North Middlesex Historical Society

05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day!😄A little history for you guys.

On this day in history, May 10 1534, French explorer Jacques Cartier reached Newfoundland. Cartier was born in France in 1491 and led three maritime expeditions to what is now Canada during his lifetime. During his time spent in Canada, he mapped and explored along the St. Lawrence River. For these reasons, Cartier is considered the “founder” of Canada, even though the land had already been occupied by Indigenous peoples.

During Cartier's first voyage in 1534, he first sailed along the north shore of Newfoundland, and later reached what is now Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. He encountered Haudenosaunee Indigenous peoples from the Quebec region during this voyage, who were near the coast for their annual seal hunt. After planting a cross and trading with the Haudenosaunee peoples, he abducted two of Chief Donnaconna’s sons and returned to France.

04/26/2026

04/26/2026

✨ Thank You for an Incredible Night! ✨

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made our 30th Annual Auction & Dinner such a success!

A very special thank you to Beechwood Church for the incredible meal—it was truly enjoyed by all and helped make the evening even more memorable.

To our generous donors—your support is truly appreciated. Because of you, we were able to offer an amazing selection of items, and we are so grateful for your continued commitment to our community. (All donors are listed below 👇)

To our volunteers—thank you for the countless hours spent planning, organizing, setting up, and making the evening run smoothly. This event simply wouldn’t happen without you.

To everyone who attended, bid, and supported us—thank you for being part of such a special milestone year. Your enthusiasm and generosity help us continue preserving and sharing our local history for future generations.

And a special thank you to Will Johnson Auctioneer and staff, along with the Junior Farmers, for their contributions and support.

We are incredibly grateful to be part of such a strong and supportive community. We hope you enjoyed the evening as much as we did, and we look forward to seeing you again next year!

💛

04/22/2026

This image shows the W.J. Po***ck blacksmith shop, James Shaddocks hotel and the general store in Corbett.😄

Both the blacksmith and hotel have since been torn down, but the general store is still operating! It is one of the only general stores left still operating in the area.

Corbett was first known as New York, with neighbouring Greenway being called Boston. The hamlet was renamed Corbett after one of the first settlers in the area, John Corbett. The house pictured was John Corbetts log house built in Corbett that was later moved to Harold Corbett's farm near Brinsley, but was later burned down. A separate log house that the Corbett family initially settled in was moved to Fanshawe Pioneer Village and remains open to visitors!

04/16/2026

📣 We’re Hiring for Summer 2026! 📣

The North Middlesex Historical Society is looking for 4 enthusiastic students to join our team this summer!

If you love history, enjoy meeting people, and are eager to learn more about the stories of North Middlesex, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

🗂 Position Details:
• Full-time, 8-week term
• Start date: June (flexible)
• Location: In-person at our two museum locations in Ailsa Craig, Ontario

🧭 What You’ll Do:
• Welcome and assist visitors to the museum
• Help keep the museum open and running smoothly
• Assist guests with family history and local research
• Accession and organize historical artifacts and records
• Help set up and refresh museum displays and exhibits
• Work alongside volunteers and collaborate as part of a team

🌱 What You’ll Learn:
• Museum and archival best practices
• Research skills for local and family history
• Customer service and communication skills
• Exhibit planning and display setup
• Teamwork and collaboration in a community environment

✅ Eligibility Requirements:
• Aged 15–30 at the start of employment

📅 Apply by April 30th

📩 To apply, please send your resume to:
[email protected]

If you’re passionate about history and want to be part of preserving it, we’d love to hear from you!

04/11/2026

What a great day at the Heritage fair. Hosted by the Middlesex Centre Archives! Middlesex Centre Archives

04/02/2026

The home where Jeremy Hansen spent his first years! 34768 Maguire Rd! Gone now

04/01/2026

Today is the day! With the go-ahead from NASA, the Artemis II’s Orion spacecraft will depart from the Kennedy Space Center this evening, carrying on board our very own Jeremy Hansen!

Jeremy Hansen was born in 1976 and grew up on a farm outside of Ailsa Craig. He attended McGillivray Central Public School, graduating in 1990, before the family moved to Ingersoll. Proud parents, Gary and Nancy Hansen, say that Jeremy dreamed of being an astronaut when he was as young as five years old, and had the work ethic and dedication needed to make those dreams a reality.

At age 12 he joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, and attended Kingston’s Royal Military College after graduating from Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute. Hansen later became a Royal Canadian Air Force captain, piloting the CF-18 fighter jet at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta. In 2009, Hansen was one of two recruits selected by the Canadian Space Agency, and participated in the CAVES program in Sardinia, Italy as well as the NEEMO 19 exploration mission.

In 2023, Jeremy Hansen was assigned to NASA’s Artemis II mission, which will send Hansen and three other NASA astronauts on a 10 day journey around the moon's orbit. After many delays, the launch has been set for 6:24 pm tonight (April 1), but could be delayed to later this week depending on weather conditions. This mission marks the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo program ended in 1972, and Hansen will be the first non-U.S. citizen to travel beyond low Earth orbit and to the moon’s vicinity.

We at the North Middlesex Historical Society proudly wish Jeremy and his fellow astronauts the best of luck on their mission as they depart later today!

03/25/2026

Hi all!😄 We wanted to let you all know that we will be attending the Middlesex Centre Archives Heritage Fair!

The event takes place on Saturday, April 11th, from 10-4pm, at the Delaware Community Center, and admission is free. Please come by to check out our historical display with a unique selection of artifacts from North Middlesex, as well as displays and presentations from other heritage organizations! It is also a great opportunity to stock up on local history books, such as Ailsa Craig Past and Present.

Our NMHS volunteers are excited to see you there!

03/17/2026

Who remembers this building in Ailsa Craig?😄 Originally, it was constructed as the Queen's Hotel in 1860 by Shackleton Hey, who seemed to develop many properties in town. At one time, it was called the "Temperance House," a place where travellers could stay without worrying about the "evils of the drink."

Although prohibition was not as popular in Canada as it was in the US, it still impacted our country in profound ways. The Ontario Temperance Act was passed in 1916, which banned the sale of alcohol, and wasn’t repealed until 1927. Many drinking hubs in Ailsa Craig and Parkhill saw business decline in the 1910s-1920s, such as the Arlington and the Blue Goose.
Eventually, the building was bought by the Bank of Montreal, and was sold again in the 1930s to businessperson George Marks, who opened a restaurant.

George Pong ran a restaurant here until his death in 1974, followed by Orville Maynard, Bill and Faye Kydd, Bill Fry, and then Bob and Nancy Thompson, who named it the Pinewood Restaurant. Many of you probably remember visiting this restaurant! Unfortunately in 2009, the building was destroyed in a fire.

Photos from the Ron Walker collection.