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"A Family Tradition for 126 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, November 17, 1992 - 7 IT ---- bas Si EM PTE TY ! I spent last weekend in Orillia, Ontario at the Stephen Leacock Museum conducting the first-ever humor workshop for the Canadian Author's Association. I know what you're thinking: "The guy who measures comedy by how much ginger ale he can make come out of his nose at a family dinner lec- tured on the subject of humor at the home of a true Canadian legend, the nation's wisest and wittiest essayist who between 1915 and 1925 was the best known satirist in the English- speaking world?!" Well, yeah that's pretty much it. was shocked. I thought to myself, not only was Leacock's writing ahead of by William Thomas LEACOCK PEOPLE SING HIS SONG A captivating group tour of Leacock's home led by a charming and enthusiastic student named Rob Graham revealed the existence of a ghost. Leacock's son Stephen Lushington Leacock, a brilliant eccentric described by our guide as "never rising above five feet, a failed writer and an alcoholic" brought the excursion to an awkward and eerie halt. I suppose I had to say something. People were spooked. "You'll notice," I said to Rob, "that none of us feel threatened by this demon in our midst." Somehow I don't think Rob will be sleeping over at Stephen's house Brewery Bay and to this day attracts like minds and kind souls who under- stand that neither time nor politics can devalue the Canadian laugh. Curator Jay Cody passed along a letter characteristic of Leacock people who live life to its fullest, funniest, bitter sweet end. It's a touching piece of Canadiana that I pass along to you. Dear Mr. Cody: My name is Mabel Holt. I am 79 years old and I have been a patient at the County Hospital for three years and two months. I am writing to thank you for your gracious gift to the Hospital which enabled them to buy me a bedside radio. A radio is a wonderful compan- ion for a bedridden old lady. I have very few friends. Most of my friends have passed on. My roommate is Hazel Morgan. When your wonderful radio arrived, she asked me to turn up the volume so she could listen to it with me. Brewery Bay but not far beyond. Most Orillians could care less about the man who first put Canada on the lit- erary map. "Lived here all my life and rever been out to the home" said a man I shared a sauna with at the local hotel. The reason? "Word is, Leacock was a lush, that's what everybody says." Leacock a drinker! I am shocked, shocked. It sounds like the place which Leacock wrote about in Sunshine Sketches Of A Little Town has really spread out to the suburbs and most of the townsfolk now live in proper little places like Piety Place and Sanctimonious Acres. Leacock a drinker! That's what attracted me to the man in the first place. Any man who can produce a book and a half a year for 40 years and bruise a bottle of Scotch once in a i : She is 74 years old and has her own while ets m M.VP. vote As you turn onto the dirt road Rob laughed a little nervously. & y that leads to the Leacock homestead "Because none of us referred to reo and hos elas hep: the volume automatically. ~~ : on Old Brewery Bay the first thing him as a washed-up, drunkin dwarf." oh 0 l Codd A ot gr H, d bro ro it To me, it's like hitting for average you see is a condominium complex. I I added. sne dropped ner radio and oroxe li: and power. Said Leacock of himself: "I am what is called a professor emenitus - from the Latin e, 'out' and menitus, its time, the man went condo in the anymore. ) , . I told her to go to hell. "so he ought to be.' ] , : RR And Leacock's humor is every May God Bless You parently the nsfolk of Orillia is morstrous intrusion aside, where from the brass bell sailing Sincorel 2 h K Low " or the Leacock home is a thing of aging trophy awarded annually to the boat Pvinicgine today have taken the mans work a splendor. The home is a draughty rel- ic of utility, every room and every piece there for the purpose of writing and the purpose of pleasure once the work was done. that comes tenth in the Mariposa Bell Race to the wine cellar where he managed to leave a hundred or more bottles.... all empty. The legend of Leacock lives on old Isn't that lovely. One hand on the radio dial and the middle finger of the other hand saluting Leacock in heaven. The legend of Leacock lives on Old tad too literal. The sign as you enter town reads: Welcome To Orillia -- The Home of Gordon Lightfoot. In memory of Stephen Leacock, Mabel and I salute that sign. Lette I'S to the editor Praise for cartoonist To the Editor: Please give your cartoonist Dolighan our praise and con- gratulations on his insight (Nov. 10 edition) re Peter Perry's vision and the N.D.P. vi- sion. His sense of humor helped brighten my dav! ¢ 2, On the negative side, the ugly pile of garbage serves as a re- minder that the promised [.W.A. short list could soon be announced and some farm fami- lies in Durham, York and Peel will have a very sombre Christ- mas knowing that the fight to avoid being displaced 1s still ahead. Could it be that Ruth Grier and the I. W.A. think that with the busy Advent season approaching and the country corn fields burned in snow that no one will care where the short list locations are? What a sur- priseisin store for them! Ruth Grier's recent G.T.A. workshop presentations to Dur- Yours truly, The Star commented that 100,000 ham councillors at Ashburn and Glenn H. Larmer, cottage-bound cars passed through the . ) resulting T.V. news clips show Blackstock. environs of Port Perry every weekend Ze wll edd Supporting the signs To the Editor: It was with interest that I have read over the past few weeks the amount of negative letters regarding the new Wel. come to Port Perry signs. I. for one, find it astounding that there are not more letters in support of the signs. Espe- cially as the signs are aestheti- us that our minister of environ- ment has very inflexible atti- tudes about garbage disposal. That's scary, because every new proposal must undergo a full en- vironmental assessment, but who has the power to by-pass this and make unilatual deci- sions without full environmen- tal assessment? - you guessed it, this same environment min- ister! Bob Rae needs a cabinet shuf- fle to move a few embarrass- ments into lower profile posi- tions but has problems finding suitable replacements from a party that still thinks they are the "opposition" rather than the government. Keep up he wood work Doli- ghan. Your keen perception of local happenings are good tonic for the spirits in this depressing year of wet weather and dump threats. cally pleasing, artistically craft- ed and did not cost me, the taxpayer,a penny. The politics behind the signs do not seem so important as the generous contribution that they make to our community. Yours truly, John B. Allen, Scugog Island LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Port Perry Star encourages our readers to make use of the letters to the editor column to express their opinions and viewpoints on just about any subject, as we feel a lively letters column helps make a better community newspaper. We insist, however, that all letter writers sign their name. Sorry, no anonymous letter will be printed. Remember When 2? 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 13, 1847 The Remembrance Day service was held in the Assembly Hall of Port Perry High School. Mr. Stanley Gyton, president of the Canadian Legion, presided. Included as major participants in the ceremony were Rev. W. C. Smith, Rev. J. Riddell, Mr. Oswald Croxall, Mr. W. Jackson and Rev. E. G. Bruton. A good number of the members of the Presbyterian WMS met at the Manse. The president, Mrs. John Murray, presided. Scripture was read by Misa C. McKee, followed by a prayer from Mrs. Riddell. The study period was conducted by Mrs. H. Alyward. More than 150 parents and friends attended the first "visitors day" at the High School. Parents went from room to room, viewing the classes and listening to the lessons being taught. 35 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 14, 1957 Port Perry citizens were set to vote on whether to allow a government liquor outlet here in the village or not. during eight months of the year. Joel Aldred was the guest speaker at Port Perry High School commencement exercises. The IOOF and Rebekah Lodges held a Box Social and Dance in the Manchester Hall. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 15, 1962 The late R. M. (Bob) Holtby of Port Perry was named to the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame. His portrait was unveiled at the Royal Winter Fair He was nominated by the Holstein- Friesian Association of Canada as a distinguished dairyman. Charlene Bourgeois of the Port Perry Brownie Pack earned 23 out of 24 possible badges James Read, valedictorian, gave the final farewell for his class at the Port Perry High School commencement exercises. Cecil Veale and Clarence Ginn of Cartwright after a day of hunting in Cartwright Township. Date of photo is unknown. Mrs. Robert Heayn celebrated her 93rd birthday. 25 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 18, 19687 The annual Remembrance Day dinner, held at the Port Perry branch of the Royal Canadian Legion saw 120 war veterans in attendance Branch President Walter (Ed) Mutholland presided at the banquet A contract for construction of a well-pumping station in the village of Port Perry has been awarded by the Ontario Water Resources Commission. The contract, valued at $23.820, was awarded to Amaranth Construction of Don Mills, Ontario The Elmcroft Holstein herd of George R. McLaughlin of Beaverton was sold at the Hays Sales Arena, Oakville, bringing in the excellent total of $109,075 for 130 head, an average of $839 each. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8