Walker House Heritage Dinner features musical, magical history of Kincardine

If you don't know the history of Kincardine, dating back to 1848 with the founding of the Town of Kincardine, you need to get a ticket to the Walker House Heritage Dinner.

Slated for Sunday, May 27, at the Kincardine Legion, this year's show is called, “Journey to the Centre of the Universe,” and is a delightful tour through time with Paddy and Jane Walker.

Kincardine's famous couple ventures into the past, the present, and even into the future of Kincardine, with the aid of narration, music and images on the screen.

Written by Graham Mahood, with contributions from Kate Kincaid and Rob and Maria Riggin, the story begins in 1848 with the establishment of the Town of Kincardine, continues through the amalgamation of Kincardine with Kincardine Township and Bruce Township in 1999, and on to the present day, and beyond.

Mahood says he was prompted to write the play in honour of this year's Kincardine Reunion, marking the 170^th anniversary of the town.

“The show features Sid Duggan and Jaki Mayer-Duggan as Paddy and Jane Walker,” says Mahood. “The music is the best ever, thanks to our musical director Patt Lowry, and includes an original song by Wally Jirgens of Kincardine. He has contributed two pieces, one written specifically for this show.”

Joining the Duggans on stage, are Stacey Millar, Ron Boucher, Brian Tovey, and narrators Amanda Farrell Walsh and Barry Neilson, with special guests Jerry McNulty, Mike Walsh and John Low.

“The show is about Kincardine, so most of the songs were written by Kincardine people, while others evoke memories of Kincardine,” says Kincaid. “The story tells why we're such a unique community developed on the shores of Lake Huron and the Penetangore River.”

The play begins with the death of Paddy Walker in 1876, and then the death of Jane Walker in 1888. In heaven, they are wondering how Kincardine turned out since they left. Through the magic of time travel, they go back to the town and check out the harbour, the main street, and the industries that have come and gone through the years.

The most important part of the story, says Mahood, a life-long resident of the town, is that Kincardine was not a ghost town prior to the arrival of the Douglas Point Nuclear Station in the 1960s.

“I lived here before Ontario Hydro and we had a really nice town,” he says. “A lot of people who live here weren't born here, so I offer a totally different perspective of Kincardine.

“The best thing about the nuclear plant being here was not the wage scale. It was for generations like mine that could come home to work.”

So, if you want to know how Kincardine was formed, as well as the current situation, and what happens in the future, get a ticket and find out.

The event, a fund-raiser for the Walker House, runs May 27 at the Kincardine Legion, with doors open at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., and the entertainment at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $50 each, which includes a roast beef dinner and the show; available at Penetangear, Miller Insurance, Paddy Walker Heritage Society board members, from Graham Mahood at 519-396-4574 or the Walker House at 519-396-1850.



Graham Mahood (left) and Kate Kincaid of the Paddy Walker Heritage Society, promote this year's Heritage Dinner, slated for May 27 at the Kincardine Legion