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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1978-01-12, Page 2Page 2 Citizens News, January 12, 1978 St. Joseph man had big ideas for area By JOANNE WALTERS If furniture could talk, what interesting tales it could tell about its owners, Such is the case with one of the "newest" antiques at the Huron County Pioneer Museum in Goderich, It is a gigantic china cabinet which sits in a prominent position right inside the front hallway. The cabinet is eight feet wide and nide feet high, Fortunately for the movers it can be taken apart in three sections for transporting. So it was brought to the museum more easily than what might have been ac- complished otherwise. The history of the cabinet's owner is in many ways a typical historic type story. It is the story of a man pursuing ideas ahead of his time. And it has the usual tragic ending with the man dying before the realization of his dreams. It reads like one of those tales that Pierre Burton might narrate. The man's name is Narcisse M. Cantin - a name which probably means little to anyone except those living in the St. Joseph area. An early 1900's Toronto Star story refers to Cantin as "the wizard of St. Joseph." A book at the museum entitled A Drum to Beat introduces Cantin with, "This is the story of Narcisse Cantin and his dream to make a new canal system through the Great Lakes. Also along this canal system he in- tended to build hydro power plants.," Much of the following story is taken from this book by Joseph L. Wooden. Bored Cantin was born on July 7, 1870. Like most people in those days his formal education was limited to public school. He worked very hard on his father's farm located on the Lake Road, south of Bayfield. Fortunately for the course of this story, he became Oakwood Continued from front page would go up since they would be serviced from Sarnia rather than from Clinton. Reeve Sharen said that the rate differential would be "negligible." Stirling Kenny a resident of Oakwood for one year, questioned the statement by the village that the in- stallation of sewers would improve property values in the development. Sewers would increase the assessment rate since new development would take place, said Sharen. Kenny agreed, but still questioned how this would increase the property values in Oakwood. Sharen said that the property value would in- crease as a result of the moving out of less desirable entities with the new con- struction taking place. The ownership of the roads in Oakwood was of concern to Kenny as he wondered if the village could assume ownership. Stephen township has not assumed the roads but could if they wanted to according to •Sharen. An agreement between Oakwood and the village could be made to clarify the status of the roads, said Sharen. Kenny stated that "I would not have bought property if Oakwood Park had been a part of Grand Bend." When Chairman Crossman asked if there were any further comments, Jackson said "We don't need them. (Grand Bend)," At the conclusion of the meeting, Sharen said that council was "strongly in favour" " of boundary realignment and at that "the community of interest should be the community of fact." bored with the daily farm chores and at age 17 he became an "Entrepreneur" or a man who starts and conducts extensive industrial enterprises. As an entrepreneur at this time he became involved in the cattle business. He brought cattle from the farmers of the area and shipped them from Hensall to Buffalo. In 1889 he married Josephine Denomme and they moved to Buffalo for seven years. These were very prosperous years. Besides the cattle business he made up a few domestic in- ventions and eventually became a representative of the Gas Consumers Benefit Company, Cantin was still in his twenties at this time, a big man, tall and weighing about 240 pounds. He had great strength and athletic ability as well as an intelligent mind. While Cantin was living in Buffalo he formulated his idea about a new and deeper canal system through the Great Lakes and the use of its water for hydro electric power developments. In 1892 he managed to interest some Buffalo businessmen in this scheme and from that time on he devoted his life to the plan. Unfortunately not everyone was to be easily convinced of his plan. Booming In 1900 construction in St. Joseph was booming. A saw mill was put into production and a brick and tile yard was established. There was a winery, organ factory, butcher shop, blacksmith, doctor and post office by 1913. Cantin wanted to see at least one store devoted to each separate line of business, such as groceries, dry goods, hardware, etc. By 1903 there were 30 to 40 houses built and around 300 people. Cantin had brought this otherwise sleepy district to life and had created a great com- motion in the House of Commons that held many debates in the early 1900s about St. Joseph and Cantin's proposals. Cantin also erected a large hotel over the years 1899-1907. This hotel was advertised (in many large Canadian and U.S. cities) as being a summer resort and a holiday playground. It was said to have "fishing, yachting, bathing, golf, tennis, riding and of course the most luxurious accommodations and food." It also stated that there were ex- cellent roads for. carriages. The ad was a "bit" exaggerated - at least there was a hotel, lake and beach. Hotel The hotel was stocked with furnishings bought from large Montreal hotels. This is where the china cabinet at the museum • comes into the picture. The cabinet was originally in the Balmoral Hotel on Notre Dame Street in Montreal, Quebec (which established about 1872). Cantin acquired furniture and equipment from this old hotel among the others for his own hotel. However, Cantin's hotel never opened. One reason could be that the Huron shoreline has only become a resort area in the last 20 years, Cantin was said to be 50 years ahead of his time. Cantin submitted his ap- plication for St. Joseph's in- corporation a total of five times. Each time it fell in the House of Commons, until finally on May 30, 1914, it was accepted, He and his son then travelled all over Ontario and in the nor- thern states to get financial and public backing for the canal system. Now that Cantin was incorporated, he looked to developing a hydro plant whose Joseph too, The harbour facilities were doubly important because St• Joseph was to be the South Huron terminus of a canal crossing Southwestern Ontario to Port Stanely on Lake Erie. Cantin formed -the "Huron and Erie Company" and submitted NEW ANTIQUE — The "newest" antique at the Huron Coun- ty Pioneer Museum is this giant china cabinet located in a prominent position right inside the front hallway. The cabinet stands nine feet high and eight feet wide and was moved to the museum in sections. The donor is M. Antoinette Cantin (Bourque) daughter of Narcisse M. Cantin of St. Joseph. Nar- cisse Cantin acquired this cabinet from Montreal about 1897. Cantin's life is an interesting one. He had a dream to make a new canal system through the Great Lakes which he tried desperately to follow through. Goderich Signal Star photo. profits would supply him with the money to build the canal system. Sea wa y The old seaway system at this time had very small 14 foot canals linking the Great Lakes. It wasn't until 1954 that an act was passed for Canada and the U.S. to combine together and build a new deep -water canal system, In 1896 Cantin returned home to Canada to draw up plans for a town on the shores of Lake Huron, The town was named St. Joseph in honor of the saint which Cantin held in the highest regard. The streets were surveyed and construction began in early 1897. Cantin visualized a man made harbor with docks built at St. his first application to Ottawa for incorporation and for a charter to construct the canal from Lake Huron to Lake Erie in 1898. He was about to meet with his first great opposition from large capitalists. His application was denied but he did not give up. Again and again he submitted this application but it was not accepted by the Dominion Government. Even though the canal system was not accepted as yet (1899), building still went on in St, Joseph. In 1900 Cantin ap- proached the Dominion Govern- ment for money to build a wharf, The estimated cost for this was $5,000. Even though it was a small amount, again there were long and heated debates in the M Commons. But finally the Bill was passed and Cantin received the money, It was then discovered that the original estimate was incorrect and Cantin needed another $5,000. Eventually the government gave him the money, but when the wharf was completed it had cost $15,000 so the government had to give him another $5,000. A few lumber boats and fishing vessels used the wharf for awhile but because of the pounding waves and •ice it eventually disap- peared. By 1955 it no longer existed. Hydro The site that Cantin was in- terested in for power develop- ment was owned by a group of heirs, surnamed Robert. The site was called Beauharnois and it was the most economical place to build a power development on the Great Lakes, Cantin hired an engineer named R.O. Sweezy, to negotiate the purchase of the land for him but most stories have a villian and Sweezy turned out to be the villian in this story. In 1926, Sweezy double-crossed Cantin and • purchased the site for himself. There were a great many political payoffs con- cerning this venutre and it was one of Canada's worst scandals. It should also be mentioned that Sweezy lost the right to the land and the Quebec government took over the property and con- structed their own hydro plant, With the loss of the hydro site Cantin's hopes of a new canal system were lost. He became ill in New York and died on January 15, 1940 in St. Joseph. He died without seeing the realization of his dream. The town he had founded had collapsed long before, the stores and the in- dustries disappeared, His beautiful hotel was sold and levelled for the brick in 1920. The china cabinet remained in his home in St. Joseph until it was donated to the museum in 1976, The donor is M. Antoinette Cantin (Bourque) of St. Joseph, daughter of Narcisse Cantin. Today almost nothing remains of the town of St. Joseph but in 1972 a commemorative plaque and statue of Cantin were placed on the site. Many people think Cantin wasted his life, but his dream of a new improved seaway became a reality and no one really knows how much he in- fluenced the development of this seaway. Educator speaks on changes in system By MRS. IRVIN RADER DASHWOOD The education and cultural activities group with Mrs. Emil Becker, convener was in charge of the January meeting of Dashwood W.I. Roll call was answered by telling a point of learning best remembered from school days. Guests; present were also asked. President, Mrs. Ray Rader presided for the business. The institute will cater for the annual Firemen's supper. The leaders for 4-H Mrs. Gordon Bender, Wendy Beaver, Mrs. Carl Keller and Mrs. Ray. Rader will attend training school in Exeter. A euchre will be sponsored January 24. Mrs. Emil Becker in- troduced the guest speaker Don Finkbiener who spoke on the changes in education through the years. This brought lots of discussion. He was thanked by Mrs. Eben Weigand who was one of his mother's pupils and presented a gift. Mrs. Valentine Becker read from an old reader "Somebody's Mother" Crafts made by members were on display. Bunco followed with winners Mrs. Mildred Kellerman and Eben Weigand. Low, Mrs. Letta Taylor and V.L. Becker. Lunch followed. Funeral Pallbearers Pallbearers for the late rs. Henry Eagleson whose ONE SIDED — Much of the action in Wednesday evening's encounter between the Zurich bantams and the Huron Park bantams was in the away team's zone as the local squad scored a decisive'victory, Staff photo. funeral was held January 5 were six grandsons, Gary, Paul , Frank and John Eagleson and Eric and Tom Wolfe. Flowers in both the United and Lutheran churches were in loving memory of the late Mrs. Eagleson. To support Indian boy At the January meeting of the UCW on Thursday evening, Margaret Taylor reported that envelope donations for mission and service had exceeded allocations by a considerable amount. A decision was made to support a school boy in India Varna by Mary Cbessell as the Korean lad which they had sponsored is now em- ployed. Money was also donated to the John Milton Society for the Blind. The annual pancake supper is to be held on February 7. Pat Norman and Dianne Kirton told of Rob Witmer's work in Japan in coffee- house evangelism in the city of Hokkaido. Margaret Taylor gave a stewardship report about projects which mission and service givings support. She told of $70,000 sent by the -• World Council of Churches for aid to people made homeless by the typhoon in India with More aid to be sent at a later date. Each member present read,about a project supported by mission funds, The annual meeting for the Huron -Perth Presbytery will be held in Mitchell on January 24. The guest speaker will be Mrs. Jean Keaton. CHURCH NEWS Rev. Alec Taylor who has been hospitalized with flu and pneumonia returned home Friday. The church service on Sunday was taken by Rev. Murdoch Morris. e a r a a