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A Smashing Idea! The Esquesing Historical Society recently sent an idea to Council for them to consider when they sit down to redraft demolition permit procedures. They pledged to do so following the destruction of an historic home on Maple Avenue, Georgetown in June. The EHS simply suggested that the applicant must provide a photograph of the subject building with the permit. This photograph would be forwarded to the EHS archives after the building was demolished. It is a small step, but at least an image of all town buildings would be preserved. Changing Times: "Further troubles is [sic] reported between the Protestant Indians of Oka and the French Canadians. A number of Protestant gentlemen have left Montreal, armed, to protect the Indians." Acton FreePress, 16 March 1876 The Temperance Movement in Esquesing by Richard E. Ruggle The power of granting tavern licences was held by municipalities, until the 1875 Crooks Act transferred that authority, and the potential for patronage that accompanied it, to a provincial board. Under the old regime, rate-payers might seek to control the sale of alcohol through their municipal council. This was formally acknowledged in the 1864 Dunkin Act, which provided that councils 'shall have power at any time to pass a by-law for prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors and the issue of licences therefor.' Long before, however, Esquesing voters sought a similar effect, when William Barber and 159 others petitioned in 1856 that no saloon licences be granted within the township. Though their attempt failed, the town of Georgetown limited the number of tavern licences it would grant to four in 1865 and five in 1867. (1) Many of the hotel-keepers denoted themselves as belonging to the Church of England: Mary Ann Preston of Silver Creek, George Gibbs of the British Hotel in Ballinafad and George Matthews of the British American Hotel in Norval. But when petitions were presented to the township council on their behalf in 1865, they deemed it politic to underline that the support for their enterprise was broad enough to include such prominent Dissenters as Joseph Hilts father of the Methodist Episcopal 'backwoods preacher') and James Menzies, the