Information AboutGeorgian Bay |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT GEORGIAN BAY | |
| great lakes | |
| bays of ontario | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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GEOGRAPHY Georgian Bay is about 320 kilometres long by 80 kilometres wide. It covers over 15,000 square kilometres, making it almost as large as Lake Ontario . Georgian Bay is part of the southern edge of the Canadian Shield , a geological formation carved out by the retreating glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age , about 11,000 years ago. The granite rock formations and windswept Eastern White Pine are characteristic of the islands and much of the shoreline of the bay. The beauty of the area has inspired landscapes by artists of the Group Of Seven (an example, of which is the painting by Frederick Varley shown here). There are tens of thousands of islands in Georgian Bay. Most of these islands are along the east side of the bay and are collectively known as the "Thirty Thousand Islands," including the larger Parry Island and Christian Island . Manitoulin Island, lying along the northern side of the bay is the world's largest island in a freshwater lake. The Trent-Severn Waterway connects Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario , running from Port Severn in the southeastern corner of Georgian Bay through Lake Simcoe into Lake Ontario near Trenton . Further north, Lake Nipissing drains into it through the French River . In October 2004 , the Georgian Bay Littoral was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO . HISTORY Archeological records reveal an Aboriginal presence in the southern regions of the Canadian Shield dating from 11,000 years ago. Evidence of later paleo-Aboriginal settlements have been found on (or Wendat ) and Iroquois (or Haudenosaunee ) inhabited the lands to the south. Names of islands such as "Manitoulin" (from Gitchi Manitou , the Great Spirit) and "Giant's Tomb" are indicative of the richness of the cultural history of the area. Aboriginal communities continue to live on their territories and practise their cultural traditions. The first Europe ans to visit this area, the French explorers Samuel De Champlain and Étienne Brûlé , arrived in the 17th Century . French Jesuit s established the mission of Sainte-Marie Among The Hurons , Ontario's first European settlement, in 1649 at what is now the community of Midland . The reconstructed Jesuit mission, Sainte-Marie Among The Hurons , is now an historic site. Also nearby is the Martyrs' Shrine , a church dedicated to the Canadian Martyrs , Jesuits who were killed around Georgian Bay in the 17th Century . Penetanguishene , also located at the southern tip of the bay near Midland, was created as a naval base in 1793 by John Graves Simcoe . Georgian Bay was first charted in 1815 by Captain William Fitzwilliam Owen who called it Lake Manitoulin. In 1822 , it was named after King George IV by Captain Henry Bayfield who made much more detailed charts of the bay. These are the basis of those in use today. SETTLEMENTS The town of Midland , at the southern end of the bay, is a popular site for summer cottages, as are the many bays and islands on the eastern shore. At the southern end of the bay, around Nottawasaga Bay are found. Collingwood , Meaford and Wasaga Beach . Owen Sound and Wiarton are located on the Bruce Peninsula along the southern and southwestern shore of the bay, while Tobermory is located at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula on the Main Channel. A Ferry travels from Tobermory, across the Main Channel to South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island. Parry Sound , the world's deepest freshwater port, is located on the eastern shore of the bay. REFERENCES
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