(Double Click on Photos to Enlarge)

St. Andrew’s Hospital cornerstone “well and truly laid” by the Hon. MacKinnon Phillips, Minister of Health for Ontario. Others in the picture are L to R; Stan Jordan, bricklayer foreman  Bert Oxford and Rex Timms all members of the R. Timms Construction and Electrical Ltd., the contracting firm. Comparatively good weather for mid December blessed the event, the same weather that has helped in the progress on the building.

 

 

Three thousand dollar boost to the new hospital from the Midland Lion’s Club. The club is financing a children’s nursery and plan to endow it permanently. Lion Adam Miller, Lion’s president Bill Orr, Lion Bill Hack presenting the cheque to V.G. Edwards chair of the hospital’s special finance committee.

 

Notice  –  Night classes in Marine Navigation commence January 3rd 1955. For students wishing to qualify for the following certificates  –  Masters, First and Second Mates (Inland Waters) Masters and Mates (Minor Waters)

70 railcar loads of Christmas trees shipped from Penetang and 10 from Midland averaging 1300 trees per car, a total of 103,000 trees have been loaded for mostly USA destinations.

 Santa Claus  –  Old and young throng King Street on Saturday morning to greet Santa Claus. The jolly old gent is shown waving at the crowds as he prepares to leave his sleigh and enter Edwards Specialty Shop. Second photo, flanked by two helpers, Carol Parizeau on the left and Marlene Fraser,  Santa beams merrily.  Santa will listen to the pleas of 2500 children on his throne in Edwards Toyland.

Midland’s Junior Redwings members, Bruce Calvert, Jim Lemieux and Joe Faragher. All played juvenile hockey last season although Calvert was called up to help the Wings in their final drive for the championship.

 

First woman ever to sit on Tay Council led the polls in last Mondays election. Mrs. Minnie Mayhew joins Cecil Parker, Loran Williams and by acclamation Reeve Fred Kinnear and deputy reeve Ralph Dalton.

Free Press tradition to publish news from local communities in North Simcoe some of which no longer exist. The happenings, mostly social from places like;

Eady, Severn Falls, Wyebridge, Hillsdale, Melduf, Hobart, Port McNicoll, Waubaushene, Allenwood, Elmvale, Crossland, Vasey, Lafontaine, Rosemount, Perkinsfield, Victoria Harbour,  North River, Lovering, Waverly, Fairview, Elmvale, Coldwater, Phelpston, Creighton, Sunnyside, Mount St. Louis and Tiny Township. The larger communities had weekly news and the smaller ones were published periodically. Each community had its own column and often its own local correspondent that collected and submitted the news.

News Items

• Christmas store hours open until 9.30 PM every night
• Midland buys 500 tons of sand from Penetang, forces the cutting of pine trees that now adorn downtown posts in Penetang
• New Second Penetang Scout Troop invests 40 boys at one time
• Midland firefighters get $125.00/yr increase, public works staff get .15 cents per hour increase
• Fathers Night Christmas shopping sale in Penetang
• HMCS Penetang returns to Halifax after exercises in Bermuda
• New Penetang rink expects ice in by Christmas
• Midland Y’s Men plan jack rabbit hunt on Boxing Day
• Midland 3 man committee explores site for new town hall
• Coldwater School Board awards $82,100 contract new bldg
• Red Wings lose 2-1 at Stouffville
• Monarchs win 8-2 over Gravenhurst Indians at Midland
• Midland tax levy $408,553.00 up over $9K from last year
• Illegal possession of beer nets $300.00 fine in Penetang
• Six year old Linda Duval struck and seriously injured by a vehicle while tobogganing at her home on Robert St.

 

Christmas mail rush is on. Bob Goatcher and Armand Marion wade through stacks of cards and letters.