Durham Time Machine — Wednesday, March 31, 1926
A surviving four-page selection from The Oshawa Daily Reformer captures an eventful day in the young City of Oshawa: General Motors reported a new monthly production record, a severe snow-and-sleet storm disrupted power and communications, and a Cedar Dale checker player managed the evening’s only win against a visiting Canadian champion.
General Motors reports a new monthly record
The paper reported that General Motors had produced 6,129 cars during March 1926, exceeding the previous monthly record of 5,742. R. S. McLaughlin told a farewell banquet for departing General Manager K. T. Keller that the April schedule was expected to be larger still.
The report shows how closely Oshawa’s civic identity and economy were already tied to automobile production in the 1920s.
Where is it now?
The 1926 production record belonged to an earlier chapter of Oshawa’s industrial footprint. A City of Oshawa centennial publication says vehicle assembly at the current Park Road South and Wentworth Street location began in 1953. General Motors now lists Oshawa Assembly at 900 Park Road South and identifies it as the company’s only facility producing both Chevrolet Silverado light-duty and heavy-duty pickups.
That continuity has not been without change. GM moved the plant to two production shifts in February 2026, affecting approximately 500 employees, while continuing preparations for its next generation of full-size pickups.
Storm leaves Oshawa isolated
A powerful snow-and-sleet storm disrupted the city early that morning. The newspaper said outside telephone and telegraph connections were badly affected, electrically powered industries stopped, streetcars stalled, and hazardous roads contributed to minor collisions.
Crews restored power during the afternoon, but too late for the newspaper to produce the larger edition it had planned. The paper also reported numerous downed telegraph poles along the rail corridor between Oshawa and Toronto and fallen telephone poles north of the city.
Cedar Dale player defeats the visiting checker champion
At the YMCA, a visiting Canadian checker champion identified in the paper as Mr. Irwin played 15 opponents simultaneously. The reported results were nine wins, five draws and one loss.
The lone victory belonged to Mr. Trainer of Cedar Dale. The strong turnout led the newspaper to predict a promising future for Oshawa’s checker club.
What groceries cost
Advertisements in the issue offer a snapshot of everyday shopping before Easter:
- Hot cross buns: 25 cents per dozen
- Fresh caught cod: 12 cents per pound
- Fresh haddock: 12 cents per pound
- Red salmon steaks: 30 cents per pound
- Condensed milk: two tins for 35 cents
- Eggs: 42 cents for extras and 37 cents for firsts
These are nominal advertised prices and are not adjusted for inflation.
Then and now
The issue connects three themes that still resonate in Durham: manufacturing, infrastructure resilience and community recreation. The scale and technology have changed, but Oshawa continues to build vehicles, plan for severe weather and gather around local sport and competition.
Explore the sources
- View the March 31, 1926 issue at the Internet Archive
- Oshawa Public Libraries local-history resources
- City of Oshawa centennial history
- General Motors Oshawa Assembly
- GM’s January 2026 Oshawa operations update
Do you remember these stories?
Did a parent or grandparent work in Oshawa’s automobile industry? Do you know more about Mr. Trainer, the Cedar Dale checker player who defeated the visiting champion? All About Durham welcomes documented memories, corrections and photographs for consideration. Please include the source and confirm that you have permission to share any submitted image.
Archive credit: The Oshawa Daily Reformer, March 31, 1926, Vol. 54, No. 231; digitized by Oshawa Public Libraries and made available through the Internet Archive. This independent article is not endorsed by the archive or library.
