Despite the urban sprawl, industrialization and endless highway construction, Ontario possesses many hidden corners and lonely roads where the remains of earlier settlements, often constructed with immense effort against impossible odds, now lie forgotten. Some are no more than a few decaying foundations and collapsing houses, while others are littered with the remains of the industry and manufacturing that once thrived there.

There is a renewed interest in exploring our own backyard, and Ontario's Ghost Town Heritage is the perfect guide to these once-booming towns and villages. While some still maintain small resident populations, others exist only as abandoned buildings and ruins. All have in common that they are "ghosts" of their former greatness, and their images evoke the lost legacy of Ontario's past.

This fascinating book by Ontario historian Ron Brown explores over 80 accessible ghost towns in all parts of Ontario. Detailed driving directions invite you to experience the province's heritage for yourself.

This revised edition contains many new sites to visit and has been carefully updated with the latest information and driving directions.

Ron Brown is a freelance travel writer and photographer. He has published twenty books on the visual heritage of Ontario, including The Lake Erie Shore: Ontario's Forgotten South Coast; Behind Bars: Inside Ontario's Heritage Gaols; The Train Doesn't Stop Here Any More: An Illustrated History of Railway Stations in Canada; Ontario's Ghost Town Heritage; and Top 100 Unusual Things to See in Ontario. He is past chair of the Writers Union of Canada, and is active with the Travel Media Association of Canada, Access Copyright, where he sits on the board of directors, and the Book and Periodical Council. He lectures and directs bus tours based on his book topics. He lives in Toronto.

Ron Brown's profile page

[Review of previous edition:] Features the most interesting or "ghostly" destinations from earlier volumes, all with updated information and images, along with newly "discovered" ghost towns.

Northern Life

A wealth of information can be discovered within these full-colour pages. I love exploring my province and look forward to checking out some of these old towns -- or what remains of them.

Followsummer Blog

[Review of previous edition:] Brown's books are always interesting and bring to mind adventures.

Muskoka Today

For adventurous travellers, there are 80 mysterious places to explore including villages that were once bustling, where now only a few people live or are even abandoned. Besides interesting historical stories, the book includes detailed maps.

Culture Magazine

[Review of previous edition:] [Brown] has the gift of finding lots of things interesting and of them being able to write beautifully about those things.

Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay)

Brown has done an exceptional job as usual... This visual road trip is ideal for anyone who wants to take a step back in time to discover areas of Ontario that have faded into the misty arms of the past.

Shelf Life

[Review of previous edition:] A fascinating guide to the unusual, the lost and the abandoned places of Ontario.

The Sun Times (Owen Sound, ON)