Looking Back

Posted Nov 3, 2011 By Compiled by Stacey Roy

100 YEARS AGO - NOV. 7, 1911

The Perth board of education have engaged Mr. Marlin, the present science master in the collegiate institute there, as principal for 1912 at a salary of $1,700. Principal McKim has resigned to take a fine position as a teacher of German in Calgary.

The people of Wolford township are showing a keen interest in the new hospital in Smiths Falls. At the last meeting of the township council a resolution was carried to submit a bylaw to the ratepayers for a $500 grant at the forthcoming elections.

Organist Spicer of Perth has been doing his work by proxy for a fortnight, as a result of his digitals being lacerated by his efforts to end a dog fight. The canines got the better of the musician that time.

50 YEARS AGO - NOV. 2, 1961

The revelation that the town's zoning bylaw no. 2840 is hindering commercial development in Smiths Falls, supported by a delegation which appeared before the regular meeting of the planning board Monday night, has prompted a resolution asking town council to amend the bylaw which would exclude the commercial sections of town from the off-street parking provisions in the bylaw. The board also agreed to ask council to assume the responsibility for providing off-street parking in town.

Telephone subscribers in Smiths Falls are faced with the possibility of an increase in rates from 20 to 25 cents monthly. It was announced this week that the Bell Telephone Company has reported to the Board of Transport Commissioners that the Smiths Falls local calling area has outgrown its present telephone rate group.

25 YEARS AGO - NOV. 5, 1986

The Smiths Falls Police Association received the best arbitration award in history last week, its president said.

"We've made up a lot of ground," said association president Const. Marc LaPlante of the award handed down by arbitrator Richard Jackson of Kingston.

An arbitration hearing held Sept. 11 in Smiths Falls was called to reach a contract which 14 uniformed personnel, four dispatchers and one secretary have been without since Jan. 1, 1986.

The deal between the Wolford Area Residents Association (WARA) and Navro Inc. was a horrible precedent caused by dissension in the community and was reached in a cloud of secrecy, residents say.

WARA announced Oct. 24 it had purchased the land on County Road 16 to prevent Navro's proposal for a recycling plant from going to a Ministry of Environment assessment board. The purchase, WARA said, was the only solution to residents' environmental fears.

10 YEARS AGO - NOV. 7, 2001

"It's one step at a time."

That's the best description of the start of official meetings for the steering committee looking into a possible merger of the police forces in Smiths Falls, Perth and Carleton Place, says the committee's spokesperson.

The committee which features two representatives from each of the three towns gathered in Perth last Thursday, Nov. 1 for its inaugural meeting.

Committee spokesperson Mary Smiley, who is chairperson of the Perth Police Services Board, said the meeting was "basically an update on information we had before, and (a discussion of) some new information."

This issue's going to need a little more thought.

The idea of an annual one-month tax holiday would probably appeal to many consumers. But it would be an administrative nightmare for business operators and probably have the exact opposite effect of what it would be intended for sparking a floundering economy.

Compiled by: ASHLEY KULP

50 YEARS AGO - OCTOBER 26, 1961

25 YEARS AGO - OCTOBER 29, 1986

10 YEARS AGO - OCTOBER 24, 2001

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