The tradition of helping a neighbour started early in Bruce County. Our pioneer ancestors had no more than a humble log shanty but would throw open the door for any traveller and share their meagre fare, be it only a lowly potato. The depth of this generosity was often noted by Norm...
To the Editor: Imagine that the Town of Kincardine were declared a special economic zone under Bill 5, as proposed by Ontario premier Doug Ford’s government. Let’s say the private luxury spa that took over Ontario Place wanted to build a second spa on the currently publi...
To the Editor: RE: “Remembering the Pine River hockey team of possibly 1937” Robert “Bob” Allister Liddle, the goalie on the Pine River hockey team, was born and raised in Ripley, the oldest son of Charles and Florence (McMurchy) Liddle. He had five younger...
It appears that hockey has been a long-time favourite sport in Bruce County. Thanks to Wayne Pollock for this picture of the Pine River team – in 1937, he thinks, but maybe earlier. In those days, there would have been several rural teams in Huron Township. “A History of...
To the Editor: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kincardine council and staff for approving my request to have the municipal flag raised from May 13-27, in the municipality. I also thank the Multicultural Celebration committee for accepting this flag-raising as an addit...
The past few months has been a whirlwind of being reminded about what it means to be Canadian. It’s a love affair we didn’t know we needed, and it’s one that we are wholeheartedly embracing. The mosaic of Canada – its lands, water and people - are truly a testament...
To the Editor: On Earth Day, I was delighted to witness three groups of students from KDSS diligently collecting litter in my neighbourhood. These young individuals were not only enthusiastic but also cheerful, boisterous, and well-behaved, all while staying focused on their task. Thei...
I’m sitting at the computer in April, 2025. For the past few weeks, my Facebook has been filled with posts urging me to “Buy Canadian” or telling me, “These products are produced in Canada.” In the grocery stores, red flags decorate the aisles, helping ...
As a means of escaping the law, eating your arrest warrant wouldn’t seem a likely solution. Yet it happened, in 1859. We’ll let Norman Robertson tell this strange story. It’s from his “History of the County of Bruce,” published by the Bruce County Historic...
To the Editor: As the weather warms up and spring approaches, many of us are eager to begin cleaning up our yards and gardens. However, I want to encourage our community to rethink how we approach this seasonal task. Instead of viewing leaves and yard trimmings as "waste" ...
You would think taking your first painting lesson while having a pint of beer, would be a questionable mix! It turns out, for a group of novice painters, it produced good results under the guiding hand of painting instructor Lisa Farrell. That was the theme at the Feb. 19 Paint and ...
By John C. Carter This timely piece on annexing Canada is by a guest author, historian John Carter. He holds a PhD in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester and is the Peninsula director of the Bruce County Historical Society. He is the author of “The Perils and Pitfalls...
To the Editor: Well, Tariff Tuesday has finally arrived and I’m sitting here hoping that whoever has wished us all to live in “interesting times” would quit, soon! I’m also trying to figure out all the many, and various, impacts that are about to descend on our ...
If you’ve been reading my columns, you know that I moved to Kincardine in 2019. The move was a big change for me and my husband, Jim, but we are always up to the challenge of change. Embracing the Municipality of Kincardine and the Grey-Bruce region, its people and rich history, ...
In telling family stories, I can find a great number of names repeated through the generations. There are nine Williams in the Pollock tree, several Catherines in the Farrells, many Mathews in the Davis clan and half a dozen Daniels among the Edges. Today, I would like to comment on th...
To the Editor: RE: “Kincardine announces new doctor set to arrive as early as May” It is unfortunate that it has taken this long to implement the Practice Ready Ontario (PRO) program in Ontario. This fast-track program will allow for internationally-trained family phys...
There has been a lot of sabre-rattling from the president of our neighbouring country around tariffs and while it’s difficult to discern how and when these threats might be applied, it has exposed vulnerabilities that we must work together to address. At Bruce Power, it’s o...
To the Editor: Ontario premier Doug Ford wants to spend billions on a tunnel under the 401 in Toronto. Maybe he should first keep the highways above ground open. Highway 21 is closed again today; that makes seven days in a row. Maybe rural Ontario doesn’t count. Eric ...
To the Editor: I am writing in strong support of the proposed Indoor Sports Dome at the Kin-Bruce Park in Huron-Kinloss Township. As detailed in my recent research on Kincardine and Saugeen Shores, community attitudes regarding development often lean toward NIMBYism (Not In My Back ...
You wouldn’t usually turn to a history book for some funny one-liners. Yet here they are, in Norman Robertson’s “History of the County of Bruce,” published by the Bruce County Historical Society. While writing the book in 1906, Robertson called on a schoolteache...