Craigleith offers room to breathe and breathtaking beauty - stunning views of Blue Mountains and sparkling Georgian Bay
CRAIGLEITH was once known as Shalefield, in recognition of the shale along its Georgian Bay shoreline. The family of Sir Sandford Fleming, celebrated as the 'Father of Standard Time,' is said to have named the area Craigleith, the Gaelic term for 'rocky harbour.' In1854, Sir Sandford settled his parents, brothers and sister on a lot originally owned by the area’s first settler, John Brazier.
IN 1859, William Pollard began a unique oil extraction business, the only one of its kind in Ontario. For four years, he distilled up to 32 tonnes of shale daily, yielding 950 litres of crude oil, which was refined into illuminating and heavy lubricating oils. The enterprise closed down when Pollard was unable to compete with “free” oil produced more cheaply in the Petrolia area of Lambton County in southwestern Ontario. A historical plaque at the east end of Craigleith Provincial Park marks the site of the Craigleith Shale Oil Works.
THE STEAMER Mary Ward ran aground on a reef off Craigleith on Nov. 24, 1872. A plaque in Craigleith Provincial Park tells the story of a dramatic rescue by local men, who risked their lives when they set out in small boats to rescue passengers left behind when the crew set out in lifeboats.
Craigleith, located on the shore of Georgian Bay between the Blue Mountains of the Niagara Escarpment just west of Collingwood, is a growing four-season resort celebrated for its natural beauty, non-stop recreational opportunities and handsome chalet and beach-style residences.
The beach and ski playground is part of the Town of the Blue Mountains, created in 1998 from the former Town of Thornbury and the Township of Collingwood. Craigleith is located east of Thornbury, near the village of Clarksburg and the hamlet of Camperdown (
see separate profiles on Thornbury and Camperdown).
According to the 2006 Census, the full-time population of Blue Mountains is 6,825. But the town estimates the total population, including seasonal residents, is closer to 13,000. According to Census data, Blue Mountains is home to nearly 3,000 full-time seniors, with another 3,000 calling the area home on a part-time basis. The median age is 50.6, compared to 39 for Ontario.
Big development plans for tiny village
The village of Craigleith is growing by leaps and bounds, with several resort communities either under construction or in the planning stages. One of those developments, which is being held up by archeological concerns, envisions the creation of a new community with 1,600 residential units, 300 hotel units, three golf courses and a commercial village core on a massive 1,532-acre site to the southeast of Craigleith, near Collingwood’s western border.
The rate of development in Blue Mountains, and in particular the Craigleith-Camperdown area, is raising alarm bells among environmentalists. The low-lying plain between the Niagara Escarpment and Nottawasaga Bay consists of a series of steep-sided, flat-floored valleys which were flooded by glacial Lake Algonquin and contain sensitive wetlands.
The area is steeped in history, with five registered archeological sites affiliated with the Petun, an Iroquoian tribal group that occupied the Blue Mountains region between 1550 and 1650.
Meanwhile, the shoreline is a paleontologist’s dream: the fossilized remains of trilobites, an extinct marine animal, in the exposed bedrock are the prime attraction of Craigleith, which is one of few places in southern Ontario where the 450-million-year-old Blue Mountain shale has been exposed.
Take a waterfront hike on the Georgian Trail
Today, that flat rock is used as a launching pad for sailboards, fishing — trout and salmon are plentiful — or watching a spectacular sunset. The Georgian Trail takes hikers along the shoreline between Collingwood and Meaford, with Craigleith the perfect mid-point for a break at the beautiful Craigleith Provincial Park or a swim at Northwinds Beach, which is famous for its windsurfing.
In winter, it’s all about skiing and snowboarding, with several ski clubs in the area, including the private Craigleith Ski Club, where the slopes provide the perfect lookout across Georgian Bay from the Niagara Escarpment.
There are also plenty of snowshoeing opportunities, with the Bruce Trail passing through the area and acres of woods and forests to explore.
Craigleith, home to the Heritage Depot, one of the last remaining wooden CNR stations, is the keeper of Blue Mountains’ local history. According to the town, the Depot owes its existence to the famous Fleming family.
More than one famous Fleming in Craigleith
Sir Sandford Fleming’s father, A.G. Fleming, sold a parcel of land to the Northern Railway in 1872 for the purpose of building a railway station. The station opened in 1880 and, “In a direction quite unforeseen by the Flemings, the little station became the hub of ski trains from Toronto in the early 1940s, and planted the seeds for what was to become Ontario’s premier ski and four season recreational destination.”
Another Fleming, Sir Sandford’s great-nephew, George Fleming, is credited with creating one of Craigleith’s most prestigious neighbourhoods. Fleming in the 1990s developed the historical Nipissing Ridge, set above Georgian Bay amid forests and parkland. A home on the ridge recently sold for $1,345,000.
Recently listed waterfront property in Craigleith included a ski in-ski out chalet with 463 square feet of space and one-bedroom, one-bath for $79,900. A one-bedroom condo across the road from Georgian Bay was listed for $123,900, with 560 square feet of space. You could have your own 1950 ski chalet bungalow in the woods with 410 square feet for $139,000, or a 2,200-square-foot chalet with some views of the Nottawasaga Bay from the upper floors for $409,000. If your budget is unlimited, $2,795,000 will buy you a two-storey luxury condo with 5,000 square feet of space and views over Georgian Bay.