The Canatara Park Binders, Chapter 3 (Lambton County Archives)

Chapter 3 The Quarantine Grounds,1880 - 1920 − GTR System Map − Map: Sarnia Area, 1880 − GTR Lands in 1880 − GTR Traffic Through Canatara Area: 1881 - 1885 − GTR “airline” to Sarnia: 1882 – 1883 − Proposed Locomotive Works: 1882 − The Quarantine Stockyard & Station − The Quarantine Grounds: 1890’s and after − Point Edward Quarantine Station: 1882 – 1889 − Point Edward Provincial Park proposal: 1895 − GTR Sand Mining Operation − The McIntosh Cement Brick Company − The Log Rafts of the Cleveland – Sarnia Sawmills Co. − Map & Bird’s Eye View of Sarnia: 1912 − Rail Lines in Sarnia – Canatara Area: 1880 – 1930 − Iron Ore and Stone Shipments Along GTR − Activities Around lake Chipican: 1900 – 1920 − Lake Chipican Reservoir Proposal: 1915 − The Sarnia Cement Products Company: 1920 − Haynes Mill: 1920 – 1937 − The End of the GTR Era

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Introduction to Chapter 3 This volume deals with the activities that occurred on the Grand Trunk Lands in the Point Edward – Canatara area during the 1880 – 1920 period.

In 1882 a railway embankment and “Y” junction were constructed in the future parkland. This Y was at the northern end of a short “airline” that connected the GTR mainline at Point Edward to the GWR line at Sarnia. That same year a cattle quarantine station was established at Lake Chipican and a quarantine stockyard was opened where the Yacht Club basin is today.

In the 1880’s a large amount of immigrant and other traffic moved west along the main line and a great quantity of livestock and other freight travelled east along the airline. Also during the 1880’s the GTR extended its sand mining operation into the dunes in the Canatara area.

After 1891 when the railway tunnel opened in Sarnia, most of the main line in the Canatara area was used only for storage purposes. However, starting in 1901, a huge amount of iron ore was transported along the airline on the western arm of the Y, which now forms part of the park boundary. Stone, coal, and other freight also travelled along this line.

In addition to the rail traffic, other activities that took place in the Canatara area during the 1900 – 1920 period included both sand mining in the dunes and log salvaging along the beach, as well as recreational pursuits such as swimming, skating and duck hunting. In 1920 a cement products plant and stave & heading mill were built adjacent to the future park.

All these activities are described fully in the newspaper articles, registry documents, maps, photos, drawings and other material recorded below.

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GTR System Map

GTR System Map The map above shows the extensive network of rail lines that the GTR had acquired by 1893 in Ontario and Michigan. These lines included.

1. The original GTR mainline – colored blue – went from Toronto to Point Edward, and then on to Detroit.

2. The lines acquired in the 1878 – 1879 period – colored red – that provided a direct link between Port Huron & Chicago.

3. The GWR line, acquired in 1882 – colored green – ran from Sarnia to Toronto. As described below in the 1882 –1883 period a connecting line was built between Point Edward and Sarnia that linked the GTR mainline with the GWR line. Beginning in 1883, trains traveling west from Toronto used the main line while trains going east from Point Edward used the former GWR line.

As recorded below, large numbers of livestock moving east from Chicago entered Canada at Point Edward and then were transported on the GTR through southern Ontario to Niagara Falls and Fort Erie where they re-entered the United States. A quarantine stockyard was located at Point Edward in the 1881 – 1891 period to examine this in transit livestock.

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As also recorded below, a large number of immigrants travelled west on the GTR to Point Edward bound for the western regions of Canada and the United States.

N & M Mika, in their 1972 book “Railways of Canada” make the following comments about the GTR in the 1880 – 1890 period: “By the late 1880’s the GTR’s motive power had grown to over 700 locomotives and rolling stock included 578 first and second class cars, some 60 post office cars, 131 baggage cars, 18,000 freight cars and 49 snow ploughs.”

“The GTR probably had the most colorful assortment of steam locomotives ever possessed by any railway in the world. In addition to its own locomotives, the GTR, by absorbing a vast number of different lines, acquired steam engines from every make and model built in England, Canada, and the USA.” Many of these locomotives travelled on the GTR lines in the Canatara area in the 1880’s.

Map D

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Notes Relating to Map D:

Grand Truck Lands: 1880

− This 1880 map of Sarnia Township is from Belden Illustrated Historical Atlas of Lambton County. The area marked yellow is all Grand Truck land. In the Canatara area it shows the boundaries of International Park around Lake Chipican. In 1880 the park itself lay vacant although the buildings and facilities were still there. − In 1878 Michigan Avenue, or the New Road as it is called on the map, had been extended eastward, bisecting the marsh which ran from the Canatara area to Sarnia Bay. According to the article in Point Edward’s Centennial scrap book, in the 1880’s “the Point kids skated from Little Lake to the bay with only one portage over Michigan Ave. where there was a large culvert.” − Beginning in 1875, a private horse-drawn street railway moved passengers between the Great Western Station at the foot of Cromwell Street in Sarnia to the Grand Truck Station at the foot of Michigan Avenue in Point Edward. In 1882 the GTR took over the GWR and a connecting line was built from the Canatara area to the old Great Western Station.

(See below for details) − Beginning in 1872 ships of the Beatly Transportation Company transported immigrants from the GTR docks in Point Edward to western Canada. During this period, whole train loads of immigrants passed over the GTR mainline tracks through the Canatara area.

These tracks also carried much of the railroad iron and other supplies used for building the CPR in Western Canada. In 1885, when the CPR line reached Winnipeg, this heavy immigrant and railway supply traffic along the GTR mainline tapered off. − Map D1 shows the GTR lands in more detail. The lots in Point Edward which had buildings on them in the 1880’s are colored purple. As can be seen. International Park was centered around Lake Chipican on lot 68 and the adjoining parts of lots 67 & 69.

Except for the station grounds & rail yards along the St. Clair River, the lands colored yellow was largely unused in 1880. − From letter to the Observer Feb. 22, 1927, P2, written by Robert W. Hitchcock about Sarnia Bay in the “old days”: “What was the north end of Front Street like then? Water washed under the rail tracks all the way from the front of the post office to the Point Edward GTR yards; the tracks stood on high piles. Where Bayview park is today was a swamp of bull rushes.”

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Map D1

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GTR Point Edward Grounds; 1880’s This map shows the station grounds in the 1880’s. Notice the large number of sidings in the railyard that were laid in the summer and fall of 1881.

The three photos below show the passenger station in the 1880’s.

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Changes in the GTR Lands, 1881 − Aug. 5, P8 “The traffic of the GTR has increased so much of late that the capacity of the yard at this point has been found quite inadequate & they have consequently been

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compelled to make a great many changes in the situation of the tracks, besides putting in new sidings.” − Aug. 12, P8 “We understand that Mr. Hickson on his recent visit ordered some important changes to be made at the place,” among other things, “the cattle yards west of the engine house are also to be removed to some point on the lakeshore, as yet not decided upon.” − Sept. 9, P1 “Some idea of the enormous business done on the GTR at Point Edward may be gathered from the following figures. Last week 3,540 freight cars crossed on the ferry steamers and 8,676 passengers. During August the number of cars transferred from one side to the other was 14,823 and during the same period 589,548 bushels of wheat passed through the elevators.” − Sept. 16, P1 “A large number of workmen are engaged in tearing down the cattle yards between the passenger depot and the round house to make room for more tracks, which are badly needed owing to the rapidly increasing business of the road.” − Nov. 25, P1 “The GTR has put down over a mile of additional sidings at the place during the summer and the fall to accommodate increased business. To make room for this large number of tracks, a great many small wooden buildings which have been in use as carpenter and blacksmith shops, stables, etc., and also a large portion of the cattle yards had to be removed or torn down. These buildings are being erected new in more suitable locations and will add greatly to the appearance of the station grounds,” − The photo below shows the large number of sidings that were laid during the summer and fall of 1881 between the passenger station on the left and the engine house on the right.

As noted in the August 19 Observer item quoted above, to make way for these sidings, the stock yards were relocated “to some point on the lakeshore.” The rail lines on the left of the photo lead to the ferry slips. − This photo of the GTR station grounds in the 1880’s illustrates how the railway brought spectacular change to the Point Edward landscape. Just 30 years earlier the same area was an open meadow of dune grass that had been used as a camping ground by native peoples for hundreds of years.

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Point Edward yard in the 1880’s. The constant backlog of freight, evident in this photo, was the reason the Grand Trunk built the St. Clair Tunnel.

Port Huron Times Herald

One of the rail car ferries - the Huron – is shown on the photo below. The Huron and the other GTR ferry at Point Edward – the International – were both steam powered. The International had replaced the original swing ferry in 1872 and three years later the Huron was added.

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The Huron, docked at Point Edward. Fort Gratiot Station, which still stands, can be seen in the background.

Port Huron Times Herald

Below are two of The Northwest Transportation Co. ships – the Ontario & the Quebec – that sailed between Point Edward and the head of Lake Superior in the 1881 – 1885 period.

The Ontario of 1874 as she appeared in an early stylized painting. Sold in 1888, she was wrecked eleven years later near Rossport on Lake Superior.

Canadian Pacific Corporate Archives No. 16335

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Built in 1974, the Quebec featured a prominent arch truss supported hull, which, upon the arch, was proudly written, “North West Transportation Company”. Seen here around 1883 in the shadow of Thunder Bay’s “Sleeping Giant” island, the Quebec later sank at the mouth of the Sault River (near Sault Ste. Marie) in July 1885 and afterward was salvaged by Americans. The ice visible in the photograph suggests that it may have been taken in the spring.

-OA 515985

From D. Ashdown “Railway Steamships of Ontario” Page 216 – 1988

GTR Traffic Through Canatara Area: 1881 – 1885 Rail traffic at Point Edward – both freight and passenger – gradually increased from 1859 to 1878. In 1879 the GTR acquired a direct line across Michigan between Point Edward and Chicago. As a result of this new line, the rail traffic increased dramatically, and as noted above, in 1881 the rail yards at Point Edward were greatly expanded. In addition, increasing numbers of settlers going to western Canada and the United States travelled along the GTR to Point Edward, where many of them boarded the ships of the Northwest Transportation Co., two of which are shown above. A large amount of western bound freight, such as material for the CPR line between Port Arthur & Winnipeg and the military supplies needed to put down the 1885 northwest rebellion, also travelled along the GTR to Point Edward. Below is a sample of the Observer items that appeared in the 1881 – 1885 period concerning both the amount and type of GTR traffic through the Canatara area.

March 25, 1881, p8, Point Edward: “The large emigrant trains of Canadian settlers for Manitoba and the western states, which have passed through here during the past week, indicates an increase this year in the exodus from the older provinces to the boundless prairies of the west.”

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July 22, 1881, p8, Point Edward: The Quebec of the NWT Co.’s line, left for Duluth last Tuesday evening with a full load of passengers and merchandise. She had several carloads of track bolts and iron bridge material for the CPR.” July 29, 1881, p8, Point Edward: The Ontario left for Duluth Tuesday with a full load of iron, general merchandise and a full passenger list. During the past week 3,264 freight cars have crossed the river here.”

August 5, 1881, p8, Point Edward: “The Quebec left for Duluth on Friday with a full passenger list and several carloads of bridge iron for the bridge at Brandon, Manitoba where the CPR crosses the Assiniboine River.

August 12, 1881, p8, Point Edward: “The total number of emigrants arriving at Port Huron from here for the year ending on the 30th of June was 111,170.”

August 26, 1881, p1, Point Edward: “The Sovereign left Saturday with another 475 tons of steel rails for the CPR to be landed at Prince Arthur’s Landing.”

Sept. 2, 1881, p8, Point Edward: “The Quebec left on the 31st with a large number of Icelanders. During the week3,532 freight cars crossed the river.”

March 24, 1882, p1, Point Edward: The emigration from Ontario to Manitoba and the northwest is unusually large this month.

March 31, 1882, p8, Point Edward: “Eight coaches of emigrants passed through here.

They were from Europe and bound for the western states. They came over the GTR from Portland.”

May 18, 1882, p8, Point Edward: “A great many European emigrants are passing through here daily, bound for the west. In the past week, there have been 49 car loads of these emigrants.”

September 29, 1882, p4, Point Edward: “During the week ending Sept. 18th, 1054 emigrants entered the U.S. from here.”

October 20, 1882, p8, Point Edward: “Last Thursday a train load of settlers from the Brockville area arrived here bound for Manitoba.”

October 27, 1882, p8, Point Edward: “The Quebec left here with supplies for the CPR.” May 25, 1884, p4, Point Edward: “A very large number of emigrants pass through here on the GTR daily for the western states. The emigration is far in advance of any previous years and a large portion of it comes from New York.”

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August 8, 1884, p5, Point Edward: “To give an idea of the enormous amount of business done at this point we might state that over the last six months that over 100,000 cars have been transferred across the river.”

April 3, 1885, p8, Point Edward: “Five carloads of supplies passed through here the past week for soldiers in the Northwest. The first car had fifty cases of rifles. Others had clothing, ammunition, and arms.”

April 10, 1885, p1, Point Edward: “Sixteen carloads of ammunition have passed over the GTR bound for Winnipeg. Two more emigrant trains passed through here Wednesday and from all appearances emigrant trade promises to be very brisk this season,” April 17, 1885, p4, Point Edward: “A carload of hospital supplies passed through here for the Northwest.”

The Construction of The GTR – GWR Connecting “Air” Line 1882 – 1883 In 1882 when the GTR absorbed the Great Western Railroad (GWR), plans were immediately made to construct a connecting line to link the GTR mainline at Point Edward to the GWR line at the foot of Cromwell Street in Sarnia. The following Observer items dealing with this matter are provided below.’

1. November 3, 1882, p6: A detailed description of the route shown in the Register Plan 2. November 17, 1882, p2: A notice announcing a Registered Plan showing the route of this line.

3. Items from October 6, 1882, to March 16, 1883, describing the construction of the line.

As Map D2 reveals, the new line linked with the main line by means of a “Y”. One arm of the Y started just north of Michigan Avenue and curved northeast through the marsh where the Canatara landfill area is today and joined the mainline just south of Lake Chipican. The embankment over which this line ran is now buried beneath the landfill. The other arm of the Y curved northwest and joined the mainline near the foot of Louisa Street. Sections of the embankment that carried the line in this arm of the Y still exist. The asphalt path that curves northwest from Michigan Avenue to the foot of Louisa Street, runs along the top of this embankment. In fact, the path now forms the park boundary in this area. As recorded below, a large amount of iron ore, stone, coal and other freight was once transported over the line in this western arm of the Y where the asphalt path is today.

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Grand Truck Railway Co. OF CANADA

NOTICE The Observer - November 17, 1882, p6

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Map or Plan and Book of Reference of that portion of the Grand Truck Railway Company’s Line, situated between Point Edward, in the County of Lambton and what was heretofore known as the Great Western Railway Company’s Station in the Town of Sarnia in said County have been examined and certified by the Minister of Public Works, and a copy of the said Plan and Book of Reference has been deposited in the office of the said Minister of Public Works, in the City of Ottawa, and a copy of each in the office of the Clerk of the Peace for the said County of Lambton and a further copy in the office of the Grand Truck Railway Company of Canada, in the city of Montreal, in pursuance of the provisions of the statutes in that case made and provided.

Date at Belleville, this 26th day of October.

JOHN BELL Solicitor for the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada

THE GRAND TRUNK PLANS How the Connection with Sarnia and The Grand Western Division will be Made.

The Observer - November 3, 1882, P6

The plans for the extension of the Grand Trunk railway to Sarnia and its connections with the old Great Western system were filed with the County Crown Attorney and duly registered here on Saturday. As it contains the first authentic data for determining the course which the connecting link between the two railway systems will take, a sketch of its contents will be of interest. The plan provides for connection with the Grand Trunk mainline by means of a Y, one arm of which leaves the G.T. track at the northeasterly boundary of the Village of Point Edward, gradually curving towards the south until it reaches a point a few rods north of the intersection of Michigan Avenue and the Point Road. The other arm strikes the Grand Trunk main line near the semaphore and curves to the west and south until it meets the fellow at the point above mentioned. From there the line runs parallel with the Point Road, and close to it, until it reaches the town boundary at Exmouth Street. After crossing this street it commences to curve slightly towards the bay, as where it crosses Maxwell Street, it also strikes Front Street. Still inclining towards the water front it crosses Front Street at Luscombe’s ice house, part of which falls within the surveyed line: thence through Hall’s boat house and bathing houses, and sundry sheds, barns and warehouse’s, in a line stretching along the shore edge, partly on land and partly on the docks until it passes through the warehouses in rear of King’s mill; between Proctor’s coal sheds and the river through the Customs office on Clark’s dock, and the warehouses in the rear of the Durand block, on to the point of junction with the Great Western on Hughson’s dock. The plan shows a reservation 100 to112 feet wide through the Grand Trunk property from the G.T.R. track to the lots north of Exmouth Street owners by Messrs Lays and Walker; where it narrows to

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90 feet in width. From Exmouth Street to the woolen mill it is of a uniform width of 56 feet; and from the woolen mill to the junction with the Great Western it is 33 feet.

The land required through the village of Huron (Point Edward) , and through the Township of Sarnia to Exmouth Street, except the strip taken off the properties of Messrs Lays and Walker, is owned by the Grand Trunk Railway. The length of line passing through the property is 5,775 feet, and the width is 100 to 112 feet. Commencing with Mr. lays property the length and width of each plot in fact, as laid down on the registered plans which the names of the owners is as follows: Owner A. Lays G. Walker Mrs. Salter R,F. Faithorne W.C. Ryan

Length 343 243 297 149 ?????

Map D2

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Width 90 90 44 34 – 43 18 -???

Construction of the G.T.R – G.W.R Connecting “Air Line”: Oct. 1882 – Mar. 1883 − Oct. 6, 1882 p8 “Six car loads of steel rails which are to be used in the construction of the road between here (i.e.: Point Edward) & Sarnia arrived on Saturday last (i.e.

Sept. 30) − Oct. 11, 1882 p5 “The G.T.R. surveyors find a large amount of flagging & stake driving to do in laying out the projected line for the connection between here (i.e.: Point Edward) & Sarnia. − Oct. 27, 1882 p8 “Work was commenced on Monday last (ie: Oct. 23) at building a road between here (ie: Point Edward) and Sarnia to connect to tracks of the G.T.R. & G.W.R.. A large shanty and barn have been built for the accommodation of the men & teams employed, of whom there are now about 100.” − Nov. 3, 1882 p6 “Work has already commenced at the northerly end of the extension, from which to the town boundary (ie: Exmouth St.) the line runs through low swampy land requiring a great amount of felling & making the work of ditching & grading somewhat difficult & unpleasant. It will take a large gang of men to complete the job before the frost sets in.” − Nov. 10, 1882, p5 Work on the railway connection is being pushed forward by four groups of men working in sections between the G.T.R. mainline & the town boundary (ie: Exmouth St). The heaviest part of the work is at that end of the line.” − Nov. 24, p8: “On Monday the first train came along the new line as far as Michigan Ave., Point Edward, with a load of gravel for the railway workers beyond.” − Dec. 1, p1 “The track on the westward arm of the Y from Point Edward to Sarnia has been laid & the stem completed so that gravel trains can now run as far as the tannery.

On Wednesday the rails were laid up to the point where they cross the streetcar track.

The pile driver was expected to be sent down Thursday & the work of piling commenced.” − Dec. 8 p8 “Track laying on the air line between here (ie: Sarnia) & the point is progressing rapidly, being now down to the water’s edge north of the London Road.

The work of removing the buildings that obstruct the way between there & the Great Western track has been commenced.” − Jan. 12, 1883 p5 “It is said that when the air line is completed between Point Edward and Sarnia, as far as possible, the G.W.R. tracks will be principally devoted to trains going east while the G.T.R line will be used by trains going west. By keeping as many of the cars as can be kept moving in one direction on each line the capacity of each division will be increased.”

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− Feb. 16, p5: “The piling for the track has been completed & now all that remains to be done will be to lay on the tinder’s & track. There are around 35 men employed laying the track on the air line.” − March 16, p5: “on Monday next (ie: March 19) the passenger service over the airline will be commenced. The three express trains between Chicago & Buffalo will all come this way & run over the Great Western Division instead of going through Stratford as heretofore. The No. 1 will leave Point Edward at 7 o’clock in the morning. The regular freight service will also commence on the same date over the same route.”

When this connecting line opened, the GTR was carrying one third of all North America rail traffic between Chicago & New England. A huge amount of grain and livestock, as well as dressed meat from the Chicago packing houses, were going eastward over the former GWR line.

The Proposed Car & Locomotive Works, 1882 In Jan. 1882, Mr. Hickson, who had become the General Manager of the GTR in 1874, announced that a huge car shop would be built at Fort Gratiot. It was to be 1100’ long & provide permanent employment to over 1200 men. The attitude in Point Edward about this development was summed up by the Observer correspondent who wrote, “Why can’t Point Edward get something like this?” (Jan. 20, 1882, p4) As the year progressed, both Point Edward and Sarnia officials lobbied the G.T.R. to have the proposed works moved across the river to the G.T.R. lands here. The Dec. 22, 1882, editorial below is entitled “Railway Prospects” & expresses the Observers views about this matter. If the G.T.R. had followed this advice, the Canatara area could well have become a residential district of Point Edward! In the event, the shop was not built here & the G.T.R. decided to use the Canatara area for a quarantine station, a much more “environmentally friendly” operation.

The Observer – December 22, 1882 p4 Another point that the company’s intention might with profit be directed to is the utilization of the large tract of valuable land which it owns, stretching from the town boundary to the lake shore. Now that the Grand Trunk controls such an immense system of railway lines it must find it profitable to do the greater share of its car and locomotive building and repairs at its own shops. The concentration of the staff of mechanics under its control at the chief terminal and a few of the central points, would be a wise economy, and at no place has it the same extent of available property of its own for locating such works upon as here. This is a matter that concerns Point Edward even more than it does Sarnia, but this town is sufficiently interested in seeing its northern suburb well populated to warrant it in extending a helpful hand towards the neighbouring municipality in advancing any scheme that would be likely to secure the erection 18

of large workshops at this point. The building of a car or locomotive works on the company’s property would enable it to dispose of a large portion of the land now lying idle to the workmen who would find employment in the shops and would so enhance the value of the entire property that the cost of building would be a speedily recouped and a large balance left in favour of the company. It is a matter of surprise that the company should allow such a large tract of land to lie so long unproductive, and we hope, for the sake of our Point Edward friends especially, that the Grand Trunk managers will find it to the interest of the company to utilize it in the way we suggest.

A Summary of Activities in the Quarantine Grounds The quarantine grounds included all the GTR property and Ordnance land north of the main line and west of Seward Road – now Christina Street (coloured yellow on Map E2 below). Within this area the following two quarantine activities were conducted: 1. The Quarantine Stockyard: All cattle and swine that were entering Canada at Point Edward from the U.S.A. and were being transported by the GTR through Ontario to other U.S.A. points had to be inspected for contagious diseases at the Point Edward quarantine stockyard . According to several long time Point Edward residents, I interviewed in 1990 & 1991, this yard was located in the area where the Yacht Club Basin is today, that is, near the western end of the quarantine grounds and just northeast of the GTR station grounds. (Their testimony is supported by the Observer item on August 12, 1881, as noted above, which mentioned that the cattle yards were being “removed to some point along the lakeshore.”)

The quarantine activities at this yard were governed by the regulations set out in Part III of the 1880 Health of Animals Order as recorded below. Since the GTR transported a large number of American cattle from west to east along its tracks, the stockyard involved a major operation , as indicated in the following paragraph from an article on the GTR found at the Wyoming, Ontario archives.

“Livestock which was shipped over the line & billed to be watered and feed at Point Edward necessitated three or four trains daily. Large cattle and hog pens covered a space of 50 acres and were in use continually.”

Dr. E.P. Westall was the Medical Inspector of Quarantine in charge of the yard. In 1891, when the St. Clair railroad tunnel opened, this operation was moved to the tunnel yards in Sarnia and consequently, in 1893 the idle stockyard in the quarantine ground in Point Edward was dismantled. Thus, this yard was only used for ten years, from the fall of 1881 to the fall of 1891.

2. The Quarantine Station: This facility, which was a much smaller operation than the stockyard, was situated on the northwest side of Lake Chipican in the area where the 19

hotel and dance pavilion at International Park had been located. Only the relatively few American cattle that were being brought into Canada on a permanent basis, mostly for breeding purposes, were sent to this station where they had to remain for a ninety-day period. During this time Dr. Westall periodically examined them to ensure that none had any contagious diseases. This activity was governed by the regulations set out in Part II of the 1880 Health of Animals Order, as recorded below.

The station consisted of a quarantine house, where the caretaker lived, and several large sheds or barns with accompanying exercise yards. The caretaker lived on site to guard the very valuable cattle housed at the station. The location was judged to be a good one since it was surrounded by wetlands & sand dunes and therefore was isolated from the cattle on adjacent farms in Sarnia Township.

NOTE: This station was strictly for cattle and not for other livestock such as hogs, sheep or horses, as is sometimes claimed in several newspaper articles.

Federal Order in Council Regarding Animal Quarantine in1880’s − In 1879, a federal Act (42 Ontario Chap 23) set out the rules and regulations designed to prevent infectious & contagious diseases affecting animals in Canada. The following three Orders in Council deal with the quarantine regulation arising from this act.

1. On Apr. 23, 1880, the Health of Animals order was issued which regulates the importation & transport of animals in Canada. (see below for details). In general part II dealt with the establishment & operation of animal quarantine stations (at Halifax, St. John & Quebec). All animals being imported to Canada from Europe had to be kept in isolation at one of these stations for specific time periods (e.g., for cattle it was a 90-day period) to ensure that they were not infected with contagious diseases.

Part III dealt with cattle & bovine being transferred through Canadian territory from one part of the U.S. to another. The G.T.R. was required to establish two double enclosed stockyards (one at Point Edward), where these cattle could be fed & rested (see sections 17-19 below).

2. On Feb. 20, 1882, an Order in Council was issued establishing at Point Edward a Cattle Quarantine Station to handle cattle for breeding purposes coming into Canada from the U.S. 3. In 1888 an Order in Council was issued setting out the regulations for the importation & transport of cattle in Manitoba / the Dufferin Quarantine Station (similar

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regulations governed the operation of the Point Edward Cattle Quarantine at this time). − From: Ontario’s Cattle Kingdom 1870 – 1920 by M.E. Derry page 61 “In 1882 a quarantine station was set-up at Point Edward in Ontario for the administration of purebred American cattle into Canada. Cattle were also allowed to pass in transit across the southern peninsula of Ontario from one point in the U.S.A. to another.”

Agriculture By an Order in Council of the 4th day of June 1879, under the provisions of the Act passed in the 42nd year of Her Majesty’s Reign, and intitule “An Act to provide against infectious diseases affecting animals,” the importation or introduction of cattle from the United States of America into the Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, was prohibited until the sixth of September then next inclusively.

Vide Canada Gazette, Vol. 13, p 329

By an Order in Council of the 4th day of September 1879, under the provisions of the Act passed in the 42nd year of Her Majesty’s Reign, and intitule “An Act to provide against infectious diseases affecting animals,” the importation or introduction of cattle from the United States of America into the Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, was prohibited until the sixth of October then next inclusively.

Vide Canada Gazette, Vol. 13, p 496

By an Order in Council of the 4th day of October 1879, under the provisions of the Act passed in the 42nd year of Her Majesty’s Reign, and intituled “An Act to provide against infectious diseases affecting animals,” the importation or introduction of cattle from the United States of America into the Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, was prohibited until the sixth of October then next inclusively.

Vide Canada Gazette, Vol. 13, p 706

By an Order in Council of the 27th day of November, 1879, upon the report of the Minister of Agriculture, that it is the opinion of Veterinary Surgeons of the highest standing that the incubation of certain contagious diseases affecting animals may extend over a period of nearly three months:- that the disease known as “Cattle Plague,” “pleuro-pneumonia,” and “foot and 21

mouth disease,” still exist in Europe; and suggesting to the measures prescribed by the Order in Council of the 20th day of April, 1876, it was Ordered, that whilst the enactments of the Order of Council herein-before mentioned, regarding European importations, and the Order in Council of the 4th October, 1879, prohibiting importations, are maintained, all neat cattle coming from Europe be subject , on entering the ports of Quebec, Halifax and St. John, to a probationary quarantine of ninety days before being allowed to come in contact with Canadian cattle or exported to any other country.

Vide Canada Gazette, Vol. 13, p 1425

Government House Ottawa, Friday, 23rd day of April 1880

Present: HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL IN COUNCIL

W

HEREAS contagious diseases affecting cattle and other animals prevail in many countries , and it is expedient, in order to prevent the introduction of the same into Canada, that the importation, introduction, and transit through Canada of neat cattle and swine, be subject to restriction by judicious regulations, - and whereas it is expedient to provide against the importation, transit and shipment of diseased cattle and swine for exportation – On the recommendation of the Honorable the Minister of Agriculture, and under the provisions of the Act passed in the Session of the Parliament of Canada, held in the 42nd year of Her Majesty’s Reign, Chapter 23, and intituled “An Act to provide against infectious or contagious diseases “affecting animals,” – His Excellency, by and with the advice of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, has been pleased to make the following Regulations and Orders as follow:PRELIMINARY 1. This Order shall take effect from and immediately after the twenty-third day of April, one thousand eight hundred and eighty.

2. This order may be cited as the Health of Animals Order, and is divided as follows:Part I _ Prohibition Part II _ Quarantine Part III _ Transit of Animals in Bond Part IV _ Conveyance and Shipment of Animals 22

PART 1 Prohibition 3. It is hereby ordered that the importation or introduction into the Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, of neat cattle and swine from the United States of America, be and the same is hereby prohibited, except in so far and in the manner hereinafter provided by paragraphs 14 to 19 inclusive of this order: and the importation and introduction of animals from Europe is prohibited at the ports of Halifax, St. John, N.B., and Quebec, as provided and regulated in the following paragraphs of Part II. PART II Quarantine 4. The importation into the Provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Quebec, of live cattle, sheep and swine, coming from Europe, shall be prohibited, except at the ports of Halifax, St. John, N.B. and Quebec.

5. All cattle, sheep and swine arriving in Canada, through either of the said Ports of Halifax, St. John, N.B. and Quebec, shall be subject to inspection at those ports by officers who may, from time to time, be appointed for that purpose.

6. All neat cattle coming from Europe shall be subject, on entering the Ports of Quebec, Halifax, and St, John to a probationary quarantine of ninety days before being allowed to come i to contact with Canadian cattle, or to be exported to any other country, and shall not leave such quarantine until duly discharged by the Quarantine Officer.

7. All sheep and swine arriving in Canada through the said Ports of Quebec, Halifax and St. John, N.B., may, in the direction of any Quarantine Officer, either be permitted to enter or be detained in quarantine at such place and in such manner as shall be directed by the Quarantine Officer until duly discharged therefrom.

8. The Inspecting Officers shall inspect the boats, ships, vessels, cars or vans, and the cattle, sheep and swine coming in top the land ports, and superintend the landing of such animals, order them to be placed and disposed of according to the requirements of the case, and see that they be conveyed to the grounds assigned to quarantine, and shall also superintend the landing and disposal of fodder, litter, blankets, troughs and other objects which may have been used by or for the said animals in transit to Canada, either on board ships or cars.

The quarantine stations and grounds at the several places above mentioned shall be established by and be managed under regulations made and established by the Minister of Agriculture.

9. The animals thus subjected to quarantine shall be treated and dealt with under the direction of the Inspecting Officer, and the articles used in connection with the said 23

animals shall be in like manner employed in their care and maintenance, under the same direction and supervision.

10. Should it be found necessary to destroy any of the said animals, or all or any portion of the articles used in the care of the said animals, such direction shall take place under the orders and supervision of the super-intending officer, and in the manner prescribed by him, but not unless permission to that effect has been previously given by the Minister of Agriculture.

11. The officers appointed to carry out this law and the foregoing regulations shall have free access to any boat, ship, vessel, car, van or to any place where cattle, sheep or swine may be found, in order to inspect the same, and under instructions from the Minster of Agriculture, deal with infected animals, and the articles employed in their service, in the manner contemplated by the Act, under the penalties prescribed, thereby against any person contravening any of the provisions thereof, or of any regulations made thereunder.

The said Inspector or officers may, if it be deemed necessary, order the cleansing and purifying of any infected place, vehicle or other article so inspected, and direct such precautionary measures to be taken as may by him or them be considered advisable, pending the decision of the Minister of Agriculture as to the ultimate disposal of such vehicle or other article.

12. The expense of feeding, attending to, and of providing for any cattle, sheep or swine detained in quarantine shall be borne by the owner there of, with the exception of that for the use of grounds and shelters: and such cost, if incurred by the Inspector of Quarantine, shall be paid before the animals are permitted to leave the quarantine; and in case of refusal or neglect to pay the same, the Inspector shall on being so ordered by the Minister of Agriculture, cause the said animals to be sold to meet the said cost – the balance, if any, to be handed over to the owner.

13. The Quarantine shall be under the care and subject to the orders of the officers appointed for that purpose, who shall have the general superintendence of the servants or other persons, and of all other matters connected therewith.

PART III Transit of Animals in Bond 14. American cattle and swine, the importation and introduction of which are permitted as ordered by Part 1, paragraph 3 , may nevertheless be permitted to enter Canada in bond, at the Ports of Sarnia, Windsor and Amherstburg, to be conveyed, under surveillance and strict rules of isolation, through Canada and territory to the American frontier , at Rouse’s Point, St. Armand Station, Island Pond, the Suspension Bridge (Niagara) and the International Bridge (Fort Erie); but no such transit shall be allowed, unless an agreement between the Minister of Agriculture and the railway company interested in and 24

conducting such transit has been communicated to the Collector of Customs of each of the said ports or stations.

15. The transit of cattle and swine between the points mentioned in the next paragraph, shall be subject to such rules and regulations as the Minister of Agriculture shall prescribe, and in accordance with the arrangements which may be made between the said minister and the Grand Trunk , the Great Western and the Canada Southern Railway Companies, for the proper carrying out of the present order, and the necessary measures to save the livestock of Canada from the dangers of contagion and infection.

16. Amongst other things, these arrangements of the Minister of Agriculture shall provide, a. That an inspection of the said cattle and swine shall be made before they admitted in transit, permission for which transit shall only be given on a certificate or Clean Bill of Health from the inspector, - he being a veterinary surgeon appointed by the said Minister. b. That each train carrying American cattle or wine, or both, from frontier to frontier in bond, shall be accompanied by one of the staff of guardians also to be appointed by the said Minister. c. That the cars and trucks be employed for such traffic be specifically and exclusively devoted to such purpose. d. That no Canadian animals shall be carried at any time in the same train, in company with, nor in close proximity to American cattle or swine, and that no car or truck employed in the American cattle or swine transport, shall be used to carry, at any time, Canadian animals. e. That no unnecessary delay occurs with any train engaged in the said transit passing through Canadian territory. f. That due precautions be taken to retain in the cars or trucks, and disinfect, if need be, the droppings of cattle and swine thus carried in transit. g. That no such cattle or swine, nor their carcasses in case of death occurring (unless immediately buried under directions of the proper guardian), nor parts thereof, nor articles have been employed about them, be permitted to remain in Canada, nor to come in contact with any person or persons other than those engaged on the train or thing whilst thus undergoing the said transit.

17. Inasmuch as it is of absolute necessity, owing to the length of the trip on the Grand Truck Railway, to provide for a place where American cattle and swine can be fed, watered and rested, it is ordered that the said resting place shall be established at the station of Lyn, in the Province of Ontario, where a double, isolated enclosure shall be provided by the Railway Company , selected, established and fitted to the satisfaction of the Minister of Agriculture , before the said company is permitted to transport American cattle or swine over their line. The said enclosure, besides other requisites, shall be provided with a high board fence and a vacant space around the said board fence, the said outside space to be also fenced, in order to prevent any approach to the inner enclosure.; the said inner 25

enclosure shall be provided with a special siding with two locked doors, for the admission and isolation, under key, of the cars or trucks carrying American cattle or swine in transit.

18. The two fenced enclosures mentioned in the next forgoing section, situated at the Grand Truck Railway Station at Lyn, in the Province of Ontario, with all appurienances therein, or things belonging thereto, is hereby declared to be an infected place, in the meaning and for all purposes of the “Act to provide against infectious or contagious diseases affecting “animals”.

19. The enclosures through which American cattle and swine enter Canada, in transit at Sarnia, on the Grand Truck Line, must be arranged, fitted and isolated, in like manner, to the satisfaction of the Minister of Agriculture, and the said enclosures situated on Grand Truck Railways grounds, on the frontier, near the Sarnia station, in the Province of Ontario, with everything thereto appertaining, are also declared hereby to be an infected place.

PART IV Conveyance and Shipment of Animals.

20. To provide against the possibility of diseased animals being carried from place to place, through Canadian territory, or conveyed to and shipped from Canadian ports, it is ordered as follows: 21. An inspection of animals will be made at any place or port in Canada to which such animals are carried in the manner prescribed by the instructions which may be given from time to time by the Minister of Agriculture.

22. Such animals as may be found to have been exposed to contagious or infectious disease, or to be laboring under contagious or infectious disease, shall be either detained or slaughtered in pursuance of the provisions of the said Act, under direction of the Minister of Agriculture.

23. The officers appointed to carry out the law and the present regulations shall have free access to any boat, ship, vessel, car, van, or other vehicle, or to any place where animals may be found, in order to inspect the same, and, under instructions from the Minister of Agriculture, deal with animals having been exposed to disease or with diseased animals, and the articles employed in their service in the manner contemplated by the said Act, under the penalties prescribed thereby against any person contravening any of the provisions thereof or of any regulations made thereunder.

24. The said Inspectors or officers may, if it be deemed necessary, order the cleansing and purifying of any place, vessel, vehicle or other article having been use of to receive or transport, or being about to receive and transport, animals, and direct such precautionary measures to be taken as may be considered advisable.

25. Proprietors or dealers in stock having been moved , or intending to move, animals towards a port of embarkation in Canada for export, must give notice to the Inspector 26

appointed for such port by telegraph or by letter at least twelve hours in advance of the time of arrival of the said animals for shipment , and during the progress of inspection shall, with the hands at their disposal, give every required assistance to the Inspector at such port, and move the animals according to the directions given to them by the said Inspector. In case the owner refuses or neglects to furnish the necessary assistance, the Inspector may employ men at the cost of the shipper, which shall be paid to the Inspector before a Clean Bill of Health is given.

26. In order to prevent the danger of contagion or infection resulting from the overcrowding or overloading of animals on board ship or in any port in Canada, the Inspector shall not permit cattle or other animals on board to be laden on board any ship in such port, until he shall be satisfied that suitable space and provision has been made for the number of cattle or other animals to be shipped on board such vessel, and that a greater number of animals shall not be shipped on board such vessel, and that a greater number of animals shall not be shipped than such ship can safely and properly carry, and such Inspector shall not grant a Clean Bill of Health to such ship until all such provisions as aforesaid shall be made to his satisfaction.

27. The Collector of Customs of any port where such inspection as aforesaid is adopted and required, shall not give a clearance to any ship having cattle or other animals on board, for exportation without being shown a Clean Bill, signed by the Inspector, to the effect that the measures provided by the said Act and the present regulations have been obeyed and carried out.

Government House, Ottawa, Monday, 20th day of February 1882 Present: His Excellency the Governor General in Council WHEREAS it is expedient to admit Neat Cattle for breeding purposes from the Western United States subject to the restrictions and regulations referred to-On the recommendation of the Minister of Agriculture, and under the provisions of the Act passed in the Session of the Parliament of Canada held in the 42nd year of Her Majesty's Reign, chapter 23, and entitled “An Act to provide against infectious or contagious diseases affecting animals”-His Excellency, by and with the advice of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, has been pleased to make the following Regulations and orders as follow: -1. That a point of land on the River St. Clair, closely adjoining the frontier of the United States at Point Edward, to the north of the Grand Trunk Railway Company's Line, be declared a Cattle Quarantine Station.

2. That cattle for breeding purposes may be admitted for Quarantine at such Station, subject to the regulations and restrictions contained in the “Heath of Animals Order” dated 23rd of April 1880, and published in the Canada Gazette.

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J. O. COTE Clerk, Privy Council Province of Manitoba Neat Cattle 1. The importation of neat cattle from the United states or from United States Territories, into the Province of Manitoba, is prohibited, except: -a) At Emerson or at a point on the frontier opposite to the Canadian Pacific Railway Station, or at such point or points may hereafter be indicated by the Minister of Agriculture; and-b) For stock or breeding purposes, or in transit to westerly points in the United States, neat cattle may be allowed to cross the Canadian Frontier subject to the following regulations: -2. For stock or breeding purposes at Emerson, neat cattle shall be allowed to cross the frontier if, after inspection by a duly authorized veterinary surgeon, appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, they shall be declared free from contagious disease, and also from well-founded suspicion thereof. After crossing the frontier, such cattle shall be immediately and directly conveyed to the quarantine station at Dufferin and be there detained for a period of ninety days, or such other period as to the Minister of Agriculture may appear advisable.

3. And such cattle, when it is desired to have them entered at Oak Lake, must cross the frontier at a point opposite the Canadian Pacific Railway Station named Oak Lake, and must not be driven beyond two townships north of the frontier, where they will be inspected by a duly authorized veterinary surgeon appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, and if declared to be free from contagious disease or well-founded suspicion thereof, they will be detained in quarantine for a period of ninety days or such other period as may be indicated by the Minister of Agriculture in such manner as shall be ordered by him, but if not so declared, they shall be immediately sent back across the frontier.

4. Cattle in transit by railway for the Western United States or Territories shall be allowed to enter at the point above named, and also at Gretna if, on inspection by a duly qualified Veterinary Surgeon authorized by the Minister of Agriculture, they are found to be free from contagious disease or well-founded suspicion thereof, but not otherwise.

5. No car which has been loaded with cattle in the United States and crossing the Canadian frontier shall be allowed afterwards to carry Canadian cattle and the number of each of such cars shall be registered by the collectors of customs at Emerson and Gretna.

6. No car or trains carrying such United States cattle in transit shall be allowed to be or remain situated in close proximity to any Canadian cattle.

7. Every car containing cattle in transit shall be kept as far as possible apart from cars or trains containing Canadian cattle or Canadian goods.

8. No car containing such United States cattle in transit shall form any part of a train carrying Canadian cattle.

9. Every car or train carrying cattle in transit shall stop at such fixed place or places as shall be named by the Minister of Agriculture for the purpose of rest, feeding or watering, and such place or places shall be declared “infected” within the terms of the “Animals Contagious Diseases Act” being strictly isolated and all communication with them prohibited, except by the 28

officers and men in charge of such infected place or places.

10. Every car which has been used for carrying animals from the United States or Territories in transit, shall be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected before re-entering the Province of Manitoba, in such manner as shall be ordered by the Minister of Agriculture, in the manner prescribed in section No. 23 hereinafter.

11. The owner or owners of any neat cattle for stock or breeding purposes, or in transit desired to be entered at one of the points aforesaid shall, on making application for entry, produce a duly attested certificate indicating the State or Territory, and the particular locality from which they have been brought, and if such certificate should not be found satisfactory, the cattle to which it refers shall not be allowed to enter.

12. The importer of neat cattle, whether for stock or breeding purposes, or in transit, shall pay a fee graded on a scale hereto annexed, to the Customs officer or other person duly authorized to act as such for defraying the expense of such inspection, that is to say: -One animal Five animals and under But total fee for over five animals not less than $2.50 Ten animals and under But total fee for over ten animals not less than $3.00 Twenty animals and under But total fee for over twenty animals not less than $4.00 Fifty animals and under But total fee for over fifty animals not less than $6.00 Over fifty animals

$1.00 each 0.50 cents each 0.30 cents each 0.20 cents each 0.12 each 0.10 each

13. The importation of any horse or mule into the Province of Manitoba from the United States or the United States Territory is prohibited.

Quarantine Station References

The Sarnia Observer

March 3, 1882 P5 “A point of land on the River St. Clair adjoining the frontier of the U.S. At Point Edward, to the north of the GTR line, has been declared a quarantine station for cattle imported from the U.S. for breeding purposes.”

April 14, 1882 P5 “The 'loveliest spot on earth' has been tuned into a quarantine for thoroughbred stock coming into Canada from the U.S. A fine shipment of cattle are there at present and it is a shame to think they have to remain there three months, when 30 days, in the opinion of the best veterinary surgeon of this continent, is long enough. But Professor Williams of Edinburgh, has put it at three months and our Minister of Agriculture is foolish enough to accept this. It is a positive fact that in this country diseases incubate much more rapidly than in Scotland. Some pressure should be brought to bear upon the government to relax such stupid regulations.”

April 12, 1882 P1 “Two more valuable Jersey heifers arrived at the quarantine yards 29

here on Sunday last. They were purchased in Ohio by Mr. Rankins of Bois Blanc Island, Amherstburg. They will have to remain here for the three months as required by law.”

July 14, 1882 P1 “The Cattle Quarantine: Mr. Weld of the Farmers' Advocate, has been speaking in the neighbourhood.”

The Cattle Quarantine The Observer – July 14, 1882, pg5

Mr. Weld, of the Farmers Advocate has been “on the wing” in this neighbourhood, and here is what he thinks of our cattle quarantine. From Point Edward a walk of about one mile took us to the so-called quarantine grounds. The location appeared a good one for a quarantine, the River St. Clair a few rods from one side, a lake on the other, and a long narrow strip of poor, sandy, starvation ground, of little value of any other purpose, and the G.T.R. but a short distance from it.

A large building had been erected for picnicking, but the purpose for which it was erected proved a failure, that was to make money. It had been getting into a dilapidated condition, and was now re-boarded, fitted up with stalls for cattle, and three open board partition yards had been fenced off to turn the cattle in for exercise. There were thirty head of cattle in this building, some of which were brought from the infected districts of the United States, we mean, from parts where pleuro-pneumonia was known to exist; at least we were informed of this fact. Among the animals in this so-called quarantine, we were pointed out one animal that was said to be in the last stage of tuberculosis. The animal to all appearance looked a very dangerous subject, staring coat, dry nose, sunken, glazed eye with red around it, mucous on nose, drawn up in body, and laboured breathing and weakness. She was giving suck to a calf. These thirty head of cattle that are at the Point Edward quarantine are liable to take this disease, and it may make its appearance at any time. There was nothing to prevent these animals from rubbing noses with this cow and her calf.

They might take it from the straw or hay from her yard or stable; they might take it from her calf.

The cattle about Sarnia might take it; there was nothing to prevent them from going up to the angle board fence where the cow was. In fact, all these cattle were driven over the commons to the quarantine grounds, and on these commons the Sarnia cattle run at large. No doubt the Government are making great changes and expending a lot of money to make it appear safe now, but they cannot deny the fact that these animals have all been exposed to the danger and any one of them may take it into a herd. Whenever fairly rooted in Canada, who can possibly estimate the loss? For our part, we would not take one animal or the whole of the animals in the quarantine as a present and bring them into the country; in fact we believe it will be dangerous to have one of them taken into a herd. We hope none will ever be allowed to come out of this quarantine alive.

In fact, it is our opinion that the best thing to do with the cattle is to kill them and burn the building and everything around them. They are not for the benefit of Canadian farmers. We have lots of far better cattle and have no need of one animal there. In fact, speculators are turning Canada into a hospital for stock from the States. Farmers, is this right? Do you want any cattle from infected districts?

NOTE: Obviously, from the very garbled description of the station’s location, Mr. Weld was unfamiliar with the Point Edward geography. The large building he mentions was probably a reconstructed version of the dance pavilion at International Park. This structure, which he regarded as completely unsuitable for a cattle quarantine, was only a temporary arrangement. Six 30

months later much better accommodations for the cattle were provided, as recorded in the February 16, 1883, Observer item below.

Point Edward Quarantine Station; 1883

Notes Regarding 1883 Quarantine Station Map This map, which was made in 1993 and shows the buildings at the quarantine station in 1883, is based on several Observe items recorded below. The location of the Caretaker’s residence known as the “quarantine house” is accurate since it is marked on the 1912 Perch topographic maps (see Map E2 below). However, the precise number and location of the cattle sheds depicted on the map is conjectural.

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According to Fred Prudence, a long-time resident of Point Edward that I (Jack) interviewed in 1991, “old-timers” told him the following.

“In the 1882 – 1891 period, when the main line was still being used for rail traffic into Point Edward, the cattle going to the quarantine station were unloaded at the former International Park siding just southeast of Lake Chipican as shown on the map. They were then taken around the east & north sides of the lake on the laneway that had been built in 1879 at International Park. (See International Park Site Plan, Volume 2). After 1891 when the rail traffic ceased on the old main line in the Canatara area, the cattle were brought up from the Tunnel Station and unloaded where the eastern arm of the Y joined the main line, south of Lake Chipican as shown on the map. They were then taken up the short laneway on the western side of the lake, which had also been constructed in 1879 during the creation of International Park.”

According to Fred, the cattle were not transported to the station along the sand siding which ran through the quarantine grounds toward Lake Chipican because the western portion of this line was adjacent to the quarantine stock yards.

Lake Chipican (Little Lake)

This view looks north along the west side of Lake Chipican. It was probably taken during – or just after – the quarantine station was located at this site, in the 1882 – 1900 period. On the left side among the trees the roof of a building can be seen. This is likely one of the cattle sheds at the station. Some of the open board fences used to enclose the cattle exercise yards can also be seen. They appear as white lines among the trees. The quarantine house is hidden behind the trees at the far end of the station. The facilities at International Park were at this site just a few years before this photo was taken. Notice the thicket of reeds and rushes along the shore of Little 32

Lake. According to Fred Leaver., the man in the photo is James Jack.

NOTE: Since the main line right-of-way was, and still is, the northern boundary of Point Edward, Little Lake and the entire quarantine grounds were in Sarnia Township, not the village.

February 16, 1883, p8: “The quarantine stables and residence of the caretaker have been finished at last & are as complete a lot of buildings as can be found. Mr. Gray, the caretaker, is a very careful and efficient herdsman. There are 14 heads at the stables at present: four short horns, one jersey, & nine Holstein cattle. One of the short horns is the animal that took the sweepstakes at Chicago as the best for animals under two year and weighs 1,800 lbs. The Holsteins are the property of Mr. Cook, Stormont County, and imported from Holland last summer by B.B. Lord, New York. They are a new class of cattle in Ontario and are noted for their great milking qualities. o (Observer issues between March 16, 1883 & March 21, 1884, are missing) June 20, 1884 p5: Point Edward: “Mr. E.P. Westill vs medical inspector of quarantine at this point , has received notice from Dr. Smith, not to allow in future any baseball playing on the grounds of the quarantine. This prohibition causes a great deal of dissatisfaction among the many friends of the club as a great deal of money was expended last year in the fitting-up of the grounds for the use of the club.

NOTE: This ballfield, known as “Shamrock Greens”, was located at the extreme western end of the quarantine grounds, where the water treatment plant is today. See February 21, 1931, Observer item below.

The article opposite which appeared in the Observer on December 25, 1885, gives a good account of the layout and operation of the cattle quarantine during this period. Note that U.S. law also required that cattle entering the country had to be quarantined for a 90-day period. The map shows the layout of the large quarantine station near New York City. The station, of course, would be much larger than the Point Edward one, which judging by the various items from the Observer noted below, probably never contained more than 100 cattle at any one time. The station was typically divided into small compartments, each with its own cattle shed & exercise yard – for keeping the different herds separate from each other. While the New York station is shown as containing 22 compartments capable of holding 650 cattle, the Point Edward station probably contained less than 10 individual yards & sheds – capable of holding herds of various sizes. As noted above, in Canada the Federal Government – Department of Agriculture - also provided the veterinarian and shelter at its stations, but the owners had to pay for the food & care of their cattle while in quarantine.

United States Cattle Quarantine The Observer – December 25, 1885, p5

By law all foreign cattle coming into the United States from everyplace, except North and South America, must be quarantined ninety days before being forwarded to their destination.

This is to avoid spreading of contagious diseases. There are four quarantine stations along the Atlantic coast – one near Portland Me., one near Boston, another at Baltimore, and the other at Garfield, N.J., for the port of New York. The illustrations here given are taken from this station.

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Cattle brought to the United States are imported for breeding purposes. The grounds at Garfield where they are detained in quarantine are on the Erie railway, fifteen miles out of New York and upon the banks of the Passaic River. They are ,located on a pleasant old farm of forty acres. The cattle sheds are built on both sides of a stream of water.

The animal quarantine is now in charge of the department of agriculture. It was turned over to this management about a year ago by the treasury department. The Sheds at Garfield accommodate 650 head of cattle.

There are separate compartments for the different herds.

They hold ten to sixty each. Every lot that arrives is kept to itself. They are separated so rigidly that there is no danger of contamination from one to another. Here the $5,000 Jersey’s, the $2,000 Holsteins, and the bring-what-you-can Guernsey’s, Herefords and Aberdeen- Anguses’ must wait their allotted time.

A veterinary surgeon, at present Dr. A.M. Farrington, is in charge. The surgeon and the shelter are provided by the United States government. The keep and care of the animals are at the expense of the owner. A herdsman must go with each lot.

Some interesting statistics are furnished from the quarantine records. Just now, more Dutch cattle, Holsteins, Dutch-Friesians, Holstein-Friesians and East Friesians are imported than any others. The Dutch cattle are popular for dairies because they give such large quantities of milk.

Next in come the Jerseys. The lowest number is from Normandy, France. More than half of 1 percent die in crossing the ocean. Over half of 1 percent are born on the voyage. The death rate in quarantine is very small, considering the process of acclimation in our extremes of weather which the cows must undergo. Government sells the manure from the stables, and it amounts to over $1,000 a year. The yards are sometimes crowded to their utmost capacity with cattle. Visitors are allowed to take a look at the stock on a written permit from the veterinary surgeon. They are conducted in regular sequence from the stalls of cattle that have been longest in quarantine to those that have just arrived. This is to avoid taking contagion from one herd to another.

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January 23, 1885 P4 “Mr. C. Whitfield of Montreal has 19 head of cattle in quarantine, with two valued at $14,000” “Mr. John Ferguson of Wyoming has the first consignment of Holstein cattle that are to remain in Lambton County. They are valued at $5,000 and are now in quarantine. Two calves, for Mr. Lee of Simcoe, also arrived yesterday and are at the quarantine under charge of Dr. Westell.”

November 6, 1885 P3 “Mr. Gray, manager of the cattle quarantine, shot an immense swan last week on the lakeshore. It is a handsome bird and Mr. Gray intends having it stuffed.”

February 5, 1886. P5 “Thirteen head of Angus cattle consigned to Mr. Hays of Toronto, valued at $4,000 are now in quarantine. They are the finest specimens of cattle that ever entered this port.”

March 5, 1886, P4 “Twelve head of Jersey cattle were placed in quarantine last week, consigned to Mr. George Smith of Grimsby. Doc Westell will have them under his scrutiny until the 90 days expire.”

April 23, 1886 P8 “A consignment of Holstein cattle numbering 20 were received into quarantine on the 20th, consigned to Hallarnan and Company, New Dundee.”

May 28th, 1886 P5 “Mr. C. E. Foster of Sarnia has the contract for erecting three large barns in the quarantine yards.”

June 4, 1886 P5 “Mr. Gray, manager of the quarantine grounds, can now boast having in his possession one of the finest specimens of a white swan ever caught. The bird has been beautifully stuffed and set up.”

July 2, 1886 P3 “Two carloads of stock were shipped from the quarantine last week.

They were consigned to Messrs. Hallarnan and Company, New Dundee, and J. W. Lees of Simcoe.”

July 23, 1886 P4 “The Aberdeen Angus cattle owned by Hay and Patton, which were recently shipped from quarantine, will be offered for sale at Grant's repository on the 3rd of August.”

July 23, 1886 P4 “A number of valuable Holstein cattle owned by A. C. Hallarnan and Co., were removed from quarantine last Tuesday. They were a very choice selection and go to their stock farm in New Dundee.”

From the Sarnia Observer – November 6, 1886 p5: Our attention has been called to the fact that cattle are allowed to run at large in the vicinity of the quarantine grounds. The by-laws of Sarnia township prohibit the running of cattle at large 35

within the municipality, but it is rarely or never enforced. There is danger in permitting cattle to go in the vicinity of the quarantine, for in case of an outbreak of cattle disease among the animals quarantined, the infection is liable to be caught by cows pasturing in the immediate neighbourhood and spread among the cattle of farmers in this locality. When the outbreak occurred among imported herds in the Province of Quebec, not only were the infected animals slaughtered and their remains cremated, but all cattle within a radius of a quarter of a mile from the grounds were killed, as it was the opinion of experts that the infection was liable to be carried in the air to that distance. If no other reason existed for enforcing the cow by-law in the township, the danger of spreading the cattle disease, by allowing cattle to roam at will in the neighbourhood of the quarantine grounds, ought to stir up the township officials to have it strictly carried out.

The Observer – June 17, 1887, p3 The big dairy and butter show held recently in the heart of New York City proved a success.

It has been estimated that during the five days over 40,000 people visited it. While there was a fair exhibit of dairy implements and products the main feature of the show was the large number of choice animals for exhibition from the best herds of improved breeds in the country. Five hundred cattle were exhibited, representing in dollars and cents $1,000,000. Nearly one half of these were Jerseys.

The famous old Jersey Eurotas was the center of attraction among the Jerseys. Her fame came, it will be remembered, with an astonishing butter test that lasted through the year. She gave 778 pounds and one ounce of butter in eleven months and six days, and a fine calf within the year. This performance has only recently been rivaled.

The Ayrshires, which were present in next largest numbers to the Jerseys, were headed by the Duchess of Smithfield, the best Ayrshire probably ever produced in this country. This cow has a butter record of over nineteen pounds in a week, and a milk record of over 10,000 pounds in a year. Most of the Ayrshires at the exhibition were dark red and white, the favourite colors.

There was a remarkably fine display of Holstein-Friesians, including Clothilde, the cow which leads the world with a milk record of 26,021 pounds in one year. Clothilde is a large cow, weighing 1,000 pounds, and like most good milkers, she possesses this wedge form and shows enormous milk veins.

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The Guernsey’s, a trifle larger, redder and more even tempered than the jerseys, made a good show, being represented in the entries by four herds. In this exhibit was included one of the most famous cows of this breed in this country, the imported Julie 2d.

An important lesson to be learned of this show is that in the friendly rivalry between exhibitors of the four leading dairy breeds all have shown excellences that ensure each strain a continuance of prosperity with its own advocates and admirers. In a word, each breed has a sufficient number of merits above the distinctly American cow to win it a coveted place in the herds of our country.

July 28, 1887 P8 “Doctor Westell has placed Mr. John E. Campbell at the quarantine to care and feed the cattle until such time as the appointment is made permanently.”

April 1, 1887 P5 “Mr. John MacDougall, formerly an MPP for North Middlesex, has received the appointment of caretaker at the Quarantine, Point Edward. There are a number of disappointed applicants for the office in this vicinity who view the appointment with considerable disgust.”

June 10, 1887 P8 “Telephone connection has now been established between the quarantine station and the village.”

June 17, 1887 P3 “The article opposite indicates the widespread interest in improving the breeds of cattle which existed in North America at this time.”

October 30, 1891 p5: “Dr. Westell has removed with his family from Point Edward to Sarnia as most of his work will be at the tunnel examining stock passing through.” (As noted above, Dr. Westell’s primary work entailed examining the large number of American cattle that were being transported from Point Edward on the GTR through southern Ontario. Therefore, when the St. Clair railway tunnel opened in 1891, and the quarantine stockyard connected with this in transit operation was relocated to the new Tunnel Station grounds in Sarnia, Westell left Point Edward. He only came to the Point to examine the relatively small number of cattle at the quarantine station.

September 23, 1892: A fine herd of Holstein cattle consisting of 31 cows and hefers and nine bulls are in quarantine here They will remain until November.

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June 2, 1893: Point Edward. Three cars loaded with Holstein cattle from the quarantine left here for Quebec.

This is the last reference to the quarantine station at Point Edward that I found in the Observer.

Therefore, in the mid-1890’s it may have been moved to another location – perhaps to the east of the Tunnel Station. On the other hand, Jean Elford wrote in an article about Canatara Park that: “the GTR used the parkland as a quarantine station for livestock. In 1916 when Dr. A. Brown was in charge of this station, the railway moved it out east of the tunnel depot in Sarnia.” (Sarnia Gazette, September 13, 1972, p12). Since I have never been able to verify this information, the year that the station left Point Edward remains a “loose end.”

In addition, the recollections of the following two people Jack interviewed in 1990 cast doubt on the 1916 date mentioned by Mrs. Elford.

1. Mr. Fred Prudence, who was born in 1900 and grew-up in a house on Alfred Street next to the quarantine grounds, stated that he was well acquainted with the area in the 1910 – 1920 period. At that time he remembers seeing a dilapidated building on the west side of Lake Chipican that looked like it could have once been a shed used for cattle, but he never saw any cattle at this site. The quarantine house, however, was still in good condition since it was being maintained as a summer cottage. He noted that this house was a two storey, white frame structure with a porch on the north side. It was located near the northwest corner of Lake Chipican. A structure is marked at this location on the 1911 Perch topographic map that is based on a 1906 survey. (See Map E2 below) 2. His testimony is corroborated by the recollections of Mrs. Frances James. She stated that her father, Thomas Grace, rented the quarantine house for a summer cottage in the 1914 – 1918 period. In fact, she remembers her father arriving at their cottage one evening with a newspaper that announced in large letters, “War Declared”. This would have been the start of World War 1in August 1914. She also noted that the house was a two-storey frame building with a porch or veranda on the front. A large lilac bush, which she stated was next to the porch, can still be seen at this location in the park today. A 1914 photo that shows her sister Margaret standing on the lawn on the east side of the house is in Volume 5.

References to the Quarantine Grounds In the 1890’s October 23, 1891, p5: “Mr. Walter Slocum of this town (i.e.: Sarnia) came to a very sudden death on Tuesday evening last. Shortly after 6 o’clock on that evening he was going from Point Edward to his fishing shanty on the lakeshore and had just entered the quarantine grounds when he sank down with a cry.” (He died of heart failure 30 minutes later).

April 15, 1892 p4: “Some miscreant rifled the shanty erected by the Point Edward gun club near the quarantine grounds a few days ago and then set fire to the building.

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May 6, 1892 p5: The Point Edward Post calls upon the police force to root out a gang of vagrants who have gone onto camp near the quarantine.

June 16, 1893: Point Edward: “The cattle yard, which has for some years been lying idle now presents a scene of activity. The whole of this plant is now being taken down and the old material shipped off to other places. This spot of ground, when cleared, presents a very desirable location for railway shops.”

Got in The Bog Observer – September 21, 1894, p5:

“While walking along the shore of Seward’s Pond in the quarantine ground last Saturday George McArthur noticed what he thought was a portion of the head of a dead horse sticking just above the mud at the edge of the lake. He went over to investigate and found that the animal was alive. He and a companion who was with him secured some plank and ropes & after a long period of hard tugging, succeeded in releasing the animal. The horse belonged to Mr. Joseph Hamilton, who, in the company of Thomas Richardson had driven from town to enjoy a few hours on the lakeshore. They turned their horse into the quarantine ground to pasture and during their absence got into the bog. But for the timely arrival of McArthur, a stray or stolen horse would have been advertised for by now, as the mud hole could not be bottomed with a 16-foot plank. It took a couple of hours to get the animal around.”

Protecting Canadian Livestock From Disease Enforcing the Government quarantine regulations requiring disinfection of Stock cars at the Sarnia border.

-

Photo by John Boyd

Toronto Globe – February 13, 1909 p3

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The 1909 photo above was taken in the quarantine stock yard at the Tunnel Station in Sarnia. The following two items are examples of the Observer articles that occasionally appeared in the 1892 – 1914 period concerning this quarantine operation after it moved from the quarantine grounds at Point Edward.

June 16, 1905: Dr. J.G. Rutherford, veterinary inspector of Canada has ordered that all cars conveying hogs from the U.S. to Canada must be fitted with ten-inch floorboards.

The practice of drenching with water hogs from the U.S. while in transit through Canada is forbidden.

November 25, 1901, p1: “Dr. A. Brown, Dominion Government Veterinary Inspector at this point, received a telegram from Ottawa this morning, stating that Michigan has been placed under quarantine. The order prohibits the entry into Canada of any livestock that has passed through Michigan. The result of this order means a great loss of business to the GTR and it is expected will result in the laying off of a number of train crews here. It is said that a dozen crews will be affected.”

Additional References to The Quarantine Ground 1920 - 1940 Observer, September 24, 1926, p5: “Regrading C.A. White property: “The CNR has also disposed of a large part of their holdings to the north of the city including part of the land known as the quarantine grounds.”

Park Board Minutes – July 29, 1932: Regarding the Merlo, Merlo & Ray property: “A special meeting of the board was called to discuss further the advisability of purchasing certain lands at the lake shore known as the quarantine grounds.”

Observer, June 10, 1933 p3:After International Park failed: “the next to be heard of the land was when it became the quarantine grounds, used for examining and storing cattle from over the border.”

E.C. Haslip: Pioneer Life in Point Edward p8:” Cattle & horses came from the west to the village and were quarantined in Canatara Park, or as was known then as the quarantine ground. Doctors would inspect all animals for disease here. This was to ensure that only healthy animals came in.”

Observer, March 5, 1932, p5: Donald J. McDougall, “was born in Komoka, Ontario, the son of the late John McDougall who was the Member of Parliament for Middlesex for many years. When the father retired from politics and was appointed inspector of the quarantine at Point Edward, the family moved to the village when Don McDougall was 8 years of age.”

Observer, February 21, 1931 p3:”Good baseball was played in the town (Point Edward) prior to 1893 when the games were played on the old Shamrock Greens, which was 40

situated at the extreme west end of the quarantine grounds near the site of the present Marconi wireless station.”

Observer, August 4, 1938: “Little Lake now goes under the name of Chipican and makes one end of a beautiful park (Canatara) which we used to call the old quarantine grounds.”

The Point Edward Provincial Park In December 1891 when the rail tunnel opened in Sarnia, the GTR began closing all its major facilities at Point Edward except the elevator and freight sheds. To attract tourists to the Point, village officials suggested that the now unused passenger station be converted into a summer hotel, as noted in the following Observer items.

February 14, 1892, p5: Point Edward: There could be no better location for a resort on the lake. A few alterations and enlargement of the station building would make it the finest and most delightful summer hotel in the land.

As the 1895 Globe article on the next page reveals, this proposed resort hotel, along with the large tract of idle railway land at Point Edward, which was still largely in its natural state, was being touted as an ideal location for Ontario’s third provincial park, after Algonquin & Rondeau. However, no one was willing to operate the station as a resort hotel and as a result, it was demolished, and the Point Edward Provincial Park never materialized.

Note: The location of the cement brick factory mentioned in the Globe article remains a mystery. Perhaps it was in the same area as the McIntosh Cement Brick factory recorded below, which started operations ten years later, in 1903.

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Map E1

Provincial Park Suggestion for GTR Lands The Globe - Saturday, June 15, 1895

The land outside the village proper has been allowed to remain as nature formed it and, as it lies at the foot of the lake, it is one grand natural park, which affords every facility for enjoyment and recreation.

The building of the tunnel has diverted that great traffic which formerly was ferried across the river at this point and has left vacant the splendid station building and beautiful 42

surroundings for which there is no further use for these purposes.

The beauty of this location its great possibilities as a summer resort has long been apparent to Mr. M. C. Dickson, the district passenger agent, and he has for the last few years been directing the attention of excursionists to it, with good results; and now they propose to transform the station building into a summer hotel. The building is situated on the bank of the river in the midst of a beautiful copes and will make both a convenient and charming summer home.

In addition to the immediate surroundings, which can be fitted up at trifling expense, the walk, which extends to the foot of the slip on the south, will be extended up along the beach as far as the range light on the north, affording a promenade of nearly a mile along the shore. The probabilities are that before this is read by the general public the changes will be affected and under the supervision of a capable and well-known hotel man, who will make this happen.

Sarnia, Point Edward and their beautiful surroundings make this the great natural Provincial Park for Western Ontario, and should be included in the Provincial system of parks by the Government joining with these corporations and acquiring this beautiful plot of land and reserving for a park, as nature evidently intended it should be, the breathing spot for this whole western district.

Recreational Activities in The Quarantine Grounds: 1890 – 1920 As the Globe article notes, the beaches and natural areas at Point Edward offered an ideal location for a variety of recreational activities such as swimming, biking & horse-back riding.

The beach north of the village had always been used for swimming by the Point Edward residents and skating on Lake Chipican was also popular with the villagers. Sarnians often rode, biked, or walked to the quarantine grounds during the 1890 – 1920 period for recreational purposes. In addition, some of the visitors staying at the summer resorts along Lake Huron just east of the quarantine grounds, such as the Woodrowe Beach Resort and the Grandview Hotel at Wees Beach undoubtedly hiked along the beach and through the woodlands in the quarantine during these years.

The Sand Siding The GTR Sand Mining Operation At one time, the railways, in order to get their steam locomotive moving, used sand which was placed on the tracks to provide friction for the wheels. The GTR removed large quantities of sand for this purpose from the dunes in the Canatara area. A spur line was run off the main track in Point Edward and gradually extended eastward through the dunes as more and more sand was hauled out. By the early 1900s, these tracks ran into the large dunes which existed at that time in the area where the beach parking lot in Canatara is today.

The photo taken of this area in 1905 shows one of the work gangs which loaded the sand into the rail cars brought in along the spur line. The high sand hills in this picture, which extended all along the Canatara shore, were leveled during the period of this sand removal operation.

Eventually, the track reached the area to the east of Canatara where several individuals 43

leased land from the GTR for summer cottages. Mrs. Frances James, whose father Thomas Grace owned one of these cottages, remembers seeing the rail tracks partially buried in sand in front of their cottage in the 1920’s. Before the track became completely buried, another cottage owner, Mr. W. J. Parsons, had the GTR run a boxcar up the tracks into his property. He then used it as a storage shed. For many years, this solitary boxcar sitting on a wooded grove near the lakeshore was the only reminder of the old spur line.

A photo from Fred Leaver, Grand Truck Railway, Loading Sand, 1905, Quarantines, now Canatara Park

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Additional Information Regarding the Sand Siding Sanding the Tracks”: The photo above shows a typical #4-4-0 steam locomotive used by the railways in the 1850 – 1890 period. The “sandbox” marked “S”, held the dry sand used to prevent the forward drive wheels from slipping on icy, wet or oily tracks. Slippery tracks were a major problem for the steam locomotives, as noted in the following Observer item.

February 2, 1883 p5: “Railroad accidents are repeatedly happening on account of trains over-running their terminals owing to the slippery state of the tracks.”

The sand also provided traction for the drive wheels to start moving the train forward on slippery tracks. When the engineer needed to sand the tracks, he pulled a lever in the cab that released sand from the box. The sand travelled down the sandpipe – colored yellow on the photo – and was deposited on the tracks in front of the forward drive wheels. Occasionally small stones would get stuck in the sandpipe, which could also create problems, as revealed in the following Observer item.

January 1, 1892, p5: J. McMillon of Point Edward injured his hand. He was hammering the stones out of the sandpipe on his engine when by some means the engine started, and the forward driving wheels passed over his hand.

“Sand Drying Furnace”: A special furnace was located in the engine house for drying the sand used in sanding the tracks. In 1887, this furnace was replaced with a new one, as recorded in the following three Observer items.

March 4, p8: Point Edward: The GTR have just placed a new patent sand drying machine in their shops. It is estimated that 20 tons of sand can be dried in one day by this new process.

March 25, p5: Point Edward: “The new sand drying furnace for the GTR shops is now being fitted-up and the old one has been removed.”

April 1, p8: Point Edward: “The new sand drying machines in the GTR shops has been placed in position and works like a charm.”

“Sand Siding”: “Below are an example of the Observer items that refer specifically to the sand mining operation along the sand siding.”

July 2, 1886 p5: Point Edward: “While some of the GTR employees were digging sand on what is known as the field siding on the lakeshore, they found a large quantity of brass weighing 102 pounds. From all appearance the brass had been stolen from the company and buried there until an opportunity offered itself to remove it.”

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By the way, when Jack interviewed Harry Savage in 1990, he mentioned that his father, who worked for the GTR, had told Harry that a GTR work gang had once discovered a cache of stolen brass in the sandhills in the quarantine grounds. The Observer item verified Harry’s story.

Note: The sand siding evidently had different names at different times. As the above 1886 item reveals, it was then known as the “field siding”. It was also called the “quarantine line” since it was located in the quarantine grounds. It was only when the CNR took over the sand mining operation in the 1920’s that it was commonly known as the “Sand Siding”.

The May 10, 1923, Observer item below describes an incident when a car was hit on Monk Street in Point Edward by a CNR locomotive travelling west on the sand riding near the juncture with the main line. Additional Observer items concerning the sand siding during the 1920’s are provided in Volume 4.

Mr. Jamie Lopes, who constructed one of the log cabins in Canatara Park in the 1992 – 1993 period, told me (Jack) the following story regarding the sand siding. About 1985 he was doing some work for Dr. Murphy, who then owned the house at the foot of Andover Lane where the Grace cottage had once been located. When digging in the lawn between the house and the beach, Jamie stated that he discovered a rail line buried beneath about four feet of sand.

Apparently, when the CNR ceased using the sand siding in 1931, it was never removed, at least in this location in front of the Murphy house. So perhaps this line still lies buried under the beach parking lots in Canatara Park.

Superintendent Harry Hall Has Narrow Escape Engine of Sand Special Hits His Car At Monk Street Crossing The Observer – May 10, 1923, p1

Harry Hall, 274 1-2 Maxwell Street, Superintendent of Sarnia waterworks had a narrow escape from death yesterday afternoon, when the automobile he was driving was struck by the C.N.R. sand special engine at the Monk Street crossing in Point Edward, the impact hurling him to the roadway and buckling the car in the middle.

Mr. Hall sustained rather severe cuts about the head and arms but was able to resume his activities, shortly afterwards.

The accident was noticed by engineer Kirkpatrick, driver of the sand special engine, as the canvas used on the engine cab during the progress of the blizzard, probably prevented him from seeing the approach of Mr. Hall’s car. Indeed, the engineer knew nothing of the accident until advised of it upon reaching the Tunnel station.

Business as Usual There is a dangerous curve at the Monk Street crossing preventing a clear view of the road by the engineer and also preventing a clear view of the track, and the heavy snow storm at the time with the cab window covered with wet snow and the window of Mr. Hall’s car also well covered with snow, made it most difficult to see even a short distance ahead.

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Mr. Hall had taken the precaution to see that the track was clear, but the high wind and swirling snow prevented him from hearing the approach of the engine, which fortunately was travelling very slowly.

“It was a glancing blow””, said Mr. Hall this morning, “and I was almost over the track, when the engine hit the rear of my car and threw it over.” I am all right fortunately, and able to be at work as usual.”

The McIntosh Cement Brick Company As the two following Observer items reveal, in 1905 the McIntosh Cement Brick Company built a plant in the quarantine grounds. According to Fred Prudence and George Stoneham this factory was located in the same area that the Sarnia Cement Products Co. plant was situated in the 1920 – 1946 period, and where the apartment buildings just west of Canatara Park are today.

May 2, 1905: A brick manufacturing company started operating at Point Edward on Monday.

September 1, 1905: Special Industrial Edition “The McIntosh Cement Brick Co. recently located their plant on the shore of Lake Huron. The plant is located on GTR property where a side track runs right to it, which gives the brick company splendid shipping facilities (this was probably the sand siding).

The company have an inexhaustible supply of the best sand for making cement bricks in the world, there being large hills of sand alongside them and the waves of Lake Huron wash sand up to them as fast if not faster than they can use it. The machine is entirely automatic. Sand at the foot of the sand hill is shovelled to the elevator cups, which elevate the sand to the second storey of the building, where it falls onto a revolving screen, the sand falling into a sand pit. From there, the sand is fed into the brick machine, which can produce 2,800 bricks per hour.

Cleveland-Sarnia Sawmills Company Ltd. From M.E. Feeny et al (1980 The Rapids)

“Logging operations carried out in Lambton before 1900 provided logs to American sawmills.

In 1901 the Cleveland-Sarnia Sawmills Company was formed. It consisted of two sawmills located on Sarnia Bay, the intersection of Maxwell and Christina Street. The timber for the sawmills was obtained from an mill at Spanish, Ontario which is situated forty miles north of North Bay. The timber from Spanish was assembled in large rafts and towed down Lake Huron to Point Edward to the area where Canatara Park now stands. The large rafts were then broken down into small rafts to be taken from Lake Huron through the St. Clair River to Sarnia Bay. Timber from Driver, Ontario was hauled by rail to Sarnia.

Cleveland-Sarnia Sawmills produce 250,000 board feet of lumber per day and the products were sold in Michigan, Ohio, New York and Ontario. In 1927 the Cleveland-Sarnia Sawmills was destroyed by fire.”

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Horse teams were used by the sawmill to haul limber to the site of the sawmill.

The sawmill as it stood at the foot of Front Street on Sarnia Bay.

“Salvaging logs from broken boom of Cleveland-Sarnia Sawmills Company from shore of Lake Huron – 1905”

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The Log Rafts of the Cleveland-Sarnia Sawmill Company As the previous article stated, the two mills of the Cleveland-Sarnia Sawmill Company were located on Sarnia Bay from 1901 – 1927. The two long docks or tramways that were used for drying and storing the cut lumber appear on both Map E2 and “The Bird’s Eye View” sketch provided below.

The logs for these mills were brought down Lake Huron from Georgian Bay in booms which were made up of logs chained together, end-to-end, forming a vast circle or “bag” on the water. The raft consisted of a huge number of logs enclosed within a boom that was towed by a tug as shown in a photo on the next page.

The large rafts were split up into smaller ones off what is now Canatara Park in order to fit the logs through the narrow channel at the head of the St. Clair River. Occasionally a strong north wind would break one of the booms and the beach along the Lake Huron shoreline where Canatara Park is today, would be covered with logs. A 1905 photo from the Holland-Paisley Collection, on the opposite page, shows a tugboat, horses and work crew salvaging logs from one of these broken booms.

During the 1901 – 1927 period many items similar to the following two appeared in the Observer.

August 13, 1907: A huge raft of seven million feet of timber was brought down the lake for the Cleveland-Sarnia Sawmill Co. August 4, 1925: Tugs of the Reid Towing & Wrecking Co., brought in a large log raft containing approximately four million feet of logs yesterday and today. The lumber was brought across the lake from French River by two tugs and two others assisted when the raft had to be split to get into the river, The lumber is for Cleveland-Sarnia Sawmill Co. The following photo, which was taken in the 1940’s on the north shore of Lake Superior, illustrates the method of assembling a raft by floating logs downriver into a boom. A similar method was used for creating the huge rafts that were towed down Lake Huron from Georgian Bay for the Cleveland-Sarnia Sawmills in the 1901 – 1927 period.

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From: James P. Barry (1973) “Ships of The Great Lakes” p. 161

Map E2

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NOTES RELATING TO MAP E2 Map E2 shows the Sarnia area about 1906. It is an enlargement of the Perch (1911) and Sarnia (1912) topographic maps, both based on a 1906 survey.

Within the quarantine grounds coloured yellow are shown a) 4 small buildings, probably cottages just west of the Woodrowe area (where Beacon Court is today) b) 1 building at the NW corner of Lake Chipican (ie the Quarantine House”) c) 3 sand hills over 600’ asl d) the sand siding, marked red, leaving the main line GTR tracks just east of Fort Street and extending eastward to just north of Lake Chipican. e) The 2 range lights near the entrance to the river. f) 9 buildings just north of the mainline tracks from Alice Street to the river.

Along the river at the foot of Michigan Ave. in Point Edward are the iron ore docks, marked light brown. From 1902-1931 ore from the Lake Superior area was unloaded here and shipped east to Hamilton along the tracks marked purple.

In Sarnia Bay are the docks of the Cleveland Sarnia Sawmills. From 1901-1927 logs from the Georgian Bay region were towed in large rafts to the area off the quarantine grounds, where they were divided into smaller rafts for passage through the rapids.

Also on Sarnia Bay is Bayview Park, coloured green. Opened in 1891, it was Sarnia’s principal waterfront park until 1927, when dredging connected with the new grain elevator filled in most of the bay. It was at this time that Sarnians began searching for another waterfront location to replace Bayview Park. After several false starts they obtained waterfront property for park purposes in the former quarantine grounds in 1932 (ie Canatara Park).

The other main park in the Sarnia area was Lake Huron Park, coloured yellow green, just east of Colborne Rd. It was located between the Grandview Hotel and the Lake Huron Hotel (both marked orange). It was operated by the Sarnia Street Railway Co. from approximately 1904-1930. The Streetcar line (coloured pink) ran from Sarnia up Errol and Colborne Rds into the park.

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Map E2 – North End

Birds Eye View of Sarnia, 1912

1912 Birds Eye View The “Grand Trunk Lands” at Point Edward appear at the upper right on this 1912 sketch. After the rail tunnel opened in December 1891, most of the GTR activities moved to Sarnia. As a consequence, at Point Edward the engine house was sold, the rail car ferries were laid up and the passenger station was demolished. However, the GTR continued to mine the sand in the quarantine grounds and new activities such as the ore dock operation and the stone cutting plant 52

moved to the Point. At the time this sketch was made the ore trains were travelling along the rail line (marked red) from the Point Edward docks to the Tunnel Station grounds shown at the bottom left.

The two tramways at the Cleveland Sarnia Sawmills can be seen at the mouth of Sarnia Bay. In the 1927 – 1929 period the Sarnia Grain Elevator was built where the northern tramway was located and the area between the two tramways was dredged to create the elevator slip. The dredged material was deposited adjacent to Bayview Park (colored green), causing this park to become landlocked.

Canatara Park – 1912

Canatara Area: c1912 The above map was made in 1992 before the parcel containing the western arm of the railroad Y was added to the park. The following features, which were located in the future park in 1912, can be seen on the map.

1. The area where the GTR was excavating the dunes along the sand siding in the quarantine grounds is colored yellow.

2. A laneway from Albert Street ran past the small pond where the Canatara ballfield is today, to the Quarantine House at the northwest corner of Lake Chipican.

3. An open field where most of the oak trees had been removed, (colored light green), was where the International Park Hotel & Quarantine Station had been located.

4. The former mainline on the embankment across the marsh was used for storage purposes only.

5. The embankment forming the eastern arm of the Y was unused.

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6. About half the future park consisted of wetlands, both marsh (colored yellow-green) and swamp (colored dark-green).

Map E3

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RAIL LINES IN SARNIA – POINT EDWARD AREA 1880-1900 Notes relating to Map E3 In 1858 the GWR arrived at Sarnia (purple) and a year later the GTR opened its track and station at Point Edward (red). GTR ferry service across the river linked it up with the Detroit and Port Huron Railway (red) In 1882 the GTR took over the GWR and a connecting line was built linking Point Edward with Sarnia (blue). From 1883 to 1892 freight and passenger traffic through Point Edward were changed from one line to the other by rounding what was called “The Horn.” The eastbound traffic was routed out over the 17th district which was formerly the GWR (purple) and the westbound traffic came into Point Edward through the 15th district which was formerly the GTR mainline (red).

After the tunnel open in Oct. 1891 (yellow), traffic ceased to cross the river at Point Edward. Westbound traffic on the old GTR mainline was routed down a new connecting link running from Blackwell to the tunnel station (green). From here trains either proceeded through the tunnel to the US or up to the Point Edward area along the 1882 connecting line (blue).

The old GTR mainline tracks from Blackwell to Point Edward were no longer required and from 1893 they were used as storage tracks only.

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Map E4

SUMMARY OF RAILWAY HISTORY IN CANATARA AREA Notes relating to Map E4 GTR Main Line − (red) Nov. 1859-Mar. 1883, both east and west bound traffic. − (purple) 1883-1892 Mainly westbound traffic, 1892-1947 track used for storage purposes only.

Connecting Line − (blue) 1883-1892 mainly eastbound traffic, 1892 -1988 local traffic in and out of Point Edward.

Sand Siding − (green)? – c1930 spur line for removing sand.

Dump Line − (brown) 1930 – 1944 spur line for hauling in IOL spent clay.

Also, two small sidings: 56

International Park − (yellow) 1879 -?

Haynes Mills − (pink) 1920-c1935 Eastern Arm of Y − (grey) 1883-1892 According to the original 1882 plans (see map D2) this arm would carry traffic moving west ward along the GTR mainline down to the Sarnia area (most traffic continued on to Point Edward and crossed the river there during the 1882 to 1891 period). After 1891 when traffic closed on the Blackwell to Point Edward section of the GTR mainline (purple), this arm of the Y was not required, it was removed (eg. see Map E2). It’s probable that when the dump line tracks were laid in the mid 1930’s they were located on the roadbed of the former arm of the Y. Note: for location of the arm see Map K1 As more and more spent clay was dumped in this area, the dump line tracks were gradually moved south eastward (brown).

Map E5

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Iron Ore & Stone Shipments Along the GTR In the Canatara Area A large amount of rail traffic carrying iron ore and stone moved along the line connecting Point Edward and Sarnia, a portion of which now forms the southwest boundary of Canatara Park (coloured red on map E5). The asphalt path that curves northwest from Michigan Avenue to the foot of Louisa Street is located on the railway embankment that carried this traffic. (It’s on the western arm of the “Y” tracks laid in 1882). Below is a brief history of this traffic from Hamilton Steel and Iron Co. ore docks and the Central Canada Stone Cutting Co. plant, as marked on Map E5.

1. Iron Ore Shipments: 1902 – 1931 Starting in 1902 lake freighters brought large cargos of ore to Point Edward from the iron deposits of the Mesabi Range in Minnesota. As many as five ore trains a day were sent along the GTR to the steel mills at Hamilton. The following Observer articles describe this operation in the 1902 – 1919 period.

March 5, 1902, p3: “The Hamilton Steel & Iron Co., have completed arrangements to handle their ore at Point Edward. The ore will be shipped from Lake Superior ports to Point Edward where it will be loaded onto GTR cars and hauled to Hamilton. The necessary facilities for prompt handling of the ore will be put in shape at once. The company has contracted for 100,000 tons of ore this season, which means $13,000 will be paid to Point Edward and Sarnia workmen this season for unloading and reloading the ore in Point Edward.

Orlo Miller The Point p36

− March 17, 1902: “When navigation opens a new system of bringing iron ore to the smelting works will be introduced. Last year it was carried from the lake Superior ports on the Steamers of the Hamilton and Fort William Navigation Co., and there

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was a constant danger of boats grounding in the Welland Canal. By that means only 1,900 tons of ore could be carried as a cargo,” “This year arrangements have been made for the ore to be shipped to Point Edward on the company’s steamers, each carrying a cargo of 3,000 tons. At Point Edward the ore will be unloaded and sent over the GTR as freight. By this plan, all dangers of sticking in the Welland Canal will be avoided and the ore will be expeditiously and economically handled.”

Orlo Miller

The Point

pg36

July 14, 1902: “The hauling of a train of 2,000 tons of iron ore has been inaugurated on the GTR between Sarnia Tunnel and Hamilton. Monster mogul engines of the 900 class are used.”

May 28, 1903: “MacKay & Co. of Hamilton have just closed a contract to deliver 150,000 tons of iron ore from Michipicoten to Point Edward, which will be forwarded to Hamilton by rail. The steamers Donnacona, Strathcona & Wahconda will be used in this trade. The work of putting in three clamshell hoists at Point Edward has just been completed.” (The above photo shows one of these hoists emptying ore into a GTR ore car. The hoists or “whirlies” as the steam-powered cranes were sometimes called, could spin around on their bases).

April 8, 1908 p1: “The present ore dock will be increased from 325’ to 475’. The Hamilton Steel & Iron Company will handle a much larger amount of iron ore this season than ever before at this port. Instead of 158,000 tons there will be about 250,000 tons handled in 1908.

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March 29, 1919 p9: During the four years of the World War there were 50,000 cars of ore shipped from Point Edward dock, each car containing 60 tons of ore. By 1920 there were four hoists operating at the ore dock.

Note: The ore traffic along the railway ceased in 1932 when the enlarged Welland Canal opened. This allowed the ore freighters to go directly to the Hamilton Steel mills.

2. Stone Shipments 1917 – 1931 Another product transported from Point Edward on the GTR was stone from the Central Canada Stone Cutting Company. This company’s plant, which utilized primarily limestone from Indiana, was constructed in 1916 near the corner of Michigan Avenue and Livingston Street, as shown on Map E5 and several photos below. The following two observer articles describe some of its operations.

March 19, 1919 p1: “The Central Canada Stone Cutting Co. purchased the land in Point Edward in 1916 and on January 3, 1917 commenced operations on the Toronto Union Station contract. Already over 300 carloads of stone for the big station have been shipped out. Altogether, as high as 20,000 cu. feet of stone a month have been shipped from the plant. In addition to the main contract, stone has been furnished for bank buildings and other structures throughout southern Ontario.”

July 18, 1925: “The Central Canada Stone Cutting Co. is the largest and best equipped operation of its kind in this country. It has turned out stone for the largest buildings constructed in this country including the Toronto Union Station and the New East Block, Parliament Buildings, Queens Park, Toronto.

The company also supplied the stone for other prominent Toronto buildings including the Post Office, the Royal York Hotel and Eaton’s College Street store.

As mentioned in a July 2, 1927, Observer article, the new pillars at the city entrance to Sarnia (then at the corner of London Road and East Street) were constructed of stone supplied by the CCSCC. In 1952 these pillars were moved to the main entrance to Canatara Park, as recorded in Volume #7.

Note: Articles about the Stone Company written since the1940’s, such as the 1953 Observer item provided below, often mistakenly state that the plant at Point Edward was opened in 1915 rather than 1917.

Old Stone Works Opened in 1915 The Observer Centennial Edition – November 16, 1953,

p19

The old stone works at Point Edward was opened early in 1915.

The plant was located near the provincial Fish Hatchery, on Michigan Avenue, on the north side of the road, almost under the Blue Water Bridge.

Operators of the stone works came from Bedford, Indiana, along with three key men to establish and set-up equipment and to supervise its operations.

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The three key men were Edward Marks, 81, who is now caretaker at the Point Edward Firehall. Mr. Marks was a gang sawyer and a diamond sawyer with the company.

The late John Gibson, who settled in Point Edward, was the first superintendent. The late David Cranton, also of Point Edward was a diamond sawyer with the company.

The manager was Walter Edginton.

Following several years operation at Point Edward, the company was moved to Toronto along with its machinery and personal in 1931.

Plant in Operation Many Point Edward youths were trained in stone cutting while the plant was in operation at the village.

Among those learning the stone cutting trade was Fred Mara, present owner of the Balmoral Hotel, Point Edward, near the site of the old stone works plant.

George Chadwick, another Point Edward youth who learned his trade under the watchful eyes of the three key men, is now a stone carver in Toronto. Buster Johnson, another apprentice was an operator of a planer there. He is now an express driver here.

The Stone Works had many contracts for large public and office buildings. Among some of the larger contracts were the T. Eaton Company department store, the post office building, the Union Station and the Royal York Hotel, all in the city of Toronto.

In the operations of the plant, Edward Marks, gang sawyer, was the first to receive the rough stone slabs when they arrived at the plant. His job was to shape the slabs into smaller ones and from his department the stones were taken to the stone cutters and then to the planers for the finishing operations where the stone blocks or slabs were ground to a uniform thickness and size.

Another important section of the Works was the shipping department. The cores were blocked with timbers to keep them from moving and being damaged while being shipped on flat cars. The stone was loaded on the flat car by an overhead crane. Herbert Jenken was in charge of the department.

Died Recently Mr. Jenken lived at Point Edward and was assisted for a time by his son, Howard Jenken, now employed with Lloyd’s Grocers, Point Edward.

Wilson Jenken, another son, who is now a tool maker at Mueller Limited here, was at one time employed at the stone works.

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Aerial Photo Looking South

The aerial photo above was taken in the 1920’s looking south from about where the water treatment plant is today. The large white building in the center of the photo is the Central Canada Stone Cutting Company plant that was located here from 1917 – 1931. One of the flat cars used in transporting the stone can be seen on a rail line leading into the building. In the background adjacent to the river is the CNR freight sheds. The tall structure beside the sheds is the coal hopper of the Century Coal Co. The ore docks are just off this photo to the right. The scrub poplar trees in the foreground are in the Ordnance Reserve near the western end of the quarantine grounds.

Note: After the stone company vacated the building in 1931 it was used as the Point Edward arena. In 1938, when the Blue Water Bridge was being constructed, a workman accidently dropped a hot rivet from the bridge onto the roof of the arena, which caused it to burn down.

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The above cut is a reproduction of an aeroplane photograph taken from the air at a point north of Point Edward, showing the course of the river and the natural bay between Point Edward and the Cleveland Saw Mills Co. tramway where it is proposed to dredge out a harbor and erect a million bushel grain elevator.

Note: The steamer in the centre foreground is at the iron ore docks.

1927 Aerial Photo The 1927 aerial photo above shows the western portion of Point Edward, as well as the head of the St. Clair River and Sarnia Bay. The following features can be seen: 1. The southern tramway of the Cleveland-Sarnia Sawmills projects across the mouth of Sarnia Bay. Notice that the northern tramway, where the Sarnia Grain Elevator is to be built, is no longer there.

2. St. Clair Avenue in Point Edward is on the far left.

3. Michigan Avenue from St. Clair Avenue to the river can be seen near the bottom left.

Livingstone Street is visible running north from Michigan Avenue.

4. The Central Canada Stone Cutting Plant is barely visible along Michigan Avenue just west of Livingstone Street.

5. The freighter in the foreground is at the ore docks.

The head of Sarnia Bay, which extended almost up to Michigan Avenue, consisted of a large marsh of reeds & rushes.

This photo also illustrates how the Point Edward spit has gradually the river to migrate westward, forming a deep, narrow channel or “vent” at its head.

The photos on the next two pages are from the Fred Leaver collection and show the ore dock, the stone plant, the Century Coal facility and the freight sheds in the 1921 – 1922 period, when large amounts of ore, stone, coal, and other freight were being transported along the GTR line that now forms the southwest boundary of Canatara Park.

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Activities Around Lake Chipican: 1900 – 1920 In a Sarnia Gazette article (Sept. 11, 1971, p12) Jean Elford noted that several individuals from Sarnia had hunted ducks at Lake Chipican after the quarantine station closed.

“With animals gone, Robert McGregor got exclusive rights for five years from the GTR to use the lake and park for duck shooting. He paid ten dollars a year and shared his privilege with his brother-in-law, Daniel MacKenzie.”

In an interview I had with Harry Savage in 1990, he mentioned that MacKenzie, the barber from Sarnia and another person had the right to hunt ducks at Lake Chipican around 1910.

They built a wooden walkway out into the lake with a duck blind at the end of it. This was located on the east side of the lake. Harry remembered going out on this walkway to inspect the blind around 1920. The remains of this walkway can be seen on the 1931 aerial photo of 65

Lake Chipican in Volume #5. It protrudes out into the lake about halfway along the east shoreline.

In an 1991 interview I had with Frances James she stated that several people from Sarnia used the Quarantine House for a hunting lodge during the fall at about the same time her family – the Graces – used it for a cottage during the summer in the 1914 – 1918 period.

The fact that duck hunting was allowed at Lake Chipican undoubtedly prompted Mayor George Crawford and other Sarnians who were interested in conserving wildfowl to initiate a drive in the early 1920’s to designate the lake a bird sanctuary, as described in Volume #5.

As the 1898 photo from the Holland-Paisley collection below shows, Lake Chipican was used for skating during the winter months by people from both Point Edward and Sarnia. The skates used at the time were either strapped or screwed onto the winter boots people wore, as the ones the two boys in the photo are wearing.

In an interview I had with Hugo Holland in 1990, he mentioned that one time around 1915 when he and his father – Harry Holland – went out from Sarnia to skate on Lake Chipican, they discovered what appeared to be an oil drilling derrick on the ice in the middle of the lake.

Skating near the north-end of Lake Chipican – 1898

H118-49

The Lake Chipican Water Supply Suggestion, 1915 After an outbreak of typhoid fever in 1911, the provincial board of health declared the waters of Sarnia Bay unsafe for human consumption and recommended that the old water works at the foot of George Street be closed and new works built at the head of the St. Clair River. The new plant was constructed during 1913-14 and opened in Oct. 1914.

However serious design problems severely limited the usefulness of this plant. In order to collect the water, 19 concrete wells approximately 25’ square and 20 ‘ deep had been sunk into sand and gravel. The idea was to allow water to filter up through the sand and 66

gravel at the bottom of the wells, thus creating a natural filtration system. But the sand and gravel were packed so tightly that the water only trickled into the wells and consequently the plant only had enough water to operate two days a week.

Several solutions to the problem were suggested. One involved loosening up the gravel hard pan at the bottom of the wells with dynamite! Another, printed below, was to dredge out Lake Chipican and use it as a water supply basin. Eventually the problem was rectified by drawing out the water directly from the river and the old George Street plant was finally closed in 1921.

For further details see: John T. Barnes, The Sarnia Waterworks 1875 – 1975 Editor Sarnia Observer: April 30, 1915, P5 Sir: - I have noticed that time is passing swiftly and our city fathers with full supply of talented engineers seem no nearer a solution of the waterworks question than they were a year ago. Before the waterworks was built, I advocated through your columns placing the pumping station on the shore of Lake Chipican – dredging it out for a pumping basin and then they would have an unlimited supply of the best water in the world. Although I am not an engineer, I am descended from a nation which is noted with being endowed with a capacity for thinking, therefore would recommend our city fathers to consult their engineer as to the feasibility of connecting the current filter basins with Lake Chipican, using 20 inch or larger heavy sewer tile, after dredging said lake. There is no necessity for using steel pipe, therefore the expense would be very light and the results unlimited in comparison with any other plan which can be used in the present situation.

In my opinion this talk of dynamiting the present situation is all bosh, being merely a great expense and waste of time with poor results.

Your truly, J.S. Thom.

The Sarnia Cement Products Co.: 1920 In 1920 George McGee leased from the GTR the 18.8-acre parcel shown on Map E6 that is located just west of where Canatara Park is today. The lease permitted McGee to use the sand and gravel on this property for manufacturing cement products. A factory for producing a variety of such products was constructed in 1920 as recorded in several letters and newspaper items below. In November the operation was incorporated as the Sarnia Cement Products Co. The subsequent history of the SCPC and other activities that occurred on this parcel as described in other volumes, particularly Volume #4. In 1984 the City of Sarnia obtained most of the beach along the shoreline of this property as an addition to Canatara Park, as related in Volume #9.

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Lessees: Please read carefully This lease must not be signed in any way

Form 22S (Ont.) ‘18

This Indenture, made the

Twenty fourth day of April

In the year One Thousand Nine Hundred and twenty

in pursuance of The Short

Forms of Leases Act (Ontario)

Between THE GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY COMPANY OF CANADA, hereinafter called “The Company” of the first part, and GEORGE R. MCGEE, of the City of Sarnia in the County of hereinafter called “the lessees” of the second part.

Lambton,

in the Province of Ontario

Witnesseth that in consideration of the rents, covenants and agreements, hereinafter reserved and contained, on the part of the Lessees, the Company do demise and lease unto the Lessees his executors, administrators, successors and assigns. All that parcel or tract of land situate, lying and being in the station yard of the Company, at Point Edward , in the Township of Sarnia, in the county of Lambton, and Province of Ontario:

and more particularly described as follows: Commencing at a point on the north boundary of the Company’s right of way one hundred and fifty (150) feet easterly from the west side of Maude Street produced: thence easterly along the north side of said right of way a distance of seven hundred (700) feet: thence northerly at right. angles a distance of twelve hundred and ten (1210) feet: thence westerly along the south shore of Lake Huron seven hundred and five (705) feet: thence southerly eleven hundred and forty (1140) feet to the place of beginning.

The said premises are hereby leased to be used for the following purposes only: To enable the lessees to manufacture cement products from the sand and gravel materials found on the demised premises, and hereby given permission to erect and maintain the necessary buildings and plant required but subject at all times to the consent and approval of the Company’s Superintendent as to the material used and the character and condition of maintenance of the said erections ……………….

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Map E6

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GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY SYSTEM R.S. Logan Vice President E. Donald Land and Tax Commissioner H.A. Palmer Assistant Land Commissioner

Land and Tax Department

Montreal, Que. Oct. 26th, 1920.

Messrs, Pardee, Burnham & Gurd, Barristers, etc., Sarnia, Ontario.

Dear Sirs: -

Point Edward Lands Lease to G.R. McGee

Mr. Fitzsimmons has sent me your letter of the 23rd instant. When we were dealing with Mr. McGee’s application in the first place, I understood that it was a matter of trying to start a returned soldier in business.

I am glad however that the thing has turned out to be a success, but it was hardly anticipated that it was going to be the great success that your letter seems to intimate, and to justify the formation of a Company with a capital of $100,000.

Some time ago I had enquiries from our Operating officials wanting to know if the lease we had given to Mr. McGee authorized him to excavate and make use of the sand and gravel and I informed them that it was.

The latest proposition is one that I would have to pass on to our Executives for consideration, and to enable me to do that I think that you had better give me some more particulars, especially as to the taking of the sand and gravel from the leased lands is going to interfere with the property in a way that it might leave a situation that it might interfere with the use of the property for railway purposes or some other business connected with the railway.

Give me as many particulars as you can about the extent of the plant and the nature of the buildings and machinery , and such details with regard to the lease and the time it has to run, you will observe clause 18 of the present lease and you will that we reserve the right to terminate it, but you will see further that by the last sentence of the Clause we provide that notice of termination will only be given in case the land required for the company’s purposes or to carry out some order of the Board of Railway Commissioners. As you know Railway Companies must have available for use any land that they purchase.

There is no objection to our leasing it in the meantime, but there would be objections from the legal stand point which you can appreciate, if we were to buy land simply for the purpose of making a profit out of it by leasing, etc. Our usual rule is to provide for a lease at five years from time to time.

If our executive approves, I can put a clause in the lease to provide that if, at the end of the first five year, the property is not otherwise required we will renew the lease. Then again looking at the rental I notice we are charging the $151.00 a year, and this Company are paying the land taxes. It does not see to me that this is altogether fair to the Railway Company if we are providing not only the land but also the material for the manufacturing of the cement products, and I think we should have a share for the amount of material that is used in addition to the land rent.

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However, write me further. Both Mr. Fitzsimmons and myself are prepared to give your client the most favourable consideration, and to make our recommendations accordingly.

There has been some talk of disposing all of these Point Edward lands, but I think it has now been well settled by our Executive that they are not to be disposed of, except in some special cases which have special circumstances in the way of providing manufacturing sites , etc., but not for any purpose of speculation in the way of land booms, etc. such as I understand Sarnia was going through a short time ago.

Your Truly,

E. Durard Land & Tax Commissioner

GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY SYSTEM R.S. Logan Vice President E. Donald Land and Tax Commissioner H.A. Palmer Assistant Land Commissioner

Land and Tax Department

Montreal, Que. Dec. 28th, 1920.

Messrs, Pardee, Burnham & Gurd, Barristers, etc., Sarnia, Ontario.

Dear Sirs: -

Re: Sarnia Cement Products Company

I have your letter of the 21st instant.

I think I explained to you before that when this lease was first granted, we were under the impression that we were helping some returned soldier, and it never was with the expectation that it would develop into a concern with which rich men like yourself and others of Sarnia would come into the lease as beneficiaries.

However we do not want to be splitting hairs on it, but I have to see what the rental for the privileges bear some relation to business principles, because I am afraid this arrangement will be quoted against me in other transactions or applications for similar privileges and if the concern is to be the success that I anticipate and hope it will be the $500.00 should not cut much figure.

However, to meet your wishes which you know I am anxious to do always, I will recommend the rental be fixed at $350.00 a year.

There will be no difficulty about changing the provision in the lease to make it three months’ notice as you suggest.

If this is agreeable to you kindly return the drafts and I will have them put in shape to send forward for execution through the usual channels.

Your Truly,

E. Durard Land & Tax Commissioner

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In 1920 G.T.R. leased an 18.8 acre parcel with 700’ of shoreline to the Sarnia Cement Products Co. (See Map I) During the 1920’s Lester’s Sarnia and Point Edward Directory had the following listing for the S.C.P.C.: “Contractors and manufacturers – cement products, blocks, tiles, cast stone blocks, lawn vases, birds’ baths, burial vaults, and trim stone; lake sand and gravel wholesale and retail; farm plumbing systems; office and factory Maud Street (Point Edward).”

Incorporation Granted Sarnia Cement Products Company Has been Capitalized for $100,000 With a Charter to Manufacture Everything in Concrete Products; Walter Reid is President.

Canadian Observer – November 23, 1920, P1

Incorporation has been granted the Sarnia Cement Products Company Limited which has been capitalized at $100,000, with a charter to manufacture everything in concrete products and the manufacture of machinery. Walter Reid has been elected president of the new company and George McGee secretary treasurer. The provisional directors are Miss Clara Junage (sp), W.J. Barber and F.R. Reeves In conversation with the Canadian Observer, Mr. Reid, president of the company announced that it is the intention of the company to enlarge the plant and increase the staff of working men. New kilns will be built and other improvements and changes which have been under contemplation for some time be commenced as early as possible. The plant has been running steadily since the opening, employing a large number of employees. Modern equipment and machinery have been installed and equipment has been placed for the manufacturing of all the machinery needed. The company will manufacture building tile which it is expected will be largely used as a substitute for brick and concrete block. “We have had a prosperous season” said the president, “and have filled many large orders to outside places. The future of the company is rosy and at present we have large orders which will keep our plant running steadily. The plant is situated on Albert Street, Point Edward, where substantial buildings have been erected, siding laid.

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Quarantine Grounds

Haynes Mill Another industry that was located adjacent to the future Canatara Park in 1920 was Haynes Mill. John Hayne built this stave and heading mill at the north-east corner of Arthur Street next to the old mainline tracks. The Fire Insurance Map above shows a plan of this facility.

Notice that it also shows the office used by the Huron Sand & Gravel Co. in 1925 & 1926, as described in Volume #4. In 1937, the Sarnia Cement Products Co. purchased Haynes Mill, which according to George Stoneham, was then only used for storage purposes.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s a brick factory known as G&L Masonry Product Ltd. was located at this site. It can be seen near the bottom right corner of the 1955 aerial photo of the Yacht Club basin provided in Volume #7.

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The End of The GTR Era The GTR went bankrupt in 1919. The Federal Government, which had already given the GTR some $28 million in subsidies and loans, took over the railway on October 10, 1919. It was placed under the management of the CNR on January 30, 1923, During the 65 years that the GTR, or its trustees, had owned the Point Edward property, large parts of it, including most of the Canatara area, had remained in the natural state. In the early 1920’s, the City of Sarnia attempted to obtain much of this idle railway land for a bird sanctuary as described in Volume #5.

However, during the economic boom times of the 1920’s the CNR wasn’t interested in selling its Point Edward land to Sarnia for parkland at bargain basement prices. Instead, as Sir Henry Thorton, the president of the newly created CNR announced, the company intended to make a large profit from the railway lands it had inherited throughout Canada.

Consequently, soon after the CNR had obtained the Point Edward property in 1923, it began leasing and selling large parcels in the quarantine grounds to various companies and individuals. As a result, during the 1920’s the Canatara area became the scene of several gravel extraction schemes, a sludge dumping operation and proposed residential development. In fact, only the Great Depression of the 1930’s saved much of the area from being turned into a huge gravel pit. These industrial activities in the Canatara area during the “Roaring Twenties” or “boomesteria times” as a 1928 advertisement in the Observer called it, is recorded in Volume #4.

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