St. Mary's, Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
Encyclopedia
St. Mary's was the site of a planned village
within early Victoria County
, in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. The site was laid aside in the surveying
of the county in the 1830s, but was later found to be unusable when limestone
was discovered two inches below the ground. Today its site marks one end of a man-made canal between Balsam Lake
and Lake Simcoe, part of the Trent-Severn Waterway
.
(in the now defunct Victoria County, now the city of Kawartha Lakes
) was surveyed in the 1830s, St. Mary's was the first town site reserved in the newly surveyed area. It was to be built on the west shore of West Bay on Balsam Lake, at the end of the Portage Road
. The Portage Road was an early colonization road following the route of the Indian portage between Lake Simcoe and Balsam Lake. Limestone was discovered lying about two inches deep in the soil of the town-to-be. Since no ditches or cellars could be dug, the site was quickly abandoned. The property of the reserved town site remained in the hands of the government for some time, until eventually being absorbed into the adjoining Laidlaw estate.
The Trent Canal reached Balsam lake in 1873. Continuation of the waterway
to Lake Simcoe required the building of a canal to the Talbot River
, which flows into Lake Simcoe. The former St. Mary's site was chosen as the starting point for the canal, which was dug westward through the rock to a swamp along the Grass River. The swamp was flooded, forming Mitchell Lake
.
existed, named Aros, adjacent to the St. Mary's site. The post office was established in December of 1866 by its first postmaster, Charles McInnis,
who had the office named after his birthplace in Scotland. Mail was delivered every two weeks to and from Kirkfield
. The service was discontinued in 1872, when the Toronto and Nipissing railway established a station in Victoria Road
and a post office was built there. Aros remained open for another 12 years, before shutting its doors on April 1, 1884.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
within early Victoria County
Victoria County, Ontario
The County of Victoria, or Victoria County, was a county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was formed in 1854 as The United Counties of Peterborough and Victoria, and gained independence in 1863. In 2001, the county was dissolved and reformed as the city of Kawartha Lakes...
, in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The site was laid aside in the surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
of the county in the 1830s, but was later found to be unusable when limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
was discovered two inches below the ground. Today its site marks one end of a man-made canal between Balsam Lake
Balsam Lake (Ontario)
Balsam Lake is a lake located in the Kawartha lakes region of south central Ontario, Canada. It is 16 km long and averages 3 km wide, though its actual width varies due to the many large bays the carve its shoreline...
and Lake Simcoe, part of the Trent-Severn Waterway
Trent-Severn Waterway
The Trent–Severn Waterway is a Canadian canal system formerly used for industrial and transportation purposes and now for recreational and tourism purposes, connecting Lake Ontario at Trenton to the Georgian Bay portion of Lake Huron at Port Severn...
.
History
When the township of BexleyBexley Township, Ontario
The Township of Bexley was a municipality located in the northern half of the former Victoria County, now the city of Kawartha Lakes, in the Canadian province of Ontario.-History:...
(in the now defunct Victoria County, now the city of Kawartha Lakes
Kawartha Lakes
The city of Kawartha Lakes is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Although called a city, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontarian county and is mostly rural....
) was surveyed in the 1830s, St. Mary's was the first town site reserved in the newly surveyed area. It was to be built on the west shore of West Bay on Balsam Lake, at the end of the Portage Road
Highway 46 (Ontario)
Kawartha Lakes Road 46, formerly King's Highway 46 is a city maintained road in the Canadian province of Ontario. It existed between 1937 and 1997 as a provincially maintained highway before it was downloaded to Victoria County, At which point it was designated County Road 46.In 2001, Victoria...
. The Portage Road was an early colonization road following the route of the Indian portage between Lake Simcoe and Balsam Lake. Limestone was discovered lying about two inches deep in the soil of the town-to-be. Since no ditches or cellars could be dug, the site was quickly abandoned. The property of the reserved town site remained in the hands of the government for some time, until eventually being absorbed into the adjoining Laidlaw estate.
The Trent Canal reached Balsam lake in 1873. Continuation of the waterway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
to Lake Simcoe required the building of a canal to the Talbot River
Talbot River (Ontario)
The Talbot River is a south-central Ontario]] which flows from the Kawartha lakes to Lake Simcoe. The lower section of the river is now part of the Trent-Severn Waterway, although a new more direct channel was cut at the end of the 19th century, bypassing the original mouth of the river.Even before...
, which flows into Lake Simcoe. The former St. Mary's site was chosen as the starting point for the canal, which was dug westward through the rock to a swamp along the Grass River. The swamp was flooded, forming Mitchell Lake
Mitchell Lake (Ontario)
Mitchell Lake is a small, man-made lake in south-central Ontario, located in the former Eldon Township, of Victoria county...
.
Aros
For several years, a post officePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
existed, named Aros, adjacent to the St. Mary's site. The post office was established in December of 1866 by its first postmaster, Charles McInnis,
who had the office named after his birthplace in Scotland. Mail was delivered every two weeks to and from Kirkfield
Kirkfield, Ontario
Kirkfield is a village located in the city of Kawartha Lakes, in the Canadian province of Ontario. The unincorporated village was named in 1864 after the initial name, Novar, was rejected by the government. A list of 8 possible choices was then offered. The village, being predominantly Scottish at...
. The service was discontinued in 1872, when the Toronto and Nipissing railway established a station in Victoria Road
Victoria Road, Ontario
Victoria Road is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within the single-tier municipality of Kawartha Lakes. The village was built around a station on the Toronto and Nipissing Railway, which was constructed in 1872...
and a post office was built there. Aros remained open for another 12 years, before shutting its doors on April 1, 1884.