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The Acton Free Press Wed November 1974 Editorial In defense of Acton band It is always dangerous for councillors to do their talking before they do their investigating and Acton citizens begrudgingly led into a municipal marriage with their Georgetown neighbors see far too much of this from councillors whose wards do not encompass any of the former Acton area No one maintains that Acton was ever perfect but it is becoming more and more irritating to hear Georgetown neighbors criticizing established traditions which were acceptable in the former Acton The band grant situation is the most current Acton has a band it is proud of Not only is it the envy of many other municipalities it includes a junior program and many classes for adults or youngsters It is more than a band Everyone has known for years that the band receives a municipal grant It was the taxpayers who approved it and set its value Politicians who have tried to tamper with it have found out just how strong the feeling is for the Acton Band The band built the Acton Music Centre providing it with a home but also providing a popular social centre for the community Now the municipal marriage reveals that Georgetown treated its pipe band to a grant of 500 in a plebiscite but this was upped by Georgetown Council to In the meantime Acton stuck with its half mill levy This year then the Acton Citizens Band expected we presume its legislative entitlement With all this Georgetown area Councillor Harry Levy remarks that it looks like the Acton band has been relying on council for support and not raising money itself We suspect the good neighboring councillor has not taken too much time to investigate before making an observation Fortunately Councillor Garnet to correct such an impression Unfortunately though Council lor Levy apparently continued to More open land gone The open meadow between cemetery and Highway too 25 is due to be filled with 17 houses as permitted by Halton Hills council and the previous Acton council It will be sad to see this pleasant at last built upon Open space in town is at a minimum Mike Brodigan of Associates planning consultant for Hill explained to council these houses for people are the last to be allowed unler the set capacity for the sewage treatment plant A Beardmore representative nghtly questioned allowing more homes so near the tannery This is the piece of land where Decoration Day ceremonies were held for years and another hope for the land had been for the building of a mortuary for winter interment The delightful old pioneer home last lived in by the late Mrs Grindell is also owned by the developer and will be demolished There had also been hopes a small Acton museum could have been set up here Bit by bit our open spaces are built on More houses will be for sale MiniComment There was plenty of praise for the good behaviour of Acton children on Halloween until a stupid phone call was placed supposedly reporting a bomb in the bank Just one fool cant wreck a towns reputation try to compare the Acton band with the Georgetown band which we suggest is like comparing apples and oranges The instrumentation in a brass band is significantly different from that in a pipe band the number of members is vastly different and the kind of teaching organization is different Georgetown area councillors should also know about the kind of concerts and local appearances the Acton band makes without being paid based on the fact the band docs receive a municipal grant The Acton attitude to its band is perhaps different at the municipal level to that in Georgetown but it is one unique aspect of this town that lias been allowed to flourish It has won honors and it has represented the town admirably in area functions and concerts In fact we understand it has been engaged for Santa parades in Milton and Georgetown this year Marrying two towns and a town ship is undoubtedly difficult for councillors It is equally difficult for residents to comprehend It is doubly difficult when councillors are inclined to run rough shod over past traditions without careful investigation Acton people have seen so much of this their patience is shortening and their initial ef forts at understanding are being tested We suggest those councillors who serve the Georgetown area should be willing to listen to explanations from Acton area councillors when discussions involve that municipality just as we would expect the reverse should be true But if Acton traditions are simply to be sloughed off and made to parallel those of Georgetown residents can hardly be expected to be satisfied with a municipal struc ture that would allow this to happen or councillors who would perpetrate it It is indeed dangerous and unfair for councillors not to do their investigating and apply their understanding before they do their talking Foul weather doesnt ruffle the temperament of these fowl Sugar and Spice by bill smiley There is nothing drearier for anybody who is not one than an Old Sweat unless Is a collection of Old Sweats exchanging cheerful lies and trying to drink Canada dry about this time every year Although Im not much for the old soldier bit I find myself each year doing lot of remembering when Remembrance Day rolls around Just the other day I came across a photo that brought back a lol of memories There we were two of us Tony grinning as though he owned the world and looking over his shoulder with a crop of dark hair a huge sweeping handlebar moustache and a devilish glint In his eye yours truly I think it was taken in Brussels shortly after we escaped from prison camp We actually escape We just got sIck and tired of hanging around and left The blasted war had been over for about seven days and there we were stuck behind barbed wire The only difference between that and Ihe situation a month before was the guards up In the boxes were Russians instead of Germans At our our incarceration didnt end with the Yonks or the British rolling into the camp in and throwing who wept and kissed their We were liberated by the Russians They didnt have any cigarettes to throw around they didnt know what a chocolate bar was and they didnt particularly want to be kissed They threw a guard around the camp and told us to stay put Our senior officers told us the same They didnt want us wandering around the countryside being shot by some drunken Kooshian Bored silly Tony and I decided wed had enough of that dump So about four lock one morning wc nipped the wires with a pair of borrowed w Ireclippers crawled several hundred feet through grass very well and headed for home It sounds incredibly daring and fool hardy and it did make the heart thump a hit but it wasnt either of those It was just stupid However we made It to the Canadian lines in three days hitching and hiking and a very enjoyable time we had of it In fact we caught a plane to Brussels another to England and were there about four days before the other chickens got out of the coop was an irrepressible character He was a Yank from Oakland California who had joined the Most of his compatriots switched to the S air force when the latter got into the war but Tony didnt bother He didnt bother about much of anything except enjoying life He had a big homely mug but was a terror with the ladies He was strong and tough and cynical and witty This may be hard to believe but this It was August 1M4 One evening after flying we decided In walk down In the beach in Normandy There was nothing of Interest to do back at the wing the padres had cleaned up the tiny whiskey supply In the met At beach a Liberty ship was unloading jeeps There was a line of them parked on the sand guarded by two British soldiers Tony walked up to one of Ihem ami said How much do want for a jeep buddy I nearly fell over Five quid responded the Limey Tony peeled off five notes He was flush as he was a gambler and a dealer He drove the jeep away to a place of privacy rounded up some paint and roundels and the legend Canada on it He was only lowly Flying Officer to own jeep during the Normandy We came home on the same ship He picked up five hundred dollars in the twenty four hour crap game lost most of it built It back up to Havent seen him since we landed but wherever he is lndi Ill bet hes rich Not all the memories are so pleasant of course Three of us shared a tent in Nor mandy were all shot down within 10 days and Im only one alive My parents received three telegrams from the Deportment of National Defense Each of them began We regret to inform you One son was blown up by a land mine and lost an eye The second was missing in action The third was shot down over the Channel By some strange working of fate were all n t Remember Colorful enterprising Halton Sketches Sir Donald Mann left his mark on railroad system THIS HOUSE IN ACTON now occupied by the Eugene family was bought for Hugh Mann by his son Sir Donald Mann Hugh Mann was buried from the home in 1911 The family has since made extensive renovations but the home can still be identified By John McDonald One of the most remarkable men Canada ever produced was born on March just outside Acton on Lot Concession north of the Bannock bum School Donald Mann the fifth child of Hugh and Helen Mann abandoned his parents plans to become a Presbyterian minister and went on to become one of the most colourful and enterpris ing men of his time At the age of twentyone Donald left farm life and be came foreman of a lumber company in Northern Ontario in short time In Donald like several young Ontario men went West to Winnipeg working on the railroad lines and contracting with the Canadian Pacific Railway By he had met Wil liam MacKenzte and established the famous con tracting firm Mann which in purchas ed the Charter of the Cana dian Northern Railway The firm eventually controlled over miles of railway In the West and in Northern Ont ario Several small contracts were undertaken by the com pany as well as the Crows Nest Pass which they secur ed in 1897 at the then phen omenal coat of per mile The King and Duke as they were dubbed expanded their holdings by accepting financial handouts from levels of government muni cipal provincial and federal They gave business to sub contractors who were fre quently of their own creation They built hotels created telegraph companies ex press companies and grain elevators acquired coal and iron mines They created trust companies and at one time were In control of the Toronto Suburban Railway which was the electricradial system which ran from Tor- to via George town and Acton Mann envisioned a network of these electric railways throughout Southern Ontario which would feed his Cana dian Northern System As outright gifts the Cana dian Northern had by received more than seven million acres of government land In addition to a quarter of a billion dollars In cash and guarantees from public funds The ad ministration spent many a session in debate regarding the provision of further funds to MacKenxle and Mann Two young lawyers who led the debates were to become Prime Ministers It was Ar thur Melghan who pressed the case for MacKenzie Mann while Richard Bennett argued that the duo wanted the country to pay their debts The MacKenzie Mann Company was on the verge of bankruptcy and was even tually taken over by the fed eral government and Incor porated into the Canadian National Railways Of Scottish ancestry Sir Donald Mann received his in Acton before venturing into the lumber camps of Northern Ontario and travelling West to make his fortune Sir Donald was a large powerful man and be gan his career with an axe In his hand In the lumber camps and on the construction sites When the railroad con struct Ion had come to an end in the West he travelled to points in the United States contracting and eventually spent a year in Chile fighting Spaniards and Indians while constructing a railway for the Chilean government It is said that while In China trying to obtain business for the firm Sir Donald met Russian Count at a night club The Count took offence to a remark made by Sir Donald and challenged him to a duel with swords Following his companions advice Sir Donald accepted the challenge but Insisted that the weapons be the broadaxe as it was the nat weapon of Canada Needless to say the duel did not take place Sir Donald Mann married Jennie Williams at Winnipeg in March and they had one son Donald Cameron Mann Sir Donald was knight ed by King George In 1911 and was present by invitation at the coronation of King George and Queen Mary and was later presented to them Although Sir Donald was considered to be a man of a few words he was certainly a very opinionated individual He was the author of articles on naUonal questions and contributed to the National Review Saturday Evening Post several other periodicals Although Sir Donald was a public figure for many years and become extremely weal thy and well travelled he never forgot his home in Ac ton Some citizens can still re call his private train pulling into lnwn and parking on a siding near the Acton station while he visited his aging father who died in 1911 Moore in his recollec tions carl Acton recalls when Donald Mann returned to Acton and paid every cent that had been owing to a group of local men from an old debt which resulted in he a brother losing a farm near Crewsons Corners in their youth A few days later the surprised creditors got to gether and held a Tine for Donald Mann at the mm ion Hotel Sir Donald Mann died In Toronto at the age of on November 10 In spite of his he maintained a daily contact with his busi ness affairs and visited his of fice up to the very day hedled Donald Mann was not a highly educated man but possessed a keen and obser vant mind He was credited with the ability to size up a territory and to obtain the best possible route for a new railway line Through his magnificent energy aggressiveness and ability Sir Donald left his mark and made his contribu tion lo the building of the con tinental railroad system in Canada and has made Acton proud of one of Its native sons The Free Press I Back Issues 20 years ago Token from tin- Issur of Mir free Press 1 1031 It was night at council thin week hour local subdivisions in daggered Hinges of development Involved council in a drawn out didnt break up until am Tuesday morning member groped nut of the of the chamber Willi the progress of two housing development about hint worried ifie fourth Cobble Mill ame first along with mem bent of Hie public utilities ommhislon who met ouiicll In the newly put riled room to mill down agreement that water and sewer services the lot area he Installed by town employed and under local An men day md si altered showers failed to provide the usual bright netting for tire annual Plowing Match on the now in I rlday of last week Inadequate lighting In stone school members of Public School Tuesday evening to ill for lighting ex pert of the I make nil appraisal of proper requirements in the rooms round deficient Ivor live and excited youngsters converged on the Saturday afternoon for The most successful party was by llie manager Hi insisted by Jack Holmes dressed i lun gistrition ol 111 began night classes it Acton I huh school Tuesday evening In the school shop woodworking is under the instruction of the regular shop teacher There then Kill of sketching to in iiili and beginners oil painting while Hi it of hit el tier pits in the advanced Minting group 50 years ago Taken from he of he free 10JI A fire which looked serious for a few minutes occurred lie residence of Mr Alexander Church Street a few minutes before noon on Monday Mrs Mac was preparing dinner and burned he coal fire a bit a slick or so of wood The pipe became over heated and in way fire communicated with the studding between the lathing and the wall and ran up to attic and through the roof in a few places Mrs Macdonald is alone but notified members of the family phone and then battled with the flames In a few minutes quite a number of citizens gathered The prompt work of a bucket gadc soon the flames Chief and the firemen were soon on the scene and by well directed orders avoided damage by water The wind was blowing briskly at he time and in a few minutes the fire have been serious had not been promptly des three clock on Saturday after noon luring he westerly gale which pre vailed spark from lie chimney of Mr Duncan farm house on the second line fell on the roof and in a minute or two the upper par of the house was in flames Mr McDougall was at the house at the time replacing screen door for a storm door As soon as fire was noticed he climbed to Ihe roof with a pail of water hut found once that he could not cope with the lames 75 years ago Taken Irani he Isiue of I- rcc Press into Councillor Harbor of Georgetown visit ed Acton one evening a week or so ago to investigate the qualities of our electric lighting system At the last meeting of Georgetown council when the subject of electric lighting was under discussion he expressed himself as follows I recently paid a isit to Acton and made an lion of the system there first was not favorable but upon a more minute examination I found it very satisfactory He also said he considered that Georgetown was not getting value for the money paid for lighting and he believed that an effort should it least be made to have the present lighting more satisfac tors The annual meeting of the Womens Foreign Missionary Socictv in Knox church this afternoon at three o clock promises to be an occasion of much interest In addition to ihe ladies of Knox church a number from the other congregations in town will accept the kind invitation to he present Mr and Mrs Henderson M P Mr and Mrs John Henderson and Mrs McKeague and Messrs Charles Milton Gordon and Thomas Henderson were In THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and OfflCD Jlft mS nut in vtnt of but will or Mr vug an otter to Copyright