Submitted by the staff of the Orillia Museum of Art and History (OMAH)
The weather hasn’t been particularly co-operative for ski enthusiasts, but there was a time when there was enough snow in downtown Orillia to commute, by ski.
Gordon Alexander ‘Skid’ Watson wasn’t daunted by his uphill climb from Colborne Street to Orillia High School at the top of the West Street hill. A mere two kilometres, Skid would ski up to school — an easy feat for one of the town’s top athletes.
Following high school, Skid went on to be the general secretary of the Orillia YMCA for 41 years (1928-69) leaving an indelible mark on the town. Another Orillia athlete, David Town, documented Skid’s story in his book, Building Character: Stories from Orillia’s Remarkable YMCA as well as in the OMAH publication, The History of Orillia in 50 Artefacts.
Leading the Y through the difficult years of the Depression and the Second World War, Skid managed through sheer willpower to develop it into one of the most admired YMCAs in Canada. His two most obvious accomplishments were founding the Orillia Y’s Men’s Club, the largest and most influential Y’s Men’s Club in Canada, and Camp Summerland, a wilderness camp for boys and girls that set a standard for other Y camps.
Beyond these significant accomplishments, Skid truly cared about people. He accepted every person, recognizing their talents, even when they could not see it themselves.
He showed people they could learn from their mistakes, especially when they suffered misfortune. He guided people to see a path forward. He embodied the YMCA mission, which is to lift people up by giving them opportunities to grow in mind, body and spirit.
Skid’s motto, displayed on a little sign on his desk, was, “A man can accomplish almost anything if he doesn’t care who gets the credit!” He felt it was one’s duty-bound obligation to educate oneself, to keep fit and to recognize with reverence the wonders life offered.
By the end of his career, he became known as “Mr. YMCA,” a wonderful moniker, coined by his peers, out of respect for Skid’s kindness and awareness. He never stopped pursuing life as exuberantly as he did as a youth, when he skied through snowstorms to get to school.
Next week, we will feature another object from the OMAH collection that showcases our local history.
