A toast to Norfolk's heritage buildings

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I am told by someone who would know, that Port Dover’s historic Norfolk Hotel and “Brig” as it is now known may be the oldest tavern building in Ontario.

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For those of us who are non-nautical, a brig held errant sailors, who do what sailors sometimes do on a run ashore, drink, fight and fraternize. I don’t frequent many bars of late but this place has an atmosphere you don’t often find these days:  no glitz, no ferns, no cocktails with umbrellas, just an assortment of interesting characters and a long, long history.

Originally known as The Royal Exchange, the forefront of the building dates to between 1835 or so and I believe was at one time a courthouse.

The original brick portion goes back even further having served to hold American prisoners taken during the battle of Malcom’s Mills, near present day Oakland in 1814.

When W.L. Mackenzie formulated an ill-fated rebellion against the sitting government of the day in 1837 members of his force were incarcerated there as well. Guarding them in the harbour was a remarkable vessel, the Britomart, one of a class that combined both steam and sail power and fitted with two massive cannons.

After the American Civil War, Irish Fenian raiders, who were attempting to strike back at England via Canada for its hold on Northern Ireland, were defeated by Canadian militia troops and some of the captured did time at the Exchange.

In more modern times The Brig has been a fixture for generations of thirsty Port Doverites. No one now living can remember when it was not a central fixture of the community and tourists love the place for its music and lack of pretention returning to it every summer.

The motorcycle fraternity that has put Dover on the international map with Friday the 13^th consider it a place to gather peacefully without hassle.

I don’t know a lot about bikers other than the fact that I once rode with the Satan’s Choice. I rode with them for about 15 minutes on Lakeshore Blvd. in Toronto before my little Honda and I found the nearest exit.

My son Joe and daughter-in-law Laura sometimes manage the bar and have nothing but good things to say about the riders who want no trouble and are quick to settle anyone who gets out of hand.

This last holdout of an earlier era is, like a lot of things that don’t fit the current wave of counterculture, in danger of being turned into condos or some other soulless blight on the landscape.  

Many want to see it preserved and refurbished. I definitely count myself among them. We have lost enough history and if a fraction of the money I see being doled out to obscure causes were put into keeping what’s left of our history future generations might well benefit.

Currently, as I understand it, a petition is being circulated and feelers put forward to the county’s heritage committee and concerned citizens are discussing ways to raise private funds for the building’s refurbishment.

Port towns along Ontario’s South Coast are an important source of revenue for the province and they all have rich and colourful history and local residents should have a say in the commercial development of their communities.

So raise a rum to the Brig.

gordchristmas@outlook.com