Wayne Townsend was born in Dufferin County in East Luther township. A lifelong collector, Wayne purchased his first antique, a Benningtonware bowl, at age 12. Wayne has been involved in several restorations of historic buildings in Orangeville, including the Opera House and Market and the Dufferin County Courthouse, as well as actively participating in numerous community historic organizations. After an 18-year career in Graphic Art, Wayne Townsend became the curator of the Dufferin County Museum & Archives in 1988 and opened their new facility in 1994. Since then, he has focused on building the collection of artifacts and archival material for the facility. In the last two years, since discovering the Dufferin County connection to W. J. Hughes "Corn Flower," the museum has collected over 500 pieces of Corn Flower and catalogued the archival materials of the company. Wayne is an advocate of local Canadian heroes being celebrated in their communities.