Discovery Harbour -- Penetanguishene
Discovery Harbour
GPS: N 44° 48' 08" W 79° 54' 51"
Civic Address: 93 Jury Drive, Penetanguishene, Ontario L9M 1G1
Website: www.discoveryharbour.on.ca
Directions: Follow Hwy. 400 North to Hwy. 93. Take Hwy. 93 north directly to Penetanguishene (Hwy 93 turns into Penetanguishene's main street). Take the main street to the bottom of the hill towards the water, turn right and follow the Blue Ship logos to Discovery Harbour.
Description: Beginning in 1814, the British-Canadians built the Penetanguishene Road to provide the area a land route to Barrie and Toronto. It was here that the British would shelter, repair and build their warships. In 1817, naval units from Michilimackinac and Schooner Town were consolidated at Penetanguishene. But, because treaty limitations with the U.S. limited both countries' naval power on the Great Lakes, two British armed topsail schooners, HMS Tecumseth and HMS Newash were laid up "in ordinary," and eventually sunk at their moorings in the harbour. In 1828, the main British military establishment on the Upper Lakes moved from Drummond Island to Penetanguishene.
Civic Address: 93 Jury Drive, Penetanguishene, Ontario L9M 1G1
Website: www.discoveryharbour.on.ca
Directions: Follow Hwy. 400 North to Hwy. 93. Take Hwy. 93 north directly to Penetanguishene (Hwy 93 turns into Penetanguishene's main street). Take the main street to the bottom of the hill towards the water, turn right and follow the Blue Ship logos to Discovery Harbour.
Description: Beginning in 1814, the British-Canadians built the Penetanguishene Road to provide the area a land route to Barrie and Toronto. It was here that the British would shelter, repair and build their warships. In 1817, naval units from Michilimackinac and Schooner Town were consolidated at Penetanguishene. But, because treaty limitations with the U.S. limited both countries' naval power on the Great Lakes, two British armed topsail schooners, HMS Tecumseth and HMS Newash were laid up "in ordinary," and eventually sunk at their moorings in the harbour. In 1828, the main British military establishment on the Upper Lakes moved from Drummond Island to Penetanguishene.
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Families of Métis fur traders who had moved with the British from
Michilimackinac to Drummond Island after the War of 1812, moved again to
Penetanguishene. They settled in the town and the surrounding area.
Although the naval base was closed in 1834, the military base remained
until 1856. Some of the troops settled in the area after their service
was complete providing an English-speaking population.
The British Indian department from Drummond Island consisted of French Canadian Voyageurs employed to act as a liason between the British army and aboriginal Canadians. These French Canadian Voyageurs remained in the area after retiring from the army and formed the basis of the French settlement in the township of Tiny. The historic naval and military base (Discovery Harbour) allows visitors the opportunity not only to see what life was like in the early 1800's, but to board their two reconstructed sailing ships from the 1812 period, HMS Bee and HMS Tecumseth. |
Discovery Harbour Docks
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