Flamborough Archives & Heritage Society

10/16/2026

Hidden behind thick trees and shrubs at the highest point in Waterdown is a house with a surprising past. 🏡

Originally built as a farmhouse for a sod farm, this building served as the busy local headquarters for the Ontario Provincial Police detachment starting in late 1953. Here is the story of how provincial cruisers once patrolled our township lines from the top of the hill.

The former site of the local OPP detachment is now a private home on Dundas Street Officers of the Waterdown OPP detachment pose for a photo at the Dundas Street station circa October 1954.Hamilton Local History & Archives, Hamilton Spectator Collection. James Donnelly photo LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:....

10/16/2026

$8,500+ RAISED! Thank you, Flamborough!

Thank you to everyone who supported Pause Awhile: Legacy in a Teacup. Between ticket sales, sponsorships, and direct donations, our community raised over $8,500 for the Flamborough Archives.

Where the money goes:
Keeping local history accessible takes consistent, practical funding. This past year, the Archives spent over $7,500 on necessary technology conversions, including replacement computers and printer to keep our collection records secure and functional.

Fixed operating costs (software subscriptions, memberships. insurance, postal rentals, and utilities) total around $10,000 annually - $5,000 of which are costs we never had before. Additional funds are needed to purchase office supplies, archival storage boxes and other materials, traditionally between $5,000 and $8,000 annually.

To everyone who bought a ticket, sponsored a table, volunteered, or donated, thank you for supporting the Flamborough Archives.

If you missed the event but would like to support us, donations can be made online at flamboroughhistory.com

10/11/2026

Long before this building became a private home, it was a bustling hub of village life in West Flamborough - first operating one of Canada’s oldest continuously run post offices, and later, a beloved local restaurant run by a couple who ended up in Canada completely by accident.

Discover the fascinating 150-year evolution of this historic stone landmark, from 1850s general store to the Country Willow Restaurant. Available on Flamborough Today, the source of our screenshot.

10/09/2026

Talk about church drama! 😱

In the 1830s, rival Methodist congregations in Rock Chapel got into a physical battle for control of their hand-hewn church. While one group worshipped inside, the other tried to climb through the windows - only to have their hands pounded on the sills until they retreated! Read the wild story of Flamborough's earliest church.

The Methodist church came early to West Flamborough Township. According to The Accounts Register, an old Methodist recording book, between 1796 and 1798 the first settlers into the Rock Chapel area were served, not by circuit-riding missionaries, but by Methodist exhorters and class leaders who incl...

10/02/2026

Where exactly is Clappison's Corners?

Before modern development shifted everyone’s focus east to Clappison Avenue, the original Clappison’s Corners was a bustling, neon-lit hub at the junction of Highways 5 and 6. Here is how a quiet 1850s stagecoach stop became the gateway to Waterdown.

The junction at highways 5 and 6 has transformed from an 1850s stagecoach stop to a high-traffic area - and it's slated to undergo even bigger changes in the next few years Clappison's Corners had flashing lights and stop signs by 1952, but the intersection was dangerous even then. Hamilton Public L...

09/28/2026

After months of planning, coordinating, and a few sleepless nights, Pause Awhile: Legacy in a Teacup was a great success!

We're still working out the final numbers for how much money was raised, but we loved having two sittings filled with people that enjoyed the afternoon.

Thank you to the committee members for all the planning. Thank you to all our sponsors who made sure we had the funds and the products to make it happen. Thank you to Grace Anglican Church for how they helped us make the event a success. And a big, big thank you to all the volunteers who helped set up, work in the kitchen, serve, speak, and break down the event after. We really couldn't do it without you.

If you want us to keep doing events like these, please think of how you can support. Whether through a few volunteer hours, a single or monthly donation, or simply becoming a member and attending our monthly meetings with a friend, we'd love to see some new faces!

Read about our event at Flamborough Today, the source of our screenshot.

09/25/2026

High on the windswept plateau of Rock Chapel, ancient Eastern white cedars cling to the escarpment, pre-dating European settlement. 🌲

Long before the first pioneers arrived, First Nations travelers used the escarpment brow to source chert for arrowheads and knives. Discover the fascinating natural and human history of Flamborough's very first settlement!

In West Flamborough there is a flat, windswept plateau, covered with shallow glacial soils. Borer’s Creek, named after the family who operated a sawmill in the community, drains the surrounding area and descends 25 metres over the Escarpment and through the narrow valley below to Cootes Paradise. ...

09/22/2026

Chrome, classic engines, and the ultimate hunt for rare parts. 🚙✨

Our archivist Lyn's latest "Remember This" dives into the history of the legendary Waterdown Car Show and Swap Meet. Whether you were showing off a restoration project or scouring the tables for a hard-to-find part, this event was a true community tradition.

Discover more at Flamborough Today, the source of our screenshot.