Simcoe-Muskoka residents remember brushes with Queen Elizabeth II

The City of Barrie is the latest municipality in Central Ontario to pay tribute to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

On Friday, the city put out a book of condolences in the city hall's rotunda, providing Barrie's residents with an opportunity to honour the longest-serving monarch in British history after her passing on Thursday. Mayor Jeff Lehman was amongst the first to sign the book Friday afternoon.

"My thought immediately went to those things that were particularly about Elizabeth Windsor, the individual, that made her such a unique person, such a symbol of courage in the face of adversity," Lehman says of his initial reaction to the Queen's passing.

Lehman, who is in the final weeks of his third and final term as mayor, says public workers such as himself can learn quite a few lessons from the long tenure of Queen Elizabeth, including her ability to remain calm in a stressful situation.

"I think that's something that everybody in public service when we're faced with something shocking or unexpected or difficult, we would hope to bring that same sense of a calm head in a difficult time," Lehman says.

He also respected the Queen's well-known sense of humour. That ability to get a laugh was something Charles Pachter, an artist with studio space in Orillia, got to experience firsthand.

Pachter infamously created a painting of the Queen riding a moose that stirred up controversy when it originally came out. The artist, who describes much of his work as cheeky and mischievous, was drawing attention to the frequent commentary at the time of naming her the Queen of Canada.

The two eventually crossed paths years later in 2015 at the reopening of Canada House. Pachter didn't miss the opportunity to share the tale with the monarch.

"I said, 'your majesty, this is such an honour! Forty-five years ago, I painted her seated on a moose as the Queen of Canada, it caused a scandal at the time, but it became my most famous picture. Thanks to you, I've made a living all these years,'" he reflected. "And she actually chuckled and beamed and said 'how amusing!'"

Glad Bryce, a Muskoka-based author, had her own one-of-a-kind interaction with the Queen. Bryce's book, 'First In, Last Out,' chronicles the tales of the women who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

An official with ties to the government insisted that she get a copy of the book into the hands of the Queen during her then-upcoming trip to Canada in 2010. That book was delivered to the head of the monarchy when she arrived in Halifax that year, but what happened next is what surprised Bryce the most.

"I got a note after the Queen arrived back from Canada saying thank you for writing this book, and it sits now on my favourite bookshelf in Buckingham Palace," she remembers fondly. "Thank you again!"

The note of gratitude from the head of the British monarchy was not lost on Bryce, who spent four years conducting the research necessary for the book. She suspects the book was received so fondly due to the Queen's military experience.

The Queen visited Canada more than any other nation, coming more than 20 times throughout her 70 years on the throne.

Vaughan Quinton and her family got up close and personal with the Queen and her husband, Prince Phillip, during their visit in 1959. The royal couple took a train tour that took them through Muskoka, with a stop in Torrance.

Quinton was responsible for ensuring her young cousin, serving as a flower girl that day, delivered the bouquet to the Queen on time.

"There were lots of people there. There was a big crowd there; very close, there didn't seem to be too much security; but yes, I was close enough to touch her if I wanted to," Quinton says.