Chief Irvine Preys on Motorists According to Almonte

August 1931

Carleton Place claims great latitude is being shown by Chief Irvine in respect to traffic law enforcement. As proof of this it claims the chief’s records show only three Almonters were summoned on traffic counts this year. As Almonte’s car driving population is a mere fraction of the total volume passing through Carleton Place, it is interesting to speculate on the total number of convictions obtained in the period under consideration.

If we took the three secured against Almonters and worked it out on a proportionate basis the result would be stupendous and would well justify Councillor Carson’s claim that it wouldn’t take the chief long to pay for a car through the fines he secured. In view of all this it is interesting to read the following from The Perth Courier:

“Complaints have been made by some motorists of the United States that speed traps exist in some places in Canada, particularly in Ontario. As far as Perth is concerned no such “traps” are used, and so far not one United States motorist has been up against a charge of speeding here;, and for that matter not one Canadian motorist up until this week”.

These speed traps are in direct contradiction to what Colonel Price, the Provincial Attorney-General, says about them, He says:

‘Because man is a tourist is no reason to why he should be allowed to travel at a dangerous speed, but municipalities should not seek to increase their revenues by increasing the amount of fines. There is some ground for complaint, but not with the Provincial police. Tourists should be treated the same as our own people. Our instructions to provincial officers are to enforce the laws, but not -by means of speed traps.’

The above just about proves all The Gazette sought to prove because regardless of Chief Irvine’s records Carleton Place has a hard name when it comes to preying on the motorist.

Update

It would seem that Almonters are not the only motorists who exceed the speed limit in the various towns and cities of our fair Dominion. I t grieves us to inform the public that a Carleton Place man appeared in the local police court, Tuesday, and paid $10 fine and $2 costs for driving too fast on Bridge Street in Almonte. The man in question brought a Carleton Place lawyer with him and fought the charge but was ordered by the magistrate to pay the above mentioned contribution into the public coffers.

Have you read? Going to the Chapel –Drummond Whalen and Johnson of Carleton Place

Comments

Ray Paquette16 hours

I’m old enough to remember when Chief Irvine patrolled Carleton Place in his personal vehicle, a gray Chevrolet, four door, ca 1946, the car, I mean. This was before the council purchased police cars, in the late ’40’s or ’50’s,,,

Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

February 1946 Almonte Gazette— H. E. Cornell, Army provost officer in Carleton Place daring the war, was engaged by town council on Monday evening to work with Chief C. R. Irvine. Tenders were called and 11 applications were received. Photo from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum-Constable Ray McIssac, and Police Chief Herb Cornell. They are proudly standing in front of a newly acquired Ford police cruiser on Mill Street in 1960.

CLIPPED FROM
The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada03 Jun 1936, Wed • Page 21

The Bat Signal of Carleton Place

The Sometimes “Keystone Cops Moments” of the Carleton Place Police

The Carleton Place Police – Whatcha’ Goin’ to Do When They Come For You?

The Scene of the Crime – It was 68 years ago today

Constable George McDonald — The Fearless Mermaid of Carleton Place?

Dog Day Afternoon — The Only Bank Robbery EVER in Carleton Place

What’s in the Back Seat? Another Story of Our Carleton Place Police Force

82 Bottles of Booze on the Wall – 82 Bottles of Booze

Vandalism 1974 in Carleton Place

Interesting People –R. E. Irvine — The Story of a Bottle

Photo-Adin Wesley Daigle

Our community Carleton Place archaeologist Adin Wesley Daigle posted this photo on Facebook and said it was his favourite bottle. Not being a bottle collector I still had to agree and decided to investigate one R. E. Irvine from Ottawa. The bottle was great so I figured it must have a story!

The only thing I could find out was that R. E Irvine was served a lawsuit in 1910 from the Sanitaris Co. in Ottawa. Well I knew who Sanitarius was as I had written about their affiliation to Diamond Park Mineral Water. Irvine bottled beer and other beverages like Lithia water. Lithia water is defined as a type of mineral water characterized by the presence of lithium salts which he got from the Diamond Park and sold by Sanitarius. Natural lithia mineral spring waters are rare and between the 1880s and World War I, the consumption of bottled lithia mineral water was popular as well as the Mineral Water spas outside Pakenham. ( Diamond Springs and Dominion Springs).

Mr. Irvine also owned the local Ottawa Livery and Boarding Stable in Ottawa– but that is another story. Actually, it could be a series of stories from the vast amount of postings in the Ottawa newspapers.

As well as the waters business, R.E. Irvine purchased a high-end livery and riding stable in 1906. From the Citizen, April 26, 1906: Photo Jaan Kolk and information.

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
03 Feb 1910, Thu • Page 11

Diamond Park Mineral Water was world famous in its day, and it was located near Arnprior. Among the components in the water were salt and sulphur and the water was said to have curative powers dealing with rheumatic problems, hangover headaches and an aid in flushing the kidneys. Diamond Park Springs was located on the edge of Pakenham Township in the late 1800s, but was flooded by Ontario Hydro when the dam was put in place at the head pond. At one point there was a 12-room hotel on site and proved to be a popular spa in its day. The plant was later sold to Sanitaris Ltd. who continued bottling water from their plant at the corner of John and William streets behind the current LCBO in Arnprior.

Sanitaris Natural Mineral Water Building, Arnprior, Canada–Date: 1914 Location:
John Street, Arnprior, Ontario, Canada

By 1910 R. E. Irvine looks like he was no longer running his namesake company and was letting someone else run it. (Morel Bros. Aerated Waters?) Sanitaris was taking him to court for the disappearance of “empties” as we kids used to say. Irvine said that they had been returned — Sanitarius said he or his successor had not. Needless to say Mr. Irvine’s company was on the hook for a grand sum of $480 unless all was returned.

Jaan Kolk said: “Irvine was a businessman, who came likely came to Ottawa for a business opportunity and left for a better one”. (I don’t think the minor legal disputes were of any importance.)

Jaan Kolk our favourite historian found this: Robert Irvine, mineral waters 359 Wellington, boarding at Butler House, is listed in the 1901 Ottawa City Directory, The business seems to have peaked around 1909, when it was at 200 Bay Street. Still there as Irvine in 1911, it was shown as Morel Bros. Aerated Waters in 1912. Here is an Ottawa Journal ad from May 18, 1909. (above)

After researching — no mention of the case was made in the media again except for this one above Jaan Kolk found from 1900. This Ottawa Citizen note from Aug. 25, 1900 on a suit over Irvine’s use of the name “Hygeia Water” mentions he was formerly in Toronto. So what was Hugeia Water? J.J. McLaughlin started out professional life as a druggist and eventually focused on what started out as a typical pharmacy sideline, making soda water, which he initially called Hygeia Waters, the Hygeia, being a play on the word hygiene. McLaughlin’s Hygeia Waters were based on a Belfast dry ginger ale recipe. The name was rebranded as the much more successful Canada Dry.

Meanwhile, the case from Sanitarius stated that “judgement was reserved”. Most often, the judge will reserve judgment which means that the judge will take some time – days, weeks, or even months – to consider the matter before issuing the judgment and it is usually written though it may be delivered orally. In this case Irvine had left from the Ottawa area, but if you looked hard enough you would see what happened. By 1910 the ads for the Irvine Company had stopped in the Ottawa Journal and The Ottawa Citizen and Irvine was now– wait for this– in Vancouver.

May 1909- Ottawa Citizen

In May of 1909 it looks like R. E. was preparing for a future elsewhere. First there was a massive auction sale at his home on Slater and Bay. In June of the same year he transferred some land from R. E. Irvine to R. Irvine Ltd. In 1910 R. E. Irvine had bought and was running Cross & Co. in Vancouver. The business had been under various ownerships. Originally founded by Mr. Cross D. Gavinit, as Vancouver Soda Water Works in 1896. Then purchased by the late J. J. Banfield, who remained owner until he sold his interests to the late R. E. Irvine. R.E.’s son E. L. Irvine bought the business from him in 1917.

Early Circa. 1915-30s British Columbia Soda Siphon / Syphon Seltzer Bottles – Cross and Company Vancouver BC

In an ironic twist like every trade or profession, Irvine’s venture into the Cross & Co soda water business had its troubles just like Sanitarius did with the R. E. Irvine Company in Ottawa. One of the chief problems was maintaining the bottle supply. Bottles cost the company 7 cents each, and since a deposit of only 5 cents a bottle is charged, a loss of 2 cents was sustained on very bottle not returned.

“When the public consider these figures it will realize the benefit, both to the consumer and to ourselves, of returning all empty bottles,” Mr. Irvine said. “For every bottle returned the customer reduces the cost of his thirst-quenchers by five cents. For every bottle not returned we lost two cents.” The loss on bottles was so heavy that Cross & Co. had to purchase $3000 worth annually to maintain its supply. Is this what happened to the R. E. Irvine Co in Ottawa or, was it just for a better opportunity as Jaan Kolk said?

One thing is for sure Mr. R. E. Irvine never set foot back in Ottawa until 1918 and the couple was described in the news as having been residents of Ottawa until 1910 and of course Sanitarius never got their money for the empties.