The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

10-Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday,. September 6, 1989 Bill Bramah and his Ontario Robert Faulkner Robert Faulkner is a tinsmith. He's been a tinsmith since he was 14, when he learned learned the trade from his father, who learned it from his father. These days, Robert concentrates concentrates his talents on making coffee coffee pots of tin in his workshop on the shores of a lake near Pic- ton. That doesn't sound very challenging for a man with Faulkner's artistic bent. But these are not ordinary run-of- the-mill coffee pots. They're heirloom reproductions reproductions of originals made by early settlers that are now treasured by museums and private collectors collectors all across the continent . The limited edition reproductions reproductions are ordered by "tole" painters in both Canada and the United States. That word "tole" is french for decorative painting. The final products are heritage coffee pots bearing magnificent multi-colored designs. I watched Faulkner cutting and rounding tin on machines similar to those he used a half- century ago when he worked with his wife, Eileen, who did tole painting as a hobby, asked him to make something of tin she could paint. He made a few things, and in the process, became interested in the historical background of Markham Museum I thought that when I grew old I'd become wise. But I am not. I thought I'd become nostalgic and like to talk a lot about "the good old days." But I don't. Then I went up to see a collection of buggies, wagons and carriages in Markham and was carried back to childhood. A red T. Eaton Co. delivery • wagon of the kind that used to rumble rumble around Toronto streets drawn by well-groomed horses, swept me back to (he early twenties. The rest of the collection was a few years before my time, so my nostalgia spree was short-lived. However, it was enough to set me off on a stroll into another century. My guide was John Mitchell, an exhibit designer who created realistic settings for the wonderful old conveyances, even to the types of roads they thundered and clattered clattered over in bygone days. They're housed at the Markham Museum in a big building with a brick facade emulating a car- riageworks of tum-of-the-century Markham Village. And the forty- eight relics'of the road, known as the "Ward Collection", are a transportation historian's dream. The centrepiece is a horsecart used used by Toronto butcher William Ward in the 1890s. His three sons resurrected and repaired it in 1944 and then began a search for other old carts, carriages, wagons and buggies. They scoured the Ontario countryside and brought them back to their Markham Township farm for restoration. Last year they donated them to the Museum. Designer Mitchell has done impressive impressive things with the collection. There's a heavy farm wagon being pulled by a life-like horse over a road made of logs - the so-called "corduroy" roads. There are buggies buggies and "democrats" (the forerunners forerunners of station wagons) on what Early American tinware. He also discovered that tinsmiths who made classic reproductions were in great demand. Robert and Eileen began travelling the continent to study originals at museums and in private collections. Curators were fussy and it was necessary to wear white gloves to take exact exact measurements of the valued heritage artifacts. Tole painters wanted coffee pots more than anything else. Robert took the measurements back to his workshop. He cut patterns and made his first authentic reproductions. Word got around. Famous tole painters heard about his work. Almost overnight he had more orders than he could handle. handle. These days, Eileen has little time to do any painting. She's too busy handling correspondence, correspondence, shipping and business details for what the couple call "Heirloom Reproductions." It's ironic that Robert would likely never thought of making the reproductions if his wife hadn't asked for something she could paint. Now they're both into it up to their necks, with Faulkner an internationally recognized tinsmith. were known as "plank" roads. There's a big black coach that carried carried the mail from Pembroke to Ottawa Ottawa in the 1860s. It's set on a gravel road, which was considered quite advanced. Apparently, winter was thought to be the best time to travel, and after taking a look at a few of the roads you can understand why. A cushion of snow or even slush would be better than some of those bone crushers. As we roamed around the.display the designer was telling me.that one of the settlers' biggest complaints was about roads. There were arguments abo.ut roads. Toll roads were a nuisance. The corduroy roads would shake the bejebbers out of you. On top of that was the infernal mud! Later, as I was driving away from ■ the Museum, I mused aboht the wondrous changes that had been wrought by technology since the early settlers first arrived. I thought about our sleek, speedy automobiles and our complex multi-laned highways. Then, as j was turning into a restaurant 1 hit a pothole! I muttered to myself.' Then managed a slight chuckle. 1 guess some things never change. Province appoints co-ordinator (Continued from page 7) infant attachment in 1983. The appointmènt of a eor- ordinator is the latest in a series of ministry initiatives to improve care for mothers and babies. The minister earlier announced plans to approve birthing centres outside hospitals, home support programs for mothers leaving Convictions rise more than three fold Prosecutions for environmental environmental offences have more than quadrupled and convictions have more than tripled since 1985, Ontario Environment Minister Jim Bradley announced announced today. The Ministry of the Environment Environment initiated 244 cases against 343 companies and individuals in the year ending March 31, 1989, compared to 211 prosecutions prosecutions the previous year and 54 in the year ending March 31, 1985. This is an increase of 352 per cent since 1985. A total of 1,568 charges were laid in the 244 prosecutions, up from 454 in the 1984-85 fiscal year. Ministry lawyers obtained convictions in 176 cases in the past year, compared to 57 in the year ending March 31, 1985. That is an increase of 209 per cent since 1985. Ministry lawyers maintained a 91.7 per cent conviction rate, winning convictions in 176 of the 192 cases resolved in the past year. Cases pending March 31, 1988 totalled 180, up from 128 the year previous and 28 on March 31, 1985. Fines totalling $2,025,076 were imposed by Ontario courts in environmental cases last year, compared with $1,056,038 in fines in 1987-88. The average fine for each case that resulted in a conviction increased to $11,506 in fiscal year 1988-89, compared to an average fine of $6,212 the previous year. "I commend the courts for reflecting in their sentencing the increasing importance which the people of Ontario place on environmental environmental protection. The dramatically increased levels of fines, including many in the tens of thousands of dollars, means, judges are employing the tougher penalties contained in our 1986 reform of Ontario's environmental laws," Mr. Bradely said. Among the cases resolved in 1988-89 were: a) Inco Limited of Sudbury was fined $80,000 on January 2, 1989 after pleading guilty to eight counts under the Environmental Protection Protection Act. The Ministry accused Inco of permitting the discharge of a Cloud of sulphur trioxide and sulphuric acid which descended upon a Girl Guide and Brownie camp and several other places in the Sudbury area on August 19, 1987, One hundred and fifty persons went to hospital, some reporting adverse health affects lasting several weeks. Vegetation Vegetation damage, also occurred. b) Ontario Hydro was fined $100,000 this year after pleading guilty to two PCB- related charges. hospital early after uncomplicated deliveries and for those bringing babies home from intensive care nurseries, and community-based health promotion programs aimed at reducing the number of premature births. Maternal and newborn care is one of several specialty care atcas in which the ministry is concentrating its'resources. The Ministry charged Hydro with permitting PCB- contaminated waste oil to be removed from its Kapuskasing yard without a permit, and by an unlicensed hauler. The oil was to be used as a dust suppressant suppressant on a public road. (The practice of using waste oil as a dust suppressant has since been outlawed in Ontario.) c) Bakelite Thermosets Ltd. of Belleville was fined $100,000 on March 14, 1989, after being 1 convicted of three counts under the Ontario Water Resources Act and the Environmental Protection Protection Act. The Ministry charged that Bakelite burned napthalene wastes in an unsuitable incinerator, incinerator, permitted the B irds of a beautiful feather have always been in demand. Hummingbirds are no exception. In the days of the Aztecs, the nobles of Montezuma's * court cloaked themselves- in garments made entirely of hum- . mingbird skins. The Victoria^ era also took its toll on hummingbird populations. Auction records indicate that huildreds of thousands of hummingbird skins were bought and sold and the feathers used to make artificial flowers. Fortunately, hummingbirds are currently in demand by backyard birdwatchers. Hummingbirds adapt themselves readily to rural and discharge of phenolic wastes into into the Bay of Qpinte, and failed to keep records of PCB wastes stored oh its premises. The Ministry led evidence that a Bakelite employee was instructed instructed to destroy records of these activities, The employee instead turned them over to the Ministry of the Environment. He was fired bÿ the company, and is novy suing Bakelite for improper dismissal, using provisions provisions of the Environmental Protection Protection Act, which make it an offence to fire or discipline a worker for reporting environmental environmental spills or problems to the ministry. "Our environmental protection protection laws are in place to safeguard human health and maintain the vitality of our natural environment. We will continue to enforce these laws vigorously and without fear or favor," Mr. Bradley said. uban areas and are frequent visitors to gardens and parks. Attracting them into your backyard can be relatively easy. Flowers are preferable to the popular sugar and water feeders and have the added advantage of bringing colour to your garden. In a mutually beneficial relationship, relationship, hummingbirds cross-polfinate flowers, and flowers provide hummingbirds with nourishment. Certain types of flowers are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. hummingbirds. The ideal flower produces lots of nectar and is easy to feed (Continued page 11) DELIVERY TO ORONO TUESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY MASTRO PIZZA NEWCASTLE, ONTARIO Phone 987-1234 SMALL CHARGE FOR DELIVERY Pizzas, Burgers, Subs, etc. Put On Your ... Cowboy Hat for a Huge Parade on Saturday Starts at 11:30 a.m. You will be entertained by ... , BOWMANVILLE LEGION PIPE BAND MUSICAL WESTERN FLOATS WALKER SEA CADETS, CLOWNS DAIRY PRINCESS, FAIR QUEENS '75 ANTIQUE CARS and STREET RODS MOTOR' BIKES and FARM TRACTORS Free Candy, Flowers and Balloons will be given out during the parade , See You There The Hummingbirds and their flowers