1914-07-21mm

As the war clouds blackened over Europe, it was summer vacation time in Hamilton. While residents were fully aware of the events across the ocean, many Hamiltonians went to the Beach as usual to enjoy their usual warm weather activities at the popular sand strip which separated Lake Ontario from Hamilton bay.

One of those people was  Hamilton Police Magistrate George Jelfs who maintained a summer home at the Beach. As the Beach was readily reached by the radial railway, Jelfs could exercise his judicial duties during the day, and still be able to get to his “cottage” just a few minutes.

In the July 21, 1914, the Hamilton Times reported on Magistrate Jelf and his activity at The Beach :

“Probably the largest bass caught in recent years was landed by the trusty bait and line so constantly in use by Magistrate Jelfs. His worship yesterday determined to either land a ‘big one’ or hail a fishman and purchase one  to accompany him through his front gate, but he had not been on the water ten minutes when he felt a strong tug on his line.

“A number of people watched him land his prey from the shore, and when he brought it in and weighed it, he found that it tipped the scales at four pounds, ten ounces.”¹

¹ “Beach Plans”

Hamilton Times. July 21, 1914.

In the summer of 1914, the Beach was not part of the City of Hamilton but was under the jurisdiction of the province of Ontario via the Beach Commission :

“The Beach Commission has decided to install drinking fountains in all the parks at the Beach, numbering about a dozen. The intention is to install a sanitary fountain, adding a box of sanitary drinking cups that may be obtained for one cent.

“This convenience has long been missed by those frequenting the parks, more especially the young men who gather in evenings and play baseball.”¹