GORE BAY—In a tradition first established during celebrations for the 125th anniversary of Gore Bay’s incorporation as a town, the community gathered to honour the achievements of current and past residents. This year two living recipients and two of those who have passed were honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Among the living were long-time town employee and volunteer Jack Colwell and Manitoulin Expositor managing editor Tom Sasvari; while those from the past were the late educator Charles C. McLean, for whom Gore Bay’s public school is named, and community volunteer Lorne McQuarrie, who passed away in 1984 at the young age of 29.
The awards were presented by Gore Bay Mayor Ron Lane and Deputy Mayor Dan Osborne, with Mayor Lane providing the opening remarks. Mayor Lane explained that this year’s awards fell into three categories, two in journalism, one in education and the others for public service. Mayor Lane cited the famous John F. Kennedy call to civic action: “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” noting the same holds true at the municipal level.
Mayor Lane explained that the Lifetime Achievement awards are given not only to the living, but also to those who have passed on because not being currently alive should not diminish the legacy and contribution of those individuals. Each of the recipients being honoured (or their family representatives in the case of the deceased) were presented with a framed certificate, an engraved plaque and a gift of a selection of Finnia Chocolate & Cacao fine chocolate items.
The first award cited was for one of the living. Retired town foreman of 30-plus years and committed community volunteer Jack Colwell was called to the podium by Mayor Lane. “Jack retired in the mid-90s without much fanfare, in my opinion,” said the mayor, who went on to note that in the years that Mr. Colwell worked for the town there were very few staff. Mr. Colwell, therefore, took on the maintenance of roads, water system and a host of other municipal services with the aid of one other worker and a seasonal employee.
In addition to his work for the town, Mr. Colwell was a volunteer who served with the fire department, search and rescue (for over 35 years), at the airport and served as a mentor to not only his own son, but to a young Mayor Lane as well. Mayor Lane provided a personal note on how Mr. Colwell’s parents came to live with his family following the death of Mayor Lane’s mother. Memories of trips to Clapperton Island with Mr. Colwell and Mr. Colwell’s father remain among the most cherished of Mayor Lane’s teenaged years.
“On behalf of the Colwell family I would like to thank the Town of Gore Bay, the Lifetime Achievement Committee and Mayor Lane for selecting Jack Colwell to receive this award,” said Mr. Colwell’s son Robby, who spoke after the ceremony due to needing to assist his father to and from accepting his award. “During Dad’s 30 years as town foreman he went to work every day and did his best for Gore Bay and its people,” continued Mr. Colwell’s son. “He loved this town then, as he loves it now. Our family appreciates the town’s recognition for his many years of dedicated service by presenting him the Lifetime Achievement Award today. Dad was a master at saying the words ‘thank you’ and now these words have been returned to him in this way.”
The second recipient of a Gore Bay Lifetime Achievement Award was The Expositor’s own Tom Sasvari. The award was presented by Deputy Mayor Osborne, who took a moment to tease Mr. Sasvari about his sports team preference before proceeding with the more serious citations. “It’s not your fault you are a Bruins fan,” quipped Mr. Osborne.
Mr. Osborne went on to note that Mr. Sasvari has provided a lifetime of service to the community and “improved the lives of citizens of Gore Bay and beyond.” The deputy mayor detailed Mr. Sasvari’s being born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie before taking journalism at Canadore College and a brief stint in London before returning home for Christmas and spotting a small advertisement seeking a reporter for The Recorder placed by the late Jack McQuarrie. “The rest was history,” said the deputy mayor. Mr. Sasvari, it was noted, had told his father he would only be on the Island for six months, top, but “he was clearly very excited at what he saw,” continued Mr. Osborne, with the audience responding with laughter. “Tom became part of our family in Gore Bay for the next 35 years.”
The deputy mayor asserted that Mr. Sasvari “has attended more council meetings than all of us combined. If there is an event, Tom is there with his notebook and camera ready for the story.”
But Mr. Sasvari was not only being honoured for his journalistic prowess and dedication, as the deputy mayor also cited his volunteer work, which includes being part of the Gore Bay-Western Manitoulin Lions Club, coaching minor hockey, working with Manitoulin Special Olympics, being named an ambassador for the War Pensioners of Canada, a recipient of the Vivian Levonsohn Volunteer Award, his Ontario Community Newspaper Silver Quill (denoting 25 years in the newspaper industry), a Citizen of the Year Award from the Providence Bay/Spring Bay Lions Club and being named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club. Mr. Osborne added that Mr. Sasvari’s initial response when learning of the impending honour was to ask, “why me, there are a lot of other people who deserve this award?”
“I am honoured to receive this award, humbled and grateful,” said Mr. Sasvari. “Looking around the room I see so many friends and acquaintances who took me in as part of your family.”
The next recipient was the late Charles C. McLean, a long-time Gore Bay teacher for whom CC McLean Public School is named.
“The first time I saw Mr. McLean I was in Grade 2 and I was scared to death of him,” said Mayor Lane, noting the teacher had a reputation for being “extremely strict.” Yet by the time Mayor Lane reached Grade 8, Mr. McLean had become his favourite teacher. “He was the best teacher I ever had, strict, but fair,” recalled the mayor. “I think of him constantly.”
Mr. McLean began his teaching career in 1928 and went on to teach for another 40 years his passing in 1968 (still teaching) at the age of only 62. Mr. McLean was born and raised in Gordon Township, but moved to Gore Bay when he took up his teaching duties. An active community volunteer, Mr. McLean was a member of the Masonic Lodge, rising to the rank of Master of the Lodge in 1937. He served on town council for many years, taught Sunday school at the United Church and participated in pretty much all sports, including hockey, curling, baseball and was an avid hunter. He raised two children (Jane and Greg) and had four grandchildren.
Family representative daughter Jane Campbell cited Mr. McLean’s motto “a wise person doesn’t ask ‘what have I achieved’ but ‘what have I contributed’.” She went on to thank the council for his being honoured and Mayor Lane for his kind words about Mr. McLean.
The final recipient was community volunteer Lorne McQuarrie, an individual that Mayor Lane admitted was “a tough one for me” as Mr. McQuarrie had been a dear and close friend with whom he and his family often socialized. Mr. McQuarrie passed in 1984 at the young age of 29 from heart-related issues, leaving behind his wife Barb and two children Tyler and Angie. Mr. McQuarrie was nominated by his 13-year-old granddaughter Merissa.
Mayor Lane recalled one particular camping weekend on the West End of Manitoulin that he described as “a fantastic time” and “one of the best memories I have of Lorne.”
Despite his own medical issues, Mr. McQuarrie had assisted many people in distress as an ambulance attendant, “the heart condition was something he could not survive.”
“During his lifetime, he was a unique individual, and he had his mischievous side,” recalled Mayor Lane, noting his friend as an inveterate practical joker, with Mr. McQuarrie’s mother taking it all in stride.
Mr. McQuarrie was a charter member of the Gore Bay Lions Club, a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, a volunteer firefighter, a volunteer with the Gore Bay and Western Manitoulin ambulance service, a member of the Gore Bay Fish and Game Club and was general manager of The Recorder and the editor of the seminal ‘Through the Years’ series documenting Manitoulin and Cockburn Island history.
Mr. McQuarrie’s wife Arlene, son Tyler and grandchildren Jamison and Merissa accepted the award on behalf of the late recipient. “I brought the troops,” she quipped. “Thank you, it is an honour and a privilege to accept this award on behalf of Lorne and the family.”
She recalled one of her son’s favourite sayings, “a little is a lot when it is all you’ve got—a little time.”
As each recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Awards were cited, Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP Carol Hughes and Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Mantha also provided certificates of recognition and spoke a few words of congratulation to the recipients or their families.
Following the award presentation, cake prepared by Heather Nodecker was served along with tea, coffee and good fellowship.
