Town crier has great voice

Dr. Thomas Pekar, a St. Catharines dental surgeon, has been appointed as Port Colborne's interim town crier.

By MARYANNE FIRTH/Tribune Staff

Posted 28 days ago

PORT COLBORNE - PORT COLBORNE — Dr. Thomas Pekar is ready to shout his love for Port Colborne from the rooftops.

The St. Catharines dental surgeon has been appointed the lakeside city's interim town crier, replacing longtime crier Derek Miller who resigned earlier this year.
Port Colborne chief administrative officer Bob Heil announced the appointment during Monday night's council meeting, praising Pekar for his "beautiful voice" and impressive crying abilities.
"He is worthy of a full-time appointment," Heil said. Pekar will perform a cry to council at a future meeting, where it will be decided whether he receives the city's official town crier title.
He will get plenty of practice this weekend as he competes in the Ontario Guild of Town Criers Provincial Championship Competition in Brantford.
"It's a great learning opportunity," Pekar said, adding he was eager to be part of the event.
Crying is a hobby the 59-year-old has been interested in since he first experienced it 20 years ago at his period-costume wedding in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
"I'm doing this primarily for fun," he said, though he also finds meeting new people as good motivation.
"He is an ambassador of the city," Heil said on Tuesday,, adding he believed Pekar would well represent all that Port Colborne has to offer.
The role of town crier is an unpaid position, Heil said, though there is a $2,500 budget for expenses related to the job.
With a few minor adjustments, the city's official town crier uniform will even likely fit Pekar, Heil said with a laugh, adding it saves the cost of purchasing a new one.

mfirth@wellandtribune.ca