by Tom Sasvari
EVANSVILLE—At the end of March the Morley and Cathie Runnalls egg grading station and egg production business will close on Manitoulin Island after having been the supplier of fresh eggs for many businesses and individuals on the Island for many years.
“This has been a ma and pa operation for a long time and we are getting tired, especially ma,” stated Mr. Runnalls, last week. “We are retiring.”
“I started in the hen raising business when I was seven years old, so I’ve been at it for 71 years,” said Mr. Runnalls. “Ever since we moved back to the Island from Sudbury in 1975 we’ve had hens.”
The Runnalls got their egg grading licence close to nine years ago. “Actually, you didn’t need a licence then, you needed a premise number and an inspection of the station.”
“You are now required to obtain a licence every two years,” said Mr. Runnalls. “The government tried to get our money last year, but the licence wasn’t due,” he quipped.
Mr. Runnalls said, “It has been a good ride and over the years we have met a tremendous amount of good people who have supported us very good over the years.” When the announcement was made on Facebook a couple of weeks ago on the couple’s retirement, “there were over 100 hits on Facebook wishing us well in retirement.”
The Runnalls delivered the eggs to businesses, restaurants and individuals on Manitoulin Sudbury and the North Shore. “Wherever we could sell them,” Morley said. “Any surplus eggs we would have we would sell them to Martin’s Country Market in Massey, and they would give them to retailers in Sudbury.”
“Over the years the amount of product we were producing was the same, but the customer base has kept growing,” said Mr. Runnalls. “We are way behind on our orders as we speak, and too old to keep up.
“Our business was the only licenced egg grading station on Manitoulin,” said Mr. Runnalls. “As I mentioned, our customer base has expanded significantly over the years, to the point that we can’t handle the orders. I’m 78 years old and would like 15-20 minutes before quitting time. It would be nice to be able to go to the Meldrum Bay or Tehkummah card parties.”
Mr. Runnalls explained that Cathie was steady cleaning the eggs, and he was on the road delivering and grading eggs. “Every egg had to be looked at, at least three times by hand (with gathering them, washing, candling them, taking them to the grading station and then having them candled again before they were put in cartons and distributed to customers).”
“It costs 27 cents to put one egg in a carton, and this is not paying us anything or the gasoline we needed for our car to deliver the eggs,” said Mr. Runnalls.
“I received a notice recently from the Ontario Egg Marketing Board that they are going to do all of us right by paying $2.19 a dozen eggs. This is a little less than our costs after we take them to the grading station,” said Mr. Runnalls.
Both Morley and Cathie have had many different jobs over the years. Morley has acquired skills in numerous jobs, ranging from farm work to navigation. He ran a large combine, delivered milk, cut wood, was watchman and wheelsman on the Norgoma, Norisle and the Normac, Algoma Central Railway, worked at a gold mine, Wagg’s Creamery, Manitoulin Transport, Hydro, McQuarrie Motors, and graduated to driving a school bus, along with raising chickens, grading and distributing eggs to local stores over much of the Island.
The couple married on June 16, 1973. After the wedding, Cathie got work babysitting for a family. Mort left the dairy and worked for Manitoulin Transport from their Sudbury warehouse, delivering goods to many locations.
In 1975 the couple moved back to the Island and Morley worked for a farmer. In 1985 the couple bought their own farm and a year later, the house they now live in. Morley found more permanent work at McQuarrie Motors. He continued to drive the school bus as he had since 1978. He became a good parts manager for McQuarrie’s and won the Superstar’s Cruise in 1984 for selling the second highest number of parts. He also oversaw the Mills cemetery for many years.
Cathie brought in extra money, cleaning homes and the municipal office for the Town of Gore Bay. After 1981, she worked for Manitoulin Transport, staying there for 17 years until 1998. After that she become the janitor at Charles C. McLean Public School in Gore Bay.
In 1992 the couple leased Obejewung Park on the south end of Lake Wolsey. They ran it for 10 years, renting trailer sites, cleaning central areas and manning a small fast food outlet. They sold their interest in the park in 2002.
