Lot #483: 1958 Souvenir Wooden Nickel - Cornwall Inundation Days - Canada Ontario Wooden Trade Five Cent Token Coin

Obverse: Boat on Seaway. Lettering: INUNDATION DAYS JULY 1-2-3-4 Reverse: CORNWALL ONT. 1958 5 1958 SOUVENIR WOODEN NICKEL The 1958 Cornwall "Inundation Days" wooden nickel is a unique piece of "wood money" with profound historical significance. It was issued to commemorate a transformative moment in Ontario’s history: the flooding of the St. Lawrence River valley during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project. This token was issued almost 70 years ago the summer of 1958 for the "Inundation Days" festival. This event marked the "The Big Snip" and the controlled flooding of Ontario's "Lost Villages." On July 1, 1958, a massive cofferdam was blown, and within four days, 40,000 acres of land were submerged to create Lake St. Lawrence, powering the new international hydro-electric dam. This token thus represents a bittersweet moment. While it celebrated a massive feat of engineering and the opening of the Seaway, it also marked the permanent disappearance ("inundation") of several historic towns, including Dickinson's Landing and Aultsville. These wooden nickels were distributed as souvenirs during the transition period. Dimensions: Wood. 25 mm (6 mm thick) Pickup category timeslot {A}