OPENING OF THE LESLIE LOG HOUSE
The
Dedication of the Leslie Log house in Mississauga went well, in
spite of the constant downpour. Someone said that it was Scottish
weather; I corrected them that it was spring weather in Ontario, and
April showers (in May this year) bring May flowers. The log house
was moved about 6 miles from its original location into a very
stylish residential area. A little bird told me that it cost about
half a million dollars to move it and rebuild it to modern building
requirements while saving the original logs, floors and windows and
doors.
The
event was attended by City of Mississauga officials and those most
responsible for initiating and completing the project. Anne Byard
and her husband Malcolm, President of the Streetsville Historical
Society, deserve a Iot of credit for saving the Log House and
initiating the project.
Harold Leslie of Didsbury, Alberta and his wife Val and many Leslie
descendants from the Streetsville Leslies were there. I met and
talked to many of the people associated with The Leslie Log House.
It is now a part of the Mississauga Museum and has full time staff.
It has a climate controlled storage room for some of their valuable
old documents, including the original deed for the Leslie property
and all of Harold Leslie’s wealth of research. Harold Leslie has
spent years and countless hours on his family research, in Ontario
and in the family homelands in Sutherlandshire in Scotland. The Log
House now has the entire history of this Leslie family back to their
beginning in Scotland thanks to Harold and Val. John and Esther
Leslie and their seven sons arrived by sailing ship, river boat,
canal boat and ox cart in 1824. One of those sons, George Leslie
became famous in Toronto as a Tree Nursery operator, a City
Councillor and influenced his friend Alexander Muir to write the
“Maple Leaf Forever” which became Canada’s unofficial national
anthem in 1867.
The
Clan Leslie Society International which has a program of recognizing
organizations that protect and preserve Leslie historical sites and
raise awareness of the Leslie family name and history, presented the
Bennachie Award.
The
plaque, designed by Laura Messing of the CLSI Council, was presented
by William Leslie, Commissioner of Clan Leslie, North America. It
was well received by the politicians and the many people responsible
for completing the Leslie Log House. The plaque will be placed over
the mantle of the rebuilt fireplace. They were all very grateful and
were interested in the fact that this award has been presented to
only two Leslie Castles in Scotland and one in Ireland and now to
their Leslie Log House.
Joanne Doucette from Leslieville in Toronto who has written articles
for our Grip Fast about George Leslie, one of the sons of the
Leslies of Streetsville, was also there. Joanne has just finished
her book, after 12 years of research, on the history of Leslieville.
It includes the history of George Leslie of Toronto. A copy of
Joanne’s book, Pigs, Flowers and Bricks, A History of Leslieville to
1920, will be sent to the Clan Leslie Collection at the University
of Guelph Library.
William Leslie, Commissioner, Clan Leslie, North
America
