Association Communautaire
Fallingbrook
Community Association

Stories about Fallingbrook

Princess Louise Falls

During the spring runoff is the best time to visit Princess Louise Falls, more correctly called Taylor Falls, along the escarpment north of Princess Louise Drive. The best place to visit the falls is from the water management area between Brookridge and Falling Brook Place. A nature trail takes you to the top of the falls where the deep gorge is visible. To reach the bottom of the falls, head west about 200 meters along the escarpment to "Dave's Drop". You can stand right at the bottom of the falls and get wet. The concrete chute is the remains of where old Montreal Road used to go, on its way to Montreal 50 years ago, when Highway 17 was still a railroad track.

The Cumberland Historical Society has tried to determine the connection between the falls and Princess Louise, a daughter of Queen Victoria and wife of the Governor-General, the Marquis of Lorne. The only connection we have been able to find is from the late Marjorie Ward, who lived in the house just east of the falls since 1950. She claimed that Princess Louise used to drive out here by buggy to paint water colours. Mrs Ward convinced the developers to name Princess Louise Drive for this reason.

I have examined hundred of paintings by Princess Louise, in the National Gallery and the National Archives, but did not see any of the falls. There were some paintings of another geographical feature named after the Princess, almost as well known as our falls: Lake Louise. So even if we can't prove the Princess came here, it makes a good story.

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