It’s been 200 years since thousands of Irish settlers, organized by prominent Canadian politician Peter Robinson, transformed the quaint wilderness in Ontario's Kawartha Lakes region and laid the foundation for a close-knit community with strong Catholic roots.

Known as the Peter Robinson Emigration, these poor immigrants were attracted by a promised better life in Canada in exchange for loyalty to Britain, as well as being future markets for British goods. Fearing the rapid population growth in Ireland would outpace its agricultural productivity, British officials hoped that this solution could balance population and produce in the two disparate worlds on either side of the Atlantic Ocean.

The 1825 migration came on the heels of a similar migration two years earlier. While these Irish migrants would be settled across what is now Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes area, it was Emily Township, just outside of Lindsay in present-day City of Kawartha Lakes, that would welcome the largest number of families — 142 families all told.

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In 1825, up to 2,000 families escaped poverty in the Irish counties of Cork, Tipperary and Limerick by sailing across the Atlantic under Robinson, MPP and Commissioner of Crown Lands. The majority were poor, subsistence farmers who tilled the land for absentee British landlords, faced extreme poverty, lived in inadequate housing and faced constant food insecurity.

Today, the ancestors of many of these original migrants live on in the area, many centred around Downeyville, a small hamlet to the east of Lindsay that still proudly bears the shamrock on its signage. Some of the names of the original settlers are still carried by today's residents — Sullivan, Scully, Connell, Begley, Fitzpatrick and of course Downie.

This year, Downeyville’s historic St. Luke’s Church is at the heart of bicentennial celebrations that honour the faith, resilience and long-standing legacy of those past settlers. Many of these original settlers leaned on their shared Catholic faith and collective resilience to transform the land into a thriving circle by establishing homes, farms, a school and the revered St. Luke’s Church.

As explained by Mary Jane Connell, chair of the Peter Robinson Immigration Committee at St. Luke’s, the emigration was driven by dire circumstances back home in Ireland, where, after 1607, Irish Catholics were left at the bottom of the social structure under English rule, unable to own land or practise their faith openly. Masses were held in secret, and children were taught in hedgerows. In 1825, Robinson’s government-backed immigration experiment brought 2,024 settlers on nine ships — the Fortitude, Resolution, Albion, Brunswick, Star, Amity, Regulus, Elizabeth and John Barry — from Cobh in County Cork, across the Atlantic, up the St. Lawrence to Montreal and Lachine before entering in to Lake Ontario. From there, it was stops in Point Frederick near Kingston, Prescott and final disembarkation at Cobourg and the trek to the Kawartha backwoods.

“ Among these Irish men were blacksmiths, butchers, carpenters, gardeners, masons, school masters, tailors, labourers, reduced farmers (and more),” Connell said.

While anniversary celebrations still carry a sense of pride and celebration, the reality of what was a desperate escape from English oppression, famine and hardship makes the Peter Robinson Emigration all the more memorable and commendable for those who remain in the community today.  

“ Firstly, when we look back at (the settlers), we look at them in awe of what they accomplished. We also look at them in the sombre light, thinking how could you endure to leave everything you knew, the people that you loved, knowing you were never going to see them again,” Connell said. “They did it because they had a family and they had to provide for that family, and so you gave up what was dear to you to provide for the next generation.” 

What helped many of these settlers, Connell notes, was their Catholic faith. Through St. Luke’s as a spiritual cornerstone, that faith continues to bind generations in Downeyville and nearby Peterborough, though its initial history is winding and extensive. 

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Holy Mass was originally held in homes in 1826 under Fr. James Crowley, sustaining settlers through extensive hardships such as the 31 deaths caused that year by malaria and harsh Canadian winters, something drastically different from Ireland’s milder climate. 

In 1842, a log church was built before the current St. Luke’s Church was erected in 1858, with the rectory officially opening in 1880. 

“ Over the years, this community has been blessed with pastors and parishioners who have given unselfishly to foster spiritual growth and to keep the church in good condition. The Eucharistic ministers, lectors, musicians, altar servers, children's liturgy, teachers, funeral reception committees, collection counters, parish hall workers, Knights of Columbus and Catholic Women's League, among others, have all played important roles,” Connell said.

“Their labour and fundraising have all proclaimed the Gospel to historic St. Luke’s Church and its people. Spreading the word of Christ through their stories and actions is just as much pioneering work as clearing the land was in 1825.” 

During this year of celebration, the church community has been honouring its journey and legacy through storytelling, activities and community gatherings, inviting community members near and far to join in remembering the faithful courage of their forefathers.

Connell notes the bicentennial year is a time for reflection on the hardships that the community's ancestors endured for them, describing the current generation as the recipients of their labour, scourge and oppression from poverty and famine.

“They were not beaten by these tragedies, and so today we look back in awe of their accomplishments. In 1825, two things were pivotal for the settlers: a church to pray in for their immortal souls and a school to educate their children. In 2025. We celebrate those accomplishments, and we give thanks for that same church and for the continued education of our children,” she said. 

Celebrations during the year have included a 200th anniversary Mass, a Downeyville vs Ennismore hockey game, a St. Patrick's Day concert, a Peter Robinson settler's play and a community heritage day, among others. Still to come include communal Irish Tea in the rectory, a harvest dance, Christmas house tour, an Irish film night, children's Christmas concert and final Mass dedicated to Downeyville’s ancestors. 

These events have helped preserve the sense of faith and family over time within the St. Luke’s community, something Connell  attests as something always more than a building, but the heart of Downeyville community life. The parish’s  new Hearts and Shamrocks group, which quietly supports families through illness, bereavement and life celebrations, is a prime example, a modern expression of a settler spirit, with neighbours caring for neighbours, faith in action and love shared in concrete ways. 

While this year’s celebrations are a time to honour the past, they are also fostering the present and nurturing the future, ensuring the Peter Robinson emigration story of courage remains alive and well, whether in the pews of St. Luke's or echoing throughout Downeyville’s resilient spirit. 

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“ The bicentennial gives us a chance to show younger generations that our history isn't just a story in the past, but is alive in how we live today through intergenerational celebrations. We're helping children and families understand that the same faith and resilience that carried the settlers across the ocean is what continues to sustain this community,” Connell said. 

“St. Luke's reminds us that faith endures and that its heart and community are in communion with each other. The story of 1825 is really one of courage, trusting God and neighbourly love, and that is exactly the legacy that we want for our children and our grandchildren to carry forward.”