It is with enormous sadness we announce that Lionel Purcell passed away on Thursday, May 12, 2016 at the age of 95, at home on the farm, the place that he lived, loved and put his whole heart into, with his family surrounding him.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Rita, his four children– Carrie, Mark, Blair and Holly, his grandchildren and his brother Vernon. Lionel served on the Historical Society’s Board of Directors for 40 years including 25 years as President.

A service was held on Wednesday, May 18th for family and friends at the Highland Hills Funeral Home in Gormley.

“Your leadership and guidance will forever be missed.”

In lieu of flowers the family asks that you make a donation to the Scarborough Historical Society, Lions Club of Agincourt or Lionels Farm.

The fire hall at 351 Birchmount Road and the corner of Highview Avenue started service in 1925 with its iconic hose tower and remained in active service until 1999. In the basement there is a unique jail cell as well as two washrooms.

After the amalgamation of Scarborough into the City of Toronto the Scarborough Firefighter Retirees Organization began gathering artifacts and memorabilia to set up the museum.

The former auto repair shop has been converted into a second venue for the large collection of artifacts to be displayed. The station building houses two interesting early fire trucks, a kitchen and some offices.

The tour was conducted by Co-Presidents Roy Fletcher and John Vonk as well as several other volunteer retirees.

Our April 26th programme was The History of Canadian Broadcasting. The guest speaker was Kealy Wilkinson, Executive Director of the Canadian Broadcast Museum Foundation. The programme begin with a background on the development of broadcasting in Canada in the 20th century. She mentioned that Canada’s first radio station was CFCF in Montreal in 1920; that Lorne Greene read the CBC news during the WWII and that the very popular Happy Gang radio show was broadcast on CBC radio. Canada’s first 2 television stations in Toronto and Montreal went on the air in 1952.
She mentioned that Canada is the only developed country with no preservation society and that of all the programming produced by the CBC between 1936 and 1984, only 16% was preserved. The National Broadcast Collection for Canada does have over 100,000 items. A recent addition was 50 years of material from CHUM radio.
The Scarborough Historical Society hosts programmes on the 4th Tuesday of each month from January to April and from September to November. All programmes begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Bendale Public Library and are free and open to the public.

The guest speaker for our programme on March 22nd  was Scott Woodland of the Scarborough Historical Society.  Scott introduced his program this way. “The First World War witnessed unprecedented casualties which often overloaded the army’s medical system. However, while there were many aspects of medical care that seem only marginally better than those available during the Napoleonic Wars or the Victorian era,  incredible gains were made in the care of soldiers and the treatment of wounds. As technological advances developed new ways of inflicting injuries on combatants, the doctors and scientists responded with ever improving medical procedures that helped to save lives. The presentation looks at the role medical officers had in keeping soldiers healthy and fit as well as what happened when a soldier became a casualty by tracking his progress through the army’s medical system from when he was hit, to evacuation from the battlefield and treatment in hospital.”

Nothing prepared Canadian troops for the conditions confronting them while in the trenches. They did offer a refuge from machine guns and artillery. However, the trenches were little more than mud ditches crawling with disease, rats, lice, poor sanitation, and often the bodies of fallen comrades. The persistent cold and dampness from prolonged periods standing in water-logged troughs gave way to trench foot, which risked leading to gangrene and amputation.

The troops were issued with improved gas masks and the brodie helmet was introduced that helped against artillery shells.

Front line medical officers treated many casualties but, often overwhelmed by sheer numbers, they quickly transported many of the wounded to field ambulances, located as close as safety allowed to the front lines.  The ambulances took the wounded to dressing stations and those with mild cases were given treatment and rest. When fit, the men were returned to duty. Ambulances also took the severely wounded  to casualty clearing stations. Surgery could be performed at any of the medical units, depending on the patient’s need for immediate or deferred care. Following an initial recovery from surgery, patients could proceed to stationary and general hospitals in France and England for long-term care. By 1918, the Canadian Army Medical Corps operated 16 general hospitals, ten stationary hospitals, and four casualty clearing stations. There was a 94% survival rate if a soldier got to a doctor.

The Scarborough Historical Society hosts programmes on the 4th Tuesday of each month from January to April and from September to November. All programmes begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Bendale Public Library and are free and open to the public.

Trench-bound Canadian soldiers

Canadians bringing wounded comrades to the Field Dressing Station, Vimy Ridge, April 1917