What was happening in 1966 in this area

By C. Scott Holland

Canada’s 1967 Centennial commissioner John Fisher spoke to 200 people at the Roma Club. He was introduced by T. D. Smyth, chair of the Leamington and District Centennial Board. The group heard about some of the events already planned.

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Thomas Smyth was the president of Leamington’s 1967 Centennial board and would eventually rise to become president of Heinz Canada.

The new Leamington and Mersea municipal building was slated to open on Mon., Apr. 11. The $450,000 structure while not completely finished was having furniture and records moved into it. Leamington’s temporary office had been in a house on Clark St. W. while Mersea used a store in the Shotton building on Erie St. N..

The first council meeting would be Leamington’s on Apr. 11 and Mersea would hold theirs on Apr. 18.

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Mersea Township’s Police force now consists of three members as Constable William Wright a former OPP officer joined Chief Reo Williams and Constable Alan Harris.

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A total of 21 new building permits had been issued by building inspector Cam Smithson. The largest was a 120 ft. by 207 ft. warehouse to be erected on Ivan St. for Dibbrell Brothers Tobacco. Contractor Frank Lutsch Sr. had five permits for houses to be built on the east side of Danforth Ave. between Alderton and Hayward.

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New officers for the local Kwanis Club were: Eric Slater 1st vice-president;John Crump past president; incoming presidentDr. Robert McGirr; and George Wigle, 2nd vice-president.