Heart of a Hamlet

By Daniela Syrovy

From King Township Tapestry magazine, Vol. 2 No. 1. March 1998.

Amidst a countryside of rolling hills, between King Sideroad and the King-Vaughan Townline in the middle of King Township, rests a forgotten hamlet. The little home that once flourished with shops, inns and mills is known as Laskay.

While the planning and development of Laskay are credited to early settlers Joseph Baldwin and David Reesor, it was the entire community that added to Laskay’s friendly, warm atmosphere.

That milieu has transcended time and the tiny hamlet’s heart now lies within a 139 year old building that done the same. Laskay Hall is nestled in the center of the country hamlet on Weston Road, about a kilometer south of King sideroad. Mount on the front of the hall is a heritage plaque which gives a brief account of its history.

It began as a parcel of land donated by David Reesor to the Sons of Temperance and in January 1859, the hall was erected. Initially it housed the Sons’ meetings, but when the Temperance movement faded, so did the hall’s use. For five years it was rented out to the Laskay Band and the sound of rousing music welcomed visitors for dances from 1905 to 1910.

After consideration, Sons of Temperance member Daniel O’Brien decided to hand the hall over to the Laskay Women’s Institute who needed a place to meet at the time. The transaction marked the beginning of the hall’s revival. The Women’s Institute managed the building from 1914 until 1988. Under its guidance, it became the site of dances, plays, potluck meals, meetings and the little hall took center stage as the core of the community. (The township of King assumed ownership in 1987).

While the hall changed hands three times over the past century and a half, each agreement was structured to maintain the building’s integrity. From the Sons of Temperance, who donated land, to the Women’s Institute, to King Township, no money has changed hands in the process. Simply community togetherness and a rich sense of achievement have kept locals helping out with the maintenance.