Perth County

Antiques shops are a highlight in Shakespeare

SHAKESPEARE -- If you like to visit antique shops and also like small-town friendliness then Shakespeare may be the place for you to visit this summer. It is a small hamlet, located between Stratford and Kitchener.

It calls itself the hamlet "Where the Antique and Unique Meet". It also offers many craft, furniture, clothing and quilt stores as well as a tea room, motel and several restaurants.

Shakespeare was founded in 1832 and was named Bell's Corners at that time. In 1852 it was renamed Shakespeare. Today, it has a population of about 750 people and has more antique shops per square mile than any other place in Ontario.

Two of the special places to visit in Shakespeare are the Brocksden County School Museum and the Shakespeare Pond. The museum was built in 1853 and operated as a school until 1967. It was opened as museum two years later. It is open every Sunday from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Admission is free but donations are taken at the door.

The pond is a 10-minute walk from the hamlet and has a wilderness area and several picnic tables.

Two events planned this summer are an Antique and Classic Cars Show and Shine on Sunday July 14 and the Antique Village Show and Sale on July 20 and 21.

MITCHELL -- The Town of Mitchell will soon have four new signs at each entrance to the town. The signs will name Mitchell "The Home of Howie Morenz", a former NHL player. The signs will also have the Montreal Canadiens logo on it, which was the hockey team Morenz played for most of his career.

The idea for the new signs came from a friendly rivalry between Mitchell Toronto Maple Leaf fans and Montreal Canadien fans. One Toronto fan said that if Howie had played for the Maple Leafs "his fans would have built him a shrine by now." Eventually, a committee was formed of two Maple Leaf fans and two Canadien fans.

The committee asked Town Council to add the phrase "Home of Howie Morenz" to its entrance signs. This would be similar to how Perry Sound honors Bobby Orr and Brantford honors Wayne Gretzky. The committee was told council would not have enough money in its budget for new signs for a few years. Rather than wait, the committee decided to raise the money itself.

The committee also wanted a way to honor a player in the Mitchell Minor Hockey system every year.

They wrote to the Canadiens and were overwhelmed by the team's support. They sent a memorial plaque. along with several hockey items like shirts and autographed sticks. This plaque was to be presented for the first time tonight, June 13, at the annual sports banquet. Runner-up prizes to other players were also to be presented. These prizes came from the New York Rangers and the Chicago Black Hawks, other teams Morenz played for.

Morenz started his NHL career with the Canadiens' in 1923. He led the team to three Stanley Cup championships. He was also named the league's Most Valuable Player three times. He was traded to Chicago in 1934 and the next year to the New York Rangers. In 1936 he was traded back to the Canadiens, where he ended his career later that season. He broke his leg on a rush that saw him crash into the boards while playing Chicago on January 28, 1937. He died in hospital March 8, less than two months later. Doctors said he died of heart problems, but many of his fans believed he died of a broken heart because he would no longer be able to play hockey -- the sport he lived for.

His memorial service at the Montreal Forum attracted about 250,000 mourners. His body was placed at centre ice, surrounded by an honor guard of some of his teammates and five truckloads of flowers.

Moe Shewburg, a Montreal fan from Mitchell, is one of the committee members working to honor Howie. He said it used to really annoy Mitchell people when the media and hockey commentators said Howie was from Stratford. The new signs are one way to let people know Howie was really from Mitchell and the townspeople are proud of that fact. Shewburg said the committee would eventually like to open a museum in honor of Howie.

It was hoped that some of Howie's family would be present at the banquet tonight to give out the first Howie Morenz Memorial Award, Sponsored by the Montreal Canadiens.