For the first time in three years, the Ramara Wall of Fame will have a new inductee.
William Thomson, who played a pivotal role in having Longford become a thriving community, will be posthumously inducted into the local wall of fame later this month.
Thomson owned the Longford Lumber Company from 1867 until 1900. More than 100 employees from his company ended up having homes built around the community of Longford.
Thomson will be honoured during a ceremony that will be held on Sept. 26 at the Township of Ramara administration office, just prior to the monthly council meeting.
Two others local residents will also be recognized that night. Mary Ailene Reed and Susan Potalivo are the inaugural recipients of the Spirit of Ramara award.
Local officials created the award earlier this year to showcase and recognize individuals, community groups or organizations who have improved the quality of life and community spirit in Ramara through their accomplishments or contributions.
The Ramara Wall of Fame, which is located at the township office, last inducted an individual in 2019.
The awards selection committee did not accept wall of fame nominations in either 2020 or last year, in part because it was unable to host an in-person ceremony because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thomson is undoubtedly a worthy inductee this year. The purpose of the wall of fame is to recognize and showcase the talents, values and contributions of permanent, seasonal or temporary residents within Township of Ramara boundaries.
They are honoured for their regional, national or international accomplishments or for their historical contributions that assisted in the building of the township.
Besides owning his lumber company, Thomson boosted local tourism by transporting visitors via his steamer, which was named The Longford. The steamer took guests from Orillia and other local areas to his 150-acre Geneva Park.
Thomson was also responsible for getting a tramway built. It joined Lake St. John to Lake Couchiching and then on to Sutton for the milling of lumber from the township.
As for Reed, she will receive a Spirit Of Ramara Award as she is the administrator of the popular Facebook page titled Ramara Voice.
The page, which is updated daily and has 2,500 members, includes local news, happenings, pictures and historical information about the township.
Potalivo, a Lagoon City resident, is being honoured for initiating various fundraising initiatives, which have collectively raised more than $40,000, since the pandemic began.
