The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

32A THE OSHAWA TIMES, Tuesday, February 28, 1967 OSHAWA BELL TELEPHONE CONSTRUCTION GANG IN 1922 «+-This Was Taken At Rell's Headquarters in Oshawa Bell's Oshawa Exchange Has 38,000 Customers Now In 1885, five years after Bell/shape and maintaining a high the Canada became established in Oshawa, 89 customers made up the town's telephone exchange. Today, 82 years later, the Oshawa exchange provides local service to over 38,000 telephones This increase is not surprising in a city like) Oshawa, because the popula- tion itself has grown dramati- cally over the years, and the telephone growth is only a re- flection of that fact. The early part of Oshawa's telephone history proves inter- esting, particularly this year when we are mote apt to look over the past ft' xn normally. In 1880, 2 *°-line switchboard had been i:stalled in James. Wil- lox's bookstore on King Street and shortly thereafter, to prem- ises on Simcoe Street. Mrs. Willox operated the switch- board while her husband look- ed after the exchange's admin- istration. Today, 92 operators carry out Mrs. Willox's tele- phone duties. SPARE TIME In the 1880's, telephone men's spare time was taken up with practising their climbing tech- niques on poles behind the telephone office. Keeping in operator to much variation in fact from the point of origin until the mes- sage arrived at its destination is open to conjecture. Today, we can call 96 per cent of the world's without having our conversa- tions repeated verbally. GROWTH REFLECTED to 100 in 1905 and so on, the Oshawa exchange's growth re- flected that of degree of agility were neces- sary in order to work safely at the top of poles 60 feet high. Today, most of the poles have gone and the all-important tele- phone lines are underground, safe from the ravages of nature and man. : Back in 1882, the Bell Tele-| phone Company erected lines between Cobourg and Guelph, bringing Oshawa into contact with telephone customers in Port Hope, Newcastle, Bow- manville, Whitby and points west of Toronto, At this time, telephones had a_ carrying range of 20 miles, and calls spanning more than this dis- tance had to be relayed from operator. How telephone population From 89 customers in 1885 the Oshawa ly. phone scene. In 1917, the 1,000th tele- phone was growth continued. Then came the financial depression of the "30's followed by the Second World War. But in 1948, during the post-war boom, the sod for Bell Canada's present Victoria Street building was turned and construction began Oshawa was company and the company tributes through installed and The dial telephone system in inaugurated in 1951 with Mayor Starr placing; the first call to Mayor Hiram McCallum of Toronto, and last year, Direct Distance Dialing} and Touch-tone telephone serv- ice were both introduced to the exchange. Today, Bell Canada in Osh- awa is an integral part of the community. Nearly 500 employ- ees with an annual payroll of more than a quarter of a mil- lion dollars work for the tele- in Oshawa, itself con- community tax assess- ment of more than $100,000. With its multi-million dollar in- vestment in facilities within the Oshawa community, Bell Can- ada is more than ready to meet the communication challenges of the future. to the its local immediate- French Had Trade Posts In Oshawa And Darlington Many years prior to per- manent settlement in Ontario, ada. The first attempt to plan development was made by Sim- the French established severaljcoe whose objectives were to trading posts along the north of Lake Ontario, includ-jince and make it ape porting. His plan for economic ng sites at the mouth of the streams at Port Hope, Oshawa and Darlington, and at French- man's Bay and the Humber in Toronto. Such posts were stra- tegically located to intercept Indians with furs bound for Os- wego or Albany where they traded with English merchants. After the British conquest of Canada which terminated in 1760, the use of these trading posts was discontinued. In 1791, after the division of Upper Canada (Ontario) and Lower. Canada (Quebec), John Graves Simcoe was named Lieu- tenant Governor of Upper Can- Good Services For Skippers Air, land and sea are readily available for anyone in Osh- awa who would like to travel or ship goods. & Both the Canadian Natjonal Railways and the Canadian Pacific cut) through the city. Eachoffers' carload, less-than- carload, piggy-back or express to principal points throughout Canada and the United States. There are free pick ups and delivery zones within a pre- scribed area of Oshawa. An- other feature the rails have promoted is interswitching, with the costs absorbed by the car- riers. From Oshawa commerce and industry can expect pick-up and delivery periods for CL and LCL shipments anywhere from 12 to 96 hours, depending on distances. CITY HAD JOBS FOR 14,000 There were" almost 14,000 persons employed in Oshawa's central area when the Plan- ning Board compiled its Re- development Study last year. Here's how the work force breaks down: Blue collar .scccsccsseee 60% And their jobs could be class- ified as: Manufacturing ...++++. 72.6% Wholesale ...... 1.3% bolster the defence of the Prov- self-sup- : development included the ex- pansion of settlement, the de- velopment of agriculture and trade, and the promotion of ur- ban settlement, all to be stimu- lated by the building of roads. ORIGINAL SURVEY In 1791, Deputy Surveyor, Augustus Jones, acting upon orders received from the Pro- vincial Surveyor General, D. W. Smith, surveyed the southern portions (base line) of Whitby Township and Darlington Town- ship. He surveyed the remainder of Whitby Township in 1795. The balance of Darlington Township was surveyed by Deputy Sur- veyor William Hambly in 1793. The townships of the planning area were laid out in the single front survey system. Each lot had an area of 200 acres and measured 20 chains by 100 chains. A road allowance one chain in width was surveyed be- tween each tier of lots (conces- sion) and every second lot. The Township of Darlington and the original Township of Whitby each have a depth from the lake of about 12 miles and a lake frontage of approximately 9 miles. The sixty-six feet wide east- west "concession roads" at 14 mile intervals, and the north- south "side roads" at 4% mile intervals, -provide the frame- work of the present major road system of the planning area. In order to encourage settle- ment, Lieutenant Governor Sim- coe issued a proclamation offer- ing free grants of land together with three years free provisions to would-be settlers. The first recorded settlers in the area arrived in 1794 from the United States. They were John Burk, Roger Conant and lington Township and Benjamin Wilson who settled in Whitby Township. They were followed by a large influx of immigrants from the United States and the St. Lawrence River communi- ties, EARLY TRANSPORTATION In, 1798, Asa Danforth, an American, contracted at a price of $90.00 a mile to open a road from York to the Trent River. The road was completed as far % Jas Port Hope by 1799 and ex- tended to Kingston in 1801. The road. was built a mile or two back from the shore of Lake On- tario for military reasons and to escape the marshes found at] the mouth of the streamsy emptying into the lake. John Trull who located in Dar-|' goes, Highway Number 2 for the most part, follows the route of this early road. Unlike its mod- ern counterpart however, the old Dundas Street had no sys- term of maintenance and was ble for many months of the year. It was seldom used for the transportation of goods dur- ing the navigation season when lake shipping carried such car- Bell Telephone Photo Conant Built Lake Fleet The late Thomas Conant of Oshawa was a descendant of the Pilgrim Fathers and his By I. FRANK MARKSON City Treasurer City of Oshawa If the growth in money trans- actions for budget and non-bud- get items required to conduct City Hail business for 1966 over 1965 is an indication of things to come, then civic finances for Canada's 100th year may again reflect the ever-increasing need to maintain and extend muni- cipal services. With 1965 figures bracketted for comparison purposes, total value of disbursements for sal- aries,materials, supplies and services, financial charges, in- vestments, education, reserve funds and contracts, made by the Treasury Department, ap- proved by City Council in 1966, were $60.1 million ($53.5 million) - an increase of $6.6 million or 12% over 1965. To maintain a level of muni- cipal services (education, pro- tection to persons and property, public works, health and sanita- tion, community services and welfare) sufficient to meet what City Council considered to be the needs of a community whose population has increased over 1965 by 3,362 or 5% (4,156 or 6%), a 1966 Operating or Cur- rent Budget of $16.1 million ($13.8 million) was established - an increase of $2.3 million or 17% over 1965. The continuous demands for long. - range capital undertak- ings, dictated by population growth and need is revealed through the 1965-1969 Five Year Capital Budget and Forecast in which City Council established 1966 debenture authorities of $5.5 million as in 1965. This 1966 debenture quota established by The Ontario Municipal Board, the provincial legislative auth- ority which controls and ap- proves the long-range capital lundertakings through debenture borrowings of all Ontario muni- cipalities) includes amounts for such social capital outlay items as sewers, sidewalks, roads and bridges, schools, electric, water and transportation facilities, civic administration buildings and a Centennial swimming pool and recreation centre, scheduled to be leted in Municipal Disbursements Jump $6.6 Million In 66 Based on a 1966 population count of 77,556 74,194) the gross per capita debt is $285 ($258). If self-liquidating debenture debt (Oshawa Public Utilities Commission and Civic Audito- rium) is excluded of $4.6 mil- lion ($3.3 million), the net de- benture debt of the City is $17.5 million ($15.7 million) or $226 ($224) per capita. Expressed as a percentage of taxable -asses- ment for 1966 taxation year of $281.2 million ($257.8 million) the 1966 net debenture debt to taxable assessment is 6.2% (6.1%). 1966 repayments of interest on long-term borrowings were $1 million as in 1965. The City of Oshwa has always paid the full par value of the the fall of 1967. Debenture Debt Issued and Unmatured representing unpaid borrowings to pay for these community investments) at the end of 1966 after taking into account repayments of princi- pal during the year of $1.8 mil- lion ($1.7 million) and new is- sues of $4.9 of principal during the year of $1.8 million ($1.7 million): and new issues of $4.9 million ($2.1 million) is $22.1 million ($19.0 million) - an in- increase of $3.1 million or 16% over 1965. t of principal and inter- est as due on every obligation issued by it-all citizens of this community, past and present, can be justifiably proud of this record of financial responsibi- lity. Glancing ahead, 1967 looks like another challenging year of community growth when the contents of the civic purse may have to be adequately replen- ished to match Oshawa's cumu- lative need for existing and ex- tending municipal services in Canda's Centennial year. forefathers built one of the first fleet of vessels on Lake Ontario. He enjoyed the large fortune which they amassed and increased it himself. | He was one of the largest) land-owners in the county and \found time, aside from the jmanaging of his large estate, for extensive reading. His peg was also his pride. He was also a great traveller. | Central Hotel Started In 1857 The Central Hotel started in 1857 and has been in the heart of downtown Oshawa now for over 100 years. The centennial was celebrated a few years back when the ho- tel co-operated jointly with the City of Oshawa in establishing Oshawa's first leading down- gration from Europe continued primarily from the British Isles. Early settlement in the town- ships took place along the lake- fronts and was largely confined to the southern three conces- sions, Conditions imposed by the Crown required that settlers clear a certain amount of land before a patent would be grant- e the forest mainly because trans- portation was poor and the market Following the. construction of their homes, and the setting aside of fuel wood, they stacked and burned the remaining wood. U.S. Immigration Dipped After The War Of 1812 After the war of 1812, immi- gration to this area from the United States declined. Immi- d. Settlers had little regard for for lumber limited. town parking lot for 'Central' downtown parking. This project was a land as- sembly arrangement for the convenience of Oshawa's citi- zens, with land being contri- buted by the Central Hotel as well as the Corporation of the City of Oshawa. Throughout its century of op- erations in the commercial ho- tel field, Central Hotel has ren- dered hospitality and service to public, Recent changes in the liquor enabled the hotel to present community entertainment in its lounge facilities. Throughout the past half cen- tury the establishment has been managed on the above basis by Owen McCrohan who purchased the premises in the year 1912. movement is Bond street headquarters of the United Auto Workers. for many of the highlights in the labor movement here for the commercial and travelling|ing ceremonies Nov., 1951, Chris licencing laws of Ontario haveline union met in dark hidden the family of the late Eugene/ation, the Oshawa Firefighters Unions Meet At UAW Hall The heart of Oshawa labor located at the The hall has been the locale the past 16 years. At the open- Mason, then president of Local 222, said: "'This building is a far cry from the days when places"'. Locals used the hall for their membership and business meet- ings, including the International Brotherhood of Electric Work- ers, the Oshawa Police Associ- Association, and practically all of the smaller unions. Don't Heat Half Of Oshawa INSULATE The weather may not be entirely responsible for your High Fuel Bills -- your problem probably lies with Es your inadequate Insulation. If your fuel bills have been soaring with no relief in sight why don't you call us, for a free estimate. We specialize in Blown Insulation for Electrically Heated Homes. e@ FREE ESTIMATES ... ¢ NEW ROOFS e RE- ROOFING BEFORE the ravages of the Winter winds and the Spring Rains is the proper time to check into a new or repaired roof. . +4 w+0 GORESKI Roofing & 1664 Simcoe St. North 723-5731 Lathing To those located near enough to a market, potash was ex- tracted from the ashes. Used as a bleach, it was a source of revenue and could be consider- ed the first manufactured pro- duct of the settler. After clearing the land the settlers grew crops for their own use. The practice of self- sufficient agriculture continued until the late thirties as the re- sult of an inadequate transpor- tation system. ' Prior to 1820 most commerce was carried out by a system of barter. The currency of the day was flour, pork and potash and in exchange for these products, the merchant supplied the farm- er with goods from his store. The position of the merchant was a powerful one as he de- termined the value of products received from the settlers. particularly up to the war of 1812 By 1820 concentration of set- tlement hac reached the hamlet stage. The low density of popu- lation retarded the building of good roads This in turn kept the population in isolated groups. Communication with Montreal and the ocean was difficult and as a result, trade developed slowly. Flaws in the disposal of public lands, contributed to the sparse population. According to the Constitutional Act of 1791, one seventh of a township was re- tained for Crown and one seventh was set aside in order to promote the cause of the Anglican Church. Members of the armed forces and loyalists remained eligible for free grants and the clergy and crown reserves continued Money remained very scarce, to. handicap development. 1885 Was Opening Date For Old Oshawa Railway In the year 1887, Captain R. C. Carter, who was the head of the Rathburn Company of Deseronto obtained a_ charter to build an urban Railroad in Oshawa, After several years of delay and financial problems, the Oshawa Railroad was finally open for business in 1895. The railway consisted of just a small car barn located at Simcoe and Athol Streets and four small cars, The railroad line ran down Simcoe Street from Alexander Street to the Grand Trunk Railway depot at Bloor Street. Later in the same year, the line was extended from Bloor Street down to Lake Ontario and northward to Ross' Corners. Power for the small electric line was supplied by Mr, Eli Edmonton's lower mill. However, this proved in- sufficient and the Oshawa Rail- way was forced to build its own power generating station on Mill Street. In 1896, fire destroyed the), bought and the _ railway struggled on. In 1911, the Oshawa Railway was purchased by the Grand Trunk Railway and began to handle increased freight traffic. In 1923, the Grand Trunk Rail- way along with the Oshawa Railway, was absorbed into the Canadian National Railways. In 1927, new freight sheds were constructed along with new offices and new modern pass- enger cars were purchased. However, this failed to induce people to use the Oshawa Rail- way facilities. In 1940 the last passenger trolley car ran in the city of Oshawa and buses took over the service. In order to keep pace with the rapid growth of industry in Oshawa, the Canadian National Railways dieselized the freight services of the Oshawa Street Railway in 1964 and the last electric engine ran in Oshawa May 2, 1964. $53,000,000 BILL GM of Canada spent nearly Athol Street .car barn along/$53 million in the Province of with three of the lines four|Quebec during 196 in wages, cars. New equipment was'taxes, goods and services. There Is An Art To Compounding Medicines It is true thot the mapority of prescriptions are prepared and just require careful selection, checking of dosage and prevention of dispensing errors. But, we still have physicians who prefer us to compound their prescriptions to their exact individual formulas. We keep up with the progress of Pharmacy by studying oll about new products. We still compound every day prescriptions for capsules, ointments and eye or skin preparations. We are called on less frequently to d pills or We love this art and welcome these more dificult prescriptions. YOUR DOCTOR CAN PHONE US when yon need a medicine. Pick up your prescription if shopping near- by, or we will deliver promptly without extra charge. A great many people entrust us with their prescriptions, May we compound and dispense yours ? EASTVIEW PHARMACY , Phm.B, -- 573 King Street East Oshawa PHONE 725-3594 Fast -- Free -- Motorized Delivery J. R. Steffen, B.Sc. Phm. There are two symbols you'll be seeing a lot of this year--the Centennial Maple Leaf and the "Man and His World" symbol of Expo 67, Each represents people... the Canada and the men, women an of the many nations here to help Canada celebrate its 100th birthday. You'll also be seeing another symbol... ours. It too represents people. We owe our half ple of children aX Fifty years of service to Canadian families russ century of growth to the countless mothers and fathers, sons and daughters who have favoured us with their continuing confidence and goodwill. Because of this and because so much of what is great in Canada has sprung from the closeness of family ties, we've chosen as our 50th anniversary symbol, the Canadian Family. One o} the Osh: union w {Abe" 7 year-old UAW --- Taylo1 rise in tr he starte scure sl General Since th: every m Local 22 also ser committe ident. He wa: of Local when he Right-Wi over th Group. T peated th elections a@ more ¢ Taylor, appeal f. within th