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.  

We are going to let the photos do the talking this week, there is a good selection.

If these lads look especially happy, it wasn’t merely the prospect of school being over for the year this week. For them, it’s off to high school next year. They are the boys of Grade 8 graduating class of Sacred Heart Separate School, Midland. 

Girls of the Grade 8 graduating class of Sacred Heart Separate School are seen above on the steps of St. Margaret’s Catholic Church. They are the last class to graduate from the old Sacred Heart School, which shifts to a brand new school on Elizabeth Street in September. (The museum would appreciate receiving any or all the names of the graduates in the last two photos for our permanent record.) 

Eden Morrison, Barbara Dalryple, Wynne Gilmour, Betty Jean Watkinson, Hessel Pape, Gudrun Mandler, Mary Lou Graham and Paul Howard examine water safety posters held by David Seaton, center. 

David Seaton of Windsor, swimming instructor for the playground program at Little Lake, trains this crop of lads in the buddy system. The program got under way at the park Monday morning. Nearly 300 boys and girls registered the first day. 

Eden Morrison and Betty Jean Watkinson, nearest camera, games instructor for Midland Y’s Men’s playground program at Little Lake Park lead a group of girls in a singing game. The program got under way Monday morning. 

Two happy boys last Wednesday night were Chester Graham and Donald Downer. Chester is seen receiving a leadership award from Douglas Haig at Regent School graduation on behalf of Midland Y’s Men’s Club. 

Miss Ethel Wagg is presenting a book to Donald on behalf of the IODE for his work in social studies at Bayview School. 

In spite of overcast skies Sunday, holidayers were plentiful at Little Lake Park. These people stretched out on the greensward and sand east of the park boathouse Sunday. The short holiday weekend and the weather it is felt, kept many would-be vacationers away.

Graduation exercises were the order of the day in Midland public schools last week, and Bayview School was no exception. Mrs. Bob Stanway presents awards to David English and Maureen Mohan, chosen Bayview’s senior boy and senior girl for the year. Mrs. Stanway is the retiring president of Bayview Home and School Association. 

Graduation exercises were the order of the day in Midland public schools last week, and Bayview School was no exception. Principal William Barnett is seen with Ron Patrick and Geraldine Koenig, winner of the Y’s Men’s Club’s leadership awards. 

Always a matter of great anticipation at Midland public schools is the naming of the senior boy and senior girl for the year. Winners at Regent School this year were Louise Parker and Bobby Clayton. Mrs. Marion Wilcox, presents the students with their awards on behalf of Regent Home and School Association. 

Port McNicoll’s CPR elevator, one of the largest in the British Commonwealth, is almost full to the brim with grain this week. The big triple-legged giant, as of Monday, had unloaded eight bulk carriers since Thursday, June 29, and it was expected that another would arrive the latter part of this week. The elevator crew and longshoremen established a mark that has not been achieved in well over 10 years. They unloaded two grain ships at one time Monday. On Monday the S.S. Douglass Houghton and the barge John Fritz of Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd. were relieved of their burdens simultaneously. The Houghton had 253,000 bushels in her holds and the Fritz carried 282,000 bushels. 

Jamboree bound Scouts were caught by the cameraman just before they left for Toronto Wednesday evening to entrain for Ottawa. Scoutmaster Milt Ellery, left, jokes with Scouts Tom Gordanier, John Allen and Bob French, all of Midland, as they load their dunnage aboard his car. 

Stan Secord, Penetang; Don Edwards, Midland; Bert Mason, Penetang and driver Doug Edwards prepare to leave for the Queen City. 

Fred Howard, left, commander of Midland Power Squadron for 1961, receives the commander’s flag from Elmer Ellison, past commander. The squadron held its annual meeting last week. 

To Reach Verdict Today on Garbage Disposal Site 

Free Press Herald headline of July 5, 1967.
Midland council will hold a special meeting again this afternoon, with the main item of business the final selection of a new-garbage disposal site. Three tenders were opened at a meeting Thursday night, but acceptance of any tender was delayed until council could secure figures on the additional of hauling garbage to all three sites. Lloyd Wilcox, representing the firm that currently has Midland’s garbage hauling contract (It still has three years to run) was asked to have the necessary figures available. One of the tenders opened Thursday night was from the same firm, Thomas G. Wilcox and Sons Ltd., and was for $8,700 per annum. The other two were by E. M. Latimore, R.R. 1 Midland, and Albert Dragoman, Midland. Mr. Latimore’s proposed site, 50 acres, is on Con. 2, Tay. Mr. Dragoman’s is in Tiny Township, on the concession west of the drive-in theatre and the Wilcox site is just off Highway 27, at the top of the hill north of Wyebridge. 

    Believed to be the first in that district, an aeroplane landing strip, was opened recently by Tom Anderson of Port Severn. Already 10 planes have landed on the 1,000-foot runway which runs parallel to Highway 501(Honey Harbour Road), about 1 ½ miles west of Highway 103. Mr. Anderson said yesterday. Mr. Anderson stated, ”that shortly he expects to extend the present runway to 1,800 feet and by spring we hope to have two additional runways completed and radio communications installed”. He added, “Then planes will be able to land no matter what the direction of the wind”. Only light planes are able to use the present landing strip. Mr. Anderson noted, adding that “by spring we expect to be able to accommodate twin-engine craft.” 

Ten Years Ago
Midland Boys’ Band, directed by Bandmaster A. J. Laley, placed second in the competition for Junior brass bands at the Waterloo Band Tattoo in which 55 bands participated. * * * Beausoleil Island National Park provided sites for most — but by no means all — of the more than 17 camps for boys and girls which had more than 4,000 campers that summer. Other camps were at Honey Harbour, Severn River,  Sturgeon River and at a series of locations along the bay shore. * * * Charles Vent and Haig Abbott were co-conveners of the Midland Y’s Mens Clubs Peanut Day.  Proceeds were for the club’s boys’ and girls’ work. * * *   Members of the Central Ontario Press Association, some 40 publishers and their wives, met in Midland for their annual summer meeting.  Following lunch at the Midland Golf and Country Club they toured Midland Shipyards, Huronia House Museum and the Martyrs’ Shrine. * * * Major L. H. Taylor, Midland, officer commanding the 166^th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery took his unit to artillery camp at Picton, guns and transport were moved by road convoy. * * * Noting that the premium on each dollar had been about six cents, Jack Doughty, Tourist Committee Chairman of the Midland chamber of commerce said that giving the U.S. tourist the proper daily premium on United States bills was one of the best investments that can be made in good will. 

Radar Unit, Works Snag, Flare Council Tempers
Garbage site plan lost’ in smoke 

County Herald headline of July 7, 1961.
The unseasonably cool temperature Wednesday did not find its parallel at a special meeting of Midland council Wednesday afternoon when contentious issues caused the temperatures of some aldermen to rise well above normal. While the meeting was called specifically to discuss the awarding of a contract for a garbage disposal site, council never did get to that item. (To paraphrase the rest of the article, the councillors argued through all of the meeting about the need for a radar gun, already approved and budgeted and the need to scarify Ontario Street, already approved and budgeted.) 

Editorial by William Cranston – A local museum lives on the goodwill and interest of its local citizen supporters. That, for its entire fourteen years, has been the secret of the success of Midland’s Huronia Museum, and was particularly evident at the recent annual meeting of the association. People like the R. S. Sheppards, the Lawrence Devines, Major and Mrs. Ritchie Lane, Jack Tipping, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Drinkwater, and others of the Coldwater district; the Joseph Leas of Hillsdale; the Tanners of Tannerville and the Jack Skeltons of Fesserton; Don McGuire of Elmvale and the late John McGuire of Penetanguishene; Mrs. Arthur Downer of South Tiny; the several Miller families in Medonte; Mrs. Rawley of Port Severn . . . one could go on naming them by the dozen, these are the sort of people on whose shoulders historical conservation is carried. We often wish that, in addition to seeing the artifacts in the glass cases, the thousands of children who visit Huronia’s local museums each year, could somehow see and catch the spirit of some of these pioneer citizens.

We are excited to be able to at least be able to open the village to the public for the time being.

Looks like our first guests to the village in over a year enjoyed themselves regardless of the rain.

The village is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4.p.m. and our last admission time is 3.30. We ask that visitors wear masks and practice social distancing while visiting the village.

The museum’s gift shop is also open for browsing and shopping for one visitor bubble at a time.

Come visit us and spend some time in our village. We look forward to seeing you.

The indoor museum will open in phase three of Ontario’s Re-opening Plan.

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.  

SURVEY FACTORY POTENTIAL TO PROMOTE JOB GROWTH 

Free Press Herald headline of Wednesday June 28, 1961.
New, two-pronged push to expand industrial employment in this part of Ontario is being undertaken by the Georgian Bay Development Association with the assistance of added financial support from the  Ontario Department of Commerce and Development. Starting next month the development association is undertaking a community by community survey of both currently used and idle potential industrial capacity in each local industry. This survey, it Is hoped, will not only assist in developing new product lines in concert with foreign companies seeking Canadian markets, but also in making known to existing manufacturers what services can be rendered to them by other firms located within the Georgian Bay area.  

     Automatic coin laundries in the North Simcoe area, which have been open on Sundays, will be hit by a ruling handed down Friday by the Supreme Court of Canada. The Supreme Court ruled that it is illegal to operate automatic coin laundries on Sundays. The nine-member court upheld a decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal, which ruled that operation of automatic coin laundries on Sundays constitutes an infringement of the Lord’s Day Act.   

    Despite intermittent showers which drove the more than 500 spectators indoors for most of the ceremonies, the solemn blessing of Midland Separate School Board’s new Sacred Heart School went off smoothly Thursday evening. All of the visitors, including church dignitaries and civic officials, said they were “highly pleased” with the new school at Elizabeth and Lindsay Streets, built at a cost of $270,000. “It sure is different to the one we attended” was the most frequently-heard comment during the tour of the school which followed the ceremonies. Official blessing of the building was by His Grace, Most Rev. Phillip F. Pocock, D.D. coadjutor archbishop of Toronto. Honor of laying the cornerstone went to Monsignor J. M. Castex of Penetang, often called the “father of separate schools in Midland”. He had helped start the first Sacred Heart School in Midland in 1928. “This beautiful building is the result of many years of planning and many hours of hard work,” said Lloyd LaPlume, chairman of the board. “It is the combined efforts of parishioners, architects, engineers, contractors, town officials and inspector.

Guard of honour at the new Sacred Heart Separate School Thursday night was formed by 4th degree knights of Huronia Council, Knights of Columbus,  Archbishop P. F. Pocock, D.D., of Toronto, is seen with other church dignitaries, officially blessing the building.

    Robert Brodeur, eight-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Brodeur, Colborne Street, Midland, suffered a broken left ankle when the bicycle he was riding was in collision with a car driven by Arthur Desjardine, 71, of Penetang, Monday evening. Const. John Evans, who investigated the accident at Queen and Elizabeth Streets at 6.55 p.m., said the boy was riding north on Queen Street when the accident happened. No charges have been laid, Chief George Wainman advised yesterday. 

    Sunday afternoon, June 11, St. Mary’s School opened its doors to a new kind of class. The pupil themselves were not new, nor was the room they occupied. Students of Sister Mary Imelda  during 1933 to 1941, when she taught Grades 7 and 8 classes returned to honor her in the same class-room that they had spent the last days of their elementary school training. Master of ceremonies for the event was John Gianetto. He welcomed Sister Imelda, members of the clergy and former classmates. Speaking on behalf of classmates, he thanked Sister Imelda for the firm and dedicated way she had moulded so many of today’s citizens. He hoped she would be able to do so for a good many years, so the pupils of today could reap the benefit of her work. Bernard Leclaire, representing the class of 1933, presented Sister Imelda with a desk clock and pen set in white marble, engraved for the occasion. Representing the class of 1941, Mrs. Tom Gilbert (nee May Fitzgerald) presented her with two dozen American beauty roses.

 Good progress is being made on the new hall for Branch 80, Royal Canadian Legion, on Queen Street, Midland. Alf Rei, general contractor, is seen in the foreground examining some of the work on the $77,000 building. 

Proud bunch of youngsters in this picture are the Foxes, champs of the Pony League division in Midland’s Little League Baseball. Left to right are; front row, Paul LePage, Mark Wilcox, Jim Holden (Captain), Bruce Armstrong, Jim Courtemanche; back row, Ted Walker, Jim Caston, Raymond Leeking, Dave Wilson, Bill Jones. 

Winners of the final Polaroid camera contest, sponsored by this newspaper and district merchants were determined Thursday. Frank Keenan, manager of Cross Country Store, Midland, draws the winning ticket while Free Press Herald advertising manager Harry Brown looks on. 

Winners of the final Polaroid camera contest, sponsored by this newspaper and district merchants were determined Thursday. Flanked by Gerry Gieseke, left, and Arnulf Beutler, right, co-winners of one of the cameras, is Carol Anne Wagg, 127 Scott Street, Midland, the other winner. Carol obtained her entry form at Holder’s Bakery.

One of the new attractions this year is a picture display on the second floor (Still in the Playfair house). It depicts some of the outstanding Canadian architecture still standing in various Ontario communities today. Examples are old mills, blacksmith shops, schools, churches, doorways, elegant staircases, stores and fire places. Huronia Museum assistant James Robinson (former school principal) explains features of the museum’s architectural display. 

PARASITE ATTACKS TREES IN REFORESTATION PLOTS 

County Herald headline of Friday, June 30, 1961.
S. A. Hamilton of the Department of Lands and Forests, stationed at Maple, expressed some surprise when told by this newspaper Wednesday that a worm which he identified as “pine saw fly” had appeared in Tiny Township. “We had expected some of the outbreak there in year or two, but not this year,”  he said. Mr. Hamilton said the parasite is advancing east from Huron County at the rate of approximately 20 miles a year. “It is establishing itself on a line drawn roughly between Collingwood and Toronto,” he said. “It is possible a small pocket has established in Tiny, but the township should miss the worst part of the infestation.” He said the parasite is disastrous to Scots pine for Christmas tree use. The worms eat all old needles on a tree, passing up only the new growth. “They are very easy to kill with a DDT spray.” he said. “For this year, the trouble should be practically over since they are very nearly through their growth stage when they do all the eating.” 

    Because his safety helmet saved him from possible death, Garnet Brown of R.R. 1, Vasey, became the newest member of the Gladhatter’s Club at presentation ceremonies in Gamebridge today. Sponsored by the Construction Safety Assoclations of Ontario to promote the wearing of safety helmets among construction workers, membership is open to all men who have been spared serious injury and possible death because they had the foresight and common sense to wear protective head equipment. Mr. Brown, an employee of Bailey Construction Co. Ltd., Orillia, was pulling lumber during bridge construction, using timber tongs hooked to a crane with a clevis. The timber bounced, unhooked the chain which released the cable with hook. It swung 50 feet and struck Mr. Brown, splitting his safety helmet. 

BIRTHS
IRONSfDE — To Mr. and Mrs. Norman Ironside, 337 Queen Street, Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, Wednesday, June 28, 1961, a son.
LAWRENCE — To Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lawrence, Port McNicoll, at St. Andrews Hospital, Monday, June 26, 1961, a daughter.
PEACHEY — To Mr. and Mrs. Brian Peachey, Sunnyside, Midland, at St. Andrews Hospital, Thursday, June 29, 1961, a daughter.
THIFFAULT — To Mr. and Mrs. Robert Thiffault, Hawksbury Ontario, at the Sacred Heart of Mary Hospital, Saturday, June 24, 1961, a son.
WOOD – To Mr. and Mrs. Keith E. Wood, R.R. 1, Wyebridge, at St. Andrews Hospital,  Saturday, June 24, 1961, a son. 

They were Ethel May Rowntree and Roy S. King, and they were destined to see quite a bit of each other in the ensuing years, the last 50 of them as man and wife. Eventually, following a courtship of eight years, they were married June 28. 1911, in the Davenport home of Mrs. King’s parents. Saturday they held “open house” for their many friends at their home, 353 King Street. They have been residents of Midland since 1922.

 We have included the full story that accompanied this photo as Mr. King was a very important and unheralded person in the history of Midland, appointed by the provincial government to guide us through ten years of insolvency, a task he took and managed with great skill and ultimate success. 

Each year the Midland branch of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire presents books to the top students in social studies at Midland public schools. Mrs. H. J. Thompson presents book to Sharon Stelter at Parkview School graduation exercises. 

Largest entry ever at Midland Golf and Country Club for a Simcoe County invitation match braved leaden skies and chill winds Sunday. Six of the 12 prizes went to members of the host club, including, left to right, Bob Cote, low gross second flight, and Bill Hack, whose 74 was best score of the day; back row—Armand Robillard, Jim Moss, Ken Tannahill (low gross third flight) and Ken Richmond. 

Jutta Bechmann smiles happily after receiving the IODE award for social studies from Mrs. Charles Fleming at Wednesday night’s Grade 8 graduation exercises at Regent Public School. 

Tuesday was a big night at Parkview Public School as the Grade 8 graduates got their first “sheep skins.” Mrs. Stan Hacker presents home and school association awards to Jane Weckman and Max Morden, chosen senior girl and senior boy for the year. 

Parkview Grade 8 graduation, Jack Yelland presents the Y’s Men’s Club leadership awards to Peggy Krochko and Alan Mostyn.

This, I have to admit, brings back memories of butter scotch ice cream cones served over the counter for 25 cents. If your cousin was scooping them you got a lot for 25 cents. Who remembers Christie’s cream flips before they changed the filling, root beer popsicles and “Fizzies”.