After spending a couple of nights at the docks of Henry’s, we headed to Parry Sound along the South Channel on June 16th. It had been quiet heading up the Bay so far but when we got to Big Sound Marina in Parry Sound, that was no longer the case. The cruise ship industry had discovered the place and within three days we say two separate ships in the harbour. Nothing like cruise ships to boost the local economy.

We met up with friends from Sudbury, Paul and Naom on Saturday, June 19th. Despite being long time residents of Northern Ontario, we took them to some place they had never been, Henry’sFish Restaurant and had their pickerel dinner. We were starting to get to know the owners of Henry’s, Rachel and Ted LaRocque, quite well. After saying good bye to our friends, we headed out to anchor off of the Long Sault.

Henry’s Fish Restaurant on Frying Pan Island, the South Channel, the Umbrella Islands, the Baker Group, Sandy Island are familiar to us because my family owned an island in this area for more than 40 years. My family cottaged here, so to speak until the place was sold in 2014 to Sarah Richardson of HGTV fame. ( https://youtu.be/bIWF04LU4bY )

Parry Sound, both the town and the body of water, are protected by Parry Island, one of the largest islands on Georgian Bay and home to the Wasauksing First Nation. Our cottage was on the outer side of Parry Island in an area called the ‘Long Sault’ about 12 miles out by boat from Parry Sound. Our island ‘Blackmore’ was named in honour of a Wasauksing soldier who died in WWII.

This beautiful area is protected from the big water of the Bay but has easy access to the remote outer islands where the full force of the Georgian winds can blow. Forty years and more, we swam, canoed, boated, kayaked, water skied and wind surfed many of the deserted bays and islands of the area and even then, barely scratched the surface of what this little piece of the archipelago offers. If the day was windy, we found protected channels for canoeing. When the winds dropped, we took the 13 foot Boston Whaler out to the Nethermost to picnic on pink and grey rocks buffed smooth by never ending waves. No matter where we went, the water was and is so clear, you could see the bottom ten or more feet down.

Fast forward to June 2023 – Hugo and I know all the best places to anchor in the Long Sault area. Pike Bay is protected and has good holding. It is a pretty place to put down the dinghy and take the kayaks off the roof. We spent four nights on the hook at Pike Bay, went out kayaking twice and even went swimming in the 65 degree water.

When my parents bought our old cottage in the Long Sault, it was rustic. No power so our stove, refrigerator, heaters and even lighting were all propane fuelled. The neighbouring islands had similar rustic cottages in that era. My dad liked the fact there was no road access and the island was on rocky Georgian Bay, with all its shoals and navigational challenges. He believed that much of the boat churn and noise plaguing many of Ontario’s cottage lakes would be absent. He was right, even today it has limited boat traffic.

Our last thoughts on this great area of refuge – is the fact that it is no longer rustic. Paddling around the islands, we could see the small simple cottages had been torn down in favour of large summer homes with all amenities. Docks are reinforced to handle not only boats but float planes and helicopters. Muskoka chairs, floaties, canoes, and fishing boats litter the properties. No one stays all summer anymore, they come on weekends and a few weeks here and there. Party hard, then leave. When the last float plane leaves at the end of the short season, the area reverts back to the way it always was.