Bruce Peninsula National Park Expanded

Parks Canada has purchased over 32 hundred acres of land on the Bruce Peninsula near Tobermory.
The land is at Driftwood Cove and is one of the largest privately-held parcels of land in the Georgian Bay area. Located along the rugged coast of Georgian Bay, the park is a Canadian gem: It contains limestone coasts, cliff side cedars, clear-water lakes, and is home to black bears, barred owls and a variety of bird species.
The property features 6.5 kilometres of uninterrupted Georgian Bay shoreline, which represents 22 per cent of the park's coast, and is home to at least 10 federally listed species at risk including the Massassauga rattlesnake, some of the oldest trees in eastern North America, and dozens of ecologically, geologically and culturally significant cave systems.
The property forms a significant part of the UNESCO Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve and contains an 8-kilometre section of the world-famous Bruce Trail, which stretches 900 kilometres from the Niagara River to Tobermory.



The expansion of Bruce Peninsula National Park good news for the protection of this unique piece of Ontario that juts out into Georgian Bay between Wiarton and Tobermory such unspoilt areas do need to be protected for future generations. However for local residents the news may no be so good given the possible increase of visitors to the park and the general area given the single already overly busy highway leading to the area.
For those unfamiliar with the area the Bruce Peninsula is a 75km narrow spit of very scenic land jutting into the lake about a 2 hour drive north of the Toronto / Kitchener area. Naturally it is a popular summertime destination for those trying to get away from the big city however once north of the town of Wiarton at the base of the peninsular it is not a pleasant drive. The MS Chi-Cheemaun is the car ferry that travels several times a day from the tip of the peninsular at Tobermory to South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island where a short drive across the island links travelers to northern Ontario eliminating a long drive around via Barrie to the south east.
 

 Unfortunately this popular 'short cut' creates some major problems for both locals and visitors those traveling the highway due partly to the sheer volume of traffic on this single access road but more importantly to the impatience of far to many of the drivers using the ferry crossing. A good friend who had occasion to travel up the Tobermory Hyperbaric Facility on a regular basis last year and on occasion again this year had to take evasive action due to oncoming traffic in his lane numerous times and was in fact run off the road twice by idiot drivers. The single road and the high volume of traffic going to and from the ferry along with the timeing of the departures leads to an almost constant traffic flow during summer daylight hours on this route, add a mix of folks in a rush to meet the ferry and tourists who may be less inclined to speed and you have a recipe for disaster.
For example recently it was a busy weekend for the Bruce Peninsula OPP. This small detachment responded to over 200 calls for service on the Canada Day weekend, with 94 of the calls received on July 1. Police received 42 traffic complaints, including for speeding, unsafe passing and distracted driving. Three drivers were charged for stunt driving more than 50 km/h over the speed limit. My friend who lives near Hwy 6 leading to the Bruce hears the ambulance heading north to yet another 'accident' far to often, he does not hear the coroners passing by but they are also regulars along that highway!

Bottom line..... do enjoy our scenic bit of Ontario but Hwy 6 is not the 401 so dont drive like it is, take your time and arrive alive.