Publications

Marian Keith was the pen name for Mrs. Esther MacGregor nee Miller. She was born in 1874 In the village of Rugby, Oro Township (now Oro-Medonte), to parents who instilled in her the value of education, a keen interest in learning, a love of good literature and a...

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  By David TownAs 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...

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 in...

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 DomainBy Fred Blair Jacob Gill and his...

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 the province were required to serve...

By Trish Crowe-Grande, Chair OMAH History CommitteeThe Thomsons, one of Orillia’s influential founding families, rose in prominence in the early days when lumbering was the big industry and dominated the commercial life of the community.Born in Scotland in 1831, John...