"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Sunday 25 May 2014

Memory Lane. Thanks to Tim the Enchanter

Tim the Enchanter has left a new comment on your post "Clear bags versus opaque...how obscure is the plan...":

This week at Council


1. Received an estimate from the Godson construction company of approximately $1,500 for paving, grading and curbing a strip of payment on the grade at Centre and Yonge Sts. 163' x 28' and left the matter to be included in the town inspection by council on Saturday.

2. Named Saturday, May 25 as inspection day of the town by council members.

3. Received a letter from the C.N.R. industrial commission regarding water facilities in town for an industry and asked for further information.

4. Appointed finance and property committee to deal with the offer of A.A. Cook for the purchase of the match factory property.

5. Conferred with Mr. Bazley of Dehydrating Processes Ltd. regarding the quit claim deed to be received by the town and received assurance of co-operation.

6. Heard report of Dr. C.J. Devins on the health of the assistant town clerk, M.L. Andrews, and on a unanimous vote of council granted Mr. Andrews a two or three months' leave of absence, the first month on full pay and the succeeding time on half pay.

7. Heard Dr. C.J. Devins present the recommendations and suggestions of the safety week committee.

8. Heard Robert Smith, town employee, request increased wages and placed him on full-time at $18 per week for four months ending Sept. 30. His services to be hired from then on at 35 cents per hour as at present.

9. Heard Dr. C.J. Devans suggest a clean-up campaign to keep the streets and boulevards cleaner and urge the use of street receptacles for waste.

10. Approved purchase by fire committee of 2,000 ft of copper wire and materials at a cost of $64.70 for use in installing bells in the homes of brigade members and of replacing worn-out lines in alarm system

11. Heard David Judd and his brother Donald Judd complain of the visciousness of a certain collie dog and discussed at length the dog problem and the question of a municipal pound.

12. Approved use of Constables Dunham and Goulding at a central crossing for public school children at Yonge and Church Sts. daily.

13. Passed recommendations of relief committee whereby inspection and supervision of relief gardens will be made and a certain quota of production attained before any relief will be granted next winter.

14. Learned the provincial government will contribute $87.50 to the town for the expenditures on relief gardens.

15. Referred offer of Professor Henri Lasere of the use of 25 acres on his property (the Collins farm) for use or relief gardens to the relief committee.

16. Approved purchase of transformers by the electric light committee from Maloney Electric, all prices submitted being the same.

17. Approved purchase of a new Union Jack for the town hall at a cost of $12.




Oh - did I mention it was this week in May 1940?

The Mayor was JM Walton and council meetings were on Mondays.

"Of Mice and Men" was playing at the Royal Theatre.

The British Expeditionary Force was trapped at Dunkirk waiting for evacuation.

In the first baseball game of season in the Aurora town league Collis Leather defeated Fleury Bissell 7-4.

(incidentally, Fleury-Bissell had confirmed in April that they were moving to Elora ON)

Regarding items 13,14 & 15.
Aurora council made it a rule that in order to qualify for winter relief one had to cultivate a garden and grow two bags of potatoes per person and two bushels of turnips, carrots etc.
The town was allotting land to applicants, inspecting the gardens and providing storage if needed.



Just thought we might enjoy an interesting little respite from some of the current political heat.

Posted by Tim the Enchanter to Our Town and Its Business at 24 May 2014 22:31

1 comment:

Anonymous said...


In the "good old days" referred to everything seemed simpler, and easier to repair.

Possibly life was more enjoyable then without the rush-rush of today and the intrusion of the world into our homes and into our lives.

I suppose it's a matter of perspective.