Times-Advocate, 1999-01-27, Page 302a:.
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Wednesday, January 27, 1999
Kirkton CommunityAssociation disbands after 54 years
Group's claim to fame
was the, Kirkton
Garden Party, held
annually from 1944 to
1984
By Laura Payton
ST. MARYS JOURNAL ARGUS
Woodham communities," Switzer said.
When the organizers made their
plans in 1944, they likely didn't know
what an important event the Kirkton
Garden Party came to be, said Leon
Paul. . •
"What started out small, turned out
to be the -biggest event in our commu-
nity for many years. People still talk
about it," he said.
"I've been places and said I'm from
Kirkton and people will still say, `Oh,
KIRKTON 'Went to a Garden Part do you still have the Kirkton Garden
to reminisce with my old friends ...' Y� Party?'" member Evelyn Johns said.
That's a line from an old Ricky Schedule of events
Nelson song, but it may ring true for The first year, the. Garden Party was
many residents from Kirkton ... a,nd held in August, but then organizers
well beyond. moved the date to the third
The Kirkton Garden Party drew Wednesday -in July where'it stayed.
thousands ot• entertainment lovers to The Association still has a number of
the tiny hamlet for 40 years, from its programs from parties over the years,
inception in 1944 until its last show in which list the evening's events. Things
1984. - got started with a baseball game at
The Garden Party was the work of -about 6 p.m. -- "that got the crowd
the Kirkton Community Association, there in good time," Paul said
which officially disbanded •on Dec. 31, Then, at 7:30, a `juvenile' talent
1998, after holding a final meeting show began, a chance for youngsters
Dec 28. to entertain.
During that meeting, members remi- A preliminary contest was held prior
nisced about the Garden Party, which to the !Garden Party, sometime in
in its heydey drew crowds of 5,000 June, when approximately 80 young
and featured many well-known sters would compete. Performers- of.
recording stars as well as excellent about 15 numbers' were chosen to . Kirkton Community Association -Members of the Kirkton Community
area talent. appear at the Party. For many years, Association met for the,final time on Dec. 28, before the group was officially dis-
All members of the Association have the contest was `looked after by Donna banded. Front row from left: Evelyn Johns, Ray Switzer, Elaine Stephen. Back row:
happy memories of the Kirkton get- Paynter, Mary Blackley and Grace
together. Ross. Bill Waghorn, Marion Urquhart and'Leon Paul.
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A` "The whole community helped. It On the night of the Garden Party, Leon Paul set himself a spending
was a great community effort all the first, second and third place winners limit of $1,000 foreach year's adult
way through," recalled member Bill were selected by a panel of judges. entertainment. Even within that strict
Waghorn. Then it was on to the adult enter- budget there were some great line-
"It was 40 years of top entertainment tainment, starting at about 9 p.m. ups, but he does recall missing the -
as far as we were concerned. We used There were some big name acts over boat a time or two.
to bring the city to the country," said the years, members say, including "The biggest mistake I made was
member Leon Paul. Tommy Hunter and the Rhythm Pals. passing on Doug Henning. He wrote.
"1 used to like to look up the highway "I remember the first time he came, I me three years in a row to be the ,
about 5 p.m. the day of the Party and
thought 'Man oh man . . . to have magic act. I didn't hire him, then he
ex,, Tommy Hunter in Kirkton!" ; went on to be the biggest thing•ii-n-
t ier Ame' performers included Canada and the U,S. We could've had
added. the Mercy Brothers and Walter him for $40."
"The executive of the present KCA is Ostenak. Leon Paul says many more of "I also turned down Stompin'Tom
thankful for all the help we received the acts which got top billing were Connors. He really wanted to `play
from the community, which made the well-known in'their day. here, but I- just didn't feel he Was the
Garden Party a success for 40 years," "There was Bill Meek, a comedian, right kind of act," Paul'sai f.
commented Marion Urquhart, another. Zona Cheevers and her dancing girls, 'Aside from entertainment, there
long time Association member. Peter Glen,.The McQuaid sisters, the were always refreshment booths, serv-
First meeting ber those names now, but, boy, they the helpful Kirkton Women's Institute.
flccording: to the group's original: were good:" And the Kirkton Girl Guides and' Boy"
minute book,' the first meeting was Of course, peon Paul is Scouts sold pop and ice drown.
held on Tuesday Dec. 5, 1944 in clan_ . an well-known entertain- "Everybody raced for fopd. during the
the Aberdeen Hall pt$°rY Y g
( h anttd er in his own right The intermissions," recalled Evelyn Johns
Shirley are familiar annual event was advertised in 10 dil-
a faces local! and : 'ferent papers, as well as on radio and
114
fa
Cif �' Y P p
across Canada and the :'I VL..
0
formed at , some of radio would call me each day to see
the Garden -Parties,
�i s, who we were planning to have in the
N � 'although`"certa1nly • line-up," Leon Paul remembered.
.119...� A $ not all "We'd have a chat together on -air
ss tr
Hansen Sisters . a.lot won't remem- ing hot dogs and hamburgers, run -by
now the ..
Kit k t o n %Ct+r1`�tOa % Paul Brothers and According to the record books, the
Guiding Nit
Hall) and
attended by on
about 20
people. At
that time the
or group was
named and
plans began for
the first `Party.' �, vs ale c
Leon Paul said ' 6 pm oww" '"" eY 1vveo w`�
the
C°
U.S. The group per- "I remember Bill Brady from London
(on -air)
e
aoftba11,Gs', s 1, remember, '.'about the -Garden Party, which was
ales s. thIt''�'a;' Cotten ' .Peple. , were :lots of fun and good publicity."
always 1 disap- Only once in 40 years the venue had
pointed when the to be moved due to inclement weather,
Paul - Brothers that was: in 1967. "We moved it into
-and Shfiley 'did"' the • lot _ Matys high school' because the
-n';ts per.fo-rin," rain was so bad. It ended -up clearing
,0 ocaa i._ . M. • a .- r`'" i ,o- n up :at 2 or.,3 p.m., but the switch had
Um of the end of pouNt K� M1OR • > '"`' : , Urquhart said. , already been made," Paul said. "It just
the war and to get 9 Pm• ,,. ,.►; ;, u°' •0"i0....sr` . lousy. Paul: wasn't as good at the school."
things going again," tog at p1pERs�' w 4'''''►ti••'"�' • • 'w« coy"' brother' "Everyone couldn't fit in the audito-
TNt tow, co r.." �0" , sot 3,4 y,..•. ssesW�` "' ` rium so we refunded some tickets,"
he 'said. Tf+�,,.,wr,,. �.rar• K�,,,Ao•. ..+ That' may
Dr. C A. Campbell ws R` �'–°°'�' w•� .,:• -.have been
• Marion Urquhart says.
SEs` cMQRTors .••a! s,3 Ns�1 `iii" wove*" - b=e CA u.s e In the early years, temporary staging
tot' at the time, was `in s,,, 0.',;�s %..��0R.+�" .`' x"how�+"' Leon Paul . was set up, then in 1953 a bandshell
very much behind the 10 ,
r '.11,0s3,.- .. He property. The recordbooks show
served as Cost $3,500.
fintrce its first event.
group tx, Sop v ;, , 4w�i
0 P..-- 'wt ,,,- ova.
formed to help 7. �
.01,1-ssfoR _t p►ir S,h ,u '
- bang the commu- 2s -woo'?
�, oto c,{To "°
nit together . , S•�5 sP'0. ptRCR K
"It was a celebra- aT
Rim �l4
the area medical doc- ,rte ¢ e a ,,,,
��eip*'ow�,.• so'W °'`c was too was built on the community centre
fot.min of the neNio % c0,> R cK 0041°°14..,a‘
'`" ` t b k h w it
s�
Association and helped a� we ��
baran
O fKp'
1,1 s
06' y,ar.
Y•o1 "" tost" r.aa .7 , 1.
srsr Y� avo c +.r 1�
tt p'k a o , .+►♦ S.. T oat. is
It YoM w E wont or TO
a +� master of "It's just as good as new today, and
Ray Switzer, the club's • s� �� �,,+.. w+ ares c e r e - it's no longer used, which Is a bit of a
president in 1998, said �►.^pN w•Fµ rte' ;.°"' monies - shame," Leon Paul says.
the Association's goal was for just Changing times
also to help.area organiza-
os•c�`'' a,, "�D about • The summer' of 1984.was the last
tions. = ; _ . , ; ,0,04sto—,„„os' ' ” QRauros °` every Kirkton year for the Kirkton Garden Party for
The purpose was to bring
. the community together, but
also .to raisd funds for pro -
jets itirs' 'both- the Kirkton
.+•' 't . i .. • .
Pews' Garden Party, helped a number of reasons, say the members
with organizing the juvenile talent of the Community Association. -
show, and also wagl In charge of book- "It was getting tpo difficult.to get the
hnd• ing the acts: ` acts and stay witliin'otiebudget,” Paul
- . a... • r'.11.1.. .... .. . ... . ' •- •w►• .. .a ..., ti etc rays•.. it vas?r... •.•. •... k..: +.•si4.,.......
•
said.
"It got so everybody could see all the
acts on TV," Evelyn Johns added.
"But it was really the changing times
that caused us to stop the .whole::
thing," Ray :Switzer said. "It wasn't.
totally an agricultural community apy-.
more. It was harder to get people out.;
in the daytime to set _up, and again the
next day to take everything down."
Leon Paul said,.the, members„of, the.
Kirkton Community Association set 40
years as . a goal for the Kirkton Garden
Party, and it seemed a good -number to
be 'their last..
1 remember the final night . we 'helms
the Garden Party, in 1984.:AIL tht per-
formers stood on the stageand, sang
Auld Lang Syne. It was sad,” Paul said.
9n.'
in
•
.est i
its I1ft;k ,
ing at',..c,1-',.!:
,
Tho # 4; �� e J3 � c, S uted
as follq' y ' b,Vi t4 ate r. tt}eta
hdriis 8 5,dtlt:Will take,
herMood sponsors a �S ,fie Kirkton
Scouts' frbin the Kirkton Community
- Association; $2,000 to the K -W
swimming pool, $1,000 to the
Kirkton Agricultural Society; $2,000
toward a book being written about
the history of Kirkton and.
Woodham.; $1,000 to the K -t '
Community Centro Board; $500 to
the Kirkton W.l.; $50() to the First
Kirkton Scouts; and $500 for the
Kirkton Girl Guides.
The records of the Kirkton
Community Association are now
being kept tit the St. Marys and
District Museum.
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