Wiarton, Ontario

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wiarton is a town in Bruce County, Ontario, at the western end of Colpoys Bay, an inlet off Georgian Bay, on the Bruce Peninsula. Its coördinates are 44.79°N, 81.14°W. The community is part of the town of South Bruce Peninsula, Ontario.

Wiarton Willie Statue in Wiarton, Ontario

The town of Wiarton began its existence in 1855 when it was surveyed and laid out on lands recently acquired from the Aboriginal Peoples of the area. It was named after the birthplace of Sir Edmund Head, the Governor General of Canada from 1854 to 1861. Settlement first began in 1866, and in 1868, a post office was established. In 1880 it was incorporated as a Village, then with a population of 750. By 1894, Wiarton had become a Town with a population of 2,000, a number similar to its present population of 2,300.

In 1999 Wiarton was administratively amalgamated into the new municipality of the Town of South Bruce Peninsula.

Geographically, the town is defined by the rugged limestone cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment, (a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve – one of only twelve such reserves in Canada), which bisects the town. The town rests on the picturesque shores of Colpoys Bay, part of Georgian Bay, itself part of Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes whose waters are shared between Canada and the U.S.A.

The town has long been known as the gateway to the Bruce Peninsula, the peninsula separating Georgian Bay from the rest of Lake Huron.

Wiarton's most important businesses were initially founded on the lumber industry. The harvest of timber and the manufacture of goods from lumber were an important industry early in the town's development, until unsustainable timbering practices wiped out the local forests. The next most important industry was fishing. In 1906, Wiarton was awarded a federal fish hatchery, which helped maintain the fish stock in the area for many years. Fishing was at its peak in the early 20th century, but suffered from the introduction of the lamprey eel to the upper Great Lakes through the Welland Canal in 1921. By 1932, the lamprey eel had arrived in Georgian Bay, and, together with the Great Depression, it brought the decline of the fishing industry.

In 1881, the first train arrived in the town as part of Grand Trunk Railway system, for which Wiarton served as its northern terminus, extending to a new wharf in Colpoys Bay constructed in 1882. The last passenger train ran in 1957, when, owing to the prevailing use of the automobile, the demand for train service declined. Freight trains continued using the tracks until 1968, when the lines were abandoned.

[edit] Tourism and Popularity

Wiarton is best known for the Wiarton Willie Festival and Wiarton Willie, the albino groundhog who predicts the length of winter every Groundhog day. Recently there is controversy over a cult idolizing the groundhog as their "almighty willie" who thrusts from his hole with great vigour to please the bleak, somewhat mountainous landscape.

Tourism forms an important part of the town's modern economy, attracting many seasonal visitors to the area's cottages and resorts, and to the town's extensive marina. The Bruce Trail, Canada's oldest and longest footpath, provides public access to the 725-kilometre-long Niagara Escarpment which runs through the town.

Things to do around Wiarton

The Bruce Trail runs through Wiarton on its way up the Bruce Peninsula to Tobermory. The Trails run along the Niagara Escarpment giving hikers a magnificent view of Georgian Bay

The Grey Bruce Snowmobile Trail runs through Wiarton - access to trails towards Sauble Beach and Tobermory. Snowmobile some of the best trails in Ontario here!

Bruce Caves - Bruce's Caves Conservation Area derives its greatest significance from the unique cave formations found along the escarpment face. These caves were formed by the wave action of post-glacial Lake Algonquin, 7,000 to 8,000 years ago

Fishing - Colpoys Bay is a calm bay located on Georgian bay. Every year there are several fish derby's in the area and large salmon and trout can be fished from the crystal clear waters of the bay.