Tweedsmuir History - Pickering Womans Institute, page 140

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How many of the twenty-five hundred residents of Pickering in 1972 know that this is the 50th. Anniversary of the Memorial Park? How many of them realize that the Community Memorial Park is so named because the citizens of South Pickering Township donated the money for its purchase in honour of the boys who fought and died so bravely in World War 1? The record in the Registry Office reads, " In 1922, M. S. Chapman, Wm. Gormley and J. R. Thexton of Pickering Village Chamber of Commerce, purchased 4 3/8 acres of land from Thomas Walsh for $1,800. to be used for a park. In 1926 the Chamber of Commerce transferred the park to the Police Village of Pickering." The large cairn is inscribed with the twenty names of the Pickering boys who gave their lives in World War 1. The Odd Fellows erected a smaller cairn. No plaque has been added with the names of the boys who died in World War 2. Si Dixon was the stone mason. The Legion holds a service each year on November 11. For a flag pole, the Odd Fellows procured a windmill from Frank Westney. It was towed to town on a truck and the back wheels of a wagon. The Women's Institute donated the flag. In 1967 our "New Canadian Flag" was donated by the Odd Fellows but was unfortunately stolen(?). Also at the entrance is a set of iron gates that were bought from the Franko Brothers, Toronto and had come from the Lady Eaton Estate. The late Arthur Mitchell transported them to Pickering where they were mounted on stone pillars built by Bert Mantle of Claremont. The Winter brothers built the top on the pillars. When the Village arrived at the point where it could build a library, the north-east corner of the park was chosen as the site. A beautiful grove of Catalpa trees now shades the east side of the park. This is the play area for the small children. On July 1 all roads led to Pickering Park. This was the date when the Volunteer Firemen held their gigantic Firemen's Picnic. As much as $1,500. would be raised for the Fire Brigade and maintenance of the park. By noon, the streets were thronged with eager spectators, waiting for the first glimpse of the Calithumpian Parade. Claremont Band provided the music in the afternoon and could be heard well over all the noise of the crowd. Children swarmed everywhere. The afternoon was devoted to sports, followed by a fiercely fought football game. The day was

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