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2009 ROBERT J. BOYER AWARD
Mary Storey
Mary Storey is well versed in local history, and is a member and
director of the Muskoka Steamship and Historical Society, the
Antique and Classic Boat Society, and a volunteer extraordinaire at
the Muskoka Boat and Heritage Centre (MBHC).
Mrs. Storey was a key member of the group who worked with design
firms and the Town of Gravenhurst in 2005 to develop MBHC's
exhibits. The work was onerous in terms of historical research and
getting the Muskoka story right as is now portrayed in the Centre.
Since those early days, she has remained fully engaged in the
Centre's activities and currently is the Chair of the Centre's
Management Committee.
According to Ian Turnbull,
'fully engaged'
is an understatement with
respect to Mary.
"She is a fixture at the Centre, there almost
daily, as is her husband John. She is actively involved in
virtually all of the Centre's
programs, with a particular interest in development of the archives
and education programs,"
he added. The archives have been organized under her leadership and
are proving a magnet for people doing research on the 'Muskoka
story'.
Mrs. Storey currently sits on the Collections Committee of MBHC
and recently lead the development of the "Boat Builders of Muskoka"
exhibit, currently on display through September. This involved
facilitating meetings and discussions with current boat builders and
restorers as well as descendents of high profile families such as
Harry Greening who raced Ditchburn built "Rainbow" series in Canada,
the US and England, and Harold Wilson who with his wife raced
Greavette built "Miss Canada" series of boats internationally.
Mary has been instrumental is setting up the archives area of the
Muskoka Boat and Heritage Centre.
With her leadership, a group of 6 -8 volunteers meet for a
full day every week from Oct. - May.
They have catalogued 2000+ items as well as 4000+ photos.
A collection of more than 300 books have been acquired and
along with many other pieces of text, these are used by many people
who research Muskoka built boats, steamships and resorts.
Mary assists researchers, answers all calls for research and
supervises a summer student as he/she does research.
She and her husband are active members of the Antique and Classic Boat Society - Toronto that runs the Antique and Classic Boat Show in Gravenhurst each July, and the "Dippy" Association, an association of Disappearing Propeller boat owners. The boats were built in Port Carling and Gravenhurst between 1915 and 1956.
Mary Storey was a classroom teacher for 35 years. She taught
science, mathematics and computers. Professionally, she was
recognized with many awards throughout her career, including the
Federal Prime Ministers Award for Excellence in 1995.
After retiring in 2000, Mary and her husband re-located to
Gravenhurst. Every community would be lucky to have a Mary Storey.
She is an educator, an advocate for Muskoka Heritage, and a crusader
for women of Muskoka. She was one of twelve women who launched
Muskoka Women's Connection, an innovative and informal network that
connects women for social events without dues, structure or
committee meetings. She
was the driving force behind Opening Doors, an annual one-day event
launched in 2002 for girls in grades 7 and 8, which showcases
careers in Math, Science, and Technology. This program dispels myths
and stereotypes, and introduces young women to role models,
demonstrating that it is fun to be a woman in trades and technology.
For being a catalyst for improving the quality of life for
women of all ages in Muskoka, Storey was recognized by the YWCA at
the 2005 Women of Distinction Awards.
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