Parading the Streets

E rchless Estate is historically significant as the home to six generations of the Chisholm family, and from the 1830s to 1910 was the site of Oakville's Customs House. Col. William Chisholm (1788-1842), a prominent Burlington merchant and shipbuilder, purchased the property as part of a 388.5-hectare tract from the Crown in 1827 to establish a port, shipyard and town. In 1977, the Town of Oakville made a significant acquisition by purchasing the house and land situated at the entrance to the Harbour. Since then, these properties have been transformed into the Oakville Museum and public lands, which are now freely accessible to all residents of Oakville. Of utmost importance is the building’s location, which serves as a direct link to the Town’s rich past and extensive history. It embodies an integral part of Oakville’s cultural heritage and identity. Similar to Oakville, Bronte’s history is intrinsically linked to the Lake, 12 Mile Creek, fishing, lumbering, stone hooking, and agr...

Good morning all. Like many, I more than likely spend way too much time on social media. Not only on my own hang outs like Parading the Streets and the Bronte Cafe, but a whole list of Bronte, Oakville, music and photography pages.   Recently, I made a few blog posts on what would appear to be two disconnected topics/musings. One was the passing of two Blakelock classmates and second, the on going negativity and angst over change in Bronte and wishing a return to the good old days. Yesterday, I attended a Celebration of Life and there were a number of people from my high school days. Some I hadn't seen in nearly 25 years since the 2000 TAB Reunion, others since high school and some who I run into or connect with every few years. A few of those haven't been to Bronte in a number of years. They had moved on to other communities, had careers, families and lives. While the focus was on our friend and classmate, there was catching up, sharing of memories, wondering about othe...

Though I am an original Bronte resident, my interest in its history has been limited.  A visit to the Sovereign House/Bronte Historical Society and there is a virtual feast of information.  It is somewhat static, dry and primarily focused on its founding through to the early 1950s.  It is a must see to understand the genesis of the village and its evolution to what exists today.  If you are a user or member of the various Facebook pages; as you read through the numerous posts what  emerges is an oral history of  Bronte for a period spanning 3 or 4 decades.  This isn't a conventional history about politics, decisions or things that were built and by whom.  Rather, it is a community history, how people lived, grew up...their experiences, memories and friendships .   Bronte is once again changing.  There are 3 major developments underway which bookend the village.  Along with the recent redevelopment of the Fresh Air Mission/Petries la...