Written By Olena Riznyk
PARKHILL – On Friday, September 20, more than 30 people – children with parents, grandparents, and longtime residents – gathered at the North Middlesex Market for the first-ever Parkhill History Walk. The evening stroll down Main Street turned into a lively journey through centuries of stories, from early settlement and industry to community traditions and dramatic fires.
The guides set the tone from the start: “Our goal is to bring history to life and make it fun – so join in and enjoy the journey.”
Participants were surprised to learn that people have lived in the area for more than 11,000 years, when the shoreline of Lake Huron stretched this far inland. “This has been a popular place for thousands of years – it’s not just recent history we’re talking about,” the guides explained.
The walk stopped at familiar sites that once looked very different. Where tennis courts once stood, children used to play on the back courts while adults claimed the ones in front. “There was funding for lights on the main court, but if you weren’t in the club, you had to make do at the back,” the group heard.
Not all the stories were light-hearted. Fires were a recurring threat in early Parkhill. The most tragic blaze came in 1911, when a three-storey hotel with its own watchtower was destroyed. “It was January, the wells were frozen, and there were no fire trucks – volunteer firefighters did what they could, but the flames spread quickly,” the guides said. Nearby buildings and businesses narrowly escaped the same fate.
The highlight of the evening was the stop at the historic Carnegie Library. Built in 1915 with a $6,400 grant – about $200,000 today – it was one of only two Carnegie libraries in Middlesex County. “It was considered a huge honour for a town to receive a Carnegie Library,” participants were told. “This building is protected under the Ontario Heritage Act, and it’s one of the few that has kept its original character.”
As the walk wrapped up, the group was invited to share their impressions in a short survey. Many reflected on how much the town has changed – and how much has stayed the same. “We’ve only scratched the surface tonight,” the guides concluded. “Parkhill is full of stories waiting to be discovered.”
The first History Walk ended with applause and the hope that it will become a new community tradition.
