Orillia and the Big Chute August 2 - 6

After leaving our overnight spot tied up to the wall at lock 40 we went through Lock 41 and out into Lake Simcoe. Lake Simcoe at 19 miles long by 16 miles wide is the largest body of water on the Trent Severn. It has a reputation of kicking up large waves when the wind blows but our conditions were fairly good. However, an anchorage I stopped at on the northeast shore was a little rough so we went through The Narrows into Lake Couchiching near the town of Orillia. We took the dinghy over to the Municipal Docks to check out where we had a reservation for the next three nights. There was a little fair at a park next to the marina so Kaye wanted to ride the ferris wheel.

The main street of downtown Orrillia started right next to the Port of Orillia marina. There were many stores and restaurants and an excellent bakery (the lemon cake was delicious.) While walking the street I saw this street sign in what looked to be an alley. Later I found out that Orillia is the original home of Gordon Lightfoot, one of my favorite singers.

Every Sunday night the community has a music group in to do a concert at the "band shell". This night was a community band formed that had first formed from ex-high school band members from two Toronto area high schools. Twenty years later they are still performing. It was pleasant view with the lake in the background.

After three nights we resumed our trip heading northwest towards the last part of the waterway.





Another landmark on the Trent Severn waterway is the Big Chute marine railway. This is a special rail car design to move boats from a higher level to the lower water by carrying boats over land and down to the lower level (57' lower). We tied up at a Parks Canada floating dock just above the lock for the night. This allowed me to check out this unique mechanism and see how we would negotiate this "lock" the next day.




This is the railcar loaded with boats at the top of the trip on land. The railcar goes down into the water to pick up the boats that motor into the structure. Once inside you shut off the motor and the operators lift or support the boat with slings positioned underneath. Some boats like sailboats partially sit on their keel with the straps just providing a steadying support.

The railcar actually moves over a highway as it moves from the upper waterway to the lower Little Chute channel. There are two sets of railroad tracks with one end of the car supported by one set and the other end by a set on the other end. A varying height of the rails allowed the rail car to stay level as it moved up and out and then back down into the water. The car was pulled by cables powered out of a building off to the side of the track.

This is the view from our boat the next morning as we were all by ourselves on the second lift of the morning. We are headed back down into the water.

This is the view looking back at the Big Chute where we just left. The railcar is in the water ready to take a load of boats back. You can see the sides of the car and the tracks leading up the hill.

This is the Port Severn Lock - Lock 45. We have now completed 115 locks since we left North Carolina. Kaye couldn't believe we had been through that many locks when I told her the total. Some are just a blur now but as lock veterans we are starting to feel more confident about handling what ever comes.