1-0 Edition 27 Niagara Section Historical Notes Fort George After the Treaty of Paris (1783) handed to the to Grimsby (maps 1 to 5) The pioneer settlers, making their way from the , Americans, the British built Fort George facing Fort Niagara in This section of the is managed by members of the named the creeks they crossed by the distance they had covered order to defend Upper . It was completed in 1802 and Niagara Bruce Trail Club. from the ; hence the names Twelve Mile Creek, served as headquarters for the British Regular Army, the Canadian Fifteen Mile Creek, etc. and the British Indian Department. It protected both the Distance to Tobermory: 892.2 km strategically important transportation route on the Niagara River The southern terminus of the Bruce Trail is located at the stone and Newark, the capital of . Like many forts of cairn, close to the car park at the entrance Legend says that Laura Secord, the wife of a its time, Fort George consisted of an outer perimeter of earthen to Park. Near , the park officer, was responsible for a British/Canadian victory in the and log bastions. Inside were a guardhouse, log blockhouses, is perched on the west side of a deep gorge carved over the . In 1813, Queenston had been occupied by the a hospital, kitchens, workshops, and a stone powder centuries by the Niagara River. In the park, the hiker will see Americans, and U.S officers were being billeted in the Secord magazine. During the War of 1812, the fort was captured and a monument to General Sir , who was killed home. Laura apparently overheard plans for an American attack destroyed by the Americans in May 1813. In December of the here during the War of 1812. Along the Trail toward Hamilton, and decided to take action. She is reputed to have travelled on same year, after its reconstruction, it was recaptured by the there are many other reminders of the war. foot overnight, from Queenston to the British headquarters at British. After the war it fell into disrepair and was abandoned DeCew House (a distance of over 30 km), in order to warn the The is known as the fruitland of and in favour of Butler’s Barracks and Fort Mississauga. It was British. Because of her warning, the British were well prepared, reconstructed as an historic site in the 1930s to represent the is also the area where most of Ontario’s wines are produced by and scored a major victory at Beaver Dams. both small and large wineries. period at the eve of the War of 1812. Inside the fort are historic Butler’s Barracks displays and during the summer months, staff in period dress On the way through St. Catharines and , a hiker will Named after John Butler, a Loyalist settler who commanded reenact infantry and drills. pass all four of the Canals, from the first canal, with its troops during the Seven Years’ War and the American narrow wooden locks, to the fourth canal, with its massive twin Woodend - km 13.7 Revolution, Butler’s Barracks represents almost 200 years of The family of Peter Lampman fled New locks. Here, on this major international waterway, ships can be continuous military operations. Following the War of 1812, the found from all over the world. York State in 1779 to establish what became a 650-hectare grant barracks provided shelter and storage for the British troops out on the top of a hill known as St. Anthony’s Nose, now known The Trail begins to travel through a woodland belt and across of range of the American guns at Fort Niagara. By the 1850s, as Woodend. During the War of 1812, a three gun battery farmland before heading northward along the ancient shores of an extensive building complex had been constructed. After occupied its heights, commanding a fine sweep of the lands Lake Iroquois. Confederation, Butler’s Barracks grew into a major training below. The poet Archibald Lampman, grandson of the original You are responsible for your own safety. Before using the centre for the Canadian Army and was renamed Camp Niagara. settler, was a frequent visitor and wrote several poems about Trail please read Section III Trail Information. Five of the original buildings have been restored and historical his grandfather’s estate. Parts of the original two houses were markers guide the visitors on a walking tour through the incorporated into the present structure, built in 1931 and ‘32. grounds, which are open from May to October. The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority now manages Navy Hall it as a 40-hectare parcel of land incorporating recreational and In 1765, British troops built naval barracks on the Niagara River picnic facilities. There is ample parking. near Newark (the present Niagara-on-the-Lake). Over the Morningstar Mill - km 33.5 years, Navy Hall became a large military complex and supply Operated by Wilson Morningstar at the end of the 19th century, depot for the British Forts on the Upper . In 1792, this former mill is now a museum. Limited parking is available. after Lieutenant Governor Simcoe chose Newark as the capital of Upper Canada, he converted one of the buildings into his Ball’s Falls - km 55.0 residence. This building later became a mess hall for the officers Many old buildings in the conservation area have been restored of Fort George. Navy Hall is the only structure to survive the to their original condition. In addition to picnic facilities, there is War of 1812. The dock site offers an excellent view of Fort a large parking lot (paid parking in the summer). The Upper and Niagara across the river. Lower Falls, formed by Twenty Mile Creek tumbling over the Laura Secord Escarpment, can be spectacular when the water flow is heavy. Monument Queenston Heights Edition 27 5-2 Iroquoia Section Historical Notes for its revitalization. But the decay continued, and to add to the difficulties, Mrs. Dick-Lauder’s fondness for animals got Grimsby to Kelso (maps 5 to 11) Forty Mile Creek - km 0.0 quite out of hand. All animals were allowed in the house and This is one of the first Loyalist settlement sites in the Niagara many a tale was told of cows, horses and sheep mingling with This section of the Bruce Trail is managed by members of the disconcerted guests in the drawing room. Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club. Peninsula. In the late 1780s, a Mr. Green bought 300 acres of land and used the power of the creek to operate a sawmill. Mrs. The bizarre household continued until a ruinous fire gutted the Distance to Niagara: 80.0 km wrote in her diary vivid descriptions of the house in 1934. But Mrs. Dick-Lauder did not leave; she continued Distance to Tobermory: 812.2 km area at the time of her visits in 1794 and 1796. In about 1800, to live in a temporary structure built within the shell until her death This section of the Trail begins by the ancient shoreline of John Beamer purchased the land from Mr. Green and built a in 1942. In 1972, the Hamilton Conservation Authority purchased Lake Iroquois. With a little imagination, hikers can visualize dam above the falls to provide a regular source of waterpower the property, stabilized the ruins and then opened the Gatehouse the postglacial lakeshore that formed a horseshoe around the for his sawmill and gristmill. Remains of the dam and other Lodge Museum (open weekends and holidays in the summer western end of present day . While the Trail structures are still visible from the road bridge. Most of the months). There can be found some objects from the excavation passes through a densely populated area, for the most part roads up the Escarpment through Stoney Creek are named for of the cellars in 1974, and a splendid model of the house. hikers will be walking on a woodland path with only occasional pioneer settlers, although Fifty Rd is so called because of its Note: When hiking through any gateway entrance to Conservation glimpses of the surrounding urban growth. The western end distance in miles from Niagara-on-the-Lake. Areas in Hamilton and Halton, be prepared to show your current of Lake Ontario also has an abundance of waterfalls splashing Devil’s Punch Bowl - km 19.4 BTC membership card to avoid having to pay an entrance fee. If over the Escarpment: Albion, Buttermilk, Tiffany, Sherman, Do not miss this spectacular sight, even though today the you park at a conservation area in Hamilton and Halton, you will be Webster’s, Tew’s, and Borer’s. Most of these waterfalls can waterfalls are a mere trickle of their former selves. The bowl, required to pay the regular parking fee. be seen in a full day of hiking across the Dundas Valley. From about 34 m deep and 60 m across, is the result of water erosion the Escarpment, the hiker gets great views of the industrial land during the recession of the glaciers from the Lake Ontario of the and much of Lake Ontario. There is basin about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Erosion has exposed a drama too, where the Escarpment rises majestically from the magnificent sequence of geological strata from the lower shale farmland at Mount Nemo, Rattlesnake Point and Crawford Lake beds to the resistant Lockport dolostone cap rock. Conservation Area, where there is a rare meromictic lake and a - 26.5 prehistoric Native American site. Great views continue as the This is one of the sites where Loyalist settlers developed the Trail then carries on northward to the ski runs at Kelso. waterpower to run their mills. The village of Albion predated You are responsible for your own safety. Before using the the first settlement in Hamilton by about two decades. Trail please read Section III Trail Information. Foundations of several mill structures can be seen from the road bridge on the side trail. Natural gas emerges from small fissures in nearby rocks. Ancaster Creek - km 46.4 () Ancaster was an early Loyalist settlement. Power from the creek has been used to run several mills since Richard Hatt’s Red Mill of 1798. The Hermitage - km 49.4 Located in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, the Hermitage ruin and the Gatehouse Museum are all that remain of this 1855 estate built by George Leith, second son of a Scottish baronet, on lands originally settled in 1826. The Hermitage was used as a summer residence for much of its early history, but after George Leith’s death, the estate began to suffer from neglect. In 1902 Leith’s daughter, Alma Dick- Forty Mile Creek, Grimsby Photo: Scott Langley Lauder, a writer and animal lover, took it over, with great plans Sherman Falls, Ancaster Creek Photo: Melissa Steinovitz 5-3 Edition 27 Historical Notes - cont’d

Griffin House - km 49.4 (Mineral Springs Road) Griffin House was built in 1828. It was the home of Enerals Griffin, who is believed to have been a slave from Virginia who came to Canada via the underground railway. It stands as a testament to the bravery and determination of black men and women who journeyed to freedom in Southern Ontario by the Underground Railroad. Griffin House offers tours and black-history-related programs as part of the Black Heritage Network. For information, contact 905-546-2424 ext 7220 or [email protected] The Town of Dundas - km 57.0 The Town of Dundas, first settled in 1787, became an important mill town and major trading centre at the western end of Lake Ontario. After the completion of the in 1832, it briefly became a busy port with large boats carrying produce from its wharves to markets via Lake Ontario. The canal has long been gone. It started to silt up almost as soon as it was completed. The site of the old boat-turning basin is now a park and butterfly garden in the middle of the town. Webster’s Falls - km 57.6 (via Webster’s Falls Side Trail) At Webster’s Falls, Spencer Creek tumbles over the Escarpment. In the early 1800s it was the industrial centre of Dundas, with no fewer than eight dam sites along the 3-mile stretch of water above the falls. The largest of the mills was the Ashbourne Flour Mill, built by Joseph Webster, just above the falls that were later to bear his family’s name. The Calcium Pits - km 102.5 Remaining today as a series of ponds, these abandoned pits are Webster’s Falls, Spencer Gorge Photo: Melissa Steinovitz lined with a putty-like material called marl. Marl is a precipitate resulting from the dissolution of dolostone by acidic rain and Crawford Lake Conservation Area - km 105.5 Studies of the pollen content in the sediment have allowed surface water. It contains insoluble clay, calcium carbonate, Perched on top of the Escarpment, Crawford Lake is surrounded scientists to trace periods of human settlement. Corn pollen ferric oxide and silicate. From the 1920s to the 1940s, marl was by extensive woodlands, pristine wetlands and rugged dolostone found in the varves at one point indicated that an ancient dug up, dried in kilns and used in whitewash, culvert tiles, and cliffs. The lake, a meromictic lake, is ecologically unusual in that settlement might lie near the lake, and a dig in 1973 led to the as an insecticide called Climax Bug Killer. The introduction of it is so deep in relation to its surface area that its water at the discovery of a 15th century Iroquoian village. Archaeologists DDT in 1946 ended the business. Ruins of the insecticide plant lower levels is never disturbed by wind or temperature changes. found evidence of six longhouses, which were occupied by the are still visible at Twiss Rd. Without an annual turnover of water, there is little oxygen Middleport tribe. In 1982, the Halton Region Conservation present in its depths and consequently very little bacterial activity. Authority began reconstruction of the village as a way of At the bottom, layers of sediment (called varves) build up year preserving the local native heritage. after year and, because they lie undisturbed, they provide an A conservation centre and nature trails are accessible via the accurate record of the area’s human and natural history. The Bruce Trail and the Crawford Lake Side Trail. sediments, in fact, have been dated as far back as 1,000 years. Historical Notes 8-3 Edition 27 Royal Botanical Gardens Rasberry House

Five display gardens, four nature sanctuaries and 32 km of nature Located in the Arboretum of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. trails span the Royal Botanical Gardens’ 1,100 ha (2,700 acres). Rasberry House is named for William Rasberry, a descendent Closed during Christmas and statutory holidays. See 100,000 spring bulbs, 250,000 iris blooms and the world’s of the Earl of Roseberry. He immigrated to Canada about 1830 largest lilac collection, or explore the ecologically sensitive and bought the property from the industrial entrepreneur The Bruce Trail Conservancy wetlands, fields and forests of , Grindstone James Crooks. Three generations of the Rasberry family P.O. Box 857 Valley, Rock Chapel and the Berry Tract. Hikers will appreciate farmed the land before 1943, when the Gardens acquired Hamilton, ON. Canada the extensive network of trails that meander through woodland the property. It includes the famous lilac dell and many trails L8N 3N9 marsh, meadow and, in tandem with the Bruce Trail, along the bordering Cootes Paradise. Telephone: 905-529-6821 or 1-800-665-4453 Fax: 905-529-6823 Escarpment. Trail guides are available at RBG Centre, 680 Plains The two-storey stucco house, built about 1860, has stone Rd W or from the Nature Interpretive Centre in the Arboretum. Email: [email protected] foundation walls with an adjacent tunnel drainage system, www.brucetrail.org While at the Arboretum, don’t forget to visit Rasberry House, concrete insignia and a Palladian window over the front door. the headquarters of the Bruce Trail Conservancy. The Royal The Bruce Trail Conservancy restored the house, and since Botanical Gardens organizes many family-oriented festivals and 1984 it has been the BTC offices and general store. events, and conducts courses on a wide variety of topics including growing and cooking with herbs, balcony gardening, identifying wildflowers and birds, flower arranging, and painting in an outdoor classroom. Check www.rbg.ca for the Gardens’ latest public program calendar and for exciting upcoming events. For more information contact: Royal Botanical Gardens Box 399, Hamilton, ON L8N 3H8 Phone: 905 527-1158 Fax: 905-577-0375 Email: [email protected] www.rbg.ca Rasberry House Royal Botanical Gardens (Arboretum)

Reconstructed Indian Village Crawford Lake Flowering Cherry (Prunus Accolade), RBG Arboretum Photo: Scott Langley Conservation Area Magnolia, RBG Arboretum Photo: Scott Langley 11-3 Edition 27 Section Historical Notes The Credit Valley Footpath - km 38.7 This trail follows the valley of the south from Terra Kelso to Creditview Road (maps 11 to 14) Hilton Falls via Hilton Falls Side Trail - km 1.2 Cotta to Georgetown through fields, forests, steep hillsides and Historical accounts indicate that Edward Hilton was the first to the floodplain of the Credit River. The Footpath was originally This section of the Bruce Trail is maintained by members of the developed in 1970 by the Credit Valley Trail Club as part of a Toronto Bruce Trail Club. build and operate a mill at the base of the falls. The mill was last operated around 1863, but the ruins are still evident today. proposal to link the Bruce Trail to Lake Ontario through the Distance to Niagara: 201.6 km The falls, which are particularly impressive in the spring, are valley of the Credit River. Despite many years of effort it proved Distance to Tobermory: 690.6 km accessible via the Hilton Falls Side Trail. A number of interpretive impossible to complete ­because permission to cross a number of essential properties could not be obtained. After passing under Highway 401, the Trail climbs the Escarpment signs and a walkway down to the base of the falls have been near the Hilton Falls Conservation Area. It affords great views developed by the Halton Region Conservation Authority. This trail passes the site of an old First Nation burial ground as it follows the Escarpment edge, crossing the Dufferin Quarry Limehouse - km 20.9 and the interesting village of Glen Williams, with its many craft bridge with its interpretive display, and continuing to Limehouse This area was a major source of lime for the early settlers of and antique stores. The route leads past the ruins of an old Conservation Area with its interesting lime kilns. After a short Ontario. Visible near the Trail are a number of lime kilns, a paper mill and dam and an historic plaque which describes early section on Highway 7, it passes through the tranquil Scotsdale powder house and a quarry. The kilns were stoked with industry along the river. An impressive CNR railway bridge, built Farm property, through the spectacular Silver Creek Valley and wood, loaded with dolostone from the quarry, and left to burn in the 1850s and attributed to Sir , crosses the into the Terra Cotta Conservation Area. The Trail now leaves for several days. The resulting lime was removed and used trail and the river. Further south in the valley are the remains of the pronounced features of the Escarpment and begins to cross for every possible construction job in early Upper Canada. the Barber Mill Dynamo, an old hydro generating station which areas of glacial moraine.­ The introduction of railroads and the rapid removal of the once supplied power to the paper mill upstream. surrounding forest spelled doom for the flourishing business by Terra Cotta - km 41.2 You are responsible for your own safety. Before using the the second decade of the 20th century. Formerly named Salmonville, the village was located on the trail please read Section III - Trail Information. Scotsdale Farm via Bennett Heritage Trail - km 29.4 old wagon road to Oakville and saw much activity during the Scotsdale Farm was donated to the Ontario Heritage Foundation Crimean War, when great quantities of wheat from local farms (now the Ontario Heritage Trust) by William and Violet Bennett were shipped down to Lake Ontario. The success of the in 1982. The 540-acre property includes Class I (provincially brickworks, established by Simon Plewes to make use of the significant) wetlands, large areas of mature maple-beech upland abundant deposits of terra cotta clay, inspired the village to forest and meadows. The Bennett Heritage Trail ­connects the change its name to Terra Cotta in 1904. Although Plewes’ mill is main Trail to the farm buildings and a large parking lot. in ruins and the brick yards are operated by Brampton Brick, his house is still standing, as are a forge and an old inn. The village is accessible from Winston Churchill Boulevard and King St.

Enjoying the view, Kelso CA Photo: Beth Kümmling Trimming vegetation, Springle Property Photo: Rose-Mary Mitter Trail Maintenance, clearing winter deadfall Photo: Rose-Mary Mitter 13-3 Edition 27 Caledon Hills Section Historical Notes Great Horseshoe Curve - km 23.2 On Escarpment Sideroad, east of Heart Lake Rd, was the crossing-point for the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway. Just Creditview Road to Mono Centre (maps 14 to 19) The Dominion Road - km 8.8 The Dominion Road was a pioneer settlement road which to the south was the famous Great Horseshoe Curve. “In a This section of the Bruce Trail is managed by members of the distance of 10 km, the railroad had to climb 120 m to scale Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club. followed the Credit River through the Forks of the Credit valley, linking Brimstone to Cataract. Some of the homes in Brimstone the . To accomplish this feat, the railroad Distance to Niagara: 251.2 km were built originally as cottages for the quarrymen who worked had to make use of a horseshoe curve. The Horseshoe was a curve of 140 m radius in 1.6 km of track, climbing 26 m yet Distance to Tobermory: 641.1 km in the nearby quarries which supplied much of the building stone traversing less than 400 m in a straight-line distance. It was here, The Trail mostly follows the glacial deposits on top of the buried for Toronto. The Whirlpool sandstone for both the old Toronto City Hall and the Provincial Parliament Buildings at Queen’s in September 1907, that the Great Horseshoe wreck took place. Escarpment, as it wanders through Caledon Hills and Hockley The Exhibition Special travelling to Toronto left the track; seven Valley. There is varied scenery and a number of steep climbs. Park came from this area. Although the precise origins of the Dominion Road are buried in history, its demise is not. On April passengers were killed and 114 injured”. The Great Horseshoe You are responsible for your own safety. Before you use the 12, 1912, a massive spring flood wreaked havoc in the valley. Wreck by Ralph Beaumont and James Filby. Trail please read Section III - Trail Information. The road was washed out and so great was the destruction The Dingle School - km 35.4 that it was never rebuilt. The old gravel track on which we hike This rural school, situated east of the Trail in the northwest today is all that remains. corner of Albion Township, served its public from 1872 to Cataract Hydro - km 12.6 1950. A Brief History of the Dingle School by Howard S. Patterson In 1885, the mill at Cataract Falls was purchased by John indicates good attendance until a steady decline in the school Deagle, an inventive genius who was largely responsible for the population after 1910. This structure, typical of many in rural economic growth in the area. He began experimenting with Ontario, is now a private dwelling. electricity and by 1899 generated power over eight kilometres Mono Township Forest of lines. Cataract streets blossomed with three experimental West of the Hockley Heights Side Trail on the 4th Line EHS is lights! The Cataract hydroelectric plant served the neighbouring the Mono Township Forest, where planting was begun in 1926 community for over 50 years before it was closed in 1947. on a 50-hectare wasteland. Twenty-five hectares were set aside for special school demonstration purposes. In all, some 60,000 trees have been planted by school children. “He who planteth a tree plants not for himself but for future generations.... The programme will never really be ended so long as these trees continue to grow and flourish. They stand in their beauty as evidence of the enduring success of the program.” The Green Hills of Mono by John A. Marshall.

Wolf Pond Terra Cotta Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) Photo: Carol Sheppard Humber Heights Lookout Photo: Charlie Atkinson Conservation Area 19-3 Edition 27 Dufferin Hi-Land Section

Mono Centre to Lavender (maps 19 to 21) This section of the Bruce Trail is managed by members of the Dufferin Hi-Land Bruce Trail Club. Distance to Niagara: 321.9 km Distance to Tobermory: 570.3 km In the Dufferin Hi-Land Section, parts of the Trail follow the line of Hurontario St, which was the main road into the area in pioneer days, and linked Lake Ontario with . Hurontario St, or Centre Rd as it is known in Mulmur Township, is today the main street of Port Credit, Brampton and Collingwood. It forms Highway 10 from Lakeshore Rd in Port Credit to Orangeville. Along the Trail, there are long views to the east and pleasant walks through mixed hardwood forests. Some of the territory is typical Southern Ontario farmland with a considerable portion given over to development of estate properties. You are responsible for your own safety. Before using the Trail, please read Section III - Trail Information. Photo: Man Khun Chan Historical Notes

Whitfield - km 31.4 Whitfield, dating from around 1832, was one of the earliest by Tom Huxtable of Horning’s Mills, the plant supplied power to settlements in Mulmur Township. By the late 1860s its Shelburne, Horning’s Mills and parts of Orangeville until 1911. population was between 100 and 150. During the 1880s, the The creation of The Electric Power Commission community was humming with activity; the village included saw put this, and many of Ontario’s other private power plants, out and shingle mills, a quarry, a lime kiln, two blacksmith stores and of business. By 1923 hydroelectric power was no longer being two general stores. produced along the Pine River. Like similar hamlets, Whitfield began to decline at the beginning Tweedybrook - km 41.5 of the 20th century. Today little remains of the original village. Near the Trail stands a cottage known as Tweedybrook, which A small pioneer cemetery beside Christ Church includes a belonged to the late Russell and Mary Tweedy. Mrs. Tweedy was monument dedicated to the original Whitfield pioneers. The President of the Dufferin Hi-Land Club from 1968 to 1971. In remainder of the former town site has reverted to farmland. 1980, Mr. Tweedy signed his name in a notebook he had placed Dufferin Light and Power - km 34.8 along the Trail on a covered shelf in a hardwood bush north of The ruins of the old powerhouse in the southeast corner of the the cottage. By July 1990, that notebook was completely filled Pine River Provincial Fishing Area are almost all that remains with signatures and comments by hikers from all over the world. of the Dufferin Light and Power Company. Nearby is the old A new notebook was placed on the shelf and hikers passing by flume that brought water from a dam which, when construction this spot are invited to leave their signatures and comments for was started in 1909, was the largest of its kind in Ontario. Built posterity. The old notebook is now in the Club’s archives. Black Bank Creek Photo: Frieda Baldwin 22-3 Edition 27 Blue Mountains Section The Pretty River Valley provincial government owns much of the land as a provincial As one enters this valley, thoughts of the mystical Scottish valley park reserve, and other properties are retreats for city families. Lavender to Craigleith (maps 22 to 24) of Brigadoon come to mind. One hundred and sixty years ago The hills and valleys are reverting to their natural state. Scotsmen from the Highlands and Lowlands came by oxcart The Ski Industry This section of the Trail is managed by members of the Blue and on foot into the valley. Even today, the land is rugged and Mountains Bruce Trail Club. The first use of the Blue Mountains for sport was the result of inaccessible, and one wonders why settlers would choose to timber cutting at Osler Bluff. When the hills had been cleared, Distance to Niagara: 378.1 km farm this land with such a forbidding prospect. It has been said young people rode down them on sleighs. It was not until the Distance to Tobermory: 514.1 km that the hills reminded them of home, and it is possible that their 1930s that men consciously cut trees to make ski trails. native clannishness recognized an area which outsiders would The terrain changes abruptly as the Trail enters the area known not disturb. However, a more realistic explanation is that there The purely recreational use of the Escarpment began when as the Blue Mountains. Here are Ontario’s best-known ski had been a large settlement of Scots at Bowmore (now called Collingwood skiers formed the Blue Mountain Ski Club on resorts, set among high bluffs interspersed with deep, wide Duntroon) from quite early in the 19th century. December 5, 1935. In 1940, Jozo Weider arrived as the ski valleys. From the Trail, there are excellent views of the rolling professional and the Blue Mountain Ski Club was incorporated. countryside and . The settlement of the Valley lasted with surprisingly few changes By the 1960s, new affluence and more recreational time made until well into the 20th century. The roads were always poor; Blue Mountain the most popular Canadian ski resort between You are responsible for your own safety. Before using the many settlers were without electricity long after it had come to the Rockies and the Laurentian Mountains. Since then, of Trail please read Section III - Trail Information. the surrounding area; the families were interrelated and very course, the resort has expanded exponentially into a thriving independent. Today, of course, everything has changed; the four-season business. Historical Notes

Petun Indians About 350 years ago, the Petun, or Tionontati, First Nations Peoples lived in a chain of villages along the Escarpment between Creemore and Craigleith. They subsisted on agriculture (corn, beans, pumpkins, squash and tobacco) and lived in longhouses. In November of 1649, Seneca warriors killed most of the Petun. After years of wandering, the survivors were offered land in Kansas and Oklahoma, where some of their descendants live to this day. To the west of the Mission Side Trail is an archaeological site where a Petun Indian village was located. Freedom Rock Just to the east of the Nottawasaga Lookout and west of the Best Caves is Freedom Rock [21.4]. It is an outcrop broken off from the Escarpment, and is similar to the standing rock to the north at the Singhampton Caves [42.0]. What is so surprising at Freedom Rock is the collection of aphorisms that have been lovingly inscribed on the rock. In the tradition of 19th century liberals, many concern some aspect of freedom: access to the courts, the right to free education, and the need for land rationing; examples include: “To Be Fully Free One Must Farm”, and “Individuals Are Diamonds.” None is the careless graffiti of our age; each has been carefully chiselled into the stone. One is left to ponder the identity of the independent philosopher who felt the need to express himself on these rocks. Highest Point on the Bruce Trail, John Haigh Side Trail Photo: Darci Lombard 23-3 Edition 27 Section Historical Notes The early 1900s saw a second failed enterprise. The Georgian Bay Power Company bought the land and power rights. To create Craigleith to Blantyre (maps 24 to 28) Len Gertler Memorial Loree Forest - km 4.2 a sufficient fall, they built a tunnel 264 m long and had the river A forest fire in September 1906 burned for several weeks atop diverted through it. The outrageous scheme drove the company This section of the Bruce Trail is built and maintained by into bankruptcy, and the project was abandoned. The tunnel was members of the Beaver Valley Bruce Trail Club. the Escarpment. In the late 1940s, farmland on this plateau was reforested with pine and spruce. blown up as a safety measure and all that remains today are the Distance to Niagara: 444.0 km arches at both ends, visible beside the Trail at km 55.4. Kolapore - km 23.8 Distance to Tobermory: 448.2 km The village of Kolapore was once a busy mill centre. The first Hogg’s Falls - km 63.3 Leaving the Blue Mountains ski slopes, the Trail heads north sawmill was built in 1865, and later, there were several others, Hogg’s Falls has been called “Grey County’s best-kept secret.” to the large plateau of the Loree Forest above Nottawasaga some using the water power from the creek. The Kolapore Its seven metre cascade is a sheer and shimmering curtain of Bay. The Trail then turns south on high ground overlooking the Uplands, through which the Trail passes, was heavily logged in water over the rock face. It is named for William Hogg, a son of Beaver River, which has cut a deep wedge, known as a re-entant the 19th century to supply these mills. The village was located the illustrious Hogg family of 19th century York. (The Don River valley, into the Niagara Escarpment as it flows north to Georgian 1.2 km south of where the Trail crosses Grey County Rd 2. valley in the vicinity of Yonge St and York Mills Rd in Toronto is Bay. The Trail first follows the east rim of the Beaver Valley. known as Hogg’s Hollow) He settled in the area in the 1870s, Beaver Valley but today only faint traces remain of his long-ago mill. The site is Dolostone cliffs are plentiful; Kimberley Rock and Old Baldy The Beaver River runs northeast through lush agricultural stand out above the village of Kimberley. The valley, almost now protected as a forest reserve, and the clear waters abound land where apple orchards flourish, entering Georgian Bay at with Speckled Trout. 10 km wide at its mouth, narrows quickly upstream of Eugenia Thornbury. Many of the first European settlers travelled by Falls. Crossing to the west rim just above Hogg’s Falls, the Trail canoe in the 1850s up the Beaver River to Eugenia. Aboriginals Epping - km 93.0 heads back down the valley. After following the Escarpment rim and early settlers called the area Cuckoo Valley because of Euphrasia Township’s first post office was located on Concession north, the Trail swings west toward the valley of the Bighead the many cuckoo birds nesting there. It is believed that the 4 in Epping. Not much remains of the original community, which River to reach the ghost hamlet of Blantyre. numerous beaver in the area, which eventually gave their name was first settled in the 1840s. At the John Muir Epping Lookout You are responsible for your own safety. Before using the to the river and valley, had a role in the selection of the beaver on Grey County Rd 7 [93.0], there is an impressive view over Trail, please read Section III - Trail Information. as Canada’s emblem. the Beaver Valley as well as a plaque dedicated to John Muir, the famous conservationist. He was a founder and first president of Kimberley - west of km 41.8 the Sierra Club and lived in the Meaford area from 1864 to 1866. This village, nestled in the Beaver Valley, had a post office in 1868. Also located there were sawmills, grist and flour mills, Old Mail Road - km 100.1 two hotels, three blacksmith shops and two woodworking This pioneer road, originally called Old Government Road, and shops. Around 1880, a small brickyard was opened on what is one of the earliest roads in the county, was in use by settlers now the property of Talisman Resort. The village is accessible from the 1830s to the 1850s as they made their way west from from the Bruce Trail by turning right along Grey County Rd 13 York and to the newly established townships of where the Trail meets the County Road at km 47.9. Osprey, Collingwood, Euphrasia and St. Vincent. In all likelihood the road followed an earlier aboriginal trail. It was formally Eugenia Falls - km 56.2 established as a public road in 1846. The road was given its Eugenia Falls, over the years, has witnessed two grand but name because of the number of small post office villages along unsuccessful money-making schemes. Shortly after it was its length. It was in official use only until 1855 when the arrival discovered in 1852, Eugenia Falls was the site of an ill-fated gold of the railway in Collingwood put it out of official use. However rush. When a hunter noticed a glint of gold in the river, a mining it continued to be used by locals for many years after that. All boom ensued. At its peak, 200 men were striking claims and that remains of the Old Mail Road that is clearly visible is the extracting rock. But the gold turned out to be iron pyrite (fool’s section that runs from Heathcote to Griersville. The Bruce Trail gold) and the men returned to their pioneer farms, their dreams travels on that part of the Road from km 100.1 to km 101.1. of fabulous wealth shattered. However the Club has identified another short length of the Old Mail Road that has been recently incorporated into the Trail. (see pg. 25-1, km 19.1) Raspberry, Seidle Property Photo: Alison Watt Edition 27 28-2 Sydenham Section

Blantyre to Wiarton (maps 28 to 35) This section is managed by members of the Sydenham Bruce Trail Club. Distance to Niagara: 557.9 km Distance to Tobermory: 334.4 km Leaving the almost deserted hamlet of Blantyre, the Trail crosses the valley of the before turning north to follow the Escarpment to the Bayview Escarpment Nature Reserve. This is the crown jewel in a 69 km extension of the Bruce Trail, the longest in BTC history, completed in 2007 after years of work by many dedicated volunteers. From the Trail, spectacular views of Georgian Bay are plentiful. Near , the Sydenham River tumbles over Inglis Falls. Views of Owen Sound from the high cliffs of the Escarpment are followed by another waterfall - the Pottawatomi River going over Jones Falls. Continuing north, the Trail passes The Glen, Bass Lake, Slough of Despond, Skinner’s Bluff and Bruce’s Caves. These are all good areas for enjoying flora and fauna. The Sydenham section hosts provincially rare ferns such as the Hart’s Tongue Fern, which in many places cover the forest floor. At Wiarton, “The Gateway to the Bruce”, the Trail reaches Georgian Bay. You are responsible for your own safety. Before you use the Trail please read Section III - Trail Information.

Historical Notes

Blantyre - km 0.0 Blantyre, although a tiny hamlet today, was a bustling community in the 19th century. Local businesses included two blacksmith shops, a stone shop and two weaving establishments. James Paterson, Blantyre’s first merchant and postmaster, was appointed Grey County Warden in 1874. Walters Falls - km 11.5 John Walter founded Walters Falls in the mid 1850s. Settling around this river, John harnessed the waterpower to develop a sawmill, feed mill and woolen mill. The sawmill burned to the ground in 1984, but the woolen mill and feed mill still stand today. The feed mill continues to operate on waterpower.

Historical Notes continued on page 28-3 28-3 Edition 27 Historical Notes cont’d

Bayview Escarpment Nature Reserve / “Meaford Tank Range” - km 52.1 The Nature Reserve consists of over 1100 acres of protected forests situated high on the Escarpment with magnificent views over the surrounding country, including the Meaford Land Forces Training Base and Georgian Bay. In 1942 the government of Canada obtained the private lands below and a small area above the Escarpment for the purpose of training soldiers in tank warfare and artillery gunnery. The 17,500 acres was ideal for this training since it incorporated dolostone cliffs, rolling open ground and dense bush. The “Meaford Training Area” quickly became known as “The Tank Range”. Inglis Falls - km 91.7 A Scottish immigrant, Peter Inglis, settled the area south of Owen Sound in 1845 when he took over a grist mill on the Sydenham River. By 1862, a larger, 100-barrel-a-day mill had been constructed to serve the farmers from Lion’s Head to Dundalk. A woolen mill, that produced tweeds, flannels and rainbow blankets, burned down in 1885 and again in 1901. The grist mill continued in operation until 1945. The family home, built around 1850, is all that remains today. Bruce’s Caves - km 160.5 A blue-blazed trail leads down 190 m to a small parking area and a park trail leading to Bruce’s Caves. Surrounded by woodlands of maple, beech and hemlock, these wave-cut caves are dramatic evidence of one of the natural forces creating the face of the Escarpment we see today. One of the caves has a rare roof crack. Below the cliffs, on the rocky slopes, grow a variety of ferns, including the rare Hart’s Tongue Fern. The caves are located on lands owned by the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority.

Glacial erratic, Lindenwood Property Photo: Ron Savage Edition 27 35-2 Peninsula Section is home to some 600 people. At Cape Croker Indian Park, the Overnight Rest Areas (ORA) Nawash Band welcomes visitors to camp, picnic and hike. It is a great base from which to explore the . Wiarton to Tobermory (maps 35 to 42) Bruce Trail volunteers maintain Overnight Rest Areas at several Glacial Potholes - km 45.1 This section of the Bruce Trail is managed by members of the locations along the Peninsula section of the Bruce Trail. These Located just inside the Hope Bay Forest Provincial Nature Peninsula Bruce Trail Club. ORA’s are for solo or small group through-hikers, providing a Reserve, these potholes are relics of the Ice Age, having been quiet rest after a long hike. They are NOT camping areas for Distance to Niagara: 726.3 km formed by the eddying action of meltwater running over the destination hikers. Facilities for human waste disposal are very Distance to Tobermory: 166.0 km brim of the Escarpment. In this area, truly fine displays of limited. No open fires are allowed. Leaving Wiarton and heading toward the reservation of the trilliums flourish in May. There are many other areas designed for destination hikers Chippewas of Nawash Band at Cape Croker, the Trail follows the Hopeness - south of km 60.2 including Cyprus Lake in Bruce Peninsula National Park, a cliff line along Colpoy’s Bay. The white cliffs and green vegetation On Hopeness Rd, on the Jack Poste Side Trail, stand the remains number of private campgrounds and B&B’s that offer overnight contrasting with the deep blue waters of the bay make a fine of Hopeness. The former schoolhouse has been converted into facilities. introduction to the beauties of the Bruce Peninsula. Remote a community hall. This area thrived for a few years around the Natural Hazards - Be Advised - In addition to dangers hiking in the Peninsula Section should not be undertaken turn of the 20th Century, until logging, destructive forest fires common to all trail sections, the Bruce Peninsula has without experience and thorough preparation. and the lure of better farmland in the Canadian West greatly some unique ones. In many remote areas, cell phones On through the villages of Hope Bay and Lion’s Head, there is reduced the population of the Bruce Peninsula. may not reach a signal tower. There are also resident pleasant walking on bush roads and difficult hiking on Escarpment Smokey Head - km 94.8 populations of black bears and Massasauga rattlesnakes. cliffs. A variety of interesting geological formations and many This Nature Reserve is a good example of the upland forests If you have an unlikely encounter, back off and give the displays of wildflowers, rare orchids and ferns attract the hiker. typical of this part of the Escarpment. There are still faint animal a clear right-of-way. Obviously, it is best to keep The area from High Dump to Tobermory, along the shoreline of traces of old log slides where cut timber was pushed over the dogs on a leash (as stipulated in The Bruce Trail Users’ Georgian Bay, is the most remote and among the most scenic Escarpment edge and down to the beaches. Code). Poison ivy grows in abundance along many parts parts of the Bruce Trail. “Spectacular” and “breathtaking” Devil’s Monument - km 110.6 of this section of trail. Hikers should be able to identify describe the last 30 km on the high cliffs, overlooking the blue The Devil’s Monument, the largest flowerpot formation on the plant in all stages of growth. waters. Finally, the Trail reaches the cairn perched beside the Bruce Peninsula, was formed 5,500 years ago by the Tobermory’s picturesque harbour. wave action of glacial . Standing 14 m high, it is You are responsible for your own safety. Before you use the located between the Escarpment and the rugged Georgian Bay Trail please read Section III-Trail Information. shoreline. The interpretive display is the kind donation of Mrs. J. Minhinnick, the former owner of the property. A staircase and blue blazes lead the hiker down the Escarpment to the Historical Notes flowerpot’s base and the water’s edge. The Timber Trade The Corran - km 2.9 The Bruce Peninsula was extensively logged in the 19th century. The ruins are all that remain of this 17-room mansion north Remains of the timber trade, such as “dumps” (areas where logs of Wiarton, overlooking Colpoy’s Bay. The mansion was built were stored and dropped off the Escarpment into log booms on in 1882 by Alexander McNeill. It featured extensive rose Georgian Bay) can still be seen. gardens, prize shorthorn herds, an ice-house, a large library and conservatory, and the first electrical generating plant in the The National Parks Bruce. Last occupied in 1960, it is now owned by the Grey Both Bruce Peninsula National Park and the underwater Fathom Sauble Conservation Authority. Five National Marine Park were established in 1987. Make sure to stop at the Visitor Centre at km 165.3. It is a great place to Cape Croker - km 31.6 learn about the Peninsula’s natural riches. The Trail passes through the lands of the Nawash Band of the Chippewa Nation. This reserve, established in the 19th century,

Overhang Point Photo: Scott Langley