Jim Cummings is not the only resident of Grey County concerned about the presence of an active Orange Lodge on the  publicly owned site of Grey Roots' Moreston Village, but he was the only one to write a letter to the editor of OwenSoundHub.org. We published that letter, along with a response from Grey Roots.

Former Grey County Warden Arlene Wright also wrote a response to Mr. Cummings, which we have published here along with Mr. Cummings' reply to Mrs. Wright.

Arlene Wright's response:

Morning. It is a sad day when Canadians and Grey County citizens (if you are) continue to live in the past. I was raised and taught to "Love your enemies". History also reveals that the Native people hated the white man that came to their territory and took land away from them and yet we have many First Nations People who are active at Grey Roots telling their stories and being a part of history.
I have been to Ireland and visited the area of Bloody Sunday, seen the posters on the buildings and heard the stories of young people being bombed on their way home from school and now these people are living peaceably together.
I please give yourself a break and live in the present ???
Respectfully. Arlene Wright. Past Warden,Grey County and very proud to be

Jim Cumming's reply:

Dear Ms. Wright,
Thank you for your reply.
Yes, I am a Canadian, by choice, for almost 45 years, however not an "Old Stock" variety favoured by your former Tory leader and Prime Minister Mr. Harper.

I too am saddened by those who choose to live in the past. This is especially true of the Loyal Orange Orders, who, for more than 50 years have opposed most progressive thinking in this country: the Maple Leaf Flag, the current Canadian Anthem, the Canadian Bill of Rights and Freedom, and more recently Multiculturalism,  to name a few and of course their continual harking back to the days of British Colonialism.

Locally a perfect example for their living in the past was expressed at a recent Owen Sound Kiwanis "Santa Claus" parade where the Orange Lodge float depicted a scaled down model of the "Mountjoy", one of the ships said to have rescued the protestant population of the City of Londonderry (Derry) in Ireland during the 1689 Jacobite Siege (an important episode in Orange History).
Also on that float were the printed the slogans: "No Surrender" and "Remember 1690" the only thing missing was that other famous Orange war cry "No Pope Here"
What all this had to do with the Spirit of Christmas ? I was at a loss to know.

Just outside the City of Drogheda in the Republic of Ireland there is an excellent site, developed to educate on the culture of The Orange Order namely "The Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre".

More recently "The Museum of Orange Heritage" has opened two sites in Northern Ireland,

It would be of great benefit if Grey-Roots staff contacted or better still visited these establishments then the whole story of Orangeism could be told in Grey County.

I do want to thank you for your many years of service to Grey County and the City of Owen Sound as Warden, Councillor and Trustee.

As for me, I do have a great life, living very much in the present and I am involved with many community organizations, be it political, social or sports.
Over the years I have involved myself in many programmes to achieve the all "Inclusive" society that we now enjoy in this area of Canada and of that, I am also very proud.

Yours truly

Jim Cummings