Zurich Citizens News, 1959-07-01, Page 11it
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1959
ZURICH Citizens NEWS
Cantin's Great Hopes For St. ioseph
eluded a Huron -Erie Canal
(Continued from page 1)
ner for the great John, L. Sullivan.
A dynamic individual, he was a
super salesman of limitless faith.
Once he cornered Charles M.
Schwab of Bethlehem Steel, try-
ingto sell his Seaway as a route
for transporting iron ore. Schwab
didn't buy the plan, but he tried
to buy Cantin's services—for
$100,000 a year. But Cantin turn-
ed;bim down and kept on peddling
his Seaway project.
His plan of 1892 called for the
Huron -Erie canal; a route parallel
to the Welland Canal, but seven
miles shorter, and then alternate
routes. These would be by the
•St..Lawrence, as the Seaway was
finally built; by canal to the Ot-
tawa River .and thence to the low-
er St. Lawrence to Lake Cham-
plain by canal and thence through
the Richeliett River to the St. Law-
rence below Montreal.
Cantin proposed channels of
700 -foot width and depth over
the locks were built with 30 -foot
clearance, but some experts are.
saying they should have been 35
feet.
When this plan met with little
-enthusiasm in the 1890's, Cantin
felt he had to do something dram-
atic to get it attended. He did.
In 1896, he built a town at the site
he tfaought would be the Huron
terzizinus of the Erie -Huron. canal.
Newspaper accounts of the day
show St. Joseph was no crude
frontier town. To attract settlers,
Cantin built a lumber mill, novel-
ty factory and a plant to manufac-
ture organ pipes. To attract the
rich of the day, he built the pala-
tial Balmoral Hotel, choosing
Moorish architecture to impress
his guests.
The wealthy and influential
•came. On some weekends, guests
at the Balmoral were reputed to
be worth from $5,000,000 to 20,000-
'000 • each. They saw partly com-
pleted buildings and elaborate
plans.
He convinced the Canadian Gov-
ernment it ought to build a dock
at S. Joseph to be ready for Sea-
PAGE ELEVEN
way business. Everyone thought
Cantin had established and was
pushing St. Joseph for the sake
of the town itself. But in later
years, the promoter admitted:
'I made it a drum which I could
beat so as to draw attention to
my dream — a canal from Lake
Huron into Lake Erie and the op-
ening of a waterway to the ocean."
SEAWAY FATHER — Nar-
cisse Cantin, Canadian promo-
ter, as he looked in 1895 when
he was advocating the building
of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Although Cantin may have used
St. Joseph to stir up excitement
for his Seaway, he did envision
making it a city important to the
world's water trade.
In 1898, Cantin tried to get a
charter from the Canadian Parlia-
ment to build the Seaway. He was
turned down. He tried again in
1902, 1903 and 1904, each time
without success. He was a prolific
speaker and writer and was as ar-
dent a pamphleteer as any champ-
ion of an idea anywhere.
Finally, in 1914, the Great Lakes
and Atlantic Canal and Power Co.
was chartered, with a capitaliza-
tion of $15,000,000. But World
War I broke out, crushing the
hope for anearly start on the Sea-
way.
After the war, Cantin met with
less indifference and more hostil-
ity, this from persons who were
opposed to a deepwater route to
the sea. In 1921, Cantin got into
a legal scrap with a Canadian
power company over diversion of
St ,Lawrence water. He was de-
feated in 1929, when the courts
ruled aainst him.
By that time, the financial in-
terests were begginning to perk
up their ears at the mention of
the St. Lawrence project. But
time was running out on the great
promoter. With his own efforts
defeated, although he refused to
admit it, and others taking over
the Seaway idea as their own, he
turned more and more to promo-
ting the connecting of Western
Ontario cities by electric railway.
Little is known of Narcisse Can -
tin along the new Seaway route
today. None of the route's struc-
tures bears his name.
Where• the Balmoral stood is
only a hole in the ground and
some brick and cement remnants
of the structure. The hotel's bar
is preserved—inside a house across
the street from the Balmoral's
site. The building which served
for the manufacture of the organ
pipes stands—in silence.
Cantin is buried in the church-
yard of his dream city—St. Joseph
the Ghost Town, or St. Joseph the
Beautiful, whichever way you look
at it.
But in the minds of those who
know of Cantin's dream and his
valiant effort to achieve it, the
father of the St .Lawrence Sea-
way" is very much alive today,
says his son, Joseph.
Some persons believe the West-
ern leg of the Seaway—as per
Cantin's plan—will be built some-
day and the Huron terminal of St.
Joseph will rise again to be the
city that its founder envisioned
for it. (Flint (Mich.) Journal),
Nowis the time to buy
Now is the time to
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ITU11E
PHONE 89J — ZURICH
"HEADQUARTERS FOR ALL YOUR FLOOR COVERING NEEDS"
Public School Promotions List
Released From Local Schools
(Continued from page 1)
ler, Raymond Leibold, James Mas-
se, Robert Masse, Larry Merner
Sandra Schoch, Richard Stade,
Kenneth Thiel, Mary Visscher,
—Mrs. Doreen Oesch, teacher.
Promoted to grade eight— Ber-
nard Bedard, Ruth Clausius, Shir-
ley Anne Debus, (R), George Far-
well, Ross Fisher (CP), Ruth Ann
Flaxbard, Howard Lawrence, Step-
hen lVLack, Don Masse (R), Bar-
bara Minshall, Phillip Regier (R),
Gerald Thiel (CP), Jerome Wat-
son, Gregory Willert, Cameron
Witmer.
Promoted to grade nine—Larry
Denomme (R), Bill Dinnin, Carol
Fisher, Leonard Hoffman, Eliza-
beth Johnston, Murray McAdams
(R), Sandra Parkins, Gail Siebert,
Glenda Soper, Mary Ellen Thiel,
Peter VanDaalen, Siebren Van-
Daalen.—Mrs. Greta J. Lavender,
principal.
DASHWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL
Promoted to grade nine—Reni
Boogemans, Wayne Gibson, Ruth
Ann Salmon, Lynda Tieman, Larry
Weido, Larry Wein. Eric Wolfe.
Promoted to grade eight —Iris
Becker, Ken Genttner, Valerie Gib-
son, Bob Hoffman, Keith Miller,
David Rader, Jack Schenk,
Promoted to grade seven—Char-
les Becker, Douglas Bender, Mary
Ann Hayter, Lynda Kraft, Bonnie
McCrae, Robert Miller, Bernice
restemayer, Margaret Salmon, Billy
Schade, Nancy Willert, Tommy
Wolfe.—Douglas A. McCaw, tea-
cher.
Promoted to grade six — Harold
Bender, Julien Boogemans, Ed-
ward CoDyre, Richard Denomme,
Ricky Gaiser, Billy Hoffman, Mar-
ie Keller, Calvin Kellerman, Peter
Kraft, Shiela Maier, Ivan Miller,
Judy Webb, Carol Zimmer.
Promoted to grade five—Joan
Becker, Jack Guenther, Joan Kel-
ler, Keith Maier, Janet Miller,
Paul Rader, Edward Restemayer.
Promoted to grade four—Kath-
leen Co Dyre, Larry Fleet, Jimmy
Hayter, Jinuny Hoffman, Judy
Kraft, Brian Maier, Margaret Mer-
ner, Glen Restemayer, Bobby
Webb, Eleanor Wolfe—Mrs. Letta
R. Taylor, teacher. •
Promoted to grade three—Eug-
ene Becker, Johnny Becker, Jesse
Kirk, David Neilson, Marylou
Schenk, Beth Snell, Gary Paff,
Sheila Willert.
Promoted to grade two—Anne
Becker, Diane Becker, Gail Fleet,
Gordon Keller, Jimmy Maier,
Michael Tiernan.
Promoted to junior grade Stev-
en Kirk, David Keller, Norma
Neilson, Sharon Paff, Douglas Ty-
ler.—Mrs.
y-
ler: Mrs. Adah Webb, teacher.
SS 12, HAY, T.S.A.
Promotions at SS 12, Hay, where
Donald O'Brien is the teacher, are
as follows: grade nine, Larry
Horner, Gerald Merner, Phyliss
Schade, Gary Sytsma.
Grade 8 — Carolyn Ducharme,
Donna Ducharme, Anthony Meid-
inger, Mona Schade, Peter Sytsma.
Grade seven, Phyliss Meidinger.
Grade six, George Ducharme, Ruth
Pepper, Mary Ann Wilds. Grade
five, Paul Ducharme, Sylvia Mer-
ner. Grade four, Joanne Meiding-
er, Joan Pepper. Grade three,
Dianne Ducharme, Joanne Miller,
Philip Rader, Gary Truemner.
Grade two, Gary Datars, Patrick
Meidinger, Linda Webb, Aldene
Wilds, Donald Wilds.
NO 10, HAY TSA
Pupils at No. 10, Hay, have been
promoted as follows: To grade two
—Janice Armstrong, Freddie Eld-
er, Billy Munn, Bradley Pryde,
Albert Rooseboom, Elizabeth Was-
son. To grade three, Jim Camp-
bell, Margaret Rooseboom. To
grade four, Malcolm McEwen,
Douglas Munn, Ralph Wasson. To
grade five, Marie Campbell, Larry
Elder, Ann Funk,
To grade six, Carolyn Campbell,
Barrie Mousseau, Mary Lou Was-
son. To grade seven, Craig Chap-
man, Steven Elder, Fred Funk,
Wayne Payne, Bruce Shirray, Bil-
ly Tinney. To grade eight, John
Elder. To grade nine, Gerald
Chapman, Henry Gaskstetter,
Mary Payne, Helen Wasson. The
teacher is Mrs. M. F. Norminton.
SS No. 3, HAY T.S.A.
Promotions—grade nine, Mar-
lene Dignan, Ronald Schroeder,
Patrick Soldan. Grade eight, Ro-
bert Erb, Sandra Troyer. Grade
seven, Diane Corriveau, Karen
Corriveau, Albert Hummel, Her-
man Hummel, Donna Richardson,
Michael Soldan, Lorne Whittaker,
Barbara Willert. Grade six, Judy
Denomme, Diane Dignan, Gail
Richardson, Ross Whittaker.
Grade four and five, Jerry Den-
omme, Marion Schroeder, Richard
Willert, Brian Dignan, Dale Dig-
nan, Floyd Fields, Sharon Whit-
taker. Grade three, John Hummel,
Sandra Richardson, Faye Troyer,
Stephen Weido, Patricia Willert.
Grade two, Kenneth Coleman,
Marlene Coleman, Judy Corriveau,
Wesley Dignan, Raymond Weido,
Jerry Willert. Grade one, Elaine
Denomme, Brian Fields. The tea-
cher is Mrs. Margaret Deichert.
Hensall District Pupils Win Three
Shields Out of Four at SIMS.
Three of four winners of acade-
mic shields for students in grades
nine to 12 at South Huron High
School were from the Hensall dis-
trict. Jane Horton, who in Feb-
ruary was chosen Queen of the At
Home dance, was the outstanding
student in grade 12. It was the
fourth time she has won an acade-
mic award.
Two Zurich students were run-
ner-ups in the grade 12 competit-
ion. Marion Turkheim placed
third and David Ducharme placed
fourth. Of the 33 students names
in the awards list, 20 were girls.
Complete list of awards is:
ACADEMIC SHIELD
(Names of students with the
four highest aggregate marks in
each class are engraved for per-
manent record on the SHDHS ac-
ademic shield.)
Grade 12—Jane Horton, William
Marshall, Marion Turkheim, Dav-
id Ducharme.
Grade 11—David Noakes, Cor-
nelia Verkerk, Peggy McLaughlin,
Ilze Gulens.
Grade 10 — John Etherington,
David O'Reilly, William Sytsma,
Ann Grayer.
Grade nine—Judy Wilson, Rob-
ert Mickle, Ausma Gulens, Ruth
Miller.
BOARD AWARDS
(These are presented for pro-
ficiency in designated subjects)
Grade 12
English and history, David Duch-
arme. Mathematics and agriculture
science—William Marshall. French
and Latin — Marion Turkheim.
Commercial — Mona Desjardine.
Shop—Glen Greb. Home econom-
ics—Janet Gascho.
Special Commercial
Accounting—Judy Mason. Sten-
ography—Pauline Desjardine.
Grade 11
English and history—Sharon
Smillie. Mathematics and agricul-
ture science, Peggy McLaughlin.
French and Latin—Cornelia Verk-
erk. Commercial—Jean Bullock.
Shop—Jim Tomlinson. Home eco-
nomics— Brenda Becker,
Grade 10
English and social studies—Bill
Systma. Mathematics and agri-
culture science—David O'Reilly.
French and Latin—Sadie Vander-
laan. Home economics, June Ra-
der. Shop—Donald Mantey. Com-
mercial, Evelyn Denomme.
Grade Nine
English and French—Ruth Mil-
ler. Social studies—Ross Despar-
dine, Mathematics and agriculture
science—Ausma Gulens. Home ec-
onomics — Bonnie Hogarth and
Diane Willert. Shop—Jerry Drys-
dale.
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