Harry Stemp was born in Uxbridge in 1934. He started his career with the Uxbridge Times-Journal as an apprentice typesetter at age 14. He soon began writing sports for the Times-Journal and eventually owned 10 community newspapers in central Ontario including the Times-Journal. He started writing his award-winning Stemp’s Stew in 1965. The column came to an end shortly after he sold his newspaper chain in 1989, but was rejuvenated in 2006 when Harry became a regular contributor to The Cosmos.
Born and raised in Uxbridge
A tip of the hat to all those who were involved in organizing the 100th Anniversary Reunion of Uxbridge Public School last Friday. This includes community volunteers, teaching staff and the students. It was a lot of work but they should know that it was much appreciated by the many former students who visited the school throughout the day.
Walking through the original school building brought back so many memories for those of us who attended before the population of Uxbridge, and the student body, expanded resulting in the various additions and alterations to the original structure.
Great to see so many former students, some who traveled many miles to be part of the historic celebration. Most have aged gracefully, others have fallen on bad health, but all that was forgotten when old school chums met and reminisced about their time together in UPS.
The official ceremonies gave the present students a chance to show off their musical talents and I know I wasn't the only one pleasantly surprised when the Grade 8 band began to play. My memory went back to the 'band' that I was part of and since we had no auditorium we played in the Music Hall where the UPS concert was held every year.
No big horns or drum sets. We played a variety of small musical instruments. I recall hitting a metal triangle with a steel wand while the girl beside me stroked and tapped a hollow wooden block. But parents enjoyed the sound and we always received a loud round of applause. Today it is wonderful to see the young students having the benefits of a complete musical program resulting in a full orchestra which sounded semi-professional in every way.
There were several short remarks from the stage, but Deputy Mayor Bev Northeast gave the one that I feel captivated the former students.
As a former student Bev walked us down memory lane of what attending UPS was like for us compared with the modern, hi-tech school students enjoy today. She mentioned the dress, the change in classroom structure and rather than pens moving back and forth over paper it is now thumbs racing over the small keyboard on electronic devices.
But the one remains constant and that is the dedicated teaching staff and the well-behaved and intelligent young people who fill the classrooms of UPS.
A couple of former school buddies and I walked up the steps to what was then the office of the Principal on the top floor. None of us could believe how tiny the office was as we recalled how large it seemed when, as a young child, you had to make the trip to that dreaded space. Leather strap sitting on the side of the desk and you were hoping that your explanation - true or false - would mean the strap would stay in place and not be used. Not that we were all that bad, but one couldn't get away with much in those days and you got it again at home if your parents found out you had misbehaved. And with a younger sister and brother attending the same school, I can assure you they found a way to bring the subject up around our dinner table.
Looking back, none of this caused us harm and as I toured the building with old friends I couldn't help but feel how lucky I was to be born and raised in Uxbridge. It has always been a wonderful, caring, community and I am so pleased that it has not changed to this day.
At my age, I won't be around for the next reunion but, unlike my older brother and younger sister, I am sure glad I was here for this one.
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If PM Harper is looking for ways to save tax dollars, then he has my vote to drop the vote subsidy program that has been on the books for a few years. When it was first proposed and passed it seemed like a reasonable idea. Parties would receive an annual $2 per vote cast in their favour following each election. The reasoning behind it was to stop the huge donations that corporations could donate to a party, the suspicion being that this would garner them favourable legislation in the future.
But, like any government handout, there is soon a way found to corrupt the program and this one is no different. Helping legitimate political parties financially is not a problem, but what other country in the world would give two million tax dollars per year to a party like the Bloc Quebecois whose sole purpose for existing is to split our country in two? Only in Canada, you say. Pity.
And how about the actions of the local NDP in the election prior to the most recent one? Their candidate withdrew from the race a short time before the election date. In fact, too close to have his name removed from the ballot. However, this would not prove a financial hardship for the NDP. Their supporters attended the polls and voted for the candidate even though they knew full well he had withdrawn.
Since that election the NDP has collected over $10,000 of our tax dollars every year for a non-candidate. Ethical? I think not.
Dropping the subsidy is one promise I hope the Progressive Conservatives will not ignore. The other one is an elected Senate - but that will have to wait for another 'Stew'.
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Couldn't believe my eyes when I recently drove by Natural Solutions in the Royal Bank Plaza. There it was - large as life in their window - a promotion for 'Woman Sense' - in capsule form.
Figure I better drop in and pick up a couple of bottles of this magic potion. Making sense of women has been a bit of a problem for me in life and I figure if a few bucks invested in some pills could straighten me out then get out of my way. However, if it looks too good to be true it probably isn't.
But a fella can dream, can't he?
