End of First World War brought large celebrations to Acton and Georgetown
Peace celebrations in Acton on November 11, 1918.
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Georgetown received a flag of honour for selling the most in victory loans, as announced in The Herald on November 13, 1918.
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‘All the factory whistles, the churches, school and town hall clock bells were set going and they continued making their joyous uproar all morning’
The First World War took its toll on the people of Acton, Georgetown and Esquesing Township as it dragged on for four grueling years, from 1914 to 1918, but when it did finally come to an end, local residents marked the occasion with great celebration.
While dozens of local men lost their lives to war in Europe, the news of the Great War coming to an end on November 11, 1918 was a rather joyous moment and an answer to many prayers for world peace.
It was early that day, now known as Remembrance Day, when locals received word that an armistice was signed between the Germans and the Allies, marking the official end to the First World War. Quickly following word of the war’s end, celebrations of peace began to break out.
In Acton, as reported in The Acton Free Press, “There was a general outburst of jubilation in the early morning when official news was received. All the factory whistles, the churches, school and town hall clock bells were set going and they continued making their joyous uproar all morning. The Grand Trunk Railway trains and the Toronto Suburban motors whistled continuously as they passed through town.”
Acton also marked the day with a large parade marching down Mill Street for all residents to see, ending the day with a large bonfire on the shores of Fairy Lake, burning up old stumps and driftwood.
Similar celebrations took place in Georgetown, with The Herald reporting, “Our mills, factories, schools and business places were closed, flags and bunting were profusely displayed, bells rang and whistles blew… A monster procession was then formed, led by Reeve Heartwell, Major Grant and the band, and proceeded down Main Street to the Public Library lawn.”
A second parade was held later in the day, which saw the procession march up Mountainview Road into Glen Williams as part of the massive celebrations.
In addition to Georgetown’s observance of the historic day, it had been announced that the town was presented with a Flag of Honour for having raised the most money in 1918 Victory Loans in all of Halton County with a total of $224,500 in subscriptions. Acton had raised a modest $207,800 at the time of reporting. Those numbers would continue to grow even after the war as more money was collected to help support efforts of bringing soldiers back home.
The week following the news, churches in Acton, Georgetown and neighbouring communities of Glen Williams, Limehouse and Norval observed the end of the Great War with services of prayer, remembrance for the fallen and concluding with feasts specially prepared for the occasion.
Even as initial celebrations began to wind down as the weeks and months passed, welcoming celebrations in the local district continued well into 1919 as troops returned home.
For instance, in Acton, a series of happy welcoming gatherings were held in the town hall, or in Prospect Park, and each soldier was presented with a gold watch for their service. These celebrations also included parades being led by the Boy Scout Band or Citizens’ Band and banquets hosted by the local Red Cross.
While it has been more than a century since the end of the First World War, these celebrations of peace continue to be recognized as one of the largest jubilations ever to happen in the history of the area known today as Halton Hills.
Article written by Scott Brooks, with information from Dills Collection/Lest We Forget - Acton Legion History Book/EHS/HHPL.
The First World War took its toll on the people of Acton, Georgetown and Esquesing Township as it dragged on for four grueling years, from 1914 to 1918, but when it did finally come to an end, local residents marked the occasion with great celebration.
While dozens of local men lost their lives to war in Europe, the news of the Great War coming to an end on November 11, 1918 was a rather joyous moment and an answer to many prayers for world peace.
It was early that day, now known as Remembrance Day, when locals received word that an armistice was signed between the Germans and the Allies, marking the official end to the First World War. Quickly following word of the war’s end, celebrations of peace began to break out.
In Acton, as reported in The Acton Free Press, “There was a general outburst of jubilation in the early morning when official news was received. All the factory whistles, the churches, school and town hall clock bells were set going and they continued making their joyous uproar all morning. The Grand Trunk Railway trains and the Toronto Suburban motors whistled continuously as they passed through town.”
Acton also marked the day with a large parade marching down Mill Street for all residents to see, ending the day with a large bonfire on the shores of Fairy Lake, burning up old stumps and driftwood.
Similar celebrations took place in Georgetown, with The Herald reporting, “Our mills, factories, schools and business places were closed, flags and bunting were profusely displayed, bells rang and whistles blew… A monster procession was then formed, led by Reeve Heartwell, Major Grant and the band, and proceeded down Main Street to the Public Library lawn.”
A second parade was held later in the day, which saw the procession march up Mountainview Road into Glen Williams as part of the massive celebrations.
In addition to Georgetown’s observance of the historic day, it had been announced that the town was presented with a Flag of Honour for having raised the most money in 1918 Victory Loans in all of Halton County with a total of $224,500 in subscriptions. Acton had raised a modest $207,800 at the time of reporting. Those numbers would continue to grow even after the war as more money was collected to help support efforts of bringing soldiers back home.
The week following the news, churches in Acton, Georgetown and neighbouring communities of Glen Williams, Limehouse and Norval observed the end of the Great War with services of prayer, remembrance for the fallen and concluding with feasts specially prepared for the occasion.
Even as initial celebrations began to wind down as the weeks and months passed, welcoming celebrations in the local district continued well into 1919 as troops returned home.
For instance, in Acton, a series of happy welcoming gatherings were held in the town hall, or in Prospect Park, and each soldier was presented with a gold watch for their service. These celebrations also included parades being led by the Boy Scout Band or Citizens’ Band and banquets hosted by the local Red Cross.
While it has been more than a century since the end of the First World War, these celebrations of peace continue to be recognized as one of the largest jubilations ever to happen in the history of the area known today as Halton Hills.
Article written by Scott Brooks, with information from Dills Collection/Lest We Forget - Acton Legion History Book/EHS/HHPL.