Georgian Bay: Discovering a Unique North American Ecosystem

Discover the marvel that is Georgian Bay, its hidden history, its storied rock, culture, and the fragile nature that abounds here.

Georgian Bay contains the largest freshwater island in the world (Manitoulin Island) and the world's largest freshwater archipelago (the Thirty Thousand Islands). Some of its rocks are 2.5 billion years old. It is home to a fascinating range of plants and animals that live both above and below the water and as such is a unique ecosystem. Its startling shorelines have inspired scientists, artists, and conservationists for generations.

The Bay has been home to Native people for thousands of years. Samuel Champlain canoed it in 1615 marveling at its maze of islands. The Bay was a significant part of the fur trade and the lumber business and a place that attracted new farmer-settlers who would find both solace and sorrow among the beautiful but unforgiving Canadian Shield rocks.

Georgian Bay's waterscapes are as legendary as the summer storms that spring out of nowhere. It is also a place of calm, crystal-clear waters and glorious sunsets that provide families with memories that last a lifetime.

This book is a project of the Georgian Bay Land Trust (GBLT) which recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary. Edited by award-winning geologist and best-selling author, Nick Eyles, the text and pictures have been selected from a wide-ranging group of scientists, historians, artists, writers, photographers, and people who are passionate about preservation of this unique ecosystem.

The iconic landscape and the story it tells of the history of our planet is little known to Canadians despite its proximity to the nation's largest urban area.

Everything you wanted to know about Georgian Bay and were afraid to ask, is right here. It brings together leading geologists, ecologists, artists and archeologists to tell the dramatic and so-far untold story of Georgian Bay. From its earliest beginnings some 1.5 billion years ago in the aftermath of a gigantic meteorite strike when the area was dominated by mountains as large as the Himalayas, To the first appearance of humans during the waning stages of the last ice age some 12,000 years ago when much of the area still lay buried under ice a kilometre thick, About the mammals and birds, The unique freshwater ecosystems, The forests, Even the art of the area.

From Wasaga Beach in the south, through Tobermory in the west and Parry Sound to the east, up to Manitoulin Island and Little Current in the north, and everywhere in between, if you enjoy, are fascinated by, or just curious about this unique region then check out this book