News

A slide show of the 2022 parade held in Newcastle on Sunday, November 20. Thanks to Willie Woo for most of the photos!

Keeping Newcastle neat for over 100 years

One of Newcastle’s longest-running community organizations, the Newcastle Horticultural Society was created and joined the Ontario Horticultural Association in 1914. Adopting the smooth wild rose as their emblem and “Newcastle the Neat” as their slogan, horticultural society members have shared their love of gardening and made a significant contribution to various gardens across Newcastle for over 100 years.

The NHS operates as an all-volunteer, registered charity. The first president was Newcastle doctor Dr. John A. Butler, who also chaired the Building Committee for the new Community Hall (celebrating its 100th birthday this year and next) and served as village Reeve in the 1920s.

The society’s activities have long been intertwined with the Newcastle Community Hall, from early planting efforts to major capital projects. In 2011, the society partnered with the Newcastle Community Hall Board and Clarington to create a Heritage Garden at the hall. 

Farncomb Le Gresley, 1926-2022

It’s always a shock when we lose someone like Farncomb “Farny” Le Gresley. He was someone who you thought would be there forever. My involvement with the Newcastle Village & District Historical Society started in 1999 and one of the first people I met was Farny. He could speak on any subject, especially history, politics, sailing, electronics and farming. He had a number of interesting jobs, working at the dairy, farming, Bell Canada technician and Science Teacher.

I once had Farny as a guest speaker for a group I co-ordinate, East Clarington Men’s Breakfast. His topic was “Ham Radios”. It was fascinating to say the least and he kept everyone enthralled with a topic that I really wondered about. This was classic Farny, infectious smile and laugh, and a born teacher. He would often phone me and suggest topics for speakers. For years, it was to get someone to speak on “hydrogen power,” which he believed was a much better alternative fuel for vehicles. He was a great proponent of “green” energy. 

Over the years, Farny and his wife Nancy donated many items to our Historical Society, but the one that really intrigued me was the computer that he built back in the early 1980s. This was before most people even knew what a home computer really was. Rumour had it that he had actually phoned Bill Gates and asked him for advice when he was putting it all together. 

Read more of the Fall 2022 NVDHS Newsletter…

Thank you to NVDHS member Les Harris for videoing the event! A wonderful time was had by all.

The historical society will be at the Orono Fair from Friday, September 8, to Sunday, September 11. Fair grounds are located at 2 Princess St., Orono. Follow signs to gates and parking.

NVDHS hours at Orono Fair:

• Friday: 12 noon – 6 p.m.
• Saturday: 12 noon – 6 p.m.
• Sunday: 12 noon to 4 p.m.

Come see our display of artifacts and photos on the Massey family and the Newcastle Community Hall.

Saturday, August 13
1-4 p.m., in the park behind the Library

Get your tickets today and join us in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Newcastle Village and District Historical Society at an 1890s Garden Party, complete with 1890s prices. Dress up and compete in 1890s attire – or come as you are.

1890s Refreshments
Children’s Games
Costume Contests (men, women, children)
Music by the Orono Town Band
Displays by
the Culinary Historians of Canada, & NVDHS

1890s prices!
Adults: 25¢
Children: 10¢

Beginning on July 1, tickets can be purchased at the Historical Room in the Community Hall on Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. – noon or Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Or you can order them online and pay via e-transfer. Please use the contact form for the event and our Treasurer, Sher Leetooze will send the e-transfer email and total. Ticket pickup will be at the Historical Room or at the event.

Order tickets online

Please fill out all required fields. Child tickets are for those 12 and under. Our treasurer, Sher Leetooze, will respond with the total and the e-transfer instructions. Tickets will be available for pickup at the Historical Room at the Community Hall, 20 King Ave. W. weekdays 10-5 or on Saturdays from 9:30-noon, OR can be picked up the day of the event.

Thank you to our event sponsors and donors:

Municipality of Clarington
A Gift of Art
Clarington Museums and Archives
St. Paul’s United Church
Bowmanville Legion Br. 178
Ontario Power Generation
Robert Malone
Greg St. Amand
Newcastle Griddle
Newcastle Foodland
Buddah Belly Bakery
Culinary Historians of Canada
Newcastle Public Library
St. Francis of Assisi Church
Newcastle Baptist Church
Members of the Board of NVDHS

Looking for the recipes for the event?

(If you’re volunteering, don’t forget to contact Sher to let her know what you’ll be making…)

• Download Recipes (PDF)

Image credit: See page for author, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

100th Anniversary of the Laying of the Newcastle Community Hall Cornerstone Photo Gallery

The July 1 celebrations continued into the afternoon, centred around the Newcastle Community Hall and the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the laying of the Hall’s cornerstone in 1922. Events featured special displays by the NVDHS in the Historical Room and in the Centennial Room of the hall, demonstrations by the Soper Valley Model Railroad Association, a BBQ fundraiser by the Newcastle Lions, period music from the Dave Climenhage Band, cake and refreshments, and speeches from event MC Myno van Dyke and Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster.

Special guests included four descendants of Newcastle residents who were involved in the creation of the Community Hall in 1922; Brian Jose, grandson of Harry Jose (village councillor), Don Colwill, grandson of Albert Amos (A.A.) Colwill, (former Reeve of Newcastle), Lynda MacGregor, great granddaughter of George Eilbeck, (furniture maker, Board of Education member, municipal tax collector), and Jean Rickard, daughter of Harvey Bonathan (Newcastle Village Clerk for several decades) who celebrates her own 100th birthday next month.

Drive-by Parade Photo Gallery

Opening the festivities on July 1, was Newcastle’s drive-by parade of antique vehicles, Jeeps, tractors, trucks – and of course, Thomas the Tank Engine! The parade wound its way through the Port, Bond Head, and the main part of the village. Afterwards, some vehicles were on display on King Ave. between North and Mill Streets, which was closed to traffic for the afternoon.

Photos by Willie Woo

Join us on Friday, July 1 for the start of a year of fun celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Newcastle Community Hall. 

Events on July 1 include a drive-by parade of antique vehicles (throughout Newcastle), a BBQ, music from the Dave Climenhage band, and a re-enactment of the laying of the cornerstone. The Historical Society will be open throughout, with special displays relating to the Community Hall and Massey family. King Ave. between Mill and North Street will be closed for the event.

Schedule of Events

9:30 a.m. – Historical Room open
11:30 a.m. – King closed to traffic between Mill and North Streets.
11:30 – 2 p.m. – Antique vehicle and tractor drive-by parade through Newcastle (see map)
Noon – 3 p.m. – Lions BBQ fundraiser (cash)
1 p.m. – Brass band at gazebo
2 p.m. – Antique vehicles arrive at Hall (on display on King Ave. between Mill & North Streets)
2:30 p.m. –  Replica cornerstone ceremony
4 p.m. – Historical Room closes/event over

Note: there are fireworks at the Diane Hamre Recreation Complex on the evening of July 1.

Newcastle Community Hall turns 100!

In 1919 Chester D. Massey decided to give to the citizens of the Village of Newcastle a secular and non-institutional hall that would contain many of the facilities included in his son Vincent’s recently completed project – U. of T.’s Hart House. The same architects, contractors and skilled tradesmen were employed. From sod-turning on September 24, 1921, to opening day ceremonies on August 2, 1923, the project took 22 months to complete, and the people of the Village of Newcastle had what was, at the time, (and may still be) the grandest CommunityHall between Toronto and Montreal.

January of 1919 is the first public/official mention the NVDHS has been able to track down concerning this proposed gift to Newcastle. 

“Mr. Chester D. Massey, Toronto, has made a very generous offer to his old hometown of Newcastle. He offers to erect a modern town hall and suggests that a Memorial Library be established by the village and be given a room in the new municipal building, as a perpetual memorial to the soldiers of Newcastle and Clarke who died in the war (WWI), a suitable tablet bearing names of the heroes to be placed in the Library. This is a splendid idea, and the offer of Mr. Massey has been accepted and a Memorial Committee appointed – Reeve, Revs. J. W. Rae (Presbyterian) and Rev. J.E. Fenning (Anglican), ex-Warden A. A. Colwill, Dr. Butler, and Thomas Montague.”
~ Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, February 6, 1919

Ghost of the Grand Trunk Railway

The ghost of the Grand Trunk Railway lingers! Its footprint remains on the stretch of its original right-of-way between Newcastle and Port Hope, Ontario. That footprint must be visible in other segments along its route as well.

The Grand Trunk Railway was incorporated in late 1852 with the object of building and operating a line between Montreal and Toronto. A year later, the ambitious company expanded its charter to include a line running from the east coast of the United States in Portland, Maine through Quebec and southern Ontario to Sarnia, Ontario. From there, Chicago-bound traffic was barged across the St. Clair River to Port Huron, Michigan, travelling on to Chicago via an operating subsidiary, the Grand Trunk Western Railroad. A tunnel was also built under the St. Clair River in the 1890s.

Read more of the Summer 2022 NVDHS Newsletter…

Come join us on Saturday, June 4, 2022, as we re-open from 9:30 to noon. For the time being, we’ll be open on Saturdays only. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone after two long years!

We are also open by appointment, so please contact us if an appointment is required.