Two well-respected matriarchs in the Stonewall community have stepped up as honorary co-chairs to support the Save the Kilns committee.
Irene Pearson and Juliette Balsillie have agreed to serve as honorary co-chairs of the committee, alongside volunteer co-chairs Dale Oughton and Merle Balsillie.
Both women continued to run successful local companies after their husbands died, and they became known as pioneers in industries that continue to thrive today.
Both Irene and Juliette believe it’s important to restore the historic kilns, and they encourage others to get involved.
In 1949, Irene moved to Stonewall from Argyle when she married Bob Pearson. Bob’s father worked as superintendent for Winnipeg Supply and Fuel in the limestone industry. After he retired, he bought the hardware store on Stonewall’s main drag.
After Bob died in 1970, Irene ran the family business. Over time, their oldest daughter Katherine took over when Irene retired, and the next generation of the family is now involved. Stonewall Hardware continues to operate and is now connected to the buying group of Home Hardware.
Reflecting on her family’s history, Irene decided to show support for the Save the Kilns project.
“It’s going to cost a lot of money. Various companies have decided to support the effort,” said Irene, who is in her mid-90s. “The kilns are symbolic for Stonewall big time.”
The limestone quarry business played an important role not only for the Pearson family but also for Irene’s in-laws, the Holloway family.
“All the boys worked in that quarry right up until they were retiring, so it’s been a long history of the Holloway family and the Pearson family being involved in the quarries,” she said.
“There was a lot of conversation around the dinner table about the quarry business.”
The limestone quarry business has also been a central part of Juliette Balsillie’s life.
In 1961, her husband was the first to start a quarry in today’s current active quarry zone.
“My late husband William, who was known in the industry as Buzz, worked in the gravel pits in Birds Hill and the quarry in Stony Mountain before starting Standard Limestone Quarries northeast of the Stonewall Quarries in the RM of Rockwood in 1961. Like so many others before us, we moved to the area in 1974 because of the quarries,” Juliette said.
“Over 50 years ago, I enjoyed hearing the men at the quarry talk about how they used to quarry in the early days in Stonewall, where the overburden was removed with a horse and plow, and the steam-powered drills were used for the blast holes.”
The rock was loaded into carts and dumped by the crusher, where it was pushed in by hand, she added.
“Over 60 years later, people can’t believe the cart drills, front-end loaders without a cab and the small trucks that were used to haul the material when Buzz started Standard. We still have the original crusher that he started the quarry with, which is very small compared to the crushers used today,” Juliette said.
“The rock was dumped into the crusher directly with the rock trucks and loaders — there was no pushing it in by hand. We didn’t use kilns in our quarry, as the main use for rock at that time was for road building and construction.”
With an appreciation for local history, Juliette also expressed her gratitude for the local gem, Quarry Park.
“We are fortunate to have Stonewall Quarry Park in our community. Quarry Park would not have existed were it not for the hard work of the men that worked in the quarries to supply limestone to build communities throughout Manitoba and the ongoing efforts of a community to turn a mined-out quarry into the beautiful site that it is today, with all that it has to offer,” she said.
“The kilns represent the past, present and future of a community that we are fortunate to call home.”
Merle Balsillie, Juliette’s daughter, continues the family legacy of Standard Limestone Quarries today.
“My mom was 32 years old when my dad passed away, with three children under the age of five. In 1974, the woman’s role was that of a housewife and mother, not someone that ran a quarry,” Merle said.
“I’m grateful to my mom for her strength and resilience to continue operating the quarry, giving my brothers and I the opportunity to grow up and work in a business that we all loved. It wasn’t easy, and the older I get, the more I appreciate everything she did.”
Merle also expressed appreciation for the service of Juliette Balsillie and Irene Pearson as honorary chairs of the Save the Kilns committee.
“It is a tremendous honour to have these two amazing women as our honorary chairs,” said Merle, who co-chairs the Save the Kilns committee along with Dale Oughton.
“They are both humble, modest women that showed grace and dignity in the face of adversity.”
Save the Kilns Committee co-chair Dale Oughton explained that many large fundraising campaigns appoint honorary chairs that are well-known and have deep ties to the project.
“While the role is a chairperson in name only, our two honorary chairs, Irene Pearson and Juliette Balsillie, bring an abundance of knowledge surrounding the history and importance of the quarries, the kilns and the restoration project,” he said.
“Both women had incredible drive and strength to ensure the companies they suddenly inherited not only survived but flourished. And that they did — both companies are thriving today and both companies give back to our beautiful community.”
Oughton also reiterated the sentiment that the kilns are part of the DNA for both Stonewall and Rockwood.
“I believe Irene and Juliette are also a part of our town and municipality’s DNA and they have been community leaders for decades,” Oughton said.
“As honorary co-chairs, they offer another lens of credibility to this important historical project, and we are fortunate to have this opportunity to work with them.”
The kiln restoration project involves two phases. The first phase includes the cost to complete rebuilding the south kiln. The structure will be taken apart piece by piece so that the base can be stabilized and then it will be rebuilt. This phase also includes the engineering work, design and specifications for the repairs to the north kiln, which will be refurbished in Phase 2.
Phase 2 also involves completing the grounds around the kilns. The total cost of the project is still being tallied but it’s expected to be around $6 million with a projected completion date in 2024.
A Blues Night fundraiser featuring Brent Parkin will raise funds towards the Save the Kilns project. The event will take place on Sept. 28 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Something Beautiful Café. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $50, and food and beverages will be available for purchase. To buy tickets, contact Walter Badger at 204-467-5838 or Ross Thompson at 204-467-2438 or 587-370-9759.
For more information about the Save the Kilns committee and its fundraising efforts, contact co-chair Dale Oughton at savethekilns@stonewall.ca or call 204-806-4250. All donations flow through the Interlake Community Foundation to the Town of Stonewall for the kilns restoration project, and charitable tax receipts will be provided for direct donations to the campaign of $20 or more. Visit interlakefoundaiton.ca to learn more.
