Each week, the Gazette looks back on stories from the past. Here is what happened this week, by year…

1928

– North Marysburgh farmers were expected to benefit from the construction of a canning factory on Mossie Harrison’s property in Cressy. A number of farmers had already been contracted to grow tomatoes for the new venture.

– The directors of the Prince Edward County Hospital were considering building a new wing for patient care. It was expected the addition would cost between $6,000 and $8,000, however the directors had not decided how to raise the money.

– Fortunately, there was no loss of life when workmen tried to move a safe up a flight of stairs at the Waupoos Canning Co.  A rope broke and the safe crashed through the floor boards. The men below escaped.

1948

– Fishermen Raymond and Melbourne McIntosh survived a scary ordeal as their boat drifted for 12 hours after its engine failed off Waupoos. Fortunately, they drifted into South Bay and became stuck amid ice. They were able to walk two hours to shore and, later, salvage the boat.

– The Royal Canadian School of Artillery at Camp Picton suffered a bad overnight fire. A maintenance building valued at $10,000 burned to the ground and it contained over $20,000 worth of parts. Police were investigating the cause of the blaze.

– A 17-year-old boy died of carbon monoxide poisoning after remaining in a running car stuck in ice at Glenora. Fishermen broke his windows, but not in time.

1978

– South Marysburgh reeve Clifford Walker gave up his position at the council table to become the township’s clerk-treasurer, replacing the late Rupert Murphy. Councillor Joe McAlpine was elevated to reeve. Former councillor Lewis Rorabeck was expected to take McAlpine’s seat.

– The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital received a 4.6-per-cemt boost in provincial funding, but administrator Bruce Scott said to pay for increasing costs it hoped for six per cent more. Scott hoped to avoid reductions in hospital service.

– Local man Morris A. Huff was appointed executive assistant to Ontario agriculture minister Bill Newman. Huff had been working for the agriculture ministry since 1964.

1998

– The County looked to cut back its public works department from 80 people to 67 by offering early exit pacakges using provincial funding. Nine employees expressed interest in receiving exit packages. The work those people provided was expected to be assigned to other staff members.

– Picton’s Cathy McNally finished her varsity figure skating career at Queen’s by being named Ontario University Athletics’ competitor of the year by her peers. She helped win three gold medals at the OUA championships in Toronto in her final year.

– The provincial government gave the County a one-time, unconditional payment of $631,391 for two years of maintenance of its recently downloaded highways.