HomeMy WebLinkAboutX2023-013-065Frenchman's Bay Becomes Pickering Harbour
Research by J.D. O'Brien
1796 - May 14 - Crown Grant to Capt. G. Hill being Lots 22, 23 and 24 in the First Concession
and broken front lots 22, 23, 24 between the I` Concession and the Lake,
containing 1200-acres of land.'
1831 - A brother of Reuben Parker was on Lot 24 and cut 500 cords of wood.2
1839 - May 28 - James Givens, his wife Theresa and Saltern Givens to Margaret Parker, wife of
Reuben Parker, Lot 24 in the I' Concession and broken front Lot 24 between
the I' Concession and the Lake containing by admeasurement 268 acres of
land uncovered with water.'
1849 - April 23 - 255 - Ordered that one thousand copies of the Bill to authorize the formation
of Joint Stock Companies for the construction of roads and other works in
Upper Canada as passed by both Houses of the Legislature be printed — RA
363, 11 Vic, C84.
1849 - May 30 - 12 VICTORIAE CAP LXXX1 V
An Act to authorize the formation of Joint Stock Companies for the
construction of Roads and other Works in Upper Canada. pp 587-598
1849 - Scarborough, Pickering and Markham Wharf Company formed under Act of
Parliament 12 VIC, CAP LXXX1 V
' 2 s — UCCP 470
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1850 - April 13 - A meeting held at the Scripture Hotel in Whitby to consider forming a Joint
Stock Company for the construction of a plank road from Easterly Limits of
Whitby to the Rouge and to tie in with Pickering Harbour.
James Craig, Esq. of Pickering - Chairman
Alex McPherson - Secretary
P. Perry, Esq. M.P. - Speaker
20 Members Appointed
Peter Perry
James Craig
Peter Taylor
James Rowe
Nicholas Brown
Henry Daniels
James Wallace
Samuel Cockran
David L. Reed
Francis Leys
1850 - April 23 - A Great Provincial Road
James Hall
Wm. Blair
Wm. Dunbar
James Lepper
Ezra Annis
R.A. Parker
A. Farewell
G. Burns
Jonathan Bartlet
D. Spalding
— Whitby Reporter April 20, 1850
We observe with pleasure that the enterprising people of Whitby and
Pickering, held a meeting on the 13th inst., to form a Joint Stock Company, to
plank or macadamise the Kingston road from the Rouge to the Eastern limits
of Whitby; capital to be £5000. We are glad to see this movement made,
because if the example is followed elsewhere, we shall soon have a good road
from one end of the province to the other, along the line of the lake, instead of
the present bad one, which is almost impassable at some seasons of the year.
— Globe
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1850 - Dec. 11 - The Pickering Harbour and Road Joint Stock Company registered. Whereas
David Clark, William Dunbar, Trueman P. White, and Samuel Ressor have, by
their Petition to the Legislature, represented that in accordance with the
provisions of an Act of the Parliament of this Province, passed in the twelfth
year of the reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled, An
Act to authorize the formation of Joint Stock Companies for the construction
of Roads and other Works in Upper Canada, certain persons did, in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty, form themselves into a
Company under the name and style of The Pickering Harbour and Road Joint
Stock Company, for the purpose of constructing a Harbour with the necessary
piers, wharves, store -houses, and planked and other road therewith to be
connected at Frenchman's Bay, situate on part of lots numbers twenty-three,
twenty-four and twenty-five, in the Broken front and in the First Concession of
the Township of Pickering, which Company was duly registered on the
eleventh day of December, in the year aforesaid.
1850- ROTTENBURG MAP, NMC 12437(H)
This map shows the Bay marked as Frenchman's Bay and a bar between the
Bay and Lake Ontario.
1850 - Dec. 18 - Notice to Contractors — Pickering Harbour.
The Directors of the Pickering Harbour Company are prepared to receive
Tenders for constructing a Harbour at Frenchman's Bay, in the Township of
Pickering, according to Plans, Specifications, and General Conditions, to be
seen at the Office of Messrs. Cumberland & Ridout, Civil Engineers, Toronto,
on and after Monday, 23rd.
Sealed Tenders, endorsed "Tenders for Pickering Harbour, " to be
delivered at the said Office on or before Monday, the 6th day of January next.
The Contractors will be required to find good and proper security for the
due performance of the Works.
By Ordei of the Directors,
Cumberland & Ridout
Eng. Pickering Har. Com.
Toronto, December 18, 1850 1055
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1851 - Spring - The ownerships of the land comprising Lot 24 in the I" Concession and the
broken front of Lot 24 between the 1" Concession and the lake in the
Township of Pickering was contested at the Spring Assizes held in and for the
County of York. Involved was approximately 268 acres of land uncovered
with water. The case of Parker and Wife v Elliot may be found in Common
Pleas, Easter Term, 15 VIC, UCCP pp 470-491.
1851 - July 29 - Pickering Harbour Company
Notice is hereby given that the Installments of Nineteen percent due last April
is required to be paid to Wm. Dunbar Esq., Treasurer, on or before the 11 d'
day of Sept. next, otherwise it will be collected according to law.
By Order of the Directors
R.A. Parker - President
—Whitby Reporter July 1851
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PUBLIC MEETING
1WROVEN ENT OF THE FRONT ROAD
A public meeting of those interested in
improving the main stage road through Whitby
and Pickering, will be held at Head's Hotel,
Duffin's Creek, on Saturday the 5th February, at
2 o'clock p.m. We trust the meeting will be well
attended, and active measures taken to push
forward this much required work. On the East
the counties ofNorthumberland and Durham are
macadamising the road from the line between
Whitby and Darlington to the River Trent,
thence to Belleville a plank road is already
made. Between Belleville and Napanee we
understand a company is forming to
macadamize and plank, which when ready, will
form the connection complete to Kingston. On
the West, from the Rouge to London, a distance
of 120 miles, there is a continuous line of public
improved road; leaving only that portion
between the Rouge and the boundary line of
Darlington unfinished from the town of London
on the one hand to the city of Kingston on the
other there is something remarkable in the fact,
that the worst portion or unfinished part of the
road passes through two of the wealthiest and
most intelligent Townships in the western
Province. This should not be, for Whitby and
Pickering should stand first in public
improvements, and take the lead in those works,
where it requires means and energy to insure
success.
Whitby Reporter, 1852
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1852 - April 1 - Pickering Harbour Company
Notice is hereby given that the Fourth Installment of the twenty-five percent
due in March last is required to be paid by the First of May to Wm. Dunbar
Esq., Treasurer, failing which it will be otherwise collected.
By Order of the Directors
David Clark - President
1852 - July 1 - Memorial No 49127
Sale of land to Pickering Harbour and Road Joint Stock Company from Amos
Bostwick, George Bostwick and Margaret Ann Crookshanks Bostwick, about
5 acres of land in Lot 24, BF III, north end and one acre and seventeen
hundreds of an acre on the sandbar in Lot 24, BF III. David Clarke signed for
the Company as President. Witnessed by John Parker of Dunbarton and
William Henry Weller of Toronto. Signed by Amos Bostwick May 3`d, 1850.
1852 - Sept. 11 - PICKERING HARBOUR, commonly known as Frenchman's Bay is now in full
occupation as a harbour of refuge and Port of entry for schooners and other
craft sailing on Lake Ontario, which are daily entering and leaving it: on
Wednesday last they had a visit from the steamer Dawn, which shipped from
the Company's store -house 338 barrels flour for Montreal. The works at the
opening into the Bay, are not yet quite finished but are fast progressing under
the able superintendence of F. Cumberland, Engineer, and Messrs. Cotton &
Rowe, contractors for the work. The channel of entrance has nine feet of
water and there are six feet up to the Company's warehouse, which has for
some time past been ready for the reception of produce.
Whitby Reporter
September 11, 1852
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1852 - Sept. 23 - To the Editor of The Globe:
Sir, — I was much pleased to notice in your issue of Friday last, a paragraph
announcing that "Pickering Harbor, better known as Frenchman's Bay, is now
occupied as a shipping port and harbor of refuge.
Frenchman's Bay is a beautiful expanse of water situated some 20 miles
eastward of the City of Toronto. One reason why it is so little known —so little
valued —and so lately occupied, arises from the fact, that a sand -bar of from
four to six rods in width, stretches along the whole extent of the Bay,
separating it completely from the lake, and which was only burst open
periodically and for a short time, when the waters of the bay rose above the
level of the lake; so that, thus locked up, it could not be made available for the
services of our shipping without at first making a very heavy outlay. The
enterprising inhabitants of that locality at last succeeded in forming themselves
into a Joint Stock Company for the purpose of constructing a harbor, etc., and
after battling with many discouragements, the directors have thus, at an
estimated outlay of between £5,000 and £6,000, so far completed the work.
Civis.
1853 - May 23 - An Act to incorporate the Pickering Harbour and Road Joint Stock Company
assented to 23rd May 1853.
— 16 VIC, CAP CXLI -
- I' Session of 4th Parliament 1952-53 —
1854 - Lighthouse shown on East Pier on Plan of Town of Liverpool (H-50057).
1857 - Harbour well sheltered, anchor will not hold in a blow. Average depth is 9-ft,
6-in. Low, miserable lighthouse on East pier, the light of which cannot be
seen 5 miles in the Lake.
— Harbours & Ports of Lake Ontario - E. Holder —
1863 - Lighthouse built at Frenchman's Bay
— Canadian Coast Guard - List of Lights A 1871 —
1863 - Aug. 28 - Cash for Wheat, Barley and Peas delivered to Pickering Harbour, Frenchman's
Bay. Salt, Plaster, Coal and Water Lime for sale.
— Wm. Whiteside
— Whitby Chronicle —
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7o the Editor' of the ftitb� Ch io
"nide,
e f ,
Pickering Hai bout; ?
April 2Y,' 186 j
DEAR Slit,
♦ing noticed a report'
in
your issue of !16t inst., of t e depth of
water in the save ial Luke Port i idtfidlhg
that of. It Pickeri g , Harbour,' Mich was
said to have o' ly five feet of w ter, and
that in all pro ability the Scho D r: 9`4Royal.
Albert," whi4 dad a cargo Nr hie Port,
would have to onjodad in Whitby, for want
of sufficient del 'ptq of water herb.
I wish you to cdrrect tb'at •ta a ent,as it
tends to have a very injuriQus fff ct on, the
minds of the owners of vessei$, and in a,
commercial point, of view, on th minds ,of
merchants and others who are int rested in
this barb,our. j
There is at present a small b r of sand
wf+thin the piers 'thirty feet wid , -f rtned
by a small aperture in one or the* piersi.
o'er which therb N hearly k" h ft,f'eet of
vkater; and. which bn being rem, ed, would
d34ke a channel of eight feet o water all
th;rougb, and' which I intend o remove
irumediately, so that there wil, e a suffi—
cient depth of water for any o i ary sized
vessel, especially as the wait r is at its
lowest point noii. ,� d
By correcting the above st to eot, you
will much obliges your obedient' ervant,` -
WILLIAM WHI ID ,
Lessee Qf Pickeri lia bir:
Pickering Harbour.
To the Editor of the
Whitby Chronicle.
Pickering, March 5th, 1873
DEAR SIR:
You will doubtless have
observed the attempt being
made by certain parties at
and about Frenchman's Bay
to induce the corporation of
the township of Pickering, to
purchase and improve the
Frenchman's Bay harbour.
Many years ago a num-
ber of the farmers of this
township were induced to
take stock in that harbour,
but after a time the then har-
bour Company became
embarrassed, and were
obliged to mortgage the prop-
erty for $6000, and finally
that mortgage was fore-
closed, and during the session
of Parliament held last year, a
bill was passed, vesting the
harbour in the mortgagee,
Hon. J.H. Cameron, the
result being that the original
stock -holders lost every dollar
put into the concern. When
this stock was originally sub-
scribed, such a thing as the
Grand Trunk Railway was
not thought of, and the har-
bour had the full monopoly
of the whole of the business,
not only of Pickering, but of
a great portion of the busi-
ness from Uxbridge, Scott
and Georgiana - as likewise
from a portion of Scarboro,
Markham, and Whitchurch,
and with all these advantages
this harbour could not be
kept alive. What then can be
expected in the present altered
circumstances of the country?
Pickering has now, not only
the Grand Trunk Railway
passing through its length
east and west, which, as
everybody knows, who is at
all acquainted with the sub-
ject, carries to market every
barrel of flour that is manu-
factured in the township, as
well as a large portion of
wheat, peas, &c. Besides this
there is the Toronto and Nip-
issing Railway, taking away
all the trade from Uxbridge,
Scott, Georgiana, Whit -
church, and Scarboro, which
used to find its natural outlet
at Frenchman's Bay, and in
connection with this we now
have the contemplated
Ontario and Quebec Railway,
which it is proposed shall
pass through the centre of the
Township - the effect of
which, if built, would be to
make wheat and other grain
worth just as much at any
point on this line, say at
Whitevale or Greenwood, as
it is at any point on the
Grain Trunk, say at French-
man's Bay or Duffins'
Creek. --And yet, some of the
wise men at Frenchman's Bay
say that, notwithstanding past
experience, now is the time
for the farmers of Pickering
to renew their stock in
Frenchman's Bay harbour. I
trust the farmers of Pickering
will think twice before they
give any countenance to so
would and unprofitable a
speculation.
Yours, &c.
AN ORIGINAL STOCKHOLDER
Whitby Chronicle
March 27, 1873
Pickering Harbour.
A public meeting of the
ratepayers of the township of
Pickering, convened by the
Reeve on the requisition of a
large number of ratepayers,
was held in the town hall,
Brougham, on Wednesday,
19th March, 1873, to take
into consideration the propri-
ety of opening up the Picker-
ing Harbour &c.
T.P. White Esq. Reeve in
the chair, and Hector Beaton
acting as sectary.
The following resolutions
were submitted to the meeting
and fully discussed:
Moved by John Miller,
Esq. Deputy Reeve, seconded
by James McCreelit, Esq.,
and resolved that it is the
opinion of this meeting that
the closing of the Pickering
Harbour has been the cause
of great loss and inconven-
ience to the inhabitants of
this and adjoining townships.
Carried unanimously.
Moved by John Haight,
Esq., seconded by Mr. Jacob
Tool, that it is the opinion of
this meeting, that it is desir-
able that the township should
own the Pickering Harbour,
provided the same can be
obtained from the present
owner at a reasonable price.
Moved in amendment by
S.K. Brown, Esq. seconded
by S. MacKay, Esq., that it is
the opinion of this meeting
that the owning of the har-
bour by the Corporation
would not be beneficial but
that the harbour is of that
public importance as would
justify the township in aiding
by a liberal bonus, a private
company. Lost.
The original motion was
carried by a large majority.
Moved by John Parker,
Esq., seconded by Peter
Nisbet, Esq., and resolved
that the members of the
Council of this corporation
be appointed a committee to
communicate with Hon. J.H.
Cameron, to ascertain the
price and conditions upon
which the harbour can be
obtained, and if they are of
the opinion the price and
terms are satisfactory, they
make application to the Gov-
ernment to ascertain if any
aid could be obtained to
improve the harbour.
Carried.
The meeting closed with
a vote of thanks to the chair-
man.
Reprinter: J.D. O'Brien
1872 - Feb. 20 - Bill #61, read the third time and passed: To ascend the Act incorporating the
Pickering Harbour and Road Joint Stock Company and to vest the same in the
Honourable John Hillyard Cameron.
— 3 5 VIC -p 188, C 104
1874 - May 7 - Mr. Palmer presented a proposition from Wm. Whiteside in reference to
Pickering Harbour to Pickering Council Sat. 25`h April. Resolution to be put
to the voters on June 1 S`.
1874 - July 2 - Pickering Harbour By -Law
A Poll will be opened on Sat. the 4 h day of July 1874 at 9 o'clock in the
forenoon, and close at 5 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, at the same
places where the last municipal elections were held, for the purpose of voting
on a By -Law, appropriating a portion of the surplus fund for the purchase of
Pickering Harbour.
All persons interested are required to take notice and govern themselves
accordingly.
By Order of Council
Clerk's Office Hector Beaton
Whitevale, June 22, 1874 Clerk
1875 - May 26 - By -Law No. 390
Township of Pickering lends seven thousand dollars to company to be
known as Pickering Harbour and Road Joint Stock Company.
1876 - Apr. 1 - By -Law No. 404 — Township of Pickering
Township of Pickering lends six thousand dollars to Pickering Harbour and
Joint Stock Company to make extension improvements in and about the
harbour, to be paid back to the Township annually in equal instalments without
interest.
1876 - July 12 - John Hillyard Cameron sells harbour, road and tolls and properties for five
thousand dollars to the Pickering Harbour Company (Limited), Joseph Harris
McClellan, William McGill and James Holden directors.
— CHAP 67, 40 VICT —
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Canada Gazette 1877
Notice is hereby given that application will be made to the Parliament of
Canada at its next session for an Act to incorporate the Frenchman's Bay
Harbour Company with all the necessary powers to raise money for acquiring
and operating the property of the Pickering Harbour and Joint Stock Co.
situated in the Township of Pickering, in the County of Ontario, in the
Province of Ontario and also with similar rights, powers and privileges held
and enjoyed by the said Pickering Harbour and Joint Stock Company.
Dated Toronto, this 11 th December 1876
J.D. Edgar
Solicitor for the Applicants
P 904
1876 -Aug. 10 - Improvements at Pickering Harbour
The new company are making very noticeable improvements at Pickering
Harbour. The superstructure of the piers has been renewed and there is
now a depth of 14 ft. of water in the Bay we are told. The new elevator is
expected to be in readiness by the first of September - meantime barley is
being taken in at the old warehouse. Mr. McClellan has in course of
erection a handsome new residence on the site of the old Liverpool House,
he is also building an office for a branch of the Dominion Bank, a general
store and a warehouse, a shed 100 ft. in length and a telegraph office - all
to meet the requirements of the large business which he intends building up
and to meet the accommodation of grain buyers. Mr. McClellan is an
active business man and was quite a favourite while in the management of
the Dominion Bank in Whitby and Oshawa. We wish him every success in
his new undertaking and as we know he will do his best to deserver well of
the people of Pickering.
Whitby Chronicle - Aug. 10, 1876
Reprinter: J.D. O'Brien
1877 - Apr. 28 - Special Act of the Parliament - Canada Statues 1877 Chapter 67
Pickering Harbour and Road Joint Stock Company changed to "Pickering
Harbour Co. Ltd."
1878 - Mar. 9 - By -Law 432-7
Township of Pickering to loan the Pickering Harbour Company 20,000.00
dollars to be repaid in 20 installments ending December 31, 1897.
1884 - May 9 - Dunbarton - Water in the marsh is 2-ft. higher than normal and planks to the
Wharf are underwater.
Note: The Wharf was still in use in 1884.
1884 - Oct. 17 - Pickering Council - A communication was read from W.D. Matthews,
President of Pickering Harbour Co., enclosing receipts for Insurance on
Harbour Buildings.
1885 - Aug. 14 - For Sale - The property at Pickering Harbour known as the Whiteside
Property. Apply to Thomas Moody - Liverpool Market or John Leys -
Toronto.
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