Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County
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cabhc.bsky.social
Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County
@cabhc.bsky.social
1.1K followers 57 following 76 posts
Looking after the history of Belleville and Hastings County, Ontario, Canada.

www.cabhc.ca
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cabhc.bsky.social
50 years ago today, the Intelligencer reported that the Hastings County Board of Education had approved the use of calculators in secondary schools.
1975 report from The Intelligencer on the approval of the use of calculators in secondary schools in Hastings County, but not elementary schools.
November 26, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Reposted by Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County
qac1967.bsky.social
Check out “Life in the Clearings: Susanna Moodie’s Belleville” on display during the Belleville Arts Festival at The Belleville Public Library. This is an interactive collaborative exhibition between… read more in the alt text below 👇
November 21, 2025 at 9:52 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
50 years ago: the Intelligencer newspaper covered preparations for the Quinte Santa Claus Parade, to be held on Saturday November 29th. The people in the photos were Lucy Stokmans, Kim Carleton, and Cindy Nelson.
List of participants in the Quinte Santa Claus Parade held on Saturday November 29th, 1975 in Belleville, Ontario. Black and white image of one woman helping another dress up in a "Big Bird" costume. Young girl with models of Santa's reindeer.
November 25, 2025 at 2:53 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Our collaborative interactive exhibit in Belleville's John M. Parrott Gallery has a Haiku Board for poems about the Moira River.
"The Mighty Moira" Haiku activity in the John M. Parrott Gallery.
November 13, 2025 at 1:35 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Our November 2025 newsletter is online at mailchi.mp/3a248afca030... - find out more about the Intelligencer newspaper's "Mug Shots" series of around 10,000 images from the 1960s to 1980s.
Community Archives news
mailchi.mp
November 3, 2025 at 1:39 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Dr. Joan Bronskill (1924-1978) at her microscope in the Entomological Research Institute in Belleville. She was a founder of the Quinte Ballet School, a member of the Belleville Theatre Guild, and a charter member of the Quinte Arts Council. #ArchivesWomensHistory www.flickr.com/photos/cabhc...
1970-06-09 Joan Bronskill-01
Dr. Joan Bronskill, working at her microscope in the Canadian Department of Agriculture's Entomology Laboratory in Belleville, Ontario. Photograph taken for the Intelligencer newspaper.
www.flickr.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:37 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Circus advertisement from the Stirling News-Argus, July 1880 archive.org/details/stir...
Ad for Forepaugh's Circus in July 1880 in Belleville: "A human being Shot from a Cannon, loaded with powder and sent whriling through space and caught by a lady hanging head downward on the lofty trapeze. This wonder-moving feat performed at each exhibtion by Mons. Loyal, the 'human cannon-ball'. Appearance of the only Female Blondin, M'lle Ella Zuilla, who crosses the high wire 60 feet above the heads of the audience, blindfoled and with her feet encased in sacks, and rides a velocipede over the high wire! All riding on bareback horses! Grand pantomime troupe! 6 great clowns and 10 famous foreign actors. Only exhibition using the new and wonderful Electric Light!"
October 27, 2025 at 7:56 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Another wildly inaccurate prediction about the world of work. Here's Robert Secord in 1968, forecasting that in 2000 only "20 per cent of the population will work and they will only work about 20 days a year" archive.org/details/inte...
Intelligencer May 1968 : The Intelligencer : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Newspaper published in Belleville, Ontario.
archive.org
October 7, 2025 at 1:19 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Our October newsletter is online at mailchi.mp/9644c9ae5bb6... - find out about a railway crash in Trenton in 1961 and a family who were postmasters in Stirling for 90 years!
Community Archives news
mailchi.mp
October 1, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County
internetarchiveca.bsky.social
Ontario Land Records Index is now digitized and freely available to the public: archive.org/details/onta....
Thanks to the collaboration with the Archives of Ontario, @tofamilyhistory.bsky.social, OurDigitalWorld and CRKN.
internetarchivecanada.org/2025/09/24/n...
Now Online! Ontario Land Records Index – Internet Archive Canada
internetarchivecanada.org
September 25, 2025 at 5:57 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Bay of Quinte tartan from 1967: "The dark blue blocks of the fabric represented the Bay, lighter blue blocks local rivers and streams, green blocks local fields and parks and the gold threads the golden future of the Quinte area."
www.flickr.com/photos/cabhc...
#ACAHashtagParty #ArchivesUniqueItems
File 62: Bay of Quinte tartan
Fabric sample. Production of this tartan began in 1967. It was made by Trenton Dyeing and Finishing and was designed by Alex Wilson.
www.flickr.com
September 25, 2025 at 5:41 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Guidance on what to wear for students of the new Moira Secondary School in Belleville in 1959.
Typewritten text reads: "MOIRA SECONDARY SCHOOL Belleville, Ontario August 5, 1959 To the Students of Moira Secondary School and Their Parents: As I write this news bulletin it seems apparent that our new school will not be completed by September 8th, but in spite of all rumors to the contrary, we intend to have classes in the building. Since we will probably have an enrolment of approximately 500 students this may at times be inconvenient, but we are expecting that with complete cooperation from our students no academic progress need be lost. Last year the Students’ Council of Belleville Collegiate Institute and Vocational School made a number of suggestions regarding school dress. In line with their observations the following suggestions are being made; (1) Boys wear slacks (grey flannel) and sport shirts. (2) Girls avoid the excessive use of crinolines. A grey flannel skirt would be a useful addition to your wardrobe. The school colours are maroon and grey and so it is possible that the Students’ Council may decide to have maroon school jackets or blazers. The above suggestions are not meant to be obligatory but are made in the interests of economy and appearance. They are made for the benefit of those students who have to purchase new clothing, not with the idea of having anyone discard their present wardrobe. Note: (a) A girl who seeks to impress her associate with elaborate dress is indicating lack of confidence in her own personality. (b) A boy who wears sloppy jeans tends to become sloppy in his thinking and actions. (c) In all school activities may it be kept in mind that no one should be priced out of school by having to spend too much money on clothing and social functions in order to keep up with the crowd. I am looking forward to meeting all of you September. Yours truly, W. J. Musgrove Principal"
September 3, 2025 at 3:52 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Find out more about the buildings at the west end of Belleville's Lower Bridge in our latest newsletter at eepurl.com/jl6nJw
View of buildings on the west side of the Moira river in Belleville, taken from City Hall.
September 2, 2025 at 4:27 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Bellevue Terrace in Belleville was built in 1876 at a cost of $12,000. Each of the six luxury tenements had a basement kitchen and dining room and a main floor drawing room and sewing room. On the top floor were bedrooms and a bathroom supplied with hot and cold running water. #ArchivesArchitecture
View of Bellevue Terrace in around 1980. Bellevue Terrace in around 1880.
August 28, 2025 at 3:08 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
For #transportTuesday we take a trip back to this week in 1970, when the replica ship Nonsuch visited Belleville. www.flickr.com/photos/cabhc...
HC02646
Photograph of the Nonsuch visiting Belleville, Ontario. This was a reproduction built by the Hudson Bay Company in 1968 of the 1650 original, to celebrate the company's tercentenary in 1970. The ship...
www.flickr.com
July 22, 2025 at 7:36 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
We have found the best name of the day, no doubt about it. (In Gilbert Parker's papers)
Letter addressed to Sir Fortescue Flannery, Baronet.
July 9, 2025 at 4:17 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Our latest newsletter is online at mailchi.mp/54c4fab9faca... - in it we take a look at a waterfront park which was never built and explore the history of the game of cricket in Hastings County.
Community Archives news
mailchi.mp
July 2, 2025 at 2:26 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
An event happening today which may be of interest: www.bellevillelibrary.ca/event/findin...
Finding Bet in Belleville: The Archives of Slavery in Upper Canada - Belleville Public Library and John M. Parrott Art Gallery
Finding Bet in Belleville: The Archives of Slavery in Upper Canada  Professor Natasha Henry-Dixon will discuss her current research on the history of chattel slavery in colonial Ontario. She will […]
www.bellevillelibrary.ca
June 26, 2025 at 12:08 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
For #TransportTuesday, here's a Belleville city bus in a rainstorm, taken in June 1990 by Chris Malette: www.flickr.com/photos/cabhc...
1990-06-18 Storm 011
Belleville bus on Quinte Mall to Hillcrest route (8) passing through a large puddle and spraying water. One of a series of photographs taken after a rain storm in Belleville, Ontario by Chris Malette...
www.flickr.com
June 17, 2025 at 1:04 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
#ThrowbackThursday to the 1970 production of Bye Bye Birdie at Centennial Secondary School in Belleville. www.flickr.com/photos/cabhc...

According to the Intelligencer, over 200 students at the school were involved in putting on this musical. archive.org/details/inte...
PC 38
"Centennial Secondary School Presents Bye Bye Birdie At C. S. S. Auditorium Belleville March 4, 5, 6, 7 8 P.M. Tickets $1.00 Limited Number of Reserved Seats for Each Performance TICKETS AVAILABLE FRO...
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June 12, 2025 at 6:01 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Does anyone recognize this man? His photo was taken in 1968 for the Intelligencer newspaper and "Henderson" is the only name given. www.flickr.com/photos/cabhc...
Henderson-1968
1968 portrait of a man identified only as "Henderson" in the "Mug Shots" series of photographs taken for the Intelligencer newspaper in Belleville, Ontario.
www.flickr.com
June 10, 2025 at 6:29 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Our monthly newsletter has a motion-picture theme to it for June: mailchi.mp/d9b391ed6bb0...
Community Archives news
mailchi.mp
June 2, 2025 at 7:37 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
For #TransportTuesday, here's a lovely photo of the Reid's Dairy milk wagon in Belleville in 1964 www.flickr.com/photos/cabhc...
2015-11-1964-076
A photo of a horse-drawn Reid's Dairy milk wagon which delivered milk products to individual homes until c 1980. One of a series of photographic slides taken by the Keller family of Belleville betwee...
www.flickr.com
May 27, 2025 at 2:26 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
These individual pages were torn from our newspaper collections back in the 1970s or 1980s.

It is satisfying to be able to put them back where they belong.

But, please, don't do that.
Pages from the Daily Ontario and Daily Intelligencer newspapers, 1870 and 1877.
May 8, 2025 at 1:29 PM
cabhc.bsky.social
Our May newsletter is online at mailchi.mp/6d9623a19bc4... : find out about the Tweedsmuir History digitization project from the Women's Institutes of our region.
Community Archives news
mailchi.mp
May 1, 2025 at 5:27 PM