Pre-Amalgamation Fun-Facts
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The following is from the book “Places and People: A History of Stayner”
- Settlement first occurred in 1854 with the opening of the railway. Andrew Coleman was the first known settler. The area became known as Stayner in 1864, named after Thomas Stayner.
- In 1872, the County Council passed a by-law incorporating Stayner as a Village. The Village became a Town in December of 1888. It was the smallest town in Ontario for quite some time.
- Council meetings were held on the first and third Monday of the month, beginning at 7:30 PM at the Town Hall.
- Mayors and Councillors have been credited with shaping the destiny of Stayner through advocating for infrastructure and celebrating the culture of the community.
Historic Stayner Main Street
The following is from the book “Let’s Celebrate: Nottawasaga’s Sesquicentennial and Ontario’s Bicentennial”
- Nottawasaga is characterized by an extensive network of rivers and streams which collect the surface runoff and discharge into Georgian Bay. The largest being approximately 80 km.
- The Avening General Store was operated for generations by multiple people. Originating in the 1800s by W.G. Carruthers, then his son John, Harry Green, Howard Nobel, Berton & Alice Wilson, Robert & Alice Sinclair, Hjalmar & Erika Anderson, Donald & Janice Neff, James & Judith Jordan, until the late 1900s. It was also operated as an antique store from the late 1900s to 2016.
The following is from the book “History of Sunnidale Township”
- William Switzer settled in Sunnidale Township in 1855. He owned, logged and farmed 500 acres in Sunnidale. He participated as Deputy Reeve in the Township’s Council in the 1860s and 1870s. He was also the postmaster in New Lowell from 1891 to 1897.
- Between the 9th and 10th Concession in Sunnidale is where “Clearview” originated. The settlement gained its name from the area that lay flat, allowing those who lived there to see for miles in every direction.
- Box Socials used to be a popular activity. The young ladies would prepare a packed lunch, and then the young men would bid on the lunch. The man who won the lunch would then share it with the lady who prepared it.
- Baseball and hockey have always been important sports in the area. Teams such as “The Clearview Giants” and “The Clearview Clover Kickers” existed in the early to mid-1900s.
The following is from the book "Centennial Stories of Creemore, Nottawasaga, Their People" and The Empire Builders Podcast episode "The Story of Creemore Springs Brewery"
- Edward Webster, the village’s founder and owner of the original mill, named the original streets after his family. George Street, Edward Street, Elizabeth Street and Caroline Street. He later had two more sons and named the next two streets Francis and Wellington, after those boys.
- The Creemore Star was founded in 1886 and operated as a local newspaper for many years. Now, the Creemore Echo is the only physical newsprint in the area.
- John Wiggins started the craft brewery Creemore Springs in 1987, with a brew master friend. Creemore Springs was acquired by Molson in 2005.
Historic Creemore Main Street