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.