Long Point, Ontario, CanadaLong Point, Ontario, Canada
Long Point is a unique and beautiful place located on the north shore of lake Erie in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada. It is a 40 km long sand 'spit' and a popular vacation spot. What is a sand 'spit'? It's like a giant sandbar that is continually changing. The width varies -- from very narrow in places to several kilometers. The lake side of the point is entirely sandy beaches while the bay side is marshy. Most of the point is owned by the Long Point Company, a private hunting club. The remaining area consists of Long Point Provincial Park, the Canadian Wildlife Service area at Big Creek, the lighthouse area at the tip and private cottages.
Long Point is renowned all over the
world as a migration stop for birds and waterfowl. The Long Point
Bird Observatory is always busy tracking, tagging and observing
birds. But birds are not the only ones who stop there. Monarch
Butterflies are a popular sight in September when they are making
their long journey to Mexico. There are also a lot of animals
that are always on the point, like deer, squirrels, foxes, mink and lots more. These animals are all part of the biosphere.
Long Point has been recognized by the United Nations as a unique 'biosphere reserve' due to its delicate and varied habitats. A biosphere is a natural balance of air, water, land, plant and animal life. Some people think of Long Point as a giant incubator because of the many different species of plants, insects, amphibians, mammals, fish, reptiles and birds that grow there. Deer ticks also grow in abundance on Long Point which is unfortunate since they carry Lyme disease.
Since Long Point is continually changing,
lighthouses at the end of the point have been hard to keep.
Shifting sand and rough storms have already ruined two. The
recent lighthouse is still in use but it's no longer quite on the
tip. There is one more lighthouse located at the Old Cut. The
cut, a water passage across the point, was created during a
violent storm and was used by boats as a shortcut for several
years until another storm filled it half in. Today the Old Cut
lighthouse is no longer needed and is privately owned. The
remaining 'Old Cut' is used for boat docking.
Long Point is known as the 'graveyard' of the Great Lakes. The sand bars around the point hold hundreds of shipwrecks. Jutting 40 km into Lake Erie, Long point is a navigational hazard, particularly in poor weather. It is possible to walk the beach of Long Point and occasionally find a piece of a ship that the shifting sand has uncovered.
Long Point is an excellent vacation area providing long sandy beaches, shallow water, sand bars, excellent boating and fishing in the bay and an excellent bird and insect observing area.