Natural Archives | Page 2 of 3 | "Are We There Yet?" Highway-Based Tourism In Kawartha Lakes

Camping at Balsam Lake Provincial Park: The Early Years

Balsam Lake Provincial Park opened in 1967 and within five years had become one of central Ontario’s most popular parks. The first campsites were fairly rustic and scarcely […]

Robert Wires Discusses the Impact of Balsam Lake Provincial Park

Recorded at the Kirkfield Museum, February 26, 2022 Interviewer: Ian McKechnie Videography: Ekaterine Alexakis Duration: 1:58 Robert Wires sitting in front of white wall. Text on screen reads: […]

Roadside Tourist Camp, Norland

Roadside “tourist camps” began to appear in northwestern Kawartha Lakes during the 1920s and 1930s. Sometimes called “motor camps,” they were informal affairs – often consisting of little […]

An Early Motorist Goes Camping at Coboconk

It didn’t take long for outdoor enthusiasts to embrace the automobile! By the 1920s, when this picture was taken in Coboconk, campers were tying canoes to their cars […]

The Station Wagon: A Very Versatile Vehicle!

The versatile nature of station wagons made them synonymous with road trips through the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. They could accommodate several passengers with plenty of room to […]

Kim Tuckett Remembers the Trip to Falcon Lodge

Recorded at the Kirkfield Museum, February 12, 2022 Interviewer: Ian McKechnie Videography: Ekaterine Alexakis Duration: 1:29 Kim Tuckett sitting in front of white wall. Text on screen reads: […]

Places to Go, Things to See: The Kawartha Lakes Tourism Association’s “Travel Vacation Guide”

The Kawartha Lakes Tourist Association (KLTA) was “comprised of representatives of businesses large and small in the Counties of Peterborough and Victoria, as well as the municipal councils […]

Fun & Frivolity: Coboconk’s Wonderland Dance Hall

Many a Saturday night road trip in northwestern Kawartha Lakes ended at the famous (or infamous!) Wonderland Dance Hall on Highway 46. Opened in 1939 by Nate and […]

Say Cheese! The Oliver Family Poses for the Camera

The Sunday afternoon drive was a popular activity from the 1920s through the 1960s. Families like the Olivers of Rosedale would make an occasion out of their jaunt, […]

Mealtime on Mitchell Lake: The Shallamar Diner

Famed aerial photographer Harry S. Oakman took this image of the Shallamar Diner around 1969. Operated by Ted and Wally Polomski in the late 1960s, Shallamar incorporated a […]

Stopping for Gas at the Club Balsam Snack Bar, Rosedale

The Club Balsam Snack Bar was located on the west side of Highway 35 in the village of Rosedale. With its log construction, the snack bar evoked the […]

The Rosedale Motel

The Rosedale Motel was one of several motels which opened for business along Highway 35 North during the 1960s and 1970s. Others included the Mulberry House Motel north […]