The photos found in this blog post are the property of Huronia Museum, Midland, Ontario. Any reproduction for commercial use without permission is prohibited.  Any other distribution must credit Huronia Museum.  Please contact the museum with any questions you may have. 

Fire Razes Log House Family of Nine Homeless
Free Press Herald headline of Wednesday July 4^th, 1962. 

Mr. and Mrs. Frank York and their seven children were left homeless when flames completely destroyed their house on Penetang Road yesterday afternoon. Late yesterday they did not know where they were going to spend the night. Passing motorists helped them rescue a few items of furniture from the lower floor of the home. Other than that they saved nothing but the clothes they were wearing at the time. The house, one of the few log structures still standing in the area, was said to be the oldest left on the Penetang Road. Some persons watching the blaze estimated it to be well over a century old. Members of the family said the fire started from an over­heated stove which was being used for preserving. They said flames leaped up the wall in seconds and within minutes temperature in the house was too high for humans to enter. 

Just like Paris, Rome and other European capitals, Midland had a sidewalk cafe atmosphere, if only for a brief time Friday. Lawn in front of St. Paul’s United Church, provided the setting for the customers, who gobbled up huge quantities of strawberry shortcake, ice cream and tea. 

Twenty-two people from across Ontario and into the United States are digging, scratching, whisking, and attending lectures this week and next at the Uni­versity of Western Ontario’s 10th Summer School of Indian Archaeology at Penetanguishene. A staff of five, along with a number of outside lecturers will give the group a run-down on the value of archaeology in pre­serving the history of Canada. Arriving at the school head­quarters in Fort Penetanguishene, Monday morning, the students were quickly given a word-picture of what would be expected of them during the two-week period. Monday evening the students and staff were entertained at a dinner at The House of Kitchikewana. Hosts for the dinner were Penetanguishene Chamber of Commerce, with president George Kerr, and other execu­tive members attending. Tuesday morning the stud­ents really got down to the digging part of the course, working at the Forget Site south east of Wyebridge. By Tuesday afternoon they were already unearthing a wide variety of artifacts. Probably the most successful group was the one working in the site of the dump of this ancient Indian village. Pipe stems, animal teeth, fish scales, bits of pottery, and near com­plete pots in broken sections were being turned up. 

Probably the happiest lot of people in the area following the holiday weekend are those owning busi­nesses around the beaches. The crowd of touring vis­itors, according to these people was greater than in many years past. There is some suggestion that devaluation of the dollar coupled with the lowering of the value of the duty free amount which visitors may bring back, and the provincial sales tax, contributed considerably to the unprecedented influx. 

Winners of the L. C. Armstrong scholarships for Grade 8 students at Port McNicoll public school were presented with their awards Friday. Left to right above are Mrs. A. McCullagh, member of the school board, Lyle Thorpe, principal, Nancy Kelly, who placed third, Paula Saar, first, Sheila Cavanaugh, second, and Raymond Belanger, board chairman. 

This happy sextet from Regent School are (left to right) Joy Morrison, winner of the IODE award for highest standing in history, Robert Guthe, senior boy award winner, Wendy Short, senior girl award winner, Ian Dalrymple, winner of Y’s Men’s leadership award, Linda Russell, senior girl sports award, and William Jory, senior boy award winner. 

At Bayview Public School graduation, June 27, this group formally left elementary school. The exercise, attended by more than 200 people, was held on the front lawn of the school. Two former principals of the school, James Robinson, and Miss E. Wagg, addressed those present. 

35 YEARS AGO – 1927
Despite crackling Interference a few radio pioneer fans listened in to flier Charles A. Lindberg’s New York reception. He flew from New York to Paris in the “Spirit of St. Louis” in 33 hours, 29 minutes. U. S. President Calvin Coolidge greeted the aviation hero. * * * The Ontario government announced plans to build a government-owned radio station at Orillia. A branch station at Guelph was to air agricultural reports from the Ontario Agricultural College, while Toronto supplied music and feature entertainment. * * * Midland-Penetanguishene Diamond Jubilee celebrations carried on for three days. July 1, 2 and 3 in celebration of Confederation. The Midland program started with floats and parades. Row boat, canoe and swimming competitions staged at Little Lake Park. Baseball, races, tug-of-war and field day sports took place at the town park. A community street dance climaxed celebrations.  A $1,500 purse in gold was the stake on the half-mile horse racing track at Penetanguishene. A horse show followed the races. * * * Midland CNR station agent Angus McNab released 200 pigeons for a marathon 450-mile flight back to their home in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The birds were given water before they were set free. They headed south in a flock. * * * Midland’s first radio station, CKPR went on the air from 12 noon to 7:30 p.m., featuring news, music and stock reports. The station operated on 267.7 metres at 1120 kilocycles. * * * Simcoe County council, meeting in Barrie, approved a $1,000 grant for publication of a booklet and construction of a publicity booth at the 1928 Canadian National Exhibition. All communities were asked to cooperate in presenting the most attractive aspects of Simcoe County to prospective tourists. * * * A charter to build a new Midland arena was granted. With $50,000 in capital raised through stocks, the company bought the old skating rink property owned by G. Georges and architects set to work preparing blue-prints. 

 

Girl Guides of 1st and 2nd Midland companies tried tests for their bosuns’ badges at Little Lake last week. Some of them are seen here watching Dr. Peter Brasher and Frank Spence, of the Midland Power Squadron, tally up the results. 

“Gone Fishin” 

Sports were not forgotten at the annual grade eight graduation exercises held at Midland’s Parkview School last week. Here John Soden, left, presents field day trophies to Jim Roduck (centre) and Keith Tippin. Jim broke a number of public school records at a recent meet. 

Federal Building Project Nears Bid Stage
County Herald headline of Friday, July 6, 1962. 

Discussions at a joint meeting of Midland council, the planning board and parking authority revealed Wednesday night the proposed federal building Dominion Ave. and First Street is still a very much alive project. Earlier, fears had been expressed that the new post office would be shelved indefinitely by the government’s decision to lop off some $200 million in public works projects as an austerity measure. 

The current tenting fad is anything but popular with Midlander’s whose properties border the Little Lake Park tent area, a Free Press survey indicates. Following the Dominion Day capacity crowds, residents along both Yonge and Mildred Streets, whose back yards adjoin the tent site, complained of overcrowding, according to Tim Nesbitt, a Mildred Street home owner.  “Tents are right against our back fences. There is not nearly enough sanitary equipment. The three original buildings were set up as far back as 1938. Tenters have no place to throw their dishwater and as a result disease-carrying hordes of flies are drawn to the area,’’ Mr. Nesbitt explained. Dave Finch, Parks board chairman, said the disagree­ment was all a “misunderstand­ing’’. The board “agreed to limit the tenting space and the dispute last weekend occurred because of a misunderstanding between the board and park superintendent, Harold McAl­len.” he said. Chairman Finch said in the future no tents would be allowed beyond an old road running parallel to Mildred Street and about 15 feet back of the fence line. Anthony Borysek, a Yonge Street resident proposed a 40 to 50 foot no man’s land be­tween the tenting area and his fence. He thought an 11 o’clock curfew would eliminate “sing­ing and drinking parties”. “I have no serious complaint to make. My children have left toys out in the yard and nothing has been stolen. The tenters are very nice people, Mr. Bor­syek stated. 

Midland council Wednesday night passed a motion hiring the Canadian-British Engineer­ing firm to proceed with spec­ifications so that tenders may be called for proposed repairs to the town-owned arena. “The important thing about the arena,” said Mayor Charles Parker. ”is to decide on how you are going to finance it, and get the necessary approval for spending the money”. “We can’t ask the department for approval until we have the designs to place before it,” said Alderman Walter Woods. He claimed it is “the utmost importance” to get the arena operational as soon as possible. The building has not been used since the end of the skating season. “The building cannot go through another winter in its present state,” said Reeve Arthur Argue. He expressed coun­cil’s thanks to J. E. Lawlor for work already carried out at no expense to the town. “The arena provides basic re­creation in this town” said Al­derman Fred Horton, pointing out the great number of hours it is used for Little NHL and minor hockey. 

Safety is the keynote of the Y’s Men’s Club’s program, particularly where water is concerned. Tacking up a few posters are left to right, David Seaton, who is in charge of the swimming classes, and assistants Colin Hamer and Klaus Meier. 

These are busy days again at Midland’s Little Lake where the Y’s Men’s Club’s summer program is in full swing. Above, counsellor Eden Morrison conducts a senior crafts group while program director Dave Docherty looks on.Learning to swim is still the main object of the more than 400 children, including 120 from Victoria Harbour at Little Lake. One of the instructors is seen above giving a group of the smallest tads their first instruction in the art that may one day save their lives. 

Getting to the school on time, every day of the year, was no great problem for these Port McNicoll youngsters, all of whom boast perfect attendance at the public school during the 1961-62 term. Left to right are, front row — James Richardson, Kenneth Young, Rinalo Succitelli, Stephen Lawson, Susan Young; back row — John Sekleski, Mrs. A. McCullagh, member of the school board, Ann Crosato, principal L. Thorpe, John Lever, Wayne King and board chairman Ray Belanger. 

July 2nd, fifty years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Spencer (nee Elizabeth Leduc), Lindsay Street, Midland, were married in Port Severn Roman Catholic Church. On their golden wedding anniversary, the couple who have six children, and 13 grandchildren say that not too many people celebrate a fiftieth anniversary and this was a big event in their lives. Story same page. 

Model home on Noreene Street built by Beaver Lumber and this photo was used in an advertisement announcing an open house Saturday and Sunday, July 7 & 8. [This house burnt around 2018 but was rebuilt.] Mortgage as low as $56 per month. 

Now that the holiday season is here, guides at numerous historical sites in the Midland-Penetanguishene area will have their hands full conducting groups such as the one above, at Old Fort Ste. Marie. Fort Penetanguishene and the Indian Village and Huronia Museum in Midland are other meccas for the tourists.

Getting to Midland’s Wireless Hill district is much more pleasant now with the completion of paving on portions of two streets. Motorists will no longer have to dodge pot-holes on three blocks of Johnston Street. A small roller works near the curb on a section of Robert Street. Work was done by Miller-Anderson Paving.