| Port McNicoll | |
|---|---|
| — Unincorporated community — | |
| Nickname(s): Home of Allan Kirkwood | |
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Port McNicoll
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Township | Tay |
| Established | 1908 |
Port McNicoll is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in the Simcoe County township of Tay.[1]
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The community of Port McNicoll was established in 1908 as a Great Lakes port on the southern shores of Georgian Bay.[2] It was the home port of the Canadian Pacific Railway's Great Lakes Service from 1908, when the eastern terminus of the marine operations were relocated from Owen Sound. Port McNicoll was also the western terminus of the CPR's Georgian Bay and Seaboard Railway, connecting to its Ontario and Quebec Railway, near Bethany.
Warehouses were constructed on the western side of the port for handling package freight, as well as the station for passengers, the roundhouse and railyards for servicing the trains, the community was west of the harbour. On a peninsula to the east, the railway constructed a large grain elevator for storage of grain brought in by bulk freighter, from the Canadian Lakehead. At Port McNicoll the grain was loaded into box cars, for shipment to the Port of Montreal, via Orillia and Lindsay.
From 1912, Port McNicoll was home port of the CPR's passenger and package freight steamships, SS Keewatin and Flagship SS Assiniboia. The steamers would take on passengers from the "boat train", arriving from Toronto, upbound to Port Arthur / Fort William to connect with their trains there. Downbound, the steamers would carry passengers back to Port McNicoll, returning to Toronto, via Medonte and Midhurst.
During the depression of the 1930s, the rail connection between Orillia and Lindsay, was abandoned. The CPR's older steamers, SS Alberta, SS Athabaska and SS Manitoba continued to run from Owen Sound until the mid 1930s when the Alberta and Athabaska were withdrawn from service. With an increase in the handling of package freight, these two ships were pressed into freight-only service from Port McNicoll, until the end of the war. The SS Manitoba was retired in 1950, following the SS Noronic disaster.
The SS Keewatin and SS Assiniboia continued operating until the cessation of passenger service in 1965, when they too were reduced to freight-only service. The coal burning Keewatin was withdrawn from service in November 1966, while sister ship Assiniboia, with boilers converted to burn oil years earlier, was likely the reason she lasted longer. The SS Assiniboia retired November 26, 1967.
Port McNicoll has one public elementary school, teaching children from Jr. Kindergarten to Grade 8, after which students head to either Midland Secondary School or St. Theresa's High School, both located in Midland, Ontario.
Over the last 20 years, businesses in Port McNicoll have been on the decline. At one point there was a hotel/pub (which burnt to the ground in the 1980s), two supermarkets, charity shop, movie store, fish and chip shop, as well as an LCBO. There are currently 2 convenience stores, a pizza/diner and restaurant and a laundromat located conveniently beside Garrett's convenience store on Talbot Street and the Beer store located on Ney off Talbot Street.
Most people living in Port McNicoll work in various industries in the Midland/Penetanguishene area. It is a quiet town, whose population swells, due to cottagers, during the summer months. Most cottages are located near the many beaches on the shores of Georgian Bay.
One of the most popular events in Port McNicoll is the annual Portarama festival held on Victoria Day weekend.[3] There are fireworks, a parade and various other family oriented activities.
There is a significant redevelopment project underway in Port McNicoll.[4] The village is currently the site of a planned $1 billion investment project that will galvanize its transformation into a vibrant community nestled around the bay on 800 acres (3.2 km2) of shoreline land.
Skyline International Development Inc. is building the community for urban dwellers who want private marina space in an exclusive community. With a Victorian style, Port McNicoll will see more than 1,500,000 square feet (140,000 m2) of commercial space added to the region, with boutiques and restaurants slated to open in the near future.