Each week, the Gazette looks back on stories from the past. Here is what happened this week, by year…
1937
– Families with homes in the Crofton and Milford areas were enjoying hydro power for Christmas as new extension lines were added for those areas. More than 20 homes on the Crofton line had power, while Milford residents were awaiting a successful inspection of their line.
– Some proof of the effectiveness of bird banding came to light as one of 110 blue-winged teal Dayton Murphy tagged in Wellington in September was found on Barbuda in the British West Indies some 42 days later.
– The Town of Picton employed a scraper to even out bumps and ruts on its roads as extra traffic was expected in the final shopping days leading up to Christmas.
1957
– A tour of the new arena at the Picton fairgrounds for businessmen attracted another $2,000 of investment. Some $3,000 still needed to be raised. Amid the momentum, the arena drive did receive a setback, however, as a needed compressor was delayed until January.
– The Prince Edward County Hospital raised most of its nightly rates by $1. Private rooms would be $12, semi-private $10, ward rooms $7.50. The children’s ward increased 50 cents to $5.50 a night.
– A rash of telephone booth vandalism cases was reported from Cobourg through to Belleville. In the incidents, the phones were completely destroyed and the vandals often stole coins from collection boxes.
1977
– It wasn’t the best Christmas for 35 employees of Picton’s Proctor-Silex plant as 73 Prince Edward Electrical Workers Association members were given layoff notices and only 38 were to be recalled. The layoffs were based on seniority.
– A Town of Picton truck went out of control in icy conditions and swung through the storefront of Mills Tire and Battery. Police chief Charles Fletcher said the damage was “extensive” as the back end of the truck struck first and upon impact slid around and struck the building again.
– Local MPP James Taylor opposed a planned 625-acre Sandbanks Provincial Park expansion he said would take active farmland out of production.
1997
– Ernie Parsons was elected the first chair of the new Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, edging Audrey Carter and Thelma Goodfellow for the post. Carter, the Prince Edward north trustee would become the first vice-chair.
– Frank Smith, president of Prince Edward County Railway Ltd. announced plans to start a tourist train line running from Picton to Bloomfield and Trenton to Fort Kente. The company leased a 1950 diesel-electric locomotive and intended to order passenger cars and lay new track along the former CN rail beds.
– Six unarmed practice bombs from the Second World War were safely removed from a house on Picton’s Main Street.