Name/Title
Springhurst Beach, Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Summer 1959Entry/Object ID
2026.6.11Scope and Content
Digital PhotographContext
Wasaga Beach, Springhurst section, Summer 1959.
From Peter Johnson: "As far as I am aware my great-aunts Marie & Florence PRENTICE bought the Cottage in the 1940s. They were teachers in Toronto at the time. By 1963 they had retired to Collingwood and they sold the Cottage to Kathryn (TILLER) & Donald JOHNSON. Kathryn 1918-2003 was a niece, her Mother being Myrtle Grace (PRENTICE) TILLER 1889-1959. The PRENTICE sisters and their other siblings were the children of Levi PRENTICE Jr & Eliza WHEELER, who farmed initially near Clarksburg, later on a farm near Meaford and finally on a farm near Nottawa. When they had passed away a number of antiques ended up at the Cottage. Theses included a Pump Organ which I donated to Collingwood Museum about 2001.
The Cottage was located in Springhurst Beach on the first road back from the Beach, possibly called Shore Ln. It was on the south side of the road while houses on the north side had Beach frontage. About two lots west of the Cottage there was a path from the road to the Beach. Once on the Beach, Percy’s store was not very far west of there. We always went to Collingwood on a Friday. The purpose was to acquire the latest weekly CHUM 1050 Music Chart. Also picked up some from the local radio station, based in Barrie.
In the early 1970s, the Government decided to expand the Provincial Park and started buying up cottage property. My Parents sold the Cottage in 1973. Little was done to enhance the Park at that time, but a lot of the Cottages were demolished. I have visited the location a few times since 1973."
Percy's was located approximately in the current area of Provincial Park Beach Area 6 with Springhurst Beach located in the area from 46th Street to 68th Street.
From “Sharing Memories – Stories of Wasaga’s Past”, page 10-13, written by Archivist, Mary Watson:
“Prior to the 1920s there were several small, populated areas that contained cottage courts, rental cabins, gas stations, their own summer post offices and a few year-round homes. These areas were named for the beaches that bounded them, such as Oakview, Springhurst and Brock’s Beach… As Wasaga grew, these beach areas were also amalgamated.” ... “In the 1920s, the original area of Wasaga Beach was bounded by 18th Street (Joan Avenue) easterly to Beck Street. In 1940, Wasaga became a Police Village, and was designated an Improvement District in 1946. Wasaga Beach became an incorporated Village in 1949…By 1966, Wasaga had annexed Oakview Beach from Sunnidale Township, with the boundaries being from 18th Street westerly to 45th Street.” ... “provincial legislation was passed to incorporate Wasaga Beach as a town on January 1, 1974, with its borders expanding to include parts of the Townships of Nottawasaga (Brock’s Beach), Sunnidale (Springhurst Beach), as well as part of Flos (New Wasaga Beach). This expanded the area of the town to 20 square miles, from 75th Street to the border of Tiny Township.”Acquisition
Accession
2026.6Source or Donor
Peter W. JohnsonAcquisition Method
Gift