The Depot owes its existence to Sir Sandford Fleming, Canada’s celebrated railway engineer. In1854 he settled his parents, brothers and sisters on a lot originally owned by the area’s first settler, John Brazier. Naming the area Craigleith, meaning Rocky Harbour, the Flemings established a quarry and a furniture factory and donated land for the original schoolhouse along the Township’s first gravel road. The road followed an ancient native trail traveled by resident Petuns, Jesuit missionaries and traders alike in the 1600’s.
In 1872, A.G. Fleming, Sandford’s father, sold a parcel of land to the Northern Railway along the same road for the purpose of constructing a station for the community. By 1880 a handsome station with the very newest architectural design, a rounded turret, opened its doors to the whistle of the locomotive and promise of prosperity for the community.
In a direction quite unforeseen by the Flemings, the little station became the hub of ski trains from Toronto in the early 1940’s, and planted the seeds for what was to become Ontario’s premier ski and four season recreational destination.
With the ending of regular passenger travel in the1960’s, the CNR sold the property. By 1967 Kenn and Suyrea Knapman had restored the station as a restaurant and de facto museum. Over the next three decades it added its unique lore and camaraderie to the community’s memories.
In July 2001, The Town of The Blue Mountains, with support from the Craigleith Heritage Committee and Blue Mountain Watershed Trust Foundation, purchased the Depot. On September21st 2008 the Craigleith Heritage Depot reopened their doors as a community heritage interpretation centre and tourism office.
Restoration
Donations were collected from over 250 members of
the public and from local business organizations through the Craigleith
Heritage Committee and Blue Mountain Watershed Trust Foundation in the
amount of $329,000. The Craigleith Heritage Depot Restoration Project
had also received $175,000 from SuperBuild funding and $55,000 from the
Trillium Foundation. One wall is dedicated inside The Depot, thanking
these supporters, as without their support, the project could not have
been made possible.
Memberships
Become a member of the Craigleith Heritage Depot and receive special
discounts on gift shop items and programs. Members will also receive a
copy of The Depot newsletter as well as invitations to special events.
Costs are as follows:
Individual-$25/year
Family-$40/yr
Individual Benefactor-$100/yr
Corporate Benefactor- $250/yr
Life Member- $500/ one time fee.
"Circa 1910." L-R Eva (Plater) Wilson who was the wife of the stationmaster George Wilson, her two children Phyllis and Cycil who were both born inside the Depot, and Elizabeth Fleming, mother of Sir Sandford Fleming.
Legend has it that it was Elizabeth Fleming who gave Eva Wilson the first cutting of lilacs to plant beside the Depot which have grown into the beautiful bushes so loved today.
The Craigleith Heritage Depot Community Interpretation Centre will highlight the Town of The Blue Mountains’ unique cultural, natural and industrial history. This year round facility will have a multigenerational appeal, serving both locals and visitors to the area. “The Depot” will conscientiously collect, curate, research, protect, exhibit and interpret a wide range of objects and archival materials, relating to the history of the Town of The Blue Mountains, for the continued enjoyment and enrichment of the public. By engaging all sectors of the community in our activities, services and programs, The Depot will be a key partner in community development.
Hours of Operation
Wednesday - Friday 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
and every second Saturday
Admission
Adults- $2.00
Children (age 5+) and seniors-$1.00
Family- $6.00
Children under 5- Free
100 years later
"Like hundreds of other skiers and visitors to the area, I have fond memories of the dinners at the Depot, the warm hospitality of Kenn and Suyrea Knapman and the railway lore that filled this wonderful place. I am delighted to hear about the project to preserve the Depot and the memories that are associated with it.”
Right Honourable John Turner
former Prime Minister of Canada
Some displays you will find at
the Craigleith Heritage Depot:
• History of the Craigleith Depot
• History of the changing railways
• Geological history (fossils, ancient seas, escarpment)
• The Petun archaeological sites
• The Paleolithic archaeological sites
• History of the ski industry
• Sir Sandford Fleming
• The Craigleith Oil Works
• The wreck of the Mary Ward
• History of the apple industry
• TBM peoples and places in history (ie Rankin, Stuart, etc.)
• History of the Town of The Blue Mountains
"Sometimes I accompanied my father Jozo when he picked up skiers at the Craigleith Depot with a horse-drawn sleigh or his war-surplus army truck. It was at the Depot that thousands of Ontario skiers got introduced to this wonderful sport."
George Weider, Chair,
Craigleith Depot Fund
"The Petun villages on the Nipissing Ridge above the Craigleith Depot were the birthplace of our Wyandot people. We are grateful that The Town of the Blue Mountains and The Craigleith Heritage Committee intend to highlight the story of our settlement and migration."
Janith English
Chief of the Wyandot Nation,
Kansas City, Kansas
For general inquiries and information on educational programmes, research services, volunteer program opportunities and partnerships;
Contact:
The Craigleith Heritage Depot 113 Lakeshore Rd. E. RR#3
Collingwood, ON L9Y 3Z2 Phone: 705.444.2601
Fax: 705.444.2793
Email: spurdy@thebluemountains.ca
Website: www.thebluemountains.ca
