Parry Sound (population approx. 6,500) is a town about 250 kms north of Toronto. It’s a popular cottage country region and it has the world’s deepest natural freshwater port. During the early part of the 20th century, the area was a popular subject for the many scenic art works of Tom Thomson and members of the Group of Seven.
Parry Sound is located on Georgian Bay, a large bay of Lake Huron. Georgian Bay is about 190 kms long and 80 kms wide. It covers approximately 15,000 square kilometres making it nearly 80% the size of Lake Ontario. Because of its size and the narrowness of the straits joining it with the rest of Lake Huron, Georgian Bay is sometimes referred to as the “sixth Great Lake”. Taking a cruise out on Georgian Bay was really the impetus for me choosing to come here - I’ll put all my photos of what turned out to be two lovely boats trips on Georgian Bay in a separate post.
This was ‘home’ for a few days as I was desperately craving a change of scenery.
Tom Thomson paddled in the mouth of the Seguin River one evening in mid-July 1914. Seeing the new CPR trestle, the longest bridge east of the Rocky Mountains, and the Parry Sound Lumber Company (which burned to the ground seven years later) aglow in the setting sun, he selected one of his 8’ by 10’ wooden boards, and made an evocative sketch in less than an hour. Nowadays, those small wooden boards he gave to friends can be worth more than a million dollars.
The Seguin River is 40 kms long, and empties into Georgian Bay at Parry Sound. The river’s name comes from the Ojibwe word ziigwan, meaning “spring”.
Parry Sound was the central location for 18 fire tower lookouts. The towers have all been decommissioned as aerial fire fighting techniques are employed - this tower can now be climbed as a lookout.
The Parry Sound Centennial Time Capsule - intended to be opened 23 April 2087.
View from the lookout tower.
Here comes the rain!
Chief Francis Pegahmagabow (1889-1952), a superior scout and sniper during the First World War, served overseas with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In Canada’s history, no other Indigenous soldier has ever received as many battle awards. He was also twice elected chief of the Wasauksing First Nation and he became a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights.
The Cascade Street Dam and Generating Station, on the Seguin River.
Erected in 1871, this is the Parry Sound District Court House. The modest form building contained a second floor court room and main floor jail and registry office. Increased settlement soon imposed greater demands on the court house and in 1889 an addition housing a larger court room was built.
There’s a lovely recreational trail along the waterfront in Parry Sound. Not long, but the views out to Georgian Bay are gorgeous!
The buildings are the Coast Guard station - and I loved the clouds behind.
A friend of mine has a cottage on a lake about 15 minutes outside of Parry Sound. I was incredibly fortunate to be invited to visit while I was ‘in the neighbourhood’, so once I left Parry Sound I spent a couple days with friends.
Waiting on the dock to be picked up - the cottage is boat access only.
Those are my feet…as you can see, I was having a hard afternoon (lol).
A stop in the little village of Coldwater on the drive home to stretch my legs. The Coldwater River runs through the village, and as I was walking the Main Street I just happened to notice the barber shop with its sign-up for an appointment sheet on the door! A week at a time - appointments on the hour - with lots of names on it!
The very end of the week found me in Stratford, Ontario. I drive through Stratford on my way to and from Bayfield - sometimes I’ll stop to shop or get a coffee, but this time I was there because I had a ticket to go to a theatre performance. After having to cancel their entire season last year, Stratford is mounting a small, and very modified season this year. Performances are outdoors underneath a big tent and seating is distanced. Rather than the usual 7000+ people who are usually in the audience, audience sizes this year are about 200 people. Each performance has no more than 8 actors in it, all run without an intermission so people can’t congregate and masks must be worn at all times. Definitely a very different theatre experience but I’m so glad I did it! My first live theatre performance since February 2020 when I went to the National Ballet.
The tent is on the left, set up beside the beautiful, brand new theatre that has yet to see a performance in it.
How’s this for an amazing planter? Several of them lined the streets in Stratford.
Another artistic happening in Stratford this summer is this ‘musical barge’ which travels up and down the Avon River with singers and musicians performing on it.
This is the second tent being used this year, set up beside the largest theatre in Stratford - the Festival Theatre.
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