Wye Marsh

Wye Marsh
Location of Wye Marsh in Ontario
Location	Simcoe County
Nearest city	Midland, Ontario
Coordinates	44°43′N 79°51′W / 44.717°N 79.850°W / 44.717; -79.850Coordinates: 44°43′N 79°51′W / 44.717°N 79.850°W / 44.717; -79.850
Area	1000 hectares 920 hectares (Wye Marsh Wildlife Management Area) 47 hectares (Wye Marsh National Wildlife Area)
Visitors	35000 (in 2001)

The Wye Marsh is a wetland area on the south shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada. The Wye Marsh National Wildlife Area was established on the location in 1978. It is designated a Provincially Significant Wetland by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

The area was inhabited by Huron Indians when the Jesuit missionaries arrived in 1639. The Jesuit established a mission on the north-east corner of Wye Lake, the site is now known as Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. The largest Huron village of the time was situated between Wye Marsh and nearby Tiny Marsh. By 1650 conflict with Iroquois had driven all of the surviving missionaries to Quebec, along with the surviving Huron. The area remained unpopulated for 150 years.

In the early 19th century, a naval base open in Penetanguishene, and settlement of the area by Europeans began in earnest.Wyebridge became the major business centre of Simcoe County, and by the 1860s Midland was surpassed only by Ottawa as a logging town in Ontario.Deforestation led to small streams which fed the marsh drying up, and serious soil erosion along the Wye River depositing into Wye Lake. In the 20th century the site of Wye Marsh was a privately owned hunting preserve, until it was turned into a wildlife area by the federal and pronvincial governments.

The Canadian Wildlife Service established the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre in 1969. In 1985, the day-to-day administration of the centre was taken over by the Friends of the Wye Marsh through special agreement with Environment Canada. Most of the land is owned by the Province of Ontario, and administered through the Wye Marsh Wildlife Management Area, and some land is owned by Environment Canada and administered through the Wye Marsh National Wildlife Area.