Bay of Quinte
Encyclopedia
The Bay of Quinte (ˈkwɪnti) is a long, narrow bay shaped like the letter "Z" on the northern shore of Lake Ontario
in the province of Ontario
, Canada. It is just west of the head of the Saint Lawrence River
that drains the Great Lakes
into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
. It is located about 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) east of Toronto
and 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) west of Montreal
.
The name "Quinte" is derived from "Kente", which was the name of an early French Catholic mission
located on the south shore of what is now Prince Edward County
.
The Bay, as it is known locally, provides some of the best trophy Walleye
angling in North America as well as most sport fish common to the great lakes. The bay is subject to algae blooms in late summer which are a naturally occurring phenomenon and do not indicate pollution other than from agricultural runoff. Zebra mussel
s as well as the other invasive species found in the great lakes are present.
The Quinte area played a vital role in bootlegging during Prohibition in the United States
, with large volumes of booze being produced in the area, and shipped via boat on the Bay to Lake Ontario
finally arriving in New York State where it was distributed. Illegal sales of liquor accounted for many fortunes in and around Belleville
.
Tourism in the area is significant, especially in the summer months due to the Bay of Quinte and its fishing, local golf courses, provincial parks, and wineries.
(although this section is also called Adolphus Reach), where it turns north-northwest for another 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) as far as Deseronto
. From there it turns south-southwest again for another 40 kilometres (24.9 mi), running past Big Island on the south and Belleville
on the north. The width of the bay rarely exceeds two kilometers. The bay ends at Trenton
(Quinte West
) and the Trent River
, both also on the north side. The Murray Canal
has been cut through the "Carrying Place", the few miles separating the end of the bay and Lake Ontario on the west side. The Trent River is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway
, a canal connecting Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe
and then Georgian Bay
on Lake Huron
.
There are several sub-bays off the Bay of Quinte, including Hay Bay, Big Bay, and Muscote Bay.
which is the largest city in the Quinte Region, and represents a mid-point between Montreal
, Ottawa
, and Toronto
.
The Greater Bay of Quinte area includes the municipalities of Brighton, Quinte West, Belleville, Prince Edward County, and Greater Napanee as well as the Native Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Overall population of the area exceeds 200,000.
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
in the province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada. It is just west of the head of the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
that drains the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
. It is located about 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) east of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) west of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
The name "Quinte" is derived from "Kente", which was the name of an early French Catholic mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
located on the south shore of what is now Prince Edward County
Prince Edward County, Ontario
Prince Edward County is a single-tier municipality and a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario.-Geography:Prince Edward County is located in Southern Ontario on a large irregular headland or littoral at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, just west of the head of the St. Lawrence River...
.
The Bay, as it is known locally, provides some of the best trophy Walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
angling in North America as well as most sport fish common to the great lakes. The bay is subject to algae blooms in late summer which are a naturally occurring phenomenon and do not indicate pollution other than from agricultural runoff. Zebra mussel
Zebra mussel
The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, is a small freshwater mussel. This species was originally native to the lakes of southeast Russia being first described in 1769 by a German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in the Ural, Volga and Dnieper rivers. They are still found nearby, as Pontic and Caspian...
s as well as the other invasive species found in the great lakes are present.
The Quinte area played a vital role in bootlegging during Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
, with large volumes of booze being produced in the area, and shipped via boat on the Bay to Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
finally arriving in New York State where it was distributed. Illegal sales of liquor accounted for many fortunes in and around Belleville
Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
.
Tourism in the area is significant, especially in the summer months due to the Bay of Quinte and its fishing, local golf courses, provincial parks, and wineries.
Geography
The northern side of the bay is defined by Ontario's mainland, while the southern side follows the shore of the Prince Edward County headland. Beginning in the east with the outlet to Lake Ontario, the bay runs west-southwest for 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) to PictonPicton, Ontario
Picton is an unincorporated community located in Prince Edward County in southern Central Ontario, Canada. It is the county seat and largest community. Picton is located at the south-western end of Picton Bay, a branch of the Bay of Quinte, which is along the northern shoreline of Lake Ontario...
(although this section is also called Adolphus Reach), where it turns north-northwest for another 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) as far as Deseronto
Deseronto, Ontario
Deseronto is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, in Hastings County, located on the shore of the Bay of Quinte. The town had a population of 1,824 in the Canada 2006 Census.The town was named for Capt...
. From there it turns south-southwest again for another 40 kilometres (24.9 mi), running past Big Island on the south and Belleville
Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
on the north. The width of the bay rarely exceeds two kilometers. The bay ends at Trenton
Trenton, Ontario
Trenton is a community in Southern Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the main population centre in Quinte West....
(Quinte West
Quinte West, Ontario
Quinte West is a city, formerly part of Hastings County, but now a Separated municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, . It is located on the western end of the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario...
) and the Trent River
Trent River (Ontario)
The Trent River is a river in southeastern Ontario which flows from Rice Lake to empty into the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario. This river is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway which leads to Georgian Bay. The river is 90 km long...
, both also on the north side. The Murray Canal
Murray Canal
The Murray Canal is a canal in the Municipalities of Quinte West and Brighton, Ontario, Canada, and runs from the western end of the Bay of Quinte to Presqu’ile Bay which opens into Lake Ontario. It is approximately in length...
has been cut through the "Carrying Place", the few miles separating the end of the bay and Lake Ontario on the west side. The Trent River is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway
Trent-Severn Waterway
The Trent–Severn Waterway is a Canadian canal system formerly used for industrial and transportation purposes and now for recreational and tourism purposes, connecting Lake Ontario at Trenton to the Georgian Bay portion of Lake Huron at Port Severn...
, a canal connecting Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
and then Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
on Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
.
There are several sub-bays off the Bay of Quinte, including Hay Bay, Big Bay, and Muscote Bay.
Quinte Region
Quinte is also a region comprising several communities situated along the Bay of Quinte, including BellevilleBelleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
which is the largest city in the Quinte Region, and represents a mid-point between Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
The Greater Bay of Quinte area includes the municipalities of Brighton, Quinte West, Belleville, Prince Edward County, and Greater Napanee as well as the Native Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Overall population of the area exceeds 200,000.
Communities
- BellevilleBelleville, OntarioBelleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
- Quinte WestQuinte West, OntarioQuinte West is a city, formerly part of Hastings County, but now a Separated municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, . It is located on the western end of the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario...
(Including TrentonTrenton, OntarioTrenton is a community in Southern Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the main population centre in Quinte West....
, the Village of Frankford, Murray Township and Sidney TownshipSidney TownshipSidney Township may refer to:* Sidney Township, Champaign County, Illinois* Sidney Township, Fremont County, Iowa* Sidney Township, Montcalm County, Michigan* Sidney Township, Ontario, now part of Quinte West, Ontario...
) - BrightonBrighton, OntarioBrighton is a town in Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada, approximately east of Toronto and west of Kingston. It is intersected by both Highway 401 and the former Highway 2. It is on the West end of the Bay of Quinte on the entrance of the Murray Canal....
- Shannonville
- Napanee
- DeserontoDeseronto, OntarioDeseronto is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, in Hastings County, located on the shore of the Bay of Quinte. The town had a population of 1,824 in the Canada 2006 Census.The town was named for Capt...
- Tyendinaga Mohawk TerritoryTyendinaga Mohawk Territory, OntarioTyendinaga Mohawk Territory is an 73 km² Mohawk First Nations reserve on the Bay of Quinte in southeastern Ontario, Canada, east of Belleville and immediately to the west of Deseronto...
- Foxboro and Thurlow Township (now part of Belleville)
- Rossmore
- AmeliasburghAmeliasburgh, OntarioAmeliasburg, also known as Ameliasburgh, is a small community in Prince Edward County, Ontario. The poet Al Purdy lived in a cottage on Roblin Lake, adjacent to Ameliasburg, for many years. Several of Purdy's poems, most famously including "Wilderness Gothic", mention features in and around...
- PictonPicton, OntarioPicton is an unincorporated community located in Prince Edward County in southern Central Ontario, Canada. It is the county seat and largest community. Picton is located at the south-western end of Picton Bay, a branch of the Bay of Quinte, which is along the northern shoreline of Lake Ontario...
- Consecon
- Carrying PlaceCarrying Place, OntarioCarrying Place is a community that serves as the gateway to Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. Situated northwest of Picton and just south of Trenton, it was named for its location on the portage between the Bay of Quinte and Weller's Bay on Lake Ontario. The Loyalist Parkway passes through the...
Education
The Quinte Region, specifically the City of Belleville, is home to "Loyalist College of Applied Arts and Technology." Other post-secondary schools in the region include; "Maxwell Technology Institute," "CDI College," "Clarke College," "Ontario Business College," and "Quinte Literacy." Secondary Schools in the region include "Albert College" (private school) and "Sir James Whitney" (a school for the deaf and severely hearing-impaired).Industry and employment
The Quinte Region is home to a large number of national and international food processing manufacturers. Quinte also houses a large number of industries in the plastics & packaging sector, transportation sector, logistics sector and advanced manufacturing sector, including the following (just a few of over 350 industries located in the Bay of Quinte Region) :- Sears Canada and Sears Call Centre - Contact Centre and Distribution Facility
- Stream - Contact Centre
- Autosystems Division of Decoma International - Automotive Parts (lighting)
- Halla Climate Control Canada Ltd. - Automotive Parts
- Procter and Gamble Inc. - Feminine hygiene products
- Kellogg - Breakfast Cereal Manufacturer
- Nestle Canada Inc. - Frozen and dry mix food service products
- Trenton Cold Storage Group Inc. - Refrigerated warehousing and distribution. Custom co-packing
- Parmalat Canada - Black Diamond Cheese Division - Cheese manufacturing and packaging
- Avaya - A telecommunications research and product development centre, providing customers worldwide with advanced communications and networking systems, and creating next-generation internet telephony solutions.
- Research Casting International - Canadian company specializing in molding and casting for the production of museum exhibits
- Cooney Transport Ltd. - Trucking company
- Wellington Mushroom Farm / Highline Produce - Mushroom Farm