Orangeville - A Reflection of World War One
The town of Orangeville, Ontario, located approximately an hour north of Toronto, was
greatly affected by the First World War. Economically, Orangeville prospered. Women rose to
the challenge of the positions vacated by men. During this time the 164th Battalion was created
and drew heavily from Orangeville, and the people of the town supported the war effort. One
family in particular, sent four young men to World War One. Even though the battles of World
War One took place half a world away, it directly touched the lives of the approximately 2,200
citizens of Orangeville.
To begin, in 1914 Orangeville was the seat of Dufferin County, and a main hub on the
railway between Owen Sound and Toronto. It was primarily a rural community supported by
lumber mills, feed mills and a knitting mill. There were resident professionals; doctors, lawyers
and bankers to serve the needs of the community. When the war broke out, the Dods Knitting
Mill was awarded the military contract for blankets and underwear and twice expanded to
meet demand. As reported in the local paper; "We are glad to hear that our village is reaping
some benefit from the war. … It is an ill wind that does blow somebody good." (The Banner)
With men off to war and women in the factories, a problem arose for not only Orangeville, but
all of Ontario. With reduced manpower to work and help on the farms, fewer crops were being
planted and harvested, creating less food for not only the people of Orangeville and the rest of
Ontario, but for the soldiers overseas whose food came from the farms. Prices started to rise
and Orangeville farmers benefited. The rail lines did well. Eight trains a day passed through
Orangeville; stock lines carrying cattle to the slaughter house in Toronto ran daily and farmers
from the area bought, sold and loaded livestock in Orangeville. Horse and cattle fairs, which
lasted up until the 1940s, were also frequent. These fairs were held the third Thursday of every
month, and Orangeville residents selling horses could expect to see military representatives
scouting out the best horses to buy. The Show Fair or the Fall Fair, which still exists to this day,
brought business to Orangeville. The banks also prospered. Orangeville was a service centre for
agriculture and commerce in Dufferin County. The ideas of war bonds, stamps and gardens
were welcomed by the citizens of Orangeville. Throughout the four years of World War One,
the Orangeville Sun published weekly every Thursday. Very few editions did not include War
Bond advertisements. War propaganda greatly influenced the town and advertisements, such
as "Buy! Buy Victory Bonds or Bye-Bye Victory!"(The Banner), could be found in the paper every
week. In February 1916, students and teachers from all over Dufferin County raised money to
help support the Red Cross. Schools in Orangeville raised $136.00. From war and victory bonds,
stamps and gardens Orangeville had raised $120, 150.00 by November 7th 1918. Two weeks
later, the town had raised almost double that, $227, 650.00, to support the war and bring the
troops home. As a result of this amazing jump in financial support, Orangeville received a flag
with 3 crowns as an honour. Orangeville had definitely gone " 'Over the Top' To Victory". (The
Sun)
As the men went overseas to train and fight, the women went to the factories and mills.
Some women worked in the knitting mill, making blankets and underwear, and some were
offered the opportunity to go to school to become secretaries to replace the male secretaries
that had enlisted. However, even with women replacing the men, salary equality did not exist.
Most women worked an average of seventy-two hours a week for only about sixty percent of
men's wages. It wasn't until 1917, when women were given the right to vote that the message
became clear that women were equals. As said in The Sun on Thursday March 15th 1917; "We
[men] take off our hats to you in securing the vote…" (The Sun) In 1914 the Principal of the
Orangeville District High School, Mr. Edward Hackett enlisted. Mr. Alexander Steele came out of
retirement and replaced him until he had a stroke in 1915. The then Vice-Principal, a woman,
Miss Grace Strang replaced him as acting Principal, only to be demoted on Mr. Hackett's return.
Weekly the local papers reported on women's fundraising efforts for the Red Cross and the
YMCA. A local chapter of the Women's Branch of the Belgian Relief was established. Weekly
dances were held to entertain the troops going off to war. Women opened their homes to billet
soldiers; they replaced men on the farms. The local papers regularly reported on fundraising
efforts by the I.O.D.E. to support the war effort. Women of Orangeville lost fiancés, husbands
and sons and yet continued to support the war effort. There were weekly reminders in the
paper from the War Department to 'conserve and serve' directed at the women of the house.
Miss Marjorie Richardson was betrothed to Captain Ross MacPherson. She wrote and sent
parcels to not only her fiancé but his three brothers, who were also overseas. These kindnesses
were remembered in both Lieutenant Douglas MacPherson and Lieutenant Donald
MacPherson's surviving war diaries. Miss Ethel Allen of Orangeville trained as a nurse at
Bellevue hospital in New York and then enlisted as a nursing sister with the United States of
America Army Nurse Corps. She was given the rank of Chief Nurse and oversaw 2,500 nurses
serving near St. Nazaire, France. Whether or not their names are known to us, the women of
Orangeville wholeheartedly supported the war effort.
Finally, in 1886 the 36th Peel Battalion and the 20th Halton Battalion were formed. About
70 years later they were reorganized to form the Dufferin, Peel and Halton Regiment, which still
exists today. During the First World War, the regiment as a whole did not go to war; however
there were drafts from various units which formed other battalions. Specifically, the 164th
Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force was one of the three battalions raised exclusively for
Dufferin, Peel and Halton during the First World War. The 164th Battalion, based in Orangeville,
drew heavily from the town and surrounding areas. Almost weekly there were advertisements,
in the Sun and the Banner, for men to join. After joining, these men would be sent to Camp
Borden, which was created in 1916 in response to the World War 1 recruitment and training
demands, and known today as Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden. Here they would be trained
and equipped for combat. The Regiment remained true to its motto: “"Air-Son-Ar-Duthchais"
For Our Heritage.” (The Regiment) The names of those who enlisted were regularly published in
both the Orangeville Banner and the Orangeville Sun Times and local families felt the pressure
of the war effort. Newspaper articles regularly questioned whether or not your family had sent
a man to war and if not, why not?
Continuing, there were many immigrants from the United Kingdom who came to
Orangeville prior to the First World War. Many of those immigrants were the first volunteers to
sign up for the war to go back and fight for their home countries. However, the first volunteers
were not only immigrants, but university students and imperialists. They were idealists who
believed in the freedom they enjoyed in Canada; they where men who knew they could make a
difference and they were boys who sought adventure. During the First World War, many local
families that had been in Canada for a few generations sent men to fight. One family in
particular, the MacPherson’s had four sons enlist. Lieutenant Donald MacPherson, Lieutenant
Ewart MacPherson, Lieutenant Douglas MacPherson and Captain Ross MacPherson all served
overseas during World War One. Captain Ross Macpherson was killed in action on August 26,
1918 and received the Distinguished Service Order. Lieutenant Donald MacPherson was
wounded on August 8, 1918 and never returned to action. He was awarded the Military Cross.
Lieutenant Douglas MacPherson, Lieutenant Donald MacPherson and Lieutenant Ewart
MacPherson returned home to Orangeville.
The MacPherson brothers were only one family. The Cenotaph in Orangeville has
recorded 144 names of men - husbands, fathers and sons - that did not return from World War
One. That represents approximately 6.5% of the population of the time. Orangeville made its
contribution and a staggering sacrifice during World War One.
In conclusion, Orangeville, Ontario was greatly affected by the First World War.
Orangeville did well economically. Women were successful in filling the roles of the men that
had left to fight. To this day the 164th Battalion represents the military legacy left by the First
World War. The First World War defined Canada to the world; it also laid the foundation for the
town of Orangeville. Almost a hundred year later, relatively speaking, Orangeville is still a small
rural community. It is a place of economic opportunity, with numerous enterprises owned and
managed my women. Its military history is recognized and Orangeville continues to support CFB
Borden, the Royal Canadian Legion, The Army Cadet League and even the Canadian Navy. The
Remembrance Day Services in Orangeville are always attended to capacity and there is a
communal pride in the military both past and present. “"Air-Son-Ar-Duthchais" For Our
Heritage.” (The Regiment)