In 1835, a proposal to build a navigable water route from Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay was submitted to Sir John Colborne, Lieutenant Governor, by civil engineer Nicol Hughe Baird. It was believed that if a link could be established between the many scattered settlements, the population would increase, and new markets would be created. With numerous arguments for and against the building of the Trent Canal, the project was begun, and was to take many separate projects over a period of almost one hundred years to complete. It was not until 1920 that the final link of the canal was completed, and water travel was made possible all the way from Trenton to Port Severn, a distance of 386 km. Although the original purpose of the building of the Canal had been to bring supplies to people living along its waterways, and to provide an outlet for timber, by the time the Canal was completed so many years later, the automobile and better roads and railways had been introduced and the original function of the Canal had changed. It has since become a famous route for recreational travel for thousands of people.
Part of Traill College, Wallis Hall was named for Katherine Wallis (1860-1957), an artist born in Peterborough. She was born in the family home called 'Merino' and died in Santa Cruz California. The Wallis papers are in Trent University Archives.
Part of Otonabee College, Wenjack Theatre was named in memory of Chanie Wenjack, an Anishinaabe boy from Marten Falls Indian Reserve. Wenjack was a student at Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School, who ran away and died while trying to get back to his home.
Located on Lake Kushog in Haliburton County, the property was owned by Flora Morrison and Dr. Mary. L. Northway from 1940 to 1982. They planned and led girls' canoe trips from their camp Windy Pine. Dr. Northway donated the land to Trent University. The Trent University Archives Reading Room is named in Dr. Northway's honour.
