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

page VtediiMday Beardmore Hub Of Acton For Over A Century THE BEARDMORE Tan In Acton were the drawing card which brought residents to the town This photo was found in a pam dated when Ac ton population totalled most of whom were employees and their families The tanneries employed men and covered 1 000 square feet OLD ACTON KB- of working space mere are est nil approximately mm implojed and the operation occupies less Door because today things are more automated and BEARDMORE S club on Fairy Lake was Just one of the many recreation facilities provided for the employees of the firm The boats in the photo belong to Mr Landsborough whose home and public boat rental was situated across the lake from the club Mr Land borough paid a one dollar lifitimc to Mr Hi irdmore for the privilege putting his boats on lake CHILDHOOD MEMORIES for Charles Lands bo rough was attending l he Acton Baptist Church which was built In 1899 The church was founded in 1B42 with ten members The driving shed where the worshippers parked their horses buggies is still standing buck of the original building It can be removed until the church dec to add on extension according to a Mi 1mdsborough Ins organist for THE OLD Station Hotel as rebuilt by Sam Las by in 1913 Previously it was an old with a cement porch and balcony like the yearold daughter now Mrs ones you see in western Mary Osborne Fell over hi movies Old Sam removed railing and broke her leg the balcony after his four more compact The Grand Trunk Railway made Acton an ideal spot for Beard more warehouses The tanneries can be seen the background Young People Ready To Offer Their Services Over the past few years it has become increasingly popular with young people In Georgetown to find some way of helping their community during the summer Some people Join service clubs some join the recreation depart programs or other organizations designed for community minded citizens and still others create their own organization The latter of course is made possible by the government grants known as Opportunities for The projects are planned by young people of secondary or post secondary school age early in the year and are sent to to be ap proved then throughout the summer the youths run and control their own organization with only requested or necessary help from the project supervisor This year there are two OFY projects in Georgetown which plan to help the community One is a play school for all pre schoolers aged three to five and the other is a French language day camp for children The play school is colled CAP 74 Creative Activities for Pre schoolers In this program children will be involved in activities ranging from crafts and games to creative play and songs during the months of July and August The six members of CAP Fisher Mike Deere Nancy Cathy Hen Kevin Fisher and Peggy Levers received a grant or over to cover the expenses involved and have been able to procure Knox Presbyterian Church to use as a base tor the activities The second project Diver pour Is a day camp planned for any child who can understand French The project will run through the summer under the supervision of eight regular and lour part time workers Pauline Chaisson Pauline Casey and Nancy Hayes are the project representatives for Divertissement pour They will be conducting tivlties in art sewing drawing and cooking in the mornings and a program of sports will be run In the afternoons Many of the people involved in both projects were involved In similar projects last year Last year projects were both successful and the experience gained from them by the organizers will undoubtedly prove extremely useful in running and planning this year s activities THE NEXT you pass this old barn on at sixth line think of Evan and Sally Price who built it in NEVER TOUCH a drowning victim or he may you in too swimming true tor Miss Cathy Ashley told a group of M Bennett Five of their descen who arc still living in Acton said they feel a twinge of emotion every time they drive tin old place though wt never lived iherc we feel that the place Is very much a part of us The village of Acton had its origin long before It became official on July 1B74 with a populotionofBOO most of whom were employees and their families The Acton tanning business was founded In 1840 by Abraham Nellis In George L brought hts tanning operation to Acton after been successful In Toronto Hamilton and He look over the tannery which formed the nucleus of the great organization that has long since been the backbone of Acton It is now the largest and most diversified tanning operation in the British Empire At that time it was devoted exclusively to the manufacture of oak sole leather In the 1880 the sons George TorrenceandW D Beardmore bought a small wooden plant and made several additions to it Hi Talks On Halton Hills council after expressing a strong disagreement with the Ministry of Housing proposals to en courage house construction in the area decided to meet with town planner Mario Vendltti During a committee of the whole meeting Monday the council agreed to arrange a special meeting with Mr VendJttl to discuss the program and start a future development plan for the town However many of the councillors felt that stricter measures were needed and councillor Harry Levy proposed that the council prepare a brief expressing their displeasure of the ministry plans I think that the ministry Is waiting for a reaction from us and we should give them one he said We should prepare a brief on their proposals Councillor Em Hyde agreed to the Idea and added that the council s reaction should be In the negative We should give them the biggest fattest no ever he added When I brought out the Toronto region plan there was no reaction from the area because we were prepared to go along with the plan as a slow growth designation he said Now they re going for a complete reversal Councillor Hyde pointed out that if council did not react It would be like accepting the ministry plans If we don moke static they re assured that we re willing to go along with the plans he said The government la quite happy to sucker anyone they can he said They got the GO train up here and now they re in a bind with the housing situation Other councillors expressed objections to the provincial governments dealing in the area Councillor Les blamed the province for slowing the developments of the area Provincial regulations held up he developments for the past few years and now that the price of land has escalated they come out with housing project he argued All of a sudden things seem to have changed He added one note of relief for the other councillors that the for the manufacture of harness leather When the senior died his four sons carried on the business and added yet another operation belting leather They kept adding until they covered over one million square feet of floor space and included chrome sole upper case bag and strap leather Today Beardmore Is much the same only more automated and more compact By had 500 men regularly employed The company made every possible provision for the welfare of Its employees One of their schemes was to build sixty homes for their employees and rent them for a nominal fee of to a month to help beat the high cost of living TRe homes still stand on what Is now known as Poplar Crescent and Cameron Ave at the petition of their men they opened a store in lis Want Housing town could only grow as quickly as its sewage treatment plant is able to expand We re still faced with the same problem of whether capabilities of the municipality can handle the growth where are we going to put the affluent from the people he questioned Last week two represen from the ministry of housing Bob Holmes and Peter Martin met with the general administration Committee to discuss the province needs for the housing Acton known as the Co operative where the employees could buy provisions and cheaper than elsewhere Another feature of the business was the splendid club recreation facilities they provided for their employees at a nominal charge The privileges of membership Included tennis courts grounds and bowllnR greens and the use of a social club house which covered the area where Canadian Tire and Foodland now stand and much of the grounds behind it They had a wicker cart with a pony to give youngsters rides They also built a large skating rink on the firm s property with a seating capacity for spectators and a boating club on Fairy Lake These nitons of en tertainment lent attractions to lire in the small town of Acton which made it compare very favorably with the city existence Access to markets via the Grand Trunk Railway and later the Toronto Suburban Electric Railway made Acton a desirable spot for industry Others soon followed In 1B6B the Storey Glove Company was established on Bower Avenue overlooking Hendersons Pond By 187G they were selling 35 pairs of gloves to wholesale houses In Toronto and Montreal Back in those days it was the only place where a girl could go work other than teaching and mu sing In 1954 they closed the plant that stood where the new post office now stands The Beardmore operation was turned over to Canada Packers With the advent of television after the second world war tennis and lawn bowling popularity petered out and the firm gave up Its recreational facilities Beardmore has brought several generations or residents to Acton Including the last two generations who came with the closing of the Tanneries In Bracebridge and There are no Beardmore descendants left In Acton They are scattered throughout On Carlo But the old folks of Acton like to reminisce about the good old days when was the hub of the town DAVE SALE entertains a packed auditorium with an oboe solo Mr Sale who has his master degree In music instruction will Introduce a musical Instrument course at the high school next semester THE ACTON Citizens Junior they made their first public Band delighted a packed the band hall house Wednesday night when In the morning and afternoon they staged dress rehearsals at Acton two public schools Herald Photo to announce the upcoming OFY summer project Junior Band OFY Summer Program The present members of the Acton Citizens Junior Band mode their first public ap pearance together Wednesday night at the Band Hall directed by bandmaster George Elliott Most of the members are products of an Opportunities for Youth program that was held last summer in Acton Again this summer free instrument lessons are being taught to Acton youngsters from Grade five through high school age to give them something thwhlle to fill their summer days cornet trombone trench horn and baritone in by Barbara Pratt Caolyn Mary Watson David Marcoux Dave Morris and Janet Allan senior band members The classes will be conducted for one hour a day from July to August For two weeks July to August music students will attend a day camp at Rockwood which will Include swimming hiking games and picnics as well as musical in Transportation Is provided free Next semester the high school Is introducing a course in Instrumental music Instructed by Dave Sale who has a masters degree in music So this is a great opportunity for high school students to get a head start For more in formation call Misa Barbara Pratt Busy Week For Acton Citizens Band It was a busy week for the Acton Citizens Band Tuesday night the senior band led the motorcade of election can dldates through Acton to the Robert Little School auditorium for a meet the people evening Wednesday morning and afternoon the Junior band visited Acton public schools to announce the summer program and to sign up recruits Barbara Pratt senior band member and clarinet instructor led the band in what was really their first public appearance Wednesday evenings the junior and senior bands presented a concert of In music In the band hall It was a delightful In formal evening of marches waltzes solos duets trios and quartets Bandmaster George Elliott introduced each piece with a history of the Instrument Ihe selection and the entertainer The idea of the concert was to give the Junior band members an opportunity to play together and to hear the senior band In unison The junior band was formed last summer as a result of OFY protect Other members resulted from the adult music classes held Tuesday nights at the band hall It Is usually two years before the of the junior band ore ready to move up to senior level explained bandmaster George Elliott and then we start all over again with a fresh new group The Acton Citizens Band has brought music to the area since George continued And in those 103 years there have been only four band masters He said that back In there were bands all along the railway line in Georgetown Brampton Guelph and Acton John Hill led the band for many years until the Mason brothers Charlie Amos and Bert took it over The boys and girls band was started by Charlie Mason when all the senior band members were called away to Ihe service during Ihe second World War There have since been many Junior bands in Acton George went on to say that John Hill taught Charlie Mason to play Charlie Mason taught me and now I teaching the next andmastcr In the Interim between Ihe Masons and George Elliott Alf led the Acton band for many years until George was old enough to step also conducted for many years in he Scots regimental band in Georgetown MARCHING TO AN ELECTION Herald Photo and Archie Brown held a meet thepeople evening Eugene Minister of Agriculture ate a hpme grown beef sandwich before a large crowd at the Erin WHELAN BEEFS IT UP AT RALLY fairgrounds last Sunday to emphasize that he will stand firm against American threats of retaliation con Canadas decision to halt Imports of cattle con talnlng the growth hormone candidate Herald Photo Prank at left and Wellington candidate Frank Maine la at right