Tug Boat Parade 2009 part 2

At noon, the old factory whistle blew (unfortunately, I didn't capture the sound) but I did get some of the boat whistles that followed.

It was great to see people of all ages enjoying the parade and the other activities that were planned. Thanks to all the volunteers and the staff of the museums for orchestrating this celebration of the city's heritage.

Passing the Torch

This week on Wednesday, the Billy Bishop Home and Museum hosted a special event to honour local veterans. Nine men and one woman were honoured. The special event took place at Legion Branch 6.

A good crowd was present - veterans, friends, family, dignataries and the general public. This is the seventh year for this event.

My sister, two cousins and I went this year as my Uncle Cliff was being honoured.

It was a moving evening. After the speeches, we heard about each of the honourees. A plaque with information about each one will be on display at the museum until February. Young people took part in the evening. A young girl sang "Abide with Me"; another told of her visit to Vimy Ridge. Two young boys read poems - one about a poppy and another "In Flanders Fields". Before the colours were marched off, the torches were passed to the next generation.

A walk in the past

Last Sunday, I participated in a tour of Greenwood Cemetery. About 70 people enjoyed the beautiful first day of fall to visit our local cemetery. Our knowledgable guide, Jill McFadden-Bartley, from the Billy Bishop Home and Museum and the Owen Sound & Marine Rail Museum told us stories about the many monuments that we saw. This one is of the Williams family. What is fascinating about this monument is that although it looks like a cut off tree, it is actually made of stone.

Near the end of the one and half hour tour, the group stopped at a MacKay family monument. Jill had prepared a recorded story as if told by Flora MacKay, the mother of the family. Many from this area earned their livelihood from sailing the Great Lakes. The Mackay family was one of these. The story was very moving as we heard of the anxiety of Flora when her sons and husband were at sea. Son Norman lost his life with the sinking of the Hibou on November 21, 1936.

For those interested in learning more The Scanner magazine article on the Hibou gives information on the Ship.

Those interested in Marine History may want to check the Table of Contents pages for the first 8 Volumes of The Scanner, published by the Toronto Marine Historical Society. The table of contents are hyperlinked to the articles that are scanned images of the pages. An up-to-date list of the Ships of the Month from this magazine is available in .pdf format

Greenwood Cemetery is open during daylight hours. It a great place to walk and to explore the past of this community.