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.
It's a small world
On November 11 I looked around Lauderdale By The Sea to find a parade or some kind of celebration remembering the end of the two world wars and the sacrifice made by so many for the benefit of all of us. No luck, so at 11 a.m. I did my own thing while wondering what was happening back on Brock Street in Uxbridge.
Later I was pleased to hear from friends that it was one of the largest crowds to ever attend the ceremonies at the Cenotaph. Then I was even more proud to open an e-mail from my friend Betty Laswick with several photos showing the wonderful display of crosses arranged by the students at Uxbridge Secondary School.
It was moving when I learned that each cross held the name of a resident of Uxbridge who served in either of the world wars. And red tips on some crosses denoted that the soldier attended Uxbridge High School.
It is so easy for older residents to play down the attitudes and actions of the young people of today. Scorning the weird haircuts, sloppy dress, tattoos and multiple earrings, forgetting that they themselves at a young age had their own dress styles and habits that drove the older folk nuts. When I was growing up it was not unusual to hear “What is this younger generation coming to?” when our parents and their friends gathered.
So when you see the trouble these kids went to in an effort to show that they appreciate the sacrifice that our veterans made to protect our freedom and our way of life, it gives renewed faith that our future will be in good hands. And it isn't just Remembrance Day this happens.
Over the last couple of years a large number of students have visited the Uxbridge Legion where President Jack Ballinger arranged to have the students meet and chat with the veterans of the branch. And a large student delegation marched in the parade to Memorial Park to mark an important anniversary of the Uxbridge Legion. These were the same students who made the trip to visit Vimy Ridge and other famous battle sites in Europe to learn more about the important role Canadians played in guaranteeing we could all live in a free country.
There is the saying “To you we pass the torch”, and when I see the actions of many of our fine young Uxbridge citizens I have the strong feeling that the torch will be in good hands long after we are gone.
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In the 'It's a small world' department I went down to the corner the other night to take part in one of my favourite pastimes - happy hour. Why not? When you can enjoy cold ones at half price it's easy to be happy. Chatted up the chap sitting next to me and found he was from Hamilton but he knew Uxbridge well.
“Worked in Uxbridge for several months a few years ago putting the addition on the Secondary School,” he said. “Loved that community and suggested to my wife that we pack up and move there. But she would have no part of it.”
When I told him that I could understand how he felt, as I was born in Uxbridge, he made me proud with “Man, living there all your life, you are the luckiest guy in the world”.
I agreed with him on that as well.
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For a political junky like me it was great to come off a hard-fought municipal election in Uxbridge and head into the U.S. in the thick of their elections and all the rhetoric and arguing over who would be best to run the country. And right in the middle of all this former president George Bush brings out his memoirs trying to convince the world that he was a compassionate, funny, charming, instinctive and independent leader.
So the political world was revolving a mile a minute as I travelled down I-95 on my way to Florida and the radio commentators made the trip go quicker than usual.
In the book Bush's story-telling strength comes through when he writes of a visit to Russia when Putin showed him his black Labrador, Koni.
“Bigger, stronger and faster than Barney (the Bush Labrador),” Putin bragged.
Later, when Bush relayed this story to our prime minister, Harper drolly noted, “You're lucky he only showed you his dog.”
Great seeing Canadian humour come to the forefront.
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How would you like to be able to walk out on stage in front of 1500 people and receive an immediate standing ovation? And then walk to the podium and give a 50-minute speech, without notes, and all through that speech you could hear a pin drop as the speaker held the audience in his hand?
Well, that's what former US president Bill Clinton did before a sell-out crowd in the National Arts Centre in Ottawa a few days before I took off for Florida. It was a treat to sit and listen to him discuss the world situation in a way that could be understood clearly by every member of the audience. And to listen to the difference that the Clinton Foundation and the many other foundations are making in improving the lives of millions of needy around the world, was very impressive to say the least.
Bill Clinton has such an aura of charisma and confidence that I couldn't help thinking that if he ran for U.S. president tomorrow he would win hands down.
It is not often that we have orators of this ilk pass our way and when they do you grab the opportunity to hear them speak in person.
