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Drysdale name will live on m forest ' 3" 5Aqu now v shulunfi’)“rntgrn,m (km-nun generals. (Neal's Part politi- cians and It'lcvision personalities have gotten their (Zhn‘sxmas trees from [name's - SOth' 0! the celdnmes. induding then. [firmwr Bill Davis and model Fabio. even ventured m mmhcm Whitchumh-Sloum m cut their uwn. But after 62 years. the lk'ysdale fan‘niiy has deddvd In say goodbye to “its “hitcmm‘h- Smufl‘vifle tree farm near Ballamrac. The family has donated the I36-acre prop- erty m the York Regkmal FORM. The land is adjacent to the Howdy Tract on Hwy. 48. its! south us‘nâ€"‘ian Road. His [amen ch, started the business, but unly as a hobby. me family’s tree farm in law ’mwnship remains operational. Mr. [W. 81. is a serum! gvmrafion Christmas tree farmer. A: a teacher m Hus ’Rmrsh‘lp (now (Mary) in 01619205. Regwould takethestu- (k-nts fmm his omnrdnm school lumse to the inim‘ial True in Midhurs} each year. “hem be and the students would each receive 1.0m rm! vim' auxilin a war. acmrdim to “I! could have dosed min-16f. but I wanted one mom year.“ Doug Daysdak‘ said. I “It's going to be a my: day for me." he He cnmuragcd his smdcms m pliant the seamlth un their farms and around the Schmrl house. In 1925, when Reg wzm 19. in order to pwsmve some 0f the inheritance he received from his parents ftflklwing their deaths. he bought mu properties near the school and began to refines: them. The tree farm willonly be. open Dec. 7 and 8. Hand l§§um9mmft05pgm. Prior to the Second “kirk! War. Toronto- mans mmkj get their hush-cut (,hflstmas trays hauled dawn fmm the {mists up north. But due to gas rationing during the war. it hu‘anw hard m get nu»;- tmes m the city. Realizing (LhHstmasttree fanning he a pmfilabk' wnmm. in 1945 Reg purchmicd some pmpeny and stand planting. “my FINAL CHRISIUAS FOR BALLAHRAE-AREA IREE FARM OUT-WM HONEERS wouki am he halvesth for another five or Around l950. they exported about 1.000 of metteestoAmericanganmgewiaaMn- nection in the Hoiland Marsh. “They were pretty well near wild.” he said. In their second year of supplying Krog- er with trees. the gmu‘t decideti'it wanted 1011!). , ln1951.whenl)m13wa.sinhisfimyear offilemymognmatmeUnmmtyo! Tm he convinced his father to purchase 117 acres in Wmhumhfitouflville * lot 27. Ninth to Bum 30. It was a “hard stubble fann' awned by Herbert Pegg, who had some cattk; and ing to They decided to plant Scotch pines and mm it into a (Ihrisunas tree farm. J “Wk had actually robbed our crop (from the m year) a little to get 1,000.“ Doug Not being able provide more than rough- ly L000 trees thmnselws. 0013 bought the mmaining trees from other fannens. (hen mold them to Kroger. Amund 1960, the Ikysdalfi tram about cut-ytmâ€"mn nee farms south 0! (lle'btmler. The Doug told felkm local tree farmer Keith Horton about them and that year they both started offering cutâ€"ympovm Christmas trees to (he general public. “This particular iocation was the very first in Ontariof Doug said. i g "it turned out in he sgmacular. W (W- aled quite a few lrafiic iams and so did (Keith Mariam,” he In I968. [hug purchan another 26 arms fronting St. Inhn's [)esphe cxpamfing their land. tmc famling remained a hobby for the two gmmlirms oflx'ysdales Mspent33yearsudththe (hwiopvemmt’sfmesnybrandu. It was not until his son. [)dug IL. who also graduated from the University 0! 'l‘omnm‘s forestry program. but ‘in “181. did the opera- tion. which included a tree farm in Ema ’l'uwn~ ship. become a Mil-time business Within the l36 acres the Drysdales donat- ed to theVbrk Regional Forest. is the largest. in diameter. imnwood (we “anywhere”. accord~ A! ‘13. Doug’s-tinned helping his father on "' crop growing on it. marlinirtravel Memories that will last a lifetime. MM(M WW)'I°‘OWMDV I (905) 640-8999 This Christmas Give the Gift of Travel MWWNWMMI‘WWIMWWRWMO‘ drugiomlforcst.0ndwcownlack8caudumpmd§am8uudumparryatmom of the Drysdak {a‘rm Saturday. Go to yorkrcgim.uom photographs. inglo Doug. Ironwood is the densest Canadian wood and it is used to make tool handles. It can grow (0 l2 metres in height and have a diam. etc: of 25 mam “I! win be carefully designated on the property." Doug said. noting a trail will go The donated land will carry the Drysdale name. according to the media release sup- plied by York Region earlier this year. The property will provide an opportu- nity for two planting and restoration of forest cover. as well as mutational opportunities and trail linkages. “The Ikysdale name has been synon ymous with Christmas tux-s: we are very URGES? TIEE'IN CANADA pmud to now have their name assodatcd with the Ybrk Begonal Forest.” said Town of Richmond Hill Regional (huncfllor Vim Smtafora. chairpemm of the region's emi- mnmental services committee. In 1997. Regwas inducted imu the Ontario Agricultural Hall ofFamc because ofhis wurk in pioneering the Christmas (we industry. lkyuialvk has been mum-d the best Christmas tree farm twice by the National Christmas Tree Gmwers Awudation. The farm has also been named best Christmas tree grower in Ontario 3 number of timm ’ [)lyulalc's Whitchurch-Stoufiville Christ- mas tree farm is. located at 16195 Durham Road 30. just north of Aumm Road. Famwflormafion.ptomdrysdalesca