Pointe au Baril, Ontario
Pointe au Baril is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on the east coast of Georgian Bay.
The community is located in the township of The Archipelago in the Parry Sound District.
Pointe au Baril was named after the barrel on the point that originally (1870s) marked the treacherous entry to the main channel from the open water of Georgian Bay. Early fur traders from Penetanguishene apparently lost a canoe near the point. Their canoe included a barrel of whiskey that was found by stranded traders the next spring. After a drinking spree the barrel was left on the point as a beacon. French mariners were soon calling it Pointe-au-Baril. Later this marker was improved to include a lantern in the barrel that would be lit by the first fisherman returning inland to light the way for the rest of the boats.
Pointe au Baril may refer to the original Barrel on the Point reference or the actual village, built around a train station, about six nautical miles (11 km, 7 miles) away. Highway 69 follows the same path as the railway and they both run past the east tip of what is known as the Main Channel. This channel is a well marked route from the village to the lighthouse.
The village has a North Shore and a South Shore road but islander travel is by boat. The village is referred to as The Station by most residents. Pointe au Baril Station is well suited for launching water craft and is supported by many marinas and a substantial public dock.
The point is lit by the recently automated lighthouse. This historic lighthouse opens its doors for tours in the summer months. The lighthouse is a part of a light system which includes a range tower (about one half nautical mile behind the lighthouse) and a turn buoy (nearly three nautical miles offshore from the lighthouse) which work together to allow safe passage through the many shoals that cover the eastern coast of Georgian Bay (45°33′33″N 80°30′13″W / 45.55917°N 80.50361°W).
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