Leith, Ontario
Encyclopedia
The unincorporated village of Leith, named after Leith
, Scotland
, is located on the eastern shore of the Owen Sound, an inlet (sound
) on the south shore of Georgian Bay
on Lake Huron
, about 9 km northeast of the city of Owen Sound, Ontario
in Canada
. Leith was established on the Telfer Creek where it empties into the sound. At one time a pier
capable of serving sailing ships existed on the northeast side of the mouth of the river. However, exposure to the open Georgian Bay to the north-northeast eventually caused the destruction of the pier. All that remains are a collection of old wooden pilings
, serving principally as an obstacle to pleasure boaters.
A superior harbour in the city of Owen Sound eventually led to the total demise of Leith as a commercial port. Today it is partly a suburb of Owen Sound for year-round residents and partly a center for summer cottagers
.
The old Leith Church is the site of the grave of Tom Thomson
, a noted Canadian landscape painter who died in mysterious circumstances at Canoe Lake
in Algonquin Park in 1917. Thomson was a friend of the Group of Seven
, famous landscape painters many of whose works are on permanent display at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection
in Kleinburg, Ontario
. He grew up in Leith.
A plan to incorporate Leith was created in the 19th century but was never executed.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s there were two small general stores in the village and a post office. By 2004 only one of the stores remained and the post office had closed.
Leith is well known for sport fishing. In 1921 sea lamprey
or Lamprey Eel (Petromyzon marinus) invaded the Great Lakes
through the Welland Canal
, though, significantly reducing the numbers of lake trout and whitefish. While the lake trout
have largely vanished from Lake Huron, rainbow trout
and salmon
still exist in the lake. Since 1988 a species native to Asia, zebra mussel
s (Dreissena polymorpha), have invaded the Great Lakes and the Owen Sound area has not been spared. Swimmers at Leith have received cuts to their bare feet from the very sharp shells of these molluscs.
An area on the Georgian Bay
water between Owen Sound and Leith, simply marked with a green buoy
, is known by local salmon and trout anglers as "Thomson's Hole". The fishing hole has garnered some of the area's best fishing and is a popular fishing stop during the Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular Derby. The fishing hole is known for its extreme depth and its plentiful fishing but is also a popular sailing area.
The old Leith Church closed in 1969, as did the old Leith Golf Course in the 1970s. However, since 1992 the church has been maintained by volunteers and is occasionally opened for special events.
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, is located on the eastern shore of the Owen Sound, an inlet (sound
Sound (geography)
In geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord; or it may be defined as a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land ....
) on the south shore of Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
on Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, about 9 km northeast of the city of Owen Sound, Ontario
Owen Sound, Ontario
Owen Sound , the county seat of Grey County, is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Leith was established on the Telfer Creek where it empties into the sound. At one time a pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
capable of serving sailing ships existed on the northeast side of the mouth of the river. However, exposure to the open Georgian Bay to the north-northeast eventually caused the destruction of the pier. All that remains are a collection of old wooden pilings
Deep foundation
A deep foundation is a type of foundation distinguished from shallow foundations by the depth they are embedded into the ground. There are many reasons a geotechnical engineer would recommend a deep foundation over a shallow foundation, but some of the common reasons are very large design loads, a...
, serving principally as an obstacle to pleasure boaters.
A superior harbour in the city of Owen Sound eventually led to the total demise of Leith as a commercial port. Today it is partly a suburb of Owen Sound for year-round residents and partly a center for summer cottagers
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
.
The old Leith Church is the site of the grave of Tom Thomson
Tom Thomson
Thomas John Thomson , also known as Tom Thomson, was an influential Canadian artist of the early 20th century. He directly influenced a group of Canadian painters that would come to be known as the Group of Seven, and though he died before they formally formed, he is sometimes incorrectly credited...
, a noted Canadian landscape painter who died in mysterious circumstances at Canoe Lake
Canoe Lake
-In Canada:* Canoe Lake * Canoe Lake , a lake in northeastern Saskatchewan* Canoe Lake in Algoma District, Ontario**Canoe Lake **Canoe Lake * Canoe Lake...
in Algonquin Park in 1917. Thomson was a friend of the Group of Seven
Group of Seven (artists)
The Group of Seven, sometimes known as the Algonquin school, were a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael , Lawren Harris , A. Y. Jackson , Franz Johnston , Arthur Lismer , J. E. H. MacDonald , and Frederick Varley...
, famous landscape painters many of whose works are on permanent display at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an art gallery in Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada, northwest of Toronto. It houses an extensive collection of paintings by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, and First Nations and Inuit artists....
in Kleinburg, Ontario
Kleinburg, Ontario
-External links:* * *...
. He grew up in Leith.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s there were two small general stores in the village and a post office. By 2004 only one of the stores remained and the post office had closed.
Leith is well known for sport fishing. In 1921 sea lamprey
Sea lamprey
The sea lamprey is a parasitic lamprey found on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America, in the western Mediterranean Sea, and in the Great Lakes. It is brown, gray, or black on its back and white or gray on the underside and can grow up to 90 cm long. Sea lampreys prey on a wide...
or Lamprey Eel (Petromyzon marinus) invaded the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
through the Welland Canal
Welland Canal
The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada that extends from Port Weller, Ontario, on Lake Ontario, to Port Colborne, Ontario, on Lake Erie. As a part of the St...
, though, significantly reducing the numbers of lake trout and whitefish. While the lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
have largely vanished from Lake Huron, rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
and salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
still exist in the lake. Since 1988 a species native to Asia, zebra mussel
Zebra mussel
The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, is a small freshwater mussel. This species was originally native to the lakes of southeast Russia being first described in 1769 by a German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in the Ural, Volga and Dnieper rivers. They are still found nearby, as Pontic and Caspian...
s (Dreissena polymorpha), have invaded the Great Lakes and the Owen Sound area has not been spared. Swimmers at Leith have received cuts to their bare feet from the very sharp shells of these molluscs.
An area on the Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
water between Owen Sound and Leith, simply marked with a green buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
, is known by local salmon and trout anglers as "Thomson's Hole". The fishing hole has garnered some of the area's best fishing and is a popular fishing stop during the Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular Derby. The fishing hole is known for its extreme depth and its plentiful fishing but is also a popular sailing area.
The old Leith Church closed in 1969, as did the old Leith Golf Course in the 1970s. However, since 1992 the church has been maintained by volunteers and is occasionally opened for special events.