Village Squire, 1977-01, Page 5big winners in the publishing business since an expensive
volume on barns a few years back. (This year for instance
beside the Station book there are no less than two books on
old mills and one on old churches).
Miss Willmot already had a good selection of station
photographs but she set out two years ago to prepare for the
book by driving throughout Ontario hunting up long forgotten
stations and capturing the variety of architecture. She got to
know Western Ontario well as she criss-crossed it taking
pictures of the stations. There were problems, of course.
She'd start out on a day when the weather was fine for
photography but by the time she'd reach a site the weather
would have deteriorated and she'd have to come back later. In
the past three years she's driven 45,000 miles photographing
stations and researching railway lore. The result was a
selection of 500 photographs from which the final group of 56
was chosen.
Western Ontario is well represented in the book. Stations in
St. Marys, St. Marys junction, Clinton, Goderich, Kincardine,
Palmerston, Petrolia, Fergus and Blyth are shown in the
book. Most of the stations come from the area north and west
of Toronto. It was decided to use this particular part of
Ontario, Miss Willmot says, because there is such variety in
stations design.
The book, which runs to 120 pages, features a large
photograph of each station plus a short account of some of its ,
history and interesting tidbits of railroad lore. The western
Ontario stations featured are among the most interesting in
the book. Oh there are the plain stations such as the now -gone
Clinton station and the Palmerston station which has been
renovated over the years and covered with insulbrick, but
some of the others are real gems. One of Miss Willmot's
favourites is the Goderich C.P.R. station which is up on the
hill in plain view, this station is hidden away down by the
lakeshore where many people never see it. It features a
rounded tower effect at one end of the station building which
is sturdily built.
The stations at St. Marys and at Kincardine are more
typical being built of brick but on rectangular lines. The St.
Marys junction station once was the place of employment of
Thomas Edison before he went on to be a famous inventor.
But Miss Willmot's favourite is the old Blyth C.N.R.
station. It gave her her greatest thrill when she discovered
that station, she said. She was driving through the village and
somehow got off main street headed east on Dinsley Street.
Suddenly, there in the middle of a field of grass and flowers
stood a little station of unique design. The station features a
rounded waitingroom with steep conical roof like a witch's
hat. The waiting room windows gave her the impression of
two eyes peering out from under the hat. The station was
almost the cover illustration for the book, she said, but the
station at Ridgeway was chesen instead.
Reaction to the book has been good and among Miss
Willmot's prized possessions is a letter received recently from
area native Harry J. Boyle, well-known writer and head of the
Canadian Radio Television ,Commission.
Not everyone has been overwhelmed by the book however.
Writing in Quill and Quire, the trade paper of the book
industry, Douglas Richardson criticised the book for
inaccuracies and lack of organization to link the styles of
stations together.
But sales of the book indicate that, carping aside, people
have been waiting for someone to capture the old stations that
are fast disappearing. Meanwhile Miss Willmot is busily
researching another book on railways dealing with people
who used to work on the railroad. For those with the railroad
in their bloo4., it's a good news.
BARTLIFF'S
Balmy and Restaaraat
,rd
�
• M1C
Enjoy Country Dining or just having
coffee in a friendly atmosphere. A
great way to make a shopping tour
more relaxing. Bring the family or
friends, you'll enljoy the whole-
some Down-home Cooking and par-
ticularly the Fresh -From -The -Oven
Breads and Patries.
Our Bakery Products have been famous
around this part of the country for 70
years and our bakers enjoy creating
masterpieces in Wedding, Birthday,
Anniversary or whatever Cakes, just for
you.
Remember...when you buy Bartliffs,
you buy the best! A tradition in Huron
County since 1902.
41 OMIT ST. CLINTON
412-1727
04:06111GS
D kvttliew
j` Yea
t( off' ice'
If our wishes p
come true, your*:
New Year will be filled
to overflowing with
all the good things in life.
FROM THE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF AT
GEMINI JEWELLERS
Wingham and Listowel
Village Squire/January 1977, 3