HISTORY: Wilson won first election
News
Quiz features interesting facts about Timmins' past
Posted By Karen Bachmann, For The Daily Press
Posted 1 month ago
Test your knowledge of local facts with this little quiz – good luck!
• When was the first election for council positions held in Timmins?
Many people would be tempted to say 1912, the year the town was incorporated. But actually, the first municipal election for town council was held in January of 1916. Up until then, the mayoral and councillors positions were acclaimed.
Mayor Wilson was returned to the position for a fifth time. The winning councillors were A.R. Globe, Dr. H.H. Moore, C.G. McInnis, A. Brazeau and J.P. McLaughlin.
• When did Timmins get street signs and numbers?
Councillor McLaughlin presented a motion encouraging the town to start work immediately on a project that would see street signs and house numbers put up in the community. This occurred at his first Council meeting on Jan. 16, 1916.
It was unanimously agreed to by council because they hoped it would provide a vast improvement to the town. Until then, most business ads did not include proper addresses, but cryptic directions like "located across from the Post Office."
• When was the Timmins Rod and Gun Club formed?
The gun club was formed in February 1916 at an inaugural meeting held at the Goldfields Hotel.
After much self-congratulations, the 50 founding members present nominated Mr. Mulheron as the first president.
The next order of business was to find land to secure as a trap range. There must have been a great interest in the club at the time because the minutes of their meetings were always published on the first page of the local newspaper .
• What theatre featured Vaudeville acts in Timmins?
The Empire Theatre was the focal point for arts and entertainment in Timmins (Leo Mascioli owned the theatre which eventually burnt in 1916 but it was quickly replaced with the New Empire Theatre , now the Senior Centre on Third Avenue).
The facility featured movies, plays, vaudeville performances and classical concerts. Vaudeville acts that performed in the theatre included the U.S.A. Girls (an American song and dance group), the Reese Bros Big Africander Co. (comedy skits, songs, dance and music).
Charlie Chaplin films were a big hit as well as the works of Mary Fuller and anything by D.W. Griffith.
In March of 1916, the Cherniavsky trio performed here on their world tour. The three brothers were the most celebrated classical trio at the time, performing in Europe, India, China, New Zealand and the United States. The event at the Empire was sold out, even though it commanded the high price of $1.50 per person.
• What event was held on March 4, 1916, in aid of the Northern Ontario Battalion – 159th?
A Grand Sports Night organized by the town council in aid of the battalion was held at the Timmins arena. It featured bands, a broomball match, a hockey game between the women and "fat men" of the town (the women won) and a serious hockey game between the Hollinger and Timmins teams.
More than 1,100 people attended the evening and more than $700 was raised for the war effort.
• When was the first Boy Scout Troop founded in Timmins?
The first Boy Scout Troop in Timmins was founded on March 16, 1916. Lord Baden-Powell founded the movement in Britain in 1908.
The First Troop consisted of three patrols: the First Beaver Patrol, the Second Wild Boar Patrol and the Third Lion Patrol. The first Scout Master was W.C. Kind.
Boys were charged $5 for their uniform (see below – wages for underground miner), which would be reimbursed to the parents after a benefit concert was held later in the year.
• What threatened the town of Timmins in July, 1916?
Just five years after the devastating Porcupine Fire, flames again threatened the town. The fire broke out on the boundary between Mountjoy and Tisdale townships and within hours came close to the downtown core.
A shovel and bucket brigade was set up quickly. Women and children gathered at Miller Lake (now the Hollinger Park) with their household possessions.
Twenty houses were lost but the town was saved.
On the same day, other fires in the area completely destroyed the towns of Matheson, Cochrane, Nushka, Ramore and Kelso.
• What was the minimum wage for an underground miner working in locals mines in July 1917?
After much discussion and negotiating, it was decided that underground workers (muckers), would be paid $4 a day. This is a 50-cent increase over the proposed Union wage schedule and was met with much satisfaction.
• Who was the first local Rabbi?
Rabbi Lewis was elected in August 1917 as the Rabbi for Timmins. But records show that Rabbi H. Menden was in South Porcupine in 1912.
In 1917, the Jewish community decided that a synagogue should be built in the community. Their dream was realized in 1919.
With the growth of the congregation (at its peak there were more than 160 Jewish families in Timmins), a new synagogue was built on Cedar St., on land where the bus station is currently located, in 1928.
— Karen Bachmann is the director/curator of the Timmins Museum and a local author.
