President’s Message by Ken Stark, Swansea Historical Society President
If you have young people in your life, then I encourage you to introduce them to some local history. Growing up, I benefited this from this form of education, and I appreciate today the foundation that was established. While this curiosity has been there from childhood, interest in family heritage and local history has only grown as I have aged. It is satisfying to discover the story, much of it quite interesting, of how things evolved to what they are today.
Check out our home page (click on the link) for two activities exploring Swansea that you can download. The Historical Society has two self-guided exploration activities, one covers the many staircases that traverse our community and the other lists the multiple plaques, signs and statutes across Swansea. Good Exercise, watch for traffic and enjoy the discovery.
March 2026
As the new year begins and we celebrate Swansea’s Centennial of becoming an independent village, it has made me reflect about our special community. Having read various historical profiles of Swansea, one is struck by the consistent comments over many decades on its physical beauty and sense of community. Those of us who live here can relate and appreciate that this is where we call home. Recently, I got involved in trying to influence the redevelopment of Swansea Mews. Accepting new housing is needed, the City proposal is ill-conceived, threatening to undermine our neighbourhood with a development that does not fit. Part of protecting a neighbourhood is learning about and preserving its history and character. This is not an anti-development stance, rather an informed position that honours and retains part of the past through maintaining the integrity of our community. Toronto is known as a City containing distinct neighbourhoods with Swansea being one of these. It is definitely something worth protecting.
January 2026
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