Lindsay, Ontario: A Small Town Travelogue

Ontario, Canada is home to many charming small towns. These unique towns boast a rich history, a legacy of early European settlers, and well-preserved natural environments. Here is a travelogue about the town of Lindsay in Ontario.

After seeing the list of the top ten most beautiful towns in Ontario, I decided to add them to my plan and gradually approach them, capturing them all with my own pen and lens.

Lindsay is located just over an hour east of Toronto. On October 5, 2017, the weather was just right, so I decided to take a trip.

Blue sky, white clouds, red maple leaves, the scenery was beautiful all the way, refreshing and invigorating!

A Casual Stroll through Town

First Stop: The Museum

Address: Olde Gaol Museum, 50 Victoria Ave N, Lindsay, ON K9V 4G3

I planned to visit the museum first. However, I found it was closed. I had to make an appointment by phone to get in. So I had to give up.

I saw the notice that it was open Wednesday to Sunday. There was a phone number on it. Those interested can make an appointment in advance.

I took a nearby detour and found that the town hall was adjacent to it. It seemed understated but meaningful.

Second Stop: Old Mill Park

Address: Old Mill Park, 16 Kent St E, Lindsay, ON K9V 2C1

Seeing that Old Mill Park was only a ten-minute walk away, I decided to walk there.

It was most comfortable and pleasant to stroll along the riverbank path.

Several people were fishing on the dam. I observed for a while and found that they could really catch fish even though the water was turbulent.

This is the relic of the old mill. The mill was the foundation for survival for our ancestors. So I found that many cities have old mills.

The park was practically empty. It was truly a place of beautiful mountains, clear waters, and peaceful solitude.

I recently posted a moment on my social media, about how I was visited by squirrels, swans, and frogs on the Mid-Autumn Festival. Afterwards, I received a witty comment from a friend: “In China, everything is endangered except people; in Canada, everything is overpopulated except people.”

This happened to coincide with the National Day Golden Week in China. Seeing many crowded tourist attractions in China, I realized that these two countries are truly heading in opposite directions. It would be great if they could achieve some balance!

Third Stop: St. Mary Church

I decided to walk towards the city center on the return trip.

Not too far away, I saw this beautiful church. It looked very new.

As I was standing there gazing, a car stopped in front of us. The driver asked if we were interested in coming in for a visit. He said he was the pastor of this church, Thomas Lynch.

Politeness is always a good policy, so I went in with him. I found that the church was under renovation, but it was indeed very delicate and beautiful, extremely rare among churches in Canada. I had seen so many ancient and luxurious churches in Europe before, and in comparison, I always felt that Canadian churches were too simple.

The pastor introduced that the last renovation was at the beginning of the last century, and this renovation took five years. Firstly, it involved a complete renovation of both the interior and exterior, a huge project. Secondly, they could only renovate for half a year, as the Canadian winter made construction impossible.

During the conversation, I learned that the pastor’s ancestors immigrated here from Scotland in the 19th century. Now his family consists of four brothers and three sisters, a rare large family. But if Canadians all had such a birth rate, how prosperous and flourishing it would be.

Looking around at the enormous renovation project of this church, I pondered the cost, which must have been substantial. I timidly asked, and the pastor frankly told me. He said the total cost was $3.5 million. I also asked about the source of funding. The pastor said it was all financed by the parishioners, and the government did not provide any subsidies.

The pastor said the renovation of this church was nearing completion and would be grandly inaugurated on December 10, 2017 at 11:00 am. He invited us to attend. It was less than an hour away, and if I had time, I could come and experience it.

Walking along Russell St W, I saw several churches along the way. This town is not big, and at a glance, there are at least four or five churches.

This is St. Paul’s Anglican Church, equally magnificent!

I passed by the fire station. It says “Every second counts” on it.

Indeed, fire trucks must race against time. Therefore, when driving in Canada, if you encounter a fire truck with flashing lights and sirens, you must give way as soon as possible, otherwise you will be fined.

A glimpse of the Lindsay street scene.

Town History

Admire the scenery of a city and read the history of a city. It was only after I got home that I did some research and searched for relevant information online.

Lindsay was founded in 1825.

By 1827, the American family Purdy’s built a dam on the Scugog River in Lindsay. The following year, they built a sawmill, and in 1830, a mill was built.

After that, a small village gradually expanded.

In 1834, surveyor John Huston came here to plan the streets. During the survey, Huston’s assistant, Mr. Lindsay, was accidentally shot and died from infection. He was buried on the riverbank. Afterwards, Lindsay was used as the name of the town.

Lindsay later became an agricultural center.

With the arrival of the railway in 1857, the town experienced rapid industrial development. On June 19 of the same year, Lindsay officially became a town.

However, in 1861, a fire swept through the city, destroying most of Lindsay and leaving hundreds homeless. It took Lindsay many years to recover from this disaster.

In 2001, the Lindsay town government officially dissolved and merged with Victoria County, becoming the new City of Kawartha Lake.

Town Lilac Festival

I learned online that Lindsay is famous for its lilacs. Every last weekend in May, they hold the Lindsay Lilac Festival. There are lilacs for everyone to admire or buy, as well as concerts, food, and more.

I’ve made a note of it. When spring comes and the flowers bloom next year, I’ll have another great place to visit.

Address:

Lilac Gardens of Lindsay, Kawartha Lakes, ON K9V 4R5

(Logie St. and Lindsay Street South, Lindsay, Ontario)

A city, a time. You are here, I am here! Here, I am storing another beautiful moment in autumn.