was the whip, and the top was in complete shambles. The buggy had been in an accident at some point in time. After it came to the Burgins’ farm, it was partially dismantled and the pieces were stored in the drive shed/shop until Harold started the restoration around 2015. When Harold had completed all the work he was able to do, the buggy was loaded into their enclosed trailer in June of 2019 and delivered to Dan Kuepfer, owner-operator of Carriage Works in Milverton. He said he could complete the restoration. The result is the handsome buggy seen in these photos. The same enclosed trailer returned the completed buggy to the Burgin farm on January 14, 2020. The buggy was originally built in Oshawa at the McLaughlin Carriage Works, which eventually evolved into General Motors. That plant is now shuttered. What does the future hold for the masterpiece? Aileen, Harold’s wife, says the plan is for the buggy to be showcased in their daughter’s yet-tobe-reconstructed bank barn near Collingwood. ◊
Aileen and Harold Burgin (above) have really enjoyed being able to bring a former piece of Perth County back to its former glory by restoring a buggy made by the McLaughlin Carriage Co. of Oshawa, as witnessed by the brass plate on the back of the buggy (above, right).
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