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33. 108 River Street

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108 River Street One of the notable residents of this River Street home was Ada Marquis, whose family lived near Leaskdale. Ada was a close friend of Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, who lived in Leaskdale while her husband, Reverend Ewan Macdonald, served as the local Presbyterian minister. In 1920, Ada … Read more

35. The Sunderland Memorial Arena

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The Sunderland Memorial Arena – 20 Park St Before Sunderland had an indoor arena, residents skated outdoors at a rink beside the Agricultural Building on the fairgrounds. That changed in 1948 with the construction of the Brock Memorial Community Centre. Built at a cost of approximately $20,000, the new arena provided a large indoor ice … Read more

Jesse Gillis’ Unusual Items

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Our speaker at the June 2, 2026 meeting was Jesse Gillis. Kuman Thong (Thailand) One of the most unusual artifacts I shared was a Kuman Thong from Thailand, a figure rooted in Thai folk beliefs. The name translates to “Golden Child,” and these talismans have traditionally been believed to bring their owner good fortune, prosperity, … Read more

14. The Beall Block

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The Beall Block – 93 River St This group of three adjoining storefronts became known as the Beall Block, named for George Beall, who lived from 1872 to 1939. For generations, the three sections of the block housed many of the small businesses that served Sunderland’s everyday needs. A 1910 map provides a snapshot of … Read more

16. Taylor’s Store & The Home Bank

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Taylor’s Store – 85 River St The commercial history of this corner dates back to 1870, when Henry Conlon removed a shed and stable from the property and a general store was built on the site. Around 1900, Matthew Taylor established his general store here at the southwest corner of Albert and River streets. The … Read more

18. The Sunderland Presbyterian Church

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The Sunderland Presbyterian Church – 5 Albert St King Edwards Lodge A.F. & A.M. No. 464 G.R.C Sunderland’s original Presbyterian church stood just north of the Sunderland Cemetery. As the village grew during the nineteenth century, a new church was built about 1875 at this location on Albert Street. The street itself was originally known … Read more

20. The McDermott Block (1949 Fire)

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The McDermott Block – 1 Albert Street S For nearly 80 years, a large commercial complex stood at the corner of Albert and River streets. Built around 1870, it was originally known as the Porritt Block and was prominent enough to appear in the 1877 Ontario County Atlas. The block quickly became one of Sunderland’s … Read more

26. CIBC Bank

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The Bank – River Street (CIBC) – 74 River St A bank has occupied this prominent corner of River and Albert streets for more than a century. In 1902, the Western Bank of Canada opened a branch in Sunderland. Fire insurance maps from 1904 identify the bank at this location as the Western Bank, while … Read more

27. Brock House Hotel

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The Brock House Hotel – 82 River St The history of this site reaches back to Sunderland’s earliest days. In 1840, when the small settlement was still known as Jones Corners, a log building owned by the Jones family stood here. Over the following decades, buildings on the property were destroyed by fire and replaced … Read more

28. Home Hardware

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The Hardware Store – 92 River St Before this building became associated with hardware, it was home to one of Sunderland’s early banks. The Home Bank originally operated on the south side of River Street beside Taylor’s Store, where it appears on a 1904 map. Sometime before 1920, the bank moved across River Street to … Read more