Coulson Past and Present

—by Anne Walker

Folks in Coulson are having a good old-fashioned winter this year, much like the ones the early pioneers here endured. As we look out at the snow piled two to three feet deep, pondering a trip into town, we might wonder at how our forebears survived.

In early days, roads were not ploughed in the winter. The horse-drawn wagons and buggies used for summer travel were replaced by sleighs and cutters to move over the snow. Travellers huddled under large smelly horse blankets or buffalo robes to keep warm on the journey. Often farmers would remove fences to allow for travel over their fields, avoiding steep hills and deep snow drifts. In emergencies (such as a funeral when a casket had to be removed from the home to the cemetery), neighbours would work together to clear the snow. Horses might be used to break up the huge drifts. 

Road maintenance was the responsibility of the property owners. A land owner was required to provide a given number of days labour and was awarded special credit for the use of a team of horses. A local man, known as a “road master” was appointed to oversee several miles of roadway. This “statute labour” was in place from 1835 all the way up to 1939 when council took over road maintenance. 

These days a drive from Coulson to Orillia is a “quick trip into town”. As I wait in comfort for my car to warm up, I am grateful for the trusted neighbour who keeps our driveway cleared and for the snowplows that frequently run along the Horseshoe Valley Road making winter travel safer. 

We Canadians find ways to deal with our long winters. Here are some things going on around Coulson that might help lighten these cold days.

Have a wonderful winter, and spring will soon be here!