Midland

44.7495° N, 79.8922° W

Located 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 (Midland/Huronia Airport). It is the main town of the southern Georgian Bay area. 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. It also hosts the Butter Tart Festival in early June.

Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, this area was home to the Huron/Ouendat nations, who were considered one of the most advanced nations in North America. Their territory stretched from Georgian Bay to the shores of Lake Ontario. Samuel de Champlain who explored the area after paddling south on Georgian Bay from the French River described it,

“Here we found a great change in the country, this part was very fine, mostly cleared, with many hills and streams” …”twenty to thirty lieues (60-90 miles of) well cleared country where they plant much Indian corn… squares and sunflowers…the soil seems to me a little sandy but it is none the less good. Several dozen towns and villages surrounded by tens of thousands of acres of cleared lands.

The Once and Future Great Lakes Country by John L. Riley

The Jesuits arrived in the 1600s, and the British followed sortly thereafter. A national historic site St Marie Among the Hurons is a living museum recreating the mission located here in the early 1,600s. Across the street is the Martyrs’ Shrine, a Roman Catholic church commemorating the Canadian Martyrs, eight missionaries from Sainte-Marie who were martyred during the Huron–Iroquois wars.

Midland was once a major harbour receiving goods from the west for transhipment to Toronto. The deep water harbours have been re-purposed as marinas to service pleasure craft.

The town docks are the first we encountered that saved the slips nearest the laundry and showers for transient boaters. It is the place to stay for re-provisioning or entertainment. Near the town docks is a stainless steel Trumpeter Swan sculpture. It was created by Ron Hunt. Erected in 2001 to pay tribute to these incredible creatures that were bought back from near extinction thanks to the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre located near the outskirts of Midland.