Historical Education and Preservation – Genealogical Research – Community Engagement
Welcome to The Cloyne and District Historical Society. We are a not-for-profit, charitable, volunteer organization whose mission is to preserve and record the history of the local area and to share that knowledge with our community. Our catchment area is the Highway 41 corridor from Kaladar in the south to Denbigh,Griffith and, Matawatchan in the north, as well as Flinton to the west and Harlowe to the east.
Pioneer Museum
Archives
Historical Society
Our collections, both in artifacts and documents, reflect the history of this area beginning from settlement times in the 1850s, with emphasis on pioneer life, mining, logging, and tourism along the Addington Colonization Road. With its unique development across county lines, its challenging terrain and its determination to remain viable, this community has generated its own lore, traditions, and legends. In recent years, the addition of an Archives has meant that family histories, photos, land deeds and other paper documents are available for genealogical researchers.
Look Deeper Into Our Digital Archives
Flickr – This is our main photo site with over 1,800 photos, documents, maps and videos.
Facebook and Instagram – Keep informed about our latest events and blog posts.
YouTube – Check out our video archvies.
Flickr Cemeteries – A digital archive of our local cemeteries, 1,200 + photos
New! Looking Back Driving Tour Is Now Available In Our Bookstore!
Just released, “Looking Back” is a journey in time from the building of Highway #41 in 1933 to the present. Travel along with a booklet that is packed with photos and stories of the people who owned businesses along the way. “Looking Back” is available at the Cloyne Pioneer Museum and Archives for $8.00. The museum is open from 10AM to 4PM every day of the week in the summer.
Our Blog – Featuring Our Latest News, Events, and Items of Interest
The Economic Impact of Provincial Park Location – Bon Echo
This document, written by Iain C. Taylor in 1969, was digitized by the Internet Archives in 2022. It portrays our area in 1969 and studies the impact of Bon Echo to the local economy.
The History of Ministry and Social Services in the Community
Before the 1970s, there were basically no medical facilities here. Volunteers were trained through an emergency organization to do first response treatments at accident sites, for example.
Margaret Axford: On The History of Land O’ Lakes Community Services
Margaret Axford will be the guest speaker at the next Cloyne and District Historical Society general meeting on Monday, November 20th 1 pm at the Barrie Community Hall.
Chris Anstead to be Guest Speaker on Colonization Roads in Eastern Ontario
On Monday October 16th at 1PM in the Barrie Community Hall, the Cloyne & District Historical Society will host historian Chris Anstead. In his presentation “The colonization roads of Eastern Ontario, and the villages they produced”. One of those roads, of course, runs right by our Pioneer Museum. Come out and bring your friends.
Surfacing and The Far Shore Feature Movies Filmed in our Region.
Did you know that two made for cinema movies were filmed in the Cloyne area in 1976 and 1981? The movies ‘Surfacing’ and ‘The Far Shore’ were filmed with US and Canadian actors in Bon Echo and Skootamatta Lake. Why did the directors choose our area? What was the budget of the films? How did the actual filming affect individual property owners?
Speakers’ Forum #6 – The Role Of The Executor – September 13, 2023
Every individual needs to prepare a will and appoint an executor, and people often appoint their children as both executors and beneficiaries. Join us for more details at the next Speakers’ Forum.
2023 Fall Newsletter 'The Pioneer Times' now online!
In the Fall 2023 edition of the Pioneer Times, you will find reports on the changes to the Patron Program and a year-end report on the Speakers’ Forum. It has been 120 years since the giant Vennachar Fire. Lorne Ball’s recollection of the fire has been reprinted in the Newsletter. As well, an interesting article on the Air Force Camp on Skootamatta Lake has been reprinted from the SDRA Newsletter. Plus, lots of other interesting tidbits.
2021 Fall Newsletter 'The Pioneer Times' now online!
In the Fall 2021 edition of the Pioneer Times, you will continue your journey of Highway 41 landmarks and people with staff writer Marcella Neeley; join Josie Heyman and Rebekah Delyea as they pay tribute to long-time Harlowe resident, store owner and Reeve, Tom Neal; learn how a visit to the Pioneer Museum led Tracy Robertson to discover details about her grandmother’s early life at the Bon Echo Inn; and join us in saying goodbye to our good friend and longtime Historical Society member Muriel Meeks Van Ness. Enjoy!
CDHS Invites You To Join Us!
Membership allows you to take full advantage of what the Society and Museum have to offer. Members are eligible to vote at all general meetings including the AGM and to run for a position on the Board of Directors. The annual fee is only $10.00 per person. Sign up today to learn and share our history!
CDHS Invites You To Become A Member!
Membership allows you to take full advantage of what the Society and Museum have to offer. Members are eligible to vote at the AGM and to run for a position on the Board of Directors. The annual fee is only $10.00 per person. Sign up today and join us!.
