Where to Find History?
by: Susan W. Smith
There are probably several answers to this question - and as someone who never, ever, tires of looking for the history of our Thousand Islands region, I want to make sure readers on both sides of the border are reminded of some important organizations.
This month, we profile the Leeds and 1000 Islands Historical Society.
The Society 's thirty-year history is meaningful - but it does not mean much until you put some statistics on paper. James Saynor, the society's secretary, sent links to many of the Society's important projects and research materials, all available free of charge on their website.
The Society's first article appeared in their 1994 newsletter. We could safely say that most historical societies have similar beginnings. However, this Historical Society goes way beyond the call. Why? Simple answer: They have provided an unbelievable number of resources on their website, hold six in-person presentations during the year and produce two rich newsletters a year. Plus, to top your quest off even more, all the past newsletter are available in PDF form on their website - 30 years worth!
In addition, the Society partners with other resources including the Leeds and the Thousand Islands (LTI) Archives, the Township's three libraries and the Township office itself.
I am hoping that those who find the material beneficial will join the society, thereby generating much-needed revenue to cover expenses. The volunteer hours are astronomical, and for certain, we all benefit from their efforts.
Read the ABOUT section first:
The Leeds and 1000 Islands Historical Society was formed in 1992 and incorporated in February 1994 as an affiliate member of the Ontario Historical Society. Originally Front of Leeds and Lansdowne Historical Society, the name was changed to Leeds and 1000 Islands Historical Society when the township was amalgamated in 2001. We are grateful to our executive officers, committee members, and community partners for their ongoing support of our work. We are partners in the LTI Archives, and each year offer to our community 6 public in-person presentations and 2 newsletters.
If you have a story to share about people and events in Lansdowne, Lyndhurst, Ivy Lea, Rockport, Seeley’s Bay, the Islands, or our rural communities, we’d love to hear it!
This month I asked James to answer some questions to give us more information:
Q: Can you tell us about the marvelous Archives, how it works, when is it open to the public, when did the digitizing start and are there people or families that should be thanked for giving us this incredible resource?
A: Our historical society is a partner to the Leeds and the Thousand Islands (LTI) Archives which is shortly to move back into the former Escott Town Hall (1871). Over the last year plus it has been restored and outfitted for us by our Township. Some of our collection is attributed to the Historical Society, and all the volunteers are members of our organization. We have family, business, and government records from our three constituent townships: Front Leeds & Lansdowne, Rear of Leeds & Lansdowne, and Front of Escott.
It all came under one roof in 2010 when the digitization and on-line cataloguing began under the direction of a temporary archivist Erika Heesen. Linda Chadwick, then CEO of the Library and Patrick McMaster were instrumental in an earlier digitization project "Lakes & Islands, Times Past", between our township and neighbouring Rideau Lakes that was an impetus to creating the Archives. Other individuals that should be acknowledged are Anne Hunt, Yolande LaPointe, Art Shaw, Keith Sly, and Pierre Mercier. Of course, the LTI Township and its oversight through the Library are crucial.
The facility is open Thursdays 1 - 6 pm or by appointment...., and we respond to emails as well as text messages that come in as the result of our weekly Facebook post. We get lots of genealogy and local interest questions but also provide research resources for business and academic interests.
Repairs are underway for the Leeds and the Thousand Islands Archives building which was the former Escott Town Hall. It is located west of Mallorytown on Highway #2. https://ltiarchives.ca/
Q: What are some of the stories that you feel are still out here and not told?
A: Home Children stories – from 1869 to 1949 over 100 000 children were brought to Canada to become farm labourers and domestic servants. As we’ve become more conscious of this over the last few years. we’ve become aware of some connections but the stories for this township are still unrecorded. There was a distribution centre, Fairknowe, just down the road in Brockville.
We’ve also paid a lot of attention to our early settlers and could be adding more from 1900 – 1950.
Q: What role do volunteers play, and do you need them?
A: At this point, we are all volunteers; the executive board, helping out with meetings, public relation events, and our annual Craft Fair (Oct 17, 2026). That means a variety of skill levels, aptitudes, and time commitments. We’d be happy to have more, especially some 30–50-year-olds! As for the Archives, we have 6 volunteers cataloguing, scanning, etc., maybe in our new facility there will be room for a few more.
Q: Your newsletters are outstanding - what would you like other communities to learn from the many years of publishing?
A: Well thanks! I hope you’ve seen the last few that I was responsible for. The late Bill Boulton, founder and past president, also was the editor of the newsletter for nineteen years. We’ll put it down to good material and a passion for sharing.
Q: What drew you personally to assisting with the Society now?
A: Simply a fascination with understanding the details of my surroundings; the buildings, the landscape, the practices, and the family stories. I moved into the area 15 years ago but only got involved in the Historical Society and the Archives 3 years ago.
Q: What do you and your board want to happen in the future and is the building open to the public?
A: The founders of our group imagined a museum facility as part of celebrating our history. It hasn’t quite come together, yet, but the current board shares that ambition. We have a collection of artifacts and resources and we’re hoping the perfect spot will open up soon.
So, here is where you can find just some of the history on the Canadian side of the border... Explore and Enjoy!
By Susan W. Smith, info@thousandislandslife.com
Editor's note: Over the next few months we will skip back and forth across the St. Lawrence River to profile other important places to find our history. If you have ideas, let us know!
