This rural property was built in 1900 and sits upon 102 acres of land. The land was purchased in 2004 for $300,000 by a man of Croatian descent who’s now in his 50’s. He’s a graduate of McMaster University.While at university, he participated on the fencing team. He was named MVP for his team in 2001. He went on to compete in International Tournaments from 2001 to 2003 in Montreal.His house has a lot of musical history inside. In the living room sit two empty guitar cases and a piano. As you make your way past the living room to…

This was the home of Audrey and Ronald Stillman. Audrey was an avid knitter who would regularly attend knitting workshops. She sold her custom-knit creations at craft shows across Ontario. Research shows that she was active from 2001 to 2004, but most likely beyond that scope.Ronald lived in the house for certain from 2002 to 2006 and was known to be alive in 2012. Ronald apparently passed away first, leaving Audrey living on her own. According to a source who will remain anonymous, she looked after Audrey. One day Audrey had been stuck in her couch for three days before…

This was the home of Arnold and Edith Wollschlaeger. Edith Schulz was born in Hamburg, Germany. After the war, she married Arnold Wollschlaeger. Together they established an auto repair shop. They soon had a son named Thomas. In 1955 the family emigrated to Canada. Arnold formed Ontario Truck and Bus Industries as a subsidiary of his vehicle repair company. He received an assembly contract from the Ontario government’s Urban Transportation Development Corporation to assemble and retrofit a Rek-Vee fibreglass-bodied diesel-powered vehicle for use in the government’s experimental Dial-a-Bus service. The Dial-a-Bus service was a service where passengers could call a…

Note: This story contains disturbing details. I’m reminded of a meme that goes something like this… “History isn’t yours to be offended over. It is precisely that, history. If you find yourself offended, that’s a good thing. It means that you’re very unlikely to repeat that history.”Names have been changed and the memoir details have been paraphrased to keep the house’s address from all the wrong people. Eliana and AsherThis was the home of Eliana and her husband Asher. Asher was born in Krakow, Poland in 1909. Eliana was born in Złoczów in 1921. Eliana lost her mother at the…

If you take a drive in rural Northern Ontario, you just might happen across this house. A vehicle in the driveway with Farming plates has collected a layer of dead leaves. Perhaps the vehicle has fooled people into thinking someone lives here, which in turn has held off the vandals. Stepping inside this house, I was amazed. This was one of those places that makes the entire day trip worth it regardless of how you make out exploring the remainder of the day. Everything has been left behind. The living room is immaculate, couch and chairs are in place and…

On an early morning jaunt, Abandoned Minds and I headed out to a cozy little time capsule in the forest. The snow had just fallen that week, although I had wanted to get photos before snowfall. Inside, many items are boxed or wrapped as if they were packed to be removed from the property. Looking at an expiration date on a box of medication, I saw it was 2010. Magazines are also approximately 10 years old. The bedroom looks pretty much untouched. The phone is charging although there’s no dial tone, only a nasty crackling sound. The fridge works (and…

This house sits along a quiet road in Ontario. The electricity still works. Outside a few vehicles have tarps placed over them, as if the owner intended to one day return. This was the home of a couple. In 2002 the wife passed away at the young age of 49. It apears that everything was left behind as it stood such as a closet filled with jackets, full dresser drawers and furniture. There are certain things inside the house that indicate perhaps renovations are to take place, or renovation items are just being stored here. There are several photos from…

This house is located in rural Ontario just outside of London. It’s one of those properties that creates more questions than answers for the curious explorer. In particular, I could find very little information on the last residents and no information on a woman’s passport found in a purse.Eight of the 20 acres is leased to a farmer. The house has severe water damage which would seem to indicate that it’s been vacant for quite some time. Several rooms such as the basement and upper bedroom have fallen drywall where water has accumulated. In addition to the water damage, this…

This appears to have been a seasonally used property many years ago. The front floor has caved in indicating that the place has likely been vacant for quite some time. Upstairs you’ll find a collection of children’s stuffed animals and books, as well as a crib. The twin beds are made up with quilted bedspreads. This is located in Muskoka area of Ontario.

This house is the kind of house that I’ll drive hours to explore. You could easily spend hours here, pouring over the contents left behind. I’m naming this location, the “Polish Soldier’s House” and this is the back story. To keep undesirable people from finding the house, names aren’t being disclosed nor are the full dates. As enjoyable as it is to present these houses, there is still a family we need to be cognizant of.A.K. was born August of 1914. I.T. was born February of 1924. During World War II, I.T. arrived home one day to find that her…