Collingwood Historical Society

10/21/2026

Upcoming event focusing on the history of Collingwood: Tickets still available through the Theatre Collingwood Box Office. (705-445-2200) See 4 locally written plays about the history of Collingwood, performed by local actors. Complimentary snack at intermission.

10/01/2026

The Telfer family left their mark on Collingwood and spread the town’s name across Canada. In his October Stories of Collingwood, David Vuckson follows the business history of the younger Telfer's. Follow the link to read the full story.

https://collingwoodhistoricalsociety.com/stories/f/other-telfer-businesses-of-collingwood-in-the-19th-century

09/01/2026

David Vuckson's September "Stories of Collingwood" follows the history of James William Archer (1850-1936). The Archer family arrived in Collingwood in 1873 and started business in March 1878. He was burned out in the big fire of 1881, and reopened near the present day CIBC. His business sold general groceries, crockery, glassware, canned goods, fruits and vegetables. Archer specialized in supplying the many ships using Collingwood harbour. For the complete story of HW Archer, follow

https://collingwoodhistoricalsociety.com/stories/f/j-w-archer-a-pioneer-collingwood-merchant

08/03/2026

We have received an interesting information request from the Historical Society Maartensdijk the Netherlands.

Lisan Koppenol is writing a story about 11 Canadians who were given shelter by the underground in Maartensdijk 1944-1945.

They are requesting any information about William (Wally/Bill) Rice who gave an address of Box 58, Collingwood Ontario. They did not have his military number. He was believed to be part of the 1st Canadian Army, either motor brigade or tank driver.

William Rice was taken prisoner by the Germans during the battle of the Scheldt in Belgium near the Leopold Canal. After capture, William was taken to Utrecht in the Netherlands, escaped from a PoW-train and stayed near Soest. A policeman, Mr. De Vries, took care of the 4 Canadians who fled the train near Soest. William was helped and sheltered for the remaining of the war.
They would like to know about William, including his day of birth and day he died.
We would appreciate any assistance members could offer.

08/02/2026

https://collingwoodhistoricalsociety.com/stories/f/the-manitoba-house-hotel

Manitoba House? Ever hear of it? Long forgotten, this part of Collingwood’s history was a small hotel that stood on Huron St. between the east end of the Globe (Mt. View) Hotel and the west end of the shipyard’s huge machine shop. It was a very narrow building, only three windows wide at the second and third floor levels. Follow the link below to read David Vuckson's latest Stories of Collingwood.

06/30/2026

1867-2026. Happy Canada Day

06/30/2026

David Vuckson's July Stories of Collingwood continues June's look at the Collingwood Shipyard and World War 2.
Follows the link to the CDHD website and read the full story!

WORLD WAR II AT THE COLLINGWOOD SHIPYARDS AND HER SISTER SHIPYARDS IN KINGSTON, MIDLAND AND PORT ARTHUR (Thunder Bay)—H. David Vuckson

06/05/2026

In the June edition of Stories of Collingwood David Vuckson reviews the state of Great Lakes shipping and shipbuilding as reflected by the Collingwood Shipbuilding Company.

WORLD WAR I AT THE COLLINGWOOD SHIPBUILDING COMPANY—H. David Vuckson

06/03/2026

Our first fundraising dinner of the year is coming quickly! Be sure to get your tickets for a fun night of good food and great music!

05/08/2026

Second try!
From the arrival of the railway in 1855, Collingwood's waterfront, as well as its downtown, experienced a series of significant and catastrophic fires. David Vuckson, in his May edition of Stories of Collingwood, traces the impacts of these events fire on Collingwood's waterfront

FIRE AT THE HARBOUR FREIGHT SHEDS!--H. David Vuckson