The supporting doccuments have been passed to me by Frank Threlkeld who is a long time resident and ardent advocate of the Bay.
This first entry is a transcription of a doccument compiled by Tom Mohr in 1998 on behalf of the Pickering Township Historical Society. Since I am a Kayaker and not a Data-Entry specialist I will enter this in a series of pages.
The History of Frenchman's Bay
A discussion of Frenchman's Bay is a study in change. We are all familiar with the concept that; if a society doesn't change, it stagnates. Change in human society is generally abrupt rather than gradual. It isn't instantaneous; there are transitional periods and that is where the drama tends to be found. The other side of the coin, though, is that these times are usually poorly documented and that which is Known may be biased to some degree, most likely in favour of the dominant culture. Therefore the historian must not only document facts, but also interpret data as well. That is why our historical perspective remains in flux and why the task of recounting our collective past is never really complete.
Frenchman's Bay has seen many changes; it has witnessed the passing of cultures and technology. It has also figuted in the transitional periods between them. It is part of our cultural landscape. History reveals little, though not for a lack of research.
Frenchman's Bay ought to be familliar to most of us. In the south end of town, it is regarded as a major feature of day-to-day life but many people outside the immediate area don't know where it is, if indeed they know it exists at all. It appears to be a well kept secret. Talk to anyone researching the history of the Bay and they will tell you that this blank space in people's conciosness extends right back through recorded history. Around here that accounts for about 400 years.
Of course, the Bay has been around for a lot longer than that, it just seems that this little jewel has been ignored. One can read accounts by travellers who left York heading east and didn't rport anything of note until they made Kente or Trenton. That is probably a good thing, though. While the Bay suffers from modern day pressures, it hasn't yet been filled in or surrounded with apartments and luxury condos. We'll get to some of those pressures and threats later.
Enough typing for today. Now I'm going out in my kayak.
Frenchman's Bay has seen many changes; it has witnessed the passing of cultures and technology. It has also figuted in the transitional periods between them. It is part of our cultural landscape. History reveals little, though not for a lack of research.
Frenchman's Bay ought to be familliar to most of us. In the south end of town, it is regarded as a major feature of day-to-day life but many people outside the immediate area don't know where it is, if indeed they know it exists at all. It appears to be a well kept secret. Talk to anyone researching the history of the Bay and they will tell you that this blank space in people's conciosness extends right back through recorded history. Around here that accounts for about 400 years.
Of course, the Bay has been around for a lot longer than that, it just seems that this little jewel has been ignored. One can read accounts by travellers who left York heading east and didn't rport anything of note until they made Kente or Trenton. That is probably a good thing, though. While the Bay suffers from modern day pressures, it hasn't yet been filled in or surrounded with apartments and luxury condos. We'll get to some of those pressures and threats later.
Enough typing for today. Now I'm going out in my kayak.
