Establishing the Park in the Stanhope Area

Stanhope landowners whose land was being expropriated could discuss their problems with the previously mentioned Commission, (Chairman E.T. Higgs, members Robert B. McKinley, David E. MacDonald and RS. MacBeath), and in most cases the recommenda- tions of the Commission were followed. Clear titles to the lands involved were determined, existing mortgages were settled up and any arrears

of land, road and personal property taxes paid before lands were handed over to the park.

Going from west to east along the Stanhope shoreline, owners of expropriated property included Stanhope Beach Inn, operated by the North Shore Hotels Company Ltd. The company was very perturbed by the threatened loss of their 9 hole golf course to the park; approxi- mately 26 acres were expropriated. Mrs. Emma MacMillan lost 25 acres to the park: 121/2 acres of good land, 61/2 of light land, and 6 of swamp, including cranberries, for which she received a total com- pensation of $844.10. Donald MacMillan, next along the shore, received $680.24 for his 25 acres. Charles Burt, who had a large area of cranberries, got a lump sum of $1,500 for his 47 acres, a mixture of good, light, and fair land, with swamp and dune land. Cranberries were a bargaining asset, as they were a valuable cash crop, and owners received extra compensation for losing them.

John Archibald and James Edward MacLauchlan, owners of the next 100 acres on the Stanhope peninsula, lost 41 acres of their farm to the park, consisting of 9 acres of good farm land, 12 acres of light land, a valuable pond, 3 acres of very promising cranberry marsh, and about 10 acres of sand dunes, for which they received $1,008.32. Continuing eastward, Rupert Ross parted with 18 acres of his farm, for which he was paid $478.78, with the proviso of a right of way to the shore, with a gate, as’he had sold cottage lots giving the purchasers such a right of way. Two of these owners of cottage lots were also recom- pensed: John A.Webster got $50 for the loss of half an acre, and Mamie G. Drew received $300 for an unspecified amount of land; both to be provided with access to the beach by turnstile, paid for by the park. Two other cottage owners, Hilbert Frizzell and Mark Calder, received $685 compensation for about 15 acres of land.

Arthur Shaw, who owned 100 acres of land (containing a nice pond and some cranberries) received $741.59 for approximately 23 acres which included the pond and cranberries. From his 40 acres recently purchased from Frank McCabe, 12 acres including his modern bungalow were expropriated from Dr. James Blanchard; he got $434.50 for the land, which had valuable timber on it, and $500 for the cottage, with the right to move it. Another cottage owned by

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