Sorry to say, the full extent of Holtyre is what you saw. No store, no bank or gas station. You have to go into Matheson.

Holtyre was the best place in the world to grow up in as a young boy in the 50's. We all were Tom Sawyers or Huck Finns, hunting and fishing, camping out in both winter and summer, riding our bikes to Maude lake with no adults around and swim all day.Great hockey and ball teams, and as far as I know everyone went on to live a life of reasonable comfort,some more comfortable then others but no one as far as I know fell through the cracks,at least i hope not.Sad to see the old town the way it is now, but there will always be a little piece of my heart left in Holtyre and a little bigger piece for the whole of North Ontario, hope to get back next year spend a few days with my brother Harry out at Pike lake...

anyone remembers the name of the post office couple who ran the place in approx. 1950 or so ?

to Jack from Ottawa, I believe it was Ernie Trottier and his wife, sorry don\'t know her name, really cannot remember her but I do remember him.

I grew up in Holtyre and agree with John Harper. As far as I am concerned Northern Ontario is God's country. It is sad to see Holtyre today.

Glad to hear from ''HOME'' I was born there in 1934 the year the Ross Mine started operations and lived ther till 1942 when my family ''came down'' to work in the war shops. My dad had a farm on Guibbord township road and I went to school there RC separate in the same building as the public school. Went back in 52 to work at the CJM's Munroe mine for 2 years. Would like to har from guys I went to school or worked with. Planning to go next summer for a ''Pilgrimmage''Happy 2009'' Philippe L. Would greatly appreciate an reply

I have owned for several years some property approx. 6+ miles east of holtyre. Can anyone tell me about that area there? I have never been to it but hope to get there this summer. I have waited, not to patiently, to get back to canada. Any help will be appreciated on this area. thanks

I grew up on a farm just outside Holtyre, about 1 km outside town. In July of ’81 as a teenager, I went to visit extended family in Toronto for a couple weeks, and took the train from Matheson. On my return, I was sitting next to an elderly couple who looked to be in their 60’s. They were quite talkative with everyone around them, and were going back north from spending time in the south – from what I recall they got off the train in Kirkland Lake. I don’t remember their names, but I recall part of a conversation that we had. The gentleman noted that he had recently retired from the mining industry and had been all over the world in the exploration field (Europe, the Middle East, South America, Africa, and all over Asia). He then said that I should enjoy this area as this is “God’s country” (his words). I could tell he was sincere and meant it. That said, I thought he was nuts! How could this part of the country ever measure up to the exotic places he had been. Well, almost 30 years has past since that train ride, and I left that area for good several years afterwards. I went on to see some ‘interesting’ places and ‘things’ in this country and beyond. I’ve also been back a couple times to visit the overall area, and can now say that what that elderly gentleman said in the summer of ’81, was right....

Holtyre was the best place to raise kids. Lots of dances in those days also good curling my daughter Danielle won Miss Holtyre and then went to win the big one Miss northern Ontario so lots of opportunities there

Greetings Dwight and to all those good folks from Holtyre. I grew up in Ramore and attended Ecole Sainte Therese and Ecole Secondaire Iroquois Falls Sec School. I liked the area so much that I could not move too far away. Phyllys from Helena, the place famous for the famed Devils brigade, hope you have a good trip up to Canada. Once up here you will have to go the the Matheson Town office were they may have info about your property. Good Luck! Historical note about Hwy 572, it used to be Hwy Ferguson (Hwy 11) going north to Matheson. Years ago it apparently looked like a bush road.

Ah Holtyre. Even though I left almost 50 years ago I still Call Holtyre home. Like they say. You can take the boy out of the country but you can"t take the country out of the boy. The fun we used to have. Mr Hughes and Mr. Moffat had some of the best gardens to raid. Not saying that I did of course. Thats just what I heard. Try to get up once or twice a yearif possible. Will have to this year because we need more blueberries. Hello to everyone past and present from Holtyre.

thanks Edmund for the advice. I will definitely go there. I cant wait to get there. I am really disgusted with the states and am looking forward to the Holtyre area!

My mom grew up in Holtyre and I spent many summers there visiting my memere and pepere. Once he passed away my memere moved to North Bay and now we have no reason to visit. Summers were great, we kids were always able to keep ourselves busy and our uncles told us stories of monsters called the Lustecrew??? or something of that nature. Holtyre was never booming while I was there but my pepere was able to run a successful gas station when the mine was open, who's grass he continued to cut even 10 years after he retired.

I lived on the base in Ramore from 1964 to 69,went to english school in Holtyre grades 4-5-6. Then went to school for grade seven in Matheson.Will always remember that two room school across from the french school. Used to have fun at the skating rink in the winter.Had a friend called Elisabeth philipps who lived next door the the mine. I remember when the store burnt down, I think that was around 1967. If anyone remembers me send me a line.

My husband and I raised our 3 children in Holtyre for almost 10 yrs before moving out of province. My husbands father still lives there, I will be coming home for a visit at the end of this month. It was a great place for my children to grow up. I sometimes miss the small town very much.

I was born in Holtyre in 1934 just before gold was found there. It was then called Cooke County (or Township). I was one of seven Serafin children. My siblings were Ida, Irma, Romeo, Lina, Rita and Bruno. It was a hard life during those years. We lived on a farm and walked 2 miles to school, which wasn't easy during the winter. With hip deap snow and cold.I remember up to 60 below zero (yes 60). Not often, but once is too much. When it came time to go to high school, I went to Kirkland Lake, leaving the house approx. 6:30a.m. and returning as late as 7:00p.m, walking to and from Holtyre from the farm and busing to KL. My dad, John worked in Ross mine and on the farm and my mom MarieAnge stayed at home. She had more than enough to do with the kids, and all the farm animals etc. etc. My siblings and I enjoyed ourselves, making up games or playing cards. I occasionally go back (but not to the farm as the road is no longer accessible. The postmaster during my years was Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Trottier. I don't remember if he was still there when I left in 1952. It is really sad that Holtyre has nearly become a ghost town.

To Zita P. I remember those days, as I was born in Holtyre (Matheson hospital) in January 34. Dad worked with yours at the Ross but we left in '42. I went back in '52 to work at the Munroe asbestos mine.You were my mom's clock to send us to school, as she was saying '' time to go, the Serafin's are coming!''. I remember your father's tractor on wich he installed tracks in the winter because the road was not opened. And that get together at your dad's place when I returned for work and Roméo came in from Ottawa! The next day at work was loooooooong and hard! Your dad made such good wine! The road to your place was nice at the end of June this year whyen I went back for a visit. I'd have a lot more to say, maybe another souvenirs session later. Philippe Lalancette Batiscan, QC.

good to see people keeping this going, maybe some day a reunion could be held,could you imagine getting all the people back,even all the ones from the USA who went to school with us. Just don't make it in the winter, I also remember -60 I also remember my dad coming home from the Johnsmansville mine and it had been - 72 yeah 72 below 0.. no wonder i spend my winters in las terrenas dr....

I remember Rita Serifin and a Jules Lalancette who lived on a farm about a mile out of town on the way to Ramore. I think he joined the RCMP, I remember when Mr. serifin moved to the house just across the creek.You will have to forgive my younger brother being afraid of the cold he was always a bit of a whimp. I come on this site once a month or so just to see if anyone else from the old days is still around. I to was born in Holtyre. In a house on main street. Mrs Trottier was my godmother and christy gleason was my godfather. Be what it may Holtyre was and still is home to a lot of great people.Iwish them all the very best.

To John Harper: I was in Holtyre at the end of June. Quite a change from the early 50's. Jules is now retired from the RCMP. The house across the creek was the Gagnon's before the Serafin moved in. I was boarding at Roy Amireault's across the road. No traces left of the old bowling alley or St-Jean.s. When was your dad at CJM. I'm trying to geet in touch with peoples I worked with. My superintendant was Skidmore who came from the Asbestos QC mine and the foreman was Ferguson. Phil.

To Phil Lalancette in Batiscan P.Q. Hello our Dads name was Ellwood and he worked at the JM from the mid fiftys until it closed. He died in Dec 1964. I remember Mr. Amireault very well. Went fishing with him to the falls on the Little Pike river many times It was fun to watch him fly fishing. Never got good at it myself, but I tryed. It is so good to hear from people that used to live in Holtyre. Maybe as we get older we have more time to reflect on our past. Seems to me there were a lot of very good times even though things were a lot harder than they are now. Not to many people I know now lived on rabbits and partrigde and potatoes. But I\'d do it all over again. If you ever see Jules or talk to him give him my best regards.

To Phillipe Lalancette. You must have seen my dad's tractor and tasted his wine when you returned to Holtyre in 1952. That was the year I left for the big city to chase my dreams as they say. I have been back often over the years and still do once in a while to visit. My cousin Marcel Bouchard still lives in Holtyre, but I don't know too many people there now. It is always nice hear about old days, like when we would walk through the bush to swim in Maude lake. On our way we would stop and say hello to memere & pepere Bouchard who lived on the way.

Umm, there is two stores in holtyre, one of which has a gas station, the owner of the bus company lives close by but im not sure if theres a caisse.

Holtyre is a very nice place to live. I been living here since i was born and i love it here.Now i'm 13 years old and I still love to play and have fun with my friends in this town. There is onw store and a bus station also there is a fire station and a realy big park. It is a good place to grow up for kids. There is hardeley any trafique so you can go and play in the streets if you want. You can do almost anything you want here and that is why i love to live here.lol

To Vanessa, you are so right, for a young person like yourself it is the best, enjoy your youth because time slips by quickly. Yes I remember walking and riding my bike to maude lake swim all day and not an adult around, possibly because the ice left the week before. Well brother Harry, not going to the dr this year, going to margarita island, got a 2 bedroom condo so if you guys want to break up the winter.....

To Phillippe, As Harry said our dads name was Ellwood but I think he was called Bill on the job site.

To John & Harry, Bill was the name I knew your dad at the mine. If you ever come across other former CJM's employees of the pre 54's, I'd like to hear from them. To Zeta and all those who knew her, I had the visit of my cousin Monique Provencher last week. We spent some good moments and brouht up old memories looking at this great site. Anybody knows what became of the John Caty family? Phil. L. Typing mistakes corrected

Hi there my name is Mackenzie Camirand and I was wondering if any of you knew my grandparents or great grandparents? I believe they lived on Joseph Sreet across the creek and their names were Lillian and Edouard Hebert? My grandparents are Aurore Camirand and papere who has passed was Aurel Camirand? I as well had an uncle Ernie and Aunt Libby who I know that they were close with. If anyone knows them I would like to know..I grew up in Holtyre, I was there for 18 years before I moved to Ottawa. My parents just moved 4 years ago and I can go anywhere but Holtyre is home. Biking to Maude lake, blueberry picking, baseball games, Octoberfest, the curling hall, the old school, three roads :) Incredible..anyways, if anyone has any stories please let me know..thank you

Made it up to Holtyre for a couple of days hunting. Good to know that the partridge hunting is still as good as it was years ago.To Phil Lalancette. The last I heard of the Caty\'s was they were living in Montreal. My older brother Bill called them once when he was passing through. But that was quite a few years ago. I was out around Emmins(Little pike )Lake and got lots of Blueberries along with the partridge. There sure are a lot of wolves and bears around. You people up there are going to have to look after that wee problem. The old town sure has changed. Some of it should be torn down before it falls down. Did\'t see a person I knew. Sure is sad. But time changes everything.

Go to YouTube for the CBC documentary of Holtyre and the Ross Mine that was done in 1971. Search the word 'holtyre' and you should find the files. Each file is called: ' holtyre pt 1', 'holtyre pt 2', 'holtyre pt 3' and 'holtyre pt 4' in case you have a harder time finding them. Recognize any familiar faces from those years???

To Dwight from London. Thanks for the info on you tube. Enjoyed seeing the old town. Even remembered a few of the people. Mrs. Gleason,Paul Derosier, Bob Rhodes,Ron Andrews and a couple I wasn\\\'t quite sure of. Raymond Gadorys house with the moose head, We lived just across the street and a couple of houses down. Just don\\\'t remember there being any horses around town except for Mr.Laland. He used to pick up the garbage and empty the outhouses. In the winter we had lots of pucks to play road hockey.Once again thanks for letting us know it was there.

Hi Harry - glad you enjoyed, I know I did. I recognized quite a few people myself. From what I was told when I asked the same question about the horses, they belonged to the Rivest family who lived outside town (and I recall they had horses). Some faces I recognized (even those you can see for a few seconds): Johnny & Denise Martineau, Christie Gleason, Butch Geoffroy, Jeff & Jackie Geoffroy, Judy Hebert, Mr. Gauvreau, Mr. Dumouchel, Father Martin, the voice of Red Philips (mine manager(?) at the time), Bernie Jones. A few others, but I'll have to watch it again!

To Dwight from London Thanks for lettingus know about those scenes. Makes me remember of the Hotel Lasalle and St-Jean's. Read somwhere that it burned. The others I can't remember but it makes me feel like a dinosaur (LOL) because I was gone for almost 20 years when they made it!!! Seriously, if anybody ever drives around Montréal or Québec city, I'm halfway betweeen those 2 cities and would like you to stop by. Philippe L.

I lived in Holtyre from 1959-1961 as a US military dependant. We lived in a blue shingled house facing a small creek out front and you could walk out the back door and were standing directly and literally Euclid st. which was nothing but a dirt road. John I remember that you used to wear,I think it was your brothers Navy Flat hat, to school. We were in Mr. La Sarde\'s class. Also we had Mr. and Mrs. Mc Pherson? as teachers another year. I remember Jackie Vance,Kathleen Engelshiem? Allan edgar, Rick Peters,Tommy Moffatt, Donny and Doug McMillan, Loyd Philipps, Wendy ? who lived on Euclid, Hellen McDonald?who lived the other direction toward the French School and also Billy Hughes. I remember when we were on the softball team, the Royals,Our color Gold and Black, sponcered by the Jeffries bus station and the US radar site at Raymore. We went to the regional play offs that year and we took second place. Only because when we won the the final game a protest was filed by the other team about a call that was made. so we had to play another game and they won. we filed a protest because they were using 1st basemans mits on 1st and 2nd base. the final call was for the other team as winners in the end. We still got to drink a lot of orange pop compliments of Mr. Jefferies. Even though I am American Holtyre is and will always be my home. in all of my years of life and experience I treasure that time and place most of all. I miss everyone there and I hope too see you again some day. In answer to your Q.about the post office, in 1960 it was just a very small shed like building not too far from the La Salle Hotel before it was the Holtyre hotel. I remember an old man named ?Olie?? who stayed there over night. To answer Susan, My name is Pat Tracy from America, I lived in Holtyre from 59-61 and even though we never met, I used to play at the Philipps\'s house which was just past the schoolyard ball field toward the mine and Lloyd was Elisabeth\'s older brother I believe. She had reddish blonde hair?? Lloyd had read hear and lots of freckles. His dad was a foreman at the Ross mine and was known as \'Red\". John, Do you remember Mrs. Impe the Missionary lady who came to the school with the hand carried pump organ? It was one tues. a month and we would have a time in the afternoon for about 2 hr. with poetry and missionary stories. I still have the Gideon\'s New Testament She gave us. I do also have pictures of when Jeffries garage burned down and of StGene\'s Store while it was still there. Also a few shots of my house and my brothers 16th birthday party. 1st Holtyre Scouts pictures also. Please feel free to contact me if you would like, My address is Patrick E. Tracy PO Box 1104, Lake Stevens Wachington 98258-9112. Ill give you my cell # later, if you like God bless you my friend and I hope that someday we can meet again. Your friend always Pat.

Mackenzie, I knew your grand parents when I was 10 yr. old. I lived behind their house on Euclid. There was a family named Boushard? directly accross the street from them. Lillian made sweaters and mittens and hats from knitting. she made me a pair of mittens 1960. I used to go there every morning to get Carlotta and we would walk to school. Her so was Danny and I believe a few years after I moved from there he died of asbestosis. He was a fast pitch softball player for the mining team in summer and a wild one. I think my left kidney is still bruised from the day I tried to hit a wild pitch he made out back between our houses.I remember the Minced meat pies that your grandmother made for our family and your grandfathers deep voice even though he was frail and thin at that time. As an american family 1 of only 5 that lived there at that time. Your grand parents were very close to my parents and helped us to adjust to our new life in Canada and Holtyre. I will talk to my older brothe who is 5yrs older than I and see if he recalls anything of that time. Too me they were very speacial. My e-mail is indefinatly down right now I lost my password. You can reply through here and I will check it daily. .

Hi Pat, I remember the time in front of your house a flock of geese flew over high up heading south and you could not see both ends of it, you don't see that any more. I remember losing that bball game and it still gives a bad taste, the reason we lost is there was no way they were going to let a team from holtyre to go on an represent north ontario, it was so bad that even people from Timmins were upset and went to get the " officials " but to late. Are you living in Washington state or Washington dc.I have been out west in Alberta for a little over 3 years so not far from washington state.Did you stay in contact with any of the other people from the US who lived in Holtyre.I remember the Mccravens, Billy, Bobby and Randy. They were a black family so it was different for them and us as well but they sure fit in,also hence the reason we did so well in the ball games, not to mention our coaches were also black fellows and one of them had played in the old negro baseball league so we had the best of coaches,cannot remember their names but they were sure a benifit to the youth of Holtyre at that time.I remember the old fellow his name was Ollie Olandquest....spelling on the last name may be off, I understand that when they got him into a nursing home and they got to talk to him he could remember things that happened in his lifetime well over a hundred years.Yes i remember Mrs. Impe but I believe i got my little bible from one of the men from Gideon assocation who came to the school.I'm glad you posted about some of the things that went on because ihad forgot about them. I believe Carlotta was a Hebert, her brother Danny just past away a few months ago and I do remember him pitching.Well i hope we can keep in touch and i'm sure that as people google Holtyre this site will probably come up.....John Harper Stony Plain alberta.

John, It is great to hear from you. You are right about Timmins coming to our rescue on that game. I had forgotten about what such a camotion was cause that day. I just remember the deal I made with Mr.Geoffry? about how if I hit a home run I could have all the orange pop I could drink. Sort of self serving at the time but it worked!! I reported in my adress to Makenzie that my E-mail was down but it is now running again. If you would like to talk via the phone my # is 1-425-327-9246 and my home is in Washington State. I certainly hope the years have been kind to you and your family. I talked to my older brother Mike and he has given me other names and some things he remembered. For about 10yrs I lived in the state of Minesota south of Winnipeg Manatoba and visited there a few time with my family as winter tourists. I visited the web site about Holtyre and my son who is very good with electronics made a video from the 4part series on CBC. He also included the 5th segment done in 2008 by someone who drove through town with a video camera and recorded what was left of the town. It was sad to see. I found the town listed now as an official ghost town as only 3 people live there now. I have a news paper clipping from the ball game with pictures and all of our names and the coaches. call me and I can get a copy made for you and send it out. Back to the video I remember Jackie Vance and how my first job was to set pins at the boweling alley for .10cents a game. Plus our first campout as scouts when we were all in a big tent with Moffets B. Hughes Mike my brother and Charlie Shannon to mention a few. We had fire watch out front at the camp fire and finally were so tired we went in and passed out at the late hr. of about 9:30. I have some photos also of my neighborhood while living in Holtyre. I would also love to get a reunion of as many from town. I can't help with the other US families as we were the last bunch of (5) Us families to live in town before the RCAF assumed command. All the US families were sent out all over the world. One of the hazards of being raised in the Military knowing many people for only a short time. Holtyre and all of its people and my friends made the greatest impression on me to this very day. Ill go for now but will view the site and thank you John for your faithfulness to Holtyre and for not forgetting an old guy who was a young kid there for such a short period of time. God Bless you and look forward to hearing from you Pat Tracy and Family. PS. Merry Christmas.

pat it was nice talking to you i'll give you a call again in the spring when we get back home. To everyone past and present from Holtyre I wish each and everyone of you a Merry CHRISTmas and a Happy New Year and all the best in the new year...

i have lived in holtyre for about 13 years we have had some problems though but like vanessa said it is a great place raise kids it is also a great place for the elderly its nice and quiet accept their is quite a bit of atv\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s in the summer and ski-doo\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s in the winter driving around even i drive my dirt-bike and ski-doo around all the time in the back of holtyre their is alot of cabins in the bush we used to have a hotel,bowling alley,school,and many more i think their should be more people moving in but we need more houses rebuilt though i wish we had more stores to.

Anyone who lived/worked in Holtyre, Ontario in the 1940s and 1950s remember Mr. Anthony (Tony) and wife Lillian(nee Lebarron???) Rose? Tony is/was my uncle, brother to my father, Mr. Daniel Rose, of North Bay, Cochrane and finally Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. I have lost track of my first cousins from that marriage, a few names being Margaret, Anne, Doris, Carl and others, can anyone enlighten me further. Oh yes, uncle worked for many years at the Ross Mine. Thanks.

To Daniel Rose in Toronto. Yes. I knew the Rose family in Holtyre and have informed Ann that you are looking for the family. Hopefully this will help you somewhat. Regards.

so glad to read these comments! btw, Holtyre is not a GHOST TOWN with only 3 people living in it!!! For heaven's sake, there are more Geoffroy's still living there than that! My maiden name was Hughes, we lived 2 houses away from the Harper boys and my mom and their mom were the best of friends. I still make Muriel Harper's pineapple squares recipe and have the little gray plate that she used to bring time to me whenever she made them! My parents were Jack and Jo Hughes, both deceased. My brother Bill lives in Timmins with his family. Our sister Jackie Lou passed away over 10 years ago now. She was married to Jeff Geoffroy (also gone), bought the bowling alley after it was closed for some time after Vant's left...they had 5 kids who all live in St. Catharines. That CBC video was such a big deal when that was made...so funny to watch it now! Were any of us ever that young? Susan Errington? I remember you! I still have a class picture with you in it! Elizabeth Phillips is married with lots of kids and lives in Barrie. I will let her now that you are looking to reconnect with her. Pat Tracy...did you have a younger brother who would have been in grade 1 with me in 1960 (Dickie?)..Shirley Gonder was our teacher? Then came Helen and Hugh McPherson.

Thank you to Mr. Harry Hopper from North Bay, Ontario for knowing the Anthony Rose family from Holtyre, Ontario and trying to put Anne Rose(her birth name) in touch with me.ure hope it happens soon. Incidentally, my roots lie in North Bay, Ontario being both sets of grandparents Mr. & Mrs. Giovanni (Carmela) Grassi and Mr. James "Jim" (Stella) Rose who both lived on Douglas Street in North Bay for a good number of years. My "Grassi" grandparents moved in the 1950s to Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec(where I was born) and my "Rose" grandparents moved to Cochrane, Ontario around 1904. My father, also Daniel "Dan" Rose and who was born in 1898 in North Bay, Ontario. My only other relatives we got along well with were Mr. & Mrs. Lionel??? Tremblay, auntie being Leonora "Lil" Grassi, both deceased and were interred in North Bay some years ago but I need to know more about the Anthony Rose family of teenie-weenie Holtyre, Ontario and I thank you again for all your help in this matter.

Great reading about Holtyre days in the 50's & 60's. Thanks to all who have posted memories and info. I was raised on Euclid from a yr old to when I went to away to Michigan Tech in 65. I came back to this area in 82 and have been enjoying the 4 seasons ever since. The American ball coaches who organized & coached the ball league were Hubert McCraven CUBS, Tony Luciola GIANTS, & Joe Morgan ROYALS. Another airman, Harold Lawson helped get Scouts started. I think for us youngsters of that time we owe a debt of gratitude for their initiatives and time. Certainly it made my world and its possibilities much larger. Just being involved in team sport at an early age and all the life lessons it teaches made a difference. I'm trying to remember family names here so I'll start South then onto Euclid going north then back up to Guibord. Rivest, Mathieu, Amireault, Provencher, ? ? Serafin, Martin, ? Popliewicz, Bouchard & Goulet later, O'Connor ? Gadoury, Gelinas, Hughes, Scott, Harper, Dugauy, Valliere, ? Andrews, Holland, Moffat, Rose, Totten, ? Lessard, Quine/Tracy, Hebert, Bouchard, Alarie ? ? ? Pinczuc, Gleason, Durocher, Byberg, O'Connor, Gleason & Lehman. That's my tour for now and I look forward to being correctd. Wishing you well..

Was just reading some of the names Bill Hughes had entered and would like to add a few of my own just to see if anyone remembers them. First off do you remember that we had a doctor at one time? Dr, Cran. Lived in the house that Draves lived in before moving to North Bay. Out by Amireault on the corner lived an old fellow Mr.Viyet, is house burnt down once. Some of the names will be spelt wrong, but that's the best I can do.Martel,Pettie,Paul Cameriand, Gus and Gerttie Sustrick,Ekensweller,Coulis, Ayres<Oakes, Joe Morris had a little store,Bugow, Crrier also had a store , Rody, Gagnon, had the biggest store in town. Two floors. Bowers,Walten, Smith, Sweet, Cady,Elliot, Zemell,Guillemette. Lived where Hughes lived and had a little stable out back. Got some of the freshest milk there. Right out of the utter.Mitchel,. I could go on for a long time but don't want to take up to much space. I keep thinking of the good times that we had. Damn it was fun.

To Harry Haarper: You are getting close to my day's!!! Between Amireault and Veillette was William ''Bill'' Provencher. Both Amireault and Provencher were my uncle's and were built on lots they bought from my father. And what about Paul's Motor Service in town? I used to rent his car in the winter because the road was not opened to Ropy Amireault where I boarded. I do you remember the pleasure of reading your paper under the 25 cycle current we had? And the U.S. Air Force providing the ambulance service from the base. And so much more!

Remember Joe & Eileen Welsh in the little green house on the corner of Main and Pearl right across from Ross'? Believe it or not, Mrs. Welsh is living in North Bay and just celebrated her 100th birthday! I swear she doesn't look any different than when she was 60! I remember Lalancette's farm...well no...I guess I remember the road to Lalancette's off of the dump road on our way to the base and Maude Lake. I remember taking a header in a rut in front of the little wooden bridge at the bottom of the long hill biking to the lake with Doris Rose...it didn't stop us from continuing on to the lake though we did walk our bikes the rest of the way. I started grade 1 at the Public School and there were lots of kids (by 2 room school standards) because the Americans were still there. I guess they left during the summer because there were only 3 of us in grade 2 and I was all alone in grade 3! Susan Errington...you are a bit younger than me - along with you and Babs Phillips, there would have been Frannie Williams (lived in the trailer park at the base), Betty Jean Finan (her Mom was the telephone operator), Debbie Hebert, Jill Simmers, Rosemary Simpson???, the girl I went to Brownie camp with...Wendy Stevens. Wow I haven't thought of some of those names for years! I love this site!!!! How about Sunday afternoons in the winter down at the rink watching hockey?...sitting on the snow banks watching my brother Bill playing goal for the men and wearing, I think, a catcher's mask that Mom made him wear...who else was a goalie then Bill? Roger Lapierre? ...getting back home in time to watch Lassie on t.v.

AaHHh, the Holtyre Gardens. This site, I'll never get any sleep! Eddie Dowe was the first I remember making ice there. Then I think Buck LaCroix? They'd pull that 2" air hose all over the rink watering the low side (east) first and last to get leveled working from south end back to the shack then throw all that length into shack to keep it from freezing as they would lift over their head to drain and then coil it. Geez that was a cold job but I figure they had the anti-freeze in them to make the shift. It was from Eddie Dowe I bought my first actual Goalie skates and some old pads, a belly pad, some quilt arm pads. But they had been in cold storage so long they pretty well fell apart when the gear thawed out. I did wear the pads tho' after some serious stitching and the skates which were too big by 5 sizes ( I was 11 or 12 yrs old ) came in very useful as the toe caps were a thick burnished and hard leather, so I pulled them off and taped them to the used skates Dad used to get me in KL. The blades would only last a month or two them get broke by a shot so I,d tape Mr Dowes toe caps to another soft toed used pair. I did that until I was 15 in KL when the Legion bought me my first goalie skates. Sweet. The other goalies were I think, Lloyd Byberg and Danny Hebert. Marcel Camirand has great old photos of those days and what a crew it was. I remember Marcel skating around the rink to set a record or something, anyway it wasan incredible 100 laps, now he'll probably say each way but I'm not so sure about that. I know his eyebrows and snot were all frosted up that night. Big barrel stove in the middle of rink shack and everybodies grey socks with the red rim of stitching at the top hanging over the protective piping around the glowing stove. What a stench! Jokes and belly laughs all around! There were real good shooters in Holtyre, I remember Rheal Drouin (who just passed away 2 mos ago I'm sorry to report) Moe Hebert had the hardest shot and spent a lot of extra time giving me a workout, & Earl Berlinghoff, Terry Draves; remember bruises but not many names. Down memory lane; how lucky I was to have the Holtyre experience.

Bill,I'm truly excited at the the response this site is getting. It's as though we are at a reunion without being there. I believe that is because Holtyre was a very special place. In all of my travels I have not seen or come across another place like it. I believe that it was because everyone truly cared and looked after each other. from our parents down to us as children. I still have my Canadian scout patches and yes my scout hatchet. also my red and yellow signal flags, belt buckle,and leather neckerchief slide and our green and gold scout neckerchief. I was in the Night Hawk Patrol. One of my long standing desires, ( silly as it may seem) is to go out west of town just beyond the pete fire field and cut another Scout staff from the same grove of trees i got my original from. It was made from a ?? Bamagillia ?? tree and they were very straight. Mine nlasted until about 16 years ago and was broken in storage. I still have my tenderfoot to Queen scout manual and a Golden Arrow book. Our staff was 5'6" tall all skinned and marked. Some of us put scout slogans on them and we met at the mine hall for our meetings. It was the big wooden dance hall. About the Ball team, I have been trying to find out if Joe Morgan is the same Joe Morgan that is in the Baseball hall of fame here in America. He was a second baseman here and I think that Our Joe, of the Royals told us that he had played in the american league befor he was in the US Air Force. I'm not sure. I remember when Mr. La Sarde was our teacher at public school, we played soccer on the Ice rink every Tues. and in the fall and spring we all got muddy playing in the school yard. espeacially after they put the gym in under the schoolhouse. My older brother Mike has stories about that Job. Judy, I do have a younger brother but his name is Terry, and at that time I,m not sure if he went to the school or not. he was only 5 yrs. old at that time and if he did go it would have been like a preschool. I believe there was in 61 because I remember having to bring him home. I would like to encourage everyone to stay in touch as it would be a terrific blessing if we could actually have a reunion before many more of us get to a point where we couldn't make it to one. It would be great to bring as many pictures and stories as possible and to maybe make a photo album book for all of us and let people know what a wonderful place it was to live. I don't say this lightly, as there are web sights from both Americans and other Canadians who served on the Air Base at Ramore, and the one common comment was that the Base was a speacial place and so was Holtyre for those who lived there. I talked with John Harper by phone before Christmas and we will be in touch again in the spring. My phone # is open to any of you that remember me and my family. Lloyd Phillips if your out there please contact me if you can. My best to all of you Pat.

To Danny Rose My mom is Ann Rose. She married Daniel Hebert ( passed away July 27, 2009) I have told her you are looking for her and she will post as soon as she can. She still has dial up so bear with her..lol. Take care.

To Philippe Lalancette and Bill Hughes. It was interesting to read about all the names from the olden days. I will add a few as old Mrs Ross who lived on a farm across the road from Mathieu's who's son married Flo Beaton (widow of Angus who was killed at the Ross around 1946 or 47. There was also the Rondeau's who lived past the Mathieu farm and just before our farm. They moved to Hamilton in 1951. Yes Philippe the St. Jean store burned down and Mr. St. Jean died in that fire (If I remember correctly). Do either one of you remember the trajedy that befell Ramore and Holtyre in 1947. My uncle Alphonse was giving free boat rides to the children on a beautiful August day at Maude Lake. At one point too many climbed in the boat and he did not want to disappoint them. The boat capsised and all but 3 were drowned. My uncle, and six children from the age of six to fifteen perished. At the moment I do not recall their names. I have not been on the sight for a while and had a lot of reading to do. Keep it up.

To Danny Rose-Hi, it has been a long time for sure. I am here in Sudbury. It would be good to catch up on what we have been doing for the past 50 years or so. My number is 522 1282. Hello to all the former Holtyre-ians! Good memories return to my mind-sliding down the hill behind Moffats when we were yougsters and the hill seemed so long. When I went back with my kids to show them where we had so much fun, the hill looked so small! And do any of you remember the trips on the Holtyre Flyer in to KLCVI! The kids from Kirkland Lake called it that because we were usually late at least once a week in the winter because of break downs or freeze ups. What a ride! and Pops the driver with one leg trying to keep it on the icy road. I don't know how he ever did it lol.

Thank God for small mercies, so the saying goes... (and to Mr Harry Harper of North Bay, Ontario) for helping me in my search for some of my "Rose" family members but specifically the children of Mr. & Mrs. Anthony "Tony" Rose. I had a brief lapse of memory a few weeks back and couldn't remember one of my cousin's names who is in fact "Marie" who I believe has passed on many years ago and who had married Maurice(spelling????)"Moe" Hebert mentioned in one of these blogs. Ann, who posted here and whom I thank sincerely for responding: "I will be in touch with you shortly by telephone--thanks for giving out your number publicly. It has been 50 years if not longer in the disconnect"......

Was reading some of the postings and thinking back over the years, and can remember one warm august afternoon crawling up a row of peas in Mr. Hughes garden when I saw a pair of size 12 boots in from of me. Boy wish I could move half as fast now as I did that afternoon.I can just remember the accident on Maude Lake. But if Zita haddent, it would have been gone from my memory. Now a days that's not hard to do. Sure am enjoying reading what other people have to say. Like Ann said the hills seem to have shrunk since we were kids. But we spent all day on them. Maybe I should have spent more time on school work. Nah. It was more fun outside.

Zita, I remember that the boating accident on Maude lake was mentioned then that was it no one talked about it.It sure is nice to see so many people jumping on this forum, maybe we should start trying to get a reunion going, mite be kind of hard as we are spread out allover, any ideas. To Pat Tracy i think the Joe Morgan that was in Holtyre was a little to young to be the hall of famer that Joe Morgan was born in 1943.Anyone here remember the punt to paddle across the big pike river to go fish speckle trout at the little pike falls, slideding down the little limestone shoots into the pool below to cool off,after you fished it for pickeral of course.Anyone remember that booming voice you could hear all over town at meal times calling out, Jimmy,Billy, Donnie,Tommy yep they didn\'t need no cell phone to get a call from mom to p l e a s e come home for dinner,oh no they moved their little butts. The old skateing rink shack yep nothing like the smell of coke-a-cola cooking on that old stove, man what a stink. All the boys in town out shoveling off the rink by hand and their was a lot of shoveling.We were all happy when Mr. Moffat would show up and move the snow away from the boards with his little bulldozer, it got kind of hard to throw that snow about 10 feet in the air when you were about 70 lbs soaking wet. All to have the ice for shimmy hockey saturday morning. Well good to here all these stories once someone mentions something,oh yeah i remember that ...keep it up..

The Holtyre Flyer. Anyone remember the morning that the front wheel fell off going into Swastika or the night that the rear wheels past us in Kenogami? Oh what fun we had on that bus. Some times Bud Hart and I would have to walk around town twice in the morning in order to miss it. Darn. Guess we\'ll have to go hunting or fishing.

It was so great reading everyones memories Holtyre. I grew up in the Subburbs of Holtrye Guibbord Township. I have vivid memories of watching for the Lights to come on at the Skating Rink, and running down the hill for a night of Wild Skating. It was such a well rounded upbring, Loving parents good friends and feeling of Community. I often look back with fond memories. A reunion would be wonderful, so may generation to share stories. I used to go "home" Twice a year but since my Brother Bill, and my Mother Inlaw Yvette Gadoury moved from Holtyre I have had not made the trip

This is such an interesting site! My husband & I have been to Holtyre a few times for family celebrations. My mother-in-law\\\\\\\'s brother, Aurele Guillmette, was the mailman for many years. His wife was Ernestine. Both are gone now. I wish I had seen the town in its heyday.

This is such an interesting site! My husband & I have been to Holtyre a few times for family celebrations. My mother-in-law's brother, Aurele Guillmette, was the mailman for many years. His wife was Ernestine. Both are gone now. I wish I had seen the town in its heyday.

Can you remember when the barber would come in and cut your hair on saturday he would be set up in the Lasalle hotel aka [the white house]i think he use to come from Timmins.Also there was the weston bakery man name was Johnny he was always good for a ride back into town when you were coming back from swimming at maude. There was the, now i can't remember, rawleigh or watkins guy who use to come around, plus we had 2 milk deliverys going door to door, i think multi-milk did them in, and oh yes the old fellow from new liskard who would show up every fall so you could stalk up on winter vegtables. I guess thats it for down memorylane today sure is nice to keep thinking back..

We are planning on going to Holtyre the first part of July. We have some property there but need someone to show us where it is. It is about 11 Kilometers east of Holtyre. It lies in the southwest portion of lot 12 concession 1 in the Michaud township It is suppose to be surrounded on 3 sides by crown land. If anyone still lives there that might know , I do have more info on it that might help.Would appreciate any help. Thank you Phyllis

To Phyllis Duval. I\\\'ve been trying to figure out just where this property is> If it\\\'s due east of Holtyre, well there are no roads. The only road that runs east of Holtyre is HWY 101 and that is five miles north of town. Now if your proprty is 11 km east of there thats about 6 miles or so. That might put you out close to Monroe or Parry lake. If it\\\'s surroundedd on three side by crown land it just might but up against the HWY. Hope that this might be a little help to you. I\\\'ll keep watching this site and if you have any more info I\\\'ll do my best to help you..

I just read Bill Hughes take on the old skateing shack, man would I like some of that cool weather from then right hear now, go away for the winter and it is just to hot today to stick your nose outside..How you doing Bill Hughes it was good to see you post on this site i;m sure you have a few more memories to post on here.. Pat Tracy we are going to try an hit the west coast this summer but it will probably only for a long weekend so i don\'t think a trip down into washington state is in the cards, also not sure of my trip east we have friends from Holland coming to Canada this year so not sure about that trip, but maybe just maybe they might want to see Holtyre. I mean at one time we had a real gold mine running and we were only about 6 miles from where the second largest gold nugget in the world was found [ at that time ] and we had the highest man made mountain in the world [johnsmansville ] my brother told me that after many cervezas out at pike lake so not sure about that one but sounds good to me......

Harry Harper; thanks so much for the info. the info I have from the north off of 101 is.,there is a good access road that can be travelled south for approx. 3.3 kilometers ,,access a trail network to the property. from the end of this acess road the piecw is apprx. 7.6 kilometers further south through crown lands past numerous small lakes streams, and ponds. from the south there are good gravel access roads from the town of Ramore running as close as 4 km..From here an extensive network of trails can be travelled through crown and private lands to reach it. . From the west, an extensive trail network from the town Holtyre, apprx. 11 km, the ptoperty runs through privately owned lands eventually leading to the property. You can see why we are having a problem in knowing which one is ours. thankyou

Susan Errington - I remember you. My husband and I taught in Holtyre from 1966 to 1968. I think there were 50 students in the English school then, more in the Francophone school across the road. Some of your classmates were the Hebert girls, Vernon Lehman, Alan Hawkin, Elizabeth Phillips. I still have class pictures from those days. I too remember the night that St. Jean's store burned down. It was a terrible thing because Mr. St. Jean died in the fire. Do you remember how we would play softball games on nice afternoons and have the right fielder watch for the school superintendent?

To Polly Steele and Susan Errington. Readeing you two makes me feel olllld ! In my days, there was onbly one 2 rooms school house,public in one room and RC separate in the opther. Times sure changed!

I grew up in Holtyre and left there in 1972. My grandfather was Ed Ross, on whose property the Ross Mine was discovered. Holtyre was a great place to grow up in. Not too much left there now unfortunately.

To Murielle R., would you be the daughter of Napoléon (Pit) and Angèle Ross who were our neighbors on Guibord Township road? Old souvenirs coming back, thanks to this wonderful site. My dad's farm was what you know as the Mathieu's farm. Phil. L.

To Phyllis Duval.Yes I can see why you could have trouble. I don't know of any other way to get in to except from Hwy 101. There is a good road about two miles past Perry Lake Lodge,about three miles in there is a road that turns west from it.It goes past my fishing holes. I have to say that there are so many new roads that have been pust through with all the logging and exploration work that mining companys have done that its hard to get around with out a map.The M.N.R. in Matheson might be the best place to get anything that is up to date. My maps are from the 40's and a little out of date. Maybe the person who you purchased it from may have some thing worth while.To Philippe Lalancette. You bet Iremember the old 25 cycle. It made things a lot brighter when the60 came in.Remember sitting around the radio listening to Boston Backie. The Green Hornet and The Shadow. WWVA on Friday to hear The Grand Ole Opery.To Heather Gadoury O'Conner. I remember you to. How are Greg and Bill? Haven't seen them for years. Bill lived just down the street from us and Greg lived in the little brown house next door to where Bill live. If my memory hasn't failed me completly I think that Murielle Ross was the little red haired girl that lived across from Provencher"s. It is so good to read all the postings. Would'nt it nice to have a reunion?? Something to think about.

Polly Steele...Ken Steele taught me in grades 7 & 8...my classmates were Allen Hawkins and Barbara Baleck...I recall you teaching in the junior room! I think Murielle R's parents were Rachelle & - oh dear, I can't remember Mr. Ross' name. He was a very nice man who helped Cleo and I out with some electrical problems at one time...and I went to high school with Murielle! They lived on the back lane. To Elizabeth Tambeau...in its "heyday" there was no better place to raise your kids. My life would have been so different..and I really don't think for the better...had I not been raised in a 3 street town. How many other kids can say that they used to be the switchboard operator for short periods of time when they were only 9? I can!

I was just sent this website today to my work and have had a hard time concentrating as I couldn\'t stop reading all the posts and watching the video, it has brought back so many memories. I lived in Holtyre on Euclid Street until 1964 when my parents Arnold and Barbara Goodine moved my sister Cindy and I to Toronto. That was quite the culture shock. My Mom Barbara was sent this site today by Bernice Coulis who also grew up in Holtyre and her and her Mom are still in touch with our family. Really enjoyed reading all of your comments.

My parents, Arnold and Mary Coulis, were married in Timmins and moved to Holtyre in 1938 and lived there until my father passed away in 1966. My mother sold our home and moved to Oakville. I was born in Holtyre and so were my brothers, Gordon & Jim. I agree that it was a wonderful place to grow up and have so many, many great memories. I still keep in touch with a lot of friends that I grew up with in Holtyre. It\\\'s truly a small world. Friends of mine in Arizona were chatting with a couple that belong to the same club that they did and the subject of the base at Ramore came up. Lo and behold the lady was Janet Hart, later Janet Draves and now Janet Benoit!!!! When I was in Az a year ago I spent an evening with her. I\\\'m enjoying reading the stories that have been sent in. I\\\'ve passed this website to my brother Jim, who lives in Ajax. My brother Gordon sadly passed away in February 2002. Keep telling us your stories.

hi everybody, so good to read about all of you... i'm sandra andrews, married over 50 years to rene hebert... we winter in yuma arizona, we left the north in 1970 but have never lost touch with the north, we still have a cabin at watabeag lake... we take a tour through holtyre several times a year, especially during hunting season... to the harper boys, judy ann and billy hughes and all the others who wrote in a big hello... harry, when you said you grew up on partridge fish and potatoes, i had to laugh, betty lou always refers to you saying at school, please don't tell my mother another way to make potatoes, too funny... to the serafin kids, hello, saw some of you last at may and cye valliere's 5oth anniversary in ottawa... hi to heather, hope you are well, where is jeannine now... i see her house in val gagne is empty... to bernice, thanks for sending this to barb and asking her to pass it on to us... our sons have the video of the mine and enjoyed seeing grandpa ronald at work... to pat tracy, yes, i remember you and your family living next door to rene's mom and dad... what about your parents are they still living, hope so... muriel ross are you gloria's sister... to ann, my sister in law, hi, will write you soon... glad you found your cousin.. to anyone i missed, hi and i'll keep checking the sight.. rene and sandy..

My sister Barb Goodine sent this web-site to me about Holtyre, When her & her husband Arnold lived in Holtyre I lived in North Bay & would go & spend my summer vacations & Christmas with them. I remember the bowling alley & the fun we had there. Marilyn Totten & I worked one summer for Lil Finan on the switch board so many memories. Pierrette Blok ( Jeffery) & I were also good friends & we met two summers ago while my husband & I were on vacation down East & it had been a few years since we had seen each other & boy we had a lot of catching up to do. I use to go out with Dorcey Mitchel when I was 16yrs old ( so long ago) & I knew he had been in a mine accident in Bancroft Ont. Would anyone happen to know where Dorcey is buried? Deep River is not far from Bancroft & if we go that way again I would like to visit his gravesite. Hi to Sandra & Rene. Daintree ( Grozelle ) Wright. Maybe some of you will remember my Brothers Leo & Roy ( also know as Sonny ) they lived at Barbs & worked at the mine also. They have both passed away & can't tell you how I miss them & their sense of humor.

Hi Danny Rose in Toronto Your Uncle Joe Rose lived most of his life in Cochrane Ontario. I knew him due to my association with the workers at the Public Utilities Commision in Cochrane. He was honoured with 50 year award by the town when he retired in 1970. He joined the PUC in 1919 working in the Coal Gas Electric Generator Plant at Norman Lake making $50.00 per month. In 1924 he transferred to lineman on the Electric and Telephone Lines, worked up to becoming a foreman of the gang. In 1946 He was moved to the Water Department when the new treatment plant was constructed and remained there as Pumpman and Foreman until 1970. Joe remained a bachelor all his life I remember talking to him about the early days in Cochrane. He lived in the family homestead which was constructed of logs. It was a very unique building and I was disappointed when the town did not save it as a historical building. Joe died on September 26,1985 unexpectly at the Lady Minto Hospital in Cochrane He was true pioneer of Northern Ontario and the town of Cochrane.

hi to all you Holtyarions, I lived in holtyre until i went to sudbury in 1959 to take nursing.Lived in Montreal for awhile & now am here in wonderful Mississauga.We are planning a trip up north this summer & will make a side trip to Holtyre my hometown!!! We were last up north to visit the graves of my mom &dad, Evelyn & Walter in Hailybury. I have passed this sight on to my cousin Marylyn Totten.Please call if you in my town. 905-8485875

hi to all you Holtyarions, I lived in holtyre until i went to sudbury in 1959 to take nursing.Lived in Montreal for awhile & now am here in wonderful Mississauga.We are planning a trip up north this summer & will make a side trip to Holtyre my hometown!!! We were last up north to visit the graves of my mom &dad, Evelyn & Walter in Hailybury. I have passed this sight on to my cousin Marylyn Totten.Please call if you in my town. 905-8485875

Judy Ann: What is/was your last name? Yes, I taught the younger grades - one to four. I remember how well all the kids got along, the older students playing with the younger students, and never any fights. Kids were different in those days!

Polly: my maiden name was Hughes. Wow - Rody, Totten, Goodine, Coulis! I love this site!!!! Hi Sandy & Rene!

Try as I might I just Can't remember the Goodines. Even though we lived on the same street. I do remember the Tottens, Wayne&Marylyn. The Rodys,Elaine& Denis, of course the Coulis family, The Andrews and Hebert families as well. Where is Betty Lou now? Bill is down in Kingston(not in the pen) and John is out in Stoney Plane Albt.Sure is good to start to catch up on the old town.

A big hello to all the old friends from Holtyre! The Harper boys, Sandra & Rene, the Goodines, Coulis, Bill Hughes, Daintree Grozelle, etc. I'm back in the good old North, after living in Prescott, Ont for about 3 yrs. Like everyone else, Holtyre was a great place to grow up! My brother Wayne passed away in 1983 - my sister Sharon lives in Prescott and my other sister Candice lives in South Porcupine. We all stay in touch often with cousins, Elaine, Dennis & Douglas Rody. I also, have met up with Grant Draves and Mary Caylor. Also, a Holtyre reunion would be great!!! It would be fun to see everyone.

hi harry, thought i'd tell you that betty lou was in mississauga for many years, but joined the world of retirement last fall and is now living in port rowan, on the beautiful beaches of lake erie... her and russ are really enjoying their first year of not working and wonder when they had time to work... you mentioned that bill is in kingston, only about a half hour from us... hey everyone, matheson is having big celebrations in 2012 for the 100th anniversary, a maude lake picnic would be a great holtyre reunion in combination with it... hi to all of you, too many names to list now... sandra and rene...

Sandra that sounds like a great idea about a picnic at Maude lake. Any idea what the dates are for the Matheson 100th, you know the 50th was a great time, oh lord talk about dateing yourself,but yep i was at the 50th.John Harper

Hey Marilyn; Surprised to see you back in South Porcupine, well not really because I know you are a truly Northern Girl. Still hear in Deep River, Ken & I are doing fine. Call sometime if you still have my phone # ok? Daintree.

Hi Daintree; So far, I have not been able to find your number, but will keep lookin, as there are a lot of things I can\\\'t find, after the latest move! I have to quite moving around the country!! I will give you mine and I can call you back,as I have free calling. 705-235-4743. Also, to anyone that remembers the Scott girls, I will contact Marilyn and give her this site.

Wow what a trip down memory lane. I was living in Holtyre in 66-67 and was taught by Mrs Steele. We lived just down from St Jeans beside the little corner store. Man that was a lifetime ago. Lillian Finan was our next door neghbour and operator, and I do remember the Buckleys. At that time there were 4 of us, Gerry, myself (Joe), Sandy and Patti. I also remember the Lavallee family as well. Anyone else remember us?

I am the eldest son of Jean & Alice Caty. I was born in my parents bed in Holtyre in 1940. My father was a civil engineer who graduated from Universite de Montreal and came to Timmins in 1925 to work for Hollinger. In 1934/5 he was asked to go investigate a mining prospect in Hislop Twp which he concluded could be mined and they gave him the go ahead to do it. He then moved to Ramore and after the manager\\\'s house was built moved his family to the mine in 1937. It\\\'s the house across from the hall/curling rink. I have 3 older sisters: Micheline [Mimi] who was a school teacher in PEI and retired to Penticton BC to be near her daughter; Claudette a registered nurse living near her 2 daughters in Irvine CA; Suzanne also a registered nurse who later got a Masters in Nursing and retired as the Head of the School of Nursing at Laurentian. She now resides in Oakville. After grade school I went to boarding school in Montreal and then graduated from McGill University. I entered the investment industry married [ still] Sallie Mackay in 1994 and was transferred to Saint John NB. I moved to head office in Toronto in 1974 and retired in 1995. Jean-Louis is my younger brother and after getting his PHD in geology worked for the gov\\\'t of QC and retired 2 years ago as assistant deputy minister of nat resources. He lives in Quebec. Father retired in 1970 and he and mom moved to Montreal. He died in 1979 and mom in 1985. As for more history of Holtyre, Mom wrote a very good one dealing with all the pioneer families up to about 1950. Dad also wrote a history of the Ross Mine which ended in 1970. Both of these were given to the museum in Matheson and are well worth reading. I have really enjoyed the notes and the 1971 video. Here are some of my earliest memories: the Victory parade [I have pics] in 1945; the unpaved roads including the hwy to Ramore which often closed for a week in april because of the mud; the sound of crackling snow under my feet; the outdoor rink with the barrel wood stove; the water tap near the schools which was the main source of water for most town homes; the out door two holers[ a haloween trick was to tip them over]; the 30 or so Displaced Persons[DPs] who came to work at the mine in the late forties, two of whom later became significant real estate owners in the town; Joe Morris and his canteen; there are so many other fond memories. I have always bragged about being from Holtyre and the north [ in fact I named my company Holtyre Investments. As best I can I have kept in touch with a few; we had a small party a few years ago at which the following attended: siter Sue & brother Jean-Louis; Bernice Coulis; Della Philips; Mary Caylor; Pierette Geoffroy; Mrs Coulis and Mrs Draves; Howard Smith, Peter Caylor, Terry Draves, Grant Draves, Jim Coulis, Leo Leclerc...forgive me if I missed someone. Finally , the thing that I probably remember the most is how we all got along and how we believed we were in Eden! Would love to hear from anyone who cares to email. PS I was then known as \\\"Charlot\\\" but now go by Charlie...any one who knew me back then can still call me Charlot or as the anglos would pronounce : \\\"Chaloo\\\" Whoever maintains this site , keep up the good work

Joe Doxtater - I remember you and your brother Gerry. You played with my son, who was in grade one at that time. I also remeber the Lavallees. Lisa was in Ken's class and her brother, whose name escapes me, was in my class. Their parents, Moe and Lillian, were friends of ours. I still have class pictures from that time. I'll see if I can scan them and post them.

Was just reading Charlie Catys posting and would like to ask him Who has the train set? Wow . I can remember gong with Jean a few times into the basement to play with them. I have never seen another set as nice.As for the two holers on halloween night, it was best when some one was inside. Can still hear \\\"you little bas---ds. No names no pack drill.I must stop at the museum in Matheson and read the books your parents wrote. Know that I\\\'ll enjoy them. You may not know it but your father was my younger brother Johns godfather. A lot of respect was felt for your parents in the town. Can still remember carrying water from that stand pipe up by the schools untill they drilled the well across the street from our place. We used to take barrels of it over to the hill to ice it for sliding in the winter.Please give my regards to John. Thanks.

Nice to hear from you Mrs Steele. The Lavallee's son was Ricky. It so surreal reading all the posts from Holtyre. Looking back, it was such an innocent lifestyle. One, I might add, that I wish my children could have experienced. I remember finding out about not being able to see properly in the basement of the schoolhouse. We had our eye exams and I was so afraid of failing that I kept looking through my fingers to see the chart! On another note Mrs Steele, I did finally learn how to count properly in French and not get 15 and 16 mixed up!!!!

Does anyone here know if it's possible to post pictures to this website? I have class pictures of Holtyre Public School from 1966/67. Joey Doxtater - you and Gerry are in them.

Hi Polly - you cannot upload photos automatically, however if you email them to me at info@highway11.ca then I will post them. Thanks everyone for all of the interest in the site.

thanks for the note harry harper. the electric trains I had until 2008 when I sold them to a collector. I still had the boxes they came in. Needless to say they were sold for a lot more than the cost in 1950. By the way if you want copies of the history of Holtyre and the Ross Mine I will gladly get them to you. send me an email at jccaty@sympatico.ca. I have also written the editor to ask if he would like to post them on this site

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you'll see class photos from 1966/67. I remember some of the names. Perhaps someone can help fill in the blanks. Grades 1-4 front row: Duane York, Ross Wixon, Stephen Birch, ?, ?. ?, Colleen Gagnon, __Wolf, Darka Poplievich. Second row: Polly Steele, ?, Graydon Moffit, ?, ?, Stephen Greenfield, ?, ?, Robbie Buckley, Darlene Hebert. Last row: Joey Doxtater, Ricky Lavallee, ?, ?, ?, __Wixon, ?, Kenny Gagnon, ?, Gerry Doxtater. Grades 5 to 8 - ?, ?, Betty Ann Finan, -Hebert, Elizbeth Phillips, Lisa Lavallee Second row: Vernon Lehman, ?, ?, Alan Hawkin, - Gagnon, Ken Steele Back row: Susan Errington, ?, Susan Greenfield, ?, ?, ? Sorry, it was a long time ago and some of the names I should know have escaped me.

I stumbled on this site while looking for info on Wavell and Bourkes. Holtyre is my birthplace even though my birth certificate says Kirkland Lake. I was born in 1949, and we moved to an even smaller place--Widdifield Station, 15 miles outside North Bay--in 1952 (I think). My father worked in the Ross (or McIntyre) mine for a while, but moved to work for the O.N.R. in North Bay. The hamlet of Wavell is more familiar to me. My mother is from there, and we would visit her parents every summer. They had a cottage on Malloch Lake??? where we usually stayed. Beautiful there! Some names I remember from Wavell--Van Clieaf (John and Ella, my grandparents), Farstad, Belanoha, Burdick, Deering, Sayley, Stadnick. It was a treat when we would go to the store in Ramore. I drove into Wavell a few years ago; sure not much left of the little community we used to visit in the 50's and early 60's! My memories of Holtyre are even dimmer. I think we rented a house owned by the Messiers. Don't know where it was though. Girls from the Valiere and Gleason families used to babysit. I remember getting ice cream at a store run by either Valiere or Gleason. That would have been in the late '50's. Some of the names I remember from Holtyre are Gleason, Valiere, Geoffroy, Sustrick. I drove through Holtyre one summer, about 2005. The place really looked as though it had fallen on hard times--lots of empty homes, boarded up businesses. It's the same story right across the country: businesses close, people move to the city for work, schools and other institutions shut down. It's sad to see what becomes of places that once showed so much life. It's really impressive how so many people have posted their memories of Holtyre. I wish you all well in your plans for a reunion. Other places along Highway 11 that hold memories for me are Bourkes, Charlton, Englehart, Sesekinika, and Swastika. I want to send best wishes to Harry Harper, who has posted here frequently. We were both Letter Carriers in North Bay during the early '70's. Thanks for providing the opportunity to reminisce about my childhood and to share some of my memories.

Thank you Mr. Lorne Fleece of North Bay, Ontario for reminding me about my uncle Mr. Joe Rose of Cochrane, Ontario who, as you said, passed away in 1985, I think it was. By this writing, I must apologize publicly to Mr. Harry Harper of North Bay, Ontario, for getting his family name incorrect in previous messages in this forum. Also, I have finally connected up with my cousin, Ann(nee Rose) Hebert,formerly of Holtyre and who now lives in/around Sudbury, Ontario, over the telephone today and had a long conversation with her despite the decades that have passed since our last contact. We both will be in further contact with each other real soon and I am sure that Holtyre, Ontario, will be a topic/subject of further discussions as time goes by. Thanks again, Messrs. Harper and Fleece, for making this all happen. (Signed) Daniel (Danny) Rose, Toronto, Ontario.

Have gone to Holtrye 3 times and love the little place. Last year I was in Holtrye doing psychic readings and a spirit walk and there were hundreds of orb's at the one end of town its the first street into Holtrye and wondered if there has been any major disaster either in the mines or the town itself that envoled the lost of many lives. I can send some pictures of the walk and of a ghost seen looking out of a window on one of the back streets.If you are interested. I love History.

WOW never thought i would find anything on myself on the web!!! I now go by Liz, my mom died about 12 yrs ago,have not been back to Holtyre for some time, I am looking for some answers that someone might be able to give me that was in the area around 1955, Could anyone tell me if there were migrant workers from Brazil working at the mines or on a farm

hi everyone from holtyre... i just had to write back to betty jean finan... i've wondered about you over the years as to where you were... and how you were doing... your mom and my mom were great friends, jessie andrews.. i also worked the switchboard for your mom.. her and i shared mutual birthdays and exchanged cards for many years... as for workers from brazil, not that we know of... rene says when he used to deliver newspapers to the mine bunk houses there were some europeans living there... maybe charlie caty will have a better answer on that one.. hope you are well and happy... polly steel, my parents ronald and jessie andrews were the custodians at the school, in the pics, a couple of the names, in the junior room, middle row, in the cub uniform is graden andrews, my brother.. then in the senior room my other brother is barry, in the shirt and tie, directly in front of him is betty jean finan, and beside her is our niece debbie hebert.. judy ann hughes is in the back row, you haven't changed a bit judy... also judy lehman is on the left of graden in the junior pic... keep up the good work everyone, this is a great site... thanks...

great to hear from you, i am doing well!!! I am looking for any information on european workers I definately remember your mom and dad and tell Barry that i named my first born after him. Guess he made quite the impression on me. i do look different but the same!!! i do miss the old days though hope you are well.

Hi just a word to say you have a great site.Live in Holtyre 1950 to 1955 then move to Ramore from 1955 to 1967.I still remember a lots of peoples that still live there.Truthfully i like it a lot.And i do remember wendy Goodine she use to live a few house from my cousin Suzanne Lapierre.I remember when she fell out of a big tree in front of her house yep she hurt both her wrist.She was a very nice looking girl maybe that y i remember her lol. MY NAME FRANCIS Guertin

It is nice to see new people coming on board,glad to see that a few of you girls had worked as an operator to help mrs. Finan.as i have a good story to tell. One night when i was in Halifax I decided to phone home, had to use a pay phone, so I got the operator and said I wanted to phone long distance to 55 holtyre,she said sorry i did not get all your number, i repeated 55 she said thats it 55,yep thats it.I could hear a little stickering going on in the background, then Mrs Finan came on saying Holtyre, operator says I have a call for 55 from halifax, Mrs Finan replied is that you Jack I said yes and we had a couple minute conversation and then she said your mother is not home she is up at the hall at a womens institute meeting do you still want me to put you through which I replyed sure go ahead, thats when the poor operator in Halifax completely broke out laughing , oh yes i talked to a few of the other women in Holtyre mrs burdick I believe for sure mrs Hughes and a couple more till my mum got to the phone, and from that point on well i had to pay for it. When you think about it Mrs Finan spent a lot of sleepless hours when families had some family problems and the phone would be needed she was always there for us, I sure know she was there for the Harper family...

I was wondering if anyone had Shirley Vant's email or address, i lost track of her when she moved to the States.

I am interested in finding a Doris Rose who married in 1969 just out of high school. I don\'t remember her married name. Great site!

Hi Betty Jean-My niece Debbie(Hebert) Julin, was asking me if I knew where you ended up and I could not enlighten her. It is amazing that you would be on this site!! Debbie is in Ashcroft, BC and I know she would really like to be in touch with you. I will let her know about this site. To Diane(Louie) Tressider from Newwcastle, Doris is my sister. Are you the Diane Louie from Kirkland Lake that gave me some great Chinese recipes from your fathers restrant? Anyway Doris(Rose) Bruno is living out in BC not far from Ashcroft. I will tell her you are looking for her and send her this site address. To Danny Rose-It was great talking to you and catching up on some of the news. Thank you Harry for letting know that my cousin was looking for me. I love this site. It is so good to see all the names that I remember from Holtyre. To Marilyn Totten--next time I am visiting my daughter in Porcupine, I will try to find you. You were more of a friend of Carl's and I was friends with Sharon, but I remember you. How could I forget the sound of you and Marilyn Scott singing and playing guitar. This Old House was my favorite!!! Hello to everyone else that knew me!!

Hi Ann, thank you for responding about Doris. My husband and I have gone to 3 high school reunions since 1988 and I could never find any information about her. Yes, I am the Diane from KL and my father did own a restaurant. I moved from KL in 1971. Thank you for passing on this site to Doris

Hello everyone from Holtyre. My sisters have been telling about this site and I finally got on tonight. This is the first time I saw what it was like working in the Ross Mine from the video. My Dad Tony used to go underground to charge those lights on the hard hats. I remember spotting at that bowling alley and being terrified when the pins flew when Plug Mathieu or Danny Hebert made a strike. Judy Ann Hughes - we spent many hours playing together as kids. Diane Louie Tressider - I have lost contact with everyone from high school. It is nice to hear from you. I moved out west in 1981 following the mining industr . Do I know your husband - the name is familiar.

Hi to everyone. I would love to get back in touch with Debbie, it has been too long. I am now living in Calgary Alberta and loving it very much.

Hi Doris, I married Reg Tressider, brother of John who was in some of our classes.

Happy mothers day to all you mothers from Holtyre

I Am the youngest of the Serafin family, we Lived on a farm past the rondeau farm, until we moved to the Gagnon house past the creek. Where Bill Moffatt sunk his Bull dozzer. I went to french school until Grade 8. Then went to Kirkland Lake After my Dad died. went back there to work at the ross mine a couple of times after high school. Worked with Leo Lahaie. Paul derocher, Florian Robert, And have a few Cousins living there still, Marchel Bouchard whom Just recently past away last year, Use to go to Dance when there was a Weddind or something. Nicole Lahaie and her sister went to those Danses to. Still go there every year when We go Moose hunting But it change a lot since when I went to school and after. Just finish school that day when the St.Jean store Blew up. hope to hear from class mate or worker from Ross mine in late 50\'s and 60\'s. Bruno

just thought i would add this just to see if it will straighten out the site, also check to see if your post is on, because it does look like it has not gone through,,,,

HELLO TO EVERYONE THAT LIVED IN HOLTYRE. WE ARE FRANCOIS (BUTCH GEOFFROY AND LISETTE MELANCON.WE HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 43 YEARS AND HAVE LIVED ALL THESE YEARS IN HOLTYRE. WE WERE BOTH BORN THERE AND WE LOVE IT NOW AS WE DID WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER. WE HAVE 4 CHILDREN AND 3 OF THEM ARE LIVING AND RAISING THEIR FAMILIES HERE. WE SO ENJOY SEEING ALL THE NAMES AND MEMORIES YOU ARE SHARING. IT MAKES US RELIVE OUR YOUNGER DAYS. WE MISS NOT SEEING ANY OF THE ONES THAT USED TO LIVE HERE BUT HAVE MANY MORE FRIENDS. PLEASE KEEP ON WRITING YOUR MEMORIES AND IF WE CAN BE OF HELP PLEASE LET US KNOW. THANKS FOR ALL THE KIND WORDS ABOUT OUR SMALL TOWN. IT WARMS OUR HEART. HOPE TO READ MORE OF YOUR MEMORIES SOON.

To CHARLIE CATY I would like to get in touch with you about the history of HOLTYRE and the ross mine, also if you have any more information on the history of the whole area it would be greatly appreciated...

to John Harper, Charlie Caty and all those who care. I have copies on legal size paper of the Ramore and Holtyre history, wich my mother used to say was writtrn by madame Caty. Pages 11 and 12 '' Le feu de Nuska'', page13 ''Bilan du feu'', pages 14 and 15 ''Les lendemains du feu''. pages 17 and 18 ''La vie religieuse des pionniers'', page 19 ''Un curé à Ramore'', pages 25 and 26 ''Organisation scolaire'', pages 27 and 28 ''Première grande guerre'', pages 29 and 30 ''Chemins et communications'', page 38 ''Père Leduc'', pages 41 and 42 ''L'agriculture'', page 43 '' La forêt'' and an unnumberred page ''Arrivants 1918-1919''. If anybody wants to read them, just give me a call. Good summer vacations to all! Phil. L.

to John Harper & Philippe Lalancette. I am in the process of sending to the editor the story of Holtyre and the Ross Mine which were written by my mom & dad. Philippe, the story that you speak of were written by the priest of Ramore and are not the same. In fact it based on a lot of "oral history" and one must be careful with some of the facts. This story was handed out 1 page at a time to the sunday church attendees.

John Harper; send me an email at:jccaty@sympatico.ca and I can forward you the Holtyre story. I have also sent it to the editor

Betty Jean Finan! HELLO! I just got back in touch with Debbie - we got on the phone for about an hour and laughed and cried and told stories - it was great! I just got a birthday card from Babs - she lives in Barrie. Polly Steele - I have that Senior Room picture right in front of me with all the names of everyone - it goes like this: Top Row: Susan Errington, Raymonde Auger, Susan Greenfield, Marilyn Penner, Mary Weliczko and me (yeah right Sandy - I haven't changed at all! LOL) Second Row: Vernon Lehman, Richard Penner, Barry Andrews, Allan Hawken, David Gagnon, Mr. Ken Steele Front Row: Glenda Wixson, Lucy Levesque, Betty Jean Finan, Debbie Hebert, Babs (Elizabeth) Phillips and Lise Lavallee. I have the picture from 1964-65 too when Henry Neufeld was our teacher and the Grade 8 boys were Ricky Peters, Donald Hawken, Lloyd Phillips, Bobby Kerr, Johnny Harper and Leigh Harris. Oh my goodness!

Judy Anne great to hear from you, I have not heard from Debbie yet but hope all is well with both your families!!! I have been living in Calgary for about 10 yrs now, love this city!!!! It surely is strange hearing all those names that I thought I would never hear again. Please don't hesitate to send me an email on my personal email. finanej@hotmail.com or phone at 403 212 0752. I saw Babs yrs and yrs ago when she was in Timmins. How is she? Are you in contact with any other people that we would have hung around with? Some of the people I don't remember but many I do. Hope to hear from you soon

Betty Jean (Finan)??? Please be in touch!!Can't believe you are so close but so far away. I have been looking for you for a very long time. Can't wait to reconnect.

MacKenzie Camirand -I am also related to Aurore Camirand . Nelson was her husbnad They had four children . Lise , Leon , Gilles and the youngest I forget his name . Aurore now lives in Temiscaming,Quebec. Lise lives in North Bay. I lived in Holtyre from !944 to 1957. I think we were the largest fasmily in Holtyre . Uncle Thomas worked in Ross Mines . My dad Joseph worked on the railroad . He used to walk from Ramore to Holtyre . I\\\'d say we were dirt poor and didn\\\'t have vey many friends . I do remember the Johb Serafin family . We had good times at their house . They usually had a mean horse shoe game that we participated in . I suppose it was a good mile from our house to theirs . We were afraid of bears so we use to make a lot of noise .I didn\\\'t think of it as God\\\'s country back then but looking back it was . Dad had a Smith\\\'s Shop that I used to sit behind when he worked . Although I was one of fourteen I was lonely . Sitting behind the Smith\\\'s Shop facing the creek I enjoyed the beutiful wild blue flowers .My parents had such a difficult time making a living on that one acre farm . The farm consisted of one cow , a few pigs and chickens . To this day I can see my mother killing a little chicken for Sunday dinner . I\\\'m happy I found this site .

To Charlie Caty, I got your package today, thank you very much. I'll keep looking for info on the Matheson 2012 centennial, when I have something I'll forward on to you John Harper

Hello Holtyre folks! My Mom, Norma Phillips, sent this to me with the message "Enjoy! and that's exactly what I have done. Norma is in her 94th year and living in Timmins in the house that she and my late(2002)father Red built in Timmins on Spruce Street. She occasionally visits Holtyre with sister Della Raye, and her husband Frank, who also reside in Timmins. It is great to read the messages and the memories of Holtyre of so many people.

Good grief, where did the time go seemed like yesterday i was having a ball growing up as a young boy in Holtyre and today i wake up to cards and messages and phone calls wishing me a happy 60th birthday..

To John Harper: If your 60th birthday makes you wonder where time went, my 76th makes me feel like a dinosaur !!!!!!!!!!!! LOL, and to Charlie Caty, since my dad was one of the first to work at the Ross, I'd like to get your mom's history of Holtyre. Dad and my brother Jean-Guy, pllus uncles Lucien and William (Bill) Provencher also woeked there, but I only worked at the Munroe's. Phil. Lalancette

So very sad to hear that Margaret Moffat passed away. I remember her lovely smile. She spent quite a bit of time at my sister Barb & Arnold Goodine\'s house. She will be missed I\'m sure by many friends.

I just stumbled upon this site and altho\' I am not from Holtyre but KL......I often went there and know Anne Rose and Jeff Geoffrey.......Bill Hughes too [the little squirt]. Loved it and would like to hear from those who knew me......thanks.

Hello everyone. I have also just stumbled on this site, this day, just like Melanie Turriff. There is some very interesting reading that I hope to get to tomorrow (too late now). My family heritage is linked directly to the Ross Mine\'s original owners. I hope to visit Holtyre sometime this summer to see the sites...Thanks

Dear Zita Pettozi and Bruno Serafin So wonderful to hear the stories. I have heard so much of Holtyre when i was growing up. I'm Bruno Serafin's youngest !

Hello everyone who remembers the 49 and 50 years of Holtyre living. Bernice I'm sorry to hear about Gord, he and I spent a lot of time chumming around together. We lived right across from the rink and next door to the Phillips, Hi Della it has been a very long time since we have seen one another. It is great to read about Sandra and Rene and everyone else who I remember. Chaloo I would like to get a copy of the book your Mom and Dad wrote, my Dad worked the ross mine for a good number of years and the history would be enjoyed by my brothers and Sister who were very young when Mom and Dad moved from Holtyre. This is a great site, I,m going to make it my daily read. Hoping someone remembers the Elliott's and wants to chat. jwelliott@cogeco.ca

Just a quick check-in to everyone, I have been occupied for some time as my lovely wife of 35 yrs. has been very ill with Cancer stage 4. The worst is over now and the prognosis for the future is encouraging. Ive been investigating for my brother Mike KLCVI in Kirkland Lake. He used to ride the bus every morning and is longing to get a copy of the year book even though his picture was not in it his name was. I was successful and sent him an E-copy for which he was truly excited to receive. I don\\\'t know if John H. ever tried to reach me by phone this last spring but my computer gave up the ghost and my phone communications with everyone has been limited by family circumstance. My apologies if anyone has been trying to reach me. John, in looking back at this sight I realized that I had not answered to that statement about the Geese we saw that day. I do remember and occasionally I see sunsets ans much smaller flocks and am always reminded of that day. I hope you had a great 6o th Birthday. I hit the big 60 this last February. It\\\'s hard to believe that so much time has gone by. In searching for the KLCVI information I saw the pictures of Holtyre School and some of the later classes. Also some photos of Bill? Moffat? and the Curling championships and instruction he gives to some of the you kids. It sounds as though he is a very good hearted person. Man does he look like his father. Sure hope to come back before we are all too old to remember or are gone. I love all of you there and hope to see you all soon. If any one wishes to call me my Cell# 1-425-327-9246. God bless you all.

Just a quick check-in to everyone, I have been occupied for some time as my lovely wife of 35 yrs. has been very ill with Cancer stage 4. The worst is over now and the prognosis for the future is encouraging. Ive been investigating for my brother Mike KLCVI in Kirkland Lake. He used to ride the bus every morning and is longing to get a copy of the year book even though his picture was not in it his name was. I was successful and sent him an E-copy for which he was truly excited to receive. I don\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t know if John H. ever tried to reach me by phone this last spring but my computer gave up the ghost and my phone communications with everyone has been limited by family circumstance. My apologies if anyone has been trying to reach me. John, in looking back at this sight I realized that I had not answered to that statement about the Geese we saw that day. I do remember and occasionally I see sunsets ans much smaller flocks and am always reminded of that day. I hope you had a great 6o th Birthday. I hit the big 60 this last February. It\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s hard to believe that so much time has gone by. In searching for the KLCVI information I saw the pictures of Holtyre School and some of the later classes. Also some photos of Bill? Moffat? and the Curling championships and instruction he gives to some of the you kids. It sounds as though he is a very good hearted person. Man does he look like his father. Sure hope to come back before we are all too old to remember or are gone. I love all of you there and hope to see you all soon. If any one wishes to call me my Cell# 1-425-327-9246. God bless you all.