About Us | Hist Soc 2024-01

The Georgian Bay Township Historical Society is a not for profit corporation with an entirely volunteer membership having a common interest in promoting our rich local history while fostering community identity.

Our motto is:

"Preserving yesterday - Enhancing tomorrow"

Painting by accomplished local artist Marianne Braid

We are fortunate that our historical interests are located within one of nature's great wonders - the Canadian Shield - with its rugged granite outcroppings, lush forests, and majestic lakes and rivers. It is this natural beauty that brought industry to the region - first logging and later recreation and hospitality.

Our historical society is not so geographically or municipally bounded. Our name suggests that we represent all of the Township of Georgian Bay, although there are other historical groups within the municipality, each of us with specific local or distinct interests. (A list of some of these organizations can be found lower on this page.) Our own primary focus covers the areas around Port Severn and the nearby Georgian Bay shores, Gloucester Pool, Six Mile Lake, and the lower Severn River, most of which incorporates the tail end of the historic Trent-Severn Waterway.

It’s what we do…

As our name suggests, our interest is history but our purpose is broader than that. Through our activities and project work our aim is to not only make our community aware of our past, but to promote some pride in it. And, taking that perspective even further, we hope to grow the identity of the community. With that goal, we support and promote, and maybe even recommend, township activities which align with that identity objective.

We love projects because they often have a solid, tangible return that you can see or touch. For that reason we search them out, but once the hammers are put away and the paintbrushes have all dried up, we continue with upkeep and improvements to our properties - keeping them alive, relevant and interesting. We proudly display some of our efforts on our “Pathway to the Past”, in the Bressette Homestead Heritage Park in our hometown of Port Severn, Ontario. Our website’s “Projects” pages describe some of these efforts. .

More specifically:

Honour the pioneers of our area.
Preserve and display relevant artifacts.
Encourage and promote education of the public in local history.
Identify current/recent events and assets so as to archive and preserve for tomorrow’s history.
And in doing so, influence activities of the township, private business and public interests toward building community identity.

These buildings and grounds are the tangible historical assets that can evoke nostalgia and recollections of the stories of the past, by those families connected to them. Maintaining them is an important part of what we do.

Our Mission:

To present local history for the enjoyment of our group, residents, and travellers, and promote community pride and identity.

Collaborating Organizations