Pin Quest Ontario

The Township of Armour shares its name with a steamboat built in 1905 and both are named after Douglas Armour who was a Judge on the Supreme Court of Canada. The community and ship are linked in the early history bringing farm families and forestry to the area. 

In 1880 a bookkeeper called George Morrison travelled with his family by ox-cart from his home in southern Ontario to Lake Nipissing. From there, he allegedly built a raft to sail the group and their belongings across the lake where they opened a general store. In 1881, Morrison opened a Post Office at the store and named it after his parent’s birthplace of Callander, Scotland. 

Carling is home to Killbear Provincial Park which protects the unique ecosystems and distinct rock ridges and pines of the Canadian Shield.The park is part of the Georgian Bay Littoral UNESCO Biosphere Reserve which is one of the world’s largest freshwater archipelagoes.

In the Algonquin language, Magnetawan means “swiftly flowing river”. To facilitate transportation over the river rapids that give the community this name, a lock was created in 1886. During the first 25 years of operation, the lock-keeper recorded 17,590 trips by steamship up and down the river.

McKellar Township is named after Archibald McKellar who was a member of Ontario’s first legislative assembly from 1867 to 1875. Thomas McMurray, the land agent for Parry Sound (whose job it was to oversee the settlement of the area) reporting to McKellar. What better way to get on your boss’s good side than naming a 47,755 acre township after him?

In geography, a “sound” is a smaller body of water connected to a larger one such as a sea or a lake. Parry Sound is located on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay and offers a world renowned protected sailing area. Aside from the beautiful scenery, what sets the sound apart from other sailing destinations is the fact that it is the worlds deepest natural freshwater port.

The first European settlement in Powassan was located along the bend of the South River. Appropriately, the community’s name comes from an indigenous word meaning “bend”. The early settlement site is now home to the Elliot Chute Hydroelectric station.

The bridge on the pin is the original span across the Magnetewan river. It was later replaced with a one-lane swing bridge which could rotate to allow ships to pass. In 2004, the swing brings was replaced with a more modern structure. The old swing bridge is now on display at a local museum.

Since 1985, Seguin has hosted an annual Sled Dog Mail Run with letters prepared specifically for this event being loaded onto sleds and pulled by sled dog teams through 17 km of bush trails to Rosseau, Ontario. 

Strong Township surrounds Lake Bernard. At 2.4 km across, 7 km long, and 45 metres deep, the lake is the largest freshwater lake in the world that has no islands. It is also not connected to any of the other hundreds of lakes in the region.

The township of the Archipelago was formed in 1980 from unincorporated communities primarily as a way to coordinate planning and protection for the numerous islands and waterways in the area. It was originally formed as two separate townships, but within three months of their creation, both local councils passed by-laws calling for their amalgamation.