Event Highlights for the City of London 1930 - 1949

1930

• Lady Beck Public School opened.
• Returned to Ward system.

1931

• Wellington Street Subway opened, November 1.
• Richmond Street Subway opened, December 4.
• Alderman G. F. W. McKay resigned June 1.
• G. B. Drake appointed Alderman June 1 to complete balance of term of Alderman McKay.

1932

• Earl of Bessborough opened new Willingdon Pavilion at Queen Alexandra Sanatorium, Byron, May 26.
• W. M. Veitch appointed City Engineer.

1933

• Royal Canadian Regiment Golden Jubilee.
• East London Market opened.
• K. Grant Crawford appointed City Clerk.
• Alderman H. H. Bottrill dies in office, November 20.
• Alderman S. E. Weir resigned December 5.

1934

• Mill Creek fill commenced.
• Springbank Dam maintenance assumed by Public Utilities Commission.
• Cenotaph erected.
• Hunt Mill Fire. (District Chief Scruby and Lieut. Hartop of the Fire Dept. killed).
• East London Market closed.
• Richmond Street Bridge erected.
• Alderman E. C. Killingsworth resigned November 26.

1935

• British Directors of Education visit.
• Natural Gas installed by City Gas Company.
• London East Reservoir constructed.
• Alderman A. M. Towe resigned November 25.

1936

• Municipal Income Tax (except Corporation income) taken over by Provincial Government.
• Garbage Department motorized.
• Public Utilities Commission assumed the operation of the London & Port Stanley Railway.
• His Majesty King George V died in January. His son Edward, Prince of Wales, ascended the Throne, but upon his abdication, his younger brother was crowned King George VI, December 11.
• His Excellency, Lord Tweedsmuir, Governor-General of Canada, visits.
• Dominion Public Building opened, September 26.
• Springbank Street Railway line abandoned.
• Canadian National Railway Depot opened by Sir Percy Vincent, Lord Mayor of London, England, September 1.
• York Street Bridge opened.

1937

• April Flood - London, West Chelsea Green, etc. (1,050 houses flooded), April 26.
• Old Age Pensions and Mothers' Allowances payments assumed by Provincial and Dominion Governments.
• Pensions for blind persons instituted.
• Provincial Government grants municipalities a subsidy of one mill on their tax rate.
• Pensions, Works Dept. employees, instituted.

1938

• Municipality relieved of cost of Sanatorium indigents.
• Old Boys' Reunion, July 30 to August 6.
• Alderman A. M. Towe resigned November 28.

1939

• Visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, June 7.
• Building of new wing at Victoria Hospital commenced.
• Canada declared war against Germany, September 10.
• Building at Western Fair Grounds remodeled for use by soldiers.
• Public Library Building construction commenced.
• Land purchased for London City Airport.

1940

• Council reduced to nine members.
• Housing Commission abolished.
• The Elsie Perrin Williams Memorial Library officially opened - October 4.
• London City Airport officially opened on July 27 by the Hon. C. D. Howe.
• Western Fair not held, as Queen's Park was used for military purposes. A Junior Farmers' Exhibition was held.
• Street cars abolished and an all-bus system established.
• R. W. Garrett appointed Acting City Engineer.
• Alderman W. J. Heaman appointed Presiding Officer on September 8 while Mayor J. Allan Johnston on active service.

1941

• Police Radio system inaugurated.
• Alderman O. W. Durdin resigned April 21.
• E. C. Killingsworth appointed Alderman May 5 to complete balance of term of Alderman Durdin.
• Victoria Hospital, new addition, opened by Col. Leonard G. Rowntree, May 26.
• H.R.H. The Duke of Kent visits, August 28.
• London Street Railway tracks removed from Dundas St., Richmond St., and Oxford St.

1942

• Rt. Hon. Malcolm McDonald, High Commissioner to Canada, visits.
• His Excellency the Rt. Hon. The Earl of Athlone, Governor-General of Canada, and Princess Alice, visit June 15.
• City Weight Scales moved from Market Square to City Storage Yard.
• City of London Regiment mobilized for Active Service, February 2.
• Scarlet Fever inoculation of school children instituted.
• April 27, vote on National Plebiscite releasing Government from past commitments relative to method of raising men for military service. Majority for, 24,050.

1943

• First Test Blackout, May 31.

1944

• Dedication H.M.C.S. "Middlesex" at Port Stanley. This ship was adopted by the County of Middlesex and the City of London.
• Civilian Defense Organization disbanded.
• Bishop Seager enthroned as Archbishop, Metropolitan of Ontario, February.
• Nora Toll appointed City Clerk.

1945

• London City Airport property taken over by Government as a military hospital. (Discontinued 1947).
• $100,000 addition to Victoria Hospital Nurses' residence authorized. (Work completed 1947).
• Victory in Europe - London troops returned.
• Victory in Japan.

1946

• Gen. Henry Duncan Graham Crerar, former Commander-in-Chief 1st Canadian Army, visits January 7.
• Special Traffic Conference appointed January 14.
• Housing projects with Housing Enterprises Ltd., started.
• 1. Bellwood Park - 186 units.
  2. Comfort Place - 48 apartments.
• F. Ray Lawson appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.
• Emergency Shelter Committee appointed July 26.
• $1.00 lot and integrated housing schemes launched.
• Count J. M. F. de Hautecloque, French Ambassador, visits November 13.
• H.M.C.S. Middlesex foundered in Bay of Fundy, December 2, 1946.
• Foundation of London and Suburban Planning Board, October 21.
• R. H. Cooper appointed City Clerk.

1947

• Sir Alexander and Lady Clutterbuck, British High Commissioner to Canada, visit January 24.
• Alderman E. W. Curtis resigned November 24.
• Flood threat April 5 and 6. Emergency shelters temporarily closed at St. Julien Park and residents transferred to Crumlin.
• Special Council Meeting re Flood, April 8, and appropriation of $50,000 for local control measures, increased at estimates to $117,000 for 1947, with estimated overall expenditures of $134,999.
• Certain buildings at Crumlin Airport leased from Dominion Government for $1 per year per building, to be used as Emergency Shelters April 17.
• Freedom of City conferred on Barbara Ann Scott, World's Figure Skating Champion, May 7.
• Investiture Ceremony held by His Excellency the Right Honourable Viscount Alexander of Tunis, Governor-General of Canada, during official visit to the City on May 29.
• Upper Thames Valley Conservation Authority established at Woodstock, May 7. First meeting held at Stratford on October 20.
• James S. Bell, City Treasurer, retired September 1 after more than 61 years of service. Civic banquet tendered and Freedom of City conferred September 19.
• Dr. J. C. Wilson appointed first Chairman Upper Thames Valley Conservation Authority, October 20.
• New Adelaide Street Bridge opened November 11.
• Most Reverend George Frederick Kingston, Primate of all Canada, visits November 24.
• W. S. J. Saunders appointed City Treasurer.
• Hon. Ray Lawson, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, official visit to London.

1948

• Mr. A. E. Silverwood establishes an endowment to be known as the Silverwood Foundation for promoting Religious, Educational and Charitable purposes in London and Western Ontario.
• Parking meters (manual and automatic type) installed in the city.
• Civic Pension Plan inaugurated by the City of London for its employees based on future service.
• Visit of Dr. Kurt Von Schuschnigg, former Chancellor of Austria, and Freedom of City conferred, March 31.
• Established a set sale price for city-owned lands and eliminated 50% discount.
• Purchased the property of the London Rowing and Boating Club and removed the point of land projecting into the River Thames, as a flood control project.
• Expanded emergency shelter accommodation at London City Airport and inaugurated a temporary school on airport grounds. Emergency shelters at Queen's Park were closed owing to resumption of Western Fair and arrangements made to close Rectory Street School Shelters.
• Entered into a five-year contract with K. W. Smith for the disposal of sewage sludge, effective December 1.
• R. W. Garrett appointed City Engineer.

1949

• Work started on Eaton-Wilcox-Rich plant.
• Secured General Motors Diesel plant - located in London Township.
• Alderman J. F. Gerry resigned September 19.
• Alderman W. C. Northey died in office - September.
• E. R. Nichols appointed September 7 to complete balance of Alderman Northey's term.
• Bought site for East End Fire Hall, situated on S. Florence Street, east of Eva Street.
• Purchased land for diverting York Street into Florence Street.
• Construction of first part of stock Coliseum for Western Fair at price of $408,000.
• Further deepened cut at London Rowing and Boating Club (The Forks), at a cost of $11,513.00 at the request of Thames Valley Authority.
• Opened negotiations with CPR re overhead bridge at Oxford Street.
• Authorized submission to the electors entitled to vote on money by-laws of a by-law to provide further $600,000 for construction of an Arena and Coliseum. Result of vote: For - 9,593. Against - 4,423.
• Authorized submission to the electors entitled to vote on money by-laws of the question of the establishment of a transportation system to be municipally-owned and operated by a Transportation Commission. Result of vote: Yes - 7,670. No - 5,983.
• Authorized submission to a vote of the electors of three questions dealing with the composition of the City Council.
• 1. Election of City Council by general vote. Result of General Vote: Yes - 6,465; No - 15,290.
  2. Increase of Aldermen from 8 to 12. Result of vote: Yes - 5,312; No - 16,553
  3. Election of City Council for a two-year term. Result of vote: Yes - 11,028; No - 11,406.
• Passed a by-law regulating and licensing Public Halls.
• Passed new Zoning by-law based upon recommendations of the London & Suburban Planning Board to come into effect upon approval by the Ontario Municipal Board.
• Construction of an addition to the West End Sewage Disposal Plant.