Great grandfather George McLeod, 86, just might have the best spot in the whole city to enjoy bands like Stiffler’s Mom, Griphook, and The Ghost Town Cryers at Rotaryfest this year.
McLeod is a resident of Lions Place, a 60-unit apartment building located in the heart of where most of the Rotaryfest happens, and his apartment is on the 6th floor overlooking Clergue Park where the main bands play and people gather.
“It’s the best view in the city,” said McLeod.
It’s ironic that the octogenarian has such a good spot to watch the bands since he grew up basically never really listening to music.
Born in 1930 and growing up in Sault Ste. Marie during the depression, McLeod’s father only made $30 a month and although they had a radio the batteries for it cost around 10 dollars.
If used sparingly they could last for months at a time and he said they basically only ever turned it on to listen to Foster Hewitt narrate hockey games on Saturday nights.
He couldn’t even tell you what kind of music people listened to back then.
“We just didn’t listen to that much music out in the country those days, its not like it was today with music everywhere,” he said.
At 15, McLeod left home to work for the ACR and when he was 16 or 17 he finally started listening to more radio when one came with his first car, a $200 1930 Model A Ford.
He remembers listening to Sault entertainment-personality Don Ramsay’s one-hour show Ramsay’s Ramblers.
At 20, McLeod was hired at the steel plant and even though most of his early life was electricity-free, he got a job in the electrical department.
“My cousin suggested I get into it and I told him I wasn’t sure if I could do it. I talked to the boss and he said if I was any kind of a worker like my cousin he’d give me a try and it went from there. Before that, all I might be able to do is hook up a light fixture,” he said.
Throughout his 35 plus year career at the steel mill, McLeod is proud to say he never called in sick for even one day.
“Lots of days I should have stayed home but, back then, you needed the money.”
During his time at the steel plant, and after a couple of trips down to Nashville, McLeod started to really get into country music.
His favourite act to this day is Marty Robbins and he also likes likes Mel Tillis, Charlie Pride, and Loretta Lynn.
In 1995 McLeod moved into the Lions Place to work as the building’s semi-retired superintendent.
He retired from that job three years ago but decided to stay in the building and so not only does he have one of the best views of the Rotaryfest but he’s had an intimate relationship with the festival for years.
McLeod said that every year the festival brings a tiny bit of chaos to Lions Place.
“For the most part it’s good but there are a couple of things that people complain about, like the sound. But, then again, those people are going to complain about things anyway. They’ll complain if it’s too loud, too quiet, too hot, too cold,” he said.
When McLeod was superintendent he remembers the hassle for him was having to pick up all the cigarette butts from festival goers who decided to smoke on the Lions Place property because they weren’t allowed to in the park.
The current superintendent Kirby Brown confirms that sometimes festival goers, and other downtown public event goers, can create problems for the centrally located apartment building.
Problems like parking in the fire lanes or the tenant’s spots, littering, and even drinking issues.
“But Rotaryfest is good for the city and I wouldn’t want to see it go away by any means. Helping crippled and disabled children, what could be better than that?” said McLeod, and Brown agrees.
These days McLeod isn’t into a lot of the music that young people are playing.
He can listen to music up until about the 70s or 80s but not really much after, so no Nirvana.
“I do like some of the country music (at Rotaryfest), even some rock, but I don’t like any of that hard crap,” he said.
If he doesn’t like what’s going on at the Rotaryfest, McLeod just closes the door to his patio and he can relax inside, maybe even put on Marty Robbins tape to pass the time.
And even if he isn’t always into it, he has seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren who sometimes like to come by and enjoy the view and that makes him happy.
“It’s only three days anyways,” he said.
The following is a news release from the Rotary Club:
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Get your ‘fest on!
Experience three days of the Sault’s Best in Music on Stage 1 at ROTARYFEST, The Sault’s Summer Festival! July 14 to 16 in Clergue Park.
Join us Saturday night as The McCartney Years take a musical journey through the works of one of the most prolific artists off all time.
Hailed by original Beatles promoter Sid Bernstein as “The Best on the Scene”, The McCartney Years is a period-true technically stunning and explosive live concert show that performs the music of Paul McCartney spanning two decades.
From The Beatles to Wings, it is guaranteed that you will jump out of your seat to clap, sing, and dance to the music by one of the most prolific artists of all time in this authentic, timeless live concert experience.
Sault native Dean McKey makes his hometown debut as the drummer for this band.
Thursday, July 14 "A Musical Journey through the Years"
6 p.m. - LISE WHITE & THE SAULT CREW
7 p.m. - CROSSROAD
8 p.m. - FLATHEAD FORD
9 p.m. - JUKEBOX DELUXE
10 p.m. - THE PEACE VIBE
Friday, July 15 'Rock the Night Away"
6 p.m. - MID LIFE CRYSIS
7 p.m. - 3 DAY MILLIONAIRES
8 p.m. - MUSTANG HEART
9 p.m. - THE REPTILES
10 p.m. - STIFLER’S MOM
Saturday, July 16 "Saturday Sound Smorgasbord"
1 p.m. - COVERFLY
2 p.m. - INDIANS & COWBOYS
3 p.m. - RPM
4 p.m. - OBSESSION
5 p.m. - GRIPHOOK
6 p.m. - MOJO
7 p.m. - THAT’S CHESTER
8:30 p.m. - THE MCCARTNEY YEARS
10:15 p.m. - THE GHOST TOWN CRYERS
Stage 1, brought to you in conjunction with the Arts Council of Sault Ste. Marie & District and sponsored in part by OLG and Canadian Heritage.
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