We recently received an inquiry asking about the Craigie Orchards along the east side of Hurontario Street, just to the north of Port Credit, roughly between modern Mineola Road East and Eaglewood Boulevard. From a recent Facebook post on the same subject, there are many community memories about the orchard and the Craigie family – and in particular fond memories of youth trespassing through the orchard only to be chased away by Mr. Craigie.

The Craigie family had origins in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. James Craigie (1823-1892) immigrated to Canada along with his wife Agnes Thompson (1841-1898) in the early 1860s, first settling in the Markham area where the family rented a farm. James and Agnes raised six children, all of whom were born in Ontario: Agnes (1864-1887), Christina (1867-1912), John (1869-1916), Barbara (1870-1931), Annie (1870-1959) and James Jr. (1873-1932). The family’s journey would take them to Lanark, before bringing them to the Port Credit area by the early 1880s, where they rented part of the Cotton farm along Centre Road (Hurontario Street).

The first Presbyterian service in the Port Credit area was conducted in the Craigie farmhouse in 1890 by student minister John Little from Knox College. When the congregation of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church was founded in 1891, James Craigie served as the secretary and treasurer.

In 1896 the Craigie family acquired part of Lot 1, Range 1, along the East side of Hurontario Street, from the Cotton family. The property consisted of 107 acres. In 1901, the property was divided amongst sons John and James Jr., with each owning 53.5 acres. The Craigie Orchard as recalled by Port Credit residents was on James’ property.

John Craigie, a bachelor, operated a sawmill on his part of the property. John was actively engaged in politics, and once served as a Councillor in Toronto Township (historic Mississauga). In addition to his sawmill and lumber business, John conducted general farming, including having fruit trees and raising Clydesdale horses, for which he received awards at the 1910 Canadian National Exhibition. When John passed away in 1916, his sister Barbara sold his property to Harold Clarke in 1919, who in turn transferred it to Edgar Stephens in 1920. Stephens registered subdivision Plan C-20 on the property.

The northern 53.5 acres was owned by John’s brother, James Jr., and it was on James Jr.’s property where the “Craigie Orchard” recalled by many residents was located. James E. Craigie Jr. (1873-1932) married Rosetta Elizabeth Shaw (1873-1965), the daughter of prominent local resident James Robinson Shaw. Through their marriage, the Craigie family was also related to several other prominent early families, including the Bradley, Lynd, Murphy and Thompson families, amongst many others.

James Jr. and Rosetta had several children, including Agnes Jane (1907-1959), James Robinson “Robin” (1910-1983) and Madelyne (1915-1965). After James Jr.’s early passing in 1932, his widow Rosetta sold several portions of the farm, including a part in 1933 to her sister-in-law Annie Burrell (Annie had married Walter Burrell. His father, George, had been a farm hand on the Craigie farm). In 1952 Rosetta sold 16 acres to Arthur Green, and in 1953 and 1961 land was sold to the South Peel Board of Education for the building of Port Credit Secondary School on Mineola Road East.

In 1966, after Rosetta’s passing, the property went to her son James Robinson “Robin” Craigie, and his wife Elizabeth, who in turn sold the remaining property to George Wimpey Canada Limited for the subdivision development that would become known as “Craigie Orchards”. The Craigie family had been fixtures along Hurontario Street and the Port Credit Community for over 80 years when the farm was sold. Betty and Robin Craigie then moved to a home nearby along the Credit River off Mississauga Road.

Several generations of the Craigie family are buried at Dixie Union Cemetery, while other members of the family are buried at Springcreek Cemetery in Clarkson. Although the orchards remain in name only, memories of the Craigie family farm and orchard along Hurontario Street still abound in the community.