HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1985-12-04, Page 1BEST TALL .ROUND COMMUNITY
NEWSPAPER IN CANADA,
(Circulation Class under 2200) •
C.C.N':A. Better Newspaper Competition. 1985
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Council is.
sworn in
With only one interruption, the village of
Lucknow has had only one reeve for 28
years but that era ended Dec. 2 with the
inaugural meeting of the 1985-88 council.
Herb Clark, a councillor for the previous
five years, was sworn in as reeve replacing
long time. former reeve George Joynt, who
retired. Joining _ Clark on council are
veterans Eldon•Mann and Ab Murray, and
rookies George Anderson and John. Mac-
Leod.
Council was sworn in during a special
meeting. Because Bruce County council is
sworn in Dec. 9, : Clark had to • be pro-
claimed reeve before; the village's regular
meeting .on the second Tuesday of each
month. That regular meeting will be held
Dec. 11 rather than Dec. 10, also because
of county council commitments.
In its first appointment, the new council
decided to keep on former reeve George
Joynt. as the village's industrial . develop-
ment representative. Murray said Joynt's
previous. experience in the position would
Lucknow village council for 19M-88 'was sworn in at a meeting Dec. Herb Clark, Clerk -treasurer Bertha Wbitcroft and Councillors John prove �Galuable, especially in -the matter of '
2. The people's representatives and the wunlcipal ty's clerk are MacLeod and George Anderson. [James Friel•photo] contacts within"various ministries:
from -left to right; Counelllors Eldon Msnn. and Ab' Murraiy, Reeve:
HU 110 HO!
Santa Claus
is coming
to town!
Next Saturday, everyone's favourite
bearded gentleman will schedule an
appearance for' the Lucknow Santa
Claus Parade at .1 p.m. on Campbell
Street. .
This is the first parade Santa's been.
to in Lucknow for "about . five or six
years", said Joanne Weber of the ,
Sewing Box and a co-organizer of the
parade with Marlene Struthers.
"We've had quite a good response
from the merchants and the clubs,and
the school wilt be putting floats in too,"
she said. Close to thirty entries have
been made in what will hopefully be an
annual event once again. More are
likely to show, as Dec. 7 nears.
The Lucknow Post Officewill have a
float in the parade " and children can
hand their letters to Santa to the post
office employees on their entry. Rem-
ember the address is: Santa Claus,
North Pole, Canada HOH OHO.
The parade starts at the public school
at 1 p.m. and after the procession,
Santa will be talking to children and
givingout candy canes and apples in the
now empty store next to the Lucknow
Sentinel office: Snyder Studio of Wing-
ham will be taking free pictures of
youngsters with the man in red and free
skating at the arena will start at 1:30.
The parade is a,combined effort of the
Lucknow Business Association and the
Kinsmen Club which formerly sponsor-
ed the day. Lions Club ,members are
lending a hand in the marshalling area.
Church embarks on second century
By James Friel •
`Physically, our church , building •
occupies a distinctive and' honoured
place in our village., Its location on top of •
a hill on oneof the busiest corners in the
community makesit an impressive sight
as one enters the village almost any
direction;" • ,
Those are lines taken from the
introductory address by Reverend R.
Warren McDougall in "What Do Those
Stones Mean To You?" The book was
recently published to commemorate the
100th anniversary on Dec. 6, 1985 of the
dedication of the Lucknow United
Church. •
The United Church came of the union
of the Congregational, Presbyterian and.
Methodist Churches • .in .'.1925.' The,
present day Lucknow .United Church
was 'formerly a Methodist place of
worship for a congregation that had,
been meeting for 63 years at various
points in town.
The church was built at its present
location on the corner of Havelock and
Canipbell,Streets during the summer of
1885.
"The January 9, 1885. issue of . the
Lucknow Sentinel contained thefollow-
ing report: The Methodist congregation
in the village intends erecting a large
new' church' in the , Spring.. Since the
Rev: Mr. Turk has taken charge of the
church, the number of members and
adherents has so increased that it is
impossible to find seating room for
them in ' the present building. We
believe they have purchased the site for
the new building on the corner of
Havelock and Campbell, Streets from
Mr. Hugh McKay, and intend commen-
cing operations as soon as the weather
will permit.' , "
Shortly before the; purchase was re-
corded at the. Bruce County Registry
Office in Walkerton on Feb. 10, 1885 the
trustees , of the Lucknow Methodist
Church took out a mortgage with
Confederation Life Association for
$7,000. The church was estimated to
cost around $8,000 but when the bills
were in the monument had put parish- .
ioners in debt to the tune of about:
$10,500.
The building already on the site was a
blacksmith's shop and it is said the'
stone from the structure went into the
foundation of the new church.. Ir-
• onically, "What Do Those Stones Mean
To You?" records that the church the
Methodists gathered in beforethey
built their new church was purchased by
a man intending to convert it into a
smithy.
local man, Steel Murdock; did the
stonework, a Mr. Large of Listowel• was
awarded 'the .contract to build ' the
church, and Jamieson Reid of Goderich
did both . the brickwork and plastering.
Unfortunately for Reid, being award-
ed this contract was not without a
terrible price. '
When the church was half completed;
Reid's son David,who was •assisting
during construction, fell to his death
from the church tower.
Former resident Percy Purvis recalled
the death of the 19 Year old in a letter to
the Sentinel in 1955,
"It happened on the day of the Fall
Agricultural Show in Lucknow in 1885 1'
believe it was, 1 had gone in to see the
show` and happened to be walking past
the church just about noon. A man was
on the scaffolding working en the eave.
There was no ladder .up the scaffold. To
get down,, it Was necessary to go up to
the roof and down through the belfry.
There was a rope fastened to a timber in
the belfry and stretched down over the
roof for support of anyone climbing the
roof to the belfry. It was just about
noon, As I watched, the man prepared
to come down forhis dinner. He
grasped the rope.and climbed up on the
roof. He had gone but, a short distance
when the rope came loose at the belfry
end. Without this' support, the man.
began slipping down the roof. He went
over .the eave and lit on the scaffold
standing up. There he teetered for a
moment and almost got his balance, but
the momentum was too great': he went
over and down lighting on the ground
head first. I was closest to him. A crowd
soon gathered and in a few minutes Dr.
Garnier was there. He tookone look at
him . and said he was dead. Someone
said that . he.' was still 'breathing.
'Humph,' the Doctor said, 'he is dead!'
I wonder how many, besides myself, ',
who witnessed that tragedy so many
long years ago, are still alive. I went on
out to the show, but I did not enjoy it. I
felt kind of sick .all afternoon."
The church • was' finally , completed
without further mishap and the dedica-
tion ceremony was held Dec. 6, 1885.
The Christian Guardian, the Method
ist magazine, described in glowing
terms the latest addition to Lucknow's
places of worship.
"Great' credit is due. the Building.
'Committee and the Pastor for the good
taste displayed in their choice of plan,
and for the energy with which the work
has been prosecuted from thebegin-
ning:' Indeed, it would be difficult to
suggest any alteration in the style or
arrangements of the building ... which
would add either to ,the beauty of its
appearance or its convenience. It is treat
without unnecessary display, is suffic-
iently commodious to meet the :require-
ments of the village for the present at
*Turn; to . page 14