Dear Editor,
It was with sadness that the volunteers at the Mount Forest Museum and Archives read of the death of Stephen Thorning. Organizations like ours exist because of passionate enthusiasts like Stephen Thorning. “Valuing Our History” was his title, and it became our cause.
When his Elora Sentinel column went county-wide in the Wellington Advertiser in 1999, we were only an idea. His spotlight on the colourful characters and events of our past helped us gain support for a local heritage institution.
Stephen’s exceptionally broad interests informed his writing in an irreplaceable way, and his columns were loyally read and debated. It was a special week at the Archives when his story was from Mount Forest, as it was in the recent issue that also carried his obituary.
It is clear that Elora has lost an outstanding citizen, but we wanted you to know, that even in the northern most reaches of the county, Stephen Thorning will be missed.
The Volunteers of the Mount Forest Museum & Archives
Kate Rowley