grave post - Bob Jarvis

Robert AEmilius Jarvis comes from a long line of a prominent and storied Toronto family.  It was in honour of his great-great-great-grandfather, Samuel Peters Jarvis that Jarvis Street (a main north-south throughfare) was named in honour. Bob wrote a book about his famous grandfather and the bond scandal to defraud the government which seems to have been in very limited publication. The Jarvises were colourful and in many ways unsavoury characters. But this is about one of the younger generation who was a well admired and loved man. He was a producer for CBC television and became the Head of Network TV Variety during the era of live show. He also wrote a book about his years at CBC (another limited publication). Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2009, it seems to have been a painful and difficult time until his death late on Canada Day in 2010 at age 80. He and his wife Nadia "had a legacy of 6 children, 15 grandchildren and 2 great children".

More on the Jarvis family in future grave posts for Taphophile Tragics

Sunday Stamps

from Brazil 
I have a few of these stamps of useful professions 

a carpenter 


and a cobbler 

and from the US, these stamps that admonish the public


see Viridian's Blog for other stamps that show something useful

grave post - Anketell Henderson

Anketell Matthew Henderson died on June 23rd, 1876, at Toronto, in Canada, whither he had gone for rest and change of scene.

edited announcement from The Argus (Melbourne Australia) Friday 4 August 1876

News by cable brings intelligence of the death at Toronto of the Rev. A. M. Henderson, late minister of the Collins Street Congregational Church.

Born in Ireland, he emigrated to Australia where he was requested to help revive the Collins St church which, from various causes, had been greatly reduced in numbers, and stood much in need of a revival of its formerly possessed importance.

His style was not only earnest and forcible, but his extensive reading gave him an advantage in illustration of which he made excellent use. But he was a man of strong will, and had a somewhat despotic manner of asserting it, so that, with no doubt, the best intentions and most praiseworthy purposes, he sometimes made enemies whom a little tact might have converted into friends.

Still, it seems he had enough admirers to have a special monument erected at the St James Cemetery near the home of his nephew John Garvin of 342 Jarvis St (image) where he had been staying when he died.
About a year ago Mr Henderson's health began seriously to give way, and he was recommended to discontinue his duties for awhile. Arrangements were made for a tour to the old country by way of New Zealand, where he derived much benefit from the mineral baths. At Honolulu too, he rested awhile.
The newspaper account does not specify what his illness was, but did indicate that "from the nature of the affection from which he suffered it was hardly likely that any improvement would be permanent".

It seems the Rev Henderson also had some run ins with the press and this newspaper did not shy away from pointing out a few of his faults due to his impulsive and aggressive nature.

It is unknown whether he was travelling alone, but he left behind "a widow and five children, two of whom are married".










see who else has lived and died in foreign lands at Taphophile Tragics

Sunday Stamps

It is exciting to come home and find a dozen postcards in my mailbox and to carefully choose the cards to send away to others, but this Postcrossing has become an expensive business. I was glad to discover that sometimes cards can be found cheaper at the post office. Ones that are already stamped "for mailing in Canada and delivery anywhere in the world".
So, while away last week I, perhaps annoyingly, insisted on seeking out a post office in every town we drove through. Many locations didn't have any stock as there isn't much demand for postcards.
Personally, I think Canada Post should make more of an effort to create more of these cards and promote them. Maybe even come up with seasonal postcards as there used to be back in the early 1900s. They could give Hallmark and Carlton cards a run for the money - head to your nearest postal outlet for your Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Birthday, new baby, congratulations postage paid postcards instead of going to the card shop.

An overseas stamp costs $1.80. These cards cost $1.89 (plus tax). What a deal (if you can find them)
For Viridian's Postcard Blog, I have chosen these rare specimens (click on picture for a bigger view)

above we have a maxi card from 2012 celebrating 100 years of the Calgary Stampede.

below is another western themed card from 2011 celebrating 100 years of Parks Canada 

Interestingly, a recent address request brought up a Postcrosser from Slovenia who mentioned in her profile an interest in "all things cowboy culture". 

The Stampede is about as cowboy culture as you can get!

home and stuff

If you need some motivation to de-clutter your surroundings, may I suggest a week away at a cabin. One that has just enough furniture to be comfortable and an adequate supply of linens and dishes/cutlery and nothing more. Okay, a pizza cutter might have been handy, but in the end was not essential.

There were no knick knacks or tchotchkes save one pretty little bowl that added some flowery life to the living room and an almost tacky wooden box with a lighthouse painted on it and cubes for changing the date. Both of these turned out to be useful as well as decorative, so can't really be counted as tchotchkes.

When I came home yesterday and saw all my accumulated assortment of stuff, I felt overwhelmed and suddenly almost claustrophobic with it all. Already I have a couple of boxes at the ready and have been quickly tossing in unneeded vases and candleholders and books before I change my mind and start thinking about any supposedly sentimental value. Or the flowers and lit candles in the winter and the pictures in the coffee table books I can look through when the cable goes and the internet is down.... I know that it is just not going to happen. Though the cable does go out occasionally.

I do have two pizza cutters though and I will put one aside to take with me on my next escape trip.

views

I am off away to a humble cottage on a lake. Far away from the crowds.

In the meantime, this has appeared as my balcony view.

sigh.

sandcastles

Some water is definitely necessary when building sandcastles, but the deluge that bombarded the Sandcastle Festival in Cobourg last weekend was a bit overdone.











I had made the long trek to see the sandcastles, quite pleased with myself that I actually remembered to look up the date long beforehand and not the week after as I usually do. (and yes, I know it is probably held the same weekend every year as most festivals are...)

Actually, I used it as an excuse to visit some friends - not that I need an excuse, but it was a good way of confirming a date instead of the usual vague promises to get together soon that we usually go through.

If I ever made a sandcastle, or sculpture, as a kid, I have no memory of it. But then, the cottage we went to had a rocky beach so I do remember collecting stones. Many, many stones. I wonder what happened to them all.

Next week I will again be at a cottage where I pray something blogworthy will happen








because some time ago, a grey squirrel passed on an award to me for contributing to the blogging community in a positive or inspirational way.
I probably won't pass it on, but I will sit on a beach and think about the ten questions about myself I need to answer.

grave post - war memorials

 Burlington

On the top of the column is a seven foot bronze statue of a Canadian soldier in WWI battle-dress. Designed by Ivor Lewis, it was dedicated in April 1922 by Lord Byng and was moved to this small park beside the city hall in 1962. There are plaques with the names of those men who gave their lives in the two world wars and the Korean War.

and Brantford

The original design for the monument by W.S. Allward included a group of bronze sculptures to represent 'Humanity', consisting of a wounded youth, a resolute mother, a figure praying and a piece of crippled field artillery. However, finances got in the way and the sculptures were never made. The Brant County War Memorial Committee initiated the completion of the Memorial with seven bronze statues designed and sculptured by Helen Granger Young. The figures represent men and women who made the Supreme Sacrifice and commemorate local armed forces Veterans. The statutes were unveiled and dedicated on September 12, 1992.see more memorials at Taphophile Tragics