Each week, the Gazette looks back on stories from the past. Here is what happened this week, by year…
1938
– The Ontario Car Ferry brought 1,000 visitors from the Oswego, NY area to visit the county. One of the highlights of their trip would be a baseball doubleheader featuring the Picton Intermediates, a team from Toronto, and a Bay of Quinte all-star team.
– Hydro employees were installing cages on rural lines to keep birds out. Birds resting on the porcelain switches were causing fuses to blow and service to be interrupted. Starlings were the worst offenders.
– Prominent Bloomfield politician Clarence Marshall died while serving his community. Marshall was conducting an inspection of highway construction near Consecon when a truck ran over his leg causing a compound fracture and significant blood loss. 1948
1948
-The Demorestville Women’s Institute celebrated the opening of a new community park in the village. Sophiasburgh Township officials showed their appreciation for the W.I.’s role in purchasing the property and fundraising for equipment.
– The federal government announced plans for two new public schools on army basess, one in Picton and one in Petawawa to accommodate the children of soldiers posted at those locations.
– Between 20-30 cockerels valued at several hundred dollars were stolen from the J.W. Evans poultry farm on the Bloomfield road. Three men in a car were seen leaving through nearby fields. In their wake , they left nine dead birds on the roadside.
1978
– Sharp-eyed fireman Reg Havery helped to avert a major blaze in downtown Picton. He saw smoke in the Pro Hardware building and called his fellow firefighters in time to limit the blaze to just that building. Chief Leonard Tripp indicated the fire could have easily spread down Main Street.
– Picton Bay Motel owner Rudy Scheidthaur closed his docks, gas pumps and pump-out station after determining the operation was not profitable. Other waterfront property owners were to meet to discuss alternative sites for a marina on the harbour.
– Two escapees from the Maplehurst Reformatory in Milton, Ont. were arrested in Ameliasburgh and charged with robbing a Rossmore convenience store at gunpoint.
1998
– North Marysburgh fire chief George Pettingill was authorized to negotiate a lease for the ward’s own fire station and advertise for six volunteer firefighters. He had already secured a tanker and a truck from other municipalities in the county.
– Bell Canada informed County officials they could extend local calling from Hillier and Ameliasburgh into Belleville as well as Trenton, but could not extend local calling across Prince Edward County because the volume of calls placed did not meet CRTC standards for expanded local service.
– Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital selected June Surgey, Dwan Cutler, Leo Finnegan, and Grahem Meharg to sit on an amalgamation steering committee.