Twinning gift for Comrie

Nov 9 2012 by Lynn Duke, Strathearn Herald

An unusual gift was presented to the people of Comrie at the October meeting of Comrie Community Council.

It was a handcrafted canoe paddle from the residents of Comrie’s twin town in Carleton Place, Canada.

The honorary president of the Shaky Village twinning committee, George Lees, was given the paddle at the Carleton Place Heritage Ball, which George and his family attended to help celebrate 20 years of the successful twinning arrangement.

George explained: “The Canadian party were over here for the 20th anniversary and at the dinner on the Saturday night in the Royal Hotel Comrie Community Council chairman Andrew Finlayson was waxing lyrical.

“In order to try and make the two communities seem closer he said the following: ‘Comrie stands on the Earn, which empties into the Tay, which empties into the North Sea and thence into the Atlantic and thereafter into the St Lawrence Seaway and then into Lake Ontario and into the Mississippi so it would be feasible to get into your canoe and just paddle over to Carleton Place’.

“It got a good laugh, making an enjoyable evening even more jolly.

“So, unbeknown to us, a paddle was begat by the Canadians and decorated and a small plaque attached thereto.

“It was given to us at the ball on Saturday, September 29, to bring back to Scotland, which we did in one piece.”