HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1973-04-26, Page 1where $q. 5485
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$8.p0' 4 "*Yeart1 AdVang• • • SEAPORT% ONTARIO, TIRMSDAX, APRIL 26, 1973 — 14 PAGES
School costs up $398,262
in Huron Board budget
Education costs in Huron will
Increase $398,262 . during the
calendar year 1973. This means
an average increase of 2.1 mills
for Huron taxpayers.
Estimates of expenditure and
revenue which the, Huron Board
of Education has 'approved
provide for total expenditures of
$12,019,586. compared to
$11,621,324. for 1972 or an
increase of 3.4%.
Totals of the budget were
made available in a short press
release iasued Wednesday
Morning by Director of Education
and hoard secretary D„J. Co-
chrane. The release gave no
indication as to what contributed
to the increase or hoW the total
had been reached. There has
been no discussion of budgetary
matters at meetings.of the board.
The relea'ge indicated that re-
venues are expected to increase
accordingly with $8,430,800.
(70.1%) Coming from the provin-
cial 'Government, in the form
of grants and subsidies,
$2,851,956 (23.7%) from the merit-
cipalitles of Huron County, and
the balance of $736,830 (6•27o),,
from such other sources as tut., '
Lion fees frbm other Boards,
rentals, night school tuitions, etc. ,
Of the total budgeted 'gross
expenses of $12,019,486.,
$5,927,458. are allocated to the
Elementary School system and
$6,00,128. to the Secondary
Schools and Schools for the
Trainable Retarded.
f-
The Dickson family • •
Contributed to area development Construction of Seaforth Senior Citizen accommodation at
the corner• of Market and Jarvis Streets is well advanced. The
21, unit building Is expected to be ready for occupancy by
mid-summer. Some 40 applications are on hand by persons
seeking accommodation. (Staff Photo)
For separate school pupils, teachers
Set holiday schedules
Castramont, second house on Lot 15, Con. 11, Tuckersmith, was built to-r James Dickson When
he was a merchant and member of Parliament as well as the owner of what was long regarded as
a "model' farm. The house has 14 rooms, three fireplaces, and original pine floors upstairs. It
it the home of Mr. and Mrs. John McCowan.
Gladswood, built of field stone about 1650 for Archibald Dickson, James' father, on Lot 31,
Con, 11,4/IcKillop, at Roxboro, is being remodelled for Mr. and Mrs. H. Enzenberger, at present
Of Goderich, who plan to live here. Mrs. Enzenberger is a native of Seaforth and a sister of Mayor Frank Sills..
Mr. and Mrs. Gregor McGregor of Brucefield Who celebrated
their 50th wedding anniversary Saturday, read a message of
congratulation from Lady Gregor McGregor and her son
Sir Gregor McGregor in Scotland. (Photo by Oke)'
Brucefield couple
are wed 50 years
BY W.E. Elliott
Archibald Dickson settled in
Concession 'nil, Tuckersmith
township, in 1833 and called the
homestead Gladswood, for 'his
place in,Roxburghshirei Scotland.
When Lot 31 and the old house
passed out of the family 74 years
later, the nine Canadian-born
Dicksons who were "parties of
the first part", in the deed to
John McMillan had scattered. to
three provinces and three states.
• One was a timber dealer in
Mississippi, one a nurse in Mon-
tana, two were, postal clerks in
Winnipeg and Victoria, one was a
-nurse in Detroit, and another a
student in Michigan. Only one,
the. wife of a farmer, resided
in McKillop. Beginning in the
office of R.C. Hays, Seaforth,
the document travelled to law
offices in-seven tow ns'and cities
In Canada and the United States.
It is a perfect example of the
extent to which Ontario young
people dispersed - and still do -
in order to earn a livelihood.
Perhaps-,some day an adequate
bisiDry, of the DicitSOmfannily in
"1101:fIndittle-vtritterf by a-re:4'"°
searcher with a reasonable life
expectancy, infinite patience and
More than a little money. Such
a history will be, at least in
part, a history of the Scott family,
not only because it -migrated to
MtKillop at the' same time as"
the Dicksons, but because James
and Robert Scott, sons of the
1833 pioneer, Robert, on Con-
cession II, married Isabelle M.ry
and Agnes, daughters of Archi-
bald blekSon on ConcessiomIII,
across the road, and•so merged
the families.
The present parrative pur-
ports to be the life story of
James Dickson, eldest son of
Archibald. He arrived in Huron
with his father in 1833, at' the
start of the county's develop-
ment, and in"many ways left his
mark in the course of the- next
62 years.
At he Joined the volunteers
sent 'to Sarnia to guard the fron-
tier.against Fenian raiders. His
commanding officer was "Tiger"
Dunlop. Thereafter, Dickson
served for many years in
the militia, and retired with rank
Of lieut.-colonel. '
He 'left his father's farm in
McKillop township, for the 200-
acre:: "Castramont Farm" his
father had taken up for him in
the second concession of Tucker-
smith, a few miles to the south,
Welt educated in Scotland, he ne-
came the first clerk (1845), of
,Ttickersmith,• and later reeve,
-061911`tirfil'e Yeai,s in the council
of the United Counties of Huron
and Bruce. A successful farmer
and merchant, he was elected to
the pre-Confederstion' Parlia-
ment in 1861. No Huron member
of the Commons since Confedera-
tion has ever won a seat un-
opposed, In a general election,
but James Dickson • had no
opponent in 1863. At that time,
he represented more constituents,
than any other, member. Popula-
tion of Huron and Bruce e x-
ceeded.that of York.
He was a fluent, forceful
speaker," the Huron Signal
stated, "a good reasoner and a
tireless worker. 'A genial, jovial
disposition made him popular
with his fellow members."
Dickson came 'to the rescue
,ofsettlers in a number of Crown
Land townships 'who through
-frauds perpetrated by specula-
tors lost their farms. This
"scandal developed While William •,'
Caley, of Toronto, was member.
Dickson defeated him in 1861,
and sought a remedy for the Set-
tlers' grievances, The result
was a royal commission, and the
restoration of settlers' land.
Somewhat coincidental was a
recognition by county council that
the settlers could not meet a
government demand for payment
by Jan. 1, 1860, of arrears on
Crown lands. There ,had been
a bad crop year in 1858, most
farmers were in debt to mer-
chants,. and council called for
modification of the order. Coun-
cil requested also that settlement
conditions be thereafter enforced
against non-resident speculators
who did no work or; the land. -
James Dickson was appointed
Registrar of Deeds for Huren.
in 1866, and in that capacityadded
29 years of public service. His.
eldest soil, Archibald, had been
postmaster of Goderich since ,
1865,. having relinquished theSea-
forth office to his brother Samuel.
James' youngest ' son, John
Turnbull, was to serve as deputy
registrar in later years.
In politics a Reformer, James
Dickson and some other members
of his party supported the 'Great
Coalition which brought about
Confederation. The Belleau-Mac
Donald goyernment needed such
support to accomplish the union,
of the Provinces, and. it 'came
from Hen. George Brown, head
of the ,,Clear Grits; Hon. Wil-
11am•McDougall, former member
for the Snotchaand-Reform riding
of North Oxford: Hon. W.P. How-
land, of Toronto, and other Re-
formers.
In 'that, part of Huron in, which
Dickson lived, it is said °Orlin,
after more than a centurY, that
he "turned;" that is, he sup,,
ported .the coalition headed by
Hon. John A.' Macdonald.' The
Huron Signal (W.T. Cox, editor)
alluded to Dickson's onn-
paralled conduct" - which was
unparalled nonsense - but the,
same newipaper at a -later date,:,
offered belated justice. Dar; Mc
Gillicuddy, as belligerent a
Liberal as any in Huron, wrote
in 1895 of Dickson:,
olle was 'in-favor 'of repre-
sentation by population. He be-
lieve d the Upper Canada majority
was being governed by .a Lower
Canada minority. This principle
of representation by population
having been recognized in the
scheme' providing for Con-
federation of the Provinces, Mr.
Dickson gave" the coalition
government his unflinching sup-
port until Confederation was an
accomplished fact."
Hon. Mr. Howland, a weal-
thy mill owner in the Humber
valley, became lieutenant-
governor of Ontario; McDougall'
was Minister of public Works
in the first Dominion government, ,
and' George Brown continued to
exercise great influence through
the columns of the Globe. James
Dickson did not seek re-election
in 1867. It has been said that
the settlers whose lands were
restored to them through his help
would have voted for him even
had he run as a Conservative;
but they were 'mainly settlers
on crown lands, not Canada Com-
pany, and therefore in townships
outside the new South Huron -
Grey, Turnberry, Howick and
Wawanosh. Had Dicksoe re-
mained in theHouse-, he might
well have made a better agri-
culture minister than Jean
Charles Chapels, a Quebec mer-
chant, not even in the Commons
but in the Senate.
Dickson parted company with
such distinguished men as Mac
donald, Alexander Mackenzie (a
future prime minister), Oliver
Mowat, Rai, Cartwright, Hon.
John Carling, Hon. George...E.
Cartier and Hon. A.T. Galt. He
quit Castramont, his model farm
in Tuckersmith, for a cottage in
Goderich, his home for the rest
of his life.
In 1861, Dickson had defeated
William Caley, of Toronto, for
the Huron-Bruce seat. cayley
had won it twice previously, hut
In this, his fifth contest in Hu-'
ron, he lcist to the resident candi-
date; as on a previous occasion
(1857 ) he had lost to John Holmes
of Holmesville. In the 1863
election, Dickson was unopposed.
On Nov. 16, 1866, the date of
his appointment as Registrar, he
was only 50, and In ordinary
circumstances should have felt
no apprehension about another
campaign. He was in business in
Seaforth, and also operating fhe
200-acre Castramont Farm. in
his' 1863 campaign advertsing he -
had stood squarely upon the Re-,
form platform,. advocating; "Re,—
presentation by'population, no
increase In the public debt, sale
of Crown lands in the interests
of speedy settlement, improve-
ment-and amendment of munici-
pal law.',
According to reliable sour-
ces. 'Dickson had become an in-
(Cehtinued on Page 14)
The pupils in the 19 elemen-•
tary separate schools in . Huron
and Perth Counties will start
their summer vacation a week
earlier than their teachers this
year,„
While the 3377 .pupils close
the school doors behind them for
the 1972-73 term on June 22 the
principals and teachers will use
the last, week -- June 25-29--
as oprofesSional activities days"
when they will evaluate their cur-
riculum, objectives, school
cies and program planning.
John V intar, Superintendent of
Education, reported to the
Huron-Perthcounty Roman
Catholic' Separate School Board
rtt aw meetbig in Seaforth Tuesday
that the .principals and staffs of
the schools have held meeting's
to establish the program for the,
"professional activities days"
as referred to in the Ministry
of Edlication memorandum 1972-
73 in order .that benefits from
such a week be realized in full.
The Ministry's memorandum
states that elementary schools
may use, a maximum of flee school
days for professional activities
such as parent and student coun-
Break into
garage here
Thieves broke into Cleave
Coombs' Sunoco station Monday
night and stole a quantity of
cigaretts and $5. in pennies.-
Mr. Coombs said entry ap-
peared to have been gained by
backing' a car against one of
the doors of a service bay and
forcing the door open.
Break results
in delay
A break in a typesetting
machine on Wednesday after-
noon made it necessary to omit
a number of stories that other-
wise would have appeared in
last week's_ issue and also re-
sulted in some subscribers re-
ceiving their issue a day later
than usual.
Investigate
%/eyome cart
for Seaforth,
Possibility that Seaforth may
hale a welcome wagon was in-
dicated at a recent meeting of
the Chamber of Commerce exe-
cutive.
Reporting for a committee
which had been studying the
matter, Robert Read said dis-
cussions wefe in progress with a
firm that specialized in such a
service.
New highway signs at the
' entrance Jo town on. No. B will
soon be erected, .waiter Scott
told the meeting. The signs
wilt conform with the Ministry
of Highways regulations.
Decorative flower baskets
will adorn ,street light poles on
main street as a result of a
joint program of the Chamber
and the Horticultural society,
Assistance In developing Victoria
Park had been offered through
the town, Secretary Ken Oldacre
said but so far no reply had
been received.
Dcug Pruss Q. of C. president,
1vho presided St.id the develop-
ment committee was at work.
It includes Betty Cardno, Otto
Tippett, Chas. Geddes ^and Jim
Croaker.
selling, curriculum development
or staff development. The days
may ,be used at any time during
January - June, 1973 as approved,
by the Board.
Mr. Vintar said the teachers
realize that a true concern for
the child must begin with the
development and growth of the,
child in theChristian community,
a clear definition of the general
The Seaforth area campaign
on behalf 'of cancer got under
way last • week when SDHS
students who are carrying put a
canvass of the district began
their rounds.
• Campaign chairman Robert
Spittal said the area objective this
year is $2,300. If numbers
mean anything, the current fund-
raising drive for The Canadian
Cancer Society in Huron County is
going to go over the top.. •
The kick-off of the Huron ,
campaign, a gala Daffodil Coffee
Party at the • White Carnation
in Holmesville was attended by
an estimated 700 people. It was-
the first venture of its kind in
Huron, but probably won't be the
last.,
Among the speakers was Ron
Calhoun, campaign chairman for
South Western District of which
Huron is now a part.., The dis-
trict comprises Kent, Elgin,
Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford and
Buys shop
in Lucknow
Don Scrimgeour, Who for a
number of years has been
manager of the meat department
at Seaforth I.G.A. has purchased
Button's Meat Market in
Lecknow.
The purchase includes the
butcher business,' a Lucknow
main street building containing
a retail store and apartment and
an abattoir west of Lucknow. Mr.
Scrimgeour takes possesssion on
May 1 and with his family 14
moving to Lucknow.
Succeeding him at Seaforth
I.G.A. is Mervin Earheart of
St. Thomas who has had 18 years
experience in the meat business.
Mr. Earheart has taken over his
new duties and his family of four
boys and a girl will move to
Seaforth when the school term
is finished.
winner
Betty Southgate and Mary
Little, Seaforth, were joint
winners of the twenty-first
weekly prize of $25. in the Lions
Car Club 3.
C of C issues
directory
The telephone directory of
Sea.forth business plates and
professional offices, which is
issued from time to time by
tchoemmeSlca:oarpthpeareCdhaasmabesur
ppleo-f
ment in laSt week's issue. A
limited number of the directory
are available and may be obtained
ea peathe Expositor office as long
as the supply lasts.
aims and objectives of the school,
staff conferences concerning
each child's progress and prob-
lems, .and -review of staff and
individual teacher curriculum
planning for the coming year.
A detailed memorandum will
, be forwarded by the Board to all
parents early in June explaining
all details.
(Continued on Page 14)
Huron Counties.
"This event' is a beautiful
expression of determination,"
said Calhoun, "And you are
all members of the Cancer
Society. , You may not be card
. carrying members but you are
all members because the minute
you take a breath you are sus-
ceptible to cancer."
Mr. Calhoun was introduced to
"Team Huron" - the campaign
chairmen from across the county
- by Past president Mrs. M.W.
Durst. Clinton.
Mr. and Mrs. Gregor McGre-
gor of Brucefield celebrated
their golden wedding anniversary
Saturday with a reception held
in Brucefield United Church at-
tended by a wide host of friends
and neighbours. A family dinner
was held at the church as well.
Married April 21, 1923, at the
Brucefield United Church manse
by the Rev. W. D. McIntosh, Mrs.
McGregor recalls that the church
bell was rung by 'her Supday
school class cwhen the minister
lowered the window shade to indi-
,.cate the ceremony was over.
For 42 years they farmed on
the second concession of Tucker-
smith Township, atHR 5, Clinten;
until retiring to Brucefield in
1965.
Mrs. McGregor is 0', ?riper
Elizabeth Aikenhead of -ruce-
field, daughter of the late Mr. and
Mrs. William Aikenhead. Mr.
WOregor is a son Of the late
Mr. and Mrs. Neil McGregor of
Stanley Township.
Canada's Agriculture
Minister Eugene Whelan
who will speak at the annual '
dinner meeting of the Huron
Liberal Association which
is being -held in Exeter on
Friday.
The couple has one son, Fred,
of Brucefield. There are two
grandsons, Larry and Glenn, and
a granddaughter, Karen.
Among the many congra- .
tulatory messages received 'was
a letter from Lady Gregor Mc-
Gregor and Ifer son, Sir Gregor
McGregor, WhO is chief of the
McGregor Cian.at Craggan Home,
Lochearnhead, Perthshire, Scot-
land. The letter contained a gift
of white heather.
Other telegrams included
those from Governor General Ro-
land Mitchener; ,Prime.Minister
Pierre Trudeau; Premier Wil-
liam Davis; Robert Stanfield,
Robert McKinley, Iltiron;
and Jack Riddell, MPP for Huron
who presented a plaque from the
Province,
Mrs. McGregor keeps busy
making quilts and kraut*. Mt.,
McGregor's main hobby is iris
40-acres of busINO the 4th etitiA,
cession of studey tb*hthit4
't'his year thebuthritedildeitahotit
15 to lt.gallona maple *NO',
Cancer campaign
here seeks $2 3
•