Things to do around Marmora - Tennis - Swimming Lessons - Shopping - Hiking - Boating - Sailing - Water Skiing - Dances - Bingo - Events

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MUNICIPALITY OF MARMORA AND LAKE

DESTINATIONS

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

EVENTS

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Marmora Jamboree  http://www.marmorajamboree.com/

Festival of Lights http://festivaloflights.ca   June 25 - August 31, 2011

Westben Arts Festial Theatre - www.westben.ca 

Havelock Jamboree - August 18-21, 2011   https://www.havelockjamboree.com/

Skate Part - Madoc (ten minutes Marmora)  Board and bmx rentals http://centrehastingspark.ca

Golf - Oak Hills, Stirling, On  613 395-2611 and West Highland, Madoc Ontario 613 473 3880

Live Theatre - Stirling Theatre 613 395-2100 and Empire Theatre 613 969-0099 *Kiara Freitas of Glen Allan Park is once again one of the actresses this summer at the Empire Theatre in Belleville, Ontario

Places to eat!

Marmora Inn http://www.marmorainn.com/diningroom.html  613 472-6887
Country Home Baking and Tea Shop - Marmora 613 472-1794
Bunker's Hideaway - Marmora 613 472-5513

HISTORICAL SITES 

1. The Marmora Mine 

Marmora is located between the towns of Madoc and Havelock along highway 7 in Hastings County. The name Marmora is taken from the Latin word for "marble". 
 
The area was known for its rich iron content and mining operations began as early as the 1820's to extract and smelt this mineral. Today you will find the remains of the water-powered refinery along the eastern bank of the Crowe River while the northern bank of the Crowe held the richest ore deposits. 
 
At its prime, the area was home too as many as two dozen mines. Perhaps the most successful of the mines was that of the Marmoraton which opened in 1955. The Marmoraton was owned by Bethlehem Steel Mills of New York and exported iron ore pellets. 
 
In 1953, before the Marmoraton could open, engineers first had to blast through 120 feet of limestone before reaching the high-grade ore, which was underneath. One blasted out, the open pit mine measured approximately 1700 feet by 1200 feet and reached 600 feet deep. 
 
The mine employed some 300 men who worked to fill the 30 to 35-railway cars daily for transport south to Picton port where it was loaded into boats. The mine produced 520,000 tons of pellets annually. When the mine closed in 1979, it had mined almost 1.3 million tons of iron ore. Over time, underground streams and rainfall have slowly filled two thirds of the mine with water. So much so that it is now officially classified as a lake.

Marmora Mine Photos

Other photos available at:

http://www.ruralroutes.com/1299.html

www.ontarioabandonedplaces.com/marmora/marmora.asp 
 

2. The Miners Loop – A driving tour

3. Deloro Mine Site - http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/deloro/heritage.htm

Site not ready for tourism but may be of historical/environmental interest 
 

The Deloro Mine Site has a rich and important history. From its place in the Madoc Gold Rush, to its innovations in creating and producing metals and alloys, Deloro played a key role in the history of mining and industry in Canada.

There are many stories to be told about the Deloro Mine Site, its geology, its industry, its innovation and its people. There are also important lessons to be learned about the consequences of reckless exploitation of the environment - a legacy of our uninformed past - and the extensive cleanup that must follow.

While the first priority is to complete the cleanup of the mine site, the ministry is working with the community, heritage organizations, and other provincial ministries to preserve and promote the important natural, industrial, social and environmental history of the Deloro Mine Site. A heritage plan will be developed for the site that will include preservation of several remaining structures on the site, and the possible creation of on-site walking trails and commemorative plaques once the cleanup is complete.

Deloro Mine Site Heritage Initiative Committee 

4. Historical Plaques of Hastings County

PLAQUE #23

Location: The Legion Park, just north of Hwy. 7, at the west end of Marmora

PLAQUE #24 
Location: 1/2 km N. from H-way 7 in Marmora. It is in a park beyond the small park 
at the road, and quite close to the river. One can walk from the parking lot at the Wolf Station tourism centre, or drive through Marmora

PLAQUE #25 
Location: This wooden marker is located well back from the Crowe river, a bit  
more than 1/2 km N. from H-way 7 (Main St). This is on one of the village roads.

5. Church – Saint Mathilda’s

Saint Mathilda’s established in 1825 on the west bank of the Crowe River, was one of the very first Catholic churches in the interior of Upper Canada.  Over the years, it served as a first church for other faiths as well.  After 1875, when the new Roman Catholic Church was build, Marmora’s first church was abandoned.                
 

6. Historical Society

Has a variety of information on Marmora.  Many old pictures, industry treasures, period clothing etc. The downtown storefront is open Tuesdays 11-2 and Saturdays 9 - 12  
 

OTHER

Marmora Library - corner of hwy.7 and 14

Info - Madoc Skatepark Summer Program: This camp is an opportunity for children to get out, have fun, meet new people, and learn skateboarding, BMXing, in-line skating, or bike-riding skills. For children aged 5-12.
Information: www.centrehastingspark.com,
Contact Number: 613.473.5265, or 613.473.4030.

1. Greensides Farm – Mother of Divine Justice

At Farm In Canada, Claims Persist That The Blessed Mother Often Makes Visits

The owner of a farm in Canada where 30,000 have traveled in homage to the Blessed Mother asserts that apparitions have occurred for 14 years and continue to take place.

The farm, located in Marmora, Ontario, about 120 miles east of Toronto, has been the site of numerous claims since 1991, when phenomena erupted during a reunion of those who had journeyed to the famous apparition site of Medjugorje in former Yugoslavia.

The farm was owned by John Greensides, who died several years’ back, and his wife, Shelagh, 80, who is in the process of turning the land over to Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.

The local diocese based in Kingston has issued no official comment on the site, according to a diocesan spokesman, although a warning was issued from a bishop during the 1990s on the potentially harmful effects of staring at the sun.

Many who have visited claim to have seen the solar orb act strangely -- a claim made at a number of alleged apparition sites -- or to catch an actual glimpse of the Blessed Mother. Among visitors to the farm have been Ukrainian mystic Josyp Terelya, Medjugorje seer Ivan Dragicevic, and Venezuelan seer Maria Esperanza.

The Greensides had placed Stations of the Cross around a field and into the woods for the reunion and it is at the Tenth Station, where Christ is stripped of His garments, that much of the phenomena takes place.

The visions started with alleged solar phenomena on June 24, 1991. "That evening at 6:30 p.m. a lady got up to the microphone and said she saw the miracle of the sun and when we looked it was spinning and went down and back up like at Fatima," Shelagh says. "The next spring Our Lady appeared to ten children all in one day. They were aged four to 14 and went into ecstasy. Different people have seen her."

Among the children was an 11-year-old girl named Marci Guinto from Mississauga, Ontario, who first saw Our Lady, allegedly, on August 23, 1992. Since that time, dozens of statues have since oozed oil in the girl's presence (including during a visit by Spirit Daily).

A nun who has written a book about Marmora says that the actual origins of the phenomena may greatly predate Medjugorje.

"About 45 years ago, a little boy named Karl Clemens lived on the family farm about two kilometers east of the village of Marmora," writes Sister Alice Johnson, a member of the Sisters for Christian Unity in Peterborough, Ontario. "The film, 'Our Lady of Fatima,' was shown at the village, and Karl was very moved by it. Afterwards, he climbed to the top of the hill at the back of the farm, and spoke to Our Blessed Mother, 'You did it there. Why don't you do it here too, so that people can get to know you better?' Karl and his brothers grew up, and eventually left the farm. After some years in the teaching profession, Karl became a priest. The family farm was sold and in 1972 was bought by Shelagh and John Greensides. Twenty years later, Our Blessed Mother answered young Karl's prayer."

Or so it is claimed at this time when such claims are endless. In Canada, Marmora lays claim as the most active and well-known site at a time of great social turmoil.

"I had a vision of the Blessed Mother in 1992," recalls Shelagh, who has sixty grandchildren and great-grandchildren. "She appeared as if she was in a picture in the sky. One night I was sitting on the chesterfield and got a very heavy feeling. When I asked in prayer if I was wrong about the vision -- if it was real -- I saw the exact same thing again." At that moment, says Mrs. Greensides, she was granted a locution telling her to give a Miraculous Medal to everyone who visited. The number of pilgrims is estimated by the fact that she has handed out more than 30,000 of the medals.

As always, we urge prayer and fasting for discernment before visits to any such site, and the Greensides themselves have warned about attacks from the enemy: that not all who claim to be seers there are legitimate. At the same time, there is spring water at the farm and some claim it has healing effects in this time when so many need healing, especially the inner kind.

2. Summer Farmer’s Market

The Farmers Market is held at Memorial Park Saturdays from June – October (Thanksgiving weekend).  The first Saturday in June is the kick-off celebration featuring family activities.  The Market hours are 8am – 1pm weekly.        

3. Trails

Brian Goodchild Memorial Trail

This is a quaint trail adjacent to the river.  It is wheelchair accessible and is open to walkers and bikers.  It is not open to motorized vehicles.  The trail is about three kilometers long and takes you past the dam and other sites. 

The Marmora Mine Trail

This Multi use trail is open to all recreational enthusiasts.  You can get to the trail via Mary St. or Highway 7.  The trail connects to the Hastings Heritage Trail and is also part of the Eastern Ontario Trails Association.  Contact the Tourist Information Centre for information on permit requirements. 
 

The Marmora Crowe River Trail

This Multi use trail is open to all recreational enthusiasts.  You can get to the trail via Highway 7 and McLeary Road.  The trail connects to the Trans Canada Trail system and is also part of the Eastern Ontario Trails Association.  Contact the Tourist Information Centre for information on permit requirements. 

Nayler's Common

This wetland area was chosen for its many unique ecologically significant features. Although a majority of the property is swamp, it also includes fens, marshlands, bogs and forests; all of which attract a diversity of animals and birds. In addition the property is a treasure trove of plants, fungi and trees. The three main trails in Nayler's Common Wetland & Trails provide visitors the opportunity to observe different ecosystems and natural features.   

Some of the trails within Marmora and Lake require EOTA trail passes. These are available at the Tourist Information Centre. For further information on Marmora and Lakes Trails please contact the Tourist Information Centre 9 Matthew St  Marmora, Ontario, K0K2M0  613-472-1515  613-472-1515 marmoratourism@bellnet.ca.        
 
4. Conservation Areas

Crowe Bridge Conservation Area

Crowe Bridge is currently closed we are sorry for any inconvenience that may cause you.

The Gut Conservation Area

The Gut Conservation Area is a 162 ha site located approximately 11 kilometers from Apsley on concession 1 in Lake Township.

The Crowe Valley Conservation Authority purchased the land in 1976 with the co-operation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and The Nature Conservancy of Canada.

The property is rugged and rocky with dense bush and a mixed hardwood forest.  

It encompasses a prominent geological feature known locally as the "Gut". The Gut is a gorge through which the Crowe River flows through for 230 meters.

The fissure that forms the Gut is over 30 meters high and the width varies from 5 to 10 meters. The gorge is has a breath taking view of this unique terrain.

History

There have been some Indian artifacts found at The Gut Conservation Area. These artifacts indicate that the area was used by natives as a battlefield.

More recently the area was owned by lumber companies who used the Crowe River to transport their logs to the market. Local residents might remember the Pearce Lumber Co. (1850-1950) and the Armstrong Lumber Co. (1950-1976) as the previous owners owned the property.  The loggers left their mark on this land by reducing the size of the waterfalls to minimize the damage done to the logs.  

The Gut is gorge-ous

Magazine Article Published in Country

Cottage, By Cindy Rennie   

Named by Loggers, conservation area has dramatic view.  
Falls worth the trip to river northeast of Peterborough.

COE HILL, ONT.- It was christened The Gut by local loggers sometime in the 1800's and so it has remained.

They left no explanation but somehow the name stuck.

That mysterious past is apropos for one of the cottage country's hidden gems, an inspiring place witnessed by a lucky few.  

For Years, a rustic hand painted sign on Highway 620 that read The Gut was the only thing that marked it as a possible destination.

Whether it was the nondescript sign of the remoteness of the location, this area has remained pristine and unspoiled.The subdued sign has been updated to show it's a conservation area but there are no mileage

markers to indicate how far you must travel to reach the gorge. Rest assured. It's worth the trip.

The gorge is just outside the Kawartha's, about an hour's drive northeast of Peterborough.  

On 620 approximately Coe Hill, watch closely for a small brown and yellow sign. Twelve Kilometers along South Lake Rd., you'll find the 2-kilometer entrance. It's single lane and it's rugged.

The moment you leave your car your drawn by the sound of the rumble of The Gut.

Rustic stairs lead you gently down through deciduous forest, which gives way to Precambrian outcroppings. Majestic white pines towering above you seem magically rooted in the pink and grey granite underfoot. Long delicate needles filter the sun's radiance. A barrier of cedar rails separates visitors from the 30-meter drop to the Crowe River just below the falls. And this is why you come-the falls.  

Springs find them full of fury and fear keeps you back form the power of the rushing water tumbling over 7 to 9 meters of black rock.

Once spring runoff is over, the river settles down. Summer provides lush foliage along the shoreline and gentle waters. Autumn's palette only enhances the panorama.  

Unlike so many public places this one is a photographer's dream. Totally accessible. There are no fences or walls to keep you out. When conditions allow, you're free to venture down to the bottom of the falls or wade into the river above them and capture incredible images.

There's a serenity here that's hard to describe. Perhaps it's the quite seclusion, the sound of water that's alive or the spirit of the people past. It's a place that rejuvenates the soul.

"People compare it to the Eloa Gorge but it's better," says Ken Phillips, general manager of the Crowe Valley Conservation Authority, who grew up in Hamilton, and believes the name could be related to the small waterfall created by the bulge of the rock in the river.  
 

Phillips says local lore has The Gut as the site of a bloody battle between Iroquois and Huron's in 1650, Iroquois arrowheads have been found in the area. It's believed the present-day waterfall was once much higher but blasted away by loggers in the mid-1800 to allow logs to travel the Crowe. Pearce Lumber Company owned the property from 1850-1950 before selling to Armstrong Lumber Company. The Crowe Valley Conservation Authority bought it in 1976 for $28,000 and has managed it ever since.  

They don't get much of a budget, hence the lack of signage. Recognizing, "It really is in the middle of nowhere", he estimates, at the height of the tourism season it draws 10-20 visitors a day.   
 

Callaghan Rapids 
 

Follow Hwy 7 east from Peterborough, and continue east past Havelock. Watch for Tiffen Rd on the left, which is the second concession road west of the town of Marmora. Turn right on Tiffen Rd and follow to the end at Callaghan Rapids Rd. Turn left on to this road and follow to the end. This road leads to a passive conservation area, bordering the Crowe River. Park your car and walk out to the river. While it depends on where you park, you will probably need to turn right and walk downstream along the river for a few hundred meters to see the falls.  

Callaghan's Rapids is a very small, but very wide plunge waterfall. There are at least two "Falls" of no more than one meter in height, each spanning the entire width of the river, which here is about 40 to 60 m across. When river flows are low enough (probably much of the year), you can walk out and explore the riverbed. The upper "falls" is interesting in that it is formed on a wedge-shaped outcrop of limestone which appears to be beveled down to a sharp edge, right at the crest of the falls.  
 
The lower falls is of similar dimensions, but does not exhibit the "beveled-edge" crest. Instead, the river drops over a broad limestone step, about one meter in height. Several large slabs of limestone litter the riverbed immediately downstream of the falls. Erosion has probably separated these slabs from the rock formation forming the crest of the waterfall. It is quite possible that these slabs are slid downstream along the riverbed during periods of very high flow in the river. River flows able to accomplish this would be rare, yet are responsible for much of the geomorphology (shape) of a river and its banks.

LAKES

Dickey Lake

Located in the Municipality of Marmora and Lake Dickey Lake is a great vacation spot.  There are facilities and cottage rentals and great fishing. Boat Launches Available. www.dickeylake.ca

Tangamong Lake

Tangamon Lake is a lake in Hastings County, at the easternmost end of the Kawartha Lakes chain.  It is also part of the Crowe River Conservation Region.  Tangamong Lake is host to a variety of fish species, including: large and small mouth bass, walleye, northern pike, perch, bluegill and musky.  Tangamong is fed by the Crowe River to the North and Troutling Bay in the West.  Boat Launch Available.

Whetstone Lake

Whetstone Lake is in Hastings County.  Tangamong flows into Whetstone via a small waterfall and then the flow carries on through the Crowe River.

Crowe Lake

Crowe Lake is in located in the municipality of Marmora and Lake.  There are many cottages and rental places on the lake.  Boat Launches  north of Hwy. 7 approximately one mile on Cordova Road,  RV and Cottage Rentals at Glen Allan Park, Marmora, Ontario 613 472-2415

Crowe River

The Crowe River is a river in eastern Ontario, which flows south from Paudash Lake near Bancroft, through Crowe Lake near Marmora and continues south to join the Trent River north of Campbellford.  At one time, the river was used to transport logs down to sawmills at Marmora.  The river powers several small hydroelectric generating stations.

Boat Launch Available 

Thanet Lake

Thanet Lake is sandwiched between highway 28 to the north and 62 to the east.  There are few cottages along the shore of Thanet Lake and the lake remains undeveloped for the most part.  There are no developed facilities available at Thanet Lake but rustic Crown Land camping is certainly possible.  Supplies could be found in the town of Apsley. No Boat Launches 

LOCAL ANNUAL EVENTS

1. Marmora Sno-Fest

The eastern part of Ontario has become renown for sled dog competitions. It has been part of the winter activities of our area since 1979 and grows every year. It is held on the first weekend of February for 3 days and encompasses other attractions such as a lumberjack competition, craft sale, chili contest, little nippers contest, sale of sleds and dog supplies, sleigh rides, environmental displays, a curling Bonspeil, old timers' hockey, skating and various food and beer facilities. The dogs and their drivers are amazingly skilled and race anywhere from a 6 km course to an overnight endurance race. Visit: www.marmorasnofest.com 
 

2.  Crowe Valley Lions Country Music Jamboree

Every year the second weekend in June at the Fairgrounds.

http://www.crowevalleylionsjamboree.ca

3. Marmora Country Music Jamboree 

Buck Warren and the Crowe Valley Lions Club gave birth to the Jamboree in the fall of 2002. It is held at the fairgrounds on the 2nd weekend of September and has grown phenomenally from its conception. There are 3 days of country music. Camping is available on the fairground site where the private jam sessions are as much fun as the entertainment on stage. The price for the weekend has always been so affordable and the Jamboree Circuit is now part of country life. For those who cannot get space at the fairgrounds, the area has many campgrounds available. Bus service to outside parks allows easy access to the events. Visit: www.marmorajamboree.com

4. MACK Fest 

This event brought over 200 people to our municipality.  All of the B&B’s and motels were booked.

Marmora Area Canoe and Kayak Festival.  Annual event in April. www.mackfest.ca

5. Family Day

Annual event the first Saturday in August.  Takes place on Forsythe St in the parkette.  Lots of children’s activities, shopping and much more.

6. Fall Agricultural Fair – Annually Labour Day Weekend 
This event signifies the end of summer for many people and is always held on Labour Day weekend. It starts on Saturday and carries through Monday. It is organized by the Marmora Agricultural Society and has been a tradition of the area for over 100 years. 
The outdoors will have rides, a midway, games and loads of scrumptious food. The smell of fried onions can make many people give up the diet for the day. Some events are fun to watch like the horse pull, the "little fiddle" contest, the demolition derby and the car show.   

7. Canada Day Celebrations

Annually on July 1^st put on by the Crowe Valley Lions Club 

8. Thursday Night Cruise Nights    

Weekly cars line Forsythe St. From 6 – 9pm.  Some nights see over 120 old and vintage cars. 

9. Tuesday Night Music In the Park

Sponsored by the Crowe Valley Lions Club every Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in Memorial Park 

10. Municipal Halloween Spooktacular

On Halloween the parks are haunted for good time fun.  This family event is one of Marmora’s many traditions. 

11.  Marmora Santa Clause Parade

   Annual event put on by the Lions Club 

 Watch the Bulletin Board at Hwy. 7 in Marmora for Bingos, Dances and other events!  They are posted often.

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