125 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 20, 1884

• Dufferin County Council, meeting in the council chamber of Shelburne Town Hall on Tuesday, passed a motion that the Committee on Roads and Bridges "be instructed to consider and to report upon the advisability of supplementing a grant of $40, made by the County Council of Simcoe at the last meeting thereof, to assist in building a bridge over Pine River on Town Line, between Mulmur and Tosorontio.

• Prior to his departure for India recently, Lord Dufferin was tendered a banquet in Belfast, Ireland, and in replying to the toast of his health referred to Canada: "Least of all can I forget that memorable night when, on the eve of my departure for Canada, this splendid chamber was filled with friends who had assembled together to bid me God's speed, and to assure me that, in the opinion of those who had known me best and longest, the honour then conferred upon me by Her Majesty was not considered misplaced or undeserved. That occasion ushered in the brightest and happiest period of my life, a period passed in one of the fairest regions in the Empire, among a people animated by the most generous instincts, shadowed by all the noblest gifts and qualities which distinguish the British race, and to whom I owe a debt of gratitude and affection whose welcome burden I shall carry to the grave."

100 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 18, 1909

• The first shot of the second stage of the Local Option campaign in Shelburne was fired Tuesday night. Although the weather throughout the day and evening was beastly, nearly 200 people turned out to hear the speakers in the Town Hall. Another public meeting will be held there Tuesday evening of next week.

• The CPR has placed a station agent at Melville Junction. The headon collision which occurred near the station a few weeks ago was attributed to the railways failure to maintain and agent at the important junction point. The new agent, Mr. Lloyd Wansborough, of Fergus, went on duty on Monday.

• The first of a series of four monthly contest concerts, under the auspices of the Epworth League, was held in Shelburne Methodist Church Monday night. A debate, "Resolved that it would be in the interests of Canada to extend the franchise to women," excited a lot of interest. E. G. Button and Gordon Clarke, championed the affirmative and A. Aiken and M. Price, the negative. The affirmative won.

• An agreement has been reached between the Chinguacousy Municipal Telephone Company and the Caledon Consolidated Telephone Company Limited, under which each company will enjoy the free use of the other line. Connections are to be made free of charge between both systems and each subscribers on both systems to have free use of telephone communication through both systems in common will all other subscribers. This clause does not apply to subscribers of Bell Telephone system.

• Shelburne Council has let the contract to drill another well at the east end of the village on the lot at the rear of the Dufferin Light & Power Co.'s building. Bellerby Bros. have the contract.

75 YEARS AGO Wednesday, November 22, 1934

• Two-thirds of the townships in Ontario's rural power districts have passed bylaws accepting the proposal of the Hydro Electric Power Commission that contracts with rural power customers will be on the basis of five years instead of 20 years as heretofore.

• There being one jury case, but no criminal actions on the list, Mr. Justice Hope was presented with the traditional pair of white kid gloves on arriving in Orangeville on Tuesday, to preside at the Dufferin Fall Assizes. Members of the Grand Jury had been notified that their services would not be required.

• Many folks in Dufferin are travelling after dark in horse-drawn vehicles without carrying a plainly visible light, according to Traffic Officer Kirk, who says several complaints have been made in this regard. The law definitely requires all vehicles to carry lights after dark.

50 YEARS AGO Wednesday, November 18, 1959

• The Board of Shelburne District Hospital has announced that it intends to present plans for a new hospital to the November session of Dufferin County Council. Shelburne Council has already offered a site for the hospital in Berwick Park.

25 YEARS AGO Wednesday, November 21, 1984

• After a day of hearing legal arguments, a Young Offenders' Court judge has ordered the courtroom cleared for the initial appearance of the young person accused of murdering Daniel Babineau, 11, and his sister Monique, 9.

• For the first time in more than a decade, Handel's choral masterpiece The Messiah will be performed locally, at Orangeville's Westminster United Church on December 1 and 2.