2024 Clinton Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in September)
CNR School on Wheels
From 1926 to 1965, Fred and Cela Sloman, along with their young family, spent ten months of the year on a railcar travelling through the Northern Ontario bush. The car was part of a program called School on Wheels that provided education to students in remote Northern Ontario.
The railcar served as both a classroom and a living space for the Sloman family as it moved along a 150 mile stretch of track between Capreol and Foleyet. The car would travel connected to a train, before being left on a small piece of side track for several days while Fred Sloman taught the local children. The car would hook up to another train and continue on, leaving homework for the students until the school car would return.
For 39 years, the Slomans brought the gift of education to Northern Ontario until Fred retired in 1964. The last railcar of the program was taken off the rails in 1967, since technological advancements made the North more accessible. In 1982, the schoolcar was in disrepair and for sale. Elizabeth Willmot encouraged Cela Sloman and her daughter Margaret to speak to the Clinton Council, who purchased the car. Today, the schoolcar sits in Sloman Park and has become a museum where visitors can go on guided tours.
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Ball's Bridge
Ball’s Bridge was erected in 1885 to connect Goderich, the county seat, with outlying areas to the east. According to Daryl Ball, a descendant of the family who farmed the land, a young Miss Ball had to cross the river by foot to go to market in Goderich. During one trip to buy sugar, she was spotted by an engineer who was employed to supervise construction of the Goderich Bridge. They fell in love and he built Ball’s Bridge one summer so that his love would be able to cross the river without getting wet. Since then, Ball’s Bridge has been dubbed “The Bridge That Love Built” and arguably the most romantic bridge in Ontario. Today, the bridge remains a popular location for couples photographs.
The bridge itself is a unique treasure. The structure is an excellent – and now rare – example of a two-span Pratt design through truss, pin-connected wrought iron bridge. Its construction shows attention to detail through the ‘v-lacing’ located at various points on the bridge. The pin-connected truss bridge was a common design during the late 1800s and early 1900s but faded away as new building techniques were developed. This bridge type has become very rare today, especially in Ontario. Moreover, the 1885 construction date sets it among the some of the oldest wrought iron Pratt truss bridges in the U.S. and Canada.
Clinton Mural Tour
Anyone walking the streets of Clinton can see that our charming town is home to many beautiful murals. Now, the true magic appears when you hold your phone camera up in front of the art. With the help of up-and-coming augmented reality technology, the murals come to life and move on your screen!
Five of our murals were painted by the late Allen Hilgendorf, a muralist responsible for over a hundred artworks in small towns throughout Southwestern Ontario. His talent for elevating daily activities in art resulted in a series of murals throughout Clinton depicting the area’s historically significant moments. Animating these pieces of history brings new life and interest into existing art. This creates a creative and unique experience for residents and visitors alike, while still preserving Allen’s legacy. The mural walk also integrates well with Clinton’s downtown historic walking tour.
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