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. 

Freak Line Storm Lashes North Tiny Beach Area
Free Press Herald headline from Wednesday July 11, 1962. 

Dozens of boats were reported damaged on the west shore of Tiny Township when a furious line storm struck that area about mid-Sunday afternoon. Rain, hail, and extraordinarily high winds ac­companied the storm as it raced across the country­side in a narrow swath. Hardest hit were Highland Point and Penetanguishene areas. Indications are that the storm was approximately 400 yards wide when it raced in off Nottawasaga Bay at Wahnekewing Beach where boats were said to have been tossed like nut­shells. 

Many ancient trees in the Wanekning Beach area west of Penetanguishene fell a cropper to Sunday’s short but violent windstorm. This one came to rest against a cottage owned by A. M. McNamara of Windsor. Directly across the road, another tree put a big hole in the roof of a cottage owned by P. G. McNamara, RR 3, Penetanguishene. 

Trees in town, as well as in the park, were not spared by the storm Sunday. Half of this huge old elm crashed down in the yard of Rolf Litchenfeld, King Street. Fortunately it landed squarely between two houses and no great damage was caused. This occurred late at night, long after the original storm. 

Two Midland women received severe face and head injuries when these two cars collided at Firth’s Corners, one mile west of Midland, last night. A third car, not seen in the picture, was also involved but sustained only minor damage. Most seriously hurt were Mrs. Mac Perrin, driver of one car, and Miss June Hansford, a front seat passenger, both of Midland. Miss Hansford was thrown through the windshield and sustained severe head and facial lacerations. Mrs. Perrin suffered a broken jaw and lost a number of teeth. Another passenger in the car, Mrs. Elsie Puddicombe, riding in the back seat, escaped with minor bruises. Miss Hansford and Mrs. Puddicombe were being driven home from the Brooklea Golf and Country Club where they were employed by Mr. and Mrs. Perrin. 

Temperatures that soared into the 90’s Sunday afternoon proved anything but a boon to South Simcoe Baseball League officials in staging their second All-Star game in Midland Sunday afternoon. The defending champion Midland Indians thwarted the All-Stars’ plans for two straight wins by coming up with a 5-3 victory. All-Stars had won the first game last year by trimming Alliston Braves, the 1960 champs, by an 8-3 margin. League officials had hoped for a crowd of 500 or better to boost their injured player fund. But the heat and high humidity sent many fans to the beaches, or other cooler spots, and only about 300 turned up at the game. Despite the humid atmosphere and a brief rain and wind storm midway through the affair, the fans were treated to a tidy tussle between playing coach Gord Dyment’s Indians and 17 players chosen from the other 12 teams in the two-section league. 

Midland Indians proved poor hosts Sunday afternoon when they defeated the South Simcoe League All-Stars 5-3 in the second annual “dream game”. Discussing ground rules in this picture are Indian manager Gord Dyment, umpire Ted Watson, All-Star manager Dean Heliotis and umpires Bob Grier and Lloyd Patton. 

There were really two All-Star teams in action in the South Simcoe Baseball League “dream game” in Midland Sunday, judging by the results. Defending league champions, Midland Indians scored a 5-3 win over the All-Stars chosen from the other twelve teams in the wide-spread league, shown here. Hot weather kept attendance below expectations. 

There were some near misses, and not a little confusion at times, as these members of the 1st and 2nd Midland Girl Guides’ companies tried for their bosuns’ badges at Little Lake recently. 

These eight girls are up to their ears in kids these days as they help look after the more than 400 children signed up for Midland Y’s Men’s Club’s summer program at Little Lake. Left to right are; front row — Mary Lou Graham, in charge of crafts; Betty Jean Watkinson, games, and counsellors Barbara Dalrymple and Gudron Mandler; back row — counsellors Betty Ann McCullough, Judy McIntyre, Eden Morrison and Wynne Gilmore. 

 We included this promotion list because it reminds us of what a one-room school was like. All grades in one class, one teacher and every child of one household attending the same class every day. Seven families made up the 23 students at Mount St. Louis.

Midland householders will have to keep their garden hoses dry for a few more days yet, Public Utilities Commission secretary-manager Stewart Holt told this paper yesterday. Any use of a hose by house-holders was ordered discontinued Friday when officials became alarmed at the low level of reserve ponds in the reservoir area in the north-west section of town. All-time record pumping figures hastened the decision. 

Hydro Rate Cut?? We may never see that again!

UP BOOK BUDGET TO MEET COST HIKE
County Herald headline of Friday, July 13, 1962. 

   Increased textbook costs for the 1962-3 school year posed a budget problem for Midland-Penetanguishene District High School Board, meeting Wednesday night. “We face a jump of 30 per cent on all books bought this year yet our budget of $2,500 remains the same. In most cases students can buy textbooks second hand, but cost to the student is bound to rise,” admitted MPDHS Principal Ray Gauthier.    Principal Gauthier in his monthly report listed percentages of failures throughout the school. In Grade 9, 67 of 288 students failed for a rate of 23.26 per cent. Grade 10 had 38 failures in 237 students for a failure percentage of 16.03. There were 45 failures among Grade 11’s 178 students. The failure rate was 25.28. Grade 12 recorded 28 out of 147 students, or 19.04 failures. Overall failure rate was 20.94 per cent, up from 16.1 last year. On the other hand, 17.79 per cent of pupils had honour standings. “From a drop-out rate of 12 per cent for 1958, double the provincial average, we have dropped to 7.1 per cent this year,” Mr. Gauthier reported. 

Midland will have gobs of gobs — navy, that is — for the next eleven days. (An Old English meaning of the word gob is “a sailor.” ) The tars — 140 officers and men — comprise the crew of HMCS Victoriaville which pulled into Midland harbour last night and officially docked this morning. She will leave Midland July 23 at 9.30 a.m. The 301 by 37-foot Canadian Navy vessel is one of several RCN ships which carried out gunnery practice on Georgian Bay earlier this week. (Sailors became known as Jack Tars because of their clever use of this natural gooey substance to waterproof things. The name Tar, in this context, dates back to the 17th century and is short for ‘tarpaulin’ which in those days meant a seaman.) 

Tiny Township School Section No. 14 at Wyevale will have doubled its present capacity by the end of this year, according to Jack Brock, one of the trustees. At a recent public meeting, ratepayers of the section agreed to the additional expenditure. According to Mr. Brock, the new construction will include two classrooms, a new heating system and new washrooms. Estimated cost for the work is $53,000. Mr. Brock told Tiny Township Council that the enlarged school would, if found necessary in the future, be big enough to accommodate an area school. 

Jim Neilon, Victoria, B.C., proves that the big ones don’t always get away. He is shown here with his niece, Kathryn Bourgeois, holding the head of an 18-pound catfish he caught in the Muscosh (as spelled in the paper) district recently. Mr. Neilon is currently visiting his sister Mrs. Lionel Bourgeois of Midland. 

One of the men who is pleading for peace between the Saskatchewan government and doctors of that province is Father Athol Murray, remembered by many citizens of Penetanguishene. Now 70 years old and famous for his work in establishing Notre Dame College in Saskatchewan. Father Murray held his first post as a priest at Penetanguishene. He came to this town as assistant to Father Brunelle after being ordained at Scarborough. Father Murray is credited with much of the organization work behind the 1921 Old Home Week when numerous historical plaques were erected around the town, and a ceremony was staged commemorating the end of the war between Hurons and Iroquois. The venerable priest is also credited with having developed the original idea of the donation of a pair of angels which today stand at the south entrance to town. 

Midland firemen got a long run Sunday morning when they were called to the farm home of Orval Truax in Tay Township, near Waverley. Burned was a shed containing a number of chickens and ducks. A fireman is seen here trying to put out a large pile of firewood which also fell prey to the flames. 

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. Mortgage as low as $56 per month.  [This house burnt around 2018 but was rebuilt.]  

July is the month for pruning your Christmas trees, announc­ed Arthur W. Leman, district forester, in his weekly Lake Simcoe district report. “Pine trees generally grow too fast to produce well balanc­ed, bushy specimens unless they are pruned.” he said. “In each of the first two grow­ing seasons pines normally grow six to 10 inches. But in the third growing season, the major­ity start to stretch out and grow as much as 18 to 20 inches. This is too much growth. A 10 to 14 inch growth per year and proportionate side branch growth will produce well shaped trees at six feet. One man can shear 50 to 80 trees an hour. Pruning should be carried out annually to maintain a conical shape until they reach marketable size.” forester Le­man advised. [Pruning Christmas trees was hard work but a good source of summer income for many North Simcoe young people.] 

A Tay Township man was in Penetanguishene police court, July 5, and was fined $25 and costs for creating a disturbance. OPP Const C. W. Boone told the court he had found the man on County Road 6, June 23, on his hands and knees in the middle of the road praying. His actions were obstructing traffic, the officer said. He also told the court the man had been drinking.

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.

from the Canadian Museum of Water

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Title: Simcoe County Heritage Groups Partner to Acquire Wooden Boat with a Message and a Mission: Atlantic Challenge gig Diversité coming to Georgian Bay

The Canadian Museum of Water and the Georgian Bay Heritage League announced today their joint acquisition of “DIVERSITÉ” an Atlantic Challenge class Bantry Bay gig to support their environmental, education, historic boat, and training programs. The arrival of Diversité will be celebrated at the Huronia Museum, Midland on Saturday, September 16th with the Red Hot Stove Pipe Band from 1pm.

The Georgian Bay Heritage League and the Canadian Museum of Water have joined forces to acquire an 11.5-metre wooden rowing craft steeped in heritage and tradition.

Built in 2010 by renowned Canadian wooden boatbuilder Peter Code, the Diversité was originally constructed for a youth organization in Mississauga. It became available earlier this year and Basil Lafrenier, President of the GBHL, moved quickly to acquire it. 

“Many will know that the GBHL has been restoring, repairing and exhibiting wooden boats for over 20 years. The Diversité, although a relatively new build, embodies all that we’re interested in and also carries a message of heritage and craftsmanship that is completely aligned with our message,” said Lafreniere.

For the Canadian Museum of Water, a digital museum operated from Port McNicoll and part of an international network of water museums under the UNESCO banner, the partnership to acquire Diversité was also logical.

According to Water Museum president Dan Travers, acquiring the gig is a major step for the initiative: “Since our museum was founded in 2020, we’ve been looking for ways to fulfill our mandate for the appreciation and stewardship of water from the earliest times to the present day. We’re excited to acquire Diversité with the GBHL because it not only addresses our mandate, but provides a visible symbol for our work going forward.”

The vessel, described as a gig, and is patterned on a design based on a French Navy admiral’s barge that was captured in Ireland in 1796. The design was carried forward in 1984 when the first replica was built for youth development and adventure by Lance Lee of Maine. 

CMW Director Donald Mitchell said “the acquisition will expand our community reach and youth programming”; “as we enter our third year of the museum’s business plan Diversité will enhance our physical presence as a not for profit organization, and as a registered charity by the end of the fiscal year.”

The groups have no immediate plans to operate the vessel as an active participant within the international Atlantic Challenge movement, but it is a possibility in the future. There are some 80 vessels built to the same design in over 15 countries worldwide including six in Canada and one operating out of Midland. Representing their communities and countries, they are sailed by teams of ten youth oarsmen and gather regularly for competitions, youth development and international goodwill.

We need to get to work fist, said Lafreniere. “We’ll see what we’ve got, address any immediate concerns for maintenance and preservation and then move to displaying and developing programming for it.”

The vessel arrived to a champagne reception at the GBHL’s workshop/facility in Perkinsfield on September 12^th and will be on display at the Heritage Boat Show at Huronia Museum from 1-9pm on Saturday, September 16^th. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the event and view the boat for themselves, which will also feature several other historic boats in the possession of the Heritage League.

For follow-up, please contact CMW President Dan Travers at 705-794-3980 or dan.travers@canadianmuseumofwater.org

Further Information:

• The Canadian Museum of Water: was established in 2022 to provide a focal point for advocacy and for water-related initiatives in Canada. From a unique Canadian perspective, the telling of the story of water spans a timeline that is centuries old, from the earliest First Nations through to the Industrial Era and on to contemporary Canada. The Canadian Museum of Water is a member of the Global Network of Water Museums – a UNESCO Flagship Initiative. https://www.canadianmuseumofwater.org/

• The Georgian Bay Heritage League is an organization devoted to restoring and preserving wooden boats. They are in possession of a number of boats obtained in collaboration with the Huronia Museum (Midland, Ontario), some completed and others waiting for attention. The GBHL displays its boats, either during public events (city festivals) or in specialized settings (such as vintage boat shows). They are always on the lookout for opportunities to sponsor organizations that require assistance in fulfilling their own mandate if related to marine heritage.  www.gbhl.ca

• UNESCO Hydrologic Program: The Global Network of Water Museums (WAMU-NET) is a ‘flagship initiative’ of UNESCO-IHP (Intergovernmental Hydrological Program) which aims at fostering water awareness education.

• WAMU-NET Water Museums Global Network is established to re-connect people with all forms of water legacy (both natural and cultural heritages) and highlight the natural, social, cultural, artistic, and spiritual dimensions related to water and inherited form the past.

https://www.watermuseums.net

• The Atlantic Challenge Program Atlantic Challenge International began in 1984 with the belief that youth and the nations they represent gain immeasurably from direct, exhilarating experience; from immersion in skilled enterprise, and most of all from contact with their peers in other cultures through such experience. https://www.atlanticchallenge.org