OLD TIMERS’ TALES: A History of Stokes Bay and Surrounding Area (Bruce Peninsula)

Helene Scott – Much of Stokes Bay village history was gathered by this writer and others some years ago. Under the direction and wishes of Lady Tweedsmuir, wife of Canada’s Governor General, the Women’s Institutes in each locality were urged to collect village history. At the ripe old age of 78, this writer got underway to have printed as much of the Stokes Bay history as possible. This is a reprint of her work.

Stokes Bay has an exciting and romantic past. It was the home of the Indian tribes at one time, and later many flourishing lumber mills which employed gangs of so called “Timber Beasts”. History will not soon forget their like – brawny, big fellows who were always ready for a good day’s work and all worthy of their hire. Too tired at night? Well, maybe there would be a short trip to the nearest hotel. Here, they met their friends from other camps, and the air was filled with the music of the fiddle, as the step-dancers showed off their skills to the tunes of the wandering minstrals who played the evening away usually just for the drinks he craved. When the boisterous evening was over, the wearied men wended their way back to the old bunkhouses where deep and refreshing sleep overcame them. Morning came early, even before the dawn broke, and the camp boss brought the sleepers on the cold wooden floor with the clarion call, “Get up! It’s daylight in the swamp!”