The Tale of A Town Kincardine brings back lots of memories

Co-ordinators of "The Tale of a Town Kincardine" have packed a lot of memories into a 20-minute audio clip.

The community celebration of the project was held Saturday afternoon, July 18, at the Kincardine Library. About 40 people were able to hear the presentation in two audiences of about 20 people each.

Jennifer Farrell of the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band played the bagpipes prior to each performance, and audience members were outfitted with headphones and sound equipment in order to hear the show.

Alison Brovener and Mariel Marshall, co-ordinators of the project, conducted 62 interviews and reviewed hours of audio in order to create the 20-minute clip, complete with dramatic performances by Robyn Mercanti and Maia Hinchberger.

The greatest memory for most interviewees was the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band and the Saturday night parades through downtown Kincardine. A tradition for years, the most fascinating part is watching the hundreds and hundreds of people marching behind the band every Saturday night.

Other memories included: working at the Circle Bar Knitting Factory which, as one gentleman recalled, was what brought the women to town; the Dance Hall Pavilion which was the place to be; the train station; the Aztec Theatre which is closed now but could become a vibrant part of the community again; Chapman's General Store where the slogan was "We have it if we can find it;" and Stedman's which was like a small-town Wal-Mart with heart.

There were recollections of the opening of the Douglas Point nuclear power plant in the 1960s which brought young people to town.

"Kincardine is a wonderful place to live."

"it's a beautiful municipality and has a wonderful group of volunteers."

Mention was also made of the Phantom Piper who stands atop the Kincardine Lighthouse every night during the summer and pipes until the sun sets; the Sunday night sing-a-longs; the gorgeous sunsets; the magnificent Lake Huron shoreline and the beach.

"The lake is amazing. It was a special place when I was a kid and now as an adult. I'm happy to have come back home to Kincardine."

"The Tale of A Town Canada" is a national venture which will culminate in a multi-platform celebration of the country’s main street culture, in commemoration of Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017.

The Kincardine stories will be digitally mapped and added to "The Tale of a Town’s" storyportal: www.theataleofatown.com. They will also become part of a podcast about Kincardine that will be distributed through The Walrus magazine on-line.