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Home My WebLink AboutZurich Citizens News, 1970-05-28, Page 8PAGE EIGHT ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS THURSDAY, MAY 28, 1970 ONTARIO'S HURONIA - Girl watchers, bird watchers, historians and swingers, boaters and hikers and water skiers, too, all will find summer delights in Ontario's Huronia, a holiday playground which begins just 50 miles north of Toronto and stretches northwesterly to the blue waters of Georgian Bay. (Photo by Ontario Department of Tourism and Information) Ontario's Huronia Meant for Collectors Variety is one thing Ontario can always assure its holiday seekers, and nowhere in that Canadian province is this more evident than in a district known as Huronia. An ever-changing region of mountainous hills, evergreens, blue waters, inviting beaches and rocky islands, it begins just 50 miles north of Toronto, reach- ed by excellent highways. Once the homeland of the proud Huron Indian nation, it is now the domain of swingers and historians, boaters and bathers, art buffs, and collectors of an- cient fortifications and famed churches. It also appeals to the bird watcher, the girl watcher, and those who simply like to laze in the sun watching the watchers, The visitor enters Huronia at the city of Barrie on Highways 400, 27 or 11 from Toronto. A short distance away is Orillia, home of the noted Canadian hum- orist, Stephen Leacock. The glis- • tening waters of Georgian Bay lap the shores of Huronia to the north and west, surging into once lonely, rugged inlets and along some of the world's finest white sand beaches on historic Nottawasaga Bay. This is Ontario's Champlain country and your tour could be- gin with a visit to Sainte -Marie among the Hurons near Midland, the 17th century walled commun- ity of Jesuit missionaries who came 11 years after the founder of New France blazed the trail. Here, the first European settle- ment in Canada's interior, lived six of North America's Martyr saints -- Jesuits martyred by the Iroquois, After more than 20 years of research Sainte Marie stands again, a magnificent replica of the Sainte -Marie of priest and pioneer. At nearby Penetanguishene are the excavations of the Military and Naval Establishments cent- ered there just after the U, S, Canadian War of 1812, now in an advanced stage of restoration. And a ferry boat takes visitors to Christian Island, site of Sainte - Marie II and house of the Beaus- oleil Ojibway tribe. In addition to its historical attractions, it has a pheasant farm operated by the Indians. The swinger, will find 20th century life at its swingingest a few miles away in the carniv- al atmosphere of Wasage Beach. This normally' quiet village of 1, 300 swells with waves of sum- mer visitors seeking out its gold- en beaches, its night spots and midway attractions. Within a mile of the beach -- largest freshwater sand strip (seven miles) in the world -- is • the Ontario Zoological Park, a 100 -acre layout set in a jungle of hemlock and pine and housing many animals of the world. But history is never far away. In the Nottawasaga River adjoin- ing Wasaga Beach sits Nancy Is- land -- created when a Canadian supply vessel, the Nancy, was sunk during the War of 1812 by three U.S. men-of-war. Silt forming around the sunken hull created the island during a per- iod of more than a century. Today rhe hull of the Nancy lies preserved on the island, a part of the Museum of the Upper Lakes. This new museum, in- cluding a dramatic electronic theater which tells the story of the Nancy, opened to the public last summer. For those who prefer natural history, the federal government has opened a nature center ad- jacent to Sainte -Marie. Nature trails wind through more than 4, 000 acres of marsh and virgin stands. Here the naturalist is brought into contact with 23 species of fish and 26 species of mammal. There are 133 species of birds and 435 species of plants. A Nature Center includes a theatre displays and live closed-circuit television from the marshes for those who like their outdoors in- doors. And, for the shutterbug, visits to the Martyrs Shrine, which overlooks Sainte -Marie, and the Nature Center, are musts. Photo- grapher's Lookout, 200 feet above the Wye Valley, offers an un- matched panorama of Georgian Bay's 30, 000 islands. For those with boats, the finger docks at Sainte -Marie are free, From these docks the traveller can boat north among the 30, 000 islands and into the Trent -Severn system. For those without boats, there are excellent tours from several of the Georgian Bay towns through the islands. At Collingwood, west of Wasa- ga, visitors can see a giant lake freighter under construction, Just west of town is the famed Blue Mountain Pottery plant where you can watch skilled craftsmen at work. The Collingwood area boasts the province's largest concentr- ation of ski resorts. Many sum- mer visitors climb its Blue Mount- ain or ride chairlifts to its summ- it. Off the main roads the travel- ler will find tiny villages, old log cabins, churches and mills steeped in history. They can also visit ancient Indian village sites to watch archaeologists at work. Accommodation isn't plentiful in Huronia, but is strategically situated. For the camper, there are four provincial parks, all within easy driving distance. Whatever the interest, the time of year, the time available or the budget, the visitor will find what he seeks in Huronia. And, for further information in- cluding maps, accommodation and schedule of events, write to the Press Officer, Ontario Depart- ment of Tourism and Information, 185 Bloor St. E., Toronto 285, Ontario. 0 It's peculiar how a dollar can look so big to you when it goes for church, and so small when it goes for groceries. BALL - MACAULAY BUILDING SUPPLIES SEAFORTH 527-0910 CLINTON 452-9514 HENSALL 262-2713 Enhance Your C i Fan Trellis . No. 86 Wall Trellis No. 100 Wall Trellis bing Roses and Flowers M ■ Flower Box CEDAR ® M 1®89 2.99 335 5.49 PICNIC TABLES LEGS ASSEMBLED Special 3.25 (Not as illustrated) THIS OFFER GOOD TILL JUNE 6, 1970