Harlowe, Ontario

Features of the Area

This is a tiny community in the lake country to the northwest of the City of Kingston, in the Canadian Province of Ontario. The area is in the southern part of the Canadian Shield. Thus, there are rocky ground, many lakes, and vast forests. Off the main east-west and north-south highways, the back gravel roads were quite windy. The road to the west had a short one car-width causeway over a swampy area. Although the countryside may have looked bleak to some people in the winter, it was beautiful in the summer.

Large frame farmhouses were common in the area. Farms were of marginal fertility, and the farmers worked hard to produce their crops. There was a large, beautiful woodlot on the farm where I boarded. Many of the people had lived all their lives here. My landlady, her brother, and her sister, all living on farms here, went to a little schoolhouse still standing a few miles away. There were others who had members of their family living nearby.

Summer months were pleasant, but the winters could be cold, with much snow. Roads were kept open quite well in the winter. In the morning of my first full day, I accompanied Jimmy Hill, from Viking Lodge where I spent my first night, across the frozen lake as he checked his trap lines. This meant trudging through the snow. I went ice-fishing once with Nelson Peters, a local minister. In the warmer months, he took me to several lakes with him, as he was an avid fisherman.

The Bishops, with whom I stayed, would have a woodshed full of blocks of wood for fuel in the winter. This was obtained from their own woodlot.

Businesses

There were two grocery stores, Hilliers' and Neals', and a post office. Later, Miller and Mary Black had a grocery store. East of the community were three summer tourist resorts: Hills' Viking Lodge, Thompsons' Resort, and Stones' Resort. All were located along the southwest corner of Gull Lake, where fishing was an attraction. The resorts provided cabins, boats, and a boat launch. At least one provided basic groceries and meals. It was common to see cars from the US States of New York and Pennsylvania in the summer. There were numerous other tourist resorts to the north and south, some distance away, and along most lakes in the area.

The Standard church was located in the community. The United and Anglican churches were located outside to the west.

Transportation

There were no transportation companies entering Harlowe. It was necessary to travel by car to Kaladar or Arden, along the Central Ontario section of the Trans-Canada Highway, to board a Canadian Pacific Railway passenger train or a Greyhound bus. When travelling along the roads leading to Harlowe off the paved highways in the winter, it was advisable to use chains or snow tires. Miller Black, who was caretaker at the school, carried the mail to and from Arden in his pickup truck six days a week. This was the means by which I entered Harlowe the first time on January 2, 1954.

The School

It was a two-room white frame building, located about a quarter of a mile from the main road intersection to the west and about the same from where I lived to the east. There were indoor washrooms with running water. In the basement was a wood-burning furnace that provided heat through radiators. During the day in the cold months, I would have to add chunks of wood into the furnace.

The south side of my classroom was nearly all window space. Blackboards were on the north and west walls. Library books and stored textbooks were in a cupboard at the back of the room to the east. On the west was the door to a small hall, the washrooms, a small teachers' room, and the outside doors. The second classroom was on the west side of the building. In front of the school, we had some flowerbeds.

Students from a distance would be transported to the school in a van operated by Clarence Mills. Living south of the community, he would bring students from the south. Then, he would pick up students from the north and west. After classes, he would take the same trips in the opposite order. Actually, these trips did not take long as the distances were just a few miles each way. Children from the east provided their own way as the distance was not far. High school students from the east met their van at the main intersection, from where they were transported to their classes in Sharbot Lake, possibly thirty miles to the southeast across the Trans-Canada Highway.

Once a month, we received several films from the National Film Board, some for use in the school and some for use at a community showing in the Orange hall next-door. It was the responsibility of a teacher to conduct the show in both places. The NFB also provided the projector and the speaker. Since I had experience with showing of films, this posed no problem. After a showing, I would pack up everything for Miller Black to take the next morning to the small community of Henderson on his mail trip to Arden. This was very convenient for us. For some reason that I do not recall, one Saturday morning he did not take it back. Thus, it became my responsibility. I took Nelson Peters and Bill Morley with me. As we neared Henderson, my car became stuck in a snowbank on the road. Somehow, when going to the trunk of the car, I dropped the trunk key and lost it. Bill had a couple of tires in the trunk on the way to a service station near Arden. When we arrived there, it was necessary to reach the trunk through the back seat. As long as I had that car, that procedure had to be used to reach the trunk.

One Friday night just before Thanksgiving after the community showing, I did not finish preparing the equipment for the passing on to Henderson. We had reports that Hurricane Hazel was on the way, having already entered Ontario. As I walked back to the farmhouse, I noted the strong warm wind coming from the south. Shortly later, it struck our area. It also struck Toronto very heavily. That night in my bedroom, which had its window on the south side of the house, I listened and watched as the wind blew and the rain pelted down. I feared that the window might break. However, it did not do so. In the morning, we assessed outside damage. Although it was not as severe as it might have been, we could see how forceful the storm had been. In surrounding areas, trees were uprooted, in turn breaking electrical power lines. We were without power for about sixty-one hours.

In October of the one complete year that I was there, Fred Wakeling, the United minister, and I planned a Hallowe'en party in the Orange hall for the children and the community. At Christmas, the school put on the traditional Christmas concert. I cannot recall if the minister helped us in that one. The children were very responsive in both. I can recall a sizeable crowd for the latter event. I invited my parents and my little brother Oakley to come three hundred miles to be in attendance. The next day, I returned with them for my Christmas vacation.

People

Students

Staff and Associates

Others