Craigleith Heritage Depot

Craigleith Heritage Depot A Museum, an Archives, and a branch of The Blue Mountains Public Library located in an 1880s train station on the shore of Georgian Bay.

Explore our exhibits, find local history resources, check out our programs and events, and more!

There are several new additions to the Blue Mountains’ Cultural Map! One of which, is the Pe**al Gospel Worker’s Church....
08/25/2026

There are several new additions to the Blue Mountains’ Cultural Map! One of which, is the Pe**al Gospel Worker’s Church. This humble little church was erected by the Holiness Workers Congregation started by Rev. Frank Goff. The church was built on land donated by Thomas Hewgill in 1902 and held its grand-opening in November of 1903. The building served the region for about six decades before it was removed in the 1960’s. Today, all that remains is the shed, located just north of the former church building.

Pictured is an undated photograph of the Pe**al Gospel Workers’ Church and Shed.
Collection of the Craigleith Heritage Depot 2016-011-S04-F18-001.

Want to learn more? Check out the Cultural Map here: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/9af30be38f5f432d93f14910d22c5d8d =id%3Add482b0b230c4780b8586be608fef34b-Library_CulturalMap_2827%3A1468

90 years ago this month, tragedy struck Thornbury’s waterfront, when its lighthouse was destroyed by fire.Thornbury was ...
08/13/2026

90 years ago this month, tragedy struck Thornbury’s waterfront, when its lighthouse was destroyed by fire.

Thornbury was equipped with harbour lighting as early as 1886, but this 27-foot-tall lighthouse was constructed in 1911 to replace the former mast light which was also destroyed by fire. A known lighthouse keeper in Thornbury was R.A. Lowe, who kept the light between 1887 and 1923. The lighthouse had been moved to different parts of the harbour throughout its life due to damage from storms.

At about 5’clock in the evening of August 9th, 1936, a devastating fire broke out at the base of the lighthouse. The start of the blaze was attributed to the match of a careless smoker. Thornbury’s volunteer fire brigade, led by George Eastland did their best to fight the flames with a bucket brigade, as their hydrants were too far away for use. The Town of Collingwood’s fire department sent a pump truck which saved the 200-foot-long dock, but the lighthouse, stored inside of which was 300 gallons of oil, was lost as its structure gave way and it crashed into the bay.

Pictured is an undated picture-postcard, showing Thornbury’s Lighthouse.
Collection of the Craigleith Heritage Depot 2022-025-002.

Please note that the Museum and Archive portion of the Craigleith Heritage Depot will open today at 1:00 PM. Library Hol...
08/06/2026

Please note that the Museum and Archive portion of the Craigleith Heritage Depot will open today at 1:00 PM. Library Hold pickups are unaffected and available during regular hours.

Sorry for an inconvenience.

🎥 NEW EPISODE: Where the River Bends, Where the Stone Yields📺 WATCH NOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qZG7NRIT68&lis...
08/06/2026

🎥 NEW EPISODE: Where the River Bends, Where the Stone Yields

📺 WATCH NOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qZG7NRIT68&list=PLgml3XVkmG1TZqoxyMbfOr_hnwSYpSYzc&index=1

In the seventh installment of our Towns of The Blue Mountains miniseries, we’re heading off the beaten path to explore the resilient hamlets of Lora Bay, Hurlburt's, Slabtown, and the Tenth Line.

Through personal stories and cherished archives, we explore the unique history of these high-elevation pioneer communities.

Stay Connected: 🔔 Subscribe to our channel to see the rest of the series! Visit our website at https://www.thebluemountainslibrary.ca for more.

🎤 Speakers: Robert Burcher

While Blue Mountain Pottery is most famous for their iconic blue-green glaze, they produced many different designs, like...
07/29/2026

While Blue Mountain Pottery is most famous for their iconic blue-green glaze, they produced many different designs, like this collection here. This is the Noah’s Ark collection; it was released in 1968 and ran for just one year.

The Noah’s Ark collection was quite large, with fourteen pieces. It consisted of a large ark and figurines of Noah and a collection of animals: a giraffe, bear, tiger, rhinoceros, elephant, fish, cat, lion, owl, orangutan, fox, and toucan. The figurines were all mounted on a wooden base, which helped provide stability when placed on the ark. The figurines were glazed in matte grey, with gold and brown accents. The linework on these pieces was meant to be reminiscent of Mayan sculptures.

In comparison to the figurines, the ark is quite large, as if it is meant to give the impression that all of the figures would fit comfortably inside. While it does not open, the top of the ark works as a display for the figurines. It is also made from plastic instead of ceramic, likely due to its size. The ark, along with many other pieces of Blue Mountain Pottery, is currently on display here at the Craigleith Heritage Depot.

This collection is highly sought after, as its limited run meant there were very few pieces made in comparison to some of Blue Mountain Pottery’s other collections. The giraffe in particular is highly desirable; fewer of them were made, and their long necks made them more prone to being knocked over and broken.

Blue Mountain Pottery was so popular it seemed like every house had at least one piece on display. Do you have a favourite piece?

If you’re interested in the history of Blue Mountain Pottery, please feel free to check out our film Blue Clay. Find it at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw1M1ruFky8.

This month, museum staff took a deep dive into the archives to explore the story of Thornbury’s mills. For much of Thorn...
07/22/2026

This month, museum staff took a deep dive into the archives to explore the story of Thornbury’s mills. For much of Thornbury’s early history, these mills were some of the most significant forces in its development, from the earliest mills constructed during the town’s establishment, to those whose building’s still stand today. Click the link below to read about the history of the various mills along the Beaver River within Thornbury in this month’s installment of Tales from the Archives: https://library.biblioboard.com/content/558d976e-170c-403e-974e-a511b513a381

Want to read more? You can find previous installments of Tales from the Archives in our online exhibits here: https://library.biblioboard.com/module/tales-from-the-archives

Pictured is a view looking south from the railway bridge at the mouth of the Beaver River in Thornbury, taken around 1912, with the Andrew’s flour mill visible on the east side of the river.
2024-023-025 Collection of the Craigleith Heritage Depot.

180 years ago, a bylaw was passed that established the Old Mail Road officially, as a public pathway. The road followed ...
07/16/2026

180 years ago, a bylaw was passed that established the Old Mail Road officially, as a public pathway. The road followed a trail used by Indigenous peoples long before the arrival of settlers. By as early as 1835, it was in use by those travelling between the newly established townships of Collingwood, Osprey, Euphrasia and St. Vincent. At its height of use, it ran from the junction at Bowmore (now known as Duntroon) working as an extension of the old Sunnidale Road, northwesterly through Griersville. When the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway reached Collingwood Harbour in 1855, its significance waned and the road slowly fell out of use.
Today all that remains of the road is a small stretch between Heathcote and Griersville. A plaque erected by the Ontario Heritage Trust in 1964 stands today along this section, overlooking Heathcote as a reminder of this once well travelled road.

Pictured is a section of the Old Mail Road crossing a farm at the east end of Heathcote near the bank of the Beaver River.
2012-011-003 Collection of the Craigleith Heritage Depot.

Today is the Twelfth, also called “Orangemen’s Day”, a day celebrated by members of the Loyal Orange Lodge all over the ...
07/12/2026

Today is the Twelfth, also called “Orangemen’s Day”, a day celebrated by members of the Loyal Orange Lodge all over the world, commemorating the victory of King William of Orange over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The Loyal Orange Order was a popular fraternal organization in the region and had origins in Collingwood Township as early as 1855 with the establishment of Lodge No. 523 in Heathcote. Throughout the latter half of the century, six more lodges were established throughout the municipality; in Thornbury, Redwing, Loree, Clarksburg, Duncan and Ravenna. On the 12th of July, members held parades in various local communities, notably Ravenna and Thornbury.

Pictured is an Orangemen’s Day Parade walking through Thornbury in 1914.
2018-003-118 Collection of the Craigleith Heritage Depot.

🎥 NEW EPISODE: Life at the Top of the Township📺 WATCH NOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM2PA6ITiOw&list=PLgml3XVkmG1...
07/03/2026

🎥 NEW EPISODE: Life at the Top of the Township

📺 WATCH NOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM2PA6ITiOw&list=PLgml3XVkmG1TZqoxyMbfOr_hnwSYpSYzc

In the sixth installment of our Towns of The Blue Mountains miniseries, we’re heading to the highest elevations of the escarpment to explore the resilient hamlets of Victoria Corners, Ravenna, Loree, the Sixth Line, and Banks.

Through personal stories and cherished archives, we explore the unique history of these high-elevation pioneer communities.

Stay Connected: 🔔 Subscribe to our channel to see the rest of the series! Visit our website at https://www.thebluemountainslibrary.ca for more.

🎤 Speakers: Rod Knott, Duncan McKinlay, Marjorie Bell, and Marjorie Young.

Please note we are closed today, as our staff, Board, and Arts & Culture Council come together for a strategic planning ...
06/24/2026

Please note we are closed today, as our staff, Board, and Arts & Culture Council come together for a strategic planning workshop.

Thank you for your understanding as we work together to plan the future of your community hubs!

Address

113 Lakeshore Road East
The Blue Mountains, ON
L9Y0N1

Opening Hours

Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+15195993681 #6

Website

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