A look back at Nov. 10, 1976, as reported in The Sachem
Barbara A. Martindale- For What It's Worth
Looking over a 1976 Sachem, memories quickly come to the forefront. Not only does the editorial copy bring forth past experiences forgotten, but advertising, too. This particular issue was a November 10th publication.
There was no mention of Christmas 38 years ago. Three years before Light-up Night began to take centre stage at this time of the year, the Sachem had other, more profound, reports.
Front page headlines concerned the municipal election, coming two years after the implementation of a criticized regional government. Councillors were announcing their intention to run, and reporter Glenn Ogilvie was defending the role of the municipal politician following an all candidates’ night.
Nomination days were Nov. 12 and Nov. 15; Dave Peirson was seeking re-election for mayor, a position he would hold until 1980, when Edith Fuller took on the job.
There was a report of Caledonia High School (River Heights building) closing, and students would be bussed to Cayuga or Hagersville. Students and parents met informally with Jake Fransen, school board director, to plead the case for keeping the school open.
At the time, the board owned 25 acres of land where McKinnon Park Secondary School is located today.
For three years, the board had made application to the ministry to build a new $5 million school on the property.
Mr. Fransen dispelled the rumour by saying the board was on a collision course and needed elementary space before secondary space. He said usually in new subdivisions, the children are young and this is the trend in Caledonia. There were no immediate plans to close the school even though a public meeting was to be set for mid January 1977. As we know, Caledonia High School indeed was open until the new school, McKinnon Park Secondary School, was opened in 1992.
The Caledonia Blue Devils football team was doing miraculous things in those days. They had won a game over the Dunnville Panthers 66-0 in semi-final play at Ivor Wynne stadium. The final game would take place against Smithville at 2:30 p.m. the following Friday.
School enthusiasm, before the Ivor Wynne game, led to school decorations and a school spirit that was given credit and a reason why the school remained open. A school of less than 300 students had more followers at Ivor Wynne than any other.
Columnists were plentiful in the Sachem. The late Gordon Saunders with his Bottom of the Barrel, Herb Martindale with Herb’s Column, Annis Kernaghan with The Inside Story, Quiet Corner with Amelia, the late Doris Clark with her Dear Doris column and yours truly was writing This and That in those days.
We don’t think of Vandehaar Carpets as a business from that long ago, but John Vandehaar Carpets was doing big business in Caledonia in those days, from home in Cayuga. Roy-Ana Ltd was advertising a complete line of gifts from a home on Unity Side Rd., three doors west of Hwy. 6.
A long time fad, also gone by the wayside years ago, was five pin bowling. Individual scores got weekly coverage for both the men’s and ladies’ leagues.
Times have changed!
