Leslie Frost: Orillia’s First Premier

Leslie Frost: Orillia’s First Premier

by | Aug 31, 2021 | History, Publications

Premier of Ontario 1949-1961 By John Merritt, Simcoe County Historical Association   September 20, 2020 marked the 125th anniversary of the birth of Orillia native and former Ontario premier Leslie Frost. Frost was born in Orillia on September 20, 1895 to William...
What We Have Lost

What We Have Lost

by | Aug 18, 2021 | History, Publications

What We Have Lost  By David Town As we approach the one-year anniversary of the YMCA closing in Orillia, I think it is insightful to see what the Y did for Orillia from a historical perspective. You never know what you’ve lost ‘til it’s gone. The Y in Orillia, as...
Sound as a Barrel

Sound as a Barrel

by | Jul 21, 2021 | History, Publications

by Ellen Blaubergs, Volunteer, Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum     There are numerous interesting “works in progress” involving artifacts at the Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum, including two wooden barrels once used to transport ceramics. Both are...
Two Horse Rides from Orillia to Coldwater

Two Horse Rides from Orillia to Coldwater

by | Jul 7, 2021 | History, Publications

Corduroy Road Over a Swamp in Orillia Township, Ontario Ware, Titus Hibbert, 1810-1890 Picture, 1844, English Pen & brown & blue inks, grey wash, over pencil. Toronto Public Library Digital Archive, in the Public Domain By Fred Blair Jacob Gill and his...
Andrew Borland, War of 1812 Veteran

Andrew Borland, War of 1812 Veteran

by | Jun 9, 2021 | History, Publications

Andrew Borland, War of 1812 Veteran By Fred Blair On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on the British.  Many recent American settlers in Upper Canada, like the Borlands, had to consider where their loyalties lay.  By law, all the males between 16 and 60 in...