The photo above of the Flinton Public Library and Cenotaph was captured by Wilfred Lessard in 1950.

The history of the Flinton Memorial Library from 1940 to 1984 was well documented in this 24-page booklet by Yvonne Brushey and Vera Charlton. This particular copy was contributed by Larry Charlton in Tweed, the son of Vera Charlton.

The booklet describes: “Up to 1934, there was no library in Flinton. Mrs. Alex York and Mrs, Wilma Cox gathered together a few volumes from their own homes and put them in the post office owned and operated by Mrs. Cox’s father, Mr. William Beatty. These books were there to be loaned to all who wished to avail themselves of the privilege. This kind gesture fostered the idea of the Women’s Association of the United Church, and as a group, they applied for and became the recipients of the Travelling Library. The Travelling Library is a service contributed to schools and organized groups in outlying communities by the Department of Public Libraries.”

To know how this evolved into Flinton’s public library, you will need to read the history here: https://pioneer.mazinaw.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/History-of-Flinton-Library-web.pdf