The annual Chapple Days celebration proved once again there’s more going on in Barwick than the OSB mill.
Last weekend, township residents and visitors got together for two days of mid-summer revelry that went from high and dry to wet and wild as events moved from the Both Farm, north of town, to the waterfront for the canoe races and water-skiing demonstration.
Things kicked off Friday night with a campfire/barbecue at the farm of Steve and Joan Both, about five miles north of Barwick.
About 140 people turned up for that, and many also returned on Saturday—some in period dress—to re-enact some of the history associated with one of the oldest homesteads in Rainy River District.
The original house, which has been restored to much of its original appearance, was built in 1903 by Sam and Martha Both.
Steve Both, the current owner, said his grandparents didn’t actually move into the house until 1910, but lived in town while it was being built. For the next few years, Sam walked into town to get to work.
Sam died in 1944 and Martha in 1952. The house then was passed to Herbert Both, who lived there until 1985, when a stroke forced him to move to where he could get the medical attention he needed until he died in 1992.
Steve acquired the property in 1982 and began to restore it after his uncle moved out. By 1989, the house and blacksmith shop looked much as they do today.
Although many of the original tools and appliances have disappeared over the years, Both has replaced them with others of the same era, thus maintaining the original atmosphere.
That atmosphere was readily apparent last weekend as guests witnessed and participated in cow-milking, hay-gathering, butter-churning, and a hatchet hunt.
Around 2 p.m., the festivities shifted to the waterfront, where the annual canoe race was held. Three two-man teams braved the heat and low water to vie for the trophy.
The team of Max Roszkowski and David Harrington crossed the finish line first, followed closely by Alex Anderson and George Oltsher.
The local team of Gary and Wayne Both gambled on taking a different line after rounding the island the second time in the hopes of finding a more friendly current on the home stretch.
Unfortunately, their gamble didn’t pay off and they came in a distant third.
Low water also affected the water-ski show, forcing the participants to use a smaller boat than the one planned. The 70-h.p. engine simply didn’t have the muscle to haul two skiers out of the water on slalom skis, so some improvisation was in order.
Nonetheless, an enthusiastic crowd braved the blazing sun to cheer on the participants before retiring to the new community centre for a dinner of cold cuts and lemonade.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
