Lake to Lake Walking Tour

In 1876, Peter Batholomew built a shingle mill at the foot of Brock Street which extended into Gull Lake, near where the Barge walkway exists today. In that same year, William Fraser built a lumber mill on Gull Lake at Moody Lane. In 1879 Charles Cane built a shingle mill on Gull Lake at the foot of Brock Street about where the block lifeguard building is now located. 

From 1942 until 1960, the mills at Gull Lake made way for ice harvesting work during the winter months until the widespread adoption of electric refrigeration made this work obsolete. 

During WWII, more than 400 German officers were held as Prisoners of War in Gravenhurst's Camp 20 on Muskoka Lake. Under the Geneva Conventions, POW's who had officer status could not be ordered to do any work of any kind, but an imprisoned officer who had been a landscape architect before the war offered his expertise to design an entrance, a walk-way with steps and wall down to the beach at Gull Lake Park. The town modified his design somewhat but accepted it and allowed a group of the POW’s to build the stone steps and retaining wall along the beach. 

The stage in the water at Gull Lake Rotary Park originally required performers to access by boat, but a bridge connecting the stage and land was added as part of its official opening event with Queen Elizabeth II on July 4, 1959. The music still plays for anyone who wants to enjoy the free concerts that play on this stage every Sunday each summer.

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By 1875, Northern Railway connections were established in Gravenhurst so that trains could easily move goods during summer in and out of the region. A station was established near Gull Lake so that goods such as the lumber, shingles and ice produced at Gull Lake could be transported south. At the same time, a spur line was created with termination at Muskoka Wharf, at the shore of Lake Muskoka in Gravenhurst. This line collected resources and goods that could be transported down the Big Three lakes - Lake Joseph, Lake Rosseau and Lake Muskoka - and also connected visitors to board the steamships that helped them access resort and cottage properties throughout the region. 

The station by Gull Lake was lost to fire in 1913, and the Grand Trunk Railway re-opened the station in 1919 with the help of Edward, Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VIII. Since then, this heritage building has also functioned as a rail museum and restaurant. 

For many years, trains were the lifeblood of the region, bringing in thousands of summer residents and supplies, while transporting processed lumber from local sawmills back to the city. The train line is still active, with Canadian National Railway controlling the movement of goods, and Ontario Northland managing passenger transit between Toronto and as far north as Cochrane, Ontario.

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Gravenhurst’s first settlers, James & Letitia McCabe, established their presence in 1859, and by the late nineteenth century the Sloan family immigrated from Ireland to set down roots in Gravenhurst, where their son Archy Sloan made the most of his life here. Archy was appointed as police constable in 1897, and when a chief was needed, he earned that promotion thanks to being the only member of the force. His civic contribution didn’t end there though, he also served roles as tax assessor, By-law Enforcement Officer, Town bell ringer, road grader, health inspector, truant officer, Court Clerk, Bailiff, and pound keeper.

In 1915, Archy and his wife Sarah opened Sloan’s Ice Cream Parlour on Muskoka Road. Thanks in part to its famous wild blueberry pie, Sloan’s quickly became a community hub, and the owners decided to renovate the building into a proper restaurant that drew tourists from far and wide. Their use of park bench-style seating was seen as unique at the time, and can still be experienced today when you enjoy a meal in the same space, now known as “The Old Mill Family Restaurant" on Muskoka Road South.

In that same year, Archy was elected Mayor of Gravenhurst and served until 1919, then was re-elected to serve as mayor from 1922-1924. At the time, mayoral elections were held annually, which means Archy was elected seven times by his community. 

This building, which is now home to Gravenhurst Fire Station 1 and a community police office, has also served as the Town of Gravenhurst Municipal Office, as well as the community jail. It’s a fitting space for a memorial plaque that recognizes Archy’s significant contribution to Gravenhurst.

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There are two noteworthy churches at the corner of Muskoka Road North and Church/Brown Street. Trinity Unity Church is the largest church in Gravenhurst. This incredible building was constructed and completed in just six months after the previous church on this site was destroyed by fire on January 30, 1926. 

A sculpture made by local metal artist Hillary Clarke Cole stands on the front lawn of the church, and the church windows are decorated with beautiful stained glass scenes that resonate with the local landscape. The upper floor features tapestries created by textile artist Marie Aiken-Barnes, as well as a pipe organ that was donated by Dr. W.B. Kendall, who was the chief physician of the Muskoka Cottage Sanatorium at the time of donation. 

The lower floor of the building is managed by Gravenhurst Against Poverty, locally referred to as GAP, which is an organization that supports neighbours in need with food programs, affordable transportation, and community resources, and is a force for good in the local community. They offer food programs, such as a lunch club, community dinners and food delivery, in addition to social events, accessible transportation and other programs that support targeted local need. 

Across the street is Knox Presbyterian Church. According to the Gravenhurst Heritage Walking Tour, this is one of the oldest churches in Gravenhurst. The congregation was formed in 1875 and initially held services in North Ward School. The building dates to 1877, but it was a year later before it was dedicated by Reverend McDonnell of St Andrew’s, Toronto. It is a fine example of Carpenter’s Gothic style using board-and-batten wall construction. The one time steeple housed an 800-pound bell to summon churchgoers, and also to raise the alarm for firefighters. The bell was removed in 1932. Reverend Malcolm Bethune was minister from 1889 to 1893. His son, Dr. Norman Bethune, became famous for his dedication to social causes in Canada and for his medical care to victims of war in Spain and China. In 1922, the Presbyterians merged with the Methodists and the church was out of Presbyterian hands until 1937. Knox was designated a heritage property in 2014.

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Bethune Memorial House is a Parks Canada National Historic Site dedicated to sharing the life and contributions of Dr. Norman Bethune. His mother was an English immigrant and his father was the reverend of the Presbyterian Church in Gravenhurst at the end of the nineteenth century. Norman Bethune was born in the church manse on March 4, 1890 and in 1976, Parks Canada established the building as a National Historic Site.

In 1914, Norman Bethune enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, then completed his medical degree and was eventually appointed as the first medical officer of the new Canadian Air Force that was established at the end of The Great War.. In 1925, at age 34, Bethune contracted Tuberculosis and returned to Gravenhurst for treatment at the Calydor Sanatorium - a property on the shore of Lake Muskoka that has a history as a small hotel, a tuberculosis treatment facility, a prisoner of war camp and now a tract of public beach and hiking trails.

His greatest impact on medicine began in the late 1930’s, where he tested and implemented mobile blood transfusion units on the battlefield. He is seen by many as a hero for his dedication to medicine, and visitors to this National Historic Site can walk through the home, dress in period costume and explore a trench modeled after that which Bethune would have experienced on the battlefield. 

Link to more information about Bethune Memorial House National Historic Site

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This area of town is residential, with many heritage-designated homes situated between more modern homes as lots were severed over the years. In Gravenhurst’s first 100 years, many homes were built and heated with wood, but this led to devastating fires over the years that would jump quickly from building to building, dissolving whole blocks of homes and businesses in no time. As a result, the families of this town have helped it rise from the ashes a number of times over the years, and this has resulted in a legacy of strong community support amongst the residents of this resilient town. 

The Gravenhurst Heritage Walking Tour is a fantastic free experience that any visitor can access to learn about 25 of the heritage properties that still stand today.

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Hidden in plain sight, this lookout offers one of the best vantage points to take in the Muskoka Steamships—including the Wenonah II and the historical RMS Segwun. Steamships have navigated these waters since 1866, initially serving as the primary lifeline for transporting settlers, vacationers, and goods to lakeside destinations across the region.

Spanning 89 acres, this historical wharf region has continually morphed since the 1860s to align with the dominant industries of the day. The ground beneath this lookout sits approximately where John (J.P.) Cockburn established his sawmill in the late 1800s. His father, Alexander (A.P.) Cockburn—recognized as the political and business powerhouse of early Muskoka—launched the region’s original steamship fleet in 1867 and spearheaded a lifelong crusade for expanded rail and water links to foster tourism.

By 1875, direct railroad connections allowed trains to move cargo seamlessly while carrying summer visitors directly to the waiting steamships. During its peak in the 1880s, the area transformed into a bustling industrial site where 14 sawmills operated simultaneously. Steamships shared the waters with thousands of floating logs waiting for processing, and the massive mounds of wood waste produced by the mills earned Gravenhurst its iconic nickname: "Sawdust City."

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