A. “Deen” McGill was only a teenager 45 years ago when he drove his father’s model “T” to Toronto and back in June of 1910. His father, Dr. H. R. McGill who practised in Elmvale and Hillsdale before coming to Midland bought the car from the late J. C. McMurtry who actually was a grocer but had the Ford franchise on the side, later establishing a garage of his own. There were no highways at that time, no 12, 27 or 11 and the existing roads were gravel or sand all the way to Toronto. Starting at 7 A.M. the first stop was Faragher’s Hotel in Waverly where Deen dutifully drained the hot water from the radiator, refilled it and checked the oil. In 1910 it was standard practise to add a quart of oil for every five gallons of gas used. Gas was 20 cents a gallon. The Ford got around 20 miles to the gallon and averaged 18-20 miles per hour, thirty was tops in those days. Next stop was Hillsdale where the ladies visited Frawley’s Store, one of the district’s largest. It was nearly 10 A.M. when the Midland tourists pulled up in front of the Queen’s Hotel in Barrie. Here Deen included cleaning the four spark plugs as part of his maintenance routine. Then to Bradford and Holland Landing where a toll road was encountered. Charges were ten cents for cars, five for horse and buggy and one cent for bicycles. Aurora and Richmond Hill then down Yonge Street turning at College and going over to their destination at Broadview and Girard, arrival time, one P.M. “We used to figure 6 hours to Toronto including stops,” said Deen. The return trip the next day was also uneventful, no breakdowns, no flat tires. Dr. McGill later sold the car and bought a horse and buggy but in 1913 purchased another new Ford.

•  The water shutoff threatened last week in Penetang saw Water & Light employees roving the town after 9 o’clock Friday night and shutting off service to ten customers. Besides the penalties violators had to pay a fee to have their water restored.
• Pete Lepage reports both freight and passenger business on the Penetang 88 is double that of last year – ship to shore telephone recently installed has been used to great advantage
• Penetang native W. Neville Keefe appointed general manager of the recently formed Georgian Bay Development Association, representing fifty municipalities around the Bay
• More than 1,000 Slovaks make Shrine pilgrimage Sunday
• Les Marsell playing golf with Joe Wilkie on the second hole at Midland Golf & Country Club was unable to find his ball, lost in the setting sunlight, after hunting in vain it was found in the hole, his second ace on the course
• 10 years ago, American tourists coming to Midland shopped mainly for china, shoes, perfume and meat which were more easily obtained in Canada
• Letter to the editor; How many official tourist information bureaus. I notice the Chamber of Commerce operates one which is supposed to serve the area but on the western entrance to town, outside a dance hall operated by the mayor, is a sign saying “Official Information” and then there is another in front of the Georgian Hotel proclaiming “Official Tourist Information”, very confusing, signed TORONTONIAN
• Graduates of the Lafontaine Continuation School are Viviane Marchildon, daughter of Achille Marchildon and Leo Marion, son of Mr. & Mrs. Herman Marion
• New dress code at MPDHS, skirts & blouses or dresses for the girls and dress pants and shirt for the boys
• Mr. & Mrs. Sam Ellery, lifelong residents of Wyebridge, celebrate 60 years of marriage. For many years Mr. Ellery operated a blacksmith’s shop in the village and later was one of the district’s leading bee keepers. Mrs Ellery, nee Mary Celesta Edwards and Sam were childhood sweethearts who went to school and grew up together in Wyebridge
• Representing North Simcoe at a meeting of the Simcoe County Children’s Aid Society were A. G. Calvert, G. E. Hurl and Ralph Dalton. Miss D. Jackson presented the field report, 505 children in care compared to 471 in 1954, an average of 70 to 80 per case worker. Most children were in foster care
• S.S. No 18 Tay (I believe this would be Moore’s Corner school on the sixth) exam results; grade 1 to 2, Jennifer Bumstead, Mary Burnie, Sharon Rumney, Rodney Sallows; 2 to 3, Judy Bumstead, John Holm, Allen Mount; 3 to 4, Wanda Russell; 4 to 5, Eleanor Holm, Neal Mount, Shirley Sallows; 5 to 6, Eldon Irish, Karen Sallows, Sharon Sallows, Brian Webb; 6 to 7, Mary Holm, Maizie Mount, John Russell, Garnet Sallows; 7 to 8, Shirley Holm, Tom Smith; 8 to 9, Victor Irish, Karen Robinson, Wayne Sallows. 
• Whipper Billy Watson and Gil Mains battle the hated Kalmikoff brothers in the pro wrestling matches held at the Arena Gardens
• In 1909, before Camp Kitchikawana, the Midland Y had a joint camp with the Orillia YMCA at Lehmann’s Point on Lake Couchiching. Norville E. Luck was general secretary of the Y in those days, he also ran the store at Paradise Point
• New Canadian Angelo Anest, 20, drowns at Balm Beach. Angelo came to Canada in 1952, was employed by Jim Deakos at the Diana Restaurant and was living with his aunt, Mrs. Katherine Anest at 320 Queen Street
• Jim Anderson of the county health service was quoted as saying; “it is difficult to justify preventative health care based on the North American tradition that if you can’t see it, eat it, feel it or re-sell it for a profit, you’re a sucker to pay for it. Supporting a public health service,” he said, “is paying for troubles you don’t have, rather than for those you do.”
• University of Western Ontario’s summer school of Indian archaeology is making Fort Penetanguishene’s Officer’s Quarters it base for this season while working on the Forget site at Wyebridge
• Orr’s Jewellers is selling the new Motorola portable radio for $49.95 including a free beach towel valued at $2.50 (batteries not included)
• Car raffle won by Montcalm Forget nets the Penetang rink and hospital funds $1,000.00 each
• Simcoe County Health Unit now the largest in the province with a staff of 39 and a budget of just over $160,000.00

 Click on Photos to Enlarge

Everyone is talking about the weather and this thermometer under an awning and on the shady side of King Street in front of Hartman’s Hardware read ninety degrees by mid afternoon Friday. Two Toronto visitors, Miss Anne Middleton and Mrs. W. Mortimer check it out.

On the stage of the Midland High School auditorium is this group of graduates from Sixth Street School Midland. They are from the grade eight class taught by James Robinson and are being honoured by the Midland Home & School Association.

Re: Grade 8 class of Sixth St. School. Darlene (Lowes) Rutherford listed the following names (to the best of her recollection):

Front Row: (Left to right) 1, Dave Crawford. 2, Lorraine Chapman. 3, L.D. Bowman. 4, Dave Bertrand 5, William Bates. 6, Ian Docherty, 7, Ernie Somers.
2nd Row: 8, Pauline Church. 9, Joanne Hansford. 10, Pamela Howard. 11, Marjorie Blythe. 12, Barb Nichols. 13, Janice Gilson. 14, Lynda Playne. 15, Frank O’Kenka.
3rd Row: 16, John Irvine. 17, Fay Haines. 18, Carol McConnell. 19, Carol Lawless. 20, Darlene Lowes. 21, Peggy Dion. 22, Betty Baker. 23, Doreen Argue.
4th Row: 24, Daniel Richardson. 25, Gail Kettle. 26, William Roberts. 27, Kay Lambie. 28, Bev Scott. 29, Patricia Steers. 30, Wayne Mohan. 31, William Swan. 32, William Wright. 33, Lawrence Wagner.

Missing from photo, Frank Koening, Isobel Stewart, John Barber and Don Quesnelle

First students to enter the new high school, graduates of Morgan (Orson) Lewis’s grade eight class at Regent Public School are pictured during a commencement ceremony held at MHS and sponsored by the Home & School Association.

{We have the names as printed in the Free Press, we just need help to match them to the photo; Arlene Armstrong, Betty Barfield, John Bell, Orten Crawford, John Edwards, Carol Fox, Paul Gowette, George Haskill, Suzanne Lawson, Ingrid Maron, Bryson McQuirter, William Moss, John Nicholson, Mary Ann Nicholson, Pamela Perkins, Gail Webster and Diane Wilson, Dianne Campbell, Ann Chapman, Jack Cowan, John Daniells, Peter Davis, Donna Dempsey, Clinton Ellery, Clayton Gillett, Donald Green, Robert Logan, Beaulah Lyle, Robert Marchand, Kirk Morrisson, Ann Rankin, Ingeborg Schmidt, Ashton Tuck, Barry Vivian, James Wilcox and Henry Yee} For reference, front row left, #1 to 11, BACK row 12 to 22 and those in the middle 23 to 36. My cousin Geordie Haskill in the band uniform would be #29 and Mary Ann Nicholson 4th from the left in the back row would be #15

Also grade eight grads from Regent School, taught by Mac Wilson.

{John Adamson, John Jacobson, Stanley Ligowski, Catherine McAllister, Douglas MacMillan, Betty Ann McCullough, Gwendolyn Paice, Keith Cleary, Betty Coombes, Harold Howe, Betty Ann McCuaig, Kenneth Mackie, Theo Rutherford, Robert Scott and Kenneth Wainman.} For reference front row left 1 to 3, middle row 4 to 8 and back row 9 to 14.

Young girls getting a bit of swimming practice under the watchful eye of Judy DeNure and Jacqueline Palmer, assistant playground supervisors. This is part of the daily summer program at Little Lake Park and is their water safety training.

Largest and smallest at the recent dog show in Midland, Bruno owned by Meredith Wilson and handled by John Wadge was the biggest and Tag owned and shown by Andrea Deschamps was the smallest.

CITY OF DOVER RETURNS TO MIDLAND

New Sault Ste. Marie owners decide 30,000 island area better bet than the northern run planned between the Sault and Michipicoten. Dover will run daily, three hour cruises from Midland but will not carry freight or make scheduled passenger stops. Evening cruises are planned as well. Captain Anson Smith has been engaged to return the Dover to Midland.

Remember those area news columns (gossip) in the local paper:

Wyebridge – Mrs. Bob Lambie and Patsy of Elmvale were guests of Mrs. Ellsworth Collins on Tuesday; Mrs. Alex Van Camp, Mrs. Dave Somers, Toronto, and Mrs. Hollern of Niagara Falls visited Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Eakley, Sunday etc.

Sunnyside – Visiting Mr. & Mrs. Walter Van Luven on Sunday were Mr. & Mrs. Howard Therrien and son Ivan, Mr. & Mrs. Billy Therrien and baby of Toronto, Mr. & Mrs. Raymond  Therrien and daughter Debbie of Penetang and Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Zoschke and son Walter of Midland Point, etc.

 Coldwater – Mr. & Mrs. Allan Davis and children and Miss Helen Aitcheson, all of Toronto, spent the weekend at the Tipping cottage, “One Eye Point”, Matchedash Bay, etc.

Waubaushene – Mrs. Charles Tucker spent the weekend visiting relatives in Beaverton and attended  the wedding of her niece; Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Tucker spent a day last week in Toronto, etc. 

Elmvale – Mrs. William Watson is spending a few days with her mother Mrs. Martin Beardsall, Mr. & Mrs. E. Arthur Copeland were in Toronto last Thursday to attend the convocation at Osgoode Hall when their son Robert who received his degree of barrister-at-law and was called to the bar, etc.

Vasey – Mr. & Mrs. Wray Faint and Douglas of Midland spent Sunday with Mr. & Mrs. Frank Rumney. Miss Marion McClung underwent an appendectomy, etc.

There were also reports from Lovering, Hobart, Perkinsfield, Victoria Harbour, Lafontaine, Melduf, Hillsdale, Penetang, Wyevale, Waverly

 Click photos to enlarge

 Tops in their age group, members of the Richmond Virginians were winners of the International League title in Saturdays playoffs. Front, Bill Doherty, Billy Mackie, Arnold Belfry, Ron Church, David McLaughlin, Richard Mohan, Gary French. Back row, C.O. Marshall coach, Bob Matthews, Dick Matthews, David Lamb captain, A. Dagg and Rev Len Self League director.

 Midland’s first major band award was won in Waterloo on Saturday, the Provincial championship for class 2 brass bands. The group beat out national champs the Metropolitan United Church Band and the Orillia Silver Band that has held the provincial title for three years. Back row, Hugh Smith, Bert Martin, John McAllister, John McAllister Sr., Charles Palmer, David Henry, George Haskill Jr., Garv Campbell and Tom Bell. Middle row; Shirley Wiles, Helen Smith, Lorne Belcher, Charles Gordon, Don Eplett, Bob Thompson, Clinton Truax, John Richardson, Bill Bates, Kay Kirkup, Clifford Brown, Peter McHugh, Norm Jackson, Kay Munday and Patsy Perrin. Front row, kneeling, Elaine Munday,  seated, Mayor Charles Parker, Bandmaster Al Hume, kneeling, Barbara Nichols, seated, Vern Holyrod and alderman Clinton Smith of the band committee and Shirley Silver kneeling. Absent were Jim Nicholson, Virginia Bath, Isabel Stewart, Joanne Bell and Clifford Flanagan who directed the band.

First large raft of logs to be put over the dam at Port Severn in more than a decade was run through by Ed Copeland, a Midland sawmill operator. Mr. Copeland is in the boat, foreground on the dock is Joe King of Port Severn a veteran of many river  drives years ago. The raft contained around 4,000 poplar, hemlock, pine and basswood logs cut in the Six Mile Lake area. They were towed across the bay to Port McNicoll for transportation to the mill.

 Capt. and Mrs. Albert Lavigne celebrate 50 years of marriage on June 6th. Albert was born one of 14 children in a log home on Concession 7, Tiny Township near Perkinsfield in 1881. Albert was schooled in French at Perkinsfield but the family moved to Muskoka Mills when he was about nine, his dad caring for the horses for Andrew Miscampbell. Their new school was all English and Albert and his  brother Olivia had to start over. The Lavigne’s moved back to Midland eight years later where his dad worked for Mr. Playfair and the children attended the old wooden school on Manly Street. Captain Lavigne began his sailing career  around the age of 19 on an American ship the W. P. Thew, earning $45.00 per month.  After his season on the Thew Alfred worked for Playfair rolling logs for fifty cents a day. When Playfair built the tug Magnolia Albert got to help and when it was launched in 1901 he went on as a deckhand. He worked his way up, fireman, wheelsman and finally mate under Captain Sandy Cuffe. In February 1916 Albert passed his exams as a tug master and also has his mates papers on passenger ships. His first tug was the McAuley for the Canadian Dredging Company. He also served 12 years as master of the Glenbogie and was also master of the Laketon for some time. He has been called out of retirement many times to fill in, even this year he was called to take the City of Dover to Sault Ste. Marie.

Mrs. Lavigne, the former Elizabeth McDonnell was born in Sturgeon Bay the youngest of the eight children of Mr. & Mrs. Allan McDonnell. The families lived side by side on Mill Street in Midland as both fathers were long time employees of Mr. Playfair’s and the children attended the Manly Street school. They were married at St. Margaret’s on June 6th, 1905 and their first home was on Mill Street but for 30 years they have lived in the big brick house at 278 (302) Manly Street that was built for Albert’s father Joseph Lavigne. The couple have four children, three boys followed their dad’s career on the lakes, Cyril and Joseph of Midland and Alvin in Marathon. Daughter Madeline, now Mrs. Albert Asselin, lives in Victoria Harbour.

Young priests ordained at Shrine. Marking the 25th anniversary of the canonization of the Canadian Martyrs, twelve young priests were ordained at the Shrine. The ceremony was performed by His Excellency Most Rev. Francis V. Allen, DD, Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto. The new priests were from Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, New York, Massachusetts and Hungary.

 Weddings

 June 25th at St. Mark’s Anglican, Charlotte Ilse Schrade youngest daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Adolf Schrade of West Germany and Douglas Ralph Weaver, Midland.

June 23rd, St. Patrick’s Church, Perkinsfield, Ina Doreen Wooder, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Archie Wooder, Perkinsfield and Dr. Fred Phillip Ceresney of Toronto

June 18th, St. Paul’s United, Midland, Mary Ruth James, daughter of Dr. & Mrs. C.N. James and Daniel Patterson Webb, eldest son of Mr. & Mrs. Clement Webb, Victoria Harbour.

May 28th, St. Margaret’s Church, Norah Eleanor Mary Murray daughter of Mr. & Mrs. William J. Murray, Midland and Raymond J. Robitaille, son of Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Robitaille, Midland.

June 11th, Mount Dennis Ontario, Marian Jean Todd, daughter of Mrs. George Todd of Penetang and Ernest Walter Bazinet, only son of Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Bazinet, Penetang.

June 18th, Coldwater United Church, Jacqueline Elizabeth Hall daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Hawke of Eady and Alvin Dalton Emms, eldest son of Dalton Emms, North River.

 Other notes;

– At this time the Delewana Inn at Honey Harbour was publishing weekly the names of their guests and if from Ontario also included their address. Banquet and service club names were also listed, such as the Penetang Separate School Board meeting June 6th and the Public School Teachers of Midland June 13th.

– Guy Hebner was advertising “Charter Boat – Trips for all Occasions” “Special Fishing Trips – Boats for Rent” 164 (174) Charles Street Phone 666M

– “Baseball – North Simcoe League Collingwood Belaires vs Herb Beauchamp’s Midland Indians” admission 50 cents.

– Penetang Water & Light Commission authorizes employees to immediately turn off the water supply to any resident watering their lawn during restricted hours, service to be resumed upon payment of fines

– Elmvale council petitions Ontario Liquor Control Board to keep local store open six days a week during the summer months

– Beauty Box Salon now open, Mary Lou Edwards proprietress, 253 (577) Hugel Ave. W. Phone 1447

– Don Messer Show featuring Marg Osborne, Charlie Chamberlain and Duke Neilson – plus- an evening of round and square dancing with Don Messer and his Islanders. Midland Arena Tonight at 9 PM

– Roller Skating at the Arena every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday