I wish to beg forgiveness from two local residents. I inadvertently omitted their names from last week’s list of noteworthy Dunvegn Winter Carnival volunteers. These two individuals contributed to the success of the event by beating the snows of January into submission, each in their own fashion.
First up, alphabetically, is Norman MacLennan. In the week leading up to the big day, Norm showed up personally to clear the parking lot and laneway back to the pond and sliding hill. Say what you will about Norm, the man is a master when it comes operating a tractor-mounted snow blower. There’s seldom a wasted move or unnecessary pass.
My second acknowledgement is intended for Kenny MacLeod. After every snowfall or wind storm, Kenny would fire up his blue tractor and groom each of the trails, packing the snow and clearing any fallen branches or trees. His diligence made it far easier for Stanley and Molly to haul sleigh loads of happy sightseers through the back bush. They wanted me to pass along a big “neigh.”
One generation too late
For those of you in tune with the spider web of familial connections in these parts, you’ll know that the venerated lady I wrote about briefly last week — Annabelle Hartrick — is Norman MacLennan’s aunt. Norm’s dad was Mrs. Hartrick’s brother. And Norm lives on the home farm at Baltics Corners where she grew up.
I stopped by the Community Nursing Home in Alexandria last week to visit with Mrs. Hartrick and ask if she had heard of the Angus Grant dance hall in Dunvegan. I didn’t hold out much hope. The last reference I could find in the Glengarry News for the Grant hall was in 1928, and Mrs. Hartrick was just a young girl at the time.
Not surprisingly, Mrs. Hartrick has no recollection of the hall. However, she did confirm that Angus Grant and his family had owned the farm on the southeast corner of the Dunvegan crossroads.
Now, over the years, the entire northern edge of the old Grant farm has been severed into smaller lots. Today, this strip is home to the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in the west to the two-story brick house and little bungalow (across the road from the log manse) in the east. But this side of the road has seen a whole lot of change over the years, from a bustling steam-powered sawmill in the 1930s to one of the homes of the Dunvegan Post Office in the 80s. If I were to guess, I’d say the Angus Grant hall might have stood just east of where the museum is today, but who knows. Unfortunately, I’m a generation too late and memories of this former Dunvegan hot spot are probably forever lost.
Special church meeting
If you’re a member of the Kenyon Presbyterian Church in Dunvegan, this next item is for you. On Sunday, February 24th, the church’s 2018 Annual General Meeting will be held in the church hall at 1:00 PM.
February flick cancelled
I have just received word that February’s “Saturday Night at the Movies” event has been cancelled. The hall is undergoing renovations to improve accessibility, including automatic front entrance doors and a code-approved washroom. If this project is one of those rare beasts that actually go according to plan, the movie night could be back on in March. I’ll keep you posted.
Farewell Kathleen
Every year, the cohort of back-to-the-landers who helped revitalize this historic corner of Kenyon gets smaller. Some have packed up and become back-to-the-cityers, if there’s such a word. Others have moved to other parts of Glengarry and beyond. And, in recent years, an increasing number have simply passed away.
I was saddened to learn that former Dunvegan resident Kathy Colquhoun joined this latter group on January 31 when she died peacefully in Cornwall at the age of 73.Kathy’s husband of 35 years, Joe, predeceased her in 2005 inhis 75thyear, after a short battle with cancer. The couple moved to Dunvegan in the late 1970s and bought a hobby farm across from Kenny and Annette MacLeod’s former farm, west of the hamlet. Today, the Colquhoun property is in the hands of the Jalbert family.
I don’t know who prepared Kathleen’s obituary, but he or she did an excellent job. Rather than rewriting it, here’s an excerpt from the original. “Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Kathleen took to the skies in the mid-sixties as an airline stewardess with Air Canada where she travelled much of the world. After settling on her hobby farm in Dunvegan, Ontario, Kathleen, a savvy entrepreneur, harvested livestock; established education savings plans for young families and maximized the returns on many people’s taxes over the years. Those who knew Kathleen would agree that her strength, tenacity and resourcefulness were nothing short of admirable. She will be deeply missed.”
I would like to offer my condolences to Kathleen and Joe’s children —Ian, Emily and Georgina — as well as the rest of the family.I’d also like to thank Heather and Evan McIntosh for bringing this item to my attention.
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