I am often asked why I feel Pointe au Baril is such a special part of Georgian Bay. The short answer is COMMUNITY. Unlike other cottage areas and parts of the Bay, Pointe au Baril benefits from The Ojibway Club located right in the middle of the area about 6 miles from Pointe au Baril Station where the marina basin is situated. This historic facility dating from 1906 is one of the last remaining wooden hotels in Ontario that has, since 1960, been a community centre. Open in July and August, it provides a day camp for children, a grocery store featuring Presidents’ Choice products, a snack bar, gift shop, dinners on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well as theme dinners, tennis, walking trails, an internet café, annual Art Show, bridge and more. Many people know each other in the area as a result, friendships develop and this adds to the sense of community, especially when combined with the Junior and Senior Regattas held there annually facilitated by The Pointe au Baril Islanders’ Association. The Village of Pointe au Baril boasts a Home Hardware, grocery store, LCBO and Post Office, as well as a Community Centre and playground and Nursing Station/ambulance station, part of the West Parry Sound Health Centre.
The Passion for the area is evident from your first visit and many people actively work to preserve its beauty and environment through planning and environmental controls as a semi-wilderness environment with built form kept to reasonable levels. The island lifestyle of leaving your worries and car at the marina as you boat into the pristine waters of this UNESCO BIOSPHERE RESERVE is why so many families are multi-generational. The experience is further enriched by the geographic diversity of people who own these islands.
