ARTHUR – Signs became a topic of discussion on March 1, when David Kozinets was awarded a Queen’s Platinum Jubilee pin by Perth-Wellington MP John Nater in recognition of his service to the community of Arthur.
“As a businessman and owner of Sussman’s, and a community leader, you have been able to provide this community with so many great things” said Nater.
“And you helped to establish Arthur on the map, literally, with signs. Lots of signs.”
Nater was referencing that Kozinets was responsible for ensuring the town got its first signs at every entrance, as well as street signs.
“The whole community benefits from the fact that a young Shirley Sussman brought you to the community so many decades ago,” said Nater.
Sons Harvey and Steve Kozinets were on hand to share stories of their father’s many achievements, and pulled out a book presented to him a number of years ago while receiving one of his many awards.
According to the book, the author of which is unknown, Kozinets arrived in Arthur in 1950 after meeting and marrying Shirley Sussman. At that time, Arthur mainly existed to serve the needs of the agricultural community.
By the mid 1950s, Kozinets recognized the existence of small communities was threatened unless they could provide goods, services, and recreational facilities for their citizens.
In 1954, Kozinets joined the Arthur and District Lions Club and worked with them to initiate several projects to help develop the village. When he became president in 1964, plans for a community pool and for an artificial ice rink surface for the old rec centre were on the drawing board.
Under Kozinets’ leadership, the Lions Club applied for Centennial grants, and were able to complete the pool and the rink during 1967, which was the largest local project of its kind at that time.
In 1967, Kozinets was elected to village council. He became reeve in 1970 and served until 1985.
In 1969, while on council, Kozinets worked to negotiate a package that included a new municipal well, which helped to convince the Bell Thread Company, to build a manufacturing plant in Arthur. This led to 250 new jobs for the village. The company’s name was later changed to Coats Bell.
“It took six months of my life to bring Bell Thread here”, said Kozinets. “But it was worth it for all the jobs. I remember walking up the street with the president of the company, and he said ‘I like the looks of the people of Arthur.’ I felt the same way when I came here some 70 years ago.”
In 1977, he helped to secure a $500,000 Wintario grant for building the present Arthur and District Recreation Centre. The grant, as well as local fund-raising, covered the entire cost of the project.
The old rec centre was then sold to the Arthur Curling Club for a dollar. The old structure was torn down, and a new building was constructed over the 1967 artificial ice surface.
During the 1970s, Kozinets attempted to convince the province Arthur needed a hospital. Land was purchased by the Lions Club for $20,000 and was donated to the village for this purpose, but the province refused to build it.
The village sold part of the land for $40,000 to a developer, and built a medical centre on the rest.
The profits from selling the land were used to renovate the front of the municipal building, and to create two new parks.
Also, while reeve, Kozinets helped to negotiate a contract for the cooperative use of fire department services and facilities that serve the four surrounding townships.
This contract created a model that is still used by many other communities.
In 1984, Kozinets’ last project as reeve was to find a location for Arthur’s branch of the Wellington County Library.
In 2015, Harvey and Cindy Kozinets, along with the Arthur Historical Society, changed the name of the municipal building to the David M. Kozinets Centre.
In reference to his almost 94-year-old father’s tenure in politics Harvey said, “Oh man, are you kidding? He remembers his time in politics well. It’s kind of cool.”
“Gordie Tapp even came up here and spoke and said a few words. It was fun,” he said, referring to the Canadian performer and writer for the show Hee Haw.
While describing his father’s political style, Steve Kozinets said, “he knew how to get things done.”
“And we have lots of signs to prove it,” added Harvey.