Navigating the wonders to be found on Canada's 'Sixth Great Lake'

Tuesday, August 12, 2014, 6:40 PM - Georgian Bay is well known within Canada as the sixth Great Lake. Many boaters will tell you that they’ve heard it’s the best freshwater cruising grounds in the world. With its rugged beauty and outcrops of Canadian Shield this is a must visit boating destination for all boaters.

If you are looking for a day-trip on Georgian Bay, Boating Ontario recommends Giants Tomb Island, one of the 30,000 islands.

While most of the islands in Georgian Bay could make even an experienced sailor lost without his chart, there is one that is unmistakable. Even from a far distance “The Tomb” with its hump on a hump is easy to pick out.

Both Huron and Ojibwa native legends passed down through the generations suggests that Giants Tomb was created when Kitchikewana, a giant spirit had his heart broken when Wanakita turned down his marriage proposal. He tore up the bottom of the bay with his bare hands and in ager, flung the mud and stones at the departing canoe of his true love. The isolated bays and anchorages we know today were formed when all that mud and rock finally settled.

The Tomb is a great boating destination. It’s isolated and mostly a park (only the tip at the north end is privately owned). The soft white sand beaches that stretch nearly all the way around, could make one think you were on a deserted Caribbean island. The shallow waters are perfect for anchoring on a sandbar. It’s one of the few places where you can walk the shallow water’s edge along the beach with bare feet for what seems like miles. The whole family will enjoy this outing. The only disadvantage is the lack of protection. It’s not the best place to overnight on the hook but for picnics on the beach there’s no better place to day trip on Georgian Bay.