Huron-Perth Boomers Winter 2023-24

A FREE magazine for adults 50+ 

WINTER 2023/24 Volume 8, Issue 4 

LIFESTYLE 

keen 

Eye 

Local actor turns 

wildfire pilot 

FAMILY 

Grandparents 

raising grandkids 

Over 32,000 ‘skip-generation’ 

families in Canada 

HISTORY 

Industries of 

Huron County 

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HHV 11.2023

FROM THE PUBLISHER 

Somehow it’s winter again in Huron-Perth. Each year the holiday season 

seems to creep up on me more quickly. 

While I’m well aware winter always comes after fall, I’m always surprised 

by the first snowfall (which happened on Halloween this year, a cruel 

joke!), leaving me, like many others, scrambling to get snow tires on, finish 

raking leaves, put away patio furniture and then think about the long list of 

Christmas duties that lie ahead. The cold and snow will come, regardless 

of whether or not we are ready, so we might as well enjoy it, check out the 

activities at the local arena, hopefully get the snowmobile out, play in the 

snow with the grandkids or hunker down with a good book or movie and 

wait it out until spring. 

CONTENTS 

Local Spotlight • 4 

Community • 10 

Health and Wellness • 14 

History • 18 

Travel • 24 

Recipe • 30 

In this issue we have an interesting interview with Stratford resident David 

Kirby – an actor turned forest fire fighter. We also have an informative 

article about preventing falls while indulging in holiday cheer; while the 

Rural Response for Health Children writes about the increasingly common 

issue of grandparents raising grandchildren. Huron County Museum 

provides a look at some of the key industries in Huron County from years 

past. Finally, travel along with Jill Ellis-Worthington to the great State of 

Alaska, whether you have been, plan to go or enjoy armchair travelling 

you will enjoy her insight and photos from this 

amazing place. 

I hope you have a safe and healthy holiday 

season surrounded by those you love, and all the 

best in 2024! 

Amy Irwin, Publisher 

Huron-Perth Boomers 

WINTER 2023/24 

Publisher 

Amy Irwin 

amy@huronperthboomers.com 

Magazine Design 

Becky Grebenjak 

Huron-Perth Boomers welcomes 

your feedback. 

EMAIL 

amy@huronperthboomers.com 

PHONE 519-524-0101 

MAIL 

P.O. Box 287, Ripley, ON N0G 2R0 

Huron-Perth Boomers is distributed for free in Huron and Perth 

counties, and is published each March, June, September, and 

December. Distribution of this publication does not constitute 

endorsement of information, products or services by Huron-Perth 

Boomers, its writers or advertisers. Viewpoints of contributors and 

advertisers are not necessarily those of the Publisher. Huron-Perth 

Boomers reserves the right to edit, reject or comment on all material 

and advertising contributed. No portion of Huron-Perth Boomers may 

be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher.

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT 

David 

Kirby 

LOCAL ACTOR NOW FIGHTING FOREST FIRES 

BY ELIZABETH BUNDY-COOPER 

4 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM

y Elizabeth Bundy-Cooper 


He is a Toronto-born 

actor who went from 

entertaining audiences on 

the stage to becoming a 

‘birddog’ pilot looking for 

forest fires deep in northern 

Ontario. Meet David Kirby, 

whose keen eye and precision 

flying skills helps keep blazes 

under control and saves lives. 

Elizabeth Bundy-Cooper (EBC): How long 

have you lived in Stratford and what theatre and 

film/TV have you been in? 

David Kirby (DK): I met my wife, lighting 

designer Louise Guinand, in 1994 when we were 

doing a play in Edmonton and I moved to Stratford 

in 1995 and we got married. I have performed at 

the Stratford Festival (eight seasons), Grand Bend, 

Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia, and in Toronto and 

Vancouver. I have also performed in the Star Trek TV 

‘Share your personal or family story with future generations’ 

• We record you telling your stories and 

transcribe your words 

• We suggest writing prompts to help 

you recall important memories 

• We research your family history 

• We write and edit your stories 

• We publish a custom-made book or 

other creative memory project 

__________________________________________ 

ARLEN WIEBE 

Personal Historian 

at Your Life Stories 

www.your-life-stories.ca 

arlen.wiebe.writer@gmail.com 

226-668-3352 

WINTER 2023/24 • 5


by Elizabeth Bundy-Cooper 

series – Strange New World, Anne with an E, 13 Monkeys, 

The X-Files, and a local independent film called Blood 

Harvest. 

EBC: What made you take the enormous leap from 

acting to piloting? 

DK: I already had my pilot’s license for a long 

time – back in 1989 when I was living in Toronto. 

I decided on a lark to take the courses and get my 

license. I got my commercial pilot’s license in 1992 

and when acting roles started to dry up for me 

here, I decided to take on a career of being a pilot 

full-time. I got my first flying job at the Waterloo 

Wellington airport as a flight instructor in 2006. 

Then I became a flight instructor at the Stratford 

Municipal Airport and did that for eight years. It 

was really fun and rewarding, and I enjoyed helping 

students attain their dream of flying. 

EBC: You now work for the American company 

MAG Aerospace and are based in Sudbury at their 

firefighting airbase. Explain what you do for them. 

DK: I started as a fire detection pilot looking for 

smoke, and now I am a birddog pilot where I fly right 

to the fires. We also have bases in Dryden, Geraldon, 

and Chapleau, and a contract with Quebec. 

David Kirby in the cockpit. 

View with smoke 

EBC: Okay, so a quick Google search and I see the 

definition of “birddog” is to follow, watch carefully, 

or investigate. It’s a fun name, but can you explain 

in more detail how it relates to firefighting? 

DK: Sure! When a fire is discovered, we are notified 

at our base. I fly an Air Commander 690 to the fire’s 

location at about 3,000 feet above. Alongside me is 

an Air Attack officer who decides how the fire will 

be fought. My job is to keep the fire in the view of 

the Air Attack officer with the waterbomber below 

us, hence the description “birddog.” The officer gives 

instructions to the waterbomber on where and when 

to drop the water. 

EBC: How much water does the bomber drop at 

one time? 




DK: About 1,000 lbs of water and it approaches 

at 100 miles an hour! Once the water is released, 

that plane then levitates dramatically with the loss 

of weight. 

EBC: If I spot a fire while in northern Ontario 

who do I call? 

DK: 301-FIRE is the number to call if you spot a 

fire. Many fires are caught by commercial airlines 

flying at altitude. So, for example, a WestJet pilot 

may see smoke flying over Thunder Bay and will 

call us. We will send a detection pilot to check it 

out. Sometimes, if it’s a smaller fire, we send out 

helicopters from the closest base with fire rangers 

on board with water pumps, hoses, and generators 

who land on the ground to put out fires. It’s very 

dangerous and a big operation. 

EBC: This sounds much more risky than acting! 

Describe a time when you were scared. 

DK: I have been scared three times – all of them 

have been at night and I was solo. Once I was flying 

in complete darkness – we call that the “black hole 

of illusion” when you can’t see anything, you don’t 

even know where the horizon is. Your sense of where 

the sky and ground are completely disappears. So, 

I felt like I was losing control of the plane. I had to 

only rely on the instrument panel to fly the plane. 

There are certainly elements of risk when we are 

circling fire and smoke. We are literally air traffic 

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by Elizabeth Bundy-Cooper 

A Bombardier CL415 waterbomber on the left, 

dwarfs an Air Commander Turbo 690. 

controllers when other planes are arriving 

to the scene. There are many planes circling 

around at the same time, but we rely on our 

communication skills to get the job done. 

Another thing that is very dangerous is 

a drone. So many people have them now 

and they like to film the waterbombers 

coming in over a fire. If I see a drone, I get 

out immediately. If we hit one, it could be 

catastrophic. It’s a big safety concern. 

EBC: That said, what brings you joy in 

this job? 

DK: I love flying, and I love teaching 

others. I train 15 to 20 new recruits a year 

for firefighting pilots. It is intense, exciting, 

and challenging. It is also very exciting 

when our team successfully puts out a fire. 

That’s our job of course, but some fires 

you just can’t put out. Either they are out 

of control, or of no risk to people, or there 

is no water nearby for the waterbombers to 

collect to safely attempt to put the fire out. 

Some fires won’t extinguish themselves 

until the snow comes. 

EBC: Is it a lonely job? 

DK: It’s hard to be away from home and 

family, yes. We work 23 days on and then 

get seven days off. I was never lonely as an 

actor working out of town because you are 

around people all the time. You have long 

days as a firefighting pilot – we work from 

noon to 7 p.m. or sunset looking for smoke. 

When it’s busy, it’s better. When I drive 

back to Sudbury from Stratford to work, 

I want to go, but I wish the job was here. 

EBC: Has your job been busier as we 

experience climate change? 

DK: There are definitely more fires. The 

fire season is cyclical, where you will have 

seasons that are long and some seasons 

there is nothing. For instance, 2021 was 

incredibly busy, yet in 2022 I only did one 

fire. This year was very busy in May and 

June and then it fell right off. In western 

Ontario it was busy right through the entire 

season. We can’t predict them, but after 

this summer across Canada, it was obvious 

that the forest fire season is getting longer 

and more intense, and fires are hotter. I 




definitely have job security with climate change. 

EBC: Do you have any advice for future pilots? 

DK: It is a great time to be a pilot. If you are passionate 

about it, and have the time to do the training, there 

will be a job for you. Currently we have a hard time 

filling all the positions for firefighting pilots. 

EBC: What is your plan for the future? 

DK: I’ve always had a five-year plan, now it’s a 

three-year plan. My goal is to come back to acting – 

full circle if you will! 

Elizabeth is a freelance writer and a fundraiser for the United 

Way Perth Huron in Stratford. 


COMMUNITY 

Grandparents 

raising grandkids 

THERE ARE OVER 32,000 ‘SKIP-GENERATION FAMILIES’ IN CANADA 

BY JILL ROBERTSON

y Jill Robertson 

There are many situations in life that can lead 

to grandparents taking over the primary 

caregiving of their grandchildren. There are many 

terms for it, including “skip-generation families,” 

“grand-families,” or “kinship care,” but in essence, 

it is a circumstance where grandparents take on the 

parenting role for their grandchildren. 

According to the 2016 Canadian Census, there are 

over 32,000 such families in Canada, and that number 

has continued to rise over the years. It is important 

to mention that these grandparents are typically also 

living in a “sandwich generation,” meaning they are 

raising their grandchildren, and possibly their own 

children, while also supporting their aging parents 

or relatives. The care they provide for their family 

members, young or aging, requires a multitude of 

capacity, ability, and resources. 

Grandparent primary caregivers do not get 

the opportunity to have a typical grandparent 

relationship with their grandchildren. They do 

not get to be an exciting place for grandchildren 

to come for a weekend, to be spoiled with treats 

and fun activities. Rather, they are tasked with 

the tougher aspects of the caregiving role, such as 

potty training, assigning chores, and making sure 

vegetables are eaten. They don’t have the option of 

sending children back home after a short, fun-filled 

visit. 

Grandparent caregiving is for the long haul and 

includes both the good moments and the tough ones. 

For many of these folks, this also means their 

retirement plans must change. Though many 

have reached the point in life where they wished 

to downsize their home, travel more, and join local 

clubs, not all of this is possible when they have had 

to shift back into a parenting role. This was true for 

Adrienne and her husband, who are raising their 

grandchild. 

“In our retirement years, the challenge of raising 

our grandchild means that we have had to rearrange 

our home, our time, our energy, our finances, and 

our mindset to provide a stable, loving family home 

that is safe from trauma, neglect, abuse and lack of 

provisions that my grandchild has experienced,” 

Adrienne said. 

There are many reasons parents may be unable to 

care for their children and have passed that role to 

their own parents. Some examples include substance 

misuse, child maltreatment, parenting capacity, 

financial strain, housing, illness, mental health issues, 

incarceration, military service, teenage pregnancy, 

or sometimes even the death of the parent. In most 

of these cases, the care is being passed due to a 

significant loss or big change in the grandchildren’s 

lives. Therefore, these grandparents are in the 

position not only of providing care, but potentially 


COMMUNITY 

by Jill Robertson 

Some key components to health and well-being for 

these families include connecting with others in the 

community, exercising and eating well, and taking 

time to rest. Speaking with a counsellor or mental 

health professional to navigate their experience is 

also essential for many grandparent caregivers to 

maintain their well-being. 

also grief or trauma support. This comes at a time 

when they are most likely experiencing their own 

grief or trauma. This can be a rewarding role but 

also a heavy burden. 

In order to meet the challenges of becoming a 

primary caregiver to grandchildren, support for 

these families is essential. 

“My advice to grandparents raising their 

grandchildren is to ask for help!” Adrienne said. 

“Doctors, dentists, teachers, and professionals who 

deal with children can all assist and offer help, 

and you can be guided through the transition. It is 

overwhelming to try to do it on your own. These kids 

have separation anxiety, anger, confusion, and a lot 

of issues they are dealing with, and they are going to 

need lots of support. So will you!” 

For grandparent caregivers, self-care is very 

important. Each family circumstance is different, 

but for many grandparent caregivers, their role 

is complicated by their own difficult emotions. It 

is essential that grandparent caregivers prioritize 

their own health and well-being to be the healthy, 

regulated, safe adults that their grandchildren 

need them to be. The old saying about ‘putting on 

your own oxygen mask first,’ before you can assist 

someone else is very much true in these situations, 

but this is often easier said than done. 

Finding a group of other families experiencing similar 

circumstances is a significant source of support 

for many grandparent-led families. Adrienne is a 

member of Rural Response for Healthy Children’s 

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Peer Support 

Group, which serves Huron and Perth counties. 

Through her peer support group, Adrienne was 

connected to additional resources in the community. 

“We became part of the group to get information 

about what services, agencies and counseling are 

available for both us and for my grandchild. It 

turns out there are a lot of resources within our 

community, and we have been able to use many of 

these. The support of talking to other grandparents 

and listening to their stories is so important, and it 

makes you realize you are not alone and, although 

this is a fairly unique situation, there are many of us 

in it together.” 

Connecting with a group of families in similar 

circumstances is also beneficial for the grandchildren. 

It provides an opportunity to be together and socialize 

with other children who are also raised by their 

grandparents. Their unique family circumstances 

may make them feel different from a lot of their 

friends at school, but in a shared group the children 

are able to meet other families like theirs. 

Another benefit Adrienne has experienced through 

her peer support group is the opportunity to learn 

new ways to be a caregiver for her grandchild. 

“We are in a unique position of raising children for 

a second time, and times have changed. We needed 


y Jill Robertson 

COMMUNITY 

to update ourselves with how to handle behaviours, 

how to motivate and bring confidence out in children, 

and how to cope with their specific issues effectively.” 

Grandparent caregiving is a challenging role that 

no grandparent hopes to find themselves. It is a 

circumstance that often occurs on the heels of a 

family tragedy and requires a great deal of personal 

sacrifice. It places enormous strain on grandparents, 

many of whom are unprepared for the financial and 

emotional toll of taking on a parenting role again. 

For many families, however, it is also a healing 

experience, and an opportunity to provide a safe and 

loving home for the next generation. This has been 

the case for Adrienne and her husband. 

“We feel so blessed to have her with us. Knowing we 

can provide excellent care, schooling, proper health 

care and all the comforts of a happy home brings us 

peace and great relief.” 

For more information about Rural Response 

for Healthy Children’s Grandparents Raising 

Grandchildren Peer Support Group, visit www.rrhc. 

on.ca/grandparentsraisinggrandchildren. 

Jill Robertson has a Master’s of Education from D’Youville 

College and has been a Parent Support Worker at Rural 

Response for Healthy Children since 2010. Through her work 

at RRHC, her focus has been on supporting and educating 

families, grandparents, and children in our community through 

programs such as Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, 

Nobody’s Perfect Parenting Group, and Circle of Security. Jill 

also enjoys walking her dog, being active, creating new recipes 

in the kitchen, and spending time with her family. 

Learn how we make clean energy and medical 

isotopes at the Bruce Power Visitors’ Centre. 

Wonder. 

Explore. 

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS 

Alcohol 

and falls 

BALANCING ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE USE WITH 

FALL RISK BY MARGUERITE OBERLE THOMAS 


y Marguerite Oberle Thomas 


Many seniors enjoy a glass of wine with their 

dinner or perhaps a little something at happy 

hour. Some seniors may use cannabis to keep their 

pain under better control. Alcohol and substances 

are often present at social settings and mature people 

want to do what they want to do. 

Part of good decision-making includes having the 

information to ensure the best possible outcomes. So, 

what are the facts around seniors related to substance 

and alcohol use? As we grow older, our bodies are 

less able to counteract the effects of alcohol and 

other substances. Our metabolism slows down, and 

it takes our body longer to process these substances. 

Slower metabolism results in prolonged effects on the 

central nervous system. With physiological aging, the 

proportion of water in your body reduces, resulting 

in making the effects of alcohol and other substances 

more potent. 

Alcohol and other substances can impair your 

balance and motor control, increasing your risk of a 

trip or stumble that could lead to injury. And, as we 

age, falling can have a greater impact on our body 

due to factors such as decreased muscle strength, 

flexibility, balance, and mobility. 

November 2023 marked the ninth annual promotion 

of Fall Prevention Month. Each year, all members of 

the community are encouraged to learn more and do 

more to prevent falls and fall-related injuries. 

How many of us are aware that falls and alcohol or 

substance use can be related? Alcohol and substance 

use among seniors puts additional stress on vulnerable 

body systems and reduces a person’s ability to deal 

with the consequences of the aging process. It is 

important to also be aware of how medications 

can interact with substances, and to consider when 

and how much to consume together. This includes 

not only seniors struggling with higher alcohol and 

substance use, but also those seniors simply enjoying 

a social glass of wine or the occasional edible 

(cannabis) for dessert. 

Can seniors enjoy a mimosa at Sunday brunch? All 

alcohol and substance use consumption needs to be 

part of the many pieces in life’s big picture puzzle. 

The most recent guidelines tell us that no alcohol 

is the best choice for zero risk. Check out more 

resources, assess your risks, make choices, and enjoy 

life lived your way. 

Alcohol consumption 

(per week and associated risk) 

No drink: No risk 

1-2 drinks: Low risk 

3-6 drinks: Moderate risk 

7 or more: Increasingly high risk 



by Marguerite Oberle Thomas 

A standard drink is: 

12 ounces of beer, 5% alcohol 

12 ounces cooler, cider, 5% alcohol 

5 ounces of wine 

1.5 ounces of 40% spirits 

www.ccsa.ca/canadas-guidance-alcohol-and-health 

Reduce your alcohol risk 

Follow the standard low-risk drinking guidelines: 

• Have a glass of water or juice in between 

alcoholic drinks. 

• Eat a protein-rich meal before you have a drink, 

or while drinking. 

• Pace yourself, allowing at least an hour between 

drinks. 

• Have at least two days each week when you don’t 

consume alcohol. 

• To ensure safe withdrawal, first talk to a trusted 

health care provider. 

Reduce your cannabis risk 

Start low, go slow. Get to know your own 

body’s response. A guide can be found at www. 

activeagingcanada.ca/assets/pdf/practitioners/ 

cannabis/Older-Adults-and-Cannabis-Use.pdf. 

Reduce your falling risks 

• Keep an active and healthy lifestyle with walking 

and stretching. 

• Ensure good oral health and eat nutritious food. 

• Check out programs to increase your balance, 

strength, and flexibility. 

• Be aware that multiple medications can affect 

your balance and blood pressure. 

• Consult an occupational therapist or other 

qualified medical professional about your 

mobility aid, such as a cane or a walker, and how 

it should be maintained. 

• Get regular vision, hearing and medication 

checks. 

• Perform a home safety check. 

Fall facts 

Most falls are predictable and preventable and a 

previous fall is a good indicator of a future fall. 


y Marguerite Oberle Thomas 


• Many falls do not result in injuries, yet 47 per 

cent of non-injured seniors who fall cannot get 

up without assistance. 4 

• For seniors who fall and are unable to get up on 

their own, the period of time spent immobile 

often affects their health outcomes. Muscle cell 

breakdown starts to occur within 30 to 60 minutes 

of compression due to falling. Dehydration, 

pressure sores, hypothermia, and pneumonia 

are other complications that may result. 4 Being 

impaired can increase the risk. 5, 6 

• Falls are the leading cause of injury for older 

adults across Canada. 1 

• Fall-related emergency department visits rates 

increased from 58 to 64 per 1,000 older adults in 

the past decade. 2,6 

• Mortality rates due to falls increased to 85 per 

100,000 older adults in 2019. 2 

• For 2017/18, around 350,000 older adults (aged 65 

or older) living in their community reported having 

a fall, with 70 per cent suffering an injury. 3 

5. Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction: https://www.ccsa. 

ca/sites/default/files/2023-05/Canadas-Guidance-on-Alcohol-and- 

Health-poster-2023-en.pdf 

6. Goldberg EM, Babu KM, Merchant RC. Alcohol-Related Falls Are 

Increasing in Older Emergency Department Patients: A Call to Action. Ann 

Emerg Med. 2023 Aug 11:S0196-0644(23)00583-8. doi: https:// 

doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2023.07.011. 

Marguerite Oberle Thomas, RN., BScN., is the Consultant 

Liaison for the Fall Prevention Community of Practice, 

which is sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Health and 

the national injury prevention charity, Parachute. Additional 

articles can be found at www.fallpreventionmonth.ca. 

For further information, visit www.cmhaww.ca and 

www.parachute.ca, while health care providers 

can learn more at www.fallsloop.com. 

References 

1. Parachute. The Cost of Injury in Canada. Toronto (ON): Parachute; 

2021. Available from: https://parachute.ca/en/professional-resource/ 

cost-of-injury-in-canada/. 

2. Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Surveillance Report on 

Falls Among Older Adults in Canada. Ottawa (ON); 2022. Available 

from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/ 

healthy-living/surveillance-report-falls-older-adults-canada.html 

3. Statistics Canada. Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS): 

Combined data, 2017 and 2018. Ottawa (ON): Statistics Canada; 

2019 Available from: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/dailyquotidien/191022/dq191022d-eng.htm. 

4. Public Health Agency of Canada. Seniors’ Falls in Canada: Second 

Report. Ottawa (ON); 2014. Available at: www.canada.ca/en/ 

public-health/services/health-promotion/aging-seniors/publications/ 

publicationsgeneralpublic/seniors-falls-canada-second-report.html.5. 

Improving Quality of 

Life: Substance Use and Aging (Report), Canadian Centre on Substance 

Use and Addiction, 2018. Available from https://www.ccsa.ca/ 

improving-quality-life-substance-use-and-aging-report. 

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HISTORY 

the industries of 

huron county 

BY KEVIN DEN DUNNEN 

What do a king, a flax harvester, and an apple evaporator have 

in common? They were all part of major industries in Huron 

County that are now all but forgotten. 

Did you know that Huron County was once home to a king? The Egg 

King, that is. Operating from 1867 to 1905, David Douglas Wilson’s 

Egg Emporium of Seaforth was, by his own claim in 1881, the largest 

shipper of eggs in Canada. The largest recipient of eggs from the Egg 

Emporium was New York, while it also shipped to the United Kingdom, 

and across Canada. In 1882, the company purchased, processed, and 

shipped over 7.5 million eggs from its Seaforth location. During May 

1892, Wilson received and processed 300,000 eggs per week. It is during 

this time that reports of Wilson’s fleet, as recalled in The Story of 

Seaforth, reached 20 wagons and the Egg Emporium employed over 50 

people. Wilson’s wagons travelled the counties of Huron, Perth, Bruce, 

and Wellington, purchasing eggs from stores to bring to the Emporium. 


y Kevin Den Dunnen 

HISTORY 

The Egg King of Seaforth, David Douglas Wilson, 

circa 1891. (2006.0040.018) 

Wooden egg crate (M976.0084.007a) 

Wilson’s Egg Emporium was more than an egg redistributor. 

Much of the need for egg emporiums was prolonging the 

edible life of eggs. Wilson mentioned in an 1881 report 

to the Agricultural Commission of Ontario that the most 

important factor for shelf life was keeping them in a 

stable, cool, and dark environment. He would also apply 

preservatives to the eggs so they could last longer in storage 

and transit. Wilson was quite protective of the exact 

solution, though he did disclose that “the main ingredient 

is lime.” 

The Huron Egg Emporium, as Wilson first 

named it, opened in 1869 after he purchased 

a general store owned by John Hickson. The 

two years prior, Wilson collected eggs for 

his business at a wooden stand. His business 

would feature prominently on Seaforth’s 

Main Street at the corner with Goderich 

Street. In 1878, Wilson constructed a larger 

white brick building. This facility featured a 

large basement with storage tubs for the eggs. 

Various expansions added to the size of this 

already prominent Seaforth business, and he 

further expanded his business in 1887 with 

the purchase of J.D. Wilson’s egg emporium 

in Fergus. By 1892, this site processed 25,000 

eggs per week during the busiest month of 

May. Wilson sold this location in 1893. 

D.D. Wilson was a renowned person in 

Canada’s poultry industry. The Ontario 

Agricultural Commission interviewed him in 

1881 for his opinion on various topics related 

to poultry such as the New York market, 

which he claimed had “practically unlimited” 

demand for eggs, different species of chicken, 

and various other aspects involving his 

business. Wilson also featured in the first of 

four volumes of an 1891 book titled The 

Canadian Album: Men of Canada: or, 

Success by example in religion, patriotism, 

business, law, medicine, education, and 

agriculture. 

Wilson’s Egg Emporium closed by 1907. 

British and American tariffs on eggs around 

this period closed off most of the Egg 

Emporium’s export markets. 

Building ships and harvesting flax 

The National Shipbuilding Company 

Limited started its Goderich operations with 


HISTORY 

by Kevin Den Dunnen 

Pulling Flax, 1919. (A979.0069.154) 

the production of several scotch steam engine boilers 

and 1,400 horsepower steam engines for ships in the 

North Sea near the end of the First World War. While 

some executives lived in the Greater Toronto Region, 

its main manufacturing facility was Goderich. This 

plant’s location was in the still-standing machine 

shop located at Compass Mineral’s salt evaporator 

complex. 

The end of the First World War brought a decline 

to the Canadian shipbuilding industry. Through 

1917 and ’18, the National Shipbuilding continued 

manufacturing engines for allied nations, with most 

going to cargo ships in the North Sea, but as the war 

ended and military contracts also came to an end, 

the company looked to pivot from its focus on ship 

manufacturing. It began taking contracts to produce 

parts for manufacturers such as General Motors and 

General Electric Canada. 

The First World War also brought mass demand for 

flax. The new industry of aeroplane manufacture 

used large amounts of flax fibre in the materials 

covering plane wings. This new industry, combined 

with disrupted supply chains, exacerbated the need 

for flax. Canadian farmers responded by increasing 

flax production with pre-war acreage of 4,000 acres 

expanding to 25,000 by 1920. The nature of flax 

production, however, was incredibly laborious. The 

crop required picking by hand and come harvest 

time, dozens of labourers had to be hired. For many 

years, inventors tried creating effective flax pulling 

machines to lower the time and money needed to 

harvest. 

The National Shipbuilding Company understood the 

potential for a flax-pulling machine. Representatives 

attended a demonstration of the Canadian-designed 

Vessot Flax Harvester. Its designers, Charles 

Henri Vessot, Charles Ulysses Vessot, and George 

Alvin Pilkey, claimed the machine reduced costs 

of harvesting flax from $12 per acre to $9. The 

company purchased the international rights to build 

the machine, developed a new flax mill in Goderich 

and created a subsidiary, Perfection Flax Pulling 

Machines Limited, to manufacture the new flax 

puller at their Oxford Street plant. They hoped this 

new machine would enable the company’s return to 

prosperity. 

Unfortunately, the crash of the flax industry after 

the First World War made for a difficult market to 

enter for the new machines. Without demand for flax 

driven by wartime production, Canada’s production 

dwindled. Though it had expanded to 25,000 acres 

of production by 1920, by the end of ’21, only 6,000 

acres produced flax. Owing to this difficult period, 

the National Shipbuilding Company asked the town 

of Goderich for bond guarantees – the company 

wanted $50,000 to help expand its flax operations 

and other interests. Its proposal argued for its 

importance in the community over its short history. 

For instance, it said that between 1917 and 1921, the 

company’s Goderich factory paid its employees over 

$435,000 in wages. 

As part of the agreement, the National Shipbuilding 

Company would maintain at least 100 employees in 

Goderich. Town council proposed this guarantee as 

a bylaw for the residents of Goderich, which passed 

with the support of newspapers like The Signal. In the 

April 28, 1921, edition, The Signal posted an article 

titled “The Bylaw” in which it rallied support for, 



HISTORY 

more returned fire to their kilns and welcomed back 

what would often be dozens of employees at each 

plant. 

The process of drying apples began with procuring 

supplies from local farmers. Apple evaporator 

owners posted advertisements in local newspapers 

offering the “Highest Cash Price” for apples. Once a 

factory procured apples, the process of evaporation 

could begin. 

Harvesting Apples, circa 1890. The photo was 

taken in West Wawanosh at either the Cameron 

Orchard or the Joynt Orchard. (2017.0027.002) 

“One of the best industrial propositions that have 

ever been submitted to the people of Goderich.” 

Despite the bylaw’s approval and Perfection Flax 

Pulling Machines investment of $4 million into the 

flax puller, its Goderich operations closed sometime in 

1922 due to difficulties making payments. Perfection 

Flax Pulling Machines Limited continued operating 

in Toronto until at least 1925. 

An excellent example of the evaporation process 

comes from one of Wingham’s evaporators. The 

town had several evaporators open and close 

through the years, with the first opening in 1892. 

The Brown & Wilford evaporator, built in 1911, was 

an advanced industrial operation that mechanized 

much of the apple evaporation process. At this site, 

a five-horsepower engine powered all the machines 

that assisted workers with each step. First, an apple 

Apple evaporators 

Orchards have long been a common site in Huron 

County. Roads like Orchard Line near Goderich 

remind residents of this bountiful past and present. 

What is often forgotten is the various industries that 

developed out of the orchard industry. One such 

example is the period when fruit evaporators in 

Huron County, mostly for apples, shipped produce 

around the country and across the oceans from the 

1890s to the 1930s. Markets like Germany, France, 

the Netherlands, and Britain all received significant 

shipments of apple products from Huron County 

evaporators. As a result, apple evaporators became 

an important source of employment for many Huron 

County communities. Once the apple picking season 

began in the fall, commercial apple evaporators in 

Auburn, Bayfield, Blyth, Clinton, Exeter, Goderich, 

Hullet, Lucknow, Seaforth, Wingham, Zurich, and 

Lauren Whitney helps make 

your holidays cozy 

101 QUEEN ST. E., ST. MARYS (519) 284-0550 


HISTORY 

by Kevin Den Dunnen 

parer machine peeled and removed the core of the 

apples. The apples cores and peelings dropped into a 

collection pile to dry. These products were then sold 

to markets in France and the Netherlands. The rest 

of the apple went to a trimmer that further removed 

any remnant peels on the apples. A belt then carried 

these apples to a blancher, where they were cooked 

and bleached, before going to the apple slicer. Finally, 

the apple slices moved to the dry kiln where large 

furnaces heated the peels to evaporate the moisture. 

The drying process could take about 12 hours. The 

Wingham evaporator was quite large and could 

output 450 bushels of apples per day. 

Bayfield’s apple evaporators remained staples in the 

community for almost 30 years. So impactful were 

the evaporators that in the Dec. 19, 1907, edition 

of The Clinton News Record, a writer of the Bayfield 

column mentioned, “The evaporator is the most 

important industry we have in our village and it is 

the second largest of its kind in the province.” 

The first Bayfield evaporator, owned by John 

Whiddon, opened in 1896. After a fire in 1905, 

Whiddon rebuilt the evaporator to be about 13 by 

9 metres and two storeys tall. According to the same 

article, the factory featured six furnaces, seven peeling 

machines and slicing and chopping machines. 

This plant employed 34 people total and ran 24 

hours per day through the season. The Bayfield plant 

continued operating until the early-1920s. 

D.F. Hamlink opened one of the largest evaporating 

operations in Huron County. After purchasing A.Y. 

Attrill’s orchard near Goderich, Hamlink built an 

evaporator around 1910. This plant employed 100 

people and processed up to 12,000 barrels of apples 

during the fall season. 

Most apple evaporators in Huron County closed 

through the 1910s and into the 1920s. Even in 1904, 

John Widdon, owner of the Bayfield evaporator, 

complained about the difficulties of operating with 

the rising cost of wood in the region. Operating the 

fire kilns and building or buying the crates required a 

constant supply of wood. This made the profitability 

of apple evaporators heavily reliant on prices in the 

wood industry. 

Some Huron County evaporators, such as the one 

in Auburn, employed 20 to 30 people per season as 

it continued operation into the 1930s. However, the 

winter of 1933 brought extreme cold, killing most 

of the orchards in the region. Auburn’s evaporator, 

for example, could not procure enough supply to 

justify lighting the kilns. It decided instead to close 

in November 1934 as reported by the Zurich Herald. 

This proved to be the final blow to what was once a 

blazing industry in Huron County. 

These stories are only a small sampling of the many 

stories of industries that have thrived across Huron 

County. To better share these stories, the Huron 

County Museum is in the process of redeveloping its 

Industry Gallery. The new permanent gallery aims 

to explore diverse stories from across the county for 

residents and visitors to enjoy for years to come. 

Bibliography 

Auburn Women’s Institute. History of Auburn: 1848-1973. 

Blyth, Ont,: Blyth Printing, 1973. 

Barlow, William, and Barry J. Page. Goderich: Link to the 

Past: An Illustrated Local History. Collingwood, ON: The 

Print Shop, 2001. 

Bayfield Historical Society. The Village of Bayfield: History 

1876 - 1985. Edited by Edward W. Oddleifson. Zurich, 

ON: A.B. Printing , 1987. 

Campbell, Belle. The Story of Seaforth. Seaforth, ON: The 

Huron Expositor, 1966. 

Vessot, C. U. A Solution for Fibre Flax Manufacture in 

Canada. Montreal, QC: McGill University Libraries, 1922. 

Jubilee 3 Committee. Memories of Goderich: “Prettiest Town 

in Canada.” Edited by Dorothy Wallace. Goderich, ON: 

Huron County Historical Society, 1977. 



HISTORY 

MacFadyen, Joshua D. “Fashioning Flax: Industry, Region, 

and Work in North American Fibre and Linseed Oil, 1850- 

1930.” Thesis, The University of Guelph, 2009. 

Ontario Agricultural Commission. Ontario Agricultural 

Commission: Appendices C to S Inclusive: Containing Evidence 

Taken by the Commissioners, Special Reports, Etc., In Vols. 

III., IV. and V. Toronto, ON: C. Blackett Robinson, 1881. 

Ontario Agricultural Commission. Ontario Agricultural 

Commission: Report of the Commissioners. Toronto, ON: C. 

Blackett Robinson, 1881. 

Pattison, John W. Museum Musings: Brief Glimpses of 

Wingham’s past. Wingham, ON: Wingham and District 

Historical Society, 1982. 

Robertson, W. H., ed. “The Bylaw.” The Signal. April 28, 

1921. 

Sessional Papers Third Session of the Fourteenth Parliament 

of the Dominion of Canada. Vol. 5. Ottawa, ON: Canada 

Parliament, 1924. 

Smith, Chester Leonard, ed. “Evaporator Closes.” Zurich 

Hearld, November 22, 1934. 

The Dominion Experimental Farms: A system of experimental 

stations operated by the Federal Government which investigates 

agricultural problems and is capable of giving continuous 

service to Canadian farmers. Ottawa, ON: Authority of the 

Hon. W. R. Motherwell, Minister of Agriculture, 1925. 

Todd, Adam M, ed. “Eggsactly.” The Huron News-Record. 

November 4, 1891. 

Williams, W. J., ed. “Bayfield.” The Clinton News-Record, 

December 19, 1907. 

Wyatt, Steve M. “Flax and Linen: An Uncertain Oregon 

Industry.” Oregon Historical Society, September 2, 2019, 

150–75. 

Kevin den Dunnen is Museum Assistant at the Huron County 

Museum. If you’d like to donate to the Industry Gallery 

redevelopment, the Huron County Museum is accepting 

financial donations. Learn more at www.huroncountymuseum. 

ca. 

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TRAVEL 

Haunting 

and heartbreaking 

CRUISING ALASKA IS EVERYTHING YOU’D EXPECT AND MORE 

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JILL ELLIS-WORTHINGTON 

24 • HURONPERTHBOOMERS.COM

y Jill Ellis-Worthington 

Breathtaking, unimaginably beautiful, aweinspiring, 

heart-wrenching – those are the words 

most frequently used to describe the beauty and 

majesty of scenery experienced during an Alaskan 

cruise. 

We took an Alaskan cruise in the summer of 

2022 and, it turns out, so did several others of my 

acquaintance. If you haven’t taken the plunge into 

cruising yet, put one to Alaska at the top of your list 

– it is definitely bucket list worthy. 

Our cruise, initially scheduled for June 2020, was 

a casualty of the COVID travel cancellation wave, 

and I heard many on the boat say that this was a 

long-awaited bucket list item for them as well. 

My husband and I have a prioritized list of travel 

destinations and Alaska wasn’t at the top of it at the 

time, but as climate change wreaks havoc on natural 

wonders around the world, it moved up the list. We 

weren’t alone in this feeling (more on this later). 

Our cruise, on the Holland America ship Volendam, 

departed from Vancouver. We were travelling with 

another couple and we arrived two days early to 

get acclimatized to the time change, see some of 

Canada’s third largest city and, most importantly, 

ensure we arrived well ahead of the ship’s departure. 

Our friend, a travel agent, clued us in when we 

took our first post-pandemic trip to Europe in the 

TRAVEL 

summer of ’22, that many people were missing their 

tours, cruises and events because they booked flights 

to arrive the day of, not anticipating continued 

unreliability at airports. We’ll never fly day-of 

again because it’s much too stressful and potentially 

wasteful of our hard-earned travel funds. 

The Inside Passage route our ship took stopped in 

Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Glacier Bay. While 

we enjoyed the ship’s amenities and sitting on the 

deck outside of the room, the real thrill of an Alaskan 

cruise was the scenery. 

Connie Delarge and Doug Jones (both 58) cruised 

on Holland America’s Koningsdam ship in July with 

another couple. The canny couples got balcony 

rooms opposite each other so that they had constant 

access to the views. “We just had to cross the hall to 

whichever balcony had the best view when the ship 

turned,” explained Delarge. 

She added that their stop at Glacier Bay to view the Johns 

Hopkins Glacier was, “Our favourite over everything. 

It’s just breathtakingly beautiful.” She couldn’t help 

being grateful and regretful at the same time. 

“No words can describe it, but it breaks my heart 

too. I feel so blessed to have seen it because I can’t 

believe what is happening to our world,” she added, 

referencing the diminishing size of the glacier due to 

Left: Glacier Bay is a favourite stop 

on many Alaskan cruises. 

Right: The crew of the Volendam 

opens the ship’s bow to passengers 

during the Glacier Bay stop.

TRAVEL 

by Jill Ellis-Worthington 

Seen from the deck of the Volendam 

stationed five miles away, the Johns 

Hopkins Glacier – in Glacier Bay 

National Park – is 12 miles long 

and 300 feet high. 

climate change. This was especially true when she 

shared her pictures with a cousin who had done the 

same cruise a decade previous, noting a significant 

reduction in the size of the floating icebergs. 

This is something our friends and travelling 

companions, Barry (61) and Valerie (59) Wakonig, 

also commented upon. They took an Alaskan 

cruise in 1993. They were so taken with the visual 

spectacle, especially Glacier Bay, that they couldn’t 

wait to return. 

“The glacier was calving a lot back then and the 

floating ice was much bigger,” Barry said. “We only 

heard and saw one crack off this time.” 

Stopping in the various small coastal towns provides 

opportunities to take unforgettable excursions. In 

Juneau, the state’s capital – with the second ugliest 

capital building, according to our guide – we decided 

to stay on the ground and took a bike tour through 

the rainforest to Mendenhall Glacier. Though I’m 

an avid cyclist, I admit that the utilitarian bikes and 

rain dampened my enthusiasm, but the beauty of 

the forest and majesty of the glacier made up for 

it. Fortunately, we had learned that Juneau gets 230 

days of rain each year, so we packed rainsuits. 

Some take to the air, like Trish Harrow-Rodic and 

her family. Since it was on her bucket list, Harrow- 

Rodic (55) was travelling with her ex-husband Damir 

(57) and son Jackson (16) and decided on a helicopter 

ride to the top of the glacier to go dog sledding. The 

trio was captivated by the puppies and loved riding 

the sleds behind mushers, but the scenery was the 

real star of the show. 

“It’s just surreal,” she said. “I just wanted to savour 

every moment of being surrounded by that much 

natural beauty.” 

Others, like Delarge and her group, enjoyed walking 



TRAVEL 

Far left: Stopping by a ‘house of negotiable 

affection’ in a historic section of Skagway. 

Centre: Forest and glacier bike tour outside 

Juneau. Right: Mushing on Mendenhall 

Glacier (photo by Trish Harrow). 

around the ports to learn about their history. That’s 

what they did in Juneau, ending their trek at the 

famous Red Dog Saloon, reported to be one of the 

oldest in Alaska. For my husband and I, sawdust on 

the floor, costumed servers and bartenders and a 

singing cowboy on stage made this a fun, kitschy way 

to warm up at the end of a damp day. 

Skagway was the jumping-off point for the 1896 

Yukon gold rush. Our foursome decided to head out 

on the White Pass and Yukon Railway tour. This 

three-hour train and van combo tour explored the 

route of gold-seeking hopefuls, ending in Fraser, B.C. 

The scenery is magnificent, and I especially enjoyed 

being able to stand on the open decks between train 

cars to experience it more closely as we chugged 

along. The story of the miners’ trek is tragic, so be 

cautious if you’re very sensitive. If you have mobility 


TRAVEL 

by Jill Ellis-Worthington 

What to pack 

Packing for an Alaskan cruise can be puzzling, 

so here are some pointers: 

Top: A rainy day doesn’t keep thousands from trekking to see 

Mendenhall Glacier. Bottom left: Cruisers enjoying bowls 

of pea soup on the bow of the Volendam during a stop at 

Glacier Bay. Below: Trish Harrow with sled dogs during 

her favourite Alaskan cruise excursion. 

For the May to September Alaskan cruising 

season, pack a jacket or coat, with a heavier 

version being advisable at the beginning and 

end of the season. 

It rains in Alaska – a lot – so bring a raincoat 

(rainsuit if you’re doing active excursions). 

Comfortable shoes for walking and trekking. 

Sweaters and long-sleeved T-shirts. Daywear 

is more casual than on Caribbean cruises, as 

most cruisers opt for comfort and warmth. 

Layer your pieces. It warms up through the 

day, so this allows you to remove layers as the 

temps rise. Dressy but not formal wear for 

dinner. Dressing for dinner has become more 

casual, even on dress-up nights, so dresses or 

pants with nice blouses for women and blazers 

with slacks for men are enough.


TRAVEL 

Barry Wakonig, left, Val Wakonig, 

Jill Ellis-Worthington and Ralph 

Lembcke enjoyed the scenery on the 

White Pass and Yukon Railway tour. 

boats offer fewer dining and entertainment options. 

Jackie and Lauren Goodfellow (67 and 78 respectively) 

enjoyed the Alaskan scenery, but they aren’t keen 

on their cruising experience on Holland America’s 

Koningsdam. They felt the variety of entertainment 

was lacking and experienced a reoccurring foul 

odour in their cabin while underway some evenings 

during their cruise. 

For many, an Alaskan cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime, 

bucket list trip, and I agree. To experience the 

majesty of nature, it is unbeatable, but hurry because 

the glaciers aren’t going to last forever. 

limitations, getting on and off the train could be a 

challenge. Delarge’s group decided to split up when 

they reached Skagway, each of the four doing a 

different activity. “It was fun meeting up for dinner 

and sharing stories,” she said. 

On her bus trip to the Yukon, Delarge was excited 

that they had to stop to let several grizzly bears cross 

the road. She enjoyed seeing a trading post and dog 

sledding camp, but the tour’s stop at Emerald Lake 

was the highlight. 

A writer, public relations professional, traveller, and football 

fan, Jill Ellis-Worthington celebrates life every day. You can 

follow her blog at www.writeoncommunicationservices.com. 

Have you had 

your Italian today? 

“It’s such a stunning sight – deep blue with hints of 

green from mountain deposits.” 

In Ketchikan, the Wakonigs were enthralled by 

learning about the history, culture and art of totem 

pole carving at the Saxman Native Village, while 

we decided on a boat tour of Misty Fjords National 

Monument. Cruising deep, dark waters to the giant 

rock formations – seeing eagles and a whale, while 

enjoying time in the sun – was the perfect excursion 

for two mariners-at-heart. 

Harrow-Rodic frequently cruises with the Royal 

Caribbean line, while the Wakonigs prefer Holland 

America. Picking the right cruise line and ship is an 

important part of the overall experience. Smaller 

Join us for daily deals and 

features. Visit online for details 

or stop in anytime. 

107 Ontario Street 

Stratford • 519.271.3333 

fellinisstratford.com 

fellinisstratford 

@FellinisResto 

classic ~ Italian ~ cucina 


FOOD & DRINK 

Turkey pot pie soup 

INGREDIENTS 

Topping 

1 sheet frozen butter puff pastry, thawed 

⅓ cup finely grated cheddar cheese 

Baking Time: 10 minutes 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes 

Cooking Time: 22 minutes 

Serves: 6 

Soup 

2 tbsp butter 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 onion, diced 

Salt and pepper 

1½ cups potatoes, unpeeled and diced 

1 cup parsnip, diced 

½ cup each carrot and celery, diced 

½ cup mushrooms, chopped 

¾ tsp thyme leaves, dried 

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes 

2 bay leaves 

1 carton low-sodium chicken broth 

3 tbsp all-purpose flour 

½ cup 10% half-and-half cream 

2½ cups turkey or chicken, cooked & bite-sized pieces 

⅓ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped 

Instructions 

Topping – Unroll puff pastry sheet, leaving pastry on parchment paper. 

Using floured 2- to 3-inch cookie cutters, cut 12 to 15 puff pastry 

shapes (leftover pastry can be re-rolled). Place pastry onto parchment 

paper-lined baking sheet, spacing shapes apart. Evenly sprinkle cheese 

on each cut out, pressing gently into pastry. Refrigerate. 

Soup – In large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, onion 

and pinch each of salt and pepper; cook, stirring, for three minutes. 

Stir in potatoes, parsnip, carrot, celery, mushrooms, thyme, pepper 

flakes and bay leaves. Add broth; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat 

and simmer gently for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 

Meanwhile, bake puff pastry shapes in 425 F oven for 10 minutes 

or until golden. Set aside. In small bowl, whisk flour into cream; 

gradually stir into soup, stirring continuously until mixture comes 

to boil. Simmer gently two minutes. Stir in turkey and parsley until 

heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve soup 

topped with pastry cut-outs. *Recipe courtesy of Foodland Ontario 


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Welcome Home To 

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Huron-Perth Boomers Winter 2023-24

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