Gore Bay, Ontario
Gore Bay became a town on April 7, 1890, on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada. Located on Gore Bay, a bay of Lake Huron's North Channel, it is one of the two incorporated towns of Manitoulin District, of which it is the administrative and government seat. After the Treaty of 1862, Manitoulin Island was open for white settlement. Small towns began to emerge from the wilderness, and hotels were developed to provide lodgings for prospective land purchasers. This led to the formation of the town Gore Bay. The town's name is believed to be referencing the gore-shaped harbour. Other theories for the namesake are probably for Sir Francis Gore (1769-1852), Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada from 1806-1817, or after the steamer Gore (c. 1839 and scrapped 1861[4]), which ran between Sault Ste. Marie and Collingwood from 1860 to 1870.
Gore Bay | |
|---|---|
| Town of Gore Bay | |
 Panorama of Gore Bay and the North Channel. | |
| Motto(s): Pristine, prosperous, proud. | |
  Gore Bay  Gore Bay | |
| Coordinates: 45°55′N 82°28′W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| District | Manitoulin |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town |
| • Mayor | Ron Lane [1] |
| • Governing Body | Corporation of the Town of Gore Bay |
| • MP | Carol Hughes (NDP) |
| • MPP | Michael Mantha (NDP) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 5.14 km2 (1.98 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 193.50 m (634.84 ft) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
| • Total | 808 |
| • Density | 157.2/km2 (407/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Postal code | P0P 1H0 |
| Area code | 705 |
| Website | www.gorebay.ca |
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Boats were regularly travelling from Sault Ste. Marie, Collingwood, and Owen Sound; establishing regular ports of call on Manitoulin Island, specifically Gore Bay, and prospering hotels due to increased traffic. The new hotel industry in Gore Bay welcomed commercial travellers, fishermen, doctors, lumbermen and tourists.
Three hotels served Gore Bay for many years:
- The Atlantic Hotel
- The Campbell House, located on the harbour
- The Ocean House and Pacific Hotel
Community life in Gore Bay has always been closely connected to water, in fact before roads were built water was the only means available for travellers to get to the port of Gore Bay by boat. Boats would arrive and leave town with goods until the late 1950's, meaning the population was also quite low in the town's early years.
Notable people
- Ken Mackenzie. former baseball player for the New York Mets
- National Hockey League player Bobby Burns.
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Gore Bay had a population of 808 living in 382 of its 421 total private dwellings, a change of -6.8% from its 2016 population of 867. With a land area of 5.14 km2 (1.98 sq mi), it had a population density of 157.2/km2 (407.1/sq mi) in 2021.[5]
| 2021 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 808 (-6.8% from 2016) | 867 (2.0% from 2011) |
| Land area | 5.14 km2 (1.98 sq mi) | 5.23 km2 (2.02 sq mi) |
| Population density | 157.2/km2 (407/sq mi) | 165.7/km2 (429/sq mi) |
| Median age | 56.8 (M: 55.2, F: 57.6) | 56.1 (M: 53.8, F: 57.9) |
| Private dwellings | 421 (total) 382 (occupied) | 447 (total) |
| Median household income | $65,500 |
Industrial development
- Craft brewer Split Rail Brewing is located in Gore Bay.
- Manitoulin Transport, one of Canada's largest trucking companies.
- The first Gore Bay Highschool (which went up to grade 13, which wasn't common in Manitoulin district) now houses the Manitoulin Lodge Nursing home, and the only nursing home is located in Gore Bay. There is no longer any high school in Gore Bay; students get bussed to surrounding communities like M'Chigeeng First Nation/West Bay.
- The Pacific Hotel, also known as the "red onion" had a very popular bar where a shot of whiskey could be had for 5 cents
Tourist attractions
- Gore Bay Museum - What now houses the Gore Bay Museum used to be the courthouse, a land office and a home for the jailer—with jail cells erected from 1889 when Gore Bay became the judicial seat of Manitoulin Island.
- East Bluff Lookout
- The Queens Hotel/Inn
- All Saints Anglican Church - oldest building in Gore Bay after the town went into flames in 1908.[10]
Climate
Gore Bay experiences a humid continental climate (Dfb). The highest temperature ever recorded in Gore Bay was 37.8 °C (100 °F) on 13 July 1936.[11] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −38.9 °C (−38 °F) on 15 February 1943.[12]
| Climate data for Gore Bay-Manitoulin Airport, 1981−2010 normals, extremes 1915−present[lower-alpha 1] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 9.4 (48.9) |
10.6 (51.1) |
22.2 (72.0) |
27.5 (81.5) |
30.6 (87.1) |
33.9 (93.0) |
37.8 (100.0) |
35.6 (96.1) |
34.4 (93.9) |
26.7 (80.1) |
20.0 (68.0) |
15.0 (59.0) |
37.8 (100.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −4.6 (23.7) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
1.2 (34.2) |
9.5 (49.1) |
16.2 (61.2) |
21.1 (70.0) |
24.8 (76.6) |
23.6 (74.5) |
18.2 (64.8) |
11.4 (52.5) |
4.9 (40.8) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
10.1 (50.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.5 (14.9) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
4.5 (40.1) |
10.8 (51.4) |
15.7 (60.3) |
19.5 (67.1) |
18.8 (65.8) |
14.0 (57.2) |
7.8 (46.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
5.5 (41.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −14.3 (6.3) |
−13.2 (8.2) |
−8.6 (16.5) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
5.3 (41.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
14.2 (57.6) |
13.9 (57.0) |
9.7 (49.5) |
4.1 (39.4) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
−8.7 (16.3) |
0.9 (33.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −37.5 (−35.5) |
−38.9 (−38.0) |
−32.3 (−26.1) |
−23.3 (−9.9) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
1.1 (34.0) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−26.1 (−15.0) |
−36.1 (−33.0) |
−38.9 (−38.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 45.1 (1.78) |
29.8 (1.17) |
63.5 (2.50) |
67.1 (2.64) |
61.2 (2.41) |
64.7 (2.55) |
47.7 (1.88) |
65.1 (2.56) |
88.1 (3.47) |
107.3 (4.22) |
97.2 (3.83) |
70.5 (2.78) |
804.1 (31.66) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 10.5 (0.41) |
4.1 (0.16) |
41.7 (1.64) |
56.7 (2.23) |
61.1 (2.41) |
64.7 (2.55) |
47.7 (1.88) |
65.1 (2.56) |
88.1 (3.47) |
105.8 (4.17) |
71.8 (2.83) |
28.6 (1.13) |
645.9 (25.43) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 69.7 (27.4) |
47.0 (18.5) |
33.2 (13.1) |
14.0 (5.5) |
0.2 (0.1) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
2.0 (0.8) |
31.5 (12.4) |
80.2 (31.6) |
277.8 (109.4) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 17.7 | 12.1 | 11.1 | 12.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 9.0 | 11.1 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.9 | 17.8 | 158.8 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 2.8 | 2.2 | 6.2 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 9.0 | 11.2 | 13.4 | 14.9 | 11.4 | 5.2 | 110.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 17.7 | 11.9 | 7.7 | 3.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 7.0 | 15.9 | 64.9 |
| Source: Environment Canada[3][13][14][15][16] | |||||||||||||
Transportation
The amount of water surrounding Manitoulin district rules three main ways of accessing Gore Bay’s township.
- Highway 540A and Highway 540B are the main roads in the township.
- Gore Bay-Manitoulin Airport is located in the town and one of two airports on Manitoulin Island. The airport is a general aviation facility.
- Ferry service aboard the Chi-Chi Maun[17] from Tobermory in Southern Ontario is available from late May through October.
See also
References
- "2018 Municipal Election". Town of Gore Bay. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- "Gore Bay, Town (T), Ontario [Census subdivision] Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- "Gore Bay A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Environment Canada. Archived from the original on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- "GORE (1839, Steamer)".
- "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 20 August 2019.
- "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 18 July 2021.
- "History & Heritage – Town of Gore Bay". Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- "Daily Data Report for July 1936". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- "Daily Data Report for February 1943". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- "Gore Bay". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- "Daily Data Report for March 2003". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- "Gore Bay AWOS". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- "Gore Bay Climate". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- "Home". Owen Sound Transportation Company. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- Extreme high and low temperatures in the table below were recorded at Gore Bay from October 1915 to October 1983 and at Gore Bay Airport from November 1983 to present.
External links
Places adjacent to Gore Bay, Ontario | ||||||||||||||||
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