MEMORIES OF A TEMPORARY JOINT CN CP TELEGRAPH OFFICE,
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONT. 1955.
by Gord Smithson
Back in 1955, I was asked to cover an out of town one-week work assignment as teletype operator at Niagara On The Lake. (I believe it was the second week of July).
I left 347 Bay Street and departed Toronto in my 1947 FORD travelling the QEW to the picturesque little village of Niagara On The Lake.
My instructions were to proceed to the nearby site of the International Boy Scout Jamboree, and there I would find a rather large tent that had been assigned as a temporary telegraph office. I was also assigned an army style Bell tent where I could sleep overnight.
The temporary office tent was a shared facility, one half for use by Canadian National Telegraphs, and the other half by Canadian Pacific Telegraphs. With the exception of myself, the staff for each Company was recruited from the St. Catherines CNT and CPT commercial offices.
In addition to sending press releases filed by the out-of-town newspaper reporters, my workload included a good number of cables that were sent off to distant countries by some of the boy scouts who were in need of additional finances.
The CNT employee staff included- Gord Smithson (teletype operator),
C.V. Ingram (Manager, St Catherines), and Merle Groombridge (clerk St. Catherines).
I do not remember the names of the CPT staff.
l-r Gord Smithson, C.V. Ingram, Merle Groombridge, ? ? ?
Bell Tent issued to Gord Smithson for overnight accommodation.
Vehicles l-r 1947 FORD (G.Smithson) 1948 OLDSMOBILE (C.Ingram)
White tent in rear right was the temporary office tent.
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Date this page was last Updated
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