Page 13 - Wilfred Creighton & the Expropriations: Clearing Land for the National Park, 1936

ISSUE : Issue 69

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1995/8/1

his land alongside hers). Only reason was to spoil Mrs. Corson's settlement, only possible reason. The second Mrs. Corson was still alive. I negotiated with her for Middle Head. Corson was very highly re? garded by the people of In? gonish and his widow was despised. I had very inter? esting correspondence nego? tiating with her. You see, the land was expropriated and notices were published asking landowners to file claims for their proper? ties . So when I went in I had what a person wanted for their property. Not in every case. But Mrs. Corson had filed a claim for $125,000. In the 1930's that was a lot of money. And I offered her $60,000 at some period. They owned Middle Head and they owned quite a bit of land that is now in the golf course. They had a very valuable property. But Mr. Corson had an American friend. Dr. Jerry Morgan, who owned quite a block of land beyond the Corson proper? ty. Dr. Morgan filed a claim for $50,000 for his property. Well, I didn't want to settle with either of them while I was dealing with the local people. So, to make Dr. Morgan cross and make sure he wouldn't settle I offered him $450 for his land. Now after Mr. Corson's death, Mrs. Corson and Dr. Morgan got in a dispute over-- whether it was the boundary line or the ownership of this lot, I don't know. But they went to court. And they went from court to court, they took the case right to the Supreme Court of Canada. They must both have spent tens of thousands of dol? lars in lawyer and court costs. Now I had a file with Dr. Morgan about that thick, writing back and forth. To make a long story short, he settled for $450. Now, the only possible explanation would be that he felt making that claim it would injure Mrs. Corson's claim. Well, Mrs. Corson never would settle and she would have one lawyer after another, and never the same lawyer twice. But shortly after settlement had been made with Dr. Morgan, Mrs. Corson had a lawyer from New York arrive in Halifax. (They went to) J. H. MacQuarrie, he was Attorney General and Minister of Lands and Forests, so they didn't come to me--they went right to Mac? Quarrie to discuss settlement. And this DON'S FLOWERS Serving Port Hood, Judique, Inverness and Surrounding Areas p. O. Box 179, Port Hawkesbury, N. S. BOE 2V0 Telephone 625-2215 or 625-2717 OPEN 9 to 9 24 Flavours of Ice Cream! Fresh Fruit Sundaes • ?*'' CODNTRY MARKET 7 DAYS A WEEK Fresh Baked Goods Craft Ideas Fresh Cape Breton Vegetables WHYCOCOMAGH • 756-9042 'etSLes ON TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY, ROUTE 105 Available ' Nightingale Nursing Services {21 24 hours; 7 days a week service {2 R.N.'s - C.N.A.'s {21 Homemakers & babysitters X {21 Care provided in home or hospital {21 Bonded & insured {21 Reasonable rates FULL TIME R.N. NURSING SUPERVISION Local People Professionally 465-9777 ''''ZZ 562-6274 DARTMOUTH r/KAl 469-9'50 SYDNEY STEPHENS Building Supplies Makita Power Tools Mason Windows Donat Flamand Windows All Types of Cedar Sidings CGC Gypsum Board Iko Roofing Plywood Peach Tree Steel Door Systems Vinyl Replacement Windows Stanley Entrance Systems Pressure Treated Lumber Cedar Lumber SICO Paints & Stains Kaycan Vinyl Siding Fibreglass Pink Insulation SERV NO ALL CAPE BRETON ISLAND 199 Townsend Street, Sydney 564-5554 Free Computerized Estimates 13

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