Brockville's Reel Heritage: Our City on Film
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Brockville’s Reel Heritage: Our City on Film This document contains a listing of all the clips that appear in “Brockville’s Reel Heritage: Our City on Film” produced by the Brockville Museum. Historical information and context is provided where available. If you are able to help identify people or add more information to any clip, please feel free to contact the Brockville Museum in writing at [email protected]. Train arriving at Brockville station c.1930s In this clip members of the Cossitt family are greeted at Brockville’s train station. The station was constructed in 1872, and has undergone several renovations and modernizations in the years since it was first used by the Grand Trunk Railway. Panorama of King Street and Victoria Street, c. 1930s This c.1930 shot shows both the Hotel Manitonna and the Revere Hotel. The Al G. Barnes Circus performing in Brockville When the Circus came to Brockville in 1931, the Cossitt family was there to capture the spectacle on film. During a time before television the visit of a circus was a major attraction. Brockville’s Centennial Anniversary Parade, 1932 On January 28, 1832, Brockville became the first incorporated town in Upper Canada to receive the status of a self-governing community. The community has marked every milestone anniversary since that date with pomp and celebration, and of course, a parade. Garden Party at Thorntoncliff, c.1930 Train exiting Brockville’s train tunnel c.1930 The tunnel was built between 1854 and 1860 to allow the fledgling Brockville and Ottawa Railway to connect the Brockville industrial waterfront area to the outlying areas between the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. It was utilized until 1970. Comstock-Brownfield Wedding This elaborate wedding of Wilhemina Henrietta Comstock to Major Harold Oswald Neville Brownfield was held at Brockville’s Presbyterian Church, October 30th, 1930. A reception followed at Rockcliffe, the Comstock residence. The St. Lawrence River with a young Tom Cossitt An idyllic Sunday drive along the river was always an event to look forward to! The coast guard vessel Grenville’s spume of black smoke is a reminder of the days when coal was king. The Rapids Prince “shooting” the Long Sault Rapids Prior to the Seaway’s opening in 1959, many passengers experienced this thrill ride under the skillful navigation of a First Nation’s crew. Today the rapids are silenced under 60ft of water alongside the Long Sault Parkway. R-100 British airship flying over Brockville The enormous, alien-like metal craft was meant to be the answer to transatlantic travel and was nicked-named the “titanic of the skies” it was scrapped only a year after its flight to Canada. It flew over Brockville August 11, 1930. Winter Scenes These wintery scenes of Brockville feature the Cossitt family. Summer Scenes These scenes feature a young Tom Cossitt riding his bike on Granite Street and playing with kittens. The steamship, Kingston travelling on the river The Kingston spent her entire 50-year lifespan running between Toronto and Prescott and points in-between carrying passengers, mail, and freight. The Cossitts playing on the river Croquet Party The origins of modern croquet can be traced back to 1830s Ireland. By the 1870s, croquet had reached virtually every British Colony. Although popularity of the game waned with the onset of the Great War, it experienced resurgence in the 1930s and 40s. Scenes of downtown Brockville including Courthouse Green Playing Mini-Golf on Broad Street, 1931 Arriving at Morristown Ferry Terminal Until 1952, a ferry operated between Morristown, New York and Brockville, Ontario taking passengers back and forth to run errands and do business. Farm Scene St. Alban’s Field Day, 1936 St. Alban’s was a private boy’s boarding school founded on the traditional British values of developing the mind, spirit and body. The school operated in Brockville from 1901 to 1949. The Thousand Islands International Bridge Footage features the Cossitt family. The Thousand Islands Bridge opened in 1938 after just sixteen months of construction and a cost of three million dollars. In the years following its construction annual crossing of the bridge totaled 150,000, today there are over two million crossings annually. Scene of private yacht on the river The Delphine was the most luxurious of all the private yachts on the Great Lakes. Built in 1921 for automobile mogul Horace Dodge of Detroit she cost $2 million and boasted a pipe organ on board. Still in existence she has recently been refurbished and is for sale for $50 million. Mack/Johnston Family picnic and kittens The 1939 Royal Visit This clip shows the arrival of the royal train to the Brockville Station with both King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on board. It was expected that the royal couple would get off the train, but they did not. Apple orchard Apples are an ideal crop in areas where the soil is poor and rocky. Brockville’s founder, William Buell established an apple orchard on his property shortly after his arrival. The Brockville Cenotaph The Brockville Cenotaph was unveiled on Friday May 23, 1924, honouring those who died in the Great War. The bronze figure was modelled after Major Thain Wendell MacDowell, a local man who earned the Victoria Cross for his bravery at Vimy Ridge. Soldiers on parade Navy recruits at stations CWSF and CWAC Brass Pipe Band Police Chief, Wilmot Young, 1947 Wilmot F. Young was chief of the Brockville Police Department from 1938-1968, serving longer than any other police chief in Brockville’s history. BCI cadets band marching to Brockville Armoury c1958 Sunset Tom Cossitt at Courthouse Green, 1958 By the late 1950s Tom Cossitt had become well-established in his own right. The family insurance business and a lengthy political career, both municipal and federal, made Tom a readily recognizable figure. The Dutch ship, Prinses Irene, 1959 The opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 brought ships from around the globe to Brockville’s doorstep. The Prinses Irene carried both Dutch immigrants and freight to Canada during the early 1960s. The 1959 Royal Visit The purpose of this royal visit was the opening of the Seaway so naturally the royal yacht, the Britannia, was the chosen mode of transportation. This royal yacht was built in 1953 and carried members of the royal family around the globe for over 50 years. Brockville Rowing Club Regatta The Brockville Rowing Club started in 1894 and has enjoyed well over a hundred years of acclaim producing a number of Olympians and world-class rowers. The Tadoussac One of “the great white fleet”, Tadoussac and a number of other passenger vessels ran cruises into the Great Lakes after the Seaway opened in 1959. Aging ships and ever-more stringent Coast Guard regulations would result in the demise of these ships by the late 1960s. St. Lawrence Park Pavilion Opened in 1926, Reynolds Bathing and Picnic Pavilion was donated by Mayor Walter B. Reynolds with the support of the Rotary Club in memory of his son, Allan W. Reynolds who had passed away the previous year at the age of 24. The pavilion continues to be a familiar gathering place at St. Lawrence Park. Hydroplane Races The Cossitt family in the Zipalong IV Train Wreck of CNR train 3664 This horrific accident occurred September 14th, 1959 in Brockville when the diesel engine pulling freight cars sliced into the side of an Ottawa-Toronto passenger train killing three on board the train’s dinning car. The Fires of January 10th, 1962 Two unrelated fires broke out on a cold January day in 1962. The first at the corner of Buell and King Streets (current location of the Shoppers Drug Mart) at the historic Grand Central Hotel. A member of the Brockville Police Department was credited with waking the hotel guests who then climbed out windows and slid down makeshift ropes in their pyjamas. One man was convicted and jailed for arson as a result of the blaze. The second fire occurred at the Volkswagen dealership, diverting resources from the Grand Central Hotel fire. The hotel, which had been built in 1886, was not rebuilt after the devastating fire. Demolition of Smart’s Manufacturing chimney, 1966 Incorporated in 1881, Smart’s manufactured cast iron and cast steel products such as ranges, furnaces, copying presses, lawn mowers and school desks, which were sold worldwide. The factory closed in 1965 and the property was turned into a city park. Dominion Flag flying in Brockville British colonies, including New Zealand, Australia and Canada, used either the blue or red ensign with the shield of the colony incorporated into the design to represent their identity within the British Empire. In 1965 Canada adopted its own, unique flag featuring the maple leaf. Leeds County Member of Parliament of the time, John Ross Matheson was head of the “Special Committee on a Canadian Flag” that ultimately selected the flag used today across the country. “City in the Country” 1967 This thirteen minute promotional film was created by the Brockville Industrial Commission and produced by George Eland Studios Limited. Football Game This game took place at Commonwealth Field, Brockville, between Brockville Collegiate Institute and South Grenville District High School, 1959. Basketball game, 1962 This footage was shot in the gymnasium of the new Thousand Islands Secondary School. Santa Claus Parade c.1962 This typical parade footage includes Brockville’s “Ambassador of Smiles” Con Darling, complete with his three-wheeled carriage and live chicken. Canadian Centennial Celebrations in Brockville The Canadian Centennial was a year-long celebration held in 1967 when communities across Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.