Category: Explore Grey & Bruce Counties

Calm white pebble and sandy beaches, pristine turquoise waters, unique cave structures that were carved out over millennia, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, world-class diving through some of the best-preserved shipwrecks in the world, and more. Book your next trip to the Caribbean – of the North!

You don’t need to travel to a foreign destination to experience this beauty of nature. The Bruce Peninsula holds these treasures within a truly, one-of-a-kind Canadian landscape. Towering cliffs overlook fresh water and are peppered with some of the oldest cedars in Ontario – one is over 1,330 years old. 

The Bruce is no longer Ontario’s best-kept secret. Thousands of people from all over North America come to experience the breathtaking views, secret fishing spots, and glass-bottom boat tours through crystal clear waters that reveal historic shipwrecks. And for those who can’t experience it in person, now there’s a new TVO original called Tripping the Bruce that will show you what all the talk is about.

Premiering on Friday, April 15 at 7 pm ET, Tripping the Bruce will take you on a spectacular three-hour sailboat tour along the North shore of the Bruce Peninsula. Tune in to see this unique perspective of the “Caribbean of the North.”

This is also one of the hottest property markets in the country, with people wanting their own piece of paradise to get away from it all. Laura Lisk, your Bruce Peninsula Realtor® has the insights you need to make the right choice for what you’re looking for. 

If you’re ready to take the plunge, call Laura Lisk, Realtor® at 519-379-2624.

West Grey is a rural municipality featuring fly-fishing and canoeing along three branches of the Saugeen River, a thriving arts scene showcased at the Durham Arts Festival and the Durham Art Gallery, the Butter Tarts and Buggies tourist attraction that features many of the Mennonite businesses in the area, and craft beer from the Neustadt Springs Brewery.

The municipality offers recreation programming, libraries, and police and fire services. Parks and conservation areas, trails, rivers and inland lakes provide opportunities for year-round activity. Cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and skating are popular in winter, and there are two indoor ice rinks for figure skating and a minor hockey program.

The heart of West Grey is its many volunteers, service clubs and faith groups that organize fundraising events and festivals all year long.

The largest community in West Grey is Durham.

Durham

Durham is home to Durham Conservation Area, a waterfall, two beaches, and a public art gallery all close to each other. The town is an arts hub in the region where you can purchase art, art supplies, and find lessons.  

Nearby Dragonfly Alpaca Ranch offers private visits with their Alpaca mothers and babies.

Southgate is a rural township featuring the Dundalk Fall Fair and Canadian Open Dance Competition, Holstein’s Maplefest, the Butter Tarts and Buggies tourist attraction (showcasing many of the Mennonite businesses in the Holstein area), the Varney International Speedway (the only speedway in Ontario to feature a 33° high-bank asphalt racing surface), and the Holstein Agro Expo and Rodeo. The municipality is home to the headwaters of the South Saugeen, Beatty Saugeen and Grand Rivers.

The largest communities in the township are the villages of Dundalk and Holstein

Dundalk

Dundalk’s fall fair includes saddle horse shows, harness racing, a demolition derby, tractor pulls, a classic car show, garden tractor races, and over a hundred judged competitions from jam to livestock. 

The Canadian Open Dance Competition features step dancing, clogging, square dancing and group step dancing. 

Dundalk also hosts horse shows, a family recreation weekend, an automotive swap meet and flea market, and a Santa Claus Parade.

Holstein

Holstein is home to the popular Agro Expo and Rodeo, the famous non-motorized Santa Claus Parade, and the Holstein Dam (which is on the Waterfalls of Grey County Tour). It is also at the heart of horse and buggy country and hosts the Butter Tarts and Buggies attraction. 

Nearby, Love’s Sugarbush hosts Maplefest on the second weekend in April and displays pioneer activities and modern maple syrup production.

Grey Highlands is a rural municipality featuring the beautiful Eugenia Falls and Hoggs Falls, scenic Beaver Valley, Old Baldy Conservation Area along the Bruce Trail, Osprey Bluffs, and canoeing and fishing in the Saugeen and Beaver rivers. 

The Niagara Escarpment is a prominent feature of the region. The Beaver Valley is a significant agricultural area, producing a large portion of Canada’s apple crop, and is also home to the Beaver Valley Ski Club. Eugenia, Willcox and Brewster lakes offer great boating and fishing opportunities.

The municipality includes the villages of Markdale and Flesherton and numerous hamlets.

Markdale

Markdale has been a hub for central Grey County for many decades. Situated in the heart of cattle country, the town is home to Chapman’s Ice Cream, the largest independent ice cream manufacturer in Canada.

Flesherton

Flesherton is known as a hub for arts, culture and food in southern Grey County. It is also a designated “walking village,” a great place to take an urban stroll or start a hike.

Chatsworth is a rural municipality featuring Keady’s weekly outdoor market and livestock auction each Tuesday, the scenic Walter’s Falls and its Falls Inn & Spa, the locally made pies and bread of the Williamsford Pie Company, the intimate concert venue of the Desboro Music Hall, and the motocross training and racing facilities at Motopark.

Chatsworth is the name of both the municipality and its largest village. Farming is a large part of the township’s economy (it’s home to a significant Amish community), but Chatsworth offers many community and recreational activities. Rivers, lakes, rolling hills, and forests provide opportunities for swimming, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, ATVing, and hunting.

The small communities in the township offer skating and hockey, baseball, soccer, curling, lawn bowling, and many different community events. 

In addition to the town of Chatsworth itself, the township includes the communities of Keady and Williamsford, and many other small villages and hamlets.

Town of Chatsworth

Chatsworth is at the crossroads of highways 6 and 10. Just north of the town, Kettles Back Home Cookin’ is a popular restaurant and right next to it is Grandma Lambe’s local fruit and produce store.

Keady

The name “Keady” means one thing to most locals in Grey and Bruce: Keady Market. Thousands of people come to the village of Keady every summer for fresh produce, home-style baking, meats and cheese and many other items for sale.

Williamsford

The tiny village on Williamsford features the Williamsford Mill, fresh pies and bread at the Williamsford Pie Company, and the Motopark Training Facility just outside of town.

Huron-Kinloss is a rural township along Lake Huron featuring Boiler Beach and Point Clark Beach, the Point Clark Lighthouse National Historic Site, the diverse collection of organic food plants at the Bruce Botanical Food Gardens, Lucknow’s Music in the Fields rural music festival, and the Huron-Kinloss Ice Cream Trail.

The largest communities in Huron-Kinloss are Lucknow, Ripley, and Point Clark.

Lucknow

Lucknow (population 1,100) has a strong business community, a sports complex, seniors’ homes, an elementary school, and many service clubs. Popular winter activities include cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.

Ripley

The town of Ripley is known as the Hub of Huron for good reason. Located in the heart of Huron-Kinloss, this Scottish-flavoured village developed quickly when the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway built a line through it in 1874. This prompted a building boom, turning Ripley into a centre of commerce for the surrounding farm country. Grist mills, grain warehouses, stockyards, and hotels, soon sprang up.

Today, Ripley has a population of 600 and features an elementary school, three churches, a library, an arena, soccer fields, a ball diamond, a retirement home, and a volunteer fire department. The annual Ripley Food Art Craft Festival is held in August and showcases local artisans and food producers.

Point Clark

Located on the shores of Lake Huron, Point Clark features stops on the Huron-Kinloss Ice Cream Trail, a newly restored lighthouse, parks and picnic areas, beaches, water sports, and trails.

South Bruce is a rural municipality featuring the South Bruce Barn Quilt Tour, Hoity Toity Cellars vineyard tour and wine sampling, Essentially Lavender boutique and lavender field tour, Sea Buckthorn berry orchard, and the Carrick Tract Trail (best single track mountain biking in Bruce County).

The three largest villages in South Bruce are Mildmay, Teeswater and Formosa.

Mildmay

The town of Mildmay retains some of its historical roots. Originally known as Mernersville, the village had its origins in 1867 when Samuel Merner surveyed a town plot. When a post office was opened, it took the name Mildmay after Mildmay Park in London, England.

Today, Mildmay holds a fall fair in September. The “Hanging of the Green” festival and lighted night parade ushers in the Christmas season. Mildmay’s Rotary Park contains two kilometres of winding trail next to Otter Creek.

Teeswater

Known as “Tractor Town,” Teeswater has strong agricultural roots and is home to Gay Lea Foods Co-operative and the Ontario Goat Co-operative. The village features various tractor art pieces, such as a repurposed antique tractor hood and seats converted into a table with chairs. The main street showcases tractor banners, and the village is also home to the recently retired square dancing tractors! 

Formosa

The hamlet of ​Formosa is known for its beautiful parks, historic church, a waterfall, the Formosa Springs Brewery, Saugeen Conservation’s main administrative office, the Formosa Inn, and the TNT General Store (1886).

Rev. Gaspar Matoga, a Jesuit missionary, visited the area in January 1853 to minister to the new settlements of the region. When he saw the valley, he described it as formosa, the Latin word for beautiful. 

Formosa had a school as early as 1854 and there have been schools in one form or another on the present school grounds since 1868.

The early German settlers quickly established the Formosa Springs Brewery in 1870. Over the years, the brewery has changed ownership and names many times, and the plant has been renovated, expanded, and reconstructed. 

Arran-Elderslie is a rural municipality featuring great canoeing and kayaking along the Saugeen River, the beautiful outdoor murals of the Paisley Art Tour, and the Chesley Heritage Trail that follows the former rail line along the North Saugeen River.

The three largest communities in Arran-Elderslie are Chesley, Paisley, and Tara. 

Chesley

Known as “The Nicest Town Around,” Chesley is home to the municipal office and the head office for the Bluewater District School Board. “Big Bruce,” a 15-foot-tall Hereford steer representing the cattle industry in Bruce County, stands proudly at the north end of town. Family fun is available at Chesley Heritage Trail, Chesley Community Park (splash pad and skate park), and Krug Memorial Park.

Paisley

Paisley is known as the “Artistic River Village.” Situated at the junction of the Saugeen and Teeswater rivers, it’s a creative community offering an art tour, the Paisley Path barn quilt tour, a heritage tour, and the Paisley Turtle Hunt. There is canoeing and kayaking on the Saugeen River, a fish wall at Mary Cumming Park, the Treasure Chest Museum, and Paisley Riverside Park.

Tara

The village of Tara is named after a town in County Meath, Ireland, which served as the seat of Irish royalty. Ontario’s Tara began in 1851 when Richard Berford and John Hamilton were the first European settlers to move into the area. In 1852, the opening of the road from Southampton to Owen Sound helped the early growth of the community. This lead to the establishment of a hotel, a post office, a local newspaper (The Tara Leader), a railroad, a sawmill, a grist mill, a large foundry, an agricultural implement works, a wagon works, a tannery, a steam sawmill, a woollen mill, and a potash factory. 

Today, the Arran-Tara Agricultural Society holds an annual fair, the Arran-Tara Fall Fair, and the Tara Santa Claus Parade is held the first weekend of December.

South Bruce Peninsula is a waterfront municipality that features Sauble Beach (Canada’s #1 freshwater beach), the Wiarton Willie Festival (the most famous groundhog in Canada), and Spirit Rock Conservation Area along the Bruce Trail.

Located along the shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, South Bruce Peninsula connects Northern Bruce Peninsula (Lion’s Head, Tobermory) to southern Ontario. 

Tourism (particularly cottage rentals) is the primary industry in the region. Area attractions including fishing locations on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, beaches, boat launches and docks, camping, festivals and events, history and heritage, museums, parks, trails including the Bruce Trail, and winter activities.

The municipality hosts many annual festivals, such as the William Wilfred Campbell Poetry & Arts Festival (June), the Wiarton Rotary Village Fair (August Civic Holiday weekend), the Oliphant Regatta (summer), Sauble Sandfest (August), and the Wiarton Fall Fair (September).

Wiarton and Sauble Beach are the largest towns in South Bruce Peninsula. Some of the smaller communities include the villages of Allenford, Clavering, Colpoys Bay, Elsinore, Hepworth, Hope Bay, Howdenvale, Oliphant, Park Head, Purple Valley, and Red Bay. Read more about each of these communities below.

Allenford

Allenford is located on the banks of the Sauble River, halfway between Owen Sound and Southhampton. Originally known as Driftwood Crossing, the present name recognizes its first settler, James Allen, and the ease with which the river could be forded.

This small hamlet has many amenities and is home to the Allenford Curling Club, which hosts a number of events throughout the year. 

Clavering

Clavering is a small hamlet halfway between Wiarton and Hepworth.

Two-thirds of Clavering is located on the east side of the highway in the Township of Georgian Bluffs, Grey County. The other one-third is in the former Township of Amabel in South Bruce Peninsula.

Colpoy’s Bay

The settlement of Colpoy’s Bay was named for Sir John Colpoy, an admiral in the British Navy. The first settlers to this area took land north of Colpoy’s Bay in Albemarle in 1857. Trading was a prominent industry for this settlement, leading to saw and grist mills and wharf facilities.

Today, visitors can enjoy a public dock, tennis courts, and the Bruce Ski Club trails.

Elsinore

In 1865, Mr. Sweetman, a post office inspector at the time, suggested this community be named Elsinore after some members of the British royal family visited the historic site of Elsinore in Denmark, an important transport point during World War II.

Today, the Elsinore Community Centre hosts a number of community activities and is available for rent for family reunions and social gatherings.

Hepworth

Hepworth is named after Methodist Church co-founder John Wesley’s birthplace in Epworth, England. The “H” was added to the spelling of Epworth to match the way the name was pronounced by William Spencer and other English settlers in this part of Ontario.  

Hepworth has many amenities, including a Visitor Information Centre that is strategically located at the crossroads leading to Sauble Beach and the Bruce Peninsula. Visitors can play a round of golf at Northern Dunes, ski on the Sawmill Cross-Country Ski Trails, camp at Whispering Pines, or snowmobile on the area’s vast trail network.

The Wilbur J. Cunningham Memorial Park is home to a community ball diamond and a playground.

Hope Bay

Hope Bay is located on the shores of Georgian Bay, 17 km north of Wiarton. This community has a natural sand beach, access to the Bruce Trail, and a large snowmobile trail network. Visitors can view outcroppings of natural bedrock and subsurface karst pavement at Hope Bay Forest Provincial Nature Reserve.

Howdenvale

Located on the shores of Lake Huron, Howdenvale is a great place to swim, sail, bird, stargaze, bike, admire wildflowers at Petrel Point, canoe, snowshoe, cross-country ski, and launch a boat from the small dock.

Oliphant

Oliphant is where Treaty 72 was signed on October 13, 1854, between First Nations residing on the “Saugeen Peninsula” and representatives of the Crown. The Treaty area covers most of what is now known as the Bruce Peninsula. At the time of signing, the peninsula was known as the Saugeen Peninsula, and today the treaty is sometimes referred to as the Bruce Peninsula Treaty.

Oliphant is an adventure destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Located along the shores of Lake Huron and just north of Sauble Beach, Oliphant has become a popular location for kiteboarding and is home to the Oliphant Fen Boardwalk. Community facilities include a marina, dock, playground equipment, dog park, and swimming areas.  

Park Head

Park Head is located along the Sauble River and is 4 kilometres south of Hepworth. The community was first settled in 1855. The Park Head Community Centre is available for rent for family events or community dinners.

Purple Valley

This small village is located close to Colpoy’s Bay. 

A popular attraction is the Purple Valley Maple Syrup Festival, held Easter weekend at the Purple Valley Community Centre. The festivities include live music, local vendors, a community bake table, and a turkey shoot. Kids can play on hay bales, participate in outdoor games, and eat hot pancakes with locally produced syrup and Sullivan’s breakfast sausage. The Festival runs a free shuttle bus from downtown Wiarton to and from the site all day.

For more information on this festival and other events in the region, visit the South Bruce Peninsula Calendar of Events.

Red Bay

Located on the shores of Lake Huron, Red Bay is north of Oliphant. The village has a park beside the lake, and there is a public dock. 

What does the Rotary Club do?

Rotary club members are community volunteers that provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

Each club initiates service projects that provide health care and medical supplies, clean water, food, housing, schools, job training, youth development and education to people in need, particularly in the developing world,

In 1985, Rotary launched Polio Plus, a program to immunize the world’s children against polio. Since 1998, polio cases have dropped 99%, and we have almost completely wiped out the disease.

What does the Rotary Club of Wiarton do?

The following are just a few examples of the kinds of projects the Wiarton Rotary Club has been directly involved with:

Local

• Literacy Programs
• Hospital Foundation
• Interact Youth Programs
• Bruce Peninsula Hospice
• Seniors Support & Events
• Wiarton Bluewater Park Splash Pad, Skateboard Park & Playground Equipment
• Youth Exchange Programs
• Environmental Programs like phragmites control
• Raised vegetable beds at the Salvation Army church

International

• Polio Plus Program (to eliminate Polio Worldwide)
• Clean Water Project in Cameroon, Africa
• Shelter Box (providing emergency shelter after a disaster)

How can youth get involved in the Rotary Club of Wiarton?

There are many opportunities for youth to participate in the Rotary Club of Wiarton to serve the community and learn about the world.  

Phoenix Interact

This is an active group at Peninsula Shores District School (PSDS) that includes students between 12 and 18. They organize and participate in fundraising events that support both local and global initiatives, including the music program at PSDS; donations to Habitat for Humanity, the Animal Shelter, and furniture for a school in rural Peru; and Shelter Boxes to help people who become homeless after a natural disaster.

Rotary Youth Exchange

“A Rotary exchange is not a year in your life. It is a life in one year.”

The Rotary Youth Exchange Program allows students between 15 and 17 to study and live in another country for a full year. Students live with carefully selected host families, attend local schools, learn a new language and about another culture, and have the time of their lives!

Outbound students are chosen each September. They leave for their exchanges the following August and return to Canada eleven months later.

New Generations Exchange

This exchange is for students between 21 and 30 years of age and allows young adults to live in another country for 3 weeks to 3 months throughout the year. They may gain work experience while they learn about a new culture, make new friends, and improve language skills.   

Where can I find more info about the Rotary clubs in Bruce and Grey counties?

Locally, there are two Rotary clubs on the Bruce Peninsula in Wiarton and Lion’s Head.

Rotary Club of Wiarton

The Rotary Club of Wiarton

P.O. Box 422 Wiarton, ON

Canada N0H 2T0

Phone: (905) 516-5541

Email: wiartonrotary@gmail.com

https://wiartonrotary.org/

https://www.facebook.com/LionsheadRotaryClub/

Rotary Club of Northern Bruce Peninsula (Lion’s Head) 

https://www.facebook.com/WiartonRotary/

https://rotary6330.org/clubinfo/lion-s-head

There are many other Rotary clubs in the towns of Grey and Bruce counties, including Owen Sound, Hanover, Walkerton, Southampton, Kincardine, Meaford, and Thornbury.

For more information about Rotary International, visit www.rotary.org.

What is the Rotary Club’s motto?

Service Above Self.

What is the history of the Rotary Club?

The Rotary Club of Chicago was founded in 1905, which was the world’s first service club. The Rotary name came from the tradition of rotating meetings among the first members’ work offices.

As Rotary spread to more locations, its mission expanded beyond only serving the members’ professional and social interests. Rotarians began contributing their financial resources and talents to serve communities in need. 

By 1925, Rotary had more than 2,000 clubs and an estimated 108,000 members. The organization’s reputation attracted presidents, prime ministers, and other prominent citizens to its membership.

During World War II, some clubs were forced to disband, while others provided emergency relief to victims of the war. In 1942, Rotarians called for a global conference to promote international educational and cultural exchanges, which inspired the founding of UNESCO.

In 1945, 49 Rotary club members served on 29 delegations to the first United Nations (UN) conference. Rotary still actively participates in UN conferences by sending observers to major meetings and discussing the United Nations in its publications.

In the subsequent years, Rotary has evolved to meet society’s changing needs, expanding its service efforts to address issues as diverse as illiteracy, world hunger, and children at risk, disease, poverty, lack of clean water, and environmental concerns.

Today, there are 1.2 million Rotarians and over 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries.

What is the Four-Way Test?

It’s a code of ethics that was adopted by Rotary in 1943. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages and asks the following questions:

Of the things we think, say or do:

1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?