Wiarton, Ontario, is a charming community nestled in the town of South Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County. Located at the western end of Colpoys Bay, an inlet off Georgian Bay, on the Bruce Peninsula, Wiarton is a destination that offers a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty.
Wiarton was named after the birthplace of Sir Edmund Head, the Governor General of Canada from 1854 to 1861. The community was incorporated as a village in 1880, with a population of 750. By 1894, Wiarton had become an incorporated town.
The Government of Ontario has erected two historic plaques in Wiarton, offering a glimpse into the past of this area. The first discusses the fact that the Bruce Peninsula is a barrier to water transportation between Lake Huron and southern Georgian Bay. The second plaque discusses developments in the 1800s, starting with 1855 when "a town-plot was laid out here on recently acquired Indigenous land and named Wiarton, reputedly after the English birthplace of Edmund Head, Governor General of Canada (1854-61)".
The mid-1800s saw settlers arriving and opening businesses in Wiarton. By 1868, B. B. Miller had opened a hotel and post-office, and two others had opened stores. The 1870s saw the construction of wharves and mills, and by 1876, the population had grown to about 400. Wiarton became an incorporated village in 1880, and by 1893, it was incorporated into a town. The first mayor was B. B. Millar.
Geographically, Wiarton is defined by the rugged limestone cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The town rests on the picturesque shores of Colpoys Bay, part of Georgian Bay, which is itself part of Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes. The town has long been known as the gateway to the Bruce Peninsula, the peninsula separating Georgian Bay from the rest of Lake Huron.
Wiarton has a warm summer humid continental climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are cold and very snowy with much of it coming from lake effect snow. Summers are warm and sunny with a July average of 18.9 degrees Celsius. The average precipitation is 1047.9 mm.
One of the most notable features of Wiarton is the Wiarton Willie Festival and Wiarton Willie, the albino groundhog who purportedly predicts the length of winter every Groundhog Day. The Bruce Trail runs through town, with a main trail that is more than 890 km long and side trails of 400 km.
The Grey Bruce Snowmobile Trail runs through Wiarton, providing access to trails towards Sauble Beach and Tobermory. Fishing enthusiasts will enjoy Colpoys Bay, a calm bay located on Georgian Bay, where large salmon and trout can be fished.
Wiarton hosts several festivals throughout the year, including the Wiarton Willie Festival on Groundhog Day, the William Wilfred Campbell Poetry & Arts Festival in June, the Subaru Multi-Sport Race in August, and the Wiarton & District Agricultural Fall Fair on the third weekend in September.
