HomeMy WebLinkAbout352"Article copied from the Pickering News, October 22, 1954, page 1, by W.C. Murkar.
Several times this week, local residents have remarked, with reference to the ""Hazel""
blow last week-end, that Pickering township people get off lucky when disasters strike this
Province.
The force of Hazel and the accompanying rain was felt here however. One of the worst hit was
Albert Acksford, of Pickering Village. His home and service station was flooded out on Friday
night and burned out on Sunday.
Hydro was off all over the township and many phone lines were down. Firemen, police and local
residents rescued several families on the west side of the Rouge River. Vern Disney saved
several when the boat they were in capsized. Men were standing by to help those in the Calvert
Property, west of the village, and also at Riverside Drive.
The approach to the Whitevale bridge went out and it had to be closed. Twp. Road Supt. Roy
Ward said that the township got off with a minimum of trouble as regards to road troubles.
One local resident, David Callaghan Sr. of the C.N.R., and living on the Bay Road, was on the
C.N. train that was derailed near Markham. He escaped by climbing through a coach window.
Traffic was re-routed from No. 2 Highway at Pickering to 401 when Duffin's Creek overflowed.
Local tow trucks were kept busy until motorists quit trying to cross the flooded areas.
Homes east of Claremont were without power until Monday morning, and tree damage there
caused most of the trouble.
On the whole, Pickering residents got off lightly, certainly, in view of what took place in other
nearby areas.
Ajax Lumber is reported to have lost several thousand dollars worth of lumber from their plant on
the Station Road, and Gary Bekkevold also, losing a considerable quantity from his quarters,
south of the Ajax Lumber.
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