Al Skinner built his Stormy Lake cottage, in 1961, when he was 37 years old.
Having just celebrated his 100th birthday July 20, the Second World War veteran still cottages in the area, and lives in the home he built on Walnut Street in Toronto.
His brother, Harold Skinner, said, “he is a good provider and good fun to be around. I’m really happy for him reaching his hundredth birthday. I think it’s terrific. He’s just a great, great guy. And I’m really thankful to have him as a brother. He’s always been there when you needed him. And someone you always looked up to.”
Family and friends celebrated the milestone at the Haliburton Legion this past Saturday.
Before starting to work in construction, Skinner joined the wartime effort in Europe in 1943. On deciding to enlist in the army, Skinner said in an interview with the De Nederlandse Courant newspaper that everyone else was doing it. “Canada had conscription, but if you enlisted voluntarily, it was just a better feeling.”
He was trained in Petawawa, before going overseas. He was stationed in Holland for a while, having landed there on Christmas Day 1944.
Skinner spent a lot of time outdoors doing construction work after the war, but also had a penchant for gardening in his backyard.
His youngest niece, Mary Skinner, said he “always brought stuff from his garden to our family reunions, and I was always eating his tomatoes.” She said those reunions were a highlight.
The cottage Skinner and his family still visit is in Gooderham. One of the neighbours on the cottage road, Kevin Lecey, said after Skinner built the cottage, he raised it to put a basement underneath. “His wife was still in the cottage at the time. He did all that. And he’s a mastermind at what he does,” Lecey said. He added, “he’s always been good to the neighbours. Whenever there’s any problem, he always came down to help us. He’s really good.”
Skinner was the treasurer for the Stormy Lake Road Association for a number of years and collected the money for basic road fees.
His daughter, Diana, whom Skinner lives with in Toronto, said her dad was still chopping down trees for the neighbourhood at 95.
“I was in a play and he carved out swords for me. He was always there,” Diana said.
