Port Severn
Port Severn is a small village located on the western end of Severn River which flows from Lake Couchiching into Georgian Bay. Port Severn is a popular tourist destination along the Trent Severn Waterway, and loved for its natural beauty, outdoor activities, and scenic views of Georgian Bay.
Port Severn is located on Highway 400 75 km S of Parry Sound, 58 km N of Barrie, and 38 km NW of Orillia. That stretch of Highway 400 is part of the detour between Toronto and the Main Trans-Canada Route (Highway 17 across Ontario) and the Southern Route of the Trans-Canada though Ottawa and Peterborough..
Port Severn History
The area around Port Severn was originally inhabited by the Ojibwa people who called it Shrinkage.
In the early 1800s, the area attracted the lumber industry, who floated logs down the Severn River to the mills at the mouth of the river. In 1873, the Georgian Bay Lumber Company established a sawmill in the area, which became the largest mill in Ontario. The mill brought a lot of new settlers to the area, and the town of Port Severn was established.
In 1900, the Grand Trunk Railway was extended to Port Severn, which brought more economic growth to the area. The town became a popular destination for tourists and vacationers looking to escape the city and enjoy the natural beauty of the Georgian Bay.
In the 1920s, the construction of the Trent-Severn Waterway, a 386-kilometer canal system that connects Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay, further increased the tourism industry in Port Severn.