Dear Editor, 

Those readers who know me in daily life know that I’m part of the Pontiac Historical Society, involved in making accessible the trove of glass negatives left by Harry Imison. We’re using rather modern technology to eke out the images from a century ago. The project may take years to accomplish. It’s a tedious process, but rewarding for those of us who admire the art he practiced, and revel in the glimpses into local life of yesteryear.

Recently, I woke up to the fact that I have in my possession many audio and video recordings of music and events produced right here in the Pontiac over the last 50 years. I was already a singer-songwriter and recording enthusiast (one might say fanatic) when I moved to the Pontiac, and I’ve pursued the fleeting technologies of recording as they arose and were abandoned. I don’t want to leave these songs and events locked in outmoded media. If I lose my faculties (already in progress), songs by amateurs and semi-professional creators could be lost and forgotten. In many cases, that creator is me. I’ve spent the past two months in my basement studio, transcribing bits and pieces of forgotten music and events. I’m slowly uploading them to YouTube, so that anybody in the “free” world can have a listen and watch. @Mr3DBob, my YouTube channel.

Why, you may ask? Because it’s too late to stop it now. I hate it when labour and inspiration go to waste.

Robert Wills, Shawville and Thorne