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OTWRC is a group of citizens' and agricultural groups who succeeded in cancelling the Ontario Waste Management Corporation's plans to build a hazardous waste plant in West Lincoln in the Niagara Peninsula. The group now comments on hazardous waste issues in Ontario and pushes for waste elimination.
Robert Baden-Powell's book, Scouting for Boys, was first published in England in 1908. Shortly after, Scouts began forming all over Canada. In 1910, a Dominion Council was established and Governor General Earl Grey accepted the position of Chief Scout for Canada. The Boy Scouts Association was incorporated in the United Kingdom two years later. In June 1914, a Canadian branch of that organization - The Canadian General Council of the Boy Scouts Association - was incorporated. In 1920, the International Conference, to which all recognized Boy Scout associations belonged, was formed.
The first recorded date for the Our Lady of Mercy Boy Scout Association in Coniston, Ontario was 1948. The first entry in their Minute Book begins with the last meeting of the year in 1948 so there most likely was another Minute Book created before this, possibly for years prior to this date, and lost. Prior to their formation, there was already a Coniston Boy Scout Association. The first troop was affiliated with the Anglican Church and this, the second troop, was formed to be affiliated with the Catholic Church (the french speaking boys attended Our Lady of Mercy Church while the english speaking boys attended St. Paul's Church). Both troops existed at the same time in Coniston during the entire life of the Our Lady of Mercy Boy Scout Association and frequently participated in events and fundraising together. The Our Lady of Mercy Boy Scout Association Board held their meetings in the basement of the Separate School in Coniston every month. Troop meetings tended to take place on Tuesday nights at 7pm but they would have events on other days. Activities of the troop included camping, hiking, first aid training, hockey, watching National Film Board movies, and father son banquets. They were funded with Apple Day sales, Christmas Card sales, and various other fundraising activities.
During the summer of 1953, the Our Lady of Mercy Boy Scout Association won the 'All Over' trophy at summer camp, signifying that they were the best cub pack from the Sudbury District attending the camp. In 1955, three Scouters resigned; one to attend school out of town and the other two, who were the Cub Masters Mr. & Mrs. Gobbo [Art Gobbo & Evelyn Gobbo]. In September 1956, the 1st Coniston Troop approached the 2nd Troop with the proposition of forming one group for Coniston. Bishop Dignan gave permission for boys from the 1st Troop to join, provided the 2nd Troop had control of the troop. During 1956 and 1957, the troop had difficulties recruiting Cub Masters who had the time to volunteer and the group folded by 1958 with the remainder of their bank balance being donated to the 1st Coniston Group Committee on November 12, 1962.
Presidents (Chairmen)
Edward J. Orendorff 1948 - 1952, May 1953 -after 1957 (also principal of Coniston Continuation School)
O. Paradis 1952 - 1953
G. Maher January - May 1953
Chaplains for Troop
Father Fortin 1948 - 1951
Father Lafontaine 1953
Father Proulx 1956 - 195?
Herman Overgaard (1920-2000) was an author, administrator, and professor at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. He obtained his BA from the University of Manitoba, and his MS and PhD from Columbia University. In 1947 Overgaard became an assistant professor in the Department of Economics and Business Administration at Waterloo College (now Wilfrid Laurier University). He held various positions at the university, including Department Chair; Director, School of Business and Economics; and Director of Summer School, Orillia Campus. After retiring in 1986 Overgaard continued to teach on a part-time basis until 1991. In 2000 Herman Overgaard received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Lawrence Arthur Colley Panton (1894-1954) was a Canadian painter, educator and academician active in Toronto from the 1930s until his death. Born in England, he immigrated to Canada at 17. He served in the Army during 1916-1919 and studied art in the evening after his return from the war. In Toronto, he worked at Rous and Mann as a designer until 1924 when he began his teaching career, first at the Central Technical School and then at Western Technical School (1926-37), Northern Vocational School (1937-51) and finally principal of the Ontario College of Art (1951-54). In 1920 he married Marion Pye; their son Charles was born in 1921 and died in action in 1944. Panton was active in a number of organizations, including the Ontario Society of Artists (President 1931-37), the Canadian Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, the Canadian Group of Painters, The Royal Canadian Academy and the Arts and Letters Club (President 1953-54).
Dr. Allon Peebles was born October 20th, 1900 in New Westminster. He graduated from UBC in 1920 and had a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia. Dr. Peebles taught economics at the University of California and at Columbia had worked with a committee in the United States on the costs of medical care. A medical and labour research economist, he was chairman of B.C.’s first Health Insurance Commission in 1936 and helped fashion the later B.C. Hospital Insurance Service. The 1936 Health Insurance Act was written by Peebles and Harry Morris Cassidy. In 1941, Peebles went to Ottawa as first executive director of the Unemployment Commission and was in charge of the labour department’s research and statistics. He wrote several books on medical facilities, insurance and care. After retiring from the labour department in 1947, Allon Peebles entered private business in Chatham, Ontario. He died in Ottawa on March 13, 1962.
Personal Studio was founded by Robert T.G. Nicol and a friend, and officially opened for business on March 21, 1946. Nicol was the sole photographer and owner by the fall of 1946. For the next fifty years Robert Nicol documented the Waterloo Region through personal and commercial photography. He pioneered the concept of wedding albums in the local area. He had started flying in 1961 and from that time on took aerial photographs as well as studio and candid photography. In the course of his career he maintained memberships in professional photographers' organizations as well as completing continuing photographic educational courses offered by those organizations. He retired as a professional photographer in 1996.
Pioneer Construction was founded in Sudbury by Joe Salvalagio, Pietro Coltinari, and Mario Negusanti in 1938. The team hired Alex Macgregor as manager shortly after.
By the 1950s Pioneer Construction was tackling city and highway road construction, sewer and watermain projects, while expanding into the mining, forestry and railroad industries. In 1954, Pioneer Construction was home to the first asphalt plant in the North. Company ownership transferred to Grant Henderson, Peter Crossgrove and then to Jamie Wallace in 1976. Today Pioneer Construction builds and maintains highways and municipal roads across Northern Ontario.
Alexander Oberlander Potter (1897-1969) was a professor at Waterloo College (now Wilfrid Laurier University) in Waterloo, Ontario. Potter received his BA and MA from Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania, and his PhD from Columbia University. From 1923-1924 Alex Potter was an instructor at Waterloo College School. In 1924 he became the first Dean and Executive Head of the Waterloo College. A long time member of Rotary International, he served as Assistant to the President of Rotary International, Paris, France from 1937-1938. For several years he attended sessions of the League of Nations as a special observer and in 1931 represented Rotary International at the public conference on disarmament in Paris, France. In recognition of his services he was awarded the Order of St. Sava by the Yugoslavian government in 1936. During World War II, Potter worked for the Department of National War Services. After the war he returned to Waterloo College as a history professor, retiring in 1954. In 1965 Alex Potter received an honorary degree from Waterloo Lutheran University.
John Cowper Powys (1872-1963) was an English author and lecturer. Born in Derbyshire, England, he was the eldest of eleven children of Rev. Francis and Mary Powys. John Cowper Powys was educated at Sherborne School and Corpus Christi, Cambridge. He first lectured at girls' schools in the Brighton area, and from 1898 to 1909 lectured for the Oxford University Extension Delegacy. In 1905 he made his first lecture tour in the United States, where he continued to tour until 1934. Powys' publications include novels, an autobiography, and a series of philosophical essays. In 1958 he received the plaque of the Hamburg Free Academy of Arts for outstanding services to literature and philosophy. In 1962 Powys received an honorary degree from the University of Wales.
The Querney family first came to Sudbury, Ontario in 1937 from Toronto, Ontario due to Ernest T. Querney's new position as Manager of the Northern Electric Company Limited. Ernest & Marjorie Querney's son Alan Querney was born November 3, 1929 in Toronto.
In 1972, Bill Muirhead, a family friend, sold his family's business (Muirhead Stationers Limited) to Alan Querney. After Alan Querney's sons graduated university, they became co-owners of the business as well. Tom Querney (trained in economics, Chartered Accountant) became the general manager, Bill Querney (McMaster, Commerce Degree) the furniture warehouse manager, and John Querney (Laurentian, Commerce Degree) the sales manager of the office furniture section. Alan Querney retired around 2002 and Tom Querney became President of Muirheads.
In May 2005, the Querney family sold Muirheads to Grand & Toy, an OfficeMax company. They became the largest commercial office products company in Northern Ontario.
In 2009, John and Bill Querney decided to leave Grand & Toy and start their own office supply business. Querney's Office Plus opened to the public at 67 Elm Street (right beside the former location of Muirheads), Sudbury, Ontario on July 19, 2010 with the grand opening celebration on October 21, 2010.
