Heritage & Culture.
Beausoleil Island National Historic Site, named Bimadinaagogi by the Anishinaabeg, sits inside Georgian Bay Islands National Park as a recognized cultural landscape of the southern Georgian Bay region. Descendants of the Chippewas of Lake Huron and Lake Simcoe settled there in 1842 before being displaced to Christian Island in 1856; the modern Beausoleil First Nation community at G’Chimnissing carries the name forward.
The brief.
Three federal designations sit inside the township: Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site (encompassing Lock 45 at Port Severn and Lock 44 at Big Chute), Big Chute Marine Railway (the only marine railway of its kind in North America), and Beausoleil Island National Historic Site. Beausoleil is boat-only access from the Parks Canada Operations Base at 2611 Honey Harbour Road.
Lock 45 grounds are walkable year-round; the lock itself operates seasonally, roughly May through October. Big Chute is reached by road off Highway 400 — visitors can watch boats cradle through the marine railway from interpretive viewing areas during the navigation season.
3. places.
- 01
Trent-Severn Waterway — Lock 45 (Port Severn)
Smallest lock on the system, northern terminus of 386 km waterway.
- 02
Trent-Severn Waterway — Lock 44 / Big Chute Marine Railway
Only marine railway of its kind in North America; 18 m change of height; carriage carries boats up to 100 ft.
- 03
Beausoleil Island National Historic Site (Bimadinaagogi)
Anishinaabeg cultural landscape inside Georgian Bay Islands National Park; settled by Chippewas in 1842, displaced to Christian Island 1856.
Today's read.
Cold but firm — winter-ready conditions · light winds · clean air.