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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
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