Blackburn ...from the beginning
by Evelyn Budd
In 1784 the Blackburn area was a densely forested expanse used by the Indians as a hunting ground.
A great onrush of United Empire Loyalists coming from the south was heading for British protection on the north shore of the St. Lawrence between what is now Cornwall and Kingston. The triangle formed by the Rideau, Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers belonged to the Mississauga Indians and was “purchased“ from them in 1783 in the name of the King. An order was issued for the new townships to be surveyed. The survey of Gloucester was completed likely by 1820.
Early in the 19th century, this district was bought from the government by a Mr. Erskine for a timber limit. It extended several miles along the Ottawa river and as far south as the Mer Blue. When the timber limit was exhausted the land was bought by settlers from the government in lots of two hundred acres for farms. The cost was 50 cents an acre.
The first settlers included the Armstrongs, John Kemp, the Daggs (Richard, John and Thomas,) William Purdy, William Bradley, William and Thomas Wilson, John Farmer, Andrew Daly, John Hall, Richard Dowler, John Holden, R. McArdel, Andrew Daley, Robert Hurs, John McGrath, John Coughlan, William Price, Robert Perrault and the Coombs. The epic feat of the middle Victorian years was the building of a road to Bytown. Green’s Creek and Mud Creek and miles of the worst sort of country that anyone could think of, consisting of deep muck, blue clay, swamp, dense bush, were between Blackburn and Bytown. The farmers east of the two creeks, and as far east as Navan, worked for free for months in mud. Others unable to work paid into a fund out of which laborers were hired. It took two years. Once the road was opened, Blackburn Corners came into existence. The small community included a post office, blacksmith shop, farmers and gardeners.
Competitive hockey thrives in Blackburn since 1954
Hockey in Blackburn thrives today because of dedicated volunteers who built hockey rinks and, in our case, our neighbour Navan who shared their arenas through the years with local communities.
The Blackburn Community Club was formed in 1954 to raise $10 to plow an area for a rink in the Blackburn Public School schoolyard (now called Norman Johnson Alternative School). Alan B. Beddoe (1843-1975) designed a community logo that incorporated the team names, i.e. Blackburn Hornets. There were no shortage of guys that would show up after school with their sticks to play hockey, go home for supper and then return to play until it got too dark.
We soon had an Senior competitive team (see photo) that would practice on the outdoor rink and play games out of the Navan arena as it was the only indoor facility in the area.
Until 1972, the Navan arena only had natural ice. The hockey season would only be 12 to 15 games and play-off games had to be completed before the warmer weather arrived. Many times during the play-off period, both the spectators and players would get together and, due to the excessive amount of water on the ice, throw snow onto the ice surface and then scrape it off, so that the game could be played.
Strong and good-natured bonds were formed through hockey that continue to this day.
