A history of the HMCC pool

About the history of the HMCC pool.   I talked to 3 'old timers,' plus another who was very involved with the start-up of HMCC, and finally to Joey Patterson, and this the (his)story I end up with.  In 1945, the Churchills were in dire straits and the home was in disrepair.   They sold the property for $2,000.   The new owners spent considerable fixing it up, including putting in the new floor in the 'great room.'   After 2-3 years, in for personal reasons [the wife did not really like living in such a big house], they put it again on the market. Meanwhile, there was a Capt. Benjamin Newcomb [no 'e'], from one of the two Newcomb families long in Hantsport, who grew up here, in the house next to the Liquor Commission, which Joey referred to as "the Captain Newcomb house."   He moved away, but frequently returned in the Summer.  He was here in the summer of 1948, by which time HMCC had been founded and the Churchill property had been purchased [17 acres for $20,000....a pretty good buy, I would say!] and the community was busy as beavers working on the house, grounds, etc.   [Joey recounts: "I was a carpenter at the Mill (Minas Basis); the foreman said, 'Joey, we expect you and your box to be up at the Churchill house on Saturdays!'  And I was."] Impressed by all the activity, Capt. Newcomb offered $5,000 to the Centre for a swimming pool, which was gratefully accepted.    Later, when the estimates came in far above that, Mr. Roy Jodrey said "It was very good of him to do that; I will cover the rest of it."   And he did.   Joey's recollection is that the pool, in the end, cost about $50,000 [which would buy 25 new automobiles in 1948!]    So I guess it is, in a sense, the "Newcomb-Jodrey pool"......     Being a great believer in giving credit where credit is due, I do hope that Capt. Benjamin is not forgotten.    One person said to me: "The Newcombs have never been given the credit they deserve for all they did for this community." Rosanne's history of HMCC, covering, as it did, each decade in one page, did not go into details about the pool.   Lorraine McQueen has the HMCC minutes at this time, and I asked her to take a look back for more details when she has the time...... Joey talked at length about how the community developed and maintained the centre -- for the community, and how everyone pitched in, including Roy's son John, who was President of HMCC for a decade or so...... Regards, Joe Foy