ANTEN MILLS
by Dennis Gannon
April 20, 2025 – Despite the overcast skies and the cooler temperature, Easter Saturday was an overwhelmingly successful morning in Anten Mills. After overnight rain, thunder and lightning the weather improved and the annual fun Rabbit Run and Easter Eggstravaganza both went off without a hitch.
Over 100 runners registered for the run. Three different courses were laid out. The first was a .5 kilometre run for those under 4 years who followed the path around the park. The second and third courses were 1.5 kilometres and 3.0 kilometres in length and ran through the village. Many did the shorter 1.5 course but those hardy souls who challenged the 3.0 pushed their way up the slope on Luella and made great times getting back to the finish line. For many this was the first run of the year and it was great to see families running together.
Once the race was completed it was time for the Easter Eggstravaganza. With parents in tow, the little one’s searched for their eggs. After they filled up their basket it was off to collect their goodie bag. Older children had to work a little harder to collect their reward. For some it was a search for their number egg, others it was a scavenger hunt and for others it was to complete their passport. All participating received a goodie bag filled with chocolate and other items courtesy of the Anten Mills Community Recreation Association.
There was colouring fun in the hall and of course photos with the Easter Bunny.
This annual event is hosted by the Anten Mills CRA and would not have happened if volunteers had not stepped up and taken the lead. There were many who made the event possible and it was great to see the younger members of the community joining in. Our Springwater volunteer firefighters were also there to support the event and provide first aid if needed. A huge thank you to all the community volunteers who made this annual event so special.
The Easter Eggstravaganza did request that donations be brought for the Elmvale and District Food Bank. Many donated and a load of donations was delivered this past week for which the food bank was grateful for. Thank you for your donation.
Back a few months ago the Laycock family snowman was part of the column with the great photo showing how tall Dennis had built him. If you don’t travel past the location on a regular basis you might wonder when the snowman became a puddle. The weather has played a major role in the story and as of Easter, the snowman is still in the front yard, much smaller at around 3 feet tall but still there. The warm weather this past week will no doubt make him, like Frosty, disappear until next winter.
The weather looks like it has finally turned into spring and gardens will need attention. At the community centre the gardens are starting to come to life with tulips and daffodils pushing out. Over the next several weeks these gardens will also need to be cleaned up and a call for assistance will be made. Watch the Anten Mills Community Facebook page for details and with many hands, the work will only take a few hours.
There is no question that Canada is a hockey country. From toddlers to adults, hockey is played throughout the year. Many youth dream of making it to the professional leagues and for some of the best that comes with being drafted by the top junior teams in the country. The Ontario Hockey League held their draft recently and for one local family there was a call that made them proud. Brian Rathwell, the grandson of Brian and Irene Keyes was selected by the Saginaw Sting as a goalie. Brian’s statistics are extremely impressive and we wish him the best as he continues his hockey development.
A local nonprofit that has been working on a project for several years has announced that they are having an official grand opening on Saturday, May 3. Matheson Creek Camp is located at 1674 Gill Road in Midhurst. It once was the local Girl Guides camp and has a variety of different facilities on site. The open house is from 1 to 4PM and all are invited.
On Saturday the Elmvale Maple Syrup festival will take place in downtown Elmvale.This is a great opportunity to support our local economy and have some family fun. Check it out as there are many activities to enjoy.
Brian’s story this week is about the general store we once had. Brian has been doing great research and entertaining us with his stories about the community. Check it out and feel free to comment or if you have anything to share feel free to send an email to antenmills150@gmail.com and it will be responded to. Remember our 150th celebration is Saturday, September 13.
Monday, April 28 is our federal election day. If you haven’t voted yet please make certain that you do. We live in a great country and have the best freedom in the world. We can only keep those freedoms if we exercise the right given by voting. Every vote counts so do your duty.
That’s it for this week. As always THANKS for READING, BE WELL and STAY SAFE.
Anten Mills 150 Years
By Brian Keyes
Luella Scott’s General Store in Anten Mills
April 21, 2025 – Luella Wilson was born in 1903 to Alex and Fanny Wilson on the Golf Course Road at the farm which eventually became the Springwater golf course! Luella was a true Anten Mills girl attending church & school in the village. Luella’s marriage to Lawrence Scott in 1929 brought her into the world of business as Lawrence had just purchased the General Store in Anten Mills.
The store was probably the busiest setting locally with a central location in the village. Luella & Lawrence Scott’s home (currently the Mc Manee family home and more recently the Fry Guy eatery) located at the top of Hendrie Hill on Horseshoe Valley Road next to the railway doubled as the store. This house was built in 1910 by founders Anderson/Tennant. Lawrence was busy with his other business’ so the ‘storekeeping’ fell to Luella and her trusted assistant Johnny Peacher who lived with the Scotts. Keep in mind the Scott’s raised their family amongst this busy environment.
For those who have not experienced a venue like this let me describe a general store. It would resmble a large sized living room with a wood stove in the middle for heat. The shelves filled with goods line the outside of the store and the counter is located at the back of the store with a cash register plus maybe a set of scales. It is like a modern day Wal- Mart, only a little more compact. Options range from groceries to drugs, hardware and maybe even clothing/footwear. The store sold bulk staples like sugar/flour out of barrels. The Scotts kept their store open 7 days a week from 6:30 AM to midnight on some days (like a 7/11 today). The advent of electricity in the 1930s brought ice cream and outside the gas pumps replaced hitching posts for the horse/buggies. Luella/Johnny were busiest on Saturday. It was the place to meet people and visit where the odd card game might take place. Luella also was responsible for placing orders from her suppliers to be delivered by train or truck.
Luella was also the switchboard operator for the two local telephone systems often accommodating customers by passing messages along so they could avoid long distance charges. Even at election time the store functioned as the polling station. It is hard to believe that Luella had time for outside pursuits. She found time for school concerts, United Church Women and could be counted on when tragedy struck the community to turn up with sandwiches and beverages.
When Lawrence Scott was developing his subdivision he named the street next to Lawrence Ave as Luella Blvd to pay honour to his wife. In the early 1970s the street was developed as far as John St. (Peacher St.). After an extension to Ghibb Ave Luella was extended to Laddie Lane when the new Adam’s subdivision was added in the early 2000s making it the longest street in the village. Lawrence & Luella deserved their retirement when they sold the store in 1974 after 46 years of operation. If you walk or drive along Luella Blvd this sesqui-centennial year in 2025, take time to remember Luella Scott as one of the hardest working ladies who called our village home.