Midland, Ontario

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Midland (population 16,800) is a town located on Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada.

Situated at the southern end of Georgian Bay's 30,000 Islands, Midland is the economic centre of the region, with a 125-bed hospital and a local airport. It is the main town of the southern Georgian Bay area and the town has a population of over 16,800. In the summer months, the area's population grows to over 100,000 with seasonal visitors to more than 8,000 cottages, resort hotels, provincial and national parks in the surrounding municipalities of Penetang.

1 History
2 Local attractions
3 Sports activities
4 Shopping
5 External links

[edit] History

The town of Midland was founded when, in 1871, the Midland Railway of Canada selected the sparsely populated community of Mundy's Bay as the new terminus of the railway. The town site was surveyed in 1872-3 and the line to the town was completed by 1879. The company sold off lots in town to help finance the settlement. The town thrived based on Georgian Bay shipping and the lumber and grain trade. Since then a number of light industrial companies have established themselves in the area and tourism in the southern Georgian Bay area also contributes to the economy.

[edit] Local attractions

Millennium mural by the harbour

In and around the centre of Midland there are a number of murals which were painted by a local artist, Fred Lenz, to add to the attractions of the town. The largest is on the silos overlooking the main harbour.

Notable sites in or near Midland include the Jesuit mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, which is now a living museum depicting missionary life in the 17th century, and the Martyrs' Shrine, a Roman Catholic church commemorating the Canadian Martyrs, eight missionaries from Sainte-Marie who were martyred during the Huron-Iroquois wars.

Statue of a trumpeter swan

Also nearby is the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre. The marsh provides habitat for Trumpeter Swans, Black Terns and Least Bitterns. The trumpeter swan in considered a symbol of Midland and a large statue of one has been erected by the harbour.

[edit] Sports activities

Boating, both power and sail, is very popular with a number of marinas and a sailing club based in the town. The town has easy access to the relatively sheltered waters of south eastern Georgian Bay. There is also good fishing.

Midland has an ever growing cycling base. The Midland Triathlon team run out of the YMCA, and Mountainview Mountain Bike Center have both had success in competitions. The Mountainview Mountain Bike Center received the contract to run one of the Simcoe County High School MTB races.

[edit] Shopping

Midland has a wide variety of shopping. Midland is situated in the centre of many smaller towns, the stores there serve more communities than just Midland. There are three main shopping malls, the Mountain View Mall, the largest shopping mall in Midland. On the other side of Highway 93 is the smaller Huronia Mall. The newest addition to Midland's shopping district is the Smart Centre.