OnWednesdayOctober 6, 1971, the headline of Colling-
wood’snewspaper, TheEnterprise—Bulletin read, “JozoWei-
derDied inTrafficAccident.
Thearticle’s firstparagraph read, “Lifeonearthhasbeencom-
pleted for JozoWeiderand theextentofhis losswill neverbe
known. During the thirty-oneyears inwhichhewas a citizen
of theCollingwooddistrict,heaccomplishedmuchmore than
shouldbeexpectedbyonemortal being.”
Thearticlechronicled the impact themanhadon theareaboth
as thedeveloper of BlueMountainand TorontoSki Club. It
was his vision that led to the creationof the tourist industry in
theCollingwoodarea. Amonghisother celebratedventures
wasBlueMountainPottery.
At2p.m.onSaturdayOctober9,at the requestofMayorH.J.
Ball, citizenswere asked toobserve twominutes of silence.
The timewas signalledby the local firedepartment.
Following thedeathof JozoWeider,RobertBlairassumed the
reinsof thecompanyas theseniorvice-presidentandgeneral
managerof International Silver, theparent companyofBMP.
ItwasunderBlair’sdirection that theoperationwas fine tuned
tomeet thegrowingmarket forBMP in the1970’s.
During this time,Blair
developed a sophisti-
cated marketing strategy
that resulted in increased salesonan international scale.
In1980, in recognitionof his industry, Blairwasmadepresi-
dent andC.E.Oof thecompanyaswell asaminorityowner.
He stayedwith thecompanyuntil his first retirement in1983.
Afterhisdeparture, thecompanyexperienced financial hard-
shipand near the endof 1985, BMP declaredbankruptcy.
He reformed theoperationasBlueMountainPottery ’87and
purchased a number of the former company’s oldmoulds.
Observersat the timedeclared thatmost creativemouldswere
madeduring the final yearsof thecompany’soperation.
DavidBennett came toBMPasamasterdesignerandmould
maker in1982. He recognized the tireless effortsof Blair by
producing twoof themost popular collections. TheROMAR
pieces, namedafterRobert andhiswifeMarionBlairand the
RobertWilsonCollectionarestillgreatlysoughtoutbycurrent
collectorsof BMP.
Bennett, trainedatGeorgianCollege,hasnot limitedhisartis-
ticendeavours solely topottery—he isalsoanaccomplished
painter, woodcarver, and sculptor. He currently operates a
studio in theWasagaBeachareacalledSilhouetteandLinks,
agalleryon themain street inStayner. Hemaintains contact
with theBlueMountainCollectorsClubandhasdesignedan-
nual collector’spieces.
In1982hewas living inTorontoand twoof thepotterystudios
that heworkedwith shut down. Heownedapieceof land in
WasagaBeach soheandhiswifebuilt ahome thereat 39—
69thStreetwherehis studio is still located.
“I was hiredas amouldmaker and for the last 11 years of
BMP’sexistence, Iwas themasterdesigner,”hesaid. Hewas
the last personemployed in that positionby thebusiness.
Nowaged66he laments that there isnota lotofworkavailable
forpotters in theCollingwoodarea.“Pottery isavery labour inten-
siveactivityand isnowadyingart. A fewpottersstillworkoutof
theirhomes in thearea,”hesaid.
Productionpotterswhomakecupsandotherutensilscanmakea
living,butBennett compares theirwork toanassembly lineoper-
ationandhesays,“I’d ratherdomoreartisticwork.”
Although it hasbeen several years since theheydayof BMP,
thepieces are sought after by collectors and thepriceof the
workshas tripledbecause theyareno longerbeingmade.
Robert Blair’s effortswere successful in creatingamarket for
the pottery until the late 1990s. The mould however was
beingcast leading to theendofBMP. InanarticlebyAngela
McEwan of Connection, shewrites, “Beginning in the early
2000smanyevents hadaglobal impact on the tourist indus-
try, suchasSept. 11, SARSandWestNile.”
☛
PhotocourtesyofBlueMountainResort
43
WINTER
2015
|
