A man whose business and political endeavours helped make Arthur the village it is today was honoured on the weekend when the former municipal building was re-named the David M. Kozinets Centre.
On Sept. 26 Kozinets and his sons Harvey and Steve unveiled the plaque, a joint project of the Township of Wellington North and the Arthur Historical Society.
The building currently houses the historical society and archives, as well as the Arthur and District Chamber of Commerce office.
Master of ceremonies David Stack said there was “a big crowd (at the ceremony) to give a big thank you” to Kozinets.
Stack said Arthur used to be a town of feed mills, implement dealers, egg grading stations and the biggest creamery in the county but, when they all moved on, the village was on the verge of becoming a ghost town.
“Then David Kozinets showed up,” Stack said.
Under Kozinets’ leadership, Sussman’s of Arthur, which was founded by his father-in-law Joe Sussman in 1915, became one of the premier clothing stores in the province.
As Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece stated in a letter read by Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott, the store “put Arthur on the map for shoppers far and wide.”
Arnott, who grew up in Arthur, was among the speakers paying tribute to Kozinets. Arnott quipped that if he “looked presentable,” it was because of his suit, purchased at Sussman’s of Arthur.
Pat Salter, who worked at the store for 30 years, reminisced about the young man from Toronto who came to Arthur in 1950 to work in retail after marrying the boss’s daughter, Shirley Sussman.
One expansion followed another until Sussman’s dominated the town, and provided employment for many residents.
Arnott noted he himself worked at the store while a university student in the 1980s.
Kozinets was also a longtime politician, first elected to Arthur Village council in the late 1960s. He served as councillor, then reeve for many years. During his time on council, the Bell Thread Company came to Arthur; a municipal parking lot was purchased and paved; and a new library, medical centre, nursing home, arena complex, fire hall and swimming pool were all built in the village.
Current Wellington North Mayor Andy Lennox praised Kozinets for his “unwavering commitment to our community,” noting that throughout his lifetime, Kozinets seized opportunities to make Arthur a better place.
Kozinets, who said he was “very highly honoured to have a building named after me,” thanked everyone involved in the project. He said he didn’t expect praise for his accomplishments, and noted his time in politics was the most fulfilling time of his life. He also noted he always had good people working with him.
“When I came to Arthur 65 years ago, I was 21 years old,” he said. “And I told Shirley then that if I was ever in the position to do so, there would be signs erected proclaiming that this is Arthur and there would be signs naming the streets.”
He accomplished both. Working with the chamber of commerce, Arthur signs were erected, and while he was reeve street signs were installed. He said Arthur is a “town to be proud of.”
He concluded, “This is a very emotional day for me, something I will never forget.”
Kozinets’ sons, Harvey and Steve, also addressed the gathering.
“On behalf of the Kozinets’ family I want to thank you for attending the dedication and renaming ceremony,” Harvey said. Steve also mentioned that his late mother Shirley would be very proud.
Also addressing the crowd was Gordie Tapp, a Canadian entertainer inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990.
Tapp, who began his career as host for the radio program Main Street Jamboree in the 1950s, went on to host CBC television’s Country Hoedown before performing and writing for the CBS television show Hee Haw.
He told the Arthur crowd that he has performed in New York, Vegas and Hollywood “and I always wore clothes from Sussman’s.”
“I had a cottage in Colpoys Bay and we never went by without stopping at Sussman’s,” he said. “Both my wife and I have spent a lot of money in Arthur.”
A reception was held at the Sussman’s store following Saturday’s ceremony.
