Remembering the Carleton Place CPR Gardens

CPR station –Photo from Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

 

People say Tom Mitchell the gardener who took care of the CPR gardens was a kind older man. Not only could this man garden, but he was known as a man with a big smile and a pipe constantly in his mouth . The pipe must have been a permanent fixture because it was said he had a permanent groove in his lower lip. Not much is known about him, but in his later years Tom had a room in the Mississippi Hotel. Tom Mitchell won national awards for the gardens at the Carleton Place CPR station.

Looking for any information you might have– it will be happily recorded.

 

Ted Foote ( Tom Mitchell’s son in law ) was the manager of the LCBO when it was on Bridge Street beside the Carleton Place Canadian office where Coldwell Banker’s offices are now .

Joann Voyce–Tom’s grand daughter Audrey Foote married Ray Simpson and raised a family in Carleton Place. The gardens were the whole area where the Veternarian and Subway now is.The only building on all that piece of land was the actual station. I remember the gardens well.Other than the area directly in front of the station which was paved, the rest was gardens. Even around the water tower where the steam engines filled up, was flower beds. I remember many,many hostas

Sandra Rattray–When I was a child we played inside and outside the station almost daily. Nobody worried about it. I remember it as a huge space where men and women had separate areas. It was kept fairly clean. The baggage department was separate, at one end and Eric Simpson was the Manager of that department. His son, Don Simpson (wife Judy from the C.P. Library) might have pictures. Everyone was very kind to the children, especially one group of children, who had to use the Station washroom because their mother would not allow them in the house. Everyone who knew was disgusted. I actually dated one of the ticket agents and telegraphers for a couple of years. We rode the trains for free.

Llew Lloyd— I’ve commented before about Tom Mitchell and his relationship to my family . My mother and his daughter, Evelyn ( Mitchell ) Foote, were first cousins. Family lore has it that Tommy won first prize for best C.P.R. gardens every second year . He won every second year because the contest rules didn’t allow anyone to win in consecutive years . Evelyn’s daughter Audrey married Ray Simpson who coincidentally ran the gas station across from the RBC before the times of Rupert St. Jean and Earl Horricks. Audrey and Ray’s son Terry is the husband of Margaret Simpson who often comments on your posts .

Tom Mitchell — photo from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum at the Caldwell Jaimeson Dunlp Reunion.