The ship being sent off to Georgian Bay, we ended up in Midland; one of the most popular boating locations on the Great Lakes at the western Terminus of the Trent-Severn Waterway and the southern portion of the Georgian Bay Small Craft Channel.
In an earlier era, when most of the grain from the prairies was shipped through the Great Lakes, the Midland/Port McNicoll/Victoria Harbour area was the centre of many grain silos and the winter berth for several lakers filled with grain waiting for the spring for the Seaway to open. Today, most of these facilities have been turned into upscale residential housing as part of the ever-widening Greater Toronto area.
The rail lines serving these past industries have also seen a conversion into multi-use trails. I took advantage of our stop in Midland to head out on an early morning ride on two very well-serviced trails: the Midland Rotary Waterfront Trail, which connects at Highway 12 via an overpass bridge to the Tay Shore Trail.
I hopped onto the Midland trail at the Town Dock and followed it eastwards. The trail has made an interesting use of the old rail switches to mount historic plaques.
At Tiffin Basin, the trail is squeezed between metal railings cordoning off the yards of the large homes and their bit of shore frontage; a strange mesh of suburbia and cottage country. However, the trail is a wide, wonderful, smooth concrete marked with decorative lights along the trail complete with small Fresnel lenses. A bit further is a bit of open space, lots waiting for the next dream home, and a large condominium complex built on the remnants of one of the old grain silos.
At the end of the homes, the trail appears to give you the option of going straight or turning to the right after passing through a yellow gate. I made the mistake of going straight and ended up on the highway. In order to catch the overpass bridge, you need to turn right where the trail continues for a couple of hundred metres and then left to the bridge. It looks like the town is making a new trail at this left turn that bypasses the portion going by the shore and the large homes (probaby at the urging of the owners!), and will lead more directly into town.
After passing Highway 12, the Midland Trail connects directly onto the Tay Shore Trail right near the historic site of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons.
You can see a portion of the historic site as you pass over a wooden trestle bridge. On the other side, of the highway is also a church in honour of the missionaries who were martyred in the 17th Century.
The Tay Shore Trail is paved along its length and passes through some lovely forested areas as it connects the numerous communities that dot the shoreline from Penetang to Waubaushene. A very nice discovery for anyone visiting the area.
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