Pointe au Baril Chamber of Commerce

This was the official website for the Pointe au Baril Chamber of Commerce located in Ontario Canada.
This website no longer has any affiliation with the Pointe au Baril Chamber of Commerce.
Content is from the site's 2003 - 2011 archived pages.

How did Pointe au Baril get it's name?

In the mid 1800's when the first boats navigated the waters of Georgian Bay, very few of the channels were marked with anything more than a pile of stones. It was determined that a barrel be erected with a lantern placed on top to guide the boats into the channel after dark or in the event of a storm. This served as the first lighthouse for Pointe au Baril, hence the name which translates "Point of the Barrel". In 1889 the first lighthouse was erected to replace the barrel light. It stands to this day, over a hundred years old and still in use to guide fishing boats, sportsmen and residents to safe harbour and is open for viewing during the summer months.

History buffs will want to visit the stone monument marking the canoe route of Samuel de Champlain's passage through the Pointe au Baril waterway to Georgian Bay in 1615.

Pointe au Baril is located on at 1650 Highway #69,
2 1/2 hours north of Toronto and 40km north of Parry Sound.

The Chamber of Commerce Information Centre is located on the east side of
Highway #69, just as you enter Point au Baril from the South and as you leave
Pointe au Baril from the North.

When you are traveling in this area, please drop by our Information Centre to say Hello.
While you are here, let us entice you with news of all the happenings in and around the area.
When you come back again, plan your vacation to coincide with one or more of our spectacular events and I will see you there.
Book early for available tickets and lodging. We are here for you.
Enjoy your stay.

Sincerely,
Rod Kelly President

Information Centre

2007

Welcome to the Pointe au Baril Information Centre.
I hope that our new web site will make you eager to visit our area. We are on the shores of the beautiful, magnificent Georgian Bay with its sparkling blue water with wind swept pines.

A lot of people come here on fishing trips and enjoy the excitement of getting that prize Northern Pike, Bass, Walleye or Perch. We have many fishing camps and Bay resorts that have everything a fisherman/woman might need, from guides to fishing boats.

There is so much more than fishing here, boating, hiking, riding the RV trails, site seeing and great eating. Fresh pine scented air and
pure water to drink.

Even though I mentioned Georgian Bay, we also have some smaller lakes in the area. Moose Lake is just off Highway 69 and is a very special spot for those who like to canoe or row.

Naiscoot Lake and River are easy to access and have superb boating and fishing. Harris Lake is another great recreational Lake that connects to the Magnetawan River System. A great place for long scenic rowing trips alone or with groups of outdoor enthusiasts.

Our hospitality is second to none; we strive to make your trip to the area memorable for you and your family.

For maps and information about this wonderful area please contact our Information Centre and we will be happy to assist you.

2010

Welcome to the Pointe au Baril Information Centre Fall/Winter - 2010.

For your information, our telephones are temporarily disconnected for the winter but will be re-connected in late April of 2011. Be assured that our emails will be checked on a daily basis should you have any enquiries or questions over that period of time.

Now, on to more entertaining news!

Our Canada Day Celebrations held on Saturday, July 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Pointe au Baril Community Centrewas a huge success.

The Celebrations included our Delicious Pickerel Lunch (over 300 guests enjoyed this great meal), parades, presentations, the Official Flag Raising Ceremony and lots of activities for the kids! As well, White Squall joined us again with their terrific Paddling Demonstration and Exhibit.

There was a wonderful turn-out for the The 3rd Annual Arts & Crafts Fair where our guests purchased lovely items from our talented Arts & Crafts Vendors. They exhibited a wide variety and selection of wonderful high calibre hand crafted items: exquisite jewellery, pottery, paintings, sculptures, native beadwork, superb glassware, hand crafted furniture ... and so much more.

Also, many, many thanks to all the Volunteers and Vendors who helped make this an event a time to remember. And a big thank you to the hundreds of visitors who attended all or part of the day. We could not have done it without you!

Over the summer season, we had hundreds of visitors here at the Information Centre located on Hwy. 69. We provided extensive information and services to the travelling public and our seasonal and permanent residents. We had many guests enjoy the use of our High Speed Internet Services as well as our new, modern wheelchair access washroom which was installed in 2008. It is a well kept, much appreciated addition to our Information Centre by our travelling visitors.

In October, we elected a brand new Board of Directors and are delighted with the new Executive. We are thrilled that Matt French has taken over the helm as our new President and has many fresh, new ideas and concepts for the Chamber Businesses, Family Membership, and the Chamber Information Centre. For a complete list of our new Board of Directors, just click on that link to the left.

Matt has already scheduled a meeting with M.P.P. Norm Miller to discuss having the Chamber Information Centre designated as an Official Rest Stop, particularly in light of the imminent Highway By-pass. Also, two representatives from MOT will be in attendance at that meeting. We are hopeful that they will support this important initiative which would greatly benefit the travelling public as well as our Chamber Information Centre and our local businesses who depend on tourism for their livelihood.

Pointe au Baril is located on the shore of the magnificent Georgian Bay with sparkling blue water with windswept pines - Tom Thomson country!!

For the avid fisherman/woman, enjoy the excitement of getting that prize Northern Pike, Bass, Walleye or Perch. We have many fishing camps and Bay Resorts with everything you might need - from guides to fishing boats.

And, there is so much more than fishing! Enjoy boating, hiking, riding the RV trails, site seeing and great eating. Fresh pine scented air and pure water to drink.

In addition to the great Georgian Bay, we also have smaller lakes in the area. Moose Lake is just off Highway 69 and is a very special spot for those who like to canoe or row.

Our hospitality is second to none; we strive to make your trip to the area memorable for you and your family.

For maps and information about this wonderful area, please contact our Information Centre and we will be happy to assist you.

The Information Centre and Chamber of Commerce is located on the east side of highway #69, just as you enter Pointe au Baril from the South. And, as you leave Pointe au Baril from the North.

We look forward to seeing you here in the beautiful Pointe au Baril area of Georgian Bay.

Sincerely,

Lillian White, Office Manager
Pointe au Baril Chamber of Commerce Information Centre

+++

SPRING 2010 NEWSLETTER

Well, the Chamber Information Centre is now open for the 2010 season. Wonderful seeing the flowers popping through the ground and the leaves on the trees. Spring is such a hopeful and magical time of the year.

The computers are up and running, the Fishing/Hunting Licences will be arriving soon and our Student has been hired for the summer. We have done much re-organizing and housecleaning to freshen up the Information Centre.

The Wheelchair Access Washroom, which was installed two years ago, has been a much needed addition to the services we provide here. They are clean and tidy and we get thankful comments from the travelling public.

Our friendly guests enjoy the use of our picnic tables and are very conscientious about using the garbage bigs and not littering the lawn. It is a lovely spot for people to let the kids and dogs have a run and helps keep tired folks off the road.

Just a reminder to our members that our Information Centre is yours for Yard Sales or Special Promotions for your business, i.e. a week-end Boat Sale, Real Estate Bulletin Boards or Art Sales. Our location of being right next to Hwy. 69 is a huge advantage for this type of thing.

The Chamber is trying to keep the tourist dollars here in Pointe au Baril and it is very helpful if the Lodges/Resorts who do have vacancies keep in touch with us so that we can make referrals for them.

New ventures ... come and join ... bring your brochures and posters. Big events - we will help put out the word.

Have a great 2010 season!

Lillian White, Office Manager

~~~~~~

An aside: I love this area on Ontario, Canada. When I was young, my parents took us to the Ojibway Club, a summer community centre in Pointe au Baril, Ontario. I even attended their summer camp as a youngster. As an adult I have brought my family back to the Ojibway Club for several weeks each summer. We stay in one of the four cottages, Basswood, that are available for rent. This two bedroom cottage sits right on the water with its own dock and amazing sunset views through large picture windows. My favorite place to relax is its specious deck. It was this past summer while staying at Basswood that I learned that my summer neighbor who was renting the next cottage was taking the medication, Naltrexone to stop drinking. I was rather surprised she would be so forth coming with such information. She confided that she was finally trying to deal with her drinking which had become serious over the past year. Perhaps she felt comfortable discussing her drinking issues with me knowing that I was a therapist working with veterans. I was familiar with Naltrexone which belongs to a class of drugs known as opiate antagonists. It works in the brain to prevent opiate effects (e.g., feelings of well-being, pain relief). Although Naltrexone has a lengthy history of success treating alcoholism, it is not sufficient when taken alone. I mentioned this to her. I told her that Naltrexone does not reduce the cravings for alcohol, such as baclofen, nor does it reduce the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. In fact I told her that Naltrexone is most effective when taken in concert with other forms of treatment, including other medications, therapy, counseling, and 12-step programs. She said she was in a 12 step program, but didn't feel it was working very well and couldn't relate to the other people in the group.

I then suggested she take a look at an online site, LifeBac, that offered a combination of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy via online apps. They are not a rehab or treatment clinic, but a collection of modern, science-based tools to empower people not only to avoid the downward spiral of excessive drinking, but also to get themselves moving in a more position direction. She might consider them, but needed to be aware that the prescription medication they promote, Baclofen, requires titration until the body reaches the point where the person no longer has cravings to drink. Depending on other medications she might be taking and other health factors, baclofen might not be right for her. I always try to add the disclaimers. Baclofen can alter the effects of tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, sleep aids and even vitamins depending on a person’s body chemistry. People with certain health conditions such as epilepsy, ulcers, heart-related ailments, or psychological conditions (such as depression and anxiety disorders) may also experience adverse effects when taking baclofen. However, for a certain group of people baclofen is very successful. Doctors in Europe prescribe baclofen as the primary treatment for people who drink excessively. She was so appreciative of my advice. I do hope she will be successful in learning to control her drinking. She seems motivated so that can make a huge difference.

Well I digress. I just want to say that Pointe au Baril, Ontario is lovely in the summer. Do try to visit some time.

~~~~~~

Some of Our Many Useful Services:

High Speed Internet (Check your E-mail)
Photocopying and Faxing
Vast selection of Ontario Tourism Publications
Ontario Road Maps
Topographical Maps
Hydrographical Maps
Nautical Charts
PaBIA Maps
BNIA Maps
Arts on the Bay Dinner Theatre Tickets
Lobsterfest Tickets
Ladies Church Group Quilt Tickets
Local, Regional and Ontario Information
Weather Reports
Highway Construction Reports
Fire Hazard Updates
Provincial Park Brochures
Directions, Information and Services
Lost Travellers Helped
Walking and Recreational Trail Maps
Info Mailed, E-Mailed or Faxed Out
AND SO MUCH MORE ... ALL WITH A SMILE

2012

Welcome to the Pointe au Baril Information Centre for 2012.

Our Canada Celebrations will again be a 2-day Extravagana: Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR 2012 -IT WILL BE BETTER THAN EVER!

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Ball Hockey Tournament - Registration and Start - 10 a.m. - Pre-registration Required

Delicious Outdoor Bar-b-que - 11 a.m.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

4th Annual Arts & Crafts Fair - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m

A wide variety and selection of wonderful high calibre hand crafted items: exquisite jewellery, pottery, paintings, sculptures, native beadwork, superb glassware, hand crafted furniture ... and so much more.

Walking Parade - 10 a.m.

Opening Ceremonies - 10:30 a.m.

Flag Raising Ceremony - 10:30 a.m.

Delicious Pickerel Lunch - 11:30 a.m. to3 p.m.

Boat Parade begins at Brignall Banks - 10 a.m.

Boat Tours - 11 a.m.

Not So Silent Auction - 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

FIREWORKS AT DUSK!!

Terrific Kids Entertainment & Activities throughout both days. Lots of things to see and do ... Something for everyone !

Over the summer season, we have hundreds of visitors here at the Information Centre located on Hwy. 69. We provide extensive information and services to the travelling public as well as to our seasonal and permanent residents. Many visitors make use of our High Speed Internet Services as well as our new, modern wheelchair access washroom which was installed in 2008. It is a well kept, much appreciated addition to our Information Centre by our travelling visitors.