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Issue #1022
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From Russ

The Ontarion

Hi All,

I’ll start with a disclaimer…. The storys that follows are from my early childhood memories, my brothers and sisters my very well remember the same things totally differently, and thats ok.

Way back when we were little kids, during that final week that always took forever leading up to Christmas, we would all pile into whatever vehicle our parents had at the time. The purpose was to drive around in order to look at the Christmas lights. So, it was obviously dark out, and given the winters back then, very cold out. Vehicles in those day did not have much of a heating system, the defroster could barley, if at all, clear the front window, and the whole thing depended on the vehicle starting in the first place. The whole flock of us would be seated across the rear bench seat of the car (no seat belts back then) as we drove into town from out in the boondocks, now known as the Homestead but at one time way further back in history that area around the grandparent’s Brubacher farm was known as Steamstedelle (no idea how to spell that). Long before we ever got to the first decorative lights, all the car windows would be iced over and the temperature inside would be somewhere close to absolute zero. At least it would feel that cold to us shivering kids. We would marvel at the lights we’d see or try to see. If we squabbled too much or too loudly over who can see out and who couldn’t, Lorne would quickly bark at us to keep quiet so they could enjoy the evening.

There was one street up off of Breithaupt St somewhere where all the houses cooperated with a huge display of Santa, his sleigh, and his reindeer, with the deer strung out over the roofs of a row of houses. This was a very popular ‘stop of interest’ along the way and often there were more carloads of people than the street could handle. As kids, this and other displays simply amazed us, and I guess still do.

Then there were the visits to the Hockridge farm. We would often drive up for the day on either Christmas Day or New Years Day. As kids we always hoped to end up snowed in so we could stay longer and that may of happen occasionally I guess. Anyway, as stated, vehicles were not warmly heated, comfortable and reliable like they are now. And the whole trip was pretty ‘IFFY’. IF road conditions permitted, Dad would head out with Mom in the front and the pack of us kids in the back. If it was clear with no road conditions to worry about we’d head north toward Elora and catch #6 at Fergus. If there were any driving concerns we’d head over toward Guelph on #7, over to the Guelph Corner which in those days was WAY our side of Guelph. If blowing and drifting weren’t posing a problem, we’d turn north there, up #6 with Fergus as the next waypoint. At any time we could find ourselves turned back by impassible roads. Winter roads and highways were not tended to like they are now. If we made it to Fergus, we’d try for Aurther but for every mile we’d go further north, the weather and the road would often get incrementally worse. At Aurther we’d jog over to the town line road that would hopefully take us up to Conn. If we made it to Conn, and the guy in the repair shop indicated that the now gravel road was possibly passable, we continued on the last few mile to the farm, which required leaving the town line road and head up the even more primitive side-road the farm was on. If we made it to the entrance of the farm lane, we would often have to abandon the car there and trudge up the lane through the deep drifted snow on foot, enduring the icy winds blowing across the front fields. Sometimes, if the tractor had been up and down the lane, and had punched a trail through the drifts, we would be able to drive up to the farm house, or as close as we could get before getting stuck.

Once inside the farm house, the main (summer kitchen) would be almost as cold as outside. We’d peal off our coats and boots and head further in, in to the section of the farm house where our grandparents retreated to for the winter. It was simply impossible to heat more than a few rooms via wood stove in those old houses, during those cold winters. By the time dinner was over, Dad would be chomping at the bit to get going before the roads drifted over and before we’d be snowed in. Keep in mind, drifting happens whether its snowing or not, it just needs wind. Depending on where the car was parked, it may or may not have needed to be towed back out to the road. On some visits we would indeed be snowed in, on some we’d head out, risking being forced to turn back, and on others we’d make it back home with no problems. Regardless, those visits to the farm at Christmas were what we as little kids looked forward to, year after year. And now we look back on them as great memories, year after year.

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As you know, my bucket of videos and audio performances has run dry. However, this being the Christmas issue, both Kyra and Olivia have let me video them as they sing their songs that they have learned in school. They are quite proud of their performances, I hope you guys enjoy them too.

Olivia’s Song

Kyra’s Song

Olivia & Kyra in Christmas Snow

doug

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From Russ

Suspect? Or Person-of-Interest? (Continued)

Last week, I made the mistake of opening Pandora's Box by going into more detail in the Sherman Case than I first intended. This case piqued the interest of brother, Wayne who had been following the Sherman murders since it was first made public back in 2017, until the case went "cold". He had done extensive research, and had sent me some copies of his findings. I read everything sent me, and was astonished by the complexity, and enormity of the infamous Sherman family. Barry Sherman stated that he was surprised that nobody had tried to kill him - due to the hatred he'd generated through his unscrupulous business dealings!

Thank you, Wayne - you "saved my bacon" as always, and I appreciate your timely 'intervention'.

I mentioned the Sherman case last week trying to establish whether the police video of their "suspect" would actually cast light on their "Cold Case". You may have seen the TV news - Metro Detectives held a Press conference to reveal the latest in their on-going investigation of the 'famous double-murder'. The video in question was taken at night in mid-December, 2017 - showing a person walking on a sidewalk in the area of the Sherman 'mansion'. The detective stated police had additional video evidence of this same person near the Sherman residence, before, and after the time the killings were committed. The detective pleaded for the Public's help in identifying their "suspect". The detective offered no 'suggestion' as to the sex, age, or possible weight of their suspect, saying only that the subject was wearing some kind of head covering, and face covering.

He drew our attention to the "gait" - that being shoving, or kicking the right foot and leg forward.

Last week I posed the question: Is it possible a person can be identified by his/her peculiar gait? To answer the question, I beg your permission for me to discuss a personal experience where a person's gait, or peculiar walk, led me to solve a "Theft, while unlawfully in a dwelling-house", contrary to the Criminal Code.

Note: Save for an open door - the proper charge would have been "Break & Enter Dwelling for purpose of committing an Indictable offence; to wit: Theft under $50". (Max. penalty Life)

Oops! Lost most of my column? Will send this much for now, and the rest later.

Russ

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Where is everyone?

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THE ONTARION REPORT

Hello everyone, it seems like only yesterday we were celebrating this same occasion! I guess it was almost a year ago in reality but this past year has flown by so quickly in some respects and seemed to drag in others! Oh well, all we can do is put up with the difficulties of the coming year and be happy on the upcoming special occasions! We never seem to be able to turn on the TV and have a solid news show that reports GOOD NEWS! It’s either mass shootings here or earthquakes there or these two disasters overshadowed by more Covid-19 crap! I know that the whole world is extremely tired of the virus reporting but all we can do is keep on fighting it!

We just seem to be getting a handle on the virus problem when another one comes along to make things worse again! Oh well, we will eventually beat this dastardly disease but it’s going to take time and patience!

In the meantime, lets try our best to smile and enjoy the holiday season! I would hope most of you have your Christmas shopping completed by now! If not, you only have two days left to get it done as of the time I am writing this report. When a person gets to be my age we pretty well have everything we need in life so it’s very difficult to think of anything we’d like from Santa! In my case I tend to leave the gift ideas up to Carole and Adam and every year they do a very good job of their selections! For the most part, I’m happy with whatever I have under the tree with my name on it on December 25th! To be honest with you, if I had my request honored by Santa I doubt he’d be able to fit a Pickup truck beneath the boughs of the evergreen tree anyway! LOL!

Not the real thing anyway! Maybe a “Hotwheels” version of the truck in my dreams but not the full sized one for sure! Hahahaha…….!

When I was a kid which was a long time ago I had no end to my list to Santa! One of the most memorable occasions at this time of year was the Saturday before Christmas that we all attended the FOX Theatre on King St in Kitchener To watch some Cartoons and sing some Christmas carols before Santa would appear on the Stage to bring smiles to all the children’s faces who were in attendance. We were all children from the families of the employees of Burns Meats and our parents were the true givers of the gifts we all received from Santa on that day at the theatre! I went up to sit on Santa’s knee and whisper in his ear what I wanted for Christmas! I didn’t know at the time until several years later that the Santa I was whispering to was actually my dad! LOL! He was never around to take us to the FOX and my mother would always drop us off at the theatre on that day. I always wondered why my dad wasn’t driving us to the Burns Meats Christmas Saturday show but seemed to know all about it when we got home after the show. When I found out that Santa at the FOX had been my dad all those years, I was thrilled to break the news to all my friends. Many of the kids in our neighbourhood had one or even two parents that worked at Burns Meats so It was cool to break the news to them until I found out that many of them already knew that Mr Payne was the Burns Santa and that his true identity was kept a secret from the Payne family! Oh well, it was a fun series of Christmases at the FOX anyway and it ended by the late 50’s at the time! I think I was 8 years old when I found out the truth! I wanted to believe in Santa until I was in my early teens but only because it was a lot of fun to play it up to my folks at that time of year. Of course mother’s never want to break the news to their children that there really isn’t a Santa that comes down the chimney with a sack full of toys so they help prolong the fable for as many years as possible! SO, I am now 72 and secretly still believe in Santa! Ho Ho Ho!

That’s about it for this week folks!

Thanks for your kind attention to our weekly news letters over this past year and I’m hoping for your continued readership in the future!

Here’s wishing each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next week in The Ontarion Report and I’ll also look forward to hearing what Santa brought to you in your own personal write ups to The Squid at that time!

Sincere thanks…. Greg

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Take Care And Be Safe
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The articles in these issues are the sole property of the persons writing them and should be respected as such.