Saturday, 15 August 2015

Georgian Bay


Georgian Bay – Penetanguishene

We left the last lock of the Trent Severn Waterway with some regret. This had been enjoyable and although an easily navigable route it held some great surprises and you got to see each lock as a challenge ticking off the list as they all had their idiosyncrasies. We spent a relaxing 2 days at Penetanguishene ( we needed 2 days just to learn how to pronounce the name) doing some touring & boat maintenance in Beacon Bay Marina. Boat maintenance is on going and is never completed. The dock master made their car available to us for the 2 days and were really helpful – we were tied up next to a large BBQ & umbrella and made use of it on the first night having a BBQ dinner & docktails with other boaters we had met in the marina. On the 2nd night after Colin had cleaned & lit the BBQ a neighbouring boater let us know that his friend who was absent but had the slip next to  us would not be pleased with us using his BBQ. We thought it was just a very up market marina gesture!! Oops. At least we handed it back clean ( we never met the owner.)
With the car we did some touring. The Martyrs' Shrine in the next town of Midland had a beautiful church and extensive grounds full of dedicated shrines from many nationalities. The church was
constructed in 1925 as a shrine to 8 Jesuit missionaries who had worked among the Wendat people but were killed by their enemy tribe the Iroquois. We also visited “Discovery Harbour” a reconstruction of the original 19th century British naval & military outpost built to defend upper Canada during and after the war of 1812. There were a couple of replica ships which were completed too late to take part in the battles. (Sounds like many govt. actions – completed after the fact.) We included lunch at Flynns Irish pub to round out the day.

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