The Murchison Property
I grew up hearing about the Murchison Family and the beautiful property that they once had at the corner of Clyde River Road and the Trans Canada Highway. I remember hearing about the tennis courts, flower gardens and beautiful lawns and how when they sat down for dinner, they would enjoy sophisticated conversation for hours. It seemed to a young girl to be some sort of Shangri-La where one could wear pretty dresses with ruffles, tie their hair up with pink bows with little ringlets on the side, wear white ankle socks and the prettiest of patent shoes. One would have dolls with long curly hair that would be the best hair for combing and they would wear dresses of many beautiful colours and there would be a window seat where you would sit and look out over the gardens where you were going to have your tea party with the other little girls from the community the next afternoon. You could smell the scent of fresh-made cookies wafting up the stairs.
There is really no end to a child’s imagination and to think of what life could be like within this manicured estate. And maybe that is part of what makes the property so special for the children who grew up in the community. It is also why it is so important to see this property revived in the spirit of those memories and imagination. It has once again become a Shangri-La for children and anyone who wants to step inside a secret garden that can become all that you want to imagine. The spirit of this place still thrives for all the little girls and boys in all of us.