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.

TOURISM AHEAD OF ’61 LOCAL OPERATORS AGREE
Free Press Herald headline from Wednesday July 25, 1962. 

Tourism, near the half-way mark of the 1962 season, shows an increase over comparable estimates for last year, according to a Free Press Herald survey of district tourist accommodations. “Businessmen say trade is a little better. The season began earlier and there are noticeably more Americans among the tourists. More visitors stopped to enquire directions at our information booth,” stated R. B. Moffatt, chamber general manager. This is our biggest and year. We’ve turned away as many tourists again as we could have handled 10 years ago,” claimed owner Didace Grise, Delawana Inn, Honey Harbour. “Unlike many other summer operations, we are not as much influenced by the United States dollar exchange rate. More than 80 per cent of our bookings were already reserved before federal elections and pegging of the Canadian dollar,” he stated. SNOWED UNDER “We’ve been so snowed under it’s frustrating to turn all the available business away. It’s come to the stage now where we’re accepting bookings three to four years distant. On top of that we have a constant building program. We will add 20 more mainland units.” Mr. Grise explained. “Our Royal Island business is experiencing the best season in 20 or 25 years. We are now recognized as one of the major North American resorts. We have Americans here from every state in the union. We’ve begun advertising in Europe and it has paid off with our first set of Soviet tourists this summer,” he concluded. 

Robert Hartog, [yes, they spelled it wrong but likely the last time] president and general manager, announced this week that Kitchen Installations Ltd. has closed its Ajax plant and by next week will be operating in the new Kindred Industries Ltd. plant on Midland’s eastern outskirts. Mr. Hartog said the Ajax plant, which produced stainless steel kitchen installations, was closed Friday night. It employed about 70 persons. Most workers for the Midland plant will be drawn from this area, Mr. Hartog said. [Someone said to me this week that the town should erect a bronze of James Playfair to recognize his contributions to Midland, if so, Robbert should stand beside him.] 

The firefighters were glad of the weekend downpour, stated Major G. R. Lane, Severn River area forester, Coldwater. “The topsoil is so dry the rainfall we’ve had will last us only until Sunday. It would take a week’s steady rain to soak through the two feet of dry earth on the surface,” he warned. “We had all fires extinguished by the time the rains set in but just before they started there were four blazes at once in an area bounded by Rama Township on the east and Roberts Island in the west. “We’ve lost 16 acres of woodland and had several close shaves with cottages. So far there have been 15 fires, only one of which was caused by lightning. The rest were the result of human carelessness. “For days after a fire we have to have one of our nine regular staff patrol a burnt over area watching for smouldering. The fire may go underground between rocks and burst out again at a different point.” He explained. 

Work is nearing completion on the new vocational wing at Midland-Penetang District High School. Upper photo is the rear wall, the agricultural barn is in the background. A workman is setting in one of the hundreds of window frames in one of the new class rooms in the lower photo. 

Several thousands of visitors, both local residents and tourists, toured the RCN frigate “Victoriaville” when the ship was in Midland harbour last week. The ship left Midland Monday morning for firing practice off Parry Sound before continuing her training cruise to the Lakehead. She returns to Atlantic waters late in August. 

While in Midland to attend the annual stockholders meeting of Pillsbury of Canada, Mr. Philip Pillsbury, chairman of the board of Pillsbury Company, visited the Midland plant. Mr. Pillsbury (centre) was introduced to the employees, and is pictured talking with Cec. Launder, plant manager, (left) and employee Martin King. 

My mother would buy these for her fall and winter pie making. Stored in the big deep freeze they were an easy target for a frosty snack. In December I switched to her Christmas baking. With careful re-arranging I estimate I could remove 25% of a tin of cookies or squares without her knowing. Or did she? 

Editorial page photo entitled; “Holiday Vista at Thunder Bay”. 

35 YEARS AGO – 1927
Mayor George Gooden and Midland council hosted 18 district veterans following a nine day Simcoe Foresters militia brigade camp held at Owen Sound. A banquet was served in the new Georgian Hotel. Capt. Wm. Thompson, Officer Commanding Penetanguishene Company, urged that public opinion be molded to see the  importance of military training. He proposed an area camp be set up and a rifle range and armory established to serve the Midland – Penetanguishene district. * * * The yacht “Shirlohn” was christened at Gidley Boat Company, Penetanguishene. The 110 by 19-foot beam craft was built for G. M. Williams, president of Marmon Motor Car Company, Indianapolis. Mr. Williams and family, on hand for the ceremony, said they would sail shortly for an extended Labrador-Atlantic-Florida cruise. A unique design featured accommodation for Mr. Williams’ Marmon automobile amidships. * * * Conservationist Jack Miner addressed 200 persons at Beausoleil Island’s YMCA Camp Kitchikewana. During his speech he praised the camp. “I have never visited a more beautiful camp in my life,” he commented. To establish migratory habits of geese, Mr. Miner first began banding the birds in 1914. Some of the tags had even been returned by Eskimo hunters, he stated. * * * Although motor vehicle operator permits became law for the first time in 1927, police agreed not to strictly enforce penalties against experienced drivers still without a licence. It was felt drivers should be given further margin of one year’s grace, stated Ontario Motor Vehicles Branch, Department of Highways. * * * The Dominion Department of Agriculture announced a novel method of controlling forest insects. In tests carried out on Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island, aeroplanes flew low over infected woodland and “dusted” the trees. The idea was first applied to spraying cotton fields in the United States. * * * Midland council bowed to the pressure of a ratepayers’ delegation and agreed to pave roads near St. Andrews Hospital at an estimated cost of $20,000. One of the arguments in favor of the road improvements was that the work would last “at least 30 years”. 

Many Motorists, summer visitors as well as town residents, availed themselves of the free safety check service for their cars in Midland last week. The Department of Transport, Midland Police and local service stations and garages co-operated in the checks. Here Manson Currie checks the headlights on a car while Chief George Wainman talks with the driver. 

The Simcoe County Museum Board announced the opening of the new Simcoe County Museum. It is located five miles north of Barrie, on Highway No. 26, adjacent to Springwater Park, and will be open daily Monday to Saturday, until 8.30 p m., and on Sundays from 12.30 noon until 9.30 p.m. Displays in the museum show the history of Simcoe County from the earliest traces of man through, to the pioneer settle­ment of the county. In this, the museum is using “living displays” to show room scenes from the past. These date from the 1875 period. The official Museum opening will be on or about August 1 with the Hon. Bryan L. Cathcart, Minister of the De­partment of Travel and Pub­licity present for the ceremony. A small Canadian handicraft gift shop is located in the museum, which is handling a number of types of work done by county residents.  

A Midland marksman, Pete Abram, emerged the top shooter in the pistol competition held at Bramshott range near Orillia last weekend. Orillia trials were one of eight regional shoots held across Canada to determine a team for the International Shooting Union’s pistol champ­ionships to be held in Cairo Egypt. Four or five men will be selected on the basis of tabu­lations compiled. Results will also be used to select a team for the Pan-American games later this year. 

Together for the first time in 20 years, the Dupuis family were re-united at Bourgeois din­ing room, Victoria Harbour, last Tuesday. The family are sons and daughters of the late Wm. and Ida Dupuis, Lindsay Street, Midland. All were raised in the district but over the years some branches of the family have moved away. Those attending were: Rita, (Mrs. Ray Thayer), her hus­band and daughter Lynne, Mid­land; Edna, (Mrs. Ken Todd), and husband, Penetanguishene; Muriel, (Mrs. Anthony Galls), and husband. Racine, Wiscon­sin; Ambrose Dupuis and wife Agnes, Penetanguishene; Stan­ley Dupuis, Halifax; and Jos­eph Dupuis, a member of the crew of S.S. Dolomite. 

 CORONER’S JURY ISSUES NINE RECOMMENDATIONS
County Herald headline of Friday, July 27, 1962. 

A coroner’s jury at Bracebridge, Wednesday, inquiring into the death of Nora Jean Armitage attached no blame to any one and made nine recommendations designed to prevent a tragedy similar to the one which took the life of the 10-year-old Grosse Point, Mich., girl, July 17. The jury found Nora died from toxic poisoning consistent with the effects of a bite by a Massasauga rattlesnake. Officials at the hearing said it was only the second such fatality in the 50 years records have been kept on such matters in Ontario. Dr. F. Boughen, Gravenhurst, was the coroner, assisted by Dr. H. B. Cotnam, chief coroner for Ontario, and Allan Newell, Muskoka crown attorney. Didace Grise was named foreman of an all Honey Harbour jury that included Mel Lavigne, Joseph Jacques, Emory O’Rourke, and Dave Milner. During the day-long hearing in the District of Muskoka court house, ten witnesses were heard, including seven doctors and a nurse. The Jury deliberated the evidence for 40 minutes before returning with a verdict at 8.50 p.m. 

“This year, the 38th year the YMCA summer program has been conducted in Midland, we have had the largest number of registrations — more than 500,” stated Dave Docherty, program secretary of Midland YMCA. This summer program is a project of the Midland Y’s Men’s Club. The committee in charge of it is headed by Frank Whiteman, and includes members Ross Thompson, and Walter Kluck, club president.

BIRTHS
BALD—To Mr. and Mrs. Andre Bald, 99 Ruby Street, Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 20, a daughter.
BUTT — To Mr. and Mrs. Graham Butt, Port McNicoll, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 12, daughter, baby died.
CHAPMAN — To Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Chapman, 140 Seventh
Street, Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 12, a son.
COUSINEAU — To Mr. & Mrs. Hammond Cousineau, Honey Harbour, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 25, a daughter.
DORION — To Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Dorion, 112 Olive Street, Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, , July 18, a son.
ENGLISH — To Mr. and Mrs. Ross English, 84 Quebec Street, Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 25, a daughter.
GONEAU — To Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Goneau, 110 Donalda Street, Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 24, a son.
HOWARD — To Mr. and Mrs. William Howard, Yonge Street West, Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 17, a son.
MARSDEN — To Mr. and Mrs. Earl Marsden, Christian Island, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 24, a son.
MONAGUE — To Mr. and Mrs. John Monague, Christian Island, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 12, a daughter.
PLAYNE — To Mr. and Mrs. John Playne, 216 Lindsay St., Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 23, a son.
POTTER – To Mr. and Mrs. William Potter, R.R, 1. Waubaushene,
at St. Andrews Hospital, July 22, a son.
PRUE — To Mr. and Mrs. Donald Prue, 272 William Street, Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 23, a daughter.
SMITH — To Mr. and Mrs. Manley Smith, Christian Island, at St. Andrews Hospital, July 24, a daughter.
BELCOURT — To Mr. and Mrs. Louis Belcourt,  Shaw Street, Elmvale, at Penetanguishene General Hospital, July 4, a son.
BELLISLE — To Mr. and Mrs. Edmond Bellisle, 4 Robert Street Lane, Penetanguishene, at Penetanguishene General Hospital, July 4, a daughter.
DESROCHES — To Mr. and Mrs. Alcide Desroches, R.R. 2. Penetanguishene, at Penetanguishene General Hospital, July 3, a son.
JOLIE — To Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Jolie, Hillsdale, at Penetanguishene General Hospital, July 7, a son.
MOREAU — To Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Moreau, 220 Church Street, Penetanguishene, at Penetanguishene General Hospital, July 4, a son.
ROBITAILLE – To Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Robitaille, R.R. 2, Penetanguishene, at Penetanguishene General Hospital, July 1, a daughter.
TRUDEAU — To Mr. and Mrs. Allan Trudeau, Sans Souci, at Penetanguishene General Hospital, July 2, a son.
WORRELL — To Mr. and Mrs. Donald Worrell, 11 Main Street, Penetanguishene, at Penetanguishene General Hospital, July 5, a daughter.
YATES – To Mr. and Mrs. Donald Yates, Cambridge Street, Penetanguishene, at Penetanguishene General Hospital, July 4, twin daughters.

Gord Dyment and Bob Hendrickson, recent authors of no-hit, no-run pitching masterpieces for Midland Indians in the South Simcoe Baseball League, must now move over and make room for still another Midland member in this exclusive diamond club. This time it’s Bob Grier, ace right-handed hurler for Midland Flyers of the Orillia District Softball League. The king-size Flyer pitcher couldn’t have picked a more opportune time to toss his mound gem either than on Wednesday evening at the town park diamond. It enabled the home side to trample MacTier Flyers 7-0 in their long-awaited clash for top spot in the loop standing. Only two batters separated Grier from a perfect game as the fast-baller fanned 14 while issuing nary a free pass to the visitors. 

Still one of the most popular spots for tourists in North Simcoe is Midland’s Little Lake Park. Part of the playground equipment and new table facilities in the southeast corner, are seen in this picture. Number of people using the park has been particularly high on weekends this year, it is reported. 

District television viewers watched European capitals flash past their screens in the first live trans-ocean telecast, made possible by the United States’ Telstar satellite, Monday. It was a feat paralleling  Marconi’s first faltering wireless telegraph message to bridge the Atlantic signalled from a hill above St. John’s, Newfoundland, at the turn of the century. Just as then, the world’s press raved about the accomplish­ment in the field of communication. It is estimated the program had a potential audience of 200 millions. Sixteen Eurovision network countries in Western Europe watched part of the Chicago Philadelphia baseball game coupled with a segment of Pres­ident John F. Kennedy’s press conference in the first half of the two 20 minute relayed ex­changes.