About ten minutes from our resort, I came upon Sibbald Point.
If the walls of Sibbald Mansion could talk, they would tell stories of dinners with famous playwrights and painters and even kings! Susan Mein was born in 1783 to a wealthy British aristocratic family. At the age of 24, she married Colonel Thomas Sibbald, a physician in the Royal Navy.
In 1833, two of the Sibbald sons came to Orillia in what was then Upper Canada to learn farming techniques. Susan Sibbald visited the area two years later to see how her sons were faring. At this time, she purchased over 600 acres that she had seen from the steamer on Lake Simcoe. Upon returning to Scotland and the passing of her husband, Susan settled her affairs and embarked on her journey back to Canada. The farm the family built was named Eildon Hall. Eventually Susan decided to move to Toronto where she continued to live until her death in 1866.
Generations of Sibbald family members remained on the family farm until 1951 when it was purchased by the County of York and made into a public park.
I drove into the park and took a walk along the beach.
I bet it's a fun place in the summer!
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