Education Week in Ontario, Mr. & Mrs. Martial Moreau visit their daughter Shirley’s second grade class at St. Mary’s Separate School. Shirley, 7, is a pupil of Miss E. Curry and her sister Carol, 5, completes the family picture.

  Free Press sports scribe Charlie Noquet will have to be on his toes with a spelling champ in the house, daughter Vicki, a grade eight student at Sacred Heart, out-spelled students from Midland, Oshawa, Owen Sound and Orillia to advance to the finals.

 “Talking Shop” comes naturally to these men gathered around a wood planer at the new Midland Penetanguishene District High School. They are all instructors in shop work at various schools in the Georgian Bay District. Jim Warren, Orillia; William Hanna, Midland; Professor Jack Spry, OCE Toronto; Gordon Luther OCE; Don Ritchie, Parry Sound; L. M. Johnston, principal MPDHS; Addison Black, Thornbury; Murray McGill, Meaford; Richard Moffatt, Midland and William Farmer, Sutton. 

 Do you remember the racoon tied to the roof of a car at the Penetang Winter Carnival, hundreds of kids visited the racoon, including three-year-old Darcy Lawson of Bellville. 

 Winning top awards in potato competitions is nothing new for these two Lafontaine farmers, Gabriel Maurice and Roger Brunelle were grand champion and reserve champion respectively at the North Simcoe Seed Fair in Elmvale Friday. Center is E.W. Cuppage, Coldwater, secretary of the Potato Growers Association. 

 “Domino Dynamiters” used three dark horse “imports” in their line up for the Winter Carnival broom ball game in the Penetang Arena, the night of March 3rd. Unidentified players are at back left, front left and second from the right back row. Known members are Bob Scott, right front and in the back row Bill Stevens, Doug Gerow and Gordon Brand. Imports were obtained from the spectators when the Dynamiters were short players. (Comment if you know the missing names)

 Well kept secret is the ultimate use of this new factory building on Highway 12 at the easterly outskirts of Coldwater. Rumours are that it will be used in the manufacture of products related to the steel industry. (Good rumours, plant opened as Taman Industries, a kitchen sink manufacturer, bought out by Elkay from the USA then repurchased by Canadians in 2002. In 2015 the plant is still operating but in a new building just around the corner from this one which was destroyed by fire, 95 people are employed. If you are buying a new sink make sure it was made in Midland or Coldwater )

  Walter Grexton and Paul Beteau are seen receiving gifts from Bruce Gazley on behalf of their many co-workers and friends who attended their retirement party at the Parkside Inn. Both men worked for the CNR in the car department in Midland. 

 Octogenarian, Mrs. Samuel Smith of 152 Colborne Street celebrated her 84th birthday on March 6th. Devoted Anglican, Mrs. Smith is confined to her room after serious heart problems a year ago but keeps in touch with her 13 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren using an extension phone in her room ( a very new thing in 1956). She lives with her daughter and son in law, Mr. & Mrs. W. E. Wilson. Her son Ivan Smith was recently inducted as an Anglican minister. 

• Local Hunters and Anglers Association alerts Lands & Forest, Simcoe County Health and Port McNicoll Council to the dumping of 3,800 gallons of oil into Port McNicoll harbour by the crew of the Capt. C. D. Secord. Harbourmaster asked the crew to clean up the oil and that has been done. Practice of ships throwing garbage onto the ice will also be stopped.
• Local girls receive their caps at the Royal Victoria Hospital’s nursing school, Vera Lambie, Sally Ann Bowman and Joan MacEachern of Midland, Reta Brabant and Joan Reynolds of Penetang.
• Open house at Parkview Public School gives 500 parents a glimpse of the renovated facility.
• Martyr’s Shrine to open for the season on May 20th
• Matchedash Council and the Orillia Power Commission have started discussions on the building of a road to the Swift Rapids dam on the Severn River from Hydro Glen. The Swift community can only be reached by air or water, a connecting road would bring more cottagers and stimulate the communities economy. (The opposite occurred, the road was built south to connect with Carlyon Line and the community slowly died.)
• A shortage of water in the Medonte Coldwater area has created a business for Joseph Gratrix of Tay Township. He is daily trucking water to local farms and even communities. In some parts of Medonte farms have no wells and rely on cisterns which are running dry due to the lack of winter thaws. Other operators are working out of Elmvale and Barrie.
• Professional Services in Midland; Chiropractors – Kenneth S. Lewis, Doctor of Chiropractic – Naturopathy, Electro-Therapy. Dental – Dr. John S. Corcoran – LDS – DDS – Dental Surgeon. Insurance – Lorne A. Ball, Les Taylor. Funeral Director – Nicholls Funeral Home. Legal – Finlayson & Dudley, Onley & Haig, Edward B. Kendall. Monuments – Sanderson Monument Company. Optometrist – A. H. Tweedle, Hugh W. Reisberry.
• MPDHS sets up new “House” system of student government. Student body is divided into four houses, selected by lot, equal number of boys and girls, each with a captain and vice-captain appointed by staff advisors. The captain and vice nominate a slate of directors which the students vote on. From the Houses grows the Student Council, composed of the four captains and vice-captains and one executive from each house.
• Patricia Frances Carroll, daughter of Francis and the late Albina Carroll married Ross Willett, son of Mr. & Mrs. William Willett of Parry Sound, in St. Margaret’s Rectory on February 25th.
• Lands and Forests to wage war on Lamprey Eels in the Sturgeon and Nottawasaga Rivers.
• OMB to meet in Midland to hear an appeal by Midland Shipyards that may reduce Midland’s tax revenue by $9,400.00.
• 24 to 30 inches of ice in Midland and Port McNicoll harbours may mean a slow start to local shipping. Earliest recent start was March 28th in 1953 and the slowest was April 27th in 1943.
• Army reservist is killed when he falls from a set of steel stairs in the St. Catherine’s Armory. Native of Midland, 37 year old Francis (Leo) Beauchamp was the son of the late Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Beauchamp.
• 25 YEARS AGO 1931 – Ice in Midland Harbour was melting during the first week of March. The canopy which stood over the wooden dock at the end of King Street was to be transferred to the town park to be used as a shelter near the beach. A new Diana Restaurant was opened in Midland after being destroyed by fire the previous fall. It was described as “one of Simcoe’s finest cafes”
• M. Paterson and Sons Steamship division announces captains and engineers for 1956 season; from Midland/Penetang – Altodoc, Captain K. C. Clark. Mantadoc, Captain H. Odesse. Ontadoc, engineer  J. R. Smith. Vandoc, Captain D. G. Wilson. Newbrundoc, engineer A. S. O’Hara. Soreldoc, R. Simpell. SS Paterson, Captain T. C. Jewitt formerly of Penetang.
• Allan W. Perkins, manager of the Roxy Theatre announced today that Odeon Theatres (Canada) Limited has acquired the Roxy Theatre, the Midland Drive-in and the Capital Theatre. No changes are anticipated at this time.
• A son was born to Mrs. Guenther Leitz, Sunday, March 11, in St. Andrew’s Hospital. He will be named Guenther and is only the second boy born in the fourth generation of the Leitz family.

Click on photos to enlarge

Staging a terrific comeback in the last four minutes, Windsor Bulldogs defeat Owen Sound 6-5 to win the senior OHA title in the Tuesday night Little Hockey League finals. Front, “Rusty” Ironside, Allan Walker, Bernard Deschamps, Ken Mackie, Ron Merkley, Doug McGibbon, back row; David Bertrand, William Wilcox, who presented the trophy, Wayne Broad, Sheldon Hanes (captain), Rev. Len Self, Doug MacMillan, Murray McComb, Ed Desroches, Fred Lemieux (coach), A. Bell, Rodney Rankin and J. Currie.

 Last week I forgot to include this photo with the announcement that Roger Brisbois and Len Carter had purchased the former Pete LePage Motors on Robert Street and re-named it “Huronia Motors”. 

Recently returned from representing Ontario at the St. Paul, Minnesota, Winter Carnival, Waubaushene twins Kay & Elaine Munday pull a (staged) twelve pound Northern Pike from Penetang Harbour. The girls are dressed in their Penetang Winter Carnival costumes and admission badges.

The Midland District Women’s Progressive Conservative Association marked its first birthday at a party in the Orange Hall, Midland, Monday night. Front row, Mrs. Douglas Grant, Mrs. J. Gillett, Mrs. J. G. Caswell, Mrs. Howard Smyth; back, Mrs. J. D. McPhee, Mrs. Lorne Faragher, Mrs. Ray Smith and Mrs. Percy Hopkins. Absent were Mrs. George Stephenson and Mrs. J. Stainton.

Fire started in the attic of this home on the corner of Mildred and Yonge Streets late Wednesday night. Owned by Herbert Ellery and occupied by his son Wallace, Mrs. Ellery received third degree burns while rescuing her two children aged 4 and 9. The fire broke out in the attic while Mrs. Ellery was in the kitchen and the children in their rooms upstairs.  Fire officials believe Mrs. Ellery was alerted by the sound of falling plastic upstairs.

Youth provided entertainment during an amateur contest to raise funds for Scouting in Port McNicoll, held at the Public School auditorium. In the photo are; Reg Sauvé, Mirella Battio, Murray Fagan, Betty Ann Beausoleil, Lucille Hood, Faith Cripps and Valorie Kirdeikis.

A small part of the large crowd, either fishing or watching the fishermen,  at Saturday afternoon’s Winter Carnival in Penetang. More than 5,000 persons “bobbed” for two hours each with their eye on the boat and motor prize. The event was so popular that some were turned away when all the available fishing lines were sold.

How did they make all those ice fishing holes. The ice auger, flown into Malton Airport from Minnesota and rushed up to Penetang is given a test run. The Penetang crew later added an extension so that downward pressure could be applied to speed up the operation.

The nine inch ice fishing holes were being drilled through two feet of ice at the rate of one every 45 seconds, spaced one every five feet. The area has been laid out in the form of a wheel with the holes along the “spokes”  and the judges in the middle. This photo shows the effect from the air.

The result of all the planning and drilling and rigging of 500 fishing lines was the catching of the most valuable fish ever pulled out of Penetang Bay. This six inch smelt won the beaming John Boucher a new boat and motor worth $555.00. Some mathematicians have calculated the smelt was worth $2,500.00 per pound. King Whyte, well known outdoor editor and judge of the contest commented “Never was so much won by so little.”

Champs of the National League Division at Midland’s Little League finals held recently. Coached by Jack Gouet, the Boston Bruins edged New York 4-3 after 23 minutes of overtime. Front, Don Zabzinski, Wayne Ferris, Sandy Campbell, Charlie Ward; middle, Rev. Len Self, Alf Patterson, Danny Richardson, Paul Tremblay and coach Jack Gouet; back row, B. Clause, Ron Marchildon, Dave Stainton, Paul Dion, absent Larry Cripps.

Providence Reds capture American League honours in the Little League playoffs against the Cleveland Bruins, 3-2. Kneeling, Bob Ruston, Doug Piitz; center row, Bill Kissock, Ted Mason, Brian Dubeau (captain), Larry French, Art Richards coach; back row, Rev. Len Self, Ron Robillard, Bernie Montgomery, Larry Marchand, Ray Moreau, Bill Girard and John Hanley. It was the third time in four years a team coached by Art Richards had won a LHL title.

Sadly Art Richards died on the February 21st this year at the age of 80, his wife Mary Lou Merifield died on March the 6th.

Winners of the annual Owen Sound Ladies Curling Club Spiel were the Midland rink of Mrs. Ken Ellis, Mrs. Charles Walton (June), Mrs. Jim Thomas (the Skip holding the Hindman & Evans Trophy) and Mrs. Jim Tully. A Midland rink skipped by Mrs. Dalton Hudson won the trophy in 1952, the first year it was up for competition.

The best spellers in Midland and district are shown at Regent Public School on the night of February 29th, just before they competed in an old fashioned spelling bee. They are the winner, Sandra Lattimore, and Patricia Puddicombe, Lois Puddicombe, Elizabeth Holt, Carol Armstrong and David White.

Among the “Old Monarchs” honoured by the Midland Lions Club at a party last Thursday at the Parkside Inn, all with 15 years or more of service, are Howard Smyth, Hugh Riesberry, Lorne Watson, Walter Woods and Gordon Paice. International director William Garner of Barrie was on hand to present long service pins to ten members of the Midland club.

• Multi-million dollar 1956 Provincial Public Works budget for North Simcoe includes, seven bridges (Good title for an Eagles song) beginning with one over the CNR at Waubaushene, one over Matchedash Bay at Waubaushene, one maybe two over the Severn River, the Moon, Muskoka and Gibson River bridges, all for the new Trans Canada Highway #103. Grading and gravel between Waubaushene and MacDonald River. A new intersection at Highways 112 and 27 west of Midland, a new bridge over the Wye River at Elmvale and resurfacing of roads from Midland to Waubaushene, Midhurst to Wyebridge on Hwy 27.
• Thirteen more miles of hydro lines are to be built by the Penetang District, adding 732 new customers
• Archie Bishop, 30 year old son of Mrs. Joseph and the late Captain Bishop has received his Master’s Papers with honours. Captain Bishop Sr. served on the Keewatin for a number of years.
• 100 boys and their fathers attended St. Paul’s United Church “Tuxis and Trail Ranger” banquet. This was before Scouting which started in St. Paul’s in 1958. Last week a similar Scouting banquet was held in the same hall to mark Baden Powell’s birthday, February 29th.
• Mr. Holder assures Mayor Parker that there are no empty lard pails behind his bakery that would attract skunks. The mayor suggested that Reeve Bill Keller lives next door and maybe they were headed there.
• 1956 was the Centennial year for the 60 foot circular stone lighthouse, known as an Imperial Tower, with attached dwelling, on Christian Island’s Bar Point. Built in 1856, its first keeper was Capt. William Hoar, R.N. The light was in service until 1922 when it and the surrounding forty five acres were sold by the Department of Marine and Fisheries to the Indian Affairs Branch. It remains today, the property of the Beausoliel First Nation.
• Roxy Theatre is having a special matinee showing Saturday of “Barbed Wire” starring Gene Autry plus Stooge Comedy and 3 cartoons. Free comic books will be given. March 5-6 the six year smash stage hit Mr. Roberts is now on screen, starring Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell and Jack Lemmon. Nominated for best actor and best picture.
• A. Kilroy, local Bell Telephone manager for our region, reported that 110 new telephone services were added in Midland in 1955 bringing the total number to 2,850.
• February 18th at Knox Presbyterian Church saw the wedding of Garnett Armstrong and Saundra Gay White, both of Midland.
• “Tiny Talks” by Rhoda Downer; Not many years ago after a heavy snow the men would set out to open the roads. Usually 8 or 10 men with six horses on the plow. Sometimes the horses would get their front feet high on a hard packed drift and their back feet would break through, there they would stand until the men dug the snow out from in front of them. I’ve seen eight men and three teams work a whole morning to open one mile of road. They would come home, feed their horses, have lunch and go back to work until after dark to open another mile. Last Sunday after the big storm, most of the roads were open in time for the farm folk to get to church, where it would have taken days with horse power.
• Estimate 6,000 people attended the Winter Carnival in Penetang.
• OPP to help Penetang police after the sudden death of Acting Chief Wilfred Perrault, which left the force without a senior officer.
• A thief robs Midland meat market and groceteria while all but one of the town’s police force was meeting with town council.
• Penetang home owned by Basil Secord destroyed by fire around 2 a.m. Tuesday. Mr Secord with the help of his father had built the home himself, completing it just a couple of months ago. It was covered by insurance.
• First in Midland, Homogenized Milk, available Friday March 9th from Dubbin’s Dairy.
• 10 years ago – J. Ross Stewart, a native of Lindsay, was appointed manager of Liggett’s Drug Store, Midland. Liggetts purchased the Midland drug store operated for 29 years by George Ross, who retired after 37 years in the trade. + Lindsay born Archie MacDonald had been named chief of Police for Midland, his new duties to commence on March 15th.
• For North Simcoe trappers, muskrat season officially opened March 1st and will extend until April 21st.
• Victoria Harbour council will seek legal advice with regard to the contentious issue of grocery orders being delivered from outside points into the village.
• Last week we read the HMCS Penetanguishene had been turned over to the Norwegian Navy and renamed, but the name has not been lost but honoured in the Maritimes as a new subdivision of 300 lots on the road to the airport has been named Penetanguishene.
• The “Cooking Chatter” column has a rice, cheese and corn flakes recipe suggestion for Lent
• The Newsreel at Roxy Theatres this week featured the Canadian Ski Championships, film taken at Midland’s own ski jump and Collingwood.

Can you help the museum to identify these women from the Waubaushene chapter of the Daughters of Rebeka?

Thanks to Neil Tucker, Carol Archer, Pam King, Sally Howe & Judy we have;

1 unknown, 2 Leona Brown, 3 Bernice Wilson, 4 Fern (Mrs. John) Rosburough, 5 Mrs. Mona Duncliffe, 6 Mrs. Gouett, 7 Gertrude Wilson, 8 Bea Brady or Hazel Skelton (need a positive ID for this one), 9 Pat Athron. Still missing first names and number1