At a ceremony last Thursday (May 26th) at the Arnprior Villa, the Town’s Volunteer of the Year for 2022, Arnold McIntyre, was feted for the yeo-person service he’s performed on behalf of the local Archives.
One of the projects McIntyre is credited for is identifying all 178 workers in a group shot of the staff at the former Kenwood Mills in its heyday.
The biggest contribution, according to Mayor Stack who was on hand to present him the award, was a 15 year effort compiling birth and death records for residents in the catchment area from the local weekly newspapers of the era.
The meticulous effort involved not only Arnold, but the nimble fingers of others on something called a typewriter.
In the process of completing the initiative, Arnold became aware that he’d stumbled on a buried treasure- of information.
McIntyre accomplished all of this after his retirement from teaching at Arnprior District High School, and most in the audience for the recognition were his former students.
He had not lost his sense of humour- stating the project would be more appreciated if people only knew where the Arnprior McNab-Braeside Archives is located.
by Rick Stow
