IN THE NEWS – 60 Years ago this week in North Simcoe

November 4th to 10th 1954

Dial operation, start building new dial exchange by spring

H.A. Kilroy, Bell Telephone manager, announced this week that a new dial telephone system will be in place by the summer of 1956. “The extremely rapid and continuing growth of the Midland area is the reason for this decision”. Since the war telephone facilities have been expanded again and again until the present building cannot be expanded any further. In 1945 there were 1,250 telephones in service and now there are 2,750. Land was purchased several years ago at the south west corner of Hugel and Midland Avenues. All telephone sets will have to be converted to dial and co-ordinated so that all Midland phones can be switched to dial in a matter of seconds on the day. There will be a reduction in the number of female operators but many will be retained to provide long distance and information assistance.

Philibert Beaudoin narrowly escaped death Saturday morning when his clothes became entangled in the hay baler he was operating on the farm of Joseph Laurin.

Rev. G.R. Stanley (left) is inducted as the new rector of St. Mark’s parish, Midland by Rt. Rev. A.R. Beverley, Bishop of Toronto. At the right is Archbishop R.J. Renison a long time friend of Rev. Stanley’s.

Major conflagration Devours Century Old Rural Store, Loss over $50,000. Fire destroys the large country store and post office of Lloyd Dunlop in Moonstone.

Advertisements;

Globe Restaurant, 194 Elizabeth St. “Maryland Style Fried Chicken” $1.00
Tessier Planing Mill – Building Supplies- Phone 527 Penetang
Nap Beauchamp Construction Co. – General Contractors – Industrial, Commercial, Institutional
Blondin Sales & Service – Electric Blanket double size $47.50 – – Robert St. Penetang Walter Woods Shoes – now open 277 King St. Phone 51 – Visit our modern and up to date store
Graham Swales Clothes for Men – Midland – Collingwood – Toronto

(It is interesting that the full spelling of Penetanguishene is never used in the newspapers of the time, no doubt to save space)

Charles White, Midland insurance agent, drove out to the Boy Scout Camp on the Sturgeon River to check on damage caused by Hurricane Hazel and took his fishing rod with him. The result an eight pound rainbow trout caught on a dew worm after a 20 minute battle.

Tiny Township Council agrees to pay Mrs. E. Foster $400.00 for a piece of her property to allow the continuation of Hugel Ave through to Hwy 27.

Canada Savings Bonds, ninth series, paying 3 1/2%.

At the Roxy – Alec Guinness in “Father Brown goes to Town”