Difference between revisions of "Georgian Bay" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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[[Image:140.jpg|right|350px|thumb|<center>''Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay'' by Frederick Varley</center>]]
 
[[Image:140.jpg|right|350px|thumb|<center>''Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay'' by Frederick Varley</center>]]
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==Geography==
 
==Geography==
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[[Image:Great Lakes Lake Huron Georgian Bay.png|thumb|300px|Main body of Georgian Bay highlighted on the map of the Great Lakes]]
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The Georgian Bay, is south-central [[Ontario]], [[Canada]], is an inlet of [[Lake Huron]], one of the five North American Great Lakes. It was first explored by Samuel de Champlain in 1615 and was named for [[George IV of England|King George IV]] Captain Henry Bayfield of the Royal Navy.
 +
[[Image:Great Lakes Lake Huron Georgian Bay.png|thumb|left|300px|Main body of Georgian Bay highlighted on the map of the Great Lakes]]
 +
The Bay is 120 miles (190 km) long and 50 miles (80 km) wide, and the depth (generally 100–300 feet [30–90 m]) reaches a maximum of 540 feet (165 m) near the Main Channel. It covers over 15,000 square kilometers, making it almost as large as [[Lake Ontario]]. Eastern 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 (artists)|Group of Seven]]. The western part of the bay, from Collingwood north, and including Manitoulin Island, Drummond, Cockburn and St. Josephs Island, borders the [[Niagara Escarpment]].
  
 +
There are tens of thousands of [[island]]s 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, Ontario|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, Ontario|Port Severn]] in the southeastern corner of Georgian Bay through [[Lake Simcoe]] into Lake Ontario near [[Trenton, Ontario|Trenton]]. Further north, [[Lake Nipissing]] drains into it through the [[French River (Ontario)|French River]]. In October 2004, the [[Georgian Bay Littoral]] was declared a [[Biosphere Reserve]] by [[United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization|UNESCO]].
  
−
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]]. Eastern 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 (artists)|Group of Seven]] (an example of which is the painting by [[Frederick Varley]] shown above). The western part of the bay, from Collingwood north, and including Manitoulin Island, Drummond, Cockburn and St. Josephs Island, borders the [[Niagara Escarpment]].
+
The region surrounding the Bay is well forested except for an apple-growing area along the southern shore. Many of its small, rock-bound wooded islands are summer resorts, the majority of which are family-owned and used personally.
  
−
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, Ontario|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, Ontario|Port Severn]] in the southeastern corner of Georgian Bay through [[Lake Simcoe]] into Lake Ontario near [[Trenton, Ontario|Trenton]]. Further north, [[Lake Nipissing]] drains into it through the [[French River (Ontario)|French River]]. In October 2004, the [[Georgian Bay Littoral]] was declared a [[Biosphere Reserve]] by [[United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization|UNESCO]].
+
==History==
 +
[[Image:Windswept.JPG|300px|thumb|A windswept pine on the eastern shoreline of Georgian Bay.]]
 +
[[Archeology|Archeological]] records reveal an [[Native American|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 [[Manitoulin Island]] and near [[Killarney, Ontario]]. At the time of contact the [[Ojibwa|Ojibwe]] ([[Chippewa]]) and [[Ottawa (tribe)|Ottawa]] [[First Nations]], both of whom call themselves [[Anishinaabe]], lived along the northern and eastern shores of Georgian Bay. The [[Huron]] (or [[Wyandot|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 [[France|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, Ontario|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, Ontario|Penetanguishene]], also located at the southern tip of the bay near Midland, was created as a naval base in 1793 by [[John Graves Simcoe]] (for whom [[Lake Simcoe]] is named).
 +
 
 +
In 1814, during the [[War of 1812]], one of the battles was fought in Southern Georgian Bay. On August 17, at the mouth of the Nottawasaga River near Wasaga Beach, the British [[schooner]] ''HMS Nancy'' was sunk by three American vessels. Several weeks later, the Nancy was avenged when two of the American vessels were surprised and captured by British boarding parties in the Detour Passage.
 +
 
 +
Georgian Bay was first charted in 1815 by Captain [[William Fitzwilliam Owen]] who called it Lake Manitoulin. In 1822, it was named after [[George IV of the United Kingdom|King George IV]] by Captain [[Henry Bayfield]] who made much more detailed charts of the bay. These charts are the basis of those in use today.
 +
 
 +
----
 +
[[Image:St Marie Hurons 1.jpg|thumb|225px|right|Main entrance.]]
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[[Image:St Marie Hurons 2.jpg|thumb|225px|right|Vegetable garden.]]
 +
'''Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons''' ([[French language|French]]: '''Sainte-Marie-au-pays-des-Hurons''') was a [[France|French]] [[Jesuit]] settlement in [[Wendake]], the land of the [[Wyandot|Wendat]], near modern [[Midland, Ontario]], from 1639 to 1649. It was the first non-[[First Nations|aboriginal]] settlement in what is now the province of [[Ontario]]. [[Canadian Martyrs|Eight missionaries]] from Sainte-Marie were [[martyr]]ed, and were [[canonization|canonized]] by the [[Roman Catholic Church]] in 1930. A reconstruction of the mission now operates as a [[living museum]].
  
 
==History==
 
==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 [[Manitoulin Island]] and near [[Killarney, Ontario]]. At the time of contact the [[Ojibwa|Ojibwe]] and [[Ottawa (tribe)|Ottawa]] [[First Nations]], both of whom call themselves [[Anishinaabe]] (plural: Anishinaabeg), lived along the northern and eastern shores of Georgian Bay. The [[Huron]] (or [[Wyandot|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.
+
Established in 1639, the mission acted as a centre and base of operations for [[Jesuit]] [[missionaries]] in the region as they worked amongst the Huron. It also provided an example of a functioning European community to the Huron. The mission was built near the Huron settlement of Quieunonascaranas, led by chief [[Auoindaon]].
−
[[Image:Windswept.JPG|left|300px|thumb|<center>A windswept pine on the eastern shoreline of Georgian Bay</center>]]
+
 
 +
The mission was initially founded by 18 men. Arriving in November 1639, they erected a makeshift shelter out of [[Cupressaceae|cypress]] pillars and a [[birch]] bark roof, using clay to build in the interior walls. After the arrivial of carpenter [[Charles Boivin]], further construction resulted in a chapel, a residence for the Jesuits, a cookhouse, a smithy and other buildings.
 +
 
 +
== Missionary life ==
 +
A small group of religiously devoted men, also known as donnés, worked at the mission in return for food, clothing, and shelter. Also there were engagés, or hired men, and non-clerical Jesuits known as lay brothers. The Jesuits preached the Christian [[Gospel]] to the Huron, often adapting the story to more familiar local customs. One of the most famous examples of this was the "[[Huron Carol]]", a [[Christmas]] [[hymn]], a fictionalized version — using neither the original word nor tune — of which remains popular in Canadian churches to this day.
 +
 
 +
Soldiers had a small but important presence at the mission. Twenty-two soldiers wintered at Saint Marie in 1644, but many of the Jesuits resisted the idea of a military presence, as they feared the soldiers would "bring the worst of Europe" with them.
 +
 
 +
The establishment of the mission led to division amongst the Wendat, with conflict between those who converted to Christianity and those who maintained their traditional beliefs. Disease, an unintended result of first contact between the Jesuits, their farm animals and the Wendat, served to further the gap between the traditional Wendat and the missionaries. Also during this time, the rivalry between the Wendat and [[Iroquois]] began to reignite, and the Wendat were weakened by their internal divisions and their losses from the conflict.
 +
 
 +
== War and martyrdom ==
 +
With [[Iroquois]] aggression on the rise, an additional six soldiers were dispatched from France in 1649. The weakened Wendat nation was little match for the strengthened Iroquois who had used their trading alliances with the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] to gain firearms.
 +
 
 +
Eight of the missionaries—St. [[Jean de Brébeuf]] (1649), St. [[Noël Chabanel]] (1649), St. [[Antoine Daniel]] (1648), St. [[Saint Charles Garnier|Charles Garnier]] (1649), St. [[René Goupil]] (1642), St. [[Isaac Jogues]] (1646), St. [[Jean de Lalande]] (1646), and St. [[Gabriel Lallemant]] (1649)—were martyred in the Huron-Iroquois wars. Owing to the proximity of their deaths to Sainte-Marie, the bodies of Brébeuf and Lalemant were quickly recovered by the French and buried at the mission.
 +
 
 +
The eight martyred missionaries were [[canonization|canonized]] by [[Pope Pius XI]] in 1930, and are collectively known in Canada as the [[Canadian Martyrs]]. The site, adjacent to the [[Martyrs' Shrine]], was visited by [[Pope John Paul II]] in 1984 as part of his papal visit to Canada.
 +
 
 +
== The burning of Sainte-Marie ==
 +
[[Image:Canada-iroquios brébeuf lallemant.jpg|thumb|right|Brébeuf & Lalemant stand ready for boiling water/fire "Baptism", Flaying]]
 +
On [[June 16]], [[1649]] the missionaries chose to burn the mission rather than risk seeing it desecrated or permanently overrun by Iroquois in further attacks. Fr. [[Paul Ragueneau]] wrote, <blockquote>''we ourselves set fire to it, and beheld burn before our eyes and in less than one hour, our work of nine or ten years.''</blockquote>
 +
 
 +
Before the burning, the decision had already been made to bring the bones of Brébeuf and Lalemant with the Jesuits. The duty fell to shoemaker Christophe Regnault to extract the bones of the two men. Regnault exhumed the bodies, placed them into a lye solution and wrapped the bones in linens. The men's flesh remains were reburied together in the same grave.
 +
 
 +
The missionaries travelled to Gahoendoe (modern day [[Christian Island, Ontario|Christian Island]]) with the Wendat in an effort to construct a second mission designed especially for defence. However, a severe winter and the constant threat of Iroquois attack eventually forced the French from the area, and they travelled back to New France. The bones of Brébeuf and Lalemant were taken on both trips, and continue to exist today as holy relics.
 +
 
 +
== Modern reconstruction ==
 +
The site lay dormant until 1844, when Jesuit Fr. [[Pierre Chazelle]] conducted initial site excavations. Father [[Félix Martin]] continued this in 1855, and in 1940 the Society of Jesus purchased the property where Sainte-Marie stood. In 1941, Kenneth Kidd of the [[Royal Ontario Museum]] undertook the first scientific excavations of the site. Wilfrid and Elsie Jury of the [[University of Western Ontario]] undertook additional excavations, and in 1954 the graves of Brébeuf and Lalemant were discovered by Fr. [[Dennis Hegarty]].
 +
 
 +
Sainte-Marie has been rebuilt as a historical site and living museum. All of the buildings and all the contents are reproductions. It is a popular tourist attraction, drawing thousands of visitors each week during the summer months. The site is managed by Huronia Historical Parks.
 +
 
 +
On [[August 22]], [[2006]], three of the reconstructed buildings—the [[blacksmith]] forge, carpenter's workshop and the chapel—were severely damaged in a fire and will be reconstructed.
  
−
The first [[Europe]]ans to visit this area, the [[France|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, Ontario|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, Ontario|Penetanguishene]], also located at the southern tip of the bay near Midland, was created as a naval base in 1793 by [[John Graves Simcoe]].
 
  
−
In 1814, during the [[War of 1812]], one of the battles was fought in Southern Georgian Bay. On August 17, at the mouth of the Nottawasaga River near Wasaga Beach, the British [[schooner]] [[HMS Nancy]] was sunk by three American vessels. Several weeks later, the Nancy was avenged when two of the American vessels were surprised and captured by British boarding parties in the Detour Passage.
 
  
−
Georgian Bay was first charted in 1815 by Captain [[William Fitzwilliam Owen]] who called it Lake Manitoulin. In 1822, it was named after [[George IV of the United Kingdom|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==
 
==Settlements==
−
The towns of [[Midland, Ontario|Midland]] and [[Penetanguishene, Ontario|Penetanguishene]], at the southern end of the bay, are 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, Ontario|Collingwood]], [[Meaford, Ontario|Meaford]] and [[Wasaga Beach, Ontario|Wasaga Beach]]. [[Owen Sound, Ontario|Owen Sound]] and [[Wiarton, Ontario|Wiarton]] are located on the Bruce Peninsula along the southern and southwestern shore of the bay, while [[Tobermory, Ontario|Tobermory]] is located at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula on the Main Channel. The [[Chi-Cheemaun]] [[ferry]] travels from Tobermory, across the Main Channel to [[South Baymouth, Ontario|South Baymouth]] on Manitoulin Island. [[Parry Sound, Ontario|Parry Sound]], the world's deepest freshwater port, is located on the eastern shore of the bay.  
+
The towns of Midland and Penetanguishene, at the southern end of the bay, are 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, Ontario|Owen Sound]] and [[Wiarton, Ontario|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. Locks at Port Severn, at the western end of the Trent-Severn Waterway, are busy throughout the summer with recreational boaters. The Chi-Cheemaun [[ferry]] travels from Tobermory, across the Main Channel to South Baymouth on [[Manitoulin Island]]. [[Parry Sound, Ontario|Parry Sound]], the world's deepest freshwater port, is located on the eastern shore of the bay.
  
 
== Georgian Bay Islands National Park ==  
 
== Georgian Bay Islands National Park ==  
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[[Image:BeausoleilIslandCedarSprings2004.jpg|thumb|275px|The waters between Finger Point and Thumb Point near Cedar Springs, Beausoleil Island]]
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[[Image:BeausoleilIslandCedarSprings2004.jpg|thumb|300px|The waters between Finger Point and Thumb Point near Cedar Springs, Beausoleil Island.]]
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Georgian Bay Islands National Park consists of 59 small islands or parts of islands in [[Georgian Bay]], near [[Port Severn, Ontario]]. The park was established in 1929. The total park area is approximately 13 km².
+
Georgian Bay Islands National Park consists of 59 small islands or parts of islands in the Georgian Bay, near [[Port Severn, Ontario]]. The park was established in 1929 and has a total area of approximately 13 square kilometers.
  
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The islands blend the exposed rocks and [[pine]]s of the [[Canadian Shield]] with the [[hardwood]] forests found further south. The park can only be reached by boat; there are limited camping facilities and a visitor centre on the largest island, Beausoleil Island.
+
The islands blend the exposed rocks and [[pine]]s of the [[Canadian Shield]] with the [[hardwood]] [[forest]]s found further south. The park can only be reached by boat; there are limited camping facilities and a visitor center on the largest island, [[Beausoleil Island]].
  
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The park provides habitat for 33 species of [[reptile]]s and [[Amphibia|amphibians]], including the threatened eastern [[Massasauga Rattlesnake]]. Some of the more isolated islands provide nesting areas for colonies of [[gull]]s and [[tern]]s. [[Black Tern]]s can be found nesting on some islands here.
+
The park provides habitat for 33 species of [[reptile]]s and [[Amphibia|amphibians]], including the threatened eastern [[Massasauga Rattlesnake]]. Some of the more isolated islands provide nesting areas for colonies of [[gull]]s and [[tern]]s. Black Terns can be found nesting on some of the islands.
  
 
The park is part of the [[Georgian Bay Littoral]] [[Biosphere Reserve]].
 
The park is part of the [[Georgian Bay Littoral]] [[Biosphere Reserve]].
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=== Beausoleil Island ===
 
=== Beausoleil Island ===
  
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'''Beausoleil Island''' is the largest [[island]] in the park and it offers island tent camping, overnight and day docking, heritage education programs, a Visitor Centre and [[hiking]] trails. Wheelchair accessible sites and reserved campsites are also available at the Cedar Spring campground on Beausoleil Island.  
+
Beausoleil Island is the largest island in the park and offers island tent camping, overnight and day docking, heritage education programs, a Visitor Center and [[hiking]] trails. Wheelchair accessible sites and reserved campsites are also available at the Cedar Spring campground on Beausoleil Island.  
  
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Beausoleil Island is one of the last refuges for the seldom seen eastern [[massasauga]]; the only [[snake]] in [[Ontario]] whose venom potentially dangerous to humans. On sunny days, the [[Georgian Bay]]'s cobalt waters form a striking counterpart to the light blue of the sky, the pinkish rocks of the [[Canadian Shield]], and the dark green of the park's famous windswept pines. The Cambrian Trail, in the north part of the island, offers especially striking views of these natural features.
+
Beausoleil Island is one of the last refuges for the seldom seen eastern massasauga; the only [[snake]] in [[Ontario]] whose venom is potentially dangerous to humans. On sunny days, the Georgian Bay's cobalt waters form a striking counterpart to the light blue of the sky, the pinkish rocks of the [[Canadian Shield]], and the dark green of the park's famous windswept pines. The Cambrian Trail, in the north part of the island, offers especially striking views of these natural features.
  
 
Northern Beausoleil Island's characteristic [[bedrock]] and [[wetland]] environment is rich in many species and is a major breeding area for [[amphibian]]s, [[turtle]]s and snakes. Southern Beausoleil Island's hardwood and mixed forests are good representations of regional woodland communities.
 
Northern Beausoleil Island's characteristic [[bedrock]] and [[wetland]] environment is rich in many species and is a major breeding area for [[amphibian]]s, [[turtle]]s and snakes. Southern Beausoleil Island's hardwood and mixed forests are good representations of regional woodland communities.
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== External Links ==
 
== External Links ==
−
* [http://www.hanifworld.com/Georgian-Bay.htm Georgian Bay and Around]. ''Welcome to Hanif's Homepage''. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
+
* ''Hanif's Homepage''. [http://www.hanifworld.com/Georgian-Bay.htm Georgian Bay and Around]. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
−
* [http://www.southgeorgianbaycam.com Photo Gallery of southern Georgian Bay]. ''Collingwood Now''. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
+
* ''Collingwood Now''.[http://www.southgeorgianbaycam.com Photo Gallery of southern Georgian Bay]. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
−
* [http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/georg/index_E.asp Georgian Bay Islands National Park of Canada]. ''Canada''. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
+
* ''Canada''. [http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/georg/index_E.asp Georgian Bay Islands National Park of Canada]. Retrieved June 15, 2007.
 +
* ''Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons''. [http://www.saintemarieamongthehurons.on.ca/ Sainte-Marie among the Hurons official site], Retrieved August 25, 2007.
 +
* ''College of Arts and Sciences, Creighton University''. January 11, 2005. [http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/relations The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents], Retrieved August 25, 2007.
 +
 
 
{{coor title dm|45|21|N|80|54|W|}}
 
{{coor title dm|45|21|N|80|54|W|}}
  
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[[Category:Bodies of Water]]
 
[[Category:Bodies of Water]]
  
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{{credit|Georgian_Bay|133870654|Georgian_Bay_Islands_National_Park|111663528}}
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{{credit|Georgian_Bay|133870654|Georgian_Bay_Islands_National_Park|111663528|Sainte-Marie_among_the_Hurons|}}

Revision as of 15:51, 25 August 2007


File:140.jpg
Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay by Frederick Varley

Georgian Bay (French: baie Georgienne) is a large bay of Lake Huron, located in Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east and northeast of the Bruce Peninsula, south of Killarney and north of Collingwood. The North Channel of Georgian Bay extends further west, to St. Joseph Island near Sault Ste. Marie, dividing Manitoulin Island from the mainland of Northern Ontario. The Main Channel divides Manitoulin Island from the Bruce Peninsula, and connects Georgian Bay to the rest of Lake Huron; a series of smaller channels, including the Mississagi Strait and the False Detour Channel, connect the North Channel and the main water body between Manitoulin Island, Cockburn Island, Drummond Island and St. Joseph Island.

Geography

The Georgian Bay, is south-central Ontario, Canada, is an inlet of Lake Huron, one of the five North American Great Lakes. It was first explored by Samuel de Champlain in 1615 and was named for King George IV Captain Henry Bayfield of the Royal Navy.

File:Great Lakes Lake Huron Georgian Bay.png
Main body of Georgian Bay highlighted on the map of the Great Lakes

The Bay is 120 miles (190 km) long and 50 miles (80 km) wide, and the depth (generally 100–300 feet [30–90 m]) reaches a maximum of 540 feet (165 m) near the Main Channel. It covers over 15,000 square kilometers, making it almost as large as Lake Ontario. Eastern 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. The western part of the bay, from Collingwood north, and including Manitoulin Island, Drummond, Cockburn and St. Josephs Island, borders the Niagara Escarpment.

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.

The region surrounding the Bay is well forested except for an apple-growing area along the southern shore. Many of its small, rock-bound wooded islands are summer resorts, the majority of which are family-owned and used personally.

History

File:Windswept.JPG
A windswept pine on the eastern shoreline of Georgian Bay.

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 Manitoulin Island and near Killarney, Ontario. At the time of contact the Ojibwe (Chippewa) and Ottawa First Nations, both of whom call themselves Anishinaabe, lived along the northern and eastern shores of Georgian Bay. The Huron (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 Europeans to visit this area, the French explorers Samuel de Champlain and Étienne Brûlé, arrived in the 17th century. French Jesuits 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 (for whom Lake Simcoe is named).

In 1814, during the War of 1812, one of the battles was fought in Southern Georgian Bay. On August 17, at the mouth of the Nottawasaga River near Wasaga Beach, the British schooner HMS Nancy was sunk by three American vessels. Several weeks later, the Nancy was avenged when two of the American vessels were surprised and captured by British boarding parties in the Detour Passage.

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 charts are the basis of those in use today.

Main entrance.
File:St Marie Hurons 2.jpg
Vegetable garden.

Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons (French: Sainte-Marie-au-pays-des-Hurons) was a French Jesuit settlement in Wendake, the land of the Wendat, near modern Midland, Ontario, from 1639 to 1649. It was the first non-aboriginal settlement in what is now the province of Ontario. Eight missionaries from Sainte-Marie were martyred, and were canonized by the Roman Catholic Church in 1930. A reconstruction of the mission now operates as a living museum.

History

Established in 1639, the mission acted as a centre and base of operations for Jesuit missionaries in the region as they worked amongst the Huron. It also provided an example of a functioning European community to the Huron. The mission was built near the Huron settlement of Quieunonascaranas, led by chief Auoindaon.

The mission was initially founded by 18 men. Arriving in November 1639, they erected a makeshift shelter out of cypress pillars and a birch bark roof, using clay to build in the interior walls. After the arrivial of carpenter Charles Boivin, further construction resulted in a chapel, a residence for the Jesuits, a cookhouse, a smithy and other buildings.

Missionary life

A small group of religiously devoted men, also known as donnés, worked at the mission in return for food, clothing, and shelter. Also there were engagés, or hired men, and non-clerical Jesuits known as lay brothers. The Jesuits preached the Christian Gospel to the Huron, often adapting the story to more familiar local customs. One of the most famous examples of this was the "Huron Carol", a Christmas hymn, a fictionalized version — using neither the original word nor tune — of which remains popular in Canadian churches to this day.

Soldiers had a small but important presence at the mission. Twenty-two soldiers wintered at Saint Marie in 1644, but many of the Jesuits resisted the idea of a military presence, as they feared the soldiers would "bring the worst of Europe" with them.

The establishment of the mission led to division amongst the Wendat, with conflict between those who converted to Christianity and those who maintained their traditional beliefs. Disease, an unintended result of first contact between the Jesuits, their farm animals and the Wendat, served to further the gap between the traditional Wendat and the missionaries. Also during this time, the rivalry between the Wendat and Iroquois began to reignite, and the Wendat were weakened by their internal divisions and their losses from the conflict.

War and martyrdom

With Iroquois aggression on the rise, an additional six soldiers were dispatched from France in 1649. The weakened Wendat nation was little match for the strengthened Iroquois who had used their trading alliances with the Dutch to gain firearms.

Eight of the missionaries—St. Jean de Brébeuf (1649), St. Noël Chabanel (1649), St. Antoine Daniel (1648), St. Charles Garnier (1649), St. René Goupil (1642), St. Isaac Jogues (1646), St. Jean de Lalande (1646), and St. Gabriel Lallemant (1649)—were martyred in the Huron-Iroquois wars. Owing to the proximity of their deaths to Sainte-Marie, the bodies of Brébeuf and Lalemant were quickly recovered by the French and buried at the mission.

The eight martyred missionaries were canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930, and are collectively known in Canada as the Canadian Martyrs. The site, adjacent to the Martyrs' Shrine, was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1984 as part of his papal visit to Canada.

The burning of Sainte-Marie

Brébeuf & Lalemant stand ready for boiling water/fire "Baptism", Flaying

On June 16, 1649 the missionaries chose to burn the mission rather than risk seeing it desecrated or permanently overrun by Iroquois in further attacks. Fr. Paul Ragueneau wrote,

we ourselves set fire to it, and beheld burn before our eyes and in less than one hour, our work of nine or ten years.

Before the burning, the decision had already been made to bring the bones of Brébeuf and Lalemant with the Jesuits. The duty fell to shoemaker Christophe Regnault to extract the bones of the two men. Regnault exhumed the bodies, placed them into a lye solution and wrapped the bones in linens. The men's flesh remains were reburied together in the same grave.

The missionaries travelled to Gahoendoe (modern day Christian Island) with the Wendat in an effort to construct a second mission designed especially for defence. However, a severe winter and the constant threat of Iroquois attack eventually forced the French from the area, and they travelled back to New France. The bones of Brébeuf and Lalemant were taken on both trips, and continue to exist today as holy relics.

Modern reconstruction

The site lay dormant until 1844, when Jesuit Fr. Pierre Chazelle conducted initial site excavations. Father Félix Martin continued this in 1855, and in 1940 the Society of Jesus purchased the property where Sainte-Marie stood. In 1941, Kenneth Kidd of the Royal Ontario Museum undertook the first scientific excavations of the site. Wilfrid and Elsie Jury of the University of Western Ontario undertook additional excavations, and in 1954 the graves of Brébeuf and Lalemant were discovered by Fr. Dennis Hegarty.

Sainte-Marie has been rebuilt as a historical site and living museum. All of the buildings and all the contents are reproductions. It is a popular tourist attraction, drawing thousands of visitors each week during the summer months. The site is managed by Huronia Historical Parks.

On August 22, 2006, three of the reconstructed buildings—the blacksmith forge, carpenter's workshop and the chapel—were severely damaged in a fire and will be reconstructed.


Settlements

The towns of Midland and Penetanguishene, at the southern end of the bay, are 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. Locks at Port Severn, at the western end of the Trent-Severn Waterway, are busy throughout the summer with recreational boaters. The Chi-Cheemaun 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.

Georgian Bay Islands National Park

The waters between Finger Point and Thumb Point near Cedar Springs, Beausoleil Island.

Georgian Bay Islands National Park consists of 59 small islands or parts of islands in the Georgian Bay, near Port Severn, Ontario. The park was established in 1929 and has a total area of approximately 13 square kilometers.

The islands blend the exposed rocks and pines of the Canadian Shield with the hardwood forests found further south. The park can only be reached by boat; there are limited camping facilities and a visitor center on the largest island, Beausoleil Island.

The park provides habitat for 33 species of reptiles and amphibians, including the threatened eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake. Some of the more isolated islands provide nesting areas for colonies of gulls and terns. Black Terns can be found nesting on some of the islands.

The park is part of the Georgian Bay Littoral Biosphere Reserve.

Beausoleil Island

Beausoleil Island is the largest island in the park and offers island tent camping, overnight and day docking, heritage education programs, a Visitor Center and hiking trails. Wheelchair accessible sites and reserved campsites are also available at the Cedar Spring campground on Beausoleil Island.

Beausoleil Island is one of the last refuges for the seldom seen eastern massasauga; the only snake in Ontario whose venom is potentially dangerous to humans. On sunny days, the Georgian Bay's cobalt waters form a striking counterpart to the light blue of the sky, the pinkish rocks of the Canadian Shield, and the dark green of the park's famous windswept pines. The Cambrian Trail, in the north part of the island, offers especially striking views of these natural features.

Northern Beausoleil Island's characteristic bedrock and wetland environment is rich in many species and is a major breeding area for amphibians, turtles and snakes. Southern Beausoleil Island's hardwood and mixed forests are good representations of regional woodland communities.

Sources and Further Reading

External Links

Coordinates: 45°21′N 80°54′W

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