Winter washed away ~ at least for a day

Photos by Barry Wallace

Our second January thaw occurred over the last 24 hours, melting the snow and filling the East Humber River up to its banks.   Hikers along the King City trails were walking in mud in many spots.   Temperatures in King City got up to about 12C.   

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Barry Wallace

Mailboxes

Photo by Barry Wallace

Laskay Lane & Weston Road

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Barry Wallace

Once a church ~ now a barn

Photo by Barry Wallace

I've taken several pictures of this pleasant scene over the years and have included some in this space on a couple of occasions.   I haven't, however, written about the special origin of this structure, on Dufferin Street, north of Eversley.   The fact is this building was originally the Temperanceville Presbyterian Church.   It was built in 1858 at the south-west corner of the King Road and Bathurst Street.   The small church was affiliated with several other Presbyterian churches and congregations in the area, over the years, but in July of 1912, the last service was held at the Temperanceville church.   According to Elizabeth Gillham, in her Early Settlements of King Township book, soon after the closing of the church, it was converted to a private residence.   Finally, in 1971, the former church was designated to be demolished because of road widening.   Dr. Michael Willinsky purchased the old church and took it down, board by board.   He rebuilt it on property he owned, north of Eversley on Dufferin Street.   There was a barn-raising and the old church, with a few design modifications, appeared as you see above.   It has lasted another 41 years as a haven for critters like the ones pictured here.   Below is a photograph from Elizabeth Gillham's book showing the church, at Temperanceville, in 1908.

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Barry Wallace

Carson Bice - remembered

Photo by Barry Wallace

Carson Bice was my Grade 8 teacher at Doris M. Patton Public School, King City, in 1955.   My family had just moved into the village when I started school on Keele Street North.   I distinctly remember being very surprised when I saw Carson for the first time.   He was a very short man.   He seemed to me to be about 4' nothing.   I quickly learned, however, it was woe betide anyone who mistook the man's physical stature for his commanding presence.   Moreover, he had a winning personality and as the plaque above states he was not only a teacher and principal to his students "...but also a friend to the thousands of young people he guided in their younger years".   I recall him as taking a sincere, personal interest in every student of the school and unofficially becoming their mentor.   The plaque on the north side of Norman Drive, adjacent to St. Andrew's Park and the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church grounds may be easy to overlook, but for many of us oldtimers in King City, the man's memory and legacy is not forgotten.
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BtheB

Last days of St. Paul's by Robert Burnham

Last March I took some pictures of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church cemetery on Hwy. 27 at Linton, a few kilometres north of Nobleton.   I included the photos in this blog and wrote about some of the  King pioneers buried there.   I did not have a picture of the church, however.   Now, 10 months later, an anonymous visitor to the blog has sent me 13 photos of the Linton church, taken by a gentleman named Robert Burnham, when the church was being dismantled between 1970 and 1973.   I am including some of the photographs here to show what the church looked like prior to its demise.   There's a sadness to the photos perhaps for those who never enjoyed the church life of the old St.Paul's at Linton.   For those who were members of the old congregations, there are those who will see beyond the dismantled walls and floors and remember with fondness their time there.

ALL PHOTOS BY ROBERT BURNHAM

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Barry Wallace

Cold mornings ~ frosty windows

Photo by Barry Wallace

The temperature was -15C this morning at dawn.   Each window in the house has a different frosty face on its glass.   The patterns change somewhat each day.   When I was a kid, my grandfather, Sid Thomas, would tell me that days like this were "...as cold as a witch's heart". 

Horses intrepid

Photo by Barry Wallace

Coldest day ~ snow ~ no blankets

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Barry Wallace

Subway's 38,636th restaurant is in King City

Photo by Barry Wallace

According to Subway's website, the new location in King City is the 38,636th Subway take-out restaurant in the world (2,885th in Canada).   Well, this will certainly be an alternative to Hogan's, Locale, Paper Crane and Rockford's.   According to reports, more fast-food eating spots are in the offing also.   Now if King City could just attract something that closely resembles Schomberg's Grackle Coffee Company.
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BtheB

Echo of yesteryear

Photo by Barry Wallace

Keele Street South ~ King City

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Barry Wallace

The Kingsbridge Centre ~ Kinghorn

Photo by Barry Wallace

Humber River ~ unfrozen

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BtheB

Snowy Owl ~ Holland Marsh

Snowy Owl on Edward Street ~ just west of Jane Street

Photos by BarrytheBirder

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BtheB

January thaw

Photo by Barry Wallace

King-Vaughan Townline

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Barry Wallace

January 12th ~ T-shirts and skateboards

Photo by Barry Wallace

When the temperature hits 11C and the snow melts, what's a fella going to do.   Head to the new skateboard park and get in a few licks.   There were half a dozen young guys doing just that on Saturday beside the King City Arena.

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Barry Wallace

Cold but fresh January herbs

Photo by Barry Wallace

The photo above shows part of the preparation for a meal my wife and I enjoyed this past weekend.   I would draw your attention to the small measuring cup of parsley.   A little over a month ago, we moved all the pots of herbs from outside the house and moved them into the garden shed, where they would rest and shrivel up over the course of the winter.   It's been fairly mild in southern Ontario so far, much like last winter.   We have been making trips to the garden shed each afternoon to pick herbs that will become part of our dinner.   We can choose from several herbs and there's nothing like fresh herbs, even if they are a little chilly.   As far as we're concerned, we're into bonus territory now and will enjoy the extra flavours while we can.   Bon appetit.

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Barry Wallace  

Nobleton sprawls to the horizon

A rather large circular spire roof awaits a lift to the top of a new house, in a subdivision in north-east Nobleton.   The sprawl of large houses covers a huge amount of land here and one is left wondering if this singular housing tract doesn't contain as many houses as all the current King City subdivisions lumped together.   The Nobleton homes seem larger, on average, as well as being closer together on smaller lots.   I must drop in to the township offices one day soon and seek some answers to my speculations.   Meanwhile I will try not to get lost again, as I did this past weekend, when I drive about this new megalopolitan part of Nobleton.

Photos by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

Strolling Main Street Schomberg

Photos by Barry Wallace

Footnote: The Traders Bank of Canada (5th picture from the top) was taken over by the Royal Bank of Canada, in 1912.

Footnote 2: The Schomberg River (bottom photo) meanders through the village, crossing Main Street twice, before heading east and flowing through the Holland Marsh. 

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Barry Wallace

New houses mean new schools

Photos by Barry Wallace

New homes in new subdivisions mean new schools.   Above is King City's old Holy Name Catholic School, on the south side of the King Road, at the west end of the village.   In the background is the new Royal Collection condominium apartment development on the south-west corner of the King Road and Burns Boulevard.   Many condo units are occupied while others are still being finished.   Below is the new Holy School Catholic School on Spring Hill Drive, at  the east side of the village, near Dufferin Street, in the new King's Ridge development by Zancor.   There have been hints at what may become of the old Holy Name school, but so far nothing definitive.  

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Barry Wallace

Eaton Hall winterscapes

Eaton Hall at Seneca College

Photos by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

New Phil Chadwick works

Sunrise

Sunset

Former King Township resident and Environment Canada weatherman, Phil Chadwick, has just posted two new paintings, that are dramatically colourful, on his website.   One is entitled Sunrise and the other is called Sunset.   Phil describes his works in weatherman terms, on his website, and it gives an interesting overview that no one (other than another weatherman or weatherwoman) could give.  Go to philtheforecaster.blogspot.com to seen more of Phil's work and his unique weather descriptions.
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BtheB

Joy to the world

May 2013 be our best year ever.