Chris Whyman has done a lot of crying over his lifetime and he’s happy about it.
In fact, Kingston’s town crier has just passed 35 years in that capacity.
Whyman has been part of hundreds of public and private events during his tenure. A three-time world champion crier, the Limestone City native has also cried his way to numerous North American and provincial titles.
Despite the passage of time, Whyman continues to enjoy what he’s doing.
“The voice is still there,” he said. “The blond hair and dark red beard I had originally in 1984 have changed to arctic blonde now, so I’ve seniored up a bit.”
WATCH: Kingston kicks off its official start to tourism awareness week
Kingston’s ambassador of loud introductions won a town crier contest in Kingston on June 26, 1984, and has never looked back.
Get breaking National news
Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson says Whyman embodies the role.
“He’s a perfect ambassador for Kingston’s brand when we talk about the history and the culture that we have here,” Paterson said. “To have a world champion town crier here in our community, it’s incredible.”
And just like fine wine, many say Whyman is getting better with age. A modest Whyman shakes his head.
He says he has no plans to give up the position. He says he’s going to keep doing it as long as he can, adding that he can’t retire from town crying because there’s no pension.
WATCH: Kingston’s town crier welcomes new royal baby
Paterson is also pleased there are no retirement plans in sight for Whyman, saying it’s hard to imagine what events and parades would be like without him and hoping he sticks around for another 35 years.
Comments