The Stouffville Legion Branch 459 will be relocated from its current location on Ninth Line north of Main to its new location in April or May 2011. The move is the result of the Region of York expropriating the Legion’s current building in order to re-align Ninth Line north and Ninth Line south in the future.

“We are carrying on the tradition of honouring our veterans, past, present and future,” said Murray Pattenden, President of the Stouffville Legion. “The turnout today was phenomenal. It shows the support that this Town gives to the Legion.”

The Legion is continuing with fundraising efforts to help with the move, including the Legion Golf Tournament Saturday, September 11.

Blueprints for the new building can be seen in the Club room at the current location, 12278 Ninth Line, Stouffville.

Throughout her long life, she has achieved remarkable milestones, travelled throughout Canada, created thousands of paintings, inspired countless people, and written four autobiographies.

To list this notable Canadian’s many achievements would be impossible. She is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario. She is the recipient of five honorary doctorates and was named artist of honour at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. She also has a public art gallery named after her at the Scarborough campus of the University of Toronto.

As impressive as these honours are, the Latcham Gallery exhibition really celebrates her life as an artist. During the 70 plus years that she painted, McCarthy tackled diverse subject matter in many different styles and media.

As a highly motivated teacher, she felt it was vital that she be able to do in practice what she was teaching in theory. She is best known as a Canadian landscape painter, and perhaps gained her greatest initial fame after her trip to the Arctic in 1972 and the subsequent exhibition of her iceberg paintings.

In all of McCarthy’s works, her skilled hand is evident in her use of shape and colour and masterful composition, but viewers will also feel her passion for this country’s landscapes. This exhibition provides a glimpse into the many styles and sites she has captured during her long career. The paintings are from private collections and include works from 1932 to 2005. They depict scenes from Ontario, Quebec and the west and east coasts, along with several pieces from the Arctic.

Also on display are many books by and about McCarthy, as well as the film Heart of a Painter in which the artist speaks about her work and her process. We hope that everybody will take advantage of this rare opportunity to see these paintings and to celebrate this Canadian icon. The exhibition continues until September 11.

by Maura Broadhurst
Maura Broadhurst is curator at the Latcham Gallery

He was 87.

Mr. Bowes was a Member of Council for two terms (2000 to 2003 and 2003 to 2006) and served as a Public School Board Trustee from 1976 to 2000.

”Mr. Bowes was devoted to his community not only as a politician but as a community volunteer who was affiliated with several groups including the Whitchurch-Stouffville Minor Hockey and the Board of the Markham Stouffville Hospital.” said Mayor Emmerson. “He was committed to education, as was demonstrated by his long-time role as a School Board Trustee, and was honoured by the dedication of Harry Bowes Public School at 90 Greenwood Road in 2008. Mr. Bowes will be sadly missed”.

Mr. Bowes leaves his wife Marjorie and two sons, Brian and Wayne. Visitation will be at O’Neill Funeral Home 6324 Main Street, Friday, August 6 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The funeral will be held on Saturday, August 7 at 11:00 a.m. at East Ridge Evangelical Missionary Church, 10th Line, north of Main St., Stouffville with a reception to follow at the Stouffville Legion.

In honour of Mr. Bowes, the flags at Town Hall and all Town facilities will be lowered to half-mast until the funeral.

I’m looking forward to this year’s event on Sunday, Aug. 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting. After all, who wants to park their collectible out on the lawn in a downpour? In case of rain, everybody holds off until the following week, which means that for visitors it’s always a lovely way to spend an afternoon, regardless of who’s the car enthusiast in the family.

In addition to the cars, all the museum buildings are open. Check out the old fashioned air conditioning in the log cabin. Hey, wait. I still use that technique in my own home, but I doubt anyone is baking in a wood stove these days so don’t miss the treats from the oven in the Brown House.

Other old fashioned fun includes a scavenger hunt and children’s games at the barn, musicians at the centre stage and a magician. This year visitors will see the progress on the construction of the new visitor/community centre, a behind the scenes look that won’t be available again. In fact, the money raised at this year’s show will help to purchase programming and conservation equipment for this new centre.

Then there are the cars. About 400 make the trip to this annual show and as a volunteer it can be a challenge. I’m often posted at one of the gates which is a perfect place to start the day. Some cars are obviously antique to me, but others trick me. I get distracted by the beauty and almost forget that there are categories to sort out.

The north gate admits the truly antique while the south gate is reserved for classic cars at least 25 years old. This year I’ll be watching for the special feature, a 1959 Indy Car, as well as vintage MGs, Triumphs and the Trillium Miata Club.

Anything more recent than 1985 gets to park in the visitor parking lot across the street with the rest of us driving the less spectacular vehicles. Museum staff know how to take care of helpers; they even make sure we’re well fed and watered for the day. Somewhere between my assigned duties there’s time to chat with some of the other 60 volunteers, but we’re usually busy checking out the cars and meeting their owners who are happy to talk about the real stars of the show.

In fact, you can help create these stars, as trophies are given out for a few favourite categories. All it takes is for you to take a stroll through the grounds and vote for your favourite.

Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum is located at 14732 Woodbine Ave. north of Vandorf Sideroad. For more information call 1-888-290-0337 ?or visit www.townofws.com/museum

by Catherine Sword

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Join exhibitors from across southern Ontario display their prized antique and classic cars. Tour historic buildings. See heritage demonstrations. Children’s activities and live entertainment provide fun for the whole family. Admission: $5.00 per exhibitor (+ one guest), $6.00 per person; $15.00 for family of four; children under 7 FREE.