Collingwood - An Overview
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Collingwood Elevators

Collingwood - An Overview, also, Collingwood Elevators. . , Collingwood - An Overview , First known as Hen and Chickens Harbour, with Hurontario Mills and the mill pond located at the east side, Collingwood was renamed in 1854 to honour one of Britain's most noted naval heroes, Admiral Lord Cuthbert Collingwood, second in command to Admiral Horatio Nelson. , While the townships around Collingwood were sparsely populated by few immigrant families as early as 1832, the settlements were far apart, with miles of dense woods between them. By 1843 settlers had arrived and located on the shores of Georgian Bay near to where Collingwood is now situated. A saw mill and a flour mill were erected on the shores of the bay by 1846 near the mouth of the Pretty River on the east side. The mills were a blessing to the settlers, since previously they had to carry their wheat and grains for grinding on their backs to Barrie, a distance of more than 36 miles. Although there had been talk for years of connecting Collingwood and Toronto by railway, it wasn't until 1851 that a company was formed and money obtained to begin the actual construction work after Collingwood was chosen as the northern terminus for the Ontario Simcoe and Huron Railways line (later the Northern Railway of Canada) out of Toronto. , It was the arrival of the railroad in 1855 that cemented Collingwood's worth as a centre for shipping and shipbuilding, since the rail line offered the ability to transport goods, materials and people easily and efficiently through the Great Lakes and points west. Shipping began to gain importance with Collingwood being an early transfer point for emigration to the United States or western Canada. Freight and passenger traffic between American ports and the town was so heavy at one point, that Collingwood boasted a United Sates consulate. For a brief time Collingwood was promoted as “Chicago of the North”. , Shipping by water meant that local wooden boat building flourished during the 1850's and 1860's. In addition to the activity in the harbour during navigation season, dozens of steamers wintered there every year. Following the completion of the Queen's Dry Dock at the foot of St. Paul Street in 1883, the corporate shipbuilding industry prospered. By the turn of the century, Collingwood was fast gaining an international reputation for consistent quality work and innovative design under the banner of the Collingwood Shipbuilding Company. Shipbuilding continued to play an important role in the fabric of the community's economy, with more than 1,000 employed during peak periods. , The shipyard, elevator and railroad continued to provide activity at the water front for many years, until they were all deemed unprofitable by their owners and were terminated. The “Yard” closed in 1986 and the remaining shipyard buildings were removed in 1998. The remaining tracks were pulled up in 1997, and only the elevator remains, a reminder of Collingwood’s once great harbour. , Visit the Collingwood Museum at 45 St. Paul Street for more information. , Collingwood Elevators , The Collingwood grain elevators have dominated the harbourfront since 1854 and have served as a symbol of Collingwood's importance as a supplier of grain throughout the world. Prior to 1854 surplus grain reached markets only after long and often impossible routes. Between 1855 and 1929 the Collingwood elevators were rebuilt three times. The last railroad car was loaded at the elevator in 1986. The spit had space for 70 cars, each holding 100 tons of grain. , The cement elevator, built in 1929 for the Collingwood Terminals Ltd, a company financed by the Town of Collingwood, was the most modern on the Great Lakes. In response to trade demands, they had a capacity of 2,000,000 bushels of grain and the ability to handle up to 30,000 bushels an hour. , Built by the Grand Trunk Railway in 1871 the wooden elevator was at the time the largest on the Great Lakes. It had a storing capacity of 160,000 bushels of grain, serving the domestic market by road, rail and Great Lakes shipping. In 1937 when it was demolished, this elevator was the oldest and smallest on the lakes and had outlived its usefulness.