[English] The Sherman Crab, a mine-clearing tank that used a huge flail to beat the ground in front of the tank is one of many specialized armoured vehicles which Britain developed for the invasion of France. A mine . . . — — Map (db m274395) HM
[English] This submarine propeller was used on Canadian Oberon class submarines. The Oberon class was a 27-ship class of British-built diesel-electric submarines based on the successful British Porpoise class . . . — — Map (db m274160) HM
[English] The M5 Stuart was an American light tank of World War II. The M3 Stuarts were the first “American manned (US) tanks in WWII” to engage the enemy in tank versus tank combat. The name General Stuart or Stuart . . . — — Map (db m274201) HM
William Mulock was born in Bond Head where his father practised medicine. He graduated from the University of Toronto 1863 and was called to the Bar in 1867. A strong proponent of university federation, Mulock served his Alma Mater successively as . . . — — Map (db m295544) HM
This famous physician and author, son of the Reverend Featherstone Osler, was born July 12, 1849, in the Anglican rectory near Bond Head.
Here he lived until 1857. He taught medicine at some of the greatest schools of his day including McGill, . . . — — Map (db m295558) HM
Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim was born in Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire, England. Orphaned at birth, she was raised by her grandmother, Jemima Spinckes, and subsequently married John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. In . . . — — Map (db m295512) HM
In 1815 some 140 Highland Scots from Lord Selkirk's Red River Settlement, disheartened by crop failures and the opposition of the North West Company, moved to Upper Canada. Transported in the Nor’Westers' canoes, they disembarked at Holland Landing . . . — — Map (db m295535) HM
The first of the “Imperial Tower” lighthouses to be completed and the first official lighthouse on Lake Huron's Georgian Bay. Constructed in 1857, it was one of 6 similar lighthouses commissioned by the province of Canada West. These lights were . . . — — Map (db m196039) HM
[English] First installed as only a “temporary” boat transfer system at Big Chute, this veteran marine railway has been upgraded over the years to meet the changing demands of Waterway boat traffic.
The marine railway before you is still . . . — — Map (db m196010) HM
Born May 4, 1865 in Coldwater, Ont. Never defeated in competition… He held the shot putting record of Canada and the United States for seventeen years, breaking twenty world records, winning 188 medals and trophies. Died in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. . . . — — Map (db m259991) HM
In June of 1812, United States President James Madison signed into law a Declaration of War against Great Britain and the colonies of Upper and Lower Canada. Former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson believed: “The acquisition of Canada this year as . . . — — Map (db m259984) HM
In 1830 Indians of the surrounding region were gathered on a reserve along a newly opened road connecting The narrows (Orillia) and Coldwater. The superintendent, Capt. Thomas Gummersal Anderson, and a band of Ojibwa under chief Aisance, settled in . . . — — Map (db m259989) HM
Named by the Corporation of the Village of Coldwater in honour of Rick Hansen, man in motion upon the occasion of his visit to the village during his world tour to establish the Rick Hansen, Man in Motion Canadian Trust Fund for Spinal Cord . . . — — Map (db m259998) HM
[English] A Harbour in Need of a Lighthouse Collingwood’s harbour was hazardous for navigation in the 1800s. When Collingwood became the northern terminus of the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway in 1855, marine . . . — — Map (db m304296) HM
1855 The church’s first services were held in a tavern on Hurontario Street. Following a fire, services continued in a building on Pine Street. A fish barrel was used as the pulpit. The first church was a frame building, erected by subscription . . . — — Map (db m304100) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m304295) HM
[Plaque]
The Last Post
designed by
Charles H.L. MacDonald
1894-1963
a native son
[Cenotaph]
This memorial was
erected in grateful
and loving memory of
the heroes who fell in
the Great War 1914 –
1918 A.D. . . . — — Map (db m196040) WM
Winches were installed on ships for tying up to docks and manoeuvering the vessel. This steam mooring winch was designed by M.B. McMurray and built in the machine shop of the Collingwood Shipyards. Later, McMurray also designed hydraulic . . . — — Map (db m304298) HM
In October 1873, over 150 original members of the fledgling North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) gathered at Collingwood Ontario on their way west to bring peace and order to the frontier. This mounted police force was authorized by the Canadian . . . — — Map (db m255400) HM
The Pride Flag is a symbol of the LGBTQ+ rights movement and a representation of social change, hope and peace. The flag signals that our community is an inclusive and safe space for all and aligns with the vision and guiding principles of the Town . . . — — Map (db m304286) HM
The original bridge on Raglan Street was named Shannon's Bridge after the Shannon family who were early settlers beside the river in the mid 1800's. The bridge was oriented north and south connecting the present sections of Raglan Street in a . . . — — Map (db m304097) HM
Simcoe Street Simcoe Street has a long rich history, much of it connected to the adjacent rail yards and station. The hotels and stables that were found along the street serviced travelers, most of whom arrived by train from Toronto. Some would . . . — — Map (db m304294) HM
St. Charles Garnier, born of a wealthy Parisian family, was a gentle sensitive man with an ardent devotion to the Virgin Mary. A man who always wished to be a priest like four of his brothers became a Jesuit in 1624. In 1636 Garnier arrived in . . . — — Map (db m255395) HM
In the 1640's Jesuit Fathers worked among the Petun Indians in the Collingwood area, the western limit of their Huronia mission field. From the 1830's priests from Penetanguishene said mass occasionally in communities near the southern shore of . . . — — Map (db m255396) HM
The steam engine drove the pump that emptied the dry dock at the Collingwood Shipyards. The pump was able to empty a dry dock in about three hours and was the largest pump in Ontario, with 38-inch diameter suction. It was installed in the pump . . . — — Map (db m304297) HM
This 1150 lb. (about 523 kg) steam-powered hammer was used in the Shipyard blacksmith shop for manufacturing tools, large bolts, stanchions, and links for the drag chains, among other things. The John Bertram and Sons Company sold the hammer to the . . . — — Map (db m304099) HM
In Collingwood's early years, the lake was used as a source of drinking water, and for personal bathing. Town By-Laws from 1884 considered the issue important enough to pass this law: “No person shall bathe or wash his person in the Lake, the . . . — — Map (db m304272) HM
[English] A non-political international women's organization, the Associated Country Women of the World was formed largely through the efforts of Collingwood-born Margaret Watt. Mrs. Watt was a member of the Women's . . . — — Map (db m255390) HM
In May, 1853, the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad Company ran the first steam train in this province from Toronto to Aurora. By January 1855, the company had completed its 95-mile “portage line” from Toronto to Collingwood. The line was . . . — — Map (db m255385) HM
County of Simcoe
The original Creemore Bridge was erected on this site between 1912 and 1913 by the County Council of Simcoe.
The concrete piers were constructed by J.J. Dumond Contractors of Brentwood and the double-intersection Warren . . . — — Map (db m196164) HM
Elmgrove was known as “Elm Flats” because of its many elm trees. This area was settled in the 1830’s by settlers of English & Irish descent. The name was changed to Elmgrove in 1840. The settlers found much of the land swampy. The swamp extended . . . — — Map (db m272889) HM
T.P. Loblaw was born in Elmgrove, Ontario to William James Loblaw and Isabella Stevenson. Orphaned in his teens, he was raised by his Scottish-born grandparents, William and Elizabeth Stevenson, who lived in the farmhouse on this property. . . . — — Map (db m309124) HM
Saint-Marie Among the Hurons
Founded by the Jesuits in 1639, Sainte-Marie was designed as a central residence for the mission to the Wendat (Huron) peoples. For a decade Sainte Marie was a major French community, the earliest in . . . — — Map (db m308952) HM
In 1871, a group of the principal shareholders of the Midland Railway, headed by Adolph Hugel, selected this location as the northern terminus of their line which then ran from Port Hope to Beaverton. Known at the time as Mundy's Bay, the region . . . — — Map (db m255493) HM
People have been meeting at the site of Fort Willow for thousands of years. The first people in the area fished along the shorelines of Lake Nipissing 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. Evidence of their fishing camps has been found around the edge of what . . . — — Map (db m274633) HM
The ceramic tableware found here point to it being the site of the barracks/cookhouse. The tableware were of a cheaper variety and included hand painted pieces. Several of the artifacts found in this area directly point to the presence of British . . . — — Map (db m274805) HM
This building, along with the smithy and cookhouse, may have been built in 1814. They were somewhat short-lived, as it was reported in an 1820 Admiralty survey that they were burnt down. The function and age of the building remnants found here are . . . — — Map (db m274806) HM
Throughout the War of 1812, British forces relied on wooden batteaux to transport troops, supplies and provisions along inland waterways like Willow Creek and the Nottawasaga River. Coming from the French word for boat, batteaux were flat . . . — — Map (db m274469) HM
Although researchers found no architectural features, there is abundant evidence that this area was the location of the smithy. They uncovered layers (or “strata”) of iron-stained soil in this area, as well as pieces of iron “slag” (a waste product . . . — — Map (db m274543) HM
Initial archeological reports from 1959 found large building foundations in two places, here and in the northeast corner of the fort. These foundations were so substantial that they were believed to have supported massive two storey structures, . . . — — Map (db m274401) HM
In early 1814, 200 men of the Regiment marched from Kingston, via York, along the Nine Mile Portage to this place. Here they built 29 batteaux which they took down the Nottawasaga River and across Georgian Bay to Michilimackinac with 30 tons of . . . — — Map (db m274394) HM
Former site of: Edenvale Methodist Church United Farmer’s Union Hall Edenvale Community Centre The Edenvale Methodist Church was built in 1881, with services offered until 1918. The United Farmer’s Union #721 purchased the site in 1921 and operated . . . — — Map (db m262621) HM
Although the view is obscured by trees, Fort Willow is located on a ridge overlooking the Minesing Wetlands to the northwest. From the fort, the land drops nearly 40 metres to Willow Creek, a tributary of the Nottawasaga River that runs through the . . . — — Map (db m274808) HM
As you wander through Fort Willow, you'll pass outlines of the historic buildings found on the site during archaeological digs. The first archaeological work at the site was completed by Wilfred Jury in 1959. Since 2005, students from St. Joseph's . . . — — Map (db m274396) HM
[English] At the forks of the Nottawasaga River, Lt.-Col. Robert McDouall, Glengarry Light Infantry, built the flotilla of boats with which he effected the relief of the British garrison at Fort Michilimackinac, in . . . — — Map (db m254299) HM
Near this site stood a settler's cabin unofficially called the “Hayes Homestead” after one of the families that called it home. Historical research shows that the cabin was likely built in the late 1800s, long after Fort Willow was abandoned by . . . — — Map (db m274397) HM
Our Plant Heritage — The “Three Sisters”The “Three Sisters” method of planting is a traditional agricultural strategy believed to have originated with the Iroquois before being adopted by Indigenous peoples across North America. Corn is the . . . — — Map (db m274398) HM
Researchers have recently excavated evidence of Indigenous campsites in this area. These finds were to be expected as the Nine Mile Portage route was heavily used by Indigenous peoples before the arrival of Europeans, and Indigenous allies of the . . . — — Map (db m274807) HM
[English] Linking Upper Canada to British posts on the Great Lakes, this supply chain played a vital role during the War of 1812. In 1813, after the Americans seized control of Lake Erie, the Nine Mile Portage and . . . — — Map (db m259864) HM
This site is believed to have housed the Officer's Cookhouse. Bone remnants found here show that while most of the soldiers' meat was from domesticated animals, soldiers took advantage of local hunting and fishing when they could. Some of the . . . — — Map (db m274804) HM
The two buildings located here may have been separate units thought to be a visiting officer's quarters and commandant's house, or they may have been a commandant's house with an extension. In any case, artifacts recovered during excavation of . . . — — Map (db m274803) HM
Researchers determined this to be the site of the stable and yard by looking at stains in the soil. The stable was likely built in 1814, and would have housed horses and the oxen used for hauling carts to Willow Creek. The only British Calvary . . . — — Map (db m274576) HM
Following the War of 1812, the British recognized the strategic importance of the Great Lakes and set to work strengthening the defences of Upper Canada. Vast quantities of supplies passed this way to build and maintain new settlements including . . . — — Map (db m274709) HM
In 1795, Captain Skinner founded the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in St. John's. By the summer of 1805 the regiment had grown to 683 men strong. During the War of 1812, detachments from the regiment were sent to Upper and Lower Canada where they . . . — — Map (db m274510) HM
In 1812, an urgent dispatch travelled by courier along the Nine Mile Portage and through Fort Willow to the British commander stationed at St. Joseph Island: The United States had declared war against Britain! The dispatch was sent via the . . . — — Map (db m274707) HM
By the end of 1813, Fort Mackinac was critically low on provisions. A relief expedition via the Nottawasaga Route was organized under the command of Lt. Col. Robert McDouall of the Glengarry Light Infantry of Kingston. In January 1814, an advance . . . — — Map (db m274708) HM
Long-used as a trading route by indigenous people and then serving as a critical supply depot during the War of 1812, “Willow Depot” and the connecting Nine Mile Portage played a significant role in the development of our region and our nation. . . . — — Map (db m274589) HM
During the War of 1812, the Nine Mile Portage from Kempenfel(d)t Bay to Willow Creek formed part of the vital route, via Yonge Street, Lake Simcoe, the Nottawasaga River and Georgian Bay, which linked Upper Canada with the British posts on the . . . — — Map (db m259850) HM
This 10 acre site, originally purchased from James Doyle on April 11, 1834 for 37 pounds and 10 shillings, marks the location of the first Roman Catholic Church and Cemetery in Tecumseth Township. In 1834, under the supervision of Father Murtagh . . . — — Map (db m288381) HM
Agricultural Exhibit Hall
The Alliston Agricultural Society built the main building in 1914 as an agricultural exhibit hall where craft and food entries were displayed during the annual fall fair in Riverdale Park. During the First World . . . — — Map (db m306018) HM
Frederick Grant Banting, discoverer of insulin, was born Nov. 14, 1891, on the original Banting homestead immediately behind this cairn. In this quiet rural environment he gained a deep understanding of the ways of nature. From his parents he . . . — — Map (db m254291) HM
[English] Soldier, surgeon, and scientist, Banting in 1920 became convinced of the existence of a hormone known as insulin. A laboratory provided by Prof. J. J. R. Macleod of the University of Toronto enabled Banting . . . — — Map (db m254287) HM
Foremost Canadian medical scientist of his time, co-discoverer of insulin and leader in research on the diseases of mankind. While he died in Newfoundland on Feb. 21, 1941, flying vital medical defence information to England, he lives on in the . . . — — Map (db m255248) HM
Monuments were first made available in Alliston in 1884, when Thomas Johnston opened the first marble works on the northeast corner of Wellington and Ontario streets. Johnston sold his business to Thomas Callaghan in 1887 and he renamed it to . . . — — Map (db m261799) HM
The barn was built in 1858 in Bond Head, Bradford West Gwillimbury. It is completely constructed of white pine, which is Ontario's provincial tree and was a chief export at the time. The inside is held together by wooden pegs with hand forged nails . . . — — Map (db m306027) HM
The Fountain
In July 1919, the Alliston Town Council decided "to be in line with all progressive places and to be merely humane to the equine and accommodating to its driver this Town must have a drinking fountain or two" The fountain was . . . — — Map (db m306033) HM
The 100 acres of the east half of Lot 11, Concession 5 in Essa Township were first leased from the Canada Company in 1859 by Neil McDonald.
Between 1859 and 1914 the property was associated with Neil and his sons Alexander and Angus. The log house . . . — — Map (db m306031) HM
George Fletcher, son of William and Margaret Fletcher (founding family of Alliston) erected this building in 1878-79 at the southwest corner of Centre and Victoria St. It was initially built as a temperance hotel, as his family were ardent . . . — — Map (db m261798) HM
[English] “Bound Together” (Huron Wendat Canoe) Created by: Jonathan Killing and Mike Bilyk — Lafontaine Ironwerks During the time of Champlain's arrivai in this area, a prevalent means of transportation was . . . — — Map (db m260253) HM
[English] In September, 1814, seamen of the Royal Navy under Lieutenant Miller Worsley, after a memorable voyage in an open boat from Nottawasaga Bay to Mackinac, aided by soldiers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment . . . — — Map (db m260001) HM
[English] Father Athol Murray, future member of the Order of Canada and Hockey Hall of Fame, came to St. Ann's Church in Penetanguishene in 1918, shortly after his ordination. Father Murray was instrumental in the . . . — — Map (db m260498) HM
[English] The first European appeared in the Penetanguishene area around 1610. Samuel de Champlain, governor of New France, dispatched eighteen-year-old Étienne Brûlé, a "coureur des bois", to explore Georgian Bay. . . . — — Map (db m260162) HM
[English] The C. Beck Manufacturing Co. Ltd. operated from 1875 to 1969 with its centre of operations in Penetanguishene. The company sold wholesale lumber, shingles, lath, box shooks, pails, tubs and woodenware to . . . — — Map (db m259997) HM
[English] In April 1615, Samuel de Champlain (c. 1574-1635) embarked from Honfleur, upon his seventh voyage to New France. Upon arrival in Quebec, Champlain was informed of increasing tensions with the Haudenosaunee . . . — — Map (db m260499) HM
[English] Theophilus François Laboureau was born in 1837 in France and was appointed to St. Ann's Church in Penetanguishene in 1873. He felt that his small church should be replaced with a fitting memorial church to . . . — — Map (db m260439) HM
[English] Born in England, Bayfield joined the Royal Navy at the age of eleven and served in many parts of the world. While stationed at Kingston, Upper Canada in 1817, he was put in charge of the Great Lakes survey. . . . — — Map (db m260484) HM
Covering a buried war hatchet this memorial marks the peace made here August 3rd, 1921 between the Huron and the Iroquois. Erected by J. T. Payette Mayor of Penetanguishene — — Map (db m260497) HM
[English] The core members of the Huron-Wendat confederacy were: Attignawantan (people of the bear), Attigneenongnahac (people of the cord), Arendahronon (people of the rock) and Tahontaenrat (people of the deer). . . . — — Map (db m260496) HM
[English] A sergeant in the Royal Artillery, Irish-born James Keating served with distinction during the War of 1812. His skillful handling of a British field gun forced the Americans to surrender Fort Shelby on the . . . — — Map (db m260473) HM
[English] British military officer and first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (1791-1796) With vision and enthusiasm, he set about developing the new world wilderness London sent him to oversee. Simcoe . . . — — Map (db m260256) HM
[English] Joseph Le Caron is one of four pioneer missionaries of Canada and the second European to land in Huronia. Born in 1586, Le Caron was a Catholic Priest who arrived in Huronia in 1615, shortly before Samuel . . . — — Map (db m260425) HM
[English] Prior to Canada becoming a nation, a new Aboriginal people emerged out of the relations of Native women and European men. The initial offspring of these unions were individuals of mixed ancestry who . . . — — Map (db m260604) HM
[English] During the Naval time period early Métis peoples (of European and First Nations ancestry) served as vital cultural intermediaries between the British and indigenous populations in the Canadas. Frequently . . . — — Map (db m260492) HM
[English] After visiting the area in 1793, Upper Canada's lieutenant-governor John Graves Simcoe recommended the establishment of naval facilities on the isolated Penetanguishene peninsula. This proposed base was to . . . — — Map (db m260500) HM
In 1825 the artic explorer Sir John Franklin, under orders from the British Government set out from here with Francois Forcier, Enfant Lavallee and Maluoin to find a northern passage by sea from Atlantic to Pacific. — — Map (db m260203) HM
[English] The Attignawantan ("Bear Nation") of the Huron confederacy occupied the Penetanguishene peninsula prior to their dispersal in 1649 by the Iroquois. In 1793, Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe chose Penetanguishene . . . — — Map (db m259987) HM
This garrison church was erected 1836-38 on the Penetanguishene military reserve. It was also attended by military pensioners and civilians since, until the 1870s, it housed the only Protestant congregation in the vicinity. Building funds were . . . — — Map (db m259999) HM
[English] The Meeting statue is a celebration of two people, two faiths and two distinct cultures coming together 400 years ago. In 1615, Chief Aenon of the Huron Wendat presents the Wampum belt, a symbolic gesture . . . — — Map (db m260629) HM
[English] In the early 1600s, the shores of Penetanguishene were the land of the Huron-Wendat Confederacy. The Huron-Wendat were a nation of farmers, hunters and traders who lived in large communal groups of up to . . . — — Map (db m260495) HM
[English]
Numerous surveys dating back to the 1790s led to the selection of Port Severn as the western outlet for the Trent Canal. In 1913, York Construction company won a contract to build a main regulating dam, small water control dams . . . — — Map (db m196033) HM
[English]
Water Control Dams
A complex system of dams was needed to manage water levels for navigation on the lower Severn River. In many cases older timber structures built by loggers were replaced with concrete.
Port Severn – The . . . — — Map (db m196025) HM
[north side of monument] Between 1830 & 1850 some 24 Negro Families who had fled from slavery in the United States to freedom in Canada were settled in Oro, mostly on the Concession running north of Shanty Bay, known as . . . — — Map (db m259995) HM
Dedicated to the memory of the Black pioneers who settled in this area. The first settlers were soldiers of Capt. Runchey’s “Company of Coloured Men” who fought the Americans in the War of 1812. The next wave of settlers were “freemen” from the . . . — — Map (db m259994) HM
[English] The only government-sponsored Black settlement in Upper Canada, the Oro community was established in 1819 to help secure the defence of the province's northern frontier. Black veterans of the War of 1812 . . . — — Map (db m259897) HM
1811: Samuel Wilmot surveyed the Penetanguishene Road — the “street of communication between Kempenfeldt Bay on Lake Simcoe and Pennetengushene [sic] Harbour...and one concession on each side thereof…” This was a defensive move by the British . . . — — Map (db m274878) HM
This church is one of the few surviving structures in Ontario built of "rammed earth". This method of construction utilized wet clay mixed with chopped straw, compacted into forms and covered, when dry, with plaster or siding for protection against . . . — — Map (db m259899) HM
[English] Built in 1849, this church is the last vestige of one of the oldest African-Canadian settlements in Upper Canada. Here at Oro, former members of the Loyalist militia from the War of 1812 established the . . . — — Map (db m259900) HM
In the railway steam era, spring-fed Lake Simcoe was thought to be the purest body of fresh water in Canada, and harvesting ice became a massive industry. Lake Simcoe Ice was exported, much by rail, directly to urban destinations far away . . . — — Map (db m274859) HM
