Each week, the Gazette looks back on stories from the past. Here is what happened this week, by year…
1928
-Picton council agreed to purchase a property at Chimney Point for a new dock for $1,000. The property would also become the site of the new waterworks pumping station. The deal included the title to a building and a quarter acre of land.
– A.P. MacVannel, Prince Edward County’s Ministry of Agriculture representative for 17 years, received notice he’d be transferred to Halton County, effective July 1. MacVannel was widely known for supporting farmers and connecting them to assistance wherever possible.
– Former County warden and Ameliasburgh reeve William Willoughby Anderson died at age 65 after an illness of short duration. He also served as Justice of the Peace.
1948
-At a Progressive Conservative rally in Wellington, Ontario highways minister George Doucett promised his government would build a fine Hwy 33 to connect county communities for years to come. He also committed to providing 50 per cent of the capital funding for the reconstruction of Picton’s Main Street if re-elected.
– Liberal organizer Brig. Colin Campbell told a rally in Picton that Premier George Drew could be a dictator as he has rid his Progressive Conservative party of any men who disagreed with him.
– Highways minister George Doucett denied the county lost out on a new four-lane highway, stating the province had never planned to route the highway here.
1978
– Costs for the renovation of Macaulay House reached $102,108 in two years that crews had been working on restoring the building. That was 19.4-per-cent higher than estimates restoration architect Peter John Stokes initially supplied. The committee was looking for ways to save funds.
– The Picton Public Library increased its circulation to 60,264 books, or just four books for every man, woman, and child in the areas it served. The library’s total operating expenditures for 1977 were $58,923.
– Picton deputy-reeve Richard Byers said it might be time County council look into money spent on conventions as $21,946 had been spent in 1978, yet Byers charged he never heard reports from the events.
1998
– A severe weather system downed trees, power lines, and transformers across Prince Edward County, leaving as many as 4,000 households without power. The County’s road construction manager, Roger McCaw, said it was the worst storm he’d seen in 14 years. His crews had all the roads cleared, but said it would take up to a week to clean up debris.
– Ambulance supervisor Mike Bond said he’d noticed an increasing and disturbing trend of vehicles not yielding to ambulances as required by the Highway Traffic Act.
– Health minister Elizabeth Witmer told the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital board that it’s budget would not change as a result of restructuring efforts.