Spring 2009 - Merritton Matters

MERRITTON MATTERS
Spring 2009 • Volume 6, Issue 2 • www.merrittonmatters.ca
The Students and Staff of Merritton High School Ten Years Ago
Inside This Issue
• Upcoming Events
• More You Know You’re From Merritton If...
• Merrittonians We’ve Lost
• Trivia
• Historic Merritton Baseball
• Memorable Jim Smith
• Evolving of a Neighbourhood – We Finish
• Krista is Lunette-Alike
Our Thought
• St. James Becomes Accessible
• Burleigh Hill Public School Curls
• Habitat for Humanity
Mailing Merritton
Matters
Do you know someone who lives out
of town who might like to receive the
Merritton Matters? If so, please call Doreen
at 905-680-1959 to arrange for copies to be
sent to them.
C h e c k out ou r ne w website at w w w.merrittonmatters.c a.
The Merritton Community Group
The Merritton Community Group
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. (Margaret
Mead)
Who is the Merritton Community Group?
The Merritton Community Group (MCG) is dedicated to the
development and enhancement of the social and economic character of
Merritton. We support Merritton as a distinctive heritage community.
Our group is open to anybody who subscribes to this mission and wants
to contribute to the community and economic betterment of Merritton.
At our January annual general meeting, we elected a new board of
directors – Chair Sheila Morra, Vice-Chair Morag Enright, Secretary
Steve Hinchliffe and Treasurer Jean Westlake.
We’re so pleased to see that Doreen England, who mails the Merritton
Matters to people who don’t receive it with their Standard, is on the
mend!
Date
May 2
May 3
Event
Adopt-a-Street Road Clean
Journey for Sight Who writes the MM articles?
The Editor/Writer is Lorraine Giroux. Contributions have been received,
with much appreciation, from: Tom Barwell; Pamela Guyatt; Rob
Hughes; Dorothea Ives; Cindy Munro; Sheila Morra; Cathy Pelletier and
Phyllis Thomson. If you have an article or suggestions for articles, please
send us an email to merrittonmatters@hotmail.com or mail to 19 Wanda
Rd, St Catharines, ON L2T 1S5.
Who took the pictures for this issue?
Jean Westlake is our chief photographer.
Yes, We Won Again!
Landscape Ontario held a juried competition and then recognized
winners at the Awards of Excellence Gala. On January 6th, we were
invited to attend to receive further recognition for our Heritage Bins
project. West Park Secondary School is now undertaking the project’s
Phase Two, designing and painting bins with pictures of historic
Merritton sports achievements and participants.
Upcoming Events in Merritton
Where
Meet in parking area of Tim Hortons Meet at Grantham Lions Hall
When
What You Need to Know
10:00 a.m.
Many hands make light work!
Registration at 9:00 a.m.Go to www.granthamlionsclub.com
for information. May 10 Merritton Locks Park Hike
Meet in parking area at Westchester Noon
For more information, go to
and Oakdale Avenues
www.thewellandcanalsadvocate.ca.
May 16 Las Vegas Night
Merritton Legion
May 19 MCG Open House
Seniors Centre
7:00 p.m.
All welcome!
May 30 Lions Lobster Fest
Community CentreTickets are $65.00. Contact Geoff
Crane @ 905-684-7655 or Mario
Girotti @ 905-227-5170
June 20 Dog Guide Fundraising Dance Community Centre
7:00 p.m.Karen O’Connor’s fifth annual dance
with $21,000 raised to date
June 28 MCG Garden Tour
Lovely gardens in our community Tickets at Bloomin’ Busy
July 4 Community Appreciation Day Community Centre and Dunc Schooley PoolRededication of the Community Centre
And don’t forget the Legion’s Fish Fry on the 2nd and 4th Friday each month.
ULTRA SAVINGS ON INSTOCK WALLCOVERING
The Wallpaper Place
*** In Stock and Book orders ***
We are here to serve you
20 Hartzel Rd., Unit 16
St. Catharines
(905) 984-5660
Fax (905) 984-2148
www.wallpaperplace.ca
DECORATE YOUR CASTLE AT COTTAGE PRICES
I MERRITTON MATTERS
Merrittonians We’ve Lost
Whenever we hear that we’ve lost another Merritton community
member, it reminds us of the wonderful contributions so many
people have made to this great community.
On October 1st, we lost David Hayes. He was a former
teacher, Merritton High School principal and superintendent. On
October 12th, Kathleen Michaud passed away. She was an active
community member, particularly in the CWL of St. Patrick’s
Church and in the Girl Guides, Hartzel District, and later in the
Trefoil Guild. On October 15th, Janette Marshall passed away.
Merritton was Janette’s home town and after serving in the Armed
Forces during World War 11, she returned home, married Bill,
and both of them became very active in the Merritton community,
serving in many capacities over the years.
On January 13th, Eva Glyn-Jones died at 90 years of age.
Mike Collins wrote to tell us that he remembers when he was in
Eva’s grade 12 Algebra class in 1962. “She was VERY firm but we
certainly were well prepared when the provincial Grade 13 exams
rolled around. Everyone in the class respected and admired Mrs.
Glyn-Jones at Merritton High.” Spencer Fielder passed away on
January 28th. Spencer had been a member of the Merritton Royal
Canadian Legion Branch 138 for 38 years. His daughter Deanna,
along with her husband Robert Mussell, has continued this long
tradition of service with the Legion.
To paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, we know that these
people truly believed that their life was part of a community and as
long as they lived, it was their privilege to do for it whatever they
could.
Sharing Memories
We strongly believe that part of our reason for existence as a
Merritton organization is the need to recognize contributions
made by people to our community. Please let us know if you’d
like to share a memory about someone who has recently left
us. We’re not talking about the conventionally paid obituaries
but more like the Globe and Mail’s Lives Lived minibiographies that leave readers feeling like they’ve shared a cup
of coffee at Timmy’s with the person. Thanks to Tom Barwell
for starting us off. Email us at merrittonmatters@hotmail.com
if you have a recollection that you would like to share.
John (Jack) Craig
By Tom Barwell
Jack passed away on Saturday, January 20, 2009. Not only did we lose a
great Merrittonian, we lost another Veteran of World War II. Jack took
an active part in the invasion of France. There are not many of these
brave Canadian warriors remaining.
He was not just a soldier. Jack was an artist, hunter, fisherman,
golfer and a volunteer. He wrote many articles for the local papers and
I read them all. They were full of history and interesting ideas. He
was not shy of voicing his views on any subject. As an avid reader, his
knowledge of world and local events was astonishing.
Jack came from the family of Craigs who, for many years, lived in
Merritton. His passing will be sorely missed by the community.
Editor’s Note: John (Jack) Craig was the husband of Jean, father of
John, Colleen and Kathleen, and brother to Betty, Sheila and Dr. David
Craig. For 40 years Jack wrote a weekly column “Here and There” for the
Thorold News. Merritton Matters has been very fortunate over the past
years to receive recollections of Merritton days gone by from Jack, as well
as from his siblings Sheila and David.
Calling All
Gardeners...
Our annual garden tour is fast
approaching! Should you be
interested in allowing a tour of your
garden this year or know of someone
else who has a green thumb.... please
call Pat at Bloomin’ Busy flower
shop, 905-988-8840. Sunday, June 28th we will host our 2009 self-guided tour of Merritton
gardens. Tickets are $10 each and will be available at: Bloomin’ Busy Flower
Shop; Merritton Community Pharmacy; Home Hardware and Lock 3 Museum.
Remember, all gardeners love to share ideas with other gardeners, no matter
what the size of your treasured green space. Please don’t be shy, sign up!
MERRITTON MATTERS I Art Barclay
By Tom Barwell
Merritton is mourning the loss of one
of its own. Art Barclay, whose family
name is well known in Merritton,
recently passed away. Art was a big
man and a gentle giant type of guy.
But for his size he was surprisingly
light on his feet. This enabled him to
be a very good athlete. I remember him playing basketball for
Merritton High School and he was one of the better players.
Baseball was another one of his favourite sports and he played
at all levels in Merritton. One little episode has stuck in my
mind even though it happened over 50 years ago. It was a
midget game and it was being played at Kernahan Park against
our hated rivals, St. Catharines. Art came up in a dream
situation. His team was losing by three runs in the bottom of
the last inning and heads were hanging. Up comes Art. The
pitch was thrown and with one mighty swing he belted the
ball out of sight. Game over. As Art came trundling down the
third base line, he was surrounded by his team who were all
yelling and screaming. His reaction? Next to nothing. That’s
the way he was. Humble to the core. Just a great person. I lost
track of him over the years but I was not surprised to learn of
his activities socially in the area. Now, tragically, he is gone,
well before his time. But, I am sure that up among the stars he
has hit another grand slam. God bless you Art and thanks for
the memories.
I MERRITTON MATTERS
The Evolving of a Neighbourhood
(continued from last issue)
Editor’s Note: The gremlins must have been at work in the Fall/Winter issue because the
last paragraph of the article ‘The Evolving of a Neighbourhood’ on page 15 became lost in
the printing process. The only positive thing about it was that so many of you noticed it
was missing and wrote or telephoned to let us know. (Thanks to Mel Lawrence of Trenton
Ontario for being the first to alert us!) We have apologized to our writer Phyllis Thomson
(and promised her a lifetime supply of tea so she’ll keep writing for us) and we have
reprinted the conclusion of this article.
Synopsis....The little area to the west of Burleigh Hill was originally a dairy farm
owned by Francis Wark. It became a subdivision of thirty-six homes in the ‘60’s, but
has remained relatively obscure, hidden as it is at the foot of the escarpment…….
Conclusion....There have been a few larger homes added to the area since l960, but
basically it has retained its small neighbourhood status with only one road serving
both in and out traffic to/from Burleigh Hill Drive which seems to have worked pretty
well for many years. But no neighbourhood is totally perfect, and I’m sure there have
been some challenges along the way and I witnessed one on my recent visit to the
area. Ste-Marguerite French Speaking School, which replaced St. Patrick’s school in
l989, and the adjoining Day Care Centre, appears to have grown in popularity and
population and with that has come traffic problems as cars arrive to pick up or deliver
the children and have no place to park except along the narrow street leading in and
out of Burleigh Hill. And I understand that there is now a proposal to build several
townhouses where Rockdale and Warkdale meet, which is cause for concern for the
residents and, having lived there, I can understand their consternation. But, from my
point of view, this remains a unique little community.
You know you’re from
Merritton if...
• you had your name on the birthday train at Julio’s Plant 2
• you waited for the groceries to come out on the “rolly belt” at the A&P
• you went roller skating at Wheelies
• you had sweat pour down your face while eating chicken wings at
Friar Tucks
• you got yelled at by the rink rats at Merritton Arena for doing the whip
In the next issue, we’ll share some that were sent to us by Dave
Breakwell.
More You Know You’re
From Merritton If...
We had a great response from the list of “You Know You’re From
Merritton If…..” that we published in the last newsletter. The first
set of additions are from Sue Anderson who said in her letter “Your
list brought back lots of memories and exclamations of “Oh yes, I
remember that”. Thanks for your newsletter and the memories it
kindled. I showed this article to my daughters and they enjoyed it and
added a few of their own.”
MERRITTON MATTERS I Merritton Baseball
Jim Salomone let us know that his mother-in-law (Mrs. Margaret
Saunders) had the following photograph of a Merritton baseball team and
knew that our readers might be interested.
They could only identify four of the players but we know that some
of our readers will be able to help. We believe that the person in the front
row, 2nd from the right, is Omar (Lefty) Savoie. In the back row, 3rd from
left is Orm Simpson, and the 8th from the left is Jim’s father-in-law, Reg
Saunders. Fifth from the left in the back row we believe is Angie Pastore.
Unfortunately these four have passed on, but were all long-time residents
of Merritton. Likely they were all employed at Hayes-Dana at the time.
Let us know if you recognize any other players.
Signs of Spring
Thank you to all who attended our ‘Signs of Spring’ dance in March. Proceeds
have been directed towards the purchase of a sign welcoming everyone to our
Merritton community to be placed at the entrance of Mountain Locks Parks.
The Merritton Community Group greatly appreciates the donation of prizes
for the dance. Donors include: Canadian Tire Fourth Ave.; Laser Assist Dentistry;
Bloomin Busy Flower Shop; Home Hardware; Sewing Machine Essentials; Merritton
Community Pharmacy; J. Lombardi - Subway Pen Centre; Sheri’s Creative Edge;
Burtnik Printing; A. Hartnett; M. Enright; C. Morra - Boston Pizza; Garden City
Automotive; Dairy Queen; Time Bomb Computers; Pizza Hut; Shoppers Drug Mart;
Midas; Stephanie’s Flowers; and Dana Does Dirt – Cleaning.
History of Ladies Softball
in St. Catharines
Marg Schram is in the process of writing a book entitled The
History of Ladies Softball in St.Catharines:1920-1960. She needs
pictures of the many teams that represented Merritton in that era.
Any original pictures would be appreciated. Please let her know
if you can help by contacting her at 905-684-2515 or schrambo2@
sympatico.ca.
I MERRITTON MATTERS
Merrittonians in Sports Hall
of Fame
Last Issue’s Trivia
Edna (Green) Groff provided us with the following list of breakfast
restaurants in Merritton.
Early Bird, Fortis Restaurant, Good Eats, Lancer Restaurant, Oma
and Opa’s, Queenston Grill, Sunrise Cafe, Tim Hortons, Tony’s, and the
third Sunday of the month at the Legion on Chestnut St.
There were a few on Edna’s list that we hadn’t included when we
created the trivia question. She added Tim Hortons onWelland Ave
which is outside our boundaries. Several at the Pen Centre (A and W,
London Arms, The Bay) weren’t originally included because they don’t
consider themselves ‘Merritton’ although we certainly know better! Richard and Barbara Mawhood gave us their list of breakfast
locations in Merritton Ward which had a few more, namely Lester D’s,
The Flats, Fortis, Mozie On In Diner and Donut Diner.
We know that happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast and, even
more so, if eaten at a restaurant in Merritton.
Previous Trivia
– Aiken and McLachlan
We want to recognize those who became part of the St. Catharines Sports
Hall of Fame on April 28th. Two of these people, George (Clickey) Taylor and
Bruce Erskine, were important parts of our Merritton sports history. Other
inductees were Bob (Buff ) McCready, Marianne Groat and Mark Walters.
George worked diligently for the Merritton Athletic Association,
coaching baseball for 35 years. He was at the helm when teams achieved
six Ontario titles. He was Community Park’s head groundskeeper when
we had the Penn League Blue Jay’s team. Bruce attended Merritton High
School and we like to think that his interest in rowing really got started
when he rowed for the school. Honoured posthumously, he was a fourtime gold medalist at the Henley, a coach and official for 35 years. His wife
Sue, also a Merritton student, was inducted in 1997.
Your Letters
Dorothy (Pirie) Hanna wrote to tell us how much she enjoyed ‘Merritton
Matters’. She has lived in Merritton most of her life, first on Elm Street,
then Almond and eventually over near the Pen. In the past issue, Tom
Barwell had written about lawn bowling beside Main’s Drug Store. Her
mother had bowled there for years with other ladies from Merritton and
her mother and father met at the drug store when it was Bob Stewart’s
before Main’s. That same issue also featured a picture of the train station
and she reminded us that it was at the corner of Bessey and Merritt and
for street cars, heading to Port Dalhousie.
In the Fall issue, we showed a picture of a concrete truck from a company
that has since disappeared from Hartzel Road. We hadn’t heard anything
about it when we went to press with our Winter issue. In January,
Dorothea Ives contacted us with some fascinating information and we
have printed her letter below.
Aiken and McLachlan Construction and Ready Mix was a thriving
business during the 1950’s and 60’s. It was located at an angle, across
the street from the Cosy Grill in what is now the Food Basics parking
lot, where the Itt’s Thai Restaurant now stands. The front office was
a two-story brick building housing several offices and work stations.
There was a second building behind that which housed the equipment
and the Ready-Mix.
I joined the office staff of this company in the mid 1960’s. I met
much kind, hard-working, good people during my few years there.
Even my father was a past employee at that time.
As time passed, the company ran into some difficult times and
relocated to Ontario Street with many employees having been laid off.
After a fairly short while, its doors closed permanently.
I have many memories of the Hartzel Road area as I have spent
much of my life in the neighbourhood. My parents moved the family
to 35 Hartzel Road in the 1930’s and the house remained in the family
until my mother’s death about 25 years ago. I returned in 1960 to
raise my own family of 8 children on Marmora Street, just around the
corner. They all attended Merritton High School. I now live in Secord
Woods as do 2 of my daughters.
MERRITTON MATTERS I War Two Veterans
After hearing of the recent revitalization of our Cenotaph, Betty (Cowan)
Munro thought Merritton Matters readers would be interested in hearing
about a Civic Appreciation Banquet held more than a half century
ago. We definitely were and asked the family to provide us with more
background.
WW II Appreciation Event
By Cindy Munro
In 1946 the town of Merritton held an Appreciation Banquet and Dance
which was by invitation only for all the service men and women of WWII
who were residents of Merritton. It was hosted by then Mayor, Leslie
Skipper, along with the council and other dignitaries. It took place at the
Merritton High School auditorium on Monday, May 6th, 1946. The stage
was decorated with a banner representing all the various forces, the Army,
the Navy and the Air Force. The Mayor officially welcomed them home
with the town’s inscribed thanks for their service ensuring the enjoyed
victory for treasured Canadian freedom. The servicemen were presented
with a token of appreciation – a ring with the Merritton crest. The
servicewomen were presented with a makeup compact with the town crest.
Merritton once again was a shining example to other townships in
how they honoured their own in such a nice way. It was a wonderful
evening with the stage set, prayers and speeches offered, and touching
expressions of thanks presented. Even though the lights have dimmed on
that night, and the years have passed, the Merritton veterans who are still
living will never forget the town’s spirit.
ABOVE: Munro family being honoured for two generations of active
military service in WWII From left to right John Munro, Charles
Munro Sr., Charles Munro.
TOP RIGHT: Mayor Leslie Skipper and (from left to right) Dorothy
Stradwick, unknown person, Joyce Martin, Rita Macintosh, Betty
Cowan, Peggy Catteral, Marion Hough.
RIGHT: Overall view of Civic Appreciation Banquet; Mayor Skipper,
Town Council and dignitaries are pictured on the stage and the
Veterans with escorts are seated.
I MERRITTON MATTERS
Habitat for Humanity
For the first time in nearly a decade a Habitat for Humanity home building project is occurring in St. Catharines. The land has been secured and the
site is in our community. The property on Merritt St. by Birch Lane, adjacent to the newly constructed bridge on the site of the former Ricci’s Tavern,
has been purchased for the home. A family from St. Catharines will be purchasing the home under the unique Habitat for Humanity Niagara home
ownership program. Every build requires a funding champion. MCG has approved a motion to be the fundraising champions for the new Habitat for
Humanity Build in Merritton. The Merritton Community Group is actively looking for ways to support this project which requires $80,000 to get off
the ground, of which $30,000 has already been committed, leaving $50,000 to be raised by September. To learn more about Habitat for Humanity Niagara, we asked Cathy Pelletier to write an article on the organization.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OPENS DOORS IN NIAGARA
by Cathy Pelletier
Habitat for Humanity Niagara is a non-profit, faith-based community
organization working toward a world in which everyone has a safe and
decent place to live. By mobilizing volunteers and community partners,
HFHN builds affordable housing and promotes home ownership as a means
to breaking the cycle of poverty Part of that commitment involves paying
back some of the “sweat equity” invested into their home, by donating 500
hours (per family) of labour with another Habitat for Humanity initiative
or in their community. The selected family must practice pride of home
ownership and pass that pride on to their children in order to break the
cycle of poverty.
Using donated land and municipal co-operation, HFHN can build
single-family homes for about $65,000. Cash donations are leveraged more
than twice with gift-in-kind, gift-in-service and special rate contracts.
HFHN houses are then purchased at fair market value with no down
payment and no-interest mortgages. Homeowners’ payments are set at
less than 25 percent of gross income for principal and property tax, and
payments are geared to income.
Each time HFHN builds a house, a ripple effect reaches out into the
entire community. Families become less reliant on social services and
food banks, student and apprentice builders become skilled trades workers
within their community, the local economy prospers, volunteers become
engaged, and the entire community feels fulfilled while working together to
effect positive change in such a tangible, meaningful way.
MERRITTON MATTERS I Good-Bye
It’s the end of an era.
After 36 years serving the
Merritton area, the Hartzel
Road McDonalds closed
at 11:00 p.m. on March
31st. The bell tolled for Pen
Financial Credit Union on
Glendale, at the Seaway building, that day as well. Some might remember
that this was the former Civic Employees Credit Union.
10 I MERRITTON MATTERS
A Memorable Man and a Memorable Era
at Merritton High School
By Phyllis Thomson
Do you remember your high school Principal? I
do. Although we never met in my years at high
school, I remember him very well! When my
friends and I were about to enter Grade 9 (known
as ‘First Form’ many eons ago) we had been
warned that ‘HE’ (nary a ‘she’ back then!) was a
dreaded Simon Legree, an ogre who was there for
the prime purpose of meting out punishment, to
be feared and avoided at all costs. So, being well
warned, when he walked down the hall it was
like the parting of the waters, we would all flatten
ourselves up against the nearest wall of lockers
until he passed. And if he happened to know your
name, you knew you were in big trouble!
The students at Merritton High School during
the 50’s and 60’s were lucky – Jim Smith just didn’t
fit that stereotype at all - he seemed to enjoy the students and despite
the fact that he did know many by name, most of the time you were
safe! He could be a stern disciplinarian when needed, but was always
approachable and always fair. The students respected him and liked him. Add to that an extraordinarily likeable teaching staff for the most part,
and it made for a pleasant atmosphere.
Following graduation from Stamford Collegiate, Jim went on to
graduate from McMaster University in Hamilton and the Ontario
College of Education in Toronto. He accepted his first teaching position
in Delhi in l948 where he remained until Thorold High School beckoned
in l951. In l954 he moved down the hill to Merritton High as Vice
Principal where he and I shared an office for a few years. The students
of that era will remember, I’m sure, that tiny little office where we both
had our desks along with several pieces of office equipment and, usually,
a few students to be found in there as well. In l958, he became Principal
of Merritton High and it was a sad day for the students in 1966 when
he decided to accept the Principalship of a new school that was about to
open in the north end of St. Catharines – Laura Secord. It was a great testament to the esteem in which they held him, when
several of our staff members decided to join him there, but it was a
tremendous loss for Merritton High School. One of these teachers told
me years later, that when they left Merritton to go with Jim to Laura
Secord, they started calling the new school “Merritton North”! In 1974
Jim was offered a Superintendent’s position, which he accepted, and
where he remained until his retirement in l981. I asked him if he enjoyed
this last phase in his long teaching career and he gave me a resounding
“very much”.
Jim and his wife, Florence, knew each other in high school. While
Jim was at McMaster, Florence was in the nursing programme at the
Hamilton General Hospital. Jim’s version of how they started dating is
that Florence called him up at McMaster and asked him to chaperone
her at an upcoming nurses’ dance – they will soon celebrate 61 years of
marriage so I think we can now safely say that the rest is happy history! Four ‘little Smiths’ arrived over the years, Moira, Kirk, Shelley and Tara
- two have become teachers with the local board of education, while two
have chosen other professions, and there are now nine grandchildren
and eight great-grandchildren for Jim and Florence.
They still spend summers at their cottage north of Kingston and
in retirement they have enjoyed traveling around Britain and Western
Europe. Jim, and many former Laura Secord teachers,
began a tradition which continues to-day – they meet
for breakfast once a week at local restaurants – what a
great way of keeping in touch!
He has enough memories of his years in
education to fill a book (now there’s an idea worth
pursuing!) and here is just one …..“I remember well
the day when ‘Surf was Up’ at Merritton High School. The date may have been the Spring of 1960. Before
I went out for lunch, I noticed some water under the
vending machines in the cafeteria and when I came
back some students were waiting for me at the office
door. “Mr. Smith” one of them said, “you’ve got to
come down to the cafeteria right away”. A very unusual
sight greeted me. Water was spurting up through
the joints in the terrazzo floor in a manner similar to
water spurting from a perforated garden hose and it was starting to flow
down the hall towards the gymnasium. Through the quick action of a
group of boys from the Gym and Shop, gym mats were used to block
the flow at the end of the hall to direct it into the furnace room where
George Wilson, our caretaker, then directed it into the floor drain. Thus
the Gym and Shop floors were saved. And what was the explanation as
to the source of the flood? A new addition had been built on Merritton
High in l954. The footing of the new addition had settled onto the
footing of the older building which, in turn, rested tightly against the
water main. In time, the added weight of the addition eventually cracked
the water main which entered the basement from a spot on Merritt
St. opposite the intersection with Oakdale. As you can imagine, the
situation required considerable excavation to repair. In this emergency
operation to save the Gym and Shop, it was a moment to remember
when about ten boys took off their shoes and socks and, as they grabbed
the gym mats and ran to put them in place to block the water, all of
them were shouting ‘Surf ’s Up’ – which provided a bit of levity to an
otherwise potential disaster.”
Jim reflected on the many reasons the Merritton Community has
an especially warm place in his heart. ......“In the late summer of l953,
a terrible epidemic of polio was raging and Florence became infected. Isolation wards at the hospital were full so we, along with our three year
old daughter Moira, were placed in isolation for three weeks at home,
which at that time was on Bessey Street. During that time, we never
wanted for anything - neighbours and parents of students brought us
groceries and, often, fully cooked meals until the quarantine was lifted. Merritton was sometimes referred to as a ‘Lunch Bucket Community’
and I fitted into that community very well. A Department of Education
official, who had once been my teacher, said “For a good principal, a
school should be his second family” and, for me, it was. There was back
then an undisputed community spirit which I know still lingers in the
Merritton Ward today.”
By the time you read this, Jim will have reached the special age of
87, and you will be happy to know that he is still lookin’ good and feeling
pretty good. In a recent conversation that I had with a student from that
era, Jim’s name was mentioned and the student ended his thoughts by
saying “Mr. Smith was just a great guy” - a fitting way to end this small
tribute to the man who steered the good ship Merritton High and kept it
in calm waters ‘way back then!
MERRITTON MATTERS I 11
CLOWNING AROUND
Krista Walters is a fun-loving, energetic and friendly Merrittonian! Combine her bubbly personality with her natural
flare for captivating the attention of children and you’ve got a sure recipe for success.
Krista has been working with children for the past thirteen years at the YMCA and loves to entertain them.
One year she decided to dress up as Loonette the Clown, a lead character in a Canadian children’s program entitled
‘The Big Comfy Couch’, to amuse the pre-schoolers at Halloween and the children loved it. Then a few years ago, she
noticed an ad for volunteers to enter the Labour Day Parade. Krista had moved to Merritton when she was young
and, of course, went to the parade and carnival every year so she knew that it was a perfect opportunity to get some
exposure as her alter ego. So off she went, and the response was amazing. People started calling her, telling her that
someone they knew told them about her, or that they saw her in the parade. She was surprised at how popular she
became and knew it was all thanks to everyone in the community spreading the word.
She began to receive requests to appear at children’s parties. Krista knew that she couldn’t call herself by the
same name as the clown on TV and so, when a parent suggested the name “Lunette-Alike”, she thought the name
was catchy and really did explain that she was a look-alikecharacter to which the children could relate.
She incorporates lots of activity in her routines ranging from
dancing and stretching, playing games, face painting, and much
Well done Merritton Bulldogs! They
more. She tells me that most little children she entertains believe
finished their 2008-09 season by
that she has come out of the TV from The Big Comfy Couch and
winning the Kingston Kids for Kids
are so surprised when she shows up at their very own house. I saw
Tournament atom division gold medal.
her recently at a birthday party for a friend’s son, Colin, and was
With wonderful contributions from
really impressed! Colin and his friends particularly enjoyed the
all team members, we also want to
interactive story time and having their faces painted with freckles
highlight Alex Roselli, Sean Michaud,
and a clown nose.
and Derek Pymont for their offensive
If you would like to get in touch with Krista, you can reach her at her e-mail address :
work and Justin Rombough and Cole
kristawalters@hotmail.com or phone her at 905-988-9107. Misener for their strong net minding.
Bulldogs!
12 I MERRITTON MATTERS
MERRITTON MATTERS I 13
‘Waking the
Sleeping Dragon’
Carolyn Swan is to be commended for her leadership in breast cancer
awareness. She has organized a team for the Rankin Cancer Run
being held in St. Catharines on Saturday, May 23, 2009. Carolyn’s
team for the Run is named after her breast cancer survivors’ dragon
boat crew, ‘Waking the Sleeping Dragon’, the first of its kind in the
Niagara Region. The Waking the Sleeping Dragon Boat Initiative
of Niagara is a collaboration between Breast Cancer Research and
Education Fund, Niagara Dragon Boat Club, Employment Ontario
and Brock University’s Recreation and Leisure Department. The crew
held a charity fashion show at Silver Spires Church in March. Their
goal is to encourage and support those living with breast cancer to
lead full and active lives by sharing experiences, strengths and hopes.
Waking the Sleeping Dragon is about finding personal resources
and strength as well as broadening perspectives and about creating a
positive environment which encourages fun, friendship and support. If you’re interested in participating in the dragon boat or any of
her other activities, please contact the editor at Merrittonmatters@
hotmail.com.
Anchors Away Stephen
Congratulations to Stephen Burns who recently
graduated from George Brown and is now off to
entertain the masses on Carnival Cruise ships!
14 I MERRITTON MATTERS
From left to right, Riley Mannell (Lead), Greg Sayliss (Vice), Ben
Hughes (Skip), Ben Sayliss (Vice), Amir Bukhari (Second), Brian Tiner
(Lead, Under Trophy).
Burleigh Hill Wins DSBN
Curling Championships!
By R. Hughes
In February, Burleigh Hill School’s curling team travelled to Welland
for a Gold Medal match where they defeated the defending champions,
Sheridan Park, by a score of 5-4 to finish their season with a perfect
14-0 season against other elementary schools. This young group of
curlers executed the pressure shots to perfection. Vice Gregor Sayliss
was responsible for a great take-out (hit and roll) in the second end to
score four points. Skip Ben Hughes made an amazing draw to the button
in the 5th end to score the winning point, and a pressure-filled takeout
in the last end to help secure the victory. Second Ben Sayliss played
extremely well all day, and executed 2 crucial takeouts in the last end to
help preserve the victory. Lead players Amir Bukhari, Brian Tiner, and
Riley Mannell made some incredible shots all day long, and it was their
lead rocks that put Burleigh Hill in a great position to win the game.
The team qualified to represent the DSBN in the Ontario Provincial
Championships in April and finished 8th in Ontario out of 80 teams,
missing the Bronze medal game by 1 inch. Their final record versus grade
school teams all over Ontario was 20 wins 4 losses. Congratulations on a
great season boys!
St. James Anglican Church’s
New Chair-Lift
Dr. Tom Pekar was lauded for his volunteer work at the City of St.
Catharines Recognition Night on April 22nd. Standing beside him
is MM’s photographer Jean Westlake who emerged from behind
the camera long enough to have this picture taken.
by The Reverend Pamela Guyatt
Town Hall Architect
In the last issue, we featured an article about
Merritton’s Town Hall, a wonderful example of
historic Victorian architecture designed by William
B. Allan and constructed in 1879. Here’s some
additional information about Allan based on a
report by Pat Menon to the Historical Society of St.
Catharines.
Former local architect William Bryson Allan
(1838 - 1911) was born in Scotland and immigrated to Canada in the
1850s. He settled in St. Catharines in 1861 and started a furniture
business with his family while also dabbling in undertaking, sewing
machine sales and photography. But it was apparent that Allan had a
talent for architectural design.
Allan’s first known design was the Riordan Mill in
1867. Chronologically, some of Allan’s designs include: St. Paul’s Ward
School (1871), Central School on Court Street (1872), First Presbyterian
Church (1872), the expansion of the family furniture factory (1875), St.
James Ward School (1876), and St. Andrew’s Ward School (1883). Other
designs included the Protestant Orphans’ Home, Grantham Academy/St.
Catharines Collegiate, St. Thomas Ward School, Merritton Cotton Mill,
the R.H. Smith Company (saw works), the Oddfellows Hall, and the
Merritton Town Hall. It has FINALLY happened!
St. James Anglican Church, on the corner of Merritt and Oakdale, is now
accessible to more people. People with physical disabilities can now use our
new Chair-Lift to access the entire facility.
When the church was established in 1871, very few people considered
physical challenges when designing worship spaces. With four entrances
into the building, and a set of stairs located at each one, we had a problem.
As an example, at our parking lot entrance there are eleven steps into the
main worship area of the church and five steps that lead down into our
small hall. We had to do something to try and correct the situation.
In April 2008, we applied for a grant from the Enabling Accessibility
Fund. In September 2008, we were notified that our application had been
approved. Construction started in November, when the sidewalk was ‘resloped’ to provide easier access from the parking lot to the door. In
December, two crews arrived, one to install the Chair-Lift into the main
worship area and down into the small hall. The second crew proceeded to
create a new accessible washroom located across the hall from the current
washrooms.
All the installation and construction was completed by December 22,
2008. It was amazing to have everything operating and functional for our
Christmas Eve services 2 days later.
I have included a picture of Doris Fraser, at the time she was recovering
from knee surgery and the chair-lift allowed her to have a ‘stress free’ arrival
for the Christmas Eve service. Her smile says it all.
MERRITTON MATTERS I 15