Clinton News-Record, 1984-01-04, Page 2AGE2
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434.14W 1)1 11W1 •
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Teacheif was phinegraphelhere-conductingseelass-on-theCanadianSchocil
on wheels: s wife Ceti, in the background, gave the school it special homelike appeal.
2,1,114 uA
School. cars were frequently checked and serviced at divisional points along the rail .
lines'. Without the train school cars, many children would have had little opportunity to
• obtain aneduCation. • • * .
The ,Hully- Gully challenge..-:.
,•Arlight..,„,,or we fix
ctic Cot, Polari,Ski-doo, Moto -
•ski, John Deere. rs Ifact just
• about any snowmobile you
--- —can. name. Five licenced fac-
• tory trained mechanics fix it
right or •fix it free. •We
• guarantee it. And we ship
parts and accessories direct to
your door overnight. r
(Other places make promises,
Hully Gully delivers)
111 II la
ik
'Phone 262-3318
Nulty Gully Sports and • ,
Recreaon, Limited
Varna. Ontario 14)4
tiilk
Ci2IITON -Over
Sebool on anop
Situated In Shahan Mini
a
old CN Railway car is a
reurembranc4 of early education in Ontario;
C1h7tort's late Fred Mown and hio-fandly
hied in MO -School ear as it travelled Our
thousands • of miles with Mr. Mom*
teacldngroding, writing and arithmetic to
chlldren sitil adults in 'isolated northern
Ontarto,_eorinntinitles•
The Family Herald in its Jan. 21, 1960
edition publithed a story My School Had
)4,1rheels, written by D. Bault, along with
Photos of the school car in operation. The
story follows:
People sometimes look askance at rise
when I tell them that I never went to school
and eisplain that; instead, my school citinetO
•-me. -But unless they are familiar with -the
railway schooLcars whichtravel inthemore
isolated areas of Northern Ontario!, they. Education.' The shy -bush-children -living
cannot know the excitement inuilicit along - -the-Ainea-evere -quick- to- avail
themselves• of this opportunity for learning.
statement my school had wheels.
The day that 'iriy three brothers and first• Dr. McDougall aims well pleased with the
saw the railway school car we had no idea results at the end of the first school year, for
whfor We had been wit-
s this experiment in education had proven,
at was in store us.
thing the way -freight shunt a long red coach beyond any doubt, that the scheme was
chance of obtaining an education. For,;*
tcly, OA years AM Dr. J. B. McDougall,
J.:P*00r of Elementary Education for
SAW the Feat need for schools to
itgatti children of woodsmen, trappers,
rail** workers, and hunters,- who were
beyond the reach of conventional schools
aid not sufficient in numbers to warrant
e b ,ItSinent of regular schools in the
district.
Dr: McDougall consulted with the
presidents of the two railway companies
whose transcontinental lines ran across the
vast forest land iit Northern Ontario. They
decided to fit a railway coach with desks,
blackboards, books and 0 ea equipment
anddsetpraatin.chit along the trac Vn a regular
freight
In September, 1926, the first school car,
bright and shiny after remodelling, was
launched by the Ontario Department of
.1
on the railway spur in Ramsey when the feasible
The rolling classroom I attended travelled
rear door of the coach opened and a man ap- than 2 000 miles duringa school ear
peered. -Startled, we -ran -to -the woodpile on R madda complete circuit every six weeks
top of the hill, but the man had seen us and dispensinginstruction to children at six flag
began to walk in our direction. .
stops and villages. Before the train moved
My brothers and I peeked out from behind on the teacher would give us homework to
the stack at the tall, lean form approaching do while he was away.
us. , The car was serviced with coal, oil, water
"I'm your new schoolteacher," he said,•
and ice at the' division points. 'While repair
What's your name?" a'? -Crews carefully checked the car and
No answer. s;:4 . . -Prepared it for the next circuit, the teacher
"Comment vous appellez-vous? No , took advantage of one day in town to submit
answer.
"Would you like some candy?" he asked.
"Voulez-vous des bonbons?"
"Oui," replied Emile, who received two
candies.
A Taste of Learning
The teacher then called the rest of us over
and gave us all candy. He told Rene, who
understood some English, what purpose the similar to that of most elementary schools.
Eoivever, 'children • at regular schools
car served. We weren't altogether pleased received about 180 days of school while we
• with what we heard, knowing in some vague received only 56 days.
way that it threatened our carefree ex- In order to convey instructions to the
istence of hunting and fishing. But when the . 1s who were f
progress reports, and check his larder for
supplies, books and new records.
When the car returned, regular classes
were held for a week from nine in the morn-
ing until four in the afternoon. The teacher,
who taught all Grades from 1 to 8, reviewed
the work, corrected assignments and went
on with new work. Our course of study was
teaCher invited us inside to _see the P P .
the teacher. had to
classroom and listen to the gramophone, we
cast aside our hesitancy. and followed him Italian,- Ukrainian
ranged in age from s
across the .reilivaY tracks. We .hadn't gone adults . attended the day classes. Night
more than halfway when my mother's voice classes in arithmetic and language were
called from the top of the hill, "Come here
ious national origins,
ble to speak French,
d Slay. The pupils
to 19, and sometimes
and wash your hands end face, you gang de
saleaul "
• - We ran home, washed quickly, put- on our
:best clothes and _dashed back across the
tracks. Other Children hadalready gathere
in the classroom and v?ere staring at th
• teacher's desk p Ale te giant, maps, thq
• bookshelves, the bladftard and the row of;a
newly -varnished desks. The teacher then
gave me some picture books and crayons,
and thus,began my firat day at sehOolsI wes
nine years old.
• If it hadn't been for the mobile school,
Many children like myself would have had
To
Kimberley Hayward Rai*
-ton, Alta.
- Edward John Stewart Toronto
Krista Kuntz
R.-•
. 2 Bayfield
Lisa Flynn Goderich
Willena Ramaker canton
On
Jan. 5
Jan. 6
Jan. 8
Jan. 9
Jan. 110
wVto A PLACE
Y,'
Irip
;40 tairpe 4.• " 141i
1 rt..
• Eggy Riddles
1.1f French poodles laid eggs, how would they
bark?
Oeuf, oeuf.
2.Why don't chickens play baseball?'
Their hits are always fowl.
3.If an egg was a genius, what would its favorite
drink be?
Egg noggin.
4.VVben chickens get a bad cough, whatdo they call
it?
Cooping cough.
5;V/by did some klds throw eggs at a chicken
crossing the road?
They wanted to egg him on.
&What did the Scottish children say when they saw
a two headed monster hatching in a lake?
"Look! Nest! Monster!"
7.What kind of eggs does Satan eat?
Devilled eggs.
8.What kind of eggs do thieving hunters eat?
Poached.
9.What kind ot eggs do dogs eat?
Pooched.
Distributed by Canada Wide recturak lervka Limited
THE CASE.
• FOR GOOD
• BUSINESS
SENSE.
Visit us in Clinton, Ontario
EVERY MONDAY
Representative:
BOB McCLINCHEY
beldfof adult ficutfianagiallgi..
eviel.*:•reciAt14711e°1114:attendanceren th4ebris'' ';14"114anetkIdthewintotara trap-
pers'
elooSgealiiiejdelibifisit reallimutron,dY11114but "use ede
chocolatubar4ilviteail.
The teacher's troubles were not confined
to the youngsters. One day a gray and
weather...beaten old trappey came Into the
school car. He planned to tell the teacher in
no uncertain words what he thought of the
school, but as soon as he entered, he' forgot
what he had come to say. He was so
hn-
pressed with the classroom that he returned
every now and then to have the teacher read
his letters.
No report earth were kept, but parents
were ipformed of the progress of the pupils
through personal visits at home or at school.
On Sundays and several times luring the
week Ildetlierlited thinVite the 'teacher and
his wife to our house. We were an eagerau-
dience for his stories about world affairs
and the latest happenings along the railway
line. The only drawback to these friendly
evenings was the opportunity they gave any
mother to express her wish that the teacher
and the school stay with us a few extra days.
Homey Atmosphere
The teacher and his wife 1ivd in a comfor-
table three-room compartment at the end of
the car. Often the smell of freshly baked ap-
ple pie drifted into the classroom from the
kitchen. In the afternoon the teacher's wife
would come into the classroom and pass
around cookies to the children.
A few years after the school carfirst came
to our district the classroom was quite often
interrupted by the crying of babies coming
from the compartment. But we students
were used to such noisy distractions. When
the crack transcontinental trains roared by,
our teacher had to stop talking and the
classroom on wheels • would tremble and
rock as if threatened by a giant earthquake.
In Deeember the school car became the
heart of the district's social life as parents
came to wish teacher and his Wife a Merry
Christmas and to exchange gifts. At the
Christmas party each child received a gift
donated by LO.D.E. chapters and other
women's atialliaeies in Toronto, where the
progress of theVehool car was followed with
great interest. A large tree, decorated with
tinsel and fox -tails, was set up •by the
teacher's desk. After the recitations, and
the games, the gift -giving and the singing,
we were loathe to leave the brightness of the
coalo1. lamps and the Wininth an &a
cheer inside the school car. Then, reluctant -
7,) lY someone would end the evening by star-
' ting to Sing "God Save the King', and we
would all return home to stir up our own
•fires amid shouts of "Merry Christmas".
For more than 30 years, the rolling
clatiaromn has provided the necessary
stimulus to higher education for many
pupils who discovered early in life the value
of sound study habits and the importance of
thinking for themselves. One of the greatest -
achievements of the mobile classrooms oc-
curred when a pupil passed the full high
school entrance examination with honors
though he had received only 56 days of ac-
tual classroom work. Today former pupils
of the school cars are engaged in various
prominent positions across the country.
Among them are accountants, teachers,
doctorsandenniservants.
• A Continuing Need
In many places where formerly the old
school car used to -make its rounds, conven-
tional schools have now replaced the mobile
classroom. But five travelling schools are
still operated by the Ontario Department of
Education, and about 100 children attend
classes one week in four. The schools, which
supply free - texthooks-,7scribblers and -pen -7
rids to the pupils, have no ratepayers or
trustees. All costs are borne by the Depart-
ment of Education which also pays the fully
qualified teachers in charge.
The typical pupil is a youngster from a
railway section house, sometimes the only
family at that point. Some pupils travel a
--considerable distance to attend classes and
board with relatives while the train is in the
area. Three pupils take a train at 4:50 in the
morning, often at 25 below weather, and
travel 70 miles to the classroom on wheels
because the car cannot stop, where they live.
Each week a train hooks onto the roiling
classroom and pulls it to the next village,
and the circuit is completed year after year
as hew youngsters are brought to the school
by older brothers and sistersaDee_pjte their
living in out of the way places, theyshare a
heritage which should be all children's —
that of entering the world of knowledge and
enjoying its riches.
Along with many others I will always be
grateful to the mobile classroom and to the
dedicated teachers for bringing that world
to us on the spinning wheels of a railway
• car. - by D. Batik.
BUSIIMESS AND
OFESSI NAL D!RECT
t simply
makes
good sense to
meet with the
representative of
the Federal Business
Development Bank who
will soon be in your area. •
• There is no obligation and no
cost to you. And there is so muc
• you could gain for your business.
Come talk with us if you could
use financial aid, in the form of
loans, loan guarantees or even
selling an equity position in your
business. We have experienced
counsellors who can help you plot •
a course of growth and supcess
for your business. And we can
provide you with direction to
government assistance, both,
federal and provincial. as well as
other vital information. For an
advance appointment call:
271-5650 (collect)
or write:
1036 Ontario Street
Stratford,,Ontario
Federal Business Banque federate
• Development Bank de developpement
Your future is our guarantee.
COUNSELLING op/
•
OPTOMETRY REPAIR.
R.W. BELL
OPTOMETRIST
The Square, GODERICH
524-7661
JOHN LONGSTAF.F
OPTOMETRIST
Seaforth 527-1240
Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday, Friday
9:00-5:30
Saturday
9:00-12:00 noon
Closed Wednesdays
BY APPOINTMENT
Free parking on premises
Clinton Eleciric
0 White -Westinghouse
+hrtpririt
Appliances _,
Sales and Service
APPLIANCE REPAIRS
ELECTRICAL
MAINTENANCE
90 ALBERT ST.
482-3646
APPLIANCE
and
REFRIGERATION
REPAIR SERVICE•
Jim Broadfoot
482-7032
ELECTRIC
INSURANCE.,
it se
ti-
C_Cos‘‘tk °V
Aecil!c
Vow
o vie"
*ECONOMY
*QUALITY
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"Big lobs or Small, we
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482-7374
CLINTON
OR CALL
1400-265-9255
ASK FOR PAGER
• NO. 30
GAISER-KNEALE
INSURANCE BROKERS
INC.
Insurance -Real Estate
investments
Isaac St., Clinton
Phone Office 452-9747
Len Thoedom 482-7994
Hal Hartley 482-3693
Bob Thomas 482-3096
Bill Counter 452-3687
•
JOHN WISE
•
Guaranteed investments
Rom 482-72
General Insurance
Office: 482-9644
Clinton
LTD.
INSURANCE BROKERS
Canada'.
ENDER'S ABATTOIR
Homo Grown beef and Pork
- Mill Street, Hensel! 262-3130
• Wholesale, Retail and Custom Slaughtering.
Kill day Tuesday.
Call for further Information:
Owner - Merlin C. I.id.r Monagert)eles
262-5628 236-7733
Our Motto is "The Golden Rule"
s -
GLASS/ALLIMIPilUM
See us for your building projects
*Glass and mirrors
*Energy-efficient replacement windows
@Window & screen repair
*Plexiglass
*Doer service and repairs
*Complete range of aluminum
siding and building products
clinton
mirror and aluminum products
24 Princess St. Wes , CLINTON 482-3322 •
PHOTOGRAPHY
Fitzgerald
S uclios
photographs and ustorri iraming
400 lames Street
Clinton 482-3890
MECHANICAL
GBAILEY8
• LENNOX AND DUAL.AIRE
FURNACES
SHEET METAL WORK
SPECIALISTS IN ENGINEERED
HEATING SYSTEMS '
26/-2020
PHONE:
HENSALL, ONT.
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BUSES AVAILABLE FOR CHARTER
Deluxe Highway Coaches
Activity Buses
Custom Vans
• Phone CollectOoderich
524/622