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1857 1 MAYOR WM. ANDERSON A MESSAGE FROM HIS WORSHIP MAYOR ANDERSON. . . During the century th at has elapsed since "W hite Oak" Chisholm first dream ed of a city situated at th e mouth of The Sixteen, Oakville has experienced the ups and dow ns that are the essential growing pains of all m unicipalities th at h av e been the pioneers and the p ath finders in the progress of Ontario a n d Canada. From a tiny ham let on the lake fringe of Upper C anada's rugged w oodland frontier, Mr. Chis holm 's Crown-granted tow nsite expanded to a bustling lake port . . . then becam e a quiet resort town upon the disappearance of the stonehookers from the Great Lakes w aterw ays. Today, with the opening of th e St. Lawrence S e a w a y . . . and due to her location m idw ay betw een tw o gigantic industrial metropolises, in the heart of the fabulous P latinum Rainbow . . . Oakville is in the n atio n al spotlight as the axis of one of C anada's most rapidly develop ing areas. We m ay well be proud of our town, as we look back upon its m arch of progress . . . and as we look forward to the contribution it will m ake to the prosperity and p leasan t w ay of l i f e th at w ill be enjoyed by our nation as a whole. On the eve of our C entennial Week, I would like to extend the w arm est of welcomes to all those w ho are returning to their hom e town to participate in this joyous c e le b ra tio n . . . and to salute all those who h av e labored so diligently to m ake th ese C entennial festivities possible. HOSPITAL The Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, health authorities unanimously agree, is second to none among the small hospitals in this province -- and offers accommodation and service that would do credit to many much larger city institutions. OTMH was built upon the initiative of town residents and their neighbours in Trafalgar Township, and in sev en short years has become an oustanding com munity asset. OAKVILLE'S PROGRESS -- 1857 TO 1957 Virtually hewn from the wilderness by our hardy forefathers, the port of Oak ville had its ambitious beginnings in servicing a broad area notable for its pro duction of wheat and timber. New industries -- foundries, mills and tanneries -- were attracted with the increased usage of the harbour . . . and the municpiality graduated from small village to urban centre. A flourishing commercial section speedily developed, and churches and schools soon guaranteed a proposed Town of Tomorrow. Diverting of commerce to the railways, during the last two or three decades of the 19th century, delayed tem porarily the fruition of the optimistic schemes of town planners ... for the tide of ex pansion dropped to low ebb for a time, and "Beautiful Oakville" basked in pleasant limelight as "a small, sleepy spot" that was regarded as an ideal "summer water ing place" for more prosperous Toronto residents. However, with the launching of Canada's great industrial era, and with the improvement of transportation facilities that began with the Toronto-Hamilton highway, Oakville once again came into its own . . . and began to blossom into the manufacturing centre planned by its founder. From a figure of scarcely more than 4,000 in 1940, the town's population has soared to a total of 10,007 this year . . . a population that rejoices in a standard of living that ranks with Canada's best. Like other towns faced with the pressing problems of an unprecedented ex pansion program, Oakville has moved slowly and deliberately as it sought to re main upon the even financial keel dictated by sound planning and good, old-fash ioned horse sense. But its townsfolk stand ready to play their part in helping to make Canada one of the world's great powers . . . and they are extremely confi dent in their ability to make that part an important one. INDUSTRY No less than 35 large and small industries con tri bute to the economy of Oakville . . . producing an infinite variety of merchandise that ranges from baskets to beauty preparations, and from plastic products to enamels and metal stampings. Som« of these manufacturers have kept pace with town expansion, while others have been attracted her# during recent years by that very expansion pro gram. All contribute a great deal in employment, taxation dollars, and a keen interest in planning a better Oakville. A typical, attractive plant is pic tured here. PROGRAM of IMPROVEMENTS The foresight of council, and of Oakville elected and appointed boards, has resulted in a well planned program of improvement. Most recent example of council's street building planning is Kerr St., the paving of which opens up a fine modern commer cial area. Other examples of careful planning will be a new west side school to augment an already sound public school system . . . and the completion, in conjunction with Trafalgar and Bronte, of the new T. A. Blakelock high school. / THE MAYOR and COUNCIL of THE CORPORATION of THE TOWN of OAKVILLE