Newmarket’s Military Camp

Newmarket’s Military Camp

This is an excerpt from my presentation at the Legion back in April of this year.

In August, 1940 the then Newmarket Mayor Dr. S.J. Boyd, a Main St. doctor, told Ottawa the town of Newmarket was willing to provide a site for a wartime army camp. Within six weeks, the Newmarket Basic Training Centre had been built – 36 buildings including a large drill hall, barracks, cookhouses, messes, guardrooms, recreation halls, and canteens. An infirmary, churches and other buildings were added later. Thousands of soldiers were trained for overseas action at the Newmarket base and the camp payroll and supply purchases kept Main St. prosperous during the war years.

Today, the drill hall is the York Curling Club, and many of the barracks and other buildings which were converted to peacetime uses can still be seen on nearby streets.

We must remember that in the late 1930’s war clouds were beginning to cast a dark shadow over Western Europe. The German Nazi army invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939 and overran Poland on Sept.1. The fate of Britain was in jeopardy. On Sept. 3, 1939 England declared war on Germany and five days later on Sept. 8 the Parliament of Canada proclaimed that a state of war existed in support of England despite the waffling for neutrality by Prime Minister Mackenzie King.

Before the war Canada had strong ties with Britain with preferential trade and sentiments. The population was predominantly Anglo-Saxon and unemployment during the 1930’s was an inducement to enlist in the armed forces to alleviate the distress and at the same time help England in its dire need. The Department of National Defense established several recruiting depots across the country and Toronto was named Military District No.2 located in the Exhibition Coliseum and was generally known as Manning Pool where the recruits were dispensed to the various training camps set up for the relative services. There were 39 army camps established across Canada for elementary training.

When it was announced in midsummer 1940 that army training camps were to be formed the Newmarket town council were quick to realize an opportunity to offer unused land in the municipality for that specific purpose which in return would be an economic benefit and help to alleviate the depressed business and labor problems in the town. With remarkable speed and political influence Mayor Dr. S. J. Boyd, Reeve Fred Lundy, Deputy Reeve Joseph Vale and solicitor Norman L. Mathews went to Ottawa and met with W. Pate Mulock the M.P.P. and Harry Doyle the administrator of Wartime Prices & Trade Board. (Harry was born and raised in Newmarket from a well-known family before going to Ottawa).

On Aug.1, 1940 bylaw 834 was passed by council to lease town properties to the Dept. of National Defense for the duration of the war and for 6 months after the declaration of peace. This area included 16 acres of Cannaught Gardens on the north side of Srigley St. and another16 acres being the fairgrounds. An additional 20 acres was acquired from Albert and Herbert Stickwood whose farm was on the south side of Srigley St. east of the fairgrounds. Thus a total of 52 acres was allocated to the military. (Connaught Gardens was a subdivision venture of 1912, which failed and reverted to the town for unpaid taxes). Provisions for water supply, sewers, hydro and telephone services were part of the negotiations and were quickly arranged by the diligence of town council.

On Aug.15, 1940 Newmarket was selected as a site for a basic army training camp and designated No.23 in Military District 2 with an expenditure of $300,000 to train 1000 men each month with a staff of 200 officers and instructors. The training concentrated on physical exercise, squad drill, gas training and musketry. Work commenced immediately with 300 men employed to build 30 buildings in a 10 hr. day, 6-day week. Anyone with a hammer and saw applied for pay at .55c. /hr. up to $1.10 /hr. for skilled labour (the prevailing rate in town was .25 to .35 cents/hr. when work was available).

Eventually there were 45 buildings including a large drill hall, barracks for 1000 men, officers quarters, cook houses, recreation hall, infirmary, quarter-master stores, canteens, chapels etc. Recruiting and enlistments at the rate of 1000 men a month from Manning Pool arriving by train. This continued steadily for the duration of the war. When peace was declared to end hostilities the camp ceased to function and went into limbo only to prepare for closing. On Jan.27, 1946 it was announced that the camp would be closed finally at the end of March. On being vacated an auction sale on July 24/25 disposed of all furniture and equipment. The war period ended the terrible decade of the 1930’s and introduced the transition into a completely new life style at mid century, which changed humanity beyond all comprehension at the time.

The military camp area was completely redundant after the war and on Aug.3, 1946 a bylaw was passed by Town Council to repossess their leased 32 acres and acquire the residual 20 acres and all the buildings on the site from the War Assets Corporation for $34,700. Within a few days they passed another bylaw to sell part of their purchase for $25,500 to builder/contractor John W. Bowser. This was the area on the south side of Srigley St. and included all 9 barracks. Each unit had been the quarters for 136 servicemen and comprised 2 long frame huts 24’x 100’ joined by a centre section called the “ablution hut” for toilets and showers etc. to make an “H” platform. J. W. Bowser modified these “H” huts to plans by Geo. Luesby to convert them to residences. The central portion was removed and the ends of each leg in situ were adapted to make a bungalow 24’x 35’ for a total of 36 dwellings. The parade areas between the barracks were turned into streets and named Newton St., Arthur St., Lowell Ave. and Muriel Ave. which was not extended to Gorham St. until January 1951 to make it the east limit for the fairgrounds. The houses were all sold as soon as they were built in 1947 for $5.000 each.

The officers quarters were on the north side of Srigley St. and in April 1950 the property and one of the buildings were deeded by the town (bylaw 1125) to the Newmarket branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, which was the nucleus for extension additions of their Legion Hall.

Also north of Srigley St. on the east side of Crescent Rd. the hospital infirmary was leased in August 1946 to Sangamo Electric Co. for $10,000 – $2,000 down and $4,000 for 2 years. This was used for light manufacturing until March 1950 and then leased to a printing lithographing company. In 1970 the buildings were demolished and the land parceled to provide 11 building lots.

During the war the southeast corner of Srigley St. and Muriel St. was occupied by the Quartermasters stores, N.C.O. mess and offices. This location was chosen for a new school site and with additional property from the Stickwood brothers on the west side, the Prince Charles School was erected in 1950. The population had increased from 4000 to 5000 during the previous five years. This was the first school to be built since 1923.

The parade ground for army training was located in the central part of the old racetrack in the fairgrounds and a large drill hall was erected at east end in 1941. It was a huge building with open interior covered with deep wooden trusses 125 ft. span and one of the buildings acquired by the town from War Assets Corp. after the war. In August 1947 it was leased to Eric. K. Jackson of Montreal as the Ontario Truck Body Co. for manufacturing. When the lease expired the drill hall was occupied in 1950 by Canadian Comstock Co. as headquarters for the major hydro conversion project to change electricity services from 25 to 60 cycles. Later it was used as a curling rink until it was torn down in October 1960. A new curling rink was built on the north part of the site.

Isaac Lindenbaum who had them moved to the north side of Davis Dr purchased two single units barrack huts for $500 west of the present Dixon Medical Centre to establish a dry cleaning business. One of the huts was later converted to a dairy and then a restaurant and the other used for indoor bowling. The former Glenville dairy was destroyed by fire on Apr.7, 1990 and the bowling alley demolished in June1991 along with the demise of the old Cane factory. These were last remnants of the military camp except for the fairgrounds, which remain as a recreation park.

By mid September the first officers moved in under Lt. Col. Harkness with a provost corps of a sergeant and six men to supervise the army requirements. On Sept.26 the first group of 100 men arrived by train and paraded down Main St. on their way to the camp.

War’s End

Mayor Dales made the official announcement of unconditional surrender to end the war in Europe on May 3, 1945 and “V.E.” day was celebrated by parades and public services on May 8. Again on Aug.16 “V.J.” day was celebrated for the end of hostilities with Japan.

The post war conditions added to a number of perplexing problems, which were difficult to solve. The need for new housing, industry, education public utilities and services placed a heavy burden on the municipal administration. Plans for settlement for personnel returning from the Armed Forces began in January 1945 before peace was declared. An emergent meeting at Newmarket High School stressed the need for vocational training for the veterans.

In 1912 streets east of Pleasantview Ave. had been laid out on 35 acres as a speculation venture known as Connaught Gardens. Concrete sidewalks and road allowances were made but no other services. It was eventually taken over by the Town for non-payment of taxes. The whole district remained idle until a portion of it was taken over by the Government in 1940 to establish a military base for elementary training. The campsite covered 52 acres extending 660 ft. each side of Srigley St. east of Vale Ave. and included the Fair Grounds to Pine St. There were 45 buildings erected for various military purposes including a large drill hall, barracks for 1000 men, officers’ quarters, cook houses, recreation hall, infirmary, messes, canteens etc. Recruiting and enlistments continued to supply the army with basic training at the rate of 1000 men a month for the duration of the war. At the end of hostilities the camp was closed at the end of March 1946.

In August 1946 after the camp was vacated a bylaw was passed by Town Council to repossess their 32 acres and acquire the remaining 20 acres and all the buildings from War Assets Corporation for $34,700. Within a few days they passed another bylaw to sell part of their purchase for $25,000 to John W. Bowser a builder/contractor. This was on the south side of Srigley St. and included all 9 barracks; each unit had been the quarters for 136 servicemen and consisted of two long frame sections joined at the center with a utility room thus making an “H” plan form. These were converted into bungalows by removing the center portion and adapting each leg to make dwellings each 24’x 35′ for a total of 35 bounded by new streets, Muriel Ave. Lowell Ave. Arthur St. and Newton St. They were all sold for $5000 each as soon as they were built in 1947.

The Newmarket branch No. 426 of the Canadian Legion of war veterans was started in 1946. Lt. Col. K.M.R. Stiver was elected charter president with membership of approximately 250 Legionnaires. The Town deeded the officer’s mess building on the north side of Srigley St. in 1949 to serve as their headquarters. The organization was named the Milton Wesley Branch #426 Canadian Legion dedicated to Milton Wesley who was instrumental in early development of the Legion hall which has had many alterations and additions to serve as a popular social center on the east side of the town.

During the late 1940’s the veterans met in makeshift facilities in the vacated old Town Clerk’s building on Millard Ave. at Main St. until 1952 and then they had a “dug-out” in the unfinished basement of the Town Hall. In 1966 the vacated Free Methodist Church, which was built in 1913, was purchased as a permanent site for the Association. A Provincial Charter was granted and the building enlarged. Property for parking space was acquired by demolition of three houses on Victoria St. and another on Millard Ave.

As a tangible show of patriotism and war effort recognition a municipal auditorium was proposed by Town Council to be visible war memorial. In March 1947 plans were drawn for 2 storey auditoriums 109’x 122′ to seat 700 people located on the south side of Park Ave. west of the Post Office extending to the area where the library now stands. The estimated cost was $190,000 and involved expropriation of the property. The proposal was submitted to the ratepayers for approval but the presentation was poorly conducted. A vote taken on April 7, 1947 gave only a favorable vote of 37 with only a third of eligible voters casting ballots. The promotion of major expenditure and the hastiness of Council to push it through were resisted by many citizens. Nevertheless, in February 1948 property was purchased from Geer & Byers for $30,148.00 and no further action was taken. Eventually, part of the property was sold to the Government for Post Office extension, the west part reserved for a library and the remainder for a parking lot.

As an aftermath of the ill fated referendum on the Memorial Auditorium, it was decided in Council that a planning commission should be set up to provide a rational approach to future building and land use applications.

In June 1948 it was announced from Ottawa that a regional office to administer the Veterans Land Act and Soldier Settlement was to be located in Newmarket to serve a district from Peterborough to Owen Sound. The office was initially set up in the I.O.O.F. hall, which had been used as a dance pavilion during the war patronized by the soldiers from the army camp. In 1956 it relocated to the west wing of the Post Office. Under VLA land was purchased from the west end of the Uriah Marsh farm for $6000. This area was east of York County Hospital and south of Davis Dr. The property was later parceled into 45 half-acre lots and sold at a nominal cost to veterans to build their homes with their own design and effort. It was called “Sunny Hills’ subdivision and was the first post war land development. This created extensions to Queen St. and Grace St. eastward to a new street named Roxborough Road.

Next time you are exploring around Newmarket, look for the reminents of the Military Camp. They are still around!

Until next time, happy trails!

The History Hound

Taken from Newmarket Era, archives and personal files!