May have been chilly, didn’t stop the creativity!

Dear Editor

A massive thanks to all who came out for the Church Chicks United’s 16th annual Port Perry Easter Bonnet Contest, on Easter Sunday, April 5! The Chicks are always amazed at the creativity we see each year and this year was no exception. We had 152 contest participants of all ages who braved the wind and chill to compete. This year $1156.40 was raised for the Operation Scugog Food Bank during the hour-long event!

Many thanks to our sponsors, The Kids’s Cupboard and, you, Focus On Scugog magazine. Additionally, the Church Chicks want to thank Ken Koury of The Nutty Chocolatier for his donation of 22 large chocolate bunnies for the category winners. Thank you to our judges, Mayor Wilma Wotten, Chef Ram of Fico Fusion Cuisine and Christy Stone of The Piano Cafe. Christy generously matched what our pop-up hot chocolate booth made and added $358 to the Operation Scugog donation.

Additional thanks to Hometown Printing for donating our poster printing costs. Our Port Perry United Church congregation who generously supported our Palm Sunday Bake Sale for the contest’s seed money. Brad Short, John Rowett, Dave & Drew Hollett and Paul & Geoffrey Manns for their near heroic, event set-up and breakdown feats of support and strength. 

Do we live in a great town or what?

With sincere thanks,

Pam Hollett & Rachel Manns

Church Chicks United

Co-Chairs Port Perry Easter Bonnet Contest 

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Missing pieces of the Cawker family

Dear Editor

Mr van Bilsen’s short article in the March 2026, (page 35) issue of Focus on Scugog re: Who was Cawker? was an interesting read. He did well to condense many generations onto one page but some correction is required to our immediate Cawker family.  

In addition to his three sons, Albert, William and John, my grandfather Alymer Bolten Cawker (and his wife Iona) had two daughters Jean and Betty, both nurses.  

He also shortened my father Alymer Albert Cawker’s time running our store Cawker Bros.  My father started his working career in 1937 at Canada Packers in Toronto and left his position there in November 1947 joining his father Alymer Cawker to run the Cawker Bros store and manage our two ranches just north of Port. 

Dad eventually bought the business and properties from my grandfather (I don’t know when exactly) and ran the store in its original configuration eventually expanding it next door into its Cawker’s Food Market final configuration. My mother Vivien (neé Wallace) worked side-by-side with Dad for many years in the expanded market, helped by many local staff. 

I worked in both the original and expanded versions of Cawker Bros throughout high school and occasionally when home from U of T.  My brother Dan also worked in the store [as did my Uncle Jack (John O.) Cawker] at various times in its Cawker’s Food Market configuration until Mom and Dad decided to retire in September 1973 and sold the store and building to Art Brock. Dad ran the butcher shop continuously for 26 years from 1947 to 1973.  

Well-researched biographies of many historical Port Perry residents, including my father Albert Cawker and grandfather Alymer Cawker, are included in J. Peter Hvidsten’s excellent publications Faces of Scugog Vol 1 and 2.

Best regards, Joel Cawker

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