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PAGE 8, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28,1979, WHITBY FREE PRESS EinWinte' Hitorea I w- Whitby BANK 0F MONTREAI On March 31 the Bank of Montreal in Whitby-celebrates its 25th anniversary and invites the town's citizens to a reception in honor of this auspicious event. ý The 25th anniversary is a bit misleading, for although the bank has been in operation in Whitby continuously since March 1, 1954, there was actually a branch 0f the Bank of Montreal in Whitby 100 years before the present brçinch opened. TheBiiànk of Montreal had the honor of being the first bank to locate in Whitby. At that time, Whitby was the newly-named County Town of the County of Ontario, and much of the legal and poesoa business 0f the new county was about to be centered in Whitby. The Bank of Montrea 1 onened in, 18P.53 (some sources say 1857, but we tend to believe thie earlier date Is correct), and was located in a large house on the South side of Gilbert Street between Brock and Byron Streets. Today this site is the parking lot of the Safeway Centre. The house was bull t by Thomas Dow, the manager of the bank. It was a large two-storey brick building, with a one-storey wing to the west where the Bank of Montreal office was located. The house was la ter owned by H. B. Taylor and J.H. Downey, and was demolished in the spring of 1966. Thomas Dow was a memnber of a very prominent Whitby pioneer family, He was born at Auchinderran Farm in the Parish of Marnoc h. Ranffshire. Scotland in 1818. and emmigrateci to Canada in 1832 with. his parents and nîne brothers and sisters. The Dow family settled on the third concession (Rossland Road) on a farm called Glendhu. The original homestead Stil stands today. Mr. Dow started bis business career as a clerk for John Skae of Skae's Corners (Oshawa), and spent the greater part of bis life as a bank manager in Whitby. He died in 1894, and was described as "«an excellent type of old country banker" who kept the confidences and business affairs of bis patrons absolutely safe. The Bank of Montreal was Whitby's only bank until 1866, wlien the Royal Canadian Bank opened an office in the town. Managers of the Bank of Montreal in its early days in Whitby were Thomas Dow, 1853-1863; W.R. Dean, 1863-1866) and G.W. Yarker, 1866-1867. The Whitby branch 0f the Bank of Montreal closed in 1867. On March 1, 1954, the bank re-opened in Whitby on Brock Street South, in the building now occupied by the Donald Travel agency. Among those present at the officiaI opening were Whitby Clerk-Treasurer John Frost, Whitby Township Reeve Heber Down, Whitby Township Deputy Reeve Morley Ross, Chamber of Commerce President Robert G. Langford, Charles H. Chaytor, manager of the Whitby Industrial Commission, and Rev. David Marshall f St. Andrew's Preshyterian Church. The first manager of the new branch was Jack McKone, a man who wa s very active in community affairs in Wliitby. He was campaign chairman for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind building fund, treasurer of the Oshawa General Hospital building fund, campaign manager 0f the Whitby Community Chest, and treasurer of the Whitby Senior B hockey club. He was also a director of the Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Whitby Rotary Club. The Bank f Montreal remained in the location where it opened, until 1960 when it moved into the modemn office building at the Four Corners on the site f the old post office. Managers f the Bank 0f Montreal in the past 25 years have been Jack McKone, Colin Sutherland, Don Robertson and Joe Sharp. Mr. Sharp became manager in November 1978. Mr. McKone is retiredand living in Thedford, Ontario; Mr. Sutherland is retired and living in Walkerton; and Mr. Robertson is at the Oshawa Centre Bank f Montreal branch. DAFFODIOLS FOR CANCER Margaret Peterman, 0f 309 Byron Street North, buys a dozen daffodils from Beta Sigma Phi member Carol Routly. Members of Beta Sigma Phi, dressed in yellow smocks, will be selling daffodils for the Canadian Cancer Society, in Whitby, Brooklin and Oshawa from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. March 29, 30 and 31. Four thousand dozen daffodils, sold in pre-orders, were delivered to local business and industry on Tuesday and today. The Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, one of the key organizatïonÉ in this year's Cancer Society fund-raising drive, is in charge of the annual daffodil sales. Free Press Photo, THE DUIIHAM BOARD 0F EDUCATION PRE-SCHOOL REGISTRATION 1979 WHI TBY FAMILY OF SCHDDLS Parent s of chiidren who wili attain the age of 5 years by the last day of 1979 are requested to register their children for KINDERGARTEN for the school year 1979- 1980 at the public school serving their district according to the following schedu le: Dr. R. Thornton 723-9912 April 3 9:00- 11:45 E.A. Fairman 668-2251 April 5 1:00 - 3:30 Reg istration may be made on the dates shown above or oy speciai' arrangements with the Principal. Birth Certificates are required as proof of age. Public Healfh Nurses wili be in attendance and request the child's record of immunization. If there are any questions regarding boundaries for each School, please contact the principal of the nearest school, whose telephone number is listed above. An alternative program: TOTAL FRENCH IMMERSION is offered at: Sir John A. Macdonald P.S. 839-1159 (Pickering) Westmount P.S. 725-1422 (0O1shawva) To obtain more information - contact the school In your di strict or the two s.rhools concerned.