DISCOVERING SOME OF ONTARIO’S LOST VILLAGES
Michael Prentice takes a tour along the St. Lawrence Seaway and finds some history beside and underneath the waters near Canada’s famed Upper Canada Village.
Several riverside communities disappeared under water
Q Where did you go, and why?
AI visited Upper Canada Village and the surrounding area along the St. Lawrence River to learn about one of the saddest and most heartrending stories in Canadian history. This was the forced evacuation of thousands of people from their homes in the 1950s so that the area could be permanently flooded.
Q Why did the evacuation take place?
AThe Canadian and U.S. governments wanted to open the St. Lawrence River to large cargo ships, connecting the Atlantic Ocean with ports on the Great Lakes, such as Toronto and Chicago. Construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway entailed deepening the river in places, building locks and eliminating the hazardous Long Sault Rapids near Cornwall. And the two governments also wanted to build dams on the river to generate cheap electricity.
Q How many people were forced from their homes, and were they compensated?
AAn estimated 6,500 people were displaced, most moving to new or nearby towns and villages on the Ontario side of the St. Lawrence. Many felt they were not fully compensated. Today, it seems inconceivable — to me, anyway — that so many people would be forced from their homes so that others would benefit economically.
Q Why did you begin your day trip at Upper Canada Village?
AThis tourist attraction on the St. Lawrence River near Morrisburg owes its existence to what have become known as The Lost Villages of the St. Lawrence. It depicts life as it was in the area in the 1800s. Many of Upper Canada Village’s buildings — including modest and grand homes, taverns, retail stores, workshops, a church and a horse farm — were moved from their old sites nearby before the area was permanently flooded. I had visited the village several times before, but never specifically in search of reminders of those lost communities. Since my previous visit, I was pleased to find the village has added a spacious indoor reception area with attractive inter-active exhibits.
Q What else was new to you on this trip?
AMost importantly, I learned exactly where the lost villages were. Most of the submerged villages lie beneath shallow waters on either side of the Long Sault Parkway, which runs for about 10 kilometres close to the St. Lawrence shoreline between Ingleside and Long Sault. It’s a lovely drive, but it felt eerie knowing this was an area where thousands of people used to live and lead productive lives, many as farmers. The parkway consists of a series of causeways and bridges connecting islands that used to be hilltops. Its attractions include campgrounds and beaches.
Q What else did you find?
AI learned that Ontario Power Generation — responsible for the province’s electricity supply — now has a handsome visitors centre overlooking the Moses-Saunders Power Dam on the outskirts of Cornwall. This is the dam that caused the waters of the St. Lawrence to back up, forcing thousands of people from their homes. The centre’s exhibits are interesting and informative, and they acknowledge the negatives as well as the positives of the dam. Admission to the centre is free, and it’s usually open on weekdays during normal working hours.
Q
Anything else?
AI had never seen any of the locks for ocean-going ships. So I was eager to see the lock at Iroquois — the only one on the St. Lawrence in Eastern Ontario. It’s well worth visiting, if you are lucky enough to see a ship passing through, as I was. There is a public park with covered picnic area overlooking the lock. There is also a snack bar with a chalk board outside giving the times that day when a ship is due. On average, about 10 ships a day pass through this section of the St. Lawrence.
Q Anything else worth seeing?
ARight next to Upper Canada Village is a monument commemorating the Battle of Crysler’s Farm, in which Canadian and British troops defeated a larger American force. The key battle in 1813 prevented Canada’s falling to the United States. My one regret on my day trip was that I did not have time to go to the U.S. and visit the Dwight D. Eisenhower Lock, near the Robert Moses State Park, across the river from Cornwall. It has a much greater vertical drop than the lock at Iroquois.
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Planning a trip?
AUpper Canada Village is open daily until Sept. 7 from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is open the same hours Wednesdays through Sundays from Sept. 9 to Sept. 20. Admission, before taxes, is $18 for adults and children 13 and over, $16 for seniors, $12 for children 6-12. See uppercanadavillage.com for special events at many times of year. Upper Canada Village is about a 75-minute drive from Ottawa, via Hwys. 416 and 401. Or there are plenty of more scenic routes, notably on county roads 22 or 31.