WELCOME TO LITTLE LAKES ROAD AND BALL’S BRIDGE! WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS SELF GUIDED TOUR! There are still many unknown historical facts about this area, so if you know any of the history please let us know so we may update this site. Thanks!
MAKE SURE TO TAKE PHOTOS AND POST ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AND DISCOVERIES ALONG THE WAY. TAG US ON FACEBOOK @FOBBLL (Friends of Balls Bridge and Little Lakes).
1. The Little Lakes were created 11,000 years ago by retreating glaciers in the Great Lakes region - this was called Quaternary glaciation and is also known as the Pleistocene glaciation.
2. Letter by early settler referred to Little Lakes Road as “the Indian Trail “ (see book by Kathy Young)
3. There are 4 Little Lakes: one west of Little Lakes Road, at the junction of River Line; two just east of River Line on the North and South sides of Little Lakes Road, and another further east on Little Lakes Road. The Little Lakes and the wetlands around them are home to many species of turtles and frogs. Look out for the turtles laying their eggs on the gravel shoulders and baby frogs crossing the road in June!
4. Forest on south side of road - Kernighan family has looked after it for generations - home of birds, small animals wild plants - look for bald eagles!
5. Fourth lake on the south side going east - home of frogs - loudest when the sun is going down - another big turtle and frog crossing zone!
6. North side of road - homestead now gone - belonged to J. Nigel - anyone know about them? What happened to the house? We’ve heard that apples were an important early crop.
7. South side of road - maple sugar shack - anyone know exact location?
8. North side of road - ACW above water level gravel pit, mined in late 70’s - early 80’s - never rehabilitated
9. Forest with lots of medicinal plants and Maitland Trail. Van Bree Sand & Gravel plans to dig up the southern half of it as part of the Fisher Pit - people can walk through on the Maitland Trail and see the gravel pit on the other side
10. Where the forest meets the field, the Beginning of proposed below water table open pit aggregate mine
11. Historic stone house on south side - 1870’s, connection to early days of the Blyth Festival - see “Recollections of the ‘Summer of 1976 on Little Lakes Road by James Roy (on FOBBLL website)
12. Historic stone house (1870’s) on north side. Was the home of writer and naturalist Blanche Pownall Garrett (Taste of the Wild; Canadian Country Preserves and Wines). Writer Alice Munro (Nobel Prize for Literature 2013) was a family friend and frequent visitor.
13. South side heart shaped wetland, home of singing frogs, many trees and plants, beech trees
14. South side marker tree. Marker trees are trees modified by Indigenous people to indicate a direction on a trail. This marker tree appears to be pointing toward the river crossing near Ball’s Bridge and the camp location north of the bridge - on private property, [ask event organizers if you want to see it and we’ll walk you over there]
15. The edge of the field beside Richard’s house (the last house before Ball’s Bridge) indicates the Eastern edge of the proposed aggregate mine - dust and noise would be sent down hill onto the bridge and the river, with the prevailing winds
16. Ball’s Bridge - built in 1885, Ball’s Bridge is a now rare example of a two-span Pratt design through truss, pin-connected wrought iron bridge. It was threatened with demolition in 2006. The community formed Friends of Ball’s Bridge and saved the bridge. In 2020 Friends of Ball’s Bridge & Little Lakes started organizing to protect the bridge and the Little Lakes area from the effects of an open pit, below water level aggregate mine.
16. - While standing on the bridge, look up to the east - a stone house on the hill behind the trees is the Ball homestead -
17. Up river - bend of river, home of rare and endangered Queen Snake
18. Just around bend of river, stones in water known as a spawning stream - Indigenous camp - story of promise made by the first settler in the area (William Ball) to Indigenous people