The history of Batawa, located off Highway 33 just north of Trenton, dates all the way back to 1939 when a young Czech man, scared off by the threat of Nazi invasion, emigrated to Canada and sought land to make shoes. He bought an old paper mill near Frankford and, with help of 100 or so other Czech immigrants, carried on the legacy of his father, Thomas Bata. Through their devotion to the community, he and his wife, Sonja, helped put Quinte West on the map.
Read more about Sonja Bata’s story here.
