I discovered today that there are 8 abandoned Ghost Towns in Ontario and it makes me wonder why people have left them the way they are.
Coming in at #1 is Balaclava in Eastern Ontario, which was once a bustling lumber town in the late 1800s. Although it’s technically classified as a Ghost Town, there has been some new construction in the surrounding area.
Another town on the list that caught my eye was #6 in Newfoundout, Ontario. It was a settlement located in Renfrew County that only resided 13 families along the rocky hills. The families there were able to tough it out until 1940s when the farming couldn’t suffice. The area is still used today for farming and cattle grazing, but the only signs of human civilization are the log cabins that sit like skeletons along the road.
The last town that stood out was in Bracebridge called Germania. As you can tell from the name, it was home to multiple early settlers who originated from Germany. The population increased rapidly with the construction of a schoolhouse and church, but the short growing season didn’t fare well for farmers and the town that relied on lumber production lost its grip in popularity in the 20th century. Also, there was a supposedly large number of unnatural deaths that occurred so the town was often explored for paranormal activity.
If you’re interested in exploring a Ghost Town, consider visiting some of these on the list. It’s a little creepy that these places are now all abandoned, but it does offer a lot of history and takes into consideration how important an economy’s success is for the health of a city.