Official Opening of Thomas A. Blakelock High School
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- Official Opening of Thomas A. Blakelock High School, Thursday, Mar. 27, 1958.
Thomas A. Blakelock
Two feet of snow and biting wind greeted a Yorkshire lad of twenty-two when he stepped off the train in Toronto on a March day in 1906.
Equipped with a kit of carpenter’s tools, ninety cents in hard cash and a consuming ambition, Thomas A. Blakelock started his unique career in his adopted country.
A kindly welcome by the Salvation Army assured him lodging and food in return for sweeping the barrack’s floor. One day while getting warm in the old Union Station he was offered and accepted work as a farm hand with William Savage of Oakville.
Eight months later he found employment in his trade and in 1900 was established as a contractor. Then he returned to England to marry Isabel Parnaby, his childhood sweetheart, and they now have three sons and two daughters.
In 1912 his brother James, who died in 1938, came from Yorkshire and together they established the Blakelock Brothers Lumber Company and their energy, integrity, and competence have resulted in progressive prosperity.
Thirty-nine years ago he entered public life as a councilor of the twon of Oakville and his native ability and deep concern about his fellow men saw him successively serving as Deputy Reeve, Reeve, Warden of the County of Halton, Mayor and Member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly for 18 years. Since leaving provincial politics, he has served on the Oakville Trafalgar District High School Board as Chairman and member for ten years and he is also a member of the Board of Parks Management.
In some small measure of recognition of many years of devoted and distinguished service to his province and community this school has been named the Thomas A. Blakelock High School. - Subject(s)
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Ontario, Canada
Latitude: 43.4473682625124 Longitude: -79.6665048808289
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Trafalgar Township Historical Society Sponsor: Jeff Knoll, Local & Regional Councillor for Oakville Ward 5 – Town of Oakville/Regional Municipality of Halton
