Dundas Valley Historical Society
Ontario, Canada
Windows on our past—
Reflecting on our future
Reflecting on our future
|
Dundas Valley Historical Society
Ontario, Canada
|
|
Windows on our past—
Reflecting on our future |
Details of this season's presentations will by published as they become available. Listed by date of presentation.
17 October 2007
This year, 2007, marks the one hundred and fiftieth celebrations of Dundas Central Public School. A number of festivities were organized to recognize this milestone, one being the production in May of a school play, The Central Years, written and directed by Mrs. Sheila Ashcroft-Shupe. Mrs. Ashcroft-Shupe, is a lifelong resident of the town who attended Dundas Central Public, is currently a teacher at the school and so the research for her production took on special meaning. In fact while the play includes snippets of the school’s history, the real idea of the show was to make the families of Dundas Central aware of the town’s history over the past 150 years. Research for the play took about a year. Almost every portion of the script is based on fact with some literary license given for specific dates and places in the town.
The plot of the play is about two children who cannot get along. A magician gives them two items: a hat for Tom and a purse for Mary. When these items are taken from them, they become frozen. The magician’s motive is for the twins to learn how to become more caring and compassionate toward each other and the citizens whom they meet. Initially the youngsters are thrown back to the year 1857. But every time the children become constructively and positively involved in helping the citizens in specific issues of years gone by, they lose their enchanted possessions and are thrown forward into another episode in the history of Dundas.
On October 17, two scenes of The Central Years were performed again for the enjoyment of the Dundas Historical Society. Scene One entertained the audience with anecdotes about one of Dundas Central’s most famous students, Sir William Osler. Osler attended the school for a brief period but was expelled for 'pulling pranks'! The second scene takes place in 1967 when Canada was celebrating its hundredth anniversary. This particular scene is very much a personal memory of how Mrs. Ashcroft-Shupe remembers classes when she attended Central. The play included a song written by a former music teacher, Mr. Floyd McAsh, entitled Valley Town.
Dances choreographed by Rachel Shupe added fun and excitement. Finally a power-point presentation created by Mrs. Jane Lindsay ( and assisted by Mr. Stan Nowak) included nostalgic photographs of Dundas which most definitely added to the mood of the production.
14 November 2007
This "how-to" presentation will discuss utilizing the internet to research the lives of people who lived in Dundas up to one hundred and thirty years ago. We will search free and extensive web-sites for key data about ordinary citizens of Victorian Dundas. Audience members will gain the knowledge to find out: who lived in Dundas's century homes a hundred or more years ago; to examine their great-grandfather's World War I sign-up papers; or to find the location of his burial site if he failed to return from World War I (or II).
Websites to be discussed will include: Census data of 1871, 1881, 1901 and 1911; attestation (swearing-in) papers of World War One soldiers; Commonwealth war Graves; Ontario Vital Statistics Project.
Dave MacDougall
Dave MacDougall has a B.A. in History from the University of Toronto, and an M. Sc. And C.A.S. from Syracuse University in Learning Theory. He has taught from kindergarten to college to students as varied as librarians to Colombian guerrillas (they were supposed to be farm leaders).
9 January, 2008
I was mayor of Dundas from 1985 to 1988 and, yes, I have the honour of being the only female to hold that position. No doubt, without amalgamation into Hamilton, there would have been other women mayors of our lovely town.
As a stay-at-home wife and mother with extensive community volunteer experience I was elected to town council and served from 1981 to 1983. What a learning curve that was! The give and take of local politics (some would say "nastiness") was something I have never liked. Changing the political culture of council to one in which respect and civility was shown to fellow councilors, staff and the public alike was personally most satisfying. A more enabling, democratic and collaborative (dare I say female) style of leadership, though seen as confusing and weak to some more authoritarian councilors, seemed to get the job done. Council worked well together and much was accomplished in a short time. This council set many projects in motion. Generous provincial funding of almost $4 million (thank you Chris Ward ) paid for new heritage style, but energy efficient, lighting for King St., a safe piped water supply and septic upgrades for the Pleasant View area and an elevator to make the town hall more accessible. The hiking trail along Spencer Creek was launched with much volunteer help. The purchase of blue boxes set the town on the road to recycling. The Cross-Melville Heritage District was planned. Non-profit housing for both seniors and low income families was built. Finally, market value assessment (MVA) was brought to Dundas.
Dundas council voted 6 to 3 in favour of MVA, the last municipality in the region to embrace the new system. Though considered to be more equitable, it pleased no one. People who owned older houses who had to pay more property tax were unhappy and angry. Those in newer homes were annoyed and thought they had overpaid for years. At the time my Dad said, "Mary Ann that was a bad move and may cost you the next election". Prophetic words. I left politics with very few regrets and wouldn’t have missed the opportunity for anything. I treasure a very funny reminder of my time in office. The formal term of address for a mayor is "Your Worship". I have an envelope addressed to me as "Your Whoreship Mary Ann Seldon". Now how many male mayors can top that?
Mary Ann Seldon
A Dundas native, Mary Ann was educated locally at McMaster University and has a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Toronto. Her work experience has been in hospital social work, provincial welfare and adoption services. She is married to David, the retired owner of a printing company. Her children, Julie and Chris, are grown and she has two delightful grandsons, Ryan and Alex Hall. Mary Ann had a six year career in municipal politics. She was first elected to Dundas council in 1981 and served a three year term. She was mayor from 1985 to 1988, the only female to hold the position. "Probably the most interesting thing I’ve ever done and it may even be my epitaph.", she said.
13 February, 2008
The People and the Bay is an educational documentary film being distributed to schools which offers a historical tour of Hamilton Harbour and the waterfront. One of the authors of the script, and narrators of the film, historian Ken Cruikshank, will present selections from the DVD, and discuss three moments in the social and environmental history of the Bay since the mid-nineteenth century.
Ken Cruikshank
Ken Cruikshank is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History at McMaster University, and author of "Close Ties: Ralways, Government and the Board of Railway Commissioners" and co-author, with Nancy B. Bouchier, of a forthcoming book, "Whose Harbour?".
12 March, 2008
Kids for Kaga is a Dundas organization established 40 years ago for the purpose of promoting "the World as one." Dundas became twinned with the small city of Kaga on the north coast of Japan. Through educational and cultural exchanges with our Japanese twin city, hundreds of Dundas students have been able to experience life with host families in Japan, visit Hiroshima and other historical cities, and attend cultural events. This opportunity has been provided to students, during the summer months, at their most impressionable age of 13 to 18 years old. Many life-long friendships have resulted from these exchanges and many Dundas students have gone on to international careers.
The reciprocal sister organization of Kids for Kaga is "Dundas Tomonokai" in Kaga. Students from Kaga come to experience life in Dundas. Our student exchange is carried out in a regular 3 year cycle: Japanese students visit Dundas one year, followed by a return visit from Dundas students in the next year. The 3rd year is for review and planning. Indeed it is the enthusiastic efforts of volunteers in both Kaga and Dundas which have made possible the twelve times of student exchanges.
There were also three exchanges of official delegates on the 10th, 20th and 30th anniversaries of our twinning. In these exchanges also each delegate was hosted by local families during their official visit. Lan visited Kaga, Japan in 1998 to attend the 30th anniversary ceremony of the twinning of Dundas and Kaga was immersed in the kind hospitality of Kaga host families and the city officials.
The presentation will include stories of how this world-first twinning of the East and West was created and sustained; and how the idea first conceived in Japan by Nobel winner Dr. HideKi Yukawa—his call for "cities for peace"—was echoed in Dundas by peace worker Dr. Hanna Newcombe. Moreover stories of ordinary citizens, here and in Japan who have devoted their life working for peace, will be told. This is indeed a singular gem of Dundas when we need to work for peace through experiencing our cultural differences and similarities.
Lan Whiting
Since Lan was first drawn to the old Japanese paper dolls displayed in our town hall, she has been a member of Kids for Kaga. She has served as the archivist for more than ten years. Through hosting Kaga students and official delegates during her daughter Emily and Caroline Whiting’s exchange trips she has formed bonds of friendship with Kaga families till this day. Retired from work in cancer genetics, Lan has been learning Ikebana flower art of Kyoto, koto and Chinese calligraphy.
9 April, 2008
The Early Years
In the early 1880’s, Alexander Graham Bell, had just invented a device which would come to be known as the telephone. Two Hamilton entrepreneurs, John D. Pennington and Edgar Baker, recognized the potential in this new device, and in 1884, began to manufacture the wooden boxes into which Bell mounted the parts. The new business was located at 81 James Street South, in central Hamilton.
In the same year, the two partners launched their second product line, desks for students, for the rapidly growing school system. These desks incorporated some special design features, which quickly became the standard throughout most of Canada and the United States. Products for the educational markets ultimately became one of the two most durable for the Company.
The business grew sufficiently between 1886 and 1890 that additional space was again required. Pennington and Baker occupied 64 Hatt Street, as at April of that year.
The Period 1890 To 1929
What little information is available about the business for the ten years following the move to Dundas suggests dramatic changes. The school desks and office furniture are gone, replaced by church pews and furniture. The significant changes in the Company’s product line, barely a dozen years after its formation, likely arose from a disagreement between the partners over what products to manufacture. The Company had ceased to be Pennington and Baker and had become the Valley City Seating Company.
Depression and War
After 35 years in the business, John D. Pennington chose to retire in 1929. His retirement coincided, perhaps fortunately, with the beginning of the Great Depression, which followed the economic boom that had lasted most of the 20’s. Pennington turned the Company over to his two sons at the beginning of the worst ten years of economic depression in history. By 1937, there was virtually no construction going on. The original Valley City Seating Company Limited went bankrupt in 1937.
During this period, J.M. Pigott, who headed Pigott Construction Company, was determined that valuable suppliers to the industry should not disappear. Pigott Construction became financially supportive of several local firms, including Valley City to which he awarded a large contract for the new St. Thomas Mental Hospital. He also loaned Valley City the funds to finance manufacturing.
New Management and Changing Ownership
None of this was very successful and by 1941, J.M. Pigott took over the business. Mr. Pigott persuaded Nelson Crockford, age 28 at that time, to take on the management of Valley City, which according to Mr. Pigott had a great future. It is doubtful whether a more seasoned individual would have accepted the job.
In March 1941, Valley City had very few orders, 25 employees and absolutely no hope of surviving except for the Second World War, which was becoming disastrous by 1941. At that time, Otis Fensom Elevator Company of Hamilton was producing the Bofors Anti-aircraft Gun and needed wooden cases made, with shaped sockets for each part and tool, so each could be located in the dark. Valley City had equipment standing idle and thus became an essential supplier to the war.
In 1950, Pigott Construction sold Valley City to Nelson Crockford. With the war over, new products had to be found. The school, university and hospital furniture markets, fueled by the post war “baby boomers” provided the greatest growth opportunity. In the five years from 1959 to 1964 we doubled our factory size with additions of the east wing, the new office and the new shipping wing. Our total staff grew to over 200 in 1968.
New Opportunities
The school and university markets, on which Valley City had prospered for 20 years, went into serious decline in the 70s and the Company had to diversify again. New case goods lines for dormitories and hotels were launched. Innovative new laboratory products, such as the McMaster Sub Servo system were developed. Supplying custom woodwork to health care facilities provided significant volume.
In 1978, N.R. Crockford retired, to be succeeded as General Manager by his son, Bob.
It became apparent that the next opportunity for the Company lay south of the border. Health care projects in Boston and Pittsburgh provided the first opportunity, but in the early 80's, attention shifted to the laboratory furniture market. The microbiology research revelation was just gathering momentum and Valley City seized an early, and it turns out, durable lead in providing "high quality solutions" to those quickly evolving research laboratories.
Business Evolution
By 1990, the Company had completed significant architecturally designed labs for MGH, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, and Princeton Universities among others. In the past 15 years, Valley City has solidified its position atop the laboratory furniture industry. Our client list is a "who's who" of medical research institutions.
In the past five years, architectural woodwork has been largely eliminated from the product mix with attention being devoted to laboratory furniture for the medical and bio tech markets and specialty seating for courthouses, churches/synagogues.
In 2004, the Crockford family agreed to sell 50% of the business to three senior managers who are responsible for the operation of the company.
Robert Crockford
Robert Crockford is President and CEO of The Valley Manufacturing Company. Since 1977 he has served as President of the Valley City Manufacturing Company, a $30+ million revenue market leader in architectural and laboratory furniture. In addition to his position at Valley City, Robert has been a founding partner and/or director investor in such ventures as MBI Fermentas, CDP Inc., TeleBermuda Globenet, Call-Net Inc., Page Canada, and Celtel Inc. Robert is currently a director of Valley City Manufacturing, Valley City Woodwork Inc., Rojust Holdings Limited, Rohatton Inc., and Concurrent Technologies Canada. Robert’s community activities have included serving as a Chairman of the Hamilton Civic Hospital Corporation Board, as Chairman of the McMaster University Business Advisory Council, as chairman of the Hamilton-Wentworth District Health Council Joint Action Committee, as Director of the Canada-US Border-Net Alliance, and as chairman of the Hamilton Region Conservation Foundation. Robert earned an Honours degree in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario.
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This page last updated 31 July 2008 by SN.
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