Kincardine native compiles grandfather's notes into “Colonel Clark's Chronicles”

Mary Clark took on a nearly-impossible task about two years ago.

Born and raised in Kincardine, she is the granddaughter of Colonel Hugh Clark, one of Kincardine's famous characters, who was a newspaperman, a politician and a renowned storyteller.

Now living in Burlington, Clark has transcribed and edited her grandfather's notes to create “Colonel Clark's Chronicles,” available at the Victoria Park Gallery in downtown Kincardine.

“Bringing this book to life revived my memories of my grandfather, of the fun we had together, and his character,” says Clark. “I hope by reading this book, everyone will gain an insight into that character.”

Clark, the granddaughter, grew up in the banker's building on Durham Market North, where Little Beginnings Daycare now has its second location, formerly The Scottish Shop. The house was sold to the Arscotts in 1964 and Clark and her family moved to a home on Princes Street where she lived until leaving for university.

She graduated from the math and computer science program at the University of Waterloo, and did a work term in Ottawa.

“I met Joe Clark there,” she recalls, “and he took me on a tour, and to lunch at the parliamentary cafeteria. He wrote the foreword for my grandfather's book.”

Clark worked in Montreal for 10 years and then Toronto but always made time to return to Kincardine to visit.

About two years ago, her sister found the writings their grandfather had put together in hopes of publishing a book, but it was never published.

“My grandfather was born May 6, 1867, in the year of Confederation, and served in the army as a lieutenant-colonel in the 32^nd Bruce Regiment with the Bruce Battalion,” she says. “He was a school teacher, a journalist and owned the 'Kincardine Review' from 1890-1925, later moving to Ottawa in 1897 to edit the 'Ottawa Citizen.' He became a politician, serving as an MPP from 1901-11, and an MP until 1921.

“He was funny, witty and a great storyteller. When he died in 1959, at the age of 92, he was the oldest acting journalist in Canada at that time.”

Clark says her grandfather told stories about the people he met, particularly politicians, and wrote a column called, “Pertinent Topics,” in Alberta's High River Times.

“People told him he should write a book because of all the great people he knew,” she says, “and he did, but it was never published.”

Once her grandfather's notes were discovered, Clark began compiling them into a book with the focus of having it completed by this year, in honour of Canada's 150^th celebration.

“The book contains many tales of local characters from Kincardine and Bruce County,” she says, “and reflections on the times – the introduction of the motor car and electricity, suffragettes, prohibition, the Depression, and early technology changes. He also wrote of journalists, poets, entering provincial politics, campaigning with Robert Borden, then becoming an MP. He was there when the Houses of Parliament caught fire in 1915. He was a great friend of Arthur Meighen, and has stories about politicians, including Mackenzie King, Wilfrid Laurier and Sir John A. Macdonald.”

Clark has self-published 100 copies of the book through the Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre in Oakville. They are available at the Victoria Park Gallery and Fincher's in Kincardine, as well as on-line through Amazon, at a cost of $20 per book.

Meanwhile, the Victoria Park Gallery also has on display a variety of artwork for $50 and under, available in the guest gallery, just in time for Christmas shopping.