Category: B

ROSE MAY SIMPSON BLAIR was born in Winnipeg in 1934. Rose was the only daughter born to William Simpson Barron and Mabel Dorothy Phillips. She had two older half-brothers (Bill and Bob), two younger brothers (Alec and Jim) and, later on, a half-sister (Mary).  Rose May Simpson Barron met John Crawford Blair, an Irishman and brand new aviator in the Royal Air Force. They were married at the Registry Office in John’s hometown of Larne (Northern Ireland) before moving to Duxford, a military air station in England.  In 1958, the couple and their first child moved to Winnipeg where John joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and Rose raised their growing family. The family was posted to several air bases in the central and eastern parts of Canada.  The Blair family grew to four children over the next nine years and became enamoured with the game of hockey.  While living in Bagotville, Quebec, it was not unusual for the three Blair boys to each be playing on two or more teams in a hockey season.  Skates were often left on and laced up to expedite the movement of these young players from one rink to another for the next game or practice.  

In 1973, the family moved to North Bay and settled in the West Ferris area, known for its strong hockey program in an area known as South Zone.  The family’s enthusiasm for the game continued as the Blair family became an active part of the West Ferris Minor Hockey Association.  In her pathfinder way, Rose elected to coach and became a well-respected house league hockey coach.  Rose coached through the leagues as high in age as Midget-aged boys.  She took great pride in how her players developed both on the ice and as young citizens in North Bay. Rose completed what was then known as Level IV Coaching in Canada, and was one of just three women to achieve this level in those days.  Her love of the game and her desire to imprint the fundamentals of hockey on young players (boys and girls alike) resulted in the development of a program she called Hockey For Beginners.  Hockey for Beginners began at the West Ferris Arena and for the princely sum of $35 dollars, each child participated in on-ice sessions every Saturday morning all season long. The program was free for families that could not afford the fee.  Each boy and girl learned how to skate forwards and backwards, how to start and stop, how to turn and do crossovers.  All of these skill development lessons were created by Rose, written on small cue cards with schematic drill diagrams, then delivered by a group of teenaged hockey players (including her daughter) who all followed her regimented lesson plans.  To maximize the use of ice time, the ice surface was divided into three sections teaching different skills and drills; with players switching sections on the sound of Rose’s whistle. It was not unusual to count fifty young boys and girls working through the drills and participating in activities and relay races.  By the Christmas timeframe, pucks were introduced and young players could use their sticks for more than just support!  Hockey for Beginners grew in popularity and became a hockey staple in the city. The program quickly expanded to the Peter Palangio Arena (known as Doublerinks in the 1970s).  

This leaf recognizes the contribution to the game of hockey made by Rose Blair in North Bay.  John and Rose Blair were well known in hockey circles of 1970s through 1980s and were deeply involved on boards and as convenors for activities such as the annual West Ferris Atom Tournament, the Golden Puck Tournament and later recognized for their contribution to hockey as winners of the Judge Harold (Harry) Reynolds Award. Rose and John Blair’s picture can still be seen in the Sports Hall of Fame at Memorial Gardens.  This leaf is proudly placed by her children – Butch, Bruce, Glenn and Kathleen Blair.

Honoured by Judy Blahut.  Thank you for purchasing a leaf in Don’s honour and for supporting your future Waterfront Park.  Story to follow.

Honoured by Ulysses Beaudry.  Thank you for purchasing a leaf for Bianca and Shawn and for supporting your future Waterfront Park.

Story to follow.

Honoured by John Balfe.  Thank you for purchasing a leaf for your family and for supporting your future Waterfront Park.  Story to follow.

Honoured by Pearl Balfe.  Thank you for purchasing a leaf for your family and for supporting your future Waterfront Park. 

Story to follow.

Honoured by Emmette F. Busch.

This is a story of a 52-year marriage based on love for one another and for humankind, and especially for neighbours.

Elva Mae Read and Emmette Busch were married on August 23, 1958, at Trinity United Church in North Bay, after a five-year courtship. They would have married sooner, but they waited until Emmette had a secure job with Canadian Johns-Manville in North Bay.

For Emmette, it was pretty well love at first sight when he met Elva at her parents’ home on First Ave. West, where Emmette was a boarder and drove truck for Seven-Up. As well, he was serving with the Canadian Army Reserve, Algonquin Regiment, and maybe the uniform had something to do with Elva Mae being attracted to this young man. He asked her to an Army dance at old Chippewa Barracks and they danced the night away. And thus began the Love Story for Elva
Mae and Emmette.

She loved to dance from the two-step to square dancing and everything in between. Emmette was a square dance caller, with Elva always right there, for bands led by Leo Lamothe, and several other North Bay western bands.

“We were always together. Always. We didn’t go anywhere without each other,” Emmette says, “even fishing.”

Emmette mainly operated heavy equipment and for the past 22 years, has been a Security Guard at St. Joseph’s Motherhouse. “The Sisters are part of my Family,” he says. Elva Mae, for many years, worked at the old American Optical Company above the Bank of Commerce on Main Street at Fraser. Her work was exacting and demanding that involved following a prescription to grind and form the lens properly and then install it in an eye glasses frame. She was considered one of
the best optical technicians in the Company.

Elva was just a little woman but her energy was boundless. She loved to dance, play darts, shuffleboard, knit and crochet everything from baby  sweaters to blankets—all for someone else’s
child, because Elva Mae and Emmette didn’t have children of their own.

She was a member of the Legion Auxiliary at Callander Legion Branch for 40 years, where she worked in the kitchen, worked as a server and carried Colours on parade. Emmette remains a Legionnaire with 45 years’ service.

Her c0mmunity work and love of and for neighbors and other friends was seemingly limitless. She drove folks to hospital for an x-ray, the drug store for a prescription, to the grocery store, drove for Meals on Wheels and would never say no to a friend.

Elva Mae and Emmette were so special in their Jane Street West neighbourhood because so many of the area kids made the Buschs’ home their second home. “These neighbourhood kids were our kids” is how Elva felt. One very special girl in the neighbourhood is Linda Hayhurst, then Linda Rogers, who was a frequent visitor to the Busch home from age three. Today, she and her husband live in the Sault with their children and not a week goes by without a call to Emmette.

That wonderful love story of Elva Mae and Emmette ended on April 20, 2010 when cancer took her. But Emmette carries on their tradition for their Jane Street “neighbourhood family” and friends, and mostly the Sisters at the Mother House.

Honoured by the Brule Family.

J’admire beaucoup mes  grands-parents Adelard et Lucienne Brûlé pour leur sens d’entreprise, leur énergie dynamique, leur courage et leur créativité.  Lorsqu’ils ont déménagé leur famille au coin de la rue O’Brien et de la grande route, Memère et Pepère ont fondé un magasin général.
Ceci a mené à la création d’une salle de danse, des chalets à louer, un parc pour les familles locales et un restaurant de bines qui servait des bonnes bines faites à maison.  Memère prit soin de ses 9 enfants et des entreprises familiales pendant que Pepère contribue à la construction des chemins de fers ONR avant de devenir conducteur des trains.  Il n’y en avait pas comme Trudeau, les Canadiens de Montréal et le bon St-Joseph quant à ma grand-mère, elle était fière de son héritage Canadien Français et quand est venu le temps de bâtir une école élémentaire, elle et mon grand-père n’ont pas hésité.  Ils ont donné de leur terre pour le projet de l’école Ste-Anne (qui sera fermée on 2012).
Ils sont connus pour leur générosité et on peut toujours compter sur les Brûlés pour un coup de main.  Notre famille se souvient d’eux avec amour pour leur joie de vivre, leur amour de la nature et leur exemple puissant de foi et de service.

Adelard and Lucienne Brûlé were two enterprising individuals that contributed to their community and I look up to them because of their dynamic energy, courage and creativity.  When they relocated their family to the corner of O’Brien and the Highway, Memère and Pepère set up a general store.  This led to the creation of a dance hall, cottages for rent, a park area for local families and a beanery where you could sample some good home cooked beans.  Memère took care of her 9 children and kept everything going while Pepère worked on the ONR first as a builder and then as a driver.  As a diehard Trudeau and Montreal Canadians fan, Memère was proud of her French Canadian heritage and when it came time to build a new French elementary school, there was no hesitation on their part.  My grandparents gave of their land to the school board to build the soon to be closed Ste-Anne elementary school (Closed as of 2012).  They are known for their generous spirit and you know you can count on a Brûlé to help.  Our family remembers them
with love for their joy of living, their love of nature, and their powerful example of faith and service.

It was 1972 when my parents, John and Anne Buckle, found their way to North Bay with myself Sue, and my two brothers, David and Howard, in tow. Since then, we’ve each grown a family, sharing grand children and a grand daughter who love them dearly. When the grandkids were asked what they remember the most about growing up with “Beema” and “Poppa”, they shared stories of love, caring and encouragement. This leaf honours my mom and dad for whom family was the most important thing in the world. Love you both. Sue

We remember when ….
Poppa taught us how to drive a motor boat, put worms on a hook and filet a fish at our “B’s Nest” cottage on Naiscoot Lake.
Beema baked gingerbread men, decorated sugar cookies in the shapes of stars and Christmas trees and rolled chocolate balls for us at Christmas. We’d all help decorate (and eat!) them.

Poppa made us special things in his wood-working workshop – name plates for our bedroom doors, loon-shaped coin banks, trains, doll beds, toys, nativity mangers, picture frames, large wooden initials and even a beautiful cradle for each of their three children, to pass along to grandchildren.
Beema baked her world famous chocolate chip cookies for our high school sports teams, cookies that filled boxes to be shared on the team bus on road trips.
Poppa let us win at cards, playing cribbage, “31”, and euchre.
Beema knit mittens and read us bedtime stories over and over and over again.
Beema and Poppa cheered us on at our volleyball, soccer and hockey games; our marching band, swimming and cross-country ski competitions; our horse shows. They celebrated our graduations from kindergarten, high school, college and university.

But most of all we know that when Beema and Poppa did all these things with us, when they tickled us, read to us, laughed with us, teased us and hugged us, we just knew that they loved us.
We love you too Beema & Poppa.
Your grandkids
Cameron, Lianne, Jon, Meghan, Emily, Joshua, Daniel, Shane & Chris…and your great grand daughter Lilly.

Honoured by Sue Buckle.

It was Pre-World War One and many years before our Dad, Emilio, was born, that his father also decided to leap the Atlantic Ocean from Italy to Canada seeking a more prosperous life in an unknown land with an uncertain future.  Although both father and son worked in North Bay, it was Emilio who arrived solo in 1952 and settled in the growing North Bay Italian community in Post WWII.   The young newlywed was sponsored for employment by John Rota at Aunt May’s City Bakery.  Eventually in 1953, he was joined by his new bride Amelia and their two young daughters, ages three and two.   Uprooted from her home, the week-long voyage on the ‘Vulcania’ immigrant passenger ship brought her and the girls to North Bay (from the port of Napoli) via Halifax and Montreal. Our loving parents, Emilio and Amelia cultivated their struggling new life, overcoming the language and culture differences as did many residents from the same Calabrian village who happily settled here.  Hard working immigrants with hearts of gold are the backbone of this great city. Life was good and their courageous journey led them to be proud Canadian citizens by 1957.

Emilio continued to be a pillar of strength.  He worked strenuously to support his family and it wasn’t his broken English but his strength of character and values that shaped our lives and his dealing with others.  He was an avid gardener and always carefully maintained his plentiful vegetable, vines and shrubs. Emilio eagerly shared his gardening knowledge and could always be found with his seeds and watering can in hand.  He also enjoyed his leisurely winemaking activities and regularly seemed to have a do-it-yourself project on the go.  Through all the laughs, it was always his family and young grandchildren that made him happiest.

Our gentle and caring Mom, Amelia, devoted her life to ensuring that her five children were raised in the most devoted, faith-filled and caring environment. Over the years, our parents lovingly provided the upbringing based on the rich and amazing culture they left behind and maintained it with as much enthusiasm as they did learning to live in their new surroundings and environment. We will always be blessed with the grace of her tender hearted love. She continually instilled the value of faith and community.  Amelia was a good friend to many and a lifelong member and executive of the Catholic Women’s League of Holy Name of Jesus Parish, a Davedi Club member, volunteer at St. Joseph’s hospital as well as being involved in various local groups, organizations and events.

Mama and Papa are shining examples of an irreplaceable generation that boldly forged a path and survived the cultural shift with the integrity, love and respect of their family and friends.

We and the nine grandchildren and many great grandchildren live our lives daily by their unconditional love and respect.

Con tanto amore infinito.  We love you forever and always.

Authors,
Fran Burman, Rose Murphy, Sue Lunnin, Nina Regimbald and Tony Biafore

Thank you to The Cochran Family for honouring Herb and Geetie Brown and for being a part of the waterfront Pergola campaign.