Randy Richmond’s lively history of the City of Orillia has won an Orillia Museum of Art & History Award. The illustrated history book The Orillia Spirit won in the category Historical Publications and/or Research. The award was presented in a ceremony at the Museum on November 9.

There are moments that can be called classic Orillia, and the reasons why I will always love the place.

Its leaders and ordinary citizens have always striven to make their hometown unique, and that’s led to inventions and movements ahead of their time.

But that same spirit has led to some amusing battles and derailed the ordinary achievements that other cities accomplish with less effort.

In the second edition of The Orillia Spirit: An Illustrated History, the classic Orillia moment comes with the battle to build a long-sought recreation centre.