The House at Pete Corner….

Today’s column is about an unsung hero of my childhood. Charles and Helen Montreuil had moved their steadily growing brood to Orillia. I was an infant when the move was made, hence I had about as much say in the final decision as I remember having in every decision made in my two marriages. My feeling is that it was to allow Mum to live in the same town as her widowed mother and her only sibling, Aunt Pat. You will hear more about these great women in future columns, but for now, please note that Aunt Pat had a Pekingese named “Boony” (As he never gave me his autograph, spelling is approximate.)

Peter Takes to the Skies….

Last Saturday, Lois and I went to the Canadian National Exhibition and took in the Canadian International Air Show. This airshow has always been special to me, as it was the first airshow that I went to on my own, my “toe in the waters of adulthood”, so to speak. I remember the thrill of looking out of my bus on the Gardiner and seeing a real Spitfire flying over the waterfront pre show. One year I was even lucky enough to see the airshow in the afternoon and Chicago (the band)  that evening! Heady stuff indeed for an 18 year old from Orillia.