Nature, Creativity & Culture
The Hive Centre
- The Hive Centre is a heritage church (1858) in Leskard, Ontario
- The church is the historical gateway to the Commemorative Forest
- We steward and honour the original intention of the buildings and the land
- The Hive is a space for people to connect to themselves, each other, and nature
- The Hive Signature Experiences, focusing on nature, creativity & culture, take place at the church
History of The Hive
Leskard is located at the headwaters of Wilmot Creek. The creek (once a river and large lake) provided power to run mills, enabling the village of Leskard to flourish.
During the mid 1800s, Leskard was an active place with two copper shops, stave mills, grist and saw mills, a general store, a hotel, grocery store, a school and three churches. The Hive Centre is the only church that survives today (once Episcopal Methodist), c. 1858.
The property’s original 20 acre property was partially conveyed in 1979 and designated as a commemorative forest in 1980 to protect Wilmot Creek and to honour individuals who contributed to Ontario’s Conservation Movement. The Hive retains a portion of the forest, offering guest access to the nature reserve.
Did You Know?
The Hive’s heritage church is a living hive! Honey Bees have lived in between the interior and exterior walls for at least 50 years that we know of. The wall has even leaked honey! We are not beekeepers at The Hive but co-habitate with them.
When approached gently, the honey bees will generally step onto your finger to be transported to the Let It Bee Garden.
The Let It Bee Garden was established in August 2017 on National Honey Bee Day, following a presentation from Dare2Bee Founder, Steve Lawrence. The Let It Bee Garden assists the bees, feeds many local wildlife species, and is a source of wild food and medicine.
The Wisdom of Nature
