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Staff Adventures Over the Summer 2024

This summer our staff travelled to historic places near and far. Check out their travel logs below!

The Ukrainian Greek-Orthodox Church of St. Mary, Szypenitz District, near Hairy Hill, Alberta

Visited by Kirstin Evenden, Director, Business Development & Partnerships. Photo: National Trust for Canada

While travelling in smoky eastern central Alberta, we came across this wonderful Ukrainian Church on a quiet highway not far from Mundare, Alberta. The Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of St. Mary (Szypenitz District) is located on 21.4 hectares of land, in the County of Two Hills No. 21, and was built in 1917. The church is one of the few brick churches like it in the region and it’s understood that the use of brick, a costly material to import to this region at the time, was used specifically due to the loss of the second church to fire.

Today, the church is nationally and provincially designated as a historic site and includes the Szypenitz Cemetary located across the highway. In the image you will see the church, and the Cemetary bell tower, historically used for church functions and sometimes community emergencies. Today, the site is beautifully maintained and remains a testament to the resilience of early settlers in the region.

Restoration work, Arden, Ontario

Visited by Patricia Kell, Executive Director. Photo: National Trust for Canada

While spending a weekend in Ontario’s cottage country, we wandered into town (looking for ice cream) and came across this church. On first glance, we could see that the church was no longer in use and had fallen into disrepair – one of the many churches across this country that have had to close. When we rounded the corner, however, it was clear that this place is still cared about! Kudos to the new owner who is repointing the walls and repairing the windows. I don’t know what the future plans for the building are but know that this landmark building will continue to add value to the community.

NCC River House, Ottawa, Ontario

Visited by Sonja Kruitwagen, Project Manager, Marketing and Membership. Photo: National Trust for Canada

The National Capital Commission (NCC) in Ottawa has recently reopened the NCC River House after four years of repairs and upgrades, and it proved to be the perfect spot to launch my stand-up paddleboard on the Ottawa River for the first time. This century-old gem, with its charm, rich history, and easy access to the river, beautifully combined my professional curiosity with my newfound hobby. After a peaceful paddle, my husband and I enjoyed a swim in the enclosed area and grabbed a snack. It was an ideal summer day, and I highly recommend a visit to this historic destination.

Water Prince Corner Shop, Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Visited by Tony Giampietro, Development Officer. Photo: National Trust for Canada

Our summer holidays this year took us to Prince Edward Island to visit family and then on to Boston, Massachusetts, via Portland, Maine to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We took many pictures of incredible, historic buildings and places, and I am happy to share a few with you.

The building that houses the Water Prince Corner Shop (Restaurant) today has had its place in Charlottetown’s history since it was originally the Prince Street Grocery established in 1850. Now for over thirty years it has delighted visitors to the Island with fresh and delicious traditional seafood under the direction of owner Shane Campbell and his family.

Nancy Island Historic Site, Wasaga Beach, Ontario

Visited by Allison Kerns. Replica of an Upper Lakes Marker Tower or Great Lakes 19th Century Lighthouse. Photo: National Trust for Canada

We stayed very close to home this summer and introduced the youngest members of our family to a site that I have been visiting since I was a child: Nancy Island in Wasaga Beach, Ontario. Nancy Island Historic Site is the final resting place of the HMS Nancy, a British schooner that was sunk by three American ships in the Nottawasaga River during the war of 1812. Silt and sand from the river gradually collected around the hull of the ship and formed an island. The wreck was discovered and rediscovered multiple times between 1911 and 1925, until the ship’s hull was raised and placed on the island in 1928. Nancy museum was officially opened on August 14, 1928, 114 years, to the day, after the Nancy sunk. The island and museum are also home to exhibits on the fur trade, sailing, local natural history, and a replica of an Upper Lakes Marker Tower, or lighthouse. Though Tower Island and the lighthouse were closed for restoration this summer, the Nancy and surrounding museum still offered plenty to fuel the imagination of my pirate obsessed four-year-old, and I have many pictures of the lighthouse to share from previous visits.

Peterborough, Ontario

Visited by Chris Wiebe. Photo: National Trust for Canada

Hundreds of merry boaters crowd into the Peterborough Lift Lock for an elevating ride at Parks Canada’s Lock & Paddle 2024 in July. Completed in 1904, this National Historic Site on Ontario’s Trent-Severn Waterway is the world’s tallest hydraulic lift lock, with a vertical lift of nearly 20 metres (65 feet) and was once the largest unreinforced concrete structure in the world.

Rene-Lévesque Park, Montreal, Quebec

Visited by Audrey Gray. Photo: National Trust for Canada

Earlier this summer, we biked down to Rene-Lévesque Park in Montreal to watch the sunset. The park is a narrow peninsula surrounded by the St. Lawrence River and located near the westernmost point of the Lachine Canal (a national historic site). The park is well-known for its public art installations and provides a unique view of the Saint-Laurent Railway and Honoré Mercier Bridges that connect Montreal and Kahnawake.