Ottawa Valley Associated Railroaders
Celebrating 50 years of railroading!

The Ovar Dinner Bell

 The dinner bell was donated to OVAR on April 6, 1961 by bill Williams, proprietor of Hobbyland on O’Connor Street in Ottawa.

The bell is of a multi-step design topped off with a steam locomotive bell from a Kemtron kit.  On the façade of the bell is a brass plaque inscribed with the words: Presented to The Ottawa Valley Associated Railroaders By Bill Williams April 6, 1961.  On the back of the bell and on different steps are brass plaques inscribed with the names of OVAR chairmen who have completed their term from 1961 on. 

Adrian French conceived and constructed the base 1961, an extra step was added in September 1980 by Art Van Drarnen, Refurbished in 1988 by Gord Clark, repaired in 1991 by Ray Irving and yet another new step added in October 2001 by Fernand Leroux.

According to tradition the dinner bell is rung to bring the meeting to order.