Anten Mills 150 Years – By Brian Keyes
Aug. 11, 2025 – Residents of Anten Mills have arrived from many places over the past 150 years. European immigration brought families like the Carsons, Priests, Giffens, Coughlins, Binnies, Muirs and Wilsons across the Atlantic in the 1800s to Simcoe County and eventually to Anten Mills. There must have been a feeling of excitement for these immigrants while I am sure there was a fear of the unknown, sadness of leaving family and friends along with separation anxiety at the thought of never seeing loved ones again. We know that the lure of plentiful land and an abundant supply of lumber attracted many of these early settlers.
What continued to attract new residents as the village grew? Experts might tell you things like small and intimate combined with being unique works. Lots of social interaction that is locally driven serving a mixed community of ages, backgrounds and income makes a perfect recipe. So, I asked some residents and here are their thoughts:
A former neighbour told me they brought their dogs to the Hendrie Tract for exercise and discovered this gem of a village after they got lost, so they bought a house here. Another family loved the private and quiet neighbourhood with no cars parked on the streets. Others said it felt like living at the cottage year round amongst the trees in a spacious yard whilst near ski hills, lakes and even a skating rink. I should mention they told me having their own mailbox was simply grand. One family moved here to be closer to adult children but then decided it would have been the perfect place to have raised their own kids. Small as in a small village with quiet streets and a small school was what mattered according to this resident. Several folks mentioned the spirit of people always being there for others who are in need. One of my favourites was the comment that the houses are not cookie-cutter which makes them all unique. A final comment was about proximity to Barrie that facilitates work and family.
A family that matches my theme of ‘they came from away’ is the Watson family of Lawrence Ave. Grandparents Peter and Jackie were born in the villages of Brinscall/Withnell in Lancaster County, England. Peter’s dad was a boy from Toronto who served in the Canadian Army during WW2. Peter’s mom served in the Women’s Royal Air Force. They married and had 8 children, all of whom came to Canada except the oldest brother Paul who served in the British Navy. Peter said Canada was seen as a “Land of Opportunity”. Jackie’s family, The Baldwins, had emigrated to Nova Scotia but Jackie followed her heart to Toronto in 1966 to be with her ‘Pete’ whom she was dating back in England! The Watson’s were married in 1967. Peter was working at Georgian College and in 1969 they moved to Wasaga Beach. A colleague of Peter’s, John Knapp told Peter to look for a house in this quaint little village near where John lived called Anten Mills. They purchased a home in the village at 8 Lawrence in 1972 from builder Morris Cate. Starting in 1972 the family started to grow when son Oliver was born. Paxton followed in 1974.. Luke arrived in 1977 and Jacob in 1980. Luke and Paxton and their families both currently live in Anten Mills which they call the Centre of the Universe. Peter retired in 2000 as Dean of Arts at Georgian. In addition to raising her 4 boys, Jackie has had a catering business, day care plus found time to work in retail at Georgian Mall. This is truly a multi-generational family which is a common theme here in the village. They came from away to Anten Mills because it ‘felt like home’.
ANTEN MILLS – by Dennis Gannon
Aug. 11, 2025 – After a prolonged dry spell that saw only one inch of rain over a month, we got a deluge last Friday, August 8. In a time period of just over one hour we received 1.46 inches of rain here in Anten Mills. This was confirmed by two rainfall gauges and according to the CoCoRahs website where rain reports from across North America are submitted,this was the most in all of Ontario for Friday. Reports from elsewhere indicated rainfall amounts up to .6 of an inch and we received almost 3 times that amount. While the rain was welcomed, it did sit on the ground for some time before soaked in as the ground was hard. Again this week there is no significant rain expected other than a possible storm. Rain in the form of a gradual steady one day event is most needed to replenish the earth and water reservoirs.
The unusual hot and dry conditions have resulted in almost the entire province under a fire ban. Recently the Springwater Fire and Emergency Services have had to deal with two large field fires which fortunately did not cause much damage. Living adjacent to a county forest does make us susceptible to a degree and therefore we must exercise caution until the danger passes. If you see smoke or fire in the forest, don’t hesitate and call 9-1-1 immediately to report it. At many of the entrances to the forest there are municipal address signs to help report the exact location of the emergency. This would also be a good time to remind everyone that we are protected by truly dedicated volunteer firefighters who need to respond to the fire station to get their equipment before heading to the emergency. Most volunteer firefighters use a green flashing light on their vehicles to indicate that they are on an emergency call. If you see a green flashing light, please yield to them so that they can get to the hall quickly and safely.
Weather has played a terrible blow to the 50th anniversary garden at the community centre. Unfortunately many of the beautiful perennials have suffered the same drought damage without regular watering. Our community thanks goes out to the volunteers who have spent time weeding and cleaning up the garden, it is greatly appreciated. A special thanks go out to Andy and Judy who have uprighted the garden memorial stone so that it is more visible.
This past Wednesday night the second movie under the pavilion was held. A good mixture of families with children enjoyed the movie along with the treats that were given out. Thanks to the Chapman family for their support in making this happen.
Work is continuing along Wilson Dr and will continue for another few weeks. Concrete curbs have been installed going down the hill from Binnie Dr with the hope that water can be properly redirected into the ditch. It would also appear that the hill itself will be slightly refigured which is welcomed. Existing pavement has been removed and new paving will take place. For those who have lived in the village for many years, driving on the gravel is like old times when there was no hardtop along Wilson.
During the past week the Anten Mills Community Recreation Association was notified by township staff that a majority of the refurbishment of the community centre was completed. In anticipation of the Celebrating 150 Years on Saturday, September 13, the official “Grand Reopening” of the hall will occur at that time. For those who attended school during the time it was functioning, hopefully some of the work done will bring back memories from days past.
Organizing the Celebrating 150 Years has been a pleasure for the team of volunteers who are working on the day. For almost one year the group has been meeting monthly and planning an event that will be fun and meaningful as well. The group now needs your assistance. Volunteers are required for the day before and during the day. Tasks include parking control, setup and tear down, helping at the children’s activities, registration, games and goodie handout. Most of these tasks can earn credit for volunteer hours for students and with many hands they can be accomplished in short order. Anten Mills events have always had great volunteer assistance and the committee is hoping that you will consider an hour or two of your time to help Anten Mills Celebrating 150 Years. To volunteer or find out more about the opportunities please contact the committee by emailing antenmills150@gamail.com.
Doors Open is an annual event that allows the public the opportunity to see inside heritage buildings normally not seen. This year Springwater Township is showcasing the Hillsdale Lock-up. The old jail, located at 4552 Penetangusihene Road in Hillsdale will be open for the public to see on Saturday, September 13 from 10AM to 4PM. Check out more details on the Township of Springwater website and social media channels.
Knotty Knitters are gearing up for another session starting September 16. This active group is seeking donations of wool for their varied projects. If you have any wool that you would like to donate please reach out to Joan at sweetgannnon@gmail.com.
Blueberry season is almost over for the year. Clarke’s expect that the end of blueberry picking will be this week. There are lots of fresh vegetables available at the stand out at the road where you can pick what you like and even pay by e-transfer. Fresh sweet corn is now ready at the stand also and for larger orders you can call them or go up to the house. Help support our local farm economy and stop by.
That’s it for this week. THANKS for READING,BE WELL and STAY SAFE.