December 30, 2011

10230 Highway 26 East, Collingwood(705) 444-1414 E-mail [email protected]

Serving Mulmur & The Creemore Hills for 35 years

Ginny MacEachern B.A.

Broker 1-800-360-5821• 705-466-2607 • [email protected]

Visit My Website: www.ginnymaceachern.com

RCR Realty. Brokerage

The Town & Country Agentwith the City Connections

EchoNews and views in and around Creemore

The creemore

Friday, December 30, 2011 Vol. 11 No. 52 ANNUAL YEAR END ISSUE!!!!

Newsmaker of the Year:THE PROTESTER

by Sara HershoffVery much in keeping with the social mood throughout the world, Creemore and area residents insisted on having their voices heard by political leaders and big business in 2011. Motivated by applications for wind turbines within Clearview and the threat of the Highland Companies’ mega quarry in Melancthon Township, this community transformed from peaceable grumblers into active, engaged and outspoken protesters determined to affect change.

In the same year that the Arab spring blossomed and Wall Street was occupied, this neighbourhood planned and engaged in public actions very much in keeping with the rural cultural traditions of the area. From tractor parades to feasts for the masses, local protesters took notes from the success of the Site 41 victory two years ago and through ingenuity, perseverance and resourcefulness, worked to get their message out at the local, national and

international level.The first signs of a year full of protest were

raised on April 26 during a mandated public information meeting held by the Highland Companies in Hornings Mills. The multi-national company, backed by a Boston-based hedge fund and proposing a 2,300 acre quarry, was met by hundreds of people, some carrying slogans like “Purity vs. Profit,” “Taters not Craters” and “Stop the Mega Quarry.” From there the movement grew.

Donna Baylis of Dunedin read about the mega quarry after that meeting and it sealed her fate as a protester. “I heard about it and I just knew this was just so wrong,” said Baylis. Her desire to protect the land, water and community lead her into a world she never anticipated being a part of. In the months since, she has committed 40 to 50 hours a week to the cause, both as a member of North Dufferin Agriculture and Community Taskforce (NDACT) and through

(See “The Echo” on page 2)

thecreemoreecho.com

Volunteer ofthe Year:NORMAFRIEST

Protesters abounded this year, and they came in all sizes!

by Brad HoldenThe Creemore Echo’s tradition of picking a “Volunteer of the Year” always presents us with a dilemma. Every year in Creemore there are outstounding acts of volunteerism (for instance, Laurie Copeland’s organizing of two inaugural and wildly successful festivals this year) but on the other hand, this town is chock full of people who have been giving their time generously for years and years and years.

(See “The Echo” on page 10)Norma Friest, with Kathy Whitley and this year’s Kindergarten “A” class.

2 • The Creemore eCho • Friday, December 30, 2011

CalendarCommunitySubmit your community events

[email protected]: (705) 466-9906

fax: (705) 466-9908

Glencairn 705-424-6697

For Reliable ServiceTank Truck Delivery of Furnace & Stove Oil

Successful wealth management is a re�ection of quality –

the quality of life you can lead when handled well.

Your Lifestyle Matters



Todd S. Christensen, B.A.(Econ), CIM, PM Vice-President Portfolio Manager and Investment Advisor [email protected] Dominion Securities Inc. 1 First St Suite 230 Collingwood, Ontario L9Y 1A1 Tel: 705-444-6184, 1-800-461-9180 Fax: 705-444-1551Associate Advisor: Gladys Joyce [email protected] Tel: 705-444-8563

Upcoming EventsFriday, December 30

• Combination Art Opening of “Abundance,” Lynn Connell’s new work and Majengo Orphanage Fundraiser from 5 to 7 pm at Curiosity House. Call 705-466-3400 for more info.

Saturday, December 31• CreemoreCentric 2012 – Art Submission is due 5

pm today. Buy your canvas for $20 at Mad & Noisy Gallery (includes participation fee). 705-466-5555 or www.madandnoisy.com. 154 Mill Street.

• New Year’s Eve Skating at Creemore Arena from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Free. Sponsored by mSPEC.

Sunday, January 1• Happy New Year!

• Church Services on page 5.• Avening United Church Communion Service at

10:15 am (No services at New Lowell or St. John’s)Wednesday, January 4

• Curiosity House Book Club meets from 2 to 3 pm. We will be discussing Patrick Dewitt’s award winning book The Sisters Brothers. He won the Governor General’s Award and the Rogers Writers Trust prize this year.

Saturday, January 7• CreemoreCentric 2012 Art Opening from 12 to 5

pm. Show runs to January 30. 705-466-5555 or www.madandnoisy.com. 154 Mill Street.

• Theatre Collingwood’ s new Drama Training

Program for Teens (13-18) begins today. Pre-registration required for 10 sessions / 3 hour classes (to March 10). For information contact 705-445-2200 or visit www.theatrecollingwood.com

Tuesday, January 10• Theatre Collingwood’ s new Drama Training

Program for Adults begins today. Pre-registration required for 10 sessions / 3 hr classes (to Mar 13). For information contact 705-445-2200 or visit www.theatrecollingwood.com

Saturday, January 14• Curiosity House Story Hour from 10:30 to 11:15

am. Children from 18 months to 6 years of age enjoy a story with Miriam and a small craft activity.

independent research and letter-writing. “I’m one of the many making a difference,” she said.

“I am just one cog… but you need all of those cogs when you are going up against the government.”

And it is the government she is determined to be heard by. The more she learns, the more concerned she becomes with government and their decision-making. “Ignorance was bliss,” she continued. “I figured I am a Canadian. I recycle. Everything’s good. But now I know better.”

Baylis has pledged the next 10 years to fight the mega quarry and says she now is an activist at heart, who plans on staying engaged in civic actions long after the battle against the Highland proposal has ended. “It is a privilege that I have the education, time and freedom to help make a difference. So I should do it.”

Martha Bull of Mulmur is someone more accustomed to the role of protester. Her first acts of protest took place in the 60s and it was those sit-ins that inspired her action against the mega quarry. As an artist with strong roots in the community, Bull has been inspired by the hills of Mulmur for as long as she can remember. She was highly offended when she heard the Highland reports stated there was no cultural significance to the land slated for the quarry. This spurred the idea of the “paint-in” that took place last

July. Along with Carl Cosack, Sandi Wong, Donna Tranquada and others, Bull created an opportunity for artists to gather and “Paint the Beauty of the Hills at Risk.”

Bull feels that artists will play a big role in the fight against the destruction of land as they are able to express a visceral sense of the beauty of the place. She also believed that they have a big stake in this fight because that same inspiring beauty could be lost.

Anti-quarry events continued with a strong country-city connection throughout the summer and fall. In Toronto there were art shows, a Queen’s Park rally and information sessions. Closer to home were a tractor rally and kitchen table meetings. These urban and rural efforts culminated in Foodstock, the biggest gathering ever to be held in Melancthon Township. Organizers say that 28,000 people were out on October 16, carrying plates instead of placards. Superstar chef Michael Stadtlander was a major force behind this event, which was both a protest and a fundraiser. Stadtlander challenged other people in his industry to stand up for the land that grows the food they serve and about 100 different restaurants and caterers took up the idea of the “chef as today’s green warrior,” volunteering their time and resources to serve gourmet offerings in a woodland setting.

While people dined in the woods others were gathered around the stage to see Sarah Harmer

and Jim Cuddy, both of whom have taken action against other aggregate projects. They shared the stage with Our Lady Peace front man Jeremy Taggart, members of the Barenaked Ladies and other musical stars. Along with the stars came recognition of the protest, and news of the mega quarry hit national and international media, making the event an unequivocal success.

Meanwhile, in Clearview the ongoing fight over windmills saw the largest public gathering to date. Groups such as WAIT, Preserve Clearview and Wind Concerns Ontario gathered a caravan of hundreds to travel by tractor, car, and on foot in a long, slow parade down County Road 91 to the wpd Canada Fairview Wind Farm public information meeting on July 13.

Among the organizers of the day was Preserve Clearview’s Chuck Magwood. He, along with fellow members Michael Dickinson, Kevin Elwood, Michael Freund, Chris Hoffmann and Doug Caldwell had a victory against wpd in 2010, when they built accessory buildings on their properties making it impossible for the proposed turbines to meet Green Energy Act setback requirements. This rather expensive solution pushed the project away from Magwood’s home, but did not scare the company off completely. Despite his personal victory, Magwood feels wpd has done nothing to alleviate community concerns over wind turbines and continues to fight. “We won the battle,” he said, “but we have not won the war.”

All of the protesters mentioned in this article were quick to point out the efforts of others over their own, and that is in part why it is not one person but the “protester” who has been named the Echo’s newsmaker of the year. 2011 will be remembered (by both the Echo and Time Magazine – we were first surprised, then disappointed, and ultimately honoured that they came to the same conclusion as us!) as the year when not just one person, but the community as a collective, concerned about its future, stood up like those in so many other parts of the world, to insist they be a primary consideration and play an active role in the decisions that will impact the future of our children and grandchildren.

(Continued from page 1)The Echo Newsmaker of the Year: The Protester

The Creemore eCho • Friday, December 30, 2011 • 3

HUMANITARIANS It seemed every third week we were writing about Creemore area folks travelling to underdeveloped countries to lend a hand. Here are a few of them.

A FAMILY ADVENTURE John and Sue Underhill and their children Abby (at left) and Jake (at right) travelled to a village called Nkoaranga in Tanzania, where John and Sue volunteered for two months at a hospital and an orphanage. Here, Jake and Abby visit a nearby school to distribute frisbees that their fellow NCPS students had signed during a fundraiser for the orphanage.

A FINE GIFT John and Shirley Ferris spent three weeks in Nigeria, one of the most troubled countries in the world, speaking in rural churches and conducting peacemaking workshops in tribal villages. They received this goat in appreciation.

HELP NEEDED Trina Berlo took donated supplies to a Haitian refugee camp on the border in the Dominican Republic. The trip was organized by the Wasaga Beach Rotary Club.

H U M A N I T A R I A N Y O U T H C r e e m o r e res idents and CCI s t u d e n t s L i n d s a y Ventzke and Kirsten Lackie took an extra credit on Sundays last spring, learning about development issues in Equador and studying Spanish. In the summer, they then travelled to Equador for two weeks to help build a school. Both the course and the trip were affiliated with the Me to We Foundation.

DOING GOOD IN HAITI Lilly Martin and Kelly Metheral travelled to Haiti for a week so that Lilly could volunteer with Midwives for Haiti and Kelly could work at a nearby orphanage. They returned with a real drive to return to the country, so crippled as it has been by poverty, corruption and the recent earthquake.

LONG TERM COMMITMENT In December we checked in with Lynn Connell, who we last heard from four years ago when she raised $25,000 to create a small orphanage in Tanzania. In the time since, the number of children at the orphanage has more than doubled, and the regional government has granted Lynn and her partners six acres of land, where they hope to raise funds and build a whole new facility.

HUMANITARIANISM AT HOME John Millar (bottom left) has not travelled to an underdeveloped country in the last year, but he does run a full-fledged international development organization from his house in Creemore. Tin Roof Global installs rain-collecting roofs on schoolhouses in Uganda, while at the same time educating Canadian students about the importance of clean water and running “explorer camps” like the one above, held in Creemore last summer.


THE SALVATION ARMY HOPE ACRES COMMUNITY CHURCH

Invites you to attend Sunday Church Services at 10:45 am

998614 Mulmur Tosorontio Townline, Glencairn

For more info call (705) 466-3435

L o c a l C h u r c h D i r e c t o r y

To tell us what is happening at your church call Georgi 466-9906 • fax: 466-9908 • email: [email protected]

Worship & Sunday School at 10 am. “Where Jesus is Lord,

all are welcome.” Rev. J. Inglis & Rev. E. Inglis • 466-5838

ST. ANDREW’S MAPLE CROSS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

1 Caroline Street West

ST. LUKE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH

22 Caroline St. W. 466-2206For a joyful service of worship join us each Sunday at 11 am

& Messy Church the last Sunday of each month at 4:30 pm

Knox Presbyterian Church, Dunedin

Worship Service & Sunday School at 10 am

Rev. Charles Boyd

Everyone is welcome.

Sunday, January 1CREEMORE UNITED PASTORAL CHARGE

All are welcome 466-2200Avening United Church

Communion Service at 10:15 am(No services at New Lowell

or St. John’s)

Sunday, January 1St. Paul’s Anglican Church,

Singhampton

Service at 11:30 am

St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Stayner

Friday, December 30Mass at 7 pm

Sunday, January 1Mass at 11 am

ACHIEVEMENTSCongratulations to these, and many others, who did amazing things this year.

A GREAT SPEECH NCPS Grade 8 student Judah Page went on a run in the spring, with his speech about bullies winning the Legion contest at the school, district and area levels. At the provincial (and final) level, Page finished second, ending a great run. His family – Gary, Di and Obi – were there to support him all the way. Obi, it must be said, made it as far as the area level with his speech about owls.

SENIORS OF THE YEAR The Creemore Legion continued its tradition of presenting “Senior of the Year” awards at its Canada Day Celebrations, and this year the recipients were Dorothy Shropshire and John Harper. Dorothy was a teacher in our community for more than 20 years, and has been active in all kinds of volunteer endeavors in her retirement. John is the former owner of Creemore’s hardware store, a former volunteer fire captain, and a valuable volunteer in many

MULMUR SENIOR OF THE YEAR Muriel Lowcock, 94 years young, was named Mulmur Township’s Senior of the Year in a program spearheaded by the province of Ontario. Muriel is a longtime active member of the Salvation Army church at Hope Acres and is always a ray of sunshine in your day. Here, Mulmur Mayor Paul Mills presents her with the award.

A HARD EARNED TITLE The winner of this year’s season-ending tournament for the Ladies Thursday Night 3-Pitch League were the See You Next Tuesdays (above).

ONTARIO CHAMPION In his first year of taking over the farm from his grandfather Milt McArthur, one of Rusty McArthur’s Belgian foals was named the 2011 Ontario Bred & Sired Filly Foal Champion. The foal, named Maple Lane Misty, accumulated the most points over 10 judging events last summer.

FANTASTIC ON ICE Hannah Whitley and Elliott Graham continued their great skating this year by placing 1st in their division at the Central Ontario Sectional and then travelling to their first national ice dance competition in Saskatchewan and placed 8th in Canada against an older field!

6 • The Creemore eCho • Friday, December 30, 2011 The Creemore eCho • Friday, December 30, 2011 • 7

MAJOR EVENTSCreemore loves its annual events; these are just some of the many that fill our calendar every year (plus a few new ones that we hope to see again in 2012!)

SPEED ON SNOW Sunnidale’s annual Winterama celebrated all things cold and frosty, and as usual, area snowmobilers went head to head in the speed run.

GLAMOUR ON ICE Always an amazing spectacle, with costumes designed and sewn by community volunteers and a very talented group of skaters giving it their all, this year’s Creemore Skating Carnival did not disappoint.

SATURDAY MORNINGS IN THE SUN Lisa Christine Arlt and her daughter Cypress were among many who enjoyed Creemore’s annual rite of spring, the opening of the Farmers’ Market. The Market had another successful season, running from Victoria Day Weekend to Thanksgiving.

A PATRIOTIC PARADE Corey Finkelstein led the Harold Crawford Canada Day Parade, and as always the kids had a great time roaring down Mill Street on their decorated bikes. Canada Day festivities and fireworks followed at the Legion.

ONE FOR THE LITTLE ONES The first of two amazing new events organized by Laurie Copeland of Cardboard Castles, the first (annual we hope!) Creemore Children’s Festival was a huge success, drawing children from far and wide to an almost unrecognizable Mill Street, covered with tents, children’s activities, and concerts by the likes of Eric Nagler (at left).


RIDING IN STYLE The annual Dunedin Tractor Rally, organized by Lavender’s Jim Adam, grew to new heights this year with 70 tractors coming from all over southern Ontario to tour the hills of southwest Clearview and north Mulmur. Bob Ransier, at right, was proud to drive his late father’s John Deere in this year’s rally.

BEER BASH As always, the Beinn Gorm Highlanders signalled the start of the Creemore Springs Copper Kettle Festival by piping their way through the classic cars gathered on Mill Street to the festival grounds at Mad River Park, where bands played and beer flowed all day.

A GREAT FALL TRADITION The Great Northern Exhibition turned sunny for Saturday and Sunday, but the Education/4-H day on Friday was quite sodden from the rain. Here, Clearview 4-H Club member Allison McLeod gets ready to show her steer in the ring for the first time, while her father Robert gets ready to cheer her on.

A SCARRRRRY DAY In October the great Laurie Copeland hit us with another amazing inaugural event, this one a fundraiser for the General and Marine Hospital. Hallowfest brought Creemore’s amazing Halloween spirit out into the daylight, and did the kids ever have fun. The Haunted House in the Station on the Green was pretty special, and spooky, as well.

FOOD AS PROTEST While we encourage NDACT and the Stop the Quarry folks to keep up their fight, a tiny part of us hopes it will be a long one, if it means that we’ll see Foodstock return a few more times. Thanks to Michael Stadtlander (right) and his Chef’s Congress and a host of committed volunteers, Foodstock was both a protest and a culinary event of epic proportions. The final tally? 28,000 attendees and nearly $200,000 to help stop the Highland Companies’ plans to quarry 2,600 acres of Melancthon limestone.

A PARADE HIGHLIGHT It’s remarkable to hear people’s reactions when these mini horses make their annual appearance in the back of a truck during Creemore’s Santa Claus Parade. Clearly, they come a close second to the arrival of the man himself when it comes to highlights of this wonderful annual event, organized by John Blohm and his family.


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• Ion Cleanse

HAPPENINGSIn addition to all of Creemore’s annual events, there are countless “happenings” throughout the year.

OLD BECOMES NEW A long journey came to it’s wonderful conclusion when Clearview Mayor Ken Ferguson knocked on the front door of the recreated Creemore Log Cabin and helped former resident Clifford Barnard inside, where they were met two people dressed in period costume, courtesy of the Dufferin County Museum. Kudos to all who helped this great addition to Creemore become a reality.

A GREAT COMMERCIAL darci-que and Brian Doran had their 15 minutes (or more?) of fame this year when darci-que entered Home Hardware’s Hometown Stories contest and told of Brian’s many helpful ways. The pair now appear in a commercial for Home Hardware, which is seen often on TV.

SOLAR DOLLARS Jeff Williams (on the left) of Gravity Power and members of the Station on the Green Board gathered to celebrate the addition of solar panels to the roof of the Station, which will generate extra income on top of what’s needed to pay Clearview Township back for the cost of installation.

A FAST RIDE TO GRAD It’s a tradition at NCPS that the students arriving at the Grade 8 Graduation Ceremony show up in style, whether on a tractor, being pulled by horse both big and small, or in a beautifully souped up Chevy Nova, as Tess Verstegen, Caileigh Johnston and Jessica Woodward did last June.

ARTFUL ARRANGEMENTS Margaret Wente, Ken Thornton, Gertie Gowan and several other local “celebrities” took part in a flower arranging demonstration at the Horticultural Society’s flower show, bringing a whole new element to this annual event.

RIDING LIKE THE WIND For the second year in a row, nearly 1,000 cyclists came flying through Creemore during the 100-mile version of the Centurion Canada cycling event. The whir of the wheels as the speedy peloton arrives is always a thrill.


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Where families come together

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#0156 ACROSS 51 Word of woe 104 Fires

52 Big band singer Shore 105 Notice1 ____ Inc. (CTV sketch show) 54 Ignored7 Hitschmanova of USC 56 Played for a Highland DOWN

Canada regiment12 Mulroney's chief of staff in 57 Part of a woodworking joint 1 Formerly abundant Atlantic

1992 58 BC city of the 1993 Canada fish17 Melanie's portrayer in Gone Summer Games 2 Bravo!

With The Wind 62 Moisten overnight 3 Fraction of an inch18 Chinese Taipei at the 63 Aircraft category, briefly 4 Appraises

Olympics 67 Watery entrance 5 Have supper19 Aboriginal punishment 68 System of cultural values 6 Get Yer ___ Out! (The20 Mayfair's portrayer on 70 Owner of Club Babalu Rolling Stones)

Desperate Housewives 72 River sediment 7 Non-clerical21 Triumph (2) 73 Mojave and Sonoran 8 Sound from a sty22 Sells for 75 Cream puff 9 Party For ___ (Shania23 Sunshine Sketches author 76 Toy vehicle Twain)25 Stuffing for olives 78 Six-day War leader 10 Pantyhose colour27 Kirk's helmsman 80 Happen again 11 Escapade30 HMCS Chitcoutimi, e.g 81 Calder or Conn Smythe 12 Leave the country?31 Two full terms of parliament 84 Once called 13 Prove innocent32 Brock of the War of 1812 86 Goodness! (2) 14 Heart of the matter34 The ___ (Anna Paquin's 87 Deteriorate (2) 15 Anne Murray's voice

first film) 90 1977 Timothy Findley 16 Not as much37 Angel with six wings novel (2) 18 Chintzy (hyph.)41 Instrument with six strings 93 Sticky 24 Baking measurement43 A fundamental freedom in 94 Invalidate a law 26 Place for a crow's nest

Canada 96 Partner of stripes or liquids 27 Sweater letter46 Juan's water 100 Deteriorate 28 Commonplace47 Step aside! (2) 101 A date that will live in ___ 29 First dog in orbit49 Bald bird of prey 102 Summons forth 31 Curling commentator50 Unyielding 103 Beaks Maxwell

33 Sound from a cornfield35 Down the road36 Man with a floating zoo38 Got mellower39 ___ and simple40 Full house, for one 63 1975 Stephen King novel 83 Laughing scavenger42 Wireless (2) 85 Mitigated44 ___ to the tube 64 Scarborough auto racer Paul 87 Say ___!45 Taxi actress ___ 88 Continental currency48 Hurrah! 65 Extreme dislike 89 OT prophet50 Ottawa NHLer 66 Horse-drawn wagon 90 Furniture wood53 Builds a tree house? 69 Actress Lamarr 91 Prizes from David Letterman55 NHLer Morenz 71 Susie Q band, briefly 92 Wander around56 Poker prize 73 Arab vessel 95 Gomer Pyle's rank57 Cranky 74 In a rational way 97 D-day general58 Gene Simmons' band 77 Marks papers 98 Mth with the shortest day59 Indigo plant 79 Fresh 99 Fast flyer60 Grand-Mere girl 82 City on the Seine61 Hit for BTO (3)62 Half of a Pacific island?

N A N C Y S H A R K S S A L O NO M A H A C H U V A L O T R U C ED E T E R H A N G M A N R I G H TS N O W D R I F T S I L O S

S E P T D I S C O V E R YB E D P A N S D A V E B E N O I TA P O L L O T E N A N T M E AG I J O E H E L E N R E F U E L SS C O T F A L L S D E C A P O D S

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P I A N O M A N S T O A DI F N O T D O N M E S S E R

C H A R O R O U S I N G S T O V EB A G E L A R R I V E S O A S E SC H O R D L Y N X E S F R O N T

#0155Solved

www.cancross.com

Games&FunSudoku

Answer in Classifieds

by

Barbara Simpson

Laugh a minute

Brian’s Canadian Crossword #156 by Brian Paquin © 2011

Find this week’s answer in Classifiedsby Ken Thornton

Spike & Rusty Word ScrambleFriday, December 30Mixed rain and flurriesHigh 4 Low 0 Winds W 30 km/hPOP 80% Saturday, December 31Variable cloudinessHigh 3 Low -2 Winds W 25 km/hPOP 30% Sunday, January 1FlurriesHigh 2 Low -1 Winds SW 25 km/hPOP 70 %

Spike, I hear you’re going to enter the New

Year with a bang!!

That ’s for sure, Rusty, I’m going to

have lots of SIERWFRKO

5211

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On New Year’s Eve a woman stood up in the local pub and said that it was time

to get ready. At the stroke of midnight, she wanted every husband to be standing next to the one person who made his life worth living. Well, it was kind of embarrassing. As the clock struck - the bartender was

almost crushed to death.

10 • The Creemore eCho • Friday, December 30, 2011 The Creemore eCho • Friday, December 30, 2011 • 11

Pet Care

• Service Directory •

Computer Repairs

Auto MechanicSusan’sGroomingSalon

31 Caroline St. E East entranceOPEN Mon-Fri Call for appointments

(705) 466-3746

PROFeSSIOnAL GROOMInG FOR ALL BReedS

Animal CareGeneral Contracting

Renovations & Repairsdrywall • Painting Carpentry

• Tile WorkMasonry • Roofing

Make one call - we do it allOver 30 years experience

Neil I McAvoy 705.466.3804

Contractor

Paul BriggsMaster Painter

(705) 466-5572Over 25 Years Experience

Painter & Renovator

PLUMBERJason GardnerQualified service for all your

plumbing needs Call for your free estimate

Tel: (705) 466-3519

Plumber

T. NASH

Servicing Creemore and surrounding area

PLUMBING

(705) 466-5807Licensed and insured

Member of the Certified General

Accountants of Ontario

Ramona A. Greer CGACertified General Accountant

7351 Hwy 26, Staynerand Creemore by appointment

(705) 428-2171

Accountant

phone 466-3334 • fax 466-5166

ServicesRentals

TOWINGTowing at its best!

For all your towing and recovery needs!

Kells Service Centre80 High Street, Collingwood

(705) 445-3421 • Fax (705) 445-7404

Towing

General Practise of Law

Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution

www.ferrislaw.ca

190 Mill StreetT 705-466-3888

Lawyer

John L. Ferris

Megan L. Celhoffer

PlumberMachine Shop Facility

8:00a.m. to 4:30 p.m.-Monday to FridayBook ahead for Saturday ServiceDon Brearey or Gloria Howie

705-466-2149

• Custom Steel Fabrication & repairs• decorative Iron Railing, Fences & Gates

WeldingWelding

GRAVITY SUN POWERsolar generation

for energy savings and incomeprofessionally designed and

installedJeff Williams • 466-5741

Alternative Energy Cleaning

Bus. (705) 428-3393 ~ Res. (705) 466-2343

Valley Auto & TechRepairs to all makes of cars and light trucks!

Garry Stamp, Owner/Operator

Safety’s & Fuel Injection218 Main Street,

Stayner

Free Estimates

[email protected]

www.mollymaid.ca

A great way to reach your customers each week.

The Creemore Echo service directory allows you to advertise for the cost of $15 per week.

Call 466-9906 to find out more.

7685 Cty Rd 91 • 428-0131

Plumber

Gardening

We weed, prune, edge, plant,

water, cultivate, topdress, etc.

Residential & Commercial

705 445-8713

Snow RemovalCall Advantage Grounds Care705-716-5067 or 877-760-8873

Snow Plowing

Susan’sGroomingSalon

31 Caroline St. E East entranceOPEN Mon-Fri Call for appointments

(705) 466-3746

PROFeSSIOnAL GROOMInG FOR ALL BReedS

This year, we decided that Laurie has many years of creating festivals (and volunteering at Ray’s Place, and being a great cheerleader for this community) ahead of her, and chose to honour one of the pillars of volunteerism in this town, Norma Friest.

Norma, who just celebrated her 72nd birthday, came to Creemore 47 years ago and joined the Legion right away. Eventually she met her second husband, Glen Ogilvie, who was a member of the Masons and the Shrine Club. Most other people she knew were members of one of these groups or the Lions.

“That’s the way it was back then; everybody volunteered,” she said when we sat down with her at her home two weeks ago. “I have a hard time going from the old system to the new system.”

Basically, what Norma means is that she still lives by the old system. And that sense of volunteerism has led her to be a big part of Nottawasaga Creemore Public School for over 20 years.

She first became involved with the school in 1989, when Clark Miller, who was the music teacher at the time, put a call out to the community to help the NCPS form a band. By that time, funds had dried up at the School Board for such things, so it was up to the village of Creemore to make it happen.

Norma had a daughter at the school at that time, and music has always been an important part of her life, so she signed up to run the fundraising campaign. The main floor storefront of the Masons’

building (into which Seasons in Creemore recently moved) was empty at the time, so Glen arranged the front windows to be the fundraising headquarters. Large drawings of instruments were installed, and every time they raised enough money to pay for one, it was filled in with colour. All kinds of events were held to raise the money, from raffles to dinners at the Legion.

The instruments that are now used by the band at NCPS are still wholly owned by the community of Creemore, and Norma is their loyal guardian. For years she ran silent auctions to replace broken or rundown instruments with new ones, as well as to increase the size of the fleet in general.

Today, it’s one of the last primary school bands in rural Simcoe County, and Norma has vowed to fight tooth and nail if anyone tries to get rid of it.

When the instrument drive was over, Norma took a job for a few years as the playground supervisor at the school. She enjoyed the children so much that she offered to become a volunteer. And not just one day a week or something similar – for the past 20 years, Norma has spent five mornings a week in the classroom, with whatever lucky teacher manages to enlist her services at the start of each year.

To a couple of generations of students, she was and still is known as “Reading Grandma.” Norma loves it when she’s at Foodland or the Creemore Pharmacy and she hears a little voice from down the aisle – “Mom, there’s Reading Grandma!” – and she’s also amazed

when she runs into a 30-year-old with their own family, who recognizes her and says, “Hello, Mrs. Friest.” Glen, of course, is happy to be recognized as “Mr. Friest.”

In whatever class she’s in, and with whatever age group, Norma usually sets up shop at a desk in a corner and provides one-on-one help with math and reading for students who are having trouble.

“I simply could not do my job without Norma,” said Kathy Whitley, who’s been lucky to have Norma’s help for the last five years. Four of those were in a Grade 4 class, but this year Kathy and Norma have moved to the junior building to take on the Kindergarten class.

Besides reading and writing help, Norma also spends an hour and a half each morning filling out the students’ agendas, ensuring that their parents are well-informed on what is going on at school.

This work goes toward one of the reasons Norma continues doing this work. “Teachers do not have enough support these days,” she said. “The paperwork is overwhelming.”

Not only does she help with the agendas, she has been known to keep teachers fed from time to time. Nowadays, at the junior site, she jokes that “Glen and Kathy have egg salad sandwiches on Thursdays.” In years previous, when she was at the senior site with Kathy, or for years before with Kevin Weir, or during her stint with John Macham, she would frequently

bring in a slow cooker to simmer away in the staff room, with food ready just in time for lunch. There was a time that she would cook a roast on the night that teachers stayed late to meet with parents.

Norma also loves being with the children. When former principal Doug Paul was telling her he wished there was a way to pay his volunteers, she told him, “It’s not the pay I’m after, it’s the chance to be with the kids.”

And that brings us to one of Norma’s pet peeves. “Every class at the school could use someone like me,” she said. “And I hear all kinds of grandmothers around town saying ‘I don’t know what to do with my time.’ Well, just go to the school! They’ll be glad to have you.”

There are other things that Norma does at the school, all of them important to the students’ education. As a liaison from the Legion, she organizes the annual speech competition, a job that came to fruition last year when then Grade 8 student Judah Page made it to the provincial level and finished second there.

She also runs the Remembrance Day art program at the school, from which the drawings on the Legion during the annual service come.

Norma accomplishes this with more health concerns than most have to deal with, though these days she has been wondering if this might be her last year.

Kathy Whitley, however, disagrees. “She’ll be back if I have anything to do with it,” she said. And Norma just grinned.

(Continued from page 1)The Echo Volunteer of the Year: Norma Friest


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SKI RENTALSSki Season Rental. Nicely furnished 1 bedroom APARTMENT with sofa bed in living room. Full kitchen, cable tv, wireless internet and snow removal. 2 min. walk to Creemore, 10 min. drive to Devil’s Glen and 20 min. to Blue Mountain and Mansfield. Available weekends, weekly or monthly. No pets. Call for details 705-466-3635.

NOTICEHurry! Hurry! Hurry! It’s time to wish you and your family all the best for 2012. Interested in Curling? Call Paul Crevier at 705-428-2616 or Gord Fuller at 705-466-3643. Hope to meet you soon. Creemore Curling Club Executive

$15 plus hst for 25 words or lessDeadline is Tuesday at 5 pmemail [email protected] (705) 466-9906 or Fax 466-9908

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MILESTONESEach year, the calendar is filled with milestones.Here are a few that appeared in the paper.

A PLACE FOR TEENS Christa Rowe and her brother Kevin had the honour of opening Ray’s Place, Creemore’s Youth Resource Centre, last spring. The Centre has since thrived and has also offered its first post-secondary scholarship.

90 YEARS The Creemore Horticultural Society celebrated its 90th birthday with various events this year. Here, members Cathy Sumner, Charlotte Vorstermans, Sherry Wilson, Kate Fleming and Kathy Meeser get ready for the Spring Plant Sale.

LOCAL MILK Dairy Farmer John Miller broke ground on his on-farm dairy operation, the first of its kind in Ontario, with the help of his wife Marie, her son Shawn Corbeil, and Mayor Ken Ferguson. The facility is set to open in the spring of 2012.

NEW OWNERS Noel Van Wallegham (left) retired this year after 50 years of owning and operating the Creemore Meat Market (the village’s oldest business, established in 1881). Darcy and Mark Thomson quickly took over the shop, ensuring a future for one of Creemore’s landmarks.

REUNIONS The Victoria Day Weekend was “super reunion weekend” in Clearview Township, with SCI hosting more than 1,000 people at its 50th anniversary reunion on Friday and Saturday, and the Avening Hall hosting a village reunion on Sunday. Here, the “Avening ladies” pose in front of the hall.

Enjoy NIA Classeswith Ayrlie MacEachern

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Important Estate and Content Auction Sat. Jan. 7th 10 am Rankin Estate,

16 Connor Ave. Collingwood, Georgian MeadowsHigh end antique & trendy furnishings, fine glass, china inc: 24 pc Waterford Crystal; lots of valuable Can. Native paintings, prints & artwork, jewellery; sterling; soapstone; Persian rugs; stained glass; wine, rare Brandon Pequegnat wall clock; Full length Blk mink coat & others; Quality custom made living room, dining & bedroom suites & furnishings; spectacular restored accent pcs. Pine flat back & chests; charming washstand, dressers, tables & chests; Victorian pcs; leather chairs & ottomans; rare lyre-back child’s chair; early tea poy mirrors, 28” ceramic dog; fine linen; exc. Flat screen TV & stereos; computer desk & chair; vacuum; golf clubs; de-humidifiers; hand tools, pressure washer; patio furniture; BBQ; wood Pepsi cases; Violin; COLLECTION OF VINTAGE WINE. ETC. Terms: Cash Approved cheques w proper ID. SORRY NO CARDS 5% B.P. Lunch. Pifher Auction Service Ltd. 705-445-4848This auction is well worth your attendance if you desire better than average furnishings, art & collectibles all in pristine condition. Several unique inlaid and early oak pcs. Sale outside and inside. Dress accordingly and be prepared to remove your boots.

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PICTURESIf a picture tells a thousand words, here’s six thousand that we were particularly fond of this year.

December 30, 2011

Documents

Transcript of December 30, 2011