KAWARTHA LAKES-Garnet Graham was born in Kinmount in 1909, the second youngest of 13 children. His father, Jim, worked at the stave factory just north of town, before moving to Coboconk when Garnet was 7. As a young man, Garnet followed in his father’s footsteps, but did not enjoy working in Coboconk’s sawmill, so he became a delivery driver, before fortuitously meeting an executive with Confederation Life while visiting his sister in Lindsay. Garnet immediately created an impression, earning the opportunity to become an insurance salesman. He was dyslexic, and had trouble reading, so he had to memorize practically everything. But Garnet worked extremely hard to succeed in the insurance business, moving to Fenelon Falls, where his wife’s (Helena) family lived.
Struggling to do the requisite paperwork and being naturally shy, selling insurance was a challenging profession. Garnet was very interested in magic tricks, which he used to entertain people—and also helped get him in the door to prospective customers. He was a restless soul, always on the go, always doing something productive, and he found a way to be a successful insurance salesman. Before long, it seemed like everyone knew Garnet Graham.
While Garnet was a Confederation Life Agent, he was very interested in helping his community, especially through the Rotary Club. With his many tricks, Garnet had the ability to attract a crowd wherever he went. When he retired at the age of 65, he worked just as hard as he had as an insurance agent, just he had more time to devote to his community, including serving on village council. In his public life, he had the same energy and creativity as ever. His sidekick, Bobby Beau (pronounced “Boo”), was a dog that could multiply, count and climb trees.
Garnet converted his garage into “Mr. Yip’s Jip Shop,” with all the money he raised being donated to charity. He travelled to local events, was often seen on Colborne Street or by the Fenelon Falls locks, but he is best remembered for spending time at Fenelon Falls’ beach park, which was right beside his home. His favourite trick was the Yip Stick, which he learned from another great Fenelon Falls trickster, Dick Bulmer. For a generation it was the most common keepsake of a visit to Fenelon Falls—and in the process he raised money to support just about every good cause in town. As Garnet explained to his visitors, you had to yell “YIP!” to make it change directions.
In recognition of everything that Garnet did over the years to support his community, the village of Fenelon Falls named the Beach Park in his honour. It seemed as though just about every kid who met him instantly formed a connection with Garnet, and few would forget the encounter. Shortly after he passed away in 1995, Rick Hughes wrote a song in his memory. As Fenelon Falls celebrated its 150th anniversary, Garnet Graham was chosen as the subject for a documentary. You can watch it in person at Maryboro Lodge Museum or online at:
https://maryboro.ca/documentaries/mr-yip-stick/
This story is part of our partnership with Maryboro Lodge The Fenelon Falls Museum and was written by Glenn Walker.
If you want to make a donation to the museum, you can e-transfer to: [email protected] or mail a cheque to :
Maryboro Lodge Museum
Box 179
50 Oak Street
Fenelon Falls, ON
K0M 1N0
