David and The Market

The  Cpmmittee of adjustment is the only meeting tonight. Likely yo decide on the variance application for 2 parking spaces less for the Yonge Street condo.

Somebody was asking about  the David story. Here's what I know. 

David has been a fixrure since  former Councillor  Nigel Keane was working hard with Ron Wallace's support to build a Farmer's Market  in the Temperance Street parking lot behind the stores.

Mr. Keane was out at six every Saturday morning  from May until Ovtober helping to set up and 

encouraging vendors to join the market. 

The Seniors raised funds  selling whatever they could think of  for the new senior's facility to be built. They loved NIgel. He gave them a lot of support.

Nigel encouraged David to come back . David's pitch added colour and spice to the Market.

David is of a long line  in Aurora. He shares  a  sense of  pride of place with most Aurorans who point to several generations deep. 

He brought  privately owned artifacts to the market to share. Had  t-shirts printed with vintage pictures.  Promoted his Spirit  Walk  and among other charities he gathered fresh produce for the food bank at his  stall

He was a Happy Warrior for his causes and  many visitors and newcomers to Aurora got their introduction to Aurora's history on a Saturday morning at the maarket from David Heard. 

The Market moved to Wells  Street. We had an election. Councillor Keane disappeared from the scene . The  Market was taken over  in the same way Church Street School slipped out of the hands of the Historical Society and the Hydro building was declared  in secret to be " a liability" that desperately needed the Department of National Defence as a tenant.

It was  an Invasion of the Building Snatchers  No influence  was left untouched. All status was undermined. 

Nothing like it had been seen since Tudor Henry VIII  , a man of exceptional excesses, separated  from the Church of Rome, took posession of all their possessions and declared himself  Head of the Church  of England so that he could keep on beheading or divorcing wives  and still be  conducting himself properly, worthy of the Monarchy ,sort of  a mediaeval Mayoralty,  within God's law and approval of the populace. 

There was  pushing  and shoving at the market, an  ice cream vending junior with a permit  reduced to a quivering bundle of fear and tears  by a large-assed black-bearded Councillor with a cutlass. assigned by  the new Monarch to guard the outpost in the park(The Market made inroads  into the park  from Well Street)

Possession is nine-tenths of the law. Stories became legend  of visitors  enjoying  delicious pea-meal bacon on a bun purchased from a  market vendor,turfed  from the picnic bench made available for the purpose. 

The Satellite Queen of Sbowball had become firmly ensconced .

Seniors were compelled to walk around the fenced and guarded perimeter of the town park to reach  amenities. 

David was not left unscathed . Having legitimate connection to town history, he  became personna non grata  to newcomers anxious to establish their own exalted status of being in charge. 

Market  Executive members, with  no stomach for the taste of  things  to come amd having  only

an interest in paying  the town's permit fee, vending five hours on a Saturday, five months of the year and otherwise just getting on with their lives, withdrew from executive involvement. 

Immediately It became a restless ,seething,writhing nest of political intrigue with underground connections to the ersatz ,phoney-baloney, hoity-toity, culture incubator occupying  the purloined  premises of Church Street School.

From  such  outposts, the battle  still continues for control of the hearts and minds of  Aurorans. 

This  post is partially a tribute to Farley Mowat who lived until he was ninety-two  and never let the facts get in the way of a good story ,whose books were enjoyed  and philosophy  appreciated the world over. 

It is also partially a story of David  and the Market.