Climb the stairs of the Children’s Center and explore a replica merchant ship – the Leeds Trader!

Before roads existed, small boats and sailing ships were the cars and trucks of today, and were connected by the St. Lawrence River.

Merchant ships acted as mobile stores, sailing up and down the River selling merchandise and delivering cargo and passengers to the isolated villages. Welcome to the replica Leeds Trader merchant ship – the original was built right here on the waterfront in 1793 by Joel Stone, founder of Gananoque.