Carry-On Fab Four Clue #1

Description

Media Type

Image

Item Type

Photographs

Description

The Beehive School was the first in a series of one room schools constructed in Minto Township. Erected in 1872 and was situated on a parcel of land at the corner of Hwy 109 and the 6th line.
1965 closed the era of one-room schools and the building was removed . The Ministry of Transportation turned the corner lot into a roadside park. By the new millennium the government did not want to be bothered with this little 1/2 acre rural park.
In 2003 the Beehive Women's Institute lobbied the municipality to obtain the site and it was purchased from the Provincial government for $1. The institute made a big flower bed and purchased an engraved stone to make the little park even more enticing.
By 2019 the municipality was forming the decision that the land should be declared surplus with the intent of putting it up for sale.
There was outrage by the institute members, neighbours and visitors who used the park on a regular basis. To add insult to injury - the stone disappeared.
Just before calling the police to report a theft, it was learned that the municipal public works staff had removed it for safe keeping!! ( a stone which had been perfectly safe at the park for the past 15 years!!!)
Kudos to the Beehive Women's Institute who fought for the park in the beginning and again 20 years later . The stone is the only visible connection to the now disbanded Beehive WI however the voices of members are still being heard in the community.
The Carry-On Fab Four had hoped for a February thaw so that we could have hot chocolate at the stone and get a picture but the stone is covered with snow. This project was great because 2 of our team members knew nothing about these stones that our now disbanded branches installed and reminded the longtime members to let people know what we have done and are doing as active
Institute branches.

Notes

Submission part of the WISH challenge for WI's 125th anniversary.

Date of Publication

Feb 2022

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