Born on the Shawanaga First Nation, Francis Pegahmagabow would become one of the most decorated snipers of World War I, and a fervent activist for native rights. Includes Francis’ early days, ‘Peggy’ the sniper and Chief Pegahmagabow.

When Frank Langford began buying up property North of Parry Sound, rumors of a new goat farm circulated widely. But the explosives plants that evolved instead would prove to have a much bigger impact on the area. Includes Canadian Explosives Limited, Nobel, World War I, Cordite and British Cordite Limited.

When J.R. Booth decided to make the dream of a connection from the St. Lawrence to the Upper Great Lakes a reality, it would change the landscape of the Parry Sound area forever. However, Booth’s railway would not be the only one to cross the boundaries of Parry Sound, as both the CNR and CPR would make their way through the town in 1908. Includes Depot Harbour & J.R. Booth, the Ottawa, Arnprior & Parry Sound Railway, appropriation of First Nation lands and the CNR, CPR & the...

With the shoals and islands of the Georgian Bay numbering in the thousands, the fishermen of its waters have always had to be keenly aware of their environment. Through the years navigational aids have been developed to help fishermen, lumber boats, freighters and pleasure craft find their way. Discusses the Pointe au Baril barrel, Commercial fishing on the Bay & the Mink Islands, Lumber booms on the water & lumber hookers and the Canadian Coast Guard in Parry Sound.

On November 21st, 1879 the Waubuno began its final voyage - one that would end in tragedy on the rough waters of the Bay. This chapter discusses the dangers of steamship travel, the fate of the Waubuno, the wreck of the Asia and Bolton’s hydrographic survey.

The unique beauty of the Georgian Bay has attracted people for thousands of years to its shores and now the people of Parry Sound strive to protect this precious resource. Includes the Massasauga Rattlesnake, the formation of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve and the film credits.

With the construction of a railroad from Toronto to North Bay, the Eastern side of the Parry Sound district would be granted direct access to the outside world and an easy route to the Western provinces. For those who stayed in the district, the steamboats that popped up on Lakes Ahmic and Cecebe provided settlers a much gentler ride than the Great North Road. Includes the Railway to North Bay, Steamboats on the inner lakes and the Parry Sound Colony.

As the economies surrounding the Bay become focused on its tourism potential, remnants of the area's industrial past remain to be dealt with. Includes the Oil spill in Parry Sound, Nobel industries decommissioning and the Depot Harbour clean up effort.

With the Free Lands and Homestead Act of 1868, the rush was on to settle the Northern reaches of Ontario. Colonization roads were pushed through and settlers were offered hundreds of acres of free land – provided they could survive there for five years. Includes the Free Lands and Homestead Act, Colonization Roads, the Parry Sound Road, & the Great North Road, Farming on the Canadian Shield, The lumberman farmer & lumber camps and Britt & Byng Inlet mills.

The influx of cottagers and tourists proved to be an economic boon for local builders, marinas and anyone else who could get in on the action. New modes of transportation, such as the "Scoot", evolved to help both locals and cottagers get around in the winter months.

When the Gibson mill failed, Parry Sound proved to be the perfect opportunity for the Beatty family. After their initial success in Parry Sound, two of the three Beattys moved on, while William remained to shape the growing village. Includes the Beatty Family & the founding of Parry Sound, Waubuno – the early days, Beatty Covenant & Parry Harbour and the purchase of the mortar.

After World War I, the quest to define the Canadian identity turned towards the past and prompted Canadians to follow the routes of the European explorers, 'into the wilderness.' Includes Camp Franklin, the Group of Seven, Highway 69 and Killbear Provincial Park.

David Gibson was exiled from the country for his role as a leader of the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837. He later returned to Canada and took a government position that would allow the Gibson family to leave their mark on Parry Sound. At the same time, Upper Canada's Government was looking for a way to move settlers into Northern territories.

As industries have come and gone in the Parry Sound District, the one constant economic driver has been tourism. Even when the lumber barons were logging out the interior, they found time to cottage amidst the islands with their families. Includes the early development of tourism, the Belvedere Hotel, the Rose Point Hotel, & the Ojibway Hotel, the role of First Nations peoples in tourism, Cottaging and Boat building.

As author and early tourist Anna Jameson traveled amidst the shoals of the Georgian Bay, she couldn't help but be overwhelmed by its stunning beauty. Her novel, Winter Studies and Summer Rambles, records her journey with classic Victorian flair.

When Depot Harbour burnt to the ground and the explosives plants shut their doors, large-scale industrial endeavors in the Parry Sound area were nearly brought to an end. The shutdown of the Orenda Engines test facility at Nobel would prove to be the death knell of Parry Sound's industrial age. Includes the Depot Harbour fire, the decline of the Ottawa, Arnprior & Parry Sound Railway and Avro Arrow & Orenda Engines.

After European contact, the travel routes traditionally used by the First Nations peoples began to see new explorers shooting their rapids. The movement of goods from the East to the West became a priority in the early days of colonization. The quest for an overland route from the St. Lawrence to Lake Superior, Henry Bayfield and the hydrographic surveying of the Georgian Bay, and Hydrographic survey methods of the 1800's.

With the beginning of WWII, Nobel experienced a renaissance of its explosive past. With the opening of Canadian Industries Limited and Defence Industries Limited, thousands were drawn to the Parry Sound area to find work in the munitions factories. Includes CIL & DIL Living and working conditions.

In 1870, off the shores of Trout Lake, a small boy named Nathaniel Little made a big discovery. His treasure: a 16 Kg, bronze French apothecary's mortar from 1636. The mysterious story of the mortar takes us back into West Parry Sound's past, a journey that includes: Champlain's Georgian Bay travels, the Jesuit missionaries of the 1600's, the historical divisions of First Nations territory in the Great Lakes Region, the Anishinabek / Haudenosaunee Wars and theories regarding the mortar's...

Visit the Great Turtle with elder Stewart King as we discuss - Traditional spirituality & lifestyle of Anishinabek peoples, the migration of the Anishinabek people & Native Travel Routes, the formation of the precambrian Shield & its spiritual importance to the Anishinabek, the nuances of Anishinabek place names and language, first Nations contact with Europeans and fur traders, the Three Fires Confederacy & the Iroquoian Wars and the Great Peace of Montreal.