Balaclava-Renfrew

History

Balaclava fits the Hollywood version of the ‘picture perfect’ ghost town; a row of ramshackle buildings with sagging roofs, huddled along a narrow road, while doors and windows creak in the wind. The only thing missing are the tumbleweeds rolling down the middle of the road.

The remains of Balaclava also include an impressive old water powered sawmill, one of the last to operate in Ontario. If you look closely, you can still see pieces of machinery and wagon wheels inside the building.

Construction of the sawmill took place in 1855. The Richards family purchased it in 1868. Interestingly, the government took the Richards to court in 1903, on an early piece of anti-pollution legislation. Apparently, they found the stream to be a handy and convenient place to dispose of all their sawdust. After the stream became clogged, another mill, further downstream, complained. The Richards had their day in court and lost. Shortly after that, they added the huge burner, which still stands today. The Richards family operated the mill until 1957, when they sold it to Donald (aka Dave) Dick.

Although Balaclava was a busy industrial and farming centre throughout the latter part of the 19th century, for some reason the railways bypassed it. That, along with failing farms and dwindling lumber supplies, signalled its demise. Stubbornly, the mill continued to operate on water power until 1967. When it shut down, Balaclava became a ghost town. The store, also owned by Mr. Dick, operated until the mid-1970s. A few of farms in the area remain occupied.

Please be aware that many of the buildings, apart from the mill, no longer exist.