38
|
Located,
only twohoursnorthwest of Toronto, 'theBruce' isborderedbyGeorgianBay
to thenorth-east and LakeHuron to the south-west.Magesticand rugged, it offersover
850kilometers(531miles)of beachandhikablecoastline toexplore, charming towns to
discover, scenicgolf courses, riversand lakes - there’s truly something for everyone!
Explore thecoasts, escarpment trailsandwoods. Spot amajesticeaglewhilecampingor
hiking. Relaxononeof thenumerous, freshwater, sandybeaches. Boardaboat andview
amazingunderwaterdiscoveries.Get toknow the localsat a summer festival and stroll
through thewelcomingcommunities. Visit lighthousesbycar, boat, kayakor canoe, dis-
coverquaint shopsorperhapsdoa little fly fishing. BruceCountyoffersavarietyof set-
tingsandactivities for nature’sbrilliant show.
There is somuch to seeanddo,we suggest youget anearly start! Try someplacenew
and try somethingdifferent. It’sallwaiting for youacrossbeautiful BruceCounty.
PLACES
IN THE
SUN
Theuniquebeautyof the townofWiarton
is hard tomatch. The view
from the hill as you enter the town charms the eye, extending for miles down
Colpoy’sBaywith islandsandbold limestonecliffs in thedistance. TheGateway
to theBruce Peninsula,Wiartonwas awilderness until 1866when the first log
shantywasbuilt.
Fora thousandyearsor longer, this fortunateshelteredsitewas theeasternaccess
toahistoricportage,ashortcutused for time immemorialbyFirstNationspeople,
fur traders, explorers,missionaries and settlers to cross thebaseof BrucePenin-
sula. In the19
th
andearly20
th
centuries, schoonersand steamersmade regular
stops atWiartonwhere a half-dozen sawmills spewed saw-
dust. Therewasa fishpackingplantandasugarbeet factory
–and in1882, theGrandTrunkRailwaycelebrated itsarrival
in town.
With itsheritage trainstation, shorelinepark, stately limestone
homes,and thehistoric remainsof theCorran,amansion that
onceoverlooked the town,Wiartonseemssteeped inhistory.
Yet, it isa fullyup-to-datedestinationcompletewithgift shops
and stores, craft studios, B&Bs, restaurants, andHowell’s, a
legendary fishstorewhereyoucanbuy freshorsmokedwhite-
fishor lake trout. Anddon’t forgetWiartonWillie, thealbino
groundhog who each February 2
nd
, becomes Canada’s
weather forecaster announcing thecomingof spring–or six
moreweeksofwinter.
LionsHead -
Situated ina secret nook on the famous Bruce
Peninsula, LionsHead isa little townperfect forpeople looking
to forget about the rest of theworld. Spendyour timeexploring
Lion'sHead'scrystal clearwaterways,amazinghiking, safeshal-
lowbeaches and natural attractions.Or likemany, youmight
decide to just sit andenjoy the serenityandquiet moments. It’s
aboater’sheaven,ahiker’sdreamanda retreat forartistsofall
kindsand itoffersoneof themostquaintandpicturesquedown-
townson theBrucePeninsula.
Grey
&
Bruce
This little lighthouseat Lion’sHeadhasendured
almost asmuchhardshipas themariners it
guided! The first lightwasestablished in
1903andwas rebuilt several timesdue to
theharshconditionsofGeorgianBay.
In1969, automation replaced the
attractivestructurewithametal post
and lightuntil agroupof fivehighschool
students raisedapproximately
$4500 to fund thebuilding
of the30'whiteclapboard
lighthousewhichstands
inplace today.
d
ESCARPMENT
®
feature
