The Willowbank Documentation of Historic Places Program documents heritage sites at risk. The Canby Homestead is still owned by members of the Canby family whose forbearers originally purchased the property in 1885. The family has maintained a successful farm on the site and the home was lived in until around 1985 by Helen Swift and Eugene Canby’s mother. Helen and Eugene have fond memories of growing up in the house. The building is relatively sound but maintenance on a property without a use always becomes a challenge. Restoration work is needed to bring the building back into service so it will remain viable for future generations to enjoy and learn from. By recording the property, Willowbank hopes to play a part in laying a foundation on which plans can be made to begin a new chapter in the survival of this site. The house is now separated from the shoreline by cottages built on the land between the house and shore. It may be possible for the house to be restored and used once again as a residence or another appropriate use can be found.
The house is situated on the north shore of Lake Erie at Long Beach near the town of Wainfleet. It was built around 1885-1890. The original one and a half storey portion of the house is log construction with an exterior layer of barn board and a layer of clapboard siding over the barn board. It has a three bay façade with the front door and arched window above being slightly off centre.
Over the years, several additions have been added to the south with a stone rubble cellar under the existing addition presently clad in aluminum siding. There was also a kitchen wing and woodshed that extended almost to the driveway to the east, standing over the exterior hatch door entrance to the cellar. Another small addition to the south elevation was used as a bedroom for Bernardo boys who lived on the farm. The small door to the bedroom is still there from the interior, but covered by siding from the exterior. Neither of these additions has survived.
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