Tay.
Tay Township sits on the southern shore of Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, with the lakeshore villages of Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll, and Waubaushene strung along Severn Sound's Tay Reach. The 18.5 km paved Tay Shore Trail runs the full waterfront from Midland through the Port McNicoll spur to Waubaushene as part of the Trans Canada Trail and the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail's Simcoe County section.
Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, on Tay's western edge, anchors a globally Important Bird Area on roughly 3,000 acres of Provincially Significant Wetlands; at the eastern end, Matchedash Bay Provincial Wildlife Area is a Ramsar Site of International Importance and a globally significant IBA at the head of Severn Sound. The Highway 12 heritage corridor between Tay and Midland holds Sainte-Marie among the Hurons National Historic Site (the 1639–1649 Jesuit mission to the Wendat) and the Martyrs' Shrine.
Port McNicoll was the Great Lakes terminus of the CPR steamship line. The Township sits on the traditional territory of the Chippewa Tri-Council (Beausoleil, Rama, Georgina Island First Nations) and the Huron-Wendat Nation, with about a two-hour drive from the GTA via Highway 400.
Today's read.
Real-time conditions updated; AI field notes unavailable.
On the record.
Every claim sourced. Click through to the original.
- 01The Tay Shore Trail is an 18.5 km paved rail trail along the southern shore of Georgian Bay from Midland to Waubaushene with a spur to Port McNicoll, part of the Trans Canada Trail.Source ↗
- 02Wye Marsh is a globally Important Bird Area (BirdLife International) recognized for continentally significant populations of trumpeter swan, breeding black terns, and breeding least bitterns; Wye Marsh National Wildlife Area sits on roughly 3,000 acres of Provincially Significant Wetlands.Source ↗
- 03Matchedash Bay was designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1996 and is a globally significant Important Bird Area; the Provincial Wildlife Area is co-managed by MTM Conservation, OMNRF, and Ducks Unlimited Canada.Source ↗
- 04Sainte-Marie among the Hurons was the headquarters of the Jesuit mission to the Wendat from 1639 to 1649 and was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1920.Source ↗
- 05SS Keewatin, the last surviving Edwardian Great Lakes passenger steamship and longtime Port McNicoll resident, was relocated from Port McNicoll to Kingston in 2023.Source ↗
8. activities
worth your time
StrongHiking
Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre carries more than 25 km of wooded trails across 3,000 acres of marsh and woodland on Tay's western edge, with floating boardwalks and an observation tower threaded into the route. Along the Georgian Bay shoreline, the Tay Shore Trail's 18.5 km paved corridor doubles as easy waterfront walking through Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll, and Waubaushene with interpretive nature signage along the former rail bed. Both networks are flat, well-marked, and four-season — the Wye Marsh trails are groomed for cross-country skiing in winter and the Tay Shore Trail stays walkable.
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StrongWalking & Strolling
The Tay Shore Trail runs 18.5 km of paved waterfront path along Severn Sound's Tay Reach, threading the lakeshore villages of Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll, and Waubaushene with interpretive nature signs at intervals along the former rail corridor. Patterson Park's waterfront in Port McNicoll sits on the dock area where the CPR Great Lakes steamships once called and is the Tay Shore Trail spur's anchor. The trail is part of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail's Simcoe County section and the Trans Canada Trail, paved end to end, and accessible at multiple village trailheads.
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▲ SignatureNature & Discovery
Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, on Tay's western edge, is a globally Important Bird Area recognized by BirdLife International for continentally significant populations of trumpeter swan (a reintroduced species the centre has helped recover since 1988), breeding black terns, and breeding least bitterns, on about 3,000 acres of Provincially Significant Wetlands. At the eastern end of the township, Matchedash Bay Provincial Wildlife Area is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and a globally significant IBA, with more than 170 bird species recorded and a provincially significant spring and fall waterfowl staging area. Wye Marsh has an observation tower, floating boardwalks, and a waterfowl monitoring platform for visitor access.
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StrongCycling
The Tay Shore Trail is the regional flagship — 18.5 km of paved off-road rail trail from Midland through the Port McNicoll spur to Waubaushene along the southern shore of Georgian Bay. Tay Township is a documented community node on the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail's Simcoe County section, launched in 2022, and the Tay Shore Trail forms part of the Trans Canada Trail through this stretch of Simcoe County. The trail is flat, paved, and family-friendly, with parking and access at each of the three lakeshore villages.
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StrongPaddling — Flatwater
Wye Marsh runs guided interpretive canoe and kayak trips through marsh channels at the western end of Tay, with a naturalist commentary inside the globally significant IBA's wetland mosaic. At the eastern end, Matchedash Bay Provincial Wildlife Area opens paddle access through bulrush channels at the head of Severn Sound, with a route that connects to Georgian Bay under the Highway 400 crossing at the northwest end of the bay. The Sturgeon River mouth at Georgian Bay and the open Tay Reach round out a sheltered flatwater paddling base for the township.
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StrongSailing & Boating
Severn Sound's Tay Reach is sheltered Georgian Bay water with three village marina/launch communities along Tay's shoreline — Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll, and Waubaushene. Port McNicoll's harbour was the Great Lakes terminus of the CPR steamship line and the longtime home dock of SS Keewatin until the ship's relocation to Kingston in 2023; the harbour and Patterson Park waterfront remain. The sound itself sits at the southeast end of Georgian Bay's recreational boating cluster, with open-water cruising into the bay and protected anchorages along the Tay Reach.
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StrongFreshwater Fishing
Severn Sound and the Tay Reach of Georgian Bay are within Ontario's Fisheries Management Zone 14, the multispecies Georgian Bay zone, with smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, and yellow perch the prevailing targets. Inside the township, Hog Creek (from the CPR bridge downstream to Georgian Bay) and the Sturgeon River and tributaries (Tay and Oro-Medonte townships, including the mouth of the Sturgeon at Georgian Bay) are listed under FMZ 16 with separate regulations. Boat launches along the Tay Reach in Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll, and Waubaushene serve the open-water fishery.
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StrongHeritage & Culture
Sainte-Marie among the Hurons National Historic Site, on Highway 12 just inside Midland's municipal boundary on Tay's western edge, was the headquarters of the Jesuit mission to the Wendat from 1639 to 1649 and was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1920; the present site is a reconstructed 17th-century living museum. Across Highway 12, the Martyrs' Shrine — consecrated in 1926 — commemorates the Jesuit and lay missioners later canonized by the Catholic Church. At Port McNicoll, the harbour where SS Keewatin docked for over a decade marks the former Great Lakes terminus of the CPR steamship line; the ship was relocated to the Great Lakes Museum in Kingston in 2023.
Read field guide arrow_outward15. more outings
surveyed.
Activities supported across Tay without a featured write-up.
- 01
Trail Running
Tay Shore Trail - 02
Camping
frontcountry - 03
Paddling — Sea & Coastal
sea-kayaking - 04
Surf & Wind
windsurfing - 05
Diving & Snorkeling
Available - 06
Swimming & Beach
lake-swim · beach-day - 07
Cross-Country & Nordic
classic-xc - 08
Snow Adventure
snowshoeing - 09
Seasonal Phenomena
fall-colours - 10
Wildlife Viewing
raptor-eagle - 11
Motorized Touring
scenic-drive - 12
Indigenous Experiences
Chippewa Tri-Council territorial framing (Beausoleil, Rama, Georgina Island First Nations) - 13
Food & Drink
farmers-market - 14
Geology & Discovery
Limestone–Canadian Shield contact zone visible in the Matchedash Bay area - 15
Outdoor Education
Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre interpretive education programming
Local operators.
Trusted outfitters, guides, and experience providers in Tay.
Bala Cove Marina
Bala marina renting powerboats, pontoons, PWCs and fishing boats, plus mooring, storage and mechanical service
View on AER arrow_outwardBig Bay SUP Rentals
Stand-up paddleboard rentals in Barrie with 3-hour, day, and weekly rates and optional Centennial Beach delivery
View on AER arrow_outwardBlu Wave SUP
SUP rentals and wing-foil lessons on Wasaga Beach and at Collingwood Harbour, run by Canada's original paddleboard brand
View on AER arrow_outwardBorn To Ride Bicycle
Bike rentals, guided cycling tours, and learn-to-ride lessons across Central Ontario, Canada.
View on AER arrow_outwardDiverse Boat Rentals & Tours
Family-run boat, waverunner, and paddlecraft rentals plus captained charters on Southern Georgian Bay from Penetanguishene's Harbour West Marina
View on AER arrow_outwardForest Bathing With Beth
ANFT-certified forest bathing walks across Simcoe County and an annual French River retreat at The Lodge at Pine Cove
View on AER arrow_outwardFree Spirit Tours
Guided hiking, paddling, caving, and foraging across South Georgian Bay since 1998, based in Collingwood and Wasaga Beach
View on AER arrow_outwardGeorge'N Charters
Captain-led salmon and lake trout fishing charters on southern Georgian Bay out of the Midland Town Dock
View on AER arrow_outwardGlen Oro Farm
Family-run equestrian farm and forest glamping eco-retreat in Hawkestone, 90 minutes north of Toronto in Oro-Medonte
View on AER arrow_outwardGone Fishing Tours
Guided bass and walleye fishing charters on Lake Couchiching and central Ontario lakes
View on AER arrow_outwardTreetop Trekking — Barrie (Horseshoe Valley)
Aerial adventure park at Horseshoe Valley Resort, 20 minutes north of Barrie, with ziplines and night treks
View on AER arrow_outwardLandmark Cruises Inc.
Sightseeing and dining cruises of Georgian Bay and the 30,000 Islands from Penetanguishene aboard the 300-passenger Georgian Legacy
View on AER arrow_outwardMuskoka Stay N' Play Tours
Guided snowmobile, ice fishing, and UTV tours from a Bala-area cottage base adjacent to the OFSC trail network
View on AER arrow_outwardMuskoka Wake
Towed watersports school running wakeboard, wakesurf and e-foil camps and lessons across Muskoka lakes
View on AER arrow_outwardOrillia Boat Tours
Daily Lake Couchiching and Trent-Severn lock cruises from the Port of Orillia boardwalk, max 4–6 passengers
View on AER arrow_outwardOutdoor Junkys Guide Services
20+ year guided open-water and ice fishing on Lake Simcoe, Couchiching, Lake Joseph, and Ontario backlakes
View on AER arrow_outwardRad Adventures
NCCP- and PMBIA-certified mountain bike camps for ages 4–16 across six Blue Mountain and Georgian Bay locations
View on AER arrow_outwardSkydive Wasaga Beach
Tandem and solo-student skydiving over Georgian Bay and Wasaga Beach, Ontario, jumps from 12,500 feet
View on AER arrow_outwardSMART Adventures
Year-round off-road riding tours, lessons, and courses on ATVs, dirt bikes, side-by-sides, and snowmobiles near Barrie
View on AER arrow_outwardSmooth River Guiding
Guided fly-fishing and multi-species angling on south-central Ontario rivers, lakes, and Georgian Bay.
View on AER arrow_outwardSouthwinds Marine
Five-diamond Clean Marine in Collingwood with Boston Whaler and Lund sales, full-service slips, and SUP and kayak rentals
View on AER arrow_outwardTour Muskoka
Guided Side-by-Side and ATV trail tours through Muskoka forest terrain near Foots Bay and Lake Joseph
View on AER arrow_outwardWasaga Adventure Park
Paintball, airsoft, axe throwing, and combat-archery day camps on a 50-acre Elmvale park, an hour north of Toronto
View on AER arrow_outwardWasaga Beach Parasail
Parasail charter flights at Wasaga Beach with Transport Canada–approved crew, open to ages four and up
View on AER arrow_outwardWasaga Watersports
Powered watercraft, kayak, and paddleboard rentals on Georgian Bay at Wasaga Beach, walk-up bookings only
View on AER arrow_outwardWindrift Adventures
Drive your own four-to-six dog team through Ontario winter trails north of Barrie.
View on AER arrow_outwardWye Marsh Wildlife Centre
Guided canoe, kayak, and snowshoe ecotours through a 3,000-acre National Wildlife Area near Midland on Georgian Bay
View on AER arrow_outwardCottage Country Tours
Guided snowmobile tours, rentals for experienced
Visit website arrow_outwardGeorge'N Charters
Visit website arrow_outwardHumdinger Bicycle Tours
Guided and self-guided bike tours, multi-day cycling tours, custom tours, bike rentals, luggage transfer
Visit website arrow_outwardPenetanguishene 30000 Island Cruises
Narrated boat tours of 30,000 Islands (90min-3hr), with food/bar/music
Visit website arrow_outwardTreetop Trekking Barrie
Zipline & aerial adventure park, treetop trekking, kids courses
Visit website arrow_outwardOn the map.
Tayand the local operators we've mapped nearby.
Key resources.
- tay.caTay Shore Trail — Township of Tay (route, access points)
- canada.caWye Marsh National Wildlife Area — Environment and Climate Change Canada
- pc.gc.caSainte-Marie among the Hurons National Historic Site — Parks Canada designation
- ontario.caOntario Fishing Regulations — Fisheries Management Zone 14 (Georgian Bay)