Georgina Pioneer Village and Archives

Permits are required for use of the grounds for ceremonies and photos. Contact curator@georgina.ca for rental rates.

This includes the use of the grounds only. We ask that you check in upon your arrival with the staff member on-site and have your permit with you during your booking.

In order to secure a booking, please provide your preferred date and times along with your personal information such as an address, full name and phone number and we will provide you with a rental permit to be signed and returned.

Full payment will be due at the time of booking.

Note that bookings are “rain or shine” and no refunds will be given due to inclement weather. Rescheduling may occur as long as you report to the Community Services Department the first business day following your booking.

If you have any questions, or for a description of fees, contact our office for assistance.

Permits are required for use of the buildings for ceremonies and photos. Pioneer Village is not only unique but offers plenty of great vistas for taking memorable photographs and can accommodate large groups.

Contact curator@georgina.ca for rental rates. A security damage deposit of $100 is added to your booking and refunded two weeks following your event pending a positive report from staff.

This includes the use of one building interior. Buildings that can be rented (hourly) are the Cedar Brae Schoolhouse and the Free Methodist Church. We ask that you check-in upon your arrival with the staff member on-site and have your permit with you during your booking.

In order to secure a booking, please provide your preferred date and times along with your personal information such as an address, full name and phone number and we will provide you with a rental permit to be signed and returned.

Full payment will be due at the time of booking.

Note that bookings are “rain or shine” and no refunds will be given due to inclement weather.

If you have any questions, or for a description of fees, contact our office for assistance.

For marriage ceremonies and licence information, visit the Marriage Ceremonies page.

Appointments are required for access to the archives and are subject to the availability of staff. Access is year-round, Monday – Friday, between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Call or email with details of your query and staff will determine if fees are applicable. Payment can be made at the Customer Service desk at the Civic Centre, or (if from a distance) by phone. We will conduct a 'quick look-up' for information easily at hand, at no charge. 

Telephone: 905-476-4301, ext. 2284
Email: curator@georgina.ca

The Georgina Pioneer Village and Archives (GPVA) explored and was successful in securing funding through the Government of Canada's Ministry of Heritage for services to provide a digitization strategy roadmap.  This funding support was explored with the knowledge that further funding could be available to organizations to improve access to heritage collections through digitization and digital content development as well as activities that build capacity in these areas, specifically to organizations that had a digitization strategy in place. Through an RFP process Blackline Consultants were selected to perform the digitization strategy. 

The GPVA staff worked alongside Blackline Consultants to provide detailed information with respect to the GPVA’s current state and continued to provide guidance with respect to the specifics of the preservation and maintenance of GPVA’s archives and artifacts. 

The current scope of GPVA services and stakeholder services were analyzed to determine synergies, overlaps and potential future collaborations.  The attached report outlines asset types, different levels of digitization, facility conditions, staffing and current state prior to providing the digitization strategy which includes options, initiatives to be considered and an implementation roadmap. 

The final report was received by staff in November 2023. 

Explore Georgina's rich history and the people and places of its past with a visit to the Pioneer Village and Archives.

Officially opened on Thanksgiving Day 1975 by Chief of the Chippewas of Georgina Island, Lorenzo Big Canoe, the Georgina Pioneer Village and Archives is a veritable heritage showcase.

Located near the south shore of beautiful Lake Simcoe, this 10-acre site is home to numerous buildings that interpret the history of Georgina between 1850 and 1920, including a one-room schoolhouse, a general store, a train station, a blacksmith shop, an apothecary and a backwoods log house.

Pioneer Village also houses an extensive archival collection comprised of records created by the Councils of the former townships of Georgina and North Gwillimbury, as well as the Village of Sutton. In addition, the Archives contain a number of personal family documents, including land records, photographs, scrapbooks, bibles and related ephemera.

Heritage camps, tours, workshops and school visits are just some of the activities that take place throughout the season.

The village also hosts a number of popular special events, including: 

• Rise to Rebellion: An Interactive Re-creation of the 1837 Rebellion for Grade 7 students in May.
• Canada Day celebrations in true 19th-century style on July 1.
• The Georgina Historical Society Harvestfest takes place each September. Celebrate the arrival of autumn with a display of vintage farm equipment, plenty of food, children's crafts, music, apple cider and historical demonstrations.
• In October, watch for two spooky events- the kid-friendly Family Fright Fiesta and the hauntingly horrorific adults-only One Dark Night.
• Kick off the holiday season by stepping back in time at the Old Fashioned Christmas in November when the village comes alive with the sights, sounds and smells of a 19th century Christmas.

For information, contact Georgina Pioneer Village and Archives by email at curator@georgina.caor by telephone at 905-476-4301, ext. 2284.