2003 ROBERT J. BOYER AWARD

In 2001, the Foundation established the Robert J. Boyer Award to honour individuals who demonstrate significant commitment to the cultural and historical heritage of Muskoka. The award is named after Bob Boyer, a local historian with a life-long commitment to the unique cultural heritage of Muskoka, and was created with the generous support of Vicki Billingsley, Mr. Boyer's daughter. Mr. Boyer has been a politician, an author, a publisher, and a tireless promoter of Muskoka to the rest of the world. He has written the quintessential book of Bracebridge’s history, A Good Town Grew Here, and he was instrumental in the restoration of Woodchester Villa. Mr. Boyer acted as a trustee for the Royal Ontario Museum. Mr. Boyer is a founding patron of the Muskoka Heritage Foundation and is currently an honourary patron.

This year’s award recipient, Lorne Jewett, keeps over 1000 slides and over 200 pages of information about Bala’s past. For more than 25 years, he has been offering two presentations: Bala - The Way it Was and Bala - Then and Now.

One of Muskoka’s original conservationists, Mr. Jewett also speaks about Muskoka’s waterways, especially its waterfalls. Speaking about Ontario’s wild orchids is another passion of this Renaissance man. Other hobbies and interests that have led Mr. Jewett to explore Muskoka in depth are his wood and stone carvings and his exquisite watercolours. He was once a student of Arthur Lismer. Mr. Jewett makes his home on the Moon River, on land that has been in his family for over 100 years. Since 1970, he has made Bala his permanent home.