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Georgian Bay Sailing

Georgian Bay sailing history is a rich tapestry of tales of heroism, tragedy, and exploration. Sailing vessels traversing the rugged waters of Georgian Bay predate the arrival of European explorers and settlers.

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Indigenous peoples used what many have come to call the Sixth Great Lake for a variety of purposes. They used it as a trade route, carrying their excess produce to trade with other Indigenous nations living in the region. The onset of every season saw Aboriginal travellers paddling their way to and from hunting and fishing territories, or simply heading to a winter retreat. At other times the waters of the Bay were churned up by furious paddlers heading to war with their enemies. The pages that follow will illustrate that Europeans, either as settlers or explorers, would use this great waterway for much similar reasons.

Georgian Bay Sailing:
the Arrival of Europeans to the Region

The earliest known European to experience Georgian Bay sailing was the French explorer Etienne Brule who paddled down the French River with his native guides to Georgian Bay. A few years later the man who had sent Brule on his mission, Samuel Champlain followed the same route as his young assistant. This opened the region to many more explorers and missionaries who canoed and walked the shoreline of the Bay. The St. Lawrence, Ottawa, and Mattawa rivers, followed by crossing Lake Nipissing into the French River and on to Georgian Bay would become a major thoroughfare for fur traders, explorers, prospective settlers, and missionaries who were headed into the interior of North America.

NOTE: Some anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians are learning from the Indigenous people through their oral tradition, the stories of travellers from beyond North America (Turtle Island) who visited the region many centuries ago. Where they came from, only time and further research may ultimately deliver the answer.

The following pages will chronicle the evolution of transportation, economics, tourism, and many other topics as the European settlers became entrenched in North America and Georgian Bay evolved into an important part of Canadian life.

You will read about pioneer tourism in the form of canoe trips, excursions aboard various types of commercial vessels from tall ships to schooners to tugs and barges. As the population of the Canadian colony grew so to did the usage of the waterways of area for recreational purposes. Sailing regattas, canoeing and kayaking became regular events on the lakes and rivers of the Georgian Bay region.

As vessels increased in numbers on Georgian Bay, sadly, so too, did the shipwrecks that resulted from the violent waters that were easily roiled by winds, ragged coastline and storms at every time of the year. With the growth of seagoing vessels plying the water of the region tales of heroism, tragedy and unique events grew in corresponding numbers. In the pages that follow you will read about some of these events, legends, etc.

Readers of the pages of this section will discover how Georgian Bay sailing became not only the life blood of the communities surrounding its shores, but also an important commercial and military transportation link between the interior of North America and the Atlantic region both on this continent and in Europe.

If you are ready to explore the rich history of Georgian Bay sailing don your life preserver and climb aboard.