Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.
In 1956 Harry Dewey set up shop to manufacture and repair boats in the basement of a barn on the end of the 10th Line where it turns into Bayou Park, now called New Brailey Line and Bayou Road.
It was from this location that Marine Plastics, one of Ontario’s earliest marine fibreglass boat-building and repair industries operated.
Harry Dewey was a leader in the plastics industry, designing and building several types of watercraft. Marinas across Ontario sold his boats and several orders went to Eaton’s.
Most boats built were 12- to 18-foot fibreglass runabouts and had wooden decks, transoms and gunnels with wood being purchased from Dimension Enterprise Co. on Atherley Road near Gill Street.
Most boats also had a wooden keel covered with fibreglass. Many fibreglass canoes were also built with several being sold for rentals to Smokey’s Cottages on Creighton Street in Atherley.
Pictured is one of Harry’s innovative designs: Canada’s first water and snow craft, a 12-foot sled-front boat with a 46” beam and powered by a 90-horsepower VW motor. Demand for this early all-season craft did not materialize with only one of these being built, and it may have been sold locally.
The business was very successful for many years but closed in early 1965 and Dewey passed away in 1980.
