The Athens Reporter- excerpts have been taken from this newspaper for the year 1905. The original newspapers are in the archives of the Heritage House Museum, Athens, Ontario
Glossville, Dec 6, 1905
Mr. Willie Good spent Sunday at Maitland.
Miss Maggie Johnston is home after spending a coupe of months in Brockville
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson of Kemptville spent last Sunday the guests of Mr. and Mrs. James Love.
Miss Hazel Breakell spent Sunday with her parents at Brockville.
Miss Edith Church spent Sunday here.
Miss Keitha Brown of Athens spent a week with Miss Eva Brown.
The Athens Reporter- excerpts have been taken from this newspaper for 1925. The original newspapers are in the archives of the Heritage House Museum, Athens, Ontario
Fairfield East, Feb 25th, 1925
The auction sale of Claude Laforty was well attended and many from Brockville were there. The stock and implements brought extra good prices in spite of the sale being held over a day on account of the rains.
On Tuesday night the neighbours were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. C. Laforty, the evening being spent in games, music and dancing. The neighbours reported a splendid time and were grateful to their host and hostess for the entertainment. Miss Dora Barton, pianist, and Mr. Rowsome, violinist, furnished the music.
W.H. Irwin and Mrs. Richard Preston of Soperton are guests of Mr. and Mrs. C. Laforty.
F.W. Moulds, Brockville, spent Monday and Tuesday as the guests of H.E. Pyke
C.Moulds made a business trip to Brockville on Wednesday.
George N. Young, Brockville spent Monday with his brother in law, Ed Johns.
W.C. Dowsley, I.P.S. Brockville spent Wednesday morning at the local school.
Mrs. Peter Pyke is ill with a cold.
James Davis, Brockville, spent a day in the neighbourhood.
In the year 1841 the late Richard Coleman of Lyn, conceived the idea of building up an industry in his native village that would give employment to a large number of mechanics, and make the village one of the manufacturing centres of Ontario. The only drawback was the lack of motive power, and as steam power in those days was too expensive, he decided to use the water trenches in the vicinity to furnish the power he required.
His knowledge of the watershed of the surrounding country enabled him to see at a glance how he could make the water supply running to Lyn almost inexhaustible. First of all he bought the Temperance Lake mill property, in order to be able to control the water flow from the lake and streams leading into it. Then he bought McIntosh Mills and erected a dam known as the “Marsh Ridge dam” at the head of Graham Lake (the natural water supply of McIntosh Mills) and thus he shut off the supply that formerly ran through the low swamp tract, between there and Temperance Lake.
By building the marsh bridge dam, all the water that formerly passed an through Graham Lake was held in a reservoir that covered several hundred acres. His next undertaking was to cut a canal from this reservoir to Lyn Pond, a distance of nearly one mile. This canal was 15 feet wide at the top and 9 feet at the bottom, with an average depth of 10 feet. It allowed the water to flow fro the reservoir referred to as the old Lyn Pond, or the Lee Pond as it was often called.
Lyn’s Mill Pond
The increased water in this pond made it necessary to build a long and massive dam at the lower end of this pond, and when all was completed he had one of the best inland water powers to e found in Ontario.
Following the curse of the old creek down from this dam to the small pond at the north western side of the village, it became necessary to enlarge and raise the old dam there, and by building a stone flume to the brow of the hill he had a clear fall of fifty feet.
While all the changes and improvements above mentioned were in progress, the master mind, who was the controlling factor in their promotion was busy in preparing plans for the erection of a flouring mill on a scale never before attempted in Eastern Ontario, and by the time the water was ready to be let out of the ponds, the mill was ready for it first grist.
The system of grinding was the old burr stone, and even that (which today would be called primitive) was such as to draw customers to the new mill from the whole country-side.
Of the factories projected and put into operation as a result of this extensive water power, obtained as above related; or of the sudden and tragic death of Richard Coleman, it is not our province to speak. Suffice it to say that the death of Richard Coleman caused the vast enterprise and properties to pass into other hands. It is truly said that Richard Coleman made Lyn a busy business centre, and his death made Lyn practically dear for many years, as far as business was concerned.
However during those years that Lyn had been lying dormant, so to speak, a young Scotch lad had been growing up in the village, who was ultimately to take front rank amongst the business men of the whole of Canada. James Cumming was, at the time of the first events of which we write, a mere lad. As a boy he was willing, careful and obliging, and as a young man he displayed a remarkable adaption for business, and the dream of his life was to see the Lyn Mills in operation again.
When things looked darkest for the village of Lyn, he never for a moment lost faith in the capabilities of the surroundings to make the Village of Lyn regain, if not surpass its former business activity.
In 1862 the owners of the mill appointed James Cumming manager, and he successfully conducted the business until 1867 when Messer’s Chassels and Rivers took the management into their own hands and sank $50,000 in the business in the next ten years. In 1878 James Cumming was again offered the job of manager and he made a proposal to purchase the whole estate, which was gladly assented to by those in charge.
After becoming the new owner, Mr. Cummings’ first move was to completely remodel the flouring mill. He commenced to make flour by what was known as the “New Process”, and still later on a new departure was made and by a combination of millstones, rolls and purifiers, the quality of flour turned out was much improved. Finally on 1890 the full roller mill was put in, which was most successful.
Five Story Mill with rail siding
At the present time, in 1893, the mill turns out flour for home and shipping trade in four brands A, B, C, and D grades, which lead all the fancy flours of the mills of the west, in Eastern markets.
The mill building is of stone five stories in height and presents a most imposing appearance from any direction. On the ground floor are situated the motors consisting of two giant 14- inch wheels, which develop 90 h.p. under a pressure of 50 feet. The water is carried from the brow of the hill to the wheels by a large wrought iron tubes.
On the second floor are the rollers, consisting of a line of six pairs of break rolls, and eight pairs of smooth reduction rolls, a four sided burr for middling, three large purifiers, one monitor feed mill for pre vender, and the heating apparatus which is a series of steam pipes.
The third floor contains the b….ing machinery, consisting of a large chest of double operating Lima separators, four hexagon scalpers, four flouring reels, two cylindrical flouring reels, two cylindrical flouring reels, two separating purifiers, one Cyclone dust collector, and required number of supply hoppers for breaks.
On the fourth floor are placed two Silver Creek Disintegrating centrifugals, one tailing reel, one place sifter, the first machine of its kind to be built in Canada. This is a recent Hungarian invention, and said to be the most important change made in the milling machinery since the adoption of the roller. It resembles a huge piano, hung up in mid air gyrating at the speed of 160 shakes a minute. It does the work of 6 reels, saves 50% in power and room, and makes a great improvement in the quality of the flour.
Inside the old mill
The fifth floor is where the wheel cleaners are run. They consisted of one Booth Separator, one Hercules Scourer, one Eureka Polisher, one Eureka Brush and one cockle machine and grader arranged and driven by a horizontal shaft from the shafting beneath. In another compartment on the fifth floor are the bran-duster, shorts – duster, official grader and air tanks.
The sixth floor lands one inside a garret, a distance of 74 feet from the ground. Here the shafting equipment and the ends are used in running the elevator and a few other pieces of machinery.
Owing to the favourable situation of the mills, and east access to the Grand Trunk, Canadian Pacific, B & W Railways, for receiving and delivering grain and flour, the tonnage enjoyed by this mill is second to none in Eastern Canada. This efficient steam plant has recently been added in an annex, to be used in case of accident to the water supply.
Mr. Cumming is assisted in this operation by his two sons, who also display marked ability for the management of extensive enterprises.
Lyn, March 12 – A very successful carnival was held on the local ring on Friday evening which attracted a large number of skaters and spectators. Several contests were held and the valuable prizes which were donated by Brockville and Lyn stores were well worth trying for. The judges were Miss. Helen Purvis, Miss Anna Nelson, Mrs. J.C. McCready and Harris Hanna, who awarded the prizes to the following:
Oldest Skater- Walter Billings
Oldest skating couple – Mrs. Jock Stewart and Walter Billings.
Fastest skater, boy under 14 – Glen Darling
Fastest Skater boy over 14 – Ward Pettem, Louis Darling
Fastest skating girl – Miss Doris McNish
Best skating couple – Miss Rose Leader and Hurbert Leader
Best costume, girls – Mrs. Jock Stewart and Mrs. W. Coon
Best costume, men – Arthur Ladd
Best lady skater – Miss Esther Ladd
Fastest backward skating girl – Miss Dorothy Mott
Fastest backward skating boy – Cauley Ladd
Largest family on skates – Arthur Ladd
Fastest log sawyers – Donald Gibson and W. Smith completing the cut in three minutes and 55 seconds
Nail driving contest – Thomas McNish, six strokes
Prizes were donated by the following: C.E. Johnston Co., Arnold’s stationary store, J.H. Doyle, Smart’s hardware, Hugh Cameron, Cameron and Borthwick, Fullertons drug store, McDougal Brothers, Johnston’s Hardware, H.P. Conklin, H,B, Wright Co., J.C. McCrady, V.W. Coon’s bakery, Walter Billings, Walter Jarvis Gilmaur’s wholesale dealers. The valuable door prize has not yet been called for. The lucky ticket is 248 and the person holding this ticket should call at once at McCrady’s store and receive the prize.
(There was no indication of the newspaper or date of this article we would estimate that it was held in the 1920’s or 1930’s)
(article published around 1890, publication unknown)
If I were to go on a trip to Europe, and someone were to ask me if I had seen my own country, what answer would I give? A month ago, if I had been asked this question, my answer should have been “Why, of course, for I have been in every province of Canada, have camped and toured and worked from Victoria, B.C. to Halifax. Know my country? I should say I do!” That has been my song for many a day, that I have seen my own country. If I had gone to Europe last month, that should have been my answer. Not so now!
Listen my friends: I’ve been down to Lyn! Oh, what a bonnie place is Lyn! If I were to go to Europe, or some other country no matter what my answer and self-satisfied pride might have been, say, a month ago, I very much fear I could answer only this, that I thought I knew my Canada like a book, but I have seen Lyn, and all my confidence is shaken Lyn has awakened me to the simple fact that Canada has not yet been found by me. How many other Lyns are there, and to which I have never been? Quaint little villages, off the beaten highway, serene, pure, gentle and oh, what shall I say? Very lovely indeed.
No, if I were to venture abroad and be asked how much I know of my own land, well, my answer is going to be, henceforth. “I’m not very sure about my knowledge of Canada, not very sure, but I’ve been down to Lyn.” And they will not know what I mean and they will ask me, and I shall answer them somewhat like this: Did you ever hear of the small river Afron, the “Sweet Afton” of the poet Robert Burns “How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighbouring hills, Far marked with the courses of clear winding rills!” Or again, in another verse, “How peasant thy banks and green valleys below, Where wild in the woodlands the primroses blow.” You know these lines? Do you know, or can you picture the sweet and gentle scene of Burns’ day? Well, if Burns had passed through Lyn, Ontario, his poem, “Sweet Afton”, might have found its setting there.
Lyn is a quaint and lovely village near Brockville. But no! For shame! I am in error: Brockville is a town not far from the beautiful village of Lyn. But, perhaps, that is unfair to Brockville, for, after all, Brockville just hasn’t the natural endowment of beauty to be found at Lyn. The same thing is true, largely, of nearly all the lake or river front towns of Ontario, they haven’t the rolling countryside of the towns back a wee bit in the counties. And Lyn is a typical case, for it is set in a picturesque frame of hills and valleys and rhythmic watercourses. Lyn is an idyll ! It is a village unspoiled in an age of ruin through so-called improvement. It is a psalm in a world of noise and destruction. Its tranquil vales and placid, ambling waters are a rebuke to modern ways of men. It seems to have an atmosphere untouched by the rot and decay of modern hurry, and it knows not the panic of haste of today, that impatience with life which makes the builders poison their mortar so that disintegration starts in the foundation before the roof is finished. Lyn is a pastoral, a poem of peace and quaint beauty, a song of life, a melody in the wistful and yearning key of a shepherd piping ‘neath a tree in the meadow. Ah, yes, all this, and more: It is the soul of true life floating up from the valley on the wind, the fluting of Pan, as he muses on the rim of the river down in the glade where the stream meanders from the meadow over against the wooded hill.
Yes, we, Mrs. Robb and I, went down to Lyn. I gave a recital there. The trees are old, the houses look, each one, like home. There is a well-kept lawn, the tidy walk and friendly feeling. It is off the main route of travel.
And so, if I seem to have gone mad over Lyn, well, hold your horses a bit; don’t condemn me too hastily. Go down to Lyn yourself, and, I dare to say it, I’ll have company in my madness.
From the book “How Dear to My Heart” by Walter Kilborn Billings
I never seemed to have much luck at this sport. As a boy I could go down to the creek and over to the falls, where with a can of worms I could catch a dozen bullheads, which when cleaned and ready for the frying pan were about the size of sardines. In the spring, by walking along the bank of the creek, I could see nice big red-fin suckers basking in the sunlight, and once or twice, a two foot pike; but a bent pin on the end of a string was no way to catch them.
Ai Haffie of Lansdowne and his catch from the St. Lawrence River c 1930
I remember going with my Aunt Belle to the Brooks Farm just east of Butternut Bay, on the St. Lawrence River. As she wanted to go fishing we went down to the boathouse and got the boat into the water. I did not know much about rowing, but my aunt said we should not go fast to troll, and we didn’t. I usually bumped the oars together and pinched my fingers, but we got along very well. All at once she said, “Oh, I have a bite!” But it was a false alarm. In a few minutes she called again, “I have another bite,” but again no luck. It was hard for me to keep the boat on a straight course, but she warned me if she hooked a fish I was to keep on rowing.
Again she called, “I have got something this time!” I kept on rowing, but it was getting so exciting that I could hardly keep the boat out in deep water. All at once, about twenty feet behind the boat, the fish jumped and tried to shake the hook from its mouth, then went down under again. My aunt kept pulling in the line, and was just in the act of lifting the big fish over the edge of the boat when it gave a flop, its tail struck the side of the boat and the line broke. She leaned over the edge and saw the big fish swim away!
My aunt had become so excited that she was hysterical and just sat there and cried. We certainly had lost a big fish, as I had caught a glimpse of it as its head appeared above the water. As we had lost our tackle and our fish we went ashore and back to the house. For weeks she could hardly talk of anything but the big fish she had lost.
Mallorytown Landing 1904
Years later, my brother and I had a similar experience outside of Mallorytown Landing about the year 1933. We had hooked a big maskinonge, but just when we got it up beside the boat the line broke. This exciting event was witnessed by the occupants of another boat, and the item was printed in the local paper, where I found it among other articles a few weeks ago.
Jones’ Creek, below the old mill was the mecca of local fisherman, and many tales of big catches. Practical jokes played on unsuspecting fisherman always added zest to the stories told after one of these outings. One, as told by my cousin Burt Billings, seems worth repeating.
He and his cousin Herb Blair drove to the Mills one night, tramped along the bank to the big rock, where they proceeded to try their luck with worms for bait. Herb seemed the lucky one that night as he hauled in a dozen or more big bullheads. Burt’s luck was different. For an hour he sat there and did not get even a bite. Finally he called to Herb that he was going down near him, to try again. Of course Herb objected, saying if he came down there neither would get a bite, but Burt came just the same, and in a few minutes he hauled in a nice fish! A few minutes later he got another, while Herb’s luck changed. Burt kept on till he had a nice catch of fish and finally Herb said he was tired and was going home. Winding up his line and going back to gather up his fish, on a string, in the dark he could not find where he had placed them; finally he gave up and started for his horse. Burt, gathering up his catch, followed him and they drove home, Herb all the way bemoaning the loss of his fish.
Burt got out first and as Herb started on, Burt stopped him saying “Oh Herb I guess the joke is on you. It was your fish I was catching all the time and you can take them home. I just picked one from your lot each time I hauled that piece of stick from the water.”
Yonge Mills abt 1905
At one time at Yonge Mills there was a long channel or sluice-way; at the head of it you could take up the planks or gate and let the water pour down the passage to the pool below. In the spring the boys would go there, open the gate so that the fish would swim up this runway in droves; then, with a plank placed across this stream near the lower end and a large hoop net placed in the water and held by one of the boys, the rest of the fisherman would go up stream, shut off the water and catch the returning fish in the net.
One night my partner Bob, four other lads and I drove to the Mills. They had put the net in three or four times but as the season for suckers was about over had no luck. Finally they said “Bob, you hold the net and we will try again. We will take the poles and splash the water and surly some will go down.”
In the darkness with Bob squatting on the plank holding the hoop of the net the boys went up and started splashing. Finally they heard Bob yell, “Come on down quickly! The net must be full! I can hardly hold it. Hurry, Hurry” The lads rushed down, and all together they lifted the net from the water and dumped its contents on the grass but there was no sound of fish flopping. Bob lit a match and held it over the empty net. There were no fish there but the skeleton of a calf, which the boys had thrown into the stream above!
Yes we had fun in those days going fishing.
Mallorytown Landing Henry MacDonald’s Boat and Boat House c1910
Mallorytown Landing the front of Henry MacDonalds Boat House c1910
Jones Creek where it empties into the St. Lawrence River abt 1930
The original 1861-62 map was a large paper on cloth wall map showing all the townships I Leeds and Grenville County. We so happen to have one of these large maps in the museum. However in 1973 Mika Publishing in Belleville reproduced these maps by township in a book called: Historical Atlas of Leeds & Grenville, Ontario” Also included in this book are excerpts and illustrations from Thad. Leavitt’s book “History of Leeds and Grenville from 1749 to 1879” published in 1879.
We have reproduced a full view of this map, along with smaller sections of the map
Map of Elizabethtown Township
Concession 1 & 2 Eastern Side of Township
Concession 2, 3 & 4 Eastern side of Township
Concession 5 & 6 Centre of Township
Concession 7 & 8 Centre of Township
Concessions 1,2 & 3 Western side of Township
Concessions 3 & 4 Western side of Township
Concessions 5, 6 & 7 Western Side of the Township
Concession 7, 8 & 9 on the Western side of the Township
Concessions 7,8,9,10 & 11 on the Western side of the Township
Concessions 7 & 8 in the Centre of the Township
Concession 5 & 6 in the Centre of the Township
Concession 4 & 5 in the Centre of the Township
Concession 2, 3 & 4 in the Centre of the Township
Concession 1 & 2 in the Centre of the Township
Concession 2, 3 & 4 in the Centre of the Township
Concession 4 & 5 on the Eastern side of the Township
Concession 5, 6 & 7 on the Eastern Side of the Township
Concession 7, 8 & 9 on the Eastern side of the Township
Concessions 9, 10 & 11 in the Centre of the Township
Concessions 7,8,9,10 & 11 in the North East Corner of the Township
Concessions 1, 2 & 3 in the South West Corner of the Township
A Brief History of the Elizabethtown-Kitley Fire Department
From the very beginning to the Present
Our township is located along the St. Lawrence River and our municipality surrounds the City of Brockville, Ontario Canada. We amalgamated with our neighboring township of Kitley on January 1st, 2001 and are now the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley and cover an area of 590 sq kilometers. We have 3 fire stations with 1 full time Fire Chief, 1 full time Administrative Assistant and 1 part time Fire Prevention Officer, along with 60 volunteer firefighters. We house 4 Tankers, 4 Pumpers, 3 Rescue units, 1 Medical Van, and 2 Club Cab Trucks.
Elizabethtown Fire Department was established in 1963 at 26 Main St. W. in the Village of Lyn, a second station was a converted two bay garage. Kitley Fire Department was established in the Village of Frankville in 1965.
The following is historical information on both Elizabethtown and Kitley Fire Departments
Who were the first members of each fire department, Elizabethtown & Kitley?
Elizabethtown
Dave McCrady-Chief Earle Miller-DC Arnold Ladd Ivan Cross
George Williams Herb Simpson Frank Willows William Murray
George Bycroft Cliff Churchill Gerald Coon Ron Flood
Allan Hanna Don Jowett Ron Murphy Alf McDonald
Norm Reynolds Don Toohey Don White Frank VanDusen
Eddy Casselman, Clarence Hoare, Don Toohey, Frank Willows, Doug Jowett, Matt Bonokoski, Herb Dewar, Jack Darling, Bill Gaskell, Huge McClintock, Don Mott, Roy Bradley, Bill Empey, Ron Cross, Joe Cirtwell
Kitley
Gerald E. Moran- Chief Gib Johnston Charlie Smith Garnet Baker
Borden Armstrong Ray Bennett James Dawson Arthur Ferguson
Allan Mercier Gerald Sands Doug Bryan James Rae J.R.
Victor Johnston Guy Johnston Marshall Davidson Ray Ireland
Gordie Brundige Ronald Eaton Basil Beaupre Gerald Lawson
Earl Sands Gerald Mercier Gerald S. Moran Jack Wilkinson
Ken Baker Jack Hanton
Who were the Fire chiefs of each fire department, Elizabethtown & Kitley?
Elizabethtown- Dave McCrady 1963-1967
George Williams 1967-1979
Don White 1979-1989
Jim Donovan 1989-2001
Kitley- Gerald E. Moran 1965-1967
Ray Ireland 1967-1989
Ken Baker 1989-2001
Elizabethtown –Kitley Jim Donovan 2001- Present
Who are the fire chiefs today, and their role and duties?
Fire Chief Jim Donovan, Deputy Fire Chief Andy Guilboard
A chief (and/or his/her designate) is the person who is ultimately responsible to Council and is appointed to deliver Fire Protection Services as set out by the municipality for the residents. They are also appointed by the Province to enforce the Fire Protection and Prevention Act and the Ontario Fire Code.
The 2017 Fire fighters are, –Barb Brownell – Fire Administration 1995-present
Doug Andress Daniel Ashe Randy Beaupre Gerry Bell
Brad Buchanan Rachel Bond Cody Burridge Donna Carty Dillon Champagne Lisa Charbonneau Jesse Dentz Mike Dunster Derrick Empey Tom Evans Adam Findlay Andrew Flood Gary Foster Dave Goguen Steven Goguen Paul Gordon Andy Guilboard Ryan Healey Aaron Heidemann Steve Helmus Derrik Hill Matt Huskinson Bill Johnston Michael Jonker Alfred Kelly Tyler Knapp David Laliberte Brian Lawson Dakota Layng Nathan Leclair David Loney Andrew Malanka Dylan Maud Alan Merkley Steve Moore Dan Noel Brian Normandin Chris Paul Zack Paul Pascal Peladeau
Eric Perrin Jeremy Renkema Michael Rowntree Jeff Sargent Chad Scott Matt Shaw Tim Slusarchuk Gerry Smith
Jeff Smith Matthew Spencer Jamie St.Pierre Owen Stevens
Scott Tedford Tim Tedford Brian Triemstra Mark Weldon Cory Wilson Matt Worden Michael Yates
Number of fire and rescue call per year?
Approximately 210 calls per year
What is the average number of hours spent attending fire and rescue call per year?
Total Hours for 2016-9,503
How many hours are spent in training per year?
Training Hours for 2016 – 3,723.5 hours
List the awards the department has won locally, regional, provincially?
Extrication Team- The team was established in 1999 and since has competed in 13 regional competitions and 5 international competitions.
In 2008 the extrication team hosted the Eastern Ontario Extrication Competition in Frankville.
Fire Fit Team – Riverfest 2008-Placing First. 2008 Ingleside – Fastest Relay Team
2008 – Canadian Nationals- Fastest Volunteer Relay in Canada
What Fund-raising activities dose the fire department do? and what do they use the money for?
Fund Raising – Chicken BBQ, Fish Fry, MD Boot Drive
Fire Fighter’s Association
Both, the Elizabethtown and the Kitley Fire Fighter Associations still actively fund raise to assist in the purchasing of equipment, sponsoring local youth recreation activities and donating to local charities (MD). They participated in parades throughout the Counties again this year.
What is the fire department Mission Statement/Motto?
MISSION STATEMENT
The primary mission of the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley Fire & Emergency Services is to provide a range of programs to protect the lives and property of the inhabitants of the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley from the adverse effects of fires, sudden medical emergencies or exposure to dangerous conditions created by man or nature.
Our Family, Helping Yours
The above information was provided by the Elizabethtown-Kitley Fire Department
On May 6th, 1985, Kitley Fire Department celebrated its’ 20th Anniversary. During these years the Township of Kitley went from being without a fire department to having one of the best equipped and best trained in the Country. Accomplishing this took a considerable outlay of time and money.
Fire protection for the township prior to 1965 was inadequate at its best. Smith’s Falls was paid to respond to calls for help, and respond they did. Their best equipment however was allocated for use in the town of Smith’s Falls, and only their second pumper came to calls in Kitley. Since an adequate supply of water in town was supplied by hydrants, they did not have a tanker to haul water. Local residents had to supply the water unless the fire was close to a creek or pond from which they could pump water. Seeing milk cans of water being hauled to supply the pumper was a frequent sight at a fire in the township. No matter how great the effort, water could not be hauled in sufficient quantity to supply the pumper.
The first hope for improvement came because of a push from the village of Frankville. A group known as the Frankville Fire Brigade was formed to provide fire protection for the village. Thought their equipment was very limited, they had a building and a good well. The well was equipped with a deep lift pump, and was able to provide a continuous supply of water through a 1 ½ inch line.
On August 13, 1964, Reeve Charles Sands met with the Village of Frankville Trustees, The Frankville Fire Brigade and a large group of interested people. The decision was made that changes in Fire Protection were necessary.
The Fire Marshall’s office was contacted regarding requirements for a legal fire department. Mr. Maurice Roussey met with the Council and informed them that setting up an adequate Fire Department was too large a venture for a village and that a Township Fire Department should be considered instead.
A survey of the Township’s requirements was undertaken and provided information that the Frankville Fire Hall and an unused Toledo Fire Hall did not meet standards and did not have room for expansion. The discussion for a new fire hall was discussed at length by Council. Even though they would have liked to have the building in the centre of the Township, this was not possible since the men interested in being firefighters were from the Frankville area. In the end, the location was decided when land was donated on the north end of Frankville for this purpose. The property was of sufficient size and on Hwy#29. The deed was completed and the lot fenced in May of 1965.
Construction of the Fire Hall
With the support of volunteers a fire hall was constructed. The building including heating and hydro cost a total of $7,445. Of this amount Council through taxes paid only $3,205., the Fire Association through fundraising paid the rest as well as 2,222 hours of volunteer labour by 66 men.
Lulabelle
The total equipment at this time amounted to a 1946 Mercury truck with a 1000 gallon tank inherited from the Frankville Fire Brigade. This truck affectionately named “Lulabelle” was the complete source of water. Driving ‘Lulabelle’ however required special care, since there were no baffles in the tank, unless it was completely full, the movement of the water would push her through stop signs.
The Fire Department decided a better tanker was necessary, and in November of 1965 a 1959 GMC truck was purchased for $900. as well as a 1200 gallon tank. The money was borrowed from the bank using the signatures of 27 men as collateral. By June of 1966, the loan as well as interest was paid off Volunteers repaired the truck and tank to get it ready for use by the department.
December 14, 1965 was a great day for Kitley Fire Department. The new pumper arrived! This vehicle from King Seagrave carried 500 gallons of water and was equipped with a pump capable of delivering 625 gallons per minute, it was completely equipped with hose, nozzles, ladders and most of the other items a firefighter might need. A new Hale portable pump, to be used for filling the tankers also arrived in December. The pumper at a cost of $17,486. and the portable pump at $610. were both purchased by council.
The official opening of the Fire Hall took place on Saturday, June 223, 1966 at 2pm. Kitley Fire Department now had equipment which would meet all the requirements of the Fire Marshall’s Office.
Alarm System
In order to receive calls an alarm system was needed. Since no system was available through the Lewis Telephone System, the firefighters set up their own. They installed phones in all the firefighter’s homes and then strung their own wire to the old Frankville Fire Hall and to the office of the Lewis Telephone System. Even though the wire was old, the system for ringing the 25 phones was ‘state of art’ for 1965. The wire however was a different matter. Every weekend Ray Ireland and Ken Baker spent many hours climbing poles and splicing wires. Stories still circulate regarding the number of side cutters that Ray left on the cross arms of telephone poles.
Fire Association
The Fire Department would have been hard pressed to succeed without the assistance of the Firefighter’s Association. Since the formation of the Department, the Association has met regularly on the 3rd Monday of every month. Hey have been involved in almost continual fundraising for 20 years. They raised money through raffles, Walk-a-thons, New Year’s Eve dances, Wedding receptions and in numerous other ways. The association has raise many thousand dollars and spent it on necessary equipment for the Fire Department
Women’s Auxiliary to the Fire Department
Kitley Fire Depts. Women’s Auxiliary
On April 25, 1977, the Women’s Auxiliary was formed with Linda Brundige as its first president. Their objective was fund raising and they helped purchase pagers and turn out gear.
Extracts taken from the booklet “ Kitley Volunteer Fire Department- The first twenty five years- 1965-1985. Authors and publisher unknown. Thanks to the Elizabethtown-Kitley Fire Department for this information.
Unfortunately our photos are not the best, if anyone has some good qualtiy photographs we would appreciate hearing from you.
1965 TankerKitley Fire Chiefs1969 VanKitley Firefighters of 1979
the beautiful village of Lyn. But, perhaps, that is unfair to Brockville, for, after all, Brockville just hasn’t the natural endowment of beauty to be found at Lyn. The same thing is true, largely, of nearly all the lake or river front towns of Ontario, they haven’t the rolling countryside of the towns back a wee bit in the counties. And Lyn is a typical case, for it is set in a picturesque frame of hills and valleys and rhythmic watercourses. Lyn is an idyll ! It is a village unspoiled in an age of ruin through so-called improvement. It is a psalm in a world of noise and destruction. Its tranquil vales and placid, ambling waters are a rebuke to modern ways of men. It seems to have an atmosphere untouched by the rot and decay of modern hurry, and it knows not the panic of haste of today, that impatience with life which makes the builders poison their mortar so that disintegration starts in the foundation before the roof is finished. Lyn is a pastoral, a poem of peace and quaint beauty, a song of life, a melody in the wistful and yearning key of a shepherd piping ‘neath a tree in the meadow. Ah, yes, all this, and more: It is the soul of true life floating up from the valley on the wind, the fluting of Pan, as he muses on the rim of the river down in the glade where the stream meanders from the meadow over against the wooded hill.
