For the first time in the history of Canada, the economy geared up for an all-out military effort during World War I.
Though today it is the military aspects of the war years that are best remembered, the civilian impacts were perhaps greater.
The recruiting of thousands of young and able-bodied men resulted in shortages of labour in industry, just as war demands placed greatly-increased demands on industrial production. In Wellington County, the problem was particularly acute in Fergus. The Beatty Bros., which had expanded several times before the war, had several war contracts and a rapidly growing payroll. The problem was that there was no place for the new workers to live.
By the time of the First World War the Beatty firm totally dominated the Fergus economy, a situation that would persist into the 1950s. As a consequence, the line between the firm’s policies and the actions of Fergus council was often burred, much in the manner of a resource town in northern Ontario.
During 1916, Fergus council took measures to increase the stock of housing in the town. Largely through tax foreclosures, The municipality had acquired most of the land on the north side of St. Andrew Street West and on Kitchener Avenue. Council decided that the area, in close proximity to the new Hill Street Beatty plant, would be a good place for a group of new houses.
That land had been surveyed into large lots in the late 1860s by George Fergusson, a son of the founder of Fergus, and a director of the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway, whose station was at the northern edge of the property. Fergusson demanded a high price for the lots, and consequently, only a couple sold. Greed killed his investment, and the area remained largely vacant until the proposed residential development of 1916.
On September 11 reeve John Thomson called a public meeting to discuss the best way to proceed with the project, which would add 27 new houses to the town’s stock of housing.
By then council had already received offers for some of the lots. Those appeared to be attempts at speculation: the people inquiring already had good houses, and they wanted to buy multiple lots. Councillor McGregor stated that the price should be the same for all lots, and that no one should be allowed more than one of them. He also wanted a three-year rebate on property taxes for new houses, but reeve Thomson advised that such a step would require a referendum.
George Beatty, president of the Beatty firm, was in attendance, and the reeve asked for his opinions. In the usual passive-aggressive style that Beatty and his family would soon be known for, Beatty protested that he had not planned to say anything and was happy to leave the decisions up to council.
He then launched into his demands: his company required new housing at once, and if council did not take steps to provide it, he would be forced to move some or all of his operations to London. He noted that Lindsay had promised to build 400 houses should the government arsenal be located there, and he thought that a good example for Fergus to follow.
Council had decided that $25 should be the price of the lots, but those attending had other opinions. Some thought that $25 was too expensive and would deter building. Others thought that the lots on Kitchener Avenue, being closer to the station and rail yard, were worth less. Councillor Ewing thought the latter should be priced at $10.
George Beatty rose to speak, reminding the meeting that council had already agreed to sell the lots for $1 plus the cost of surveying. He said that Fergus would be better served if the council gave a grant of $25 to those building a house rather than charging $25 for a lot.
Councillor J.C.Templin noted that there were still expenses that had be met, particularly the construction of sidewalks, grading of some of the land, and work on Kitchener Avenue. He stated that some people had paid $20 or $25 for lots that were not as good as those under consideration that night, and that it would be unfair to them to sell lots at $1.
Wes Ham, a senior Beatty employee, stated that those planning to build were doing so for the good of the town, rather than to make money. He numbered himself among that group, and stated that he would make a better return on his money by purchasing Dominion War Bonds. Council should take the lead in selling lots at a low cost when there were residents willing to take a risk by building houses.
In the end, council decided to defer setting the asking price for the lots until all bills associated with them had been received. Council agreed, but with a 3 to 2 vote. In a second vote, council agreed to sell the lots at once for $25, with any excess above expenses refunded to the purchaser.
The next regular meeting of council convened three weeks later, on Oct, 2. Council passed one of the first zoning provisions in Fergus, requiring any new houses on St. Andrew to be 25 feet back of the lot line, and 15 feet on Kitchener. George Beatty was also at the meeting.
He thanked council for their actions at the public meeting three weeks earlier, but reminded council that their delays had held back new house construction, and that those delays had prevented at least six houses from being built in 1916.
Later in the meeting council approved plans for a new survey of the property. A motion by councillors McGregor and Templin called for a 10-foot laneway at the rear of the lots. Garages and outbuildings would face the lane, rather than the streets.
It was a sensible proposal, as the lots facing St. Andrew Street were considerably higher than the street. Such rear laneways were a feature of many new subdivisions of that era. They allowed motor cars to be parked in back-yard garages, and utility poles to be relocated off the streets. That laneway is still in use, and is one of the few of its type in Wellington County.
Another motion required new houses to be worth at least $1,000, and that $400 of work must be done within nine months of their purchase from the town.
The town engineer was also present at the meeting, with plans and estimate for extending water lines to the new lots. The plan was to extend the water line as far as the Superior Barn Equipment Company, on the west side of the Beatty Line. The estimated cost for that work was $1,500, a very low amount for 1916.
There was some concern that the new connections would tax the Fergus water system beyond capacity.
A well drilling firm, Bellarby and Company of Shelburne, offered to drill an additional well of 10-inch diameter for $2.75 per foot. Council accepted the offer, without calling tenders. The agreement was signed that night.
Despite much argument, the 1916 Fergus subdivision went ahead fairly smoothly for a project that was something of a novelty, with heavy participation by both the municipality and the Beatty firm. Neither had any experience with such projects.
Today those houses, built to designs drawn by Beatty engineer W.H. Matthews, are a unique feature of the streetscape of Fergus.