• First full fledged strike, complete with pickets, ever to hit Penetang, started Friday noon when beverage room waiters and tap men formed a picket line outside the Brule Hotel
• 30 Girl Guides from Penetang and Midland spent August 14th at Doe Lake, Huntsville, and met Lady Baden-Powell
• C. Wansbrough, vice-president and managing director of the Canadian Metal Mining Association assures the Huronia Historic Sites and Tourist Association that he will restore to its former condition the Stephen Leacock estate, which he has just purchased for $50,000.00
• Veteran ship engineer George W. Crossan describes the death of the Midland Queen, the first Great Lakes freighter to be sunk by a German submarine in WW1. Built in Scotland at the turn of the century for James Playfair’s Midland Navigation Company, the 245 foot canaller was sunk by submarine U68, 70 miles off Fastnet, Ireland. The German commander allowed everyone into lifeboats before shelling the Queen
• Pete Pettersen tells a town hall meeting that Midland will host the Dominion ski jumping championship next year if $15,000.00 can be raised to complete the jump
• Moving anyone? Mrs. Xavier Contois has a home which stood in Tay Twp. west of Eighth Street, just outside of Midland, it was moved over the boundary into Midland (no reason given), whose officials refused to have it there and it was then transported to Chatham Street in Penetang. When residents there complained the owner was ordered to remove it from Penetang and police escorted it to the town limits. It now sits on a lot in Tiny Twp. east of Howe’s Corner and is causing fiery debate at Tiny Council
• Gordon Shakell of Horrell Avenue reports a good crop of peaches from his two trees, cites the very hot summer as the reason for his success
• Free Press reporter Ken Somers interviewed Captain Ed Burke and they reviewed his salvage records from the busy years in the teens and twenties before radar, depth sounders and direction finders. It is a long list of dozens of grounded vessels, some close to home such as the Glenbogie at the Simcoe Elevator and the Manodock at the Tiffin
• 1,600 wrestling fans pack the Midland Arena Gardens
• Patriarch of Owen Sound’s Jewish community and father of Samuel Gadesky, Midland, Isaac Gadesky, 94, died in that city Monday. Survived by ten sons and one daughter
• Restock Severn River and Tea Lake with over 300 Bass parent fish in an effort to increase stocks. Believed that the mature fish harvested from an over populated lake will produce better results than fry and fingerlings
• 25 years ago this week –  One of Midland’s oldest landmarks, the original smithy owned by William Ney, was torn down. Only one anvil was still in operation by Mr. Ney in the brick building at the rear of the shop located near the corner of King and Bay   –   348 students enrolled in the Midland High School  –  Jory’s selling Ontario Public School readers for the 1930 school term, primary 4 cents, first reader 6, second reader 9, third reader 14 and fourth reader 16
• High School will start with staggered classes in 1955 until the new school is ready; grades 10, 11, 12 will start at 9 AM and grades 9 and 13 will start at 1 PM
• Some staggering of classes will be necessary for public school students as well due to the loss of Central School and until the old high school becomes available (Parkview); pupils west of King Street will attend Sixth Street School and those on the east side, Regent School
• Johnstone’s advertising “Back to School Headquarters” school bags, pencil boxes, binders, scribblers, etc. (they also sold fishing equipment, we know them as Johnstone’s Music Land)
• Fire on the farm of Gordon Strath, concession 13, Flos, caused $20,000.00 damage, destroyed the barn, implements, hay, grain and one calf. A horse which went wild and ran onto the road, collided with a car driven by William Curry of Waverly, injuring his two sons, Randall 16 and Lloyd 15. The horse was killed in the collision
• Gray Coach Lines is offering round trip adult fare including admission to the CNE for $5.50. Leave Penetang, Stewart’s Service Station, 7:30 AM, leave Midland, Georgian Hotel, 7:45 AM and depart Toronto at 11:15 PM
• Brickwork started on the new public school in Coldwater on Gray Street, expected completion date, December 31st, 1955
• Two Balm Beach summer residents are reported to have drifted across Nottawasaga Bay Wednesday night when the engine of their motorboat quit, they landed near Meaford
• Walter Van Luven born May 31, 1882 in Glen Major Ont. dies in St. Andrew’s Hospital August 17th. The Van Luven’s moved to Midland in 1908 where Walter worked for Chew Brother’s Mill, Tay Township and the CPR. Fifteen years ago they moved to Sunnyside. He is survived by his wife, Margaret Allison, his mother Mrs. Sarah Booth, brother Willis, sons Clifford and Kenneth and three daughters, Bernice, Beatrice and Gladys
• Tobbacco pickers wanted at once, $12.00 per kiln and board, apply Octave Dorion, RR Utopia
• Mr. & Mrs. Ken Taylor wish to announce the engagement of their only daughter, Mary Diane, to Kenneth William Hooper, son of Mr. & Mrs. William Hooper. Wedding will take place September 3rd at the home of the bride’s grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. John Quinlan, 325 Yonge Street
• New hours for Penetang drug stores; Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, 9 AM to 8 PM; Wed, Sun & holidays, 9 AM to 12:30 PM  and  6:30PM to 8:00 PM Saturday 9 AM to 9 PM Hartt’s and Morrison’s

With temperatures in the nineties hockey is far from most people’s minds except Jack Martin president of Midland’s Intermediate Hockey Club as he signs Ted Brady to the team. Defenseman Brady played for the Guelph Biltmores and the Scottish Hockey League. Looking on is Jack Valliear, upper left, team manager and Wm. MacArthur witness. The location is the lobby of the Georgian Hotel.

This old bus once transported patrons for PMCL, it has now been bought by George Stanley, eldest son of Ben Stanley, to be used as a residence for his family at Camp Petawawa. George, 25, of Concession 3 Tay, painted and renovated the bus when he found housing both scarce and expensive at the military base. George’s wife Patricia (nee Bell from Halifax) and son Robert are seen inside their portable home.

The Hyatt home was the scene of a triple shooting early Saturday morning. Awaiting trial on three counts of  assault causing bodily harm and one of attempted murder is their boarder, Albert Casey. Chief William Nicholas examines the bedroom where a pool of blood covers the floor. Archie Hyatt, his wife and son were all wounded by Albert Casey after a dispute over money. Archie Hyatt is the new manager of the plastics division of Midland Industries. (If you live in Midland you may recognize this home but may not be able to place it?)

 Four of the prize winners in Friday night’s carnival fundraiser on King Street sponsored by the Intermediate Hockey Club are pictured here, Joyce Walker, Benje Karsh, Bjorn Pettersen and Joan Charlesbois. Threatening rain kept attendance down.

 

For a full list of the films please click on the Film Series tab at the top of this page.

• Tiny Township fires its road superintendent, Leslie Spring, over “defiance of councils orders” and a long standing issue regarding the repair of Hurricane Hazel damage.
• Penetang telephone subscribers take to new dial system, very few dialing errors after Sunday morning changeover
• Two inches of rain in Coldwater breaks long dry spell, James Lazonby’s official records show that in the first week of August the temperature rose to over 90 every day but one, June and July saw only 2 1/4 inches of rain
• 10 years ago this week the “Hickory Lake” Penetang built minesweeper left Canada to become part of the Russian Navy –  and  –  Midland Council was asking that 25 more wartime houses be built for returning veterans. Fifty such houses had already been built
• At the air-conditioned Pen Theatre, Randolph Scott in “The Bounty Hunter”. At the Roxy, Bob Hope in “The Seven Little Foys”
• Leacock home on Brewery Bay put up for sale by Toronto realtor
• July 30th, Evelyn Marie Beausoleil, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Jerome Beausoleil of Penetang marries James Gordon Walker, son of Mr. & Mrs. Edwin Walker, Midland
• Wilfrid Jury estimates Forget Site Huron Village near Wyebridge to be 700 years old, no sign of European contact, one longhouse is 154 feet
• Pioneer lumberman Harry Shanacy dies as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident near the Shrine, employed by the James Playfair Lumber Co. and later in partnership with D. S. Pratt in the firm of Pratt and Shanacy
• Garnet E. Tanner advises that he has sold the apartment block he built 25 years ago to Messrs. Earl Cumming, Ernie Nicholson and Bill Orr. Built on what was formerly known as the Horrell property the building contains 15 units and the sale includes five houses
• Letter from 84 year old W. W. Sneath of Toronto – “I was born in Penetang and remember the old trading store of Thompson’s which each year was visited by the Doukis Indians who came to trade their furs and maple products and who owned a lot at the foot of Main St. where they pitched their tents. I also remember quite well an Indian Village on Beausoleil Island. My sister was a public school teacher in Penetang for many years.”
• The summer months in Huronia are filled with drownings, we tend not to list them but, Wasaga Beach recorded its worst weekend with seven drownings at the beach on Sunday
• Petty crime and vandalism rampant in the area this summer, over the weekend the Midland Library, the YMCA, the Arena Gardens, the Indian Village, Daniell’s Welding Service , two cars at the Shrine and George Paterson’s store in Port McNicoll were broken into
• 25 years ago – Great Britain was considering the establishment of a regular air service to Canada
• 3,848 pounds of course fish removed from Waubaushene Bay, destroyed by the Department of Lands and Forests during a recent study of the fishing conditions there. Included, carp, dogfish, suckers and gar. About four thousand fish were handled during the week long operation
• July 30th wedding at St. Margaret’s, Margaret Jo-Ann Paradis, only daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Clifford Paradis, Midland, married Herman Armond Lacroix, third son of Mr. & Mrs. D. J. Lacroix of Midland.
• Penetang court docket unusual, there were no drunk in public or impaired driving charges which usually take up so much of the court’s time
• Officers of the Ontario Barbers’ Association of Midland – Penetang – Port McNicoll – Victoria Harbour zone announced an increase in the price of haircuts , effective Monday, adult cut going up 10 cents, 15 cents for children on Saturdays and 25 cents for brushcuts and shaves
• Midland will miss Art Macksey who is moving to Toronto, in 48 years he has clipped a lot of us and made us like it
• Keith Waples of Victoria Harbour was the leading driver during the 35 day summer harness meet at Woodbine Track. Waples piloted 19 winners to win the Carling Trophy
• Midland Point resident N. F. Beck complains that every day he has to rake up garbage on his beach, he sent this paper a box full of food garbage such as orange peels, corn cobs, etc. Wonders if it comes from steamers or pleasure craft
• Bonnie Bannan of Vasey tops in Grade 13 departmental examinations, wrote ten papers, nine firsts and one second
• Work on paving County Road 6 between Penetang and Lafontaine was completed last week

 Click photos to enlarge

Local Scouts wait to board a bus to take them to the 8th World Scout Jamboree at Niagara on the Lake. Seated, Robert Sallows second Victoria Harbour; Allan Walker, 3rd Midland; Gary Hamelin, 2nd Penetang; standing, Paul Dion, 2nd Penetang; Wayne Hook, 1st Penetang; Roger Attridge, 1st Midland; Bob Desroches, 2nd Penetang; Rodney McNamara, 2nd Midland and George Duquette, 2nd Penetang.

 

Sidewalk superintendents keep a close watch as the first piles are driven for the new Bell Telephone exchange and office building at Midland and Hugel Avenues. It was an added step when it was discovered that the ground was wet and unstable. The machine is placing large wooden timber mats upon which it can traverse the wet ground. Bourgeois Motors can be seen in the background.

 

About 30 Midland Scouts helped in the search Wednesday for Gilbert Perrault, the 36 year old Midland man who has been missing since Monday night. Scouts searched the area around the CSL winter berth under the direction of Howard Deschamps while police and friends dragged the water of the nearby bay.

Gilbert, a town of Midland employee, had left his part time job as a caretaker at Dr. Grise’s office at about 10 PM to go to his home at Fifth and Ontario and has not been seen since. He is the father of five children and the son of Mr. & Mrs. Albert Perrault of 79 Water St., Penetang. His body was later found in the bay, it was his habit to walk along the trestle between the Town House and the CSL winter berth and it is assumed he fell from it.

 

Copeland Flour Mills has been experimenting with this new truck, a first in Canada and one of the few in the world. 40,000 pounds of flour can be unloaded in 45 minutes eliminating bagging and handling. Front, Bill Beeton of Copeland’s, H. L. Wilson director of sales Copeland’s, Wilf Hampson of Fruehauf Trailers. Back row; John Courtemarche of Copeland’s, Ken Stack manager of Wilson’s Transport, owners of the truck and trailer, William H. Pinchin general manager of Copeland’s Flour Mills Limited and Ken Dwytie of Fruehauf’s.

 

Midland Branch 80, Royal Canadian Legion carnival parade Friday night down King Street  from the curling rink, hundreds of people lined the street. Midland Citizens Band and a fire truck led the parade. Judges were Mayor Charles Parker, Don Swinson, Helen Laidlaw and Miss Margaret Duffet. In this group can be seen, Carol Scott, Margaret Langevin, Karen Clark, Wayne Hamelin, Gerald Karch, Joseph Proulx, Shirley Proulx, Wendy Watering, Karen Labatt and Pamela Clark.

 

Legion carnival parade winner Brian Hamelin receives money he won from Legion official Len Wiles. Legion Carnival Parade was held as a fundraiser for the Christmas cheer fund for children.

 

Preceded by Rev. Charles Carter the flag draped coffin of Capt. Robert Mitchell is borne from Bonar Presbyterian Church  by officers of the Keewatin which the veteran mariner captained on his retirement in 1954. Six Legion members form an honour guard down the steps.

 

This photo was not used in the newspaper but the individual officers were pictured. Charles Beeman  of Midland on the right, whose resignation from the OPP was effective August 15th, 1955, a member of that force for 8 1/2 years.  Constable Bert Banting,  left and Cpl. Blake Ball, center, all three Provincial Police officers are from the Victoria Harbour  office.

 

Kneeling in prayer at the tomb of St. Jean de Brebeuf at Fort Ste. Marie 1 is a group Huron Natives from Loretteville,  Quebec, who made the pilgrimage to the Martyr’s Shrine over the weekend. Leading the prayer on the left is Father Adrian Poulliot S. J. who organized the pilgrimage. Natives are descendants of Huron’s who escaped massacre by the Iroquois.