BEARDMORE-LAKE NIPIGON EXTRACTS 9

ptember Daily Times in Beardmore - based on reports in the Fort William Daily Times-Journal in 1938

Tue 6 Sep H&S CLUB ELECTIONS – Home and School Club officers: Mrs. A. Hanson, president; Mrs. J.G. Baby, vice-president; Mrs. C. Dickison, secretary; Mrs. H. Kilby, treasurer. “School reopened September 6^th. With Mr. W.W. Allen and Miss H.L. McKinnon as teachers.”

Wed 7 Sep MINERS LEAVING HOSPITAL – “Kenneth Murphy and Joseph Karpuik, who have been in St. Joseph’s hospital since the accident at Northern Empire mine last April which killed two men and injured five others, were discharged from hospital today, their many fractures and other wounds healed so that they could resume fairly normal activities. William Dobie was able to leave hospital a few weeks ago. Still in hospital as a result of the accident, which happened on April 20, are Stanley White and John Karpuik.”

Thu 8 Sep FATALITY ON NIPIGON BOAT – “Arthur Donio was struck on the head by the handle of a winch and received injuries from which he died. Donio, an Indian from the Grand Bay reserve, was on the boat[“Keego”], together with his family, and was being taken across Lake Nipigon.” The crew had put a cable ashore to winch the boat off a shoal when the crank flew back and fractured his skull. The steamer “Keego”, owned by the Dept. of Indian Affairs, was used to tow ties, cut by the reserve, to Orient Bay [Macdiarmid] for shipment. “Donio leaves his wife and four children. Burial will be made in the cemetery at McIntyre Bay.”

Fri 9 Sep TELEPHONE CONNECTION – With the inauguration of the Beardmore phone system last week, already 15 phones are linked to Fort William. The Bell Telephone line runs along the CNR right-of-way. Northern Empire mine will have a connection later this week. Geraldton got its [Head of the Lakes] connection last year.

Sat 10 Sep MACDIARMID NEWS – “D. Gapen of Nipigon Chalet Lodge and a party of friends are making a little trip down the Nipigon River.” “Albert Belanger (Joe the Ghost) will be employed as wheelman on the Abitibi Paper company’s tug Nipigon.” “N[orman] Kelly, United church student minister, held service in the school house last week.” The Dept. of Works will be arranging work on the Macdiarmid breakwater with A.O. Mauro in charge. “The Tomlinson Construction company headquarters will be established at Macdiarmid.”

Mon 12 Sep TEACHER AT EMPIRE – Miss E. Snell of London will take up duties as teacher at Empire school. Beardmore school opened Tue. with over 90 pupils and classes working in shifts. The Women’s Institute is sponsoring the districts first school fair this month with participation of schools from Empire and Beardmore. Miss Sheila Brooks hosted “a gay group of young people” on a scavenger hunt. The community park officially opened on Labour Day. Leitch and Empire mines played a hard-fought baseball game with Leitch being victors.  There were also children’s races and refreshment booths serving hot dogs, ice cream, and soft drinks.

Sat 17 Sep MORE MACDIARMID NEWS – “The Tomlinson Construction company’s camp is being erected near Macdiarmid. W. Tobin, P. Droubney, and H. Marsh are in charge. Tractors are being used to haul materials to the camp site. It is expected the cookhouse will open next Tuesday. An immediate start will be made on the building that is to house the engineering staff, department of highways, of which H. Phipps is in charge.”

Mon 19 Sep LARGER SCHOOL NEEDED – Nearly 100 pupils attend the school in two shifts, under two teachers. “Building activity continues unabated here.” “There are about 500 men working at the mines in the district, including 105 [?] at Sand River mine, 125 at Leitch and more than 150 at the Northern Empire mine.”

Tue 20 Sep DOH BUILDINGS – “The department of highways is building new quarters just at the edge of town on Main street. They include an office, cook house and quarters for the staff and men.” The Dept. of Forestry is building an office on Walker street to house staff, and plan to build a hose tower and several other buildings. Registered guests at the Beardmore Inn hailed from Toronto, Port Arthur, Fort William, North Bay, Winnipeg, Geraldton, Orient Bay, Montreal, and Armstrong.

Thu 22 Sep NEW SCHOOL QUARTERS – “The school board has decided to rent Kroback’s hall and make use of it for a classroom for the senior classes for the winter.” The Home and School Club will hold a card party every week at the school for bridge and whist, after which a lunch will be served.

Fri 23 Sep MORE FROM MACDIARMID – Road-building machinery and supplies have been arriving for Tomlinson Construction including four tractors and two Le Tourneau machines. The CNR will make arrangements for a loading platform to facilitate unloading machinery. H.F. Phipps and the DOH will erect buildings near the Forestry headquarters on the “Pustagonie river”. “The Abitibi Power and Paper company’s tug ‘Nipigon’ towed its first raft of 6,000 cords of pulpwood to Virgin Falls on the Nipigon river.”

Wed 28 Sep CGIT. ORGANIZED – “A C.G.I.T.* was organized on Thursday evening at the home of Mr. Kelly, student minister. Elections of officers: president, Pauline Erechook; vice-president, Margaret Dodd; secretary, Elsie Shear; treasurer, Faun Hanson. Meetings will be held every Friday. Three women volunteered to be leaders.

[Note * – Canadian Girls in Training was founded by the Young Women’s Christian Association in collaboration with major Protestant churches. Their goals:

As a Canadian Girl in Training
Under the leadership of Jesus
It is my purpose to
Cherish Health
Seek Truth
Know God
Serve Others
And thus, with His help,
Become the girl God would have me be

CGIT combined non-denominational religious training with physical, creative, and intellectual pursuits, and leadership skills. By 1933, 40,000 girls were enrolled in 1100 communities.]

Photo 1 > The “Keego” began its career in 1909 as a wood yacht owned by Temagami Steamboat & Hotel Company. It serviced tourist resorts on Lake Temagami in NE Ontario. A more accurate description is a 23-ton yacht 63 feet long powered by a 2.4 HP diesel engine. It was bought in 1938 by the Indian Affairs Branch and transferred to Lake Nipigon to service reserves. Photo from www.ottertooth.com.

Photo 2 > This map accurately portrays the location of McIntyre Bay Indian Reserve No. 54 at the bottom of McIntyre Bay. It was also known as the Grand Bay reserve. Research has not yet produced a reason for this local name.

Photo 3 > Two miners at Northern Empire mine on July 3, 1936. The man on the right is William Dobie, who was severely injured when the cage fell down the shaft on April 20, 1938. Photo Charles Dobie personal collection.

Photo 4 > The headframe and associated buildings at Northern Empire in May 1939. The lady at the extreme right is the wife of William Dobie and the lady in the centre is her mother. Photo Charles Dobie personal collection.

Photo 5 > The traditional CGIT uniform was a middy blouse, white, with navy collar and cuffs, and a navy tie with a square knot.