Graflex Crown Graphic

And so, dear readers, we have reached the end, or rather the beginning of the story, at least my story with Oakville. So it is only fair that the place that brought me to Oakville in the first place is the last sheet shared, that of Sheridan College. And while my involvement with Sheridan starts with Oakville, Sheridan’s story begins in Brampton. In 1965, the Ontario government, under Premiere Bill Davis, signed into law an act to create a series of colleges across the province. These post-secondary institutions would provide a practical education for students. And in Brampton, Ontario, a condemned and closed High SchoolRead More →

The significant reason this project has succeeded is that Oakville and the Trafalgar Township have local historical societies. And while some stories were easier to find and write about than others, it is because of the efforts of these groups that these stores continue. And I’m now honoured to include my takes on these stories to keep them going. The Oakville Historical Society starts with Hazel Matthews and her sister Juliette. Both being direct descendants of William Chisholm and having grown up in Oakville, would take ownership of Earchless from their Mother upon her death. While Juliette took up residence in the big house, HazelRead More →

Gairloch Gardens is a hidden gem in Oakville’s downtown. While set away from the original core of the community and the historic downtown, I first discovered this quiet space thanks to my good friend Bill Smith. And it proved to have a unique history intertwined with Oakville’s cultural scene. William Gordon MacKendrick, born in Galt, Ontario, in 1864, is best known for his service in the Middle East during the First World War. MacKendrick, as a Lieutenant-Colonel, seconded to the 5th British Army in the Sinai & Pallistein Theatre under the command of Field Marshal Sir Edmund Allenby. Colonel MacKendrick would command the construction ofRead More →

Oakville’s economy has changed a lot since the founding of the community. From the earliest days of agriculture, milling, and ship buildings to carriage works, kerosene, and manufacturing. Today, Oakville’s most prominent employer remains Ford of Canada and is our final stop in the town’s industrial heritage. Henry Ford did not get it right the first time. After failing to establish a profitable automobile manufacturing business, his third attempt stuck. His first attempt came in 1899 with the Detroit Automotive Co failed quickly and was reorganised into the Henry Ford Co in 1901. Between Ford’s infighting and other conflicts, he left in 1902; oddly enough,Read More →

The two world wars of the 20th century affected many towns across Canada in ways that previous conflicts had never done. Starting the in the Boer War, Canadians began to fight not only in and for their home country but in conflicts around the globe. And Oakville has a long history with Canada’s military history, starting in the 1830s into the modern conflicts of the 21st century. During the earliest days of Upper Canada, the British organised district sedentary militias to act as a line of defence against invasion. Men within a specific age range would be automatically enrolled in their local militia regiment andRead More →

After the failure of the wheat trade, the economy of Oakville needed a new anchor. The established agricultural infrastructure allowed many farmers to switch to fruit crops, mainly strawberries. But heavier industries did contribute to Oakville’s economy beyond shipbuildings and milling. Manufacturing was one of the biggest industries next to farming to shore up Oakville’s economy. Lumber and lumber products such as barrels, ships, and baskets were significant players. Foundries would produce metal parts for carriages and ships. But Oakville became home to the largest producer of kerosene. Abraham Gesner, a Canadian scientist, developed a method of distilling coal oil in 1846. This produced aRead More →

When it comes to projects like this one, there is always an anchor subject, a building or a place that I want to capture on silver in large format in case something happens to that building. A slice of time preserved in some level of permanence. My project on Milton was the old P.L. Robertson plant, and for Oakville, it is the Oakville High School. The education system in Upper Canada followed the patterns of the English education system. But that should not be a surprise. If you grew up reading stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder or visited a living history museum, often a showpieceRead More →

The central railways offered long-distance travel but lacked the local service that many in Oakville and around Ontario needed. Personal automobiles were not a thing, and most roads were still dirt, with only a few paved in any meaningful way. Enter the Interurban railways, also known as radial railways. These small-scale services travelled out from a central station, radiating into surrounding communities. And provided some of the earliest forms of mass transit in the province. The earliest radial railway operators began services in 1890; these systems were used to steam or electrical motive power. Running small, often single carriage trails along a preset route fromRead More →