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Collingwood beautiful scenery includes pastoral farmlands that roll off into the distance. Located on the southern shores of Georgian Bay, its waterfront provides endless opportunities.

The Blue Mountains scenic area offers an abundance of recreational activities for all four seasons, most notably winter. The Village at Blue Mountain has an array of boutiques and stores all within walking distance of the largest ski resort in Ontario.

Creemore/Clearview’s scenery is one of its great natural attractions - you’ll see beautiful landscapes, including pastoral farmlands rolling off into the distance. Creemore has a vibrant small-business community and is a wonderful location for anyone looking to shop, dine and explore.

Mulmur Township is considered a wee bit of heaven that straddles the famous Niagara Escarpment. Descending into gently rolling farmlands and rural areas, it has become a preferred area for weekend country retreats as well as a home to a great many commuters.

Wasaga Beach is situated along the largest freshwater archipelago in the world, and is a popular summer tourist destination. Enjoy the many trails for hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Swim in warm waters and admire the panoramic views of the Niagara Escarpment.

Thornbury boasts an entrepreneurial spirit that is alive and well. Located between Collingwood and Meaford, over the years this quaint town has been home to a wide spectrum of businesses. Bruce Street is active with an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants and artisans.

Beaver Valley/Grey Highlands provides four seasons of relaxation, excitement and recreation in the unspoiled countryside. The valley is well known for skiing and snowboarding in the winter. Beaver Valley Ski Club operates as a private ski club just south of the town of Kimberly.

Meaford is a four-season destination that has it all. The quaint and charming historic downtown district offers live theatre and concerts, fesh local food, unique shopping, nature at your doorstep, a beautiful harbour and so much more.

Wiarton is located at the western end of the scenic shores of Colpoys Bay, an inlet off Georgian Bay on the Bruce Peninsula. Defined by the rugged limestone cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment, Wiarton is known for the Wiarton Willie Festival, in February each year.

Owen Sound is located on the southern shores of Georgian Bay. A true gateway, enjoy the waterfront trail system, farmer’s market and, in the winter, access thousands of snowmobile trails, cross-country skiing areas and downhill skiing clubs.

Gary Taylor * Direct: 519 378 4663 gary@garytaylor.ca The Tobermory Lake Estate property is being introduced to the MLS® market after 36 years. The Estate consists of 250 acres of land and includes a 45 acre Lake. Property offers a modern main residence, a separate studio and separate garage. Potential resort or spa development, endless possibilities. TOBERMORY LAKE ESTATE Tobermory, Ontario

Located in one of the most prestigious locations on Georgian Bay, this custom 4 Ãi>ܘxLi`Àœœ“]{L>̅…œ“i…>Ã>“œÃÌÈ]äääõ°vÌ°>ˆ˜yœœÀœ«i˜Vœ˜Vi«Ì ˆÛˆ˜}>Ài>܈̅ܜœ`LÕÀ˜ˆ˜}wÀi«>ViE`iÈ}˜iÀŽˆÌV…i˜°-«>VˆœÕÓ>ÃÌiÀ Li`Àœœ“܈̅`ˆÀiVÌ>VViÃÃ̜̅iÈä½`iVŽœÛiÀœœŽˆ˜}̅iÜ>ÌiÀ°ՏÞw˜ˆÃ…i` lower level includes a large family room with walkout, an exercise room, den & œvwVi° ˜œÞ̅iVÕÃ̜“Ã>Ì‡Ü>ÌiÀ«œœEÜ>ÌV…̅iÃ՘ÃiÌœÛiÀiœÀ}ˆ>˜ >Þt Grey Bruce/Owen Sound, Ontario SIMPLY SPECTACULAR WATERFRONT HOME ON GEORGIAN BAY!

Dave Moyer * Direct: 519 379 1996 davemoyer@chestnutpark.com $1,799,000

NEW HOME ON THE ESCARPMENT

Ideal for the active family who enjoy skiing, biking, hiking & boating close by. Large windows for natural light, open concept, 5 Bdrm & 4 Bath Home with 3,828 sq. ft. ˆ˜VÕ`ˆ˜}>w˜ˆÃ…i`L>Ãi“i˜Ì° Located in nature & close proximity to Georgian Peaks & The Georgian Bay Club. MLS®237900 The Blue Mountains, Ontario

Barb Picot * Direct: 705 444 3452 picot@rogers.com Ron Picot * Direct: 705 446 8580 rpicot@rogers.com

Gary Taylor * Direct: 519 378 4663 gary@garytaylor.ca Fabulous waterfront residence. The 3815 sq ft home offers 5 bdrms, 4.5 L>̅Ã>˜`>˜œ«i˜yœœÀ«>˜° i>ÌÕÀiȘVÕ`i“>ˆ˜yœœÀ master with 4 pc ensuite, 3 season sunroom with decks on 2 sides, 2 bdrms with ensuites on 2nd level, and lower level family room with walkout. Waterfront with 2 storey boathouse + more! SUPREME SUNSET BOULEVARD South Bruce Peninsula, Ontario

$1,090,000

VIEWS THAT TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY

Lighthouse Point Waterfront! ,i˜œÛ>Ìi`]Ә`yœœÀVœ˜`œ with appealing neutral décor. 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths including an oversized private }>À>}i°/…ˆÃ“>}˜ˆwVi˜Ì 1,452 sq. ft. condo has front row views of Georgian Bay & the Lighthouse from the large, covered 16’x11’ deck. MLS®239382 Collingwood, Ontario

Barb Picot * Direct: 705 444 3452 picot@rogers.com Ron Picot * Direct: 705 446 8580 rpicot@rogers.com

Wonderful Waterfront home or Cottage with spectacular views of Georgian Bay and the Islands from the north edge of the Bruce Peninsula. 4 bedroms, 2 baths, and large storage shed. This home has had many recent upgrades. Located close to Tobermory and all amenities. This one is a must see. GEORGIAN BAY WATERFRONT Grey Bruce/Owen Sound, Ontario

Mark McDade * Direct: 519 387 7650 mcdaderealestate@outlook.com www.MarkMcDade.com $629,000

Whether you are looking for a cottage or a year-round home, put this property on the list. 4 bdrms, 3 baths, spacious kitchen, vaulted ceilings, open loft space, large bright windows facing the water, attached garage, & lower level walkout to maximize the enjoyment of the waterfront. SPECTACULAR WATERFRONT HOME Grey Bruce/Owen Sound, Ontario

Nottawasaga Island Lighthouse Casting light onto a Collingwood heritage landmark

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NOTTAWASAGA LIGHTHOUSE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

Nottawasaga Island Lighthouse is iconic to Collingwood, an offshore sentinel that announced to all Collingwood’s status as a major port and shipbuilder. Long decommissioned, the lighthouse is now weathered and crumbling. What was once a vital beacon for shipping is now little more than a seasonal beacon for the JXOOVDQGFRUPRUDQWVWKDWFRORQL]HWKHLVODQGHDFKVSULQJ >

Plans are afoot to restore the crumbling Nottawasaga Island Lighthouse. Nottawasaga Lighthouse is a historically significant structure, one of six Imperial Towers erected in the 1850s to protect the growing fleet of commercial and passenger vessels travelling on Lake Huron,” explains Robert Square, vice-chair of the Nottawasaga Lighthouse Preservation Society (NLPS), a charity founded to restore the structure. “It was important to the way of life here and deserves preservation. Collingwood would never have developed into a major port if not for the lighthouse.”

Offshore lies a string of rocks and shoals known today as the Mary Ward Ledge after the luckless steamer that ran aground on them in 1882 with the loss of eight men. It was the threat presented by these rocks that provided the impetus for construction of a lighthouse on Nottawasaga Island.

The lighthouse is an impressive structure. Made from locally quarried stone, it measures 85 feet in height and has a wall thickness of nine feet at the base, tapering to two feet at the top. The interior column is a constant 10 feet in diameter despite the outside tapering. The ornate lantern room was imported from France.

The light was staffed from 1858 until automation in 1959. Keepers lived on the island year-round and raised their families in the cottage adjacent to the tower.

Since the Department of Fisheries and Oceans banding project was completed in 2006, the lighthouse has remained firmly anchored on the shore of Nottawasaga Island.

The exterior of the structure is wrapped in a weather-resistant material that sheds rain, snow and other moisture thereby preventing further water penetration to the interior.

In 2003, the Nottawasaga Lighthouse was deemed redundant and decommissioned by the Canadian Coast Guard. “In the years after, the structure began to deteriorate rapidly, including the collapse of a portion of the exterior stonework after a lightning strike,” explains Square. “We’ve wrapped the tower to keep the elements out and ensure there is no further damage.”

The NLPS is currently in the process of acquiring ownership of the lighthouse so that the estimated $2 million in repairs can begin, with an eventual eye to opening this landmark to the public.

Until then, Nottawasaga Island Lighthouse will remain an atmospheric roost for seabirds.

Billy Bishop

Home and Museum

BY ANDREW HIND PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BILLY BISHOP MUSEUM

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The Billy Bishop Home & Museum, built in 1884, is a beautiful Victorian house in the heart of Owen Sound. It is the boyhood home of Air Marshal William Avery “Billy” Bishop VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED.

Billy Bishop, the most famous of hundreds of thousands of young Canadian men who served during the First World War, was a Victoria Cross recipient and Canada’s top flying ace of that war. William Avery (Billy) Bishop Jr. was born in Owen Sound in 1894 and grew up in a comfortable home at 948 3rd Avenue West, built by his father in 1884. Bishop was fascinated with flying from his earliest years. As a boy, he made a flying machine from a crate and bed sheets, which he launched from the roof of the family home only to land in his mother’s rose bushes.

This home is now a museum and national historic site in Owen Sound.

Climb the steps of this beautiful, Victorian, red-brick home and step back in time to explore the lives of the Bishop family members and rediscover the man behind the legend. As well as their focus on Billy Bishop, the museum also serves to honour the wartime contributions of the many service men and women from Owen Sound and region. >

Billy Bishop, Canada’s top flying ace of WW1.

Jacket and other personal effects of Air Marshal William Avery “Billy” Bishop. Antique furniture collected by Billy and his wife Margaret, during their years living in Britain; this is Billy Bishop’s personal desk used in his home office.

Inside the museum you’ll see the antique desk Bishop worked at as Air Marshal during World War Two, and the uniform he wore at the time. There’s a bookcase with school books used by a young Billy and his sister, Louisa, a Royal Military College Yearbook with Billy’s picture and biography, and a share in the Bishop-Barker Aeroplane Company, the first (though short-lived) civil airline in Canada which Bishop founded with fellow Canadian ace, Billy Barker.

The Billy Bishop Home and Museum engages the community through a variety of seasonal programs and events. Highlights of the year include Billy’s Birthday celebrations on February 8th; Victorian teas where you can experience the elegance and refinement of social gatherings of the day; and a Victorian Christmas with all the nostalgic charm of a 19th century yuletide celebration.

The Billy Bishop Home and Museum is one of Owen Sound’s most popular attractions. The museum will be temporarily closed for upgrades during March, 2020. Major renovations to the front entryway, gift shop and dining room will make these spaces brighter. Check their website for re-opening dates.

5 Reasons Life is good in Collingwood

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Collingwood By Numbers A growing community of 22,000 people // Median household income of $64,369 (as of 2016) // Population density of only 645.1/km2 (compared to Toronto’s 4,150/km2) // 5 major trails // 7 private and public golf courses with options for all skill levels // Less than 10 minutes to the ski slopes of Blue Mountain // 4 full-service marinas

1Natural Beauty Collingwood overlooks the expansive blue waters of Nottawasaga Bay with the picturesque Blue Mountains of the Niagara escarpment (a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve) as a backdrop. Walkable forests, sparkling rivers, golden beaches and rolling hills—these varied landscapes are just minutes from downtown Collingwood.

2Lower Housing Prices and Property Taxes Collingwood offers welcome relief for those who aren’t willing to pay big-city prices. Reasonablypriced homes serve to attract an increasing number of new residents to the area. As well as more affordable housing, lower property taxes make Collingwood appealing especially to young families and retirees.

3Small Town Charm, Big City Amenities The town’s strong historical past is characterized by numerous heritage buildings in the downtown core and along the waterfront. The seeminglyendless recreational activities that have long appealed to tourists are here to be enjoyed by residents as well. Collingwood is a four-season mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. For those who like to hit the links there are seven public and private golf courses. And who doesn’t enjoy an afternoon at a spa?

4Arts & Culture Collingwood has several art galleries and museums, art programmes for kids, and live theatre and music throughout the year. Trendy culinary experiences, craft breweries, chic boutiques and seasonal festivals are all here in Collingwood. In the summer, bring your sweetheart and a blanket to sit under the stars at the Shipyards Amphitheatre for their free outdoor classic movie series.

5Work/Life Balance A beautiful, natural setting, and affordable housing in a charming town with all the perks of a big city, combine to offer the residents of Collingwood an extraordinary work/life balance opportunity. The thriving economy and job market here attract a mix of professionals, young families, and retirees. In the summer, residents and visitors flock to the azure waters of Georgian Bay for swimming and boating while the forested hills are a favourite with hikers, cyclists and campers. When the snow falls, bundle up and enjoy cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing, or head to nearby Blue Mountain for the finest downhill skiing in Ontario.