Norman Shaw and son, Ian.
I was recently struck by a truth that I have contemplated, but never truly considered in a formal and serious manner. While attending a lecture in Collingwood, the evening’s speaker made a simple deduction that left me searching for a pen and paper.
The Watts family of Collingwood ventured to Canada from Ireland and began a boatbuilding business that became internationally renowned. Seventy years after arriving in Collingwood, the Watts family was still building and shipping custom-made wooden boats across Canada and into the United States.
The speaker’s conclusion was this: The Watts family was able to build boats in Collingwood for so long because they were good at what they did. At a time when many Irish immigrants were destitute and struggling to stay alive, building Canada’s railways and canals, the Watts family set out on its own and established a business that earned the family a respected place in Canada’s marine history.
I can assure you that I am not attempting to argue that the Shaws are icons of Canadian history, but I would like to suggest that, like the Watts family, they were exceptionally good at what they did, and that it’s no coincidence the Shaws have been farming the land atop Blue Mountain for the past 163 years. (more…)
The Shawking Facts 