Whitby Free Press, 19 Nov 1980, p. 8

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PAE8, WEI)NR-SDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1980, WHITBY FREE PRESS Between You and -Me BY' RUTHI COLIYS Another miracle for Witby, now the birthplace of "The Uitile Immigrants", a book by Kenneth Bagneil. Ken, bis wife Barbara and tbeir children moved to Whitby seven years ago. "Tie LUtile Immigrants", published by Macmillan of Canada, the most acclalmed book of tbe season and give rave reviews by the critica and book review.ers, Robert Fuiford, editor of Saturday Night, William French of the Globe and Mail and many others. A runaway beot seller, a rewarding experience for it's author. Five years of dedfication by both Kenneth and Bar- bara. Exhaustive research both here and in England; visits, to archives, museums, libraries and records of parliament both here and abroad. Ken bas ixterviewed over 250 of these immigrants, some of whom bave become staunch friends. And as Allan An- derson in the United Church Observer writes "it reads like a major epic of historiaI ficition". After all the research was finlsbed the book over a period of a year was written in an upstaris room in tbe Bagneli borne, "a room witb a view". 4 Ken was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia in 1934, the son of a coal mining office clerk, the paymaster of the mine. He, with bis son travelled from village to village and gave out the company pay envelopes from the car's open window to the miners. AThe Bagnelis often went to see friends and relatives in tbe surrounding area and Ken heard about the cbildren wbo came from "away" and Dr. Barnardo. 50 witbout doubt, be carried memories of these eblldren in bis mind througbout bis 111e until it surfaced and the book was born. Strangely enough. so bave I carried these memories and Local author a success this book has awakened ail the t.houghts I had as a chuld, a very amail cbild. 1 can remember that narne Barnardo and having 538 Jarvis St. Toronto pointed out to me as, "the home for Dr. Barnardo's boys."$ To a littie girl, the contrast was too great; 1 had very loving, kind parents and a beautiful home. It always made me feel like crying when 1 saw pictures of the dear little souls ini their often odd and different clothes standing in a field with hoe or rake in hand. So now, once again my mmnd is flooded witb memories of my imagination as a very young child. Later on, wben I was in my teens I met a Barnardo boy who lived near our summer home. A brlght, happy, smillng lad wbo was always in good spirits, he uplifted mine because 1 felt it wasn't as sad as I had thouglit it was, so mucb for youtb!1 This book, "The Little Immigrants" detals a very im- portant part of Canada's blstory. About 80,000 girls and boys were sent to Canada from England. Most boys and 30,000 were Dr. Barnardo's "1chlldren". They came bet- ween 1869 and 1930 and many settled in what we now cal Durham REgion because it was farming country and tbey were needed as help. From these 80,000 there are a million descendants, flot a small part of our history but a very large part. A good part of Ken's success with this book must be bis sense of balance. A historical and intellectual book can of- ten be dry and therefore to many people uninteresting. On the other hand if the heart strings are tugged too bard it can be too emotional and sentimental, but in this case it seemns the balance and end resuit is perfect. Ken has had an unusually interesting background. His career lias emcompassed many journalistie endeavours. His first published work, an aiticle for a church magazine written when he was twelve or thirteen paid him the han- dsome sum of 50 cents.1 He worked bis way through university at Mount Allison in New Brunswick and Pinehuli in Halifax where he studieci theology, as a journalist and reporter, a sports reporter and later on mucli of the same. A writer for the United Church Observer, staff writer and managing editor of McLeans, a member of the Star Eclitorial Board for a couple of Years and a writer of Globe and Mail editorlals and editor of tue Globe Magazine. A columnist on the Globe for two years which was demandlng and exhllarating, too, a CBC hoet for one year and the editor of the Imperial 011 review. The lilt goes on and bis talents are many and varied. Whitby can take great pride ln this gentie, quiet man and bis great gift as a writer. I feel we wWI hear a good deal from and about t"i man, a United Church minister another, facet of bis life. My husband and Ilare looking forward to visit to Kathleen Rowe Memorial Sehool in Wbltby to hear Ken talk to the students. Tbey wll be well prepared for bis visit by staff and Mrs. Free the school librarian. *Soap-on-a-Rope UIi ISET and 120ml Splash-on Lotion $4m29SU $3099 SET ,..w " \Bg Value MM.IUL'CHRISTMAS CARD ASSORTMENT a 9 E vplpes Tye-Sul CHRISTMAS GIFT 10RlsWRAP PAPER ;:tal' 50" 2m59 y Gilette PROMAX COMPACT 1200 HAiR DR YER $ 9159 AeM I1 TV Men's and Ladies QUALITY LEATHEI GODS %MF RS. SUGGESTED LESS 331/3 0oLIST PRICE *ttttolds -Clutch Purges, Etc. (Notaet @il I.0.A. Stores) BAILEY IDA PHARMACY 362 Brock St. S. WHITBY 66B-2100 SHORTS IDA PHARMACY 65 Baldwin St. BROOKLIN 655-3301 -Y Kenneth Bagneli .4. uja 125TH ANNIVERSARY -~ 1855-1980 THE CORPORATION 0F THE TOWN 0F WHITBY NOTICE 0F INTENTION NOTICE is hereby given that thie Council of theCorporation of the Town of Whitby intends to pass a by-law to stop up and close that untravelled portion of -the public highway municipally known as Peel Street, as more specifically described as foliows:-- That untravelled portion of Peel Street, as shown bereun- der, Iying between Trent Street East and Pitt Street East, bounded on the east and west by lands owned by the Corporation of the Town of Whitby, thie easterly lands being municipally known as Peel Park. ir L1 CJD c1Dh **le JYi JL[iTl [ Tjl [IHif AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that thie Council of the Cor- poration of thie Town of Whitby, wili, at thie hour of 5:00 p.m. on thie 24th day of November, 1980, in thie Meeting Hail of thie Whitby Municipal Building, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby, Ontario, hear In person or by his counsel, solicitor, or agent, any person who dlaims bis land wilI be prejudicially affected by such by-law and who applies to be heard. DATED at Whutby, Ontario, this 29th day of October, A. D., 1980. Wm. H. Wallace, A.M.C.T., C.M.C., Clerk-Administrator, The Corporation of the Town of Whitby, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby, ONtarlo Li N 2M8 COURTICE ALLIN PHARMACY 117 Brock St. N. WHITBY 668-2394 Mao q% wooop- 'q

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