Ramara Historical Society

05/22/2026

Thankyou to David Hawke for the educational , entertaining, and all around wonderful presentation tonight on the history of fencing!
It was horoughly enjoyed by our many guests tonight.

05/21/2026

Happening now at the Udney Community Centre.
2347 Concession rd 10 Ramara, 7PM.
Light snacks, all welcome, free to attend!

05/20/2026

📜 Meet Ramara Historical Society members and scan your personal Ramara historical documents or local past events to save parts of important history.

📆 Saturday, June 6 2026
⏰ 10 AM - 1 PM
📍 Ramara Centre (5482 Highway 12)

Scans for this program will be 50% off. Cash, debit and credit are accepted. For more information, please contact Rebecca at the library at 705-325-5776 or at [email protected]

05/03/2026

May Ramara Historical Society Speaker Series Presents:

The History of Fencing with David Hawke.

See you at The Udney Community Centre 2347 Concession Rd 10 Ramara on Thursday May 21st at 7PM
All are welcome to attend .
Light snack provided

04/01/2026

Fern Resort

The American travellers who were up for a taste of the wilds of Canada in 1885 probably got more than they bargained for en route to Longford Mills. Six and a half kilometres short of their destination, their stagecoach broke down on the rough Rama Road up Couchiching’s east shore. The passengers were left stranded at nightfall, on a tract that had once led to a hermits log cabin on Fern covered rocks.

In 1885, the McBains house was in the property and one of the passengers, a Mr.Weaver from Buffalo, saw no other option but to ask the owners to shelter the group for the night. The next year, one of the passengers asked the McBains if he could bring his family to camp on their property. They kindly obliged.

For years the McBain children slept in the attic in the summer while their rooms were rented out to guests. In 1906, a guest house was added. In 1918, the property was sold to Ottawa baker James Pettapiece and his wife, Mimi. Numerous buildings and facilities have been added by the Pettapiece children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who run the facility today.

The resort, now one of the biggest family owned vacation resorts and conference centres on Lake Couchiching, boasts some impressive guests: Gordon Lightfoot reputedly learned to play guitar from one of the cooks and was often kicked out by the Pertapieces’ son in law, Bert Rumble, for making too much noise. Celine Dion, Dan Hill,Holly Cole and the Crash Test Dummies have entertained at Fern Resort. Other media personalities have used the resort for private getaways . Their names? Secrets of the lake. -

excerpt from Secrets of the Lakes by Monica Frim

Postcards courtesy of Marcel Rousseau-Orillia Past and Present

Fern Resort is now owned by descendants ( 4 generations) of the Pettapiece family , the Downing and Nelson families.

Join the Ramara Historical Society and guest speaker, Mark Downing, on Thursday April 16th at 7PM at the Udney Community Centre, 2347 Concession Rd.10 Ramara at 7PM to hear the Story of Fern Resort.

"The Home of Rolls and Honey"

04/01/2026

See you there! Yum Yum!

03/09/2026

Check out the fabulous photos of St.Andrews RC Church events throughout the years in the RHS display case at the Township of Ramara Municipal Building .
If you have any pictures of St.Andrews events to contribute to the Ramara Historical Society’s collection please contact us.

03/04/2026

The Ramara Historical Society invites you to join us Thursday March 19, 2026 at the Udney Community Centre, 2347 Concession Rd 10 Ramara for our speaker night series event.

We will be presenting the film "We Lend a Hand" .
We Lend A Hand is an exciting and educational documentary about young women that volunteered to work on Ontario farms picking fruit and vegetables during WWII.
You can see the trailer on their website. https://welendahand.ca
The cost is $10 per person for this event and tickets will be sold at the door. And yes, there will be popcorn!

See you at 7PM!

02/03/2026

01/13/2026

✨ Join us for our very first History Circle event as we kick off the Museum's 50th Anniversary Celebrations - and what better way to start than with stories, memories, and a whole lot of nostalgia!

📖 Theme: Memories & Stories Over the Last 50 Years.
From cherished moments to unforgettable milestones, let’s rewind the clock and relive the highlights of the past five decades.

🧳 Got something special tucked away? 🧳
Old photos, letters, postcards, artifacts, newspapers, or treasured stories of Beaverton, Thorah & Eldon - bring them along and share your memories with the community.

🗒️Friday, Jan 9, 2026
🕢 Starts at 7:30 PM
🎉 Followed by Community Social Time

📍 The Meeting Place
Beaver River Museum
284 Simcoe St, Beaverton

Come for the history, stay for the stories, memories and connection.
Beaverton Thorah Eldon Historical Society

12/05/2025

See you there !
Saturday December 13th at 5PM .
Muskoka Street, Washago. 🎅 🎄