Centennial activities ‘growing’ on residents

More than 225 people came out to the Memorial Sports Centre last Wednesday afternoon to attend the Great Centennial New Year’s Day Levee, which formally kicked off Fort Frances centennial celebrations as well as 2003.
“The levee was well attended,” said Mayor Glenn Witherspoon. “It’s great to see such enthusiasm to kick off the centennial year.”
One of the activities that’s really “growing” on residents is the Great Centennial Beard-Growing Contest.
“It’s one of the things I can do,” said John Dutton, one of the first to register for the contest and pay the $5 entry fee. “I’m a natural at it. I had a beard until I had kids, but it scared them.
“They’re 14 now so that shouldn’t be a problem.”
Dutton, who also participated in the “polar plunge” earlier New Year’s Day, said he’s unsure whether he’ll grow a traditional beard or “get fancy” by trying to grow something like what would have been worn a century ago.
All registered participants will be eligible for prizes in several different categories, including “Mr. Centennial” (awarded to the man with the beard most representative to those 100 years ago), “Mr. Perfect” (for the neatest, best-groomed beard), “Mr. Colourful,” and “Mr. History” (for the beard that most closely represents the facial hair of a historical figure).
And then there is “Mr. A for Effort,” which will go to the saddest attempt at growing a beard.
“I’ll probably get the saddest attempt,” said 18-year-old Kenny Desjardins. “It’s mostly peach fuzz, I have only shaved seven times [in my life].”
The Grade 12 student and his father are both participating.
“It seems to be a really good success,” said centennial co-ordinator Marla Simpson, who is overseeing the beard-growing contest. “It was done in 1967 for Canada’s centennial and it was a huge success, so we thought we’d do it again.”
And to encourage participation, any man caught in Fort Frances clean shaven will have to show a button that gives them permission to shave (the button costs $2).
Get caught without your button and you’ll be “fined” $2 by the mock bylaw enforcer—but you’ll also get a button.
There already are 17 officially registered participants. But if you couldn’t make it to the levee last week, there’s still time to sign up. Just call 274-7891 for more information or drop into the Fort Frances Museum.
Even the mayor is getting in on the fun.
“I haven’t had one for years,” Mayor Witherspoon said of growing a beard. “Usually it’s many different colours. I’m not sure what the results will be, but I’m looking forward to growing it.
“It [the contest] is a thing of togetherness and celebration.”
And that’s what the New Year’s Day Levee was all about. There was music and people joined in to sing “Auld Lang Syne.” For those escaping the cool temperatures outside, there were hot drinks and plenty of sweets.
People mingled and reflected on the year that was.
Mayor Witherspoon gave the official toast to the New Year, putting special emphasis on the accomplishments of the past 100 years and calling for a great centennial year.
“I hope it’s a festive year with good health and prosperity,” he said. “Hope it’s one of the best years residents ever had.
“We’ll probably have something going right through to July 1 [in conjunction] with the parade,” the mayor added. “Invitations have gone out to past residents asking them to come back then.”
Last Wednesday also was reserved to celebrate the birthday of residents born on or around Jan. 1. As an added activity, a contest was held to guess which year town clerk Glenn Treftlin, who is a New Year’s baby, was born.
All those who guessed the correct year (1949) were put in a hat and the winner drawn was Allyson Albanese. She won a centennial prize pack, including a T-shirt and coin set.
“It’s kinda cool,” said Treftlin of having a Jan. 1 birthday. “The whole world celebrates your birthday.”
But one downside to being born on Jan. 1, according to Treftlin, is getting “combined” Christmas/birthday gifts.
“I wouldn’t consider that a benefit,” he said. “The one thing worse than a Jan. 1 birthday is a Feb. 29 birthday. We’re a select group.
“When I was born, my dad was disappointed because he had to support me for an entire year before he could claim me on income tax,” Treftlin added.
When Treftlin was born, he won the New Year’s baby prize—a bassinet. He still has it somewhere, but couldn’t find it to bring to the levee.
Treftlin, three-year-old Garrett Woods (the Fort Frances millennium baby born Jan. 2, 2000), and Dr. Robert Lidkea (who was born Jan. 1, 1931) were on hand to cut the birthday cake.
Though Dr. Lidkea was born in North Bay, he’s spent more than 50 years in Fort Frances.