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74-525: Georgian Bay Islands National Park (established 1929) consists of 63 small islands or parts of islands in Georgian Bay , near Port Severn, Ontario . The total park area is approximately 13.5 km (5.2 sq mi). Prior to the creation of Fathom Five National Marine Park , Flowerpot Island was also a part of the park. The islands blend the exposed rocks and pines of the Canadian Shield with

148-547: A Récollet missionary , Joseph Le Caron , who would live among the Huron in 1615–1616 and 1623–1624. Another Récollet missionary, Gabriel Sagard , lived there from 1623–34. The French Jesuit Jean de Brébeuf began a mission in Huronia in 1626. In 1639 he oversaw the building of the mission fort of Sainte-Marie, Ontario's first European settlement, at what is now the town of Midland . The reconstructed Jesuit mission, Sainte-Marie among

222-684: A French spelling of the Mohawk Katarokwi . The lake was a border between the Huron people and the Iroquois Confederacy in the pre-Columbian era . In the 17th century, the Iroquois drove out the Huron from southern Ontario and settled the northern shores of Lake Ontario . When the Iroquois withdrew and the Anishnabeg / Ojibwa / Mississaugas moved in from the north to southern Ontario, they retained

296-465: A distance inland, sites are geographically-temporally stratified in correspondence with water levels. For example, at two sites along Batteaux Creek near modern-day Collingwood adjacent to the south shore of Georgian Bay, the transitional Late Paleo-Indian– Early Archaic McKean site corresponds to the relatively low water ebb of Lake Hough, while the Middle Archaic Rentner site (likely

370-428: A grand celebration, and many women came. Kitchikewana met a woman named Wanakita here. He decided that this was the woman he wanted to marry, and started planning the wedding immediately after she left. But when she was invited back, she told Kitchikewana that she was already engaged. Enraged, Kitchikewana destroyed all the decorations, running to one end of Beausoleil Island and grabbing a large ball of earth. Running to

444-969: A maximum depth of 133 fathoms 4 feet (802 ft; 244 m). The lake's primary source is the Niagara River, draining Lake Erie, with the Saint Lawrence River serving as the outlet. The drainage basin covers 24,720 square miles (64,030 km ). As with all the Great Lakes, water levels change both within the year (owing to seasonal changes in water input) and among years (owing to longer-term trends in precipitation). These water level fluctuations are an integral part of lake ecology and produce and maintain extensive wetlands. The lake also has an important freshwater fishery, although it has been negatively affected by factors including overfishing , water pollution and invasive species . Baymouth bars built by prevailing winds and currents have created

518-459: A significant number of lagoons and sheltered harbors, mostly near (but not limited to) Prince Edward County, Ontario , and the easternmost shores. Perhaps the best-known example is Toronto Bay , chosen as the site of the Upper Canada capital for its strategic harbor. Other prominent examples include Hamilton Harbour , Irondequoit Bay , Presqu'ile Bay , and Sodus Bay . The bars themselves are

592-460: A true shoreline site) reflects the high water levels of the later Nipissing transgression. At the time of European contact , the Ojibwe and Ottawa First Nations , both of whom call themselves Anishinaabe (plural: Anishinaabeg ), lived along the northern, eastern and western shores of Georgian Bay. The Huron (or Wendat) and Petun inhabited the lands along the southern coast, having migrated from

666-590: Is a YMCA summer camp for youth located on Beausoleil Island, in southern Georgian Bay, named after Kitchikewana. YMCA Camp Kitchikewana, or Kitchi for short, has been located in Georgian Bay Islands National Park since 1919. Originally operated by the Midland YMCA, it is now the residential camp for youth from the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka. Wasaga Beach has now passed Collingwood as the largest town on

740-463: Is accompanied by the invasion of cattails , which displace many of the native plant species and reduce plant diversity. Eutrophication may accelerate this process by providing nitrogen and phosphorus for the more rapid growth of competitively dominant plants. Similar effects are occurring on the north shore, in wetlands such as Presqu'ile, which have interdunal wetlands called pannes , with high plant diversity and many unusual plant species. Most of

814-466: Is considered to be the second largest of the Great Lakes - if Georgian Bay were excluded, Lake Huron would be the third largest (after Lake Superior and Lake Michigan , but still ahead of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario). There are tens of thousands of islands in Georgian Bay. Most of these islands are along the east side of the bay and are collectively known as the " Thirty Thousand Islands ", including

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888-570: Is the Z-shaped Bay of Quinte which separates Prince Edward County from the Ontario mainland, save for a 2-mile (3.2 km) isthmus near Trenton; this feature also supports many wetlands and aquatic plants, as well as associated fisheries. Major rivers draining into Lake Ontario include the Niagara River, Don River , Humber River , Rouge River , Trent River , Cataraqui River , Genesee River , Oswego River , Black River , Little Salmon River , and

962-679: The American Revolution with the influx of Loyalist settlers. During the War of 1812, the Royal Navy and US Navy had fought in several engagements for control of Lake Ontario . The Great Lakes, including Lake Ontario, were largely demilitarized after the Rush–Bagot Treaty was ratified in 1818. The lake became a hub of commercial activity following the War of 1812 with canal building on both sides of

1036-468: The Canadian Museum of History ), created by military engineer Jean-Baptiste de Couagne , identified Lake Ontario as "Lac Frontenac" named after Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau. He was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to his death in 1698. In the 17th century, reports of an alleged creature named Gaasyendietha , similar to

1110-528: The Canadian Shield , granite bedrock exposed by the glaciers at the end of the last ice age , about 11,000 years ago. The granite rock formations and windswept eastern white pine are characteristic of the islands and much of the shoreline of the bay. The rugged beauty of the area inspired landscapes by artists of the Group of Seven . The western part of the bay, from Collingwood north, and including Manitoulin , Drummond , Cockburn and St. Joseph islands, borders

1184-764: The Georgian Bay Littoral was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO . Archaeological records reveal an Aboriginal presence in the southern regions of the Canadian Shield dating from 11,000 years ago. Evidence of later Paleo-Indian settlements have been found on Manitoulin Island and near Killarney . During the period of deglaciation , a succession of prehistoric lakes in the Huron basin caused shoreline advance and retreat. The former shoreline of pro-glacial Lake Algonquin left behind high ridges which were attractive sites for human occupation. As shorelines retreated,

1258-478: The Moses-Saunders Power Dam regulates the water level of the lake. Lake Ontario is the easternmost of the Great Lakes and the smallest in surface area (7,340 sq mi, 19,000 km ), although it exceeds Lake Erie in volume (393 cu mi, 1,640 km ). It is the 13th largest lake in the world . When its islands are included, the lake's shoreline is 712 miles (1,146 km) long. As

1332-689: The Native American peoples of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the Government of New York jointly administer the sanctuary. Lake Ontario is the site of several major commercial ports including the Port of Toronto and the Port of Hamilton . Hamilton Harbour is the location of major steel production facilities. The government of Ontario , which holds

1406-600: The Niagara Escarpment . Because of its size and narrowness of the straits joining it with the rest of Lake Huron, which is analogous to if not as pronounced as the separation of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, Georgian Bay is sometimes called the "sixth Great Lake". If Georgian Bay were considered a lake in its own right, it would be the fourth largest lake located entirely within Canada (after Great Bear Lake , Great Slave Lake and Lake Winnipeg ). With Georgian Bay, Lake Huron

1480-703: The Niagara Peninsula is a major fruit-growing and wine-making area. The wine-growing region extends over the international border into Niagara and Orleans counties in New York. Apple varieties that tolerate a more extreme climate are grown on the lake's north shore, around Cobourg . The Great Lakes watershed is a region of high biodiversity, and Lake Ontario is important for its diversity of birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and plants. Many of these special species are associated with shorelines, particularly sand dunes, lagoons, and wetlands. The importance of wetlands to

1554-583: The Ojibwe , it is known as "Spirit Lake". To the Huron-Wendat , it is known as Lake Attigouatan. Samuel de Champlain , the first European to explore and map the area in 1615–1616, called it " La Mer douce " (the sweet/calm/fresh sea), which was a reference to the bay's freshwater . It was named "Lake Manitoulin" by Royal Navy Captain William Fitzwilliam Owen. In 1822, after Great Britain had taken over

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1628-509: The Salmon River . The lake basin was carved out of soft, weak Silurian -age rocks by the Wisconsin ice sheet during the last ice age . The action of the ice occurred along the pre-glacial Ontarian River valley which had approximately the same orientation as today's basin. Material that was pushed southward by the ice sheet left landforms such as drumlins , kames , and moraines , both on

1702-708: The hardwood forests found further south. The park can only be reached by boat and all of the islands are open to the public. Limited camping and docking facilities, trails and cabins are only available on the largest island, Beausoleil Island . It is part of the Georgian Bay Littoral Biosphere Reserve . It is home to mammalian species such as white-tailed deer , moose , black bear , coyote , timber wolf , lynx , bobcat , porcupine , raccoon , beaver , red and grey fox species, chipmunk , and red squirrel . This park also provides habitat for 33 species of reptiles and amphibians , including

1776-471: The 1850s and are known collectively as the Imperial Towers. Some of the 32 can be toured by the public, some cannot, and some are accessible only by tour boats or private boat. Wyandot legend tells of a god called Kitchikewana, who was large enough to guard the whole of the Georgian Bay. Kitchikewana was known for his great temper, and his tribe decided the best way to calm him was with a wife. They held

1850-593: The 32-mile (52-km) crossing from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Marilyn Bell Park in just under 27 hours. A large conurbation called the Golden Horseshoe occupies the lake's westernmost shores, anchored by the cities of Toronto and Hamilton. Ports on the Canadian side include St. Catharines, Oshawa, Cobourg and Kingston, near the St. Lawrence River outlet. Close to 9 million people, or over a quarter of Canada's population, live within

1924-713: The American city of Rochester are located on the south shore. In the Huron language, the name Ontarí'io means "great lake". Its primary inlet is the Niagara River from Lake Erie . The last in the Great Lakes chain, Lake Ontario serves as the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River , comprising the western end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway . The Long Sault control dam , primarily along with

1998-505: The Atlantic. The shoreline created during this stage can be easily recognized by the (now dry) beaches and wave-cut hills 10 to 25 miles (16 to 40 km) from the present shoreline. When the ice finally receded from the St. Lawrence valley, the outlet was below sea level , and for a short time, the lake became a bay of the Atlantic Ocean, in association with the Champlain Sea . Gradually

2072-646: The British schooner HMS Nancy was sunk by three American vessels. Several weeks later, Nancy was avenged when British boarding parties in the De Tour Passage surprised and captured two of the three American vessels. The first nautical charts of Georgian Bay were made in 1815 by Captain William Fitzwilliam Owen , who called it Lake Manitoulin. Captain Henry Bayfield , who made more detailed charts of

2146-610: The Cedar Spring campground on Beausoleil Island. Georgian Bay Georgian Bay is surrounded by (listed clockwise ) the districts of Manitoulin , Sudbury , Parry Sound and Muskoka , as well as the more populous counties of Simcoe , Grey and Bruce . The Main Channel separates the Bruce Peninsula from Manitoulin Island and connects Georgian Bay to the rest of Lake Huron. The North Channel, located between Manitoulin Island and

2220-624: The Hurons , is now a historic park operated by Huronia Historical Parks, an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture . Also nearby is the Martyrs' Shrine , a Catholic church dedicated to the Canadian Martyrs , Jesuits who were killed during Iroquois warfare against the Huron around Georgian Bay in the 17th century. The Bay appears on maps of the time as "Toronto Bay". Penetanguishene ,

2294-459: The Iroquois name. Artifacts believed to be of Norse origin have been found in the area of Sodus Bay , indicating the possibility of trading by the indigenous peoples with Norse explorers on the east coast of North America. It is believed the first European to reach the lake was Étienne Brûlé in 1615. As was their practice, the French explorers introduced other names for the lake. In 1632 and 1656,

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2368-586: The Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa , Ontario. Several lighthouses exists throughout the lake to help with navigation. Notable historic examples include: A land-based trail that roughly follows the lake's shoreline also exists, the Great Lakes Circle Tour and Seaway Trail . The designated scenic road systems connects all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. As the Seaway Trail is posted on

2442-588: The Sudbury District, west of Killarney , was once a popular route for steamships and is now used by a variety of pleasure craft to travel to and from Georgian Bay. The shores and waterways of the Georgian Bay are the traditional domain of the Anishinaabeg First Nations peoples to the north and Huron - Petun (Wyandot) to the south. The bay was thus a major Algonquian - Iroquoian trade route. Georgian Bay has been known by several names. To

2516-444: The U.S. side only, Lake Ontario is the only of the five Great Lakes to have no posted bi-national circle tour. The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary covers 1,722 square miles (1,300 sq nmi; 4,460 km ) in U.S. waters in southeastern Lake Ontario. Designated on September 6, 2024, the national marine sanctuary protects historic shipwrecks and an area of great cultural, historical, and spiritual importance to

2590-637: The United States, population centres here are among the oldest in the Great Lakes basin, with Kingston, Ontario , formerly the capital of Canada , dating to the establishment of Fort Frontenac in 1673. After the French and Indian War , all forts around the lake were under British control. The United States took possession of the forts along the American side of the lake at the signing of the Jay Treaty in 1794. Permanent, non-military European settlement began during

2664-620: The area between Oswego and Pulaski may receive twenty or more feet (600 cm) of snowfall. Also impacted by lake-effect snow is the Tug Hill Plateau , an area of elevated land about 20 miles (32 km) east of Lake Ontario. The "Hill", as it is often referred to, typically receives more snow than any other region in the eastern United States . As a result, Tug Hill is a popular location for winter enthusiasts, such as snow-mobilers and cross-country skiers. Lake-effect snow often extends inland as far as Syracuse , with that city often recording

2738-439: The area for use in construction, particularly in the growing city of Toronto. As of 2012 , nearly 50 people have successfully swum across the lake. The first person who accomplished the feat was a Canadian long distance swimmer Marilyn Bell , who did it in 1954 at age 16. Toronto's Marilyn Bell Park is named in her honour. The park opened in 1984 and is east of the spot where Bell completed her swim. In 1974, Diana Nyad became

2812-506: The bay, not long after Collingwood had surpassed Owen Sound . Owen Sound served for a long time as a shipping and rail depot for the Upper Great Lakes . The towns of Midland and Penetanguishene and villages of Port Severn and Honey Harbour are at the southeastern end of the bay and are popular sites for summer cottages, as are the many bays and islands on the eastern coast. Collingwood, Meaford , and Wasaga Beach are located at

2886-562: The bay, renamed it in 1822 after King George IV. His charts are the basis for those in use today. The Canadian Hydrographic Service traces its history back to 1883, when it was originally established as the Georgian Bay Survey, tasked with charting and improving knowledge of the bay after a steamship wrecked there the previous year, killing 150 of its passengers. Over the years, 32 lighthouses were built on Georgian Bay. Six of them were designed with limestone towers; these were built in

2960-413: The border and heavy travel by lake steamers. Steamer activity peaked in the mid-19th century before competition from railway lines. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a type of scow known as a stone hooker was in operation on the northwest shore, particularly around Port Credit and Bronte . Stonehooking was the practice of raking flat fragments of Dundas shale from the shallow lake floor of

3034-531: The eastern and northeastern shores, between the Prince Edward County headland and the lake's outlet at Kingston, underlain by the basement rock found throughout the region. However, there exist several islands in the northwestern portion of the lake. Notable islands include: The Great Lakes Waterway connects the lake sidestream to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence Seaway and upstream to

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3108-413: The first person who swam across the lake against the current (from north to south). On August 28, 2007, 14-year-old Natalie Lambert from Kingston, Ontario, made the swim, leaving Sackets Harbor, New York, and reaching Kingston's Confederation basin less than 24 hours after she entered the lake. On August 19, 2012, 14-year-old Annaleise Carr became the youngest person to swim across the lake. She completed

3182-423: The five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario , and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York . The Canada–United States border spans the centre of the lake. The Canadian cities of Hamilton , Kingston , Mississauga , and Toronto are located on the lake's northern shorelines, while the Canadian city of St. Catharines and

3256-459: The five lined skink, eastern hognose snake , the eastern fox snake , and the threatened eastern Massasauga rattlesnake . Some of the more isolated islands provide nesting areas for colonies of gulls and terns . Beausoleil Island is the largest island in the park and it offers island tent camping, overnight and day docking, heritage education programs, and hiking trails. Wheelchair accessible sites and reserved campsites are also available at

3330-682: The forests around the lake are deciduous forests dominated by trees including maple, oak, beech, ash and basswood. These are classified as part of the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone by Environment Canada, or as the Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands by the United States Environmental Protection Agency , or as the Great Lakes Ecoregion by The Nature Conservancy. Deforestation in the vicinity of

3404-570: The frost danger is past, and in the autumn delay the onset of fall frost, particularly on the south shore. Cool onshore winds also slow the early bloom of plants and flowers until later in the spring season, protecting them from possible frost damage. Such microclimatic effects have enabled tender fruit production in a continental climate, with the southwest shore supporting a major fruit-growing area. Apples , cherries , pears , plums , and peaches are grown in many commercial orchards around Rochester. Between Stoney Creek and Niagara-on-the-Lake on

3478-426: The highly mobile Paleo-Indian groups of the period were able to migrate northward into this new land. Declining water levels created two distinct lakes in the Huron basin: Lake Stanley and Lake Hough , the latter of which corresponds to the modern Georgian Bay. Lake Stanley drained into Lake Hough through a spillway. While it is sometimes unclear whether some sites were contemporaneous with shorelines or were located

3552-401: The ice. The lake has completely frozen over on five recorded occasions: in 1830, 1874, 1893, 1912, and 1934. When the cold winds of winter pass over the warmer water of the lake, they pick up moisture and drop it as lake-effect snow . Since the prevailing winter winds are from the northwest, the southern and southeastern shoreline of the lake is referred to as the snowbelt . In some winters,

3626-419: The importance of maintaining and restoring forest cover, particularly along streams and wetlands. By the 1960s and 1970s, the increased pollution caused frequent algal blooms to occur in the summer. These blooms killed large numbers of fish, and left decomposing piles of filamentous algae and dead fish along the shores. Lake Ontario is the most downstream lake of the Great Lakes, so the pollution from all

3700-426: The lake area typically develops, depending on the severity of the winter. Ice sheets typically form along the shoreline and in slack water bays, where the lake is not as deep. During the winters of 1877 and 1878, the ice sheet coverage was up to 95–100% of the lake. During the War of 1812 , the ice cover was stable enough the American naval commander stationed at Sackets Harbor feared a British attack from Kingston, over

3774-597: The lake has been appreciated, and many of the larger wetlands have protected status. These wetlands are changing, partly because the natural water level fluctuations have been reduced. Many wetland plants are dependent upon low water levels to reproduce. When water levels are stabilized, the area and diversity of the marsh is reduced. This is particularly true of meadow marsh (also known as wet meadow wetlands); for example, in Eel Bay near Alexandria Bay, regulation of lake levels has resulted in large losses of wet meadow. Often this

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3848-399: The lake has had many negative impacts, including loss of forest birds, extinction of native salmon, and increased amounts of sediment flowing into the lake. In some areas, more than 90 percent of the forest cover has been removed and replaced by agriculture. Certain tree species, such as hemlock, have also been particularly depleted by past logging activity. Guidelines for restoration stress

3922-467: The lake was referred to as Lac de St. Louis or Lake St. Louis by Samuel de Champlain and cartographer Nicolas Sanson respectively. In 1660, Jesuit historian Francis Creuxius coined the name Lacus Ontarius . In a map drawn in the Relation des Jésuites (1662–1663), the lake bears the legend "Lac Ontario ou des Iroquois" with the name "Ondiara" in smaller type. A French map produced in 1712 (currently in

3996-771: The lakebed rights of the Canadian portion of the lake under the Beds of Navigable Waters Act, does not permit wind power to be generated offshore. In Trillium Power Wind Corporation v. Ontario (Natural Resources) , the Superior Court of Justice held Trillium Power—since 2004 an "Applicant of Record" who had invested $ 35,000 in fees and, when in 2011 the Crown made a policy decision against offshore windfarms, claimed an injury of $ 2.25 billion—disclosed no reasonable cause of action. The Great Lakes once supported an industrial-scale fishery, with record hauls in 1899; overfishing later blighted

4070-481: The land rebounded from the release of the weight of about 6,500 feet (2,000 m) of ice that had been stacked on it. It is still rebounding about 12 inches (30 cm) per century in the St. Lawrence area. Since the ice receded from the area last, the most rapid rebound still occurs there. This means the lake bed is gradually tilting southward, inundating the south shore and turning river valleys into bays . Both north and south shores experience shoreline erosion, but

4144-488: The larger Parry Island . Manitoulin Island, lying along the northern side of the bay, is the world's largest island in a freshwater lake. The Trent–Severn Waterway connects Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario, running from Port Severn in the southeastern corner of Georgian Bay through Lake Simcoe into Lake Ontario near Trenton . Further north, Lake Nipissing drains into Georgian Bay through the French River . In October 2004,

4218-440: The last lake in the Great Lakes' hydrologic chain, Lake Ontario has the lowest mean surface elevation of the lakes at 243 feet (74 m) above sea level; 326 feet (99 m) lower than its neighbor upstream. Its maximum length is 193 statute miles (311 kilometres ; 168 nautical miles ), and its maximum width is 53 statute miles (85 km; 46 nmi). The lake's average depth is 47 fathoms 1 foot (283 ft; 86 m), with

4292-475: The location of an Ojibwe village located at the southern tip of the bay near present-day Midland, was developed as a naval base in 1793 by John Graves Simcoe , first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada . In 1814, during the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States, one of the battles was fought in southern Georgian Bay. On August 17, at the mouth of the Nottawasaga River near Wasaga Beach,

4366-513: The modern land surface and the lake bottom, reorganizing the region's entire drainage system. As the ice sheet retreated toward the north, it still dammed the St. Lawrence Valley outlet, so the lake surface was at a higher level. This stage is known as Lake Iroquois . During that time the lake drained through present-day Syracuse, New York , into the Mohawk River , thence to the Hudson River and

4440-507: The most winter snowfall accumulation of any large city in the United States. Other cities in the world receive more snow annually, such as Quebec City , which averages 135 inches (340 cm), and Sapporo , Japan, which receives 250 inches (640 cm) each year and is often regarded as the snowiest city in the world. Foggy conditions (particularly in fall) can be created by thermal contrasts and can be an impediment for recreational boaters. Lake breezes in spring tend to slow fruit bloom until

4514-461: The northern shores of Lake Ontario. Names of islands such as "Manitoulin" (from Gitchi Manitou , the Great Spirit who left the bay as a source of life for the first people) and "Giant's Tomb" are indicative of the richness of the cultural history of the area. Aboriginal communities continue to live on their territories and practise their cultural traditions. The first European to visit this area

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4588-411: The other end, he tossed it into the Great Lakes. Thus, the 30,000 Islands were created. The indentations left behind by his fingers form the five bays of Georgian Bay: Midland Bay, Penetang Bay, Hog Bay, Sturgeon Bay, and Matchedash Bay . He then lay down to sleep and sleeps there still as Giant's Tomb Island . The town of Penetanguishene now has a large statue of Kitchikewana on its main street. There

4662-487: The other lakes flows into it. Lake Ontario was ranked as the most environmentally stressed amongst the five Great Lakes in a 2015 ecological study. Some of the stresses on the lake include excess application of fertilizers in agriculture running into the lake, spillover from obsolete municipal sewage systems , toxic chemicals from industries along the rivers that drain into the lake, and metropolitan drainage from big cities like Toronto, Rochester, and Hamilton. Randle Reef ,

4736-670: The other rivers in the chain via the Welland Canal and to Lake Erie. The Trent-Severn Waterway for pleasure boats connects Lake Ontario at the Bay of Quinte to Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) via Lake Simcoe . The Oswego Canal connects the lake at Oswego to the New York State Canal System , with outlets to the Hudson River, Lake Erie, and Lake Champlain . The Rideau Canal , also for pleasure boats, connects Lake Ontario at Kingston to

4810-424: The same time another young interpreter trainee, a youth remembered only as Thomas, who was employed by the French surgeon and trader Daniel Boyer, also likely made it to Huronia, in the company of the Onontchataronon, another member of the confederacy. In 1615, Brulé's employer, the French explorer Samuel de Champlain, made his own visit to Georgian Bay and overwintered in Huronia. He was preceded that summer by

4884-404: The sites of long beaches, such as Sandbanks Provincial Park and Sandy Island Beach State Park . These sand bars are often associated with large wetlands , which support large numbers of plant and animal species, as well as providing important rest areas for migratory birds. Presqu'ile, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, is particularly significant in this regard. One unique feature of the lake

4958-422: The so-called Loch Ness Monster , being sighted in the lake. The creature is described as large with a long neck, green in colour, and generally causes a break in the surface waves. A series of trading posts were established by both the British and French, such as Fort Frontenac in 1673, Fort Oswego in 1722, and Fort Rouillé in 1750. As the easternmost and nearest lake to the Atlantic seaboard of Canada and

5032-429: The southern end of the bay, around Nottawasaga Bay . Owen Sound, Wiarton , and Lion's Head are located on the Bruce Peninsula along the southern and southwestern shores of the bay, while Tobermory is located at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula on the Main Channel. The passenger ferry MS  Chi-Cheemaun travels from Tobermory across the Main Channel to South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island. Parry Sound ,

5106-405: The territory, Lieutenant Henry Wolsey Bayfield of a Royal Navy expedition named it as "Georgian Bay" (after King George IV ). Georgian Bay is about 190 kilometres (120 mi) long by 80 kilometres (50 mi) wide. It covers approximately 15,000 square kilometres (5,800 sq mi), making it nearly 80% the size of Lake Ontario . Eastern Georgian Bay is part of the southern edge of

5180-446: The tilting amplifies this effect on the south shore, causing loss to property owners. The lake has a natural seiche rhythm of eleven minutes. The seiche effect normally is only about 3 ⁄ 4 inch (1.9 cm) but can be greatly amplified by earth movement, winds, and atmospheric pressure changes. Because of its great depth, the lake as a whole does not completely freeze in winter, but an ice sheet covering between 10% and 90% of

5254-457: The watershed of Lake Ontario. The American shore is largely rural, with the exception of Rochester and the much smaller ports at Oswego and Sackets Harbor. The city of Syracuse is 40 miles (64 km) inland, connected to the lake by the New York State Canal System. Over 2 million people live in Lake Ontario's American watershed. Several islands exist in the lake, the largest of which being Wolfe Island . Nearly all of Lake Ontario's islands are on

5328-408: The westernmost part of Lake Ontario, has been identified as one of the most contaminated areas on Lake Ontario alongside other areas of concern on Great Lakes . However, a $ 150-million cleanup project had begun in 2016 and is expected to be completed by 2025. The name Ontario is derived from the Huron word Ontarí'io , which means "great lake". In Colonial times, the lake was also called Cataraqui ,

5402-405: The world's deepest freshwater port, is located on the eastern shore of the bay. There are communities of summer cottages on the north and east shore and on the adjacent 30,000 Islands. These include areas such as Cognashene, Wah Wah Taysee, Sans Souci , Pointe au Baril and Byng Inlet . Most of these cottages are accessible only by water. Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of

5476-685: Was likely Étienne Brûlé , who at age less than 20, in 1610 was sent to live as an interpreter trainee with the Onontchataronon , an Algonquian people of the Ottawa River . They travelled every winter to live with the Arendarhonon people of the Huron-Wendat Nation at the southern end of Georgian Bay, in the area now called Huronia . Brulé returned to the Arendarhonon the following year. At

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