Harry Stemp March 26, 2009
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.
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?The downturn in the world economy has taken a toll on Barbados, as it has in all countries throughout the world.
Because Barbados is very small - 21 miles long, 14 miles wide - the effect is immediately evident to the eye as one takes a leisurely drive around the island. More so than in a country as huge as Canada.
Most major construction projects have ground to a halt, throwing hundreds of people out of work. Around the island there are many projects in various stages of completion, but one project alone - the huge Four Seasons development - sent 750 workers to the unemployment line in a flash. In a population of 250,000 you can imagine the devastation this has caused to individuals and families around the island.
Tourism, the major source of revenue for Barbados, has taken a hit but not to the extent that one would imagine. Most of the resort hotels have reported reasonable numbers this season, but are not so optimistic about the future.
Many visitors had planned this year's holiday in advance and would have lost large deposits if they were to cancel. Without that threat hanging over them for the next winter season, the government is trying to get a handle on what is in store for the 2009-2010-winter season.
It is not an easy time for people around the world and Barbados, a Caribbean paradise, is no exception.
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The fallout from the death of Terry Schwarzfeld, the Ottawa lady who was mugged while walking a secluded beach, still resonates through Barbados.
There has been an outpouring of sympathy for the family as well as outrage that this could happen on this reasonably safe island.
A $20,000 reward (large for this country) has been put in place to help solve the crime and it is reported that an arrest has been made in the case. According to police the large reward worked and a 24-year-old man was charged. Police have recovered a number of personal items such as jewellery and a camera.
Unfortunate that when these incidents happen, it immediately resonates around the world warning people to stay away. Was handed an article the other day from the travel section of a U.S. newspaper with the headline - Barbados An Unsafe Travel Destination. This type of hysterical reporting does so much harm to a small society like Barbados and often sets their tourism industry back light years.
Incidents far worse than this happen on a daily basis on the streets of major cities around the world, including Canada. Unfortunately, some people now use the words “murder city” when referring to Toronto.
However, I have yet to hear one incidence of a travel writer telling the world to stay away from Toronto - an unsafe travel destination.
Let's face it. No place in the world is 100% safe. As one person said, “if you want to find a real heaven, you have to die”.
Main thing when travelling anywhere in the world - don't take safety for granted. One must always be vigilant of life around them, move about in a group and stay away from certain areas that are known to be dangerous.
Sad that we have to live this way, but it's a fact of life in the 21st century.
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Uxbridge people still keep popping into my life as my time away is quickly coming to an end. I head home on March 31.
The other day I was preparing for a round of golf with a friend when a young man walked up and asked, “Are you from Uxbridge? Are you Harry Stemp?”
Hearing yes to both questions, he introduced himself as Donald Leek, an Uxbridge boy who has called Ottawa home for a number of years. Donald is vacationing here in Barbados with his family and mother, Ruby Leek.
It was great to meet Donald again after all these years and, since he was alone, he joined our golf group and we enjoyed a few pleasant hours together.
While traveling I have met people from Uxbridge all over the world. Not just residents, but people who have relatives in Uxbridge, friends in Uxbridge, or have visited our beautiful hometown of Uxbridge.
When I moved to Ottawa 12 years ago friends would continually make the comment, “Before you came along, Harry, we had never heard of Uxbridge. Now it doesn't matter where we go you bump into someone connected to your hometown”.
Later that evening I had something happen concerning Uxbridge that amazed me. Sitting in Bert's Bar, enjoying a cold one and watching hockey, I struck up a conversation with a young couple from the U.K.
It wasn't long before Ken said, “You're from Canada, aren't you? What community?”
When I replied Uxbridge he got the strangest look on his face, and I thought here we go again, explaining where Uxbridge is located, etc., etc.
“We live in Uxbridge as well. Uxbridge, Middlesex”, said Ken.
As the Brits say, I was gob smacked. In all my years of travel, this was the first time I had met someone from our community namesake in England.
Uxbridge, Middlesex was not strange to me. When I started with the Times-Journal many moons ago, we exchanged newspapers with the Middlesex paper and although, at that young age, I never dreamed I would visit, I enjoyed reading about life in that far-off part of the world.
A few years ago, when my son Dana and I traveled to London, England we took the tube to Uxbridge and visited the newspaper offices. Had a pleasant visit and I had my photo taken with the publisher, which later appeared in their newspaper.
So we chatted about life in both Uxbridge communities and said our goodbyes. They were leaving for home the next day, and I doubt if our paths will ever cross again. But that chance meeting and short conversation will be a memory I will cherish.
