28
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SUMMER
2016
WINT
7
JoanneBaker remembers...
My latehusband JerryBaker, firstbegan toskiherewhenhewasa teenager inhigh
school.Hewould take the ski train from thecityand thenmakehiswayup from the
Depot to thebaseof the lifts. That’showdedicatedhewas toskiing. Thenheended
upwithmewhohadnever skied!
Wemovedhere in1969, when Jozohired Jerry toworkas theAdvertisingSales
PromotionManagerofBlueMountainResorts.Whenwe firstarrived, Jozoandhis
familyhadmovedoutof theirold farmhouse. Jozo said“Youcomeand livehere”.
With Jerryworking for the resort,wealwayshad lotsofpeoplecoming to staywith
us. Itwasalmost likeahotelwithskiers fromallover.We loved living therebuteven-
tuallyoutgrew it andbuilt ourownhomeup thehill.
Iwas just learning toski so Igot into lessonsat theTorontoSkiClub. Thosewere the
goodolddays—I hada lot of fun andmet a lot of great people. I remember the
Northendwitha rope towup theGrannyandaPoma lift upSchussandSpec.
The ‘skiweekers’wouldall stayat the Inn in thosedaysandevery
Thursdaynight, Jerryand Iwould take themall over to the
Gateway inCollingwood forawrap-updinner
anddance. Itwasagreat time—everybody
met everyoneelseand therewereprizes for
each ski school class. LarryReid,whowas
managerof theGatewayat the time,
preparedeverythingbeautifullyallwinter.
I also rememberdayswhen Jozowould
set upagluvinepot at the southend so skiers
couldhaveanicehot drinkandachat and
a laughor twobeforegettingbackon the lift.
Jozoput a lot of effort intocustomer service
andpeople seemed to really like it.
Jerry was supposed to go to Toronto with Jozo for a
Toronto Ski Club meeting on that fateful night in1971
when Jozowas killed in the car crashnear Shelburne. At
the time, Jerrywasalso thePresidentof theHuroniaTourist
Associationandsomekindofanemergencyhadcomeup
so Jozo told Jerry togo to that meetingwhile Jozodrove
alone toToronto. Thatwasa real shocker! Lotsofchanges
happenedafter that.
Back in theearlydays,wegot toknowmostof the regular
skiers.Nowyoucanget lost in themassesof people. The
TorontoSki Clubhas a reunioneach year for thoseof us
whohavebeenmembers for50yearsormore. It’s fun to
goand seepeopleyouhaven’t seen inages.Hardlyany
of usare skiinganymorebut they’redragging themselves
there,whether it’swithwalkersor canesorwhatever.
Recently, while driving through BlueMountainwithmy
daughter Andreaand lookingaroundat all thedevelop-
ment, we agreed that this was Jerry’s dream. It had all
come tobe.
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TheNorth end - c. 1948 - BlueMountainSki Club’s log
clubhouse is on the right andMorrill Ski Shop sits on the left.
Courtesy: theCraigleithHeritageDepot, BlueMountains PublicLibrary.
Jozo offers Traditional Glühwein to skiers
Courtesy: JoanneBaker
In1941, BlueMountainSpecial Ski Trains delivered200-300 Toronto skiers toCraigleith station.
Courtesy: theCraigleithHeritageDepot, BlueMountains PublicLibrary
.
75 years of blue
