Sudbury native tells the story of a tiny vintage tugboat named Tuffy
A Sudbury resident recounts the sentimental journey of restoring a 1954 vintage tugboat named Tuffy. The project became a multi-year labor of love for the author and her husband as they prepared the boat for their grandchildren.
Why it matters
It highlights the cultural value of preserving historical artifacts and the personal connections formed through intergenerational hobbies.
A love story that begs to be told: It began in the year 2009.
John Barker - a friend living in Cambridge, England but born and summering in Canada - showed my husband, Rick, and me the most adorable little tugboat. Her name was Tuffy.
John and his wife, Saskia, had teenage children far too old and big for Tuffy; but Rick and I had a two-year-old grandson whom we knew would love the dear little tugboat. So, we offered John the waterslide that had come with the cottage we'd just bought, hoping there would be an exchange for that tiny boat.
He kindly said we could bring our grandson over anytime to use it.
However, there were some issues with this offer: the Barkers had to be in Canada, and our grandson had to be up north with us.
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