Old Mill Heritage Centre is located in Kagawong, Manitoulin Island, Ontario. Kagawong has been dubbed “Ontario’s Prettiest Village” according to a village official sign is a small village on Manitoulin Island. Kagawong is a historic village on the Island with a lighthouse, a historic pulp mill that now serves as the Township of Billings’ waterfront municipal office, a bubbling brook, hiking trails, art galleries, and even a chocolate factory. The Old Mill Heritage Centre is also a tourist attraction.
The Old Mill Heritage Centre’s mandate is to collect, archive, study, and display historical records, data, and objects for the preservation and enjoyment of the rich heritage of Billings Township and Manitoulin Island for present and future generations by providing a visual history of Billings Township and Manitoulin Island. The Billings Museum Committee is in charge of maintaining the Old Mill Heritage Centre. The Old Mill prides itself on maritime history.
The Empress of Ireland, the maritime tragedy known as Canada’s Titanic will be the subject of the museum this year. To that end, the museum has acquired a number of objects from Gatineau’s Museum of History, but even more exciting is that it has acquired a number of pieces from Guy D’Astous’ private collection.
The Empress of Ireland has been dubbed “Canada’s Titanic” because of the 1,012 passengers who died in the collision of the Empress of Ireland and the Storstad on May 29, 1914, in the St Lawrence River with fog the factor causing the collision.
Read the Scuba News Canada’s article on The Empress of Ireland.
The Old Mill Heritage Centre has already shown a host of maritime tragedies, such as the loss of Lasalle’s Griffon, the Franklin Expedition, and the Northwind.
Manitoulin Island is a popular summer getaway, and the Old Mill Heritage Centre is a must-see for anyone interested in shipwrecks who plans on visiting this summer.
General Delivery, Kagawong, Ontario, P0P 1J0
Phone: (705) 282-1442
