Friday, April 28, 2023 5Brooklin Town Crier whitby.ca P: 905-430-4300 E: info@whitby.ca What You Need To Know This Week in Whitby Last Chance - Have Your Say On Public Art In Whitby Public art is an important part of our community's culture and identity. That's why the Town is preparing a Public Art Policy to guide future public art projects. Your feedback is important to this process. Share your thoughts on the future of public art in Whitby by completing our survey by May 1. connectwhitby.ca/PublicArt 2023 Whitby In Bloom Events Join the Town for a series of virtual and in-person gardening seminars this spring. Topics include: learning about annuals and perennials, gardening at any age, and more! Register at whitby.ca/WhitbyInBloom Have your say on our proposed vision: • Scan the QR code to take a short survey by May 19 • Register to attend an in-person and/or virtual engagement session Help Finalize Whitby's Community Plan You're Invited: East Ward Town Hall Join East Ward Councillor Victoria Bozinovski and Regional Councillor Rhonda Mulcahy for a Town Hall on May 2 at 7 p.m. at Whitby Fire Headquarters - located at 111 McKinney Drive. Come join us and share your thoughts on community matters. whitby.ca/Calendar Phase Two Engagement Now Open! Learn more at connectwhitby.ca/CommunityPlan All New Implant Cases INCLUDES A Free Night Guard and Free Whitening Package info@ winchesterdental.ca Scan, Call or Email for Details! Brooklin farmer Frederick Roy Ormiston was a passionate advocate for improving the Holstein cattle breed, dedicating his life to this pursuit. For years from the 1950s on, he made significant contributions to the cattle reproductive landscape with his Roybrook herd and breeding of superior sires. Early in his career, Ormiston - to many, a visionary - recognized the potential impact to the genetic advancement of the dairy industry when he purchased a five-year-old Holstein named Balsam Brae Pluto Sovereign, nicknamed "white cow," from a farm in Bowmanville. Thanks to his meticulous breeding program, Sovereign was nominated All-Canadian Aged cow six years in a row and produced some of the most sought-after Holstein genetics of the time. Her progeny, including three bulls named Roybrook Telstar, Roybrook Starlite, and Roybrook Tempo, were utilized worldwide. Early beginnings Born in 1915, Ormiston began his career at age 16 by working on the family's Brooklin farm, establishing himself as an expert showman. He joined the Canadian Holstein Association as an Ontario fieldsman in 1944 and worked there for seven years. He was 21 when his father retired and he took over the farm, Ormsdale, with just five cows of his own. He later farmed with one of his brothers before establishing his own Roybrook prefix. A significant number of cows today can be traced back to a Roybrook animal. He resided in a modest bungalow south of the current FreshCo plaza on the east side of Baldwin Street, where he operated a dairy herd of 50 cattle on his 92-acre farm. Ormiston was recognized by breeder associations worldwide, including the Holstein Association of Canada, which awarded him the Master Breeder Shield twice, in 1962 and 1988. In 1989, he was named a Distinguished Cattle Breeder by the National Dairy Shrine and ten years later he was inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame. He was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013. Worldwide recognition Ormiston's Roybrook herd became famous worldwide and his retirement in 1990 was marked by a dispersal sale, dubbed the "Roybrook Retirement Party." The sale attracted over 3,000 attendees, including several international guests. More than half of the 74 animals in the sale went to purchasers outside Canada. With his herd spread across the globe, Ormiston settled into retirement, but still continued to leave a legacy. He donated to local charities, including the United Church steeple fund, Grass Park improvements, and Landmark Square at Winchester and Baldwin. Ormiston also donated 25 acres of land and $2 million to the Town of Whitby toward building a new hospital. Today, Brooklin has expanded over the Ormiston farm while the barn made way for the 407 highway. However, four streets near where his farm once stood bear the names Tempo Way, Delight Way, Roybrook Avenue, and Telstar Way. Though he died in 2015 at age100, his legacy lives on through the generations of Holstein genetic advancement. Roy Ormiston By Jennifer Hudgins Roy Ormiston is pictured, second from the left, with a prize-winning cow.