The Lost Hamlet of Woodlands?

Woodlands is one of the small, forgotten settlements among the Lost Villages of the St. Lawrence Seaway. 

After more than six decades spent underwater, these Lost Villages have become "The Atlantis of Ontario".

Located just south of modern day Ingleside, the farming community of Woodlands was also a summer tourist destination.

The name carries on today with the Woodlands Campsite.








The original settlement known as "Woodlands" is now submerged, somewhere along the Old Highway #2 (also underwater).

But where exactly is this long lost hamlet?

The maps provide a generally vague direction, and each map shows a slightly different location. The tiny hamlet of Woodlands almost gets forgotten behind the larger nearby Lost Villages of Aultsville and Farran's Point.

While small in population, Woodlands may have stretched further than one might imagine... Farms generally being further apart than residential dwellings, Woodlands could have stretched all the way to just south of modern Farran Park Campground.




A number of shoals exist in this section of river - Directly south of Ingleside, right along the Old Highway #2.

Huge piles of rocks... Or foundations???




















In the series of shoal markers from Long Sault to Ingleside, this one bears number 17.

(Southeast of Farran Park Campground, Southwest of McLaren Campground)

Zooming in with Google Maps, the eerie shapes begin to appear...
Stones arranged in shapes that can only be man-made.

Squares and rectangles beneath the waves - Buildings of two farm properties, side by side?

Looking southeast at these rocky shoals from the small unnamed island south of Farran Park Campground.
(the island bears the orange shoal marker number 19)

This tiny island is technically on the same "shelf" as Bredin Island - Is it possible that Woodlands extended this far?
















Bredin Island on the left, Croil Island on the right.

Woodlands, under the water somewhere.
























Extreme zoom, looking southeast (from the tiny unamed island south of Farran Campground).



























Down from the current (looking north from the tiny island south of Farran's Park) is a huge sand bar, with history potentially burried beneath it.

A small square and rectangle have caught my attention on Google Maps.

With a collection of big rocks lined up together, I believe that yet another farmhouse and barn were located just off the southeastern tip of this unnamed island.












I have also heard of a Woodlands church foundation that's above water - although I'm unsure of the location. Someone may have simply confused it with the church foundation on Wales Island.

Apparently there were two churches in Woodlands, at least one of them located by the cemetery along the Old Highway #2.



As for "downtown" Woodlands (presumably further east) - That particular stretch of Old Highway #2 appears to be in remarkably good condition. Following the highway on Google Maps, one can make out tiny foundations that dot the line, pretty much all the way to the next sunken hamlet (Santa Cruz).

On a calmer (and warmer) day, I'd be interested in checking it out to see what else is down there...

Shoals on the St. Lawrence (Marking Long Sault to Ingleside)

Rocks in the middle of the river,
southeast of Long Sault Parkway

A number of shoals exist on the St. Lawrence River, making the waterway particularly challenging to navigate.

Seems as if someone has placed approximately 20 of these orange markers from Long Sault to Ingleside.

Each has an orange triangle with a black stencilled number. The digits begin in the east and progress west.

Huge rock pile, evidence of something man-made...

The first shoal I noticed was southeast of the Long Sault Parkway, approximately one kilometer south of Moulinette Island, Long Sault.

I've dubbed it "Sheek Island Shoal". Old maps seem to indicate that this was once part of Sheek Island.

I now believe this huge pile of rocks to be the remains of the "Sheek Island Dam" that would have been located in this area.












I'll have to re-visit the Long Sault Parkway to confirm, but the next marker  may be just off Royal Baker Island where a section of Old Highway 2 emerges as a hazard.

South of Farran Park Campground

Some of these orange markers indicate treacherous rocks that can be hidden below the water...

Other markers appear to be placed on small islands.

Bredin Island

Marker number 15 at Bredin Island, just south of Ingleside.

Marker 17, just north of Old Highway 2

Another exists southwest of the Parkway, near another section of Old Highway 2.

Huge rocks are dangerously close to the surface, often emerging when water levels are low. This is marker number 17.

Possible location of farm buildings and dwellings from the lost hamlet of Woodlands?

Standing on the unnamed island south of Farran Park

Directly south of the Farran Campground is an unamed island, that everybody and their dog visits in the summertime (literally).

Marker number 19 can be found here.

Looking north towards Farran Park Campground

The wooden markers are still relatively solid, some of them managing to survive for over a decade now.

It's neat to find them as part of this scavenger hunt - But sadly, some of them may not exist anymore...

Ice flowing downriver in the springtime is strong enough to move concrete blocks - A wooden sign post can only last so long.

During this leg of the "scavenger hunt", markers 16 and 18 appear to be MIA.

Remains of Farran's Point

The markers conclude somewhere around the ruins of Farran's Point (with marker number 20), west of Farran Park Campground (southwest of Ingleside).



Not sure if these orange signs were part of a documentation or study, but I've always been curious.

It's only in one small section of the river, and they don't seem to be "official" (not installed by the government, Hydro or Seaway).

Hazard marker number 20, Farran's Point
Standing on Old Highway 2, looking towards the re-located County Road 2

The sign post of marker number 20 at Farran's Point has been broken.

Seems fellow explorers have propped it back up with rocks.

It may very well float away in the spring of 2022.

Mallard Ducks

Always see ducks on the river in the fall, have noticed even more Mallards this year...

Appears to be three males and one female in this group.

Thunder in Paradise... (CSL's THUNDER BAY)

Tamarack tree beside the river's edge

Was hoping to be at the river in time to see the Canada Steamship Lines-owned THUNDER BAY make her way upstream.

The view is always great, particularly on this cold but clear autumn day.




















Waiting for the ship to arrive, noticed a fairly large group of Mallard Ducks in the bay.

Happened to capture some of them mid-flight.



















The bow of THUNDER BAY (3) appeared first as the vessel emerged from behind an island.

At one time, CSL's "Bay Class" was made up of straight-deck bulk carriers.

The modern-day "Bay Class" is comprised of self-unloaders.

















The ship will continue upriver, but directly ahead of her is a huge pile of road salt, some of which was delivered by her sister ship BAIE COMEAU.

(The ALGOMA COMPASS and ALGOMA INTREPID have also dropped salt here this year)













This is actually the third "THUNDER BAY" to sail in CSL colors. The very first "THUNDER BAY" was originally a barge from 1890, converted to a steamer when she was acquired by Canada Steamship Lines in 1921.
https://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/GreatLakes/Documents/Scanner/10/07/default.asp?ID=s008







The second "THUNDER BAY" (1952) also had a forward pilothouse.

This vessel was initially built as a straight-deck bulk carrier.







THUNDER BAY (2) was converted to a self-unloader (in 1967-68) and bore the name STADACONA (3) with a black hull until she was scrapped in 1991.

Leave it to Beaver (Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary)

The Lost Village of Aultsville is someplace that I'd hoped to see again...

A bit of a cool-down exercise to stretch the legs, I decided to scout out the remains of Aultsville village from land. This of course meant travelling down Aultsville Road and through the Bird Sanctuary.

On the way to the river's edge, just happened to catch a couple of busy Beavers preparing for winter. Apparently their efforts have increased with the layer of ice forming over the past two nights. I'm told that their swimming back and forth keeps a path of open water from freezing, at least until later in the winter.



Today's journey to Aultsville led to a dead-end. Beyond the bike path, the old Aultsville Road disappeared into the willows and beneath the river, with nothing to be seen. A couple big rocks from a lone foundation may have been visible, but old Aultsville was still underwater.

Could have sworn that I saw a relatively large canine immediately after sunset. Too dark to tell for sure, but I'm sure it was a Coyote. 

At least I didn't waste a trip on the water, searching for a place that doesn't even exist anymore.


Aultsville is like something from Pirates of the Carribean...
"that which cannot be found except by those who already know where it is."

Stumbled upon this divers' photograph of an old Aultsville bridge!

Loosely translated in English:

"This road bridge of ancient Highway 2 is situated on the west side of the [Lost Village] of Aultsville...  The concrete bridge is 2 metres high by 4 metres wide by 13 metres long. The opening of the tunnel is 3 metres wide by 1 metre high... 

Following the old Nelson street just to Old Highway 2. Turn right and follow Highway 2 to the bridge."

In all the years trolling for Smallmouth Bass over the Old Highway #2, I never even knew this existed.

Check their website for a couple more pictures of this underwater bridge.
https://www.scubapedia.ca/index.php/Aultsville_Highway_2_Bridge

Scheepvaartverkeer...

Two Dutch vessels on the Seaway, one right after the other...

MORGENSTOND I was upbound, with favorable lighting conditions to get some memorable snapshots (as compared to the downbound VOLGABORG).

I kinda like the look of this rather unusual crane ship. With a beautiful shiny blue hull, it's hard to believe she was built in 2006.

Didn't realize that this vessel is a member of the Royal Wagenborg fleet...

All the other ships I've seen are painted grey with red striping, and "WAGENBORG" painted on the side.

Another example of a saltwater ship with a tall, narrow cabin structure.

Not much for a smokestack, just a small graphic on the housing of an exhaust pipe.

Chasing the sunset on a November afternoon...

It's not even 2pm, but the sun will be setting in a couple hours.