Georgian Bay

Imagine a life where one of the world's most celebrated bodies of water lies just a few feet from your doorway, where the natural world surrounding you means a life about as far removed from the city as you can get. Imagine getting up in the morning, walking along a sandy beach surrounded by boreal forest, and then climbing into your sailboat for a trip down one of the most beautiful waterways there is. Imagine life when you own a Georgian Bay cottage. This could be a dream for someone living the city life in a Brampton condominium.

Georgian Bay is a large body of water located at the eastern end of Lake Huron, the second largest of the Great Lakes and home of the 10,000 Islands. The bay itself is huge, and has different parts that have been designated as part of UNESCO's biosphere reserve, as well as several settled areas. And in between, of course, the landscape is dotted with the cottages that have become the staple of Georgian Bay real estate.

Part of the appeal of Georgian Bay, as far as recreational living, is the fact that year round, the towering dense forests combine with the expanses of fresh water for a combination of beauty and opportunity that is hard to beat. Sunbathers dot the beaches (sometimes rocky, sometimes sandy) and pleasure crafts of all sorts can be seen plying the water all summer long. In the winter, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling are popular activities.

And for the adventurous sailor, the opportunity of navigating the Trent-Severn waterway is unrivalled in Canada. This is a manmade canal, which was originally intended for commercial use, but which today is exclusively used for pleasure vessels. The waterway is 386 kilometres long and connects Lake Ontario to Lake Huron. So, those who have some time to get from their Southern Ontario home to their Georgian Bay Cottage, the option of sailing or boating up is there. It may not be faster than driving, but the scenery is much better!

If you own a cottage in Georgian Bay but live in Ontario, you can start your vacation the second you get off work by sailing along the Trent-Severn waterway to your home away from home on Georgian Bay. From there, all the opportunities afforded by cottage life in this scenic wonderland await. If you are looking for things to do in Ontario away from your North York condominiums, Georgian Bay is a great place to start.