The Rural Voice, 2003-06, Page 70People in Agriculture
Old implements become art
Under the artistic touch of
Goderich Township welder Gary
Elliott, old farm implements become
objects of art from candle holders to
porch railings to coat racks.
"I try not to make something the
same again," Elliott told the Clinton
News -Record. If someone buys
something from him they're not
going to find a similar piece in a
friend or neighbour's home.
Elliott learned his welding from
his father who ran J. E. Welding in
Kippen for years. Later he moved to
Vancouver where, amid a
phenomenal art scene, he launched
Creative Custom Ironworks. He
returned to Ontario four and a half
years ago and decided to relaunch the
company at his new home.
Elliott said he likes to find old
pieces of iron to work into his
creations, which helps make them
unique. He calls it "recycled art".
When spring arrived he visited
farmers, presented his business card
and asked if he could go through
their heaps of scrap iron. After that,
it's simple. "You find a piece, weld a
candleholder onto it — it's unique,"
he said.
The biggest decision can be
deciding what to make with the
scrap. "The hardest part is coming up
with it — what's going to look good.
Sometimes I stand in my shop,
staring at a pile of steel, wondering
what someone is going to like."
Custom creating pieces to meet
customer requests is important to
him. He recalled creating a wrought -
iron railing for a second story porch.
The railing had to be removable
because the porch was the only way
to get a bed inside the adjoining
bedroom, yet since there were young
children in the household the railing
had to be sturdy.
Elliott creates items for his own
home but sometimes can't keep them
there when customers see them. A
baker's rack he created out of chrome
bed -rails didn't last long in his house.
"Someone came in and bought it."
"There's so much you can do with
iron," he remarked as he discussed
projects like planter boxes created to
match a railing on a porch.°
Barn theatre home for Oxford stars
A barn theatre on a farm near
Bright in Oxford County is the home
for the touring Walters Family Band.
After performing everywhere from
Alaska to Hawaii to Nashville and
Branson, Garry and Shirley Walters
and their three adult children who
make up the Walters Family Band
have settled on the
farm they call the
Walters Family
Ranch. As well as
a dinner theatre in
a 180 -year old
barn, converted to
a 150 -seat
wooden -beamed
theatre, the ranch
offers gardens and
a spring -fed pond,
complete with a
family of swans.
From June
through
November, the
band will
showcase five different shows of
their own including their "In
Concert" show, a gospel show,
singalong show, an old-tyme barn
dance and a day -in -the -country
horticultural show.
They also plan to host other
entertainers including Walter
Ostanek, the Grammy -award-
winning polka king who, with his
band, will
bring
Oktoberfest
to the old
barn.
A totally
different kind
of music will
be heard in
August when
the musical
revue Blue
Champagne
recalls the
music of
World War
II. In July
the 22 -piece
Toronto All-star Big Band will per-
form music from the big band era.°
The Walters Family come home from
entertaining around the world.
4-H volunteers
honoured with awards
Barb Barfoot, Grey County; Paul
Hulshof, York Region; Geoff Innes,
Oxford County; Pat Marcotte,
Sudbury District and Pat
Saundercock, Huron County were
presented with 4-H Ontario Arbor
Awards for their volunteer efforts
when the 4-1-1 Ontario Annual
Meeting and Conference was held in
Barrie.
Returning to the 4-H Ontario
executive are: Vince Brennan,
president, Hastings; Linda Porteous,
past -president, Dundas; Grace
Oesch, vice-president, Perth; and
Larry Barkley, member at large,
Stormont. Returning to the board of
directors are: Ellen Chojko-Bolec,
Rainy River; Brenda Dunster,
Leeds; Patty Lasby, Halton; Shirley
Steed, South Simcoe and Philip
VandenBerg, York. Newly -elected
directors are: John Drummond,
Waterloo, Barb Taylor, Elgin and
June Switzer, Wellington County.°
Piet Reinsma, former
food processor dies
A poor Dutch immigrant lad who
helped build a landmark small food
processing company died May 3 in a
London hospital.
Piet Reinsma, who ran Wallace
Turkey Products at the north edge of
Blyth from 1964-1987, came to
Canada 50 years ago. For the first
seven years he worked in the General
Coach factory in Hensall. In 1960 he
began working for Robert Wallace
as salesman at Wallace Turkey Prod-
ucts which made turkey rolls and
turkey, beef and chicken pot pies.
Four years later he took over the
company when Wallace retired.
Under Reinsma the operation
expanded, adding fresh foods and
juices to its line. In 1976 the killing
plant was discontinued and the space
was used for additional freezer and
cooler capacity. A snack bar at the
plant was a popular stop for those
travelling highway 4.
In 1987 Piet and his wife Ann,
retired and the plant was closed. He
took up his passion for white -water
canoeing and later, as his health
declined enjoyed woodworking and
gardening.°