Sunday February 28th, 2010 Rosslyn Village

There’s no place like home. I’m a country girl at heart. I grew up in Rosslyn Village. Back then it felt more like a small village and not so much like a suburb. Growing up in the country was great. Everyone knew each other. The adults socialized and so did the kids. It was a safe place to live. Children could go out and play after dark and you didn’t have to worry. We had all the essentials of a village – a school, a church, a corner store, a baseball diamond, a swimming pool and a hockey rink. We even had our own hockey team, the Rosslyn Dynamiters. We also had industries such as a seed cleaning plant and a brickyard. Here’s my tribute to Rosslyn Village.

Museums

The Paipoonge Museum first opened in March 1953 in the basement of the Slate River School as a result of an idea by Reeve Harold Gammond and Councilor A.C. Hanna. Duke Hunt was the curator. In July of 1970 it moved to a new location at the corner of Rosslyn Road and Highway 130. This year the museum will reopen in a nearby location occupying what was once S.S. # 5 School. It has been renamed in honour of Duke Hunt. The museum includes many interesting objects that belonged to area pioneers. It includes farm machinery and many household artifacts such as a table and a spinning wheel that came from my grandparent’s farm in Stanley. There are also letters and photographs. The museum is open from May through August.

Source: LF NWO Museums

Schools

I’m always amused when people ask what school I went to. It was called S.S. # 5 and was later renamed Rosslyn Village School. The first S.S. # 5 was located on Highway 130 where Pinegrove United Church currently stands. My grade one teacher was Muriel Hunt, who was the wife of the previously mentioned Duke Hunt. I still recall her clean soapy smell.

One of the things I remember was when the Northwestern Regional Library’s bookmobile would visit the school. Students were allowed to hop on the bookmobile and choose their reading material. I can still picture it. Who knew I would spend my life working in a library.

In 2005 the school celebrated its fiftieth anniversary with an open house. It was interesting to visit the old classrooms. I hoped that I would stop dreaming that I was back in school, but that didn’t work. The school closed that June.

Source: Five Miles And All Uphill: Early Schools In The Lakehead And Area, researched by Art Gunnell.

Industries

Superior Brick & Tile

When I was growing up, the brickyard was a source of employment for many Rosslyn residents. The plant which opened in 1912 featured 6 kilns, each of which had a capacity of 150,000 bricks. The resulting red bricks were shipped across Canada. I can recall a class tour to the brickyard. What impressed me the most was the extreme heat in the plant (I don’t think Health and Safety was a big issue when I was growing up) and the time clock in the office. I’m sure the red bricks from the brickyard can still be found on area homes.

Source: LF NWO Industries – Brick & Tile – Superior Brick & Tile

Churches

December 25, 1956 marked the first service held in St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Rosslyn Village. At an estimated value of $24,000 the church was built mainly by volunteers. It replaced the first Anglican Church which burned down in 1913. The exterior finishing of this little red brick church was donated by the brickyard. The property had been donated, as were the services of the architect, Harold Tett. The pulpit, altar and lectern were the work of area resident Ken Vibert. In 2006 an expansion was added to the church, which is still at the heart of Rosslyn Village.

Source: LHF Churches – Anglican – St. Mark’s

If you’re ever looking for information on Rosslyn or other rural communities, check out the local history collection in the Reference Department at the Brodie Resource Library. I hope you have a great National Pig Day tomorrow.

Karen Craib is a Library Technician