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By Ken Veitch
The Old Station Restaurant, celebrating
its 25th anniversary in 2010, can lay
claim to being located on one of the most
historic sites in all of Bracebridge.
It is located at the top of “Queens
Hill,” so named because across the street
and down the hill was, for many years,
the Queens Hotel, later the Patterson
Hotel. It is now being restored.
The property occupied by The Old
Station Restaurant, the adjoining property
of the Bracebridge Public Library and
the V shaped property south of the
Dominion and Manitoba Street intersection,
in the earliest days was a town park.
It was in this park where the original
Bracebridge bandstand was located,
moved shortly after 1900 to a new park
named, as it remains today, Memorial
Park. The most memorable events that
took place on this property were circuses.
In Reminiscences, Redmond Thomas
wrote about riding a steam-powered
merry-go-round, watching minstrel
shows by the light of coal oil flares and
listening to spielers rave on and on about
their secret oil. All that took place on the
property occupied by The Old Station
Restaurant and surrounding area.
We think the Queens Hill is steep now,
but when Bracebridge was a pioneer settlement,
it was much steeper. During
excavation for municipal services cut tree
stumps have been found over 10 feet
below the surface at the bottom of the
hill. In fact, it was so steep that people
rarely attempted to walk up the west side
of Manitoba Street.
In early records, a wooden structure is
said to have been located west of the
Manitoba and Dominion Street intersection
that housed the manufacturing
operation of the Rogers Pump Works,
which made long-handled manual
pumps for pulling water from the dug
wells of the community. A number of
Advertising Feature
The Old Station Restaurant has a rich history
In the early 1930’s this station was at the Old Station Restaurant site.
these pumps were located on Woodchester
Avenue prior to the installation of
the municipal water supply. This may
not have been on the same lot as that of
The Old Station Restaurant, but it had to
be very close.
In 1928 J. Hudson Burton bought the
property of a Mr. Nelson and added 14
feet to it which he purchased from the
town (part of the Public Library property),
for the purpose of building a service
Photograph: Courtesy of Dorothy (Smith) Leavens
station. The structure was built by Ed
Hunt and the business was operated by
Burton’s son Douglas. This was the first
evidence of a substantial building being
on property now occupied by The Old
Station Restaurant.
In 1975, a Town centennial program
identifying long-time businesses recorded
there had been a service station continuously
on this property since 1929.
The Uptown Service Station, came
under the ownership of Earl Rosewarne
and then Ernie and Fenton Patterson. At
one time they sold Studebaker automobiles
there. These business entrepreneurs
were successful, involved, and an integral
part of Bracebridge economic affairs.
After many years, the business was
taken over by Ted Smith, a long-time and
trusted employee of the Patterson brothers.
An entire generation can remember
wheeling their first car in between the
concrete pillars and the front of the
building where the old fashioned gas
pumps were located and having Ted
Smith there to serve them fuel.
In 1980 the business closed and the
building was converted to the Garden
Café restaurant. In 1985 it was sold to
Mike Warr, who has successfully operated
since that time, now celebrating the
restaurant’s 25th anniversary.
The Norwood Theatre
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Congratulations to
Since 1949
THE OLD STATION RESTAURANT
on your 25th Anniversary!
Wishing you continued success
106 Manitoba Street Bracebridge, ON
boxoffice@norwoodtheatre.com ★ www.norwoodtheatre.com
admin: 705.645.1707 ★ 24-HOUR INFO: 705.645.2333
In 1968, this gas station operated where the restaurant is today.
Photograph: Courtesy of the Old Station Restaurant
Congratulations to
The Old Station Restaurant
on 25 years of success!
phone: (416) 746-3663 • toll free: 1-888-383-3663
www.macgregors.com
Flanagan Foodservice is a proud supplier to
The Old Station and congratulate Mike and
staff on their 25th anniversary.
2125 16th Ave East,
Owen Sound, ON
800.265.9690
16 May 2010 www.whatsupmuskoka.com