Published in The BANAR February 1999
Eleven chairmen of past funfairs gathered, on behalf of all the volunteers of Blackburn, to dedicate the new signs to the community. Blackburn volunteers have unselfishly given their time and talents to make the community one to be proud of.
From 1978 to 1985 a portion of the Blackburn Fun Fair profits, $30,000, were put into a special Reserve fund for a capital project. At the 1997 General Meeting of the Blackburn Community Association the motion was passed to erect Blackburn Hamlet Identification signs with these funds.
The date on the sign, 1834, was the date the Gloucester Township assessed the first settlers in this area. The community was first known as Green’s Creek after Mr. Green, who owned and operated a sawmill on the creek. In 1850 it became known as the Daggville settlement And was changed to Blackburn in 1880 in honour of Robert Blackburn M.P.
Blackburn in 1963 was excluded from the blanket 1961 Greenbelt expropriation and was approved as a hamlet surrounded by the Greenbelt. Since then it has matured into one of the finest communities of the Ottawa area.
Past Chairmen of Fun Fair from I to r: Lois Kemp, Iris Phillips BCA President, Don Gray, Lee Coutu, Loma Palmer, Neil Papineau, Evelyn Grover, Jackie Ruano, Penny Harfield, Daphne Poulin, Jean Neufeld Absent: Eleanor Mac Quarrie, Beryle Carr, Joanne Cottingham, Joan Trusdale, Joanne Bushell, Don Clow, John Lockie, Bill Home, Brett Maxwell, Sherry Woodburn, Chantell Goyette, Vivian Dawson and Kaye Ditto.