Upper Canada Village – An Attraction For Any Season
As a traveller, I often forget how beautiful places around my own home can be. It usually takes a friend visiting from out of town or a push from a relative to rediscover and reclaim my kingdom. This brings me to Upper Canada Village. I had the fortune/misfortune of visiting this attraction so many times that I wasn’t sure I ever needed to visit here again. At first it was almost yearly school-trips, organized by lazy teachers who could think of nothing more original, then it ballooned to weddings, medieval fairs, Halloween pumpkins and Christmas lights.
Table of Contents
What is Upper Canada?
The village is a “living museum”, thus in this case it is a recreation of life in the 1860’s. It is built on the shores of the mighty St. Lawrence river, an important commercial route linking the Atlantic ocean to the Great Lakes. The village includes the following; a four mill, a bakery, a tavern, a hotel, a sawmill, a blacksmith shop, a schoolhouse, a print shop, a cheese factory, several artisan huts, a wealthy landowners house, a signal tower and an Anglican church beautifully painted in white. The structures are heritage buildings, part of what is collectively known as the Lost Villages, moved from their original locations along the St. Lawrence to allow the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This project began in 1954 and allowed the passage of large vessels to pass unmolested from the port of Montreal, Canada, through all five of the Great Lakes, all the way to the port of Duluth, Minnesota. It is a river highway of sorts. A consequence of this construction was the flooding of communities along the St. Lawrence river, hence the relocation of structures. The name Upper Canada Village is derived from Upper Canada, the old name for the province of Ontario, whereas Lower Canada is the province of Quebec. Hence, a typical village in Upper Canada.
What to do?
When you first pull in to the attraction, via Roadway 2, you will be greeted by a long patch of green grass circled by a ring road. To the south, the road leads to a tall earthen mound and to the east a parking lot. The mound, of course, is a monument, this one dedicated to the battle of Crysler’s Farm. The battle took place during the war of 1812 and resulted in a Canadian/British victory. Climb the mound to reveal a small stone obelisk, placards that explain the battle and a few cannons. The view from the top of the mound offers a great view of the St. Lawrence river. The original battlefield has now been submerged by the creation of the St. Laurence seaway, hence the location of this memorial is on the river, not far from its original location.
After taking a look, head to the parking lot. Here you will find the entrance to the village as well as a small railway platform. From this platform you can ride a miniature train along the river for a few kilometers. Just inside the village you will find a small creek with both the sawmill and the bakery. The village is easy to navigate but will take a while to complete your tour due to the sheer number of buildings on site. In the buildings you will find actors explaining what life was like during this time period. For those interested make your way through the village to the furthermost point south where the Signal tower is located. You can climb this tower for a view of the St. Lawrence and the US border on the other side of the river. Alternatively, you can catch a boat from a small dock by the signal tower. The dock connects with a small model of a canal with a tow path for horses to pull the boats.
Special Events
Pumpkin Inferno (Halloween)
This yearly event sees the village decorated for the Halloween festivities. Thousands of pumpkins are carved and put on display to create something greater than their original shape. This includes things like a locomotive, famous hockey players, dinosaurs and assorted ghouls. I remember a Day of the Dead themed display a few years ago that was truly fantastic. At the date of my last visit in 2019, after a long absence, I noticed that the pumpkins were not real and are now foam blocks. It was a tad disappointing but judging by the heavy crowds, people don’t seem to mind.
Alive at Night (Christmas)
This is by far my favorite seasonal event at Upper Canada Village. Horse drawn carriages will whisk you away into a magical, holiday themed, Christmas light display. In the old church caroling takes place as you huddle into the church pews to stay warm. Alternatively take a ride on the festively decorated locomotive or that of a horse drawn cart. Stop off in front of the superbly decorated church and enjoy one of the other rides provided on site (they had a Ferris wheel one year and a carousel another). In front of Crysler Hall a Christmas themed musical and light display takes place, it is not to miss. So, grab a hot chocolate and be ready to freeze your butt off – This holiday village is one for the ages!
Medieval Fair (summer)
Its business as usual at Upper Canada, all the usual attractions are open but this time they have added a new section. It is located in a clearing apart from the village. In the clearing a wide assortment of medieval themed activities can be found including a marketplace and a jousting arena with stands. The re-enacted medieval fair features many actors who will give you facts about their professions and other fun things like the many uses for gourds (seriously, I can’t remember the last time I talked about gourds!).
