Parry Sound, Depot Harbor and Killbear Provincial Park – Railways, Ghost Towns and the Georgian Bay
Welcome to the Sound -Thirty Thousand Islands and the Group of Seven
Located on the eastern approach of Lake Huron, in a massive body of water called Georgian Bay, named of coursed after King George IV. From this giant depression in the Canadian Shield lies the calm waters of the Parry Sound itself, where the town takes its name. The island rich Georgian bay is stunning and Parry Sound is the perfect place to explore it from. Not only is the region steeped in a rich industrial history, it is also one of incredible natural beauty that has inspired generations of poets and painters. In fact this stretch of the Georgian Bay is known as the land of 30 000 Islands and was extensively canvased by the famed group of Seven Painters.
In this post we cover Depot Harbour, to the south-west of the city and Kilbear to the north-west. of it. These locations are located along the Sound, not far from the town and offer a more complete picture of life in this slice of Ontario.
***Fun Fact Franklin Carmichael, A.Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, Frederick Varley, A.J. Casson and Tom Thomson extensively painted the Georgian Bay. ***
Table of Contents
Depot Harbour
How do you feel about ghost towns? If your answer to this question is positive, make your way out to one of Canada’s lost industrial gems – a port that once could have put most others to shame! To get here you will have to drive around the southern end of the city along Rose Point Road, until the road reaches a swing bridge out to Rose Point and Parry Island itself, one of the many islands in the Sound! This old swing bridge is where the old rails crossed over to Depot Harbour. One will find the old railbed, now a recreational trail, just off the road nearby.
This island is officially first nations property (Wasauksing First Nation), and the signs at the end of the bridge will make you feel as if you don’t belong. Ignore them! The ancient swing bridge is government property, including the road to the depot itself and the land itself. On the other hand, however, stick to the main road and steer clear of the reserve lands, the locals enjoy their privacy! If you show them even a mordicum respect, you won’t have any issues visiting this spooky abandoned ruin.
The old Depot Harbour, now occupied by a fishery, was built on a geographic inlet on Parry Island also called Depot Harbour. The town itself is long gone but you will be able to spot a few remains of it including a decaying lighthouse, the outer shell of a shack, an the concrete footing of a church, an abandoned bank vault as well as the ruins of several homes and the foundation of one of the grain elevators.
The town took shape in 1891, when the Canada Atlantic Railway was formed from the Ottawa, Arnprior and Renfrew Railway and the Ottawa and Parry Sound Railway merged together, linking the port of Parry Sound to the lumber producing regions Algonquin Park and Ottawa. The railway owner John Rudolphus Booth wished to build a shipping port in town but high prices demanded by the locals forced his hand, his port would be built on bought (as well as expropriated indian land) located on Parry Island, extending his railway out that way.
At its completion it became the most important port on the Great Lakes, and its most important natural harbour. At its peak it was the shortest route for shipping grain to the Atlantic, trains arriving and departing every twenty minutes. Concrete jetty was built along the harbour as well as a second wood and earth dock that you can see on the other side of the water.
The remnant of the concrete jetty and its anchors are one of the few features of the port that still remains today, yet Booth had created much more than a rail terminus and port here. Surrounding the docks were 110 houses, two large grain elevators, a railway station, a hotel and shops. At its peak the town had a population of 1600 people, inflated to 3000 over the summers. In 1904 Booth sold his project to the Grand Trunk Railway, flipping to CN in 1923.
Unfortunately, the viability of the port was diminished by the construction of the Welland Canal near Niagara and the closure of the rail line through Algonquin Park. The port was again diminished by falling grain prices during the great depression, damaging its core business. CN rail made an executive decision to consolidate its operations at Parry Sound and the town of Depot Harbour was slowly abandoned. The coup de gras came during the Second World War, when cordite (a low explosive military propellant, in this case manufactured in nearby Nobel, Ontario), was stored in the railway’s dockside freight sheds near the grain elevators. As the grain elevators were dismantled in 1945, they accidentally caught fire setting off the explosives in the shed and destroying what was left of the town/harbour. By 1959, all residential buildings had been removed along with the site debris
After these incidents the port was periodically used by the Century Coal Company (a subsidiary of Canada Steamship Lines) and the National Steel Corporation, where famous vessels such as the Edmund Fitzgerald (Like the song!) still occasionally docked. The later of these two ceased operation in 1979, ending the life of Depot Harbour as a shipping hub. The land was reclaimed by the The Anishinaabe in 1987.
Try walking the old concrete dock to get a full scope of the operations that were once conducted on site.
Before you leave make sure to visit the crown jewel of the ghost town, the old concrete roundhouse. It is the only building to remain somewhat intact. Its concrete carcass can be found just off the gravel First Street, now a forested area, in the central part of the site away from the water. Not far from it you will find the old maintenance shed.
The concrete building shell can be walked through but it is a shadow of what it once was and the interior is overgrown.
Killbear Provincial Park
Beautiful Killbear, not only has an amazing name, it is also an amazing provincial park. The park is known for its beautiful rock formations, typical of the Georgian bay, interspaced with white pines and sandy beaches not typical of the area. In essence Killbear has a bit of everything!
Campsites, Hikes and Beaches
The park has modern bathrooms and the campsites are generally located on good plots. Speaking of which, there are 880 of them but they fill up fast. There are three main hikes to do in the park, Lighthouse Point, Twin Points and the Lookout Point Trail. For those with extra time check out Harold Point the main cliff jumping area and the famous Killbear Tree!
Lighthouse Point Trail
The shortest of Killbears trails, a mere 800 meter walk, is located at the tip of a peninsula jutting into the Parry Sound. In fact this tip represents the entrance to this much discussed body of water. The first part of the walk will give you a glace at Killbear’s varied vegetation as well as the view of its bays and islands.
At the tip of the peninsula you will come across the lighthouse itself, a beautiful white and red relic of Killbear’s past. This outcropping is rocky and is usually filled with campers having a picnic or couples making out. A parking lot exists at the start of this trail.
From the tip of the rocks you will get a great view of the sound entranceway and some of the Georgian Bay islands.
At the end of your walk around the lighthouse loop, you will find a pretty sand beach.
Twin Points Trail
Clocking in at an ever so slightly more impressive 1.6km’s, this trail is a perfect way to experience Kilbear’s extensive rock shoreline.
As the title would suggest, this trail takes you around two “twin” rock points. The smooth surface of the Canadian shield is beautiful in the summertime!
Lookout Point Trail
The longest of Kilbear’s nature walks clocks in at 3.5km’s. In this case you will experience a pleasant walk through the woods.
Kilcoursie Bay Beach, Killbear Tree (Sunset Rocks) and the Harold Rock
Kilcoursie Bay holds the longest of Killbear’s beaches, a two kilometer sand paradise.
You may notice that the tree line is very close to the shore.
The sunset rocks are located near the Georgian Campsite, it can be spotted from far as it juts out of the shoreline into water.
On the rocks you can see Ontario’s most famous tree, the Iconic white pine that has stood here for over 100 years. Beaten down and bent by the wind, it is a symbol of the resiliency of our natural world. This iconic tree is slowly dying, and may not last much longer. It has been commemorated by F. H. Varley’s Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay (1921).
Of course, famous Georgian Bay sunsets are a must from this location.
If you continue past the Sunset Rocks, you can get to Harold point for some cliff jumping!
I hope you enjoyed Killbear as much as I did!
Parry Sound
The main urban center of the Sound, Parry has been doing quite well for itself as a center of tourism and industry. The town was established in 1857 on the mouth of the Seguin River, not far from near the Ojibwa village of Wasauksing (“shining shore”), and was incorporated in 1887. The town took off not long after when rail service was established, transforming Parry Sound as a depot along the rail lines to Western Canada.
As mentioned in the Depot Harbour section, the nearby town of Nobel built a cordite factory for the Imperial Munitions Board as well as an explosives and munitions factory, making Parry Sound an important part of both the First World War and the Second World War effort. The munitions factory employed many from the city and was a staple of the Canadian defense industry.
The town is typical of those built over the 19th and early 20th centuries, with a traditional main street built around the railroad bridge (more on that later).
From the main street you can drive down to the mouth of the Seguin river, where many ships leave for pleasure cruises of the sound. You will also find a popular waterfront restaurant.
As well as a lighthouse wharf.
Just down the road from the waterfront you will find the Charles W. Stockey Centre, where the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame is located. For those less familiar with Canadian hockey lore, this legendary player is one of the greatest ever, known for his rough and tumble style as part of the Boston Bruins. He is a Parry Sound resident and is much beloved by the residents!
From here a trailhead will bring you to the tanker port if you wish to see it.
Don’t miss the Francis Pegahmagabow Monument, dedicated to the most decorated Indigenous Canadian to fight in the First World War. For more info on the importance of the statue click here.
On the south shore of the Seguin river, across from the city center, you will find a hill overlooking the city as well as the West Parry Sound District Museum. Exhibits from the city’s industrial and naval past have been put out on display in the hilltop park.
You will also find muskoka chairs looking down at the sound.
The crown jewel is a lookout tower with a panoramic view of the sound, the city and the railway bridge. Speaking of which, the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) Trestle Bridge is the longest bridge in Canada east of the Rocky Mountains, measuring 517 m (1,695 feet) long and 32 m (105 feet) high. The bridge was completed in 1907 by the Canadian Pacific Railway (one of Canada’s two legacy railways).
When you are done at the tower, head down to the microbrewery on the Seguin River. Named after the bridge that it offers sweeping panoramic views of the CPR bridge. Like Killbear’s tree, the bridge was also the subject of a Group of Seven painting, in this case by Tom Thomson in 1914, when the artist visited the Parry Sound Lumber company.
The brewery has excellent beers, so grab a flight and enjoy the view!
While you are sitting around having a beer you will likely get to see a train passing on the bridge above, only adding to the charm of the experience! It is a busy rail crossing as the bridge provides westbound rail traffic for both the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railway, an arrangement between two monopolies that will ensure that you will likely get to see railcars crossing it.
Conclusion
The Georgian bay is the perfect place to escape the crowded cities of Southern Ontario. Its position along the island-studded Georgian bay makes it an essential stop along the highway up to Sudbury. Fortunately (or unfortunately), it is still an undiscovered gem and well worth you time. Welcome to the Sound – one of Canada’s best kept secrets!
