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16 -- PORT PERRY STAR ANNIVERSARY ISSUE -- Tuesday, September 20, 1988 Dr. Matt Dymond writes about Port Perrys past Someone once told me that when one talks of the Past, that's a sure sign of aging! | agree with that statement particularly if one becomes ob- sessed with the Past, but in my defense Mr. Pub- lisher | can say "You asked me!" But of course you didn't really ask that | dwell on the past; rather that | may note the changes in our community in the now 46 years | have lived in Port Perry. On Saturday May 2nd, 1942 | drove into Port Perry at 9 a.m., to take up practice here since | had re- cently become a partner in Medical Practice with Dr. George Rennie. Queen Street was. then the "connecting link" through the Village on Highway 7A and | was struck with the natural beauty of what | saw; the large maple trees just then coming into full leaf, an apple orchard on the south side of the street showing some sign of blossom. I've thought often of that, what appeared to be quite a large orchard right on the Main Street of the Village. | was soon to see another a large or larger on what was then (so | was told) the "Oshawa Road". But they contributed to the beauty and at- tractiveness of the Village, at least for me. Inciden- tally, on Queen Street a block east of the orchard, was a sign telling all who would read it that the pop- ulation of Port Perry was1150; now, 46 years later it is nearly 4000. Perhaps that is a good note of which to begin thinking of change about which much has been said and written. | particularly like what one of the ancient Greek Philosophers said about it, "There is nothing permanent except change", and the truth of that statement must impress itself on us even though we may at times tend to disagree with it. But this has nothing to do with the philosophical considerations of change; but rather what changes | have seen here in the past 40 odd years. Beginning with Queen Street which in my mind will always be the "Main Street", the first street in Port Perry which | travelled, and lived for 18 years, started (or ended) at the 6th concession of Reach Township and ran to lake Scugog. Between the west boundary of the village and Simcoe Street there were only 4 small homes; now | don't believe there is one vacant lot left. On the south side of Queen was the apple or- chard already mentioned and five homes. Now we have our Elementary school and many fine homes. The Public School as it was then called was part of the present High School building, but change bringing growth and new thinking and systems in Education made necessary much more space in both schools. Now the Secondary School with its' technical component occupies all the area formerly accommodating both schools and had to cross Ot- tawa Street to establish the sports field. In 1942 Ot- tawa Street was little other than a "track" leading to the only house which was demolished when the High School expanded. The business district of Port Perry consisted of the two blocks from John Street to Water Street and practically all on Queen Street. In that space (believe it or not) there were seven grocery stores- one a branch of a national chain store - Dominion Stores. Supermarkets had not yet appeared. There were 3 butcher shops, 2 drug stores, 2 bak- eries, 2 hardware shops which also looked after the plumbing needs of the village and indeed most of the surrounding townships. We had one jeweller, 1 menswear store, 1 dry- goods and general wear store, and 1 department store, which | left to the last deliberately because it is one of the three businesses remaining in and op- erated by the same family over all the years | have lived here. They are: Brock's Department Store; Emmerson's Insurance and Lake Scugog Lumber, which | still think of as Sam Griffens. Automobile sales rooms and Garages were lo- cated on Queen Street; Beare Motors (now Ander- son's, still in the same location); Williams was where HAIL and FAREWELL by M.B. Dymond -- M.P.P. Ontario Riding The following article was published in the first edition of the Port Perry Star under the ownership of Leila and Per Hvidsten on September 26, 1963 So accustomed have we, the readers of the Port Perry Star been to the idea that the paper was inextricably bound up with the Farmer family that it will be difficult to become quickly adjusted to the idea that it has passed into other hands. None-the-less, we do , all of us, most warmly | congratulate the new publishers -- Mr. and Mrs. Pe- ter Hvidsten on their acquiring the Star. We wel- come them to our midst and wish for them all possi- ble success in this extention of their operation. Publishing a "Weekly" is no new venture to Pe- ter and Leila -- they have been publishing our neighboring Uxbridge Times-Journal for some years and doing it successfully -- so successfully, in fact, that they have been the recipeints of several Awards for a variety of aspects of Weekly Newspa- per production. I know it will be a source of great pride and satis- faction for Port Perry folk to welcome back one of "our own boys" -- William Harrison (or Bill as he is well known). Bill learned the printing business in Port Perry -- he began an interest, | believe, under the late Mr. Samuel Farmer, who started the family tradition of our local paper. For a man of his relatively few years, he is a vete- ran in the newspaper field and all of his time has been with the weekly. To Bill will go every good wish for his success and the success of the "New" Star. It is an enexorable law of life that we rarely say "Hail" without an accompanying "Farewell". So it is now that in "Hailing" the new publishers and edi- tors, we have to bid farewell to the former ones. And for Port Perry that will not come readily or be easy. The late Samuel Farmer was a notable and highly regarded figure in the Weekly newspaper world and he reached that place of eminence through his own hard work and studious application to duty. He left a mark that will not soon be erased. But "the old order changeth, yeilding place to new" and so it is that a new era begins for the Port Perry Star. May it continue to keep us all well informed on matters of local interest, particularly -- and may it make still further contribution in the field of the "Weekly Newspapers". It's past will not soon be for- gotten -- | predict for it a bright and successful fu- ture. This predition is, | know, the hope and wish held for it and for it's new publishers and editors -- Peter and Leila Hvidsten and Bill Harrison -- by all the present readers and indeed all of us living with- in it's sphere of influence. the I. G. A. Store is now, and Archer Motors oCCu- pied the comer where the Royal Bank is Now. The only Hotel stood on the corner of Queen and Water Street where the C. |. B. C. is now. The hotel dining room and one restaurant were the only public eating places in the Village. Three barber shops were located on Queen Street and at the extreme East end stood the "Grist Mill" or the Elevator as it was frequently called. This was a very active business 40 years ago, but again "progress" brought an end to the mill and the build- ing, still much as it looked like then, is now occu- pied by a number of other businesses. Port Perry had only one bank then, "The Com- merce" and it occupied the building now housing the Standard Trust which came along when the C.1.B.C. acquired the old Hotel Property on which the Bank built its fine new building. Leaving Queen Street, on Water Street were the two Coal and Lumber establishments. One was Reesor's , then situated where the Old Railway Sta- tion stood and Lake Scugog Lumber , which was lo- cated where now stands the Library. Both these businesses re-located when the Park was devel- oped, Reesors moving to the site at the corner of Scugog and Water where we now have the plaza, and Lake Scugog Lumber, which is still operated by the Griffen family on the Oshawa Road. This is now a greatly expanded industry , since it was the TURN TO PAGE 20 EDITORIAL VIEWPOINT by Leila E. Hvidsten September, 26, 1963 A Message to our Readers With the sale last week of your home town pa- per one era of the Port Perry Star was completed and another started. : The Star was established in 1864 and next year it will observe its centennary, ranking with some of the older papers in the province. Since 1906 the Star has been operated by the Farmer family, first by Mr. S. Farmer until his death in 1948 and since that time by members of his family. Participating in its publication locally were Mr. and Mrs. Irving Boyd as your editors and managers and by Mr. Archie Farmer in the printing department. Mrs. M Boyd (nee Farmer), Ottawa, was a regular contributor of editorials until her death last year. Over half a century of publishing the same pa- per by members of the same family may not be ex- ceptional but it is noteworthy and we feel they have served their town well. We appreciate being given the opportunity of taking over the Star's publication and are grateful for the good wishes of family mem- bers. Henceforth Star readers will have as their editor a native son in the person of Bill Harrison. Bill began his newspaper career in the Port Perry Star and for the past several years has been managing editor for the Colborne Chronicle. We feel fortunate in re- claiming his services as editor in the town he likes so well and where he was active in sports and other community affairs. We ask for Bill, your co-operation and your consideration. We know he is going to do a fine job for us and more particularly, he is going to serve you well. As you have noticed, you now have a new page size--one that is increasingly growing in favour and which, we like to think, is a brighter, newsier format. Two or more local pictures will be carried each week. We hope you like your new Port Perry Star and would appreciate letters to the editor telling us so or, on the other hand, perhaps making suggestions of your own. And, incidently, there will always be space on the Star's pages for the Opinions of Oth- ers department. We hope you will use that space.