The Pinery Provincial Park is located along Route 21 before
Grand Bend. It offers towering oak trees, flecks of golden sun on a carpet of
leaves, shrubs, wildflowers and a rich abundance of unique and rare organisms;
to many, this is Pinery. It contains much of the remaining Oak Savanna woodland
found in North America. You can explore the unique ecosystem, along park roads,
trails, beaches or through the quiet reaches of the Old Ausable Channel. The
panoramic view from lookouts presents a seemingly endless forest canopy,
meeting Lake Huron's brilliant blue waters on the horizon.
The Lambton Heritage Museum celebrates the history and
heritage of the communities that make up Lambton County. The Museum is a
popular destination for tourists and local residents alike. At the time of its
founding, the Museum displayed just two private collections, but now it is home
to more than 25,000 artifacts and 10,000 photographs depicting the history of
Sarnia Lambton area. The Museum is also home to Canada’s largest collection of
pressed glass. Visitors can discover the only horse-drawn ambulance in Ontario,
explore historical buildings including a blacksmith shop, pioneer home and
nineteenth century schoolhouse, or walk by the steam engine which supported the
largest industry in Bosanquet for most of the last century. You can also see a
rare stump puller produced by the Peterson Foundry in Sarnia; it is the only
one of its kind remaining. The museum’s
antique engines and stoves include models not known to exist in any other
collection, private or public. You will come to the conclusion that there are
too many artifacts on display to absorb during one visit and will need to make
a return visit.
We left Highway 21 and turned onto Huron Route 83. Highway
83 passes through the communities of Dashwood, Thames Road and Farquhar, as
well as the town of Exeter. Outside these locations, the surroundings of the
former route consist of a mix of farmland and woodlots. West of Hay, is the Hay
Swamp, a provincially significant wetland and conservation area. Hay Swamp is
situated at the northern limit of the Carolinian Biotic Province and is
categorized as 98% swamp and 2% marshland. Apart from the Ausable and the
Black, its primary source of water is considered to be the local Wyoming
Moraine aquifer. Hay Swamp is an important regional habitat for wildlife
populations including white-tailed deer, great blue heron, ducks, geese, as
well as a significant beaver presence. The swamp is also home to several plant
species at risk, including green dragon and Riddell's goldenrod. Endangered
fish and mussel species present in Hay Swamp include, eastern sand darter,
greenside darter, northern riffle shell, snuffbox, wavy-rayed lamp mussel,
rainbow mussel and kidney shell. The swamp contains several sites of abandoned
19th and early 20th century farms, including the location of the former
community of Sodom. Hay Swamp is administered by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation
Authority.
The watersheds of Ausable Bayfield Conservation are located
in Southwestern Ontario bordering the shores of Lake Huron. This conservation
authority proudly carries the banner of being the first of 36 conservation
authorities formed across Ontario. Municipalities in the Ausable River
watershed formed the Ausable River Conservation Authority (ARCA) in 1946 to deal with serious problems
of local flooding, soil erosion, water supply, and water quality. The
jurisdiction was enlarged to include the Bayfield River drainage basin in 1972
and the organization's name was changed to Ausable Bayfield Conservation
Authority (ABCA). Ausable Bayfield Conservation encompasses the drainage basins
of the Ausable River, Bayfield River, Parkhill Creek and the gullies between
Bayfield and Grand Bend draining directly to Lake Huron.
While driving through Dashwood, town one may think that it is
just another small village in rural Ontario; however, an examination of the
history of the town shows that Dashwood is a unique and special place whose
citizens share a legacy of industry, responsibility and a strong commitment to
community. Dashwood was incorporated as a police village in 1900. This village
can best be characterized as a town with a strong sense of community. Residents of Dashwood and the surrounding
rural area have time and again gathered together to support community needs and
functions, whether it be to establish their own Municipal Hydro System, to
raise money for the Community Centre and the Medical Centre, to raise money for
the rebuilding of Zion Lutheran Church, to cheer on the Dashwood Tigers, the
Dashwood Bears or the Bluewater Tug-of-War team, or to volunteer time and
talents toward the successful running of Canada's Centennial Celebrations,
Friedsburg Days and the International Plowing Match. A remarkable sense of
industry, however, marks the early days of Dashwood. It was the lure of
abundant water and of timber--virgin Hemlock and Blue Beech hardwood
forest--which attracted the areas first settlers Absolem and Noah Fried. They
purchased 150 acres in the Huron Tract of the Canada Company lands and built a
stone grist mill and a saw mill. The name Dashwood was adopted for the new
settlement combining the name Dash with wood, reflecting the staple of the
community's economy. By the turn of the century Dashwood was a booming business
center for the area with milling being at the center of the local economy.
We spent most of the day traveling through “Ontario’s West
Coast.” Exeter is a Canadian community in the municipality of South Huron. The
community proclaims itself the "Home of the White Squirrel", owing to
the presence of the unusually-colored mammals. Exeter's mascot, "Willis
The White Wonder" can be seen at many community events throughout the
year, including Canada Day celebrations, the Exeter Rodeo, and the Santa Claus
Parade. Exeter was first founded in the winter of 1832 by the Irish settlers
James and Jane Willis accompanied by the explorer Sir Michael Jacques. By 1853,
Exeter had grown into a community of over 300 with the help of Isaac Carling
bringing immigrants from the Exeter and Devon areas of England. The original
Carling homestead, a designated historical landmark still stands on Huron St. Paintings
of some of Exeter's historical citizens, by the late artist Harry Burke, may be
seen at the Exeter Legion Hall.
Exeter is also home to the Northlander Park Model Factory. Northlander
is a family owned and operated business since 1964. Northlander Industries is a
Canadian company, founded in tradition, quality, innovation and teamwork. It is
owned and operated by the Hamather family, Northlander is in its 51st year of
business. Many generations of family members have worked here since 1964.
Carefree does have many Northlander park models in our communities.
We traveled by many farms and dairy farms today. Dairy
farming is one of the largest agricultural sectors in Canada. Dairy has a
significant presence in all of the provinces and is one of the top two
agricultural commodities in seven out of ten provinces. In Canada in 2011,
there were just shy of one million dairy cows on 13,000 farms across the
country. Almost all the dairy produced in Canada is consumed in Canada, and
almost all of Canadian dairy consumption is from Canadian farmers.
Along this route, there is the Morrison Dam Conservation
Area. It is the perfect retreat for nature lovers. You can conduct a range of activities
here from canoeing and fishing to hiking and cross-country skiing, in the
winter! You can discover South Huron's beautiful hardwood and pine forests as
you travel along a three mile loop! It is a very relaxing enjoyable place to commune with nature.
Turning off Route 11, we traveled to Woodland Lake Carefree
RV Resort. Yes, it has a lake! It has many seasonal sites that surround the lake. It offered us a very large pull-thru site with some shade. It was a great place to ride bikes, enjoy the lake, visit with new found friends and enjoy the many activities the resort has to offer its residents and guests!
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