Centennial Community & Recreation Association of Scarborough, Ontario. Est.1949

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Letters to the Editor

 

60+ Years of Memories by Ben Stanton

Submitted May 09

CCRA Past President

 

In April 1948, my wife Margarette and I came out with a real estate salesman “very late in the evening” to look over an acre of land on the east side of Centennial Road, four lots north of Lawson Road.

 

It was too dark to survey the property, so we came out the next day on the bus to Highland Creek and walked along Lawson Road, a sandy trail, to Centennial Road (both were paved later to service the new John’s Manville plant at Port Union and Lawrence  Avenue).  At that time the Scarborough border was the west side of Port Union Road and later extended to the Rouge River.

 

The CCRA was being formed so we purchased our first memberships from Tom McMorrow at his little store just west of the present strip plaza at the corner of Lawson and Centennial Roads.

 

We built our home and occupied it in October 1949 through the “Veteran’s Land Act Plan” and have raised a daughter and two sons who live near and visit regularly.

 

We attended the first community picnic held by the CCA, later the CCRA, at the original little school house located at the north side of Adams Park where the Ontario Department of Highways excavated fill materials to form the 2A and 401 connections.  This is how the present ball diamond and soccer field were formed.

 

The Early 1960’s

As President the first time, I had many meetings with Bill Brown and Jack Kay of Scarborough Township, Parks Department to encourage the development of Adams Park.  This was a more difficult task because it is a district park not community park.  However, a concession building for hydro and water service was built and flood lighting on the toboggan hill, baseball diamond and soccer field, previously mentioned, boards for an ice rink on the Lawson Road side, flooding the rink etc. were completed by the CCRA.

 

 

 

 

1967

As President for the second time, I had knowledge and personal dealings with “Hands Fireworks” located in Cooksville, Ontario.  What better way to celebrate Centennial year than by having a May 24th weekend with a fire work’s display.

 

“Hands” put on a “super display” at Adams Park and everyone had a great time.  This event was held for many years and, unfortunately, was discontinued.

 

As President during our Centennial Year, one of my goals was to have stone gates built at the Lawson Road entrance to Adams Park.  We raised funds in various ways, i.e., bottle drives (amazing how many beer bottles were cleared out of sheds).  All were turned in for cash at the beer store.  We held Broom Sales and sold hundreds of regular corn brooms and stiff bristled push brooms.

 

“McCowan Readymix” supplied the concrete for the foundations, free of charge; many building trades made cash donations along with many residents.

 

The Masonry contractor did the work at a reasonable cost.  The hand digging for the foundations was done by a few of the CCRA members.  Consumer Gas supplied the gas lamps and the connections to the lamps.  At the dedication, Mayor Albert Campbell said, “Let there be light” and the gas company employees turned them on.  Unfortunately, vandals ruined them not long after and they were removed.  Generally the youth in this area were very helpful in all the events performed by the CCRA and we believe these vandals were from outside of our community.

 

It has been a pleasure to put this bit of history together and before I close, I would like to thank you for the great Past President’s Dinner and Dance that my wife and I attended – we thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

 

Yours truly,

Ben Stanton, Past President, CCRA