Flooding Causes Damage to Lost Villages Museum

JASON SETNYK
Flooding Causes Damage to Lost Villages Museum
One of about a dozen structures located at the Lost Villages Museum. (Photo : Photo: Jason Setnyk)

The Lost Villages Museum, a historical site dedicated to preserving the legacy of submerged communities from the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project, has suffered severe flooding that damaged two of its buildings. The basements of the Forbes House and Stuart House were inundated after a failure of the sump pumps and their backups over the holiday season, resulting in extensive damage to some artifacts.

A message, penned by Jim Brownell, President of the Lost Villages Historical Society, was shared on the The Lost Villages Museum’s social media page. “The loss of some of our precious artifacts tears the heart right out of me. This is not the greatest beginning to 2025, but we must forge ahead together,” Brownell said.

Vice President Richard Waldroff echoed the somber mood but expressed hope for recovery. “During the Christmas period, a failure of the pumping system occurred. Currently, township personnel are taking the lead on the situation, and we are jointly working towards a plan for restoration. It will be a slow process,” Waldroff explained in a comment on the post.

Cornwall City Councillor Syd Gardiner also expressed his sympathies, commenting online, “I’m sorry to hear of the damage in the Lost Villages.”

Officials from the Township of South Stormont are working with the museum to assess the damage and develop a recovery plan. Further updates are expected once the plan is finalized.

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