The 1920s and Prohibition in Kinmount

By Guy Scott

World War I ended on November 11, 1918, but Canada suffered greatly for about two years in the aftermath. But out of the aftermath came the Roaring Twenties: A decade of changing times and fast paced growth in society. Newfangled inventions proliferated throughout society such as radio, the motor car, motion pictures and electricity. Kinmountians got a look at their first aeroplane at the 1919 Kinmount Fair. Motion pictures were shown at the Forrester’s Hall. Every house seemed to have a radio. And motor cars were no longer gawked at when passing through town.

The Victorian Era had ended with a bang in August 1914, but it had one last death rattle in 1917, when Prohibition was enacted across Canada. Before the War, the Ontario Government, under pressure from the numerous and powerful temperance organizations had allowed the Local Option. This left it to local municipal governments to decide whether to ban alcohol sales in their jurisdiction. Ontario quickly became a patchwork of booze bans. Somerville Township voted (narrowly) in 1907 to ban alcohol sales. Galway Township never embraced the local option. Thus, it was illegal to sell liquor on one side of town, but not on the other!

Kinmount had always been graced by a substantial number of hotels selling spirits. The ban of 1907 effectively killed the hotel business. There were 3 main hotels in the village: Dunbar House, Northern Hotel and Bowie’s Hotel. The Dunbar House became a gas station and a garage. The Northern Hotel shuffled along as a (temperance) hotel but was soon closed. The Bowie Hotel became a boarding house. All 3 businesses were drastically hurt by the alcohol ban. In 1917, the alcohol market was further shattered by prohibiting all alcohol across Ontario. It was reasoned the raw ingredients to make spirits (grains) were better used to feed soldiers and refugees. Alcohol was now unpatriotic, and who could argue with a war on! But prohibition outlasted the war—the drys had won… for now, at least.

The wets became restless. They wanted the right to consume liquors. When demand was created, supply would flow. Alcoholic beverages were not hard to make and soon the bootleggers and moonshiners were hard at work filling the demand for alcoholic beverages. The resultant home-made stuff had many names, but most called it moonshine. It was totally illegal to make, consume or sell alcohol, but that didn’t stop all the entrepreneurs. Soon a thriving black market sprang up all over Canada as at least half the population violated the prohibition laws on a regular basis. Kinmount was no exception to the rule. There were a number of stills located in the area, and everybody seemed to know how to get a bottle. The police were helpless in squashing the moonshine trade. Several attempts were made in the Kinmount area to battle the bootleggers, but it seemed to be a drop in the ocean.

Several referendums were held across Ontario to end Prohibition, but each one narrowly failed to dislodge the ban. But everyone, including Ontario’s wet premier, Howard Ferguson, could see Prohibition was waning, and in 1926, Ontario went officially wet. But what would replace Prohibition? Certainly the old patchwork system could not be brought back. The Ontario government decided to make alcohol sales government regulated, creating a monopoly and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO). The key word in the title was “control.” Only government outlets could sell or dispense alcoholic beverages. Even bars and special events had to acquire their stock from the LCBO. Prices would be fixed, quality assured and regulations (such as drinking age) strictly enforced. While the wets had won the war, the drys sill could claim a victory.

Another government body, the Liquor Licence Board of Ontario (LLBO) was also formed to regulate the businesses who sold liquor. No more “old days” where alcohol flowed like water. Even today, nearly a century after Prohibition ended, the 1926 system is still basically in place.

All of these new rules and systems didn’t do much for Kinmount: we didn’t have an LCBO outlet until the 1960s. The nearest store was Lindsay! Later the LCBO set up shop in Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, Coboconk and Minden as the system expanded. The local bootleggers and moonshiners eventually went out of business: Extincted by changing times and expanding LCBO stores. Kinmount residents had to drive to other towns for their spirits. It was said if the rumour went around town somebody was driving to Lindsay, they were bombarded by requests to pick up a bottle (or several) for thirsty residents! It put new meaning in the phrase “shopping spree.” Without an LCBO, businesses in Kinmount languished. Many locals opted to shop elsewhere; namely places with an LCBO outlet.

At last, bowing to local pressure, Leslie Frost (Premier of Ontario and local MPP) made sure an LCBO outlet was granted to Kinmount. The site was set for an old garage/restaurant situated at the south-west corner of the bridge. Word was circulated at the Legion that hiring priority was given to a veteran. (Les Frost was a World War I veteran himself.) A manager was found and the Kinmount branch opened. Business improved, the old site was found to be too small and a new LCBO was opened in the current location in the late 1980s. The alcohol issue had gone full cycle. And thus the Roaring Twenties Roared on!