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Parry Sound, Ontario

Parry Sound (2001 census population 6,120) is a town in central Ontario, Canada, located on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay). Parry Sound is located 165 kilometres south of Sudbury and 225 kilometres north of Toronto. It is the seat of Parry Sound District, a popular cottage country region for Southern Ontario residents. It is also the world's deepest freshwater port.

The body of water that gives the town its name was surveyed and named by Captain Henry Bayfield in the 19th century, in honour of the Arctic explorer Sir William Edward Parry. In 1857, the modern townsite was established near the Ojibwa village of Wasaukwasene ("shining shore") at the mouth of the Seguin River. In the late 19th century, rail service was established, making the town an important depot along the rail lines to Western Canada.

In the early 20th century, an explosives and munitions factory was established in the nearby town of Nobel, making Parry Sound an important part of the Second World War effort.

The town is host to an annual sailing regatta and a performing arts festival, The Festival of the Sound . It is the birthplace of hockey legend Bobby Orr. Former Ontario premier Ernie Eves also called the town home for many years.

Other attractions include the 30,000 island tour aboard the Island Queen, or the newly opened Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts / The Bobby Orr Hall of Fame.

Although construction on Highway 400 is scheduled to continue, Parry Sound is currently the northern terminus of Highway 400, where it changes into Highway 69.

Bus service from Toronto is available by Ontario Northland, the government-owned transportation company, and busses arrive daily en route to Sudbury, ON.

Communities

  • North Parry
  • Parry Sound

According to the 2001 Statistics Canada Census:

  • % Change (1996-2001): -3.2
  • Dwellings: 2,797
  • Area (sq. km.): 13.33
  • Density (persons per sq. km.): 459.3




North: McDougall
West: Parry Island Reserve Parry Sound East: McDougall
South: Seguin

External links

Last updated: 05-07-2005 09:41:33
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04