St. Mary’s In January | Just for Fun – Alex Luyckx

When it comes to photography, last year I found that I was out shooting film for the purpose of a review or a YouTube video or something else. So with Christmas in the rearview and a rather tough week back to work it was time to get out and have a family adventure just for the sake of getting out of town for several hours and going for a drive. There are lots of amazing towns through Southern Ontario, many are touristy, but there are some true hidden gems. One of those gems is St. Mary’s, Ontario. I first learned about St. Mary’s through my research into railway history in Canada, as the town boasts one of the original Grand Trunk stations that are still in the original 1858 form, a rarity along Canadian rails these days. But the real gem is the historic downtown.

The Opera House — The 1880 Opera House was built as a multi-use building that included a concert hall (hence the name), although that hall is long gone as it served as a flour mill from 1907 to 1973 before restoration/reuse in 1989.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

The M&M Block is one of the early limestone commercial blocks that have come to be iconic to St. Mary’s downtown.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

Customs — While it may look like other buildings, the old Post Office/Custom’s House is a 1908 addition, it served in the role until 1971 and has since been various restaurants. We actually had lunch here.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

The First Hutton Block is the first limestone commercial block built in St. Mary’s.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

Now I’ve visited St. Mary’s a couple of times before hand and have always wanted to return with my family to enjoy the town. While the weather was chilly and the skies overcast, it was a lot brighter than it was back on New Year’s day, so we headed out for the drive. The town is about an hour and a half away by the route we took, which included a drive through downtown Stratford. But St. Mary’s is a lot quieter than Stratford, even in the off-season. The downtown proved quiet with only a few locals around, but at there were some places, including the local pub open for lunch.

Andrews — This beautiful Second Empire Jeweller’s, is unique in that you can peek though the front windows and find all the original fixtures, despite the entire building being closed off.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

Various Store Fronts — A strange mix of building styles and heights.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

The Grand Central Hotel is another old business dating to 1850, with updates done in 1894 and 1920.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

The Town Hall — The beautiful 1891 town hall certainly looks grander than you might expect for a town like St. Mary’s, but was built/designed to instill pride in the community.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

I originally planned to pack along my Nikon F5 with the Nikkor 24mm f/2.8, but decided on the Friday to switch over to the Nikon FE2, I hadn’t used the camera in a bit and wanted to take it out for a spin, plus the smaller body size and smaller lenses meant that I could also pack along the 24mm, 50mm, and 105mm. For film I loaded up a roll of Ilford HP5+ which I shot at ASA-320. In the end I only ended up using the 24mm but it was nice to know I had the other two options in case I saw something that I wanted to get a little closer. For developing I went with Adox HR-DEV, I had the bottle sitting open and wanted to run through it before the stuff expired.

The Water Tower — You know you have entered St. Mary’s when you see the iconic 1899 steel & stone water tower.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

While the building dates to the 1880s, it has housed a Pharmacy since 1913, with the Hubbard Name being applied in 1989.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

The Mill Race — Like many towns, St. Mary’s has a long milling history, the mill races along the Thames are historically recognised by the town.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

Blocked Off — While the downtown is still vibrant, there are still a lot of closed off buildings and former businesses.
Nikon FE2 – AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-320 – Adox HR-DEV (1+30) 10:00 @ 20C (Constant Rotation)

While St. Mary’s is a bit off the beaten path, it is still worthwhile spot to visit. The downtown is a wealth of historic limestone buildings and even off the main street there are plenty of historic homes and churches to take in. Plus you can walk along an original GTR railway bridge that offers amazing views of the river and is a little bit of history as it was part of the original line that ran from Toronto out to Sarnia completed by Grand Trunk. I’ve done a video in St. Mary’s as part of my On The Road Series back in 2021 if you want a bit more taste for the town, plus views from that railway bridge turned walking trail.

Explorer, Wanderer, Photographer

St. Mary’s In January | Just for Fun

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