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Telegraph operator in Midland for the CNR for the past 12 years, John Scharbach takes over a new post in Toronto next week. Mr. Scharbach is seen in the center, upper picture, with CNR agent Frank Whiteman, left, and Charles Vent, following the presentation of a desk set by fellow employees and representatives of several Midland firms. Below, Mr. Scharbach checks over some messages with “Bill” Mitchell, left, his successor in Midland.

A familiar part of every Free Press for years.

Mrs. Eileen Peters, left, holding the Justice Carl Stewart Trophy for best director, and Ken MacEachern, with the best supporting actor award and last year’s festival trophy for the best play, will defend their laurels at the third inter-school drama festival in Barrie next weekend. MPDHS entry won the best play award two years in succession. 

The devil bids goodbye to Miss Appleby, after failing in all his temptations. Wayne Parker and Judy Campbell were the stars of ‘The Devil and Miss Appleby’, entry of Midland-Penetang District High School in the third annual Georgian Bay Drama Festival. Midland won the best play award at the festival, held at Barrie District North Collegiate last Friday and Saturday. 

A cross-section of the crowd which filled Cumming-Nicholson shoe store in Midland Thursday is shown above. The photo was taken soon after the store opened for its annual shoe sale. The sale was announced in a quarter-page advertisement which was published in the Wednesday, Jan. 29, Free Press Herald. 

These five girls were among the prize winners in the temperance poster contest sponsored by the WCTU in Ontario schools as part of its scientific temperance instruction. Left to right are Marilyn Nicholson, whose poster was the best in the county as well as locally in Grade 6; June Brownlee, Grade 5; Gaile Wright, Grade 8; Barbara Caston, Grade 6; and Janet Setterington, Grade 5. 

 

Made by his father in Dartmouth, England, some 64 years ago, this miniature set of blacksmith’s tools is being donated to Midland’s Huronia Museum by William Waldron of Waubaushene. Exact replicas of the real thing, the tiny tools are made of iron. 

Having the rope tow in operation again has been a boon to both members of Midland Ski Club and visitors who have been out in large numbers on recent weekends. Snow conditions were almost perfect last weekend. (Sorry mom, it wasn’t me that ruined my new coat, it was the rope tow!)

 

• The County Herald headline February 7, 1958; Falls Into Septic Tank Harbour Lad Suffocates    —-  Falling through a small hole into an ancient septic tank in the village of Victoria Harbour Wednesday afternoon, Daniel Fannin, aged three, died of suffocation before his plight was noticed. OPP Const. H . R. Banting, of the Victoria Harbour detachment of the OPP, said the boy was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Fannin, who are separated. The father is reported to be living at R.R. 3, Pickering, and the mother in Toronto. Daniel and a 10-year-old brother David were living in Victoria Harbour with an aunt, Mrs. Margaret Hall. Const. Banting said Daniel had been playing with his brother and a 12-year-old son of Mrs. Hall earlier in the afternoon. The two older boys had taken him back to his own yard and had then gone out to a fishing shack on the ice of Georgian Bay nearby. When Mrs. Hall saw the two older boys returning without Daniel, a search was immediately started for the Uttle lad. The two boys were able to follow Daniel’s tracks to an old septic tank, believed to have been installed some years ago by one of the old lumber companies that flourished in the Harbour. It still serves the village office and a number of other buildings in the area, police said.
• Free Press Herald headline of February 5, 1958; Faces High Court Trial on Manslaughter Charge.  — Magistrate K. A. Cameron ruled a prima facie case had been established in Midland police court  Monday morning against a 19-year-old Midland taxi driver, charged with manslaughter following the death of John Clark, 31, also of Midland. He was committed for trial in the next highest court having criminal jurisdiction, probably at the spring assizes in Barrie. Bail was renewed.
• Well known resident of Midland, where he had been employed by the former T. J. Campbell plumbing and heating firm for many years, William Evart Thompson died suddenly Tuesday morning. He was in his 71st year. Mr. Thompson, accompanied by Rev. W. R. Auld, had Just entered Mr. Campbell’s home on Yonge Street West when he was stricken by a heart attack. He is survived by Mrs. Thompson, the former Jean Ross.
• W. R. Auld, minister of St. Paul’s United Church, Midland, for the past 26 years, announced Sunday that he was retiring from the ministry. He told his congregation he had felt for some time that the work at St. Paul’s should be carried on by a younger man. He said he planned to seek lighter church work and would not be remaining In Midland. Mr. Auld is now serving his 41st year in the ministry. At Prince of Wales College, Charlottetown, he was a fellow student of James McGuigan, now James Cardinal McGuigan.
• Midland’s “Mr. Hockey”, who has been named a member of the selection committee of the new “Hockey Hall of Fame” to be established at the CNE in Toronto. Mr. Dudley was also guest of honor at the recent sportswriters’ dinner in aid of crippled children.
• “Oh, Mom, it was so wonderful can hardly find words to describe it.” Lorraine Lacroix, returning from five days spent at the St. Paul, Minn., Winter Carnival, repeated these words several times as she rode in the back seat of a car with her mother, from Malton to Penetang, last Wednesday night. Miss Lacroix,  Penetang’s 1957 Winterama Queen, had been invited to attend the St. Paul event as one of 19 visiting “Snow Princesses”.  “Everyone was wonderful to us there, and we couldn’t possibly have been treated better,” she said, as she explained the elaborate plans carried out to ensure the comfort of the visiting guests. “I was so glad when they played and sang Alouette, I felt right at home then, and I had to sing it in French,”  she said.
• Ten Years Ago This Week — Penetang was without railway service for two days when strong westerly winds blocked a cut half way between Elmvale and Wyevale with drifting snow. Three engines and a snowplow became stuck in the cut trying to clear the track right-of-way. * * * Annual meeting of St. Andrews Hospital was told that the operating deficit for 1947 amounted to $13,263, despite an increase of $9,053 in operating revenue. * * * A proposal to raise telephone operators’ wages from $10 to $15 a week and the chief operator’s wages to $20 weekly touched off a storm of protest at the annual meeting of Coldwater Telephone Commission. The proposal was eventually adopted without a dissenting voice. * * * The Department of Municipal Affairs had notified Penetang council it would not approve a $75,000 expenditure on a new wing to the town’s hospital or a $60,000 expenditure for a new ice arena. The reason given was that the town was already carrying a bank loan of $51,875 for expenditures which would have to be debentured.  * * * Midland-Penetang Coach Lines had announced that its crosstown bus service would commence in Midland. Buses were to run every half hour, commencing at 6.30 a.m. Sunday service was to operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. * * * Simcoe County Council approved a resolution requesting the Ontario government to pay 50 percent of the cost of maintaining children’s aid societies. * * * Fifty people, representing several rural communities in Simcoe County, endorsed plans for Bass Lake Co-operative Park at a special meeting in Barrie. Twenty-five of those in attendance subscribed for membership.
• Pete Addison, now regional forester for the South-Western region of Ontario, including the Simcoe, Huron, and Erie districts, is the son of Dr. W. L. T. Addison, Penetang doctor around the turn of the century. Forester Addison spends many a summer at his family cottage on the 13^th Concession of Tiny and among his many broader responsibilities are the overseeing of lands and forests and parks developments in this part of Huronia. (This cottage was considered the first to be built along the Tiny Twp beaches and would be destroyed by fire within a year.)
• Mrs. Robert Mosley, Sr., died unexpectedly Jan. 19 at her late residence, RR 1, Wyebridge; she was 55. Funeral service was held Jan. 21 at A. Barrie and Sons funeral home. Rev. N. B. McLeod of Victoria Harbour and Rev. W. R. Auld officiated. Pallbearers were Bill Jones, Bert Jones, Douglas Mosley, Ross Irwin, Douglas Curry and Erie Curry. Mrs. Mosley, the former Ethel E. Stewart, was born Jan. 10, 1903, on a farm on Old Fort Road, and was educated at Ebenezer School. On March 21, 1921, she and Robert Mosley were married in Midland. She had lived in this district all her life. Mrs. Mosley was a member of the Ebenezer United Church and had been an active member of the Waverley LOBA for more than 25 years. She was also a member of the Ideal Rebecca Lodge No. 199 Midland, and the Wyebridge W. I. Besides her husband she is survived by two sons, Robert Jr., of Wyebridge and Donald of Midland; seven grandsons and three brothers, Thomas Stewart of Victoria Harbour, Fred Stewart of Española and Albert of Montreal.
• A resident of Coldwater district for 56 years, Mrs. Margaret Louise Davidson died in Toronto Jan. 20 of coronary thrombosis. Mrs. Davidson was one of the most faithful members of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Coldwater. Mrs. Davidson was the former Margaret McNally and was born at Waverley, June 6, 1881. Educated at Waverley and Fesserton, she was married June 3, 1914, at Fesserton, to William John Davidson. She was predeceased by her husband in 1949. Mrs. Davidson resided at Waverley for 10 years, at Fesserton for 20 years, was for a year each at Fergus and Toronto, spent 18 years in Dundas, 13 years at North River, and was a resident of Coldwater for the past seven years. Pallbearers were Mervyn Walker, Edward Fell, Albert Locking, Oliver Blake, William Gilchrist and Cecil Dunlop. Immediately surviving are two sons, William David Davidson of Guelph; Harold Albert Davidson of Scarborough; and one daughter Ferne Elizabeth Carnes of Toronto.
• A former resident of Christian Island Indian Reserve, Percy Marsden, 54, died at Roseneath Reserve, in the Rice Lake area, Jan. 29. Along with his father and former chief at Christian Island Robert Marsden, Percy had operated a store and post office at Christian. Surviving are his wife, daughter Delia of Toronto, and his father.
• Said to have been the first shot ever fired out of a brand new rifle, a .22 caliber bullet caused severe facial and mouth injuries to a 15-year-old Midland girl in an accident early Wednesday afternoon. In St. Andrews Hospital is Phyllis Crawford, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Crawford, 83 Olive Street. The accident occurred shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday when her boyfriend, Ernest Dorion, 17, of 112 Olive St., was showing her the new rifle.
• Mr. and Mrs. Philias Toutant, Lafontaine, were chosen to cut the wedding cake, last Thursday night, when 118 couples renewed their marriage vows at a ceremony in St. Ann’s Church, Penetang. The date coincided with the Toutaut’s 60th wedding anniversary. The large group held a wedding breakfast in the church basement, followed by a reception in the Knights of Columbus Hall.

Are you looking for a unique and amazing Valentines Day date?

Look no further.

Get your tickets to Murder Mystery- an Evening at the museum and participate in the murder mystery ” It Came From Little Lake”. Nothing says romance like nautical humour, solving a case together and eating a delicious meal catered by ELM catering. Get your tickets online at http://www.shopmidland.com/HuroniaMuseum or come see us at the museum Monday to Friday 9am -5pm or Sundays for the farmers market 9am-1pm.

Call us at 705-526-2844, or email huroniamuseum@gmail.com for more details.

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Week of Jan. 28 – Feb. 5 has been proclaimed “Cross Canada Hockey Week” at the request of the CAHA, OHA, and OMHA. One of Midland’s OMHA teams, the juveniles, is seen above with Coach Frank Swales. They meet Hamilton here Tuesday night. The OHA intermediate Red Wings play host to Orillia Merchants Thursday night as part of the same hockey week. The motto chosen for the week is “Bring your boy to see a game”. 

Despite the advent of radar and other recent inventions, sending messages by the signal lamp is still an important part of the training of all sailors. Men above are studying for first or second mate’s tickets at Midland Marine School. Left to right are Al Desjardins, Port McNicoll; J. Jones and Al Hansford, Midland; Don Heidman, Parry Sound; G. Glover, Midland, assistant instructor; Fred Bingham, M. MacIntaggart and T. Courtemanche, Midland, operating both navigation and engineering divisions, the school is sponsored by the vocational guidance committee of the MPDHS board. 

Avoiding collisions at sea is uppermost in the minds of all mariners. Four budding great lake’s masters are seen discussing a typical problem with Capt. Malcolm Kennedy, left, chief instructor at the Midland Marine School. Others are, left to right, Ken Guthrie, Elmvale; Allan Hurlbut, Midland; Albert Purvis, Gore Bay; and Carl Yeo, Port McNicoll. Mr. Hurlbut is studying for his mate’s (home trade) ticket and others for master’s (inland waters) papers. 

Mrs. Eileen Peters, left, holding the Justice Carl Stewart Trophy for best director, and Ken MacEachern, with the best supporting actor award and last year’s festival trophy for the best play, will defend their laurels at the third inter-school drama festival in Barrie next weekend. An MPDHS entry won the best play award two years in succession. 

 

“Hurry up with that tape”, said Peter Steele, left, and Ralph Ironside, right, as Jim Wilcox gets his stick ready for the recent game. The boys are members of Midland’s juvenile Canadiens who meet a Hamilton team here Tuesday night as a feature of “Cross Canada Hockey Week”. There will also be bantam and juvenile games to round out the big evening. 

Goalie Bill Gray gets some help from Bob Hendrickson, left, and Ron Marchildon as he dons the heavy armor of his trade. The boys are members of Midland’s juvenile Canadiens who meet a Hamilton team here Tuesday night as a feature of “Cross Canada Hockey Week”. There will also be bantam and juvenile games to round out the big evening. 

 

The new chief of Midland’s People’s Store is Andre Norris, right, who succeeds Jean-Paul Fecteau. Married and with one son, Richard, aged five months, Mr. Norris worked for the company at Kitchener and St. Hyacinthe, Que., prior to coming to Midland. Mr. Fecteau, who has been in Midland for 3 1/2 of his five years with the firm, takes over as manager of a store in Grandmere, Que. He moves there with his wife and two children early in February. 

Outstanding progress in 4-H Homemaking Club work won the Women’s Institute County Scholarship for Barbara Strath of Saurin. Mrs. James Bell of RR #3 Coldwater, who made the presentation at Achievement Day in Elmvale Community Hall Saturday, is chairman of the W. I. scholarship committee. Clara Amos of Mount St. Louis won the scholarship last year. 

 

Unbeaten this season in five games, MPDHS’ senior basketball team is reviving hopes for at least a Georgian Bay group title this season. Talking things over with coach Bill Setterington are, left to right, front row, “Red” Nicholls, John Maher, Mr. Setterington, Bob Megaw, Martin Reynolds; back row — Ed Trudeau, Lloyd Farquhar (captain), Ron Blair, Ralph LaRue, Henry Gouett, Guenther Raibach and Jim Farmer, team manager. 

Trying to keep Ron Blair from potting baskets has been a big headache for other teams in the Georgian Bay COSSA group this season. Ron has potted 101 points in five games for a 20 point per game average. Guarding the MPDHS sniper in this practice session is team captain Lloyd Farqhuar. Looking on are Marty Reynolds, left and Ed Trudeau. 

“Cheese”, said this happy group at the 4-H Homemaking Club Achievement day held Saturday in Elmvale Community Hall. Mrs. G. R. Lane right, area president of the Women’s Institute, presented county honour certificates for completing six homemaking club projects to, left to right, Janet Stewart of Vasey, Joyce Ingleton of Saurin and Anne Phillips of Allenwood. 

This public service announcement is from March 1937.

Can not resist adding a couple of oldies, again from 1937.

• The County Herald headline January 24^th, 1958; Say County CAS Revenue Could Hit $331,000.00 Mark   If its hoped-for revenue comes through, the Simcoe County Children’s Aid Society will receive $331,000 in 1958. After wiping out its 1957 deficit of $20,030.00 (which includes a deficit of $11,314 1 built up in the accounts payable to other societies) the CAS will have $311,000 to spend during the coming year.
• The Free Press Herald headline January 29, 1958; Say P.M. to Announce House Dissolution Today A reliable source informed this newspaper yesterday that Prime Minister John Diefenbaker would call for the dissolution of Parliament sometime today. The prime minister has indicated in recent addresses, both inside and out of the House, that the date was not too far off when he would ask Governor-General Vincent Massey to dissolve Parliament and call for a general election. Present representation in the house is as follows: Progressive Conservatives, 113; Liberals, 104; CCF, 25; Social Credit, 17; others, 4. Returning Officer J. P. McNamara told this newspaper yesterday that lists of enumerators for the preparation of voters lists have been prepared, and those listed have consented to act.
• County Herald Headline January 31^st, 1958; Commission Backs Hikes in Hospital Ward Rates.    Increases in ward rates at St. Andrew’s Hospital, recommended by the board in November 1957, have been approved by the Ontario Hospital Commission, St. Andrews Hospital Board was informed at its meeting Monday night. The ward rate increases range from 50 cents daily for standard wards of more than four beds to $1 per day for two-bed semi-private wards. They become effective Feb. 1. The four-hour session was the second the newly-elected board has held since the crisis meeting of Jan. 20.
• “It would take a new world war to open the Midland Shipyard again.” This is the conclusion of industrial committee chairman Harvey White, as stated in the annual report of the Midland Chamber of Commerce. “There appears to be no intention whatsoever on the part of the company to operate the yard here,” he said.  He said the chamber’s industrial committee had attended numerous meetings with respect to the deliberations and negotiations for re-opening the yards and made two trips to the company’s office at Collingwood on the matter.
• These students will be the Year Book Staff for I958. Editor, Marie Gignac; assistant editor, Sheila Armstrong; French editor, Annette Ducaire; business manager, Red Nicholls; assistant business manager, Romeo Lalonde; photographer, Bob Scott, (Camera Club committee); special event, Joan and Nancy Somers; chronicles, Janice Edwards, Helen Parker; girls’ sports, Ann Maher; boys’ sports, Bob Popple. Feb. 15 is the last date for material.
• Last Friday the Hironae Hi-Y held a club party chaperoned by Pat Perrin; club advisor, and Ernie Cowden. (I wonder who was supervising those two)
• Midland council is making specific application to the Canadian National Railways for a lease of the property on the west side of Midland Bay where Midland yachtsmen have indicated they want to establish a yacht basin and mooring facilities.
• Twenty Five Years Ago This Week, 1933— A. B. Thompson, M.P., officially opened Midland’s new government warehouse at the town’s waterfront. The new warehouse and a dock completed some months previously were part of a program to improve harbor facilities. * * * The town of Midland was offering a six percent discount on taxes paid prior to Feb. 15, 1933. The discount decreased by one-half percent, per month up to August 15. * * * A new member of Penetang’s 1933 council, in a one-man economy wave, suggested that the town’s police force be reduced to one constable. He estimated that by such a move the town would save $1300 annually. * * * One-time house painter and street sweeper Adolph Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany. Chancellor Paul von Hindenburg, then in his eighties, acceded to the pressure of the Nazi movement to end his nation’s political impasse. * * * District barbers announced they were reducing the price of haircuts from 35 to 25 cents. Other indicators of the price levels of the time were advertisements offering men’s two trouser suits at $15, men’s broadcloth shirts at 49 cents, women’s cotton housedresses, 79 cents. * * * Two Lafontaine residents, Walter Chevrette and his son, Alcime, left Cedar Point about 4 a.m. one morning and headed across the open water for Collingwood in a rowboat. Bucking a storm; the craft started to leak and finally sank in six feet of water. The two were able to make their way to shore by clinging to some boxes which were in the boat. They landed at Collingwood lighthouse where they were given shelter.
• A shortage of pocket money on a harvest excursion to Western Canada in 1898 was the starting point of an adventure which blossomed into a romance, culminating in a 50th wedding anniversary celebration in Penetang earlier this month. The golden wedding celebration was that of Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Fitzgerald who were married Jan. 8, 1908, in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. When Mr. Fitzgerald admitted he was a native of Guelph, Ontario, and that his wife had been born in Portage la Prairie, he was asked how the couple happened to get together. It was then he told the tale of having embarked on a harvest excursion to western Canada in 1898. Price for the trip to Moose Jaw and return was $10, and young A. L. Fitzgerald started out with hopes high, and very little money in his pocket. By the time the train reached the Manitoba town he had run out of money and decided he would have to stop and get a job. Looking around Portage la Prairie, he obtained work in a hardware store at the munificent wage of S35 per month. But “Fitz,” as he is affectionately known now in Penetang, was destined for higher things, and it wasn’t long until the opposition hardware across the road offered him $75 a month. During his stay in Portage, he met the girl who, five years later, was to become his wife. However, in the meantime, Fitz was not too satisfied with his lot in the hardware store, and he struck out with a partner to Grandview, about 150 miles north, where the pair went into the hardware business on their own in 1903. Grandview, at that time, was at the end of steel. During five years in business there, things did not go too well for the partners. Wheat grew tall and beautiful on the prairies, but in every one of those years, frost ruined the crop before it could be harvested. In the meantime, Fitz decided to get married and the young couple found it impossible to carry on with the $65 monthly he was drawing from the store. When the arrival of a youngster became imminent, Fitz decided he would have to do something to increase his financial position, and he sold his hardware interest after securing a position with a Winnipeg wholesale firm at $100 monthly. He was travelling for this firm, maintaining headquarters in Portage la Prairie, when four years later he was made sales manager. Later he became a director of the company as well as a stockholder. The firm was eventually purchased by Marshal Wells, an American company, in the early twenties. Then Marshal Wells bought out the stove foundry in Penetang in 1922, they persuaded Fitz to go there as manager on a five-year trial basis. “And I’ve been here ever since” he concluded his   Asked how she, a western girl, has liked Ontario, Mrs. Fitzgerald said, “I have never regretted coming to Ontario. I love it here.”
• Value of building permits issued in Midland in 1957 was the second highest since 1950, according to figures released by F. W. Turnbull, the building inspector. The total value of permits last year, $748,650.00 was exceeded only by 1954, when the figure reached $1,334,725.00. The new St. Andrews Hospital accounted for much of the latter figure.
• At year’s end, 82 business firms were listed under the group insurance plan of the Midland Chamber of Commerce, states committee chairman W. H. Pinchin in the chamber’s annual report. He said that for handling about $20,000 in annual premiums, claims, correspondence, and payment of benefits, the chamber office receives a commission from the Great-West Life Assurance Company which, in 1957, amounted to more than $1,800.
• International and national problems may hold the spotlight for most people, but there is a segment of the population with their own particular crisis, old-timers who find they cannot buy chewing tobacco which has been their standby for generations. Popular brands of plug tobacco have been almost non-existent in this area since last fall. There are some scores of men in this area who have made a habit of chewing tobacco instead of smoking, dating back to the era of the lumber mills when smoking was banned on the premises.