Family History in Britt, Ontario
Our family history in Britt, Ontario, is rich and goes back to before the town had its name. Britt stretches down one road off Highway 69 along Still River to Lake Magnetewan and out to the mouth of Georgian Bay.
Mom worked on a population study when she was in high school (in the late 60s) and reported five hundred people lived there then. Approximately, three hundred people live in Britt now.
Dad Finds a Peavey Log Roller
When Dad was dragging his kayak away from the shore to store it at the end of the summer his foot twisted a bit on this rusty old metal piece hidden below some juniper branches. He said:
Our Métis Family Story: Reclaiming Our Heritage
My citizenship card arrived at the end August 2016. I was surprised how much peace it brought me. It was almost as though my ancestors breathed out a collective sigh of relief. I am proud to be Métis.
Gereaux Island Sunset Cruise Video 2015
Merry Christmas 2015, friends and family. Creating these little videos is starting to become a tradition for me, my holiday card for you!
Every summer my dad takes us out on a number of sunset cruises. We drive out by Gereaux Island Lighthouse, turn off the motor, and rock in the gentle waves as the sun descends. It’s one of the most uplifting, fulfilling, and healing events of our summer. It’s important to remember that when life gets tough, we need to shine the light. We need to know that there are nights like this one, out on the water watching the light shine…thank-you for shining the light for me.
Growing Up In Gereaux Island Lighthouse in the Early 1900s
Gereaux Island Lighthouse, Family Photo (early 1900s) The Lamondin family has lived in Britt, Ontario since the beginning of Britt’s history. I’ve heard stories about when Britt was a logging town, when the coal docks were the centre of activity, when the railway was installed, when electricity arrived, and when the lighthouse became automated and no longer required a keeper. As my parents drive up and down the Britt road, they recite histories of the buildings and the families, sometimes going back a hundred years.
Seasons of Britt: A Celebration of Georgian Bay Landscape
Our family has lived in the Britt, Ontario area since the late 1800s. The landscape has become part of our family story. We feel a deep connection to the area. This year for Christmas I made my parents a video to try to capture how we feel about Georgian Bay.
Gereaux Island Lighthouse Then and Now
I’ve had some requests to post pictures of Gereaux Island Lighthouse. This is a photograph from our family archives of the original Gereaux Lighthouse, Georgian Bay, Ontario in the late 1800s/early 1900s.
