Grindstone Island is an 11-acre (4.5 ha) island in Big Rideau Lake, Ontario, Canada.
The island was used by Charles Kingsmill, the first Admiral of the Royal Canadian Navy, as his summer residence. The main lodge was built in the early 20th century around an earlier 19th century structure. During the 1960s and 1970s, the island was used as a Quaker non-violence training centre and also as a co-operative conference centre. In August 1965, the island was the scene for a role-playing exercise — later referred to as "the Grindstone Experiment" — in nonviolent social defence.
During the 1980s it hosted a summer camp for children. It is now used by Archives & Museum Informatics for seminars and meetings dealing with issues concerning culture and Information Technology.
The summer camp in the 1980s was, and still is, an important part of the lives of many who attended. It was an accepting and diverse collection of kids mostly from Ontario in the Toronto to Ottawa corridor. Children played games such as the popcorn game and the survival game which taught them about the distribution of wealth and power in society and the natural world.
Famous quotes containing the word island:
“We approached the Indian Island through the narrow strait called “Cook.” He said, “I ‘xpect we take in some water there, river so high,—never see it so high at this season. Very rough water there, but short; swamp steamboat once. Don’t paddle till I tell you, then you paddle right along.” It was a very short rapid. When we were in the midst of it he shouted “paddle,” and we shot through without taking in a drop.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)