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1wýJ4 - Orono Weekly imeWdedy Nvme7,19 9~ /~M~Henry Sissons By Marcia Griffin Tbe large eastern deck of tbe rustic and beauti- fui borne of Henry Sissons overiooks green yard, garden and a tbick forest of trees. Trees of many diffrent vani- eties; cedar, blue spruce, wal- nut and more, so dense you would neyer know bow close Higbway 115 lies to tbe Orono homne. And that was tbe point, reaiiy, and bow Mn. Sissons managed to -back into the tree business," as be puts it. '*Originally, 1 planted trees to plant trees. The front was a bare field - now you can't see out and can't see in. Everytbing you see, we plant- ed. We put a bouse wbere there was notbing and a for- est grew around t. His interest n trees deveioped' into wbat is now "Cedar, Crescent Fanm Custom Trees." The business began n the late seventies, wben Mr. Sissons retired from bis bydro job n Markbam. "Fin not a sedentary man," says Mr. Sissons, bis blue eyes twinkling. "I couid barely tolerate sitting n an office cbair ail day. " So,, after working witb bydro since WWII, t seemed only natural that bie retumn to tbe farm- land wbere be spent mucb of bis youtb. The land was origi- nally puLrcbased by bis father, Professor Charles Bruce Sissons, n 192 1. Before that tbe propenty belonged to Mr. W. L. Smitb and was part of a reforestation pnogram wbicb saw 12,000 pine seedlings planted n 11912. Today, tbere is a second growtb of trees wbere tbere was once oniy sand idges. Professor Sissons ran the place as a paying farrn, dividing bis time between b is job as Victoria Coilege Nelles professor of ancient bistory in Toronto and tbe faim before retining.. An oid Toronto Globe and Mail paper, dated May 31, 1947, beads an article about Professor Sissons, "Century old farm run by retining Professor," and describes bim as the son of a farmner wbo is "stili a farmer's son at beart." He purcbased the farim to raise bis four sons and, says tbe article, "His fifty acres today reclaim yesterday for tornorrow." Tbere is an obvious parailel between father and son, and a sense, in a small way of blstory repeating tself. Botb men took to the land tbey loved and turned t into sometbing productive - tbat was key to retiring bere for Henry Sissons, wbo turns eigbty tbis summer. "I grew up botb places, city and country," Mr. Sissons explained. "Farm life is a beaitby life. It seemed natural to go back to my roots provided I couid do sometbing - I bave to be active. I decid- ed, knowing every inch of the property, tbat t would be most productive put into trees."' So Rn 1975, be and bis wife Annabel built their borne on the 35 acres that remained of tbe productive 50 acre farm after tbe original bomestead was severed. Backing on to the Forestry, it is stili a unique piece of prop- erty. The long, narrow bouse of white pine log construction is built upon a ridge wbicb overlooks the land. "My wife crawled around on ber bands- and knees to lay tbe place out," notes Mr. Sissons. It is tbe second mar- niage for Mr. and Mrs. Sissons; sbe is oiginally frorn Hamilton. Married in 1969, tbey bave nine cbildren between tbem, ail one year apart in age, and 21 grand- cbildren. The bouse, says Mr. Sissons, serves as a Mecca for tbem. "Tbey are scattered al over; this place is big enougb for the wbole gang." And wbat a place t is witb it's eigbt ncb pine walls, jutting barn beams, antique fumrnsbings and two magnRfi- cent stain glass windows. S"My wife and I are antique collectors," mentions Mr. Sissons regarding the stniking decor. "Tbe two stain glass windows come from a couple of old bouses being tomn down at the Toronto Conservatory of Music, as did PERSONALIZED with colour enlargements made from 12 of VOUR photos. the iron work around the house." Mrs. Sissons is a notewortby person in bier own' rigbt. She is currently co- chair of the "Claington Older Aduit Centre," director at large for the Durham Region Community Care, and bas recently been eiected as trustee to'tbe Bowmanville Hospital board as a regional representatîve. Witb tbe busy lifestyle tbey are both used to, tbe peaceful and rustic setting of their borne seems to serve as a lodestone for tranquillity; a barmonizing of man and nature. A stream meanders slowly tbrough the property. Bebind the bouse to tbe west lies a pond where a fivefoot water wheel is currently under construction. It will serve to naturaliy aerate the pond. A narrow walkway leads from the bouse to the spectacular view forty feet below, Startled by the buman presence, a beron takes fligbt and soars gracefuily out of view. The pond itself was put in two years ago and, explains Mr. Sissons, it is flot con- nected to the creek. "We work at conserving tbis littie bit of nature," hie stresses, calling bis efforts -self-landscaping." It's a natural job," he says as lie motions to the stateiy pines and grove of wal- nuts. "Basîcally, I just stuck tbem in tbe ground. " T b e grounds are rougb cut, not, lawn per say. "No fussy stuif," smiles Mr. Sissons. He points below to tbe abundant and bealtby foliage edging tbe pool area. "My wife bas plant- ed perennials and just let tbem go." This no-nonsense and natural approacb is reflected Rn bis business, wbicb be operates on a small scale. "Others bave bun- dreds of acres of trees butI'm more of a cottage industry," be says about the pasture areas now used for tree crop- ping. "I seil to do-it-your- seifers, wbo do their own landscaping, digging the boles and planting - and at affordable prices." Mr. Sissons is partic- ularly interested in reviving tbe popularity of the native sugar mapie. He also seils Colorado blue spruce, Austrian pine and bircb clumps. 1Tbe singular nature of the business, bouse and property bas made t a popu- lar stop on environmental group SAGA's, "Great Ganaraska ,Adventure," wbicb unfortunately, the Sissons were unable to par- ticipate in this year. "We are furtber soutb tban most on the tour, but 1 tbink we reflect wbat SAGA stands for," noted Mr. Sissons. "We took a place that was one tbing and made it into sometbing else, with- out destroying its natural qualities . ..preserved and enbanced every nch of t." 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