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.  

Again we have no original negatives for this week and we will make do with copy and paste.

 BOARD MOVES TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY FOR NEW SCHOOL 

Free Press Herald headline of May 17, 1961.
Midland Public Schools Board will proceed immediately to acquire property for a new school in the southeast area of town. The board was given the “go ahead” signal at a joint meeting with Midland Planning Board and town council in the municipal building Monday night. The property concerned is approximately eight acres, fronting on Robert Street.  It is owned by Lakeview Cemetery. “At the moment, we are only assuming the preferred site –will be made available,” said Frank Bray, chairman of the school board. The property, however, is in one of two areas suggested by the planning board in a report given to school authorities. 

RECEIVE TENTATIVE OK ON NEW VOCATIONAL SCHOOL 

County Herald headline of May 19, 1961
Tentative approval has been received from the provincial government for a further nine-room addition to Midland – Penetang District High School and to be paid for under new special vocational grant legislation. Total cost of the new addition and equipment is estimated to be in excess of $500,000, with the entire cost shared by the provincial and federal governments —the latter paying 75 per cent. 

    Fire of undetermined origin almost completely destroyed two coal sheds at The C. Beck Co. property in Penetang, Monday afternoon. Preliminary estimates of the loss ran between $4,000 and $5,000. Tinder-dry wood in the frame sheds provided excellent fuel for the flames, which were leaping high in the air when firemen commenced their fight.  At times the heat was so intense it could be felt several hundred feet away. Apparently, the blaze started in the shed east of the railway track, and jumped across the track to the second building.Chas. Day, company official, said there was very little coal in the sheds, since stocks at this time of year are allowed to run low. Greatest loss in contents was a pair of loader conveyers, and a large quantity of dry lumber stored in one shed for later use in box-making. 

    Communicable diseases are showing some signs of abating as there are less in number being reported, states Dr. P. A. Scott in his latest report for Simcoe County Health Unit. In this report measles beads the list with 209 cases, followed by chicken pox with 66 and German measles with 19. Seventeen cases of mumps and seven of scarlet fever were reported for a total of 318.  

    Midland apparently has some thirsty crooks – with a literary bent. Breaking into Pinecrest Products Ltd. factory on Bay Street over the weekend, thieves polished of 24 “cokes” before making off with 10 cents in cash, and a typewriter, police chief George Wainman reported.   

      Midland Lion’s girls softball league now has 72 girls registered, it was revealed this week. There is still room for extra players on several teams and any girls wishing to play should contact Rev. Len Self, Parkview School at 6 p.m. Friday night. The new league has eight teams, which will play their games at Parkview Friday evenings. Following are the team rosters: Owls — Patsy Dalziel (captain), Lynda Dagg, Sharon Contois, Annette MacDonald, Shirley Cadeau, Barbara Galt, Laurie Young, Ruth Duncan. Hawks — Geraldine Borsa (captain), Brenda Fournier, Nancy Alderson, Sheila Cadieux, Louella Contois, Andrea Descbamp, Joan Lesperance, Margaret Rogers. Red Wings — Sharon Oliver (captain), Mary Morden, Sally Yarr, Nancy Mahoney, Barbara Lloyd, Marilyn Park, Debbie Willett, Julia Farewell. Orioles — Susan Heels (captain), Valerie Somers, Ruth McQuirter, Marilyn Jackson, Carol Banting, Jane Spiker, Wanda LePage, Joan Child, Jo-Ella Couriere. Vultures — Barbara Spence (captain), Patsy Jeffery, Liz Taylor, Nancy Tully, Carol Launder, Jane Moss, Mary Toole, Peggy Krochko, Sharon Stelter. Eagles — Marilyn Jane Mohan (captain), Patsy Paul, Becky Paul, Wendy Allsopp, Ruth Bowen, Debby Mohan, Judy Wilson, Joyce Ferris, Carol Dion, Lola Brown, Mary Cable. 

     The chatter was almost deafening Saturday evening, May 6, as 98 nurses, the majority from the former St Andrews Hospital Training School, held a reunion dinner in the Midland YMCA. Tales of stoking the furnace, toast on night shift, and maintaining hospital ‘silence’ so patients could sleep at night despite the jangling bell system, getting up-to-the minute family news — all were told and retold while the women of the ‘Y’ auxiliary served turkey and trimmings, and home – made pies. The dinner and evening was organized by the St. Andrews Hospital Nurses’ Alumnae, and Included nursing graduates of other schools — who were on staff at one time at the hospital. The last time many nurses were together was the 80th birthday celebrations they held for their former superintendent Miss Emma Baker. In all, there were approximately 115 nurses who trained during the school years of 1912 to 1942, when Miss Baker retired. Then four additional classes were carried on until 1946, when the training school was discontinued. 

    Apparently the CNR station at Perkinsfield will cease to exist in the near future, according to information tabled at Tiny Township council meeting last Saturday.  A letter from the railway indicated approval to “remove the station” is being sought, pointing out the station has not been in use for some time. A communication from the Department of Transport asked whether Tiny council had any objections to the  station being closed, and set May 23 as the deadline for filing any objection. Council had no objection to offer to the move. It was mentioned that some recent shipments left at the station had remained there for some time before the consignees knew of their arrival. 

    Three Midland residents were among the 27 citizens who received their naturalization certificates recently from Judge D. MacLaren in Barrie. Midlanders receiving their certificates were Hildegard Lipp, Karl Lipp and Johann Sachs. 

    Five hundred dollars will go up in smoke Monday night. Not in actual cash but in a fireworks display sponsored by the Midland Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) at Little Lake Park, starting about 8.30. This was revealed last night by Ed Gamna, chairman of the Jaycee fireworks committee. The aerial display will be set off near the boathouse, Gamna said, and added he hoped everyone would- turn out for the fireworks and contribute generously to their cost during the voluntary collection. “It has cost the club something every year we have put on the display and we hope to break even this year.” added Mr Gamna. He emphasized that the club had no wish to make money on the affair.

 DEMPSEY — To Mr. and Mrs. John Dempsey, R.R. 2, Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, Tuesday, May 16, 1961, a son.
DUCAIRE — To Mr. and Mrs. Martin Ducaire, Yeo Street, Penetang, at St. Andrews Hospital, Monday, May 15, 1961, a daughter.
LADOUCEUR — To Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ladouceur, R.R. 1. Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, Wednesday, May 17, 1961, a son.
LANGLEY — To Mr. and Mrs. Percy Langley, 110 Olive Street, Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, Tuesday, May 16, 1961, a daughter.
TODD — To Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Todd, Port McNicoll, at St. Andrews Hospital, Sunday, May 14, 1961, a son. 

TUG “MAGNOLIA”
Dear Editor: The single-screw, wooden tug “Magnolia”, official No. 103690, was built at Midland in 1898 from the burned hulk of the single – screw wooden steamer Stanley, Official No. 77693, length 160 feet, width 28 feet and depth 12 feet, built in 1872 at Chatham by Duncan Chisholm and rebuilt in 1880 at Hamilton. She was lengthened to 180 feet and re-named St. Magnus. On June 7, 1895, she arrived at Cleveland from Toledo and rolled over while unloading at the Pennsylvania Dock. Raised by Michigan Salvage Co., she was towed to the Port Dalhousie dry-dock and burned there Sept. 5, 1895. Her burned out hull was towed to Midland and rebuilt for the Midland Towing and Wrecking Co. Ltd. The work was done by Robert Morrell in 1898. Tug Magnolia was 136 feet long, 21 feet 4 inches wide, 13 feet 7 inches deep, 367 gross tons in weight, and was registered at Toronto, as there was no registry office at Midland until 1906. Her registry was transferred to Midland during that year. She was sold to CSL in 1916, damaged by fire in 1918 and abandoned as a constructive loss in 1919. The Midland Transportation Co. Ltd., procured the wreckage and gave it a refit in 1919 and changed the name to Luckport, with length reduced to 126 feet and tonnage to 231 gross tons. The Luckport was finally dismantled and registry closed in 1930.
—W. R. WILLIAM 

Editorial – The strike at the Royal York has made a greater contribution to governmental understanding of labor-management relations than any development in Ontario of the past ten years. Most of the members of the provincial cabinet have their home away from home at that hotel.

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.  

Again we have no original negatives for this week and we will make do with copy and paste. 

RATEPAYERS WANT ACTION ON TOWN DUMP PROBLEM 

Free Press Herald headline of May 10, 1961.
A deputation from William, Hanley, Donalda, Ruby and Scott Streets appeared before Midland council Monday night, asking council to take action on the town dump situation. A written petition concerning the same subject and signed by 46 ratepayers complained of partially burned papers, smoke, smell and flies coming from the dump. Robert McLaughlin, spokesman for the deputation, said it was realized that it was a tough problem and added “but rats are coming up on the streets. We know council and particularly Alderman Walter Woods are doing their best but we would like to see council do a bit more. Mr. Woods advised that council was doing its best to find a new dump site and understood the clerk had written seeking information  concerning the cost of an incinerator. 

   A runaway car caused considerable damage in Midland Saturday afternoon, but no one was injured in the mishap. Police said Roy Edwin Perrault, 16, of Midland was getting a push along Manley Street, around 5:55 p.m. and was outside the vehicle when it started to roll back down a steep hill. Unable to get into the vehicle, the young driver attempted to lean through the window and steer the car, which gained speed rapidly. Perrault was forced to leave the car when it neared the entrance to the old shipyard. It then plunged through two sections of steel fence around Midland Foundry and Machine Co. property, and knocked down a telegraph pole before coming to a stop. Total damage to fence, car and pole was estimated at around $400. No charges were laid by Const. Ross Willett, who investigated.   

   Huronia Association for Retarded Children was praised Monday night for “having accomplished in a few months what has taken other associations  many years”. Handing out the bouquets at a meeting in Midland YMCA was M. R. Finlayson, chairman of Region 7, Ontario Association for Retarded Children and a former president of the Barrie Association. Accomplishments of the local association, Mr. Finlayson said, were the result of “a great deal of hard work and constructive thinking on the part of a few people. Your community owes much to them”. 

    A change in control through acquisition of shares of Beatty Bros, stock is not expected to have any serious effect on operations of the James Stewart Manufacturing Co. plant at Penetang, according to officials. James Stewart is a subsidiary of Beatty Bros. Clayton Israel, manager of the Penetang plant said, “As far as we know it is their intention to continue operating here. There is no doubt they may have some new ideas, but at the present time we are not expecting any appreciable or immediate changes. The change in control marks the first time in the 87-year history of the Beatty Bros, firm that a person from outside the Beatty family has occupied the president’s chair. Ralph Barford, 31-year-old Torontonian, assumed that position last week. 

       COLDWATER — With the opening of the racing season, Waples Brothers of Coldwater have already transferred a large number of horses from their stable here. Keith Waples is in charge of a string of 30 horses at Montreal, including numerous horses from other owners. Murray Waples, in charge of 14 horses still stabled at Coldwater, stated that most of the remainder will be moved out in the next few days but a few horses will be kept here until about July 1. The brothers plan to have at least 15 horses at Old Woodbine track in Toronto for current races. 

 FOOTWEAR OFFICIALS, UNION, HIT SNAG ON DUES ISSUE 

County Herald headline of Friday May 12, 1961.
North Simcoe’s largest single industry — shoe manufacturing is having labor union troubles. More than 300 men and women are affected. Fern Shoe at Penetang and Midland Footwear, whose employees for the first half of the fifties were represented by the CIO Packing House Workers Union, were organized last year by the Textile Workers Union of America which also represents employees at Bay Mills and Midland Plastics.  Direct negotiations between the union and management representatives settled most of the points in a union contract and a conciliation board, under the chairmanship of Judge Walter Little of Parry Sound, was called in to bring about agreement on the remaining differences. Findings of the conciliation board,  which met during April in both Toronto and Parry Sound, have just been released. It reports that the two companies and the union reached tentative agreement on all points in a new contract except for the issue of whether or not employees should be compelled to pay union dues as a condition of employment. Spokesmen for the board, the company, and the union confirm in the report that this is the stumbling block to signing a contract. 

    Dave Finch, proprietor of the Canadian Tire Associate Store, Midland, announced this week that Webster-Smallwood of Midland had been awarded the contract for drafting plans and specifications for expansion of his store building. Mr. Finch said the addition to the existing building would include a 53 by 30-foot four-car service center, an additional 250 square feet of warehouse space, and the conversion of the present service department into warehouse area. The display area is to be enlarged from its present 1,200 square feet to 2,700 square feet, he said. An additional display window will be installed in front of the new warehouse.  Mr. Finch estimated the cost of the building expansion would amount to between $30,000 and $35,000. 

    Any hope that the citizens or officials of Penetang might have had that the tannery might re-open has been dashed in the last few days. Already workmen have demolished some smaller buildings and yesterday had removed most of the roof and top storey of the largest building. Consulting several people who had been connected the tannery in one way or another, it was learned that the plant was located here about 75 years ago. One of the reasons for choosing this area was the availability of tanbark used at that time in the tanning of leather.      

      The Canadian National Express office, presently located on King Street, will transfer its operations to the freight shed at the CN station, it is announced by George S. Ross, the company’s superintendent. The move will take effect Monday, May 15. One of the advantages of moving to the new location is the increased parking space for customers. 

TUG “MENODORA” Dear Editor: The single-screw wooden tug “Menodora”, official No. 111917 was built in 1901, by William Carson at Midland for the Midland Towing and Wrecking Co., James Playfair, President, registered at Toronto. The Midland registry was not established until 1906. In 1906 she was sold to the Canadian Dredge and Construction Co. of Midland, and her registry was transferred to Midland. The name was changed to Canadian Dredging Co., Ltd. Her registry was closed March, 1930. She was dismantled and abandoned at Port Colborne, Ontario. W. R. Williams 

     Competing in the Orillia Music Festival Wednesday evening, the choir of St. Paul’s United Church, Midland, won the competition for church choirs (open class). The chancel choir now has 42 voices, but only about 30 went to the competition. They won the Fowler and Lang shield. Adjudicator John McKnight of Toronto awarded the choir 89 points for its presentation of “Father of Heaven Whose Love Profound,” and 90 marks for the test anthem “Morning and Evening”. Mr. McKnight is organist of Walmer Road Baptist Church and a faculty member of the Royal Conservatory. In his comments he said the group had ‘ideal balance’ and was an excellent aggregation. He particularly mentioned the large number of male voices.

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. 

Again we have no original negatives for this week and we will make do with copy and paste. 

More than 1,000 persons Wednesday saw the ”new look” in mental care during open house at Ontario Hospital, Penetang. Dr. C. K. McKnight surveys a stack of iron bars removed recently from the windows of the main building and cottages at Ontario Hospital, part of the new concept in treatment of mental illness.

 SEEKS FIFTY YEAR-OLD-SON – DAD POSTS $100 REWARD 

Free Press headline of May 3^rd, 1961.
Eli Contois of R.R. 3, Penetang, yesterday offered a $100 reward for information about his 50-year-old son, Baptiste Contois of Thunder Beach, who has been missing for nearly two weeks. Mr. Contois, Sr., is offering the reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the whereabouts of Baptiste, dead or alive. Provincial police said this week they hold little hope that Baptiste Contois is alive. They believe he drowned when he tried to make the 10-mile trip from Cognashene Point to Honey Harbour, nearly two weeks ago.

    Word was received this week that Midland has been awarded a special citation for completing I960 without a fatal traffic accident. Midland was one of 17 towns, with population between 5,000 and 10,000 receiving the citation made by the 7th conference of the Canadian Highway Safety Council. Mayor Charles Parker, who is expected to accept the citation later this month, said it was gratifying to know that the work of those interested in safety is paying off in Midland and he expressed the hope that the interest would continue.

    A car stolen in Toronto last week was found almost completely submerged in Six-Mile Lake, north of Port Severn, Thursday. The car was found by the superintendent of Six Mile Lake Provincial Park, who reported it to the OPP detachment at Victoria Harbour. Police learned the vehicle had been stolen in Toronto the previous day. A stone was lodged on the gas pedal and the ignition was in the “on” position. 

    Several hundred Northern Ontario citizens will be feasting shortly on maple syrup originating in the Penetang area, according to Bill Stevens, manager of the Dominion Store at Penetang. Mr. Stevens said he had purchased 156 gallons of syrup from local farmers during the last few days. On Monday his staff packed the syrup and shipped it to Timmins, Kapuskasing, Kirkland Lake and Cochrane. Total weight ran to slightly over one ton, with the delicacy packaged in half-gallon and quart sizes. 

    Rabbits have been pulled out of hats, but few have been found under the hood of a car. This happened in Midland yesterday. Miles Blackhurst told this paper. Sunday, Mr. Blackhurst of Midland discovered his windshield wipers were not operating. Yesterday he took his into Bourgeois Motors to have this, and the oil checked. When Lionel Bourgeois and Jack Colquhoun opened up the hood of the engine, there was a white rabbit staring them in the face. It was perched on the battery. Mr. Blackhurst said, The rabbit, whose fur was grease spattered, apparently had nibbled the rubber hose which provides the vacuum to operate the wipers. 

25 YEARS AGO (1936)
Plans were being made for Midland’s first combined motor and fashion show to be held in the curling rink. * * * Midland’s six-month bread war came to an end when bakers an store managers agreed on an eight-cent loaf. * * * An increase in the relief allowance was refused by Hon. D. A. Croll, Minister of Public Welfare, when a delegation comprised of representatives of council and the Midland Workers Association visited the minister. * * * Midland’s Queens hotel was taken over on a lease from the CPR by Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Kinnie. (The CPR had purchased all the buildings along the south side of the CNR tracks to gain access to their new station in Midland and the Simcoe Elevator. An agreement was eventually reached with the CNR to share the existing track.) * * * Miss Grace McMullen a vice-president of the Midland Hobby Show, was one of the Judges in the literary and oratorical competitions. * * * The plant of the Midland Wood Products was being dismantled and Milton J. Bray and Norman K. Playfair purchased a part of the equipment and planned to operate a small general planing mill and builders’ supply company. (The beginning of the Midland Planing Mill / Buildall) * * * The first ship to enter Midland harbor was the CSL freighter Gleneagles, May 5, with 10,000 tons of coal. * * * A letter to the editor of this newspaper from Joseph Charlebois, of Bowser, Vancouver Island, stated. “I helped to put up the first electric light in Canada and that was in Midland in 1881, the first light showing May 1. The electric light plant came from Scotland for the British Canadian Lumber Company. 

Editorial “Wise and Otherwise”
Producers of a new ultra-violet ray machine, soon to be available in Canada, claim their mechanism will provide an even tan to those who use it.  It seems you stand on a turntable that revolves once a minute in front of a sun lamp. No mention was made in the report as to whether the machine had controls for “rare,” “medium rare,” or “well done.” 

    A man and woman from Northern Ontario, who admitted helping themselves to three and a half bottles of Sacramental wine from the Presbyterian Church in Elmvale, were remanded in custody one week for sentence when they appeared before Magistrate K. A. Cameron in Penetang police court Thursday. 

 

5.2 MILL TAX HIKE IF OMB APPROVES SCHOOL 

County Herald headline of May 3, 1961.
Residential ratepayers who support Penetang Public School will be paying an additional 5.2 mills on their taxes in 1961, according to a budget bylaw passed by council at a special session Monday evening. The bylaw is subject to revision if permission to sell debenture for a new public schools building is refused by provincial authorities. Rate set for public school supporters entitled to benefit of the unconditional grant is 94.7691 mills. This compares with 89.54 mills last year and 89.883 in 1959. Separate school supporters entitled to benefit of the grant will pay on a rate of 92.4552 mills. Their 1960 rate was 86.92 and was 89.276 in 1959. As recent as yesterday no word had been received from the Ontario Municipal Board approving the debenture issue, for the proposed new public school. It Is understood the board’s levy will be considerably higher if the debenture issue is not approved. 

    Suspension of Wednesday afternoon closing of Midland retail stores during July and August is to be considered. This was decided by the merchants’ committee of the Midland Chamber of Commerce at a meeting Tuesday night, following a special meeting of the chamber’s general membership. The committee decided to have prepared a petition which would be circulated to the retail merchants, requesting their views on the suspension of the half-day Wednesday closing during July and August. 

    Poor aim. Would-be thieves failed in an attempt early Thursday morning, to make off with small appliances displayed in a show window of Webster’s on Robert Street, Penetang. According to Ted Light, who is employed in the store and lives in an apartment above, the incident took place at approximately 12.30 am. He heard a thud on the glass, followed by a second thud. By the time he had contacted police a third bang on the window was accompanied by the sound of broken glass. Ted said the police arrived on the scene quickly, but he believes the culprits had seen the police signal light glowing at the main comer. This light is used to inform police they have a phone call waiting. He said there were two men and they disappeared into a driveway beside the store, a few minutes before the cruiser arrived. The hole broken in the window was too high for anyone to reach in to pick anything up. 

   Twenty six scholarships and two special prizes were awarded to top contestants in Midland Music Festival, at the 15^th annual festival concert in Midland – Penetanguishene District High School last Friday night. Winners of the two special awards, hymn books donated by the music teachers’ association and presented by R. C. Ireland, were Louise Parker and Anne Webster. 

      Only a small docket awaited Magistrate K. A. Cameron when he held court in the Canadian Legion Hall at Waubaushene for the first time, Wednesday morning. The extra court is designed to shorten regular courts in Midland and Penetang by taking care of the large volume of OPP traffic cases which usually occur during the summer months. Other OPP cases besides traffic will also be tried at the Waubaushene court, however, Magistrate Cameron said. Traffic cases, almost exclusively formed the docket at the first court in Waubaushene. 

   COLDWATER — While workmen were excavating behind Coldwater Municipal Telephone building on Main Street Wednesday afternoon, a 35 foot by 12 foot section of brick wall on the adjoining Coldwater IGA store (now Coldwater Home Hardware) collapsed into the excavation. Fortunately the contractor for the excavation work, Andrew Evans of Victoria Harbour, had detected earth crumbling at the base of building’s foundation and had ordered two workmen from the 40 by 22 foot section excavated to a six-foot depth. The men who escaped being buried under bricks and mortar were the 34 – year – old pastor of Midland Pentecostal Church, William Stephens of Wyebridge and Gerald Dwinell,  40, of Fesserton.    

  Construction of a $400,000 camp for the blind started recently on Lake Joseph in the Muskoka district. The camp, which will open early this summer, is being built for the Ontario division of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. First of its kind in Canada, the summer centre is slated to be a pilot project for other provinces.