Chapter 11

Holding On

In September, 1951 “nearly 100 farmers” from the com—
munities surrounding Kinkora gathered in the Kinkora Hall
to vote on whether or not to support the newly formed
P.E.I. Potato Marketing Board] They gave “strong sup—
port”, and well they might, because they were enjoying the
highest prices they ever received for their potatoes — $3.55
per 100 lbs.2 A wave of buying of new cars, farm machinery
and household appliances followed. New schools were built
in Kinkora and Newton in 1952, 1953 and 1955. In 1953
Kinkora business leaders prepared an economic profile of
the community as part of a request to the P.E.I. government
to have the main road through Kinkora paved. Table 11:1
summarizes that economic assessment.

Table 11:1, Kinkora Business Estimates, 19533
Fertilizer, imported : 1300 tons
Potatoes & Thrnips, exported : 457 carloads
86 carloads
148 carloads

$1,140,000.00

Grain feed & flour, exported :

Grain feed & flour, imported :

Estimated Value of business:

 

The estimates do not itemize all the specific sources of
income. In addition to the farms and the Shur—Gain Mill
of PL. Morris, that are implied in these estimates, the com—
munity also received income from two general stores, an
Esso Service station, the CNR station, a restaurant, a bank,
a credit union, barber shop, a butter factory, the schools,
St. Stanislaus Convent which was residence for about
twenty boarders, the Kinkora recreation hall, and a resident

113

medical doctor. The road was paved from Middleton to a
point just east of St. Malachy’s Church in 1955.

In 1955 Kinkora also voted to become an incorporated
village. Municipal status with all that it implied in terms
of claiming control over the future development of the com—
munity, and financial assistance from government sources,
was legally enacted on January 3, 1956.4 The first village
commissioners were: Fred Coady, the Esso Service Station
owner; Sabinus Johnston, bank manager; and Desmond
Roberts, restaurant owner.5 Their first act was to purchase
an old Peerless beverage truck, which was re-made into a
fire truck.6 The Canadian census in 1956 reported there were
266 people and eleven farms in the new village of Kinkora.7

It was a promising start to a time (the 19505 and 19605)
which would bring great changes to most communities in
P.E.I. Changes were most dramatic in farming and school—
ing; involving the disappearance of the traditional small

     

Farm of Aden and Gladys Mulligan, Newton, P.E.I.

(Courtesy of Gladys Mulligan)