Citizen at 40: McDonald serves Walton and beyond

BY SCOTT STEPHENSON

Sometimes, a correspondent for The Citizen is doing their civic duty.

 

Jo-Ann McDonald can’t quite recall how long she’s been the Walton correspondent. “I must have been at it for 20 years already,” she mused. “I’m sure there’s a record somewhere.” 

 

There is indeed a record out there, and it’s The Citizen! McDonald’s first column appeared in the Walton section of its Jan. 9, 2002. “Patty Banks was doing it before I took over the Walton news. And I believe Patty took it over from Betty McCall,” McDonald recalled. “Anyways, Patty was the minister’s wife in Walton, and when she got past wanting to do it, she basically just asked me if I wanted to do it. Because I’m involved in so much, she thought maybe I might know something… And I guess I do!”

 

McDonald’s deep roots in her community have long made her a reliable source of local knowledge. “I normally come across news quite easily because I know so many people, and I’m out in the community doing so many things,” she pointed out. “I have lots of notes. Notes, notes and more notes - stuff I scribble down and toss in a pile. And by the end of the week, if I’m not doing anything Friday night, I might start there. Or it might be Saturday or Sunday. But usually, I do get it done… Occasionally, I’m late getting it in because life just gets too busy. A lot of the time it takes me a couple sit-downs - or three - to get it written.”

 

McDonald also writes the weekly column for the Brussels Legion. “I’m the PRO, Public Relations Officer, for the Legion, so I like to keep people informed about what’s going on there, what we’re doing, and how they can come out and support us or get involved,” she explained to The Citizen.

 

In the early years, when she was first starting out, McDonald focused all her attention on the various happenings of Walton. “In the beginning, it was all Walton, all the time. We were very active at the Walton Hall, the Walton Market and the Walton Church… This was supposed to be the Walton news, after all!” she exclaimed. “I was always at the ballpark, at the hall and at the church. It was easy to learn things about people - whether they had babies or were getting married or having a wedding, or someone had passed away. So it was easy to come up with news. I didn’t have to look too hard. And then other people show up at my door and give me things to put in.”

 

Over time, the community she’s written about has changed. “For a long time, it was the same people living in Walton. Now, Walton has definitely turned into a bedroom community for Kitchener - as Brussels has, too. A lot of people have moved in. And without our church, which I always thought was a mainstay, you don’t meet people. You don’t even know who they are. One day there’s a for-sale sign, then a moving van, and the next thing you know, there’s a different family living there. Now, a lot of folks in Walton don’t even know their neighbour.”

 

The closure of the Walton United Church, after more than a century of service, is a story McDonald will never forget writing about. “I did the eulogy, or I called it a eulogy, for the closing service. I did the sermon, but I think of it more as a reflection, a remembrance… I wasn’t born and raised here - I moved here in ’77, and the church was a way to get to know everyone and become part of the community,” she recalled.

 

There is one frequently occurring local event that McDonald is always eager to report on - the weather. “Being part of a farming community, the weather affects everything,” she explained. “A lot of people from town don’t really understand what’s happening in the farming world and how the weather plays into that. And I’ve done a few ‘signs of spring’ type things. People don’t think about it, but a sign of spring is when the turtles start crossing the road. You don’t see them other times - but come spring, there they are! Don’t run over the turtles! And in winter - snowstorms cause chaos. Accidents, people running out of milk and not being able to get to the store… It all ties into life.”

 

More and more, McDonald sees her role as helping people stay in contact, especially those who may no longer be out and about. “I think it just keeps people connected with other people and knowing what’s going on, especially once they become more homebound,” she pointed out. “And the Legion column does that too, with birthday parties and anniversaries. People say, ‘I didn’t think they were married that long!’ Well, we had their 50th wedding anniversary here. So, yeah - they were!”

 

Through it all, McDonald’s motivation remains steady: to keep Walton - and its people - connected. “It’s important just to keep people engaged with other people in the community - especially those that don’t get out. I would hazard a guess that when the older people get The Citizen, they read it from cover to cover, so that they know something.”

 

Walton is a smaller community now. “There’s not a lot for people to get involved,” McDonald said. “The church was the cornerstone, especially for older folks… There just isn’t the same opportunity to meet people anymore. So, my column has evolved. Now when I learn something, it doesn’t matter where it’s from - Walton, Blyth, Ethel, Cranbrook… I touch on everything.”