1st Lakeshore's history
The 1st Lakeshore scout group has been in action for almost 95 years! In honour of our upcoming 95th anniversary I have set up this page to share photos and a description of our history as written by Bill Law, a previous group commissioner, I hope you enjoy reading and browsing the photos!
A Brief History of 1st Lakeshore Scouts - By Bill Law
|
Formation of the Scout Group
The history of the 1st Lakeshore Scout Group begins in 1919, during the earliest days of Scouting in Canada. Only five years after Scouting came to Canada and less than three months following the end of World War I, a group of local citizens, lead by F.P. Newman, received authorization to form the 1st Lakeshore Scout Group in the village of New Toronto. The Group was the first to be formed in the village and was appropriately named the First New Toronto Scout Group being granted Charter number 456 on January 19th, 1919. In 1919, New Toronto was booming with industry and a rapidly growing population. The Village of New Toronto was incorporated into a Town in 1923 and then became part of the City of Etobicoke in 1967 and eventually the City of Toronto in 1998. Early records indicate the village’s new Scout Group first met in a small, white, two-story building that had once been a barn on Campbell’s farm and which later became the Public Health Office before being turned over to the Scout Group. The “Scout Hall,” as it became known, was located on the east side of Seventh Street just south of Lake Shore Boulevard on what is now the parking lot of Seventh Street School. The second floor of the building was used as the main meeting hall and the first floor for storage as well as Rover, and later, Venturer meetings. In 1922, the original Seventh Street School was built with the Scout Hall situated on edge of the school grounds. As the Village of New Toronto grew, so did Scouting. Other Scout Groups were organized in the neighbouring communities of Mimico and Long Branch. In addition, several Girl Guide groups sprang up. The First New Toronto Scout Group opened a “B” location for an additional Wolf Cub Pack, Scout Troop, and Rover Crew in a one-story building located at the top of Twenty-Second Street beside the water tower. Use of the building was donated to the group by the railway company that had owned the property. The building had a main meeting room at one end and the Rover meeting room at the other. First New Toronto Scout Group “A” and “B” continued to use these buildings as their meeting places for many years until the building on Twenty-Second Street was destroyed by fire and the building on Seventh Street was demolished to make room for the new Seventh Street School in 1989. Between 1919 and the 1970’s, Scouting in the Lakeshore flourished. The First New Toronto Scout Group along with others located in Mimico, Long Branch, and Alderwood, were reorganized into the Lakeshore District. The First New Toronto Scout Group, being the senior Group in the new District, was renamed the 1st Lakeshore Scout Group and continued to maintain an “A” and “B” location for several years until they were eventually amalgamated. In later years, the 1st Lakeshore Scout Group moved into the original Seventh Street School and then the new school when it was built in 1989. Some Interesting Facts about the 1st Lakeshore Scouts The Scarf (Neckerchief) Colours The colours of the 1st Lakeshore scarf represent the group’s original three sections; Scouts (green), Cubs (yellow), and Rovers (red). These colours are sometimes affectionately referred to as ketchup, mustard, and relish. |
Creation of the Venturer Company and Beaver Colony
When the First New Toronto Scout Group was formed on January 19th 1919, the only Scouting sections that were authorized were; Scouts for boys ages 12 to 17, (starting in Canada in 1914), the Wolf Cubs for boys ages 8 to 11 (created in 1916), and Rovers for young men over 18 years of age (created in 1919 following the First World War). The Group’s Venturer Company was started in 1969 after a change in the national Scout program restricted the ages of Scouts to 11 to 14 and created Venturers for boys 14 to 17. The Beaver Colony was first organized in the early 1970’s when a new program was developed for boys between the ages of 5 and 7. The Ladies Auxiliary The 1st Lakeshore Scout Group had a very active Ladies Auxiliary that supported the Group through fundraising activities, scarf and flag sewing, and other support activities. The Ladies Auxiliary was made up of mostly mothers and grandmothers of the Scouts and many of the wives of the Scout Leaders. The Admission of Females into Scouting In 1971 Rover Crews were allowed to admit females into the program followed by Venturer Companies in 1984. In 1992, individual Scout Troops could decide to admit girls and then in 1998, all scouting sections became officially coeducational. The first female to “officially” join the 1st Lakeshore Scout Group as a youth member was Jennifer Auton who was invested into the Cub Pack. World War II The First New Toronto Scout Group played an important role in supporting our Country during World War II. The Group organized paper, glass bottle, and scrap metal drives, as well as other campaigns, to help Canada’s war effort. Several members of the First New Toronto Scout Group volunteered to serve in Canada’s Armed Forces during World War II, including:
Hurricane Hazel October 1954
The night of the storm, the Scouts of the First New Toronto Scout Group were polishing apples in preparation for the annual apple day being held the next day. Later that night and into the next day, as the storm got worse, flood waters destroyed homes and injured people in the nearby communities of Long Branch and Port Credit. The Scouts mobilized, collecting donations of food and clothing for flood victims and helping the injured by providing first aid. In addition, with the small New Toronto Police Force overwhelmed by the scale of the flooding, the Scouts patrolled along the Lake Shore (Highway) to deter and report any looting. |
Partners and Supporters
Goodyear Tire Company Overseas Veterans Club An early and generous supporter of the First New Toronto Scout Group and the other Lakeshore District scout groups was Goodyear Tire Company which opened a factory in New Toronto in 1917 near Seventh Street (Islington Avenue) and Birmingham Street. Many employees of the Company lived in New Toronto and had children in the scouting program or were leaders themselves. Following the war, employees of Goodyear Tire Company formed the Goodyear Tire Company Veterans Club. In addition to providing general support to the scouting program, the Veterans Club also supported the First New Toronto Scout Group’s Bugle and Drum Band. One of the early Band Masters was Bert Greer, a New Toronto Town Councillor. The band competed in several competitions and often led the Scout Group and the Goodyear Tire Overseas Veterans Club in local parades and the yearly Veterans’ Day Parade at the CNE. To further support the Lakeshore District scout groups, Goodyear Tire Company donated sixty-eight acres of land in the Hockley Valley, just east of Orangeville, to the Lakeshore District. The company had purchased the land in 1946 and donated it to the Scouts in memory of Goodyear Tire Company employees who died during World War II. St Margaret’s Church The 1st Lakeshore Scout Group continues a long partnership with St Margaret’s Church on Sixth Street. Many local Scouting ceremonies have been held there including Sunrise Services, Thinking Day, and Remembrance Day. For many years, St Margaret’s provided the space for 1st Lakeshore to coordinate its Apple Day activities. In return, the Scout Group has assisted St Margaret’s Church with several fundraising and community service events and activities. Royal Canadian Legion Branch #3 The Group’s relationship with Branch #3 of the Royal Canadian Legion dates back many years. Many of the original 1st Lakeshore Scout Group leaders were ex-military men and women. In addition to using the Legion facility for anniversary celebrations and other events, the 1st Lakeshore Scout Group participates in the Legion’s Remembrance Day Service. Each year, the Group lays a wreath at the war memorial in front of the Legion on Eighth Street. Don Russell’s Drug Store Don Russell and then his son Bob Russell sponsored the 1st Lakeshore Scout Group for several years providing a location to store the Group’s equipment and an outdoor space for fundraising activities such as; yard sales, hot-dog sales, recruiting, and the annual Dirt Drive. Seventh Street School The 1st Lakeshore Scout Group has enjoyed a great partnership with Seventh Street School since the original school was built in 1922, first using their fields and playgrounds for outdoor activities, and eventually moving into the school for weekly meetings. |
Celebrating The Past
The 50th Anniversary
1st Lakeshore Scout Group celebrated its 50th Anniversary at the New Toronto Secondary School (now Lakeshore Collegiate) in 1969. Mrs. Helen (Ansell) Boggiss of Birmingham Street, a member of the Group Committee and Ladies Auxiliary, was the lead organizer. Her efforts were recorded in an edition of the local paper the Advertiser when a reporter came to her house to take pictures and do a story about the event.
The 75th Anniversary
1st Lakeshore Scout Group celebrated its 75th Anniversary at Branch #3 of the Royal Canadian Legion in 1994.
The 90th Anniversary
1st Lakeshore Scout Group celebrated its 90th Anniversary at Royal Canadian Legion Branch #3 on June 20th, 2009. Past members and leaders came from as far away as PEI and British Columbia to attend the event. In 2009 the 1st Lakeshore Scout Group had 34 youth members in three sections; Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts, a dedicated leadership team of 11 adult members, and a Group Committee.
A 90th Anniversary Crest was designed by Scout Leader Robert O’Neill. The colours representing those found on the Group’s scarf (green, yellow, and red). It celebrates the continuation of the group from 1919 to 2009 and depicts the group’s emblem (Sammy the Salmon) solidly placed upon the right arm of the purple world Scouting emblem, the fleur-de-lis.
The 1st Lakeshore Scout Group Today
As the 1st Lakeshore Scout Group approaches its 100th year of service in 2019, the Group runs four youth sections; Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts, and Venturer Scouts. It has a dedicated volunteer leadership team and Group Committee and continues to meet at the Seventh Street School.
Written by William J. Law.
1st Lakeshore Scout Group
Group Commissioner 2008-2011
The 50th Anniversary
1st Lakeshore Scout Group celebrated its 50th Anniversary at the New Toronto Secondary School (now Lakeshore Collegiate) in 1969. Mrs. Helen (Ansell) Boggiss of Birmingham Street, a member of the Group Committee and Ladies Auxiliary, was the lead organizer. Her efforts were recorded in an edition of the local paper the Advertiser when a reporter came to her house to take pictures and do a story about the event.
The 75th Anniversary
1st Lakeshore Scout Group celebrated its 75th Anniversary at Branch #3 of the Royal Canadian Legion in 1994.
The 90th Anniversary
1st Lakeshore Scout Group celebrated its 90th Anniversary at Royal Canadian Legion Branch #3 on June 20th, 2009. Past members and leaders came from as far away as PEI and British Columbia to attend the event. In 2009 the 1st Lakeshore Scout Group had 34 youth members in three sections; Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts, a dedicated leadership team of 11 adult members, and a Group Committee.
A 90th Anniversary Crest was designed by Scout Leader Robert O’Neill. The colours representing those found on the Group’s scarf (green, yellow, and red). It celebrates the continuation of the group from 1919 to 2009 and depicts the group’s emblem (Sammy the Salmon) solidly placed upon the right arm of the purple world Scouting emblem, the fleur-de-lis.
The 1st Lakeshore Scout Group Today
As the 1st Lakeshore Scout Group approaches its 100th year of service in 2019, the Group runs four youth sections; Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts, and Venturer Scouts. It has a dedicated volunteer leadership team and Group Committee and continues to meet at the Seventh Street School.
Written by William J. Law.
1st Lakeshore Scout Group
Group Commissioner 2008-2011
