Isaiah S. Kinzie

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00065-4092.8
• Occupation: 1911, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Laborer, Milk Waggon
• Residence: 1911, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Mennonite
• Residence: 1958, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada

Notes:

Kinzie.- Isaiah, son of Henry and Elizabeth (Steiner) Kinzie, was born in Blair, Ont., June 23, 1890; died at Cambridge Memorial Hospital on Aug. 20, 1981; aged 91 y. He was married to Sylvia Snyder, who preceded him in death. Surviving are 4 children (Willard, Dorothy-Mrs. Robert Ritchie, Jean-Mrs. Donald Pearce, and Edith). Also surviving are 13 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and one brother (Edwin). Hewas preceded in death by 2 brothers and one sister. He was a member of Preston Mennonite Church, where funeral services were held on Aug. 23, in charge of Willis Breckbill and Rufus Jutzi; interment in Hagey Cemetery.

Gospel Herald, November 10, 1981 - Volume 74, Number 45 - page 846

Isaiah married Sylvia Snyder 1 Feb 1916. Sylvia (daughter of Levi Snyder and Sarah S. Reist) was born 22 Jan 1893, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 4 Jul 1972, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Hagey Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Jean — Donald Charles Pearce. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-43239

Other Events:

• Elected Office: Barrie, Simcoe Co., Ontario, Canada; mayor of Barrie, Ontario
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-146730
• Birth: 25 Sep 1919

Notes:

Willard L. Kinzie (born September 19, 1919) is a businessman and former mayor of Barrie, Ontario. After serving as an Alderman, Willard was elected as mayor of the then town and served at the time that it reincorporated as a city. He played a central role in many of the issues affecting Barrie, such as various annexation reviews and the development of the waterfront. As a businessman, he ran a successful milk delivery business earning him the nickname 'The Milk Man'.

Willard Kinzie. (2017). En.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 9 September 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willard_Kinzie

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At 95 years of age, former mayor hasn't lost interest in local politics

Ninety-five years in and Willard Kinzie is still looking ahead.

"I feel older. There's no question about that. I can't do what I used to do. Age is catching up to me in many ways," he said from his Shanty Bay Road home. "But somehow or other in life, you look up to what's in the future and it all looks good."

The former Barrie mayor (1957-1961) turned 95 years young on Friday, and he still pays attention to local politics \endash especially with a city election coming in October.

"I think in general we have one of the better councils, serving the people, on the whole," he said. "But there's always problems, there will always be complaints when you are there, there's always pros and cons. I certainly don't agree with everything they do."

One criticism is that city costs haven't been adequately controlled. Kinzie believes expenses should only increase as much as the annual assessment; that would keep taxes constant.

But he's the first to admit these are different times.

Kinzie was raised in a farm neighbourhood, between Cambridge and Kitchener, a friendly, helpful, competitive community.

"There was a real effort to improve the neighbourhood," he remembers.

His father and uncles were in the dairy business, and there were stories of great humour passed on to him.

"This made me want to go into the dairy business, rather than farming, because it seemed more fun," he said. "I found out it was more hard work."

This was during the Great Depression, times were tough and there was no medical care. His father spent all his money when his mother fell ill, and needed a series of operations.

"It took everything he had," Kinzie said.

But he found work, eventually went overseas, and came back with $3,000 in pay, plus a further $3,000 in gratuities from the government for his service, 1942-1945.

It gave him the capital to buy one broken-down dairy truck for one delivery route. In two years time he had three routes.

But it was all too small, so he sold the Guelph business and moved to Barrie, in 1947.

He immediately noticed one big difference here; Kempenfelt Bay.

"When I came to Barrie, this whole scene astounded me \endash the beauty of it," he said.

Kinzie purchased a Dunlop Street East dairy (Lakeview), lived there with his family in the house above it, with a view of Kempenfelt.

"We could look out over the water, and it was just amazing. The beauty of it astounded me," he said.

Kinzie purchased an empty Shanty Bay Road lot, overlooking the lake, and built his home there.

He soon joined the Chamber of Commerce, but was disappointed with the city's effort to bring in new industry and business.

"It seemed to me they were protecting the low-wage industries that we had in Barrie at that time, so I ran for council and got elected (1952-53)," he said. "My main objective was to get business and industry."

Once mayor, he travelled North America to achieve this goal.

"It was rather amazingly simple. If I heard of a prospect for industry in Canada \endash this was before free trade, so we had companies that we knew were practically forced to establish in Canada," he said, "I would go, unannounced.

"Go to the head office and ask to see the president and show my mayor's card. And amazingly enough I never had to wait more than 20 minutes to see the president of the company."

He said this resulted in many businesses and industries coming to the city.

"Barrie had started to grow, and we were able to offer employment to all of our younger people," he said.

Kinzie also began thinking about the head of Kempenfelt, and made the first motion on council, before he was mayor, to start filling in the bay and acquire property along the waterfront.

There were objections from environmentalists.

"There were people who said just leave it as it is," he said. "My version is that it should be open to the public to see and enjoy.

"The beauty of the bay still astounds me. I wake up in the morning and I see the bay."

He continues to walk the North Shore Trail, and spearheaded a project around the bay to tell Barrie's story.

The Heritage Trail is to eventually be a self-guided trail around the city's waterfront, depicting Barrie's history through signs and displays; it's to help educate the public, school groups and visitors. Work started on it this past summer.

So Willard Kinzie is still looking ahead.

All are welcome at Saturday's open house to celebrate his 95th birthday, from 1: 30-4 p.m. at 135 Shanty Bay Rd. His son Bob will be barbequing a pig.

A family dinner follows that evening, with an expected crowd of 35-40 people, with smoked trout all the way from British Columbia, delivered by his daughter Susan.

bob.bruton@sunmedia.ca

Kinzie keeping close watch. (2014). Barrie Examiner. Retrieved 9 September 2017, from https://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2014/09/26/at-95-years-of-age-former-mayor-hasnt-lost-interest-in-local-politics

Willard married Ruth Snider 1 Aug 1942. Ruth (daughter of Omar Snider and Maylinda Hallman) was born 29 Nov 1919; died 26 Jan 2011; was buried , Hagey Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Dorothy Irene Ritchie
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-338693

Notes:

RITCHIE, Dorothy, RN - Peacefully at Telfer Place, Paris, on Tuesday, June 3, 2008. Dorothy Irene Kinzie formerly of Ayr, in her 85th year. Beloved wife of the late Robert Ritchie (1998); loving mother of Karen (John) MacLeod of Paris, Marlene (Jim) Miller of Baden, Patricia (Glenn) Kahle of Kitchener, David Ritchie of Cambridge, Douglas (Ann) Ritchie of Paris, Mary Margaret (John) DeMeer of Paris and Richard Ritchie of Brantford; Grandma Ritchie of 16 grandchildren and seven great- grandchildren; and sister of Willard (Ruth) Kinzie of Barrie and Jean Pearce of Cambridge; predeceased by sister, Edith Kinzie (2003). Dorothy graduated from the K-W School of Nursing and nursed at various institutions in the area. She enjoyed nature, camping, quilting, reading and most of all, family gatherings. Friends will be received at the Ayr Chapel, Wm. Kipp Funeral Home , 183 Northumberland Street, Ayr on Thursday from 7 - 9 p.m. and Friday (today) from 10 a.m. until time of Funeral Service at 11 a.m. Reverend Fred Hagle of Knox United Church, Ayr officiating. Interment Ayr Cemetery. Donations in Dorothy's memory may be made to Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Canadian Cancer Society or Canadian Diabetes Association. Online condolences or donations may be arranged through www.wmkippfuneralhome.com or by contacting Wm. KIPP 519-442-3061.
The Waterloo Region Record - Jun. 6, 2008

Dorothy married Robert Cochrane "Bob" Ritchie 7 Jul 1951, , Ontario, Canada. Robert (son of Thomas Irving Ritchie and Mabel Grace "Grace" Cochrane) was born 1922, North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 22 Oct 1998, Brantford, Brant Co., Ontario, Canada; was buried 24 Oct 1998, Ayr Cemetery, Ayr, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: 00106-5924.600

Patricia — Glen Kahle. [Group Sheet]