‘A Great Event:’ The Lindsay winter carnival of 1912-1917
Entrants line up for a cutter race in downtown Lindsay. Photo courtesy of Kawartha Lakes Public Library.
It’s the middle of winter in Lindsay, circa 1912. A fresh blanket of snow covers the ground, glistening like freshly-ground glass whenever the sun avails itself of an opportunity to peek through the clouds. A few cutters drift by, the jingling bells on the horses bringing some much-needed merriment to the cold, bleak surroundings. A distinguished-looking gentleman mutters an audible oath as he takes a spill on some black ice — leaving his new coat covered in dirt and snow, and leaving a passing group of churchgoing women aghast at his equally filthy choice of language.
