Dec 27 2020
December 2020 The footprints we leave behind For almost 40 years, Hamilton was a popular skiing destination for those in the Hamilton area. The Chedoke Winter Sports Park, once called “Hamilton’s own Sun Valley,” was a popular choice for skiers, especially those wishing to stick close to their Hamilton-area home. Officially opened on 7 January …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/the-remains-of-hamiltons-once-thriving-chedoke-ski-hill/
Dec 26 2020
December 2020 The name of the Steam Ship (S.S.) Great Eastern may not mean a lot to those with no interest in maritime history, but when it was launched on 31 January 1858, it was the largest ship ever built at the time. It was also the first ship to be powered by both sail …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/canadian-connection-to-the-largest-ship-in-the-world/
Dec 23 2020
November 2020 Today, many institutional buildings today are little more than boxes with smooth surfaces, usually with exterior cladding of metal sheets or panels, and interiors of drywall and cinder blocks. There are rarely any ornate carvings and designs on the exterior walls, or hand-carved woodworking on the interior, as seen in many of the …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/when-armouries-were-like-castles/
Dec 21 2020
December 2020 All across the county, in small towns and the corners of bigger ones, many former mills still stand, and many of them have been restored and re-purposed into new commercial and residential buildings. The early settlers of North America built mills in their towns, usually beside rivers that would provide power by use …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/paisleys-stark-mill-faces-an-uncertain-future/
Dec 18 2020
December 2020 In 1983, horror author Stephen King published a book called Pet Sematary, which was turned into a movie six years later. While the cemetery in this story has supernatural powers that results in a horrific outcome, there actually are some pet cemeteries out there. Of the few that do exist, the first one …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/abandoned-pet-cemetery-was-canadas-first-such-resting-place-for-animal-companions/
Dec 15 2020
December 2020 Muskoka has traditionally been the summer vacation destination for Ontarians looking to escape the city for decades. Some headed to luxury resorts, while many more of lesser means headed to more “affordable” destinations. This was a time period when summer vacations were a luxury that many who worked 10 or more hours a …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/the-peninsular-park-hotel-innisfils-long-vanished-luxury-resort/
Dec 14 2020
December 2020 When the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) opened their brand-new District 7 Headquarters on Rose Street, beside the newly-built Highway 400 in Barrie, Ontario, in 1958, it replaced the office in the basement of the Barrie Municipal building on Collier Street that OPP officers used during the decade they policed the town. Starting on …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/so-whats-with-the-big-square-houses/
Nov 30 2020
November 2020 The St. Catharines community of Port Dalhousie is a historic waterfront community, on the shore of Lake Ontario, near the American border. It’s the home of the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, and it’s Lakeside Park, which features one of only nine antique hand carved carousels still operating in Canada, was the inspiration behind …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/aabandoned-welland-canal-locks-can-be-found-in-port-dalhousie/
Nov 26 2020
November 2020 Legendary Burlington eatery Emma’s Back Porch and the Water Street Cooker shut its doors in May, after a 28 year run at its Old Lakeshore Road location in downtown Burlington, Ontario. While Emma’s only operated for three decades, it was just the most recent business to occupy the building, which has stood over …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/emmas-back-porch-a-historic-waterfront-restaurant-building-shuts-its-doors/
Nov 25 2020
November 2020 Opened in 1954 by Karl Ruehle and his wife Marlies, on a secluded 25-acre property near Pelham, Sun Valley Gardens was founded with the purpose of promoting nudism as a lifestyle. Initially, Sun Valley Gardens had 18 members, but within a few years, there were 300 members. Guests stayed either in tents, trailers, …
Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/the-abandoned-ruins-of-sun-valley-gardens-one-of-canadas-first-nudist-resorts/
