Forgotten "Ghost Canal" of Newmarket Ontario!

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 23. 10. 2023
  • Well this video is a little different but I just wanted to present an interesting bit of history from the Newmarket area. This canal was built during a time period when canals were being phased out in favor of railways. There are many facts and opinions on why it was built but the bottom line is....this canal was never used and was a waste of taxpayer money. The details make for an interesting read....if you would like to find out more... the link is below. I hope you enjoy this video and thanks for checking it out!
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newmark...

Komentáře • 162

  • @rreiter
    @rreiter Před 2 měsíci +33

    Good video thanks! I've lived in Newmarket since 1962 and when I was a kid here Rogers Reservoir was still full of water with not much marsh - we would bike out to it along Main St. Back then it really was in the middle of nowhere. South of the Tannery on the south side of Davis Drive by the Holland River there was a string of coal sheds we'd sometimes play in, "race to the top of the coal pile", between the old Davis Drive train station and the Co-op (now a climbing gym). Mom wasn't too pleased with that, lol. There was also a relic water tower there that had been used to replenish steam locomotives.

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 2 měsíci +4

      Thanks for watching my video… and thanks for the extra information and memories you provided…. I really like hearing feedback like this…..very interesting!

    • @dave7181
      @dave7181 Před 29 dny +2

      I grew up playing at all those old locs as a kid in the late 60s early 70s. Newmarket was a great place to grow up in.

    • @erichartke4331
      @erichartke4331 Před 27 dny +1

      Great video I love learning history. I have been in Georgina since 2015/2016. We come to Newmarket a lot and I never realized there was an old canal system there so cool!

  • @Greg-cl7tl
    @Greg-cl7tl Před 3 dny +4

    I've lived here for over a decade, always bike on this trail with my family and never knew it had this history. Thank you for posting this. We enjoyed watching and learning all these interesting facts.

  • @ollieox9181
    @ollieox9181 Před 3 dny +2

    I grew up in Newmarket. I often used to bring the dogs to walk the trail off Green Lane, along the canal, just north of the city. Nice area.
    Thanks for the history.

  • @jlc928
    @jlc928 Před 7 dny +11

    I am a lifelong resident. We used to skate on Roger’s Reservoir as kids and I took mine there too. My great grandparents came to Nkt in the early 1800’s. It has gotten way too big.

    • @rollercoastercentral0808
      @rollercoastercentral0808 Před dnem +1

      Same as Bradford Ontario , that town was mainly for farming and agriculture, was the end of the line for CN rail for the longest time till metrolinks got it back in the 80s or so and brought it to Barrie again

  • @thesaurusrext
    @thesaurusrext Před 2 dny +2

    Only lived in Newmarket for a year and didnt get to explore much cuz it felt like there was just Davis st and some housing off that. This is great thanks for sharing!

  • @L3GHO5T
    @L3GHO5T Před dnem +1

    Oh man I gotta go check this out I never knew it existed! I’m from Tottenham about 25 minutes west of Newmarket! Cool video thanks for sharing

  • @user-od3up7et1q
    @user-od3up7et1q Před 9 měsíci +15

    So interesting. I wonder how many people pass by these old locks everyday and don’t know why they are there.

    • @GWNorth-db8vn
      @GWNorth-db8vn Před měsícem +1

      I moved to Newmarket from a place on the Trent-Severn near Peterborough as a kid. The locks and such on the Holland Canal were exactly the same as the ones I'd been seeing all my life. I met plenty of people who didn't even know what they are.

  • @MrCyclist
    @MrCyclist Před 4 měsíci +11

    For a few years I have been cycling the bike path all the way to St. Johns Side Road and noticed the construction but knew nothing if the history. Now I know and will take notice when I bike there is a few weeks time. Great video. Thanks

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 4 měsíci +1

      Hi thanks for watching my video and thanks for the nice comment!

  • @thesaurusrext
    @thesaurusrext Před 2 dny +1

    9:22 - that is a cool stairway! Beautifully captured.

  • @daisygoon
    @daisygoon Před 21 dnem +6

    If it wasn't for "Mulock's Madness" my friends and I wouldn't have had a drinking spot back in the 80's, a lot of memories, firsts and lasts, I drink a toast to the Huron Height's crew! thanks for the memories!

  • @gigatron2008
    @gigatron2008 Před 21 dnem +4

    Lived here my whole life. Thanks for filming! Been on that trail a hundred times. Near lock #2 there used to be a lookout tower made of wood but they took it down years ago.

  • @andrewriley4990
    @andrewriley4990 Před 20 hodinami +1

    AWESOME post thanks for sharing ! 🤔

  • @mtbluzman
    @mtbluzman Před 3 měsíci +5

    Nice Video ! I used to live right near the " Radial Arch " on Ontario St.

  • @jeffspicolli593
    @jeffspicolli593 Před 2 měsíci +8

    Great production, very informative.

  • @collectorguy3919
    @collectorguy3919 Před měsícem +4

    Fascinating and sad. I've always admired the canal system in the UK and wished for something closer to home.

  • @marvinvader5416
    @marvinvader5416 Před 3 dny +1

    Excellent piece of history of this area. Thanks for sharing this. 👍

  • @seanizzard8088
    @seanizzard8088 Před 26 dny +2

    Nice video.
    I know this trail well I ride it on a regular basis. I’m a local resident.

  • @wvello2265
    @wvello2265 Před 19 hodinami

    Thank you for a very interesting and informative video! Nice to see that the area is used for trails and parks 😀

  • @emjaydark2811
    @emjaydark2811 Před 3 měsíci +1

    Beautiful and informative video. Thanks. I hope now to go and see it with my own eyes.

  • @newmarkettruckandautoservi7650

    Thanks for the trip, I've been super intrigued about this for years. I've taken my kids for trips on parts of this in a paddleboat, not easy to get in and out and around many spots, it should be opened up for paddling sports.

  • @andrewmackie5110
    @andrewmackie5110 Před 2 měsíci +3

    Looks like I have a new place to drag my kayak! Awesome video!

    • @GWNorth-db8vn
      @GWNorth-db8vn Před měsícem +2

      You can easily take a canoe from Roger's to Holland Landing. Bring bug spray.

  • @the_eh_team
    @the_eh_team Před 6 dny

    In the 80's the reservoir by lock 2 still had water in it. We'd go fishing off the pier on the east side of lock #2. On the south side of the reservoir "Rogers Reservoir" there was a wooden lookout tower you could climb up for a nice birds eye view. This was a nice video showing the lock system!

  • @AsILayinRuin
    @AsILayinRuin Před 10 dny +1

    Very cool! I had no idea there is all of this hidden history that runs just off to the side of the boring old roads.

  • @ianeverest1063
    @ianeverest1063 Před 3 dny

    This was really well done and so very interesting. I always wondered about the locks. I thought they were old dams from a saw mill or something. It is crazy it was 80 percent done!

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 3 dny

      @@ianeverest1063 thanks! I really enjoy exploring places like this! ….and thanks for watching my video!

  • @NomiSyed1
    @NomiSyed1 Před 9 měsíci

    I really miss living in Holland Landing... now I'm in Oakville, I have gone to all these spots many times... Thank you for sharing. Downtown Newmarket is a lot of fun in Summer.

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 9 měsíci

      Yeah it’s the first time I went there and I really liked it! Thanks for watching my video!

  • @offgrid1461
    @offgrid1461 Před 26 dny

    Great video, enjoyed watching. Mid 60's, lived my whole life in Ontario and knew nothing about this, thank you. 👍

  • @mikebowers7719
    @mikebowers7719 Před měsícem +1

    Thanks for the great video,we would walk that trail many times but didnt know what the poured concert was all about,,THANKS.

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před měsícem

      Glad you liked it and thanks for watching it!!

  • @ronjenkins4257
    @ronjenkins4257 Před měsícem +1

    Particularly fascinating for those who might have visited or traveled the Welland, Trent, and Rideau canals. I had no idea this project was ever attempted, even so far from practical as it was.

  • @DaveSmith-vv8ek
    @DaveSmith-vv8ek Před měsícem

    Very interesting video! Love the history of our land!

  • @emanuelvellios
    @emanuelvellios Před 2 dny

    As a fellow resident, thank you for this great video!

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 2 dny

      @@emanuelvellios Hi..I’m glad you liked my video! And thanks slot for watching it!

  • @sinecure45
    @sinecure45 Před dnem

    This is a terrific bike ride down memory lane. I lived in Newmarket from '55 to '65, and was intimately acquainted with the railway tracks, the abandoned industrial building on the north side of Davis Drive, the arena and Fairy Lake, which I passed every day on the way to NDHS for 3 years. It is fascinating to learn about the history of those abandoned concrete structures. along the Holland River. Is the dam at Fairy Lake somehow connected to the abandoned canal?

  • @lookingthroughice7843
    @lookingthroughice7843 Před měsícem +3

    I absolutely love this video. I never new that was the history of the water way.👍🍻

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před měsícem

      Thanks! I just had to make the video since I found it so interesting...and thanks for watching it!!!

  • @rfiskillingussoftly6568

    Great video man!
    I was born at Newmarket hospital in 1970"
    I grew up in Ballantrae, and went to high school at Huron Heights"
    Brought back a bunch of memories!
    New sub!🤙👊

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 18 dny

      @@rfiskillingussoftly6568 hey I’m glad you liked it….and thanks for watching my channel!

  • @honda200twinstar3
    @honda200twinstar3 Před 29 dny

    very cool video ,i never lived in Newmarket but i as i grew up in Barrie but visited Newmarket many many time growing up and i never know that there was a lock system that was never completed. thanks for posting this.

  • @2wagondragon
    @2wagondragon Před měsícem

    Very interesting bit of history. That bike trail looks like one I would like to try.

  • @mikesully
    @mikesully Před 13 dny

    This was great! I live in Newmarket and walk over the locks all the time but never really knew the history. Thank you for this 👏

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 13 dny +1

      Thanks man! Glad you liked it. I found it so interesting i had to make the video!

  • @rodpaget9796
    @rodpaget9796 Před 9 měsíci

    Thanks. Often wondered about these mystery locks in the middle of noplace. I come from Niagara and it is a canal haven of historys.

  • @rickym2881
    @rickym2881 Před 29 dny

    Awesome video and I learned a few things, thanks. Never knew of how Newmarket came be, very interesting history of the trek down then walk 45 km. You’re right about the waste of money on the locks but they do make for a good video.😉

  • @robbier3661
    @robbier3661 Před 18 hodinami

    thanks for doing this ...a part of our history

  • @malloryharack301
    @malloryharack301 Před 6 dny

    Beautiful video and very educational too! I've been a resident of the areas from Brock/Durham for decades and now reside in Guelph. I travel through Newmarket on a monthly basis and will now make a point to stop and check out some of these locations on my next trip. Amazing camera work, and stunning drone footage. Very well done my friend!

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 6 dny

      @@malloryharack301 thank you very much for the nice comments and I’m glad you like the video! ….. and thanks for watching it!

  • @qierma9054
    @qierma9054 Před 9 dny

    Nice sharing bro. I live in Aurora but all these trails and views are my cycling routes :-)

  • @ChasingTone666
    @ChasingTone666 Před 10 dny

    Fantastic video. Great footage. Mulock is actually pronounced like Mew-Lock. I remember floating down some of those waterways in Styrofoam packing that as kids we found in the garbage, and fishing. Also, I remember my best friend’s brother and his friends were killed in a car accident in the 1970s when they crashed drunkenly into the lock number two. The car went airborne racing down the from the huge hill that led to it. I remember as a kid, we used to ride our bikes down there and look at it and try to imagine the horror that happened there that night. Pretty heavy emotions for a 8 yr olds. That hill going down was terrifying and fun, but you had to walk your bike for the trek back up. There used to be a tall watch tower made of wood on the other side of lock 2 on the edge of Rogers reservoir, that we would go up for a Birds Eye view and collect beer bottles for cash. Ahhh the 70’s.

  • @christopherh4307
    @christopherh4307 Před 10 dny

    Very cool video. Thanks for creating it!

  • @janis_runcis
    @janis_runcis Před 15 dny

    Thank you for the video about the town I live in for 17 years and I think I’ll live forever. ❤

  • @lisaeriksen657
    @lisaeriksen657 Před 29 dny +1

    Great video! Who knew? Very interesting and thank you!

  • @takethe101totarzana4
    @takethe101totarzana4 Před 22 dny

    Very cool video. Thanks for posting.

  • @teaeff8898
    @teaeff8898 Před 2 měsíci +2

    I enjoyed the video! A great print resource is A Work Unfinished by James T Angus. He wrote a number of books on the Trent-Severn.

    • @GWNorth-db8vn
      @GWNorth-db8vn Před 2 měsíci +1

      My great-grandfather came to Ontario to be an iron worker on the Peterborough lift locks and the family stayed. I always like to touch the metal when I'm there.

  • @jamesleslie2356
    @jamesleslie2356 Před 23 dny

    I love canals. Thanks for doing this. Well done. :)

  • @youknowitzg00d
    @youknowitzg00d Před 4 dny

    This was very well put together ❤❤

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 4 dny

      @@youknowitzg00d thanks a lot for the comment…. I had always wanted to visit that spot. .. and thanks for watching my channel!

  • @johnnynorfolk1
    @johnnynorfolk1 Před měsícem

    Thanks Kurt for making this video to share the hidden Ontario canal history 🌟
    There was a lot more canal building going on in Ontario 100-200 years ago than many people realize
    ....and maybe older than that too, as there's lots of hidden history in Ontario ✨️

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před měsícem

      Thanks I’m glad you liked it! And thanks for checking out my video!

  • @clairebourassa5943
    @clairebourassa5943 Před 2 měsíci

    Nice bike trail! Exploring is a great pastime!

  • @jtothefx
    @jtothefx Před 28 dny

    Thank you for making this video!

  • @denisturcott5131
    @denisturcott5131 Před 2 měsíci +2

    I remember that from the late 50's and early 60's and those areas were full of water. It is funny how the history lesson changes with time. More of the real reasons for the failure is now covered up and told differently. The water flow was stronger back in the early part of the century as less was removed for other things like today. Somewhere I have images of the height of the water and wrote articles on the Ghost Canal system. It is still interesting to see the old locks. All the canal systems in Canada have been failures for stupid reasons yet are admired by foreign visitors from around the world.

  • @avet22
    @avet22 Před měsícem

    Nice work ! Who knew !! Did a lot of bike riding there. Beautiful area.

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před měsícem

      Glad you liked the video….thanks for checking it out!

  • @georgehaeh4856
    @georgehaeh4856 Před měsícem +1

    Well thank you for this informative video. I used to fly out of the Holland Landing airport and wondered about the history of this canal.
    I'm not so sure about the Toronto Carrying Place as I suspect there was a reasonable portage between the West Holland River and the Humber watershed. Perhaps it was subsumed by Yonge Street.

  • @OntarioFirewoodResource

    As a boater, fisherman and geography enthusiast, I was fascinated about finding this canal system in a town that I grew up visiting before i got into fishing

  • @rcoleman6118
    @rcoleman6118 Před 10 dny

    Thanks so much for sharing, really interesting

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 10 dny

      @@rcoleman6118 i’m glad you like the video… Gives me motivation to make more! Thanks for watching it!

  • @robertdion848
    @robertdion848 Před měsícem

    Great video . Very informative and I’m going to make the trip to visit this place

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před měsícem

      Thanks I hope you find it as interesting as I did! And thanks for watching my video!

  • @carlweisser7732
    @carlweisser7732 Před 9 měsíci

    Great job Kurt, very interesting
    Cheers Carl W

  • @abegiesbrecht1148
    @abegiesbrecht1148 Před 22 dny

    This is cool. Thanks for sharing this.

  • @flipperfryer
    @flipperfryer Před 3 měsíci +2

    Thanks for the History

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 3 měsíci

      You’re welcome… and thanks for watching my video!

  • @jontooke846
    @jontooke846 Před dnem

    That was a awesome video I didn't have a clue about all that and the name of Newmarket

  • @thaidenslounge
    @thaidenslounge Před 6 dny

    Glad to see the area getting highlighted! Viewers please note that this is not in Newmarket but infact the town of East Gwillimbury.
    There's some interesting history behind the canal there. Much different landscape back in the 1800s!

  • @RaleighRich
    @RaleighRich Před 8 dny

    What a nice property to put a disc golf course on. 👍

  • @ronaldcumpsty5605
    @ronaldcumpsty5605 Před 10 dny

    That was a really interesting Video. It always amazes me as to the many unknown places Ontario has to offer. Thank you so much for bringing us along for the ride. How is the parking for out of area visitors.

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 9 dny

      Glad you liked it! There are many little parking lots around. I usually just check out google earth and street view to find parking....parks, malls etc. thanks for watching my channel!

  • @sz632
    @sz632 Před 27 dny

    Thanks for the video!

  • @bvds2007
    @bvds2007 Před měsícem

    Interesting. I’ve lived in the Newmarket area for 10+ years and didn’t have clue. I’ll have to look for those landmarks.

  • @huazhang4043
    @huazhang4043 Před 2 měsíci

    I always wonder what this low level water way is for, thanks for this relax and informative video! @12:11 , can you kayak to lake simcoe from here?

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 2 měsíci

      I was going to try to kayak to Lake Simcoe on this river…. But I read some reports from others who have tried it, and they did not recommend it. There were some obstacles and it just wasn’t a very nice paddle. Thanks for watching my video.!

  • @jlc928
    @jlc928 Před 7 dny +1

    We used to party by the Ghost locks in high school 😂

  • @roydesignedthat
    @roydesignedthat Před 2 měsíci +1

    Thanks, that was very cool! BestRoy

  • @ManfredBuchholz-jm8fb
    @ManfredBuchholz-jm8fb Před měsícem

    This is a great place ! I've known about it for yrs !!!

  • @Onlineghost2ohm
    @Onlineghost2ohm Před 3 dny

    Thank you 🙏 for clarifying the origin of the town’s name. I spent Grades 5-8 in Aurora, NewMarket and Holland Landing. Always thought it was named that for a reason lol. 😂 Makes perfect sense.

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 3 dny

      @@Onlineghost2ohm that’s great. I’m glad you like the video! And thanks for watching my channel! I thought the origin of the name Newmarket was interesting as well..

  • @markbarber7839
    @markbarber7839 Před měsícem

    Very interesting thanks!

  • @bobking1128
    @bobking1128 Před 8 měsíci

    Historically interesting. Thank you Kurt. Was that Carl Weisser of Honeywell fame, four items below? One of my former bosses. Looks like you are getting a fan club from Honeywell. Keep up the the interesting details and good work. Bob King

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 8 měsíci

      Thanks Bob! As long as there are places to explore I will keep making these videos...and yes that is Carl from Honeywell...!

  • @tomrogers9467
    @tomrogers9467 Před 2 měsíci

    I lived in Newmarket 1981 to 1989. I wish those trails had been there back then. You could see the locks beside the Tannery, but everything north of that was scrubland.

    • @GWNorth-db8vn
      @GWNorth-db8vn Před měsícem

      I think they filled in the turning basin somewhere in that time period. At that time, you could park just north of the tracks in the little lot, and there was a trail out through the marsh with a wooden observation tower. You couldn't see it from the road. There was a trail along the south bank of the reservoir that went along the river part to Green Lane, but it was muddy in places and lots of burr bushes.
      It's connected to the trail system all the way from Lake Ontario to somewhere in the frozen north now.

  • @DennisWintjes2
    @DennisWintjes2 Před 12 hodinami

    Thanks for sharing. Like 1.5K+

  • @outfishontario1272
    @outfishontario1272 Před měsícem

    I wonder how the fishing is there? Thanks for sharing

  • @TheFoxEssence
    @TheFoxEssence Před 6 dny

    Barrie was home… I miss growing up in this area. Im now stuck in Alberta 😅

  • @arthurgay5746
    @arthurgay5746 Před 25 dny

    You have to remember that when these canals were built we didn't have 18 wheeler trucks and trains only went to some places. You can put literally tons of freight on a barge and you can push it with a stick.

  • @jpotts8814
    @jpotts8814 Před 29 dny

    Cool video. Thanks. You would think some of it could be used for recreational boating/tourism.

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 29 dny +1

      That’s what I was thinking when I was checking it out….. it’s already there so it should be used for something. Thanks for watching my video!

  • @DarrellBishop-yi9jg
    @DarrellBishop-yi9jg Před 5 dny

    This is a good story. I have designed and built all of this modern infrastructure.

  • @aaronbenns9051
    @aaronbenns9051 Před 2 měsíci

    Cool i never knew that about new market

  • @OntarioHikingTrails
    @OntarioHikingTrails Před měsícem

    Lock #2 was the only one I visited. Soo Cool.

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před měsícem

      Yeah I thought it was super interesting too! Thanks for checking out my video!

  • @martinrochejocquelein1772

    Very nicely done..how far is it away from new market big mall

  • @ziggys745
    @ziggys745 Před 2 měsíci +1

    interesting I never heard of this

  • @realtruth716
    @realtruth716 Před měsícem

    Thanks pal i had no idea..

  • @BluffTrail
    @BluffTrail Před 26 dny

    Hi, what from the 65 till 78, and the reservoir was still going strong. Had no idea about any of this.

  • @rickbullock4331
    @rickbullock4331 Před měsícem

    I wonder if the Roger’s Reservoir had anything to do with the old Elias Rogers family who had a big Lake Simcoe Estate? Also related (cousins) to the Rogers Communications family.

  • @MisterMister5893
    @MisterMister5893 Před 4 dny

    They would walk from Newmarket to old Toronto? Wow.

  • @artjomslivenskis429
    @artjomslivenskis429 Před 13 dny

    Wow. Now I know why these places were built.

  • @backyardgarage
    @backyardgarage Před 27 dny

    Neat!

  • @Grnfinger
    @Grnfinger Před 6 dny

    Grandparents on my ( I use the term loosely) father side are from Newmarket .
    Never have I heard of this ghost canal you speak of and I'm 54 years old.

  • @scooby19784
    @scooby19784 Před 2 měsíci

    That was my great great a few more great grand father who started that new market he the guy standing in frontt table with fers on it

  • @stopsign515
    @stopsign515 Před 5 dny

    Interesting

  • @vickijankowski2945
    @vickijankowski2945 Před 2 měsíci

    Was this a continuation of the Holland river?

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 2 měsíci +2

      Hello.. it was the continuation of the East Holland River, which branches off of the main Holland River. Thanks for watching my video!

  • @xxch4osxx
    @xxch4osxx Před 25 dny

    I drive over lock 1 every day on my way home from work!

  • @DirtyMikeTM
    @DirtyMikeTM Před 22 dny

    I was born in Newmarket 1970, is this at Eagle and Main?

    • @Kurt_Outdoors
      @Kurt_Outdoors  Před 22 dny

      Yup! In that area. First time I had ever been to Newmarket! Nice place. Thanks for watching the video!

  • @byejimmy8645
    @byejimmy8645 Před 3 dny

    nice

  • @jeremiahh5500
    @jeremiahh5500 Před měsícem +1

    A lot of people from Newmarket used to hangout and drink there

  • @goldeneastgun
    @goldeneastgun Před 8 hodinami

    Can we kayak or paddle board down the river? 🙃