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6-Orono WeeklyT.Imes, Wednesday., January 9. 1991 This is Simpson's Hill. It is situated on the Four-th Concession, between 115 lghway and crooked Creek. It is really mhe only hilI of any size on this Concession line, but it did cause a problem. The problem was with mhe right of way for the Canadian Northem Railway. The Canadian Northern Railway began its career in mhe far reaches of nortliern Ontario. It was n rail line intended to also cross the continent. The Canadian Pacific Railway had already donc ibis. The builders of the Canadian Northern was constructed by Mackenzie and Mann. As it turned ouIt hey over expanded their resources. To provide financial backing for the Transcontinental project they decided to build somne subsidiary lines in Soumhern Ontario, where they felt with larger populations and easier terrain they could make some extra revenue. One such railway project was to be mhe line that passed throuîI1 Ormn. Tflig was build ftom 1909 to 19 11. if we only trace this railway line from Starkville Station to Orono Station we will have confronted Simpson's Hili. Leaving Starkville Station, which was about midway between Starkville Corners and Crooked Creek, the rail line had to twist and turn and cross the Fourth Concession twice to circumvent the hill and make a level road bed. Perhaps one of the most note- worthy features of this rail line was to follow the shore-line of old Lake Iroquois. This pre-history lake was considerably larger than our Lake Ontario. By following the shore- line of this prehistoric lake the construction provided flot only a reasonably level topography but the sandy beaches were later to provide excellent sand and gravel for ballast. There is a bit of local history associated with this section of the railroad. When it was built, the first sod was turned by Miss Aggie Ferguson, whose father was a Clarke Township farmer. The sod turning was just east of the Starkville Station. The contractor chose to build the Une east to Port Hope and west through Orono. The last link in this rail Uine was causing a problem with Leigh's Ravine (at the Cenotaph). The question was to span the considerable ravine with a wooden trestle bridge or build the ravine with earth fill. The latter was chosen. The fill was the result of many workmen and horses using wheeled scrapers. As the fi becamne steeper one team1 would bring the scraper up mhe bill while another team would put a chain down to reach them and then ..snatch" the load to the top. It was laborlous work for man and beast "àM tI! P âf pay was 411 cents per hour. Because acco mmodations were crowded during construction, many workmen billet in houses or in a shed at the back of the hotel. During this crowded period, pollution becamne a problem mhen as it can now. Typhoid fever broke out and there were a large number of victims of the disease, some of whom succumbed to it. It was particularly unfortunate that many who were flot directly involved in the building of the railway were vîsitors at Orono Fair and the epidemic spread on that particular day. When the Canadian Pacific Railway was built through Northem Ontario it was said there were total casualties numbering "one casualty for every mile of steel laid". Many of these deaths were caused by dynamiting rock cuts. I arn aware of one omher accident just east of Orono. It was caused when the engine man drove bis train over a piece of unfinished rail. this occurred just west of mhe Grant Yeo home. It was just south of mhe Brough stone home. Part of the boiler of mhat engine remains buried in mhe marshy area at mhat location. There are still a number of area residents who can recall riding on mhe train to Toronto, especially at Exhibition time. This rail lie was later operated by the Canadian National Railway and aIl service was finally, closed in 1936. Considering the twenty-five odd yearsthis rail-line existed one could almost call it from "boom to bust". ManWs memnories are short ini ternis of history. Even our Ttanscontinental Systemn is today threatened. It was Thomas Huxley who said: "Size is flot grandeur, and territory does flot make a nation." Laidlaw for more Information (Fromn page 1) Newcastle. Laidlaws application to relocate the Trans-Canada Pipelines mhat intersect the site to accommodate their 'Infill' expansion was denied by the National Energy Board. A subsequent appeai by Laidlaw was also denied. Part of Laidlaw's original plan for the 'Infill' also included a 12 km sewer force main to remove leachate from the site to the Graham Creek Sewer Treatmnent Plant TI Newcastle. This part of the project was withdrawn by Laidlaw in 1990. The north mound at mie site reached capacity in August and tmere is a continuing controversy over Laidlaw's ability to continue to use the site at ail. Laidlaw's subsequent application for an 'emergency extension' to prolong the life of the site was denied by the Ministry of Environment. "Laidlaw is like a dog with a bone, il just won'î accept the fact mhat mhe site is no good" said Dave Scott. "They are still keeping the site open, they are still proceeding with mhe Infili' expansion and as far as we know, they have no plans to cancel their 'Main expansion' proposai for another 100 acres of landfill at mhesite. As a result, Our Committee, mhe Town, the Region and the Ministry must continue to spend considerable time and money to defend our community against mhis obvions threat to our environent!" by Dave Scott