Putting Names to Faces in the Waiting Room

Photo unknown.

In the December issue of the Millbrook Times, a photo donated to the Historical Society by Greg Ret was featured, with a call out to the community to identify the occasion and some of the faces.  Quick to respond to the challenge were Carol (Ridge) Donaldson and Gary Snelgrove.  Both grew up in Millbrook and were able to pass the photo around to some of the people they went to school with thanks to technology and their phones.  They did a stellar job!

The location for the banquet is the Millbrook Waiting Room, located where Nexicom’s business office is today on King Street in Millbrook.  The Lions Club, Carol and Gary report, held their meetings and banquets there.  The photo, probably from 1948, was taken at what was probably a Valentine’s Day banquet held for the men of the Lions Club and their children, or neighbours’ children if they had none of their own.

According to Carol and Gary, the Waiting Room was donated to the town by Mr. Scott, a community-minded funeral director in Millbrook.  It was always open.  On those Wednesdays and Saturdays when shops were open until 11 pm, women who had travelled into town with their husbands to do the shopping could wait there in comfort and warmth while the men finished whatever business they had.  Nursing mothers could use the Waiting Room.  Churches didn’t heat their buildings except on Sundays, so afternoon teas, bake sales and rummage sales were held here.  Carol remembers Young People’s dances there, including one where the girls were to each bring a boxed lunch to share with whoever they were dancing with when the music stopped – a bit like musical chairs.  She recalls it wasn’t a runaway success as only a couple of girls had followed through and brought a lunch.  A loaves and fishes moment!

Just a quick visit to the Town Hall to book the room for an event was all it took; there was no charge.  In the days when tramps rode the rails, they knew that they could take whatever meal had been given to them by a village householder down to the Waiting Room and eat it in peace and comfort.  There were tables, chairs, writing paper, pens and pencils all provided.  Later, a washroom was added at the rear of the building, accessed by a lane that ran between the Armoury (now the Millbrook Legion Hall) and the Waiting Room.

Carol and Gary were able to put quite a few names to faces.  Front and centre is the school principal Percy Hamilton, with son Gord on his lap.  His other son Bob is one of a foursome just behind, with Bob Breden, Doug Sheppard and John Stinson.  At the forefront of the photo on the right is Joe Medd with sons Bart and Brad.  Sharon Ball (McLean) is on the left of the photo, behind someone yet to be identified.  There are lots of familiar names for those with long memories:  Helen Ingham, Doug Sheppard Sr., George Sheppard, Mr. Spicer, Ken Pinnington and son Earl, Mr. O’Brien, Ted Nattress, Dorothy Ball, Ross Thompson, Glenn Forsyth.  The quality of the photo leads Carol and Gary to put question marks on their best guesses for Allan Wright, Ron Argue, Ron Palmer, Howard Lancashire and Jane Ouellette, but they positively identified Gary himself near the back of the crowd.  Good work!  Many thanks to Carol and Gary and all their friends.  If anyone else would like to try their hand at identifying a face, or if you have a photo to share, please let us know, millbrookcavanhs@gmail.com.

By Celia Hunter

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