Oyez Oyez Oyez

I always used to believe that Town Criers originated in England. It seems that I am mistaken; England has only had Town Criers for just under a thousand years. It was the Greeks, no less, who came up with the idea first. During the reign of William the Conqueror (1066-1087) English Town Criers were employed to convey the edicts of the throne to the great unwashed masses.

Town Criers came to North America at the beginning of the 18th Century. The advent of widespread newspaper distribution led to their early demise both in Europe and North America. In recent times, the role of Town Crier has been revived in reverence to the traditions of the past. There are now around 350 Town Criers around the world; 250 of them are in England, 45 are in Ontario and - since 7:30pm yesterday - one of them is in Orangeville.

I attended Orangeville Town Council's meeting yesterday evening to support Betty Kading's application for the post of official Town Crier. I am pleased to report that the application was approved by Council. The jubilant and energetic Betty will now be crying "Oyez" at many events throughout the town over the coming months. Congratulations Betty!