As published in The Erin Advocate
From the Advocate – 100 years ago (1914)
Efforts in England to enlist soldiers for the army have ramped up, with parades of guards in full dress, and lady recruiting sergeants persuading young men to “take the King’s shilling”.
From the Advocate – 45 years ago (1969)
Members of the Ladies’ Auxiliary at the Erin Legion came out on top at the euchre tournament they hosted for 11 branches in their zone. The event was organized by sports officer Mrs. Art Boucher, and the team was made up of Mrs. R. Harkies, Mrs. H. Sargent, Mrs. J. Anthony and Mrs. M. MacDonald.
Miss Brenda Patterson has joined the staff of the Black Magic Beauty Salon at 122 Main Street in Erin, operated by Heinz and Pamela Leonhardt.
Miss Brenda Lee Denny, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Denny of Erin, has graduated from the Lakeshore Teachers’ College and has taken a job teaching Grades 3 and 4 at Alton Public School.
Ward McAdam, President of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation announced a last minute deal to avoid mass resignations. The salary range will now be $6,800 to $1,420, with principals making up to $19,500.
From the Advocate – 35 years ago (1979)
Leslie Stewart, 32, of Centre Street died last week in a two-car head-on collision near Snelgrove, which also took the life of Ursula Christen, 29, visiting from Switzerland. Stewart and her husband opened the House of Erin in 1974, and a Radio Shack service centre. She worked for one year as a reporter for The Advocate, covering local councils and writing numerous news and feature stories about the village and township.
Coach George Wheeler and assistant Clyde Gilby will take the Hillsburgh Girls Under 17 Team to a tournament in Nanton, Alberta. The Wintario lottery is providing a $2,100 grant to support the trip.
Guelph OPP are investigating after an armed robber took cash from Hall’s Variety Store in Hillsburgh last week. Marjorie Beatty was confronted by a man demanding cash, but she ran to her residence at the back of the building and locked the door.
An Advocate editorial said the village should make its natural beauty accessible to visitors, with a path along the river and picnic benches. “A little clean-up of the dam off Church Street would go a long way to making the area more presentable, and if an agreement could be reached with the landowners, a path opened to a lookout built high on the hill to the west of the village.”
From the Advocate – 25 years ago (1989)
Erin Township Council authorized Fire Chief Wayne McIsaac to call for tenders for a new tanker truck. Councillor and Fire Committee member Barb Tocher said wooden plugs were being used to stop up holes in the tank of the retrofitted oil truck, but they are falling out and half the water is lost while the fire truck is travelling. Council put $25,000 for the truck into reserve, though the cost next year will be about $79,000.
Councillor Deb Sutherland said Erin’s three-year-old blue box recycling program leads the way in Ontario with a participation rate of more than 80 per cent. The current plan services only village areas with curbside pick-up, but coordinator Don Taylor said, “I won’t rest until every house in Wellington County has a blue box.”
Erin real estate broker Cec Chambers of McEnery Agencies says there is a temporary slowdown in the local housing market, but prices remain high due to population growth in the Toronto area. The average house price in Erin is $183,000, with virtually none for less than $147,000.
