Stephen Harper’s Grey County roots

Originally published in the Owen Sound Sun Times, September 6, 2005.

Every time Stephen Harper visits Grey-Bruce, it’s a homecoming of sorts.

The federal Conservative leader spent almost three hours at the Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular fishing derby Saturday night, meeting and talking to local residents, helping out at the fish fry and reminiscing about his many childhood visits to his grandparents’ Durham-area farm.

“My mother’s from Durham,” the Opposition leader said after arriving in Owen Sound in a Conservative party van. “My grandparents lived on a farm just outside of Durham when I was a boy, and they later moved to Hanover.

“My two uncles and one of my aunts are in Port Elgin. I have lots of family around this area. Johnston, Heard, Henderson, anyone with those names is probably related to me. There will be a few relatives here (tonight).”