Wendat country and the islands of Georgian Bay
With the high price of gas, "staycations" are becoming the norm. However, some drives are not too far from the big city and can be very worthwhile.
Just an hour and a half from Toronto, Midland is home to one of North America's most significant historic sites: Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons, founded by Jesuits in 1639. The village there today is a replica of the original French settlement, which was destroyed in 1649.
Predictably, the term "Huron" used by Europeans is pejorative (from the French word "hure", the head of a boar, a reference to the men's hairstyle). The Hurons called themselves Wendat (dwellers of an island or peninsula), and their region, Wendake. However, these latter words are little-known and used by white people even today.
The first white man to set foot in the area was Étienne Brûlé in 1613. He was sent by Samuel de Champlain himself, who arrived two years later. Though reputed a scoundrel toward Wendat women and a traitor amongst the French, Brûlé led the way to European settlers in the New World.
The Sainte-Marie village is a reconstitution of approximately 30 different buildings, showing everything from the original fortification walls and entrance to churches, the Jesuit rectory, tailor's and shoemaker's shops, Wendat longhouses and French settlers' farmhouses. Every half hour throughout the day, costumed guides give demonstrations and lectures on themes such as Wendat games and storytelling, ancient waterways lock systems and French clothing in the 17th century.
The demonstrations are entertaining as well as informative. During the old clothing workshop, for example, we learn that the short pants men wore were a way of saving money on replacements, as the lye soap used for washing was harsh and the chamber pot contents habitually thrown out of windows would splash the calves most, needing a good launder (long socks were cheaper than replacing long pants). Meanwhile, I find out that all those fringes on Native clothes had a purpose other than decorative: they were useful as string or rope, to help tie things. Women with fringed skirts would pull on a fringe, or several, and break them off to use to bind whatever they needed to. Once you ran out of fringes, you added new ones before going out in the bush again.
Guides are available in each building to field questions and seem able to answer all of them, from the origin of the roofing and the number of weeks each building took to construct, to the matrilineal customs of the Wendat people. Staff members here seems to care genuinely about the history they illustrate. There are also hands-on demonstrations for adults and children alike, for items such as clay "okies", representing faces that were thought to be a good portent, and paraffin candles made by dipping strings hanging from a stick into a molten mixture and building the residue.
All in all, the $12 admission rate is well worth it to see crucial Canadian heritage, with such knowledgeable staff. Right next to the village is the Wye Marsh National Wildlife Area, designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA). Just across Highway 12 is the Martyr's Shrine, commemorating the sacrifice of early Jesuits such as Jean de Brébeuf.
There are several other attractions in Midland, including the Huronia museum with its reconstituted Native village, Little Lake Park with its beach, and cruises out to the 30,000 Islands. These are scattered out into Georgian Bay and are touted as the "largest concentration of islands in the world" and "finest sailing area in the Northern hemisphere" by Midland Tours Inc., the boat tour company. Native legend has it that the islands were born when the giant Kitchekewana got angry and scattered earth on the water. For those who don't have their own boat, the two-and-a-half hour cruise on the Miss Midland out of Midland Harbour is a worthwhile alternative to the Honey Harbour shuttle to Beausoleil Island, which leaves at 9:30 a.m. to drop off passengers for a four-hour taste of wilderness and collects them again at 1:30 p.m., for $16. Miss Midland leaves in the morning, afternoon or late afternoon and also has a sunset dinner cruise. Without dinner, the tour is $23. It encircles Beausoleil Island and gives a water-based view of the Georgian Islands National Park encompassing 59 islands, with a running commentary. Over 20 points of interest are discussed during the tour.
A good place to unwind and have a picnic, weather permitting, is Little Lake Park, just north of Highway 12 off King Street. The Huronia museum is also in the park, so it's a good day excursion for those staying a few days in the area.
Just northwest of Midland, Penetanguishene houses a historic site called Discovery Harbour, as well as a museum and several stretches of public waterfront. Awenda Provincial Park, with several campsites to choose from, is just up the road.
Penetanguishene was also the site of a strenuously-fought battle for French-language rights less than 30 years ago, with the eventual establishment of a high school: the École secondaire Le Caron (initially known as École secondaire de la Huronie). By 1970, with a population of around 6,000, the area was 40 per cent francophone – and 80 per cent of all inhabitants had French roots. Though many Anglophones opposed the school, as did the school board itself for a long time, the francophone community prevailed in 1982 after lengthy court battles. The establishment of the high school was a landmark victory that led to a similar one in Kingston later on. The battle and controversy surrounding it were also a lightning rod and rallying point for French-language culture in Ontario as a whole.
Up on Jury Road, Discovery Harbour reconstitutes the Canadian naval base set up there five years after the War of 1812, in case hostilities should break out again with the United States. The base includes historic replicas of the warship Tecumseth and the transport schooner Bee. One of the main buildings, the officers' quarter, just reopened after eight years. Apparently the problem was mold, because a contractor whose job it was to maintain the building got the bright idea of covering the original brick with cement. People are still mad about this, the guide says. No word on any lawsuits.
Meanwhile, the self-guided tour booklet giving details of the site explains the origin of the expression "drunken sailor": "Escape from their difficult, isolated situation led some sailors to drunkenness or desertion." I can see by the barracks life was less than rosy: the six sailors occupied a cramped house with hammocks, while the officers had beds, plenty of furniture and fur rugs in the living room.
Assistant surgeon Clement Todd was avant-garde for the day: an avid botanist, he identified and classified many plants common to the region and even kept detailed records of weather conditions – a feat reported to have impressed famed Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin during the latter’s nine-day stopover in Penetanguishene in 1825, on his way to his second expedition.
Also of note was hydrographer Lieutenant Henry Wolsey Bayfield, considered the field's most skilled practitioner at the time. His job was to make navigational charts. He eventually surveyed all of the St. Lawrence water system and much of the eastern seaboard.
All naval operations were suspended in Upper Canada in 1834, so Discovery Harbour was decommissioned for good. Following its closure, the Military Establishment's lands and buildings were turned over to the Canadian government and became a Juvenile Reformatory for boys. The erosion and disappearance of the Reformatory system at the turn of the 20th century led to the complex transforming into the Hospital for the Insane in 1904. The modern mental health complex now stands on the hillside above the historic properties, which were reconstituted in 1973. Penetanguishene is also the home of Oakridge, Canada’s maximum security psychiatric prison.
Afterwards, a harbour cruise is a very relaxing way to end a day of sightseeing. Penetanguishene gets its name from the Wendat expression for "rolling white sands". Indeed, there are several public beaches in and around Penetanguishene, in addition to six marinas welcoming about 2,000 boats. Apparently the total value of all boats in the harbour is $2 billion. I guess a hurricane would be really bad news. Part of the waterfront is called Millionaires' Row, with some houses featuring 20 bedrooms. The Seagram family, of whiskey fame, owned property here. The 90-minute cruise from Penetang Harbour costs $18 and leaves at 2 p.m. or 4 p.m. A three hour sunset cruise goes all the way to the heart of the Georgian Bay Islands National Park and costs $25, departing at 6:15 p.m., with the option of dinner for another $20.
Back at the dock, restaurants are not licensed. However, the fish and chips at the "World Famous Dock Lunch" are a good choice for dinner on a summer day in a harbour. Nearby are two tugboats: one red, the other blue. Both used to belong to the Canadian Coast Guard, but are now owned privately.
For the night – or as a vacation in itself – there’s Awenda Provincial Park, just on the shores of Georgian Bay north of Penetanguishene. Awenda camping fees are just under $30 and the price includes admission to the park for the day. Awenda is 2,900 hectares of bush, beaches, hiking trails and boating. There are half a dozen trails ranging from 0.4 to 13 km, with varying levels of difficulty. The park rents out boats on Kettle's Lake and has a small shop with a few supplies. Some of the park’s beaches are rocky and one of the trails hugs the cliffside. The trail down to the beach is all downhill, some of it steep. Biking is a challenge but the landscapes will reward cyclists’ efforts.
Some of the campsites are radio free and the lack of blaring music is a bonus for me, as I've been in too many campsites with preventable noise. There are sounds of children and faraway boisterous gatherings still reach my ears, but it's bearable.
The morning reveals gaggles of woodpeckers. At least six of them from two distinct types have descended on the trees surrounding my tent. They fly away, restless as children with ADD, and alight on neighbouring trunks to continue their rat-tat-tat search for insects. Twitters echo everywhere.
I decide I'd like to hike first, then kayak. However, I get lost on the hike I choose, which is the longest one, overlooking the cliff. I right myself but once I get to the cliffside, the view down is obscured by trees. Since an intersecting trail farther down leads to the beach, I follow that one. The beaches turn out to be the most scenic part of the park.
The rocky beaches are more accurately described as pebbly, except for the boulders that clot the bay, appearing to have been dropped in the water by the hand of a giant child. I stay on a pebbly one so my feet won't get dusty. I wade ankle deep, no more. The water is warm. Families splash in happily around me. Awenda Provincial Park also has pet-friendly beaches for people with pooches.
Though I don't cycle and hike the whole trail, I take on quite a bit. I'm tired by the time I drop by the kayak and canoe rentals advertised at the firewood sales counter. The clerk informs me they only rent canoes, which are harder to manoeuvre than kayaks. Also, they're all rented for the day. It's best to book ahead or get there early.
I decide I still want to go to Kettle's Lake, so I cycle forth. There's a lookout point at Kettle's Lake. I picture a dramatic panorama. However, the view is flat and essentially boring. If you don't have something to do at the lake, it's not worth going. Swimming is not recommended. There are leeches and no change rooms.
The pluses: staff and locals are friendly and helpful. This park may not be the most dramatically beautiful in Canada but it has its charms and its proximity to nearby historic sites is a major advantage.
***
To get to Midland: from Toronto, follow the 400 to Highway 93, then go north. Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons is on Highway 12, intersecting with Highway 93. Penetang is straight up Highway 93. To get to Awenda Provincial Park, turn left on Robert Street and follow the signs.
***
Penetang and Awenda Provincial Park:
Back to drapetology index
Back to home page