The Five Crosses of Tiny Township
By Bill Johnson & Al Taylor

Do you know "The Five Crosses of Tiny Township"? No need to feel badly if the answer is no. Consulting with friends knowledgeable in local history, I discovered that no one did -- or even knew what I was talking about!

Best known, perhaps, is the so-called "Champlain’s Cross", erected to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the landing of the legendary French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, near the present town of Penetanguishene. But there are four other landmark crosses in Tiny, each with its own story.

Various Champlain 400-Year Anniversary celebrations in Canada and the United States over the coming years celebrate the exploits and journeys of discovery of the "Father of New France" in different regions of the two countries, including here in our own Huronia, which has a recorded history barely second to Quebec City itself and an archaeological record of First Nations’ habitation going back thousands of years before that. Yet, so much of that local history may go unrecognized and unremembered.

In celebration of the Champlain 400-Year Anniversary and the rich history of this area, Al Taylor and I decided to embark upon some journeys of discovery of our own into local heritage, starting with the Five Crosses of Tiny Township.

One - Champlain's Cross
Follow Champlain Road from Penetanguishene, turn right onto Peek-A-Boo Trail, then watch for a wide lane on the right about two miles along: you've found it!

In 1921 Father Athol Murray of the parish of Ste Anne's, Penetanguishene, a future member of the Order of Canada and the Hockey Hall of Fame, persuaded the Town of Penetanguishene to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the nearby landing of Champlain with the placing of Champlain's Cross at Toanche. Father Murray's other proposals included the building of Martyrs' Shrine just east of Midland, the construction of the magnificent Ste Anne's Church overlooking Penetanguishene Bay, and the erection of a massive cross at Caraghouha.

Among the events orchestrated by Father Murray during the old home week celebrations of that year was a reenactment of Champlain's landing and a solemn ceremony in which ancient enemies, Grand Chiefs and elders of the Iroquois Confederacy and a Grand Chief of the descendants of the Hurons, now living in Quebec, buried a war hatchet to make peace on the shores of Penetanguishene Bay.

Since the first Champlain's Cross was raised in 1921 at Father Murray's initiative, four others have been erected to replace it, with the last -- made of wood and covered with aluminum -- succumbing to the elements in 2003.

Local lore tells that the alignment of this cross with Ste Anne's Church and the Caraghouha Cross in Lafontaine was no accident, but meant to keep an unnamed evil lurking over the hill at bay. The last cross finally fell when the alignment was broken by a commercial development! All that remains is a weedy, neglected area with a concrete pyramid on a stone base, but great things are now being planned as part of the Champlain 400-Year Anniversary celebrations.

Two - Caraghouha
Located where Cedar Point Road meets the 18th Concession and continues south about a kilometre as a dirt road, behind a growth of evergreens.

Another of Father Athol Murray’s initiatives: it is a gentle place, with a massive concrete cross and a simple wooden cross, well worth the trip.

A translation of the French inscription on the monument there reads:

The First Mass in Ontario
August 12, 1615
Champlain and fourteen
French men plus
Father LeCaron a Recollet

You can imagine the French in their woollen garments on a swelteringly hot August day and the Hurons in native dress, celebrating mass with the sounds of nature surrounding them. Until recently a mass was held in August each year to commemorate that event some 400 years ago.

Three - The Calvary Cross
East of the village of Lafontaine on the north side of the 16th Concession.

This cross was erected in 1948 by M. and Mme. Maurice and their children, the site having been selected in a most interesting way. The parish priest had a wooden cross made to his best estimate of the one on which Jesus was crucified, which he carried on his back from the door of the church until he fell -- and that become the chosen spot.

Four - The Randolf Cross
At County Road 6 and the 15th Concession, where the village of Randolf once was.

This cross was originally located at the 14th Concession and County Road 6. It was moved in the ‘20s to mark the site of a small Anglican church that was relocated across the road from St. James on the Lines in Penetanguishene -- a gem of a church, not far from the King's Wharf Theatre.

Although made of wood, the Randolf Cross has held up well, as a result of the good care it has received from the Richelieu Club, which now maintains it.

Five - The Marchildon Cross
At Old Thunder Beach Road and 18th Concession.

Located on a farm that belonged to the early settler Clement Marchildon, this cross is a most attractive concrete construction, with fleur-de-lis decorations at the ends of the arms and main shaft. It may be that it was one of several made at the same time, with others installed in Quebec.

Local tradition has it that area farmers, rather than trudging several miles to the church, were able to meet at this cross for Vespers when they heard the church bells ring.

This article touches only a small piece of Tiny's rich history.

As we go to press, we've uncovered an archival record indicating that Champlain may not, in fact, have landed at Toanche, but at another location in Tiny. We will research this account, and may have more to report on this subject.

Readers are encouraged to submit additional information or reminiscences about the Five Crosses of Tiny Township to the authors at (705) 533-1215, or by e-mail: hallantaylor@sympatico.ca

For their help with this article, we wish to thank:
• Jamie Hunter, Huronia Museum
• Linda Ellery, Peek-A-Boo Trail
• Matthew Desroches, Tourism Development
• The Richelieu Club, Penetanguishene Chapter.