Back In Time
by Lois Perepelitz
Winters were pretty hard on the people of the times.
If you lived in town things were much easier, at least then you could always get to the store. For the people on the farms this was not always the case.
Roads were improving. Highway 12 had been built; but a highway in those days was a road that had been graded up to a higher level and then gravelled. Roads leading to farm areas were gravelled but not many had a high grade.
The country roads would get drifted in very easily, and there were times when even the highway would have large drifts that would stop the traffic until a snow plow could be sent down them.
Sometimes the Municipal snow plow would have so many roads to clear that the people would get tired of waiting and they would gather a crew of men with shovels and go out and clear the road by hand.
Each farmer was responsible for his own road to get him from home to the main roads and if you had been lucky enough to have had a road built close to your land then this made it easier for you to manage.
The farmer whose land was a little further off the beaten path would have a much harder time of it.
An article I found in April of 1950 is a very good example of that.

April 13, 1950
“The Maddocks Liberated After 112 Days
“The past winter was plenty tough and the spring has not been much better.
But with the arrival of the geese and crows etc. Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Maddock, who farm 10 miles south of here, have also put in an appearance after 112 consecutive days on the farm.
“Blocked roads and inclement weather caused the forced hibernation of this well known Coronation district couple who managed to get to town Thursday last for the first time.
“Their radio was out of use for three weeks, however, the telephone functioned keeping them in touch with neighbours. They were well supplied with food and coal.”

That says a lot about how self-sufficient the farmer could be. Knowing the kinds of winters that this area can get they probably spent a lot of time preparing for it. It makes me wonder how well I would have handled that situation.
Linda Crane, from the Town Office was kind enough to send me an email of some very interesting facts about the building of the water tower in 1913-1914. and we are reprinting it below.
Thank you very much Linda, I really appreciate the help.

Bathtubs cost extra
August 1912 – Engineer requests $20,000 to proceed with water works and power house. The town only had $8000.
February 1913 - Town arranges $38.000 debenture for water works, and $12,000 for power plant.
March 1914 - Tenders called for Canadian Westinghouse, Generator - $1835; Ontario Wind Power, Deep Well Pump - $610.94; Des Moines Bridge & Steel - Water Tower.
(Linda’s note: Des Moines Bridge & Steel were in business until 2000, Unfortunately no records are now available for them. You can see like towers at a site www.eureka4you.com/ watertowers/index.htm)
September 1914 - Completed Expenses: Water Reservoir $2860.87; Elevated Tank $4661.22; Well Drilling $3,418.55; Water Lines $7359.50; Misc. $2015.95; Power House $2967.25; Electric Equipment $8,928.98 for a total of $32,212.32.
September 1914 - Water Rates Set: Livery Barns $10 per month; Restaurants $1 per week; Launderies $1 per week; Dwellings $1 per week; bathtubs .50 extra per month.
Electric rates: $1 per month
October 1914 - Electric meters installed.
December 1914 - Electric rates set at 20¢/KWH; Over 40 KWH is 12¢.
Customers were complaining about the cost!

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