Finding a way to blend Chapman’s private-sector money into a public school system, however, has proved less than easy and involved leaps in political and bureaucratic thinking.

Markdale is one of many towns along Highway 10 between Toronto and the sandy beaches of Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay. The Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway, now a gravel bike path, gave Markdale its first big boost by linking it to the provincial capital about 100 miles to the southeast during the 19th century. Then Highway 10 sustained the town. But there is now little to encourage beachgoers from the big city to take a break here aside from an attractive cafe and restaurant in the town’s old fire hall.

“It’s still a little bit of old Ontario,” said Ron Motz, a farmer who is chairman of the area’s board of education. “It’s more rural, it’s a little bit quieter, some people would say a little less progressive.”

While Markdale has lost some employers in recent years, Chapman’s is the stuff of small town dreams. A sign at the end of the street leading to its complex urges passers-by to stop in and apply for work.