Barrys Bay

Date	Statement	Source
1894-07-21	THE FATAL DYNAMITE EXPLOSION. Three men who met their death were 'loading a hole' with dynamite in a rock cut at the western outlet of the Hagarty Pass, near Barry's Bay, had placed three cartridges in position and were about to place a fourth when the explosion occurred. The three men were blown many feet high in the air. George Marsten, of Carlow (son of a man who formerly kept the Basin Depot house at Barnet & Mackay's depot at the Basin, near Renfrew), was killed outright, found about thirty feet from the point of explosion, one arm and one leg broken; he died in twenty-five minutes. William Kellar (also given as Louis Kellar), of Palmer Rapids, had his clothes completely torn off and one leg and one hand blown off; he died about three hours later, leaving a wife and four children. An unknown Englishman, recently out from the Old Country and in Canada about a couple of years, died four hours afterward. The bodies were horribly mangled. Foreman Raymond Dunning, within six feet of the charge, was blown by the concussion, by one account fully 150 feet up the side of a hill (Mr. M.J. O'Brien says only about 20 feet), but fell on a brush heap and was able to get up within a few minutes. Coffins were made during the night and the remains placed in them; Marsten's remains were taken by his sister and brother-in-law, Wm. George of Barry's Bay, to Eganville and interred in Melville cemetery, Rev. Mr. Rattray officiating. Kellar's remains were taken to his home at Palmer Rapids. Date given directly by the 1894-08-10 Almonte Gazette item ('On Tuesday last, July 21'), not computed from any paper's relative wording.	Ottawa Free Press 1894-08-02(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Almonte Gazette 1894-08-10(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Mercury 1894-08-10(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Mercury 1894-08-17(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1894-08-31	An enterprising Combermere merchant has purchased a two decked steamer, 40 feet long, which will be conveyed over the O.A. & P.S. railway to Barry's Bay in September.	Ottawa Journal 1894-08-31(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1894-10-05	The O.A. & P.S.R. have started a steamboat service between the end of their line at Barry's Bay and Combermere, a distance of over 12 miles.	Almonte Gazette 1894-10-05(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1894-10-12	A new steamboat for the Madawaska, which is to run from Barrys Bay on the O.A. & P.S. Ry. to Combermere, has been launched and will at once commence to carry passengers and freight.	Ottawa Journal 1894-10-12(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1895-02-01	The threatened stoppage of trains on the O.A. & P.S. Ry. line at Barry's Bay has taken place. The station master has been removed from that place and trains no longer stop there. Passengers are taken on and left off at Wilno, six miles east of Barry's Bay, and Martins, two miles west. The proprietor of the land, who thought that he had the company at his mercy, has now found out his mistake, but the misfortune is that others suffer as well as he does. The sidings at Barry's Bay have been taken up and the iron is being used in putting in a siding on the land of Mr. August Pilatzkie on lot 34 in the 25th Con. of Grattan.	Mercury 1895-02-01(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher, Ottawa Railway H...)
1895-03-08	Freight Troubles. A railroad tie contractor last fall gave out contracts for ties to be delivered at Barry's Bay station on the O., A. & P.S. railway. The ties were delivered but the company had closed the station there and refused to receive any freight at that point, so the contractor had to reload them on sleighs and draw them to Martin's station. A merchant at Barry's Bay, just previous to the closing of the station, had ordered a car of salt billed for Barry's Bay; the company brought the car through to Martin's, and the merchant refused to accept it there, claiming that if billed for Barry's Bay it must be delivered there. Pressed for the goods, he finally had to yield, but when he went for his salt he had to pay for five days' demurrage of the car.	Almonte Gazette 1895-03-08(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher, Ottawa Railway H...)
1895-04-02≤	The pile driving operations on the Parry Sound Railway at Barry's Bay will be completed in about a week's time.	Ottawa Free Press 1895-04-02(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher, Ottawa Railway H...)
1895-04-05	It is reported that the O.A. & P.S. R. Co. will rebuild their station at Barry's Bay, on land adjoining that of Mr. Stafford, which has been given them for free.	Mercury 1895-04-05(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher, Ottawa Railway H...)
1895-05-03	Mr. J. R. Booth passed west on the OA & PS on Wednesday, 17th, accompanied by Mr. Chamberlain, the manager of the road. Part of their business going west was reportedly to settle the Barry's Bay dispute, either by arranging with Mr. Stafford or by moving the station onto the land of Mr. James Drohan, who has made a most liberal offer. While at Eganville station they were interviewed as to furnishing material to gravel the travelled road from the station to the village, which at present is almost impassable; they promised that as soon as the gravel pits were opened, several car loads of gravel would be dumped at the station, if the villagers would draw and spread it, which the hotel keepers and other owners of teams have promised to do.	Eganville Enterprise 1895-05-03(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher, Ottawa Railway H...)
1895-07-12	Barrys Bay is again booming since the station has been opened and it has become a temporary divisional point between Ottawa and Whitney.	Almonte Gazette 1895-07-12(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher, Ottawa Railway H...)
1896-10-15	The cabin on an O.A. & P.S. Railway engine was badly damaged by fire at Barrys Bay early yesterday morning. The fire started from an explosion of a coal oil torch. No one was injured. The damage will be repaired here. (The Ottawa Journal says the fire broke out 'before daybreak as the cleaners were at work on the engine at Barry's Bay'; the cab was boarded up and charred when the engine pulled the train into Central depot.)	Ottawa Journal 1896-10-15(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Ottawa Citizen 1896-10-16(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1896-11-11	Residents of Renfrew Co. Meet To-day re OA & PS Grievances ... A still later grievance is that the company have removed their divisional point from Barry's Bay, Renfrew county, to Madawaska, the latter place being in Nipissing, which county gave no bonus whatever to the line. The item also says the county bonused the line $75,000 and complains the line was built over another route than proposed when the bonus was voted; that part concerns the company.	Ottawa Journal 1896-11-11(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1896-11-26≥	On Friday evening when the freight train on the O.A. & P.S. railway was going west near Barrys Bay, an axle of one of the cars broke, causing the car to leave the rails. The wreck train had to be sent for to repair damages which it soon did; but the wreck train itself went off the track, and it took some hours before it could be replaced on the rails. (As reported by 26 November 1896; the source dates the event only relatively.)	Ottawa Citizen 1896-11-26(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1896-12-04	The rumor that Mr. J.R. Booth will build a sawmill at Barry's Bay has pacified the people with regard to the removal of the O.A. & P.S.R. divisional point to Madawaska.	Almonte Gazette 1896-12-04(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1896-12-09	The petition of the people of Renfrew county to have the divisional point of the O.,A. & P.S. railway removed from Madawaska to Barry's Bay, is to be presented to the government after all. A prominent local lawyer, along with a deputation, will present the petition on to the return of Hon. Mr. Blair, Minister of Railways and Canals.	Ottawa Citizen 1896-12-09(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1897-01-21	The unusual record of immunity from serious accident which the Ottawa, Arnprior & Parry Sound railway has enjoyed since it opened for traffic, was broken last evening by a casualty which occurred near Barry's Bay, resulting in the death of three train hands and the injury of another. ... The train to which the accident occurred was No. 60, way freight, which left Ottawa yesterday morning at 8:30, in charge of conductor Aris and engineer William Taylor. ... Four miles above Barry's Bay is a short side track, known as O'Brien's siding. It was here the disaster occurred. ... Just as the siding was reached the engine jumped the track, through what cause is not yet known, although it is surmised that an open switch had to do with the run-off. Two cars were standing on the siding. Into these the derailed engine crashed and was thrown into the ditch. Killed: Charles Hutchison, fireman; James Casselman, brakeman; William Russell, in charge of the store car; engineer William Taylor scalded. The accident date is given as January 21st in the Citizen of 1897-02-04. The Ottawa Journal puts the freight train at eighteen cars, the Citizen at 27 laden cars. Filed on Barrys Bay as the nearest named place, four miles below O'Brien's siding.	Ottawa Citizen 1897-01-22(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Ottawa Journal 1897-01-22(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Kemptville Advance 1897-01-28(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Eastern Ontario Review 1897-02-05(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1897-01-21	Frank Burchat "stumbled across another derailment less than a mile away" from the 1909 accident at Carson Lake: "It had occurred January 21st, 1897, and killed three other OA & PS railroad employees." Filed on Barrys Bay at the operator's direction (Carson Lake is just west of it). The item gives only the date and the three deaths. This derailment may also be filed from the 1897 papers.	Eganville Leader 2023-08-23(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1897-01-27	The jury appointed to investigate into the death of the late William Russell ... met last evening in Roger's morgue. No verdict was arrived at, as the jurymen after hearing all the evidence available decided they were not quite clear about the lights, and adjourned until next Wednesday evening to give time for some of their number to visit the scene of the accident to see just how far the lights at the switch, where the accident occurred, can be seen. ... Mr. James Stewart, section foreman at Barry's Bay, ... had found and left the switch locked for the main line. ... Mr. James Ogilvy, locomotive foreman, considered the switch a safe one. ... James Stewart, recalled said, he noticed marks on a track spike at the switch, as though it had been struck by a crow-bar. The Journal reports the inquest as adjourned to the following Wednesday, the Citizen to February 3. Evidence given that the east light was out and the switch was turned to the siding; Superintendent Donaldson suggested sleet on the lamp glass.	Ottawa Journal 1897-01-27(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Ottawa Citizen 1897-01-27(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1897-01-29	The party responsible for the accident on the Parry Sound Thursday night is not known. There is difficulty in finding out who is responsible for the wrongly set switch. Dr. Galligan held an inquest at Eganville Friday night, and sectionman Stewart, who had charge of the switch, swore that he set it for the main line and locked it some three hours before the accident. The light was left burning. ... The jury accordingly brought in an open verdict, to the effect that the deceased met death through a run-off occasioned by a switch wrongly set by unknown parties. A separate inquest from the Russell inquest held in Ottawa. The Gazette says Dr. Mark would conduct an inquest on Tuesday into the death of Hutchison.	Almonte Gazette 1897-01-29(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1897-01-30	Chas. Golgolene and Peter Clement have been arrested on the charge of displacing the switch whereby the accident on the O.A. and P.S. Railway occurred on Thursday last in which three men were killed. The arrests were made last night by Detective Hatton, and the men were placed in the Renfrew jail today. ... Both were teamsters and had occasion to pass the siding very frequently. It is said that on the day of the accident they were driving their teams along the railway track, contrary to the law against trespassing on railway property and the weight of their loads dragged over the switch, caused the switch to be displaced. (Ottawa Citizen, 28 January: the men 'were taken into custody yesterday by Detective Hatton' and lodged in the Renfrew gaol.) Names spelled variously (Golgoleen, Golgolene, Gogoleen, Golgolin). The Citizen of 1897-01-27 reported that Detective Hatton had left to arrest them.	Ottawa Journal 1897-01-30(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Ottawa Citizen 1897-01-28(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1897-02-02	The preliminary examination into the charge against the men Gogoleen and Clement, of moving the switch which caused the recent accident on the Parry Sound Ry. was conducted at Renfrew yesterday. ... They were committed for trial. (Ottawa Journal, 4 February: they 'have been committed to stand their trial at the Pembroke assizes.' Ottawa Citizen, 8 February: the magistrate 'concurred in the view that there was no criminal intent on the part of the prisoners in driving through the switch, but he could do nothing but commit them'; they were liberated on bail.)	Ottawa Journal 1897-02-02(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Ottawa Journal 1897-02-04(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Ottawa Citizen 1897-02-08(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1897-02-04	The inquest touching the death of Wm. Russell ... was concluded last evening. ... The jury ... returned ... with a verdict to the effect that the deceased succumbed to the effects of the scalding received in the accident, which had been caused by the switch being misplaced by some party or parties unknown. The verdict also included a statement that in the opinion of the jury the siding where the accident occurred was not in a safe place and also that the east switch was not absolutely safe. 'Concluded last evening' is relative to the issue date.	Ottawa Citizen 1897-02-04(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Ottawa Journal 1897-02-04(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1897-03-12≥	Peter Clement and his companion Charles Golgolin, had been acquitted at the Pembroke assizes. The charge was that of tampering with the rails which caused the late accident. There was no reason to show that either of the men had disturbed the rails. (Almonte Gazette, 19 March: at the Pembroke assizes 'the case against Peter Clement and Chas. Golgolin ... was dismissed.') (As reported by 12 March 1897; the source dates the event only relatively.) The Journal item is from its 'Arnprior News' column and says 'last evening'; the Gazette says the case was dismissed 'last week'.	Ottawa Journal 1897-03-12(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Almonte Gazette 1897-03-19(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1898-05-06	L.E.Parsons moving his mill from Golden Lake to Barry's Bay, one mile from OAPS, to be reached by branch.	Fleming Renfrew Mercury
1898≤	By 1898 Barry's Bay, which "was for a short time a divisional point on the railway line", had lost that role: "since Madawaska has become the divisional point, the village is losing many of its inhabitants by removal". From a Presbyterian missionary's report in the minutes of the 1898 General Assembly (Montreal, June 1898), describing stations up the line of the O.A. and P.S. from Killaloe. The report does not date the change or say which railway; the same page places Killaloe village on the line of the O.A. and P.S. The site's entity is spelled Barrys Bay.	Presbyterian Church in Canada General Assembly 1898 p. 46(Canadiana scan, image 130 of https://n2t.net/ark:/...)
1900	Pilot project mines 60 tons of grain corundum at Craigmont.	Fleming Lee Whiting, Brenda. "The Craigmont Corundum Boom, 1900-13" Canadian Geographic Journal, Vol 90, No 4, April 1975. pp22-29
1901-11-29	Peter Menzies, a C.A.R. engineer, fell beneath his engine at Barry's Bay recently. He was dragged by the cowcatcher for quite a distance but escaped with a fracture of his left leg and the crushing of three toes on his right foot.	Almonte Gazette 1901-11-29(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1902	Ontario Corundum Co puts new boat in service at Cobermere for service between Havergal and Barrys Bay.	leader
1903-08-27	The C.A.R. Co. propose to build a spur line of railway from Barry's Bay station to the wharf on the Bay to facilitate the hauling of product of the corundum mines.	The Equity, Shawville 1903-08-27(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1904-02	Craigmont mill is the largest ore concentrating mill in Canada -- 300 long tons per day. Finished corundum was packed in 100 lb bags, over 3/4 mile tramway to wharf on York River. Company boat made daily trips to Barry's Bay. In the winter, they used a wagon.	Fleming Lee Whiting, Brenda. "The Craigmont Corundum Boom, 1900-13" Canadian Geographic Journal, Vol 90, No 4, April 1975. pp22-29
1904-12-02	Tar factory being erected	leader
1907-03-22	First turpentine factory in Canada here.	leader
1908-07-24	Northern Turpentine Co. factory closes.	leader
1909-08-17	A mixed G.T.R. train going west was ditched by a washout near Carson Lake, a few miles beyond Barrys Bay, on Monday night at 9.15, caused by a cloudburst that undermined nearly a mile of track. The engine, tender, four loaded cars and two empties left the track and rolled down an embankment; the passenger cars did not leave the rails. Fireman W.J. Thurston of Madawaska, brother of William Thurston, a G.T.R. operator at Alexandria, was found under a car, crushed to death. Another train had passed over the spot only about an hour previously. Reported in at least six area papers (1909-08-17 through 1909-08-20); accounts differ on Thurston's age (20 in some, 28 in the Almonte Gazette). Two representative sources cited here; a maintainer may wish to add further corroborating citations from the Ottawa Journal (08-18, 08-19), Ottawa Citizen (08-18) and Almonte Gazette (08-20) reports.	Ottawa Journal 1909-08-18(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...),Renfrew Mercury 1909-08-20(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher, same collection,...)
1911-09-22	Four members of the railway commission took up the complaint of Mr. J.H. Dennison of Barry's Bay that he had not been allowed to board the Grand Trunk train when it stopped and took on other passengers; to get on the train, he said, he was compelled to walk three miles down the track, while others were taken on where he started to walk. Mr. Morley Donaldson for the Grand Trunk explained that the train stopped to take on employees, and there were not facilities for taking on passengers. It was finally decided that the train should stop for Mr. Dennison when flagged once a week, on Wednesdays, and that he could get on with the railway employees on other days.	Eganville Leader 1911-09-22(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1913-02-03	Craigmont mill destroyed by fire.	Fleming Lee Whiting, Brenda. "The Craigmont Corundum Boom, 1900-13" Canadian Geographic Journal, Vol 90, No 4, April 1975. pp22-29
1916-06-02	Michael Conlon sells livery business to Mark L. Billings	leader
1942-01-30	New bus service in announced to Renfrew. Bus to seat 20.	leader
1943	Water tower erected.	leader
1952-10-07	"Daily Highlight: Policeman, doctor, priest, taxi drivers, everyone turns out to meet the noon train from Ottawa at Barry's Bay. Engine 5072 pulls in with two express cars and passenger coach, brings mail and parcels, turns on 'Y', and heads back to Ottawa."	Ottawa Citizen 1952-10-07(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1955-12-24≥	By 24 December 1955 (the issue date), the paper reported: Raymond Gutoskie, 36, of Barry's Bay, was dead on arrival at hospital after his brand-new 1956 car "was struck by a CNR way-freight" on a county road between Highways 60 and 62; three other men were hurt. The train was travelling west under Engineer Daniel McCarthy.	Ottawa Citizen 1955-12-24(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
1975	Water tower saved from demolition by petition.	leader
1976	Water tower designated a historical landmark.	leader
1989	Barry's Bay Railway Station Restoration Committee organized to restore station.	leader
1998	Group from Barry's Bay Railway Station Restoration Committee decided to preserve water tower.	leader
2000-10-18	Water tower has been restored, now part of park.	leader
2023-08-16	Frank Burchat unveiled a plaque "in the middle of nowhere... on a lonely stretch of the old Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound railroad bed, just north of where he now lives along Carson Lake", for a young railroader killed there "114 years ago to the day, at exactly 9:15 p.m. Monday, August 16th, 1909": 20-year-old William J. Thurston of Madawaska. About 25 people attended, eight of them his relatives. Burchat, with divers, the OPP Search and Recovery Unit and the Gignac Dive Team, had searched Carson Lake for a rumoured sunken engine and concluded "there is no train in the water." Filed on Barrys Bay at the operator's direction, who says Carson Lake is just west of Barrys Bay. The item says the plaque was unveiled "last Wednesday", 114 years to the day after the 1909 accident, which is 16 August.	Eganville Leader 2023-08-23(Transcribed by Colin J. Churcher in 'Local Railway...)
	Overview photo of wye, 1956. Leader p316.
	James Drohan's Windsor Hotel on the Ottawa and Opeongo Road. Photo, Kennedy p168.
	1898-06-10: 3 horses from Barry's Bay killed.	Fleming Renfrew Mercury