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History traced back to mod The coroners role has stood the test of time By IAN MlLGR EW Of The Examiner Appointed by the Lieutenant Governor Ontarios coroners may be the most misunderstood civil servants in the province How many people know what they do how they do it why they do it when they do it or who they are Yet coroners have been around longer than the English language as we know it Historical references to an of ficials similar to coroners date back before the coming of the Normans to Britain in 1066 Historians say however that these references are vague at best these officials did is still subject to dispute The first hard historical evidence surfaced about 1066 said Dr Issac coroner and lawyer The coroners were agents of the crown and per formed such varied tasks as tax collecting record keeping and criminal inquiries said Dr Issac They were very similar to sheriffs and were an integral cog in the government the Nor man lnvaders eet up he said From that time on the office of coroner developed in English common law and in 1972 was finally codified in Ontario with the passing of the Coroners Act Dr Hicks is one of Sinr coe Countys three coroners and says that because the office is steeped in history and has stood the test of time it has proven its worth Its little bit ghoulish says Dr Hicks about his job Most people like reading detective mysteries well being coroner is little like putting the pieces of jigsaw puzzle together Dr Hicks said the govern ment has divided the province into areas and coroners are ap pointed for each area He said the coroner is appointed to the area where he resides and although his jurisdiction ex tends across the province it would be rare for coroner to travel outside his district to work He said coroners in this area cover Simcoe and Dufferin counties and there are coroiiers in Coldwatei Orillia and Alliston FIRST CALLED In the past the coroner was to be the first person called whenever there was death said Dr Hicks Now with the Coroners Act the coroner is called usually only where there is some question surrounding the death when the person dies while in an institution or when person dies under any other circumstances which may re quire investigation Dr Hicks said once the cor oner has been called to the scene of death he must answer six questions who died what did he die of how did he die when lid he die where did he die and why lid he he If he cannot answer all of these ques tions fully said Dr Hicks an inquest ta legal inquiry presid ed over by the coronert into the death is held oroners can also call for an inquest if they feel public ex posure of the circumstances surrounding the death would prevent similar death in the future said Dr Hicks Wc speak for the dead to protect the living is one of our mot tos he said Dr Hicks said that if there is criminal charge arising from death there would not be an inquest except in rare cases because the trial would bring to light and solve any of the issues an inquest would have After the inquest says the act the coroners rccominendar tions are forwarded to the crown attorney who must then decide what sort of action if any is to be taken Coroners under the Act have several powers they can view or take possession of any body inspect the place wherc the body is or any place they believe the body was inspect any place the dcceascd was believed to be before his death inspect any rccords or writings nlating to the deceased or his circumstances and reproduce copies if necessary and seize anything that he may feel is material to the investigation The Act also allows thc cor oner to delegate his powcrs to police oft iccr or medical practi tioncr Every coroner must be Canadian Citizen and medical practitioner said Dr Hicks At the scene where body is found he said you must take careful notes and try to pick up all of the medical evidence that policeman might miss He said several coroners also have legal ualificat ions Youre abbling in law inat ters said Dr Hicks and theres valid criticism that you should have some training in law But the medical knowledge is the most impor tant Police officers carry out the actual investigation said Dr Hicks and if an autopsy is re quired it is performed by pathologist He said after he has viewed the body it is transferrul to mortuary ln Simcoe ounty the mortuary is located in the Royal Victoria Hospital Dr Hicks said the facility is not as elaborati as the facilities at the entrc for Forensic Sciences in loronto but it is more than adequate In 1938 in Alberta thcrc was really primitive setup said Dr Hicks The guy sold furr niturc and stuff out of the front of the office and you did all the work in the back kitchcn Dr Hicks said any samples of tissue blood urine or anything else requiring analysis are for wardcd to the tcnt re for lorcir sic Sciences EVIDIINtIC thcncvcr coroncr uncovers evidence that indicates crime may have been committed the coroners investigation stops and the police are given the case said Dr Hicks Coroners states the act are appointed and hold the office until they reach 70 years of age retire or lose their standing in the medical profession They are paid $50 per investigation and roughly the same amount for an inquest regardless of its length said Dr Hicks Dr Hicks said he became coroner in 1970 and thus fulfill ed lifelong ambition He said his father had been in the English police force for years and this coupled with forensic science teacher in school who was also London England coroner created his desire to be one He says it disrupts his home life but added that as doctor he was used to that He said he believed people adjusted to their jobs Its not all that had said Dr Hicks He claimed no matter how ghoulish and ghastly the job got it alwavs had its nice side He said when hes called at five in the morning to tramp through fields to look at decomposed body theres always the chance hell see nice sunrise As for the situa tion with his wife Well were not badly off he said and laughed ttur paths cross occa sionally Dr Hicks is one of Simcoe Countys three coroners He says being coroner is little bit Sunday tour is proof Essa Township has nont history and in scenic Tiffin Sugar Bush Bob Patton shows the nesting site of downy woodpecker port of the large inventory of wildlife in Essa Township know am arm it tum aim to 31 II liltl KICR Evainincrorrispoiulcnt BAXllCR At first oiic might be inclined to pass lIssa oil as just anothcr very ordinary township onc that it you must you only drivc through just to gotroinoniplacetoanotlicr When my wife littlc boy and set out rccciitly to tour lIsszi we did so almost with an at titudc ot having nothing bcttcr todo thn we hail coiiiplctod thi daylong tour wc tigtcctl wi couldnt have had mori cn joyablc trip any whcrc We started at lhointoii where we noted St liidcs Anglican hurch with its tail stccplc tree fraiiicd lhornton lnitcd hurch Village lnn gcncial store which used to hc iii curly tavern and lim Raincy well known blacksmiths shop said tohavc originally bccn the first schoolhousc in lhornton challcd in on Ron and Him Spencer and family who l1 in charming Victorian style house well over too ycars old featuring solid brick walls largc ornate caves with shut tcrcd windows and an cxpan sivc front door The Village of lvy with its magnificent View across thc vallcy to the Blue Mountains looming across to the north west was reached by going west from lhornton on ounty Road 21 and turning right up Concession ti Outstanding features in this pretty village includc the Presbyterian hurclr hrists Anglican hurch dating back to 1862 the picturesque wooden frame home of Mrs Dorothy Reid which once housed the IvyIhornton lclcphonc ex change made famous by her husband Earl and thc former your county Tim Chell correctly Identified last weeks entry in the Know Your County Contest and wins two steaks courtesy of and Super Discount in Barrie or Angus if you know the answer to this weeks entry send your name and address and telephone number along with your entry to Know Your County Contest The Examiner Box 370 Barrie L4M 4T6 Examiner Photo Winners are selected by random draw of all correct answers and will be notified by mail IAtllltix corner storc with its quaint tttl hanging corncr turr rct with black onionshin roof tioing west to onccssion it and turning north wc canic to thc littin Sugar Bush whcrc thc still gorgeous golds and reds ol the maplcs contrasting with the cycrgrccns wcrc rcflcctcd lit the laigc ponds in the area operated by thc Nottawasaga alcy onscrvation uthority Bob latton Nt gcncral siiixrintcndtnt told us wildhtc hcc lltllltlttl raccoons rab bits muskrats biavcr and ing squirrels which nest in the sugar house cach spring This year four pairs of wood ducks nested in boxes raiscd for them Ill thc pond which had bccn IltllltI for cleaning wc noted the footprints of turtles cooiis sandpiixrs flicks and great bluchcrons iltlSl IIII To reach ltopia toiiscryn tion Area on Bear rcck wc wcnt north to thc olwcll gravel pits inilc and half west on Highway no and south down onccssion ti where we vicwcd Bells grist nnll beautifully mirrored in the reconstructed inillpoiid The first mill was built on the site by James Spink in the ltttitis Later it was takcn over by Richard Bell who came to work for Spink when he was 15 The present building 73 barrel capacity mills was built in loot by the Bells after the original burned down llitching rings wherc the farmers used to tie their horses may still be seen in the south wall lcering through the win dows we saw flour and grist milling machinery and wooden cone shappcd bagging hoppers tin sign advertising tca even Wartime lriccs lradc toard Licence dated MHZ We listened to the roard of water rushing over the mill dam The route to Baxter took us across Sidcroad 25 down on cession that turns and twists its way between the woods and across the concrete bridge over the Nottawasaga River where we saw log jam against the centre pier including fiillrgrown trees and hydro pole Baxter on ounty Road 21 is located int the level area ad joining the Borden plains and is the council seat of Essa lownship modern multi moin central school replaces the first tiny school built in 1874 founty Roads 21 led us west through the big bush to Line down which we drove to the farm of Brian McCague where the houses and layout of big barns and silos have an Old World charm brought about by dozens of dormer windows conr pletc with shutters tlcnafton Holstein cows from here are known around the world LOIHAW FARM llacktracking we went back up Sideroad 10 west to founty Road 15 and stop cd mile south at the old Lo law Farm former home of lhcixlorc lr ingle Loblaw who originated the Loblaw chain of grocery Stores scenery Edward Banting shows family album in which his uncle Sir Frederick Banting and other family members appear including his wife upper right hand corner of left page The impressive gateway ap proach to the farm includes semicircle of four brick posts joined by wrought iron gates and railing carriage lamps on the two centre posts and bronze maple leafs on the two outer posts plaque reads In 1829 Win Stevenson with his young wife Elizabeth lringlc settled on these Iaiids having come frotn Pklinburgh Scotland the same year died in 11184 In 18th the property was purchased by Ruthven and remained in his possession until 1927 when it was purchased by Loblaw son of Loblaw and lsabel Stevenson and developed as tribute to the memory of his grandparents and his associates the Ruthvcns Turiibiills and other pioneers who settled on these lands round about At the corner of Sidcroad It stands Burns cemetery and the site of Burns United hurch 18654970 named after the Rev Dr Robert Burns early suixrintendent of missions of the Presbyterian Church in Canada PIONEER MUSEUM In Alliston we visited South Simcoe Pioneer Museum close ed for the scasoni to view the two storey log house the stump and rail fences the huge granite millstones and the eleven bucket water turbine wheel used in an early Allistoii waterpowered grist mill By turning north off Highway cast of Alliston up the Line of Essa over little onerlanc iron bridgc we came to the bir thplacc of Sir lltridcrick Ban ting makcd by plaque and hugc eightfoot diameter stone sphere rcprcscnting the world wide scope of Dr Bantings discovery of insulin The plaquc reads The llir thplacc of Sir lircdcrick lrant Banting Banting the discoverer of liisiiliii was born Nov Nth 1891 in the original Banting Homestead im mediatcly behind this cairn In this quiet rural environment he gained deep understanding of the ways of Nature From his parents he learned iii quisitivcncss resourcefulncss jxrsistcncc sincerity and true todlincss Always fond of dogs during his boyhood Dr Banting was later to cxpcri inciit with these animals in the discovery of insulin resulting in life and hop around the world Dicd Feb 21 1941 in Newfoundland HANIINU FAMILY We had nice chat with pre sent owncr of the farm Edward Banting nephew of Dr Bani ting who showed us many photos and considerable writ ten history concerning the Ban OI tiv like putting the pieces of jigsaw puzzle together Examiner Photo 13 One of the scenic highlights of north Essa Township ls Bells grist mill at Utopia The mIll was donated as part of Utopia Conservation Park by Harold Bell the former mill owner ting family He also showed us the site of the room in which Dr Banting was born We continued up to Sidcroad turned east at St Peters Anglican Church and then south again down Line through the great potato and asparagusgrowing country back to Highway tit and east along to the charming little community of Nicolston nestled in the valley beside the Not tawasaga River Here we visited Mr and Mrs Frank Nicol who showed us very early map of Nicolston showing that this community once boasted school blacksmith shop hotel woollen mill grist and flour mill post office saw mill many houses and Presbyterian church The first grist and flour mill was erected in about 1865 by Mr Nicols grandfather Mr Nicol still owns the present water powered brick mill building which he operated until few years ago before he developed his property as camp site RED HOT RIIIIS Referring to the big onelane overheadframe bridge which we were about to cross on up the 5th Linc Mr Nicol recalled that he remembered in the car ly 1940s when it was built see ing one man throw the red hot rivets up to the riveter who caught the rivets in pail and hammered them into the rivet holes to fasten the steel girders and beams together From the 5th Line we went ast along Sideroad It to the 8th Line and north past the log house on the farm of Ed and Dale Wheeler formerly owned by Otto and Bertha Bettcridgc who died by drowning in the floods of Hurricane Hazel in 1954 Our last stop was one conces sion along to Egbert It is an at tractivc little hamlet snuggled in under sheltering hill The church and blacksmith shop have gone but the post office remains hi the cemetery we noted names like Marshall Holt Smith Bailey Ingram and Harrington We completed our most rewarding trip of Essa lownship when we turned off Highway 27 to our home down the 5th line of lnnisfil past the former Presbyterian church now Andres Antique Store which is the site of the first church in Essa Township lt dates back to the early 1800s when it was the first church west of Highway 11 in this area and when circuit preacher rode to it through the bush on horseback 4H steers Nelve North Simcoe 4H Beef lub members will have entries in the 1978 Queens Guineas competition to be held at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto on Youth Day on Thursday The North Simcoe entries are Iom Merrctt of Minesing with CharolaisCross Hob Carson of Phelpston also with Charolaisrossz Kevin Brown of RR Banie with Charolais Dave McLean of RR Orillia with Hereford Helen Hawke of oldwatcr with Hereford George Shelswcll of Hawkestone with Hereford Alex Thomson RR Orillia also with Hereford David Beswick of Elmvale with Simmental orss Janice Mawdsley of Hawkestone also with Siininental Cross Shirley Mason of Coldwatcr with MaineAnjoy David Anderson of RR rillia also with MaineAnjou and Dale Giffen of Minesing with Limousin Other special youth activities on Youth Day include liiiiior Brrow Show and Sale the Robert Graham Judging om petition livestock judging competition the elebrity Cow miling contest and giant bir thday party for the 50th Royal Wiiitchair Wfimwwm