1964 Centennial

The first of a series of meetings which culminated in the con- federation of the British colonies in North America was held in Char- lottetown in 1864. Charlottetown was therefore the “cradle” of Con- federation, and the centenary of the momentous gathering was cele- brated in fitting style in 1964. The Mount Stewart Observances began on the morning of July 15th with a parade headed by Charlottetown’s Centennial Majorettes and fOIIOWed by Burke’s Pipe Band, representa- tives of the Royal Canadian Legion, the contestants in the village’s Centennial Queen Contest, members of the Fire Department and a num— ber of floats. The judges awarded the Canada Packer’s float first place, and the runners-up were Irving Oil and Glover’s Deep Sea Fishing. The opening of the new Public Library, the community’s special Centennial project, was presided over by Hon. Andrew MacRae, Minister of Agri—

culture.

Queen Linda Feehan and her princesses, Jane Mullen and Wil- helmina Kaptein, played a prominent role in the children’s events, includ- ing a doll carriage parade, pet parade and soap box derby, which took up part of the afternoon. The sky divers appeared. and sports events featured a tug of war between the Legion and the Fire Department, the former being victorious. The Women’s Institute served supper in the evening, and a fireworks display and dance brought a memorable day to an exciting and successful conclusion.

1967 Centennial

Even though Prince Edward Island chose not to enter Confedera— tion in 1867, the country of which she eventually became a part took form in that year. The event was therefore of significance to all Island- ers, and its centenary was celebrated with enthusiasm. The Centennial torch arrived in Mount Stewart on the evening of December 31, 1966. The events of the evening, including a friendship meeting, a dance and a torch light parade, interspersed with the pealing of church bells and the sounding of the fire siren, gave the village a New Year’s celebration such as it had never before witnessed. “Mount Stewart Day,” however, was July 25th, for which the Centennial Committee arranged a day-long programme of parades, concerts, sports events, dances and an inter-faith church service. The highlight of the celebrations occurred when Matilda Knockwood, “Miss Mount Stewart” assisted Hon. H. J. Robichaud, Fed— eral Minister of Fisheries, with the ribbon cutting ceremony at the official opening of the new recreation centre in the Fire Hall.

Sewer System

A special meeting of the village ratepayers, held early in January, 1969, voted 43-1 in favour of the installation of a sanitary sewer system in the community. Under the new arrangements, instead of flowing directly into the river as formerly, waste was to be pumped into a lagoon to undergo aerobec digestion, after which, the particles broken down, it would pass into the Hillsborough 90-95 percent bacteria free. Pollution from Mount Stewart had been cited as the major contributing factor in the decision to close the upper area of the river to the oyster fishery for direct marketing purposes. The network was duly installed; how- ever, proceedings lodged by the Village Commission against residents who refused to pay the taxes and a countersuit by the defendants claim- ing for damages due to the malfunctioning of the system introduced a

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