COMMUNITY IN ACTION
called “harnessing themighty St. Lawrence”. Robert Hood Saunders stressed not only that cheap electricity was of a tremendous and vital importance to Ontario, but that the river needed to be deepened. “I have studied Canada’s ability to build the Seaway and I am convinced that Canada cannot afford to continue without the deepening of the channels in the St. Lawrence River,” explained Saunders in his 1951 address to The Empire Club of Canada. “In the interests of her own economic expansion and her own industrial expansion, Canadamust have the St. Lawrence Seaway.” Some were lost, others saved Talks of a Seaway Project having started in the 1930’s, the now submerged villages experienced a long decline. New investments rarely occurred and growth stagnated, on accounts of what residents considered “a death sentence”. Residents of the small towns received the inevitable news in 1954. They were to be evacuated; the Seaway Project was to take place in the coming years. Alan Daye, a then young boy of 13, living in Milles Roches, remembers the moment very well. “We all knew it was going to hap- pen, it was in the air,” he explained, sitting at an old antique table in the Lost Villages general store where he volunteeredmuch of his time. “But it was so surreal. We were all farming communities and we were all close to each other.” But although some were heartbroken at the thought of losing ancestral homes, others
values, meaning some residents were left feeling tricked. Daye recalls how an Ontario Hydro em- ployee knocked on the family’s home. “I remember there was a big knock on the front door,” explained Daye. “The man told my father that he could either take how much they were giving him for the house or that he could swim to shore.” After his father refused, the man went back into his truck and retrieved a red NO TRESSPASSING sign, which he nailed to one of the property’s tree. “My father ran outside and ripped it off,” said Daye. “I kept it all that time, only giving it to the Lost Villages museum last year.” The man also stressed that many of his fellowMilles Roches citizens felt robbed by the government. “There’s nothing no one could do about it,” he said. “My father built himself a bungalow not far from Cornwall and he couldn’t even afford to buy all thema- terial he needed. You had some old people, who owned houses that had been in their family for decades. They ended up losing them and being in debt!” Ontario Hydro did, however, offer tomove some of the resident’s homes. The heavy machinery used to complete the task were behemoths. “I remember standing on the tip of my toes and barely reaching the hubs of the wheels,” recalled Day. “They would drill holes in the foundation and lift the whole house with hydraulics.” A woman, whose house was being transported, had forgotten to take out her
Hockey players canvass for food bank
Hockey players clad in maroon, gold, and white canvassed several neighbourhoods on November 2. Students from the Ontario Hockey Academy, including Taylor Davis and Samantha Kawejsza pictured above, were collecting food for the Agape Food Bank. “It’s for a good cause, and it is the least we can do,” said Davis who is a member of the Social Committee at the Ontario Hockey Academy. This is the fifth consecutive year OHA goes door to door for the local food bank.
looked forward to the thought of liv- ing in a new town site and enjoying the conveniences of big cities. “You have to keep in mind that there was probably only one running toilet inMilles Roches,” explained Daye, laughing. “Nearly no one had in- terior plumbing either. Some people were looking forward to having base- ments, instead of cellars.” But although destruction was imminent, the residents were of- fered two choices. They could either
fine china from her cabinets and panicked. Alas, nothing could be done until the house was on its new foundation. To her surprise, barely any of her delicate plates had been broken. “They moved at around one mile every three hours,” said Daye. “And they sure made a loud noise!” Now, the waves of the mighty St. Lawrence have all but silenced the small com- munities. But few hardworking volunteers strive against the cur-
Cornwall Navy League receives $1000 The Cornwall Branch of the Navy League of Canada recently received a $1000 donation from the Scotiabank Bright Futures Program. This particular program is for employees who volunteer their time to help in their community. The donation will go to benefit the cadets in the corps. Pictured above are Christopher Cochrane, commanding officer, RCSCC Stormont; Vanessa Regnier, manager of Customer Service, Scotiabank Customer Contact Center Cornwall; Diana Dupelycz, president of the Navy League of Canada; Natalie Deschamps-Martin, Scotiabank employee/civilian instructor, RCSCC Stormont; and Monique Branchaud, fundraising chair, Navy League of Canada Cornwall Branch.
move to one of two towns that were to be created, Long Sault and Ingleside, or their property were to be purchased at market value, with an additional 10 per cent added. Yet the simple idea of the Seaway Project had considerably reduced local property
rent, in an effort at not rewinding time, as the disastrous flooding has already happened, but at remembering. Giving back a voice to the underwater communities that have lost theirs.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
The Journal Cornwall
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