Arriving in the shadow of the cliffs you will disembark and start your clamber to the top while Eagle staff light a fire and prepare your shore lunch. The less ambitious may choose instead to hike along this secluded beach, evocative of that special quality shared by remote beaches around the world.

Return to the scents of outdoor food and the vision of the driftwood fire readying its hot coals for your dessert of roasted

marshmallows. Lunch-time!

Swim if you want or wait for the handrail tour back, hugging the shore, where you can choose your spot to splash in the clear waters of Georgian Bay.

On November 24th, 1872, the Mary Ward ran aground on a shoal 4 kilometers off Northwinds Beach in Craigleith, near Collingwood. That fateful night a dramatic story unfolded, of mystery, intrigue, heroism, and human failing in a disaster that left 8 people dead and the ship permanently entombed in the graveyard of the reef.

The ship had been recently purchased by businessmen in Owen Sound to carry salt, coal, and hardware from Sarnia to Collingwood. In Tobermory, passengers were picked up from the Cumberland, whose Captain had decided it was too late to brave the waters of Lake Superior as originally planned.

The waters were calm and there was a warm southwest breeze when she ran aground in the early evening. Around midnight, a fierce storm blew up and panic set in.

Listen to the story of the boat and the people on it and how some of them played a role in the stories of Collingwood and Canada. Come with us and see first-hand the location of the disaster and appreciate more what happened that night as you tour the wreck. Imagine being a passenger reconciled to your fate as huge waves broke over the boat and it began to break up.

The wreck is resting in shallow water so it can be snorkeled. A glass-bottomed kayak allows you to view the wreck from the surface as it magnifies everything below.

Motorboat tours run by appointment from Collingwood. Reservations are recommended. Special rates for groups and families. Have lunch at the wreck.