Gravenhurst, Winter Carnival and Canadiana

IF YOU'RE FROM GRAVENHURST - WELL, WE'VE GOT A WINTER CARNIVAL SONG FOR YOU

PRESSURE POINT CAME THROUGH

AFTER CHRISTMAS, I GOT SENTIMENTAL ABOUT WINTER. CONSIDERING THERE REALLY HADN'T BEEN ANY WINTER TO THAT POINT, I GUESS IT WAS A SORT OF PROTRACTED WINTER PHENOMENON THAT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT WINTER CARNIVALS IN THE PAST. AS A REPORTER FOR THE LOCAL MEDIA BACK IN THE 1970'S AND 80'S, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME OUT ON THE CARNIVAL HUSTINGS WITH SKOKIE, THE EVENT MASCOT. SO AFTER A LONG HIATUS, OF HAVING MUCH AT ALL TO DO WITH THE WINTER-TIME PARTY, I ASKED SONS ROBERT AND ANDREW, IF THEY COULD CONVINCE THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BAND "PRESSURE POINT," DANI O'CONNOR AND AARON IF THEY COULD COME UP WITH A LITTLE THEME MUSIC, AS AN ACT OF VOLUNTEERISM FOR THE UP COMING GRAVENHURST WINTER CARNIVAL, SCHEDULED LATER IN FEBRUARY. WELL, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET SOMETHING RECORDED THIS WEEK, AND ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T HEARD IT YET, IF PAST WORK IS AN INDICATOR, IT SHOULD BE A CATCHY LITTLE TUNE TO GET SKOKIE DANCING. I'LL LET YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT IT IN THE DAYS TO COME, AND WHERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR IT PLAYED ON-LINE.

QUEST FOR CANADIAN SYMBOLS WILL BE A BIG DEAL THIS YEAR

COLLECTORS TRYING TO OUTDO THEMSELVES - THERE WILL BE A LOT OF PAIN WITH THIS GAIN

I LAUNCHED A LITTLE PERSONAL CHALLENGE, IN YESTERDAY'S BLOG, WITH MY WIFE, PRIMARILY, WITH YOU GENERALLY, TO FIND SYMBOLS OF CANADA'S PAST, WHICH FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES WILL BE THE MAPLE LEAF, THE BEAVER AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE. WHILE THERE ARE OTHERS OF COURSE, THESE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE SELECTED TO SEEK-OUT, ACQUIRE AND SHOW-OFF…..WITH A BIG EXHIBITION ON THIS BLOG-SITE ON CANADA DAY, THIS COMING JULY, AND THEN ON NEW YEAR'S DAY 2013. WE AGREED TO SHOW-OFF A FEW FINDS MADE ALONG THE WAY, JUST TO DEMONSTRATE HOW WE'RE PROGRESSING.

WE MADE IT CLEAR, AS WELL, THAT TODAY WE WOULD BE STARTING FROM SCRATCH. NOT HAVING ANY FOUNDATION TO BUILD UPON…..SO TO SPEAK. OUR COLLECTIONS WOULD NOT INCLUDE ANY PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED MATERIALS……UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR LONG COMPETITION. AND THEN IT WILL BE DECLARED AS BEING PART OF OUR PERSONAL COLLECTION BEFORE THE COMPETITION BEGAN. VERY FEW DEALERS WITH OUR TENURE IN THE INDUSTRY, WOULD BE VOID OF THESE SYMBOLS SOMEWHERE IN OUR PRIVATE OR FOR-SALE INVENTORIES. I HAVE REPRODUCED AN EXAMPLE FOR YOU, FROM OUR OWN COLLECTION……."WE LOVE OUR CANADA," WITH WORDS AND MUSIC BY EDDIE FOLEY "CANADA'S LEADING SONG WRITER" - FAMED COMPOSER OF "WHEN THE BOYS COME MARCHING HOME." IT WAS PUBLISHED ORIGINALLY IN 1945, AND IS NOTED AS "THE SWEETEST MUSIC EVER HEARD, AND LYRICS THAT WILL MAKE US PROUD OF OUR CANADIAN WAY OF LIFE." IT WAS PUBLISHED BY FOLEY IN TORONTO. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MUSIC IS SIGNED BY EDDIE FOLEY.

WE THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD PLACE TO START. NOT ONLY IS THE SHEET MUSIC SIGNED, IT IS ADORNED BY A GRAPHIC OF A BEAVER AND THREE MAPLE LEAVES. TOO BAD THERE WASN'T A MOUNTIE TO FULFILL THE COMPLETE TRIO OF CANADIAN SYMBOLS.

WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SYMBOL-ADORNED PIECES, SOME STASHED AWAY FOR SAFE KEEPING THAT WE WILL DIG-OUT IN THE NEXT WHILE. BUT WE WON'T COUNT ANY OF THIS AS PART OF THE COMPETITION…..PRIMARILY BETWEEN MY WIFE AND I, BUT FEEL FREE TO JOIN IN AND SHARE YOUR STORIES AND IMAGES OF FOUND ITEMS. TODAY WE TOOK A MOTOR TRIP TO BRACEBRIDGE, AND VISITED A TOTAL OF FOUR SHOPS, INCLUDING A RETURN TRIP TO GRAVENHURST, AND OUR FINDS WERE JUST SHORT OF PATHETIC. WE COULD HAVE PICKED UP SOME CHEESY SOUVENIR ITEMS, MADE ANYWHERE BUT CANADA, FROM ASH TRAYS WITH MAPLE LEAVES, TO CENTENNIAL ITEMS THAT, TO US, JUST DIDN'T MEASURE UP TO THE HIGHER STANDARD OF ITEMS WE WANT TO BUILD.

SUZANNE DID BEAT ME TODAY, BY GETTING THREE VERY NICE COLLECTIBLE SPOONS, ALL WITH MAPLE LEAF INSIGNIAS, AND ALL IN GOOD CONDITION WHICH ISN'T THE END-ALL BUT IS STILL IMPORTANT FOR VALUATIONS BY THE END OF THE FRIENDLY BUT AGGRESSIVE COMPETITION. SHE HOPES TO FIND A REALLY NICE MAPLE LEAF SHAPED SPOON DISPLAY RACK…..BUT ONE THAT IS MADE IN CANADA, FROM AN ACTUAL NATIVE TREE……AND NOT PRESSED WOOD. WE FOUND A COUPLE TODAY THAT MIGHT HAVE PASSED, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THEY WERE MADE MANY THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY. SO SUZANNE "ONE-UPPED-ME" ON TODAY'S OUTING BUT I'M LIKE THE TORTOISE IN THIS KIND OF CHALLENGE, SO I'LL FINISH SLOW AND STEADY WITH A BOXCAR FULL OF CANADIAN HEIRLOOMS. OF COURSE SUZANNE ISN'T JUST ANY OLD HARE EITHER…….SHE'S DEVIOUS AND RIGOROUS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR REGULAR PERSONAL CHALLENGES. WE DO THIS ALL THE TIME, AND IT'S USUALLY A FIFTY FIFTY SPLIT……HER KICKING MY ARSE 50 OUT OF 100 TIMES, AND ME, SUBTLY PLEASED WITH MY VICTORY. I DON'T LIKE TO IRRITATE THE DRAGON. SHE CAN MAKE MY LIFE PRETTY ROUGH HERE AT BIRCH HOLLOW, SO DON'T EXPECT ME TO TAKE OUT A FULL PAGE AD, IF I WIN THIS CANADIAN SYMBOL CHALLENGE. I'LL JUST MAKE A BIG SPLASH HERE, BECAUSE I KNOW SHE WON'T READ IT. OF COURSE, I HAVE RUN INTO A WEE PROBLEM IN THE PAST, WHEN HER FRIENDS HAVE READ MY OFF-HAND, SNIDE COMMENTS, AND PASSED THEM ON AT WORK. OH WELL. WE'VE BEEN MARRIED TOO LONG TO LET A LITTLE FRIENDLY COMPETITION GET IN THE WAY OF A GOOD RELATIONSHIP. WHAT B.S. EH?

I DID FIND A WONDERFUL LITTLE BIOGRAPHY TODAY, IN A GRAVENHURST BOOK SHOP, CIRCA 1967, ENTITLED "GILLMOR OF ALGOMA - ARCHDEACON AND TRAMP," BY E. NEWTON-WHITE, PUBLISHED BY THE DIOCESE OF ALGOMA, THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA, AND HAVE BEEN READING IN MY OFFICE ALL AFTERNOON. WHAT A FABULOUS STORY ABOUT THE HARDSHIPS OF THE MISSIONARIES, WHO TRAVELLED THE BACKWOODS OF CANADA, (CIRCA LATE 1800'S, EARLY 1900'S) IN THE MOST INCLEMENT WEATHER IMAGINABLE, TO TEND THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF THE PIONEERS, ISOLATED DEEP IN THE BUSH. I'M ONLY A QUARTER WAY THROUGH THE BOOK, AND I WILL SHARE INFORMATION ON THE BIOGRAPHY IN THE NEXT BLOG SUBMISSION. I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING, I'M EXHAUSTED JUST READING OF THIS AMAZING MAN'S ABILITY TO WALK 200 MILES, THROUGH ALMOST IMPASSABLE FORESTS AND BOGS, TO ADMINISTER TO THE SICK AND DIEING, AND TO ASSIST THOSE FAMILIES HAVING TO BURY LOVED ONES IN THAT SAME ISOLATION. HE WAS AN IRISHMAN OF GREAT COMMITMENT TO HIS FAITH, AND ITS ADMINISTRATION TO THOSE WHO GREATLY BENEFITTED HIS BENEVOLENCE……WHICH SEEMED UNENDING, AND UNYIELDING. YOU CAN FIND A COPY OF THIS BOOK BY SEARCHING ONLINE OUT-OF-PRINT BOOK COLLECTIVES, LIKE THE ADVANCE BOOK EXCHANGE (ABE), WHERE YOU CAN ORDER ADDITIONAL COPIES.

WE ALSO HAULED HOME A 1940'S WICKER CHAIR WITH SOME DAMAGE TO THE BACK……THAT CAN BE REPAIRED WITH A LOT OF PATIENCE AND A FEW SCAVENGED WICKER PIECES, FROM OTHER BROKEN CHAIRS WE KEEP FOR THIS PURPOSE.

SEE YOU SOON.