Upper Canada Village facts for kids
 |
|
| Established | 1961 |
|---|---|
| Location | Morrisburg, Ontario, Canada. |
| Type | Living museum |
| Owner | St. Lawrence Parks Commission |
Upper Canada Village is a special place near Morrisburg, Ontario, Canada. It's like a time machine that takes you back to a village in the year 1866. This type of place is called a heritage park because it shows you what life was really like long ago. You can see old buildings, people dressed in old clothes, and even animals from that time!
A Look Back in Time: History of the Village
Construction of Upper Canada Village started in 1958. This was part of a huge project called the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Seaway project changed the St. Lawrence River to make it easier for ships to travel. But it also meant that ten communities, known as The Lost Villages, would be flooded forever.
To save important buildings and memories from these villages, Upper Canada Village was created. Many of the buildings you see there today were carefully moved from those "lost" villages before the flooding. It was a way to preserve history!
The park is run by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. It first opened its doors to visitors in 1961.
Some other buildings from the Lost Villages were moved to Ault Park. There, they are part of another living museum run by the Lost Villages Historical Society.
The park also has a special memorial for the Battle of Crysler's Farm. This was an important battle during the War of 1812. The land where this battle happened was also covered by water because of the Seaway project.
What You Can See: The Village Collection
.jpg)
Upper Canada Village shows you what life was like in a rural English Canadian setting in 1866. There are over 40 historical buildings to explore!
You can see several working mills, like:
- A woollen mill, which made cloth from wool.
- A grist-mill, which ground grain into flour.
- A sawmill, which cut logs into lumber.
There are also buildings where people practiced old trades:
- A blacksmith, who worked with metal.
- A tinsmith, who made things from tin.
- A cabinetmaker, who built furniture.
- A cooper, who made barrels.
- A bakery, where fresh bread was made.
- A cheese-maker, who made cheese.
You can also learn about farming from the past. Villagers grow old types of vegetables and raise heritage livestock. Staff members, dressed in clothes from the 1800s, will show you how people lived. They talk about home life, social events, music, religion, and even politics from that time. The gardens in the village grow plants and flowers that were common in the 19th century.
Village on the Big Screen: In Film
Did you know Upper Canada Village has been in a movie? The 1973 version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was filmed entirely at the village. This movie starred actors like Josh Albee, Buddy Ebsen, Jane Wyatt, and Vic Morrow.
