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Some Interesting 20th Century Events in Owen Sound

Some Interesting 20th Century Events in Owen Sound: One, in particular featured a mayor acting to avert a major labour-related confrontation.

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The clock is ticking towards the end of not just this century, but towards the end of this millennium. It is hard to believe that in a few short months our calendars will read January 2000.

A lot has happened in this region in the past century and during the next few weeks I am going to try and recap some of the major events which have occurred in the Grey and Bruce region.

When this century began the citizens of this area had every reason to believe that the 1900s would be a time of growth and prosperity. The region had ceased to be a pioneering outpost on the fringe of the Upper Canadian colony.

Wiarton, Meaford, Southampton and the other coastal communities were vibrant ports. But, Owen Sound was a dominant shipping centre on Georgian Bay. It was the eastern terminus for the CPR fleet and two railway companies transported goods and passengers in to and out of Owen Sound.

Tourism was beginning to become an important economic factor in some areas of Ontario. Sauble Beach was just beginning to attract summer residents and visitors.

Investors in Owen Sound decided that an opulent resort a few miles out of the town on the western shore of the bay at Balmy Beach would not only put the area on the "tourism map” but would also boost an already strong economy. Thus, plans were made to build Kings Royal Park.

In sports, football and baseball were popular pastimes, but hockey was starting to make its mark in the area. Many local communities had their own teams and competition between area teams had become a source of local pride.

Owen Sound iced its first OHA junior clubs in the first decade of this century, but the notorious mismanagement of the teams often received more attention than the club's on-ice successes.

Perhaps one of the biggest stories of the first decade of this century occurred in Owen Sound's harbour in 1908. In May of that year 170 dock workers, employed by the CPR, went on strike.

This labour strife between the company and its workers had been simmering for almost a decade. On previous occasions the workers had achieved some demands with out too much trouble.

However, when the workers put a halt to work in the harbour in 1908, the CPR decided that it was time to put a stop to these work stoppages.

One hundred "replacements" were brought to Owen Sound. When the new workers got off the train they were met by the strikers and an angry crowd of supporters. When they were told that they were being hired as strike-breakers, they were convinced to join them rather than work for the CPR.

Undeterred, the CPR brought in 200 more workers. Once again, the newcomers upon being met by an angry throng at the train station, they too, refused to work.

The harbour was becoming overcrowded with vessels waiting to be unloaded and the company was becoming anxious.

A few days later, the strikers arrived at the harbour on a Monday morning to find the ships being unloaded.

The CPR had spirited 70 workers into town early that morning and they had started work long before the strikers could "convince" them otherwise.

Upon learning of the company’s actions, pandemonium broke out on Owen Sound's docks. The relatively quiet port became the scene of violence which has never been repeated anywhere in this area. Shots were fired and blows were exchanged. Thankfully, only a few minor injuries were incurred. The riot ended when Mayor Matthew Kennedy boarded one of the ships and probably using a "bull horn" read the riot act from the deck. The Mayor ordered the two sides back to the bargaining table and a few hours later the workers returned to the docks, this time to unload the remaining boats.

What impact the riot of May 1908 had on the CPR's decision to leave Owen Sound a few years later, no one will ever know for sure.

The information used in this article came from many sources. However, "Owen Sound and the CPR Great Lakes Fleet: The Rise of a Port 1840-1912" by Keith Fleming was of foremost importance.

A version of this article originally appeared in my Local History column in the Owen Sound Sun Times on September 24, 1999.

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About Owen Sound

12-year-old Walks to Owen Sound in 1851 from the journal of a teenage boy's experience travelling with his brother in the untamed Upper Canadian wilderness.

In the 1920s, Owen Sound got New Elevators. After losing the CPR elevators to fire, the community fought hard to get new elevators for their harbour and improve the community's economy.

The 1930s Were Not All Bad there were some successes in the Owen Sound area and there was one natural phenomenon, that was unusual to the region that occurred.

The 1944-1945 Grey North By-Election would surprise Prime Minister King and all of Canada as the Grey North electorate refused to be dictated to by Ottawas political elites.

The were 1950s a Decade of Change in the Owen Sound area. A local boy starred in the NHL; there was a significant industrial change; schools were standing to experience the baby boom.

1960s: Owen Sound's Education Expansion: 1960s Owen Sound was a period of growth and one result of this was a need for the expansion of education services for the growing population.

1960s Owen Sound marked a period of change and new growth to the commercial and industrial life that would impact the citizens of Owen Sound and change the patterns of doing business.

The Bible was the Law in the 1840s in this region because the region was unrepresented by the government peace and justice were community responsibilities.

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Brooke: A brief history of an important, yet distinctly different, community that became a key element in Owen Sound's development as a important Georgian Bay port city.

Charles Rankin, I Presume: October 7, 1840 marked the meeting of Land Agent John Telfer and surveyor Charles Rankin on the banks of the Sydenham River and the founding of Owen Sound.

The cost of living in 1900 in Owen Sound may seem great, but when you take into consideration other factors, things were perhaps not all that wonderful.

The CPR Grain Elevator Fire of 1911 spelled the end of Owen Sound's role as the eastern terminus of the CPR Great Lakes Fleet.

Black History: Emancipation Day celebrates the abolition of slavery and it continues to be an annual celebration in many locations that were in some way, or another touched by the impact of slavery.

Black History in Owen Sound: Who was the First Black Citizen in the community is a cause for debate.

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Billy Bishop: Owen Sound Hero earned national and international fame as a World War One Fighter pilot and used his high profile to aid in the World War Two effort.

John Harrison - A Tough Owen Sound Pioneer whose grit and determination created a prosperous life for himself and his family in a new community.

William Harrison, The Source of John Harrison's Grit: details the influence of John's father, William Harrison, on John and his siblings.

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Owen Sound Businesses: 1920s were owned and operated by families whose deep roots in the community and their efforts had created the backbone of the community and brought success to the port city.

Owen Sound's centennial celebrations in 1957 brought the community together for events such big name entertainers, sports competitions, street dances and much more in honour of the community's past and projecting the city's bright future.

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Owen Sound's First Newspaper: The Comet came into existence a mere 10 years after the first settlers braved the wilderness that would become the Grey and Bruce region.

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Owen Sound's 1857 Bylaw: Dog Control illustrated how a pioneer town controlled dogs in the community, sometimes even using harsh measures.

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Owen Sound CPR Link began with a bang, suffered a setback, and ended with a whimper.

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