Cry to the world

May 09, 2008 - 03:53

By Jeff Hayward

UXBRIDGE -- Uxbridge's town crier has successfully defended his North American title and is now looking to out-cry the world.

Port Perry's Bill McKee and his wife, Liz, were in Annapolis, Maryland, from May 2 to 4 for the North American town crier championships, where he bellowed out three cries that placed him first among 24 competitors from Canada, the U.S. and Bermuda.

The three cries included an introduction of himself and his town, another about the host city of Annapolis, and an open cry, said Mr. McKee. The open cry gave him a chance to rib the Americans a bit, he explained. "It was about American history, important dates, I was a little confused about it on purpose," said Mr. McKee, noting he talked about "a tea party that went awry" in 1774.

That line of humour also helped Mr. McKee top the previous North American championship in Ingersoll, Ontario, in 2006. During that match against 26 other criers, Mr. McKee joked about a historic conflict between Canada and the U.S. by saying, "1812 was the final score for Canada."

Mr. McKee said they were treated very well in Annapolis. "We were hosted in historic inns in Maryland," he noted, adding the Americans maintained their sense of humour while he deliberately fumbled American facts.

The top three criers at the most recent match were all Canadian, said Ms. McKee, with other criers from Kingston and St. Catharines taking second and third spot respectively. "They had a special prize for their first (place) American," she said. Mr. McKee's brother, David McKee of Brantford, was also among the field of competitors. But only the top three placers have been announced.

Mr. McKee kicks off many Uxbridge events with his bellowing voice, including the Canadian Tire Uxbridge Huck Finn fishing day at Elgin Pond on April 26. Town criers are thought to have originated in Europe as early as the 1500s with their task to announce the news to the public, which was largely illiterate at the time.

The North American finals are every two years. Mr. McKee, who also occasionally serves Port Perry and Oshawa, is now ready to represent Uxbridge among a global field of criers in Bermuda in April 2009. But travel costs for himself and his wife to get there may pose a barrier, he noted, adding competitors traditionally pay their own way to crier events. To offer a donation toward their trip, call 905-982-0387.

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