125 YEARS AGO Thursday, August 7, 1884

• Shelburne Council has taken an initial step toward securing protection from fire — that is, to ascertain if an adequate supply of water can be procured by way of mains from the lake on the Town Line West. When a survey is completed the practicability or otherwise will be understood and ratepayers would be in a better position to consider the ways and means for affording the much-needed more protection from fire than they have at present. That there is great need of protection of some kind all will readily admit, and it is to be hoped that after a fair hearing of the various schemes which are almost certain to be promulgated, some practical and efficient one will be adopted as soon as possible.

• The Orangeville Gazette has suspended publication.

• At a meeting of the Toronto Reform Association Friday evening last, it was decided to give Hon. Oliver Mowat a monster reception on his return from England, on September 16.

100 YEARS AGO Thursday, August 5, 1909

• As a result of the Temperance meeting held in Shelburne Town Hall Friday evening of last week, the next few months will see a Local Option campaign in full swing in Shelburne. The speaker of the evening, Rev. Ben Spence, of Toronto, said there would probably be 120 or more municipalities in line by January in the campaign to abolish the bar, and it was not strange therefore, that something should be done in Shelburne.

• The Stayner Sun reports that a black bear was seen at Oakview on Sunday by several campers. It is believed that the same animal was seen by others in the bush near Stayner, and two of them were seen last week near Van Vlack.

• The Superior Portland Cement Co., of Orangeville, is running at capacity and cannot get enough ahead to fill all the orders that are coming in. As many as four carloads are shipped in 24 hours.

• Several Orangeville citizens have spoken seriously of taking up the matter of the lake question and making a first-class pleasure resort in Orangeville. About 45 years ago the project of making a lake near the exhibition grounds was earnestly taken up by a number of progressive citizens, but due to the opposition of some the scheme was abandoned.

• A northbound freight train came to grief at Crombies Monday. A broken brake beam caught in a switch, tore up several lengths of rails, and landed seven cars in the ditch in a wrecked condition. Traffic was disarranged on the line, passengers on the express trains having to be transferred at the scene of the wreck, but everything was in good working order by Tuesday morning.

• Those who came up from Toronto Tuesday night of last week on the special train of the Union Sunday School excursion are complaining of the recklessness of those in charge of the train and lack of consideration shown passengers. At Crombies the train hardly more than slowed down instead of stopping, and a couple of lady passengers were fairly hurled from the train in attempting to alight. At Shelburne, the stop was so short and the start-away again so sudden and unexpected that there was time for only some of the passengers to get off safely. Others received bad falls and bruises in jumping off the moving train and still others were carried to the upper end of the yards, where angry pulls on the bell rope brought the train to a standstill and they were given a chance to get off.

75 YEARS AGO Wednesday, August 9, 1934

• The weather was very kindly indeed on Monday for an open-air celebration, and the annual "big day" at Horning's Mills Community Park proved most enjoyable. With an afternoon program of sports and evening program of entertainment and dancing there was every inducement for people of the district to come out and enjoy themselves and a goodly number took advantage of the opportunity, many former residents of "the Hollow" also coming up from Toronto for the occasion.

50 YEARS AGO Wednesday, August 5, 1959

• The Ontario Department of Public Welfare has released a report on the proposed sites in Orangeville and Shelburne of the proposed Dufferin County home for the aged.

• About 2,000 chairs will be placed in Shelburne Arena Thursday night for the 9th Annual Canadian Open Old Time Fiddlers' Contest, scheduled to get under way at 7 p.m. Friday.

25 YEARS AGO Wednesday, August 8, 1984

• Orangeville is one step away from a new and much-needed elementary separate school. The town's Planning Advisory Committee has recommended that Town Council approve an application for a zoning change permitting construction of the school in an area 180 feet west of the Blind Line at Greenlaw Street.

• Fiddle fans are swarming to Shelburne for the 34th annual Canadian Open Championship Fiddlers' Contest.