EVANSVILLE—It was a spectacular site as guests in attendance at the dedication of the school bell monument and recognition of the first settlers of Burpee and Mills township, were lead out of the community hall to the monument by piper Dave Beaton, on Canada Day 150 celebrations this past Saturday in Evansville.
“First of all I would like to welcome all of you to our ceremonies here today,” stated councillor Art Hayden, master of ceremonies. He introduced the members of council, township staff and other alumni and members of the community in attendance. “We are here today to recognize and dedicate this monument to those early settlers who helped make the community what it is today, and the role our educators played, and the contributions First Nations people made.”
“I want to take you on a journey way back in time,” said Mr. Hayden. “Back to the 20th century and what occurred in the late 1800s. When the first settlers settled on the lands they followed the First Nations who had first settled here (Canada). These settlers set up farms, built churches and schools, using axes, hand tools, and horses.” He said no doubt it was a hard life at first.
Reverend Janice Frame told the gathering that by the treaty of 1836 Manitoulin Island was for use by people of the Three Fires Confederacy, and with the 1862 treaty this exclusive clause was removed. “We are still all treaty people, she said noting that through the wisdom of the seven grandfathers all First Nations and the new settlers everyone has remained to live together as friends and neighbours.
Deputy Reeve Pentti Palonen said, “on behalf of the municipality of Burpee Mills, I would like to welcome all of you folks to not only this special celebration of Canada 150 but also to honour those people who helped to create the education system that got us to this stage.
Mr. Palonen said of the early settlers, “when a road needed to be built between communities, men would show up with axes, shovels, wagons and teams of horses and build the road. The women would show up with bread, meat, vegetables, pies and all sorts of goodies. This gender separation was not because the men were stronger or smarter. It was just because everyone knew that the women were much better cooks!”
“The same thing happened with the schools and community halls,” continued Mr. Palonen. “Someone would donate a piece of land; the people would arrive; a building would go up! After the work was done someone would pull out musical instruments and everyone danced until they had to go home in the morning. That’s the kind of participation that created these communities that we now call Canada.”
“Much of our activity is still done by volunteers in this community,” said Mr. Palonen. “I’m sure I speak on behalf of every member of council to say we are proud to be part of this community.”
Councillor Wayne Bailey thanked local historians Pat Best and Darlene Orford for providing much information on the first schools in Burpee-Mills and its first settlers. “Canada is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. However we have to look back to 1877, when the first settlers arrived in Burpee-Mills, 140 years ago.’
Mr. Bailey said that most lots were settled between 1877 and 1900 (a 24 year period). Various routes were taken to new land claims. “These first settlers had very few tools to clear the land, an axe, shovel, a few household items.”
Several families survived the hardships, and are still familiar names locally including in Poplar-Baker, Noland, Scott, Robinson, Orford, Foster, Slomke, Arniel, McPhee, and Middleton. In the Burpee flats-Campbell, Bailey, Bell, McKinley, Morrell, and in Elizabeth Bay Ainslie, Williams, Noakes, Morden, and Blackburn.
After the first settlers arrived in 1877 the first school in Mills was built in 1881, by the Gallaghers, Baker’s and Noland’s. The Elizabeth Bay school was built six years after the first settlers arrived in 1879, by the Ainslies. Mr. Bailey pointed out about 25 teachers have remained in Burpee-Mills to become permanent residents.
“We must recognize the educators who contributed long service to our Burpee Mills community,” said Mr. Bailey, who is a former teacher himself. The Burpee Mills School bells rang 5,600 time for Doreen (Scheffield) Bailey-seven years of serv ice; they rang 8,000 times for Julia (Hill) Hayden 10 years of service; and the bells tolled 8,800 times for Shirley (McGauley) Van Every-11 years of service as a teacher.”
“After providing 80 plus years of educational opportunities for our youth, the schools closed in 1969,” said Mr. Bailey. He pointed out many successful people in a variety of professions have been educated in the local schools. Mr. Hayden then introduced and had all the still living teachers of Burpee-Mills four schools come forward to the school bell monument to ring the bells, accompanied by a former student. The teachers included Dorothy (Ford) Sloss, S.S. #1 Mills (1965-1966, and S.S. #2 Burpee from 1962-1964); teacher Allan Eagleson S.S. #1 Mills 1962-1964; Fern (Panton) Patterson-S.S. #1 Mills 1956-1957; Leila (Williams) Hayden of S.S. #1Mills 1957-58 could not attend; Barbara (Fraser) Orr S.S. #1. Mills 1955-1956; Glenelda (Shaule) Orford (who was unable to attend) S.S. #1 Mills-1950-1951; Tom Morrison s.S. #1 Burpee-1960-1962 was not able to attend; Alfreda (Burt) Wickett S.S. #1 Burpee- 1952-1954; Pat (Orford) Best S.S. #3 Burpee and Mills 1963-1966; Wayne Bailey S.S. #3 Burpee and Mills 1959-1962; and Phyllis Cook S.S. #3 Burpee and Mills 19578-1959.
Mr. Hayden thanked the many people who helped put up the memorial, its base and the school bell on it.
This was followed by Rev. Frame leading everyone in singing Oh Canada, as Mr. Hayden raised the Canadian flag on the monument for the first time.
