never have become a city, but the image of prosperity exemplified by Victoria Hall and other beautiful and unique period homes still remains. Thanks to those who persevered — the first settlers when they traced bleeding feet and lived in swampy land — we are able to enjoy the beauty carved out of this Ontario wilderness.
Cochrane
Francis Cochrane was the Ontario minister of lands, forests, and mines in the early 1900s. The townsite at the terminal point for the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway was named in his honour.
The townsite itself was not laid out until 1907; prior to that, the area had been touched only by Natives, trappers, and the natural kingdom. In November 1907 a public sale of lots was held for prospective settlers. The lots measured 20 by 36 metres (66 by 120 feet), surrounded by 17 avenues 30 metres (100 feet) wide, running north and south, and narrower ones running east and west.
As you can well imagine, there were no long lineups to purchase these lots, as they were quite small for the standards of the time. The plans changed somewhat when lots were not properly cleared, and those not sold at the auction were allowed to keep their blankets of virgin forest. The close proximity of lots meant homes were built so close together that fire was a major threat to the community. As a matter of fact, Cochrane suffered a rash of fires in a span of six years.
A few months after its incorporation in 1910, Cochrane’s core was destroyed in a burning blaze and promptly rebuilt. Later, in July 1911, at the height of the Porcupine gold rush, gale-force winds turned scattered bush fires into one massive firestorm that devastated several towns and mining camps in the area, including Cochrane and Timmins. The 3,000 residents of Cochrane rebuilt their town, hoping to never see the likes of such a fire again. Hopes aside, tragedy struck again, in July 1916. They called it “The Great Fire of 1916.” High winds once again turned separate fires, which were already burning in the tinder-dry woods along the railway lines, into one vast conflagration that scorched 500,000 acres. Numerous settlements, including Matheson and Cochrane, were affected, and many lives were lost.
Cochrane has survived a rash of fires and, as pictured, many heavy winters.
Archives of Ontario
One of the first buildings in Cochrane was shipped on railway flat cars from its original site in Chapleau. The year was 1909 and the building was an Anglican Church. The church was set among the pine trees north of what was later known as Bishopthorpe. By 1914 there was also a Catholic Church and a Baptist Church.
The town underwent some changes after the fire of 1916. Residents opted for concrete foundations to beat the muskeg, and the streets in town were widened. By 1920 Cochrane had evolved from a frontier town into a prosperous centre. Although it was primarily a railway settlement, farming and lumbering had assumed important roles in the economics of the area. When prospectors discovered the minerals in the district, Cochrane quickly became a major supply and shipping point.
The town of Cochrane, located in the heart of excellent fishing and hunting country, is well-known to tourists. The popular Polar Bear Express conveys visitors on one-day train excursions in the summer, from Cochrane to the James Bay lowlands and the otherwise isolated communities of Moose Factory and Moosonee. The train operates from the end of June until Labour Day and offers the traveller a unique experience in northern sightseeing. Small planes, boats, and ski-doos can take you farther if you are keen to see more. A unique aspect to the train ride is that part of the track runs over bog land and involves a kind of “floating rail bed,” which you can actually feel in the way it rides. You can also see first-hand the way folks who live in remote areas have to travel. Tiny, isolated settlements exist along the route, where people wait beside the track; the train simply stops for them if needed.
Looking at Cochrane another way, you could say, “It’s at the end of the road!” It is well worth visiting, because that kind of existence creates quite a different town.
Creemore
Once you have experienced this picturesque town, you will understand why it draws visitors from all directions. It’s a place where neighbours say hello and no one needs to honk. You feel as though you’ve stepped outside of time — the pace of life is from a bygone era. There are no high-rise buildings, no strip plazas, and no malls; Creemore has a deep kind of quiet peace.
Creemore, in Nottawasaga Township in the County of Simcoe, is situated on the Mad River, on County Road 9, just 24 kilometres (15 miles) southeast of Collingwood. It was Senator J.R. Gowan of Barrie, at the request of a village resident, who selected a name for the village. He suggested Creemore, from the compound Gaelic word cree mohr, meaning “big heart.” He certainly got the name right. It seems that everyone in Creemore is known by their first name.
The village itself was originally founded in the 1840s. By 1845 two early settlers, Nulty and Webster, formed a partnership and built a lumber mill and a gristmill on the Mad River. This certainly helped to promote settlement, and by 1849 Edward Webster opened the first post office. Webster had already operated a store in the settlement. G.I. Bolster worked as Webster’s clerk before eventually opening his own business and becoming the postmaster. Other early pioneer settlers included T. Tupper, J.A. McDonald, the Bowermans, and Sam Wilcox.
It was the water power on the Mad River that attracted industries. The first carding mill in the township was operated at Creemore, and by the 1880s there were three hotels and four churches as well. The population of Creemore, by 1889, was nearing 800 residents. On November 20th of that year, a bylaw was passed to make Creemore a village.
Creemore is quite a magical place in the spring, when area rivers rise and beckon the trout from the bay. Some say the Mad River offers the best trout fishing in this part of Ontario. Summer breezes off the spring-fed hillsides of Creemore keep the residents cool. A walking tour of the community reveals beautiful Victorian architecture and numerous shops featuring antiques, clocks, specialty tea pots, interior decorating, original artwork, trendy clothes, Victorian lingerie, eco-friendly children’s wear, hand-carved signs, a butcher, a barber, an excellent bookstore, and even a candlestick maker. There surely must be a baker here, too.
The Hughes homestead near Creemore is well-known to the locals for “unexplained activity.” The farmhouse, built circa 1860, has been the scene of many ghostly apparitions. None of the activity has been malicious; in fact, the Hughes family has had farming assistance from what they believe to be their other-worldly predecessors on the farm; some activity seems to relate directly to a native trail running the escarpment ridge. (To read more about the Creemore hauntings, please refer to this writer’s book Haunted Ontario Revisited).
Today Creemore has become quite famous for its beer — namely, Creemore Springs Brewery Limited. In 1987 John Wiggins established the brewery for three good reasons: the building was already owned by Wiggins, the original investors owned an artesian well in the area, and it seemed to be the natural thing to slake one’s thirst.
When John Wiggins opened the front door of Creemore Springs Brewery on August 15, 1987, he sold out of beer in four hours. Not surprising when you hear that world beer guru Michael Jackson (not the singer) calls Creemore Springs Premium Lager the best lager produced in North America.
At Creemore Springs they brew beer the old-fashioned way — pure and simple. They use only clear spring water, the finest malted barley, imported hops from the Czech Republic, and select yeast. The beer is brewed in small batches using an open-fired copper kettle method. In accordance with the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516, they use no additives, no preservatives, no adjuncts, no pasteurization, and no compromise.
