| THERE’S A STORY BEHIND
THIS BOOK 28 July, 2008 Special to Collingwood Now Butchers, Bakers and Building the Lakers: Voices of Collingwood is scheduled for launch in September, 2008. This unique history tells the story of Collingwood through the eyes of long-time residents and descendents of founding families. But there’s another note of interest for readers. “There’s definitely a story behind this book,” says author Christine Cowley. “Several, in fact. Some I can even tell!” she laughs. Cowley is the founder of LifeGems Personal Histories, a company that specializes in writing, editing and producing personal, family and corporate histories. Working as a personal historian in the Collingwood area since 2004, Cowley uncovered a wealth of history in the stories passed down through generations of Collingwood residents. “Collingwood has been blessed with many dedicated chroniclers of its history and as a result, people have had wonderful opportunities to learn so much about the heritage of this town. But I discovered that there were so many intriguing details and first-hand accounts that had not been recorded yet. It got to a point where I felt I simply had to write these stories down, before they were lost forever. I had no intention of turning this project into a book, but here we are 18 months later and I’ve had to pare it down to ‘only’ 375 pages!” says Cowley. The stories are just half the appeal of this new history of Collingwood. “My storytellers became my friends,” says Cowley. “It’s impossible not to feel attached to each of them. As they told me their stories, I guess it felt natural to share personal photographs as well. They were incredibly generous. They opened up shoeboxes full of photographs from their attics, their basements…suitcases full of memorabilia! It was just amazing. As the photos and souvenirs flooded in, I realized that the stories could not be told without the pictures that went with them. So the project kept growing.”
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The
end result is an impressive collection of stories and images that tell the
story of Collingwood through the voices of its people. One entire chapter
is dedicated to ships and shipbuilding, and features outstanding images of
the bustling days of the shipyards at the turn of the century. Launched in
Collingwood’s sesquicentennial year, this book is a fitting tribute to the
people who built this town and is sure to top the Christmas list of
residents and visitors alike.