Printed Jul 15, 2024 • 5 minute learn
Members of the organizing committee for the Paisley one hundred and fiftieth Homecoming celebrations reduce a giant cake through the weekend-long festivities at Rotary Park in Paisley, Ont., on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (Rob Gowan The Solar Instances) Picture by Rob Gowan The Solar Instances
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Lawrence Gregg has known as Paisley dwelling for all 84 years of his life, and in that point as a resident, enterprise proprietor, farmer and college bus driver he has come to know lots of people.
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On the weekend because the small central Bruce County village marked its 150 th anniversary with an enormous Homecoming celebration, he noticed many acquainted faces, together with some he hadn’t seen in a really very long time.
“It is so good to see the old people, the ones who grew up here but moved away,” Gregg mentioned, surrounded by a whole bunch of others who have been additionally having fun with the festivities on the Homecoming grounds at Rotary Park on Saturday. “We have seen a lot of them today who have come back for this.”
Gregg drove faculty bus for many years within the village because the proprietor of the previous Gregg Bus Traces enterprise. He additionally owned a automotive wash on the town, began up a canoe rental enterprise, and farmed beef cattle simply outdoors the village. He has served the neighborhood as a member of the ag society and the Rotary Membership.
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“I have been looking at everyone who walks past and been trying to put a name on them,” mentioned Gregg. “I drove school bus for 40 years, so I saw a lot of kids.
“It is surprising the ones that remember you.”
On Saturday, Gregg’s spouse Mary was bussed to Paisley from the house in Southampton she has lived at for the previous two-and-a-half years. He mentioned the day was simply as particular for her because it was for him.
“I know she has seen a lot of people today that she hasn’t seen in two-and-a-half years,” Gregg mentioned. “She was so happy to be a part of that.”
The festivities over the weekend have been all about celebrating a neighborhood that has a protracted and storied historical past in Bruce County.
The primary settlers arrived on the junction of the Saugeen and Teeswater rivers in 1851. It grew to turn out to be a bustling village and was included in 1874. Reminders of the previous nonetheless stand all through the village, together with the 1876 city corridor, 1871 hose tower and fireplace corridor, the unique outlets that line the downtown and the mills alongside the rivers.
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However for Gregg it’s the individuals who name the village dwelling that make it particular.
“People are just so friendly,” he mentioned. “No matter where you go you can talk to somebody.”
Paul Parker, 62, and Carl Tanner, 61, have been amongst a handful of gamers from the 1975-76 Ontario Minor Hockey Affiliation Bantam D championship crew from Paisley.
Their championship banner held on the wall of the Rotary Palace together with an image and newspaper article about that championship run.
Parker, whose household has known as Paisley dwelling for 5 generations, mentioned it felt nice to have the ability to have fun such a particular place.
“It is such a cool place. We have the rivers, we still have the community centre, we have lots of history,” mentioned Parker. “We have the blues fest, the artists on the river and it all sort of melds together.”
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Parker was impressed with all of the work that went into the weekend occasion.
“Everybody who is doing this are all new residents, which is marvelous,” Parker mentioned. “If they hadn’t stepped up and did this, it wouldn’t go.”
Parker mentioned over the previous 5 years he has seen a number of younger households transfer into the neighborhood, which has helped breathe some new life into it.
“It is easy to be here and grow old, but you can’t be an old-age community,” he mentioned. “It feels like now half the community is under 30 and they all have two or three little kids, and that is what sustains a community.”
Tanner mentioned the weekend’s festivities made him proud to name Paisley dwelling.
“Meeting people I haven’t seen for a while is awesome,” Tanner mentioned. “Seeing some of the guys from the team was great. I have that same picture at home and I look at it once in a while.
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“It was a big moment in our lives and it feels like it happened yesterday.”
A small band of devoted neighborhood members generally known as the Paisley Neighborhood Enhancement Committee was behind organizing the weekend-long occasion.
The group shaped to replace and improve a few of the facilities like parks and recreation amenities within the village and have been approached to tackle the one hundred and fiftieth Homecoming celebration.
Committee lead government Kayla McLelland mentioned Saturday that whereas it had been a number of work for the 11-member committee, it was good to see all their onerous work coming collectively with an occasion your complete neighborhood could possibly be pleased with.
“It has been really great,” mentioned McLelland. “The community support has been second to none.”
McLelland gave a giant shoutout to her committee for his or her tireless work on the occasion.
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“We were tried and true and driven,” McLelland mentioned. “I give my team the biggest thank you for joining this crazy ride and getting this to come to fruition.”
A parade down Queen Avenue on Saturday morning had over 120 entrants taking half as residents and guests lined the principle avenue. There have been breakfasts and dinners placed on by numerous neighborhood teams and organizations that attracted a whole bunch of attendees, whereas different fashionable occasions included a volleyball event, distributors market, household enjoyable zone, a traditional automotive present, and open air concert events each Friday and Saturday night time.
Artisans lined the river because the Trinity Theatre and Paisley Artscape Society offered their artisans truthful alongside Water Avenue, whereas historic strolling excursions across the village gave members some perception into the neighborhood’s wealthy heritage.
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McLelland mentioned Paisley is a particular place as a result of it’s like everyone seems to be like household and so they all wish to do what’s greatest for your complete neighborhood.
“It is that togetherness of how our community works to put on something like this,” she mentioned. “Paisley is a very driven and connected little town.”
McLelland mentioned that whereas they plan to take a break now till September, any proceeds from the occasion will return into enhancing the neighborhood ultimately.
“Having nice parks available and stuff like that brings in young families and keeps this town prospering,” mentioned McLelland. “That is what will make us get to 200 years.”
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