I just learned that Marcel Brunet, 66, died peacefully late last Saturday night in the Glengarry Memorial Hospital surrounded by his family. Marcel and his wife, Linda, moved from Alexandria to Dunvegan in 1987 and bought the house on Murray Street that’s right beside the DRA Park. Marcel’s health had been deteriorating for quite a while, as evidenced by the fact that his annual Yuletide display hasn’t lit up the hamlet for a number of years.
For those of you unfamiliar with Marcel’s fascination with Christmas decorations, it’s a pity you missed this brief phase of Dunvegan’s history. In the early 1990’s, Marcel starting collecting Christmas lights, plastic reindeer, St. Nicks and other seasonal kitsch from flea markets and garage sales across the region. Then, every November, he would festoon his yard with his Xmas treasures in an almost folk-art celebration of the holidays.
When I spoke with him about his collection in 2012, he admitted that he strung up over 3,000 lights each year and set out nearly 50 plastic “bon hommes” to accompany his animated Santa’s Sleigh & Reindeer display. By the time he hung up his electrical tape and zip ties for good, Marcel’s displays had grown in size to fill his entire 130’ by 118’ lot. Obviously a labour of love, the annual light show won the Kenyon Agriculture Society’s Christmas Decorating Competition on three separate occasions. And each time he won, he would donate the prize to the Snowsuit Fund. “I do it for the kids,” Marcel told me. “You either enjoy it or don’t do it all.”
I’m told that the wake and funeral service will both be private affairs, for Marcel’s immediate family only. My condolences to Marcel’s wife, Linda, their four children, Nicole, Michel, Joanne and Marcel, and their families.
Psst… it’s back!
I was delighted to see that the “Psst…” notice board has returned to its rightful spot on the northwest corner of the Dunvegan crossroads. Originally erected by the late Norm Konlup, the bulletin board served this community for many years as a central place to display public notices of upcoming community events. (I never got the chance to ask Norm why the “psst” header on his creation had more S’s than the way the word is normally spelled.) However, the years and truth be told, a wee touch of vandalism, took their toll on the notice board. So hamlet resident Sean Burgess quietly volunteered to refurbish and reinstall it. Thank you, Sean.
That ain’t no coop
While we’re on the topic of new things in and around Dunvegan, the question on many people’s minds is “why is there a chicken coop tacked on to the Big Beaver School’s storage shed?” The simple answer is that it isn’t a chicken coop. Or a petting zoo enclosure, for that matter. I’m told it’s a “valet parking lot” for bikes. Not for those convoys of two-wheeled behemoths from Quebec that shatter our peace every weekend… but for people-powered bikes ridden by the ultra-fit. Apparently, in order to qualify as a certified destination in the eyes of the “Ontario By Bike” organization (OntarioByBike.ca), you have to provide a secure bike lock-up.
While I highly commend the museum for extending its marketing reach and looking at new sources of visitors, I do wonder if our bike lock-up had to be quite so elaborate. In my opinion, the post and chicken wire structure detracts from the clapboard dignity of the schoolhouse and its companion storage building. Are marauding bands of bicycle thieves really a major issue in our sleepy hamlet? Would a simple metal rack where bicyclists could chain up their steeds not be more in keeping with the site?
One period-appropriate idea would be to press an old horse-drawn hay rake into service; it sort of looks like a city bike rack, so the bicyclists won’t be too scared.. All you’d have to do is remove every second tine and weld on a bar to which cyclists could fasten their locks. If you want to get real fussy, you could even slide lengths of plastic tubing over the tines, so as not to scratch the bike frames. Depending on the size of the rake, the rig could probably handle up to a dozen bikes or more. Surely that would keep the OBB happy.
Location, location, location
Sometimes you just have to grab the bull by the horns. It’s often easier (and faster) to ask for forgiveness, than to ask for permission. Both these clichés apply to the noble deed I spotted at the museum’s Saturday night Volunteer Appreciation garden party. For years, I have thought that the granite monument that tells the story of the Big Beaver School was inappropriately located. (It was situated on the northern edge of the parking lot in front of the school’s storage shed.) To me, it looked far too much like a poor lonely gravestone in search of a cemetery to join. And it appears that I wasn’t alone.
The good news is that Member-at-Large Michael Cowley-Owen finally did something about it. He and his son somehow wrestled the stone and its base on to a mover’s dolly and relocated it to just beside the entrance to the school. It’s now the first thing that visitors see as they enter the building. What’s more, it no longer has a “headstone” vibe. It’s now a historical plaque carved in stone. Well done, Michael et al!
Biblical snacks
If you’re curious as to what was going on at the Kenyon Presbyterian Church last week, here’s the answer. From Monday, July 24th to Wednesday, July 26th, from 9 AM till noon, the church held a Vacation Bible School for kids from four up to twelve years old. Rev. Ian MacMillan, and his wife Jane, from The Old Stone Church in South Lancaster (aka, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church) organized the camp. And I’m told it was a great success, attracting over 20 youngsters from Kenyon, St. Columba and the surrounding community.
By all accounts, the MacMillans did a fantastic job. They used props to tell bible stories, sang spiritual songs with percussion instruments and organized crafts that tied into to their stories. Even the snacks were thematically correct. For example, to reinforce the story of when Jesus calmed the storm and allayed the fishermen’s fears, the snack consisted of an apple slice “boat” with a pretzel “mast” and cheese and cracker “sails.”
When I asked Ashley MacLeod… whose kids attended the camp… if it would return next year, she said, “It’s too early to say for certain, but from the amount of fun had by all the children, I would say chances are good!”
Calling all cooks and bakers
For some, the summer solstice marks the seasonal tipping point… that moment when we begin the long descent to the frigid world of winter. However, for me, it’s the first mention of the museum’s Harvest Fall Festival in this column.
Don’t blame me. It was Barb Newman who cornered me at Saturday’s do to request a mention of her ever-so-popular Harvest Sale Tent. As she pointed out, people come from far and wide to enjoy a bit of Glengarry and take home some homemade goodies. And this year’s Fall Fest on Sunday, September 10th will be no exception.
To restock the larder, she wanted me to remind you that the Harvest Tent will soon be looking for donations of baked goods, vegetables, fruits, bread and rolls, jellies, jams, pickles, preserves, plants and flowers. For questions, or to arrange for a pickup, call Barbara Newman at 613-525-0362.
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