Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
29 Mar 1963, Fri • Page 3
As D Christopher Vaughan said if you are new to Almonte Irishtown was once essentially North of Ottawa Street and east of Martin Street.
Sandy France said: This is a strange story in some aspects. I recall a small creek starting at the bottom of Martin Street, but doubt the water could reach Irishtown…and Reg Axcell was the Chief of Police in Ottawa in 1963.
Well everyone, it did.
One Saturday in March of 1963 someone was driving down Bridge Street and saw the sign and wondered where the ferry was. Then as they went through the large lake style puddle and the car jostled by a pot hole they realized it wasn’t a practical joke.
On the following Monday morning the reporter of the Almonte Gazette went to pay a visit to Mr. Hill owner of the car and garage station there. They asked him about the sign and he said it was no joke. Every single year the hole and pond sized puddle was there and no one on the Almonte council would do anything. He said it was bad enough to have strangers to drive by his place of business and get their head almost chucked off in the pothole let alone ruin the underpinning of their car.
The reporter also asked him if he thought people passing by thought he had put it there to get attention to his business. He was horrified and hoped not as he wished the pothole would go away to the North Pole. Mr. Hill objected to the lake in front of his business and what concerned him more was the faulty sewer serving his home at Perth and Country Streets. He said that last year he had come home to a few feet of water in his basement ruining all the furniture and electronics. Council promised to do something and nothing was done, so the same flooding happened a few weeks later. Finally Mr. Hill had a trap to the sewer and a sump pump installed to stop future floodings. As for the pothole no idea when that was finally fixed. God save the Queen!!!
Ironworks– Mississippi Iron Works 1928 Flood and Sale
lindaseccaspina 