Ruins of Boblo Island puzzle pieces together local history

A couple from Amherstburg has combined their love of puzzles and local history.

Richard and Colleen Peddie have created a puzzle featuring pictures of the ruins on Boblo Island.

The island was home to a popular amusement park starting in the late 1890s.

Many locals still have great memories riding the ferry to Boblo Island Amusement Park, which eventually closed down in 1993.

Now, what is left of that amusement park is being eternalized in a new puzzle sold in the couple's bookshop in Amherstburg.

The couple is hoping the 1,000-piece puzzle will take locals go down memory lane as they piece it together.

"We also have lived on Boblo for 13 years," said Richard Peddie. "We're kind of naturalists and historians at the same time. We decided to start taking pictures of the buildings there and some of the wildlife. And then one day we decided that we'd put it into a puzzle."

So they ordered 300 puzzles and have already sold over 50 in just about a week.

"People have a lot of wonderful memories of Boblo," said Colleen Peddie. "Every time someone comes to visit us there, they always want to see everything that's been there. I think there's just so many joyful memories."

She said it was difficult to choose just a handful of pictures to include out of all the beautiful pictures they had taken while living on Boblo Island.

"We really wanted to be representative of the history of the amusement park, which was such a big part of the island. So we really focused on the amusement park and what was left of the amusement park. We tried to pick a selection from different times of the year. We also wanted to add the lighthouse and the blockhouse, which have phenomenal history. As well, the island is rich with all of these animals. It's spectacular."

The couple said the Ruins of Boblo puzzle is available exclusively at their store in Amherstburg, River Bookshop.