Stonehooking
Encyclopedia
Stonehooking was a method of gathering stone slabs from the shallow lake shore in Southern Ontario
destined primarily for building construction. It flourished as an industry from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century until the use of portland cement
supplanted it as a building material.
Stonehooking was done in Lake Ontario
from Whitby
to Bronte
. Specialised schooner
s known as stonehookers would anchor close to shore. A barge
would be sent out to gather the stone. This was accomplished using long rakes with hooks at the end to pry up slabs of stone which would be piled on the barge. The stone would then be loaded on the schooner's deck until full.
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
destined primarily for building construction. It flourished as an industry from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century until the use of portland cement
Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world because it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco and most non-specialty grout...
supplanted it as a building material.
Stonehooking was done in Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
from Whitby
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
to Bronte
Bronte, Ontario
Bronte is the community that makes up much of the west end of Oakville, in Ontario, Canada. Twelve Mile Creek flows through the middle of town and empties into Lake Ontario. Main roads include Bronte Road , Lakeshore Road West and Rebecca Street...
. Specialised schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
s known as stonehookers would anchor close to shore. A barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
would be sent out to gather the stone. This was accomplished using long rakes with hooks at the end to pry up slabs of stone which would be piled on the barge. The stone would then be loaded on the schooner's deck until full.