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

1909

– A special meeting was to be held at the Workman’s Hall in Picton to discuss recreation opportunities for young men in Picton after the YMCA moved out of the community. It was hoped a local effort could fill the void remaining. –

-A French bull dog named Jake was poisoned in Picton, adding to a growing list of animals affected by an unknown culprit. Residents were pushing for police to find answers to keep their pets safe.

– The Toronto Star called Picton the “craziest hockey town on the Ontario Hockey Association map” as the visiting Toronto Eurekas played against a local team before 400 spectators. They paraded through town sounding horns and blowing whistles.

1939

-The Ontario government was planning to increase gasoline tax by one cent to seven cents to stay ahead of increasing expenditures. The Province was struggling to pay for increasing highway development costs. It favoured the gasoline tax over increased licencing fees because the tax would hit out-of-province visitors.

– Snow was packed so high on the High Shore Road that it took over nine hours for a plow to clear five miles. Farmers brought horse teams to help and in one instance, only their heads were visible.

– Childless couples in Nazi Germany were to be subject to a 40-per-cent income tax as the regime encouraged them to make babies. Bachelors were also more highly taxed.

1969

– The Department of National Defence announced Camp Picton would be phased out as a military base with operations ending Sept. 1. The federal government planned to work with Picton to identify possible industrial uses for the property.

– Picton councillor James Bird talked his colleagues into defeating a proposed bylaw prohibiting the keeping of domestic fowl. He urged them to allow residents to keep chickens for eggs, adding budgies, parrots, and canaries should also be allowed.

– Coroner Dr. C.R. Richmond announced there would be no inquest into a car accident that killed three young men in Milford. He also would not hold inquests on two carbon monoxide-poisoning deaths.

1979

– Picton postmaster Robert Carter decided to lock the lobby of his post office after hours following a vandalism incident that saw 18 rented boxes forcibly opened over the weekend. It had been six years since the doors to the lobby of the Federal Building had last been locked to protect the mail.

– A group of West Lake parents wanted answers about who would teach a new sexual education program to be initiated at Pinecrest Memorial School and what they would be teaching. The group made a deputation about that and other subjects at the school’s parent council meeting.

– Windsor-area Liberal MP Mark MacGuigan discussed the threat of Quebec separation with students at PECI.