The Past
This is the place to come to find out more about the history of Kleinburg. We'll start off with the basics with an historical overview from the Vaughan Archives. We also present an essay by Kleinburg's own Pierre Berton, reprinted from the 1968 Binder Twine Festival booklet. We'll continue to add more information and photographs to satisfy and stimulate your curiousity. Visit the Recent Additions page to see new information and photographs contributed by friends of Kleinburg like yourself. Visit the Archives page for the full collection.
The story of Kleinburg begins more than 150 years ago, when John Kline, a Swiss watchmaker, built a grist mill on the Humber's west branch and gave his name to the community that sprang up around it. It is a story about people - some notable, some remarkable, most working quietly behind the scenes, all playing their part. It's a story about community, and what people can accomplish when they pull together. It's a story about change and survival. Thanks to the efforts and contributions of countless people over the years, it's a story that continues to this day.
The village of Kleinburg has entranced many with it's beauty over the years. Many a resident tells stories of their first visit - for a lunch, perhaps - and deciding unexpectedly to stay. Robert & Signe McMichael were so taken with Kleinburg that they built Tapawingo, which they eventually donated (along with the surrounding land, and most importantly, their important collection of works of art by the Group of Seven) to the Province of Ontario to form the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. A. J. Casson 1929 painting of Kleinburg still hangs in the gallery.
The Kleinburg Nashville Historical Collection ( KNHC), housed in the Kline House at the corner of Nashville rd. and Islington Ave., is a community based collection of photographs and artifacts from our past. As always, it is a work in progress, and community involvement through donations of photographs, artifacts and stories are always welcome. See the KNHC link for more information.
Find us in the Canadian Encyclopedia
The Canadian Encyclopedia www.canadianencyclopedia.ca, in its quest to provide reliable supplemental information, has linked to the kleinburgvillage.com site to provide their visitors with an additional valuable resource. The Canadian Encyclopedia is offered free online by the Historica Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the teaching, learning and understanding of Canadian history. It is proud to make the Canadian Encyclopedia available online to Canadians.
Historica's web site may be found at www.histori.ca. It contains links to The Canadian Encyclopedia, Youthlinks, The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada, The Prime Ministers of Canada as well as content modules and many other resources for teachers and students. Please visit their sites to see the wealth of information just waiting for an audience.