Category: Ina Sessions

Another year and another change for Ina and Louise – by this time they must think that each new year brings a new place to live and a new school to attend. Keith buys a small Garden Market on the town line above Norval Ontario. This change also coincides with a change for his parents. Ernest and Myrtle can no longer live at Green Gables. The farm home, in the McNeill/Simpson family since the late 1700’s, is now the home of a fictional character – Anne of Green Gables – and her fans from around the world. Ernest and Myrtle come to Norval for the spring and summer. Ernest helps Keith with his new operation in Norval. Ernest and Myrtle are excited for Keith – but at the same time – very sad about their own situation.

Ina and Louise will go to a new school for grade 5 . North Carleton – grade one, Cavendish – grade two, Pickering – grade three, Stewarttown – grade four, and now Norval – Grade 5. And still no school bus to pick them up – and another long walk – down hill into the village of Norval in the morning – and uphill on the way home.

Their father and stepmother work hard to build up the business- and the girls pitch in without question . Originally Keith sold Pansies , Tomatoes , and Asparagus. In the fall he would work for the Apple Factory in Glen Williams – he must have earned some extra apples because ads start appearing in the Georgetown Herald.

Aunt Anne and Uncle Charles make their first trip to Ontario. Keith and Ethel and the girls take them to – where else – Niagara Falls

The Girls join the Norval Girl Guides and attend Church/Sunday School at the Norval United Church.

They make visits to Aunt Marion, Uncle Murray and Elaine who live on the other side of Norval as you go up the hill on the way to Brampton. And vice versa

Louise remembers:

We never had bikes so Thelma Hunter and Ellen would get Ina and I to ride their bikes to the top of the hill by the cemetery for them.

At the height of the asparagus season we would pick asparagus before we went to school and again when we got home.

During the summer we picked strawberries  for 5 cents a box across the road (can’t remember whose farm) and raspberries at Patterson’s, also at 5cents a box.

 Dad also had a cow which he kept in a small barn back by the woods. I don’t remember a pig. The day of Ina’s wedding the cow and Dad bumped heads somehow. Dad broke his nose. He got in front of a mirror and forced it back in shape. It was very swollen and red for the wedding.

Mother and Dad played euchre regularly on Saturday evenings with the Patterson’s next door while Foster Hewitt announced the hockey game in the background. 

The girls start High School. It would make sense for them to go to Georgetown for High School – it is only up the hill from Norval. But when it comes to our girls and school – nothing is that simple. Because the Webb’s live in Halton – and on the wrong side of the Townline it is determined that they will go to Milton to High School . Well – at least they don’t have to walk. There is a bus there early in the morning to take them to Milton – which is 20 kilometers away. Well – that is 20 kilometers – if you take the shortest route – but of course the bus doesn’t – it criss-crosses the country side – up one line – across side roads – down the next line. The bus is good for making friends though. I live in Milton and I have witnessed Ina run into people she took the bus to high school with – 60 years ago.

Louise carries on in high school right to Grade 13. Ina – always practical – goes to grade 10 in Milton then opts to go to Georgetown High School for a course in stenography. Stenography – I had to google it – is learning to take notes via short hand – don’t ask me what that is – and then later typing them out – on a thing called a typewriter. As you will see, she uses these skills later while working on an important Canadian project.

It wasn’t all work while in Norval. The girls did have a social life. Norval United Church had a very active Young Peoples group – as did Mayfield United Church just north of Brampton (Hint, Hint).

There were summer vacations in PEI. A highlight of those vacations was hanging out with their Gardiner cousins -Evelyn and Ruth in Bedeque. It would also involve a deep sea fishing expedition with Uncle Waldo.

Louise explains:

Uncle Waldo was the son of  Ellie Lowther and Edward Gardiner (We called him Uncle Ed). Uncle Waldo and Aunt Edith’s daughter, Evelyn MacDougall lives in their house in Bedeque. Uncle Waldo built a bungalow across the road in their later years.

Technically speaking then : Uncle Waldo wasn’t an Uncle at all – he was a son of an Uncle – which by my calculation – makes him a cousin. And, by the way, they would also visit their Aunt Martha and Uncle Wilbert – but don’t waste years of your life trying to figure out how they are related. They were good neighbours and friends who earned their Aunt and Uncle titles.

The girls would stay with their Aunt Anne and Uncle Charles and cousins Beth and David in Fernwood on the South Shore , then head over to the North Shore to Cavendish to see their Grandmother Myrtle. Myrtle was now alone. Grandfather Ernest passed away in 1950.

There were also weekend trips to Toronto to visit their cool city Aunt. Aunt Nete was determined to get some culture into these country girls. She took them to art galleries, museums, movies and Toronto Marlie hockey games at Maple Leaf Gardens.

The sisters are growing up – their time in Norval is coming to an end. Louise is off to Toronto where she will work for the Bell Telephone Company. She will also be living where her Aunt Nete works – at Willard Hall.

Ina has made a bold move all the way across the road to gain some independence. She lives with the Smellie family and her friend Jane. Ina achieves Norval notoriety as the stern, no nonsense strict disciplinarian Cubmaster.

Christmas get together at the Laird home 1955- at the top of Norval Hill – on the left as you head towards Peel County

Who can turn the world on with her smile?
Who can take a nothing day?
And suddenly make it all feel worthwhile?
Well its you girl and you should know it.
With each glance and every little movement you show it.
Love  is all around no need to waste it
You can have the town - why don't you take it?
You're going to make it after all.

(Mary Tyler Moore theme)

The Avro Arrow took flight in 1957 – the pride of Canadian Aerospace Engineering. It was cancelled in early 1959. Even the plans were destroyed. At least that is what Diefenbaker thought. I have it on good authority that there are blue prints hidden away in a secret partition in a house on McIntyre Crescent. Twenty-five thousand people were out of work. Ina wasn’t one of them. She had this kid to look after. And another one on the way.

The girls didn’t waste much time when it came to the Boys. Turns out they made solid choices. The Boys – quickly became their Men – forever – for life.

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Harry – Louise’s grade one crush – from North Carleton – lands in Toronto after serving in the Canadian Forces out West.

Jack – I couldn’t get Ina to talk much about Jack. “He was just there“- she says. And I guess he was. Smooth moves Jack. She thinks Ken Reid – a close friend of Jack’s – introduced them at Young Peoples. Jack was active in Mayfield United Church’s Young Peoples group – as Ina was at Norval United.

There were dates and dances.

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Wasaga Beach

Jack is so sunburnt that he can’t teach at Sandhill school on Monday morning.

Hurricane Hazel

Ina remembers a Friday night in October 1954. She and Jack were at Smellies in Norval. They were to about to head up to Owen Sound for a Young People’s Convention when Hurricane Hazel hit Toronto and surrounding areas. Norval along the Credit River suffered severe damage due to the Hurricane and resulting flood. Ina and Jack waited out the hurricane and headed to Owen Sound the next day.

Soon the Boys were part of the family .

Wedding showers

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Wedding invitations

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Ina helps sister Louise get ready for the big day.

Toronto Trinity United Church

The Happy couple – now married for over 60 years !

There are wedding pictures, we’ve all seen them, the staged ones people put up in their living rooms . Then a photographer for a local newspaper captures a shot like the one below. As the bride exits Norval United Church she is met by the Norval Cubs who are there to salute her. How would you describe the look on the grooms face at that moment? Leave a comment and let me know. Maybe a word that starts with the letter A – Admiration, Awe, Amazement? Or could it be a word that starts with the letter L?

The Wedding Party

The proud parents

Off to PEI for the honeymoon – a trip they would religiously make every year.

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