The Blackwells came to Bradford in the early 1930s.
Harold Blackwell with his bride arrived in Bradford as he was posted at the CIBC as manager. They took up residence above the bank. The bank was on the northwest corner of Holland and Barrie streets. Today it is occupied by a fish and chips restaurant.
Harold’s wife was the former Lena Bell Gilbert, with ancestors on her paternal side coming from Leeds, England.
They moved to Bradford from St. Thomas, Ont., with their son, Gilbert. He was born in St. Thomas on Feb. 26, 1920.
Not too long after moving to Bradford, they built the family home on the southwest corner of Joseph and Barrie streets.
Tragedy came to the family in 1934 when Harold died of a brain aneurysm, leaving Lena a widow with three children: Gilbert (Gib), 14, Isabelle, 11, and Keith, six.
Gilbert went to Bradford Public School, Bradford High School and then onto the University of Toronto, where he graduated as a doctor, taking his internship at Toronto General Hospital.
On Dec. 4, 1944, Gilbert married Ruth Irene Stewart. Ruth’s family home was on the south half of Lot 14, Concession 9. Ruth’s parents were Stanley and Mary “Ethel” Kneeshaw. They were married on March 12, 1907, and went on to have 10 children: Ken, Aubrey, Mary Elizabeth “Beth,” Gordon, Orval, Emerson, Doris, Ruth, Douglas and Ross.
Ruth went to the University of Toronto and became a registered nurse, and then began nursing in Toronto.
In 1946, after graduating and marrying, Dr. Gilbert Blackwell and his bride, Ruth, moved into the family home to be with Mrs. Blackwell Sr. The new doctor in Bradford rented a room to practise medicine on the northwest corner of Joseph and Barrie streets.
His duties had been heavy, because frequent changes among doctors during his early years did not establish the necessary confidence in his associates, but by 1957 the medical service in Bradford assumed orderly proportions with the addition of two new doctors — namely, Dr. Hecking and Dr. Marechaux, both graduates of European universities.
Gilbert had enlisted in 1945 to the Royal Canadian Medical Corps, but the war was over before he was called to active duty.
They became a family unit when David Leeds was born on March 26, 1946. Four years later, Mary Lynn was born on April 8, 1950, (died Jan. 4, 2000). Four years later came Paul Gilbert on Jan. 19, 1954. Barbara Ruth arrived three years later on Oct. 24, 1957, and, six years later, Peter Campbell arrived on April 18, 1963.
With his family growing and his practice doing great, he built an addition to the family home with his office on the first floor and an apartment for his mother above.
If you went to his office, you entered via Joseph Street down a set of steps into the waiting room. As a youngster, I would stare at the mural on the wall — all kid-related — and the chairs were leather with iron legs and arms topped with a pad for your arm to rest on. Nowadays, these retro chairs are still seen in homes or antique shops.
If my memory serves me, there was also an aquarium against the wall.
While at the office through the years until retirement, if you went there, you would be greeted by many staff, including receptionists Sandra (Myers) Visser or Helen MacTavish and nurses June Reynolds and Helen Vipond. We were always greeted with friendly smiles. On occasion, you might see Ruth coming downstairs to help out front.
For years, “Gramma” rented a room to a beloved teacher at Bradford Public School. This was Barbara Stewart. After 36 years of teaching, she retired and moved to her home in Markham. She was awarded, much to her surprise, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Metal.
“Gramma” Blackwell lived there until her death in 1982 at the age of 88.
Growing up, Gib and Tom Lukes were best mates and, for many years, they travelled back and forth from Canada to Wales. Tom was born in the Lukes’ estate, “Luxalean,” commonly known as the “Convent,” and lived there until the age of 18. They both loved to hike and take in the beauty of our world. Gilbert also was quite the athlete, winning medals in pole vaulting, and loved running track and field at school.
Gib did a lot of walking until heath and age took his joy away. Many times you would see his car parked on Sideroad 10 as he walked, or cross-country skied, west down to their beloved cottage in the middle of a forest of trees. Eventually, he had a pond built and lined it with heavy plastic, and the family enjoyed swimming there for years. Ruth and Gib were gracious enough to let me go out a few times for some relaxation on weekends.
Throughout the years of travelling on holidays, Gib would usually come home with a cane or walking stick.
Many of them were mounted on the wall and he was always happy to take the time to show and tell what they were made of and where they came from, a collection he proudly owned until his death.
In 1962, the Blackwell and Culbert families joined forces and, with seven children, and Ruth five months pregnant, we headed for Florida. During the time of travels, we used to kid Paul that he would become a decorator because, I swear, every gas station we came upon, Paul would say he needed the facilities. We told him he was just wanting to see how the room was decorated. The rest of us thought we would never get to Florida!
Our great adventure would start each day with the men checking the cars and Mom (Lylia Culbert) and Ruth would make different kinds of sandwiches for lunchtime down the road. It was at that time that I tried and loved Gib’s favourite sandwich and I still make them today — peanut butter and cucumber with salt, pepper and mayo. Over the years, I have added and now it is bread, butter, peanut butter, cucumber, homemade mayo, honey, onion and, of course, salt and pepper.
Every day was an adventure and we all had fun. One day, the dads and their boys went deep-sea fishing. Man, were we sick! Well, all but Paul, and just looking at him while we were turning green made us even sicker. He never stopped eating. We finally got back to the motel and survived the day with lots of stories told.
Ruth had a bouncing baby boy, Peter, the following year, 1963.
In 1964, Gib became chief of staff at the then York County Hospital, a position he took on with pride, and he held that position until December 1975.
On Dec. 15, 1966, Gib called to our place and Mom answered the call. “'Lylia, it’s Gib here. Just wanted to tell you I feel old today thanks to your daughter. I just realized that your first grandson was the first second-generation child I delivered.” He had delivered my sister (Nancy’s Nifty Nook) in 1947. Gib retired from “birthing babies” in 1986.
In 1969, Gib sent out notices in a medical journal looking for a new doctor to assist in the practice. A young Dr. Frank D’Arcy from Ireland answered the call and, with his wife, Rosagean, arrived in Bradford. Coming from a home in Ireland that was situated on the north/south boarder, he grew up with his doctor father and his mother never knowing when a bomb might hit, during the unrest of the ’70s. The new doctor took up residence in the DePew home, which is now the Helping Hand Food Bank on Moore Street.
At that time, they became “pet” parents to Millie, the basset hound.
After a year or so, Frank and his wife moved to Toronto and he started his own private practice with hospital privileges at York-Finch Hospital. Frank stayed in practice until his unexpected death in 2018 at 80 years of age. They had three children.
When Frank gave notice to Gib, he again advertised in the medical journals and had a reply from Dr. John Gately from England. They agreed to him coming and, in 1970, John and Val moved to Bradford with two children in tow: Cole, 17 months, and Suzi, nine months old. They landed in Toronto and went to Val’s cousin’s place in London and then, a couple of days later, arrived in Bradford. They were shocked that in two-plus hours they were in Bradford. In England, that would have been a long day’s journey.
Settling in with Millie, inherited from the D’Arcys, they stayed in that house about two years later and then moved to a Fletcher Street home previously owned by the druggist Ross Davis.
Gib and John made a great pair and they had some fun. One lunch hour, Henry Bell, of Bradford police, knocked at John’s Moore Street home door. “Dr. Gately, I would like you to come with me please.” “What is the problem?” John asked. “Well, your basset hound is locked together with a German shepherd on the front lawn of the United Church Manse.” John and Henry took off and retrieved Millie. She was known to everyone in town, I think. At lunchtime at the Catholic school (St. Mary’s) next door, she would wander home with a student and come back after lunch.
John was a little upset and called Gib and asked him if he would help abort the puppies. After the procedure, they celebrated the success of their adventure. Well, some 60 days later, Millie gave birth to the most strange-looking puppies.
John stayed with Gib for a few years and then moved to Ancaster to teach at McMaster University. John was like a brother to me, living at our house for a time before he moved on. When home in 2013, Mom, Nancy and I went to Ancaster to see John. We had a great visit with his wife, Marie, and his sister, Marion, from England. Shortly after the visit, John passed away at 72 years old from cancer (Sept. 25, 1941, to Aug. 9, 2013).
When John left Bradford, Gib went looking again and another young man, Dr. Richard Tanner, and his wife, Krystyna, came from England in 1973.
In 1984, Richard left the practice and went out on his own, with Krystyna helping him out front. He retired from full-time work in 2005 and moved to Simcoe. He was a gifted photographer and loved opera and piano. Richard passed on from cancer June 20, 2021. He was 84 years of age.
In 1975, Gib retired from the position of chief of staff.
Gilbert lost his beloved Ruth to cancer on Dec. 31, 1993, a sad day for many friends and Bradford residents.
In 1999, he retired, sold the house and moved to his beloved property on 12th Line.
His daughter and husband built a lovely suite attached to their home.
After ailing health, he passed away to be with Ruth on April 11, 2004, after being in Bradford Valley for two months.
He was a member of Bradford’s Board of Education when Bradford High School was built in 1923. He was on the Board of Education when Bradford Public School was built in 1951.
Gib was a member of Bradford Lions Club until his death.
He was a Mason and he belonged to Bradford Curling Club and Big Cedar Golf Club along with Ruth.
If any of you remember graduation exercises at BDHS, you would have seen Dr. Gilbert Blackwell awarding the George Atkinson Award each year. George Atkinson was a very good friend of his father. George drowned in the canal. Barb Blackwell Miedema still presents the award to this day.
