Jane and Sebastian Kirstine had five girls and three boys. They lived on the South Line, Brant Township, the family farm since 1850. After Sophia and Lybina Kirstine moved to New York and became interior decorators, their sister, Margaret, wrote with news from the farm. Ly...
There are many familiar faces here in the Grades 7-8 class at W.E. Thompson Public School in Kincardine, dated January, 1952. These were the Grades 9-10 students I met when I entered Grade 9 in September, 1953, at Kincardine District High School. The clipping lists the names from le...
The following is a response from the Bluewater District School Board chairperson and education director regarding the tragic deaths of three John Diefenbaker Senior School (JDSS) students and the serious injury of a fourth student, following a motor vehicle collision ,Tuesday. “W...
Things I wish I had realized before: One of the benefits of getting older is getting wiser! Few things make you more foolish than the belief that you need to have an opinion on everything. If you want to be right, don’t try to be right; try to be less wrong. If you w...
It’s the start of November. Winter is on its way. It’s more than time to be prepared … for the grey and cold weather, and the rain and the snow. Late fall is the time of year to double-check that you’re ready for winter. Whether that means cleaning up the yard,...
It’s late October as I write this column and I think I saw the last two bumblebees in my yard today which makes me a little sad. The Heart-leaved aster is the last blooming wildflower in my gardens and the sluggish bumblebees crawled over the blooms to consume the last of the nectar...
To the Editor: Recently, as the new legislative session began, Ontario Nature hosted the inaugural Nature at Queen's Park event to raise the profile of nature among members of provincial parliament and their staff. Ontario Nature and its Nature Network partners focused on engagi...
Did you hear the one about the pioneer who walked his dinner home? That would be the first settler in the eastern part of Arran Township, David Chalmers, a bachelor and a bit wet behind the ears. It was back in 1851, before Arran was surveyed into farm lots. Historian Norman Roberts...
I love life in Bruce County in every season but the pleasures of autumn seem extra special: crisp, cool air, harvest from the garden, fall fairs, the changing colours of the leaves, and my grandkids jumping in piles of leaves. For some, fallen leaves are a playground. For many, however...
While browsing Grandpa Ritchie’s diaries, I stopped at this entry. Obviously, stormy weather and maladies, such as the flu, were not the only events that kept children and teachers out of the classroom. Saturday the 17th, Grandpa’s comment notes: “Still in bed....
I know it’s a little early in October to be talking about Halloween, but hey, the stores started sugar-coating the shelves with Halloween candy in mid-August, so I think it’s okay to share some spooky history and facts now. Sort of get you in the spirit of it all … W...
It was 1940, a time of national emergency. At the start of the Second World War, Hitler’s army ruthlessly swept across western Europe. Britain suffered devastating bombing raids and food shortages due to German blockades. Canadian farms would have to supply hundreds of thousands ...
To the Editor: RE: “Kincardine’s Davidson Centre has stood the test of time, says former recreation director” Wayne Lowry was the main excavation contractor when the Davidson Centre pool was built, back in 1975, but others were also involved. I worked for Kincardi...
It was Joplin’s big, brown, soul-filling eyes that pulled me in. She sat straight up in the small brick cubicle behind a cage door at the Kitchener-Waterloo (K-W) Humane Society. Her countenance was strong and proud, not quite shaking but nervously on the verge. As I looked at he...
Cooler nights and the changing angle of the sun signal the end of summer and although there’s plenty of growing season left in 2025, now is a good time to start thinking about next year’s gardens. However, before we dive into the many issues surrounding sustainable gardenin...
Although I had been a member of the 4-H Garden Club for several seasons, 1954 saw my first venture into the Calf Club. In the photo below, Gail and I are showing off “Lulu,” my first calf. I don’t remember, and Mum’s diary doesn’t tell me, whether she...
In the very first “Yearbook” of the Bruce County Historical Society, in 1967, you can read McLeod Orford’s story about his family’s country store in Tiverton. For 26 years, until the store closed in January, 1943, the Orfords sold groceries, candy, tobacco, bake...
So, there I was with a camera in my hand, covering my fourth Ripley Reunion since arriving in Kincardine 30 years ago. When I came to town in the summer of 1995, one of my first assignments for the “Kincardine Independent” was to take photos and write stories about this mas...
The first thing it overpowers is your sense of smell as you draw near. This is immediately followed by the rambunctious clash and banging in your ears. Your eyes are soon overwhelmed by just about everything going on about you. No sooner have you adjusted to this crazy-fun environment whe...
Welcome to NIMBY: Nature in My Back Yard, a monthly column on gardening and environmental sustainability in our yards. I’m Christine Roberts, retired elementary school teacher, president of Huron Bruce Nature, member of the Ripley and District Horticultural Society, volunteer for...