MERRITTON MATTERS

MERRITTON MATTERS
Winter 2010 • Volume 7, Issue 1 • www.merrittonmatters.ca
A Project of the Merritton Community Group
True to our mission of developing and enhancing the social and economic character of Merritton, the Merritton
Community Group has been diligently fundraising over the past few years for our new “Welcome to Merritton”
neighbourhood sign. Much of the money has come from our two dances and we’re hoping that our upcoming dance
in March will help us come close to paying off the $6500 cost.
Donations towards the welcome sign can be sent to the City of St. Catharines, P.O. Box 3012, 50 Church Street,
St. Catharines, ON L2R 7C2. Those who contribute $100 or more will have their names added to the back of the sign and
receive a tax receipt. Erected at Mountain Locks Park, situated near the corner of Mountain and Glendale, it was covered
up very tightly with a tarp so it couldn’t be seen until we had our unveiling ceremony on Saturday, November 21st. Watch
for greenage to be added by the St. Catharines Green Committee and for a ‘signing’ celebration this summer.
InSIDE THIS EDITION:
• Thank a Soldier
• Sidewalks?
• Habitat Updates
• 2009 Trillium Award Winners
• New Owners for the Lancer
• Merritton Alliance Senior Men’s Baseball
• Following-Up On Last Issue’s Articles
• The Flag is Flying
• St. Theresa Fundraiser
• The House on Chestnut Street
• The Murray Family
• Vigil at the Cenotaph
• Remembering Mr. C.
• Welcome Johnny
Mailing Merritton
Matters
Do you know people who live out of town
who might like to receive the Merritton
Matters? If so, please call Jean at
905-938-7178 to arrange for copies
to be sent to them.

The Merritton
Community Group
Would you like to become a member of the Merritton
Community Group? Our membership dues are $15.00 yearly.
The MCG is open to anybody who wants to contribute to the
community and economic betterment of Merritton.
Yes, I would like to join the Merritton Community Group.
Name__________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________
Phone #_ ______________________________________________
Email_ ________________________________________________
Mail this form along with $15.00 to 3 Capri Circle, St. Catharines,
L2T 3X4.
Merritton Matters
Lorraine Giroux is the editor/writer of Merritton Matters.
Contributors to this issue were Tom Barwell, Ben Collins, Arnold
Hartnett, Wendy (Murray) Swinton and Phyllis Thomson. Lana
Pesant is our graphic designer. Jean Westlake, Tony Morra and Pat
Durocher handle the advertising and can be reached at 905-688-
8840. Jean Westlake is our main photographer. This newsletter is
a project of the Merritton Community Group whose executive is
comprised of Chair Morag Enright, Vice Chair Bill Wiley, Treasurer
Jean Westlake, and Secretary Sandy Burns. If you have an article
for this paper, or even ideas for articles, please send an email to
merrittonmatters@hotmail.com or by regular mail to 3 Capri Circle,
St. Catharines, L2T 3X4. Please let us know if you have an event you’d
like to publicize.
Merritton
Community Group
Represents You!
The MCG is very involved in the community of Merritton.
As you read on the front cover, we are holding a dance
to help us continue to raise funds. Please join us on
Saturday, March 20th at the Merritton Community
Centre. Tickets are available at Bloomin’ Busy Flower
Shop and Home Hardware on Hartzel Rd. as well as
Merritton Community Pharmacy on Merritt St. The dance
beings at 8:00 pm and tickets are $20.00..
Some of the many community projects in
which we are involved include:
• Publication of the Merritton Matters newsletter, circulation
10,000 available online at: www.merrittonmatters.ca
• Provide representation in dealing with local issues
• Host political forums
• Develop community partnerships to further common goals
• Adopt-a-street program, in partnership with Pinehurst
School (Hartzel Rd. and Merritt St.)
• Annual graffiti removal in our neighbourhoods
• Participation in parades and community events
• Maintain the Trophy Case at the Merritton Community Centre
Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at
7 pm at the Merritton Seniors Centre on Merritt St. Everyone
is welcome!
Membership fees are $15 per year per individual, $30 for
Non-profit Institutions, $50 for a Corporate Membership.
I MERRITTON MATTERS

Habitat Updates
Cadets Vigil
Prior to the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Merritton cenotaph,
twelve young army cadets with the 68th Royal Canadian Army Cadet
Corps held a twelve hour vigil, the first time in our community. They
were then joined at 11:00 a.m. by the rest of their corps as well as
members of the Legion and the public.
On Thursday Nov. 5th members of the community walked through the
site and took part in a unique and special ritual. Those in attendance were
provided with a black marker to scribe a message of hope, prayer or good
wishes to the future family on the 2x4 studs or floor. Although this will be
covered over, these messages will forever stay in the “skeleton” of the home
like a time capsule for the habitat homeowners.
Then on Wednesday, November 11th, three members of the MCG
(Barbara Knight-Woodward, Pat Durocher and Jean Westlake) prepared
and served a hot meal to the students in the construction trailer on the site.
Lunches were also served on Mon. Nov. 30th and Mon. Dec. 14th. Thanks to
Riganelli’s for supplying the bread.
Merritton Cenotaph Sign
MERRITTON MATTERS I

Blake Richardson
By Tom Barwell
Blake passed away on Wed. Sept. 2, 2009. A long time Merritton
resident, he was an avid sportsman playing baseball, tennis and
badminton, and was a staunch member of the strong Merritton
Badminton Club teams of the 50’s. Blake spent 25 years as an
elementary teacher and principal with the Lincoln Country Boards.
He had a love of airplanes and flying led to his enlistment in the
R.C.A.F. where he was a Wireless Operator-Air Gunner with the rank of
Sergeant. His other hobbies included music and dancing. He played in
the Merritton Junior Boys Band as well as the Thorold Reed Band in the
30’s. There was also a brief stint in the Lincoln and Welland Regimental
band before enlisting and he was a long time member of Branch 51 of
the Royal Canadian Legion. Blake was a very good carpenter and could
be seen in his garage at his home on Park Ave., busy building all sorts of
objects. He once said that he would have loved to build an airplane and
there was no doubt he could have done it. An interesting man. Goodbye
to another Merritton icon.
St. Theresa
Cancer
Fundraiser
Congratulations to the staff
and students at St. Theresa
Catholic Elementary School
for their efforts in raising
more than $1,700 for
pediatric cancer research.
Two students and a teacher
also donated their hair to
make wigs for children
who lose their hair during
chemotherapy treatments.
Lancer
Congratulations to Peter and Sharon Holley, new owners of the
Lancer Restaurant at 85 Hartzel Road. It must have taken much
consideration for Peter and Sharon to take up the mantle of
restaurateurs but we know that they will be terrific!
Don’t Stop the
‘Merritthon’ Hike
Al Stevenson, archivist with the Niagara Bruce Trail Club, wrote an interesting letter to the Editor of the St. Catharines Standard in early November
commenting on the recent blockage of the Merritt Trail at the railway crossing near Moffatt Street. This was the solution of the city to avoid disturbing
the residents around Moffatt Street who were annoyed by the train whistle at the trail’s crossing. Al found it unfortunate that the city chose to block the
Merritt Trail and wondered if the CN really needed to blow the whistle for that crossing. Could a warning sign be used instead? Allowing the train to
travel without blowing the whistle and unblocking the trail would allow the Niagara Bruce Trail Club to continue its 45-kilometre ‘Merritthon’ hike, an
annual event since 1988.
I MERRITTON MATTERS

2009 District Senior Champions Again
By Ben Collins
The Merritton Alliance Senior Men’s Baseball team capped off
this season with yet another NDBA Championship, the third
time in four years.
The Alliance finished the regular season with an 18-
9 record, which was good for a fourth place finish. This
year’s championship format consisted of a double knock out
tournament based on standings with the final two teams
remaining playing a best 2-out-of-3. In the playoffs the
Alliance started out well by defeating the Thorold Phantoms, the Welland
Chiefs and Team New Era, the best regular season team in the league.
After a set-back, Alliance got the opportunity to compete against the
Niagara Falls Expos for the championship. In game one, pitching took
centre stage. Jon Theissen threw a one-hitter game for the Alliance, while
Nino Fasulo struck out 11 Alliance batters. Alliance bats came alive in one
offensive outburst when Brad Boucock, Ben Collins, Matt Brady, and Chris
Heckley singled in order to produce the three runs the Alliance needed.
Theissen took care of the rest holding the Expos to one run on one hit.
The Alliance came out swinging in game two, scoring three runs in the
first inning but staff ace Dustin Jenckes struggled to find his control after
retiring the first two batters in the bottom of the first. The Expos ended up
stealing the game in the bottom of the seventh, with Fasulo coming in to
shut the door.
The stage was set for the winner-take-all game three at Community Park
on Wednesday September 23rd. The Alliance sent veteran lefty “Big Game”
Heckley to the mound with Fasulo countering for the Expos. It was zeros
across the board until the Alliance hung a 6 spot in the bottom of the fifth
inning. A combination of timely hitting and offensive execution allowed the
Alliance to put up more than enough runs for victory. Boucock and Theissen
led the way offensively and Heckley went the distance allowing only four
Expos hits. The Alliance celebrated yet another banner year in Merritton.
The team would like to thank Coach Larry Collins and all of the fans
and local businesses for their continued support of senior baseball in
Merritton.
Team members include: Dave Collins, Ben Collins, Adam Hope, Jeff
Young, Jason Valliere, Adam Campisano, Matt Brady, Jeff Arksey, Ryan
Freeman, Jon Theissen, Graham Bolibruck, Dustin Jenckes, Pat Topping,
Larry Collins (coach), Chris Heckley, Joel Molina, Greg Biro, and Brad
Boucock.
MERRITTON MATTERS I

The House on Chestnut Street
By Tom Barwell
My earliest memories of Merritton were when we lived
at 57 Chestnut Street. Ironically, my future wife lived
at the opposite end of Chestnut but we never formally
met until ten years had passed. I told her that we were
forbidden to visit that end because we were much more
sophisticated. Actually we moved from Merritton to a
farm near St David’s before once more returning. We
were then united at the tender age of thirteen. But that is
another story.
Our backyard almost butted up against the railroad
tracks and we were always tuned into the happenings
there. The great trains were almost a constant, and the
powerful engines hurtled past night and day. Most stopped, however, to
drop or pick up cargo as Merritton was an important hub because of the
wealth of industry in the area. Passenger trains as well stopped to deliver
mail and carry passengers. During the war, troop trains would pass
through with the soldiers waving as they went by. Mysterious cars would
go through with all the shades pulled. Apparently they were full of people
of a religious sect who would remove all their clothing in protest against
some government rule. There were military trains carrying all sorts of
equipment. Most were covered in canvas but you could always spot the
enormous tanks by their protruding gun barrels. It was never boring living
next to the tracks.
I had my first taste of school when I attended kindergarten at what we
called the little school. It was across from Central School where the big
kids went. I immediately fell in love with my teacher. Her name was Miss
Patterson and to me she was the most gorgeous lady (next to my Mom)
who was ever placed on the earth. I was convinced that she and I would
someday be wed and live in a castle in the sky. But her halo became tilted
when she scolded me for spilling milk over my Dick and Jane story book.
My punishment was not talking to her which my Mom said was a blessing
as I never shut up anyways.
There were many memories of that time in my life. We climbed up upon
the piles of train coal with bags to gather the coke we used for cooking
and heating the house. Chickens had to be tended to in the red coop in the
backyard. My Dad was in the Air Force and when he came home on leave
he brought us each a small box of chocolate coated raisins.
What a treat they were. We would travel up the street to
Keating’s butcher shop where we would shuffle our feet in
the sawdusted floor. He would give each of us a weiner as
a treat, thus he acquired the name “Weiner”. The next stop
was Richardson’s grocery store where all sorts of goodies
were available. I noticed a small boy running around
inside whose name was also Tom. Later in life he would
become a boyhood chum.
Then, of course, there was Mains, the heart of the
community. You would see Mr. Main busily grinding
away with his ‘mortar and pestle’. In those days drugs did
not always come in made up containers and he had to make up a lot of
the prescriptions. He always had a ready smile and was full of advice on
remedies for a host of ailments. Or people would come in just for a gab.
The milkman, the iceman, who we pestered for a chunk of ice, as well as
the bread man and the postman. All were in uniform and were always well
respected. There are memories of the ending of ‘World War Two’. People
rushed out of their houses cheering, dancing in the streets, along with the
banging of pots and pans. I didn’t know a lot about this Hitler guy except
that he was one bad dude. One thing we did realize and that was that Dad
would be home for good, safe and sound.
I think I became the first ‘mooner’ when I stuck my bare bottom out the
upper bathroom window at the girl from across the street who was in
our backyard. I didn’t notice that Mom was hanging up the washing at
the time. After a serious dressing down I thought I heard muted laughter
in the hallway from both my Mom and Dad as I gingerly stuck my head
out the bedroom door. It was an all too short period of time in our lives;
a time of little stress, a time when people were not always in a hurry and
took a few moments to talk to one another, a time when you could walk
the streets both day and night and not suffer any danger.
The old family home is still there and, miraculously, so is the chicken
coop. The place seems to be in a time warp. I often drive slowly by and can
almost see in a mist, all the characters that made up my life during those
very short years.
I MERRITTON MATTERS

Mr. C
We were sad to see the
passing of Ron Cotnam
in September, 2009.
Ron is survived by his
wife Joan and daughters
Shelley and Paula. Mr.
C was a very proud
supporter of all things
Merritton, including
Merritton Athletic Association
sports. Many will fondly
remember his tavern located in
the plaza beside Food Basics on
Hartzel Road.
A Band-aid for Sidewalks?
Proposed sidewalks in Merritton have ended up changing the
way that developers provide information to potential buyers. Now
all developers in St. Catharines must erect signs letting buyers
know where sidewalks will go, as well as fire hydrants and utility
poles. Sidewalk information was previously just described in the
subdividers agreement.
The sidewalks in the Heritage Point subdivision, off Queenston
Street, created the initial controversy. In the fall, there was a
possibility that some of this area’s sidewalks might be erased
from the original plans. Residents had wanted to eliminate the
sidewalks planned for their side of the street, presumably because
they weren’t aware of the sidewalks when they purchased their new
homes. This came to the attention of GCAST, Garden City Alliance
for Sustainable Transportation whose mandate is to improve city
infrastructure for cycling, walking and public transportation. They
felt that sidewalks are an important component of ‘walkable’ healthy
and vibrant communities. There are many economic, health and
environmental benefits to a community that supports walking as a
way to go to schools and stores.
City councillors deferred a decision on the Heritage Point sidewalks,
after the builder disagreed with council’s plan to move them across the
street. Brickyard Developments worry was that they might no longer
qualify for an exemption from Regional Development charges and asked
the city to make up the expensive difference. Stay tuned!
MERRITTON MATTERS I

Serving in World War Two – The Murray Brothers` Story
In a previous issue we brought you the celebration Merritton had for servicemen, such as the Munro
family, who had returned from World War Two. Jessie Murray saw our story and contacted Merritton
Community Group member Doreen England, with whom she had gone to school, to see if we were
interested in hearing about her four brothers. Of course we were and below you’ll find an article written
by Jessie’s daughter, Wendy (Murray) Swinton and pictures of her four uncles.
It is hard to imagine how my grandparents, Jack and Mamie Murray of Merritton, must have felt
when their four eldest sons (from a family of eleven children) went off to war. John, Lloyd, Art and Al all
signed up to serve their country. John enlisted in May 1942 in the RCNVR and served aboard the HMCS
Assiniboine, a destroyer on the North Atlantic run, as well as the LaChute. He was a leading stoker on
convoy duty. Lloyd enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army in 1942 and served in North Africa, Sicily, Italy
and Europe. He was wounded April 1st, 1945. Art enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy in June 1943. He
served aboard HMCS Stormount on convoy duty in the North Atlantic. My dad, Al, enlisted as a Rifleman
in the Queens Own Rifles of Canada in February 25, 1944 when he was 18 years old. He served in Europe
and was seriously wounded February 26, 1945 in Calcar, Germany.
The town of Merritton was proud of these young men who were serving their country. Fred Munson
owned the local barber shop on Merritt Street and would offer all servicemen a free hair cut if they showed
up in uniform. Once done, he would then take their picture. Today, those pictures hang proudly in the
Merritton Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 138.
Luckily my three uncles and father all survived, but not without serious injuries. Lloyd was wounded
in Northwest Europe in 1945 and, as the family story goes, it was an American doctor who saved his arm. My dad, Al, was wounded by a German
sniper. His story was written about in the book called Battle Diary by Company Sergeant-Major Charles Cromwell Martin of the Queens Own Rifles.
Here`s an excerpt pertaining to Dad. “Then about that time someone shouted something about a forward slit trench and a wounded soldier. J.A.
Riddle and I went out to take a look and we found Al Murray. Al was barely nineteen.
When we were digging in on the right flank, he and Rick Brown had made themselves
a trench they could be proud of. Still a sniper found them and put a bullet in Rick right
between the eyes. Then he got Al in the left eye. The bullet had gone right through and
out the back of his head. He looked terrible but his pulse was strong and his colour still
good, so first we took care of the sniper. We spotted him in a clump of trees about 150
yards off.”
Growing up, my brothers and I knew my father had a `glass eye` from a war injury but
we never really thought much about it and he never spoke about the war. It was not until
the 45th reunion of the war that we met Sergeant-Major Charles Martin who told us what
had really happened. After our dad passed away, it was our uncle John Murray who filled
in more of the details. John had been serving on a ship off the coast of England where the
radio operator aboard could hear messages going back to the war office in Canada reporting
casualties. The men aboard the ship would ask him to let them know about any news of their family members. John was down below when he spotted the
radio operator coming down and he wondered if it was Lloyd, Art or Al. He was informed that it was his brother Al who was seriously wounded.
Rev. Lamb from St. James Church was given the task of delivering the bad news. But my grandparents were lucky. They had four sons serving
their country and they all survived. As a parent, I could not imagine having one of my children, not to mention four going off to war. I didn’t get to
tell my Dad while he was alive, or my uncles, but I just wanted to thank them for serving our country proudly.
We thought we’d also include a picture of Jessie and Doreen because their friendship made this Merritton Matters article possible. To make it
even more ‘fun’ for these two, we’re using a picture from earlier in their friendship – 1946 to be exact. Here are Betty Milne, Phyllis Ford, Doreen
Lawrence (later to be England), Jessie Renwick (later to be Murray), Betty Craig and Joyce Freeman.
I MERRITTON MATTERS

Thank a Soldier
2009 Trillium
Award Winners
Commercial/ Industrial Properties:
First place — The Keg, 344 Glendale Ave.
Residential Garden Awards:
Merritton — Dupuis residence, 339 Queenston St;
Walters residence, 54 Woodrow St.
When Peter, Sharon, Matt and Ryan Holley moved to the Dundee/
Woodrow area of Secord Woods in 1991, it didn’t take long for
them to make friends in the neighbourhood. It also didn’t take long
for us to realize that, besides being wonderful people, Peter has a
remarkable singing voice.
We shared the excitement of Peter singing the national anthem
for crowds at home games of the Baby Blue Jays at the stadium that
still sits behind Pinehurst School. We’d troop down to the ball park
to hear him sing “O Canada” and were so proud when the moment
first came in 1993 for him to sing the anthem for Toronto Blue Jays.
Now our entire community should be proud of what Peter
has recently accomplished with his tribute to Canadian soldiers.
Wanting to do something to honour our soldiers, Peter wrote a song
entitled “Thank a Soldier” and then recorded it with guitarist Chris
Sipos. The performance is currently on YouTube, accompanied by
photos of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan compiled by his son
Matt. The video also appears on the Highway of Heroes Facebook
page and the RCR website. Between September 7th and early
October, it had already received 1800 viewings and by the end of
2009 had 3,954 viewings. YouTube viewers have been moved by
the song as well with comments such as ‘It’s a beautiful song by a
beautiful voice’ and ‘this is the most amazing song ever thank you!!’
Best wishes to Paul Waite, music director at Elm
Street United, on his “re-retirement.” Michael
Christopher, formerly at Memorial United, will
replace Paul effective Valentine’s Day. Michael
should feel right at home as the new organ at
Elm Street was a donation from Memorial. (Of
course, everyone feels right at home because of
the warm welcome received at Elm Street!)
Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6xIvBA9MTk to
access the video.
MERRITTON MATTERS I

10 I MERRITTON MATTERS
New Trivia
Does anyone remember the newsletter called the
Merritton Post?
As you know, the Merritton Matters newsletter has been going strong
in our community for several years. We strive to provide information
on the people and events that make our community unique. You’ll
find great Merritton stories and events from the past as well as current
events. As our website says, ‘Those who do not remember their history...
won’t have as much fun’. But, apparently we had a predecessor that
no one seems to know much about. We’ve just found a poem that
lists the source as the Merritton Post. So, if anyone knows about the
Merritton Post, please let us know! Email the editor (Lorraine Giroux) at
merrittonmatters@hotmail.com.

Following-Up On Last Issue’s Articles
Marty Mako sent us the following letter about the
Merritton Does Matter article:
Congratulations to Gail Garriock for her call to the Merritton
community in her last column. As local citizens, we all need to start
dreaming out loud and talking about what we want the future to look
like. We can’t wait for our politicians to make all of the decisions for
us. They were elected by us, to serve us, so we need to tell them what
we want. I’ll even start by sharing my own dreams for the future.
I dream of a Merritton where walkable and bikeable
neighbourhoods are the norm - a Merritton where all children can
walk to school, and adults can cycle to work without fear of rush
hour traffic.
I dream of a Merritton where citizens embrace a well integrated
and affordable regional transit system - a Merritton where I can get
on a bus on Hartzel Road to travel to Port Colborne on a Saturday
afternoon to explore Canal Days without it taking four hours to get
there.
I dream of a Merritton where our diversity is seen as our greatest
strength - a Merritton where our various boards and decisionmaking
bodies consist of members of all ages, abilities and ethnocultural
backgrounds.
And I dream of a Merritton where our communities work
together to attract new, well-paying jobs to the region - a Merritton
where our elected officials inspire us with a shared vision for a
brighter, sustainable future.
That is my dream for a perfect Merritton, and I know how
hard it will be to make these things happen. If they were easy they
would already be done. And it may be true that dreams alone do
not solve all problems. But if we cannot start changing attitudes
by inspiring the people of Merritton to believe that dreams can
become reality, then it doesn’t matter how many policies or plans
we have. Imagining and then fighting for and then working for that
which did not seem possible before - that is leadership. If we speak
up, together we can all be leaders in our community. And together,
we can collectively build a future for Merritton that would make our
forebears proud.
With regards to the Another Little Stroll into the
Past article:
Mavis Saari remembered visiting in the 1960’s with two families
who lived on the little stretch of Hartzel Road that Phyllis Thomson
wrote about. One was Mrs. Dodds who lived there in the house that
is green and has the big veranda and her daughter Margaret Coull,
who lived with her husband Johnny next door. At that time there was
parking on Hartzel Road right below the little hill on the street.
Phyllis’ response: I do a lot of research before I write my articles and
I do recall seeing the names mentioned when I was looking through
some old city directories but I could find nothing further about any
of them. I would welcome any interesting recollections of the two
families (the Dodds and the Coulls) for a follow-up article.
Bernie Olm Jr. Memorial Golf
Tournament - The Facts
When: Saturday, September 19, 2009
Where: Beechwood Golf &
Country Club
Why: Honouring a young man
who enjoyed playing
hockey and baseball
with the MAA
Who: 113 golfers and
160 for dinner
Results: over $12 000 raised
supporting Merritton Athletic
Association, Community
Mental Health Program and the Bernie Olm Jr. Memorial Trust Fund
(This fund was created to help pay registration costs for children
playing MAA sports who would otherwise not be able to play.)
Congratulations to members of the most honest team (Barb
Mawhood, Richard Mawhood, Keely Smith, and Kathy Durst) and
to the winning team (Doug Holmstead, Jeff Bain, Dave Johnson, and
Ron Goldson).
The Flag is Flying
In the last issue, you
read about Dave Keast
of Oxford St. who
started a campaign
to locate the official
Merritton town crest
that he wanted to
place on a newly created flag. These efforts demonstrated good old
Merrittonian initiative and caused crest envy among city councillors
from other wards! Another first for Merritton – thanks to Dave!
Successful with resurrecting the crest and creating the flag, Dave
ordered and received 50 at a cost of $66.30 each which covered the
flag, shipping and the artwork charge. Only three were left at the
time of this article. Thanks to all of our readers for receiving this
so enthusiastically as Dave reported that he had many emails the
Saturday after the issue was delivered. The Merritton Barber Shop,
307 Merritt St., was one of the first orders after the owner read about
it in Merritton Matters. Merritton Community Group is a proud
owner too! Councillor Jennie Stevens and Councillor Jeff Burch have
both purchased one.
Dave expects to place another order soon and is hoping that
Merritt Street and Hartzel Road businesses come onboard. Home
Hardware has a coupon for $5 off for anyone who has purchased
a flag and who wants to buy a 60" aluminum or wooden wallmounted
flag pole.
MERRITTON MATTERS I 11

What have we been up to?
Santa Claus Parade - Nov. 28th
Our Website Keeps
Getting Better
Check it out at www.merrittonmatters.ca
Rene Russler has made updates to our website so that it now
includes an advertising listing with hotlinks so that all Merritton
Matters’ advertisers get free ads on the website. Back issues of our
newsletters have been archived.
12 I MERRITTON MATTERS

Welcome Johnny!
By Arnold Hartnett
The building housing the new Johnny Rocco’s Italian Grill has a long
and interesting history. The building was constructed in 1860 by Gordon
McKay and Co. of Toronto, and was known as the Canadian Coloured
Cotton Mills, one of two cotton mills located in Merritton. It was also
known as the Lybster Mill.
The owners of the Lincoln Paper Co., located less than a mile north of
the Lybster Mill decided to expand their operations and bought the Lybster
Mill prior to 1908. After building additions to the south end and the east
side of the old mill, and installing machinery, they started production in
1911.
The company amalgamated with Ritchie and Ramsay of New Toronto
in 1928 and joined the Georgetown Coated Paper Mill, and the name
Alliance Paper Co. came into being. The Lybster Mill in Merritton then
became the Lybster Division of Alliance Paper Co. Dominion Tar and
Chemical bought Alliance Paper Co. in 1962 and it was known for years as
Howard Smith Papers, and later it was called Domtar.
After months of rumours and speculation the mill closed for good in
2002, and was later purchased by Nino Donatelli. The old addition that
was built in 1908-11 was then demolished, leaving the original cotton
mill building standing. It sat vacant until a tenant was secured and serious
renovation work started in 2009. A big thank you to Mr. Donatelli for his
vision and sense of history, and to Johnny Rocco, welcome to Merritton!
Lincoln Paper Mill
On ebay recently,
there was a Merritton
postcard for sale that
featured a bird’s eye view
of the Lincoln Paper
Mill. The seller stated
that the card was likely
from the early 1900’s.
An interesting fact about this paper mill was that
it was once managed as well as owned by a man whose first
name was Welland. He was Welland Woodruff and he took
over from his father Samuel Woodruff. Samuel was born in
1819 in St. Davids and was an assistant engineer working
on the second Welland Canal in the 1840’s. He served on
the board of the Lincoln Paper Mill and was one of the chief
stockholders. He built a house on what is now Woodruff
Avenue in St. Catharines. His son Welland was born in
1861 and joined his father’s firm in 1881. Under Welland’s
guidance, the mill expanded and was a significant employer
in Merritton. He was an avid golfer and President of the St.
Catharines Golf Club from 1914 until his death in 1920.
MERRITTON MATTERS I 13

I decided to take myself
shopping one day this winter
while I was in Florida – it’s no
secret that the weather there in
early January was unseasonably
cold and going out to the Mall
was one of the few diversions
available.
As I was about to enter a
store, another vehicle pulled up
and parked beside me and, as
I closed the shop door, I noticed
that it had an Ontario license plate. You might be surprised
to see how many Ontario license plates are on the roads or
in the mall parking lots on any given day, at the stores down
there. I would bet that every Ontarian who is in Florida stops
and looks when they see another car with a license plate like
their own. I’m not exactly sure why we do this but I expect that it
is because, no matter where you are in the world, to see someone
from your country always gives you a little thrill of sorts – a bit of
comfort, if you will. And, I’ll admit that quite often I will approach
them to see where they are from or I become a novice Sherlock
Holmes and check the license plates to see where in Ontario they
purchased their vehicle.
Back to my adventure! I did a tour of the little store and as I got to the
back of the store, there stood the three women who had been in the car
outside. I casually inquired if it was cold enough for them and then added
that, being where they were from, it likely didn’t bother them too much.
“Oh,” said one of the ladies, “you must have seen our license plates.” “Yes,”
I replied, “and it interested me because I too am from Ontario.” She asked
where in Ontario I was from and when I told them St. Catharines, the look
of surprise on all three faces was priceless. Well you have likely guessed
that all three were also from St.Catharines. So we all introduced ourselves
but in the spirit of excitement that prevailed, I have forgotten their names.
They had been born and raised in what is now north St. Catharines but
was Grantham Township back when they were young. When I asked if
they had gone to Grantham High School, I found out that they had instead
It’s A Small, Small World
By Phyllis Thomson
MERRITTON
gone to Merritton High. When I told them
that I had worked at Merritton High for
many years, we really got into the “do you
remember” mode! It was getting better and
better! We chatted on about the teachers
they had, most of whom were still there at
Merritton when I arrived and about Maurice
Dobson who had been the Principal when
they attended, whom I knew as well.
Years ago, Grantham students, wishing
to take Commercial or C. Special, as well
as those from Port Dalhousie and Thorold,
were bussed to Merritton as it was the only
high school, under the old Linwell High
School Board, that offered those particular
courses until other high schools such as
Grantham and then Lakeport were built.
After amalgamation in l960/61, all of the
above named high schools then came under
the Lincoln County Board of Education
and several other high schools were
subsequently built.
Around about then, the man who had
been driving the car when it pulled up, came along and the ladies started
telling him about everything that had transpired. One of the ladies then
volunteered that he had worked for the school board, at the Board Office. I
explained how, after amalgamation, the (then) Principal at Merritton, Fred
Harvie, had become Superintendent of all of the Secondary Schools in the
newly formed area, and that I had moved with Mr. Harvie to the Board
Office for a few years before returning to Merritton later and thus knew
many people he named, it started another round of “do you believe this”
exclamations.
It was a great fun-filled hour and driving back to where we were
staying, I couldn’t help but wonder at the rare possibility of meeting folks
from St. Catharines, and Merritton indirectly, quite by chance, fifteen
hundred miles from home! It is indeed a very, very small world.
14 I MERRITTON MATTERS

Last Issue’s Trivia
What was the name of the basketball coach at Merritton who led the
senior boys basketball team to the 1947 Ontario title?
And the answer is Angelo Pastore who died Feb. 7, 2009 at the
age of 92. Angie was inducted into the St. Catharines Sports Hall of
Fame in 1995 and was well known for his baseball skills as well. My
dad (Bill Riesberry) told me that Angie was brought into Hayes Dana
to play basketball. Angelo and his wife Maxine celebrated their 65th
wedding anniversary on Dec. 26th, 2007. Maxine died in 2008. They
are survived by children Denise, Patricia and Michael.
MERRITTON MATTERS I 15

‘Signs’
of Spring
Dance
A Fundraiser for
the Welcome to Merritton Sign
Sponsored by the Merritton Community Group
March 20th, 2010, 8:00 PM
Merritton Community Centre
$20.00
Music by Sandy Vine and the Midnites
Food! Prizes!
Tickets Available at
Bloomin’ Busy Flower Shop, 40 Hartzel Road
Merritton Community Pharmacy, 491 Merritt Street
Home Hardware, 111 Hartzel Road
905-688-8840