Welcome to Point au Baril
Pointe au Baril personifies the beauty of Northern Ontario with miles upon miles of winding rivers, lakes and trails leading to the islands, bays and inlets of Georgian Bay in the Archipelago Township. Ideal for four season vacations the Archipelago is a mecca for all watersports, hunting and fishing as well as cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. In addition to incredible scenery, local resorts offer you quiet retreats, sandy beaches and boat rentals for you to explore smooth granite islands bedecked with windswept pines. Choose from full service resorts, housekeeping cottages and campgrounds. Not far from Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park is Bayfield Inlet from where you can access the intriguing "Painted Rocks" on the north shore of the middle channel of the Naiscoot River (Charles Inlet).
Anglers will enjoy reeling in a fighting northern pike, walleye/ pickerel, mighty muskie, large and small mouth bass, as well as perch, crappies and other pan fish. Canoe routes are the natural way to travel through Pointe au Baril. Lakes and rivers offer you a peaceful paddle or a wild and exciting run, depending on your adventure level!
Georgian Bay is also renowned as one of the world's best boating and sailing waters, with the 30,000 islands serving as a spectacular backdrop and anchorage. In fact, the Pointe au Baril lighthouse still guides in thousands of recreational boaters who have discovered the beauty of the area for themselves. Pointe au Baril area will meet your marine and outfitting needs. Pump out service for boats is available at the town dock, and at Provincial Parks for trailers. Other services include a playground, picnic area, nursing station and community hall. The local residents are friendly and eager to help make your stay an enjoyable one. Lighthouse is accessible by water only!
When planning your Pointe au Baril vacation be sure to keep in mind the annual Canada Day Celebrations, Lions Club Lobsterfest dinner & dance, regular dinner theatre productions, presented by the Arts and Culture Club.
How Did Pointe au Baril Get Its Name?
In the mid 1800s when the first boats navigated the waters of Georgian Bay, very few of the channels were marked with anything more than a pile of stones. A barrel was erected with a lantern placed on top to guide the boats into the channel after dark or in the event of a storm. This served as the first lighthouse for Pointe au Baril, hence the name which translates "Pointe of the Barrel". In 1889 the first lighthouse was erected to replace the barrel light. It stands to this day, over a hundred years old and still in use to guide fishing boats, sportsmen and residents to safe harbour.
History buffs will want to visit the stone monument marking the canoe route of Samuel de Champlain's passage through the Pointe au Baril waterway to Georgian Bay in 1615.
North-eastern Georgian Bay
Further up the coast from Pointe au Baril, the waters of north-eastern Georgian Bay and the 30,000 Islands meet sheltered bays, inlets and gently flowing rivers. The prominent river systems that feed into Georgian Bay are the Magnetawan River, Key River, Pickerel River and the French River. The waters of Georgian Bay are natural feeding and breeding grounds for a variety of sport fish. Fish for walleye (pickerel), northern pike, smallmouth bass, muskie, perch, crappie and panfish. The fish species are large and abundant throughout these fertile waters, certainly one of the few natural areas within Ontario.
With limited road access the shores of majestic pines are virtually untouched and remain as they were when early explorers and fur traders first came. Some natural attractions include the Churchill Islands, Dead Island (Natural Park Site) and the fabulous Bustard Islands (a group of over 600 islands).
Lodges and resorts are easily accessible by either car, boat or water taxi from marinas on the waterways flowing into Georgian Bay. There are remote fishing outposts. Most will offer a variety of activities; unspoiled fishing, hunting, canoeing, shoreline or Island exploration, wildlife photography and breathtaking natural scenery.
Britt
The picturesque village of Britt is located on the north-eastern Georgian Bay shoreline at the mouth of the mighty Magnetawan River. Fishers come here for its abundant bass, pickerel, pike and muskie. By land, it is halfway between Parry Sound and Sudbury, less than five minutes west from Highway 69, on Highway 526. The village provides a variety of accommodations, food and beverage outlets, and marine services.
