Balaclava-Grey

History

Ontario is unquestionably the only place in the world with three ghost towns, all named Balaclava. Originally spelled Balaklava, the two communities in Grey and Renfrew share many similarities.

Like its counterpart in Renfrew County, Balaclava started out as a mill town when George Scott opened a sawmill around 1850. By the mid-1860s John Kergen had opened a general store, John Lusk a carpenter shop and Elijah Moulton was operating an inn and tavern.

Additionally, the village included a wagon-maker, Alexander McMullen and a blacksmith, Duncan Cameron. After Cameron opened his shop, Balaclava acquired three more smithys, Elijah Cross, George Johnston and Washington Moulton. John Hill Sr. took over the inn around 1870. The surrounding area included the community of Johnson, half a kilometre to the south. A description in the Grey County Atlas and Gazetteer described the area as “fine and prosperous.” A post office opened in 1890 with W.H. Hunt as the first postmaster.

Balaclava’s first school, S.S. #8 Sydenham, was a frame building, first opened in 1864. Simon Grantham, was the first teacher and average attendance hovered around 25 pupils. The first school went up in flames. As a result, they held classes in the Orange Hall until they built a new log schoolhouse.

Nonetheless, the log school didn’t last long. A new stone school, built by Joseph Briggs and his son Walter, replaced the log school in 1870. The second school lasted until 1915 when a more modern brick school replaced it. Built by A. Rolston from Owen Sound, it included a basement and a furnace. Students from nearby Silcote transferred to the Balaclava school after their school closed in 1945.

Balaclava’s Orange Hall, Orange Lodge 896, also known as Campbell Cliff Lodge, had its origins in Silcote. Balaclava became its new home in 1858. Located on Lot 4, Concession C, interestingly the building started out as two separate dwellings. They ended up joining the two buildings together and reshingled the new roof. P. S. Campbell was the first Worshipful Master.

There was no church in Balaclava, however the nearby communities of Johnson and Silcote each had a Methodist (later United) church. The Johnstone United Church, located on Balaclava Rd., first opened its doors in 1855. Built on land donated by William Johnstone, the original church was a frame building with three tall windows on each side, two sets of doors and a front porch. Alexander Hunter, a highly-regarded theological student from Queens University, worked at the church during the summers. The student was so highly regarded, that in 1864 the congregation hired them as their permanent minister. Unfortunately he didn’t live very long. Rev. Hunter passed away in 1869 at the relatively young age of 42. The congregation scored again with his replacement, Reverend E.B. Rogers, widely considered the best pulpit orator in the Owen Sound Presbytery.

By the 1890s Balaclava’s population had grown to about 50. By then, the village had grown to include three sawmills, owned by Charles Eagle, William McMillen and Alexander Reid. In 1890 W.H. Hunt opened a post office in his general store. Other shopkeepers during the 1890s included D.N. Dodge, Edward Katz, William Leflar and G.D. Howatt. Leflar and Howatt also served as postmasters. The sawmills didn’t last beyond the early 20th century.

John Johnstone, son of the original donor, bequeathed $4000 towards the construction of a new church in 1920. Construction, at a total cost of $6,930, moved at lightning speed. Opening services, conducted by Rev. A.J. Orr, commenced on October 17, 1920. The church became known as the Johnstone United Church in 1925. It survived until 1969. Demolition of both the Johnstone and Silcote Methodist churches took place that same year.

As Balaclava moved into the 20th century, it adapted quickly to the changing times. The Balaclava Telephone Company was first formed in 1912 with a mandate to build a line that connected to the Bell Telephone Co. in Owen Sound. Initially, the company started with 34 subscribers, each paying $35. Subscribers held bees to help erect the poles and keep the costs down. Nevertheless, there were a few additional expenses afterwards. By the end of the summer, Balaclava had its own telephone system with three party lines. The telephone company survived until 1960. Then Bell Canada then took over the system and replaced the party lines with dial telephones.

In 1919, many of the businesses shifted south from their original locations 3 kilometres north, after the White family built a new store. The new store quickly grew into a popular place. One of the big attractions was a switchboard that had three plug-ins connected to the store’s telephone system. Using the switchboard, the owners could plug in to any of the three lines and bypass the operator in Owen Sound. Even more fun though was an early form of conference calling. To accomplish this, the store owners would connect the two and three lines together, allowing shareholders to have group conversations. The switchboard also came in handy for more discreet calls when two people needed to have a private conversation, away from the prying ears of their neighbours.

In 1926, a group of 18 ladies formed the Balaclava Women’s Institute. The group had all done volunteer work for the Red Cross during World War 1. The organization became well regarded for its volunteer and community efforts. They conducted two-week courses in nursing and sewing and short courses in vegetable cookery and glovemaking. Significantly, one of their major projects was the formation of a “cemetery committee” in 1933 to deal with the neglect of Vanwyck’s Cemetery. Their efforts during the Second World War were particularly welcome. In one instance, they shipped 298 quilts overseas. In 1946, their lobbying efforts were instrumental in jumpstarting a campaign to spray for warble flies, a particularly troublesome pest in some regions.

One of the mandates of the Women’s Institute was to ‘build leadership’ and their efforts in this area led to the formation of two spinoff groups, the Balaclava Junior Institute and the Junior Farmers. The Junior Institute operated from 1936 to 1945. During that period, they conducted courses in agriculture and home economics at the Johnstone United Church. One popular club was the homemaking club, known as the “Supper Club.”

The Junior Farmers followed as a direct result of the agriculture course held by the Junior Institute. Mr. T.S. Cooper, the agriculture representative in Grey County, organized the group in 1937. Members paid 10 cents to join. Joint meetings of both groups began taking place in July 1937.

The Junior Farmers sponsored numerous clubs such as the calf, swine, colt, sheep and potato clubs. One popular event was the Sydenham Plowing Match that took place on August 18th, 1937. Entry fees were 25 cents and prizes totalled $100.00, a pretty fair sum during the heights of depression. To raise money, members solicited donations from the community. The plowing match led to the formation of the Sydenham Plowman’s Association in 1937, which lasted until 1952. The Junior Farmers also took part in judging competitions and events, eventually winning the shield for three consecutive years as the highest judging team. One member, Les Farquharson, served as a judge at the annual Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto. He won honours for his efforts.

During the 1940s, the Women’s Institute went through a lot of changes. At one time, the group boasted 44 members. After the government expropriated land for the construction of the AFV tank range, their numbers began to fall. Furthermore, a number of members resigned in 1949 to form a new branch at Briar Hill. In the meantime, the Women’s Institute took over the former Silcote School in 1945, turning it into a community building. Improvements included redecorating and the purchase of a new piano. They could now make the building available to other groups for various events. Further upgrades included hydro service in 1951 and an electric stove in 1965.

Competitive sports were always popular in Balaclava. Cricket dated back to the 1850s or 60s. Players on that first team included mill owner, George Scott Sr. along with his brother John. The first township match took place in 1964 between Sydenham and Annan. The Annan team were the lucky winners. Unfortunately the rivalry stirred up some bitter feelings and put an end to future matches.

By the 1930s, Sydenham had a soccer league that included teams from Annan, Bognor and Strathaven. Balaclava entered a team in 1937 and won the championship in 1938. Vastly underrated and viewed as the underdogs, they then went on to defeat the team in Owen Sound, who had been champions in their own division.

The Balaclava Hockey Club became part of the Rural Hockey League in the mid-1940s. The team included boys from Balaclava and Silcote. They scored a big victory by winning the league championship for the 1946-47 season. Team members, along with their family and friends celebrated their victory at a large banquet held at the Seldon House in Owen Sound, followed by a dance at Annan Hall. Special guests were Syl Apps and Guy Bodnar of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who made speeches to the delighted group.

Unfortunately, by the time the hockey club scored their big victory, Balaclava was in a serious state of decline. The village had never been large and over time many of its business began to close. The biggest blow fell during the Second World War after the government shut down Balaclava’s road and expropriated land to construct the Meaford army base. Rural Mail Delivery arrived in 1961 resulting in closure of the post office. The Orange Hall closed in 1964 and the school in 1965.

A few people continue to live in Balaclava and both the old and new sections of Balaclava contain a number of interesting ruins and relics of bygone years. Although the school, general store and the Johnstone church are all gone, two formers stores still stand. Those are the original store in the older section and the newer store, built by the Whites in 1919. The original store is now a private dwelling. The same for the newer store, despite years of neglect and abandonment. A few older buildings along with the usual cellar holes also remain.