The Bedellus

Among the three people being honoured for their contributions to the community with the Order of Collingwood you will find the name of the President of the Ontario Guild of Town Criers, Ken Templeman. The Order of Collingwood is awarded to residents who show a commitment to their community through volunteer efforts.

The award ceremonies took place at the Mayor’s New Year’s Levee, on Sun. Jan. 4 at Georgian Manor Resort at 1 p.m. The other recipients of the Order of Collingwood are Bill Allan and Frank McNulty.

Templeman is best known as the Town Crier, but has been a volunteer with a host of organizations. The recognition comes just days after Templeman completed his two-year term as Guild President and hands over the leadership of the Guild to Barrie’s Town Crier, Steve Travers. Speaking at the December meeting of the Guild’s Executive, Travers expressed the congratulations of the entire Guild to Templeman as he thanked him for his efforts on the Guild’s behalf.

Templeman was a member of the Collingwood Lions Club for 12 years – serving as treasurer, secretary, vice President, president, district treasurer and zone chairman. He was also awarded the Melvin Jones Fellowship award in 1992-93.

He was also the founding chair for the board of Breaking Down Barriers, Santa Claus parade marshal from 1996-2007 and past director of the F.W. Fisher Foundaton, Bygone Days Heritage Village and Ontario Guild of Town Criers. He has also been the Sergeant at Arms for the Royal Canadian Legion for three years and drum major for the Beinn Gorm Highlanders for seven years.

Templeman said he was told he would be honoured by Mayor Chris Carrier, who asked him to find another Town Crier for the levee as he will be honoured. Templeman said he will still be serving as Town Crier at the levee.

On Saturday, September 17 the good Lord blessed us with a great day at the Niagara Wine and Grape Festival in St. Catharines.  Under the leadership of Host Crier Mark Molnar, we lead a fantastic parade through an outstanding and extremely appreciative crowd with seven Criers and one super escort in attendance…  yes…  Liz McKee !

Criers in attendance were: Mark Molnar, Bill McKee, David McKee, Derrick Tidd, Tony Vandermaas, Bruce Kruger and the newest member of the Guild, Ron Meisner, recently appointed Town Crier of Welland.   Ron is a retired school teacher and a tremendous addition to the Guild. It was wonderful to meet him and we look forward to many more encounters with his friendship.  Ron’s alter ego is Santa which he has not only the looks associated to this gentleman but he also has Santa’s great gifted personality. Welcome Ron!

After the parade, we were treated to a super reception at the VIP HQ hosted by the Mayor of St. Catharines who was very hospitable. The wine and tidbits were great.   All of the Criers in attendance wish to extend their most sincere gratitude to Mark for his wonderful oversight for this event.

“Good A-Morning Ottawa!” were the first words out of Perth Town Crier Brent McLaren‘s mouth as his bell and booming voice opened ATV’s Morning Show for the Ottawa area on Friday, August 22nd. For Brent and his wife, Shelley, it had been another in a series of early morning activities that saw them rising long before the sun had come up over the heritage town of Perth. During the three hours of live television broadcast the Perth Crier was featured many times.

Perth is reknowned as one of Canada’s prettiest towns and the historic buildings and modern inn seemed to be at their best for the visit. The arrival of A-Morning was just one more opportunity to show off the community and Perth, as usual, rose to the occasion. It was the morning to unveil the new display in tribute of the “Mammoth Cheese” and to speak about the town’s history as well as the plans for the future. Whether it was Susan Code explaining the story of the Last Fatal Duel to Kurt Stoodley, the Voyageur Canoe group taking Angie Poirier around the Basin, or Karen Soloman learning about the wonderful cuisine the Fall River Pub & Grill, the three hours flew by and every viewer spoke about how good the show was.

One of the highlights of the morning was actually teaching ATV’s Angie Poirier a little bit of the gentle Art of Town Crying. If Richmond Ontario is looking for a crier, we have just found one for them. She can ring the bell with the best of them, looks great in the hat, and the voice … let’s put it this way … no one, even those on the other side of the Tay Basin, missed a single word!

Photo credit: Ian Gray, Perth Courier

On July 13, 2008, Swiss Chalet Bracebridge hosted the 7th Annual Muskoka Escapades of Town Criers’ Competition at the Muskoka Pioneer Power Show. The Escapades of Town Crying was once again a great success. The winners were Crier Mark Molnar – First Place; Crier Steve Travers – Second Place and Crier Betty Kading – Third Place The Special Award went to Betty Kading for her unique uniform of a Pioneer Woman selling her house and using a scrub board for her scroll.

Please go to the following website for the action video coverage of the Criers, winners and the hosts… yep, that’s Shaun Kruger doing the benchmark cry!

The area criers will also be present at other events taking place including:

On August 21, Swiss Chalet/Harvey’s helped to raise funds for the Bracebridge Sportsplex by serving Harvey’s Burgers and refreshments during the Emergency Services Demonstrations put on by the OPP and Fire Department.

On August 22, Bracebridge Swiss Chalet/Harvey’s traveled to Camp Winston with the Charity BBQ Trailer putting on a special day for the children vacationing here. They suffer from a variety of medical disorders such as ADHD, Tourette’s syndrome, Learning Disabilities, Obsessive Impulsive Disorders, and other complex neurological disorders. Harvey’s Originals and Hotdogs were a huge hit with kids and counselors alike. This little known camp within Muskoka serves children from all over the world including the USA and Canada, Norway, China & Peru. There is a waiting list currently of over 500 children.

The Foundation President, Hilary Smith was thrilled with the support shown to the camp and travelled personally from Toronto to extend a special thanks and tour for Swiss Chalet/Harvey’s staff. Over 75 Kids and counselors were served lunch.

This season’s final major fundraiser of Swiss Chalet/Harvey’s Bracebridge is for Camp Oochigeas’ Kids with Cancer on Sept 13th known as the Swiss Chalet/Harvey’s Pro-Am Golf Tournament.

Congratulations to this year’s winners from the Ontario Provincial Town Crier Championship held in Collingwood at the end of June:

1st – Bruce Kruger
2nd – Steve Travers
3rd – Betty Kading
Best Dressed Escort - Mary Beth Smith

The Ingersoll Harvestfest is now on August 23rd.
and the 150th Anniversary of the Embro Fair is on September 13th

Host Crier: Doug Turvey
E-mail: zoringtowncrier@xplornet.com
Phone: (519) 475-4937

The Niagara Grape and Wine Festival Grand Parade is being held on September 27, 2008. Criers are asked to contact Mark Molnar if they are planning to attend.

Mark Molnar & Margaret
13 Manning St, St. Catharines L2R 1H8
Phone: 905-685-9347 Fax: 905-685-5379
Email: towncrier@cogeco.ca

The bells are ringing, summoning all criers to the Ontario Town Crier Championships being held this year in Collingwood Ontario. The three days of celebrations starts with a parade on Friday, June 27th and ends with the AGM on Sunday the 29th. It is a three cry competition and the host crier, Ken Templeman, has chosen topics that will challenge the writing skills of every crier.

Among the topics, each attending crier receives a copy of “Glory: a lamentable condition of affairs” by Morgan Ian Adams.

In 1903, 13-year-old Glory Whalen disappeared on her way to school. Her body was found the next day; she had been hit with a blunt object, and then shot in the head. But aside from the fatal shot, the girl was not ‘outraged’, and the few coins she had tucked into the folds of a handkerchief remained untouched.

Her killer was never found, and the tale remains a compelling unsolved mystery and a unique chapter of Collingwood history. It could also be considered one of the oldest ‘cold’ cases in the Province of Ontario and each crier has to prepare a cry based on this true tale.

The other cries include a congratulatory cry from the Crier’s municipality to Collingwood on the occasion of its sesqui-centennial, and a historic cry based on information sent to each crier.

Criers who have not registered are asked to contact Ken immediately.

Posted By Karena Walter, St. Catherines Standard Staff

It helps that Mark Molnar not only speaks loudly, but has something to say.

With a booming voice that commands attention and lung capacity on his side, the city’s town crier bellowed to bronze in a North American mouthpiece showdown this weekend.

Molnar regaled judges with three cries about hometown St. Catharines, host city Annapolis, Md., and William, Penn.

“They like a bit of humour in a cry. They like it interesting,” Molnar said Monday, explaining how judges work.

“I try to liven it up a bit. I try to put some life into what I say, and I think that works for me.”

The North American Town Crier Competition saw 24 orators from B.C. to Bermuda pitch their pipes.

Competitors had to submit in writing three cries between 100 and 125 words prior to the competition. One of the five judges read along during their performances, giving penalty points if a word was mispronounced or skipped.

Town criers were also judged on their entrances and exits, content of the cries and clarity and volume, which Molnar said he rarely has a problem achieving.

“Some of the guys, by the second cry they were hoarse. As soon as that happens, you’re in trouble,” said Molnar, who warms up his voice before events.

All competitors had to be officially appointed by a municipality and be members of a guild. The majority were from Ontario, which has the largest population of town criers.

In Niagara alone, there are official town criers in Thorold, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne and Welland, while the Town of Lincoln is also covered by Molnar.

Ontario’s criers are of a high quality, with Port Perry and Kingston representatives taking the top two spots. The province’s competition, in which Molnar will be taking part, is held in June.

Molnar seemed born to use his chops. In the early ’80s, while in the navy, he stumbled upon the first town crier world championships taking place in Halifax.

“I turned to the person beside me and said, ‘I could do that,’ ” he recalled. The Halifax town crier overheard him and invited Molnar onstage, where he managed to call out with the best of them.

Years later, at a charity event in Port Dalhousie, Molnar noticed the crier was from out of town.

After learning the official St. Catharines crier had moved to Korea five years earlier, Molnar asked the city to appoint him to the job.

A crier contest was held in 2004, and Molnar won.

Since then, he’s been a frequent guest of the Niagara Wine Festival, Santa Claus parade and Canada Day events, among dozens of other public and private occasions, much to his delight.

It seems the shiny pewter plaque from the North American competition is icing on the cake.

“What other job do you get to dress up funny and yell at people,” he asks, “and they can’t yell back?”

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This article and photo originally appeared in the St. Catherines Standard and was posted By Karena Walter, St. Catherines Standard Staff

This is the list of upcoming events for Town Criers …

Saturday, April 26, 2008
Powassan Maple Fest – Powassan, Ontario
Host Crier: Hugh Smith, Phone:(705) 724-2230
E-mail: shsmith@vianet.ca
Teresa Miller, Chair of Powassan Maple Festival, Phone:(705) 724-9760
E-mail: teresamiller@sympatico.ca

May 2, 3, 4, 2008
North American Town Crier Championships – Annapolis, Maryland
Host Crier: Fred Taylor
More info & Registration form at http://squirefrederick.com

June 7 & 8, 2008
Grand Opening, Harmony Square, Brantford
On Sunday, June 8^th, Dave would like Town Criers from around the Province and even from outside, if they can make it, to join him as part of this historic moment.  He would appreciate Criers arriving from around 11:00AM on to make announcements from various parts of the Downtown area which will be blocked off.  He would also like Town Criers for Saturday to join the festivities.
Host Crier: David McKee E-mail: brantfordtowncrier@rogers.com
Phone: (519) 752-4919

June 27 & 28, 2008
Ontario Guild of Town Criers Provincial Championships & Annual General Meeting
Collingwood, Ontario – Host Crier: Ken Templeman
E-mail: ken.marianne@sympatico.ca
Phone: (705) 445-6722 (Home) or (705) 444-0389 (Business)

July 2008 (2nd or 4th Week July) – Bracebridge
SantaFest
Host Criers: Bruce & Shaun Kruger
E-mail: Bruce: kruger@muskoka.com or Shaun: thatscrazytalk@hotmail.com
Phone: Bruce: (705) 645-5814

Saturday August 2, 2008 – Port Colborne
30th Annual Canal Days Celebrations
Host Crier: Derek Miller
Email: towncrier@portcolborne.com
Phone: (905) 835-9889

Saturday, August 30, 2008 -
Ingersoll Harvestfest
Host Crier: Doug Turvey
E-mail: zoringtowncrier@xplornet.com
Phone: (519) 475-4937

September 14, 2008 (Sunday)
Embro Fair, 150th Anniversary
Host Crier: Doug Turvey
E-mail: zoringtowncrier@xplornet.com
Phone: (519) 475-4937

October 13, 2008 (Thanksgiving Day)
Oktoberfest Parade, Kitchener
Host Crier: Scott Fraser
E-mail: onetowncrier98@yahoo.com
Phone: (519) 575-9035

Larger then life … you bet! We often say that when two Town Criers get together there is not room for another ego in the room. Now try to come together with your own likeness spread bigger then you would ever imagine on the side of trucks driving all around the country. Take a look, that’s Brent McLaren, the Perth Town Crier and he has just gotten bigger, and bigger and … well … bigger!

The Perth BIA first proposed a sign on the highway coming into Perth a little over a year ago. Who would have imagined that that sign would grown into a series of 8×16 full color moving displays on the side of Wills Transfer trucks. The first panel, unveiled on February 28th, was truly something to ring a bell about!

Annie Dalton, from the Design Network, spearheaded the artistic work and Tracy Wall from Studio 105 Photography handled the camera. SignDesign handled the creation of the panels and the installation of this Roving Crier rolled out right on schedule. Yes, an experienced eye can see how the photo was reversed … take a look at the sash … but there are three other minor fixes in the picture … try to spot those at 100 km/h!

Brent’s beard? Well, it is a little longer then normal, but that is what the winter and a full theatre season (He is currently playing Tevye in “Fiddler On The Roof“) will do occasionally. Spring will soon be here, the final curtain will go down, and maybe he will take it back to where it was … maybe not … Still, that is one big bell and one big Crier!

David McKee, Town Crier for Brantford, Ontario has issued is an invitation to be part of a significant historic event in the City of Brantford to take place on Sunday, June 8, 2008.

“Our new downtown civic square, now named Harmony Square, is the culmination of a downtown revitalization that began in the mid ’90s in response to an accusation that Brantford had the worst downtown in the country! The change is astounding and is to be celebrated with a weekend party which will be topped off by a grand closing ceremony choreographed by Emmy Award winning Cirque de Soleil choreographer, Debra Brown. I believe that Debra’s presence will generate significant press coverage.”

Just prior to the closing, Town Criers will be located in different parts of the square and, on queue, will bring greetings from their home communities and congratulations to Brantford. In December there was a soft opening to launch the skating rink in the centre of the square. David is happy to announce to all Town Criers that the accoustics in Harmony Square are a thespian’s dream! Those who join him will be thrilled by the natural sound projection!

David will supply further details directly to those who commit to helping me on June 8th. For those who would like to make a weekend of it, he could use some help on the 7th, as well, but the 8th will be the big day for us as a group.

Please let David McKee know if you will come and he will put you on his list.