Three titles in Andrew Hind and Maria Da Silva’s acclaimed series on the local history, maritime colour, and even the shadowy side of Ontario’s most picturesque communities. From ghost towns to actual ghosts, the unexpected abounds in this collection of the most surprising corners of Ontario — a must for cottagers and local-history lovers, brought to you by two of the best!Includes:RMS SegwunGhost Towns of Muskoka...

Explore the remnants of vanished villages across Ontario’s cottage country.Crumbling foundations lost in the forest, weathered buildings leaning wearily with age, cracked tombstones jutting from the ground — all serve as haunting reminders of once thriving villages that have since been abandoned. Each of these locales has a distinct story to tell, stories that until now were confined to fading memories and grainy photographs.From the northern shores of Geor...

Ghost Towns of Muskoka explores the tragic history of a collection of communities from across Muskoka whose stars have long since faded. Today, these ghost towns are merely a shadow -- or spectre -- of what they once were. Some have disappeared entirely, having been swallowed by regenerating forests, while others have been reduced to foundations, forlorn buildings, and silent ruins. A few support a handful of inhabitants, but even these towns are wrapped in a ghostly shroud.But thi...

Niagara is rich with fascinating stories, from daredevils to heroics.From the horrors during the War of 1812, to murder, to technological innovation and the birth of the modern tourist industry, Niagara has seen it all:In 1901, Annie Taylor was the first person to go over the falls in a barrel…and survive.It is said that the former Houdini Hall of Fame was cursed by the dead escape artist himself, and that he was responsible for its demise.For two weeks in 1...

Before it was known as Ontario’s cottage country, resorts made Muskoka one of Canada’s most popular vacation destinations.Try to imagine Muskoka without its iconic resorts: Deerhurst, with its tradition of warm hospitality dating back more than a century; Sherwood Inn, which continues to define old-style Muskoka; or JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa, reaching new heights of elegance. You can’t do it. Muskoka’s resorts are so thoroughly woven into the tap...

Muskoka is a beloved region for summertime frivolity—a popular destination for tourists and cottagers.The region is also home to a remarkably varied and interesting history.This book explores stories that most people, residents included, likely know little about.Meet Dangerous Dan, a two-fisted brawler who fought his way into legend though countless lumber camps and booze-soaked taverns.Learn how one man’s vision and hard work transformed Bala into the “Cran...

A new, expanded edition detailing Niagara-on-the-Lake’s ghostly inhabitants.Long-dead British soldiers, grieving lovers, lingering spirits — Niagara-on-the-Lake’s long and colourful history is kept alive by ghosts of its past.Through historical investigation and eyewitness accounts, Andrew Hind and Maria Da Silva share over two dozen ghostly tales: a murdered British officer haunts the Olde Angel Inn, a ghostly widow retaliates against couples, a condemned ...

The view 16-year-old Thomas Osborne first had of Muskoka was at night, trudging alone with his even younger brother along unmarked primitive roads to find their luckless father who, in 1875, had decided to make a new start for his beleaguered family on some "free land" in the bush east of the pioneer village of Huntsville, Ontario. The miracle is that Thomas lived to tell the tale.For the next five years Thomas endured starvation, falling through the ice and freezing, accidents wit...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The New York Times bestselling author of The Invited will shock you with a simmering psychological thriller about ghostly secrets, dark choices, and the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters. • "One of the year's most chilling novels." —The Miami HeraldWest Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was fou...

New York Times and USA Today BestsellerWith the dead of a bitter Vermont winter closing in, evil is alive and well . . .Frank Rath thought he was done with murder when he turned in his detective's badge to become a private investigator and raise a daughter alone. Then the police in his remote rural community of Canaan find an '89 Monte Carlo abandoned by the side of the road, and the beautiful teenage girl who owned the car seems to have disappea...

Terry Boyle unveils the eccentric and bizarre in these mini-histories of Ontario's towns and cities: the imposter who ran the Rockwood Asylum in Kingston; Ian Fleming's inspiration for James Bond; the Prince of Wales's undignified crossing of Rice Lake; the tragic life of Joseph Brant; the man who advertised his wife's death before poisoning her; as well as Ontario's first bullfight and the answer to the question, "Why did so many lumberjacks sport beards?"The colourful characters,...

On the morning of June 13, 1886, a rogue wind fanned the flames of a small clearing fire—and within five hours, the newly incorporated city of Vancouver, British Columbia, had been reduced to smoldering ash. Vancouver is Ashes: The Great Fire of 1886 is the first detailed exploration of what happened on that pivotal, yet seldom revisited day in the history of Canada’s third-largest city. Lisa Anne Smith tells the story with numerous archival photographs. She uses eye-witness accounts to de...