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Writer's pictureRon Giofu

New book explores life at Belle Vue

Updated: Nov 18

A local resident and historian has finally completed a book that was over a decade in the making.


Debra Honor has written “The Lives That Touched Belle Vue Amherstburg,” a new book that details the people that lived there and more.


“It’s not just the people who lived in the house,” she said. “I have a list of people who built the house.”


There are also stories on servants who worked at the 200-year-old Belle Vue house, those who lived there in the mid-20th Century when it was a veterans home and appendices with more historical research information.


“I have not written a novel,” she said. “I’ve written historical non-fiction.”


Honor said the stories are shorter articles made into chapters. They are similar to the newspaper articles she wrote for the River Town Times several years ago, but expanded.


“Each story is in chronological order as best I could,” said Honor.


“The Lives That Touched Belle Vue Amherstburg” is a book that Honor has worked on for the last 14 years. It was something she worked on “on and off” over that time but earlier this year, she committed to finishing the project.


“This past January, I said to (husband) Robert, I have to let go of the house,” she said. “I’m going to work at the book.”


The many families are detailed in the book, backed up by Honor’s research, including the Reynolds family. Honor discovered through her research that Robert Reynolds joined Charles Fortier as being commissioned to construct the Boblo Island lighthouse.


“There was no one else mentioned as an architect,” said Honor.


Honor added her husband believed that makes sense as archways over the door on the lighthouse match those on Belle Vue.


Reynolds also connected to James McGill, whose family founded McGill University in Montreal.


Druggist William Johnston owned the house and was a druggist who updated the house into a Italianate Villa. Honor said he created a ginger ale that rivaled Vernors, but he drowned in the Detroit River.


Perry Leighton found First Nations artifacts on the property and Honor also notes the ownership of John G. Mullen and his family as well. Mullen is also a former mayor of Amherstburg.


“He was very philanthropic,” she said. “He was always helping people.”


The era as a veterans hospital saw World War II veterans work there to help the World War I veterans who were housed there.


“They were from Essex and Kent Counties,” Honor said of the veterans who lived there. “They were local veterans.”


The book concludes in the time period when it was a Ukrainian Catholic Church.

“There are a lot of people who want the book,” she stated.


Honor said she had never edited a book before so it was a learning experience for her. She has a friend in Halifax who also assisted with editing.


“If I ever write another book, I will do better with the editing,” she said.


Ancestry.com was a valued website during her writing of the book and the research done by the late Paul Hertel helped her. Hertel had previously done a lot of work on those who lived in Belle Vue when it was a veterans’ hospital. Many politicians helped with Belle Vue over the years, noting Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent once visited.


“I learned a lot about Amherstburg history writing this book,” she said.


The book is $20 and Honor is selling them through various historical talks she does. It is also being sold at the Marsh Historical Collection, and a book signing is being held there Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.


By Ron Giofu

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