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town in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada
(Redirected from Port Elgin (Ontario))
North America > Canada > Ontario > Southwestern Ontario > Bruce County > Saugeen Shores

Saugeen Shores is a town in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. The town is popular with visitors because of its beaches on Lake Huron, and the availability of summer cottages. It is also close to MacGregor Point Provincial Park, which has a seven-kilometre stretch of coast, coastal wetlands, forests, and dunes.

Formed in 1998, it includes the two main population centres of Port Elgin and Southampton, as well as portion of the village of Burgoyne and the North Bruce area.

Understand

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Downtown Southampton
A view looking west from F Dock in Port Elgin Harbour. Bruce County has some of the most beautiful sunsets anywhere.

The name "Saugeen" is the corrupted form of the word Zaagiing in the language of the Chippewas of Saugeen Ojibway Territory, meaning "at the river's outlet" or "at the mouth of the river".

The area that is now Port Elgin was settled by Europeans in 1849, when Lachlan McLean ("Loch Buie") built a shanty and lived in it for the winter. For several years he ran a tavern, his patrons consisting primarily of settlers and sailors passing through the little port. In spring 1852 George Butchart built a dam and saw-mill on Mill Creek.

According to an Ontario historic plaque, Butchart sold the mill to Benjamin Shantz who built a grist-mill, and within three years a community of 250 people had developed around these mills. Stores, hotels and tanneries were constructed and in March 1857, a village plot named Port Elgin was laid out. The enterprise of its businessmen, notably Henry Hilker, Samuel Bricker and John Stafford, contributed to the development of the settlement, which had a population of over 600 by 1867. The arrival of the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway in 1872 further stimulated the growth of the community and it was incorporated as a village in 1874 with a population of about 950." By 1854, the community had three houses, a tavern, and mill. Shops, churches, schools, and roads followed, and ten years later the population totalled six hundred and thirty. Early industries included a steam sawmill, foundry, and woolen mill. In 1873, the railway arrived, allowing Southampton and Port Elgin products to travel out into the world.

Southampton was founded by Captains John Spence and William Kennedy in 1848.

Commercial fishing and coastal trade drove the economy, with the Saugeen River and Lake Huron making for ideal transportation before roads had been built. Its name was changed from Saugeen in 1858. The Chantry Island Lightstation Tower (off Southampton) was completed in April 1859, guiding sailors clear of the underwater boulders that make navigation dangerous. Southampton was incorporated as a town in 1904; at the time, its population was 2,400. The economic base included furniture factories, a tannery and a sawmill. The town built a hospital in 1947, a post office in 1952, a library in 1956, an arena in 1961 (replaced in 1977) and a new firehall in 1974.

On January 30, 1998, the provincial government amalgamated the Towns of Southampton and Port Elgin, together with Saugeen Township, to form the Town of Port Elgin-Saugeen-Southampton. On December 17, 1998, the Province of Ontario renamed the entity as the Town of Saugeen Shores.

Visitor information

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  • 1 Port Elgin Visitor Information Centre, 559 Goderich Street, Port Elgin. M-F 9AM-5PM. There is a 24-hour self-serve information kiosk outside the building. This location is a bicycle-friendly business next to an electric car charging station. (updated Aug 2024)
  • Visit Port Elgin tourism website
  • Visit Southampton tourism website
  • Saugeen Shores Town Council website

Get in

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Map
Map of Saugeen Shores

By boat

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Port Elgin Harbour
  • 1 Port Elgin Harbour, 132 Elgin Street, Port Elgin (harbour office), ☏ +1 519-832-2008 x155. Located 6 km (4 mi) south of Southampton and 16 km (10 mi) north of Bruce Nuclear Power Development, a large complex visible offshore. The harbour supports the following vessels with a maximum draft of 10 ft and maximum length of 150 ft. (updated Aug 2024)

By bus

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By car

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Saugeen Shores is located on Highway 21, about 40 km (25 mi) west of Owen Sound and 225 km (140 mi) northwest of Toronto.

In the winter, blowing and drifting snow frequently causes dangerous driving conditions. Occasionally conditions require the highway to be closed to traffic. Check the weather forecast, road conditions and road closures before leaving. Make sure your car tires are in good condition, and travel with clothes appropriate to the weather.

Get around

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Most people get around by car, bike or foot.

  • 1 Chantry Island Lighthouse, 89 Saugeen Street, Southampton, ☏ +1 519-797-5862, toll-free: +1-866-797-5862, . Accessible only by tour boat, Chantry Island lies approximately a kilometer off the shore of Southampton. Tours to this lighthouse require pre-booking and pre-payment, with only authorized tour groups permitted on the island. Chantry Island Lightstation Tower (Q27990784) on Wikidata Chantry Island Lighthouse on Wikipedia (updated Aug 2024)
  • Sunset. Regarded as one of the best places in Ontario to watch the sunset. From Northshore Park to the harbour and along the public beachfront, sunset viewing vistas are plentiful. The hard surface pathways make easy walking too. (updated Aug 2024)
  • 1 MacGregor Point Provincial Park, 1593 Bruce Road 33, ☏ +1 519-389-9056. Recreational activities include camping, hiking, cycling, canoeing, and kayaking. Some carnivorous plants grow in the park. Rare dwarf lake iris and the elusive spotted turtle appear in the spring. Migrating birds, including the black-crowned night heron and the great egret, have been spotted as well. MacGregor Point Provincial Park (Q6721919) on Wikidata MacGregor Point Provincial Park on Wikipedia (updated Aug 2024)
  • Saugeen Rail Trail. Multi-use trail linking Southampton and Port Elgin along a historic railway route (updated Aug 2024)

Beaches

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Southampton Beach

Beaches listed from south-to-north along Lake Huron.

Golf

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Drink

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Sleep

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Bed & Brekfasts/Inns

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Hotels & motels

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Connect

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Go next

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Routes through Saugeen Shores
Owen Sound ← Sauble Beach ←  N  S  → Kincardine → Goderich


This city travel guide to Saugeen Shores is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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