Up The Beach

scotto

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Feb 15, 2004
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The Beach Strip
#1
This comes from an information pamphlet that was sent out to residents by realtor Mary Helen Wood. The editor was beach resident Don Stewart from 368 Beach Blvd. I don't see a year for publishing.
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Echoes from the Past


BEACH NEWS

Cold Weather Has Made More Ice
_______________________________
Beach, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 1921 - The cold spell over the last week-end made mote ice and the crop being cut this week at the bottom of South Park Avenue, stop 9, is 11 inches thick. "Matt" Warner, manager of the Cloverdale Creamery company, announced that his firm will cut all this week if possible, as 1000 ton of ice are needed to fill their plant.

The fire at the home of Alex. Macdonald, stop 6, yesterday was the first serious fire here since the fall of 1918, when 13 simmer cottages were totally destroyed on the north tide of the canal at stop 24. Extra praise is still being given to all those who helped to quench the fire yesterday. It is felt that a volunteer fire brigade should be organized. The beach commission, it is hoped will start something along these lines at once.

It is reported that restrictions again sailing craft using the canal this coming summer are to be made by the government in order to have the G.T.R. bridge left over the canal as often as possible for the convenience of pedestrians. Engineer j.M. Wilson is expected on the beach early next month to look over the work in progress on the new bridge.

A rare treat is in store for the children of the bungalow school tomorrow afternoon, when Prof. H.R. Kemp, a lecturer at Toronto universary, will exhibit some motion picture of scenes laid in Germany. All parents of the children are cordially invited to attend. The people are asked to be in their seats by 4 o'clock when the performance begins.

Miss Reta Lynch, stop 4, bad at her guest Sunday last. Miss Irene O'Mara of Hamilton.

The residence near stop 9, formerly owned by James Scott, but now the property of James Cabow, is likely to be sold.

The custom followed by the radial company of stopping cars between, at Well as at regular stops in winter, will be discontinued early next month.

Little Albert Taplin, who fell into an open spot on the bay yesterday afternoon, is none the worse for his experience.

Walter Dynes is on the road to recovery after a week or more suffering from erysipelas.


ICE CUTTERS ARE BUSY ALONG BEACH

Many Men Are Being Employed - Beach Activities

Beach, Jan. 31 - The Westinghouse Company removed the two 15-horsepower motors from the new bridge yesterday to the city plant, where experts will overhaul them. These motors it is feared, were damaged in the fire in the machinery room of the bridge Thursday noon of last week. Work it progressing on the bridge deck and concrete is being poured once again.

Chief Taplin has received the customary notice from the Harbor Commission which instructs him to see that all ice dealers here cutting ice leave open water spaces properly protected. Icemen are asked to place brush around channels.

Beach Commissioner Crooks stated yesterday that work on the waterworks extension would undoubtedly be completed this week and the first test, he felt, would be made either Saturday or Monday next. The test will be only of the extension and no water will be sent through the commission's maim until after the cold weather.

Dr. T. W. Peart, Burlington, has been attending William Clack, Waverly avenue, Stop 8, for several days, Mr. Clack suffered a severe attack of grip. His many friends are looking forward to his early recovery.

Ice-cutting operations commenced at the touch side of the beach with a vengeance yesterday. Alan & Burke are filling their ice house at the canal. The channel it at the foot of Sixth avenue, formerly Walkerville, Stop 10, and the ice is being hauled from there in motor trucks. The job it expected to be completed tomorrow evening, after which Alan & Burke will go across the bay and fill their large plant at Wabasso Park.

A large field of ice was mapped outside of the cluster of fish huts in the south corner of the bay yesterday and ice is being hauled to Mr. McPhail's icehouse near the Hamilton Gun Club. Dan Hazel and Lloyd Howard have charge of the plowing and other outside work. P. C Giarche has about finished filling the Smith plant at Stop 28, north of the canal, and in a day or two will commence to fill the former Hughes' icehouse at Stop 12, and also his other icehouse at Stop 6, formerly Hasel Brothers. It its two years since ice cutting hat been so active as at present. Last winter but little cutting wat done. The present operations are providing work for many men.
The mid weather started carp in the bay to run. From about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon three monsters were first noticed and reports of them being speared until dark came from every hub Charlie Howard got one weighing over twenty pounds. Herman Forsyth got two or three. Miss Mary Green has shown herself no mean spearer, her bag for the day being one carp and one pike.
Bill Fell went a-fishing yetterday and speared a catfish and cast it outside his hut door intending to take it home when he was through for the day. A seagull saved him the trouble.

A SEA LION?


Beach Ladies Saw Strange Looking Creature

June 10, 1916 - Many fish stories have been beard in this and previous years by vacationists, but none quite so strange as that told by two ladies residing near station 4 at the beach. They saw a large object a the water not far from shore which at first sight led them to beieve a cow or some other domestic animal had gone out into the water over its depth. As they moved toward the shore the object moved away and its large, piercing eyes presented a sight which made the young ladies hesitate before going much closer. Just then the body gave a slight leap from the water and to them appeared to be of a brownish color. It then proceeded to use what looked much like flippers and paddled away. Accordng to the description of this object of the deep looked like a sea lion although far from its habitat.
 

David O'Reilly

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
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#2
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scotto
04-07-2015, 04:45 AM
This comes from an information pamphlet that was sent out to residents by realtor Mary Helen Wood. The editor was beach resident Don Stewart from 368 Beach Blvd. I don't see a year for publishing.
__________________________________________________ _________________________________

Echoes from the Past


BEACH NEWS

Cold Weather Has Made More Ice
_______________________________
Beach, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 1921 - The cold spell over the last week-end made mote ice and the crop being cut this week at the bottom of South Park Avenue, stop 9, is 11 inches thick. "Matt" Warner, manager of the Cloverdale Creamery company, announced that his firm will cut all this week if possible, as 1000 ton of ice are needed to fill their plant.

The fire at the home of Alex. Macdonald, stop 6, yesterday was the first serious fire here since the fall of 1918, when 13 simmer cottages were totally destroyed on the north tide of the canal at stop 24. Extra praise is still being given to all those who helped to quench the fire yesterday. It is felt that a volunteer fire brigade should be organized. The beach commission, it is hoped will start something along these lines at once.

It is reported that restrictions again sailing craft using the canal this coming summer are to be made by the government in order to have the G.T.R. bridge left over the canal as often as possible for the convenience of pedestrians. Engineer j.M. Wilson is expected on the beach early next month to look over the work in progress on the new bridge."

This must have been about 1902 or 1903. The Hamilton and Northwestern Railroad began running along the beach in 1877, and was purchased by the Grand Trunk Railroad in 1888.
http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/industrial/hamiltonnw.htm

And the GTR was purchased by Canadian National Railroad in 1923.

"Finally, on January 20, 1923, GTR was fully absorbed into the CNR on a date when all constituent companies were merged into the Crown corporation."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Trunk_Railway

Scott's post quoating from Charles Cooper's book on the Hamilton and Northwestern railroad, indicates that a new bridge was built across the canal in 1902.


scotto
07-17-2013, 11:33 PM
"I have been asked about the many bridges that have spanned the Burlington Canal since it was first cut through the Beach Strip back in 1826.



Some early history from author Bill Manson
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With the completion of the Burlington Canal in 1826, a wooden bridge was constructed to allow the passage of land traffic across the new waterway. However, this bridge sustained heavy storm-damage and was torn down. It was replaced by a swing bridge in 1830. Unfortunately this bridge too came down when struck by a schooner. For decades after the accident, a wooden scow, pulled by heavy chains, was used to transport people, animals, and goods across the canal.


Many descriptions of the early canal suggest that there was a moveable bridge, but it didn't last long and those who wanted passage to other side of the canal had to pay a fee to use the wooden scow and at times it was impractical due to the weather. In the winter many just walked across the frozen canal, a line was strung across for some safety, keep in mind that the canal was not wide as it is today.

Edit; Another good description of the early wooden bridge can be viewed in this thread;
http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2229&page=3 (The First Ferry Across Burlington Canal; The Swing Bridge And The Old Ship Inn)


The Swing Bridges

With the spread of the railway through out the Hamilton area, a more cost effective route was look at, the trip through the Beach Strip saved considerable time and money, so it was the railway that brought the first heavy moveable structure to the Beach.

From Charles Cooper's Hamilton's Other Railway
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At the canal, the new through-truss swingbridge was swung (by hand) for the first time on January 10, 1877. The 375 foot long riveted, wrought-iron superstructure was constructed for the H&NW by the Hamilton Tool Works at a reported cost of $23,000. The Hamilton Times proudly noted that "the construction of this bridge in Canada has circulated over $12,000 amongst the working population of the country", and added reassuringly that "the bridge will be eventually worked by an engine of 20 horse power which has been manufactured by Mr. Northey of this city". Five days later, the first engine tested the bridge by crossing and re-crossing it at different speeds, and making stops at random. Evidently all went well, and regular service across the bridge began the following month.
A couple pictures of the first railway Swing Bridge.

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz256/scotto2010/Bridge/Five Bridges/ATBrown_zps6f37db45.jpg
A of O, A T Brown Coll C302 3 0 21 5, courtesy Charles Cooper

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/...es/HNWswingbridgeBurlingtonAO_zps34be22b5.jpg
A of O , A T Brown Coll C302 3 0 21 1, courtesy Charles Cooper.



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The original wrought-iron steam-powered railway swingbridge was replaced in 1902-03 by a new bridge with steel truss spans and a raised control cab. The new bridge, to be swung by electric power, was built on the site of the old one. "During the construction of the new steel bridge over the canal at Burlington, passenger and freight traffic between Hamilton and Burlington, via the Beach, has been suspended, the service being operated via Waterdown and Burlington Junction" (The Railway and Shipping World, June 1902). The new bridge was opened for traffic in the summer of 1903. Until 1930, only one of the railway swingbridge's two spans actually crossed the Canal, the other being a balancing span."
In 1896 the Dominion government began work on a highway swingbridge to connect the new road along the west side of the beach strip. This bridge had wooden sidewalks and a narrow lane for vehicles.When the Hamilton-Burlington radial electric railway (the HRER) reached the Canal in 1896, it negotiated the right to use it in exchange for providing the motor and the power to operate it. This swingbridge had a south-side pedestal, and it was asymmetrical because of the need to clear the lighthouse immediately to the east.


This road/radial swingbridge was replaced in 1921-22 by a single leaf bascule bridge, also based on the south (Hamilton) side. During its construction, the radial cars were diverted over the GTR track, and only pedestrian traffic was permitted across (which played havoc with the daily milk and bread deliveries of the day).
In 1930-31, the Canal underwent its final widening to 300 ft, at which time the railway swingbridge was relocated diagonally 52 ft to the southeast, with its pedestal on an artificial island between the channels. At the same time, another bascule leaf was built on the north side of the channel to complement"

http://hamiltonbeachcommunity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2173.html
 

scotto

Administrator
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Feb 15, 2004
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The Beach Strip
#3
Up The Beach October 1989
Psycho logical Offensive Ensnared Bandits—- 1956


In the old days along the Beach. Chief Hazell was the policeman. It was not it like it is now. Often the Chief was called on to walk the entire Beach for miles. On the 'guest gala' days put on by Harry Dynes, fights sometimes started. In his official manner he persuaded the pugnacious drunks to go back and sit on the hotel verandah and watch Dynes' ScoundreIs, the greatest softball team ever seen in Ontario play the game. As great an umpire as any could be seen, Andy Ross, in his old fedora. would call out balls and strikes. The great pitcher, Cecil Corey would toss the ball. Between times Chief John Hazell worked in his lakeshore fishing shanty with his sons preparing great messes of whitefish and herring. The Hazel Is and Coreys were famous fishermen in those old days.

Along about 1912 Chief Hazell was retired and for the next four years -Dave Ryle was Chief . Then, in 1916 Thomas -Taplin and his sons Bert and Tom were the police. They also walked the Beach. Taplins duties consisted of looking after schools, fires, drownings and accidents and outbursts of lawlessness.

On January 6, 1920 Otto Cooke was shot by two hide-out bandits when he visited his summer home. Great panic and excitement swept the Beach. Men came out with rifles, revolvers. clubs and shotguns. Chief Taplin and Detective James Smith with Chief Lee Smith of Burlington organised a manhunt. Followed by crowds of people, the police scoured the Beach and finally found the bandits underneath the Elsinore Rest Home at Station 12. With guns, the bandits dared the police to come and get them. Chief Lee Smith, knowing it was very dangerous; nevertheless, crawled under the building and captured the criminals without a shot being fired. His nerve completely held the criminals awe-stricken. This was psycho logical police action, but the Beach was happy.


In 1936 Chief Taplin was followed by Chief Howard Nickling and the Beach wag given an up-to-date police force consisting of Chief Nickling. Sergeant Frank Wain, Constables Roy Bradburn and Harold Hindman. -All through the forty years of its existence the Burlington Beach Commission thus faithfully served the wants and interests of Beach residents.


Royston Charles Kime, HamiIton Beach
 
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