"On the eve of his 92nd birthday, Tuesday, Bill Ruffett told the story of the booming ice industry of yesteryear. Bell Ewart - "I started on the ice when I was 12 yeards old. Father had rented the old hotel on the south side of the dock of 1897 for one dollar a month. After the old sawmill had burned down, the hotel went out of business. I remember well tearing out the bar. It was then I started to lead a horse on an ice plow for 50 cents a day for the Belle Ewart Ice Company. It was the only ice company there then and was across the road from my home where Sheppard's Marina is today. I remember the winter of 1906 was very mild and the big lake never froze over until nearly spring. The railroad was still here, you see, from the era of meeting the Lake Simcoe excursion boats. It was then ice companies from Jackson's Point came here, partly because of the railroad. Their only transportation there, for ice to Toronto, was by street car. I had anywhere from 60 to 80 men working for me at one time, all farmer's boys."
"Legless almost since birth, Jerry Hiscock of Alcona Beach will be able to get around fairly well this Christmas. The Innisfil Lions Club and Canadian Honda Motor Limited have refurbished his three-wheel all-terrain vehicle. The 17-year-old student jumped on the vehicle on Saturday and showed his driving skill on the ice and snow near his home. Lions spokesman Harold Keiser said his club bought the Honda in 1973 and it was maintained regularly by member Joe Hornung. But it was worn out by July of this year. Honda agreed to fix the machine at no cost. "It cost the company more money to repair the bike than it would have to replace it, but it would have had to be a bigger model," said Ron Rogers, Honda representative and resident of Innisfil. As for Jerry, he has his sights on a job as an auto mechanic's apprentice. And if brake lights and a horn are added to the vehicle, he hopes to obtain a motorcycle licence."
"Blake Constable, right, Deputy-reeve of Innisfil Township, accepted ownership of the trophy case at the Stroud recreation complex at a recent dance. Jack Book, organizer of the Stroud-Innisfil Youth Group which made the trophy case, presented the certificate of ownership."
"More than $1,700 in pledges was recorded at the ski and skate-a-thon Saturday, sponsored by the Gilford and District Lions Club at Ski Haven. It was estimated that Harv Speiran of Gilford was the oldest of the 100 participants. It was also he who chalked up the most money in pledges, over $300, while skiing more than 10 miles. He wouldn't reveal his age. A young bank teller, Kim Brown of Bradford, had $258 in pledges, the highest for the women. Participants came from Gilford, Lefroy, Churchill, Bradford, and surrounding districts. The even was held to raise money for the Lions camp for the deaf at Parry Sound and the camp for the Blind at Lake St. Joseph. Snow and ice conditions were not the best but they did not deter entrants from having a fun-filled afternoon. Many enjoyed making use of the facilities loaned by Ski Haven to the Lions Club."
"Doug Bone, who began collecting old telephones only three years ago, says he now has the largest private collection of antique and unusual phones in Canada. He stumbled into his hobby quiet by accident. Doug and his wife, Joan, who shares his interest, visited the Bruce peninsula in search of glass insulators. While there they were offered two old box telephones. They were not especially interested but bought them anyway. Doug cleaned them inside and out, which was all he needed to stir up the unbounded enthusiasm for the hobby for which he is known today in both Canada and United States. Since that time, he has purchased a major part of one man's collection and all of another's. In addition he visited many of the 30 independent telephone companies still operating in Ontario. He bought a few old phones and a few parts and threw his energy into restoring, trading, and buying phones. His collection includes 160 telephones, all clean and polished like new."
"Everyone knows Barrie has its Kempenfelt Kelly, reportedly seen from time to time in the bay. But did you know Innisfil Township has a monster, too? Grades 5 and 6 at Innisfil Central school built a 30-foot Innisfil Iggy as a snow sculpture exhibit for the Innisfil Winterama. Although Iggy was not a prize-winner, he inspired teacher Ray McDonnell to write a poem about it."
"Last Wednesday the students and staff at Innisfil Central School honoured two long time bus drivers who retired this year. The two men were given plaques in appreciation for their years of service. Left to right are Mickey Watson, Anson McQuarrie, Joanne Corner, and Bill Akers. In back is teacher Mike Oliver who ran the assembly held for the men."
"For the fourth year in a row the students of Bell Ewart Public School won the Innisfil Winterama snow sculpture competition. This year the school's 90 students decided to immortalize Mother Goose and two of her nursery rhymes in snow. The students constructed a huge goose, Humpty Dumpty and his wall and Jack B. Nimble and his candlestick. These seven students were co-ordinators of the projects: Tracy Wilson, Jody Kerr, Leslie Richardson, Barb Haddock, Richard Anderson, Paul Morris and Kim Ferrier."
"Art Evans, MPP for Simcoe Centre and his daughter Cathy enjoy a dance last Saturday evening. The event was a beef barbeque and meet your member night held in Barrie. More than 1,000 people were on hand for the event. In addition to the food, they enjoyed dancing to music by Kitty Meredith."
"The South Innisfil Community Centre was officially opened last Saturday with a full day of activities ranging from skating races to moccasin dancing. The program started at 8:00 a.m. and carried on through to the evening ending with a dance in the banquet hall. Crowds packed the arena from the time it opened until it closed according to Judy Atkinson, one of the original workers for the arena project."
