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| This main stay Bracebridge History was signed by the author and the printer, the late Jack Wells formerly a pressman with the Herald-Gazette |
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| 1938 photo of Queen's Hotel minus its balconys |
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| A presentation silver tray to Bracebridge Fire Brigade Chief Simmons upon his retirement in 1947. Image courtesy of family member Chris Thompson of Gravenhurst |
WELL RESPECTED BRACEBRIDGE BUSINESSMAN, FORMER TOWN COUNCILLOR, AND HIS WIFE, KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES
SUZANNE AND I JUST NOW, LEARNED FROM A FRIEND HERE IN GRAVENHURST, THAT WELL KNOWN BRACEBRIDGE BUSINESSMAN, AND FORMER TOWN COUNCILLOR, BRUCE MCPHAIL, LONG TIME OWNER OF "MCPHAIL'S MENS WEAR," ON MANITOBA STREET, AND HIS WIFE RUTH ANNE, WERE BOTH KILLED, THE RESULT OF A HEAD-ON COLLISION, WITH A TRANSPORT TRUCK, WHILE MOTORING IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA. BRUCE WAS A LONG-TIME MEMBER OF THE BRACEBRIDGE ROTARY CLUB, AND AN ACTIVE SUPPORTER, OF MANY COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES, AND WAS MOST OF ALL, A LOVER OF HISTORY IN ALL ITS DIVERSE FORMS.
THERE IS A WELL KNOWN PHOTOGRAPH OF BRUCE MCPHAIL, STANDING WITH FELLOW TOWN COUNCILLORS, ON THE STEPS OF THE FORMER MUNICIPAL OFFICE, ON DOMINION STREET, WITH THEN LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, PAULINE MCGIBBON, WHO HAD BEEN ATTENDING A SPECIAL CEREMONY, RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF SEVERAL CITIZENS OF BRACBRIDGE. IT IS PUBLISHED ON PAGE 267 OF THE BOOK, "A GOOD TOWN CONTINUES - BRACEBRIDGE, 1915 TO 1999." IT WAS IN 1968, ACCORDING TO THIS UPDATED TOWN HISTORY, THAT BRUCE PURCHASED THE FORMER "REID'S SPORTSWEAR," STORE FROM MR. AND MRS. STU REID. IN 1998 BRUCE AND THREE OTHER FORMER KINSMEN, WERE TREATED AS SPECIAL GUESTS, FOR THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BRACBRIDGE CLUB. THOSE SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDED BRUCE MCPHAIL, FORMER MAYOR JIM LANG, JOHN SHIRE AND DON COATES.
I ALWAYS ENJOYED A VISIT WITH THE MACPHAILS, WHEN BRUCE AND I WOULD GET A CHANCE TO SHARE STORIES ABOUT OUR MUTUAL FRIEND, ARCHIVIST / . HISTORIAN, HUGH MACMILLAN, AN ARDENT RESEARCHER OF SCOTTISH HERITAGE IN CANADA. THE TOPICS OF DISCUSSION WERE LIMITLESS, FROM THE OUTDOORS, AND HIS MANY CANOEING ADVENTURES, TO THE HISTORIC CONSTRUCTION OF BIRCH BARK CANOES. ONE OF THE FAVORITE STORIES, WAS REMINISCING HOW THE FLOATILLA OF VOYAGEUR CANOES, HEADED BY HUGH MACMILLAN, (AN EVENT ORCHESTRATED BY MACMILLAN'S FRIEND, WAYLAND DREW) GOT OFF COURSE, ON LAKE MUSKOKA, (RAN INTO A HEAVY WIND COMING UP STREAM) DURING THE RE-ENACTMENT OF DAVID THOMPSON'S HISTORIC EXPLORATION, OF THE MUSKOKA WATERSHED, PART OF AN EVENT SPONSORED BY THE BRACEBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, IN THE EARLY 1980'S, AT BRACEBRIDGE BAY PARK. IF MEMORY SERVES, BRUCE WAS ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF MR. MACMILLAN'S RE-ENACTMENT PARTY. ALL THE CANOES ARRIVED SAFELY, ALTHOUGH AN HOUR OR SO LATE, AND A PARTY WAS HELD TO CELEBRATE THEIR SAFE ARRIVAL. IT GAVE US A LOT TO KID ABOUT, AS HUGH MACMILLAN WAS A PERFECTIONIST IN EVERY WAY. IN A FINAL CALL FROM HUGH MACMILLAN, BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY SEVERAL YEARS AGO, HE ASKED ME TO TOUCH BASE WITH HIS OLD FRIEND BRUCE MCPHAIL; AND SO I DID. WE ALL HAD A LOVE FOR HISTORY AND CANOES IN COMMON.
BRACEBRIDGE HAS LOST TWO OF ITS BIGGEST SUPPORTERS, AND FINE CITIZENS.
HISTORY HAS ITS NOSTALGIC, ROMANTIC, CHARMING SIDE; MIXED IN WITH ITS HARD, UNYIELDING REALITIES
A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO MUSKOKA HISTORIAN, CECIL PORTER
When Muskoka, lost historian, Robert Boyer, it was a serious loss to our profession, quite limited in number, here in the southern climes, of our region of Ontario. We need all hands on deck, because the job of recording our history isn't done yet. So with news this week, about the lost of Cecil Porter, the surviving historians, once again, understand, that this will have a big impact on available personnel, to finish up what we began a long time ago. When we look behind us, we realize how few historian apprentices, are following behind. What should be the case, and may hopefully yet transpire, is that fellow citizens will come to be inspired by the work of these fine chaps, who are imprinted as the authors of many first-rate histories penned for, and about this region. Both men, and Civil War historian, Tom Brooks, who also passed away recently, were, in their own way, beacons for the study of the past. They were role models, by all definition, but was anyone else, other than associate historians, watching and learning, from their meticulous work in respective fields?
We are losing some of our most important local historians. First it was the sudden death of Civil War historian, Tom Brooks, a well known re-enactor, who appeared in the movie, "Gettysburg," and most recently, it was our colleague, Cecil Porter
I never knew whether Gravenhurst, and Muskoka regional historian, Cecil Porter liked me, or even approved of my work in the field of local history. I heard through the grapevine once, from a friend of a friend, that Cecil tolerated my efforts, to expose the social, cultural history of Muskoka; and honestly, that was kind of an honor. He didn't bestow honors casually, or regularly, so just getting a nod and not a shake of the head, was approval worth waiting for.
When I read that Cecil Porter had passed away this week, I sat for a long time thinking back over the past week. As a matter or considerable irony, it was only last week, that I was working through his outstanding book, on the history of Camp 20, here in Gravenhurst, entitled "The Gilded Cage." It is the well researched and written account of the German Prisoner of War Camp, that the federal government established, from 1940 to 1946, to accommodate a large and dangerous population of Adolf Hitler's military personnel, captured, and removed for safety reasons, from Europe, to high security camps in Canada. It is one of the most important books of all the Muskoka regional histories published, in part, (and in my own opinion), because it is a subject few wanted to tackle. The town is so concerned about its political correctness, that to this day, years after the book's publication, you will still not be able to find any federal, or provincial heritage marker, identifying the property's former use. Cecil Porter knew the importance of having an historical record of the town's service to the Commonwealth, during the war years, and went ahead and produced an award winning book. It didn't get an award, but it should have, especially from the Town of Gravenhurst.
Cecil used to visit me, back in the early 1990's, when we had our former antique shop, on Manitoba Street, in Bracebridge. We'd talk about Muskoka books that had been published, and about ones that should be researched and written, sometime in the future. He knew about writing books, and I knew about publishing them. I had, afterall, been employed by The Herald-Gazette, previous to this, a firm that had published many of Muskoka's well known histories. We shared information whenever we met, and promised to keep digging for more good stories.
I never once saw or heard Cecil laugh, but it's not because he didn't have a sense of humor. In our discussions, his words were few, and most of them were for the purpose of crafting questions. He was interested in my perspective, as a largely Bracebridge historian, in those days, but he was sly and would occasionally try to trip me up, knowing the answer before he asked the question. He wore his little toque so perfectly, it almost seemed as if had grown on his head; and there were times, when what we had been discussing, seemed as if we had actually come to a confluence, where we actually had some common borders. Meaning, it would have only taken a small plank bridge to span the thin divide; instead of, when we first met, when in professional terms, any successful bridging would have to been measured in miles. He was a teacher of considerable acclaim, but he didn't offer to be either my tutor or mentor. He did serve himself up as a colleague, and that was both an honor and privilege.
If you knew Cecil, especially as an historian, you came to respect that his passion was deeply imbedded in his seemingly shy, reserved personality; and he didn't show his trump cards to just any one. I always knew he was holding trump cards, by the tell tale twinkle of his eyes in conversation, and the way he'd look away, momentarily and ponder, whether he should share or not! But he wasn't going to succumb to my questioning without certain rules of engagement. He had his pet projects, Camp Calydor being one of them, and I think he suspected I was the kind of character who might borrow information for my own advantage. I'm the same, so we were, in a way, unlikely kindred spirits. Always a little suspicious of the competition. What was important to me, for the years that I knew him, was his interest in fact finding. When he got turned on to something, he was about as dogged to ferret out the truth, as any historian I have ever known; yet he worked quietly on his own, and showed little emotion, except maybe annoyance, when something or other couldn't be resolved.
When I worked on a pet project, regarding the naming of Gravenhurst, back in the late 1990's, I had taken the controversial step, of challenging every Bracebridge historian of the past, who had in some way, repeated in error, that Washington Irving had somehow been connected to William Dawson LeSueur's, selection of names, for the first post office. I had already wrestled with my own mentor, Bob Boyer, about the falsehoods connected to the naming, which he had played a limited but perpetual role, and then having to approach Gravenhurst historians, with another bit of research information, that would remove an impasse, but create a stir at the same time. You see, I had finally, with help of Irving scholars, in the United States, and related sleuthing at home, been able to prove beyond doubt, that Gravenhurst had not been named after reference in the book "Bracebridge Hall," as historians to the north had been wrongly claiming for decades. While it's true, that Bracebridge was named after Irving's book, "Bracebridge Hall," by LeSueur, a federal postal authority at the time, it came two years after the post office was granted in Gravenhurst (1862). That was my first hard fact, that didn't seem right, having some background information on Dr. LeSueur. He wouldn't have searched through the text, to find the name "Gravenhurst," so he could attach it to the sign out front, of the new hamlet post office. And, it would have made more sense, to use the name "Bracebridge" to rename what had been known as "McCabe's Landing. Afterall, it took two more years before Bracebridge was even named. So the claims Gravenhurst had anything at all to do with Washington Irving, had been successfully refuted, and I had been led this way by Cecil Porter, because of a reference in the town's Centennial history, "The Light of Other Days." The reference noted the possibility, LeSueur had instead, borrowed the title "Gravenhurst," from a book written by British poet / philosopher, William Henry Smith. Yet there was still the overhanging potential, that the Bracebridge historians were correct, in assuming Irving, had also made reference to a place called Gravenhurst somewhere in the text of "Bracebridge Hall."
So I sent off a request to Washington Irving scholars, and asked for their assistance, as to whether the author had ever used this name in any of his many books. The answer was what I had suspected. No! To follow up, I purchased a copy of "Bracebridge Hall," and read it myself first, without finding the name, and then I handed it off to Cecil, for a read-through, and alas, we had unfettered the town from a century's old error, regarding the naming of our community. The fact is, Cecil and the book committee, responsible for "The Light of Other Days," had been correct, in the first place, to have named Smith's book as a potential source of the town's name; even though it took some grunt work to resolve it before the turn of this new century.
I think this marked the occasion, when Cecil and I were closest, at least in our professional ideals, although he always let me know, that as far as our relationship, I would always be the aspiring underling. He wasn't rude about it, but he was stubbornly territorial. The next occasion, I worked closely with Cecil, was one of those happenstance moments, when history arrives in all its subtle glory, without warning, and you hope the bridge can be built in time, to avoid imminent disaster. Suzanne and I were attending a Gravenhurst auction, for a well known family with church and municipal connections, and when poking through the estate items, we uncovered several jammed to overflowing boxes, of historical documents, all pertaining to the community. At the time, there were a dozen major collectors, I detected in the crowd, and one in particular, who I knew would bid this significant collection into the wild blue yonder. We knew that the town's archive's committee would want this material, and I realized we didn't have enough money that day, to ensure these records stayed in Gravenhurst. We sent messages out with every one we could find, who knew Cecil, and thank goodness, he was close at hand that morning. He rushed over to the sale, and we had to pull the boxes away from some of the collectors, who had spotted them under the tables. To shorten this story, we knew that as municipal records, these were not to be sold. Rightfully, they belonged to Gravenhurst, and should have been returned many years earlier, by members of the subject family. We had legal advice in-person, from a provincial civil servant, from Queen's Park, who happened to be at the sale, overhearing the conundrum; who added her authority, that the documents should be withdrawn from the auction. She went with us, Suzanne, myself and Cecil, to convince Peter Green, a Gravenhurst auctioneer, to remove the boxes from the auction listing. Peter, a long time associate, was willing to hear the appeal, and agreed, that they were sensitive heritage documents, from the municipality, that should remain in the local archives. What a morning it was, but honestly, it was I believe, the first time I saw Cecil smile ear to ear. If those boxes had gone for sale, there was enough fire power that morning, to have elevated the bid to over a thousand dollars, for the collection of documents. The archives didn't have that money to spend, and even if we'd pooled all our money, in our possession, we would have had a hard time out-bidding the collectors with deep pockets.
Cecil and I talked casually about local heritage matters, four or five times a year, ever since our first meeting, in our Bracebridge antique shop. He was a witty, but intense chap, who immersed himself in local heritage, partly as a hobby, partly as a commitment to his inner sleuth; because he really enjoyed any opportunity, to reveal more a bout the past, than was currently available. He did that with his book "The Gilded Cage," which I guarantee, will be an even more important book in the future, as citizens of our region gradually come to recognize, just how remarkable it was, that we had a German Prisoner of War camp in our backyard. He showed a lot of courage putting that book together, and to date, it is still a seriously under appreciated history.
Suzanne and I were both shocked to read about his passing, from Mark Clairmont's online publication, "Muskoka To-daily." Mark, an old family friend, wrote a great editorial piece about Cecil, with a lot more biographical information included. Take a look at it if you get a chance.
We've lost a fine citizen this week, and I've lost a sparring partner; in history that is!
ARE HISTORIANS BORN THIS WAY; OR ARRIVE BY WAY OF A STRANGE METEMORPHISIS
My mother always thought I was different from the rest of my classmates. I sort of think she thought I'd grow out of my interest in old things and antiquated places. She knew that I used sneak into an old house, on Torrance Avenue, in Burlington, and right up to the night before it was pummeled, to dust, by a wrecking ball, I had been wandering cheerfully through its debris-strewn halls. I have never really understood, what has compelled me to visit old homesteads, and vacant buildings from another era; just that they possessed something I needed in my life. I never once thought about what it all meant, other than it did influence me to delve into the antique profession; a pre-occupation, you see, that allowed me to handle and possess relics of the past. I still wasn't entirely happy, especially having watched that beautiful old Burlington estate, come crashing down, with all its memories, like ghosts, trapped in time. I really felt bad that day, as if the presence I sensed, and appreciated, as the occupant of that century old house, had been lost. I felt like this a lot, because I was always on the look-out for opportunities, associated with abandoned cabins and houses. I always found something mysterious, and alluring, in these relics of architecture, and felt sad, by the fact they had been abandoned in the first place.
I felt this way about the Bird House, in Bracebridge, in the late 1970's. It was known formally as Woodchester Villa, the octagonal former home of Bird's Woollen Mill founder, Henry Bird, that was in great need of restoration. So sensing this was a house with spirits that had to be saved, I made it a project to raise community interest, with a plan to purchase the beautiful estate, on the hillside, overlooking the Muskoka River; to restore it for a future museum. Well, that came about, the result of a huge citizen effort, and the kindness of the Rotary Club and the Town of Bracebridge. It was great, let me tell you, to walk through the porch door, and then the front entrance of that grand house, and feel what I sensed, was a good, comfortable feeling, of a contented family home. I will always have a problem trying to explain this feeling about old buildings, but for many of you reading this, it will jive with sensations you've experienced in life; visiting some place and having the feeling the house possessed a little extra character, and this doesn't mean ghosts as such. It's just a feeling, that the memories here, are animated and spirited. There's a story within, and it wants out. The visitor, me, seemed to be the conduit, but I never minded the extra duty. I was comfortable with this history thing, through and through, just as I am today; although I confess to staying out of abandoned houses.
So to better explain, here are some archives notes, about a few of these associations, I enjoyed, but could never really justify as far as an explanation, "why?"
From the Bracebridge Archives
LOVING HISTORY, ANTIQUES AND A FORMER WAY OF LIFE - WOODCHESTER VILLA WAS A DREAM JOB
WE ALL WANTED SATISFIED VISITORS - WE HOPED THEY WOULD COME BACK
I WAS A BAD, BAD BOY. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM A FELLOW WHO WAS ONCE KICKED OUT OF CUBS FOR INSUBORDINATION? I ASKED THE LEADER TO REIMBURSE MY MOTHER FOR A NEW SHIRT, THAT HAD JUST THEN BEEN RIPPED APART, WHILE PLAYING BRITISH BULLDOG AT THE OLD SCOUT HALL, ACROSS FROM THE BRACEBRIDGE TRAIN STATION. WHEN HE SAID IT WASN'T HIS FAULT THAT ANOTHER CUB HAD RUINED MY NEW SHIRT, I INFORMED HIM OF HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AS A CUB LEADER, TO CONTROL HIS TROOP'S BEHAVIOR. SO HE SHOWED ME THE DOOR. SO IT HAS BEEN A LIFE-LONG TRAIT OF MINE, TO CHALLENGE AUTHORITY.
I DID IT AS A DIRECTOR OF THE BRACEBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND THEN MANAGER OF THE SITE BACK IN THE 1980'S. I WAS SO ENTHRALLED WITH THE "BIRD HOUSE," AS IT WAS KNOWN THEN, BECAUSE OF THE BIRD FAMILY CONNECTION, THAT I WOULD CONDUCT COMPLETE TOURS OF THE HOUSE WITH STUDENT GROUPS. WHY I BECAME A HISTORICAL SOCIETY BAD BOY, WAS DUE TO MY PENCHANT FOR DEFYING THE BOARD AND THE TOWN ITSELF, BY ALLOWING STUDENTS AND OTHER GUESTS TO VISIT THE WIDOW'S WALK AT THE VERY TOP OF THE OCTAGONAL HOUSE. WHILE IT WASN'T FORBIDDEN, AND I NEVER ONCE HAD A FORMAL, WRITTEN DECREE, FROM TOWN, IN MY HAND, IT WAS GENERALLY ACCEPTED THE ROOFTOP RAILING WAS UNSAFE. THIS WASN'T THE CASE. IT WAS MORE THE SECURELY REINFORCED, OR I NEVER WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ITS USE. IT WAS CLEARLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WOODCHESTER EXPERIENCE. I FELT I HAD TO USE IT, AND I WAS WELL AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES. HERE'S WHY I DID IT?
FROM MY EARLIEST WORK IN THE MUSEUM, AND AS A VOLUNTEER TOUR GUIDE, THE WIDOW'S WALK WAS FOR SMALL TOURS, AND IT WAS ALWAYS DISCRETIONARY. IF WE HAD A RAMBUNCTIOUS SCHOOL GROUP, FOR EXAMPLE, I MIGHT DECIDE THE RISK WASN'T WORTH THE EXTRA EFFORT. I HATED DOING THIS, BECAUSE A TRIP TO THE TOP OF THE HOUSE, TO OVERLOOK THE MUSKOKA RIVER, AND THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN, WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE…..THAT FRANKLY MADE THE TRIP TO WOODCHESTER, FAR MORE MEMORABLE, THAN JUST THE BASIC THREE FLOOR TOUR, AND THEN OVER TO THE MUSEUM ANNEX. ONE DAY, SOMEONE FROM THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, ON ADVICE FROM SOME TOWN OFFICIAL, ASKED STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS TO CEASE TAKING VISITORS TO THE ATTIC OF THE HOUSE, WHICH OF COURSE LED TO THE STEEP LADDER TO THE ROOF-HATCHWAY. SAFETY WAS THE CONCERN, BUT IT WASN'T BASED THEN, ON ANY SERIOUS DETERIORATION OF THE RAILING, THE WIDOW'S WALK PLATFORM, OR THE STAIRS FROM THE ATTIC. IT WASN'T BASED ON ANYTHING MORE THAN THE FEAR OF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENING. WELL, THERE WAS POTENTIAL FOR THAT IN A HUNDRED OTHER LOCATIONS, IN THE MUSEUM AND AROUND THE TREED PROPERTY. I JUST COULDN'T SHORT-CHANGE THE INTEGRITY OF THIS OCTAGONAL WONDER OF THE 1880'S. I FELT IT WAS WORTH THE RISK, USING IT ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS. I COULD TAKE SMALL GROUPS, OF TWO PEOPLE PLUS MYSELF, UP TO THE ROOF PEAK, TO ENJOY THE GREAT VIEW. NEVER LOST A SINGLE SOUL. BUT I MAY HAVE INSPIRED A FEW.
IT'S CERTAINLY TRUE I COULD HAVE BEEN IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IF ANY ONE HAD TOPPLED OVER THAT RAILING. IF I HAD ACTUALLY SURVIVED THE FALL, THAT IS! YOU SEE, I HUNG ONTO EVERYONE WHO VENTURED ONTO THAT ROOF, SUCH THAT IF THEY FELL, SO DID I. MALE OR FEMALE, BOY OR GIRL, I TOLD THESE FOLKS IN ADVANCE, MY HANDS WERE GOING TO BE ALL OVER THEM……SO DON'T BE SURPRISED IF THE TOUR GUIDE GETS FAMILIAR. EVEN IN THE ATTIC AREA OF THE HOUSE, WHERE THERE WERE SECRET WALL COMPARTMENTS AROUND THE OUTSIDE EDGE, I WAS GUILTY OF ALLOWING FOLKS TO HAVE A WEE GANDER AT THE DETAILED (EXPOSED) CONSTRUCTION OF AN OCTAGONAL HOUSE. OF COURSE, ONE OF THE OTHER PROBLEM AREAS, WAS THAT THE BOARD HAD ALSO DECIDED, THE VERY NARROW STAIRCASE FROM THE SECOND FLOOR TO THE ATTIC, WAS ALSO TOO STEP TO NAVIGATE. I DISAGREED. IT WAS THE DESIGN OF THE TIME, AND A RARITY VISITORS NEEDED TO SEE, IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND LIVING CONDITIONS IN SUCH AN ODDLY DESIGNED HOUSE. I ONLY ALLOWED SEVERAL GUESTS TO CLIMB WITH ME TO THE ATTIC ROOM, AND THEN WE HANDLED A SLOW, CAREFUL HIKE UP TO THE WIDOW'S WALK. SAFETY WAS ALWAYS MY CONCERN, AND THIS WENT FOR MY OWN FAMILY MEMBERS CLIMBING THOSE STAIRS ALMOST DAILY.
ON MORE THAN A FEW OCCASIONS, I'D HAVE TO DUCK BACK THROUGH THE HATCH, WHEN A PERSNICKETY DIRECTOR WOULD SHOW UP UNANNOUNCED, BUT MY GUESTS WERE ALWAYS GOOD SPORTS ABOUT IT……AND FELT PRIVILEGED THAT THE GUY WHO HELP COMMENCE THE MUSEUM PROJECT IN THE FIRST PLACE, WAS GIVING SUCH A PERSONAL TOUR, INTO FORBIDDEN NOOKS AND CRANNIES. MY WIFE AND I DID A LARGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL TOURS, DURING THE OFF-SEASON, AND FOR SCHOOL AND BUS TOURS, SPECIAL DELEGATIONS, VISITING DIGNITARIES, POLITICIANS, FILM COMPANIES, AND FOR THE NATIONAL MEDIA. WE ATTRACTED QUITE A NUMBER OF JOURNALISTS BACK THEN, FASCINATED BY THE OCTAGONAL DESIGN. AS WELL, THERE WERE QUITE A FEW TRAVEL WRITERS WHO'D SHOW-UP, OFTEN UNANNOUNCED, AND TO KEEP THE PRESS "POSITIVE" ABOUT OUR SITE, WE HAD AN EMERGENCY DRILL TO STAFF THE MUSEUM WITH VOLUNTEERS. I WOULD OFTEN GET A CALL FROM A STAFF MEMBER, LETTING ME KNOW ABOUT A TRAVEL WRITER SHOWING UP, AND IT WOULD TAKE ME ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO DASH FROM THE HERALD-GAZETTE OFFICE, ON DOMINION STREET, TO THE TOP OF THAT HISTORIC HILL. AND OF COURSE, THESE SPECIAL GUESTS TOOK A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE, AND VISITED THE FAMED WIDOW'S WALK, WHERE THE LADIES OF THE BIRD FAMILY OFTEN SAT, TO ENJOY THEIR AFTERNOON TEA. IT WAS THE ONE ASPECT OF THE TOUR, THAT SEALED THE DEAL. FOLKS ADMITTED IT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF WHAT WAS OTHERWISE JUST AN ORDINARY TOUR OF A VICTORIAN ERA HOUSE. OF COURSE WE MIGHT HAVE MENTIONED ITS RESIDENT SPIRITS, WHICH DID GET A LITTLE PRESS BACK IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES. GHOST STORIES AND MUSEUMS…..THEY JUST SEEM TO WORK SO WELL TOGETHER.
THE REAL NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE WOODCHESTER DILEMMA, HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE MUSEUM'S PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE. IT'S POPULARITY, AS PERCEIVED BY TOWN HALL. AS IT HAD LONG BEEN A STRUGGLE TO CREATE THE KIND OF INTEREST, THAT MADE BEGGING FOR MONEY SOMEWHAT EASIER. I THOUGHT THAT IF I COULD PRODUCE ENOUGH CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, AND BOTH TESTIMONIALS AND SOME MAJOR NEWSPAPER HEADLINES, ENDORSING THE PLACE, TOWN COUNCILLORS MIGHT LOOK MORE FAVORABLY ON THE SITE. NO MATTER WHAT WE DID, OR HOW MANY ACCOLADES WE RECEIVED, IT NEVER REALLY CHANGED THE LAGGING GENERAL OPINION, SUCH THAT IT WOULD INSPIRE MERIT INCREASES TO FUNDING. IT WAS A FAILED DREAM OF MINE, TO HAVE ALL OF BRACEBRIDGE'S COUNCILLORS COME FOR A VISIT. SO THAT WE COULD REGALE THEM WITH TRIPS UP TO THE WIDOW'S WALK, AND LET THEM SEE, FIRST-HAND, THE LARGE CROWDS THAT USED TO COME FOR STRAWBERRY AND BLUEBERRY SOCIALS, AND THE POPULAR "CHRISTMAS IN JULY" WEEK OF PROGRAMS. ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. BUT OUTSIDE OF THE PRESS COMING FOR SOME FILL PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THEIR SUMMER PAPERS, THE POSITIVES OF THE MUSUEM DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE COUNCIL TABLE. THIS IS NOT TO SAY WE DIDN'T HAVE SUPPORT FROM CERTAIN COUNCILLORS. JUST NOT ENOUGH TO CONVINCE TOWN HALL GENERALLY, WE WERE A THRIVING COMMUNITY ASSET OF CULTURE AND HISTORY. NO MATTER WHAT WE DID, ALL OF IT FINANCED ON A SHOE-STRING BUDGET, NOTHING COULD ELEVATE US FROM NUISANCE STATUS…..AND THIS GOES BACK TO THE START-UP OF THE RESTORATION PROJECT. WHAT SEEMED MORE THAN JUST A GLIMMER OF INTEREST, WAS JUST FOOL'S GOLD TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY. COUNCILLORS WOULD SMILE FOR THE CAMERA, WHEN ATTENDING SOMETHING HERITAGE RELATED, LIKE ONE OF THE HUGE EMPIRE DINNERS, PUT ON BY THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, BUT NOT MUCH MORE. IT WASN'T A PRIORITY FROM DAY ONE. IT WOULDN'T HAVE REQUIRED A CLAIRVOYANT TO PREDICT THE FUTURE, WHICH WAS WITHIN A HAIR'S BREADTH OF FLAT-LINING FROM THE EARLY 1980'S. WHICH BRINGS US TO THE PRESENT MISFORTUNE FACING A WONDERFUL LITTLE HILLSIDE MUSEUM……THAT HAD, OH SO MUCH POTENTIAL…..BUT OH SO LITTLE MONEY, TO FULFILL ITS POTENTIAL.
THE TRULY CRITICAL RESULT OF THIS GENERAL DISINTEREST FROM THE MUNICIPALITY, AND THE ONGOING SHORTAGE OF MONEY, WAS THAT VOLUNTEERS JUST GAVE UP ON TRYING TO CHANGE PERCEPTION. IT WAS WORK ON TOP OF WORK, AND IT BECAME A JOY-LESS WAY TO SPEND TIME. WHEN I APPROACHED MUSKOKA ARTS AND CRAFTS MEMBER, JAMIE SHERMAN, IN THE LATE 1980'S, ASKING IF THE ASSOCIATION MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN SHARING A PROPERTY WITH THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, IT WAS WITH THIS SENSE OF THE INEVITABLE……THAT WE EITHER FIND A WAY TO REDUCE OUR EXPENSES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ON THAT HILLSIDE, OR FACE IMMINENT CLOSURE. NEGOTIATIONS WITH MUSKOKA ARTS AND CRAFTS WENT WELL, AND THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE-OVER THE MUSEUM ANNEX (ON THE SITE OF A FORMER 1800'S CHURCH), AND CALL IT THE CHAPEL GALLERY. IT COST ME DEARLY IN SO MANY WAYS, BECAUSE MUSEUM PURISTS WERE OUTRAGED THAT I HAD INITIATED THIS DOUBLING-UP OF PROPERTY USE…..AND WATERED DOWN THE WHOLE HISTORIC ATMOSPHERE OF THE PROPERTY. I SAW IT AS A WAY OF MERGING ART AND HISTORY, CULTURE AND RECREATION, ON A TRULY BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF URBAN LANDSCAPE. I SAW IT AS A MEANS OF BRINGING MORE PEOPLE ANNUALLY, TO THE OFTEN FORGOTTEN HILLSIDE. I SAW THE ART GALLERY, AND MUSKOKA ARTS AND CRAFTS GENERALLY, BECOMING BIGGER PARTNERS ON-SITE, AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO A DEGREE. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN HAPPY ABOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GALLERY. THE OTHER OPTION WAS TO PLYWOOD-UP BOTH BUILDINGS, AND WALK AWAY WITH HEAD LOWERED.
I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, FROM ITS FOUNDING. MY FIRST POST, UNDER PRESIDENT WAYLAND DREW, WAS AS RECORDING SECRETARY. FROM THEN ON, I'D BEEN AN ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN DIRECTOR, DUE TO THE FACT I WAS WORKING OUT OF TOWN. I REMEMBER AT ONE SOCIETY MEETING, HELD AT BRACEBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL, I BELIEVE, BEING NOMINATED AS PRESIDENT. EVEN MY WIFE, ALSO A DIRECTOR, PUT HER HAND UP, AND ALTHOUGH FLATTERED TO PIECES, I WASN'T UNDER ANY ILLUSION ABOUT THE ROUGH PASSAGE AHEAD. THE MUSUEM HAD ALREADY COME IN CONTACT WITH THE ICE-BERG. SO WHEN THE DIRECTORS CAST THEIR VOTES,……AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE CANDIDATE BY THE WAY, WELL, I GOT MY CHAIN OF OFFICE ALRIGHT. IT WAS ATTACHED TO A PONDEROUSLY LARGE ANCHOR. THE OFFICIAL TRANSFER OF POWER INVOLVED THE PAST PRESIDENT, UNCEREMONIOUSLY SLIDING THE BOX OF WOODCHESTER DOCUMENTS, LIKE A CASE OF BEER ON A TRACK, DOWN THE LONG TABLE TO WHERE I WAS SITTING. NOT QUITE WHAT I HAD FANTASIZED ABOUT. IT DIDN'T EVEN TAKE "READING THROUGH THE LINES," TO APPRECIATE THAT THE MESSAGE ATTACHED WAS "GOOD RIDDANCE." SO I STARTED OFF WITH THE AUDIBLE WHISPER OF A WORD THAT SOUNDED A LOT LIKE "SUCKER."
SO PUT YOURSELF IN THE PRESIDENT'S SHOES. WHEN THE BURGLAR ALARM WOULD GO OFF, USUALLY AT 2 A.M., IT WAS MY JOB TO MEET THE ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE, ON SITE, TO CONDUCT A ROOM TO ROOM SEARCH. FORTUNATELY, ON NUMEROUS OF THESE OCCASIONS, THE OFFICER WOULD BE CONSTABLE ED KOWALSKY, ONE OF MY HOCKEY CLUB TEAM-MATES, AND WE TOOK A MORE LIGHT-HEARTED APPROACH TO THE INVESTIGATION. THEY WERE ALL FALSE ALARMS. BUT WHEN ANOTHER OFFICER WOULD HAVE TO ATTEND, THE SEARCHES WERE A LITTLE LESS ENTHUSIASTIC. SOMETIMES IT HAPPENED SEVERAL NIGHTS A WEEK. SEEING AS I LIVED QUITE A DISTANCE OUT OF TOWN, THESE EARLY MORNING SITE INSPECTIONS WERE BECOMING QUITE DISRUPTIVE. ESPECIALLY FOR OUR WEE LADS, WHO HAD A HARD TIME GETTING BACK TO SLEEP, THINKING ABOUT DAD TRACKING BAD GUYS, WHO HAD APPARENTLY BROKEN INTO THE MUSEUM. EACH TIME, I WOULD OFFER MY SINCERE APOLOGY TO THE OPP, AND VOW TO GET THE ALARM RE-ADJUSTED.
AFTER ABOUT A YEAR OF THIS NONSENSE, WE FINALLY FOUND OUT THE CAUSE OF THE FALSE ALARMS. THE WIRING OF THE ALARM ITSELF, THROUGH THE ATTIC, WAS ATTRACTIVE TO SEVERAL RESIDENT SQUIRRELS. IT SEEMS THE COATING ON THE WIRE, TASTED LIKE LICORICE TO THEM. SO THEY HAD STRIPPED SUBSTANTIAL AREAS OF COATING, AND EACH TIME THEY HAD A TREAT, THE ALARM WENT OFF. THEY LIKED POST MIDNIGHT SNACKS. THIS WAS THE LIFE OF THE PRESIDENT, AND FIRST LADY.
I LIKED TO STIR THINGS UP THEN, MUCH AS I DO NOW. SO WHEN WE HIRED A CURATORIAL DUO, TO TAKE OVER THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, I HAD NO IDEA IT INVOLVED A CANON. A SMALL ONE. NOT LIKE A FORT HENRY, OR GETTYSBURG CANON, BUT A CANON NONE THE LESS. ONE DAY I STEPPED OUTSIDE THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE, ON DOMINION STREET, IN TIME TO HEAR A LOUD REPORT…..AS IF A SUBSTANTIAL GUN HAD BEEN FIRED SOMEWHERE CLOSE-BY. I ALSO NOTICED, BY MY WATCH, THAT IT WAS 1 P.M. IT WAS AN OLD REPORTER'S HABIT, TO TIME STRANGE, OR OUT-OF-PLACE EVENTS, IN CASE I WOULD HAVE TO WRITE ABOUT IT LATER. I DIDN'T HEAR ANY AMBULANCE SIRENS, AND THERE WAS NOTHING GOING ON AT THE FIRE HALL, SO I WENT BACK INTO THE OFFICE. THEN THE PHONES BEGAN TO RING. YUP, THOSE CALLS WEREN'T FOR THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD-GAZETTE. THEY WERE FOR SOMEONE, ANYONE FROM THE MUSEUM, WHO COULD EXPLAIN WHY THERE WAS CANON-FIRE COMING FROM THE HILLSIDE. GEEZ, HAD THOSE PESKY AMERICANS INVADED US AGAIN? AS I HAD KIN IN THE WAR OF 1812, I WAS READY TO DEFEND CANADA ONCE MORE.
WHEN I DROVE UP THE LANE TO WOODCHESTER VILLA, I COULD SEE MY CURATORIAL STAFF, STANDING BESIDE A TINY IRON CANON ON WHEELS, PARKED ON THE SIDE LAWN. IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME, THAT THE STAFFER PLANNED ON FIRING THE CANON EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK, AT PRECISELY I:00 P.M., SO THAT TOWN FOLKS COULD RE-SET THEIR CLOCKS TO THE ACCURATE TIME OF THE DAY. MEANWHILE NEIGHBORS ARE LOOKING ON, AS IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE RETURN FIRE FROM SOME UNIDENTIFIED MILITIA , CLIMBING UP FROM THE VALLEY BELOW. I DID KNOW ABOUT THE CANON BEFORE THIS, BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN USED EARLIER THAT WEEK, AT A SPECIAL HERITAGE PLAQUE UNVEILING AT WOODCHESTER. I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GOING TO BECOME A REGULAR THING. IT WAS AN INTERESTING SITUATION, AND VISITORS TO THE MUSUEM SEEMED AMUSED. THE KIDS LIKED TO WATCH THE PREPARATION, AND FIRING, LIKE THEY WOULD AT FORT YORK, SO I TRIED TO PACIFY THE NEIGHBORS THAT THEY WEREN'T IN ANY IMMINENT DANGER…..AND AS A BONUS, THEY COULD GET THE ACCURATE TIME EACH DAY.
WORKING AT WOODCHESTER VILLA WAS ALWAYS AN UNPREDICTABLE VENTURE. WHEN PLAYING HOST TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, YOU HAD TO BE EVER WATCHFUL. FROM PREVENTING ICE CREAM CONES BEING TAKEN IN THE HOUSE, TO DISALLOWING PIANO SMASHING IN THE VICTORIAN PARLOR. QUITE A FEW PARENTS, AS I REMEMBER, USED TO LET THEIR KIDS RUN, AS SOON AS THEY HIT THE FRINGE OF THE PROPERTY, AND IT CARRIED ON, INTO BOTH MUSEUM BUILDINGS. IT WAS HIGH STRESS, BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF VALUABLE ANTIQUES IN THE HOUSE, ESPECIALLY, THAT COULD BE DAMAGED BY ROUGH-HOUSING. LARGE CAMP AND SCHOOL TOURS EXHAUSTED STAFF, AND NO MATTER HOW CLOSELY WE WATCHED, THERE WAS ALWAYS SOME TYPE OF DAMAGE, AND YES…..TOPPLED ICE CREAM ON A RUG, OR ON A VINTAGE TABLE CLOTH.
THE BIGGEST DISASTER I EVER ENCOUNTERED, DURING MY TENURE, WAS WHEN SOME STAFFER HAD DECIDED TO PLACE A BIRD FAMILY WEDDING DRESS, FROM THE VICTORIAN VINTAGE, ON A BED IN THE MASTER BEDROOM. IT WAS SECURELY ROPED OFF, FROM VISITORS, BUT NOT FROM THE DEVASTATION THAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN THE HEATING SYSTEM EXPLODES, WITH WHAT I UNDERSTOOD WAS A "SOOT BLOW-BACK," WHICH I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED PREVIOUSLY……OR WOULD LIKE TO AGAIN. NOW IMAGINE, IF YOU CAN, THE LARGE AMOUNT OF LACE ON A DRESS LIKE THIS. WHAT WAS WHITE BECAME BLACK. THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE. THE DRESS HAD TO BE SHIPPED TO A MUSEUM CONSERVATOR, IN OTTAWA, FOR RESTORATION. EXPENSIVE. YES IT WAS. DID WE HAVE MONEY TO COVER THE CLEAN UP? NO WE DIDN'T. WE JUST HAD TO DRAIN ONE RESOURCE TO OFFSET THE DEMANDS OF ANOTHER. WE HADN'T CREATED AN EMERGENCY FUND, IN OUR ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGETS, AS SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED FROM THE BEGINNING, EXPECTING SITUATIONS TO HAPPEN WELL IN ADVANCE. WE JUST KEPT FALLING FURTHER AND FURTHER BEHIND IN THIS REGARD. WE COULD HAVE BEEN FUNDRAISING EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR AND STILL FALLEN SHORT OF NEEDED FUNDS.
IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, AT THIS TIME IN THE MUSEUM'S HISTORY……AND IN THIS ERA OF AUSTERITY….. WHETHER THE RESTORATION COSTS AND THE DAY TO DAY EXPENSES, COULD EVER BE RECOVERED BY OPERATION REVENUE. I AM A PAGE FROM THE PAST, AND I HAVE TO BE HONEST HERE. I CAN'T SEE IT EVER BEING COST EFFICIENT AS A MUSEUM, AND NEVER PROFITABLE UNDER OPERATION PROTOCOLS FROM MY ERA. AS MUCH AS I ADORE WOODCHESTER VILLA, ITS TRUTHS MUST PREVAIL…..FOR THE WELL BEING OF TAXPAYERS OF THE MUNICIPALITY.
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