Winter Carnival Collectables

SKOKIE AND THE WINTER CARNIVAL SOUVENIRS? DO YOU HAVE ANY?

PLANNING TO HAVE A LITTLE DISPLAY OF NOSTALGIA PIECES FOR GRAVENHURST WINTER CARNIVAL

FOR YEARS AND YEARS I DRANK EVERYTHING WITH ONE EYE FOCUSED ON A SKOKIE EMBLEM. SKOKIE WAS VERY MUCH A PART OF MY LIFE. MUCH OF IT WAS INADVERTENT. IT WAS JUST WHAT I SAW AT BREAKFAST, THEN AGAIN AT LUNCH, AT SUPPER CERTAINLY, AND POSSIBLY WITH A WEE PINT OF ALE, LISTENING TO SOME VINTAGE VINYL……JOE COCKER, MOST OFTEN, WHO ALWAYS SEEMED TO NEED "A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS." I FELT I WAS THUSLY QUALIFIED. SKOKIE AND I.

MY PARENTS STARTED TO ATTEND MUSKOKA WINTER CARNIVAL PARTIES, WHEN SKOKIE WAS A NEW-BORN. I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS THE "SLUICEWAY," THAT WAS RUN BY ONE OF BRACEBRIDGE'S SERVICE CLUBS, OR THE "KIN-HUTCH" I BELIEVE, SPONSORED BY THE LOCAL KINSMEN CLUB, BUT MY PARENTS ALWAYS CAME HOME WITH SOME TYPE OF SKOKIE-FACED STEIN. ONE EACH. SO WHEN I BEGAN GOING TO THE "FESTS" IN ABOUT 1974, I'D HAVE TWO MORE GLASS STEINS TO BRING HOME AFTER THE EVENT. DEPENDING ON HOW MANY TIMES I WENT TO AN EVENT THAT YEAR, I ALWAYS ARRIVED HOME WITH AT LEAST WINTER CARNIVAL BUTTONS AND GLASSES. MY GIRLFRIENDS WERE NOT OTTER-FRIENDLY, IN THOSE DAYS. MERLE AND ED WERE STILL GOING TO THE EVENTS THROUGH MOST OF THE 1970'S, SO NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE HAD MORE SKOKIE STEINS THAN WE COULD EVER USE, IN A LIFETIME OF AGGRESSIVE BEVERAGE CONSUMPTION, EVEN IF AN EARTHQUAKE HAD HIT MUSKOKA, AND DESTROYED HALF OF OUR GLASS COLLECTION. WHETHER I WAS DRINKING EGG NOG, MILK, CHOCOLATE MILK, ICE TEA OR LEMONADE, BY GOLLY, THAT OTTER KEPT ME COMPANY, MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT. THE THING ABOUT THOSE ADVERTISING GLASS STEINS, IS THAT THEY WERE VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE. AT SOME OF THOSE OLD TIME DRINKING AFFAIRS, MORE THAN A FEW STEINS BOUNCED OFF CONCRETE AND, WELL, TO BE HONEST, A FEW "HOSER" HEADS. SAW THAT UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL BUT IT WASN'T MY HEAD.

I CAN REMEMBER THE DAY, LONG AFTER I'D MOVED INTO MY OWN APARTMENT, GOING INTO THE SALVATION ARMY THRIFT SHOP ONE DAY, AND GEEZ, THERE HAD TO BE FIFTY SKOKIE STEINS, ALL DATED, WITH MANY CONSECUTIVE YEARS, BEING SOLD FOR A QUARTER EACH. GADS. HOW COULD ANYBODY GET RID OF A WHOLE COLLECTION OF WINTER CARNIVAL MEMORABILIA? SO I BOUGHT THE WORKS, THINKING THAT WITH MY INHERITANCE, ONE DAY, OF ABOUT THE SAME QUANTITY OF GLASSWARE, I'D BE ONE OF THE LEADING SKOKIE COLLECTORS IN THE WORLD. I GOT THEM BOXED UP, LOADED INTO THE CAR, LISTENED TO MY WIFE CHASTISE ME ABOUT CLUTTERING HER KITCHEN CUPBOARDS, WITH MORE NOVELTY STEINS, AND THEN RAN INTO MY MOTHER, WALKING UP MANITOBA STREET. "I SAW YOU LOADING A BOX IN THE CAR," SHE SAID. "WHAT NEAT STUFF DID YOU FIND TODAY?" "YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT," I BLURTED, OUT OF BREATH FROM THE WEIGHT OF FIFTY GLASS STEINS, IN A RICKETY BOX. "REMEMBER THE WINTER CARNIVAL GLASSES WE COLLECTED?" SHE LOOKED AT ME AS IF EITHER SHE WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK, OR SHE THOUGHT I WAS ABOUT TO HAVE ONE. "HOW MANY DID YOU BUY," SHE ASKED AGAIN. "FIFTY, GIVE OR TAKE A COUPLE," I REITERATED. "OH MY GOD," SHE SAID. "I TOLD YOUR FATHER THIS WOULD HAPPEN." "WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN," I ASKED. "HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR THEM," SHE SHOT BACK, WITH SOME FEAR ETCHED ON HER BROW. "TWENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH. WHAT A BARGAIN." "WELL THAT'S NOT SO BAD," SHE SAID, "IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO DONATE TO A CHARITY." THEN SHE SLAPPED ME ON THE BACK, SAID GOODBYE TO SUZANNE, AND RESUMED HER AFTERNOON WALK. "WHAT THE HECK WAS ALL THAT ABOUT," I ASKED SUZANNE, WHEN I CLIMBED BACK IN THE CAR. "WELL, MY GUESS, IS THAT YOUR PARENTS EMPTIED THEIR KITCHEN CUPBOARDS, AND DONATED THOSE MUGS TO THE THRIFT SHOP." LIKE THE WOMAN SAID, IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO DONATE TO YOUR FAVORITE CHARITY.

THE FUNNY PART OF THIS, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN OUR NEWLYWED BLISS, AND SUZANNE LABELLING ME A "HOARDER," I MADE SOME CONCESSION, IN A MOMENT OF WEAKNESS (I'D LIKELY BEEN OUT LATE WITH MY HOCKEY MATES THE NIGHT BEFORE), TO RE-DONATE MY SKOKIE MUGS. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT INCIDENT OF BROW BEATING I SUFFERED, JUST THAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORK TOO HARD TO PRY MY FINGERS FREE OF THE COLLECTION. IN ALL FAIRNESS, I AM A HOARDER. A NEAT ONE. THEY WOULDN'T WANT ME ON THE REALITY SHOW, BECAUSE I AM QUITE PERSNICKETY ABOUT MY BRIC-A-BRAC, AND ITS SAFE KEEPING. I AM AN ANTIQUE DEALER, AND HOARDING IS LIKE A VIRTUE IN MY BUSINESS. I REMEMBER AROUND THE FIRST OF THIS YEAR, ASKING SUZANNE IF SHE REMEMBERED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO MY SKOKIE STEINS. "YES, TED, YOU GOT RID OF THEM IN 1995," SHE ANSWERED. 'HOW COULD YOU REMEMBER THAT YEAR SO PRECISELY?" I RESPONDED. "EASY." SHE SAID. "I WROTE IT DOWN IN A BOOK, BECAUSE I KNEW YOU'D ASK ME SOME DAY, WHERE THE SKOKIE COLLECTION HAD GONE, AND I'D HAVE TO SHOW PROOF YOU AGREED TO DONATE IT TO THE SALVATION ARMY." SHE'S GOOD. I'M SPEECHLESS ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS, LIKE LEAP YEAR, BUT THIS ONE WAS A NECESSARY REVOCATION OF SPEECH. "DID I REALLY?" WAS ALL I COULD REPLY. "YOU DONATED THEM AND THE OLD WINTER CARNIVAL BUTTONS, AS WELL," SHE ADDED, LIKE A SLAP ON THE BACK WITH A GARDEN SPADE. I WANTED TO CRY. I MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING VERY BAD, AND NEEDED LOTS OF FORGIVING, TO RELENT ON THE BUTTONS ESPECIALLY. "YOU DON'T REMEMBER, DO YOU," SHE QUIPPED, WITH A SADISTIC TWINKLE OF THE EYE, KNOWING I'D MADE THE DEAL TO GET A REPRIEVE, FROM SOME COLD SHOULDER OR OTHER, I HAD UNDOUBTEDLY BEEN FACING AT THE TIME. THUS, I MUST HAVE BEEN INSINCERE,AS WELL, ABOUT THE APOLOGY.

I THINK SHE MAY HAVE HEARD ME CALL HER "DRAGON LADY," AS I RETREATED BACK TO MY OFFICE. BUT SHE'S A GOOD SOUL, AND SENSING MY CHAGRIN OVER MY LOST SKOKIES, SHE PROMISED TO MAKE UP FOR THIS, BY KNITTING SOME WINTER CARNIVAL ATTIRE, INCLUDING MITTS, HATS AND SCARVES, TO USE AS PROPS FOR ANDREW AND ROBERT'S MUSIC VIDEO, IN SUPPORT OF THIS YEAR'S GRAVENHURST WINTER CARNIVAL. I MUST HAVE MADE HER FEEL REAL BAD, BECAUSE TODAY I TOOK HER TO BUY A COOKIE CUTTER, THAT SHE PLANS TO MODIFY TO LOOK LIKE THE WINTER OTTER, SO THAT THE BOYS WILL HAVE "THEME" TREATS TO GIVE OUT TO OUR MUSIC SHOP GUESTS. I THINK SHE'S SOFTENING A TAD. I MIGHT EVEN BE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH SOME MORE SKOKIE NOSTALGIA PURCHASES, BUT RIGHT NOW I'M NOT GOING TO PUSH MY LUCK.

WHAT HAPPENED WITH MUSKOKA WINTER CARNIVAL COLLECTIBLES, IS THAT THERE WERE SIMPLY TOO MANY CREATED OVER THE YEARS IT WAS AN ANNUAL EVENT. AND BECAUSE THE GLASSES WERE INCREDIBLY DURABLE, AND WOULD TAKE A BOUNCE OFF CONCRETE AND SURVIVE, NOT ENOUGH DISAPPEARED TO CREATE MUCH OF A DEMAND. IN FACT, UP UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO, YOU COULD FIND WINTER CARNIVAL BUTTONS IN MOST THRIFT SHOPS, FLEA MARKETS, SECOND HAND SHOPS, AND AT CHURCH FUNDRAISING SALES. AS FOR THE GLASS MUGS, THEY WERE EVERYWHERE. NOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO COLLECT SOME REPRESENTATIVE ITEMS, FROM THOSE YEARS, THE SUPPLY HAS MYSTERIOUSLY DRIED UP. I AM FORTUNATE TO HAVE A 1971 FIRST EDITION PROGRAM, OF THE OFFICIAL OPENING CARNIVAL, AND A MINT-CONDITION BUMPER STICKER THAT WAS STILL IN THE SOUVENIR BOOK WHEN I BOUGHT IT AT A GRAVENHURST YARD SALE. SO WHILE THE VALUES OF THESE WINTER CARNIVAL SOUVENIRS DIDN'T SHOOT UP IN PRICE, IT'S LARGELY BECAUSE THERE WAS A HUGE VOLUME PRODUCED, AND DEMAND HAS CERTAINLY WAINED, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CARNIVAL TRADITION BEGAN TO DIMINISH FOR THE THREE PARTICIPATING TOWNS. THE PIECES ARE STILL INTERESTING TO HAVE, AND NOW THAT THE GRAVENHURST WINTER CARNIVAL HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY REVIVED, WE'VE DECIDED TO BEGIN A LOW-KEY (WITHOUT NEEDING A FORKLIFT TO DO IT) SKOKIE COLLECTION ONCE AGAIN, ESPECIALLY FOR DISPLAY AT OUR MAIN STREET SHOP FOR FUTURE WINTER CARNIVAL EVENTS. IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE SOME OLD BUTTONS AND MUGS YOU'D BE WILLING TO DONATE TO THE DISPLAY, WE'D BE GLAD TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR CONTRIBUTION WITH THE EXHIBIT. YOU CAN DROP ITEMS OFF AT ANDREW CURRIE'S MUSIC, ON MUSKOKA ROAD (IN THE FORMER MUSKOKA THEATRE BUILDING), OPPOSITE THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE.

IN THE SPIRIT OF MARTHA STEWART, SUZANNE HAS BEEN KNITTING LIKE A MACHINE SINCE CHRISTMAS, WHEN WE PURCHASED ALL THE ORANGE WOOL WE COULD FIND IN SOUTH MUSKOKA, TO MAKE AS MANY SCARVES AS THE WOOL SUPPLY WOULD AFFORD. SHE'S GOT SKOKIE ON THE BRAIN. I'M GETTING JEALOUS. I HAVE DREAMS OF COMING HOME AND FINDING AN OTTER IN MY FAVORITE CHAIR. FROM THE POINT WHEN WE FIRST DISCUSSED THE IDEA OF A WINTER CARNIVAL THEME SONG, TO DONATE TO THE GRAVENHURST WINTER CARNIVAL COMMITTEE, OUR WHOLE FAMILY HAS BEEN IN AN "OTTER-LAND," AND LET ME TELL YOU……I'VE HEARD "PRESSURE POINT'S" SONG SO MANY TIMES IN OUR HOUSE, I'M THINKING OF ASKING SUZANNE TO MAKE ME A SKOKIE OUTFIT AS WINTER LEISURE WEAR. BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN FUN NONE THE LESS, AND SUZANNE WILL TELL YOU HONESTLY, KNITTING IS A GOOD WAY TO FORGIVE MY TRESPASSES. APPARENTLY, I'M QUITE A MOTIVATING FORCE IN THIS REGARD. I'VE FELT AS IF MY BEHIND WAS GLUED TO THIS OFFICE CHAIR, IN FRONT OF THE HUGE "HEAVEN'S GATE" GLOWING SCREEN…….WRITING HOUR UPON HOUR ABOUT WINTER CARNIVALS I HAVE KNOWN…..INTIMATELY SO. I PINE FOR MY OLD UNDERWOOD, I USED TO TYPE-ON IN THE OLD HERALD-GAZETTE NEWSROOM, DURING PAST WINTER CARNIVALS, WHEN I LOOKED AT PAPER INSTEAD OF THIS BRIGHT LIGHT OF INFINITY. AND NO, THERE IS NO OTTER, AT THIS POINT AT LEAST, BEING USED AS A SCREEN SAVER. I'VE HAD TO DIVORCE MYSELF A TAD, AS I'M WORKING ON SEVERAL MAJOR WRITING PROJECTS FOR THE REGIONAL PRESS, AND A LOCAL ARTIST'S BIOGRAPHY, THAT WOULD NOT BE ENHANCED AT ALL, TO HAVE A SKOKIE THEME, DANCING THROUGH MY MIND DURING COMPOSITION. THAT'S THE WAY IT IS NOW, AND THAT'S OKAY. SKOKIE IS WELCOME HERE. MY ONLY ADVICE, IS THAT ITS PRESENCE BE AS INCONSPICUOUS AS AN OTTER MASCOT CAN BE……SO THAT I DON'T GET BLAMED FOR EITHER CLUTTERING, HOARDING, OR BRINGING ALL MY FRIENDS HOME FOR DINNER.

HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER VISITING OUR HOME TOWN WINTER CARNIVAL THIS YEAR, SCHEDULED FOR THE LAST WEEKEND IN FEBRUARY. SEE YOU THERE.

JUST A NOTE ABOUT OUR CANADIAN SYMBOLS COLLECTION, INITIATED LAST WEEK

WELL FOLKS, IT WAS NOT A GOOD WEEKEND OUT ON THE ANTIQUE HUNT, ESPECIALLY LOOKING FOR THOSE NATIONAL SYMBOLS, ON VINTAGE ITEMS, DEPICTING MAPLE LEAVES, THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE, AND THE BEAVER. IT IS A LITTLE COMPETITION WE'VE INITIATED TO COLLECT THOSE MARKED PIECES OF CANADIANA, TO BE JUDGED ON THE HALF YEAR, AND THE FULL YEAR…..AS POSSIBLY COMPARED TO YOUR OWN LUCK OUT ON THE HUSTINGS. WE HAVE SET ABOUT THIS PERSONAL COMPETITION, TO PROVE THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH AN AMAZING COLLECTION OF REPRESENTATIVE PIECES OF CANADA'S HERITAGE…..BUT ONLY WITH THOSE THREE WELL RECOGNIZED SYMBOLS. THE RULE FOR US, IS THAT WE WILL STICK TO MUSKOKA FOR ALL OF THESE FINDS, AND WE WILL NOT USE ANY MATERIALS WE HAVE PURCHASED PREVIOUSLY, EXCEPT TO BE RECOGNIZED SEPARATELY AT THE CONCLUDING MARKS OF THIS HUSTLE FOR CANADIANA. THIS WEEKEND WE HAD TO SETTLE FOR TWO PIECES, PURCHASED FOR SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH…..A CENTENNIAL MUG IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, WITH CLEAR GRAPHICS, AND ANOTHER GLASS STEIN FROM ALBERTA WITH GRAPHICS DEPICTING BANFF, LAKE LOUISE AND VICTORIA GLACIER, JASPER NATIONAL PARK, JASPER THE BEAR, AND BOTH THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE AND THE MAPLE LEAF. NOT MUCH BUT THE BEST IF YET TO COME.

ALSO FOUND OUT ON THE ANTIQUE HUNT THIS WEEKEND, WE CAME HOME WITH A WONDERFUL (SMALL) THREE DIMENSIONAL PLAQUE, FEATURING MAPLE SAP COLLECTION, CARVED IN NATIVE PINE BY ARTISAN H. NADEAU. WE FOUND AN INTERESTING SILVER TROPHY (CUP), DATED 1956, INSCRIBED, "THE ROYAL BANK TROPHY, PRESENTED TO ARMOUR, RYERSON, AND BURK'S FALLS AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, FOR HIGHEST POINTS IN FLORAL SECTION, WON BY……" THE CUP WAS NOT INSCRIBED TO THE PERSON WHO MAY HAVE WON IT IN THAT YEAR. I LOVE COLLECTING OLD TROPHIES. CAN'T EXPLAIN WHY….EXCEPT I'VE NEVER WON SUCH HARDWARE….SO I MAKE UP FOR IT, BY BUYING INTERESTING ONES I FIND. THE THIRD INTERESTING PURCHASE, IS A WONDERFULLY CRAFTED OBLONG WOODEN BELL, WITH FOUR HAND CARVED WOODEN RINGERS, PROBABLY FROM EITHER SOUTH AMERICA OR AFRICA. IT HAS A WONDERFUL SOUND TO IT, AND WILL BE USED IN OUR BOYS' RECORDING BUSINESS, WHEN A SIMILAR EFFECT IS NEEDED TO ENHANCE A SONG. IT WAS FOUND IN GRAVENHURST FOR THE PRICE OF FOUR DOLLARS. AS USUAL, WE CAME HOME WITH SOME REMNANT YARN, SUZANNE USES FOR A MYRIAD OF KNITTING PROJECTS. IT WASN'T A GREAT WEEKEND FOR ANTIQUE HUNTING AND THE WEATHER WAS A LITTLE TOUGH ON LONG DISTANCE DRIVING. HAPPY TO STAY AT HOME IN SOUTH MUSKOKA.

SEE YOU SOON. HAPPY HUNTING OUT THERE. THERE'S LOTS OF NEAT STUFF TO FIND.