The Lucknow Sentinel, 2015-02-18, Page 66 Lucknow Sentinel • Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Once Upon a Time
Bruce County
Historical Society
Submitted
Originally researched
from various sources and
written by Mathew Capel.
This article was published
in "Historical Notes' the
2010 yearbook of the Bruce
County Historical Society.
Harvesting Ice
Winter is not generally
thought of as a time of
harvest but, as reports
around 1900 attest, it was
a busy season for the ice -
harvesters of Bruce
County.
Before refrigeration was
widely available, ice was
gathered from the cold
river waters of Lake
Huron, Georgian Bay,
small ponds, lakes and
rivers. It was then stored
in icehouses for use dur-
ing the warmer months.
Individual fishermen and
farmers routinely used the
ice to store their own
wares but the practice also
developed into an impor-
tant seasonal industry.
Harvesters sold ice to
local families, creameries,
butchers and grocery
stores; to hotels, merchants
and visitors as tourism
developed in the county;
and to the Canadian Pacific
Railway for use in their
refrigeration cars.
To harvest the ice, crews
would troop onto the fro-
zen February waters,
when the ice was thickest,
to cut large blocks using
handsaws, six -foot -long
ice -cutting saws and, later,
motorized cutting tools. A
dangerous job; teams of
men and horses were
reported lost through the
Bruce County Memories
Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre: A992.022 B-0230, J.H. Scougall
Cutting ice on the river with a team of horses.
Ice harvesting in Bruce County
ice; individual harvesters
would occasionally fall
into the frigid waters leav-
ing only their" ----hat
floating on top of the ice
to indicate where its
owner had gone through."
The large blocks,
A Come oaNc& Go
CeLebrolLoat
Honouring Marg Finlay's
90th Birthday
Please join us
iiiSunday Feb 22nd from 2 to 4pm
tri at the Lucknow Legion
It
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one- foot -thick, two to four
feet in length, were loaded
onto sleighs and trekked
cross-country to fill the ice-
houses. A local farmer
might purchase and store
about 25-30 tons of ice each
year.
The icehouses were
often partially under-
ground structures
designed to be"--- as air-
tight as possible" to con-
serve the ice through the
year. Further preservation
methods
Cold Advisory
Grey Bruce
Health Unit
The Grey Bruce Health
Unit is advising the public
to take measures to guard
against extreme cold.
Temperatures recently
have been below -15°C in
many areas of Grey and
Bruce, and wind chill has
reached -28°C or below
over the coming days.
These conditions increase
GH1�J 52 7811
#OR MOV1E INFORMATiON...
www, moviel i riks.ca I_af: ei.i.f.}i -A ]0-265-343H
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Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre: A992.022 B-0957; J.H. Scougall
included providing ade-
quate drainage, making
the blocks uniform in size
to maximize storage, and
insulating the ice under
foot -thick sawdust.
Ice harvesting was
widely discontinued after
the risk of frostbite and
hypothermia.
The public is reminded
to take precautions.
Wear clothing appropriate
for the weather. Dress in lay-
ers with a wind resistant
outer layer. If you get wet,
change into dry clothing as
soon as possible. You lose
heat faster when you're wet.
If you participate in winter
activities such as skiing,
snowmobiling and skating
wear a facemask and goggles
to protect your face from
refrigeration became
increasingly available in
the 1940s. Anglers still
continued to use ice-
houses to store their fish
for commercial and per-
sonal use.
frostbite and windburn.
Keep moving (especially
your hands and feet) to keep
your blood flowing and
maintain your body heat.
Drink warm beverages
when out in the cold to
help maintain core body
heat. But avoid consuming
alcohol which can
increase your risk of
hypothermia.
For information about
the availability of warming
stations, please check with
your local municipality.