This photo was taken in the summer of 1956 on Flat Point, also called Paradise Point, at the newly named Patterson Park. The park was named after George Patterson to honour his role as a community leader and volunteer. Mr. Patterson died in March of 1955 and had been the Reeve of Port McNicoll for 14 years.

A large group of swimmers, adults and children, is seen swimming and enjoying the raft. This photo is a one in a series taken for the book “The Story of Simcoe County”, which was produced by the Tourist and Industrial Committee of the County Council of Simcoe.  The author was the former premier of Ontario, the Honourable Ernest C. Drury and was printed by Midland Press Limited. The negatives were held in their possession until they were donated to the Huronia Museum in 2006. This photo was not printed.

Drury was born and raised in Oro where he was Reeve for 13 years and served as the eighth Premier of Ontario from 1919 to 1923.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Charles_Drury

This a family photo taken in 1946 or 1947. It shows my grandfather, George Burns and his three children swimming at Flat Point, also called Paradise Point. Catherine Burns Micallef is seen to her fathers right. Pat Burns is seen in his fathers arms and my father, Charles Burns, is seen to his fathers left. The background shows children enjoying the raft and the calm water.

This photo shows diesel locomotives in Port McNicoll to test the trestle. Steam is being replaced by diesel across the CPR, Port will be the last place in Ontario to use regularly assigned steam. Hood unit 4012 is a model FA1 built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1950 and will be retired in 1965, 8598 is a road switcher model RS10 also built by MLW but in 1956 and retired in 1982. The scene is beside the coal trestle & chute in the Port yard. Official were concerned about the weight of the engines affecting the trestle, combined weight was 518,000 pounds.
This photo was taken in the spring of 1956
Caption courtesy of Tom Barber

All comments and questions are welcome.

Tremendous improvement in Port McNicoll streets following the completion of the paving program is evidenced in the pictures above. In the first photo is a section of Fourth Ave. the main business section. From north to south the following businesses and buildings can be seen: The United Church, Zmuach’s Five and Dime, Dack’s Butcher Shop, Homer Beausloeil’s TV Repair, A fruit Market, Herman Sauvé’s Grocery Store and a Drug Store that may or may not have belonged to John and Ann Kent   The last photo shows 7th Ave. looking north toward the public school. Third Street, running east and west, was also been paved.

These photos appeared in the Midland Free Press on October 22nd, 1958.

All comments and corrections are most welcome.