yer which yer neighbours asked me to bring.' Ain't you kids lucky?" He looked sternly at the little crowd around him. "I guess I come ter the right place - this is the Campbell's 'ouse ain't it?" They all nodded reassuringly except one little blonde boy. "The house belongs to Uncle Angus - but we live here too and my name is Donald - I hope you've got something for me." Santa patted the blonde head lovingly. "I got something fer yer, so I 'ave. I got plenty of goodies for yous all." He withdrew packages one by ones from the sacks and called out the names from the labels. If anybody guessed that the voice was familiar, nobody seemed to care. They might have thought that Santa had started a dairy herd at the north pole - he smelled as though he had just come out of a barn! When the sacks were empty, each child had three packages , and they were all deliriously happy. The one with the lisp dropped a bombshell! She walked up to Santa Claus and tugged at the bottom of his ill fitting red garment. "Do you have anything for my Mummy and Daddy?" Santa looked down at the little child. He thought he had planned everything so beautifully - this was something he had not anticipited. He shook his head slowly froni side to side. "No, I ain't," he said sadly. "This is a Children's Christmas, so it is. I didn't figure on it being a Mummy and Daddy Christmas. Anyways - they've got more than me." He looked intently at the little child and I swear there was a lump in his throat. "I only got kids at Christmas, but yer Mummy and Daddy, they've got kids all the time, so they 'ave." I think the whole situation was too much for Santa Claus. He picked up the grain ,sacks and limped to the door. My wife and I followed him out of the house, but he didn't say anything. He climbed up onto the wagon, drove down the laneway and disappeared into the trees. There were tears in my wife's eyes. "Angus," she said. "Dear, dear An- gus." At the peak of happiness and joy it seemed as if the night was filled with the sound of bells and angel voices. If you make this a Children's Christmas, You'll find happiness and then, Within your heart of hearts a gentle voice will whisper,. Of peace on. earth and good will to all men.. Remember Christmas nights of wonder, In those childhood days of yours? Reach into yesteryear and find some long lost cheer, Which once came from the thought of Santa Claus. The Christmas lights, the bells chiming, The blessed place which we call home, And in the young eyes brightly shining, You see every Christmas you have ever known. So find a child to share your pleasure, And in the east a star will shine, For nothing means as much as an infant's loving touch, To bring a warmth to this sweet Christmas time. -Poem by D.A. Campbell .17 g•Ttrare—N... 4Brussels Post A good year here The year 1979 is fast drawing to a dose. This year saw many changes for Canada and there were a lot of new developments and advancement in Brussels and area as well. The country saw the election of a minority Conservative government earlier this year. Now that government has been defeated and the country is into another election campaign. Huron County saw the re-election of Huron-Bruce Progressive Conservative M.P. Robert McKinley, for hisfifth term. Now both the country and the county have to wait until February 18 to see just who the electorate decides should govern. In Brussels, the arena debt was finally paid off and people are left with something the whole community can use. Brussels, Ontario attracted the attention of the much larger city of Brussels, Belgium and the two became fast friends after radio hosts Pierre de Vos and Gerrard Valet visited here, and then again when Belgium extended an invitation for our reeve and clerk to visit there. In the early months of the year, Brussels formed its very own Cadet Corps, a group that has become a real asset to the community. But perhaps the biggest and most welcome event (or unwelcome to some people), this year in Brussels, was the start of the sewer construction. People may have been frustrated fcrt awhile with the inconvenience of streets being torn up, but in the long run, they'll probably find it was a worthwile project. There was the usual spate of vandalism and theft this year, but the good things that happened to make this community grow more than offset these types of incidents. Yes, 1979 is coming to a close. This year as all years had its good and bad days. Perhaps, Brussels and community and Canada can make 1980 an even happier and more progressive year. To the editor: Continuation school photo identified A couple of weeks ago you published a picture of Brussels Continuation School 1921, and asked your readers to identify as many as possible of the students. Since I was a member of that class I have the picture, and I can identify all but six of the group. Although it is many years since I lived in Brussels I still enjoy reading The Post and hearing about the activities in that area. , Quite often there are items about people. whom I know. The Post helps me to keep in touch with the area where I grew'up. I am enclosing the list of names of the students whom I can identify in the picture. Yours sincerely, Ella M. Fraser That 1921 picture of the Brussels Continuation School has now been almost completely identified except for one per- son. Between lists sent in by Ella Fraser of Burlington and Mrs. Jessie Boyd of Seaforth, names were established as follows: Back row, left to right: Bernice Thuell, SM wa I Co r w b ai ne et of as re th El Lv lin co the sa vi ro '1 Ass obji Old Bru Rur Pro. cou sup nee Elsie Smith, Vera Hall, B.S. Scott. Princ- ipal, Edwin Martin, Miss Morris assistant teacher, Bill McDowell, Douglas Walker. Second row from back: Margaret McNair Mildred Passmore, Russel Grant, Florence Stewart, Marguerite Wilton, Margaret Maunders, Jim Armstrong, Lillian Mc- Arter, Margaret Brown, Norman Hoover, Jessie Miller, Janet McVittie, Jessie Messer. Third row from back: Margaret Nolan, Velma Haist, Thelma Burgess, Norman' Shaw, Edith Dark, Anna McFadzean, Cameron Dennis, Jean Turnbull, Ella Fraser, Jean Walker, Cecil Hall, Marjorie Hoover, Margaret McDougall. Fourth row from back: , Greta Eckmier, Graham Stewart, Lenore Thuell, Roy Askin, Olive Bolger, Gordon Best, Katie Williamson, . Leslie McKay, Marg- aret Alcock, Clifford Cardiff, Cameron Strachan. Front row on grass: Archie Ballantyne, Merrier Woods.