Village on the Skoot
The redesigned edition of Village on the Skoot, by Wilfred Laurier Lessard–republished by the Cloyne and District Historical Society (CDHS)--has sold out its first two printings, setting sales records for the Society. The book is now in its 3rd printing.
“We’ve never seen anything like the demand for this book,” said Cathy Newcombe, President of the CDHS. “Over the years, we’ve had many requests for a reprint. It took the dedication of a team of people to get it done—and done well.”
Originally published as a community memoir by the Golden Circle Club in 1979, Village on the Skoot chronicles the people, places and events that shaped Flinton as well as Kaladar, Actinolite, Northbrook and Cloyne. With the humour, character and the occasional embellishment, Lessard brings the past to life. Reading it, you can almost picture him entertaining neighbours with a yarn and a fiddle around a winter fire, a century ago.
Carolyn McCulloch, who has sold CDHS books at the Lions Club Farmers Market for many years, said, “People often asked for this book. We try to carry something for everyone, and this book tells Flinton’s unique story when the old-timers could remember the stories of their own grandparents.”
The book begins with poignant vignettes from the last days when the Algonquin people used the Skootamatta River as a waterway between the Bay of Quinte and the Madawaska, through Billa Flint’s founding of the village for its strategic role in late-19th-century log drives, later mining speculating and operations, through the Great Depression and two World Wars.
The new edition was the passion project of Cathy Hook, whose vision framed the work and whose leadership saw it through design, editing and printing. Released to celebrate Flinton’s 150th anniversary in 2026, Village on the Skoot tells a story that could belong to many rural Ontario communities—and yet could only be Flinton’s. Its remarkable reception demonstrates the enduring appetite for local history and the stories that connect generations.
To order, go to the CDHS website: https://cloynepioneermuseum.ca. We will also be on-site at the Winter Extravaganza at the Lions Hall in Northbrook on Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 10 am to 1 pm.
