Pakesley

Introduction

Photo of ruins
Remains of a derelict building
©Jeri Danyleyko

Pakesley, located in Parry Sound Region, began as a sleepy little siding and whistle stop on the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) around 1912. As the CPR pushed northward, they eventually established a small section village and freight station for shipping goods.

In the meantime the Schroeder lumber mill in nearby Lost Channel completed the Key Valley Railway (KVR) to connect with the main CPR line. Once they completed the KVR, Schroeder added a large lumber yard. Pakesley then grew to become an important satellite village for the rest of the Lost Channel lumber operations.

At its height, Pakesley contained terminal facilities, three boarding houses, two offices and an assortment of other buildings to service the railway. Two trains arrived daily bringing in the lumber for storage and drying. The village grew to include a few homes and later a school, two-storey hotel and a restaurant. There were also a number of lodges and tourist facilities. Consequently, by 1924 the community contained nearly 30 structures and about 150 residents.

Pakesley’s days of prosperity didn’t last long. After the lumber mill closed in the 1930s, Pakesley began to fall silent. As a result, most of the businesses closed by the 1950s.

Today three original homes, the schoolhouse, a shell and foundations are all that remain of Pakesley. Learn more

How to get there

Pakesley lies on Highway 522 right at the railway crossing, a few kilometres east of Highway 69, about 80 kilometres north of Parry Sound.

View Ontario Ghost Town Map in a larger map

Nearby centre: Britt, 11 kilometres

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