6 Friday, June 22, 2018 brooklintowncrier.com What's interesting about her comment is the use of the word village, which one wouldn't easily associate with a burgeoning population of over 35,000. However, the group is working hard not only for older residents to remember but also for newer ones to have that village feel. "I've noticed a lot of new people come from small towns," she says, "and want to continue that feeling they had with their children." "I give a lot of credit to the town of Whitby," chimes in Cormack. "Over a decade ago, they created heritage districts in Whitby and Brooklin. They were smart to do that." Preserving buildings The result of that initiative has been the preservation of building facades and archi- tecture that help harken back to a different time. For instance, the Oakridge 1847 pub on Baldwin at Roebuck was once a bank. Baldwin Street Burger used to be a bakery. According to Blyth, they made the best Chelsea buns around and Torontonians on their way to cottage country would stop by to fill up. Cormack adds that Brooklin was always a closely knit community. "I think people here miss that. There's a certain sadness - you will hear it - that things are disappearing." "Yes, but people don't realize there's a core that's still here," Blyth says. "When I came here with a young family in 1963, people said, 'Oh you're back.' But then I realized they'd never left. They didn't know what it was like to be a stranger. "I tell people, there's an underlying current. But also, new little communities are growing within Brooklin. It may not be our thing or our way, but if it works for them... Having an historical society for people to get back to their roots is important." A museum Moving forward, both ladies hope that someday they'll find a home for the mounds of discoveries, perhaps with a small museum, an expensive undertaking that would need extensive local support. In the meantime, they participate in events like the Harvest Festival and Boofest to help educate people about Brooklin's past. While they and their colleagues aim for when the Heritage Society can serve as a registered charity, until then they solicit help with research, documentation, and, of course, the dream of having a home for it all. All told, this new group is working hard at making newcomers aware of Brooklin's interesting past while joyously reliving the old days themselves Provincial Election Night Results - Whitby Lorne Coe 26,471 (46.29%) Niki Lundquist 20,562 (35.96%) Leisa Washington 7,427 (12.99%) Stacey Leadbetter 1,958 (3.42%) Ronald Halabi 522 (0.91%) Doug Thom 246 (0.43%) Registered Electors on List 94,349 Voter Turnout 60.61% continued from page 7 What's left of the railway tracks outside Michael Kelly's Eatery. The track bits and the rest of the parking lot were paved over last fall. A 1915 photo of the Queen St. train, this was looking south in Brooklin. The tracks for the Port Whitby and Port Perry Railway were laid and the rail line was built in 1871. The tracks were removed in 1941. (from the Lynda Cormack collection)