December 2016 Volume 9: Issue 2 Remembrance Day 2016 Inside This Issue: FRIENDS & NEIGHBOURS: 2 SIDE ROADS of KINMOUNT 4
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Kinmount Gazette KINMOUNT GAZETTE THE KINMOUNT COMMITTEE FOR PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT December 2016 Volume 9: Issue 2 Remembrance Day 2016 Inside this issue: FRIENDS & NEIGHBOURS: 2 SIDE ROADS OF KINMOUNT 4 THE GREY JAY 5 THE HIGH FIVE CLUB 5 THE GALWEGIANS 6 THANK YOU TO OUR PATRONS 6 SPOT THE SHOT RECAPTURED 7 MOOSE BUSTERS 8 KIDS CORNER 9 THE HOT STOVE 10 KINMOUNT LIONS CLUB PICS 12 KINMOUNT HEALTH SERVICES FOUNDATION 13 SCHOOL SECTIONS 14 DOROTHY’S DELIGHTS 15 THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 441 15 IN THE LIONS DEN 16 The Royal Canadian Legion John THE LIBRARY LINK 16 McGrath Branch 441 held 2 MISTLETOE MAGIC 16 Remembrance Day Services in HOLIDAYS IN PIONEEER ONTARIO 17 Kinmount , Nov. 6 and Nov. 11. EDITORIAL 19 Thursday Dec. 1 Christmas Tree Get Results! Lighting ADVERTISE IN 6:30 pm THE GAZETTE! Saturday Dec. 3 Kinmount Train Station Rates per issue: Business Card Size $15 Carolling 8:30 am - 11 am Bonfire & Treats 2 x Business Card $30 St. James Free Photos with Santa 1/4 Page $40 Anglican Church 1/2 Page $75 Crego Street Full Page $150 FREE! [email protected] 705 - 488 - 2919 Farmer’s Market The Gazette is a non profit monthly publication produced by volunteers. 10 am - 2 pm COMMUNITY CENTRE The Gazette depends on advertising Free Christmas Crafts for Kids Upper Level Community Centre sales & donations to remain operating. Kinny Elf Hunt Free Kid’s Surprises various locations see page 9 We are very grateful for the continuing Special Prize at Kinmount Artisans Marketplace! Free Draw too! support of area businesses & patrons. Horse Drawn Wagon Rides at Railway Station 12:30 pm Do you enjoy the Gazette? Send a donation! Santa at Legion Meet 2 pm at Post Office & follow him up to the Kinmount Gazette, c/o KCPED, Legion for a Free Family Lunch - Gifts for kids 10 & under P.O. Box 17, Kinmount, On K0M 2A0 Christmas Music Night 7 pm Galway Hall Make cheques payable to K.C.P.E.D. Country Christmas Music with The Band Hughey Your name will appear in our Thank You to Our Patrons Section Desserts, Christmas Loonie Auction - Tickets $10 705.488.2635 Tax Receipts issued for Donations $25+ Kinmount Gazette Kinmount Committee for Planning and Economic Development Friends and Neighbours: Gamebridge & Uptergrove The village of Gamebridge Opened in 1863 to serve travel- sprang up in Mara Township lers on the local road, it was a at the point where the centre large structure that was owned line bridge crossed the Talbot by the famous family of William River. The Talbot River starts Mackenzie from Kirkfield. The in Bexley and Laxton town- hamlet declined as business was ships and flows into Lake drawn away by the larger centres Simcoe at Gamebridge. It is a of Beaverton and Orillia. The very shallow stream that was hamlet of Brechin just to the often impassible for much of north became the township seat the year. However, it was an and Gamebridge languished. The important part of the native arrival of the Trent Canal helped canoe route between Lake a bit. The newest change to the Simcoe and the westernmost Canal at Gamebridge meant a of the Kawartha Lakes: Bal- new route and high bridge over sam Lake. When Champlain the Canal. passed through the area in Today Gamebridge contains 1615, it was mostly impassi- about 360 residents and relies ble. A few miles up the Talbot mostly on tourism generated by River from its mouth at Lake Simcoe and the Canal. Eve- Gamebridge, the Natives ry spring the Talbot River fills abandoned the River and por- with spawning pickerel, blocked taged along its route to Bal- by the dams from going up- sam Lake. When the Trent stream. Canal was completed in the late 1800s, the Talbot River was dammed and turned into Uptergrove part of the Canal. Three locks Along the northeast shore of were built from Bolsover to Lake Simcoe in Mara Township Gamebridge with this section lies the hamlet of Uptergrove. It opened in 1907. Gamebridge is located between Atherley and became a port on the Canal. Brechin on Highway #12. The A post office was established north end of Mara Township was at this site in 1869 and operat- settled by Scots from the outer ed until 1970. No records Islands. Unlike their southern exist that point to where the kinsmen in Thorah and Brock, name comes from, but no these new immigrants were ad- doubt the bridge played a herents to the Roman Catholic role! The hamlet contained religion. They established a the usual pioneer trappings: “station” at Uptergrove as well blacksmith shop, Presbyterian as one in Orillia and Brechin. In Church, as many as 3 general 1855 the parish of Mara was stores, a railway station and established based on Uptergrove. the famous Gamebridge Inn. A small frame church was soon Page 2 Kinmount Gazette Kinmount Committee for Planning and Economic Development Friends and Neighbours, cont. from p.2 out grown by the congregation and Photos on page 2 clockwise the massive brick church chris- from left: tened St Columbkilles was started in 1907. The church is rumoured St. Columbkille’s Roman to be haunted by a priest who Catholic Church; pledged to deliver a certain number of sermons, but died before he at- Gamebridge Train Station; tained his goal. He returned to ful- Uptergrove Train Station fill his vow! The community also contained a Photos below: Presbyterian Church, a hotel, blacksmith shop, general store and Pickerel spawning run on other trappings of a pioneer com- the Talbot River; munity. The area contains some Gamebridge Locks part of fine farm land, and in 1889 a the Trent Severn Waterway cheese factory was opened in the area. Being on the Midland Rail- way line, Uptergrove had its own railway station. CGC Ltd. Warren Gas Services 15 Years Serving Kinmount & Area SALES - SERVICE - INSTALLATION PROPANE PRO FURNACES,, FIRE PLACES PHONE BBQ'S, WATER HEATERS PROPANE: BLAINE WARREN SERVICES (705) Certified Gas Technician 488 - WETT [email protected] Certified3294 705-488-3294 CHARLIE CAMERON Heating & Cooling Sales - Service - Installation - Inspection Oil, Propane & Gas Furnaces & Appliances Air Conditioning, Water Pumps, Etc. Excellent Prices on Double Bottom Oil Tanks (705) 928-0334 Coboconk, On THURSDAY DECEMBER 8 BUS TRIP Leaves Legion 9 am - Return 4 pm $5 includes lunch - 705-488-2669 to reserve Page 3 Kinmount Gazette Kinmount Committee for Planning and Economic Development Side Roads of Kinmount: Fell’s Station and Bury’s Green The boundary road between Somerville Settlers along the Verulam side included store and cheese factory, but the busi- and Verulam Townships attracted many Abraham Grandsden, several Telford nesses straggled along the road for sever- of the earliest settlers to our area. Access families and James Flett. al miles. The post office formally closed was gained via the Bobcaygeon Road The most famous pioneer in the area was in 1913 and rural mail delivery replaced and soon a rough track extended along Squire John Fell. Squire is an old English it. Blacksmiths included Robert Ellis, the boundary all the way to the Burnt term meaning “gentleman”. A squire was David Lee and Alexander Connell. The River Valley south of Burnt River Vil- also likely to have a larger landholding in general store was operated by the James lage. The road was called the Bury’s the community and also denote a com- Walker family until it closed around Green Road after the principal hamlet munity leader in such fields as religion 1900. The cheese factory was on the Ver- along the boundary road. From the main and politics. Squire Fell carried these ulam side of the community as well as Bury’s Green Road, which ran east-west, traditions to the new world. He was elect- the Anglican Church. several side roads or concession road ed Reeve of Somerville Township on In 1876 the Victoria Railway passed were open both north into Somerville many occasions. He served as Warden of through the western corner of the com- and south into Verulam Townships. Victoria County in 1869, 1874 and 1876. munity along the valley of the Burnt Riv- Some of these side roads were through From there he went on to the Ontario er. A station called Fell’s Station (after roads, but others just dead ended into Legislature elected the MPP for Victoria the most prominent citizen of the time) swamps. Further north, the 3rd Conces- North from 1883-1894. He named the was opened on lot 20, concession 1 of sion Road of Somerville Township was little hamlet Bury’s Green after a hamlet Somerville. It was a section station with a opened throughout the entire width of back in England where the Fell family large waiting room and accommodations Somerville, even if it was broken by the dwelt for generations. When a post office for the section foreman and family. It had Burnt River. But this road also crossed was opened in 1862, John Fell was the its own siding and shipped cream and some inhospitable swamps and today is first post master. He operated a saw mill not entirely maintained. The Feeder side on Brandon’s Creek where it flowed roads on the Verulam side opened much through the community on its way to the better land and are mostly used today. Burnt River. The water flow was rather One of the first settlers to this area was “seasonal” and sawing had to be done Squire John Fell who arrived from York- during the spring freshet. Squire Fell died shire in England in 1857.