Normandale -- Ghost Town and Ontario’s Original Steel Town
Normandale is a veritable “ghost town”. While I don’t know of any hauntings, it earned its nickname due to a rapid reduction of residents after a short-lived boom in the 1800s. Today, however, no more than 200-300 people live there.
Another noteworthy tidbit about this miniature town is its dibs on an Ontario “first”. It may be surprising, and is definitely contrary to popular belief, but Hamilton is not Ontario’s original steel town. Instead, this smaller than small town claimed that title in the early 19th century.
Normandale sits along the shores of Lake Erie in Norfolk County. At its peak in the mid- to late-19th century, between 400 and 750 residents called this little lakeside town home. An old gazetteer published in 1846 described Normandale as “having a population of 300. A thriving village with a post office, a tavern, one tailor and two shoemakers.” Today, a short drive through the town will reveal a few restored century homes and some small cottages dotting the quiet streets.
A nod to its historic roots as Ontario’s first steel town, the name Normandale refers to Ontario’s first iron furnace. The Van Norman Company was built in 1822. Thanks to the large peat bogs in the area, the Great Lake’s shores were the perfect location to manufacture iron. After burning in a furnace, bog ore transforms into iron, which can then be moulded into numerous useful items. The Van Norman Company produced the popular Van Norman cooking stove, iron kettles, other kitchen tools like pots and pans, and farming machinery.
Nothing is left of the Van Norman Company other than slag fragments, by-products of iron production, found in the river. Mill Lane, where the foundry once stood, is now a tree-filled area, visible on the screenshot of Google Maps. You can easily see why it’s been dubbed the Normandale ghost town.
Due to the foundry’s importance as one of Upper Canada’s first industrial businesses, the village was designated a National Historic Site in 1927. The only marker of the building is a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque, west of Potter’s Creek.
Normandale is located 5km northeast of Turkey Point. When visiting the Union Hotel and the neighbouring Post Office, there is “street parking” available. I did not see public toilets anywhere in Normandale. Make sure to bring your own water and snacks, or head to Turkey Point’s Sandbar on the Beach for the most fantastic burger of your life.
Comments
Post a Comment