A New City
NORTH BAY’S INCORPORATION
On August 3rd, 1925, North Bay held an “Old Home Week” celebration to celebrate the incorporation of the City of North Bay. The event was meant to attract tourists (including former residents) while celebrating becoming a city.
Primary Old Home Week events included the presentation of the city charter in Memorial Park and a “grand street pageant”. The pageant included a wide range of floats and costumes, inspired by the history of North Bay since 1615. The fur trade, the lumbering era, and the three local railways were highlighted.
Crowds at Incorporation
A photographer from Adamson Studio of Toronto took a panoramic photograph of the historic gathering, which ran on the front page of the next issue of the North Bay Nugget. Copies were available and obtained by many city residents and offices.
North Bay Museum Collection
A New City
The Honourable Charles Crea, Minister of Mines, presented the charter to City Mayor McDonald and Mr. John Ferguson who was president of the Old Home Week Association.
North Bay Museum Collection
Samuel de Champlain and Pierre Brule parade float
North Bay Museum Collection
Grabbing a Piece of History
This piece of red, white and blue fabric was attached to a lead weight which was shot out from a gun on Aug 3, 1925 when North Bay was celebrating its charter of incorporation as a city. The piece of cloth was caught by Mrs. H. Quinn while sitting on her veranda on Third Avenue. She saved the cloth as a souvenir and it was later donated by her children to the North Bay Museum.
North Bay Museum Collection
North Bay’s Oldest Violin
The Nugget reported that North Bay’s “oldest violin” was played on the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario’s float during the 1925 Old Home Week parade.
According to a label stitched to its case, the violin was made March 1st, 1785 and repaired in 1855 before being repaired again in Dec. 1936 by J. Thurlow, North Bay, Ont.
North Bay Museum Collection
1925 Old Home Week Parade
North Bay’s oldest known violin is visible being played in the centre of the first section of the float, in the above image.
North Bay Museum Collection
Did You Know…
Most of the floats for the 1925 Old Home Week parade were pulled by horses. Cars were still rare in North Bay, with most travel happening by railway.
Main Street was paved for the first time in advance of Old Home Week celebrations.
North Bay needed to reach 12,000 residents before it qualified for incorporation as a city. While Sudbury did not achieve city status until 1930, Sault Ste. Marie became a city in 1912.
1925 Old Home Week Lucy Dalton Float
North Bay’s railway floats were a main feature of the parade. Most notable was the recreation of the “Lucy Dalton” by the CPR. The float was made in the CPR shops and mounted on a motor truck, which stood out among the other floats that were pulled by horses.
North Bay Museum Collection
Old Home Week Programme and Souvenirs
North Bay Museum Collection
Remember When…
“The first Old Home Week fifty years ago was a glorious event. There was an atmosphere of glee and ecstasy, a feeling of good fellowship, the whole town was in a carnival mood... I was sort of a newcomer at the time, but like everyone, was caught up in the spirit of celebration.
“Becoming a city didn’t change the structure of city council a great deal but it did give the community a certain stature.”
Hartley Trussler
“Old Home Week,” Reflections,
North Bay Nugget, 1975
1925 Old Home Week Parade
North Bay Museum Collection