HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-09-23, Page 44—THE HURON EXPOSITOR, SEPTLMIER 23, 1099
Your Community Newspaper Since 1860
Terri -Lynn Dale - General Manager/Ad Manager
Scott Hilgendorff - Editor
Gregor Campbell - Reporter
Larry Dalrymple - Sales
Pat Armes - Office Manager
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Published weekly by Signal -Star Publishing of 100 Main 5t., Seaforth. Publication
mail registration No. 0696 held of Seaforth, Ontario. Advertising is accepted on
condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied
by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, wit not
be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for of the applicable
rote. In the event of a typographical error. advertising goods or services at a
wrong price, goods or services may not be sold Advertising is merely on offer to
sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible For
the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materiels used for
reproduction purposes. Changes of address, orders for subscriptions and
undeliverable copies are to be sent to The Huron Expositor.
Wednesday, September 23, 1998
Editorial and Business Offices - 100 Mala Street.,feaferlhs
Telephone (5191527-0240 Tax (519) 527.2959
Mailing Address - P.O. ilex 69,
&safertls, Ontario, NOK 1 WO
Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper
Association, Ontario Community Newspapers Association
and the Ontario Press Council '
Publication Mail Registration No. 07605
Nothing worse
than getting 'stuck
behind a bus,
but stay there
There's nothing wore than being late
for work and getting stuck behind a
,line of traffic following a school bus.
The opportunity to pass can be difficult
as the bus moves slowly from one
country home to another picking up
children as the line of traffic behind it
grows longer.
There's nothing worse that is, unless
you're the child who ' has to dodge a
passing car or a parent who watches
in horror as a child is almost run down.
Sixteen thousand students are
counting on you to help them get to
school safely each day this year.
That's the number of students in the
Avon -Maitland District School Board
and. Huron -Perth Catholic School
Board who ride the bus each day.
Bus drivers noticed in the last school
year an increase in the number of
drivers passing buses with the red
lights flashing and children boarding or
exiting the bus.
When approaching or meeting the
bus, it's the law to stop 20 metres
before reaching the vehicle when its
red lights are flashing. The vehicle
can't move again until the bus moves
or its lights stop flashing.
Drivers also need to be prepared for
buses stopping at railway crossings
which is the law for all bus drivers. ,
It sounds so simple but it seems too
many drivers need to be reminded at
how much is at stake if they ignore a
flashing red light.
STH
How to access us
•Letters to the Editor and other submissions
can be made to us by noon on Mondays at:
s .
..hulronexp@odyssey.on.c a tr`.
All letters and submissions must be
and lictompanied by a day -time tel
,naltsber. All submissions are subject to
i length and content
Luck, coincidence leads Westcott
into 1950 brokerage business
Luck, coincidence and desperation
got me into the brokerage business in
1950. And more of the same got me
out of it.
I left Virginia and our two month old
son in Seaforth and came to Toronto to
work at the Telegram on Bay at
Melinda Street, a bit south of the City
Hall. It was 1950, 1 started on a
Monday and by Wednesday 1 was
fired. When I tried to explain to
managing editor, Douglas MacFarlane
that I could not work on the upcoming
Saturday....for I promised by wife 1
would come home every weekend, he
asked my name. When 1 told him he
picked up the phone and said
something like, "make up Westcott's
pay..he's through".
I left Seaforth to make good in the
big city, and now suicide seemed
preferable to returning home. 1 was a
failure after only a few days. The folks
who told me I couldn't make it in a big
place like Toronto would now laugh
me out of town.
Reading the want ads in my small
room near Spadina and Bloor I was
beginning to feel that 1 had made a big
mistake. Thursday morning I tried the
Employment Office on .Spadini again
but there was nothing. I had stopped
there on my way home the day before,
as I was leaving, a fellow at the
counter called out, "young man, come
here...I may be able to help". Although
I had not spoken to him before he
seemed aware of my plight. "I live in
Port Credit and last night my
neighbour mentioned his company is
looking for a young man." He wrote a
name and address on a piece of paper
and that same afternoon I went to 50
King Street West to see a Mr. David
Giffen. The company was Dominion
Securities and they were looking for a
young man for the stock cage. Up to
that afternoon I had never heard of
Dominion Securities, nor did I know
what they did. In fact, I didn't know
what a stock cage was. But I got the
job. I was to start the following
Monday.
What had been an empty shed of
steel girders all through the war in
1-950 was the beautif ,'Batik' of
Muutzvat bu•Idisig nlt)tth-west'
corner of King and Bay - and I had my
own desk on the 5th floor. The
company had two whole floors. That
building is now long gone, on the same
site today stands the immense and
beautiful first Canadian Place.
Early on my first day a friendly and
impeccably dressed man 'shook ,my
hand and said "Welcome to D.S." His
accent was as distinguished as his
clothes. Never had I seen a man
dressed in so much expensive looking
tweed. Except for the movies I had
never before seen a man with a
handkerchief sticking out of his coat
sleeve. His name was Claude
MacDonald.
1 told him how grateful I was to get
the job and how proud I was to be
working in such a beautiful building in
the heart of the financial district. He
grinned and told me it was a famous
corner. "The head office of four
The learning
experience
was confusing
and a bit
intimidating for
there were
many broker
buzz -words
different banks are located at King and
Bay," he said. "On this corner is the
Bank of Montreal and directly opposite
is the Imperial" he continued "and on
the north east is the Nova Scotia and
on the south west is the Bank of
Toronto".
He went on to tell me that the first
letter of each spells the word mint. I
have never forgotten•that.piece of
trivia from my first day. In fact the
following weekend the mint story
travelled around and was told and
retold until I'm sure almost every one
of my friends heard it.
I don't think I fully realized the
degree' of my good fortune until Mr.
Boswell, the manager of the Dominion
Bank came into my dad's jewellery
. state. kle.cangratulated_me,. shook:.my
hand and said "So you landed a job
with Dominion Securities Clare,...your
dad must be very proud of you." He
leaned over and whispered, "1 hope
they are paying you at least three
thousand a year." I didn't honestly
know what it was - for I never asked,
but he was close. I later found out the
salary was $2940.00 and there was
something about a Christmas bonus if
the company had a good year.
That was forty eight years. ago. So
many times since then 1 have thought
about luck and fate and the effect it
had on my life - and what might have
happened...or not happened. if that
man in the Employment Office hadn't
bothered to tell me about his Port
Credit neighbour and the job.
Not many young men come to the
big city with as little education as I had
then. I was as well woefully lacking in
office skills of any kind - and with
clothes and a demeanor that was
unmistakably small town. To get a
desk and my own phone in a Bay
Street brokers office in a beautiful new
building...with real marble floors in the
lobby and thick blue carpets in all the
offices, was to me the height of good
fortune. And there was more - so much
more.
The Igarning experience was
-confusing and a bit intimidating for
there were many broker buzz -words in
those first weeks that had no meaning
for me. I could best describe what was
happening to me by saying that 1 was
"adopted" by a group of people who in
retrospect seem to have been put there
by central casting. Magically, it
seemed like they were all given roles
to play, designed to turn a humble boy
from Huron County into a marketable
product.
I didn't stay long in the business, but
the stint at Dominion Securities gave
me some insight into big city life and
the big city work world. I was dropped
in right at the start, when corporations
were beginning to think about
interpersonal skills and efficiency and
productivity, and the rewards that
could come to those employees who
could master the craft.
I was only there a few months when I
made a great discovery and it gave me
reason to be proud. I found the great
joy of self esteem. It seems the
ordinary common sense 1 brought from
Seaforth to a large corporation had
some value.
The world's largest brokerage
company had not yet set up shop in
Canada but it did have 100 offices
atound the world with a head offjce,in.,
41ew't'drk C`i'ty. It was called Merrill;'
Lynch, Pearce, Fenner and Bean. All
the stock purchased in Canada for their
American clients was bought on the
Toronto and Montreal exchanges by
Dominion Securities. It was big
business amounting often to hundreds
of thousands of dollars a day...but there
was a snag. With such volume there
was a headache at the end of each day.
CONTINUED on Page 5
Diptheria epidemic closes schools in Crediton area
September 23, 1898
Diptheria is epidemic in
the vicinity of Crediton and
the schools have been closed
in consequence.
During the week, W.R.
Somerville, uptown GTR
agent has ticketed the
following parties, F. Sills to
Sandwich, Mr. Ryan and son
to Sandwich, Harry Edge,
Detroit, John J. Cluff to
Detroit, , J.C. Laidlaw to
Minnesota, W.A. Greay to
St. Ignace, Mich.
J. S. Crozier of
Egmondville moved his
family to Seaforth so as to be
nearer to his work.
Rev. John Muldrew,
formally of town, has
accepted a call from the
Presbyterian congregation at
Morris, Manitoba.
Mr. and Mrs. W.W.
Hoffman of sonNorman left
this wcek for Manitou,
Manitoba where they will
reside in the future.
A gravel crossing is being
laid down in front of the
Royal Hotel stables. This
will be a big improvement on
the old plank walk.
S.A. Dickson and Miss Ida
took a driving excursion to
Sarnia going by way of
Grand Bend and Forest.
Mrs. C.J. Baladen, of
Melbourne, Middlesex Co.
visited her father, Mr. E.
Dawson.
Geo. Turnbull shipped a
car load of heavy horses to
Liverpool and W. Cudmore
Jr. went with them.
While lifting a box W.J.
Beattie got the palm of his
hand torn by a nail, making a
severe and painful wound.
John McMillan, M.P. will
address a mass meeting in
Cardno's Hall on the subject
of Prohibition.
In the Years Agone
James Baird Jr. of
Bruccfield took advantage of
the cheap rates and went out
west to visit her brother in
Dakota.
September 26, 1923
H. Arnold, Manager of
Molson's Bank in Hensall
was struck by a car driven by
C. Campbell. His face was
badly cut and the front wheel
passed over his ankles,
breaking a small bone.
Miss Cassie Dougall of
Hensall has returned from a
pleasant visit to friends in
Huron and Perth Counties.
One of the happiest events
which occurred in the
Hibbert vicinity for a long
time took place at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Mahaffy
when they celebrated their
golden wedding.
One of the prettiest
weddings of the season was
held in St. James Catholic
Church when Mary Florence,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Roland Kennedy of
Tuckersmith was united in
marriage to August
Ducharme. Miss Emily
Kennedy was bridesmaid and
Maurice Melady was
groomsman.
Miss Jean Murdock of
Brucefield purchased a fine
new Mason and Risch piano
from a Stratford firm.
J.W. Beattie of this town
has a sow on his farm near
Seaforth, that has a record all
its own in the breeding line.
On Sept. 10 she gave birth to
seven pigs and twelve days
later, gave birth to six more.
Seaforth's Old Boys
Reunion, Fireman's
Tournament and Golden
Anniversary has been
assui€d for August, 1924.
October 2, 1948
Mrs. Russell Coleman was
hostess to about 100 guests
when she entertained al a
trousseau tea for her
daughter hazel prior to her
marriage.
Extensive alterations to (he
large frame building on John
Street, owned by Dr. J. A.
Munn and until recently used
by John Bach for implement
storage, are underway.
Gordon Wright will occupy
it for his cabinet making and
furniture repair business.
Mrs. John Carter of
Hullett, celebrated her 87th
birthday. Her daughters, Mrs.
John Ferguson and Mrs. M.
McKellar arranged a party in
her honor.
Howard Kerr, son of Mrs.
James Kerr, Seaforth,
recently opened Ryerson
Institute of Technology. He
is also Director of Technical
Institutes in Ontario.
Under new arrangement,
Seaforth stores will close
each week day, Monday
through Friday, except
Wednesday at 5 p.m. On
Wednesday, closing time is
12:50 and on Saturday
evenings it will be 9 p.m.
Howard Storey of
Winthrop has moved onto
the farm recently purchased
from Wm. How.
'Rev. D. Glenn Campbell
was inducted into the
pastorate of First
Presbyterian Church.
September 20, 1973
Following Monday
afternoon's regular meeting
of the Huron County Board
of Education, the salary
agreement for elementary
teachers was handed out to
the press. (Board members
received 'theirs last week).
The one-year contract calls
for a seven per cent tectal
increase in the overall.salary
agreement ratified•by the
Board and teachers in June.
A complaint that school
buses operated by the Huron
County Board of .Education
are being overloaded is being
investigated by Board
Officials.
Sale of the property and
good will of Kilbarchan
Nursing Home on Church
Street was announced this
week. The new owner is
Chadee Holdings Ltd. of
Toronto.
A crowd of more than
3,000 persons attended the
tractor pulling contest
Sunday afternoon sponsored
by the Seaforth Agricultural
Society. This is a new feature
in conjunction with the fall
fair.
Jack Scott was honored at
a dinner -dance Wednesday
night on his retirement after
serving 42 years as a fireman
with the Seaforth Volunteer
Fire Department and the last
22 years of that period as
Fire Chief.
The Huron County Board
of Education at its meeting in
Clinton , on . Monday
afternoon approved the use
of the venereal disease
teaching kit in the teaching
of health in the schools
beginning with students in
Grade 7.