July 2: Fort William
At the July 2 meeting in Fort William City Council received a letter from the “Local Council of Women asking the Council to issue a proclamation that when the bells rang for the hour of noon that everyone engage in a moments silent prayer for Victorious Peace.”
July 2: Port Arthur
Port Arthur City Council voted to request the Canadian Northern Railway to give the farmers and settlers permission to use the siding at the 24 mile post and that company (C.N.R) place cars on siding when needed.
A rail siding, is a low speed track which runs near a main track and is used for storing, organizing, loading and unloading train cars. The farmers and settlers would have needed to use the siding in order to load their farm products to be brought into town for sale and unload the goods they purchased in town. This is part of the production and conservation war efforts.
July 2: Port Arthur
The licence for the upcoming “Allied Shows” circus that was granted in June was cancelled on July 2nd as it was deemed unfit for the community of Port Arthur. This show was planned to start on June 30th and run the whole week.
July 2: Port Arthur
The loaning of pipes for sanitary purposes at the soldier’s camp on the hill was approved at the Port Arthur meeting on July 2. Several letters of concern were sent to council regarding this issue; one was dated May 30th and sent from Lieut. Col. Van Tuyl, Major Ruttan sent one dated May 31 and the City Engineer even got involved sending one June 4th. Sanitation had been provided to the previous military camp at Gresley Park, and now that the military encampment had moved to a different location, the City loaned them the pipes from Gresley Park.
July 8: Port Arthur
Carlotta McKellar, Secretary for the Local Council of Women, sent a letter to Port Arthur Council to request a noon-day prayer, which was also discussed at the July 2 Fort William Council meeting (see above). The Port Arthur Council responded acknowledging the “present condition of the war and feels with the Local Council that moral courage and spiritual strength are necessary at the present moment for our nation.” However, the Council felt that an appeal to prayer was better to come from a religious official than from City Council, so they were forwarding the letter to all the City’s churches.
July 8: Port Arthur
The use of coal was still being regulated by the Fuel Controller, but coal would still be needed to heat City buildings for much of the year. After looking at the tenders, Port Arthur City Council decided to divide the coal requirements, “equally between the Louis Walsh Coal Co. and the Thunder Bay Lumber and Fuel Co. at the following prices:
Delivered at City buildings: $8.50 per ton = $130.33/ton in today’s dollar.
F.O.B. Cars Team Track: $7.75 per ton = $118.83/ton in today’s dollar.
July 22: Port Arthur
August 4th 1918 was the fourth anniversary of the start of the War and had been declared “Remembrance Day” in all the Allied countries. The Port Arthur City Council, “resolved that the Mayor issue a Proclamation calling upon all citizens of Port Arthur to observe the Day in a fit and proper manner.”
July 22: Port Arthur
On July 12, Port Arthur Council received a letter from Wm. Paterson, Secretary of the Great War Veterans Association Fort William, about giving priority to returning soldiers when hiring.
Council informed the Association, “that the policy of this Council has been and will continue to be to employ returned men for vacancies in positions under this Council where qualified returned men can be secured, and that in the past positions have been held open until communication has been made with the Veterans Association so that they might make recommendations. That this policy still prevails.”
July 22: Port Arthur
A Letter was received from Brigadier General Ketchen thanking Port Arthur Council for the use of the water pipes for soldier’s camp. (see July 2 entry above)
July 23: Fort William
Fort William received a letter from Brigadier General Ketchen asking what action the City Council had taken regarding the preparations of the title deeds and transfer of armory site to the Crown.
Also, the Great War Veterans Associations forwarded motions asking the Council and the Provincial Governments to hire returned soldiers wherever possible. A similar letter had been forwarded to Port Arthur Council as well (see July 22 above).
The Fort William City Council responded by referring the request respecting provincial appointments to “our local member, Mr. C. W. Jarvis.”
July 23: Fort William
Fort William City Council voted “that the Mayor be authorized to make the necessary arrangements for the storage of shells to be brought in by the officials of the French Government for use on boats being built at the Canadian Car and Foundry Plant.”
The boats were being built as minesweepers for the French Government and would have to be able to defend themselves as they made the dangerous Atlantic crossing to get to their new home, so the French Government sent artillery shells over in preparation for the journey.
July 31: Fort William
The need to encourage local production of food, and the lack of certain supplies that were required for the war effort, led many organizations to have to work together that might not have done otherwise. Here we see that the Canadian Feed Co. needed electricity but the Kamanistiquia Power Co. Ltd. didn’t have the necessary copper wire to run the connection. The City of Fort William did have the necessary wire and so resolved, “That we supply copper wire, now held in stock, for the purpose of supplying power to the Canadian Feed Co. for a period of one year, same to be erected over the City poles on Vickers Streets between Myles Street and the feed mill. The line to be erected maintained and operated by the Kaministiquia Power Co. Ltd. The above required wire to remain property of the City.”
World War One Thunder Bay Centennial Project 