Well this beauty survived the Ontario moose hunting season (LOL!) and is ready for the winter solstice today – the shortest day or longest night of 2021 for us that live in the Northern Hemisphere.

It has been a wonderful year for boating on the Bay, the marinas are full and boat sales are on fire! And as we head towards a cold snowy winter, yes the harbours will freeze, the rocks will ice over, the boats will be replaced by scoots and snowmobiles, but Georgian Bay will continue to deliver some beautiful scenery.

It will be interesting to see if this winter is cold enough to freeze the entire Bay. Ice cover is good – it helps maintain water levels by preventing evaporation, and protects shoreline from erosion due to big storm waves. It also aids in maintaining water temperatures so native species of aquatic plants and animals thrive cause if the water gets too warm, invasive species may arrive.

Occasionally however the ice must be manually broken to facilitate commerce and one of my very favourite winter activities is to watch the ice breakers. Their job is to cut a trail for the bulk carrier ships that occasionally enter Midland to deliver grain to the waterfront mill. Many locals gather at the town dock to watch this event and check out the ships.

After today our daylight hours will begin to increase, the sun sets will become more vibrant and before we know it spring launch will be just around the corner! I am definitely looking forward to another great boating season in 2022 on Georgian Bay….we just have to get through the next couple of cold months! Merry Christmas everyone, hope your stockings are filled with boater’s treats! 🥂