Ornaments from Christmases Past By Mary Ann Grant Years ago, this writer became a collector of old-fashioned ornaments that fell out of favour with the advent of plastic. Whether antique, vintage or reproduction, they are precious for their beauty and unique...
A Tom Thomson Mystery By Fred Blair If you found the name “Tom Thomson” on the back of a landscape painting, would you think of the Group of Seven? This is a wandering tale about a painting and the possible connections between four landscape painters and Stephen...
Private Raymond John Gagnon By Mary Ann Grant The son of Aimee and Emile Gagnon came to Rathburn, Ontario (Monck Road) from Alberta as a boy. The family operated a small strawberry farm on the 12th Concession of Mara Township. A happy-go-lucky lad, Gagnon enjoyed...
Trish Crowe-Grande It is that time of year when the leaves change colour, pumpkins and fall mums appear on porches and there is a crisp coolness in the air. If you have taken any walks in your local neighbourhood or drives around town, you may have noticed...
By Chris Johnstone OPP Museum Curator Robert George Beatty was born on July 18, 1904. At the age of 23, he decided to embark on a career in policing after his work as a Provincial Officer under the Ontario Temperance Act came to an end. He joined the OPP as a regular...
Marian Keith was the pen name for Mrs. Esther MacGregor nee Miller. She was born in 1874 In the village of Rugby, Oro Township (now Oro-Medonte), to parents who instilled in her the value of education, a keen interest in learning, a love of good literature and a...
