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"THE OSHAWA 'DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1931 \ PAGE SEVENTEEN THE CONVENTION CITY, | OSHAWA, ONTARIO In coming to the city of Oshawa or its 1931 convention, the Ontario rovincial Command of the Cana- dian Legion is coming to a com- munity which has made such rapid progress during the post-war period that its progress has been the envy of the whole Dominion. Although it is only seven years since Oshawa reached the status of a city by passing the 10,000 mark in popula- tion, it has rapidly gone ahead, ing other cc ities of much longer cityhood, . until today it ranks as one of the most progres- sive of the smaller group of On- tario cities. ' The history of the community which is now known as Oshawa dates back as far as 1793, at which time Governor Simcoe planned, for military purposes, the road between Toronto and Kingston now known as the Kingston Road, which passes through the centre of Oshawa as one of its main business streets. The first white settler in the com- munity was one Benjamin Wilson, from Vermont, who drew his 200 acres of land, and secured his ra- tions from the nearest fort or gar- rison for a period of three years. He settled on the lake shore at the mouth of the Oshawa Creek in 1794. Little was heard of Oshawa, however, until well into the nine- teenth century. In 1842, the town, or villagé, was composed of a few houses, two hotels and three gen- eral stores, and a tanning industry, which still exists in the Robson Leather Company. In 1872, the Ontario Malleable Iron Company commenced operations in Oshawa, and in 1878 the McLaughlin Car- riage Company was established, an accession which has been fraught with great benefits to the city, which has grown up, very largely, around the McLaughlin Carriage Company and the companies which succeeded. In 1907, this became the McLaughlin Motor Car Company, and in 1919 this became merged in- to the General Motors of Canada, Limited. This great corporation, manufacturing several popular makes of automobiles, has been the mainspring of Oshawa's- progress, for the growth of the city revolved around the great expansion of the automobile industry, which, in nor- mal times, provides employment for a very large section of the city's population. Other industries, however, also came to Oshawa. In 1888 the Wil- liams Piano Company, now an im- portant radio manufacturing con- cern, and manufacturers of out- board motor boats came to the city, and has been one of the stable in- dustries of the community. In 1892, the Schofield Woollen Mills was es- tablished here. Later, this was fol- lowed by the Pedlar People, Limit- ed, one of the city's most important industries; Fittings, Limited, an- other industry of large proportions, which, in normal times, provides considerable employment; the Cen- tral Spring Company, the W. E. Phillips Company, manufacturers of frames, mouldings, and safety glass; the Oriental Textiles, Limited. In more recent years, the Skinner Company, Limited, manufacturers of automobile bumpers and other ac- cessories, and the Coulter Manu- facturing Company, Limited, brass and copper manufacturers, have come to Oshawa to add /to its in- dustrial stature. There are also several smaller industries, which all make their contribution to the sum total of Oshawa's prosperity. Oshawa's industrial progress has been made possible, to a large ex- tent, by its splendid transportation facilities. 'The main lines of both the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways pass through the city, and $he Oeliama Railway Com- pany provides dir switebi fa~ cilities to both Crest, itthing the local factories. The. main King's Highway, No. 2, sges directly through the centre of the city, mak- ing it a centre for bus and truck methods of transportation. To these facilities, Oshawa last year added a modern harbor. This harbor was opened in August last year, and immediately there began an unprecedented rush of water- borne traffic to the city, so that the record of Oshawa's harbor for the remainder of last yéar exceeded that for the whole season for all other harbors in its class. This spring, so great. was the rush of freight and other traffic to Oshawa by water that the harbor was plugged with coal and coke within two wecks of its opening, and a condition of con- gestion has existed ever since then. This brought immediate action by the inion government, and im- provements and extensions, at a cost of $75,000, are to be made this year by the department of public works. Oshawa's harbor development is ex- pected to bring a new era of growth and development to the city, for al- ready there are great demands for harbor space for what will eventu- ally become important Oshawa in- dustries. Oshawa's public services have more than kept pace with its devel- "| Oshawa of vi dustrial concerns hold their annual picnics at Lakeview Park, and it is quite usual, on a Saturday afternoon, to find' hundreds of Toronto people enjoying an outing to Oshawa's fa- vorite pleasure spot. It is equipped with a' large dancing pavilion, mer~ ry-go-tound and ferris wheel, bath- ing beaches, = baseball diamond cricket field and football ficld, an able for use as a tourist camping ground. The delegates, it is hoped, will have an Shportumity while in siting Lakeview Park and enjoying for themselves the many opportunities it affords for pleasure, y Oshawa's community lifc js well developed. 'It has an active Cham- ber of merce, with 450 members, which is one of the city's greatest assets, and has played a prominent art in its more recent development. here are three seryice clubs, the Rotary Club, which is the only Ro- tary Club on the continent which owns its own Rotary Hall, a Kiwa- nis Club, and a Kinsmen's Club, all of which are doing a splendid work of community service, The various fraternal organizations are well re- presented, particularly the Masonic Order, which has a beautiful new Masonic Temple that is one of the show places of the city. The dra- matic art is cultivated by a Little Theatre group, which, after two years of successful public presenta- tions, has, in the last year, owing to economic conditions, confined its ef- forts to private work along drama- tic lines. The Oshawa Music Study Club provides for development of a community taste for good music, and is one of the city's popular societies. In a sporting sense, the name of Oshawa is well known throughout Canada. In the last two or three years, the city has won a dominion ch jonship in lacrosse, an inter- opment, It has an abundant supply of hydro-electric power, distributed by a local public utilities commis- sion, an abundant gas supply, oper- ated by the Ontario Shore Gas Company, which only this year bought the gas plant and distribu- tion system from the city, and its water supply, secured from Lake Ontario a mile out from the water front, is also operated by the public utilities commission. Oshawa's facilities for the lighter or cultural side of life are also in keeping with its standing as a city. As a result of the rapid growth of the city, its school system is of a highly modern type. There are eight splendid public schools and a separate school, and, for secondary education, there is the Oshawa Col- legiate and Vocational Institute, an institution providing both academic and technical education, of a very high standard. The technical sec- tion is housed in a splendid new set of buildings, opened only last year, and built and equipped at a cost of over $300,000. The principal of this fine institution is A. E. O'Neill, one of the faithful members of the Osh- awa Branch of the Canadian Le- gion, and chairman of the enter- tainment committee for the conven- tion. In addition to these public educational institutions, Oshawa is the home of Bishop Bethune Col- lege, a private Church of England School for girls, and an institution which is famed throughout the Dominion. Churches of all denomi- nations provide ample facilities for the religious life » the people, a splendidly equipped, standardized general hospital takes care of their bodily ills, while there are folr splendid parks for recreational pur- poses, and one of the finest eighteen hole golf courses in Ontario, this course being recognized as of cham- pionship calibre. ne of the main recreation cen- tres of Oshawa, during the summer months, is Lakeview Park, on the lakeshore, which not only provides sports and amusement facilities ford the people of the city, but also at- tracts thousands of visitors every summer from Toronto and other national championship, in fact; has twice won the Intermediate O.R.F.U. championship in rugby, has represented Ontario in the Con- naught Cup final playoffs in soccer football, and won the Toronto and District championship in the same sport. Its hockey teams have had uniform success in the O.H.A, al- though not winning championships. Baseball, cricket, softball, tennis, badminton, curling, bowling, and yachting, are other sports in which Oshawa people take an active and interested part, and round out the life of a well-balanced community. From the standpoint of beauty, there are few cities which have resi- dential sections that can rival the Simcoe Street North district, with its magnificent homes, fronting on wide streets with boulevards of shade trees on either side. In spite of the recent growth of some of its residential sections, close attention has been paid to the planning of the city, and it is looked upon as a mo- del fopdesirable residential condi- tions. Its fine memorial park, in the centre of the city, with the civic War Memorial, built in 1924 at a cost .of $30,000, is one of the show places of the city. With the mag- nificent Centre Street School in the background, the memogial park pre- sents a beautiful picture in August, when the trees are in full leaf, and the grass a verdant green. Those attending the convention will have an opportunity of seeing this park and memorial while the latter is be- ing decorated, but it is well worth another visit so that the picture may be lastingly imprinted on the canvas of memory. Oshawa is a hospitable city. Its people have won a reputation for their hospitality in entertaining visitors, in taking care of conven- tions and other gatherings. The On- tario Provincial Command conven- tion, however, is the largest which has yet come to the city. For this great occasion, however, the people have excelled themselves in placing their homes, and their hospitality, at the disposal of the Legion, and we trust that when the delegates leave places. Scores of large Toronto in- the Motor City for their homes at The Great. Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Limited of Canada Welcomes the CANADIAN LEGION CONVENTION DELEGATES As a Canadian Organization, serving the people of Canada from coast to coast, we ex- tend greetings to the men of the Empire's forces who will be assembling here for this historic gathering. The Canadian people are filled with undy- 'ing gratitude to the men who served on land and sea, and in the air, and we join with them in wishing for your organization a successful convention, leading to greater success in your work in years to come. tlantic & Pacific c a large, grassy area 'which is avail- MAYOR ERNIE MARKS the close of the convention, they will do so with pleasant memories of the city in which they have been gath- ering, and of the people who have been trying to make them feel at home. Farm Buildings Burn Kemptville.--Fire of unknown origin destroyed the barn and outbuildings belonging to Homer Acton, four miles southwesj of Oxford Mills, on Tuesday night. No person was living on the property. A small quantity of last season's crop was in the barn as well as some machinery, which was also lost. The loss is partly covered by insurance, Greetings From Mayor Marks To the Officers and Members of the Ontario Provincial Command, Canadian Legion: Greetings. As Mayor of the City of Oshawa, | have had no more pleasing obligation placed up- on me since my, term of office began than that of welcoming to our progressive city the delegates to your provincial convention, Our citizens have long looked forward to the pleasure of having you assem- bled in our midst to carry on your important deliberations, and, we hope, to enjoy the pro- gram of entertainment which has been arranged for you. I feel it is my duty, in this mes- sage, to assure you of the pride we feel in having our city selected as your place of meeting for the year 1931, and we wish to express that pride by doing everything in our power to assist you in making your convention a success. We in Oshawa are glad to welcome the Ontario Provin- cial Convention of the Cana- dian Legion to our city be- cause we are a loyal and patriotic people. The list of names on our city's war mem- orial shows that Oshawa nedd take secomd place to no cr m- munity in Ontario for the sac- rifices made by her sons and daughters in the cause of country and Empire. When the call came in the years from 1914 to 1918, the manaood of Oshawa made a splendid res- ponsc, and went 'overseas in their hundreds and thousands to answer the call. Manv of them did not come back, and we honor their memories, an. look upon it as a duty to see that their widows and children do not suffer. To those who did come back, we can say that we regard then as the backbone of our citizen~ ship. In their 'organization, they have made a decided con- tribution to the citizenship of the community, and I can aj- sure you that they have confi- dence and the hearty support of the people of Oshawa in all their undertakings. « As Mayor of Oshawa, T bid your convention welcome to the city, and again express the sincere hope that your conven- tion may be a happy and suc- cessful one, that you may ¢n- joy every moment of your stay in the city, and that in the future your organization may go forward to even greater achievements for Canada and the Empire, and for the dis- abled and the dependents of the fallen, than you have ac- complished in your glorious past. Yours very sincerely, ERNIE MARKS, Mayor of Oshawa. LT.-COL. J. KEILLOR MacKAY, D.S.0., V.D. Provincial President, Ontario Com- mand, Canadian Legion, _The Provincial President is a na- tive of Nova Scotia, with a distin- guished record as a soldier, as a Legionnaire, and as a barrister. His military record dates back to 1914, when he enlisted as a gunner in the Canadian Field Artillery. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1909, studying in that year in the Royal School of Artillery, also in the following year. In 1913, he was promoted to a captaincy. On the outbreak of war, Col. MacKay im- mediately offered his services, and was appointed provisional lieuten- ant in the 6th Brigade, CF.A. He 'went overseas with the brigade, and was rapidly promoted until wound- »d in action in February, 1916. Re- turning to France, at the Battle of the Somme in September, 1916, he was appointed to the command of his old unit, 6th Brigade, CF.A. During the strenuous last 100 days of the war, Col. MacKay command- ed the "MacKay group" consisting of three brigades of field artillery. During this period he was seriously wounded in the chest and right shoulder. His heart was still with the guns, and in 1920-1921 he organized the 14th Brigade, C.F.A, in Nova Sco- tia. At this period he completed his legal training, was called to the bar of Nova Scotia, and subse- quently to the bar of Ontario. Since discharge from the C.E.F., he has suffered constantly from his mul- tiple disabilities, and his constant activity on behalf of the Legion is remarkable in the light of the know- ledge that he suffered serious dis- ablement. In the Legion he has been a tower of strength. At the Winni- peg conference he was sclected as vice-chairman for the Dominion, and later he became Ontario's repre= sentative on the Dominion Executive Council, a position he still occupies. He has served successfully as sec- ond and first vice-president of the Ontario Provincial Command, and at Hamilton he was elected to the office of president, which he has filled with distinction. An orator of rare ability, and an organizing force of much value to the Legion, he still has before him the certainty of even higher honors at the hands of his comrades throughout the Do~ minion, RY C. M. MUNDY, I'resident. 9 T. L. WILSON Canadian Legion Advertising Manager Member Oshawa Branch -- The =~ Oshawa Daily Times Welcomes the Legion To Oshawa | 'As an institution of service to the community the OSHAWA DAILY TIMES takes pride in welcoming to Oshawa our distinguished guests and delegates to your annual convention, Your organization is based on high ideals of service, and in welcoming you we do so with the wish that your convention may be an inspiration to you to "Carry On". Read the Times Daily For Authoritative and Complete Reports of the Convention Extra copies of today's special edition to send to your comrades and friends, can be secured at the Times Office, 57 Simcoe St. South. The Times For Service *M. McINTYRE HOOD, President; A, R. ALLOWAY, Managing Director. SRO WA Wa Editor Oshawa Branch Canadian' Legion