Additional information
by Kenneth Carman Veitch (Author)
Bracebridge! A MUSKOKA HERITAGE is an intriguing, easy to read description of the trials and tribulations of the explorers, surveyors, adventurers, pioneers and settlers that travelled through and settled the Bracebridge area of the District of Muskoka in Ontario, Canada. It describes some of the zany characters and their antics, the pioneer entrepreneurs and highlights features of the Bracebridge/Central Muskoka community. Sometimes humorous, sometimes sad, it is based on the many books, manuals, and newspaper reports written on the Bracebridge area, and the writers own experience. It also includes quotations from the personal diaries of some of the pioneers and early settlers that describe the desperate situation faced by those who came to Muskoka thinking that it presented the glorious agricultural opportunity that was advertised in the widely distributed promotional material. Much of the material was very misleading and as a result thousands suffered indescribable hardships. The writer, who grew up in the small settlement of Ufford near Bracebridge amidst the descendants of those early settlers, had the fortuitous opportunity of talking with those who knew first-hand the difficulties experienced by their ancestors and from a young age developed a strong interest in the history of the area.
Author Biography
Kenneth Carman Veitch was born on Feb 29, 1940 in Ufford, a pioneer settlement in Muskoka, Ontario, dating back to 1863. At age 26 he was appointed to the position of Clerk-Administrator of Bracebridge, a position he held with distinction until 1996. In retirement he continued to study of the trials and tribulations of the explorers, surveyors, pioneers, settlers and early businesses that struggled to develop this great area of Ontario. His work resulted in the "Veitch Index", an accumulation of data that makes research on those early days readily available to the public. Involvements and achievements: - Founding member and former Chairman of the Bracebridge Economic Development Committee. - Founding member and first Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Parry Sound-Muskoka Forest Stewardship Network, a support group to encourage good forestry and care of the land. - Founding member and Past-President of the Board of Directors of the Westwind Forest Stewardship Corporation. - Founding Member and first Chairman of the Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant Review Team for Muskoka - Founding member of the J.P.McVittie Eilean Gowan Island Nature Reserve Committee and the McVittie Island Delta Reserve. - Life Member of the Bracebridge Minor Hockey Association. - Honorary Life Member of the Bracebridge Chamber of Commerce and a Bracebridge Citizen of the Year. - Voted the winner of the Community Service Award by Bracebridge Area Businesses - Nominated for the Order of Ontario and recipient of the Queen's Jubilee Commemorative Medal. - Instrumental in the creation of Bracebridge Bay Park, a large recreation area on the shores of the Muskoka River in Downtown Bracebridge. - Winner of the Robert J Boyer Award for demonstrating commitment to the cultural and historical heritage of Muskoka. - Presented with the Russell B Piper Award of Ontario as an outstanding individual who has been a major influence for environmental stewardship. - Instrumental in the creation of the Rene M. Caisse Theatre in Bracebridge -Presented with the 2012 Lieutenant Governor's Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement by The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, in appreciation of volunteer work to identify, protect and promote Ontario's rich heritage. -Past-Master of Muskoka Lodge and an Honorary Inspector General 33rd Degree member of the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Canada.
